Well, Christmas 2008 is in the can. We had an unusual Christmas as we were at home, instead of the ranch. It snowed Christmas Eve about 2 inches, the first white Christmas in Ivins, in 20 years.
Cleola, Charles, Alex and Zac were the only ones here on Christmas Eve, for dinner. The kids said that the grinch was here in my place, I have no idea of what they were talking about. We rousted the kids out of bed around 8 am, a big change from Christmas past. We sat and watched K.C. , Mary and Sophie have Christmas via Skype. It was fun to see Sophie play with here new toys. Skype is a Christmas miracle. Ben, Kim, and Annie came over to open presents. The kids got me an appointment with Dr. Carter for a weight loss program, to shed about 1/2 of me before next years holidays. I am grateful. Burke and Treasa are here and it has been fun to have them. Provo isn't that far away but it seems like we don't get to see them enough.

Well it has been quite a week. On the 19th of Aug. we were able to watch the beautiful birth of our new Granddaughter Annie Eva Bess. She was born early in the morning and we had been there most of the night with her. So we have been recuperating all week. Kim was so awesome during it all, and did not even swear ha ha! she worked so hard, Ben was right there with her the whole time he did not sit down once during the last couple of hours. It is so gratifying to see your children become parents. WOW it is just the icing on the cake. The other thing that has happened this week is our other little Grand daughter turned "one" on the 22nd of Aug. We wish her a happy birthday and oh we wish we were closer!!!9 hours is just so far. But we are grateful for cell phones and computers. I have decided, I need to get one of those cameras to go on the computer so I can see her when I call. I miss K.C and Mary so much but look forward to seeing them now that the summer rafting season is coming to a close. They will be here for a few days in Sept. before they head back east to see the other grandparents. We just can't wait. My new "Heaven" will be when both granddaughters are here in my arms together. I know Grandma's are so funny! But DEAL with it. So we end with saying Congratulations to Ben and Kim, Welcome Annie and Happy Birthday Sophie.

Well, What a great couple of weeks this has been, We have had Sophie for a week and were able to take her to the Henrie Reunion. She is so cute and starting to walk and can do nothing wrong in her Grandparents eye's. but man oh man was Grandma"s tired!!!! she is getting old you know ha ha We had so much fun with her all week, and Aunt Kim was the life saver and tended while I worked. Then we went to the Ranch and was able to show her off there. We sent her back to Jackson with Burke and Teresa on Sunday and they safely delivered her to Parents who were very excited to see her. Burke and Teresa also took our other baby ha ha Zachary up to EFY at BYU for the week so this week I have been able to recuperate( I really do not know how you mothers do it) No, it was not bad I am just out of practice of having little ones around and it has been so quite this week with Zachary gone! Charles and I do not know what to do with our selves. Oh wait that is not true, Charles has been back to the ranch on Tues and again to day to get the washer and dryer going and yes they are working YAHOO ! I worked on the 4th so that I can take of the 25th maybe or some other day and off and enjoyed the air conditioning at work sense ours at home is out Yeck! not a fun thing in 107-110 degree weather, but luckily we have a back up that has helped some!(Zach will not think so when he gets home on Sunday ha ha ) But it will help him build character. Alex is enjoying his 6 bedroom apartment all to him self and working lots in this nice hot weather. He and Danni have put a hold on their plans for awhile so we wish them all our support as they make these fun life altering decisions! We spent the 4th of July evening with Kate and Ben and Kim watching fireworks and playing games. Graham was still working . Well I am blogging instead of getting my Relief society lesson ready so I better pull my self back to task. so until next time Love to all

We are the busy ones, Ben and Kim's house is coming along. We are all helping them in the wake of remodel and redo. The texture on the walls is done, painted, and touched up. Cleola grouted tile on Saturday, and I touched up paint. This week hopefully the doors will get painted, new countertops, and a new wood floor. It is fun to see a project come together.

On a sad note Kim's brother Destery died a week ago, the funeral was yesterday. He died of a heart attack, a young man of 42, much too soon.

Grandpa is missing his Sophie. We are trying to get it together to go to Jackson this month.

Cleola's brother has a son, Cammron, He is getting married next Saturday, in the Bountiful Temple.
We are still trying to get there also.

March and the wind is blowing!

Well, It is March and the wind is blowing in St. George... surprise surprise, I guess it is time to get out the kite and go flying...This past week has been a busy one with busy days and something going every night. but that is what keeps us young right? or so they tell me. Kimberly and I started a quilt for the new baby and we are sure looking forward to finding out if it is a girl or boy but, I guess we will have to wait a few more weeks. We are so impatient I did not want to know with any of my kids as they came along of course that last couple it was pretty hard not to tell... but Kate still was hoping for a little sister so we let her hope. Now we can not even wait a few months to find out on these grand babies. It is sure fun to see everyone else's blogs and keep up with the friends of my children I have not yet found my own friends but I know they must be out there some where. Right now I am trying to keep up with trying to learn Spanish and that has been a new challenge in my life but it sure is fun around work to be able to talk to my Spanish speaking friends and they are so patient with me and love to laugh at the way I pronounce words and love to correct me when I say a word that does not mean what I think it means. The family is tired of the little word strips around the house and have started pulling them off the walls and telling me they are embarrassing but I just keep trying. Well I wish I has some cool pictures to post but I never remember to take my camera any where and never go anywhere exciting to take pictures anyway. We did have a fun time up at Pioneer Park this last Saturday when the family met for breakfast and climbed the rocks( well the kids climbed the rock and Charles and I walked the paths my knee is still holding me back some but soon I will be able to do more I hope. Well thats all for this week, signing off.

Training Week for mom

Well, It has been a great week at work with Training's all week! which is a nice break sometimes from the running around of visits. But I really miss the families I work with as well. Things around home are becoming a little more routine that is always good. We had Nick Morrill and his friends here to visit on Sunday night and that was fun,They were on their way back to Provo from California and stopped to spend the night and do some hiking or long boarding or whatever.... It was sure fun to have them. This week-end was busy with Womens conference for Kim and I and doing long needed shopping. Then Burke and Teresa were here just overnight to attend Danielle Browns missionary farewell. But it was good to see them. Graham and Kate were out to dinner and we had fun looking at wedding pictures and planning their trip. Kate helped Burke and Teresa to set up a blog so we can all keep in touch. So we look forward to that. Here is one of the wedding pictures.. Oh yeah Mary is back East visiting family and We hear she has been shopping at H&M and making the rest of us jealous. Have fun Mary and take good care of Sophie. Love to all Cleola

Life is going on....

to up date my last blog... Kim is here living with us now and is substitute teaching and trying to keep up with us Bess's . Ben is much better behaved when she is around ha ha we sure love having them here. I have been in Ogden to an Autism conference, It was fantastic! I was able to see Sophie and tend her for a short few minutes. It was so cute I have nick named her my Pilate's baby she tries to get up from laying down my lifting her head like she is going to do a sit up but she does not get up, we had lots of fun playing peek a boo, and laughed alot. It was not to fun to be away from my good husband on Valentines day the first time in 29 years, but it helped getting to see Sophie. But now I am home and we have had a great week-end and yeah!! no work tomorrow, maybe we will go to the home show... maybe Vegas.... maybe just hang out... who knows?

Starting to Blog

Well Today is the first day of the rest of my life; so why not start blogging right? Kate set me up and told me to:Get Blogging!!! so here goes..... Wait interruption..... OK, I am back, Yeah that is my life, one interruption after another, ha ha but life goes on and we just work around the interruptions. Actually, I would not know how to live a life with out stops and starts.
Our family this year started with a sigh of relief, and a great big smile! The wedding was over and it went beautifully, Handsome couple with lots of well wishers sent them off on thier honeymoon and then back to Provo to go to school. Then we were greated with the great news that we are going to be Grandparents again.. Ben and Kim due the same day Sophie was born last year!!My cup is running over with pride( no maybe I should say happiness!) I do not want to be pridefull I know others think....... they have cute grand kids but, I know mine is the cutest ever!!!
Jan 3 we celebrated Birthday and then K.C. and Mary and Sophie headed back up to cold country, how dare they take my granddaughter away???? We are learning to watch the web site daily and trying to become more technology literate so we can go in and see the pictures of her and the videos they post. The latest one is showing her up on her knee's starting to crawl//// can you believe what a smart grand baby I have??? Yeah I know I can't believe it either. Well after that we sent Kim back to Phoenix for one more month while Ben moved in with us and started his new job in St.George. ( Yeah I am excited that they will be living here when the baby is born)
Zachary is back in school and Alex after spending a semester at U.V.S.C is back living at home and attending Dixie College, Graham and Kate are still working away, Graham changed jobs and is still considering going to school again and moving away?? But things are still in limbo for them at the moment and that is OK by me. I love having them close enough to at least have Sunday dinner together, and call and get advice from??? wait aren't the kids supposed to be the ones calling for advice? Oh well Kate is a great listener, so she gets a ear full once in a while. Thanks Kate.





The married couples are planning a trip together in April and I get to tend Sophie so I am excited.

Some of the Bess Crew