August 2019

Emily and Jayson sold their home on the day they listed it and bought a new home in Spanish Fork the next day. So that was quick! We had a special Cousins' Breakfast with Chris and Becky who were spending several days in Utah. In August we headed to Vernal to celebrate her fourth birthday with Evelyn Alta. On the 23rd, after three weeks in a boot, I went in for surgery because not only was the fracture not knitting, it was opening wider. All went well and the recuperation has been pain free without narcotics. The Ensigns got their house packed up and moved in with us for a few days while the final construction details are completed and the loan closes. That has been fun; they are good and neat house guests.

 The new Ensign House in Spanish Fork

 Emily's new kitchen

 Splendid view of Timp from the kitchen window

 View of Loafer mountain from their front porch

 Another fun English farce at HCT

 We breakfasted in SLC and then met up again the next day in Midway

for supper with Kreg and Dorothy

 A beautiful day for a drive to Vernal

 It is still quite pastoral out near Katy's neighborhood

 Lunch from Wendy's

 Young Arthur

 Birthday cash

 Frosting cupcakes for the party later

 Restaurant and bowling on the reservation outside Roosevelt

Dinner with the Hayes family; I love the Native American upholstery

 Dinner was followed by bowling and cupcakes

The break had grown worse and required surgery

 Screws and wires post surgery

 This cast will do the trick -- hopefully

 I know, right?

Our August and September house guests

Unless something really exciting happens before, I will be back in a month, but this is all for now. 

OXO

D.

July to August 2019

July turned to August and life went back to normal...mostly. Before they left for California, Hank and Colette invited us to their cabin for lunch; it's always delightful to be in the canyon, especially when it rains. Stephen and Ann shared some apricots from her sister's tree and we made some ice cream. Morning walks continued as usual for a few days, but on my July 29 walk, I had some pain in the foot that just didn't "walk out." Kris prodded me to go to the doctor who identified a stress fracture in the second metatarsal of the left foot. I have no idea what caused it beyond walking about seven or eight miles every morning like a crazy man. The doctor gave me a boot to wear and the morning walks came to a screeching halt. We also had a few house guests: Kyle and Ashlyn Boynton (no photo) popped in for a wedding and spent the night. And the evening they left, Hilary Gibbs Brown and her kids spent the night on their way back to the Airport and Houston from Idaho.

 I enjoyed aptly named blue weeds on one of my last morning walks

 Coming down Provo Canyon from Brickerhaven in a torrential rain

 Delicious apricot ice cream

 Stress fracture and boot

The Browns of Kuala Lumpur: Andrew, Hilary, Ryan, and Elizabeth

So that is the end of July and the beginning of August, and that's all for now.

OXO

D.

Madeline and Erick Ruiz, 20 July 2019

After my early morning walk and a few minutes of porch sitting, we headed up the canyon to Big Springs Park near the top of the South Fork of the Provo River to help set up the wedding venue. The Taylors, Ensigns, and Ruiz all pitched in and the place was ready in short order. We returned to the valley where all were able to get dressed and ready for the big event.

At 5:30 P.M. on Saturday 20 July 2019, the flower girls led the way down the aisle for the wedding party and the festivities were under way. The setting was bright but beautiful with the spectacular mountain backdrop and the green velvet of the park. Erick and Madi's vows were heartfelt and beautiful and brought tears to many eyes. The ceremony was followed by family pictures and a superb Mexican dinner arranged and provided by Juana Ruiz, Erick's mother. The carnitas cooked all day at the park and were delicious. Dinner was followed by dancing and visiting until 10:00 P.M. The bride and groom were sent off and everything was torn down and cleaned up by 11:00. It was a whale of a party orchestrated by Emily, Madi, and Juana, and brought to fruition by family and friends.

Invitation

Engagement photo

Out walking early, it looked like it would be a perfect day

Back at the ranch, everyone had gathered on the porch

 Including Jamie and me

 Just a bit later at the wedding venue, Pippy et al. hang
the papel picado flags

Rob and Gavin making sure all is done correctly

Ready for guests


Madi, Emily, et al. made the piñatas

 The mother of the bride was amazingly calm and happy

Clara and Evelyn Alta were flower girls


Lucy Jane (and Lizzie) were bridesmaids

 Juana, Erick, and Francisco Ruiz headed down the aisle

An emotional Madi walking the aisle with Jayson and Emily

 The congregation in that beautiful spot

Bridesmaids and bridesmen, the couple, and the groomsmen
with Erick's Aunt Claudia who officiated in English and Spanish

 Erick built the arch where they exchanged vows

 Mr. and Mrs. Ruiz

The Hastings including a flower girl and
a bridesmaid

The lovely Taylor sisters

Katy, Anna, Emily, Maren, and Phillip are all grown up

 Mostly

 Taylor cousins

The Youngs of Arizona

 With their parents

The couple with Emily and Jayson

With the Taylor aunts and uncles

 With the DAT cousins

 With Grammy and Pop Pop

The venue at full tilt

Food, family, and friends


Carnitas

 The delicious carnitas slow cooked all day

Serving the meat

 The fantastic sugar-skull cake: delicious coconut cake inside

The gift and sign-in tables with our flowers in Talavera vases

 Katy with Matt and Megan

The binkers practiced their dance for days

Porch sitting the day after as folks began to depart

Goodbye to the cousins

The Youngs headed south to Peoria and the kids
ready to run with them

It was perfect in every way, but now it's over, the family is gone, and we are suffering from empty-house syndrome. That's all for now.

OXO

D.