Connecting and Reconnecting

Recently, Roger and I received our results from Ancestry.com (a Christmas gift from Patty and Hal) 

telling us the percentage breakdown of our progenitor roots. 

Not surprisingly, my DNA is 49% from England, Wales and Northwestern Europe, 

43% from Norway and 3% from Sweden.

It is fascinating to wonder and try to trace how you're connected
and what traits you inherited from your ancestors,

 not only physical, 

but interests, talents, and abilities as well!

Last week, our daughter, Mindy, posted this photo composite on Instagram of three generations of us 

when we were/are four or five years old - 

me, Mindy and her daughter, Fiona,
labeled, #like grandmotherlikedaughterlikegranddaughter#triplets#threegenerations.

It seems that, lately, we have been connecting with friends.

I enjoyed meeting with our book club again for lunch at Painted Pony,

and I just joined a new cooking club of branch members and friends. 

Roger and I recently had lunch, then played Hand and Foot, a card game, with new friends,
 Charlotte and Steve Nebeker, 

and we were invited to a party at Crystal Lakes Clubhouse for Chinese New Year food and Chinese checkers.

Rog loves playing golf every Monday morning with these guys - 

Karl Richter . . . 

. . . Deral Sorenson, and, not pictured, Dale Dawes, and sometimes, Dave Uffens.

Our beautiful granddaughter missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Sadie, 

returned home from serving for 18 months in Cambodia.

We get to reconnect with her next week when we go up north to go to the first round 

of the NAA basketball games in SLC 
and to hear Sadie speak in their ward on Sunday, March 24 at noon.

We are soooo proud of her and so grateful that she is back home safely.

Her wonderful family greeted her at the SLC Airport.

(Blakey had an operation on his hip in January and has on a cast and can't walk for a while yet.)

Jodie texted this pic, labeled "Carpet!"

We have had some fun opportunities to reconnect with several old friends, lately. 

We met for lunch at the Outback with good Ogden friends, Jim and Kathy Jensen, March 1, 

 and had Aggie friends. Kathy and Mike Cranney, over for chili, 

then went over to their house for dessert 
and to watch the USU Aggie-Nevada game March 2. 

Such an exciting game - Aggies won and share the Mountain West Conference Championship with Nevada! 

Pre-season, Aggies were picked to finish 9th!

They have an outstanding new coach whose big mantra is team unity!

Last Wednesday night, Roger received a call from our Ogden friend, Kent Petersen, 

who lost his wife, Nyla, to breast cancer last year and now has a lovely new bride, Lynene. 

They would be passing through St. George, 

and he invited us and his old high school friend, Art Baliff, to go out to dinner the following evening 

to get acquainted with her. 

We had a delicious meal at Rib and Chop House.

Lynene lost her first husband after a long illness and it was good to see those two so happy together.

Our dear friends, Mary and Bob Brady, will be returning soon from their mission in Kenya, and we and the Taylors wanted to get together again before they get back.

We had planned to have them over for dinner on March 8, but then they found out their granddaughter 

and her family were coming over that night to "open" her mission call, so we made it a lunch, instead.

I made a new recipe of chicken enchiladas on A Bountiful Kitchen website. 

We know Si Foster, who writes this food blog and lives in Rick and Jodie's ward, 

and it's a great website with lots of yummy recipes. 

Anyway, I also made our favorite tomatillo salsa verde and Anne brought a delicious Mexican green salad. 

I baked an orange poppyseed cake and served it with ice cream and berries for dessert.

We love these guys and had so much fun reconnecting and catching up!

As I think about it, life really is about connections to each other.

We feel so blessed for having ours with wonderful family and friends!