Introducing Michael Jonathan, my new nephew

Michael was born on February 16th at a healthy 8 pounds and 20 inches.

 

Magic Milestone

My little black car finally reached a landmark milestone in any car's life.  This car has been with me since 2002 and 30,000 miles.  It is nice to have something so reliable (I am knocking on wood right now).

Yes I was driving, no one turn me in.  I have places to go and things to do.

Finishing touches

We finished our kitchen a while ago, but I felt like this area of the kitchen needed a little something extra.  I found some place mats and finally some plates I liked and TaDa!  It makes me happy when I look at it.

Louise Beth Dean Hansen--Obituary

     Louise passed away unexpectedly on July 9, 2012, two weeks before her 70th birthday.  Louise was the third of four children born to Warren Heber and Beth Cardon Dean in Beaver, Utah on July 21, 1942.  Louise was born at home with Dr. McQuarrie in attendance in the new house her daddy had just built.  Louise had red, curly hair and big blue eyes like her redheaded Grandfather Dean.  She joined her two brothers, James and Donald, and later a sister, Julie, joined the family.  In Beaver where she lived for four years, she was surrounded by aunts, uncles, cousins, great grandparents and her grandmother.  After WWII in 1946, the family moved to Green River, Utah for her father's job with the USGS.  Louise started school in 1948 as the smallest and youngest in her class.  She loved to read, was well read and she especially liked historical fiction.  Her teachers would motivate Louise at school with extra reading time or less reading time.  Spelling wasn't her strong subject.  A boy with a crush on her always gave her an undeserved 100% when she passed the paper to be corrected and this interesting spelling stayed with her all her life.
     Louise was artistic.  She loved to look at scenery which frequently caused tardiness in school, in fact she was tardy 42 times in first grade.  In second grade, Louise was attendant to the Melon Days Queen.  Her brothers were so proud of their beautiful little sister with the red ringlets, big blue eyes and shy smile.
     Louise shared her room with her grandmothers when they came to visit.  As they would tell family stories, Louise would remember and keep this knowledge and share it with her family in later years.  She loved funny stories about family members which started her lifelong love of family history.  Louise maintained connections with family members her entire life.  She loved to go on Jeep trips when her Dad went surveying for the USGS, and it was a special treat for all of her siblings as well.  He would tease her which she loved.  Louise was funny, amusing and had a delightful laugh which she giggled in her own quiet way.  She loved the comics and political cartoons.
     In 1957, the family moved to Bountiful, Utah.  When she was 15 years old, her father passed away unexpectedly which was a profound loss as she loved her father dearly.  She graduated later from Bountiful High School.  Louise married her high school sweetheart, Darl Hansen, in September of 1960 in the Salt Lake Temple. 
     She became an accomplished artist in oil, watercolors, pottery and quilting.  She loved dance and started a ballet school while living in Hardin, Montana.  She was an expert gardener and canned produce from her garden.  Early in her marriage, she lived in various locations throughout the intermountain west and adapted well to the strain of frequent moves as a young mother of two active baby boys.  In 1964, she went with her growing family to Willows, California for seven years.  Then in 1971, the family moved to Billings, Montana.  In 1986, she returned to live in Utah where she studied art at the University of Utah for two years.  Later she and her husband served an 18-month service mission for the LDS Church in 2009-10 in the Salt Lake City neighborhood of Rose Park.
     Louise spent her life selflessly serving her family and church in various callings in the many wards she live in.  Her lifelong best friend was her sister, Julie Mae, her supporter, champion, and confidant with whom she spend many hours sharing the joys, milestones, humorous events and the inevitable heartaches of life.  Her greatest joy and aspiration was being a mother and homemaker.

Happy Fourth of July

Here are a few shots of the great and wonderful Layton Parade.

I love this picture of Mariana getting down to the music.  Man can she shake her butt.

In the evening Kaylyn and I went to Stadium of Fire!



When they say fire, they mean fire.  This wasn't even the finale.  I loved the Beach Boys and all the fireworks.  I sang until I was hoarse and now I am in recovery.  Happy Fourth everyone!

Arise and Flourish--Girls Camp 2012

I'm a survivor.  Five years in a row of girls camp and I made it through once again.

Here are the girls making their first craft, buckets to sit on and store things in.

We went swimming twice at Pineview.  Apparently mustaches are required.

Our next craft was making flower clips.  They made so many they looked like flower children.

One night we made tin foil dinners and it was quite a bit of work getting those in and out of the fire.

Here are some of my favorite campfire shots.  Of course no girls camp is complete without some hair braiding.

I really love all these girls.  It was worth the trip camping to see them so happy.

Oh Man!

Now you see it.  Now you don't.  Is it weird to cry over a tree?  Cursed wind!