Summer Can't Be Over, Can It?

Really, is it already August 14th? Really, are the kiddos already heading back to school/college for another year? Wow!

I know now why older people have always said that as you grow older the years seem to pass even faster! This one is absolutely flying by!

It seems like just yesterday when we were snowshoeing and I shared a disastrous downhill skiing experience with Melanie!

Watching the girls ski this Winter was amazing! They both did a terrific job of downhill skiing and I was so proud of them!  They have only had two winters here and already they look like experts on the slopes! Wow!







This has been one BUSY Spring/Summer for me and perhaps that is why it has flown by so quickly.  It began with a wonderful trip to London/Paris for Mother's Day with Charles and friends!  Really sweet memories...I am totally blessed and completely spoiled.

 I will always love Paris, the City of Lights has always been a favorite of mine.

The views are incredible and the food is ALWAYS amazing.

Some of those lovely foods, escargot and Fois Gras for instance, can not be found anywhere else in the same delicious form as in France.

What a special place to spend Mother's Day!
Thanks Charles!

Then, Kevin and I were off to Maryland for my 50th High School Reunion!  OMG, can I really be THAT old? Yeppers, but I sure don't feel like it!  It really turned out to be a wonderful time of re-connecting with some that I hadn't seen in that fifty years.  I had a lot of trepidation about going, as I wasn't really one of the "popular" crowd, but I was amazed at how many people actually remembered me, and seemed pleased that I had traveled from Utah to be a part of the celebration!  It was a great time, and I sure am glad I chose to attend!



The morning after returning from Maryland, and a visit to both my sisters, I got on a plane for Georgia to visit with my oldest son and his family before leaving for Norway.

Of course part of the visit included a visit to our favorite Macon restaurant, Tropical Flava for an excovitched fish! James is an incomparable chef!

It was good to spend time with Cliff, Kristy and CJ and Eric! The one drawback about living in Utah is that they are 2,000 miles away!

We had a fun visit though and I'm hoping I can convince them all to join us for a visit in Utah!

Then, it was on to Norway.  Norway is a lovely country, but I could never stand the extremes....I mean it was strange to have 22 hours of daylight, but I can not imagine how difficult it is there in the long cold winters with mostly 22 hours of darkness! Yike!  Like I said, however, it is a beautiful country filled with history.

While I was off in Norway enjoying the company of May Britt and Buddy (May Britt is a Chef, and my girth increased by quite a bit while I enjoyed here wonderful food), Melanie and the girlies (whom I was missing tremendously) were enjoying the joys of Utah...so much natural beauty and so much to do all the time!

From the lavender fields to the gorgeous wildflowers, hiking Utah is such an interesting journey.

We just can't imagine what we would have missed had we never moved here!

 Utah has so much to offer.  There are crystal clear rivers filled with trout scattered throughout the State.  There are huge lakes where you can boat and swim in pristine, clear and uncontaminated water, or rent a boat and ski or tube or just paddle board and enjoy the amazing scenery.


I am enjoying watching the girls grow up in this beautiful, unspoiled environment.  And growing up they are!

Eric, my oldest son's oldest son...cam to spend a week here in Utah with us.  We had an amazing time sharing as much as we could of this beautiful area with him.  From Fly Fishing in the Weber River to Glamping at Bear Lake, we all had a joyous time!  We will go back to the Conestoga Ranch at Bear Lake.  Camping in style is exactly what I needed.                                                                                                      

 The kids had a great time on the lake (although you can't tell it from Liv's face! LOL)...tubing and wake boarding for a couple hours before we headed up the hillside to our comfortable Grand Tent at Conestoga Ranch.  The views from the hillside are amazing, looking out over the caribbean blue lake.  The campfire was perfect for roasting hot dogs.  Why is it that hot dogs always taste so much better roasted on a stick over an open fire?!?

After our informal dinner around the fire, we snuggled down for the night in our comfortable beds.  Wow, this is camping?

We will definitely be going back for a second round of this fun!

 And so now the Summer is nearly over.  We do look forward to Fall and Winter in this amazing part of the Country.  Soon the Aspens will become bright yellow, the Maples red and the mountainsides will be aglow with flaming color.

Along about October, the mountains will get their first snow and we will view them from the valleys as the skiers await the perfect powder for ski season.

There is always something amazing and beautiful to do in Utah.  This has been a year of fun, travel and some loss.  My little Buddy dog passed in March, and I still miss him sometimes. But, now there is a little "Rosebud" to fill the space in my heart and keep me very, very busy!

I am looking forward to snowshoeing on the mountains at Snowbasin again.  I am looking forward to sharing the coming seasons with my granddaughters as they relish the snow and ski season!

This Summer has been a time of reflection for me.  Life is really so short, and no one is promised tomorrow.  Kevin's 25-year-old nephew passed away this summer from an undetected heart defect...a life cut far too short, a terrible tragedy.  But, it is a reminder to get up each morning and thank God for another day.  It is a reminder to take time to "smell the roses."  It is a reminder to make the most of every single moment and never, never forget to tell those you love how much they mean to you every single day!

Enjoy life...live each day fully...be the best you can be! May God Bless You!