Tyson! This One's For YOU!

This year Tyson helped grandpa plant the garden and what a good job he did and helped grandpa's aching back!  It's looking good and we are already reaping the rewards!

And The Rockets Red Glare!

The 4th of July was unreal this year in Utah with the looser fireworks laws now in effect.  As a result there was a display in every corner of the valley and probably every corner in Highland, itself.  It was loud, pretty and they couldn't have been better if we were at a park watching a fireworks show.  Our neighbors, the Adams also had a big display.  I used my old camera and my photos were all not very good.  The one below got a ground picture, but it just wouldn't capture the high in the sky ones!  And those were by far the best.  I thought it was exciting!

The Bermuda Cubicle

Well, after 2 weeks off for vacation and 2 days back since, I finally caught up with everything at work.  But I have to say that my office at home and at work looked a little like the Bermuda Cubicle for a while.  Things are getting better and I feel back to normal.  So, it goes to show you, that old ladies can still keep up even though it can get hectic.

I'm in Heaven!

OK, so the temps here are not so like Heaven, more like the "other" place, but I love to visit when I am so close.  We had our date shakes, got some dates and a few souvenirs for the kids and now they know what it is like where grandma grew up.  It was 113 as we stand above in the hot sizzling sun!

Date Shakes, nothin' like em!  Should I open a shop?  I would be rich!

Disneyland Adventure

Yes, we just got back from Disneyland and yes, Jamie, We do need a vacation from our vacation.  I have been trying to catch up on things, pictures, mail, email, all the duties in 3 days, but I am obviously tired as I left my groceries in the trunk one hour before I remembered I didn't take them out.  I had some nice meat in there and now I am worried about that...always something.  Maybe I am getting senile.  So it would seem anyways...

Well, we spent 3 days at Disneyland, two days Spencer's sister Erin and 3 daughters were able to spend with us.  She knows the ropes better than us since she lives in Anaheim and has Disneyland passes for the family.  We spent a fortune, but didn't I know that would happen??  There was even a Lego store there and Brian, Logan and Ty did a little shoppin'.  It was fun, exhausting and I truly wonder how I kept on going.  Must have been all that walking I do everyday. 

Before we drove to Anaheim, though, my special request was to make a pit-stop in Indio and buy dates.  I like to make date shakes and you can buy date sugar in Indio and make the nummiest shakes.  The kids love them and it's "our little thing".  I am the "date-shake grandma"!  I was running out of supplies and it was time to restock.  Since it wasn't very far, I insisted to Spence we stop there.  He grumbled a lot, but finally conceded.  I would have liked to stop by some old "stomping grounds" but I didn't want to push my luck.  It was really hot, the hottest of the whole vacation time at 113.  Las Vegas was 109. 

By the way at the hotel in Las Vegas, we managed to go at a time when there was a "3 day Rave party" going on and many of the attendees of the Electric Daisy Concert were located at our hotel...they were dressed most strangely and scantily--if you can call it "dressed", really "undressed" is more like it.  It was embarrassing to open an elevator door with a grandchild and see them...We would usually pass for the next elevator.

In honor of Tyson's school play, Alice in Wonderland and the Mad Hatter pose for a shot.

A second honeymoon?

Jedi training.  That's Logan in the center facing right.  He was so excited for the "training" but then was a little unhappy with the actual "battle".  But it was fun to have him be chosen!

 

Lightning McQueen action for little Logan...

Grandma Sonja gets lots of one on one with Grayson.  He Actually didn't seem to mind.  And of course, I was lovin' every minute!

The Lego store is always a hit, both for the kids and grandma and grandpa's AMEX card....Oh well, you can never have tooooo many Legos, right?

Cars 2 was a hit with the grands...

The big princess gives the little Princess a hug.  Ariel's Grotto was a must-do for Brecklyn.  She loved it and hardly could eat, she was so excited to be there.  The food was good, the company was great and the 3 princesses had a wonderful time together.  (except for the part about paying)  Poor Jamie had to run through nearly all of Disneyland to get verification that she had paid.  But we always have to make the best of these situations, too.

Cousins, one generation removed having a great time!

The gangs all here.  This is our little Disneyland entourage for the 2 days that Erin spent with us.  This was the last day.  Some of us a little tired, to say the least.

Erin was so nice and thoughful that she got a cake for Logan and Grayson.  Our last day of Disneyland was Grayson's first birthday.

All in all, we had a great time.  Even Logan kept his sense of humor active.  He asked, "Grandma, do you know who made the Characters?"  Thinking Walt Disney and associates, I responded, " No, who made them?"  Logan said, "Jesus!"  And now you know!

Vacation 2011 -- I Actually Survived It!

Well, Friday evening we returned from our vacation with Jamie and her family.  So there were 9 of us, traveling in 2 vans, first to Las Vegas for a Nishimoto family reunion/65th anniversary celebration.  Most all the family was there, all the children, grandchildren and great-grandchilden were there.  It was fun there and I had one unfortunate incident.  I lost the smart key for our new van.  It will be a fortune to replace.  I looked everywhere.  And quite frankly, we had only been in the hotel and at the home of Spencer's parents.  There really could not have been many places that it could have gotten lost...We scoured the place, still no luck...  Well, such is life. 

Here are some of the pictures of the reunion:

Here are the original 5 children in the family.

Here is a shot of grandpa and grandma and their 14 of 15 grandchildren.

Here are the 9 great-grandchildren in the family.

My daughter, son-in-law and their sweet kids.

Grandpa and grandma with Grandpa's sister Marion.

A game of "monkey in the middle" in grandpa's house.  I worried about them breaking something while there.  But all went well...thank goodness.

 Grandpa and his little performance.

 After the food was eaten, this is how things looked.

The senior generation enjoys the festivities.

Girls just want to have fun!

and lots of it!

 Jamie and Logan looking at the book that Erin compiled with letters and

photos from all the family members.

Eating leftovers from the reunion on Sunday.

Evidence Found! Or the Case of the Disappearing Donuts!

It was a case for Sherlock Holmes.  The Donuts were disappearing almost in front of our eyes, but who was taking them?  It was a hard case but someone would have to resolve it!

Spencer! Did you eat all those donuts?  You didn't! Then who did?

 12:20 pm in Highland Utah, a noise of rustling plastic zip-lock bags is heard!  Who is that "unmasked" man???  And what is he doing? 

The "unmasked" man makes a wild dash to the door, but not before this photo was shot and the evidence found!

Without hardly a sound, the culprit escapes before my very eyes...Be watching for this on the 10:00 news.  Home burglary attempt, successful!

A Job to DIE For--Literally...

The other day I was walking to the bus along North Temple.  This building above is an old State of Utah building that is being remodeled, refurbished by the Church as a new building.  As I looked I saw these four guys on repelling type equipment washing the windows...Eeek, I think I would rather die than do this for a living....I think they would have to pay me a few million bucks to even THINK about it, but than these guys must have enjoyed it??  Boy, no more complaining about my job.  I am just fine doing what I do!

Last Game of the Season --3rd Place--

 Here is a part of the avid spectators.  Breck and Gray keep busy eating grass and  such.  Yes, Gray ate some.  They say we should be going back to unprocessed foods.  Definitely no one processed this...Jamie are you reading this????

 This is Tyson's last chance at bat.  Baseball can be frustrating and fun all rolled into one.

 Swing Batter!!!

 Getting a last talk with the coaches

 And a baseball, too.  Good how I caught that shot right as Ty caught the ball. 

 Free Hawaiian Shave ice from the new Shave ice Shack in Highland.

And the Season ends.  3rd Place in the finals.  Not bad at all!  Good job, Ty.  Love you!

Tourney Continues

Tyson's team won another tournament game, so tonight it continues.  It's fun to watch and be involved with the lives of the grandkids.  This game I arrived after his good hit, but didn't get home from work in time.

Going, GOING, GONE! Conclusion

For those of you who haven't seen Jamie since my post, here is the result:

On Losing Weight and Health!

1. If walking is good for your health - the postman would be immortal.


2. A whale swims all day, only eats fish, drinks only water and is still fat.

3. A rabbit runs and hops all the time and only lives for 15 years.

4. A turtle doesn't run, or do any of the things the others named here do, yet lives for 450 years..

5. I rest my case

Love Letters in the Sand (and other places, too)

Yesterday at church, Logan came by me and handed me a note folded several times.  It is the top one.  And inside it said, "I love you", written in his 4 year old hand.  He told me that when I get home from church, I would need to check my mailbox.  After church he came over and asked if I had checked.  I hadn't and so he went over to the mailbox and came back disapointed.  His dad, he said, was supposed to have put his letter in there.  He wasn't happy that it wasn't there.  Today after work I got the mail and lo and behold, another love note in the mailbox.  Folded many times, letter 2 above. 

Brecklyn, not to be outdone, wrote me one and put it in the mailbox too.  Hers is the one just above.  Aren't I a lucky gramma??: