Going GRAY...and RED

No, we are not talking about my hair here...but some of the improvements we have made to the house this spring/summer.

I went to an Enrichment where they talked about how our yards should all focus on/point to our front door, and how that should be the focal point of our home.  I started thinking about our home...white home, white door...a lot of white going on.  The idea came to give the front door some "pop."  We discussed colors and red was the all around favorite.  This created the idea to change the shutter color at the same time.  I have LOVED my blue shutters but my kids and friends gently suggested that maybe I need to 

"move out of the 80's."

BEFORE

So, welcome GRAY shutters...at first glance you cannot even tell that we made a change, but we have definitely "gone gray" and we love it!  No one has noticed that we changed shutter colors.  They all say 

"you painted your door red."

AFTER

Now, if we can just get that one pesky shutter turned right side up...

Come see us and check it out in person!  

8th Grade Graduation

Well, he did it...finished the two most awkward years of school...the ones with braces and trying to figure out what to do about having different kids in every class and how to deal with the kids who are too cool and too not cool.
Yes, Braden graduated with honors from Dixon Middle School!  He was given a beautiful rosebud lei from the Sperry family (his friend Fanga's folks) and then another candy lei from the Purcell family here in the stake.  
On to even greater accomplishments at Provo High School...notice the green and white tie he is wearing?  He has already moved on!  Congratulations Braden on a job well done!!

Memorial Day...I miss my Mom

We met at Mom's grave again this year to place flowers, clean it up and remember someone very special to us.
The cemetery was very beautiful with flowers all over the place, it is always interesting to walk around and see some of the additions around Mom's grave over the year.  In her part of the cemetery there seem to be a lot of little children buried; probably because it is a newer area.

We met one family there that lost a little baby.  They took our family picture for us.
There is something satisfying about cleaning up the grave.  Dad edged around it and Vicky helped brush it off.  It is a small token of something physical we can do for someone that did so many things both physical and emotional for us over so many years.

I still find myself wishing I could ask Mom things or share things with her about new milestones in our lives.  I wonder how she felt when she found out she would be a grandma for the first time, for example.  

Gratefully, I know that she really is a part of our lives and that she knows what is going on...and that she probably has a hand in some of the really great things that happen to us down here on earth.  Nice to have several someones you love watching out for you up above!