Beautiful Couple~My Parents

Married 72 years ago last week

 on September 28, 1941

I miss them and feel grateful for

 Their wonderful parenting everyday!

A Simple Woman's Daybook~June 12, 2012

Just for today~Tuesday June 12, 2012

Our lives pass swiftly by! I want to do something to remember

the everyday moments and my thoughts about them.  

That is what this Daybook is all about.

Focusing on the little things that become my life.

One week at a time.

Outside my window...It is an overcast morning in the valley looking out toward the lake.  The breeze is gently blowing but it does not fool me into thinking it might be cool this afternoon.  Nope, it is gonna be hot here today.  It is nice not to be cold.  I like summer!

I am thankful for...Jennifer's fairly good recovery from her surgery.  There are still few little hiccups but time will take care of all of it and then she'll be all set.

 

From the learning room...Nothing ever stays the same when you think you have something licked...new challenges arise.  Earth life is meant to be this way, it is how we are refined and how we grow.  I don't always love this process but know it is essential.  Without changes we don't meet our full potential.

I am reading..."Look Kids, It's Big Ben"  A book I wrote after our three week trip to Europe in 1995.  It is fun to go back and have the words paint the memories that would otherwise be forgotten by now.  

From the kitchen...Grampa has been cooking up a storm and doing a fantastic job.  He just loves this...lucky me!  Every morning he makes some fantastic breakfast for all 8 of us.  Today it was an Italian omelet so delicious.

I am missing...Lots of sweet friends.  I wish we all could just live in the same place.  It is funny that even when I do not live by someone when they are gone from their home I miss them more.  I don't miss Robert as much now that he is in RI even though I cannot see him.  There is something about just being able to envision someone you love in their home that is comforting.

Some spiritual thoughts I have been having...just constantly getting affirmations that the Gospel of Jesus Christ gives one a definite advantage in all we do.  It just brings so much protection and peace and happiness.  I cannot think of life without it.  Unbearable is the word that comes to my mind.

I am hearing...the chattering and goings-on of a house with 8 people in it.  Constant motion, commotion, emotion...it is alive here, 24/7.  Just the way it should be, that is what I am hearing.

One of my guilty pleasures...electronics.  This really surprises me when I think about it but I love electronics.  I watched the World Wide Developers gather for the keynote speech of the new CEO of Apple, Tim Cook and the unveiling of the new products and found it very exciting.  It was really neat because I watched it with Lowell and so if there were things I didn't understand he would just pause the presentation and explain it.  Very enjoyable.

Pet Peeves...People that tamper with consumer products so that they have to package things in ways that make it impossible to open them without implements of destruction in your hands.  Annoying!  Ever tried to get a toy out of a box or pop a pill out of a foil and hard plastic container?  Then you know what I am talking about. 

I am going...to possibly get a haircut today.  Jen has a hair stylist that comes to her house.  Love it.  My hair is so straight here in the desert that it is giving me fits.  At home it would be fine.  But not here. 

One of my favorite things...Robert is home from Afghanistan for two whole weeks.  We are thrilled.  Their little family is reunited!

I am quoting...Hazie.  "Mamma, can you tell Jim-Bob I need him?"   She is talking about her Grampa and heard someone else call him that. Too funny.  He acquired this nickname from me about the time the Walton's peeked in popularity and they would all say good-night to each other in the dark at the end of the shows.  His name is actually James Philip.

An enjoyable movie we have watched lately...I am currently watching "The Forsyte Saga" on my new iPad each evening before bed.  Love it so far.  I really enjoy the British treatment of the 19 century in the media.  It is really well done and enjoyable.

I am curious about...All the details to be learned with my new iPad3 and what the learning curve will be.  It is so similar to the iMac and iPhone but each has their own little nuances that require a bit of experimentation and studying to get it down.

If I could change one thing it would be...that people would just quietly live and let live without constantly having to justify their choices by putting others down.  Of course everyone is going to have differing opinions and that is our God-given right, but to have to be boisterous, rude and offensive in declaring one's own opinion just rubs me the wrong way.  Ultimately we will all have to live with the consequences of our own choices. Perhaps it just boils down to The Golden Rule.  Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. 

 Sometimes when I see people being so rude and unkind I hope they are not living the Golden Rule because I cannot imagine that people would actually desire to be treated in the way they are acting at that moment.  What I am saying is neither liberal or conservation, it is humanitarian.  People just need to regain some civility.

Plans for the rest of the week...it is very odd but everyday is just full of its own little surprises. As Jen recovers we are gradually adding in a few things.  One thing Jim and I want to do is cook ahead and freeze things for our family reunion up here at the end of July.  I also want to spend some one on one time with Chris next week and I want to go to the BYU Genealogical Library.  There is also a training center here for Family History Consults and Genealogy I am told, and I would like to find it and visit it next week.  There is also a sweet elderly friend I want to visit if she is up to it, and maybe a little shopping but not for much.  Friday is our 44 wedding anniversary so we will be going out to a play, movie, concert or something and dinner.  That should be fun.  Other than that it is baby time for us.  Just hanging out with the grandkids and enjoying them.


Some photos I am sharing this week...Sometimes it is just so wonderful to have girls' time out just away from the house and little kids and all the rest of the responsibilities.  Over the last almost two weeks I have been able to do this with Piper and Julia at the Trolley.  We had a great time.

Yesterday Jen and I got to leave for a couple of hours so we just went up to Sundance and had lunch.  It was so gorgeous up there.  We ate in The Foundry Grill.  It is pretty western looking, think Robert Redford and at the same time quite elegant.

The view from all  the windows...drop dead gorgeous!

 

The flowers all around in the whiskey barrels caught my eye.  Especially the pansies.  I do adore those little beauties.  My Dad loved them too and use to plant them in our yard when I was growing up.  

 We had dainty little salads with shrimp so we could try these lovely lemon parfaits.  Very light and refreshing on a warm day.  Everything was lovely except how fast the time flew by.  Especially great was being able to finish a thought without interruptions.  Love me some Mommy/Daughter time.

So beautiful and such lovely memories!

Thanksgiving in the Napa Valley

The day was wonderful as I am sure yours was too. Here are some of the photos for family far away~we missed you.

Picking Up Grandma Gloria

Grandma Tree in the Front of Her House

Grandma's Yard

Dad & Grandma

Jim and Bon

Napa Vineyard

Uncle Gary and Aunt Marilyn's Beautiful Street

Their Maple Tree

Around Their Yard

The Festive Porch

The Cozy Scene with the Posing Miss Mouse on the Chair

I am Loving the Lamp with the Black Shade on the Hearth
Very Dramatic and Pretty

I Just Love Their House!

Nick Brought Mara So We Finally Got to Meet Her
What a Beauty and Lovely Girl All Around.
She Has the Cutest Dimples!

The Brothers~ Uncle Steve, Uncle Gary, and Dad

Aunt Emily With Nick and Mara


The Absolutely Amazing Gourmet Chef, Aunt Marilyn
Erin's Friend, Jenna.
Erin and her Dad, Uncle Gary.
Uncle Tom and Aunt Jean stayed home with Auntie Jean Sick in Bed.
We Felt So Badly for Them And Us Because We Missed Them.

Alpha Pet ~ Lola

You have to double Click this photo~magazine worthy~she goes all out!

All the Food Was Amazing! Marilyn Rarely Cooks The
Same Thing Twice! !She is One of Those Amazing People
That Just Loves Cooking.
She Prepares Things Like Ginger Flavored Whipped Cream,
Cranberry Compote With Pomegranate seeds in it, Pecan Tartlets

(Yeah, we're kind of the chips and Salsa Group at Our House so it Was Such a Treat! )

And Her Presentation is Always So Beautiful~
A Wonderful Time Was Had By All!
Thanks, Gar and Mare, for the Great Memories!

The Abundant Feast

The Blogger..And Now On to Our Get Away!
Ahhh...Don't Call us, We"ll Call You!
We're Outta Here!

Now She Belongs to the Ages...Grace Eileen Colberg Hallsted

When Abe Lincoln died someone said, "He is gone but not forgotten now he belongs to the ages." "So it is with Grace," the minister said at her memorial service.

The chapel where the memorial service was held holds special significance to the family. Some graduated from their high school academy here, others married here and Aunt Grace and Uncle Walter were married here also. She had come full circle in her life that took her to many different places and also brought her home. It was so wonderful of Uncle Walter to bring her back home to live out her last years near her beloved children. I know this was the desire of her heart for many years. I'll always love Uncle Walt for that. What grandmother could want more than to live out her twilight years surrounded by her beautiful family, with a husband that was mindful of this great desire of hers. His work took them to Europe for three years on their honeymoon and these past four years she has been home. It was a final "Honeymoon" of sorts.

Top Row l to r: Chuck, Jan, David
Bottom Row l to r: Jake, Auntie Grace, Judy

The Chapel

The service was just beautiful with Chuck and Jake speaking and Chuck sharing his own thoughts and reading many tributes written about his mother by all the family and some close friends. Steve and I were both honored to be asked to contribute one.

Note that one of the songs sung was "Amazing Grace"
That song has an added meaning for me now!

Here is the tribute I wrote. I will add Steve's also with his permission.

My Aunt Grace was a very important person in my life. She was a mentor to me in many things. I loved watching her enjoy life with such enthusiasm, passion and vitality. Throughout my life she has always been available to listen and to share things with me. She was such a loving person and when Aunt Grace hugged you, you could feel the sincerity of that love. In that moment she made you feel so special to her. What a wonderful gift she had for uplifting everyone around her. I loved it when she would tell me about her childhood memories with my Dad and all the fun they had.

She was with us when our father died and it was so comforting to have her there. She was always so supportive but especially then. She just knew what to do and how to do it and she was a great comfort. Her faith was unwavering and through the trials in her life she remained grateful to God for her blessings.

Aunt Grace was such a family-oriented person. Whenever I talked with her she would, fill me in on all of her children and grandchildren, their successes and joys as well as their trials. None of my cousins will ever need to wonder if they were loved!

We followed her to just about every place she ever lived except Luxembourg and we loved visiting with her. She was so generous and giving and beautiful inside and out. Whenever I was with her I felt a connection to my grandparents and my Dad, like no other time. Now being with my cousins I feel a strong connection to our entire family. I realized today that a lot of my love for family came directly from her influence in my life. She left a beautiful legacy of love for us all. She will never be forgotten.

"I’m Steve Colberg the eldest son of Aunt Grace’s brother, Ross. She was one of the most joyous and loving beings I ever had the pleasure to know. She always greeted us with open arms and a big smile. Grace is such a fitting name for Aunt Grace because she was the most gracious of people. About 10 or 15 years ago, she and Walt were gracious enough to invite my family to stay with them in Redding for several days. We had a wonderful time swimming in their pool and catching up on family news. Grace cooked some tasty meals and we all had a great time. Aunt Grace and I found ourselves outside one hot summer night looking up at a sky full of stars. We talked for hours about the various stars and the amazing beauty of the night sky. She was delightful and her joy was contagious. To this day, I cannot go outside and look up at the night sky without thinking of Aunt Grace. Through the planets and stars we will always be connected, and for that I am most grateful."

I have been to a lot of funerals of older people and I noticed hers was different. Because she continued to be a vital, contributing person to all of us until the end, I feel the sorrow at her departure from this life was more keenly felt than most. You know how people always say that an older person "had good long life" and and then they seem resigned to their passing? I don't think it was that way with Grace....everyone wanted this lady to go on longer...much much longer. But now as the minister said...she and her memory belong to the ages...and to us as she lives on forever in our hearts. And she rests from all her labors until He comes again!

Grace's Favorite Scriptures:

John 3:16
Jeremiah 33:
I Peter 3:3, 4
Ephesians 4:32

She left a beautiful life history for her family. It is a hundred pages of pure pleasure & delight which I read on the way home. Her book is entitled:

"Our Ribbons of Time
Make our Rainbow of Life"

A few week ago I ran across this beautiful song...now it reminds me of Auntie Grace.
I want to be like her when I grow up!

Happy Birthday Auntie Em

Our beautiful sister, Emily, is having a Birthday today. She is the baby of the bunch so she always seems pretty young to all of us. Emily is such a sweetheart, we love her to pieces. She is also one of my assistants for Interiors by Design since Laura moved to Italy. She does an awesome job and is a very hard worker and is a lot of fun too!

Emily and her Dad, Joe, just a few years back, right?

Happy Birthday, Emmy!
We hope you have had a wonderful day!

Yup, Another Birthday!

Today begins a new month and we still have a flood of birthdays coming. It does slow down considerably by July 4th so that is good! June is a month of great celebrations in our family.

Today we celebrate my youngest brother~Meet Gary!
Baby Brother, Husband, Father of 2 great kids, Business Owner,
and All Around Great Guy!

Gary is 56 today and is younger than me by 5 years and younger than Steve by 3. All of our birthdays are close together, so whenever Gary has one, Steve and I prepare to crank it up a notch! I rummaged through some old boxes and just pulled out a few things as a reminder of the days gone by. Here are just a few photos from the time you only had one little family...Mom, Dad, Steve and me. Happy Birthday, Gar, I hope you enjoy these!

**Gary, Grandpa, Bonnie, Grandma, Stevie**
Us with our grandparents~the only ones we ever knew~
Our Dad's Mom, Alice Grace Godfrey Colberg & Grampa Jake Yeasley

Kindergarten Photo~50 Years Ago!

Fish Catch on North Dakota vacation to visit our relatives!
Fish Theme of his life started to surface!

Gar the Golfer~Hole in One at age 14!

33 years Ago~Starting his new life with Marilyn!
He graduated in Marine Biology
Married a fisherman's daughter
Became a partner in Tom's Bait & Tackle Shop
in Santa Cruz with his new father-in-law!

*****************************************

Fast forward to yesterday when we were all sharing vacation tales and Gar and Marilyn told us about their recent scuba diving experience. They were in the Bahamas and went down with a crew over 100 feet to see some spooky ship wreck and suddenly realized they were at the half way point for their air and needed to start their ascent. They somehow had gotten separated from the group and were on a side of the sunken ship where no one could see them. There was a very strong current and they started trying to swim, losing air quickly, but were not making any progress toward the rope they needed to hold on to to get back up to the surface. At one point while Gary was 8 feet above the wreck and not able to get where he wanted to go Marilyn thought..OK this is it..we are going to die here.

She was trying to find a way to get to him so she could share her air. It was very harrowing and hair raising just listening to them tell it. They made it up by the grace of God, but were shaken by the experience.

Live and learn? No! They did another dive the same day and sat on the bottom in the sand watching 8 foot sharks circling around the group. The sharks were full after being fed so they did not bother them but came close enough to graze past them eye ball to eye ball. However, as Jim so aptly pointed out, to an 8 foot shark Marilyn is an hor d'ouerve. How many times do you finish dinner and have an extra bite or two while cleaning up? After a normal amount of shrieking by the rest of us they said, " Oh don't worry, we are trained and certified...we all agreed, they are certified all right..Certified Crazy!

All my big sister instincts to run and tell mom and dad surfaced! But I guess at your age you can do whatever you want! Dang it! We truly are celebrating your life today, Gar! Glad you made it back in one piece. Have some cake and relax, will ya?

Happy Birthday!

I don't know this nutty diver guy~but maybe you do?

Be Careful! OK?

Bob & Beth's Annual Crabfeed!

Every year in February for the last several years our family has been treated to a wonderful tradition. My cousin, Bob, goes out and catches a boat load of crab and then we all go to Bob & Beth's house for a delightful time together. If you haven't ever had really "Fresh" crab you don't know what you are missing. It is beyond heavenly!

Each year we fill their living room with family and even still many were missing this year. We missed you, Emily, Ruth, Emily, Ken, Ben & Nate, Erin, Scott, Robert, Laura, Spencer, Ross, Chris, Missy, Connor, Aynslee, Zack, Owen, Jen, Lowell, Piper, Julia, Chloe, and Baby Halo! We'd have to rent a hall if everyone came the same year!

My first cousin once removed, Bob's Dog, Misty, was there but for some reason we did not get her picture. She is a big, mellow, donut lovin' black lab and such a sweetheart!

The last two years we have been so blessed to have our cousins Bill and Fran come down from Washington to enjoy the festivities. It is as close as we have ever come to a Reese family reunion. Bill's dad, Harold, Bob's mom, Wilma, and my mom, Jo, were siblings. This is a deep connection for me and I love these guys so much and I know my brothers, Steve and Gary do too!

~Five Reese Cousins~
Bob, Bill, Steve, Bon, Gary

I found a photo of Bill & Fran and me from last year so thought I'd put it in too. They are the sweetest and I am so glad they have made such efforts to come and see us over the years. It is definitely time for us to travel their way for a change!

Fran made a gorgeous "Crab Quilt" this year for Bob and Beth in honor of the occasion. What a talent! And our cousin Bill... he is a world famous artist and that is a story for a post of it's own! Coming soon!

We had such a wonderful time and I am already thinking about next year when we may have to skip the annual Crab Feed while Bob and Beth cruise around the world for 88 days! Can you even imagine what that will be like? So I guess we will have to let them off the hook (or should I say out of the net?)...they deserve it! Thanks dear cousins for the memories created yesterday! Jim and I love you both so much! And, thanks, Jim, for the great pictures!

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