Amy and Jeff Kemp family Aug 2010

Summer Fun 2010
August 20, 2010
Marilyn P. Johnson

We are grateful for the time we had with Chris and Stacey and their three children David, Jared and Kelsie. They were only here two days but we crammed in as many activities as possible.

Up early to make walking sticks, they found Kay in his favorite place in the backyard behind the fence where his pond is. He grows trees on our acre and cuts branches from the different kinds of trees for walking sticks. He has quite a collection and these three grandchildren picked out the ones they wanted. They moved to the patio where they could sit in the shade by the picnic table. Kay supplied the tools necessary for smoothing out the bumps and he was busy helping each one learn how to do this. Stacey joined the group and said MOM’S like to go hiking too. Chris took over taking care of the miniature dachshund, new family pet named Hardly. He got his name because he is so tiny and cute and likes to run and play and falls a sleep in Chris’s arms.

When this fun family arrived with the surprised new member of the family a small puppy named Harley. Kay laughed and said you should call him Hardley because he is so small. They laughed and the new name was excepted by all. I served cool drinks and watched and talked to them as they diligently worked on their walking sticks. They drilled a hole just right at the top for holding their cane and put a rawhide piece of cord and strung colored bead for the finishing touch. It was a joy watching them.

We had stayed up late the night before and went to Reno to the Wilkerson’s home. for a dinner party. Janette had to drive her husband to the airport to catch a flight for a business meeting. She hurried home to get Denise, her sixteen year old daughter, off to the dentist to have her wisdom teeth removed. Then home again, jiggitty-jig, to start cooking a dinner for the twelve of us.

I’m glad my camera was working and we took lots of pictures for scrapbooking and my blog.
It is amazing how much richer our lives are because of the fun times we have during the summer vacation from school and work. We are glad Chris and Stacey could get time off from their jobs to do all the driving.

Kay and I loved the fun visit with our grown up children and their children. We enjoy the weather better in the spring and fall. We tire easily with the heat but are lucky for these visits.

Memories help us to enjoy our grown up children and the ever changing grand children who are growing up too fast. Thanks heaven for cameras to take pictures to see in the winter. It helps us to enjoy life and forget about our aches and pains of growing older.

This is the last picture as they were leaving. Kay gave Kelsie a pink pillow for her stiff neck, pink sweet peas to Stacey and a goodbye joke for everyone.

We went to Nevada City to visit Cheryl Christensen our daughter while our granddaughter Amy and her husband Jeff, and baby Emily Clarice entertained us for two days.

From left to right: Emily, Amy, Grandma Marilyn, and Grandpa Kay, we drove them to the Reno airport, and they will be on their way to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where husband Jeff is studying to be a medical physicist. He has two more years.

From left to right, three generations: Amy, Emily Clarice, and Cheryl.

Emily Clarice is almost a year old, but she can drive a car, get and out herself with her teddy bear.

From left to right: Amy, Emily Clarice, and Jeff, a happy family!

Great Grandma Marilyn and Great Grandpa Kay enjoyed the visit in Nevada City and drove them back to the airport in Reno.

Grandpa Kay enjoyed teaching Jared and Kelsie how to make a walking stick personalized with beads and all just the right size. Grandpa Kay cuts the branches to make the canes from his many variety of trees.

This is the last picture as they were leaving. Kay gave Kelsie a pink pillow for her stiff neck, pink sweet peas to Stacy, and a goodbye joke for everyone.

We stayed up late the night before, and went to Reno to the Wilkerson's home for a dinner party. Janette had to drive her husband to the airport to catch a flight for a business meeting. She hurried home to get Denise, her sixteen year old daughter, off to the dentist to have her wisdom teeth removed. Then home again, jiggitty-jig, to start cooking a dinner for the twelve of us.

From left to right: Janette Wilkerson my oldest daughter, Chris Jackson youngest son and his wife Stacy, Grandma Marilyn, and youngest daughter Melinda. We were helping in the kitchen for the big dinner.

When this fun family arrived with the surprise new member of the family, a small puppy named Harley. Kay lauged and said you should call him Hardley, because he is so small.

We served ice cream and cake in the back yard with Chinese lanterns and twinkly lights on the arches.

Lindsay & Garrett Wedding 2010

Lindsay & Garrett and brothers and sisters

Granddaughter Lindsay

Great Grandchildren Are Precious And Welcome

Hudson Reeder 10th Great Grandbaby, born in 2009 to Ryan and Stacy, fun visit Summer 2010

Katie's an especially good beautiful mom!

James Taylor Christensen, 11th Great Grandchild, born in 2010. Mother Ashley was surprised when Grandma Marilyn got out this cute quilt for James to lay on. She got down on her hands and knees in delight to see how they made the quilt. She bought the same material in California and is going to fix the nursery in this design.

Kyle, Ashley, Grandma Marilyn, and baby James had a wonderful visit.

Grandpa Kay came home just in time for a three generation photo. Kyle is in the Navy now studying to be a dentist. Stacy's a stay-at-home mom.

Mother's Day 2010

Mother’s Day

2010 Mothers Day was wonderful in spite of running out of water in our car. Kay and I searched the car for water, water, and finally filled the car.
In our last workmeeting at church we got a lecture on summer traveling. Lots of water - water was the mosy important.
The short delay made us a bit late to brunch at Montreux. We still had a lot of fun.
Janette our daughter and husband Don invited us to Montreux. their family are all golfers.
The flowers on the table added to my fun picture taking.
Kay and Marilyn, Don and Janette, Denice and Grandma Marilyn, Brad and girlfriend,

Debbie & John Reeder had us to dinner, John is a wonderful chef and two grandsons Cody & Ty came too. Ty gets teased for looking like Clark Kent. He laughs but hasn't changed to Superman yet! Debbie & John, Ryan, Cody, & Ty are the only family that lives in Fernley, Nevada. The boys have grown up and are out on their own. So glad Debbie and John are still here. They invite us often to family dinners.

Denise couldn't wait to finish eating and picture time so she could go and change to her golfing clothes and practice her putting. She just made the team. It was freezing cold, terrible wind, but she loved every minute of it, and so did we.

Happy Mother's Day From The Wilkersons

Donnie Wilkerson & Jannette with flowers. The flowers were from the table and made it fun for my camera to take pictures.

Denise & Grandma Marilyn

Brad & girlfriend and flowers

Denise, girlfriend, and flowers.

Cheryl Lynn Wilkerson now works as a certified chef. Had fun making orders for all of us, and earning money to continue going to college.

All of our nine children remembered me on Mother's Day. Phone calls, live flowers blooming from Bryan, letters, and brunch and dinner.

Just Fishin' Around

Christmas 2009

I have lots of pictures of Madelyn because she likes to pose and has fun in her tutu and crown that Grandma Marilyn and Grandpa Kay gave her.

Christmas 2009

We enjoyed a delicious dinner Sunday the 20th at the Reeders’ home. Grandson Cody and his wife Jen were there and Ty our youngest Reeder grandson. Friends Kaye and Ron Brown were there to celebrate the season also.

Debbie and John were planning to leave for Saint George, Utah, on Christmas Eve to be with their oldest son Ryan and wife Katie and their First grandson Hudson born on Dec 12, 2009
Christmas eve afternoon we left cold snowy Nevada and drove to warm Nevada City, CA. . We left in the afternoon and the roads were clear and the traffic light. It was a blast to visit and play with the six great grand children. They brought their parents to take care of them. We sat back and rested as we watched the fun activities. Another wonderful dinner and then the little ones were put to bed, while we helped santa put many present under the tree.

Christmas morning was a joy to watch the little ones open each present and play with it. They often asked their parents how to run the movable toy. Kay and I had never seen such interesting toys. The rocking horse not only rocked back and forth but had music and other sound too. Madelyn got a kick out of the tutu and crown that we gave her. We got a lot of pictures of her because she liked to pose for us.

We were blessed with a computerized TV two way talking set up from Taylor Christensen who is in Bulgaria, where he is serving a two year mission for the church. It is amazing how that works. The left of the TV screen had a small picture of us as we talked to him. He answered lots of question his mom and the rest of us asked him. What a blessing we have to be able to talk to him so far away.

It took all morning to open the presents, because the children had so much fun playing with each gift. Then a delicious brunch and fun conversations around the table.
We had to leave in the afternoon before it got dark. It was hard leaving this Christensen family and all the six children and their mates and grandchildren and great grands.

We drove on clear roads but there were lots of cars on the hiway. It was off to the Wilkersons’ home before dark in Reno. Thank heaven for cell phones so we could let them know when we were arriving. It was cold and there was a lot of snow back in Nevada, but we will need the moisture and the summer flowers and trees and drinking water.

I realized I had left my camera in the Christensens’ house. we called again on the cell phone and they found it and Heather said she would bring it to me Monday on their way home. Kay let me borrow his camera “ nice guy I’m married to” We were greeted again by another family and friends. The Wilkersons’home was beautiful and there was a lovely tall christmas tree with lots of my hand painted ornaments I have given them over the years. Don and Janette had fixed a delicious dinner with all the trimmings. Janette had just finished a year of redoing the inside of her home. The kitchen was out of this world. It was fun visiting with our three grandchildren, Cheryl, Brad and Denise. Brad’s nice girlfriend twas here also.

We ate delicious horsd’ouvres and visited. The conversation was interesting, finding out what our three grandchildren are doing. Brad is working with his dad in real-estate, Cheryl is working as a chef and Montreux and going to school and thinking about teaching. Denise is sixteen and has her drivers license. Melinda, our daughter, is working for a doctor doing the books. She made the delicious desserts. Dinner was served and I was so hungry, I forgot to photo the table and the food., but is was wonderful. I gave Janette and Melinda each a copy of the 14 pages of stories of my paintings in a book I started last year. They got a kick out of them.

It was dark when we started home. We were a bit nervous about Dolly our Cocker Spanial, she had been locked up ever since we left. Oh! was she happy to see us. Our neighbor Sharon said Dolly howled and whined all Christmas Day. We were glad to be home and into our own bed.

These pictures bring back happy memories. We are so lucky to be in pretty good health and enjoying the holidays with a bunch of our children and grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Fun Old Picture Of Max 2004

Old Memories Of Heather

2004

I wonder what the family is talking about. Grandparents getting old! They still have hair and teeth and smile alot. They love me and it feels good when they hug me. I heard my mom say "Grandpa Kay, will you have time to teach my Zac how to make silver rings, so he can make one for me?" And Grandma Marilyn painted me a yo-yo with a frog on it when I was born. I wonder what a frog is? Grandma Marilyn walks with a cane and wears a singing watch. Grandpa Kay makes arrowheads in the teepee outside on the lawn. Hope they stick around awhile, they can make my life fun and interesting.

Merry Christmas and see you in the New Year, Love Max...

P.S. I haven't met Hollyberry the dog yet or Spot the cat.