Happy Birthday David

Today is our second son's, David, birthday. It has been so long ago that he was with us. No, I can't say that because there have been several times over the years that I have felt him and I know that he still lives. Times when we have the whole family together, I feel him with us. He was with my Dad at his passing and the strongest time was in the temple as Mark received his endowments. He would have been thirty three today. I guess I will never stopped wondering what our lives would be like or his if he would have stayed here on earth. I know that he will have this earth life again and I eagerly look forward to that day when I pray I'm allowed to finish raising him.
Over the past month I have been working on his journal. I decided that for my ten hour project for Personal Progress in Faith I would retype his journal and then add all the pictures we have of him into the document. By doing this David's family will get a chance to learn about him and share in his short life. Les can only remember a very little about him, mostly about the day of the accident. I chose this for faith hoping that some day if some one else goes through this heartache maybe it will give them hope and peace. I did this for the rest of the kids a couple of years ago with only a select few pictures. I had forgotten a lot about my second son. Things that I promised myself that I would never forget. Even just going through the pictures, memories have flooded my mind and I'm looking forward to spending this day in celebrating his life. I know I have said this before but oh, how grateful I am for the journals that I kept. Memories are so hard to hold onto. They are like water that easily slips through our fingers. We must contain them and the only way to do that is to record them.

As I have done family history and gone over the family group sheets of my ancestors I have seen how many children died and I have often wondered how that impacted their lives. These are life changing events. Events that will either make or break you. Events that will draw us closer to our Father, to all our children really belong to, or we pull away blaming Him. I pray that no one else will feel the sting of losing a child but I also know that there isn't a greater feeling in the world knowing that one of your children is so perfect that they didn't need to endure this earth life and they have already earned their exaltation. Because of this knowledge it gives me greater encouragement to be better, to grow stronger, and to live my life better.

I love you David and I miss you.

In the pictures, the top one is the last one taken of David, two weeks before his death. The middle one is of Les, Nicholas, and David the first of September. We were getting ready to move into our new home. The last is of David close to his first and only birthday.

Happy Birthday Emmett

Today is our seventh grandson's first birthday. Has it really been a year since he came into our lives? It doesn't seem possible. I'm missing being with him today, helping him to celebrate this first birthday but I hope that he will understand.

He has come a long ways in just a year. I remember nights of rocking him, keeping him quiet so as to give his Mom a couple more hours of sleep. There is nothing to compare to rocking a newborn baby.
He is trying to walk and just a month ago he cut his first teeth. From what I hear he is crawling all over the house.
He is a little sweetheart and we miss him a great deal. We are grateful for the pictures Cyrena sends to us. We haven't seen him since last August but hopefully that will change in June.

We love you Emmett and again Happy Birthday!!!

Happy Birthday Dad

The first thought that came to my mind this morning was, it is Dad's birthday. He would have been eighty-one today. He has been gone from this earth life for eighteen months. But he hasn't been gone from my mind. He as well as Mom have been in my thoughts, just as strong as they were when they lived here. I have been thinking a lot of all my memories of my parents and I'm going to start writing them down. My father gave so much and received so little in return. Several times while I was growing up he would work three jobs just to provide for his family and still take the time to be with us. Many times in his last remaining year he would ask me if that bothered me and I told him that he was always there for me. It was the quality not the quantity. While sitting around the campfire on Saturday my sons talked a little bit about their Grandpa and how it was at times like these that they missed him the most. They, we all still miss him so much. Every time Paul and I go camping or for a ride on his four-wheeler I can't help but think about my parents and at times even feel them with us. My parents are a great example and today I celebrate my Father's life, for I know that he lives and is still with me.

I tried to fix this picture but I couldn't. I hope that you can see a little bit. It is a picture of my Dad's family while he was growing up.
I had to post this picture because whenever you would look at Dad he would have his finger under his nose. No matter where he was, even driving.
I love you Dad!

Easter weekend is back!!!

For the past couple of years we haven't been able to celebrate Easter in the traditions from the past. Last year I was in Illinois with Cyrena celebrating Emmett's birth. This year Paul and I decided that nothing was going to stop us, even the weather. For our campsite we chose a place below the Dinosaur Quarry. It brought back memories of the time we went in 1989. The wind blew just as hard and rain fell. Our family camped in tents in that year. It made for a long night but we still enjoyed it. Nicholas, Brittany, and Hunter went out with us on Thursday night. Friday morning was beautiful for a little while and we had fun with Hunter playing Transformers and I spy. We tried to find a lizard for him but I guess the lizards knew that it wasn't spring yet. Silly us.

Nicholas picked up his kids Friday at noon and brought them down. They were able to play a little while with Hunter before he had to go with his Dad. Kassy, their boys and her little brother Brian also came camping. We had kids running all over, just the way I like it. Mark, Tara, and Van came down on Saturday morning, just in time for breakfast.

Kyler, Lexie, and Ashton didn't have a chance to color their eggs so on Saturday we decided that they had better get it done so the Easter Bunny could hide them.
Every year while camping with my family, my Dad would always cook breakfast. Paul is carrying on the tradition but he is teaching the next generation. Of course they love helping Grandpa. This is Kyler, Lexie, and Josh.
Ashton really felt grown up even though he lost a couple of the sausages on the ground. They are hard to control.
Paul and I took the kids out for a ride to look for dinosaurs. We didn't find any dinosaurs but Grandpa did find a pocket knife. Of course he gave it to Kyler. Kyler is so excited about this knife but he can't have it yet because Grandpa needs to sharpen it(or dull it) before he can have it. He acts like he has a million dollars and is now so grown up.
While on our ride the Easter Bunny came dropping candy, eggs, and toys. The kids were so excited. The adults worked so hard building a egg rolling hill. They even had tunnels. Josh didn't want to stop rolling eggs, even when there wasn't nothing left but the yokes.
The highlight of any trip is of course the four-wheelers. They kids are always eager to go for rides, no matter how cold it is. They love even sitting on them.
Alex loved camping as long as he was able to be in the trailer where he could get down and play.
Van is learning to pull himself up and walk around things. He also loved being inside.
We did take the two little boys out for a little while and we broke them in to what camping is all about, the best things of life, sticks and rocks.
Our little darlings, missing three. Oh, how we miss them!
It was a great weekend and the grandkids didn't want to leave. They were able to run, play, dig holes to plant sunflower seeds and to help keep the fire going. This is what life is all about. I'm so grateful that we did this. We are building memories for the next generation.

Happy Birthday Lexie

Yesterday was our only Granddaugther Lexie Marie Oveson's fourth birthday. Because of this she is our very special pretty princess and she knows it. She has really grown up lately. She loves dressing up. She loves pretty dresses and especially shoes. For right now she is into Barbies and the other day I found all of Cyrena's old Barbies and she couldn't wait until she could come over to play. Most of the gifts she received on Saturday were Barbies and things to do with them. She is such a mother hen watching over Ashton and trying to also take care of Kyler even though he really has a problem with that. We love this little girl. I'm looking forward to when she gets old enough to be a shopping buddy. Then look out malls!

Brittany had fixed Lexie's hair all up. She normally loves to leave it hanging but for this she was a princess with even a crown in her hair.
This is the cake that I made for her. Of course it is Barbie and pink!
I love her look as she opened up her present from Mark and Tara, it was Tinkerbell flip flops. They always give the best presents. She also loves Tinkerbell, except in pink.
For the party we went bowling and the kids loved every minute of it. This is Kyler's bowling form.
As we finished up the games we were shocked with the scores. All three of Nicholas' kids tied at 87 and Josh outscored everyone else, even the adults with 122. Of course they all had a little help from the bumper pads. Lexie's ball would take the longest to go down the alley. But she did manage to get a couple of strikes as well as the other kids.

We really had a great time spent together as a family helping Lexie celebrate this very special day.

Junior Prom

Friday night Paul and I attended Emery High School's annual Junior Prom. We arrived early and while waiting for the Promenande we talked about our Junior Proms and also that of our children's. I could even remember who the kids each took to Prom. Oh, the memories. So today while waiting for time to go in to work I found some of the pictures from my Prom and here they are.

I found this dress in Provo while on a speech meet. My parents had told me to go shopping. When I found it, I fell in love, but I was greatly concerned because it cost $35.00. I put $5.00 down to hold it. That was a lot of money for my parents. I told them about it and my Dad surprised me with it the following Monday. I loved my dress and I still have it. I just wish I could still wear it. I was also surprised to see it in the Seventeen magazine. I have offered it to the young women to wear but so far I haven't had any takers. I can't remember who painted the mural behind me. It was on one end of the old gym.
Paul was my date. Our theme was Pieces of April. It was held on April 13th. Our bad luck for the night was the band didn't show up. Our theme was on the other end.
Our class worked hard on lowering the ceiling by creating a patchwork of pastel colors out of streamers. The hooks are still in the bricks of the gym. Even back then we did a promenade. I danced with Wayne Nielsen. For those who may read this who are my age will also recognize David Fielder and I think the girl is Ruth Fugate. Also David Bott and I not sure of the girl in purple, Lori could that have been you? Behind my head is my cousin Phillip Bell and Joy Lynn Dale. Who would of guessed that both of their lives would have been cut short.

It is always great to go down memory lane.

Happy Birthday Hunter

Today is Hunter's fifth birthday. We are so excited to him in our family. We don't get much of a chance to spend much time with him but I'm sure we will in the future. He is a typical little boy who loves Transformers and playing on the Wii. He is in pre-school and getting ready for kindergarten this fall. He loves to hang out with his mom and his grandpa, Doug.

He had his party on Saturday at the Wave Pool in Price. We didn't make it because that was the same day as Alex's and we really felt bad about it. I know that he had a lot of fun as well as his brother Kyler.

So Happy Birthday to him and we love him.