Looking Back with the Balladiers

With our large family, there is constantly something happening with our kids and our grandkids 

and lots to look forward to. 

But, I notice, more and more, my mind drifts to memories from the past. 

I know that it is a sign of old age when one looks backward more than forward, 

so I'm not going there yet! 

But when the opportunity comes to get together with happy memory makers from the past, 

I'm in!

Mark and Carolyn Zaugg celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary last Saturday night 

in their backyard in North Salt Lake. 

Mark was a member of the USU Balladiers, 

the performing group that I was so happily a part of in my college years.

Several of us were able to make it to the party and the reminiscing and laughter were non-stop!

It was fifty years ago (?!), as the date shows on our USO Benefit Concert poster, 

when we toured seven countries in southeast Asia 

to entertain our Vietnam War troops with our show.

 This upper photo was taken in Wakainai, Japan. Mark Zaugg is 2nd front left. Dr. Val Christensen, our escort "front man" from USU, is next to Mark and he and his wife, Ruth Ann, also came to Mark and Carolyn's 50th Anniversary Celebration, as did Don Gardner and Kent Smith, back row 1 and 2.

In 2012, Dr. Craig Jessop (upper pic, 1st on left on front row) Dean of USU's Caine College of the Arts 

and former Mormon Tabernacle Choir Director,

arranged for the Balladiers to give a full concert at USU.

What a blast we had!

Craig Jessop was late for the pics!

In 2013, we reunioned again in Kent and Linda's cabin on Stanley Lake and performed at the Stanley Lake Lodge.

Nate Day, 2nd on back row and John Bouwhis, 5th on back row, didn't go on the USO Tour 
but previously sang with us. 

Pam Baird couldn't stay for our performance, but came up the day before to be with us.

Which brings us to last Saturday night.

This is Mark, who is a fine guitarist (and he remembers our old songs!) and has a great voice!

Count your age by friends, not years. 

Count your life by smiles, not tears. - John Lennon

You don't stop laughing when you grow old. 

You grow old when you stop laughing. - George Bernard Shaw

Isn't this brother/sister duo cute?

Kent Smith and Pam Smith Baird

That is Val and Ruth Ann Christensen by Marilyn Miller.

We sang some of our favorites, trying to remember the words!

John Bouwhis (2nd from left) is sitting with his wife, Lenore, Denny Baird, 
then spouses Kathy Gardner and Linda Smith are in the foreground. Roger was taking pics. Wish I had taken his pic because he is great friends with these guys 
and traveled on some of our tours.

The Balladier Girls then . . . 

. . . and now!

You can't help getting older, but you don't have to get old. - George Burns

Looking backward every once in a while is awesome!

A Special Labor Day Weekend

Adelaide turned eight!

She was so excited to be baptized 

and become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!

Of course Grandma and Grandpa wanted to be there, so we drove to Alpine Friday, August 31. 

Her daddy baptized and confirmed her a member Saturday morning, September 1.

The cute Lind family in front of their home

 Here are the Stratfords' who were able to be there. 

Rick, Jodie, Josh, Abby and Blake came from SLC.

Here are the Linds' - 

Jeff's parents, Brent and Rosemary and brothers Steven and Scott with their wives and children 

and his sister, Maryanne, and husband, Dave and their 5 kids also came, 

but she was feeding her new baby.

 Grandma Pam and Grandpa Roger with our special Addie

 Proud Grandparents

Mindy and Jeff had a wonderful lunch in their backyard.

They ordered delicious pizza and breadsticks

and Mindy put together a big salad and yummy goodies. Rosemary brought cut up fruit 

and Jodie made her famous dip and brought Scotcheroos.

The kids, young and old, loved the soda bar with make-your-own combos with cold drinks and syrups.

I love this precious daughter!

little sis, Fi

That evening, Jeff and Mindy treated us to a yummy dinner at Milagro's.

The kids love the free ice cream sandwich they get for dessert!

We watched the BYU-Arizona game afterwards.

Yay, BYU! 

Mindy was exhausted after a big day!

After Sacrament meeting in Mindy and Jeff's ward on Sunday, 

we drove to Rick and Jodie's for a delicious dinner. 

She invited her mom, Kathie (Bart had to work in the ER) and us 

to have dinner with them and then Josh showed pics he took 

when he spent four months at the Jerusalem Center in Israel. 

He had such an amazing experience learning from a Jewish and an Arab instructor, 

as well as from excellent BYU instructors.

Their flowers always look so gorgeous!

On Labor Day, Roger, Rick and Josh got up real early and played nine holes of golf at Eaglewood, 

then we left at 9 AM to Park City to try to beat the lines for the Coaster and the Alpine Slide. 

There were so many people with the same idea and we learned that they were also celebrating Miner's Day.

Still worth it! 

Blake LOVED both the Coaster and the Alpine Slide!

Grandma found some good shade. 

I fear that my going fast on slippery things days are over!

Rick treated us to a yummy lunch at Zupa's . . .

. . . and a super yummy dinner at everyone's favorite, Mikado!

It was such great fun to be with these two wonderful families!

As a big bonus, Jan and Dave Noyes were in SLC from Texas, so we met them and Karleen, 

who lives in Salt Lake, for breakfast on Tuesday morning at a quaint German bakery. 

Jan and Dave lived in Germany twenty-some years ago and we visited them there, 

so that made it even more fun - such happy memories when we were all friends in Ogden. 

Karleen is recovering amazingly well from her t-bone auto accident 6 weeks ago. 

She had surgery on her eye socket and her pelvis was broken. 

She is in the elite Energizer Bunny Club! 

We love these guys so much and we spent two and a half hours chatting and laughing!

After our last good-bye hugs, we headed to Ogden to see Lois and for Jess to do my hair, 

then we drove back to St. George.

Special really is an inadequate word for our long Labor Day Weekend!