New old pictures- extended family/Mom

David Fawson

Deana Fawson Johanson

Deana Fawson Johanson

David Fawson and Laurie at the beach in Oregon

Alan Miner, Deana Fawson, Bonnie Miner, David Fawson
Maxine Sutton, Vern Fawson

Deana Fawson, Janet Miller

Alan, Deana, David, Janet Miller, Vern Fawson

Bonnie and Alan Miner

Brenda Fawson and Bonnie Miner

Alan Miner, Rob Miller

Don and Brenda Fawson, Janet and Rob Miller

Mom, Heidi, Mary, Susie, Bonnie, Alan

Melinda, Marianne Miner Pond, Julie Miner, Susie, Mary

Rob Miller, Marianne, Alan, Melinda, Susie, Janet, Julie, Laurie, Mary
Julie broke her arm because we were playing shoot to the moon. I laid on the
grass and bent my legs. She sat on my feet and I shot her to the moon. That
was a horrible day for both of us. :(

Bonnie, Marianne, Julie, Alan

Melinda, Julie, Mary Susie, Marianne

Alan, Heidi, Laurie

Bonnie and Alan

Lindy, Susie, Bonnie, Alan

Lauriem Marianne, Julie, Alan

Max Whiting, Kay Mumford, Laurie

Alan, Janet, Bonnie, Susie, Lindy, Mary

Susie, Melinda, Faires Miner, Mary, Laurie

Nancy Miner Turner, Alan Miner, Janet Miner Miller, Faires Sampson Miner, Kay Miner Mumford

Zerelda Tew Miner, Laurie, Max Miner

Max and Faires Miner

Faires, Max, Mary, Rob, Melinda, Janet
Susie, Dale, Kay

Kay, Max, Dale, Faires

Susie, Mary, Carrie, Laurie, Melinda, Heidi, Janet, Pete, Faires, Max

Don Fawson

Don Fawson, Denise Fawson Roberts

Mary, Susie, Brenda, Denise, Melinda, Don

Denise Fawson Roberts, Paul Fawson, Heidi, Mary, Carrie, Melinda

Denise, Don, Vern

Carrie, Laurie, Mary, Janet, Heidi, Pete, Melinda, Brenda, Paul, Denise, Don

Twins. Deanna and David, Pete and Carrie

Vern

Vern, David, Deanna, Janet

David, Rob, Mary, Mellinda, Susie, Vern

Laurie, David, Susie, Janet, Melinda, Deana, Mary

Janet and David

Viva Las Vegas

A long, long time ago, the Paul Stoker family lived in Las Vegas. I remember the sadness I felt as I entered the city held prisoner by the desert, crying for help with the flashing signs, "Slots! Circus Circus buffet 3.99!, Tattoos!, Pay Day loans!" It was all that I was afraid it would be, but surprisingly, it was also wonderfully more.  A few years later I cried buckets of tears driving away from some of the dearest friends of my life.  I don't find myself driving through Las Vegas much now that I live in GA. Well, that's a lie, I drove through last
Dec. while trying to fly from ATL to SLC via LAX during a winter storm, but that's another story.

Nevada. Brown.

Beautiful

But brown.

Georgia. Green

But now Las Vegas is home to my son and his wife, not just any son, one of the sons that was born there. How's that for serendipity? Friday was his dental school white coat ceremony, so I got myself back to Vegas for a couple of days.

The fun started right away. Clarissa picked me up and we headed to the temple (one of the only places in Las Vegas with flowers.)

 I remember some of my friends growing flowers many years ago, but they told heroic tales of digging up the caliche soil and replacing it with fertile soil that they had purchased and imported.  They then dedicated their life to hydrating new living things, and if they didn't forget to water, and the planets aligned, a flower or two could be found beautifying their yard. But mostly the landscape looks like this:

Anyway, I loved being in the Las Vegas temple because it was just being built when we lived there. It was especially nice to be in the House of the Lord with my sweet daughter-in-law. After the temple fun we picked Aaron up from his school for lunch.  Guess where we ate? You know it, "In-N-Out." I'd actually been thinking about "In-N-Out" burgers since I drove by one in CA last December, so it was high time, and my hamburger was delicious, and these two were cute as heck.

Then Aaron showed us around his digs. His school is actually right next to the hospital where Nathan was born...awww.We saw the room where Aaron lived and learned 5 days a week during his first year of dental school. Now that he's in his second year they let them out in public.  He'll be cleaning teeth and taking impressions and doing whatever the professors and upper-classmen and pretty much everyone else tells him to.

Friday night we watched BYU beat Houston on TV with some other dental students and their families. I wasn't quite adjusted to pacific time and fell seriously asleep at the end of third quarter. I was told later that there were crying children in the room with us, but my sleep had been undisturbed.

Saturday was the big day. The ceremony didn't start until 3:00 pm, so Clarissa and I explored the nearby shopping options which proved to be excellent: JoAnn's, Steinmart, TJ Maxx, and a nice, gigantic DSW all in the same shopping center. Then it was on with the show. The white coat ceremony is a proud-mother-moment to be sure, but it's not graduation. It's a ceremony that says, "You're still in school and with a lot of hard work we're pretty sure you're going to make it."

 I didn't attend my son Nathan's white coat a couple years ago. He said it wasn't a big deal and didn't expect me to go. I had no drivers at home, and it would have been very hard to leave the kids, so I took him at his word. I felt bad missing it, though, and that motivated me to not miss this one. Sorry Nathan. Congratulations Aaron. I love you both.

Afterwards, Clarissa's family, Aaron, Clarissa and I ate some very good pizza and had a lovely visit. I got to spend a little time with Aaron before our early bedtime (he took me to the airport at 4:30 am the next day) and was reminded of what a blessing he is to me. I love their little family and look forward to meeting Miss Lucy in October. XOXOX

Last weekend, this weekend.

They say that happy people don't live for the weekend, they find joy in every day.  That makes a lot of sense...it does, but can anyone deny the stinkin' awesomeness of Friday nights and Saturdays and Sundays?  No ""night-before lunch making, test studying, lesson preparing. No little lights on the clocks that say, "Alarm on." There's a lot less "Did I miss any appointments, or forget to pick up my kids from anything?" I can watch a movie, well, I can watch a movie in the week, I'm the mom, but it doesn't feel legal. To really enjoy relaxing it has to be earned from the rigors of weekday routine. So as a tribute to the weekend I will recall the highlights of recent beautiful ends of the week.

Last weekend, as you recall, was Labor Day, a lovely extra Monday added to the beauty of Saturday and Sunday that also contribute to a short 4 day week...woot. Paul and the kids stayed in Atlanta to celebrate Labor while I celebrated in Savannah with my 8 yr. old and 2 yr. old grandsons.

This guy and I had the place to ourselves at first. We read books and scattered them all over the floor. I love the book where you press the animal and hear what sound it makes. Less reading, but I can't get enough of what the turkey says.

When big brother got home we all sat on the couch and fried our little brains with Star Wars Lego Wii. I'm the grandma so I said "Yes." Sorry, children this is how it goes...Mom says "No". Grandma says "Yes." It's totally fair.

 We did go outside for some detox time to swing and water the plants which turned into watering themselves and Grandma, but no worries, It was a million degrees with 1,000 % humidity. We had an amazing dinner of chicken nuggets, pesto pasta, watermelon and cucumbers. I know cucumbers are cousins to watermelon and might not be ideal plate mates, but I'm the grandma and it's the weekend. When 2 yr. old went to bed, the rest of us (8 yr. old and I) played Disney Monopoly. 8 yr. old was a slick wheeler dealer and offered to buy the railroads for me if he landed on them in exchange for a Monopoly. He was a worthy opponent.

Saturday morning was adventure time. Well, it was an adventure for Grandma. I've been to the Savannah area several times without actually seeing downtown Savannah.  I have friends who go to Savannah as a destination, so I wanted to see what the fuss was all about. Grandsons had been downtown and told me that all it was was boring walking around. We compromised and I told them we would stay in the car and just look at the historical sites from our windows. It was a deal. The other part of the bargain was that we would also go to Tybee Island for 20 minutes then we could come home. They were brave. I got my tour. They got most of the Saturday to stay at home and play, and we had more fun during our 20 minute beach stay than anticipated.

Saturday afternoon was Monopoly with the 8 yr. old and  the 2 yr. old. Toddlers can totally play Monopoly, they just get to shake the dice after every person and they get to be 6 guys. The main rule is that they can't kill the real tokens and crush them off the board. Otherwise the game is really long, all that picking up Snow White from under the table and remembering where she was on the board We took intense game playing breaks periodically with Hide and Seek and exercises. I ramped up my hiding skills playing with 2 yr. old. He counts to 3 and keeps his eyes open. We got really fast and tricky.

We sang "Do as I'm Doing" a lot (It never gets old) and I introduced them to planks, which I have to do every day. It's my ticket to facebook.

2 yr. old can hold his plank for a long time.

Saturday night was High School Musical III. We all loved Troy and Gabriella dancing on the roof to "Can I have this dance?" again.

Sunday morning we went to church where I received lots of compliments from strangers about my sweet boys.  Who doesn't love that?

More games in the day, picking up toys again, and then time for surprises. 2 year old's surprise was a hero costume which led to movie making.  8 yr. old's surprise was an animal balloon  kit. We popped a lot of balloons, but made a lot of balloons too. The light saber was the favorite. We wanted some butterflies, but Grandma kept failing on the wings. I'll have to practice.

The next day we played...you guessed it...Disney Monopoly. It was just getting exciting when son and daughter-in-law came home. And then I drove to my house and the weekend was over.  XOXOX

And then, after 4 days of business, it was the weekend again! That's what's great about life. And this weekend we did this:

Aly sang and Rebecca accompanied 

a musical number at the SW Public Affairs 

meeting.

A night on the town because it's Saturday.

And tomorrow is Monday and I'm going to make it great and do my best and find joy in every moment and then reward myself for my good attitude with another weekend.