Grandchildren – Page 3

Give Your Tree A New Look

September 26, 2010 by rickety 7 Comments

Steven visited yesterday evening and with his brothers gave my tree a new look. Above are before and after photographs. The women were safely occupied with General Relief Society Meeting so we wouldn’t be disturbed for two hours. Fir sprucing up my conifer I wood need tree handsaws and three sons.

Aurora said it would be OK to prune the tree just a little

Steven said that if we do it wrong it will grow back in ten or twenty years anyway

Paul didn't say anything

Jake said you all will need a drink

I said this will look really different

The tree said this is not a good thing

The Visiting Teachers will probably say they have some shade while they wait for Jill to get home

Paul still didn't say anything

Collateral damage

Too bad this is not covered under lawn care

Later in the evening we began to drag

Mission accomplished

I had a request to post any videos I had of this project. I will publish them in a few hours. Jill walked past the tree in the dark four times last night to help load Steven’s car. She didn’t notice that we had given the tree a new look. This morning while Jake and I were watching the tree videos she heard “Tree” and “Chop” in the same sentence. Jill went outside and saw the results of our efforts.

Jill said she was astonished by our work.

Our Grandchildren at Hogle Zoo

September 12, 2010 by rickety 3 Comments

Last Wednesday, along with Adelaide and Jill, I took my three grandchildren to Hogle Zoo. It hasn’t been long since we took Bryson to the zoo. Cassandra, the newborn, slept most of the time but she did wake up near the end. Aurora and Bryson seemed to have fun. There are a lot of new sights and sounds for them to see and hear. Aurora and Bryson got to ride the roundabout, the train, and the lions.

We saw the baby elephant, Zuri, but we didn’t see the zoo’s black bears (Tuff, Cubby, and Dale) because they have been sent to the Oregon Zoo. What we did see was their home being demolished to make way for the new Rocky Shores Exhibit. According to the Deseret News, the new exhibit

will be an extensive multi-animal habitat featuring polar bears, sea lions, seals and possibly other bears. Up-close viewing of the animals as they swim by will be possible through glassed areas, as well as views from ground level in a habitat depicting the physical, cultural and social landscape of the western shores of North America. (“Hogle Zoo send away three bears to make way for construction,” Deseret News, May 2, 2010)

Read Cassandra’s report of the zoo visit in Cassie’s World…It’s a Jungle Out There!

Feeding Farmington Fowl

September 5, 2010 by rickety Leave a Comment

Bryson is learning to feed the ducks, or in this instance, geese. His coaches are Jill and Susan. They are at Farmington Pond. It appears these fowl will not wait long in a breadline. If you cannot see the video, click here.

Bryson Visits Hogle Zoo

August 21, 2010 by rickety 2 Comments

Last Wednesday Jill and I took Bryson to visit Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City. The weather was cooler than normal, making the afternoon temperatures just right. We enjoyed seeing the animals with Bryson and took a few photographs and a video. Click on the images to enlarge.

Merry Go Round Video

Cassandra Is Blessed

August 8, 2010 by rickety 2 Comments

Last Sunday the family gathered to the Lakeview Ward for the blessing of Cassandra Willoughby. For my readers unfamiliar with the naming and blessing of children I will explain. Under the direction of the presiding authority (in our case today it was Bishop Macrum), brethren who hold the Melchizedek Priesthood may participate in the ordinance of naming and blessing children (see Doctrine & Covenants 20:70). When blessing a baby, brethren gather in a circle and place their hands under the baby. Normally the father follows these steps:

Addresses our Heavenly Father.
States that the ordinance is performed by the authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood.
Gives the child a name.
Adds words of blessing as the Spirit directs.
Closes in the name of Jesus Christ.

After the meeting we relocated to Steven and Adelaide’s home to eat. Following are a few of the photographs taken by Steven and Adelaide. Click on the images to enlarge.

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Wasatch Mountain State Park

August 7, 2010 by rickety 3 Comments

I wanted to take my grandchildren camping so I made reservations for two campsites. I then invited the parents to go and before the day was out they were ready for the trip. So last weekend we went to Wasatch Mountain State Park. We camped overnight at Little Deer Creek Campground.

Here are a few of the photographs and videos taken by Steven, Jill, and Rick. Click on the images to enlarge. If you cannot see the videos, click here.

We unloaded and pitched the tents. We were only staying overnight but it seemed like we had food for a week. That’s Jill by the picnic table. The campsites were large, had running water, and some had shade. We had quite a view.

I brought plenty of wood for a fire to cook our hot-dogs.

Aurora was ready to eat…

…just about anything.

After we ate Bryson and Aurora put to good use the local materials that were lying around. Aurora used her truck to level the ground.

We had lots of adults to go around when the grandchildren needed to be held. Here is Sarah with Aurora.

Steven with Cassandra. Steven is the one on the right.

Derek with Bryson.

And me.

We retired to our tents while Jake slept out in the open.

In the morning, before breakfast, Derek took Bryson for a walk.

Jake is a handy guy to have around when you are hungry for some ham.

Sarah appears to be enjoying her breakfast.

Any left for me?

Before noon we broke camp and drove a few miles onto federal land to visit Cascade Springs in Uinta National Forest. The trail through Cascade Springs consists primarily of a raised boardwalk which crosses over a series of clear shallow pools. Calcite mineral deposits accumulated and formed terraces over which the water cascades.

Adelaide holds Cassandra, who didn’t really want to see running water just right now.

Jill loves the outdoors…

…while Cassandra has yet to make up her mind.

I do believe we will go camping again. There is no better way to spend the weekend than with family.

The water coming from the springs has made a long journey from limestone caverns deep within the earth. Forced through cracks and fissures, the water emerges here as “travertine”. The deposits have gradually accumulated to make the terraces for the pools at Cascade Springs. Approximately seven and one-half million gallons flow from the springs each day.

Chair Race

August 4, 2010 by rickety 4 Comments

My grandchildren Aurora and Bryson never sit still for long, even when you give them both a chair. Video and crash sound effects by Jill.
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Independence Day Kaysville Rotary Run For Reading 5K

July 3, 2010 by rickety 1 Comment

Davis High School Flag

This morning was the Independence Day Kaysville Rotary 12th Annual 10K and 5K Run / 5K Walk “Run for Reading” at the Davis High School Stadium. In 2009 there were 873 participants who entered, beating the previous year by over 200 runners. The proceeds of the $15 race registration will go towards the purchase of “I Like Me” reading books for Kaysville area elementary school children.

I was there to take a few photographs. Click on the images to enlarge.

Before the race

Sarah's with her friend Jennifer and her husband

Sarah, Derek, Jill, and Bryson

Bryson was not too thrilled at the early morning start to the race

Start of the 5K segment

Jill at the finish (39:25:00)

Derek, Sarah, and Bryson at the finish

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A Sister For Aurora

June 28, 2010 by rickety 3 Comments

At 3:49 am Jill received this text message from Steven:

Six pounds eleven ounces. Nineteen inches. Born at three twenty eight. We’re all doing well.

We went to see the new baby for a few minutes. Adelaide said that they went to the hospital at 12:30 and because three other women arrived at the same time, she wasn’t in her room until 1:30 am. Two hours later a little sister for Aurora was born.

Congratulations Adelaide and Steven!

Update Her name is Cassandra.

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