Solana Condo: Before and After

 It was Aug of 2020.  Tom was looking at some condo apartments in CA and on the spur of the moment we decided to drive to CA and look at them.  He was interested in Vista but I was looking along the beach.  This is just as the world was starting back into life after Covid.   

We looked at 190 Del Mar Shores Terrace #73, Solana Beach CA.  Tom was thinking it was too small, but I said, "I can make this work".  Besides, it is just for you and me and it's big enough.  So we made an offer but it was contingent on the sale of our VA house.  We had 2 offers fall through on the VA house and we kept thinking we would lose this condo.  Finally the 3rd offer went through.   Turns out the owner had died, and the kids felt it belonged to us and hung in there with us.  We bought it for 767,000.  Closed in Oct. 2020.  We got it fixed up enough to rent and rented until Dec 2022.  

In December we drove to Solana from Monterey to meet with our new contractor and his workers.  George Kelly was hired after being referred by Vicky Nazat the HOA President.  She had used him and he came highly recommended.  I worked with Vicky to get permits but in the end they were rejected because I had to get approval from the Coastal Commission.  We took a chance and did all the work without permits, and George was willing to do that.  

Finally on Jan 20th 2023, the work began.  Tom and I were living in a hotel and then Tom had to work in Kosovo and Czech Republic so I was there alone.  The demolition seemed to take forever.  We had to put in all new plumbing and electric.  We took out the fireplace and moved the refrigerator into it's place.  We pulled out the hallway closet to open it all up (Tom's idea).  We put in double sinks.  Pulled out the bathtub and put in a shower.  We decided to eliminate all upper kitchen cabinets.  We put in an island.  

On May 25, 2023 our workers finished, we gave them a tip, and said good-bye.  Javier was the main worker, with Maurice as his trusty sidekick and we really loved their work.  In the end we were very pleased with the finished product and so far (April 2024) we have yet to spend more than a few days in the renovated apartment.  Our plan is to live there starting in October for an extended period.  I hope we do it!

2023 travels. Only 25% of our time in Heber

We flew to San Diego on Jan 5.  Celebrated our 46th anniversary at the 101 Diner with Acai bowls, and to the San Diego Temple for family names.

We waited and waited for George Kelly to start on our apartment.  Finally on Jan 20th they began....but at a snail's pace.  We only got 4 days of work the first 4 weeks we were there.

However, the more they dawdled, the more ideas came to us.  

Tom was the brilliant one to say, "why do we have the closet?  You want to walk into the apartment and see the sea right away.  Down with the closet!"

The idea was approved by Kelly!  Next the idea came to move the fridge over to the opposite wall, and to also have no upper cabinets!

While we waited for Kelly to begin his renovations, Tom had two international trips with IDARM.  One to Bruno,Czech Republic.  Back to SD for a week, and then off to Pristina Kosovo for another week.  While he was away I took many, many walks on the beach.

We left SD on Feb 21, happy to leave the renovations for a while, and flew to JFK.  Only one night at Jake's and then drove to VA and hooked up with Mike and Debbie.  Cathy lives in Richmond, we visited the hospital where she works, and we spent a night in her newly purchased home.  The brothers being 'cool'.

Drove to Steve's house and had a wonderful day visiting with their family.

 And Mike and Debbie drove down for a visit as well.  While at Jake's we babysat their crew while they went to Peru!

After CA, PA &VA, we arrived home to a buried world in snow.  It was an epic year for snow, 2023.  This is the backyard and you can see the hot tub completely submerged in snow.  We missed most of it and our neighbors were good to keep our driveway clear.  Still it took a LOT of work to shovel out the hot tub and then we tied a rope around my waist and I climbed out on the family room roof to shovel off the heavy snow!  Home for a couple of days and then off to Monterey for IDARM. 

Ca had their fair share of winter storms as well, as you can see from the photo where the sea heaved itself up on the beach planks and destroyed them.  There for 2 weeks and barely made it home b/c Tom was deathly sick!  

Easter!  We had snow so of course we all went skiing.  This was our first time to ski Deer Valley, and it was thanks to Julie Grossen giving us free passes!  We had Jake, Seth, and Colie family over for Easter. We also put our back 5 acres on the market at this time.

Mid April we went to Idaho Falls and 'held the fort' while Dan and Lara went to Peru.   Levi wanted to play baseball with Tom non-stop and Tom actually hurt his arm.  Scarlet chatted for hours, a rare treat.  Levi was involved with getting the Idaho state dinosaur recognized and we were there for that ceremony.  Around this time, Jacob quiet Gallup and became his own boss.  Steve and Felicia separate b/c Felicia becomes an active Lesbian.  We also go under contract on the back 5 with the Sungails and also with Loxi on apartment 74 in Solana.  (Both fall through however!)

By middle of May we are back in CA to finish up the renovations.  It was mostly May gray and June gloom.  We moved in on May 31, 2023 to our apartment.  We flew back on June 6th.  All during this time we are debating about #74.  This bottom photo is with George Kelly who was the contractor for the renovations.  We were up to his house on the hill overlooking Solana.  He has had pancreatic cancer for 6 years.  I don't even know if he is still alive, but I would doubt it.

June.  We had another fabulous trip to Rehoboth Beach and on the way home we visited University of Delaware to see Rach's campus.  Great trip.  In June we also met up in Ogden for Levi's bb games and Seth's family came over as well.  We brought Seth's kids home with us for a couple of days while they worked on their renovations.

Tom was honored to baptize Cora on July 1st.  Cora was literally glowing she was so happy.  Colie and family and Seth's family came to Heber for the 4th of July.

July 15-22, 2023.  A successful family reunion in Solana Beach CA.  Almost everyone was able to make it.  Together we 1)went to church and a pot luck dinner 2) Fidele's mexican 3)Acai bowl at 101 Diner 4) Movies and family photos 5)Clubhouse gathering for pizza and open 2010 time capsule and make 2023 capsule.6) Bankok Bay Thai 7) Del Mar Races.  In between was beach, pool and hot tub.  We were 30 people.  The reunion baton has now passed to Dan.

August we were back in Heber.  Tom celebrates his 72nd birthday at the Montage in Park City.  We also attended Education Week in Provo.  It was great b/c of Lynne Wilson and seeing Sarah Jane Weaver.  

September.  Second month in a row we were in Heber!  A record.  We were on a float for the Midway Swiss Days as part of our calling in the communication council.  It was fun!  We attended a mountain bike race that both Taft and Luke were part of in Snow Basin.  While there we were able to go out in their boat on Pineview Lake.  We also went up to IF for Homecoming, Levi football game, and went to the IF temple.  Stopped in Morgan to see Jonah play football. 

Our next 7 weeks were spent in Europe.  Our favorite stops:  Brussels (visited with Leticia after her son Joshua committed suicide.  We spent an entire day with her and she was able to talk freely about her feelings.  We were so glad to have that opportunity.)  Rome (old friends are the best, went to the temple with Louisa/Luigi, and we also love to visit our fav spots). Paris is Paris.  Can't beat it.  Found Chantier a great brasserie that we will visit again. We fit in Bonn and Dreesen and bike rides on the Rhine.  Did stop in Lyon to see my brother and Renee who were serving a mission.  That very night Steve has prostate issues and decides to go home for treatment.  We go home on the same flight!

November.  Went to Eden to babysit for Seth and Heidi so they could go to Paris.  Good kids.  I like my 'rule' about babysitting:  only when all the kids are in school!

December.  Load of family to visit and to ski with and to spend the Christmas holidays together.  It was magical.

It is now mid April as I make this post.  So easy to forget your life if you don't record it.  This is of course a very modified version, but at least I have recorded that I have lived and loved and enjoyed.  How long can I keep this up?  2024 is already speeding by!!!

High and Low for 2023

 Seth

Time w/Heidi and the kids and extended family and even friends.  No matter when and where it happened (Paris, CA, UT)  I am appreciating more that people are what matter most.  that being said places have a way of stamping out separate moments so they stay in your memory better and when I think of those great places/moments what comes first to mind from 2023:  Floating the escalante, two different green river sections, the San Juan and my favorite was Muddy Creek.  Stuck in a rainstorm biking down from Targhee w/the boys.  Red Fleet cliff jumping and ride.  Skiing off the top of Ben Lomond w/Waddoups in June.  Powder mtb downhill season.  Catching the end of an epice snow season, several days of Strawberry powder.

Low:  I can encapsulate it in a moment.  Waking up blazing hot and sweaty July 2nd in the sprinter van trying to sleep after a miserable call night bc I couldn't sleep in the construction zone of a house bc of asbestos concerns mid-remodel.  And also a lot of early morning awakenings bc I was stressing about what we were putting our kids through with an unnecessary move.

Heidi:  Paris w/Seth, kids making friends and thriving in Eden, STUNNING scenery all around, family travel.  Low:  hot summer with no ac and construction headaches.

Taft.  EFY, moving, steamboat springs, mountain bike season.  Low:  moving

Luke.  BYU soccer camp, cache valley cup, Florida with mom, mtb season, steamboat river camp.  Low:  remodeling the house and moving.

Jonah.  Climbing camp at steamboat, football season, moving to Eden, Flaming Gorge, family reunion in Solana Beach.  Low:  remodeling, bike crashes.

Penny.  Getting a cat, starting kindergarten, seeing st. George friends at the beach,  Low:  MOVING.

Dan.  Low:  work stress.  High.  Alaska, Peru, coaching baseball, Idaho Scientific doing well.

Lara.  High:  Peru and all kids home at Christmas, successful year at Sunnybrook strategies.  Low:  kidney trouble

Braxton:  Hawaii with Ball fam and Alask with Herway,  Low:  Vista apts sucking rocks

Daph.  Hawaii and Alaska.  Low:  nose surgery, classes over the summer

Zane.  Summer with Nikki T and Alaska.  Low:  being sick a lot.

Scarlet.  Alaska.  Low:  Influenza

Brau.  Summer trips.  Low:  blowing out my elbow

Levi.  Alaska.  Low.  Tonsils

Mats.  Getting engaged.  Low:  My brother Per passing away

Colie.  Getting engaged, completed the last major renovation on the house, lots of fun trips (San Fran, San Diego, Seattle, St. George, Sweden and good ol' Shelley Idaho) girls playing together and their contagious giggles.  Low:  Mats' brother passing away.

Cora.  My birthday, jumping in a lot of water this year, hanging out with cousins in San Diego, finding out I'm getting a half-brother.  Low.  Finding out I'm allergic to cats, getting whitewashed by the ocean.

Juliette.  Mom and Mats getting engaged, my birthday, Christmas.  Low:  turning like a cartwheel in the ocean with my eyes open.

Noel:  Summer trips, Canada, Australia.  Building gazebo is high and low.  Low:  Meniscus tear.

Natalie:  Watching Kilauea erupt.  Free upgrade to floor ticket at Taylor Swift and going to her concert with all my girls.  Monk seal came and swam w/me at 3 tables.  Our trips and seeing family and friends.  Found my first sunrise shell.  1/2 way done w/masters program.  Low:  having to superglue Bryn's gash on her foot before her dance competition.  We don't talk about Bruno.

Bryn.  Australia, eras tour, all travels really, and living in a mostly sunny place.  Low:  getting my wisdom teeth out.

Isa.  traveling, seeing the eras tour.  Low:  starting high school which means harder school work.

Tori.  Hamilton w/mom.  Built my loft bed w/dad.  4th grade field trip to Big Island.  My golden birthday (turned 11 on May 11). Taylor Swift concert in Seattle.  Low:  Friends moved.

Jake:  Rainbow mountain.  Literally.  And being in Peru when there were no other tourists.  No boss.  Being in an avalance cloud.  Switzerland and Costa Rica within a week of each other.  108 miles, 11,000 feet of climbing, 7 hours.  Low.  Early morning Seminary.  Just the thought of it.  Rachel's drop off a school.  Failed Purposolver.com.  Client friends not calling.  Can't stop eating junk.

Melanie.  Peru with Jake, being head of costume design for Kate's middle school play, being inter-lodged at Snowbird with my dad and brother's family and having the best powder ski of my life, Rachel being awarded top 20 scholar of her school, Tommy having a great experience on his humanitarian service trip, San Diego reunion with the Herways, visiting old friends, the Del Mar horse races, Kate and Lily's kid camp, getting rid of lots of clutter moving the kids room around, Lily's creativity and determination to win the best trunk at our trunk-or-treat, overcoming my fears and white water rafting in Costa Rica, being a part of the Giving Machines team in Philadelphia, seeing the I coach grow in confidence, seeing Rachel thrive at college choosing to be a music major and practicing without me telling her to, having her home for the holidays.

Rach.  Road trip w/Brenna, paper airplanes, Barbenheimer, George School day school (summer job), New Hope w/janki, Princeton w/dad, biking in newark (DE), concerts w/friends, trying on 18th century dress, Christmas carol.  Low.  Waitlisted to everything, Janki got mad at me, roommate a hoarder, commuting to school w/Lauren

Tommy.  Snowbird, HXP, ATV.  Low.  School started.

Kate.  New room, Taylor Swift movie, Shrek Jr., Snowbird w/Grossens, summer fun kid camp, 6 flags w/friends, Rehoboth beach, California, Sarah Su, bday carnival, Costa Rica, Giving Machine babysitting, Christmas, New Year Party, lots more friends & neighbors.  Low.  Rachel leaving, braces on, stuck in ski lodge, no snow(PA)

Lily.  skiing powder, snowbird paper airplanes, seeing Ryker and Hudson, San Diego cards, 4th grade picnic, Rehoboth Funland, Costa Rica water rafting, VA cave place & Tophan's, Christmas.  Low:  getting ears pierced, Kate moving out of room, Mrs. Leidy (5 grade teacher)

Steve:  Making new friends, family reunion in CA with Kent, Christmas in Heber with Kent and Isaac and family.  Low:  Separating from Felicia

Tom:  Being with the kids, grandkids, Anita.  Rehoboth, Cap Martin, Paris, Brussels, Rome.  Solana.  Senior Lecturer.  Getting revelation every time I read the scriptures.  Colie finding Mats.  Patrick Kearon called as an Apostle.  Home teaching with Don Richie.  Low:  The pain people cause others when they think only of themselves.  Finding out Don has brain tumors and not long to live.

Anita:  Complete renovation in SB in time for a FABULOUS family reunion with almost everybody there.  Europe with my best friend (Tom) for 7 weeks.  Christmas family time.  Colie and Mats engagement.  Storyworth, thanks for making us remember while we can still remember!  The miraculous events concerning the selling of our back 5 lot.  Not selling to a litigious couple.  Low:  Renovate condo in SB and living in a hotel, inept repairmen:  roof, trees, toilet.  Steve's separation.

High and Low 2022

 

Tom Highs - Whenever I'm around kids and grandkids. Jake's amazing place in Costa Rica. Hawaii with Natalie and family and swimming with the dolphins - six weeks in paradise. Rehoboth Beach with my

brother, Jake and Steveo's family. Home teaching with Don Richie. Two perfect months in Europe. Kids and grandkids visiting Heber. Teaching for IDARM in Monterey (2), Czech Republic, South Africa and Miami. Hanging out with Larry and Robyn. Meeting Mats. Mission reunions. Talking to Elder Kearon again at the Christmas concert. Hadestown and Daniel Craig in NYC. All visits to Solana Beach. My brother's visit to Utah in January. Being married to Anita Packer. Lows - Anita getting sick the first week in Monterey. Getting Covid and missing out on Dan's visit with Zane, Scarlett, and Levi.

Anita - Going to Costa Rica, Hawaii for 6 weeks, Rehoboth Beach, Jonah baptized on my birthday, NYC and see the broadway show "Hadestown", HS girls reunion, Europe for 2 months, early skiing at PC,

visits in Heber from family (Natalie, Seth, Colie and Dan). Sunday calls. Swimming with dolphins. Low: My sisters cancer and knee surgery. Flu in Monterey and Tom's Covid for second time.

Seth. Lows: I'll start with lows because they put the highs in perspective. My best friend from intern year is Mike Peterson - someone that I spent a lot of late nights and miserable days with and have stayed close with since. He had some headaches and dizziness in Oct/Nov. Got an MRI and there was a tumor in the brain. He had surgery and despite reasons for optimism that it would be a less aggressive tumor, the pathology came back with one of the worst brain cancers you could have. He's 39, has four kids, and now is facing that he may be measuring his life in months.

I'm not sure why things like this have to hit closer to home to make you appreciate everything more - seems like if i had more empathy i could feel the same way with all the tough things other people have to go through. But either way this has brought a change of perspective. I would have said my knee surgery after the April grand canyon mishap was a low but it feels hard to say that now. Actually kind of cool to get anesthesia (very trippy to be on the other end - and the other side) and get healed up and be back to doing things. Seems more fair for our last year to call things non-highlights rather than lows.

Highs: I would have said my highs were the adventures this year and i would still say they were: the week-long river trip in the grand canyon in October where we hiked in and out with our packrafts and floated without seeing anyone for days was unreal. Havasupai was still closed to tourists so that place being empty was sublime. Floating the Salmon and the Virgin River through the gorge when it was flashing during summer monsoons was great. Mtn biking in Sedona and many other rides and hikes and ski days (huge powder day in Jackson this year!!) are things that I live for. I think I would still say they were if I was Peterson.

But I also imagine I would say that Penny snuggling me for a whole Christmas movie was a highlight. And Joph wanting to play "tent game" in our bed on a Sunday morning was a highlight. And something as ordinary pillow talk with Heidi or picking up Luke from a soccer practice was a highlight. Or a Saturday morning mtn bike ride w Taft (and Luke if we're lucky) up airport hill that we've done dozens of times - still a highlight.

Grateful for all the time I've spent with all of you this year. Grateful everyone is alive and relatively healthy and sometimes annoyed with each other and sometimes getting along great. The highs and the lows, the disgreements and the times everyone is vibing - they are all wonderful things and we are all lucky to experience it all.

Sorry I've gone on but I'm feeling sentimental! Uh..... Amen.

Taft: High: hanging with mountain bike team and races, skiing Jackson Hole Low: language arts teacher

Luke: High: Montana and skiing Jackson Hole Low: as much metal in his mouth as humanly possible- braces, expander and Mara device all at once

Jonah: High: Montana, track race, skiing shirtless on birthday, floating the Salmon, Orderville canyon Low: getting the flu (missed 7 days of school)

Penny: High: Lego camp, 4 wheeling in Montana, playing with friends every free second of the day. Low: got grounded (for 5 minutes), knowing we are moving and that Eden is not located in St George

Heidi: Highs: trip to bend with Seth, catching up with old friends at high school reunion, summer trips to Montana, Colorado and California, Hilton Head with Bluths, northern Utah summer hikes,

watching kids compete in soccer and mountain biking Lows: anticipating challenges of our upcoming move and everyone starting at new schools, etc., telling our neighbors we are moving,

Dan - highs: Philly trip with Eagles and World Series, daph and Zane killing it in college, Idaho Scientific having a record year, low: running a business is stressful

Lara - highs: kayaking mangroves in Florida Keys, growing my business and hiring 3 employees, all kids doing great, getting Copper puppy, Lake Tahoe; lows: getting hospitalized in Florida Keys

Daph - high: getting engaged, lows: chem prof at Boise St, getting tonsils out

Braxti - getting engaged, grandma dying

Zane - high: Bali/South Africa, low: getting COVID, influenza and strep at the same time the week before finals

Lettie - high: growing my guitar business, low: taking the stupid ACT

Brau - high: watching the Phillies live in the World Series, low: Phillies losing World Series

Levi - high: 2 TD and HR in one day, seeing a monster buck in Yellowstone, low: losing to Rigby in football twice

Highs: Felicia auditioning and getting into the Virginia Symphony choir. Kent getting a proper diagnosis and professional help as well as having a supportive teacher. He’s had such a turnaround in school since then. His Soundscapes (music class) has been fantastic and has really enjoyed learning sign

language at school. Isaac starting to communicate more. Kent and Isaac playing together. Steve getting promoted and being recognized at work. Still enjoying having our own house and really like our

neighborhood. Rehoboth trip in the summer, New York in the Fall, being able to drive to cool places like Philly while visiting family. NY Jets game in Philly. BYU game in Lynchburg, VA. Having the beach so close.

Lows: Health issues for Felicia and Isaac. Felicia’s took all year to get an answer and eventually she diagnosed herself and the doctor agreed with her. She also had to find her own treatment because the doctor’s prescription didn’t work. Isaac’s gone through waves of tummy problems.

Inflation made things tough before the promotion. Kent missing out on sports the entire year because of new parents not knowing how to do things.

Jake Highs: Showing off Costa Rica with mom and dad, Switzerland with Melanie, eating in

Switzerland, New Orleans with Tommy doing humanitarian work and getting to know him, Bourbon Street at midnight, Albania trip trying to figure out how to lead a foreign group of computer programmers only to learn I can't, mountain biking Sedona and Moab with Seth with the ultimate flexibility to run from fires in the Northwest, Switzerland with the Tomlinson's and teaching people how to live after the manner of happiness, Disney and Orlando without a car, France bike riding with the family in Loire valley - we made it back! Deepening my love and gratitude for my God by watching The Chosen, Melanie making good out of her hard life experiences and dedicating herself to blessing others as a life coach, watching Rachel, Tommy, Kate, and Lily be wonderful, kind, respectful, appreciative, independent contributors to society.

Lows: Throwing my back out again, hip pain that kept me from even walking. Something about the physical limitations that I am not mature enough to handle with class...I was beyond grumpy and even to the point of depressed for one of the few times in my life when this all happened in May. At the same time there was a lot going on in the world and in my world that made me feel like public enemy number one. Normally I had exercise to let it all out. This time it bubbled inside. Not healthy. But the health is back. The love is back. And I have a deeper empathy for those who "lose" it.

Melanie Highs: Sledging is Switzerland with Jake, visiting St George and spending time with so much family and going to my great grandma's house, Hilton Head with my brother, training to be a Health and Life coach and seeing my two practice clients quality of life change, being hired as a Kids Life Coach in our local area, our family trip to Disney World, Rachel getting her license and saving me 2 trips to Princeton every week, the Music Man on Broadway, our chateau in France, exploring castles, bike rides through the countryside and spending time together making a lemon tart and sitting by the fire.

Lows: Becoming estranged from my sisters, a house being built right in front of our Airbnb obstructing a bit of our view and causing a lot of noise for our guests, our dishwasher breaking and an infestation of ants in the kitchen, Jake traveling a lot.

Rachel Highs: The french countryside is where I'm meant to live I swear it's like I'm living inside a pre-Raphaelite children's book illustration. Disney World - awesomest day in my entire life. It was so

perfect and I was living the dream with my family. Princeton Girlchoir concerts - in Princeton, in a random charter school in western Pennsylvania. Singing is a dream and I love hanging with the homies. Sang Carmina Burana in Carnegie Hall with the Pennsbury Community Chorus!!! Going to the Forrest Gump Place. The south is fun. Trek with Allie and joking about Forest Gump AP Spanish with Senor Padilla! 9 member class. Senor Padilla was so chill we learned Puerto Rican card games and he told stories and we would throw paper airplanes and sneak out to buy Dunkin Donuts. Best memories ever.

Lows: Speech and Debate. Grammie remembers me freaking out about writing and memorizing a 10 minute speech for a competition in one night . College applications - the constant indecision and hinging you self worth on a bunch of 40 year old stranger's assumptions based on a handful of numbers and letters. Recording Elegie by Rachmananoff for the piano audition. I kinda went insane.. Ecuador - no contact with family or anyone for 3 weeks - only intense and constant social interaction with strangers from Utah in a foreign country.

Tommy Highs: Vacations, New Orleans Lows: School, Geometry, English, Spanish, etc.

Kate Highs: Paris, Girls Camp, Oake choir festival, the Simmons coming to visit, Disney World/Six Flags/Rollercoasters, Hilton Head with cousins, Ending 5th grade (parties and activities), getting a phone, Young Women and temple trips.

Lows: Starting 6th grade (middle school), Girls Camp (spiders), Warnicks moving, soccer season, not going to Costa Rica

Lily Highs: Hilton Head with the Grossens, Disney World, France, Costa Rica, Grammie and Pop came, Isaac eats pillow, when Sara came over for Lion King, Flee market, Christmas, New Year's Eve, St

Patricks Day, Easter, Halloween, Rehoboth gelato, covering people with toilet paper, Birthday, date nights, crepes, Fufu, sleeping

Lows: school, Teddy being mean, Warnick's moved, thinking how we miss the chickens, the nightmare

Colie Highs - family trip to Hawaii to visit the Portugals, new kitchen, girls learning to swim, bike + ski, the Carmen San Diego era in the home

Lows - homework for kids

Cora Highs - “going to Hawaii and being in the beautiful ocean, butterfly biosphere, Heber at 4th of July and Christmas with family, my Christmas presents, my comfy bed”

Lows - “homework and my teacher yelling, learning hard things about money”

Jules Highs - “swimming with sea turtles when I was a mermaid in Hawaii with my cousins, hot tubbing in Heber with Mamie and Pop, Penny’s house at Easter, snuggling every morning and night of every single day all the time”

Lows - “going to bed before my mom goes to bed, chores”

Isa High: summer vacation especially the road trip Low: not being with grammie and pop or in/near snow for christmas

Tori High:Jr lifeguards. Painting a fish with artist Hilton on the mural at my school. Only Penny and I

got to do this. Austin. Seeing cousins and cousins visiting. Summer and trips- glamping, Yellowstone, disneyland, California, grammie & pop’s house, wakeboarding. Building my bed . Grammie and pop visiting and being here for my bday. Peyton visiting . Gymnastics. Tim McGraw concert. Getting Ms. Ah Sue for 4th grade. Hotel with dad . The posada .

Low: Alice moved away. Getting sick while my parents were on a trip. Finding out I’m allergic to lots of plants and animals.

Noel High: going to Barcelona and Marrakech Low: Getting a knee meniscus tear and not being able to play tennis

Natalie High: Getting into my top choice for my masters program and enjoying it . Kids school no longer requiring masks (fall 2022) finally!! physical therapy working miracles .swimming in the ocean with turtles and dolphins. Tim McGraw. Family visiting. Trips: Austin, ID/WY/Yellowstone, Utah winter and summer, Disneyland/LA, Barcelona, Marrakech. Proud of my kids for trying new things this year and did things that scared them. Grateful they have good friends and school is going well.

Low: Insomnia. Missing Mauna Loa lava flow by just days (first eruption in 40 years). Covid on my bday and Noel’s.

Bryn High: traveling with Jillian and Isa, being on our own in Utah. Visiting friends and family in Idaho and going to Yellowstone for the first time and going to Disneyland of course. Also getting first place in my first spotlight dance competition in June !!!

Low: Missing out on the family and the snow in Utah this winter. 

Europe 2022

We had a marvelous European trip Fall 2022.  Since returning from our mission in 2018....we have managed a trip to Europe in 2019, 2021 and 2022.  We missed 2020 because of Covid, and the 2021 trip was cut short when we needed to return to the US b/c of Mom's death.  But for 2022 we had 7 glorious weeks together in places that both Tom and I love.  And we love being together, so it was perfect.  We flew in and out of Paris, a city that dazzles and never disappoints.

We went from Paris to the French Riviera for a week.  We shared Debbie Evenhands apartment with Ric and Charlotte Walton.  What a blast we had.  Fun to explore, eat chocolate mousse, gaze at the views over the water and Menton from the deck, take the bus all along the coast, walk on the cape, and a favorite day was renting a boat together (picture below).  We were lucky because we had another week to stay here after visiting Brussels and Rome.  

Brussels.  Home sweet home.  So many memories.  Fun to visit with friends, connect with members of the church, go to dinner with the Casares family, and of course hang out in Leuven.  Tom sitting in these chairs where so many family photos have been taken over the years.

Just an awesome shot of Tom as we strolled the streets of Leuven

We literally visit Domus every. single. trip to Europe.  It's a must.  The spaghetti bolognese or the Uitjsmeiter?  Both.  Duh!

Then off to Rome for 3 weeks.  Lovely, beautiful, enchanting Rome.  So fun to stay in our old missionary apartment, and Francesco Conti and his wife Paula had us over for dinner on our last night.  This photo is from Bistro Vivi where just the thought of this ravioli makes me salivate!  Every day we made a plan of what/where to visit.  Seriously Rome keeps you busy, we never ran out of ideas.  We did go to the Rome Temple with Luigi/Louiza De Mateis and Hanim Shakir (twice!)

We also took the train to Florence for the day.  It's also a great city.  Saw the Piti palace for the first time in all its splendor and pomp.  

Cobblestone streets 100's of years old.  We were strictly on public transportation, but an easy task to accomplish in Europe.  Seven weeks and never rented a car.  Amazing.  The history in Rome boggles the mind.  Cool to think about all the people that have passed this very spot on the Appia Antica.

Tom said this was his favorite day.  A boat all day on the French Riviera with friends.   I also liked renting bikes in Rome.  Both Tom and I feel so ALIVE when we are in Europe.  Not just living, but full out stimulated and awed each day we were there.  Our goal is to go each year.  I hope we can keep it up, at least a few more years while we have our health!