Elise's visit, Lake Powell, and Max' birthday etc.

Elise's visit came and went in whirlwind fashion.  I took them to the airport Saturday morning and helped Elise get all her luggage checked etc. and walked them to security.  It always hurts my heart when we have to send them home.  We already really miss Max and Mav.  They were a light in my home and believe me, it was shockingly quiet yesterday.  Roy and Caitlyn had to say goodbye to them Friday night, because Caitlyn stayed at the ward camp-out, and Roy headed up to his yearly HAM Radio camp at Monte Cristo.  Max kept asking about grandpa and Cait Cait. 

However--while they were here we had a lot of fun together.  Roy took Max to the train shop and took him on ride, showed him the trains and bought him his birthday present.  A Thomas the Train engine and a few pieces of wooden track. 

While Elise was here, we took our nearly annual trip to Lake Powell.  We had invited the whole family, but Crista's and Adrienne's families opted out because of one-year-olds, and Sara opted out because of her pregnant condition.  Nick and Sara ended up going to San Francisco with Nick's work that week anyway, and Adrienne and AJ ended up in New York with AJ's work.  Since we had rented two trailers, we offered one to our friends the Selijaas' in our ward.  So they came with us to Powell and brought their wave runners.  We had a fabulous time and Maverick was very content and hardly fussed, even though he was in a big life jacket for hours at a time.  Dan also came for Saturday, Sunday and Monday and brought Hyeji and Doyeon.  It was a long drive for a short trip for him, but the girls had a ball, so at least grandma thinks it was worth it.

The Selijaas' took a lot more pictures than we did, but they haven't passed them along yet. 

We were able to drive over to Natural Bridges Monument and take a hike.  It was kind of a short hike, but with three little kids and a baby, it had its challenges.  Max was a little tired and insisted on carrying his own backpack.  We had packed it with water bottles and had to empty it so he could walk.

Oh, and did I mention that Jennie skipped the trip to Natural Bridges all together?  She was pretty burned and miserable so she chose to stay in.  Wait, she did that last time we went there, too.  I guess she likes those ancient trailers we stay in. 

I really worried about the kids the last day on the lake.  Right before we went to bed on Sunday night, Roy showed me a weather advisory.  It was supposed to get up to 107 degrees on Monday.  The advisory suggested we stay in the air conditioning, and especially be careful of young children.  I was determined to bring Elise and the boys off the lake by 1, but we had found a beautiful shaded area and had put out the Selijaas' floating island, so we just kept everyone wet and hydrated.  Everyone did great.  At one point, Max was asleep, and Elise was concerned that he was too hot.  She woke him up and threw him in the lake.  He was a little shocked, but was fine about it after a minute or two.  

On the way to Lake Powell, we drove around to Hall's Crossing.  On the way home, we opted to take the Ferry, mainly because the Selijaas' were leaving their jet skis for Kevin's brother in Bullfrog Marina.

Max turned 3 while we were in Lake Powell, but we waited for the party till after we arrived home.

Ollie said he couldn't wait till it was his birthday 

All 10 grandchildren.  It won't be long until # 11 and 12 will out-date this picture

A trip to Utah wouldn't be complete without haircuts by Jennie.  Max and Ori had theirs done outside, and Elise got hers cut and colored later that evening (A lot later--I think they finished about midnight).  Jennie also ran up to Green's and cut Gunnar, Ollie and Finn's hair.

I failed to mention that we missed Andy this trip because he is in San Antonio on Military Officer's Training.  Poor Elise--6 weeks without her honey.  At least the first three weeks she can talk to him, the last three, he is in the field and there will be no communication.  She has a week with Andy's family in Myrtle Beach, so that will distract her temporarily.

Family History Story:  Continued from "Letters from Clara.  This is a story of my great grandfather's death.  It is interesting because he died in the flu epidemic of the early 1920's.  We take so much for granted.  There were so many that died at this time.

"My father [Hyrum Smith Clyde, father of Clara and WW Clyde] suddenly died with Spanish Influenza during that world- wide epidemic that took so many millions of lives; and my mother and I were moved from The Farm to the little house on fourth South near Main Street. I was almost fourteen. My father had left no will, so the property he left was divided according to state law: two-thirds to the children, one-third to my mother. Out of her third she bought the little house and there each
school day cooked dinner for several teachers (at 35 cents per dinner).  My
former fifth grade school teacher and not yet sister-in-law [Jennie Alene Palfreyman, later married to WW] was one of these, And the stories she recounted about her own and/or others' escapades kept these short dinner hours a-flap with easy laughter...Sunday, in Sacrament meeting, a fellow sang a solo from the hymn "I Need Thee Every Hour." And I was lost in my memories for the rest of the entire meeting. .. It took me back to my Mapleton-Springville home in early February, 1920. To my father's funeral service. Only once in my life did I ever see my father in church - the time they had a farewell party when Grover was ready to leave for his mission in the Southern States. But somehow we always knew that my father did have a favorite song, one to be found in the church song book called "I Need Thee Every Hour",And at the funeral it was sung from the porch of the house, while the singer stood there beside the casket, during the Spanish Influenza Epidemic following WWI.

Wilford, who'd brought the body home the night before, was unable to
get out of bed to attend the services; he was in our parent's bedroom and
could hear the services.  Mother, Etta, Cornell, Blaine and Bill, and Grover
were all down with the Flu in Storrs, Utah, as well as Ed and Hannah who
lived there at that time. Two of  Etta's brothers, the wife and several
children of another brother had died or were dying. Dewey, Ora, and Harry

had come from Logan for the service. (I did not get the flu.) Friends.

relatives, and townspeople who were able to be there, stood in the snow on
the front lawn, facing the casket and the porch. No chairs to sit on; it was too
cold to sit, anyhow.  All wore flu masks of layers of folded white gauze tied
around the back of the head with white cotton twill tape.

I do not remember a single word or thought that was spoken there. But I
do remember that song!  And I never see the title or hear the song without
thinking of that day and of my father, and wondering what there is in that
song that touched him. 

And I remember the Carnesseca family, who had come from Corsica, off
the Italian Coast. and who depended on Hyrum to teach them how to farm
and to live in America. and on Elenora [Elenora Jane Johnson, Hyrum's wife] to help them when they were ill, or when mamma was pregnant, or when they needed help with sewing as well as show them that a wife's place in America was in the nursery and the home. and not in the fields. These two immigrant parents stood off to the
side of the lawn by the grapes-and sand-burr-patch, crying bitterly and

openly.  Mrs. Carnesseca told my mother later that Joe had warned her "Now
don't go over there and 'carry-on'.  Don't you dare to cry!" "But",  she added.

"when he started crying I knew he couldn't get mad at. me for doing it", 
(Those Carnessecas taught me to sing "0 Sole Mio".  Not on funeral day,  
however,  My word! It's been a thousand years since I heard that song.) "

Friday we had the ward campout.  We all went up there for dinner, then Roy and Caitlyn went to the HAM Radio camp and Elise and the boys and I went home since she had to be to the airport early Saturday.  Dan and Jieun and the girls drove up to the HAM camp.  Caitlyn shared some pictures:

Some more pics from Lake Powell: