GOOD Times & GRANDkids

In July of 2014, Shane and Alicia went on trek. That's quite an adventure. Mom/Margie and Dad/Lamar got grandparent duty, taking care of Shane and Alicia's three ... plus Taylee, because if you already have a few, what's one more?

Here's Mom's recap (email) ...

Mon. night Shane and Alicia picked up Taylee and we all had a good roast beast dinner. Taylee stayed for the first 2 nights. All the kids were very well behaved and had a fun time. Each morning after breakfast, we all went for an hour or so morning swim at the pool. We usually had it to ourselves and it is delightful that time of day when half of the pool is in the shade. After putting Calder to bed each night, Dad took the girls about 9:15 to a nighttime swim, with the underwater lights, until he closed it at 10 or so.

Dad took the kids fishing one day. It is the first time he has caught anything with the grandkids this year at that pond. They were little--about 3-4 inches, but still fun. Taylee got 6, Adria 2, and Rella 1. They put all 9 in a bucket of water and brought them home to our pond.

He took the 3 girls to All a Dollar and let them spend $2 each.

The 3 girls made jello, creating masterpiece parfaits with various layers of fruit.

Taylee got picked up Wednesday afternoon for a lesson she had scheduled.

Wednesday evening, Alicia's Dad and Julie picked up the three kids to give us a couple hours break and took them to hike around Silver Lake. They saw a moose about 15-20 feet away and other wildlife. Thurs. evening they picked them up again to spend two hours at Murray park. I packed them a picnic dinner since they were coming straight from work. 

 Dad and the girls did a bit of tennis yesterday, but it was sooo hot, they couldn't last long.

Not mentioned in the letter, but captured in the photo at top, are the girls with "Chip" man. 

This was not the first time Grandpa had helped with such a creation. 

Here's a glance back at little Keaton in 2007 with "Coin" man!

July was apparently quite the month for grandparent time. Earlier in the month, there was another email from Mom/Margie recounting time with the Jensen kids visiting ...

Rick and Jaiden and Josh are on their way home. We had a good time. It was nice to have just the 2 kids, to give them more one-on-one attention, without them having to compete with their siblings to be heard. Grandpa was a trooper. Fri. night he took them to Dicks Sporting Goods and bought 2 new fishing poles (since he only had one working one). Then he took them to the dollar store and gave them each $2 to spend. Then they went swimming from about 9:15 to 10. The stake president's daughter and friends were swimming and using glow sticks and gave them one.

This morning after breakfast, he took them fishing---Jaiden caught a duck on her fishing pole, when he took the bait! They got him released. No fish though! They wanted to work for money while here, but all their time was taken up with fun stuff. They are good ages, 8 and 10, and can get so thrilled and excited over small things---such as stopping at a park on the way and eating out at Carl Jr. All too soon, they will be older and not care about visiting grandparents any more.

Remember we are not great at instigating things, but will show the kids a good time while they are with us, while they are ages that still want to come (they had to pay their dad 40 tickets each to come).

Josh asked me this morning, "What do you and Grandpa DO when we're not here!"
Well, Josh, we just sit and stare at the walls--------we hope it doesn't really come to that some day!)

It reminded me of when Wendy was little and we had just paid the baby sitter and taken her home. Wendy said "Did you pay her money?" I said "Yes." Wendy: "Well, SHE should pay US, because she got to come here and have fun!"

One time when Kellen and Kemery were about 8 and 10 maybe and we were tending them...we were busy bottling peaches. I had them load peaches in the bottles, round side up, with a slotted spoon. I said, if you will just help us load this batch of bottles, then Grandpa will take you to play tennis. They enjoyed the canning so much, one said, "If we will go play tennis with Grandpa, then can we load some more bottles!" A reversal of which was work and which was the reward!

We've got to get these cute sayings put in our Dropbox Family History project before we forget them.

... there is a folder in Dropbox, but there's also a page on this blog that features many of the funny sayings and such over the years. Check out the Collection of Cute Quotes! If you have new ones you want added, include them in your family emails and I'll try to stick them in, or email them to me (Jen) directly.  

Mom and Dad watched the Jensen kids again at the end of the month while Wendy and Rick celebrated their 20th anniversary, staying at the Anniversary Inn and seeing "Wicked". There was a big Red Robin gathering while they were there, meeting Shane&Alicia, D&D and Jen too (the rest of the Blackhams were in Seattle). 

In Wendy's Jensen Journal blog post about their trip up, she wrote:

 "My mom had invited Shane and Alicia's girls, Adria and Rella, to sleepover too so that the cousins could play together. She said that they got a little rambunctious! The kids must have played hard while we were gone because after we got home Jenna lay her head on the table and fell asleep!" 

Sleepover and Great-Grandma Zada Visit

There have been a few grandGIRL sleepovers featured (11/2011, 2/18/2012, 2/18 and 3/11 in 2013... with dress-up time and glitter. The boys have always been invited, although some of the same activities wouldn't always apply. In March 2013, Chris's kids had a sleepover at the Grandparents house. No dressing up, but there was yard work and genealogy ;)  Just like with the girls sleepovers, it concluded with a visit to Great-Grandma Zada at the care center (so ... there WAS a little bit of beauty school stuff after all!). 

On March, 26, Mom wrote out recap...

We enjoyed a delicious salmon dinner at Chris and Kim's on Sunday (14 of us). Krystal was the only one missing. Then Chris gave a nice FHE. We took Corin, Camden, and Cayson home with us for a sleepover. They enjoyed our ipad and iphone and Corin enjoyed netflix on my computer. They all three worked for Grandpa for an hour outside. Corin took down Christmas lights from bushes and trees (saving Grandpa getting up on a high ladder) and cleaned out some rain gutters. Grandpa and Corin spent some good one-on-one time doing genealogy, creating a fan chart, and fixing some of Corin's line----Corin had asked to do this because he needed it for Youth Conference this summer. Corin and I had some good chats here and there.

We took the 3 boys to visit Grandma and took pictures. Then Chris came at 6:30 to pick them up and have a chicken dinner. Shane and Alicia and girls were visiting the Acquarium and had asked about going out to dinner with us that evening. We told them we had plans, but that they could join us for dinner here, so they did. Alicia made some rolls and chocolate chip cookies.

Chris's boys snapped a picture when they had visited Grandma Zada in May of 2012 too.

Early Easter ~ Four GrandGirls Sleepover

Wendy's kids were off for Spring Break, and Jaiden and Janelle came up to Salt Lake with Rick - he had some plans, and they got to play with cousins and Grandma and Grandpa. It was a couple weeks before Easter, but as the Jensen crew wouldn't be able to come up to the family party in a few weeks, Grandpa did an early Easter, and a photoshoot! Here are some exerpts from the March 11 email Mom sent out, telling about their time together...

Rick came Sat. and dropped his girls off at Alicia's to sleepover and go to Primary. Then Shane and Alicia brought the 4 girls here Sun. at 5:30. We fixed a salmon dinner. Rella decided to stay over after all.  Alicia let both her girls miss school today in order to play with their cousins they don't get to see often. They've had a great time. Rick slept here both nights and had some enjoyable visits with old friends Sat. night and Sunday afternoon and evening. He attended Sacrament meeting with us. Taylee's family had too busy of a schedule this weekend for her to join the cousins this time around.

LaMar got the good idea to have an early Easter egg hunt for them, while J and J were here. So they loaded their own eggs and LaMar hid them in the front yard--the back yard is still wet and some snow. They hung a few eggs from the trees for decoration. Adria and Rella didn't have coats and Rella had on a dress, so it is good it was sunny and fairly warm. They were delighted to watch the squirrel and each wanted to name him (a different name, of course). So he now has 3 names. Janelle didn't come out to see him.

Funny Janelle! She was telling me yesterday about the maturation program she attended at school on Friday. Today she was sitting on the couch and said, "I feel moody. They told us at the maturation program that we might feel moody!" I told Wendy and Wendy said, "She didn't even know that word until Friday." Funny kids!

Today Janelle said her arms hurt until she could hardly lift them. Rella took her upstairs and tucked her in bed. Rella told me that she told Janelle to call her when Janelle wanted to get up and she would come uncover her because Janelle couldn't lift the covers! Little mother! It finally dawned on me what the problem was and I told Janelle I thought it was because she played so much boxing yesterday on the Wii that her arm and back muscles were sore! She loves the Wii!

Well, I got the girls all fed lunch, now I'll go fix for LaMar. They are out feeding the fish. Rick just left awhile ago with Janelle and Jaiden. Today we will take Adria and Rella with us to visit Grandma and Alicia will pick them up there, then she won't have to drive clear to our place. 

The Great-Grandma Zada visits happened a few times after grand-girl sleepovers!
And a little later in the month, Mom&Dad hosted Chris's Boys and also did a GG visit!

Second Sleepover for Cousins Trio

 This cute little trio had a sleepover last year in 2012, and they had a repeat performance this year. Again, from Sunday to Monday, with the kids out of school for President's Day. This year, there was a little snow play. Not sure of the story of the matching jammies. They were from Target, and a coincidence that they all had the same ones? Maybe knowing beforehand that they had the same ones, they arranged to wear them for the sleepover ...

Mom's Email Recap ~ Sunday we had Scott's family (Alyssa was in St. George and Kemery in Sun Valley) and Shane and Alicia's family for dinner, so they could drop of Taylee, Adria and Rella for a girl cousins sleepover. Wish Jaiden and Janelle could have been here for it too. We'll have to try a little boy cousins sleepover sometime if they want and we get get some together. Though it might be harder to entertain them since they don't do "dressup" and glitter crafts! They had a fun time. We were tired last night (smile)! We took them to visit Grandma with us Mon. afternoon and Scott picked them up there and drove Alicia's girls home to Lindon.

Like last year ... the sleepover was followed by a visit to Great-Grandma Zada at the care center... and a bit more beauty school fun.

Who is winning at Scrabble this year?

There would be another girl cousin sleep over this year ... right before Easter!

GrandGirls Sleepover/Dressup and Visit to Great-Grandma

Shane's girls got together with cousin Taylee for some fun. After the grownups played games, the girls ended up having a sleepover at Grandma and Grandpa's house. Cooper and Colton were invited too ... see what fun they missed! Dress-up and beauty shop! Here's an excerpt from Mom's email ...

Shane and Alicia came for dinner about 4:30, picking up Taylee on the way. We had salmon, rice-a-roni, jello with fresh strawberries, and rolls. Amy sent brownies and we had ice cream. We played a few hands of progressive rummy and then they left and the 3 girls stayed for a sleepover since there was no school today.

I just had my morning water aerobics and the girls are playing dress-up and doing art and craft projects. They didn't bring their snow gear or they would probably go out and play in the snow---but it is quite chilly. Rella is dressed up in a 50's "poodle skirt" and tells me her name is "Princess Watermelon." Taylee and Grandpa are making a car out of a cardboard box and drilling holes for the wheels to attach. We are going to play "beauty shop" doing the girls' hair. They asked if they got to do makeup too!

 Merrill and Lorrie are in St. George this weekend, so can't visit Mother, wanting us to pick up the slack. They go on Sundays. They left a message on our answering machine. We couldn't go yesterday, but will probably go tomorrow instead of Thurs. Or I got the idea during swimming that we could go today and take the girls for a visit and then Amy or whoever is picking them up wouldn't have to come as far---just a thought--I haven't run it by LaMar yet.

Well, you can see by the photos below that Mom's idea worked out ...

Too bad there aren't more pictures from the "beauty shop" playtime ... 

especially if makeup was involved!

What is the high score in that Scrabble game? Who won?

2011... At Grandma's House

Sometimes there is a single photo here and there, and not a ton of background info to make a complete blog post. Sometimes a compilation of pictures IS what tells the story, even if they were taking at different times. Here, there are a few photos featuring being a Grandma ...

Josh and Jenna in the toy cupboard ... because Grandma and Grandpa's house has a toy cupboard. It's full of some of the classics: pop beads, plastic blocks that stick together, dress-up, baby toys, and a plethora of balls for Grandpa to throw from the bottom of the stairs to the kids at the top of the stairs. And sometimes ... it holds grandkids too! Fun photo! See more memories of favorite play things in the Timeless Toys post. 

... and another group of grandkids over to Grandma and Grandpa's house for a sleepover. There was a date for this activity; November 19, 2011. Alicia was in the hospital having a baby! Baby Calder. Perfect time for a grandgirls sleepover. Wanna bet they got into the toy cupboard? Maybe not literally like Jenna and Josh though *Ü*  There would be future sleepovers for the grandgirls too (2/18 in 2012, 2/18 and 3/11 in 2013).  

Here's Mom's email ... We are having Adria and Rella and Taylee, sleep over here tomorrow night. Alicia will pick up Taylee on the way here. We will take her home Sat. and drive Adria and Rella to the hospital to see their new baby brother. Shane and Alicia will go to the hospital Sat. morning for Alicia to deliver Calder, by c-section. He will be born on Grayson's birthday.

Originally, this post also had a picture of Grandma Zada at the care center (as visiting Grandma afterward became associated with sleepovers) but then that became its own post.