Mark and Michelle In Town; Dad's 90th Birthday Celebration

Since some of the other grandsons got to go to a football game with their grandpa, Spencer decided he wanted to go to one as well. Thankfully, there was an afternoon football game in Provo while the weather was still warm.

My question is was it something that Spencer would want to do again???

Glen and I got our Covid booster and flu shots on the same day. We wanted to be sore and miserable together. Sure enough, our arms were sore for several days and we were miserable for the next 24 hours. But, that didn't keep us from doing all the things we had planned that next day. 

We were definitely glad when the yucky feeling subsided. But, alas, the arm where I got my Covid booster was very red, swollen and itchy. I consulted Google:

If you had a red, itchy, swollen, or painful rash where you got a Covid-19 shot, you should still get another shot at the scheduled date and time. This applies to second, additional, or booster shots.

These rashes can start a few days to more than a week after your shot and are sometimes quite large. These rashes are also known as "COVID arm." Your vaccination provider may recommend that you get your next Covid-19 vaccine in the opposite arm if possible.

Mark planned a fun weekend trip to Utah for Michelle's birthday. They joined Dad, Mom, Nani and me at Hale to watch a play. It was such a fun and funny play which we all enjoyed very much. 

After dining at Texas Roadhouse, Mark was anxious to go to Dad and Mom's home to see the big elk hanging on their wall. Mark jokingly referred to the dead, stuffed animal as "the lucky stiff." 

Glen was in Las Vegas on his boys' trip, so he missed seeing the play when Mark and Michelle were here. But, lucky for us, Dallas and Rebecca invited us to see a play with them in Centerville when Glen got back home. We went to dinner at Hug-Hes Cafe before the play.

We watched Kade and Levi one afternoon. The little boys liked the Halloween kitty cats.

They LOVE running around the house with someone chasing them. 

Glen did the chasing and I did the ball throwing in the basement. 

The boys loved crawling into the entertainment center cupboard and pushing the door open. Cuties!

While we are on the subject of cute kids, I got a good laugh out of this conversation between Sarah and Lincoln. 

Jan was begging all the friends to come to a fall dinner party at her house. When she asks, we comply. No begging needed!!! We love to go to her home because the food is always delicious, and I especially love seeing her beautiful table setting. As usual, I was not disappointed. 

Such great friends!! Rick and Debi Winder had left before the picture was taken. 

(Me, Glen, Bruno Kossin, Lane Lewis, Jane Crandall, LaVona Lewis, Colleen Kossin, Jan Evans, and in the back is Bill Evans and Dennis Crandall.)

Now let's talk about Dad for a minute. My father turned 90 years old and it was a cause for celebration!

We invited the whole family to our home for a surprise dinner party. Nani brought the festive balloons.

Amanda is quite the cake decorator and made the cutest elk/forest birthday cake.

Of course Dad loved it, as did we all. It was not only very appropriately decorated to Dad's liking, but it was also very delicious.

After dinner, we all congregated in the dining and living room to have a tribute given by each of Dad's children.

Following our remarks, Dad took a few minutes to share his feelings and his testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It was very special for us all to hear. 

Dad has been a positive influence in so many people's lives. Not only our family, but those he has worked with, served with and provided service for. What a great man and a beloved father, grandfather and great-grandfather. 

The three of the four beanbags in our basement needed to be repaired so the beans would not escape, and all four of them needed some bean replenishment. Glen tried ordering the little white beans online, but no such luck. 

He was able to get some bags of tiny, shredded, blue foam to stuff and plump those things up. It turned out to be a messy project, but once the job was done and Glen had vacuumed up the basement, it felt like it was worth it. 

Now we are anxious to see what the grandchildren say about the once-nearly-flattened beanbag chairs. 

Another little basement project--taking the broken treadmill apart so we can get rid of it. Sad day when it died, but Glen did not want to pay to have someone come out and take a look at it.

Glen's sisters decided to shake it up a bit and go somewhere we have never been before--Rainbow Gardens. 

This place holds a lot of childhood memories for me--worst of which was taking swimming lessons for three years in a row and being so terrified of the water that I never learned how to swim. UGH!! 

Another memory is my friend Ann and I wanted to go swimming, so we walked from our house up and over the mountain and on our way down to Rainbow Gardens, I fell and cut my knee. I have had a scar ever since to remind me of that incident.

The swimming pool has been long since drained and there is a gift store in where the pool used to be and a restaurant called The Greenery where we ate and had a nice time visiting together.

We have seen three of our missionaries recently: Brooke Nielson,

Parker Nokes and his fiance Emily, 

and Charlotte Peterson.

I have the sweetest friends! We always do lunch whenever one of us has a birthday. Diane invited us all to her home for my birthday luncheon. 

(LaVona Lewis, Jan Evans, Jane Crandall and Diane Stewart. Debi Winder came later.)

Glen took me to Texas Roadhouse where I cashed in on my free birthday treat. No matter the free deal--the thing I ALWAYS love best at that restaurant is the ROLLS!!!!!!!