America, America....!!

Today we had a really fun family picnic. Whit and Heidi came in yesterday to work at the U and do "Twelfth Night" so they got to see a lot of family they hadn't seen in awhile. It was quite hot today. Michelle, Grant's sister joined in with about 40 family members. We all ate and then played a water balloon basketball game Janson and Noelle supervised. After that we competed in horseshoes. It was great to have a relaxed and fun fourth. Following the picnic we went to cool off and see "Get Smart". In the evening we stayed in and relaxed.

Eric's Retirement

This last Monday Eric retired from the City of Provo after 27.5 years but totaling 30 years on paper. His staff gave him a beautiful Open House and a beautiful memory book. He appreciated all those who came and supported his finale. Pretty amazing that he started at the City when he was Whit and Grant's age. Whoa!

Weston's First

On June 6th Weston was one-year old. He is so funny and cute. Doug, Stef and her sister, Kristen, came down to celebrate. One of Weston's favorite things to look at in our house is the overhead fan/light. He was very excited to open his gifts. He got some great toys and we hear Oscar the Grouch from our talking Sesame Street gift is a favorite. We put him in the center of our table to open his gifts. Weston is big on balloons too. We had dinner and Stef brought an ice cream cake from Coldstone's.

This month was super cause the next weekend was Father's Day and we got to celebrate again. Eric had been in LA for the US Open (which he was pretty excited about) and so he got an early Father's Day with Whit, Heidi, Chelsea and Grant. Then he came back on Saturday and Doug, Stef, Weston and Dyana (Eric's oldest) came and we had a big lasagne dinner and then went miniature golfing. Eric was the scorekeeper and before we knew it he wasn't keeping any scores - it didn't matter. It was fun to be outdoors. On Sunday we headed over to Pat and Lee's (my sister) and with Mom and Bob had a yummy steak dinner. It was a great Father's Day weekend!!!

Hail, Britainia

Dear old chaps - we have returned from an amazing trip abroad! My word, it was wonderful. We left on May 23rd for jolly old England and had such a fab-u-lous time. Cannot tell it all. We looked for Sweeney Todd on Fleet Street, visited with the Queen at Buckingham, saw the crown jewels at the Tower and managed to leave with our heads still attached! Stayed at Twenty Nevern Square, a quaint little spot, in South Kensington and the tube was a jaunt away. How we loved seeing The Great Hall from Harry Potter at Oxford,visited good Will Shakespeare's birthplace in Stratford, and wandered back in time at Warwick Castle.
Of course this doesn't begin to express THE THEATRE!!! We saw a hysterical play called "The 39 Steps" - true Brit fashion which incorporated every Alfred Hitchcock movie reference. Then another night at "Billy Elliott" which was phenom. Stood as serfs in the yard at the Old Globe to see 'King Lear". We ate at Sherlock Holmes Pub, Wagamama's, Galileo's, The Mint Leaf and even the Food Court at Harrad's. Loved the British Museum and riding the London Eye. Shopped at Picadilly and Oxford Circus and strolled through the Portobello Market. Went to the King Tut Exhibit, O2 and the Imperial War Museum. Then we were on to taking the Eurostar to Paris!!!
We stayed at the Grand Hotel Leveque which was walking distance to the Eiffel Tower and our last night we strolled over to see it all lit up - which is breathtaking. Also took in Notre Dame, Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre and the Champs Elysees for several hours of shopping. Ate at small cafes and bought fresh fruit and bagettes or croissants for breakfast. We moved around on the Tube and the Metro with ease - so much fun and easy!!
It was a trip of a lifetime.

GREAT MOTHER'S DAY

MOM'S DAY or weekend was so nice. I talked to all my kids and got beautiful flower arrangements of all sorts - gorgeous. Eric gave me two arrangements. Brighton had exchanged with me a Forever 21 card so I went shopping with that. Doug and Stef also sent yummy designer cupcakes. Eric and I saw "Ironman" on Friday and I took my little momma to see "Baby Mama" on Saturday. On Sunday we had a family picnic and I only took 7 pictures - I need rehearsal on this for sure. But here's a few of the extended family.

IT WENT SOOO FAST!

Some days I miss the good old days with my Kidlets!! But then I got a batch of new babies to add in.

Sundays with Brighton

We had a get together on Sunday. My sister and brother-in-law, Maurvene and Roy were here from Idaho. Donna and Rich,Mom, Brooke and Colton, Eric and I and Brighton and Jordan enjoyed strawberry shortcake. We played a fun new game Roy had made himself with wood tiles which was a little like dominos/rummycub. Colton sang for us a few numbers with his guitar and we blabbed and blabbed. Here are a few shots of Brighton with Grandma and her new beau, Jordan.

ON GOLDEN POND MEMORIES

Last night we had our cast party for "On Golden Pond". Being with everyone again and seeing the pictures made me remember how much I loved doing the show. I'm so glad I got to do Ethel with Dennis as Norman. I met a lot of wonderful people; Beth, DeShawn, James, Verlana, Luone, Howard and remet Kathryn and Jason. I would actually love to do this show again. Since I played 69 I think I could do it again sometime in the next 15 years!

Whit's YouTube Contest Piece

Whit's production team "The Attack" is in the finals on the Skeetchies II contest on YouTube.

He's Well!

Weston is in gear. Eric's grandbaby, Weston, has just been through quite an ordeal (and the parents, Doug & Stef - obviously) and is now boppin' We were excited to have a visit from them on Saturday. He is adorable and it's so wonderful to see him OUT of the hospital.

We had some other visitors this weekend also. My buds, Vince and Wendy Hull (Wendybird) were here for conference and they were over on Sunday with their daughter, Miss Megan. Cute Brighton came over we also had Megan's friend, Matt, and Brighton's girlfriend, Maggie. It was a fun time.

Just a few more days before we get to see the Whitman and Miz Heidi,and little CP and the Guitar Hero, Grant.

Take Me Out to Dodger Stadium

Woo-Hoo! It's Dodger time. I'm so happy yesterday was opening day and the Boys in Blue beat the not-so-really-Giants 5-0. I'm excited to go down next weekend and see TWO games!! Yes - I'm bleedin' Dodger Blue.

My own Becoming Austen

Heidi did a Jane Austen quiz and I decided to take it myself. It turned out I would be Marianne Dashwood. Here is the description:
You are Marianne Dashwood of Sense & Sensibility! You are impulsive, romantic, impatient, and perhaps a bit too brutally honest. You enjoy romantic poetry and novels, and play the pianoforte beautifully. To boot, your singing voice is captivating. You feel deeply, and love passionately.
What do you know?

SPRING AHEAD!

Wow - I got to go to LA this weekend and be with all my kids AND be with the SUN!! It was so nice to walk around and not have to have a gillion layers on. Saw Whit with his Improv group, The Universe, and that was way fun. Got to play my favorite game, PIT! Grant agreed to play and he had fun - of course. Was so great to stay one night at Whit and Heidi's (fun lunch in Hollywood) and with Chelsea and Grant (got to see Chels in action as the Professor as she is subbing for one of her professors for two weeks.) Also went on tour at Claremont College and ate in a cafeteria that resembles Hogwarts! Yes! It was fast and I lost my glasses somewhere (they were scratched anyhow). Now I have to buckle down and get ready for "On Golden Pond" - only 2 1/2 weeks to go! Ahhh! The only good thing about coming back is Eric didn't go down with me - Mistake!! I am waiting for this stupid white stuff called snow to get outta town!

BACK TO THE FOOTLIGHTS

So my good friend, Dennis Purdie, called me a month ago and asked, or encouraged, or maybe even slightly pleaded with me to come audition for "On Golden Pond" for the role of Ethel opposite his Norman. I knocked it around in my head for a few days because 1)did I really want to give up all my evenings to rehearsal, 2) did I think I could play 69 and 3) how rusty am I really! Short story - I decided to force myself to do it. It's only the Pleasant Grove Players operating in a small theatre in the library building but I am glad I did it and I'm actually having a great experience. Dennis and I go way back to the days of "Harvey" so it's really comfortable and amazingly enough I am actually coming along with my lines - which Ethel has Tons! That never used to be an issue, but it has become one in this chapter of livin' So now I am trying to discover how I want to create Ethel's physical look. Saw Meryl, my idol, in "Evening" the other night and I think I have a base to work from now!! Maybe I have re-discovered I still have some greasepaint in my veins and not just Mountain Dew!!

Recap on Christmas

Christmas 2007 was great!!! Actually, let's just say the holiday season because at Thanksgiving we had all the kids and Mom and Dad with us for turkey day. Chelsea and Grant went to Oklahoma for Christmas, but we got to see them on the way back from OK when they had a layover. Also at Thanksgiving we enjoyed movies, food, laughter and seeing Brighton in "Thoroughly Modern Millie" (at which she was stupendous)! Whit was involved in filming one of his new videos for his site "The Attack" and couldn't find a courthouse in LA. Solved the problem up here and on Friday we filmed the courthouse scene with Eric as the Judge, Brighton in the jury box, Grant as cinematographer, me as Court Reporter and Whit as his new character, "R. Stiltskin, Attorney-At-Law" which should be online in a week. What I like most about Christmas is the 3 weeks before with the music, cards, shopping, parties and the whole shebang. Actually, Christmas Day is sad for me cause everything gets opened and then it's clean up time. This year I was excited to give Eric his U.S. Open-Golf trip but he topped me by giving me a trip to London!!!! If you don't know I LOVE LONDON and pretty much everything British. We are going to May and I am sooooo excited!!!

Christmas card

This year's Christmas card was my favorite. Here's the fam - at Jackson Hole this summer