Proud day

Graduation, 2011
Michelle and Casey graduated from BYU this week. I am so proud of them both, for working hard and facing challenges and continuing on. What a great feeling to be done and know that you have accomplished something huge over the years. Nicole will graduate with her Masters Degree next month from the U! Way to go Nicole!
We celebrated with three other cousins who were also graduating - party!

Here's a great photo of my dad from my last trip, just because he always encouraged us all to get an education!

close call

I've been traveling a lot these past 12 days. This morning I returned from Denver after visiting my Dad. I've done this every month since July, 2010. It's old hat now and I know where all the good eateries are located in several of the Denver Airport concourses. I pack very light, have my little routine about my bag, and shoes, baggie for liquids, etc. I usually fly Southwest and I know the drill: log in 24 hours before the flight to check in and get my boarding number and position. Sometimes I print my pass then, sometimes I am using wireless internet and access to a printer is not convenient. No biggie, I just plan to print out the boarding pass at the airport. It's a cinch as long as I have my confirmation number; I often write it larger so I can read it easily when I need it.
This morning I arrived at the airport at 5:25 am (4:15 am wake up), accessed the kiosk and entered the information and pressed the prompts on the screens. The paper printed out and I stuck it in my purse pocket and proceeded to head to security. The man at the top of the escalator told me the north end security had shorter lines so I opted to go there. It was a long walk. I wound my way through security and when I finally reached the desk where they look at the pass and license, I pulled out my boarding pass. But it was NOT my boarding pass!!! It was an "itinerary receipt"!!
Oh no.
The very nice lady wrote me an orange pass that would allow me to get back in the security area by using the employee line - a lot shorter than winding through the regular lines. I dashed back up the escalator and all the way to the other end of the terminal to the Southwest kiosk. The 'reprint boarding pass' button is in the MIDDLE of the three options. I must have been asleep, distracted, or just too casual about doing this so often.
I hurried to the closest security area this time, through the employee line and waited my turn for screening. I made it to the trains by 6:00 am (I had to jog to catch the almost closing doors).
Lucky for me my gate was the closest one the the escalator. Usually the SLC flights are at the very end of the concourse.
The southwest attendants were just finishing boarding the A group, so I was able to walk to the front of the line and board with the beginning of the B group. I was so fortunate to have arrived when I did, and that the security area was not terribly busy the second time I reached the screeners.
Sheesh! My second close call at the Denver airport. Note to self : close attention to details is necessary.

My favorite moment of the plane trip over was when the guy in the row across from me was holding a very LARGE mesh dirty clothes bag on his lap, full of clothes! The attendant walked by and said, "you're going to have to put that up in a bin". The passenger did not move or do anything. So the attendant finally came back and got the very large bag full of clothes and took it somewhere in the back of the plane. So funny! who packs their clothes for a trip in a mesh clothes bag? I'm still curious to know if they were dirty or clean.

Now here is a smart well packed traveler - Camille on her way to Costa Rica in November!

Triple treat!

April 14, on the plane missing three darling little ones, Alex, Bennett, and Ruby. Here are the things I loved about my trip:

Loved hearing their little voices say animal sounds- they know quite a lot!

Loved seeing their eyes light up when they said a word they knew and were saying it for me.

Loved Bennett’s belly laugh when I tickled him. Loved Alex’s hehehe when he was enjoying a moment with a sibling.

Loved Alex's proclamation of ‘whoa, numm-ee” when Emily fed him chocolate cake.

Loved the way Ruby reads books to herself and talks with all kinds of voice inflection and googley words.

Loved seeing the triplets wrinkle their noses for ‘what does the bunny say?

Alex looking at me when I said the turkey sound – “gobble gobble gobble” and then he said it too.

Loved when Bennett signed ‘grandma’ and then he and Alex said ‘grandma’ – at least that’s what it sounded like to me!

Loved when Ruby knows she is doing something not allowed and she whines and looks at you for approval. Loved when she lifted up her arms to be picked up, or backed up to me for a book reading in my lap.

Loved how she piled the books on me – all of them.

Loved how she shared her bottle with me – milk drops and all.

Loved Bennett's cheer "yay" and hand clap when he did something successfully.

Loved tickling Alex with the ‘knuckle’ and hearing him belly laugh. Loved creeping up on him with my fingers and his belly laugh and squeal without me even touching him.

Loved how they figured out the new bath toys and Bennett says ‘yay’ when the water trickles out – and he tries to catch it or drink it.

Loved the way they splash in the tub and Alex lays on his belly and kicks.

Loved the way Ruby wants to climb on everything and go higher and farther than last time. Hence, the bungee cords around the chairs and table!

Loved the dinners by Emily – she makes it look so easy and it was always so tasty!

Loved looking at KC holding his babies and how they loved to say ‘dada’

Loved the children as they completed Emily’s song with the last line “What does the Mommy say?”and they reply ‘I a yu’ (I love you). Loved all three voices coming from the car seats with animal sounds to the song Emily sang – What does the (Horse, cow, cat, insert any animal here) say?

I tried to write down all the words they said over the past 5 days. There are so many!

Light, fan, up, down. Car, cold, blankee, milk, airplane, bus, Truck, cow, dog, cat, lion, hippo, elephant, duck, chicken, giraffe, mouse, horse, pig, bear, dada, mommy, I love you, team, bowl, juice, outside, sock, shoe, pretzel, cracker, car, red, blue, green, yellow, purple, all numbers, all alphabets, night night, day, go, bottle, avocado, bean, book, moo, neigh, quack, meow, woof, hoo,hoo, cock a doodle doo, cluck, ribbett, wheee (elephant sound) eye, mouth, nose, ear, toes, belly, baby. Hat, hair, play, toy, ball, pillow, bungee

Home for 12 hours, then off to see my dad in Denver.

slideshow

To be remembered

18 years ago, we celebrated the 50th anniversary for my mother and father, Jim and Jennie Carlson.
We had invited many of their friends to write and send memories of earlier times with them.
Carolyn has been reading these remembrances again to Dad, and I thought that there were some that were worth sharing. My children were quite young at that party, and we have always lived away from Denver so they may not have had a chance to read some of these treasured and poignant memories.
So I am going to post a few over the next while that I think show what great people Jim and Jennie are.

Sept. 21, 1993

Dear Jim {Enos} and Jennie,

Congratulations! Fifty years is quite an accomplishment, but there was no doubt that you two would make it. Our thoughts went back to the old Western States Mission experience and the wonderful times we shared with you during that time. Last year we had opportunity and pleasure to visit with Helen and Crawford Davis in Medford, Oregon and of course Jennie and Jim were a very large part of our conversation.

To remember any one special event that we enjoyed together at that time is difficult to recall, but one special event I do recall was an occasion when I found myself almost quietly coveting something that was given to Jim by Elder Hartman Rector.

Jim, do you recall the occasion when President Redd was called to preside over the Mission. Elder Hartman Rector came from Salt Lake to set us apart as Counselors to President Redd. I was set apart first, and given a wonderful blessing by Elder Rector; then it was your turn. Hands were laid upon your head and you were set apart; the first words of your blessing by Elder Rector were “President Carlson, your sins are forgiven you.” It was a moving experience for me, one which I had never been a part of before. I would have paid money for that, but it could not have happened to a greater Guy. I later justified it by understanding that you probably had not had any sins prior to your blessing. We will be thinking of you two, and the joy you have brought into our lives.

We love you,

Don and Carrell Thorpe