Fateful February

Dale and I kicked off the month by attending the Cache Chamber of Commerce’s Awards Gala—“The Spirit of Entrepreneurship” at the Riverwoods Conference Center with some of the Cache County School Board members. They received a plaque for being among the top ten employers in the county, and for the advances they’ve made with all of the new building they’ve done.

It was a nice way for them to be honored. Dale was the one who accepted the award.

I helped Amie with the kids, around the house, and getting them places for the month. Mazin and I have become pretty good at putting puzzles together too.

The Subaru could probably drive itself there and home if I let it. I forgot how busy I was raising five kids, so the reminder was good. She’s healing and that’s all that matters.

We’ve had a few snow storms and colder temps so I think our areas going to hold our own this summer. Thank heaven for blades on 4-wheelers, snow blowers, shovels, and kids that are willing to help clear the driveway and walks. But oh, it's so pretty right after a snowfall.

We hosted our Come Follow Me Dinner/Discussion this month. It was quite the crew, but we were fed well physically by all that prepared and brought food, and fed spiritually by Andrew leading the discussion. The kids again joined in on the discussion. We all agreed that we're glad we're getting together and doing this. We all benefit from it.

Dale and I dragged out our Valentines celebrating with friends, our ward family, and each other. We went to dinner at Maddox with our friends, Bruce and Lottie Andersen and then spent the night at the new Hampton Inn as guests for a pre-opening event so the staff could have a pre-run before they opened. Bruce was involved with the construction end of the hotel, so he invited us to join he and Lottie. We got to test out the indoor/outdoor hot tub and fun pool as well as sleep in brand new rooms with never before slept in beds, never before used bathrooms, and use never before turned on TV’s! It was awesome!! We even got a tasty breakfast and got to go on the roof and in the mechanical rooms. We got the royal treatment. I guess it goes to show that it’s not always what you know, it’s who you know.

We celebrated with our Married Student Ward at a Valentines Dinner/Dance/Prize Give-away night. It was fun, we helped serve the food, and helped with clean-up. Ate and even came home with 15 tons of asphalt tailings to use as a road base for our lane along the back of our yard, and then what we paid for it, someone won that amount of money!! It was pretty crazy, but a lot of fun. We with a great group of people and under an awesome Stake Presidency. 

Back row: Pres. Brooks Tarbet, Pres. LaMont Poulsen, Executive Sec. Bro.  Raymond Olsen, Pres. Curt Kidd -- Front Row: Sis. Sally Tarbet, Sis. Connie Poulsen, Sis. Shelly Olsen, Sis. Nancy Kidd

I bought tickets to the USU vs Wyoming game for Dale and I for a day early Valentine treat. One of the guys on the Wyoming team was a local Cache Valley boy, Jake Hendricks, from Smithfield, which made it kind of fun. It was back and forth pretty much until the last 10 minutes of the game and then we shined. Great game. We ended up just eating at the game and then we went with our friends to Cold Stone Creamery for ice cream after.

Dale gave us a couple’s night out to a Dinner and Concert event at Cherry Peak. We ate a nice buffet dinner on the top floor of the lodge, and while we were eating a 11-year-old boy played some classical love songs on the piano, he was like a mini Mozart! Then when we were done eating they had a the Ryan Shupe band play some tunes music while Ryan Shupe sang a variety of songs, and Mattie Jones sang with her band for the group as well.  They both had great voices. It was nice. All of this great talent was from Cache Valley too. We are blessed. Dale did well, he knows I love good food, a variety of good music, and the setting was beautiful.

Dale and I also went to a dinner that our Hyde Park Stake’s Stake Presidency hosted for all of the people that serve in the temple along with their spouses. They had a nice dinner and did a nice slide show about temples, that Pres. Durrant put together and shared temple facts. It was great to see so many people we knew that we didn’t realize served in the temple.

Speaking of service, our Stake Relief Society Presidency put together another Sisters serving Sisters Humanitarian Service Day. It was a beehive of activity! We all worked together and helped 8 different local and international organizations. There were Hygiene kits for adults and children put together, Fleece Blankets made for the Heart of the World Foundation, scarves made for Little Lambs, and smaller blankets made for other local organizations. We also teamed up with friends from the First Presbyterian Church to make Sustainable Feminine Hygiene Pads for our African sisters. The paper wrappers on crayons were taken off to help the Jump the Moon charity, Crocheted beanies were made for little cancer patients, quilts were tied to help local charities, and the project that I helped with was making Sacrament Meeting Quiet Bags for our stake to have on hand in the church buildings to help parents with their kids if needed.

To top it off they had collected gently used clothing and had it set out on tables in a couple of rooms for sisters to Shop till you Drop and also to help with our Refugee community, and to donate to the Deseret Industries.

“Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it onto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” Matthew 25:40

I took Eloise out for her Birthday Date. We went to lunch at Kneader’s and then went to see the movie “Mary Poppins Returns”. It was a fun show and I think Eloise enjoyed our date, I know I did! Happy 6^th Birthday Eloise!!

Dale’s dad, hasn’t been doing too well, and struggled to hang on so he wouldn’t leave his sweetheart alone, but after she assured him he’s taken good care or her and that she’d be ok he passed away with his kids and wife around him. A tender, but bittersweet experience for all. It’s always hard to lose a loved one even when you know that they’d be better off being with those who have passed on ahead of them. He’ll definitely be missed.

I ended the month by ushering the show Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Eccles. 

The theater has been getting a facelift with new carpet, and a paint job, due to the efforts of our great Wendy Hassan and crew in raising enough money $10K to have the Dora Eccles Foundation throw in a $1 million matching grant and it happened. The theater has come to life again!! It is beautiful!!

I also served in the clothing area at the temple, which helped to pass time while Dale was working or helping with the plans for his dad’s funeral.

Nate's not going to let the cold stop him from getting outside. He's been doing some ice climbing on the weekends to fill up his day and to hang out with his buddies. Every family needs an adventurer in it right?

Amie is getting around more, but still playing it safe and limiting her movement which is better to be safe than sorry.  Matt’s been good to step in and help with dinner and the kids when he’s home, and the kid’s were pretty good to help as needed as well.

Langston dressed up as a 100 yr. old man for 100 day to add some fun to the day. He looked pretty good. I also helped Kennlyn with paint and put the mane and tail on her horse valentine box. That gal loves animals. 

Jaxson had his last basketball games and Amie sat on the bench and helped coach because it was the last game. They won one and lost one, but both were great games and Jaxson played awesome.

We had a few warmer days that made it feel like spring might come early and it got the birds excited outside. The Mallory’s have a tree in their backyard that had red berries on it and the birds were flocking to it eating the berries and going crazy. They were flying all over and darting in and out. They have some big windows in the front and back of their house and birds kept flying into the windows. They had two birds in back hit the window hard enough that it killed them, and one do the same thing with their front window. It was pretty erie hearing all these thuds hit the window for a couple of days, until all the berries were cleaned off the tree.

Lindsay threw a Friend Birthday Party for Eloise to help her celebrate her big day. Lindsay said that Eloise loves cereal, peanut butter and jam sandwiches (which she had at Kneaders on our Birthday Date and ate the whole thing) as well as bacon. She loves little animals and all girl toys. She’s a huge Daddy’s girl, she’s spunky and stubborn, but also sweet and thoughtful. They’ve watching her learn how to read and write this year. Happy Birthday Eloise!!

Garrett and Zandra took advantage of the snow-storms and went skiing at Snow Basin with the kids and Nordic Basin with his Academy Mortgage family.

Garrett also noticed that his vision is getting a little blurry so he went in for a eye exam. It looks like he may be sporting new glasses next month. Garrett joins the club!

Dale and I took a little drive south and watched Jorie and Luke so they could cash in on their Valentines gift to each other. They went to dinner and to see the ballet, Swan Lake, at the Capital Theatre in Salt Lake. It was a win, win deal for all six of us.

The whole Garrett Hansen clan met up with Dale at Hyrum Dam to go ice fishing. I sent snacks and drinks and stayed home. My loss, because it sounded like they stayed plenty warm and had a great time. The kids loved it even though they only got bites. Success in my eyes.

We had another birthday this month. Jason, Happy Birthday!! He was treated well by his friends and family. Here’s to another year!!

Jason and Danica took advantage of the 31inches of new snow at Snow Basin and got in some skiing and also checked out Snowbirds powder as well. They’ve learned to work hard, play hard, and seize the day I'd say.

Jason went away for a few days for a conference in Texas with his co-workers. He found even found some time to hit a few balls at Top Golf, to get him ready for some Spring golfing.

While he was gone, Danica was able to meet up with some of her cousins, Morgan, Whittney, and Madelyn, and she hung out with friends as well. Jason’s learning when hubby’s away the wifey can play.

Lesson learned this month …...