Gavin's Blessing

Monday, August 11, 2008 Yesterday was our grandson Gavin’s blessing. His father Greg did the honors in Gavin’s other grandparent Chazen’s home. The Chazen’s bishop presided and afterwards told Greg that it was perhaps the best blessing he had ever heard. After the blessing we had a taco bar provided by the Chazens extended family then the youngsters played volleyball. Judy and I didn’t eat a lot. Tupo Falou’s homecoming was yesterday also and they had a luau type buffet at the clubhouse afterwards so we weren’t very hungry. We ate a little bit at each. Jim and his family came Saturday afternoon and stayed the night. They went back home last night. They took Sierra with them as Chris was leaving for Houston on a 6:00 a.m. flight meaning leaving here at 4:00. Suddenly it was so quiet here I broke down and turned on the TV. Shame on me. Corey and his family of course were at Chazen’s too.

Good night's sleep

Thursday, August 07, 2008 Niki, Alexa and Gavin are in town and until this morning have been staying at our place. (Greg flew in today so they are now staying at Chazen’s.) Everyone has been over to seen the little ones; most of the time it was all at the same time; total chaos. Last night we all went to Tepanyaki in Lehi for dinner. Alexa was a little frightened at first but soon warmed up to the fire and the noise etc. After dinner Diane agreed to take Judy to the airport. She is off to Indianapolis for Drum and Bugle Corp with her mother. She went to get on the midnight flight to Atlanta to make a connection. I was off the hook. I didn’t have to make the trip to the airport. Oh yea! Though I was going to have Austin, Molly and Sierra over night along with Alexa and Gavin, I was sure I would get a good night’s sleep. Wrong! At midnight, Judy called and said the flight was full and she didn’t get on and asked me to check flights in the computer. We finally decided it would be best for her to take the 6:00 a.m. flight to Atlanta and connect to Cincinnati and get a rental car their. That meant I had to get a rent-a-car which, through her coaching, I did on Alamo. Then she thought she needed her Tom Tom to help her navigate to Indianapolis and the hotel there so she asked if I would take it to her. Reluctantly I agreed. Big of me. She met me as I drove up, climbed in and said, “I can’t get through security. How about if I get in and we find a dark spot in the parking terrace and we can sleep in the car until 5:00?” She slept. I twisted and turned until 4:30 when Judy received a text message from Jim asking if she got on the flight. To make a long story short, I got home and into bed at about 5:30, tossed and turned until 7:30, then the kids woke up and started making noise. Such is life.

All together

Monday, August 04, 2008 Niki, Alexa and Gavin are here from Arizona. Chris and Sierra are here so we had to juggle bedrooms. Niki thought it would be best if she and the kids use Sierra’s bedroom upstairs with the trundle bed, so Chris pumped up an air mattress on the basement floor. Saturday night we all went to dinner at the Mayan. Alexa was especially interested in the high divers. All the older kids were fighting over Alexa and Gavin. The whole family was there except Greg. Jim, Diane, Austin and Molly were there as well as Chris and Sierra, Corey, Stacey, Jayden and Bailey and of course Niki, Alexa and Gavin. Don’t forget Judy and me.

Deja vu

Thursday, July 31, 2008 It happened again last night. Chris and Sierra went to the pool yesterday afternoon. Later Corey and family came over and we all went to the pool again. Jayden and Bailey and I went in ahead of everyone else. Merlin Smith was in charge of checking in, and when he saw me he said something to the effect of: “Your son was here earlier. He sure has a good looking wife!” I explained to him that Sierra is his fourteen year-old daughter. Corey and Stacey came in shortly after that and Chris and Sierra followed. I told them what Merlin had said and we all had a good laugh.

Oui, Oui

Our son Chris who has been divorced for some time and who has dated a number of girls over the years related the following funny story about flying home from his and Sierra’s recent Paris trip. One of his fellow flight attendants; probably the only one on this particular trip who didn’t know that Chris was with his daughter, was working first-class, where Chris and Sierra were sitting. He has Parkinson’s disease and he shakes a little. He was looking at Chris and Sierra while he was making the on-board announcements. Later in the galley he was talking to some of his fellow flight attendants and said, “I really like Chris but I think this time he’s gone too far!” thinking that Sierra was Chris' latest girlfriend. The others explained things to him and everyone including Sierra had a good laugh.

Rain and well needed

Sunday, July 27, 2008 Jepsons in church. Today Judy Jepson played the organ, led the choir and said the opening prayer in sacrament meeting. JD Jeppson, a high councilor was one of the speakers. I gave the benediction in Sacrament meeting, the closing prayer in Sunday school class and said the prayer to consecrate some oil in priesthood meeting. Funny! This afternoon and evening we got/are getting some well needed rain. I went for a drive in it and enjoyed it very much. While I was driving in the Cedar Fort area I got the impression I should call our fourteen year-old grandson Austin. I did and asked him how he was doing. He said he was ill. He has a bad cough and feeling “very, very weak.” I told him to take care of himself and let him know I loved him.

Parenting again at our age

Saturday, July 26, 2008 We had Jayden and Bailey overnight and to my relief all went smoothly. This morning Judy, the kids and I drove to Bennion Jr. High for a fundraiser yard sale for the cheerleaders i.e. Sierra and gang. This was the second week they have done this. Things were slow and as we were driving up they were starting to pack up everything to quit an hour early. Sierra was walking up to the corner of 6400 S and 2700 W to tell the two girls who were holding signs directing people to the event to pack it in and come back. The girls have only made about half of what they need for Cheer camp or whatever it is for. Jayden bought a wakeboard and Bailey a 1996 Disney snow globe. Jayden insisted that it was a snowboard and tried to call Greg to see if he wanted to go boarding with him. Later Corey came over and we all went to the pool; again. Jayden and Bailey and I were already in the pool when Corey got there. He came from getting a haircut.