Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Just checkin' to see if you 're still out there!?

I am visiting Annie once more and trying to get an update on my blog.  Thank you all who keep me up on life and babies and those wonderful pictures....how I love them.   I have to pinch myself to see if I'm still alive and kicking.  Ray and I have had some wonderful travels lately and will share when I am sure I can keep this blog alive.  Love to you all....my wonderful kids and friends. 

Monday, March 21, 2011

Could we just skip March and go right to APRIL?

I am looking out my window at gloomy skies and dreary colors....I know this does not sound like me....hang in there I'll be right back, I think, as soon as April get here. But all is not grey and gloomy...there peeking their pale purple faces out at me from the cold Earth are dozens of happy, brave little crocuses that don't seem to mind the cold wind, the flurries of snow or the grey sky as they open each morning to herald the coming of Spring. I love my brave little harbingers of Spring.

I love the green spears of tulips and daffodills and grape hyacynths and Star of Bethlehem that will soon glorify my gardens. I can hardly wait to get my fingers in the dirt and stir things up again this year. My flowers never really know where they will sit each year because I have so much fun moving things around to get a new look each year. Yes, I'm getting too old for this as my body groans a little more each year and some day things will stay as they were the year before but I still look forward to SPRING!

Yesterday as I sat by my livingroom window I was tickled by the tiny juncos (sparrows) that flit and fly around the ivy growing up the chimney and has made it's way towards framing the big window by the chimney. For several years now they have made nests in the ivy (they must love the warmth of the chimney) and have raised their young as I have watched in awe. they chirp and chrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr and flit and swoop and do balancing acts on the leaves and stems of ivy as they teach their babies to 'be brave and fly' . Of course they are just in the 'new nest' building and old nest refurbishing mode now but the babies will come. I can't wait!

Thanks Annie for the new background, I LOVE IT and it lifts my spirits. Like my daddy always said about this time of year:SPRING HAS SPRUNG, THE GRASS HAS RIZ..I WONDER WHERE THE BIRDIES IS !!!

Friday, February 18, 2011

Will I ever learn?

Hello again blogger world,
Annie has been on the phone with me for about an hour trying to help me change my background and post a 'new post'. Well, you will notice that my background HAS NOT CHANGED but I did manage to add some new words of wisdom.....wait, I'm too tired now to think of anything wise....so I'll just be a wiseguy and say that blogging is not for the faint of heart or those over (however old I am).....!

I will not give up! I will learn this art of blogging because I do not things like this conquer me and I think this is fun (as long as one of my daughters or D-I-L-'s hold my hand...thanks girls for being patient with me). I will post a few words now and then until I master this and then you may even see a new background or two and then.............who knows I may even add a pic. or two when I am brave....yes, ON MY OWN!

Dad and I are loving our mission.....this is definitely MISSION HEAVEN. The Humanitarian Program of the Church is sooooo amazing and such a wonderful missionary tool throughout the world. Someone said of the Humanitarian Effort....."The first two agencies on the ground in a disaster is always THE MORMONS and THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS!" Funny how that works.:)

Dad and I have been invited to BYU Women's Week to be in charge of the Humanitarian Dept. display and booths in the Wilkensen Center and the Richards Bldg. We will be in Provo April 27-30. We are both so excited, not only to see our Utah kids but to be a part of the Humanitarian program. Yep, this IS mission Heaven! lov mom

Sunday, November 14, 2010

2010 Labor Day to Mid November Catch up!

Hi again family and friends...Melanie again saved me from Blog oblivion and here we are at Labor Day at the Conover's annual tree house re-building the treehouse celebration. I can't possible tell you how many times this tree house has been built and re-built but it seems like labor day is the day for it and Mike, Annie and Amy's family came to help with the destruction and construction project. I will tell you that the tree got a MAJOR haircut and the treehouse got a new facelift, some shutters, a new upper level trap-door window and a wonderfully creative paint job (grandchildren handprint flowers) thanks to Missi and Annie. Not counting having a tree limb falling on the phone and electiec wires and totally disconnecting them we had a grand time and the tree house will never be the same.....we are lovin' the new look. Amy, Nick and the girls, Kendra and Lorrena, dove right in with enthusiasm and muscle and Nick and the chain saw did wonders to our trees.................................Thanks guys



Mike was amazing at trimming not only the treehouse tree (which was almost dead anyway) but other trees that badly needed haircuts too...........He was a workhorse for many hours........

The kids all worked too....jumping, eating, jumping some more and then up and down the ladder to check out the treehouse progress........................
This is the lower level of our famous treehouse (especially designed by Brett last Labor Day for the little people in our family) This is like the clown car at the circus...how many grandkids can you fit in the treehouse?


After lunch Missi and I enjoyed the shade and the swing while all the others had to get back to the job at hand.....................Missi got back to work too but I spent a lot of time on the swing.....grandma's time to hold the babies!

Annie painted vines and flowers on the back side of the house after cutting and installing shutters on all the windows....She and Missi had the kids put their hands in paint and put all the handprints of the grandkids on the vines for flowers.....cute touch...........Jordan, Brett and Emilie worked on the top level putting the trapdoor window opening in place.
In Sept we went to Provo to meet our newest grandson, Trae Jared Conover. he evened out the girls and boys.....14 of each now. O.K. Who's next?
Ray and I are loving our Mission.....yes, with all the fun we are having we are really on a two yr. mission in the Humanitarian Room. This is mission heaven for us and we can't believe it has already been about 9 months. Here are some of our volunteers and Missionaries and Elder Conover, who ties quilts with the best of them. We love serving in the room and also visiting wards in our temple district to speak about the HSR (Humanitarian Service Room)


In Oct. we got to go to Elko with Mike and Missi's and Roxanne's families. We had a great visit with Brett and Annie and the kids. We loved watching Annie coach Madi and Brooke's soccer teams. After the games we had a family soccer game.....it was a hoot! Yes, even I played and was a goalie along with any of the grandkids that were tired of running after the ball.


Cody thought riding mommy Roxanne was more fun than watching soccer......

It was a very hot, very sunny day and the little ones had a whole field of grass to run and play on. There was a huge Hot Air Balloon there as part of a festival going on in the same park and even the soccer players had a hard time not watching......hey get back on the field kids.


Little Conner knows exactly what to do with a soccer ball.................sit on it!


Annie the coach and little Brooke............they just seem to little to be in uniform but they sure are cute.

Then I got to spend a week with Jared and Lindsay and help with our little BYU fan.........Trae!

I just can't get enough of these little ones. You cannot take too many pictures you know! Trae Jared Conover is such a sweet mellow little guy.



Conference weekend brought Bob and Linda Kohler to our house and then we all went together for a runaway weekend to Boise. We watched Conference and ate and watched Conference and ate some more and had a great time just laughing and being friends. We are so blessed to have such special friends.


After that Dad and I went to SLC for three days to the humanitarian Conference with all the Supervisors of all the other (20) HSR in the Church. We met some great people and learned so much about our responsibilities. It made us even more grateful for our mission and the Humanitarian Program of the Church.

Now we are in SLC again and Provo for the blessing of little Trae.....this is not him............but I had to show you how darling little Kali Anne (Shon and Roxanne's) is now. It was only a few months ago that we were in Arizona for her blessing.............

Yup, this one is Trae...........gma and gpa just love these special occasions. He's getting so big already.................Thanks Jared and Lindsay for a great day.



Presenting...............the Newest Conover baby and his glowing parents. Jared and Lindsay you certainly do good work.......and Trae, you are just tooooooooooo cute!

Thank you all for your fun blogs and for keeping me posted more often than I do you......see you in (probably) six more months.....lov mom, Aunt Carol, pooh, and gma oh, and Carol!

Monday, June 7, 2010


Hi Bloggin' friends and fam...I am just logging in to give you a preview of my last month on the road. I have been to Sierra Vista, Arizona (Fort Huachuca) just about 15 miles from the Mexican border....to visit Shon and Roxanne and family. I was joined after two weeks by Ray and Brett and Annie's family for the blessing of little Kali Anne Conover, Shon's little angel.




Life with Shon is always an adventure and he took us all to Parker Canyon Lake to enjoy the cool breeze, water and fun. The kids had so much fun with grandpa and Uncle Shon on the lake.This is our # 27 grandchild (the girls are ahead by one now but with the birth of Jared and Lindsay's little boy in Sept. it will be 'even- steven' again) Meet beautiful Kali Anne Conover. We all got together in Utah at John and Melanie's for a (Shon to Afgahnistan) sendoff a month or so ago and while the guys played the girls made Kali's blessing dress. Thanks all you wonderful daughters for helping us get this done. It was pure joy to be there when this one came to Earth. She is delicate and beautiful and so mellow and hugable.



Kali Anne in all her finery. She really is a darling. It was amazing how Cody (big Brother now) grew the day they brought Kali home from the hospital.




It was so fun to have grandpa come for the blessing day. Thanks Annie and Family for bringing him to Arizona. John and Melanie deserve a big Thank you for fitting me in to their vacation and getting me to Mesa too. Life is so precious and children and grandchildren grow up all too fast. I am so grateful to be able to be a part of the grandchildren's lives and special days. I am also thankful for wonderful children and son and daughter-in laws that make me feel welcome and loved while I am with them. Thank you all so very much. Dad and I appreciate and love you all so dearly.





Monday, May 3, 2010

A wonderful Mama

Now I know that you all know how Amazing Carol is but since she gave me her info to help her change her background I have the opportunity to hack in and tell everyone how thankful I am for her. Carol has been many things to me...an inspiration, example, shoulder to cry on, support, friend, confidant someone to giggle with (one of my favorites) and the list goes on. Never would I have thought that I could have been to blessed to have such a great woman in my life. I am grateful to her each and every day of my life for being the kind of person she is. For how much she loves me and most especially for giving me the greatest gift in my life....my Johnny! Thank you for loving me no matter what and walking beside me through the ups and downs of life! I love you, I love you, I love you!

Happy Mother's Day Mama!
Love Melanie