Sam's Birthday

Sam came home to presents (3 Kit [American Girl] books and the cute cupcake you see below. Then she went with G & G Young, aunts, uncles, and cousins to Pleasant Grove's StrawberryDays Rodeo. Talk about a good Utah birthday! We do love that girl! And all the other grandkids for that matter. I never realized how much I could love grandchildren; it is wondeful!

After softball camp on Miller Field at BYU (Edwards football stadium in the backgroud) they always get a popcycle. Sam has have a really fun time at the camp!

Since it was the the big 1-0, she decided to have one crazy pose!

Here is Sam on the morning of her 10th birthday. She was up early and getting ready for softball camp.

Sam is Here!

Sam arrived! Sam spent the evening at a bbq with the Youngs. She and grandma Linda are already crafting--notice the 5 new flower fridge magnets. Amy, when you come you girls can go crafting crazy!!

Grandma and Sam posing while I try out our 10 sec. timer. It works. Tomorrow Softball Camp!

Beautiful Pansies

I, Linda, have always enjoyed yard work and I usually have a pretty decent yard. Well...this year I have out done myself. This sweet little "purple pansie touched with yellow gold" has made its way in a crack on our patio. What can I say...I'm quite the gardener!

Our St. George and Environs Road Trip

We started our full day in the St. George area with a road trip, going north out of St. George through Snow Canyon State Park (which we re-visited that afternoon for a hike) and then on to the scene of the Mountain Meadow Massacre. It was a terrible incident, but the site is now peaceful and hopefully settlers and pioneers are now reconciled in the Spirit World. We then took off south...

...visited a cute little Southern Utah town named Veyo,

...saw a dormant volcano just outside Veyo,

...and drove through an Indian Reservation. It was a fun little road trip.

After getting back from our morning road trip, we called Max (Linda's little brother) and Cindy, found out they hadn't had lunch yet and so went to eat together with Lizzy and Amy at the Pasta Factory in St. George. Lizzy, on the end, is getting married to Huck in July and we are all excited.

For me (Tom) the most fun part of the day was our afternoon hike in Snow Canyon State Park. The weather was perfect (low 80s) and as you will see below the scenery is out of this world!

Here I am on the trail next to the Silver Hair Sage. Maybe both of us are silver-haired sages, right!?

Following Kristen's tradition of taking pictures of our feet in Chacos.

Our last day was spent taking the long way home. We left St. George and went through Hurricane and LaVerkin (our guidebook said they are like Buda and Pest except no good food!) and then came to Zion's National Park. These following pictures don't do the park and the scenery justice! But I hope you can still sort of see how breathtaking it is. We then followed Highway 89 up through more beautiful and ever-changing scenery as you'll see below.

My (Linda's) grandma Nicholls was born in Hatch, Utah. It was named after her family. We are important people!

Did you know Big Rock Candy Mountain is in Utah? The one Burl Ives had a song about. We had no idea it was right here! It really does look like yellow candy flowing down the mountain

Graduation for Logan and "Major Award" for Pops

Logan and I on the way to his BYU graduation. You other BYU grads, notice his blue robes. They now sell them "retainable" robes, but Logan didn't know that and turned it in.Logan and his mom right after his BYU graduation with the Hinckley Center in the background, and some other random people. Now he is off this fall to graduate school--probably.

My department chair, Rick Miller reading a short biography before presenting me with the School of Family Life Achievement Award. The plaque I got is nice enough, but I was expecting a "fra-gee-lay" leg lamp. But the check for $2,500 was better. That is almost the exact amount we need for the repair of the foundation leak we have in our house. Oh well....

Here are Logan and me with our award/diploma, and the person who made it all possible!

Blake glares? I don't believe it! Well, maybe once and a while.

Blake's Aunt Andrea thinks Blake glares. Maybe once and a while.... Oh, but how I love that boy, glare and all!

One time he didn't glare was when he had a rifle in his hands. Hmm, I'm not sure what that means?!

Tot, Matt, Ty, and Grandpa Wimmy--They all look good in kilts

Tot didn't know it but he is part of a long tradition of men wearing kilts in his family.

Here is Tot's great-grandpa Wilmer Nicholls in his kilt. Ty and Matt have both worn them for extended periods. Now Tot joins his male relatives (and probably some of his even more distant Scottish ancestors) in the tradition!