It's simply amazing! I remember my mom, back in the day, when she was the age I am currently and thinking to myself she was so old (ha! what was I thinking?? She was slender, dressed for success, always having fun with friends or at the golf course with dad, busy with her church callings, home and family!) Little did I realize it happens to the best of us - this disappointing aging thing we are all prone to experience - part of the mortal test you know. STOP! Coming to a screeching halt here!! I may no longer look 16 but I feel just as young, crazy, happy, motivated and filled with dreams and goals as I did as a teen - only wiser of course :) Happy birthday Becky Mills ... I think you have grown into a lovely woman; wife, mother and all around blazer of your own unique trails and consummate creator of magical moments for your family and friends! Yup, Rebecca Christeson, birthdays still rock!
I love my Pleasant Grove, Utah roots; quaint, small town atmosphere back in the day. Leave It To Beaver / Ozzie & Harriett lifestyles, high school proms in the gymnasium, penny candy counter at Smith’s market, swimming in the public pool and outdoor sleepovers all summer long with girl friends, knowing almost everyone in the town, Strawberry Day’s with a rodeo (yup, you heard me right a rodeo!! haha) parents who loved me, dance recitals, Saturday matinee movies at the Grove Theater, Pep Club escapades, picking cherries to earn spending money, daddy-daughter dates, Purple Turtle tater tots with pink sauce, hikes up G mountain, Story Pharmacy soda fountain, skate boarding down the drag strip, summer parades twirling a baton, stake dances, never locking your door at night, Primary & later Mutual activities, the 10 p.m. fire siren signaling kids should be safe at home and towns people who looked out for one another! … Was there a seedy side to it all? Perhaps but I never experienced it …
My grandfather (several great’s back), a Mormon pioneer who crossed the planes experiencing great hardship and sacrifice was one of Brigham Young’s scouts who was sent by horse back to locate the great Salt Lake Valley Brigham had seen in a vision. Grandpa was one of the founders of this lovely town of Pleasant Grove which was nestled at the bottom of Mount Timpanogos. Our Latter-day Saint roots, as a family, provided purpose and security and my faith has sustained me since the day I was baptized and confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 47 years ago. How blessed I was to have the family that I did (both sides; the Beck’s and the Mills) with loving parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins galore! How delightful it is to return to Pleasant Grove to visit and to reflect on the many incredible memories I have of having grown up in such a warm and welcoming environment. As Utah celebrates Pioneer Day on July 24th as a ‘reverse pioneer’ myself, having traveled with my own precious family back East to live and rear our family I will cheer for all who helped to make my home town great throughout the years. In addition, I will be cheering for all who have had the courage to move on, like ourselves, as we touch countless lives for good where ever we may be in the world calling it HOME!
Such fun at the Disneyworld theme parks! Highlight was seeing Pam & Joe & the beautiful Orlando temple! Torrential down pours mixed with hot, stifling, humidity from moment to moment and yet we were able to ride every ride and see every attraction we desired with no problems or long waits in line ... of course Jon buzzing around on the scooter helping him get the Fast Passes needed ruled the day :)
American Idol audition alert! haha ... I should be Twittering every up date Ashley & Mica are sending me as they work through this audition process here in Orlando :) So far they enjoyed a streak of luck; the Idol web site indicated people could not camp out or line up prior to 5:00 a.m. on Tuesday to register. We drove the kids to the venue that afternoon wherein they were told by security that singers were now being allowed to get in line at midnight! YIKES!! With only 2 1/2 hours sleep the night prior to all of us flying to Orlando for this crazy experience we rushed them back to hotel (after a major GPS fiasco & shopping needs for them) so that they could at least get 4 hours sleep prior to standing in the lines through the rest of the night. They were very fortunate as they were in approx., the first set of 20 people in line! They still had to remain in that line until we picked them up at 6 a.m. next morning, however, by doing this it allowed them to be placed in one of the first groups auditioning for the producers of the show this morning. Whether or not they get selected it will have been a terrific learning experience for both of them and a much needed vacation for our family (only thing missing is having Cameron & Emily here with us also!) Gooooooo Ash & Mica! ... Update ... they were ushered into curtained areas, in groups of four after all of the winners from American Idol Experience at Disney sang. They were not allowed to speak, introduce themselves, tell where they were from, etc. The two assistant's sitting behind a table would nod indicating it was ones turn to step forward wherein they were given 15 seconds to sing. That was it! 10,000 people registered, it's too bad they were not further down the line after several mediocre voices in order to really stand out or better yet worn a silly costume to attract attention lol (not!). Ash remarked that had she been cut by the actual judges (Simon, etc.) that would have made an impact but viewing the process and hearing many excellent vocalists outside of the venue who also did not make it to the judges she feels it was an eye opening experience and she learned a lot from participating. As I told her Idol ,first and foremost, is a reality show designed to make mega bucks & a few individuals dreams come true. We will be rooting for next season's batch of singers and will also be excited to see where music ultimately leads Ashley :) Other news ... Jon and I enjoyed a lovely night out with our friends Pam & Joe who moved to Florida several years ago; terrific conversation, great meal, lots of laughter and many hugs were enjoyed by all of us! It was so great to see them, but thank goodness for email & Face Book to keep in contact with all friends and family as well. Jon and I also spent a fun filled day at Disney Hollywood celebrating our wedding anniversary! The Aerosmith Rock n' Rollercoaster was a riot, as were all of the other rides and attractions with Disney magic everywhere :) Yesterday we spent that day at Magic Kingdom with the kids which is always such a treat. Jon is a Fast Pass fiend! In spite of suffocating heat at times and torrential down pours off and on we rode every ride we wanted with little more than a 30 minute wait on some. Of course Peter Pan adventure is a nostalgic favorite of ours but Space Mountain was closed for repairs but Thunder Mountain, Haunted Mansion, Pirates, etc., were in fine form! The day was a blast. Now we are off to Down Town Disney to just relax and hang out as we wait to hear more from the kids as to what is going on over at the Idol auditions. I'll keep you posted ... Update ... We spent our last day back at Hollywood with the kids, we had such fun traversing the park again riding Tower of Terror, Rock n' Rollercoaster & Star Tours as many times as possible then next morning off to the airport to catch our early return flights. Like they say - Disney is the happiest place on earth :) ... Jon proudly wore his new, red tie with small navy Mickey Mouse silhouettes on it to church upon our return home which we surprised him with; he's the big cheese in our home, haha.
I Googled Cameron, lol, and his photo & info popped up from when he ran for the University of Utah cross country and men's track teams. I LOVE this picture of him so I'm posting it just for the fun of it :) It's unfortunate that the U eliminated the team while he was serving his mission. Scholarship a goner :( On the bright side rather than whine he found his niche at UVU!
How many of you remember back in the day for our high school proms rather than hold the event at a hotel or other venue we would drape long rolls of plastic to create false ceilings & walls creating a fairy land effect in the gymnasium? Jon was always on the prom decorating committee having a riot with all of his friends turning the gym into a creative environment for the dance. He has recreated similar settings here for our ward and stake. A ward YM/YW dance when he served as the YM president, our friends daughter's wedding reception and an exciting stake event we planned where we had zany theme rooms that people meandered in and out of while visiting and dining with the cultural hall being the focal point for the dance and floor show. However, for this event he brought in old fashioned street lights, park benches, a bridge, trellises along with trees and flowers creating a romantic ambiance. Each occasion has required team work and hours of effort but the effect has been delightful!
Ashley plans to marry in the Salt Lake temple with a reception in Utah but her daddy has suggested he create a PINK (but of course lol) fairy land for her open house here in Pittsburgh. Also, now that he has taught others how to achieve this affect (those who never grew up learning or utilizing this skill) it will be fun to see what the younger generations do with this idea in the years to come! Sorry, but using parachutes or tents just doesn't cut it; half the fun is in the group effort required in planning and implementing this blast from the past decorating idea :)
We enjoyed a delightful mother-daughter day at the Benedum; Legally Blond the musical was in town! Jon surprised me with tickets and we ended up seeing two performances! Can't get enough 'pink' in our lives! Ash and I spent the day chit-chatting, lunch and then meeting up with friends for the evening performance. The UPS guy on stage stole the show! Or perhaps the two gay guys and the dogs!!
