Less Than Six Weeks

Since the big baby announcement on Christmas Eve...(I cried, but of course I did) we nicknamed this babe Fetus Fawson. The entire family was deliriously in love with this pregnancy from the beginning. The due date is drawing closer now...less than six weeks away. We can hardly wait to meet this little girl!

My daughter...first born love of mine...is so perfectly a mother.

As I watch her with her children, I admit I feel a tinge inadequate of my own mothering through the years.

She is actively engaged in every aspect of her children's lives.

They are her world right now. She makes every moment a teaching moment filled with fun...and treats on occasion!

Cass has always been a lover of knowledge...now that she is a mom, she has expanded her learning to the stage of life she know finds herself in. She continually notices her children's developmental stages and challenges them to progress.

Weekly she can tell you the size of the baby she is carrying...eggplant, cantaloupe, or cabbage as the days pass. This attention to mothering, from the daughter who as a teenager once told her baby brother to "Shut up baby" when he cried incessantly.

She is strong and brave and good...and her example does not go unnoticed. During a family hike a few weeks ago, pregnant mommy and brave little Olivia were the first to cross this frigid river while we all stood around discussing whether or not we should. Where I may or may not have ridden piggyback on Dean's back...all to keep the camera dry of course. See...I told you she was brave!

What doesn't come natural to her she quickly gains expertise.

One of my favorite things about my beautiful daughter is her love for books. If you sit down to read a book with Olivia and Henry...the first thing they will do is tell you "book jackets off." Something about that drives them crazy, I think their Daddy Bob started it.

The next thing you will notice is that both of them can tell you the name of the author and additionally the name of the illustrator for every book they read.

And oh how they LOVE books.

They get that love from their momma.

From the moment the miracle of motherhood became hers...she has been completely wrapped up in it. Wow...has she had her hands full over the last 3 1/2 years.

And her hands are about to get more full! Do you think Olivia and Henry have any idea how their little three-year old world is about to change?

No...but they have no idea how wonderful it's going to be either! Gorgeous expecting daughter...I love you with all my heart. And I am so thankful you made me a Nanny Goat! 

Also...this last photo thrills me...so happy I learned how to use a camera!

Henry at Three

Diddle diddle dumpling my son John

went to bed with his trousers on.

One shoe off and one shoe on,
diddle diddle dumpling my son John.

Henry loves reciting nursery rhymes and knows most of them already.

While having a weekend of fun at Nanna & Bubba's Birthday fest, we dusted off Chet's old Jeep Power Wheels. Jocie and Chet spent hours in that Jeep and I don't think Chet drove once. Of course Henry loved it! Since he played stop and go with the gas pedal...Bubba and I told Henry he was a bad driver  He didn't care, he laughed and giggled around and around the yard. 

Intelligent and wise...he has been known to correct your English skills...at age three!

But he also has a silly side. Hopefully you are not sitting in a restaurant waiting for dinner when silly Henry emerges. Bubba gave Henry a new name while staying with us...Henry Dawg! And when Olivia heard about it days later she announced her new name was Olivia Kitty Kat.

Cass recently discovered a photo of Chet at Henry's age...they could be twins. People have been telling her all along how much he resembles his Uncle Chet. There is something sweet about a bond between nephew and uncle.

Henry's favorite thing to do at this age, is ride bikes. While vacationing in Southern Utah, Daddy Bob helps Henry navigate a steep hill on the mountain bike trail.

Focused and intense...the boy needs deep concentration.

I am certain he and his Daddy Bob will ride trail after trail together in the future.

Like a bolt of lightning...three years have flashed by and Henry is a little boy instead of a toddler.

He knows how to do a Force Choke (think Star Wars) as well as expertly wield a light saber.

Instantly after hearing a song, he can repeat it right back to you...again and again and again. Ask Henry to sing the bathtub song I taught him about a little bar of soap. Something like... "I'd slippee and I'd slidee over every-body's hidee." The little people don't always hear the lyrics correctly...apparently Henry has been singing "over every-body's hinee!" Oops Nanny Goat fail!

Henry Dawg my little grandson...Bubba and I adore you! You are the sun and the moon and the stars...and everything in between!

A dutiful and Affectionate WIFE

Anticipating a busy summer...we decided a quick "stay-cation" in Southern Utah would be perfect for The Garlick Press.  

We rented this beautiful home using VRBO (Vacation Rental by Owner). I highly recommend this service. The home was gorgeous and supplied with all the necessities including a private pool and spa. The little people called it our Vacation House.

Southern Utah is filled with unique landscapes and history. 

Who could resist this remote ghost town complete with cemetery.

A Kind Mother. 

A dutiful and Affectionate WIFE. 

A Faithful Saint. 

Awaits A RESURRECTION With the Just.

That's going on my headstone...I don't care what my kids and husband say...

or maybe just "Cedar Pete."

The entire Berry family was killed in a raid. The raid was backlash from an attack by local militia. Life was hard in this Southern Utah community. Land, water, livestock, and agriculture all were critical for survival and the basis for life and death.

Grafton was first settled in 1861 and the Great Flood of 1862 washed the town site away. The town was then resettled on higher ground in 1862.

Although Grafton is a ghost town, its once-thriving community spirit lives on.

The original homes and structures have been restored and are well maintained and cared for.

While visiting...I envision a time when life was tenuous but also a time when residents were strengthened from religious faith and each other to survive.

It's not a bad view either.

Meet my little early settler Olivia...giving me her best "I'm starving and I need to go milk the cow" face.

This is her "I'm a princess and please may I have a gummy bear" face.

Henry fell asleep in the car and missed his twenty minutes of being an early settler.

Downtown Grafton...the school/church building on the left was built in 1886. The building was constructed from donated labor and material. The town folk used this building for many different events beside church and school. Plays and dances were held on weekends, with dances lasting sometimes until dawn. Sounds like the early Grafton residents knew how to work hard AND play hard.

When settlers arrived in Grafton, the valley was a meadow of tall grass with plenty of feed for livestock. You can just imagine how it must have looked.

While it appears that only the physical remnants of Grafton remain, the spirit of the town lives on.

Why did it become a ghost town? Most likely...many reasons. Water...too much or too little of it, depending on the year. And the little town was quite remote from the bigger communities and facilities. Few ghost towns like Grafton still exist. It was fun stepping back in history for a few minutes, imagining what life must have been like for those early brave souls. In some respects...Grafton's fellowship, camaraderie, love and support sounds appealing doesn't it? Ah...but I'd miss the McDonald's drive-thru!

The following day while the boys went mountain biking, Cass found us every child's dream...a giant sand box in this gorgeous setting!

We played...

and rolled...

and dug our toes in this fine, orange sand!


Dione even showed us her mad yoga skills!

These dunes are located just inside Snow Canyon...you can't miss them, first giant sand pile on the left.

Henry made us cookies and Olivia kept messing with them, which prompted a riot. Then Henry decided the sand cookies were good enough to eat. I nearly gagged hearing the grit between his teeth.

What's more fun than being buried in the sand...

having your Auntie Didi do it for you, of course!

Next time you visit Southern Utah...bring your sand pails and your shovels and come play in this orange playground.

Perhaps even visit the Grafton ghost town and cemetery...where you might discover your very own epitaph.