Three Delightful Grandmothering Months at Eyrealm

 Note:  For those who are interested in seeing the Summer Fun at Eyrealm click HERE. 

 
Hello again! If anyone happens to find this after my long vacation from blogging, give me a shout out in the comment section. Most of my loyal followers may have gone on to other things, but I’m back…committed to writing for the sake of Family History, even if my faithful followers are lost!  So here we go! 

Life is awesome with a gaggle of grandchildren!  Since May, when I last posted our grandson Jacobson (my maiden name), whose nickname is Cubby was baptized by his dad surrounded by myriads of cousins and people who love him!  It was a day to remember as this cute young man was baptized in the same clothes that Rick’s mother Ruth made for him when he was baptized about 65 years ago! Most of our grandchildren have been baptized in this outfit and it’s getting fragile but is so well-loved! We love this awesome family! 

 

 

Shortly after I went to Arizona for the end of year activities there. I got to see cute Claire who is an excellent soccer, volleyball and tennis player,  get an award for track at the Jr. High and then quicklyI ran across the street to see Lucy play a piano solo on the school Talent Show, which she performed perfectly! 

 

Lucy has her own quite stunning way of absorbing music and has a remarkable piano teacher. Look at the size of those notes so she can see them!  She is surrounded by fabulous helpers, most especially her mom and family! 

What a flurry of fun activities come along with the end of the school year, especially when it includes graduations!  While I was in Arizona I had the chance to be not only with our grandchildren, but also our son Josh as he celebrated the graduation of his third grade class. 

Josh just happens to be “The World’s Best Teacher” at least in my eyes and the eyes of every child he’s ever had in his class along with their parents!  

“Mr. Eyre” has a spectacular end-of-the-year party every year for his third grade class. Countless hours have been spent teaching and nurturing and experiencing life together with those kids! The party is at the Pothier’s home which couldn’t be a more perfect place to enjoy the kids with their parents for a last hoorah!  The kids loved being there with the beautiful facilities for fun and showing off their gaggle of baby ducklings, newly hatched in their classroom. At the end of the year parties, Josh creates a marvelous video of the classes’ activities during the year that includes (among other things) a Thanksgiving feast, gingerbread house-making, rockets, astronomy nights and a beautiful song that the kids all joined in singing together when the video showed them singing it!  The love for teacher to students and students (and parents) to teacher was palpable. It was astonishing! 

Back to Utah, our grandson Ashton graduated from Ogden High School with honors!  After a few years gap of graduations of our own children, two of our grandchildren have already graduated and from here on in we will be inundated with graduations for many years to come!  Ashton has had a stellar year along with his incredible girlfriend Lexy, whom we all adore! 

His parents are pretty proud too! What a great guy…off to the University of Utah as an honor student! 

There they are smack in the middle of the Ogden High School Graduations Class! What a historic and grand old building!

How can my high school friends all be grandmothers?  But we are..big time! This group of wonderful friends were part of our “gang” in high school with whom we enjoyed such great times!  We still get together once or twice a year so this year we decided to go on a sentimental journey on Memorial Day to the graves of our parents who have passed on. We were lucky enough to have parents buried in four different towns in Bear Lake Valley, all within a few minutes of driving time. Two have also lost their husbands and Eve (second from the left) lost 4 siblings to cancer in the past five years and survived cancer herself this year!  These are strong, brave souls who have accomplished remarkable things, especially with their grandchildren. They were a great help in writing the Grandmothering book this year!  I love them!  

Why do I look pregnant? Darn!  :)

Then it was on to NYC to meet our new little granddaughter Etta!  I was in London when she was born so we were thrilled to meet this little cherub!  We must admit, being fearful for her life with her older siblings plotting here to make her life miserable with love via squeezes!  Notice the protective hand of her mom, red to jump to the rescue… 

…almost 

There we go (however there is still mischief in Dean’s eyes) ! 

We had so much fun with the kids, especially walking Zara to Public School #9 in Manhattan. 

By June grandkids and some of their cousins started arriving at Bear Lake. They helped to get things ready for the reunion

and we spent a little reward time in Montpelier, my home town.

 A life-size statue of Old Ephraim, the biggest bear in history (his head is stored at the Smithsonian in Washington D.C.) stands on Main Street.  That big guy has provided a fabulous bedtime story for our kids for many years. We’re glad he no longer wanders in our neck of the woods. Note that Cubby is standing far enough away to make a run for it, just in case he comes back to life! 

The kids got the couches warmed up for the adults who spend literally hours on these couches and chairs… talking deep and wide! 

We enjoyed the spectacular sunset to get us prepared for the coming Eyrealm Reunion….

Coming next!