I know it has been a while since I have blogged. Arlea, I am doing this for you. We have 4 new great-grandchildren due this year. Stefani (girl), Ashley (boy), Caitlyn and Mindy.

cute giveaway!

Hey guys! Check out this really cute giveaway by clicking here! You will love it!

KSL High 5 nomination

I was searching KSL this morning and this popped up. I thought I would try putting it on my blog and I hoped it works. This was on KSL TV. All I can remember is how surprised we were when all of a sudden the classroom door opened and there was a camera man and a lady with a microphone which had a "5" on it. All of my class knew about it but not one of them said a word. Sheri Dean, the teacher I volunteered for, had contacted KSL. We were both volunteers in the 4th grade for three years. Don volunteered for Jan Davis.

Classroom Volunteers Get High 5

February 26th, 2007 @ 7:50am

(KSL News) The job of teaching would be even more difficult without classroom volunteers.

Some fourth-grade teachers in Bountiful wanted to High 5 a couple they simply can't do without.

Don and Beverly Carmack have been volunteering at Holbrook Elementary in Bountiful for the last couple of years.

Sheri Dean, teacher: "I wanted to nominate both of them for coming to help these kids. They don't even have grandchildren here any more, but they are wonderful volunteers. Beverly comes twice a week, faithfully. I just think it's awesome that they're here, and these kids love them."

Beverly Carmack, school volunteer: "This has been such a choice experience for us to come up here and work with the kids. This is our second year, to work with these awesome teachers, too. But the children are so much fun, and we look forward every week to coming."

Don Carmack, school volunteer: "I'd pay to come. If it cost $100 every week I'd pay. I love it. I love the kids and being here and interacting with them."

If you'd like to nominate someone for a High 5, click on the link above

Trip to see Darin and Julee's family--April 2009

When we first arrived at Darin's house he took us over to the ranch where he boards his horses. They still had a lot of their winter coats. Soooo . . .

He brushed them and you wouldn't believe how much hair he got off of them.
Bailee was so quiet and I couldn't figure out why. When I walked around the horse this is what I saw . . .

Bailee had braided the horse's mane and even put little elastics at the end of each braid. Good job Bailee.

While all of this was going on Abbie was busy in the horses stall cleaning up after them.

When she had finished off she went pushing the wheel barrel full of you know what. Way to go Abbie.

Abbie had a soccer game on Saturday morning and we all went to watch it.

Saidee at Abbie's soccer game. Anyone recognize the quilt?
Abbie wanted to go to the playground instead of watching Abbie's game so off we went. She loves the slide.

Saidee climbing on the bars.

And then up she goes.

And clear up to the top.
Bailee came over to keep us company.

After Abbie's soccer game I took Bailee and Abbie shopping and to lunch. When I asked them where they wanted to go Bailee said, "Chile's". That sounded good to me too. I had a great time with them all to myself.

Darin cleaning up after dinner while . . .

Grandpa and the girls made faces at him!!!

Darin working in his office.

Abbie is really a grandpa's girl. Wherever he goes she goes to. They were playing hide and seek and she looked everywhere in the house. She came and got me and we both looked but to no avail. Finally I said where on earth can he be. Well, I will tell you we could have looked all day in the house and the yard and we wouldn't have found him. He had slipped over to Bryce and Kathy's. Shame on Grandpa!!!

Saidee loves to pose for pictures.

Brian and Leslie visit TJ in Boston

TJ and his dog Abacus. He says this dog is the most awesome in the world.

Betsy and Tyler in the dental office at Tufts.
Tyler checking out Brian's teeth. By the way TJ graduates from Tufts in 2 weeks. The first doctor in our family. Yes we are proud.

Tyler and Betsy

Brian and Leslie in New England in the fall.

It has been a year today

A year ago today, April 12th, Mother died. I can't believe how fast the time has gone. I think about her everyday and wish I could give her a hug and a kiss and tell her that I love her just one more time.

It is so hard to believe so much time has gone by. I did a lot of reflecting today trying to decide if I have made a difference in the world this last year. I sure hope so.

What a talented woman she was. Seamtress, home decorator, knitter, loved to smock, needlepoint, and always made her world more beautiful. I miss her wonderful smile. I know that she is free of her ailing body and mind and is with her mother and father and others who have gone on before.

Thanks for the great legacy you left me. I am trying to be like you so you will be proud when we meet again.

Brinley's blessing day

It is Easter Sunday and our dear little Brinley was blessed today. Brinley's parents are Mindy and Nate.

I crocheted this dress for Brinley. It was the first time I had crocheted anything. I had never read instructions either. But by the time I was finished I can now read directions, I THINK. She looked darling in her dress and her father gave her a beautiful blessing.


Great-grandpa, Brinley and Great-grandma

Bon Voyage and Home Again!

I have dreamed of going to the Panama Canal since I was in high school and finally that dream came true. On March 23rd, Blair's birthday, we flew to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and the next day boarded the Island Princess for our cruise of the Caribbean. Ports of call were Aruba, Cartehena, Colombia, South America, the Panama Canal and Cristobal, Panama, Limón, Costa Rica and Ocho Rios, Jamaica then back to Ft. Lauderdale to fly home.Ft. Lauderdale harbor from our balcony on the ship.

Another view from our balcony.

I am going to save my money to buy this big white house on the canal on our way to sea.

Don on our balcony watching the world go by.

Goodbye Ft. Lauderdale.

The first formal night on the ship.

I love this picture of Don taken by the ship photographers.

ARUBA ARUBA ARUBA

I loved the beautiful white sand beaches and turqoise water. I want to go back.

Beautiful hotel on the beach.

Don at the California Lighthouse on Aruba.

I couldn't resist taking this picture of this cute lady.

We visited an old monastery.

A very ornate gold leafed chapel inside the monastery.

CARTEGENA, COLUMBIA, SOUTH AMERICA

I never dreamed that I would get to go to anywhere in South America so this was a real treat to get to go to Cartegena. I loved the old town and the fortress. I want you to know I really thought a while before I put this picture on my blog. Don looks so mad but he was really teasing the photographer. What's new!!!

Cartegena from our balcony on the ship.

View of Cartegena from the old fortress.

One of many canons around the outside walls of the fortress.

Don with the city of Cartegena in the background.

The fortress.

Cathederal in old town Cartegena.

I love the two different architures designs in these buildings in old town.

I wish I could have gotten a better picture of the women who walked around town with a basket of fruit balanced on their heads. They wanted money to have their pictures taken.

THE PANAMA CANAL

The buildings on the side of the Panama Canal.

Great picture of the Gatun Locks. You can see the difference in the water level in the different locks.

With the water equal in both areas, the gates of the locks are beginning to open so that the ship can go into the next lock. The gates close after the ship clears the gates.

Gates open a little more.

And more . . .

And more until the gates are flat against the sides.

Gatun Lake

Colorful masks that were for sale in Cristobal, Panama.
Don in the spa area at the back of the boat, I know I should have said AFT.
LIMON, COSTA RICA

Coconut trees to the side of the road.
We visited a banana plantation.

Freshly picked bunches of bananas. When the bananas are about a month old they are covered with blue plastic bags to keep the animals and birds from eating them. It takes nine months to get mature bananas and each tree only grows one bunch of bananas.

Man washing bananas before they go to get cut into bunches.

After the bananas are cut into bunches they are soaked for a while. These men are taking the bananas out of the solution and putting them on large trays.

These men are packing the bananas in cardboard boxes to be shipped to grocery stores.

Banana flower.

Cachew fruit. The natives only eat the yellow part and throw away the nut.

Beautiful red flower, I just could resist taking its picture.

OCHO RIOS, JAMAICA

I took so many pictures on Jamaica but lost my camera that night on the ship. I am grateful for the pictures I did have of the rest of the trip. The thing that makes me the madest is that I spent $50.00 for a new memory card the night before I lost the camera. I know it is on the ship somewhere and hopefully it will catch up with me sometime in the future.

Taken on the last formal night.

Don and Kit, our wonderful waiter. Don teased him every night but Kit got the last laugh. After the parade of the Baked Alaska dessert he brought one to our table and cut each of a slide of it but Don kept telling him he wanted it all. After all of us except Don were served Kit slipped the rest of the baked Alaska onto Don's plate. Good for you Kit. I knew Don's eyes were bigger than his stomach. He didn't even make a dent in it. We all had a good laugh.