March and April 2024

March brought us a wonderful surprise. Through 23andMe, Emily was reconnected with her daughter who was placed for adoption in 1994. So we added a new branch to the family tree. March also included a celebration of Hank and Colette's 69th anniversary and Dickie's 78th birthday.  

Family dinner on the second Sunday of March

The mountains showing off for my morning walk

Mallory (Mo) and her mom 

69 frickin' years together

This is just a fraction of their huge progeny

Cousins' breakfast on my birthday

Celebratory birthday dinner at La Casita -- of course

April included a get-together with Brigham and Michelle at their refurbished Provo home and Group dinner at the Astle's: buffalo burgers. We got to meet Mo when she joined the family for dinner on the second Sunday. Toward the end of April, the Utah side of the family hosted the semi-annual reunion for Kris's siblings. And on the last day of the month, Tucker was arrested for protesting at the University of Utah. 

Dinner at the La Crescenta Taylors' Provo getaway

Khyv (Squaw) Peak from the Astle's deck

Family dinner with Mo and a couple of her cousins

The Boynton siblings gathered at Rod and Vic's 

The backside of the Provo peaks from the South Fork 

of the Provo River on our reunion outing

Sundance with the Boyntons

Lunch at the Back 40 Grill in Heber

Vicki caught Dickie mid bite

A Salt Lake outing with the Boyntons

Making friends with some missionaries who 

are far from home (France and Alaska)

The big dig

Checking it out

Boynton BYU grads getting reaquainted with campus

BYU's new picture spot (keeping up with the U)

Sunday dinner at Chez David

Checking out the new Wasatch School

April Cousins' breakfast with HB

Tucker made the news

Solidarity and support dinner with Tucker in SLC

So that's a wrap.

OXO

D.

January and February 2024

 The first two months of 2024 were quite normal with a couple of exceptions. There were also very few pictures taken, so this is a combined post.

New Years Eve: the youngsters played; we went to bed

Greek dinner, New Years night

Cousins' farewell as the Youngs head to Disneyland

TONS of editing on my personal history

Cousins Breakfast in January

The Colver kiddos ate tacos and slept over

Lunch at Kristy and Hank's in Sundance

Virtual Portuguese tutorials with Lucy Jane before she went to Lisbon

Ramen with the Taylor-Woodburys in SLC

Only Meg for Family Dinner in February

The Knee Replacement That Wasn't 

I quit walking after my broken-metatarsal surgery and I think everyone assumed it was because of my knees. It turns out, I was just lazy. My daughters thought I should have a replacement and get back into life. So in a visit with my primary care doctor I mentioned previous knee problems and she asked me to get some X-rays so she could see. The X-ray showed bone on bone and even a small divot. She was concerned and asked me to see an orthopedic guy. He was also concerned by what he saw. I scheduled knee-replacement surgery on Valentine's Day, made all the prescribed preparations, and showed up early on the morning of the 14th. I was fully prepped, ready to roll in. They were trying to find a vein for the IV when the surgeon arrived. I told him that I had been tempted to call him because I have no serious or persistent pain in the candidate knee. He was taken aback and as we talked it was evident that I hadn't made that clear to him in our initial consult. He explained that unlike heart surgery, this is an elective procedure and is to improve quality of life. Since my quality of life is inexplicably - miraculously - good, he said that given my lack of pain, if I were his father he would say, "Don't do it." So I didn't. I got dressed and went home. I have started walking again with SKT and doing over two miles a day with no pain the candidate knee, and only slight intermittent pain in the other.

The knee in question - why doesn't it hurt?

Hell, we even bought a walker

Souvenir - all that poking and they never found a vein

Meanwhile . . .

February Cousins Breakfast

View of O'Sullivan Peak on a walk with Tynen -

SKT and AW did their taxes in SLC after Cousins Breakfast

We are now well into March and nothing exciting has happened yet, but I am sure there will be something.

OXO

D.

December 2023

In preparation for Christmas, two angels showed up to help us get the house ready. Millie hung the lights and garlands on the porch, and Emily decorated the tree. Tender mercies™. Lucy Jane had a long layover in SLC on her way from France to ABQ, so we picked her up and spent the afternoon with her, joined for dinner by Madeline. The Youngs arrived shortly before Christmas and the Colvers popped in for a minute while they were in South County for Daniels grandmother's funeral. Christmas went according to tradition with food and tons of cousin time with the Soelbergs. Dorothy and Kreg hosted a lovely brunch in SLC for the Hansen cousins, and we had New-Years-Eve-day brunch with the Youngs at Provenance in Provo. We, as is our custom, went to bed early on NY Eve: it was midnight somewhere in the world.

Emily to the rescue

Christmas lights in SLC with Lucy Jane

Macy's candy windows

Greek Souvlakia with Madeline and Matt Montez 

(Lucy's friend from Reno)

Cousin love on the streets of SLC

Sister love

The Vernal cousins visited and Finn smiled

Annie and Opa joined us for Christmas Eve dinner

Christmas Eve joy

Ready to rumble

A sun stone for Kris

Christmas breakfast

Christmas afternoon in Spanish Fork

Sister love and beef Wellington

Puzzles, games, and cousins

Pizza from Marco's (excellent) where Holden works

Ensigns, Youngs, and the old folks at La Casita

The Hansen cousins together post-Christmas fête

A visit to Tucker the barista at Holy Water in SLC

A C+ croque madame at Provenance: 

too much béchamel and no Gruyère!

That's it. 2023 is a wrap.

OXO

D.