SLOWLY BUT SURELY

I'm all smiles now after my very encouraging eye check yesterday.  Holly took me there, it was 1.5 hour wait (lots of other active adults there), but I could have jumped out of the chair and hugged Dr. Quan when he told me the recovery and healing is doing well (but I'll wait until next week when I see my surgeon Dr. Winward).  This is my second day without the patch and it was a little problem yesterday morning, but as day went on there wasn't the slanted, fractured, double vision that I had last week.  YEAH!  Thanks for keeping me in your prayers as I really appreciate your support. The balloons and flies have gone also.  I'm very encouraged and thankful.

When Lance brought me home over a week ago he was a sweet guy and planted Holly's cherry tomato bushes and he and Holly replanted my failed beet crop as I want lots of beets to pickle and bottle (we both love them). 

Then several days later she came over  and using the newly cleaned off work bench she altered a lot of my Stampin Up cards that are too fat to send in mail without getting torn.  She'd gone through hers (now that she can get into her craft room and figured out how to do it - she's so cleaver) and wanted to help me.  Thanks HollySue and Good Going!

Tues. morning Holly came again with her friend Susan in Pastor's Eldens borrowed truck to gather all the donations Hyun and I had placed in the 3rd bay of garage.  They had it all loaded in no time and the truck was stuffed full- inside as well.  This is for a huge garage sale and fund raiser for their friend Kim who has ALS and needs funds to keep her home health people  coming to serve her every day.  It's going to be on Saturday and the great location is close to 4th North on 1st East so we hope they have a very successful day.  I was glad to help out.

...AND GRANDMA'S PROJECTS AT HALF WAY POINT

Hyun layed 76 pavers on top of Allen blocks be help prevent Grandma Gloria from breaking a leg or arm when she stands on open blocks to pick fruit. YEAH!  Have wanted that done for years.

Hyun did a pretty good job mowing a MUCH larger lawn than he was used to mow.  He even worked up a sweat.

 



Holly and I were impressed with Hyun when he gave himself a Factor 8 shot when he returned from Youth Conference and before we went to movie.    He said he had an internal bleed from pavers project, youth service project or both.

                                               NEXT PROJECT - NEW EYE (don't I wish)

What wonderful siblings I've been blessed with to help me out with this ordeal.  It was good to spend individual time with each of them and they rearranged their plans to express their love to me.  Thanks to Holly also for arranging to take me to Kate's convalescence home on Sunday afternoon.  Thanks for the cute things some of you have done.

to be continued........

Aquascape Vacation

This month I decided to take a vacation to have time to tackle the mess of a second bedroom that was slowly starting to resemble a "Hoarders" episode. (So far, no dead cats or rotten food).  I am now able to use my desk, and more importantly the Stampin' table!

I timed this vacation around Mom's eye surgery so I would also be available to help her.  Other family members did most of the helping! She stayed at Kate's, Lance brought her home and Hyun was with her to give her the eye drops every four hours. Not sure how much cleaning I would have accomplished if I was running to and fro every four hours! (Thanks Hyun.)

What I hadn't planned, but am very tickled that I did, was re-aquascape my aquarium. I had been researching certain fish and plants online and ran accross pictures of other peoples tanks. I caught a vision.  Now I can't stop staring at it, (not getting much cleaning done), and wanted everyone to see!  (Yes, they are real plants.)

 

 

A school of Neon TetrasNow to show off my "babies"

Black Widow Tetras

Julii Cory Catfish 
 

 

BUSY IN PROVIDENCE CONTINUED

To help prepare for Rachel's Baby Shower, Hyun not only put up table and chairs, washed them off, stapled together the "game booklet" I'd prepared, but also helped with the table decorations (no doubt his parents would be so proud)!!!

/The shower was well attended (the deck was full) on a beautiful evening.  Our friends loved the house, (many had not been into the "view" area before and couldn't get over it).They really enjoyed the delicious dinner and made a big fuss over the cute  cake I made, and the cute Rachel Production booklet I'd put together so I was very happy about all the work I had done to prepare for it.  I was so drained the day after I hardly did a thing but sit or lie down and Hyun helped me back up my computer on two clouds.  So much easier than hard drive version I did before.

Hyun continued to go through treasures in garage and bag some stuff up for garage sale donation at end of month.

 Then next was some fun work and new experience for Hyun.  He helped Carl fell the dead pine tree between Johnson's and me.  Carl and Nadeane couldn't believe how strong he was as he had the dead branches cut off from base to as tall as he was in no time.

Then he pulled the rope after Carl cut the wedge at base of tree and down the tree came just where we wanted it to fall, and he went like a buzz saw along the rest of the fallen tree.  Nadeane and I gathered the branches and Hyun quickly tied them into bundles for one of the three little pigs to build his stick house.  Hyun raked up all the tree debris.

Next, Carl gave him a lesson on the chain saw and Hyun cut the tree into sizes just right for wood burning stove.  He carried the bundles out front and he and Carl carried the logs to corner of driveway for Frank to pick up and use.

I sent the Spears home with new box of twine, 10 large vegetable bags, a new spool of fishing line and leftover food from shower for their dinner.  We were all happy and Hyun refreshed Carl's former Japanese numeral language knowledge.  A very good morning!!

It's Drew's Golden Birthday! (he's 14 on the 14th)

Happy 14th Birthday Drew!  

Holy cow, 14 already.  I still remember holding you in my wedding dress when you were 3 months old.

xoxo Montana Howells

HAPPY 20TH!!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations to Brady and Mary on their 20th Wedding Anniversary celebration.  That's quite a milestone.  Good Going!!!

BUSY IN PROVIDENCE

Hyun sprays around house and yard for nasty insects and vampires.

Now he's ready for the three days APIA camp at institute on USU campus  (looking sharp, but there were no females
allowed at this camp).  He learned a lot and had a respite from grandma's projects.

He's showing off the vest and tie that he received from Sacs Fifth

Avenue (r-i-g-h-t), or were they from his dad (thanks dad)!

Hyun and I went to a classic car show on Saturday afternoon.

"I didn't know you were interested in classic cars, grandma"?    "Well Hyun, I used to drive them when they were new!!!!!!  This red one was like your papa's first car except his was robin egg blue."

Tackling the messy garage above and below papa's work bench.  He vacuumed all the dead critters thereon, and I was glad to hear there were no large dead or live creatures hiding anywhere.

He found several treasures that will have to be put in his suitcase on return trip as passing security would be a major issue for him with all sorts of bells and whistles going off.

to be continued..........

WHAT'S HAPPENING IN PROVIDENCE

Lewis Cousin Reunion on May 25th was a big success despite the fact I ran out of steam just before serving lunch and had to hit the couch to recover.  Dang, dang, dang!   We had all been to Logan and Prov cemeteries to decorate the graves and pay respects to our great parents.

Hyun flew in last Saturday to help with work on "Grandma's Estate".  'Twas his first flight alone and he was able to catch the first airport shuttle to Logan.  He thinks he's an artist and a writer, but he's now "Driving Ms. Gloria", "Gardner and Handyman" and keeps me laughing.

I gave him some nourishment before he and I joined Ryan and Rachel remove all the "STUFF" from garage before  cleaning and organizing it all.  Hyun and I will continue organizing all the stuff on work bench next week.

Ryan blew all dead beasts, cobwebs, grass, dirt, etc out and Hyun began moving stuff to designated areas.

Then the floor got a good washing and Hyun continued to carry "stuff" to it's new home (including garbage can).

After we all cleaned up I took the hard working crew out to dinner.

Today Hyun entered the green jungle by raspberries and with his trusted sword, er, I mean shovel and vanquished all the tall grasses that had overshot the top of the hill I had seeded last fall.  He also transplanted errant raspberries, and dug rows so I could plant more pickles and beets.  He knows Taryn would be jealous of Grandma's pickles he's eaten every day. 

Then after lunch he pounded the tomato cages into ground, repaired a ladder for donation, emptied unused flower pots for donation and carried rest of stuff, that didn't have a home on Saturday when we quit, to an empty spot in garage.

We're reading and writing now before we go with Ryan and Rachel to clean our ward building.

He's learned how to iron a white shirt and tonight he's going to cook one of Holly's favorite meals.  So we're helping each other.
Nice!

Rockies game with Katie and our homies

Went to the Rockies game on Saturday vs the Dodgers.  Super great seats in row six, had lots of fun, exciting finish Rockies come back to tie then win it later in the bottom if the 10th.

Estes Park

Lots of fun and great sight seeing with the kiddos and grandparents Boogaard. We saw bighorn sheep, elk, deer, many much moosen, but no bears. :(. We told the kids we would go get ice cream if they saw a bear.  So we got frozen yogurt instead.