Great-Grandpa Ellis

So it's been a really busy week again for us... still a blast, but again... very busy.

First of all Ada, Sammy and I got to go to the "This is the Place" Park in SLC. It was another of Diane's brilliant brain outings... I'd never been there before and thought that someday I'd like to go but wasn't too excited to take kids... but we got there and it was a blast! It also happened to land on a $2 day... so for me and the two kids under the age of 3... I only paid $2. And guess what... I actually forgot my camera. All these really neat things to take pictures of and I don't have it. Grrr. Ada got a "shave" at the barber shop... she got in the barbers chair and then told the barber that she didn't want him to use his razor... that's a trick. It started raining part of the way through but not too bad. Ada's favorite was riding the mini-train... there wasn't a line so we got to do it a couple of times. It was quite a view of the valley up there too. Ada also liked the pony ride and when she woke up from her nap in the car on the way home her first incoherent comment was, "I want to ride the pony." Sammy's favorite was the petting zoo. He was following the goats around and trying to lay on them. It was pretty funny. Then we went directly to my cousin's finance's bridal shower in Payson. Yeah... that wasn't a fun drive... but there was really cool lightning on the way.

And my brother Seth was here for the weekend! YAY SETH! It was fun to see you! It was hard to pack in everything and let it be a vaction too...

We also held my Grandpa Ellis' 80th birthday party. It was really neat to see all the people that came to support them. They drove up from Arizona and at least 100 people plus came to it. I haven't seen him in about a year so it was really good to see him and get to physically hug him. Heather also brought Paige and Brittany too! I haven't seen them in person since Paige was about 3... now they're in high school. Weird. Jer played soccer with all the older great grandkids and I ran around taking pictures of everything. I wish I had thought to get my camcorder out though... Mom and her siblings had done a program and it would have been a good one to get a recording of. First they sang "Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang" for him... and he got all teary eyed. (They used that song to compete when they were younger.) Then all of the grandkids joined in for "Come thou Fount of Every Blessing". Then Grandpa led us in a round of "Sipping Cider". It was very touching to see how much he loves everyone! We sang that song every Bear Lake trip while I was growing up... it's about how a man and woman meet, get married and have their family. When he got to the part that says, "Got 49 kids, all call me pa." He started to cry and couldn't make it any more. Mark took up the song for him and finished. I think it was a very special experience. Here he is sitting with the bulk of his family that he loves so much and who he is sure he won't see many of again on this physical earth because he says that he just can't make the trip up from Arizona anymore... I came close to crying and only didn't because I had to stop to get mad at Ada for trying to shove red punch in my face and all over my yellow shirt. We'll be able to see Grandpa at least once more though. He's going to be sealing Tiff and Tim in the temple on Saturday. What a neat thing to have! We were lucky enough that he was able to marry Jer and I. And I think he's also married Renee and Steve, Joe and Jen, and a couple more that I can't think of right now. I love you Grandpa!

And it was so fun to had Landon and Katie stay with us. It was fun to visit and chat while the kids played! I hope that we see each other again soon!

Then tonight was a going away party for both Seth and Janelle... It's so weird to know that only Sharon and I are now living in Utah out of the 5 kids... McKay's halfway here... his family is even if he's in Afghanistan. (or "Ghanistan" as the twins call it.) It was fun to play and to see you mug our kids. We love you guys and hope all is well in your various endevors!

I'll post pictures on my next entry. Right now I need to get to bed.