Wednesday, June 9, 2021

"The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow . . ."

A wonderful highlight of this trip Up North was seeing our 10-year-old granddaughter, Addie, play Annie  in "Annie," at the American Fork Amphitheater.
Her notes she sang were right on pitch, which is difficult to do for anyone, much less a ten year old, with the interval-jumping score of this show. Her acting felt genuine, like she really was Annie on that stage, and her dance moves were darling! No prejudice here, but this little gal really is a Triple Threat!


We had great seats with her sister, Fiona, and her brother, Charlie.



"It's A Hard-Knock Life"




"Annie" had great control of "Sandy" throughout.








The cast did an admirable job and the scenery and props were excellent.


"Annie" and "Sandy" taking their bows



As in my last post, I was unable to put the video in this blog. The video of Addie singing, "Tomorrow," can be found on my latest post on my Facebook account.
Grandma Pam and Grandpa Roger were so proud of Addie!


Aunt Susie and Aunt Chyrrl also drove from Ogden to see Addie in "Annie."


 We stayed with Rick after Josh and Jaylene's wedding, then drove to Ogden each morning to be with Lois for four days. 
Each day she was excited to go to lunch. 
Here she is at her favorite lunch spot, Chuck-A-Rama.


Lois loves to snuggle up close to Roger as he shows her our photos and videos on his laptop.



Chyrrl and Glynn met us for lunch at Outback Steak House for their yummy wedge salad, coconut shrimp and a bloomin' onion.


A friend told us to try a family-run Mexican restaurant in Farr West, Bella's Fresh Mexican Grill.  Lois doesn't like Mexican food and has maybe been to a Mexican restaurant once or twice in her 95-year life, but she agreed to go here and she liked her chicken-filled quesadilla and the chips and salsa.

The owner making guacamole at our table

Such a great trip Up North and we had another line-up of activities to return for a couple of weeks later!

Friday, June 4, 2021

Fairy Tale Up North

What a thrill to "move freely about the cabin" after sequester-ment!

We could not be more pleased that our oldest grandchild, Josh Stratford, married beautiful and charming Jaylene in the Oquirrh Mountain Temple and most fitting for this Fairy Tale, their wedding luncheon and reception were in a castle in Lindon. 


Oquirrh Mountain Temple

 Jaylene is the youngest of 12 children and she had a dozen flower girl nieces and 14 bridesmaids.



This Mom loves and adores this wonderful son!


The radiantly-happy couple! 
 

The Olsens

The happy moms and dads

Rick's family minus Sister Katie Stratford, who is serving a Church mission in NYC. This is her second sibling wedding to miss! We iChated with her (she was dressed in her bridesmaid dress) and she was so upbeat and cheerful - what a doll!
 

What Fairy Tale is complete without a castle?




Head Table
Jaylene's sisters and sister-in-laws sang "Sisters" to words about Jaylene and Josh, then wrapped their boas around Josh's neck!




Josh and Jaylene were so excited that Roger's sisters brought Grandma Lois to the reception! 
 

I had a wonderful surprise at the wedding! This gal in the pic, Dixie (Brighton) Conger, was waiting for the bride and groom to come out of the temple that morning because her daughter is married to Jaylene's brother. Dixie is an Aggie KD sorority sister and I campaigned for her, singing and playing my uke and going around to the dorms, when she ran for a USU office 57 years ago! Such a Smaaaal world!


Josh and Jaylene played a marvelous piano duet and Josh, who had never really danced and would probably do anything for Jaylene, learned a lovely waltz with his ballroom dancer bride. Her Dad had been a Ballroom Dancer at BYU. It just might make you feel happy and young again to watch this!
After many attempts, we were unable to attach the video of their beautiful dance, so it can be viewed on my Facebook page, 
https://www.facebook.com/pamela.stratford.7/
 Pamela Gabrielsen Stratford
Scroll down to my post on Josh and Jaylene's wedding.

Off they went, down a sparkler-lit path of well-wishers to get in a horse-drawn carriage.
A fit ending to a Cinderella wedding!



Josh and Jaylene honeymooned in Maui and sent this text pic.


Clark and Christine Gilbert (Clark is our daughter-in-law, Emily's, brother) came over to Rick and Jodie's one evening to share their experiences when Clark was called to be a General Authority Seventy and Commissioner of Education in the Church. These two, as young couples, have been good friends ever since they lived in the same apartment complex in Palo Alto when Rick did an internship and Clark was teaching at Stanford.



We stayed to celebrate Mother's Day at Rick and Jodie's and Roger always takes pics of me to send to the kids.




Rick and Jodie invited her mom and dad, Kathy and Bart, for a Mother's Day feast of grilled flank steak, twice-baked potatoes, asparagus, corn on the cob and homemade rolls. Oh, and a delicious fresh strawberry trifle. And of course her famous fruit dip for the fresh fruit.



Rick and Jodie take Blakey on a Temple Walk almost every evening. We got to take him one evening and took some pics of this cute guy.




Blakey takes you for quite a thrill ride in his golf cart!


These two have a special connection!




I'll post more of this Fairy Tale trip up north next!