The family crib still in use

For anyone who doesn't know about it, we have a very small baby crib that has been in our (Parkins) family for 58 years. My dad had it made for our oldest sister and then each of the 5 girls slept in it. My sisters and I started having our children sleep in it also (for tradition) but I don't thnk that they all did because we all lived scattered around when the kids were born. But all of my children did. And now, with Seven doing his part, all of my grandkids have now slept in the crib also. The poor crib is not as steady as it used to be but it will still hold a small infant for awhile. I am just documenting some famliy history here, 3 generations have shared the same bed, even if for a short little while. Thanks mom and dad for starting and sharing this piece of the past with us.

My good husband

Ray is such a good man. He works too many hours a day. His shift should be 8:00-4:30 but if he gets home before 7:00, we consider it a gift. He is a driver/sales rep and he takes the whole title very seriously, never wanting to disappoint a customer who is expecting a delivery or needs a pick up. If he were allowed, he would probably load his truck also (done by night crew) so that it would be in the order that he would like it, but he has to deal with the way they load it and work with that. In the evenings, he gets a phone call and goes to give someone a blessing or just goes to check on someone who has not had a home teacher visit for awhile. And then Sundays are one meeting after another and then he and Ryan go home teaching one of their 10 families. Saturdays start early for him with yard/pool work and then we usually can get him to take off a few hours and just "play". He is finally (after 9 years) enjoying the pool and goes in with the kids often. And he does seem to enjoy the river days with the sea-doo. He doesn't seem to be slowing down yet but at least he is now contemplating retirement in the next few years. It will be nice to have him around the house more. But, in the meantime, he is a hard-working man who also magnifies his calling and respects his priesthood like no one else. I love and respect him so much.

A great week of fun and family

We went to Lakewood for the 4th of July. The Middoughs always have a block party and invite us each year to join them but we haven't made it in years past. But this year we did and we were glad we did. Their whole family was there and we had Amy with kids and Ray and Brandie with kids with Ray, Ryan and I. We enjoyed the cool weather especially but we had great food and with all the play areas for the kids (water slides, jumpers and dunk tank) on a blocked off street and extra cousins around to play with, WOW. And then there were the fireworks. About an hour show kept them all captivated. We had "booked" the extra apt. at mom and dad's home for us to spend the night. There are 2 beds and then we had a air mattress also, so it was perfect for our family to spend the night and not have to wake up mom and dad to get in late. When we got up the next morning we spent about a hour and 1/2 visiting them and then we headed home.

Tuesday evening, Ric, Diona and kids arrived in Blythe. We swam and barbecued and just visited and passed around the baby. After a good night's sleep and we all enjoyed some more time to just visit for awhile before they headed off to visit Grandma and Grandpa and see their new home. They then went to their hotel in Long Beach and Amy & her kids headed back to Lakewood to spend the night with Ray and Brandie. Ray, Ryan and I got up at 4 AM the next day and we all met up at Knotts Berry Farm. Kathy, Angie and 5 kids also joined us there. The weather was perfect and because it was a Thursday, it wasn't too crowded. We had plenty of adults to take the different age groups on whatever rides they wanted to go on. There were the daredevils, the camp snoopy group and the in-betweens. Amy and Brandie had packed us a great lunch, so we went out to the parking lot and found some nice shade trees and had a great picnic together. Then back for more fun. We all left about 6:00 PM and met back at Ray's for a barbecue and birthday cake for Ray (Jr) 40th birthday.

Friday morning the Ric Bolton family left for more traveling and the rest of us went to the beach for the day. The kids had a ball trying out new boogie boards and playing in the sand. The waves were pretty good and everyone had good times. After quick showers and changing clothes, the group from Blythe got in our cars to head home with a couple extras (Anthony, Robert and Alisa- Josh had summer school and couldn't make this visit) We stopped for pizza on the way home and then got home about 8:00 PM. So, it was a busy week but lots of fun and so good to see so much family. But 2 days of sun really wore me out. Better get to bed now....

Getting off the roller coaster so I can enjoy RETIREMENT

WOW...talk about the emotional roller coaster. For over a month now I have gone up and down on that darn roller coaster. A month ago I had that great retirement party thrown by my bus drivers (post with pictures is forthcoming) I loved it and realized I was going to miss many friends that I had seen everyday for 12 years. Then it was back to reality, trying to rush and finish off all the requests at work that I was asked to gather to help the new guy get started in my place. Back to work like that reminded me why I was retiring. It always seems to be "urgent" to get someone a report only to have it "put on the back burner until next year" and not take care of it immediately. So my last 3 weeks of work were miserable. Then before that all came to an end, I left for my quick trip to Virginia to meet my new grandson and see my sweet granddaughters. What I forgot was that I would be seeing Cami again after a year apart and what emotions surfaced for me when I saw her at the airport. Even Ric and Diona had been home at Christmas, but Cami didn't make it home. So the entire trip was full of raw emotions. Holding Seven and playing with the girls just reminded me of how much I miss in their lives. And to top it off, Cami and I went "bride dress shopping" which is an off -the -wall emotional time anyway. And then saying good bye again. Back to work and frustration for 6 more days. And finally on the last day, just turning in my keys and looking around my stuffy little office that served as my "home away from home" for 12 years brought on a few tears. But before I could even get on with retirement, I had to say goodbye to my sister who was a reason for me to move to Blythe to begin with. I knew they were leaving, I just didn't expect it to be so soon. But it was probably just as well, why prolong the inevitable? So I cried again.

But now I am fully retired (it's Monday and I didn't go anywhere!) and I will soon get to work doing what I want to do. So, off the roller coaster and on with my future...

ISABEL ROSE BOLTON

My cute and funny bunny Issa. Today she is 5 years old. When I talk to or even think of Isabel, I have to smile. She is a lively little girl with lots of energy. But she is also (so I hear) enjoying being a big sister for the first time. She is the jokester of the family. She loves to tease, especially if she is bored. As a little girl she was the daredevil with no fear. But she is growing into a beautiful young girl, getting ready for kindergarten and we love her 2 pieces.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ISABEL!

ALAINNA MARIE BOLTON

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY SWEET, SWEET ALAINNA. Even though I am a day late (again) I did mail the card on time. She turned 7 and is growing up so quickly. Alainna is the most sensitive and emotional of all of my grandkids. She can and does tear up every time we have to say good-bye. She is cuddly and still gives hugs and kisses spontaneously. She has a reverence about her also. She is intuitive to the needs of others. I miss her and her siblings so much and can't wait to see them all soon, but glad to hear her birthday was great!

SIDE NOTE: Funny that I should pick this picture of her to talk about her sweet and sensitive character.

A new grandson

Well, the feelings never change. The words "he's here" still brought tears to my eyes as I shared the news of a new baby with my family. Those words conjure up lots of emotions and memories of my own child's birth so many years ago and now he is welcoming his first son into the world. Babies do that to all of us but I believe a grandparent has a special place in the heart for these little ones.

What a special day it was since I was visiting with my parents that evening and we counted all the great-grandchildren they have and my own 15th grandchild, little Seven, is #55 for them. They feel, as we all do, that they have been truly blessed.

Welcome to our family Seven David Robert Bolton- we love you!

And thanks Diona for your endurance- lol!