Short week, short letter

This past week went by quickly--and especially as far as this newsletter is concerned as I wrote the last one on Wednesday.  I do have a few things to write about for those few days.

Thursday is my new designated skating with the grandkids day.  This Thursday didn't work out very well, however, because I found out that I had to meet the finish carpenter at the house at 10:00.  I was supposed to meet the grandkids at the rink at 10:45.  I thought maybe I could get done in time, but I ran late.  Luckily the kids skate well enough that they don't really need me.  They don't really want me to teach them, either.  Jieun and Adrienne got there and got Ollie, Doyeon and Yuna on the ice.  I finally made it and got on the ice in time to skate with them for 10 minutes before I had to run to lunch. Christine and I were taking Nan out to lunch for her birthday that day.  It's wonderful to have sisters.  We get along so well.  We had a great time visiting for about three hours. 

Doyeon and Yuna

Ollie  (I'm not sure what to do when they start eating the ice shavings)

                    

We played so hard and so well over this past few months, that it felt good to get a little bit done around the house(es).  On Saturday, Roy went over to the lot with a few boys from his previous scout group and had them weed and pick up trash. I stayed home and finished picking most of the fruit and cleaned the house.  I also had a Cook Family Organization meeting in the morning.

Roy had his shed installed on our new lot this past week also, so he could start using it for storing various things.

It looks crooked, but it's level.  It's the ground around that's not.

The brick on the front of the house is looking really good.  I keep thinking I need to put some updates on the blog, but then forget to take any pictures.  Maybe next week.

Saturday night Roy and I spent our date night with three of our grandsons while their parents attended the U of U / BYU game.  We had a "movie night" with them and ate popcorn on the couch together.  At one point Gunnar pointed to his big toe and asked, "what's that?" I answered, "I think it's dirt, and I proceeded to wipe it off his toe.  He let me do it and then said, "I think it's a booger."

Other than that rather disgusting but funny incident, we had a good time with the Green boys.  They play pretty well together and Finn puts up with a lot from his older brothers.

Ollie

Finn and Gunnar

Gunnar

Sunday was quiet.  We had regional conference.  Elder Ballard was the presiding authority and gave a great talk about our responsibilities as members of the church in the headquarters of the church.  We had a nice long nap and had dinner with just Roy and me and Caitlyn and Jennie.  

I found out from reading Phil's letter that he had back surgery this week.  I wouldn't know if he didn't write letters each week.  

Maverick, standing already--trying to keep up with Max

Max and his almost endless train track

Doyeon on her first day of ballet--apparently Yuna was
so jealous that she was mean to her sister all day.

Ori, learning how to grind wheat to make bread

Summer--the last hurrah

Too much weight on the raft with Cait, Yuna, Hyeji, Doyeon, Yuna and Nick

It's amazing how quickly summer turns to fall.  Nearly every year we go to Flaming Gorge for Labor Day weekend and nearly ever year, the pattern is the same.  It's a little cool Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and then bam, fall hits and it is noticeably cooler on Monday.  Roy says that one year we even had snow in Dutch John on Labor Day, but I can't remember it.  We were able to take the boat out on Saturday, and though it was a bit windy, we had a good day.  It was a little rough for boarding and skiing, but okay for tubing.  We put a little too much weight on it the first time around-- Nick, Caitlyn, Hyeji, Doyeon, Yuna, and Ori.  Roy could tell it wasn't going to work, so he slowed down. As he slowed, the tube started to be pulled under in the front, so he started going again.  It still didn't look quite right, so he slowed again.  This time all the riders were thrown in the water.  If you know Flaming Gorge at all, you know that the water is COLD.  No one cried except for Ori.  But none of the kids would go on a tube ride again.  They did give in and play on it when it acted only as a raft.

Yuna preparing for her first tube ride.  I think she had an interesting
idea of how to use the handles.

Nick and Ori

Catharine, Dan and Yuna

Saturday night while Nick, Dan and Jieun were getting the kids down, Caitlyn, Roy and I took our favorite walk.  It was pitch black.  It would have been impossible without flashlights.  Even so it was a little creepy. We had a good time, though.

Sunday it rained off and on.  Some of us went to the visitors center during the rainy time, and of course, church kept us indoors for about 90 minutes.  It cleared completely in the late afternoon and we had a beautiful afternoon and evening.

Monday we packed up to go home.  Dan and Jieun and their family went with Roy and me on a tour of the dam.  Caitlyn, Jennie, Nick and Ori headed directly home.  I always thought my grandfather's company had built the dam, but in looking it up on the web could only find one connection--George Dewey Clyde was governor of the state of Utah at the time it was built.  There is a picture of him looking at blueprints of the dam.  I think maybe WW Clyde and Co. did build the bridge but I don't know for sure.  Does anyone reading this know?  What about the bridge at Lake Powell.  I have always claimed that one was built by my grandpa?  The internet said they built the green river bridge. This could apply to either lake.  I've been on the dam tour before, but this time it was nice and cool outside, so it was very pleasant, and of course, the scenery was beautiful. The girls really enjoyed feeding the fish.

Flaming Gorge Dam tour

When we arrived home we had a little bit of work to do picking produce.  We lost quite a few peaches because no one picked while we were gone.  We still have a few to show for our labors.
They are seriously the best peaches I've ever had--except other years from the same tree.

Peaches and plus from our garden

I had a nice visit earlier in the week with Stephen Hunsaker, my first cousin (son of Vera and Ray. Vera was my dad's oldest sister).  I always thought Vera and Ray were divorced, but found out that was not the case.  Uncle Ray died when he was in his 60's.  Two of Stephen's siblings also passed away when they were in their 60's, my cousins Connie and Duane.  Duane's wife Carolyn lives about 1/2 mile from where I live in Bountiful.  Stephen and his wife took me for tacos at a restaurant near his home.  His wife also loves to quilt and I got a tour of her sewing room and saw several of her quilts.  I told him I'd come again and bring my sisters or Roy.  He said, why not both.

Yuna and Ori, they love to help

Ori

Yuna, Ori, Doyeon, Hyeji

Catharine

Caitlyn

Dan

Nick (with mom)

Jieun, Yuna, Dan, Doyeon

Roy in his traditional Captain pose

Proof that Jennie was with us (Caitlyn, Doyeon, Jennie)

Roy and Catharine

Ori, Nick, Catharine

Hyeji, Doyeon, Yuna, Dan

Ori in the hammock

Church was interesting.  Being in the primary
room with the sound piped in made it
 a little hard for the little ones
to take it seriously.

Yuna, Ori, Doyeon

Flaming Gorge

Caitlyn, Catharine, Roy, Yuna and Jieun--at the Gorge look-out

Hyeji and Grandma

Hip Dance

Dan and Caitlyn

Happy Birthday on the 31st Gunnar ! (he's been talking about this day for months)

With the onset of school, things have changed for most of our family.  At our home, we don't see Caitlyn nearly as much. Our house is pretty quiet with her gone, and now that she's got a job, We'll see her even less. Some of our grand kids have also started school-- first grade, kindergarten, or pre-school, which makes life a little easier for their moms. 

Gunnar

Hyeji

An update on Caitlyn:  After her physical therapist massaged her jaw and got her nice and sore, she asked her what activities she participated in.  She said, ice skating and violin.  Cait continued to tell her that the doctor wants her to give up ice skating and she's transitioning out of it.  She said it would be good to focus on the violin since she'll have more time for it.  The physical therapist then dropped the bombshell and told her she should probably not play the violin either.  We're hoping there's a time frame on that, and that it's not just a blanket--never again.  Roy and I will go with her to her next appointment to try and figure out if she needs to quit orchestra and violin lessons for the time being.  Of course, this was devastating to Caitlyn.  Please keep her in your prayers.  

Roy and I spent some time in Cedar City this week. Does it show our age that we love going down and hitting the plays every year?  This year we saw Henry V, Mary Poppins, Much Ado about Nothing, and a Marx brother show called, Coconuts.  We enjoyed them all, but Much Ado about Nothing was our favorite.  It was hilarious and done exceptionally well.  It even beat out the movie of the same name with Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson.  As usual we enjoyed each other's company and only felt bad that Caitlyn had to hear all the bad news about her jaw with neither of us around to comfort her.  She also had some good news while we were gone; at about 11:00 on Thursday night she got asked to Homecoming.  Since we were in the theater, we missed her text until the next morning.  

We went shopping on Saturday and we found a beautiful dress for her. 

Our house is finally looking like it may eventually be done.  All the sheet rock, and mudding are done, and much of the brick on the front of the house is done.  It is looking like a house, now.  Next up is finish carpentry and doors on the inside and on the outside, a little more brickwork, the soffit, etc. and rock to finish up. 

Roy and Matt did another Century in Logan this past Saturday.  Matt went 100 miles and Roy did 60. 

Both made it, but both suffered some leg cramping by the end.  (Roy ended up logging just under 30,000 steps for the day, too bad we don't compete on the weekends).  

Matt and Roy

Effie

Ori with her baby sister, Effie

Ori

There was a little competition on everyone's "owies"
Do boys get hurt more?  Or girls?  Ori
fell on mulch in the park

Mav pulled the game system on top of himself

Max and his Lego train

Campfire birthday cake

Finn at Gunnar's party

Maverick is already pulling himself up to things;
after all, he has to catch up with Max doesn't he?

Max and Mav beating Texas heat

Gunnar's birthday party