Summer 2012

     Summer finally came and we took off immediately for North Dakota to take dad back to see his sister.  San decided to go with us.  It was a quick, but nice trip and we got to see family and visit dad's old hometown of East Grand Forks, MN.  The rising of Devil's Lake is a sight to behold in itself.  There was 24 hour construction going on around Helen's house to try and manage all the water and save the roads and town.  Helen is 88 and wants us to return for her 90th birthday.  She is doing great and I could see her celebrating 100.

I made Helen this coin purse as a thank you (I've done many of them).  Came home to my rose bush in bloom.

Quinn putting by the "lone Cyprus" .  It was foggy that morning, but the ocean is over the edge.

Sand Hollow

     Came home and immediately turned around and took a trip to CA.  It was Q's fantasy golf trip.  The purpose was to golf Pebble Beach, but he made it to three other courses besides:  Silverado in Napa Valley, Oasis in Mesquite, and Sand Hollow in St. George.  I rode along at Pebble and Sand Hollow--both beautiful courses.  Now we're back at home and time to get to all the projects on my list!!

End of school year

     I've finished teaching my 18th year--and what a year it was.  It wasn't just the teaching part that was unique this year--but my personal life too.  We put mother into The Gables, an assisted living center where she lasted for two months before she passed away.  I have to admit--I really thought she was going to rally once again.  It appeared she had a stroke and by the time I got to the hospital, she was unresponsive other than she could move her hand.  She passed less than two hours after I got there with dad.  So much needs to be done to prepare for a funeral and burial, but I think we did a nice job with everything and I hope she is pleased with our send-off.
If you would like to read her life sketch given at her funeral, go to this link:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZxqfTPh4WuKEfKLBJ6WeVl__-97xeP9sDacCZhsvSNk/edit

Dresses for Africa

     Then it was back to ISATs, Quinn's state golf, and all of the end of the year activities, negotiations, changes and clean-up, and police report (ANOTHER story for another time).  I made a denim quilt as a prize for our awards assembly at the end of the year and it was chosen by one of my former students (boy-JP).  I am also including with this post the table runner I made for T&L for having us during the Houston Marathon, and the dresses for Africa I made for the ward project--I finished six of them and I've seen them referred to on Pinterest as pillowcase dresses.  I got the girls' princess dresses done.  Did the pink one first and learned from it to forget the netting and make it longer-which I did on the white one.  I also learned 3 year-olds could care less about boas.  I also ran in the Ogden half-marathon ALONE.  Quinn wimped out because of his calves which cramp whenever he runs lately.  I did it in memory of mother-which was my only motivation since I wanted to wimp out too because I DID NOT adequately train!  But I finished.