The Boys

My super cool friend Jill is starting up a photography business and asked if she could take some pictures of the boys. Umm, YEAH!!!

I LOVE this one!

We went to an historic farm, so there were a ton of really great "boy" shots.

She got some darling shots of the Caboose. (age 3)


To die for!!!
Big Boy #2 (age 8)

Big Boy #1 (age 11)


Then she has me sit in for a few at the end.

Thanks Jill! I LOVE them!!!

What happens...

when you combine a third grade social studies project with a three year old little brother obsessed with Spiderman?

Yup, Spiderman living in a teepee!

Utah?

This is what happens when my mom goes to Utah:

*Not that this is in any way a reflection of my mom's feelings for
my dad, the Temple, or the Church.

It's just, well, UTAH.

The Funeral

I realize it's a tad morbid, but I showed up to my Grandma's funeral with a camera. Of course, with so much family gathered together, how could I not try to save the moment?

Her pall-bearers were all of her grandsons, including my two brothers (on the right side).

They all placed their boutonnieres on her casket. She would have loved that. She probably would NOT have loved that my cousin Eric cracked a joke about teams for Annie-I-Over while they awaited her casket.

My brother Gary:

My dad with his two sisters Venita and Anna Marilyn:

69 years of marriage? Hard to believe that people really do stay married that long. (Well Diamond, only 54 years more to go!)

The first time my entire family has been all together in close to eight years:


I think my grandma's favorite thing would have been that ALL nineteen of her grandchildren were there to honor her.

Of those 19:
-Seventeen have at least a bachelors degree, with multiple doctors and more master's degrees that you could shake a stick at.

-All grandsons and two granddaughters served faithful missions for the Church.

-All nineteen were married in the temple.

People talk of leaving a legacy - my grandparents did exactly that. I consider myself blessed to have inherited so very much. Pretty darn good Grandma and Grandpa!

Grandma & Grandpa's three children, their spouses and their children.

Throw in the in-laws, the great-grandkids and the great-great-grandkids, and you've got quite the posterity! (And truly, this probably isn't even half.)

Grandma would've loved it. I pretty sure she would've been OK with the camera too.

After the funeral, the luncheon, and a ton of family pictures, we headed back to Grandma's house.

That house had the perfect pitch to throw a ball over, thus the game Annie-I-Over was born.

Ginger and I in the upstairs room where we used to sleep when we would visit. I still think those ceilings are WAY cool - plus the closets were these little cubby-things, perfect to play in!

My grandma moved into this house (and in with her in-laws) when she married my grandpa. My dad lived in this same house his entire childhood, and my grandparents continued to live there until their deaths. My dad in his old room:

One of the highlights of the weekend for me was having a chance to select a piece of jewelry from my great-grandmother's jewelry box. (My father's paternal grandmother, Nina.) While I'm certain it's not 'real', it's likely close to 100 years old, and so very beautiful. I believe I was able to claim her crowned piece.

I've really inherited quite a bit from my grandparents, huh?

Grandma Green's Obituary

Anna Melva Shurtliff Green passed away peacefully in her sleep, Wednesday, January 6, 2010 at the age of 99 ½ after a long and successful life.

She was born June 15, 1910 in Baker, Oregon to Charles Lewis and Anna Julia Larson Shurtliff. She was raised and educated in Oregon then moved to Provo, Utah where she met and married E. Rich Green on June 15, 1933 in the Salt Lake City LDS Temple. They had been married 69 years when Rich died June 17, 2002.

Melva was a skilled secretary and taught in the Weber School District for 20 years. She was a founding member of Taylor’s Daughters of Utah Pioneers.

She served in many church callings including ward and stake Primary president and ward chorister. She shared her skills and love of music with many. Rich and Melva served in the Ogden LDS Temple and as missionaries in the Indiana Indianapolis LDS Mission.
She was an accomplished seamstress and has made numerous quilts and afghans which are cherished by her family.

Melva is survived by her three children and their spouses, Marilyn and Neldon Stanley, Provo; Gerald and Gay Green, Parker, CO; Venita and Ed Lindeman, Taylor; 19 grandchildren, 57 great-grandchildren and six great-great-grandchildren; her sister, Eileen Reimschussel, Roy; sister-in-laws, June Shurtliff, Provo; and Verlee Shurtliff, Logan. She was preceded in death by her husband, two grandsons and three brothers.

The family wishes to thank Terry Thompson, Tami Talbot, Bonnie Zwick, Legacy Hospice, the caring staff at Crestwood, and her many friends for their love and concern.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, January 9th at 11 a.m. at the Taylor 2nd Ward Chapel, 2200 South 4300 West. Friends and family may call Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. at Lindquist’s Roy Mortuary, 3333 West 5600 South and Saturday from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m. at the church.
Interment, West Weber Cemetery.

Grandma Green

Last night, my 99 1/2 year old Grandma Green died in her sleep. My first reaction was surprise - I figured there was NO way she would miss out on her 100th birthday, which was sure to be a great party. My grandma loved to be the center of things, surrounded by her family.

(Grandma with BB#1 and BB#2, summer of 2004)


Other than missing the party, I am truly happy for Grandma. It may sound strange, but she has been wanting to die for sometime now. When her friends would pass, she would make comments like "how come she got to die? I'm way older than her!" She was ready to move on.

(Grandma at age 27)

Since I grew up almost exactly two-thousand miles away from my Grandparents, most of my memories center around summer trips out to see the relatives. I remember how cool the slanted roof was in the bedroom Ginger and I used to sleep in. I remember playing Annie-I-Over in her yard and jumping off haystacks in the barn. I remember going to Thanksgiving dinners while I was at BYU. I remember hand washing ALL those dishes since she didn't have a dishwasher.

(Our family with Grandma 2004)

Friday morning I will be flying out to say 'goodbye'. My siblings will also be flying in, as well as a ton of cousins. It's certain to be quite the celebration. Oh Grandma, you would love it!

2010

Happy 2010!

2009 was a much better year for us than 2008. The boys were happy and successful in school, my calling felt more under control, and Diamond was just happy to still have a job! The yard is just about finished and we managed a few very fun, relaxing vacations. We have settled into our new life in this new home and are enjoying our new friends. Truly, we are blessed.

To celebrate the new decade we opted for Denver's Chop House - a super yummy restaurant downtown with our BFF's. (Our old friends, without whom we couldn't have made it through the past 10 years!)

After dinner we headed to Diamond's office, located in a skyscraper just above where the fireworks were being launched. It was the coolest thing ever to see the fireworks exploding at about eye-level. Some even hit the glass window!

I gave up on New Year's Resolutions long ago - something about how the gym is always WAY crowded in January annoyed me. That said, I'm looking forward to taking some classes for my recertification, BB#1 starting middle school, and at least one really fabulous vacation.

Here's to a happy, healthy 2010!