Sunday, May 29, 2016

Memorial Day 2016


Grandpa Hunter's best friend

Holden's only WWII loss. He's buried in Luxembourg


Dad's older sister, Margaret, who died as an infant.


Nicolaus and Sidney Teeples grave


I drove mom and dad to their annual pilgrimage to Holden today. They like to take flowers to the graves. I learned something interesting about Memorial Day. It began after the Civil War and was called Decoration Day in the north. It was a day to decorate graves of perished union soldiers. Later the US combined the north and south's memorial days into one: Memorial Day on May 30, a day when flowers are in full bloom. It was later changed to be the last Monday in May to create a 3-day weekend. Many lament that changing the day to a Monday instead of the set date took away meaning from the holiday. I know that from my personal experience it was just the last school holiday before summer vacation. Then we moved to Utah and learned that it was a "thing." People here decorate graves, whether of war heroes or not. Every cemetery is covered with flowers and flags. It's quite beautiful.

We drove down after church and left flowers and leis. Dad told us stories about those buried there. We had one lei left and he had me put it on the grave of my grandpa Hunter's best friend and his wife. We also saw the grave of the ONLY soldier from Holden who died in WWII. He was a young doctor who left a wife and 2 children. From the headstone, it appears that his widow never remarried. Dad told me that about 100 men from Holden, a small town of about 500 people, served in WWII. There were no men from the ages of 18-40 in town. I asked what the women did. He said they farmed. They must have needed help from the men over 40. My grandpa Hunter was 42, so he must have helped women with their farming needs. Dad said Holden only lost 1 man in WWI, 1 in WWII, 1 in Korea, and 1 in Vietnam.
Dad directing traffic

Dad at the corral
"That's mom's old chest freezer!"

Me at the site of our next family reunion

We then went to the hog ranch, acreage south of town that Jon and dad bought from grandpa Hunter. We drove down a road with lots of weeds. Mom and I were scared we would high center, but we didn't. We saw the old corral and found an old freezer that used to be my grandma's. We also saw old farm equipment. We had a nice day.

Baby Mel and the Street Youths Graduate

Mel with grandma and grandpa Hunter

The Street Youths hug and cry after taking pictures



The first EVER picture of all 10 of them together: Ani, Isabelle, Megan, Parker, Kobi, Levi, Mel, Makei, Scott, Kaleb, and Brooke

Mel and Kobi, BFF's since junior high. Mel was afraid of Kobi in elementary school.

Mel and me. The worst, but only picture. Allie would only take one.


My grilled cheese eating kids. Back Row: Megan, Parker, Kobi, Levi, Mel, Makei. Front Row: Brooke, Ani, Isabelle, Kaleb, and Scott

Manila 2nd Ward graduates recognized at youth activity. L-R: Brittany Palmer, McKenzie Nebeker, Scierra Clegg, Melissa Smith, Alexa Petersen, Kayleigh Bowden, Noah Clemmens, Anna Burnett, Melia, Joseph Chang, Ethan Adair
When Mel told me she was taking her senior pictures at Taco Amigo I thought it was a great idea. She lives there. Her favorite: a hamburger kids meal, complete with a drink and rice crispie treat. Photo credit: Makei Tupou

Her graduation announcement made the Trump's bulletin board

On Friday, May 27, Melia and all her friends graduated from American Fork High School. It was a great day. I went on my usual walk and had time to leisurely get ready. We left at 11:10 to get mom and dad for the 12:30 graduation at UVU. Getting into the parking lots of UVU was horrible, though. Thanks to dad's handicap parking permit, we got in and took the first spot we found, then walked a bit to the venue. Great speeches. Beautiful music that even had religious undertones. Brave! We had a nice time. Then we went outside to take pictures and to wait for all of Mel's friends, aka the Street Youths to gather for pictures. These 10 kids have been great friends. Some of them already have mission calls (Kaleb going to Chile and Scott going to Germany), others have plans for college. Fantastic kids that I'll miss. I told them they can still come to my house and eat grilled cheese sandwiches. I guess they go to the Watkins home a lot and eat copious amounts of cold cereal.

After pictures, we went to eat Indian food at Indian Palace in Provo. Keenan couldn't join us because he had to go to the doctor for some follow up. He had a build up of fluid in his lung cavity and had to have it drained. They took out 2 quarts. He was quite wiped out for the rest of the day and on Saturday.

Mel then went to her grad night party at Boondocks and came home around 6:00 am. Then she slept for a lot of Saturday. She did go to a swimming party last night. I suppose I'll see more of her starting tomorrow. It was a great week and I got her t-shirt quilt done. I've made one for all the kids upon graduating.


Last Sunday Mel also graduated from seminary with her 4-year certificate. Mom and dad came up for that. I guess she can now go on a mission to Brazil. That's one requirement for a mission call to Brazil; one has to have completed 4 years of religious training. Mel is set!

Friday, May 20, 2016

Mel and I Had an Adventure

Friday, May 20. Mel graduates from high school in one week. As a result, they have cleaned out lockers, turned in books, and don't do much in class. I checked her out of class for 4th period and we did fun stuff.

First we went to Allie's work to take her cookies to share with co-workers and to take to Jenny's house. She's sleeping there tonight. Right by Al's work are some new model homes. We decided to check them out. It was so fun to be there with Mel since she is just finishing Interior Design 2. She has learned a lot and has good insights. She noticed good natural lighting and bad layout. We both noticed too many stairs in a couple of the models. They're bringing back the split level entry from the 70's and 80's. Mel wasn't a fan. Looks super cute from the outside, but a stair nightmare on the inside. I had to take a picture of this one because we had a driver's ed teacher named Mr. Volante. He was famous for saying "Missed the boat. Got your feet wet" when students forgot assignments. He was also the swim coach. By the way, Mel made this cute skirt she's wearing. She just got it back in her sewing class. So cute.

Mel napping on an awkwardly-shaped sectional in a small basement

On the cute porch of the Volante
We then grabbed a drink and went to the post office to mail graduation stuff to Sam and Nicholas and to send cookies and a t-shirt to Kamiko. We then headed to Provo via the theater in Vineyard where I picked up tickets for a movie tomorrow. Anyway, I've been wanting to see an exhibit at the BYU library and I figured Mel might like to see it. It was an exhibit of swimwear by famous designer Rose Marie Reid. She was very innovative, creating some of the first swimwear out of stretchy fabric. Her pieces were worn in Hollywood movies and by stars like Rita Heyworth and Marilyn Monroe. My mom even had one of her suits. We LOVED the exhibit. Wow, it was so interesting. Rose Marie had a mom who was a designer and always tried to teach her the trade. Rose Marie wasn't interested because she was gonna just get married and have kids. Well, she did both of those, but she also got divorced. She was responsible for supporting her family. She built a multi-million dollar empire. Amazing and inspiring. She was an active LDS woman and shared her faith all the time. A-A-A-AMAZING exhibit!

This welcomed us and we knew we were in heaven!
The Classic, on the far right above, would be $162.05 today


Look at the 2015 price equivalent for the above blingy suit: $431.47
Marilyn Monroe in one of Rose Marie's suits
Mel found many suits she would want. Look at how tiny they are!
Isn't this delicious? Everything about this poster is perfect!

Then we went to the bookstore to look at laptops and BYU t-shirts for Mel. While at BYU, Mel got 4 compliments on her skirt. Of course, I had to tell them she made it. We got home around 5:00. It was a great day, especially since Mel has been taking interior design and clothing this year. Good way to end the school year.

Thursday, May 19, 2016

I Found My Heart in San Francisco

I just got back from a trip home to visit family and to attend Kim Rose Cassetti's 50th birthday party. What a trip! It was fantastic. Allie, quoting a movie, said I was "taking a vacation from my problems." It was so great to be back in California with my siblings. So, here's how my trip went. Every detail is below (just for mom).

Wednesday: Went to work and had dairy lecture and lab. I like that lecture. We play jeopardy and it's fun. I also have some fun video clips I like to show. We show a great demo of a British chef making macaroni cheese. I never tire of watching that video and every time it makes me want to go home and make it. After work, I went straight to Ogden. Jen and I had decided to spend time together Wednesday night and to drive the the airport together Thursday morning. I got to paint my nails and watch Survivor. We talked a bit, then went to bed early since we had to get up early.
I didn't even have time for a pedicure so I did it myself while watching TV in Jen's laundry room.

Thursday: Got up at 4:30 am to get showered and on the road by 5:00 am. It's a good thing Hunter girls can get ready quickly. We had a good flight. Jen and I slept most of the way. Kris picked us up and we went straight to the Oakland Temple to do initiatories. The temple was quiet and not crowded like our temples here are. We got in and out quickly. We had initially planned to go into San Francisco, but that got changed because Derek and Rachel were coming up on Friday and wanted to go to the City with us, so we changed plans. Kris took us to Sonoma. That was an excellent idea. Sonoma is in wine country and it's lovely. It's cool and breezy there. We saw a mission there. We love to visit the old Catholic missions. While in the chapel there, Kris pulled out a pamphlet she had from a recent trip to Taos, NM, about the stations of the cross. We learned a lot. We also learned that at station 6, Veronica wipes Christ's brow. We don't know who Veronica is, but it was interesting to learn. I bought Allie a charm there. She loves her Catholic stuff. We also saw the barracks where the Bear Flag Revolt happened in 1846. Basically, the American settlers revolted against the Mexican government and created the California Republic. That little country lasted about 3 weeks until Fremont, from the US government, showed up and claimed California as a state in the US. That was the beginning of California. We also saw Vallejo's home. He was a military commander, politician, and rancher during the Bear Flag Revolt. The rebels took him prisoner. He lived out his days in Sonoma in a beautiful home. It was so fun to see stuff I'd never seen, even though I'd grown up there. We drove to Kristen's and had spaghetti for dinner. Kris, Allison, and I went on a walk and Kris twisted her ankle. What a horrible way to start the vacation. Then we just sat and visited. James, Allison, and their daughter Audrey live with Kris and Doug. We waited for Derek, Rachel, and the kids to arrive.
Can't beat the view from the terrace on the Oakland Temple


Replica of the Original California flag

At the mission. See the cross in the back?





Look how relaxed I am. Love Sonoma.
Why was I too cheap to buy this kitchen towel?

Friday: We got going to San Francisco with Derek, Rachel, Rose, Charlie, Kris, Jen, Allison, Audrey, and me. We went to see some cool tile mosaic steps. We had a great view. We ate at Boudins. I didn't even know they had a menu. I've always gotten clam chowder in the sourdough bowl. I decided upon a turkey sandwich and it was really good. We also went to Pier 39 so Rose could see the sea lions that hang out there. Derek and family rode the carousel that's there. We also went to take pics at the Golden Gate Bridge. I never knew they had a Welcome Center with spots to take good pictures. They also have bathrooms. Kris and Allison had been there a lot, so they knew where to take pictures. While there, we saw a cute couple from England. The lady had shorts on and had noticeable goosebumps on her legs. We told her that while she was in California, San Francisco is different. It was a beautiful day, though. I didn't need my jacket AT ALL. The sky was so clear, too. Just the perfect day with family. We got home and had crock pot pork that Kris had planned for us. We then went to get ice cream at Loard's in Livermore. Doug has taken me there before and I promised him ice cream for his birthday that was in April. Then we just sat on the patio and talked and talked. I loved every minute of it. I really wanted to take pictures, but there was no way to capture the feeling of family just enjoying being together. Thanks to Doug for putting up with us Hunters. Thanks to Derek and Rachel for bringing their kids all the way from Valencia. Family is everything!
Rose in SF

Allison and me in the back of Kris' car
My sleepy backseat travel buddy, Audrey



Cool mosaic steps
siblings at the bridge

Cute Hunter family at the bridge
Rose and Dana, car buddies

Saturday: We went to the San Francisco Premium Outlets, which are actually in Livermore. It's been there a few years, but I'd never been. It's a beautiful outlet mall with high end stores. They also have regular stores. Jen and I got cute skirts at Brooks Brothers. I got stuff for Mel and Kamiko at Old Navy. Then we hung out and got ready for the party. Cute little Rose always confuses me and Jenny. In her defense, we do look a lot alike. One time Jenny and James were sitting at the kitchen table and Rose said to Derek, "Dad, what are James and Jenny or Dana doing?" Hahaha. She didn't know who was whom. We laughed about that. Kris, Jenny, Doug, and I left about 5:45 for the party. It was at a winery there in Livermore. I wore a dress I had made especially for the party. I bought a cute dress at Ross. It was a bit short and had no sleeves, so I bought 2 of the dress. I used the additional dress to make sleeves and add some length. I was happy with how it turned out. The party had an open bar. Kim made a point to get me Diet Dr. Pepper, which Doug and I appreciated. There was lovely cheese, olives, breads, crackers, etc. It was fun to visit. Poor Kris was stuck on the couch since her ankle was injured. Around 7:30 we went in for dinner. We sat by a nice couple. He's an engineer and she teaches cooking at Amador. How cool is that? 2 FACS teachers at the same table. She said there are a lot of openings in the Bay Area. There aren't enough teachers to fill the need because so many universities have dropped their programs. It was an interesting reminder of what REAL FACS teachers in the real world do: shop for groceries, clean up their own messes, set up their own stuff. It made me so grateful for my TA's and the support BYU gives us. I visited with some classmates that I hadn't seen in years. I also met some new people, like my Home Ec buddy. There was music and dancing. I learned that Kim LOVES to dance. Me, not so much. I should dance more, though, because it was fun. Kris couldn't dance and she really loves dancing, but had her bum ankle. Of all the cool people. I was so impressed with a classmate of mine. I hadn't seen Brian Marty since 1984 except on facebook. I'm friends with his wife, Laurie, who also went to high school with us. Brian told men who had been drinking too much to lay off, he brought sweatshirts to us gals who were waiting outside in the cold in line for the women's bathroom, and approached Kris and visited with her when he saw her dancing in her chair, not able to join everyone on the dance floor. The party ended at 10:00. Doug had left sooner, but Jen, Kris, and I stayed til about 10. There were nice toasts and kind remarks. It was so fun to see Kim's mom, Gloria, and her sisters Sandy and Cheryl. They looked great and were so nice to us Hunter girls.
Rae found out we have a common friend, Trudy Barnes. She was Rae's YW leader and Mel's YW leader and my VT. We took this picture and texted it to her.

Jenny and I dressed alike just to mess with everyone. No, we didn't leave the house like this. Charlie had on a Sweden t-shirt, too.

Before

creating sleeves


On my way to the party

Kris, me, Jen and my new dress
Our party favor, one of Kim's favorite books, "You Can Be Happy No Matter What"

Sunday: We went to church and had a great BBQ afterwards. Hunter drove out from Fresno. Sarah and Cam came over from San Jose. Doug grilled burgers for all of us. Hunter made his fantastic chocolate chip cookies. We just thoroughly enjoyed being together. After Hunter, Sarah, and Cam headed their separate ways, Allison let me borrow her car to go visit Maria. We had a great visit. Her sister Amy, with whom I'd done boys soccer stuff at AFHS, lives there with her daughter. It was just fun to catch up. I stayed for a couple of hours. John came home from meetings and we ate yummy garlic bread. I also watched Sierra peel the vinyl lettering of their last name, Trump, off of her water bottle. She said every time she takes it to school, people ask her if she supports Trump, who is a fool that is running for president. That was funny to me.
Spa sunday




Monday: We met up with Kim for lunch at a cute sandwich place in Pleasanton called "The Press." We got yummy sandwiches. We also took the opportunity to give Kim her birthday present. Jenny and I had picked out fabric and Jen had made a quilt especially for Kim for her birthday. When dad heard about the party, he made a jewel box for her. She was so overwhelmed with his kindness. She said she felt that there were good vibes in it. She said she might put written prayers and wishes in it. She loved, loved, loved the quilt, too. We sat and talked a lot at lunch. We talked about kids, marriage, life, etc. We really are like 4 sisters, not 3, who support and help one another. We love Kim like a sister. She and Kris made plans to come visit Utah for my 50th birthday. After the fantastic lunch, we went to clock the mileage from Amador High School to our home on Tanglewood Way. In high school, dad bought a car for Kris to drive us to school when it rained. Well, as dad puts it, it rained everyday. We drove pretty much everyday. Jen thought the mileage would be .9. I thought it'd be 1.3. Imagine our surprise when it was .55. How embarrassing. We were pathetic! We wouldn't watch .55 miles to school. While at the house, Jen knocked on the door to ask permission to take a picture on their yard. The lady invited us in! She said, "oh, are you the family with 10 kids?" We said we only had 7 kids, but yes, we had lived there. We probably spent an hour in the house, seeing our old playroom, bedrooms, the garage, and telling her stories about the house. We told her about how dad hid a billfold of emergency money behind the built-in kleenex holder in the master bedroom. We told her about the fire in the kitchen that resulted in cut-up cupboards in the garage, above the workbench dad built. She showed us some built-in drawers in the cupboard in the playroom. We quickly recognized them and told her dad had built those, and that we have similar built-ins in our homes. Everything about the few days was so great, but this little adventure was just unbeatable. We got her number and she said to come anytime and to for sure bring mom and dad next time they visit. Went back to the outlet mall at night.






Me, Kim, Jenny, and Kris with the quilt

Coburn's house and our house 

Looking good!
Same 50 year old mailbox on the porch

Cabinets that dad built in the garage

Remnants from a kitchen fire that became storage for the workbench. Notice the half cupboard on the right?

Jen and me in our bedroom. Missing the yellow/orange plaid floral wallpaper.

Hunter girls at 1870 Tanglewood Way

On the steps. A lot of pictures were taken there.


Me, enjoying the chocolate Oreo pie that Rae made and left for us to eat



Tuesday: Went to breakfast at a cute French place in Livermore. I got an orange/cranberry scone that was fantastic. We got a bread pudding to share. Jen and Kris got quiche and Allison got a bear claw. the food was delicious. We had a lovely time. Audrey was really good, too. Jen and I ran to the outlet mall again. I was gonna try to snag some sale walking shoes, but it didn't work out. It's ok. We ate lunch at Kris' house then she took us to the airport. It was sad to leave, but it was time. It was a trip I'll always remember. It was all about family and family memories (making them and reliving them). I'm so grateful Jen and I went. So, back to SLC, back home, back to work. Now it's Thursday night. I'm back to grocery shopping, paying the mortgage, catching up on plans for YW camp, and catching up on the Survivor finale.
Souvenir from Donut Wheel

Last trip to the mall