July 2025

July included Fourth celebrations, even though there is a huge orange reason not to celebrate this year. Katiana's daughter grew up and got married, there were incessant gatherings on the front porch in the July heat, the Marlpit Hill Boyntons stopped in, and the Vernalites popped in for quick visit the same day. We commiserated over the state of the nation with the cousins, and Uncle Mark checked into the Happiness Hotel in preparation for his August 1st wedding (next month's post).

Katiana and Jeremy

Dickie and Katiana

Their kids are beautiful: Lexi and Davin (I think)

Morning, noon, and night on the porch

Getting old is tragic

Always something fun on the Interwebs

Fourth gathering at Millie's

Ditto

Ditto

The Marlpit Hill Boyntons

The Colvers of Vernal

Brigham, Arthur, and Evy: love dem babbies

The happiest day of the month

We made the bouquet for Anne and Mark's wedding

That's all folks.

OXO

D.

June 2025

After the graduation rush that ended in June, things were very calm. We had dinner at Ostergars, took Meg to the SLC airport in company with SKT and AW, with a lunch stop at Tsunami. Maren and family arrived from the Valley of the Sun. For years Harry has spoken so glowingly about Provo that two of his buddies, Paige and Duncan wanted to see the place close up. They flew to Provo and spent a few days with us. It was fun to have them. Harry recreated his happiest memories for them, and they did, in fact, have a great time. The Calders had an in-law funeral to manage, so we missed our Cousins Breakfast.

Group Dinner at the Ostergars

Tasty Japanese nosh at Tsunami in SLC

La Casita was on the list: it was a hit

La Casita with Emily's gang, the Youngs, and Paige and Duncan

Porch sitting was underway and they were tickled

Harry wanted his friends to experience a Brazilian dinner

A newly discovered taco place: Mi Lindo Guadalajara: good!

This was all prelude to the 4th of July, which will be part of the next post.

OXO

D.

Madeline Alta Ensign -- Class of 2025

This was the final leg of the graduation tour, back in Salt Lake City where it started last month. Madeline completed her intensive training for a certificate as an Operating Room Technician. The program is run and paid for by IHC, the graduate has one year of obligation to work in an IHC facility. Madi is working at Altaview in Sandy. An OR nurse cares for the patient, the anesthesiologist keeps the patient comfortable (and alive), the surgeon does the deed, but OR Tech runs the show from beginning to end. According to everything we saw and heard, Madi smashed it! She was chosen as the student speaker, and here, too, she smashed it. She was funny, articulate, personal, and confident. She did a great job, and this was an excellent graduation.

She represented her class as speaker

Thrilling!

The Ensigns

Flowers, money bouquet, and a money lei

Such a beautiul and clever woman

Waiting at Lindsey Gardens for our 6:00 p.m. reservation

Jayson fêted the family at Wildwood in the SLC Avenues

That's it for now.

OXO

D.

Clara Ivy Hastings -- Class of 2025

We were off again to New Mexico for Clara's graduation from Santa Fe Prep. The Hastings parents, Bill and JLynn, and Rob's sisters, Whitney and Courtney, were also in town for the festivities.  Rob cooked two delicious meals for us, and we ate some excellent food at few of our favorite Santa Fe eateries. The two ceremonies, Baccalaureate and Commencement, were excellent; Clara did us proud! This was the penultimate leg of our Great Graduation Tour of 2025.

Tesuque Market for brunch

Our hotel was right in the heart of Santa Fe with everything,

including the Loretto Chapel, nearby

Spanish broom in bloom by the Santa Fe Plaza

The family came alive as Clara began to perfom

Clara sang at the Baccalaureate

With the family after the program

The Baccalaureate venue: St. Francis Auditorium

The view up the Santa Fe Trail from our hotel

That's Rob at the stove whipping up an awesome Indian curry

Clafoutis "matou as saudades" (killed the longings) for French breakfast 

A slice of flan a la vanille for later

Had to borrow a hat for graduation 

that was too small for my huge noggin

Anders, Tucker, and Lucy waiting for the

graduates to make their entrance

That's our graduate

Because Anna is Assistant to the Head of School, she was

 able to give Clara her diploma

A well-earned hug

Clara's beautiful painting was featured on the

 cover of the graduation program

Anna and Clara

Hastings and Taylors, post-graduation

An afternoon walkabout in Santa Fe

A ristra of chiles hanging from a zapata: a

small slice of Santa Fe

Padre Gallegos House, 1862

The historic house is home to a fine restaurant 

called Santacafé

Filet mignon

Rob treated the entire party to dinner

in honor of Clara

We drove home on our anniversary: 53 years! Only one more graduation, next week when Madeline will be recognized.

OXO

D.