Girls' Night!

Hurrah!

Another Girls' Night

A Chick Chat with some of Grandma Ison's posterity

The Wilson Girl cousins came up from Utah

Some stayed at Grandma's home

They made sure she got some dinner

as they waited for local girls to arrive

Lexie and Tyrel made a quickie, early appearance and got to meet some Utah cousins

Shegay is checking in with Grandma

The love these granddaughters show their grandma touches my heart

Jana, Shegay, Kevin (honorary chick, special invite!)

plus Grandma, back for another snack

I see Grandpa, looking on, from the wall

At one point in the evening, Grandma said to me, "Daddy's gone."

Yes he is, I replied.  What do you think he is doing right now?

"I have NO idea," she exclaimed.

Do you think he is watching us right now? I asked

"Too busy,"  she replied

That could be . . . because we never heard him fuss at us to get to bed!

And we were up til @2 am

I've missed getting the "chocolate toast" pictures downloaded

But you can be sure we toasted the rest of you....and we missed you!

Oh..there they are...the next two pics below

Some granddaughters helped prompt grandma's memory

by bringing pictures and notes on their family

She loved pouring over those sheets

Candice      Liz

We went around the circle of beautiful spirits

hearing a catch-up summary of whats been happening in each life

New pregnancy announcement, husband graduating, expanding insurance sales, brainstorming business ideas, busy mommas with their chicklets

Annette        Rachel

Such variety of interests, talents, strengths, contributions, challenges

All bringing their love to Grandma

Crazy busy printing campaign materials, art classes and interest in illustrating children's books

Megan

She was the springboard for the gathering:

With an exciting and wide eyed new move to North Carolina

she wanted to come see Grandma before the adventure

Well, if you are coming up......let's all gather!

To have ALL her sisters join and gather......

Oh my, it seems like a miracle to me

And I loved it!

And so did their Grandma

"I didn't know you were coming!" she exclaimed again and again

So pleased, she was

Tiffany

New missionary, new travel schedule, new horizons

Martha       Grandma Ison

 Getting kids into school and preschool, online Soul Restoration classes, plans for a Nauvoo trip

Candice             Alisha              Amber

Busy moms serving in Primary and RS

Creative parenting, serving, organizing, planning, gardening

Rachel          Shegay

New set of trail wheels, new dog, graduated from college

All six of Jocile's girls in one place.....yea!

Thank you for the sacrifices you made to create this cozy gathering

Give us a goofy moment, you girls!

Loving on Grandma!

Now show us your birth order.....do you see it, folks?

Welcome, Kristen!

Not only does she visit.....

SHE COOKS!

When my youngest sister, Kristen, made her travel itinerary

the email included the recipe she planned to fix when she got here

Well, OK. . . .

she and I grocery shopped the first night she arrived

Doesn't she look right at home in my kitchen?

We took the ingredients to Caldwell

Had lunch and a General Conference visit there with Mom

Ravioli with sausage

Thanks, Kristen

Mom always appreciates having someone fix a meal for her

In Mom's conference/TV nook

with Kevin and Jana

What a happy weekend

to get some time with Kristen

She has lived far away all her adult life

so it was a fun privilege to have get-to-know-what-you-think chat time

Love you, Kristen

And the momma who happily welcomed each of her six baby girls years ago

Love you, too, Mom

Dinner for the Matriarch

 Grandma's caretaker is on vacation

Again, we are taking turns taking dinner in for Grandma Ison

She only eats a little . . . .

half a bowl of stew and one fourth a slice of toast tonight

Thanks again you all

for helping her out

She so loves the visits

When I showed her the picture taken, above

we discovered that it showed her and Grandpa together

We liked that

"Why'd he have to go and leave me!"

she declared with a wistful chuckle



Tonight she kept studying the picture of

Tiffany and Darrin's family

I think she said "amazing" thirteen times

as she contemplated this wonderful "new" family

I told her the names over and over again as she asked questions

She had one thing securely in mind

Several times she said

"He's getting ready to go on a mission"

pointing to Scott, with obvious pleasure

You have a fan club, Elder Tanner!

When I arrived at her home

I found she had navigated down all the stairs

She was in one of the downstairs bedrooms

puttering through stacks of organized stuff

"It's been such a long time since I've been down here I didn't remember what was here"
She peeked into each room

adding a little comment

 before I could talk her into going back up the stairs for some dinner

I stayed right behind her

as she pulled herself up one step at at time

I kind of held my breath . . .I didn't know whether to be scared or amazed!

Chrismas Eve with Grandma and Sister Memories

Angela and LaVora both gave mom beautiful poinsettia plants. 

A veritable forest of Christmas color on mom's dining table. 

She loves flowers.

O-o-o-o-oh!.

A box to open from Jocile and Richard....

she quite likes the mystery of wondering what is inside.

We had the treat of an IHOP dinner.  

I thought she would choose fish, since she loves it and doesn't get the chance to eat fish much.  

Nope.  She looked at the great picture menu and was firm. 

She wanted bacon and eggs.  She relished that crispy bacon.

For me....it was roast beef and mashed potatoes.

When we finished, we took a ride to see the lights

and said hello at Kevin and Jana's house.

Back to her home......

you know how she touches and caresses fabric, appreciating it?   

Well, here she is doing just that.  

So soft . . . . this cushy fabric. 

This is what was in the box from Wilsons.

Try it on, Mom! 

I helped her practice hooking up the bottom of the zipper and pulling it closed.

Oh, so soft and comfortable

Now that's a cozy grandma . . .

A little bowl of nuts for snacking

The Sister Memories by her side

And some BYU-TV for watchin'

Hurrah!   I promised myself I could break open my packet of Sister Memories on Christmas Eve. 

Thank you Jocile for doing the facilitating this year. 

(volunteering, reminding, receiving, copying, organizing, packaging, sending)

Here is me checking my watch.  Not waiting for Christmas morning this year..... 

7:30 pm, I choose to start reading.

Jocile attached a note citing that our Sister Memories tradition is on our 14th year . . .

sisters sharing a written memory with one another,

as our gift to each other each Christmas. 

Yea us!

I have a fat binder, filled with these treasures.

I feel blessed.

May the reading begin!

Matriarch Goes to Dairy Queen

With Grandma's caregiver out of town for a week

we took turns

doing dinner with grandma

Our matriarch went with me

to Dairy Queen

(All the way over to Caldwell

and I run into the daddy of one of my school kids

who is a manager at that DQ)

She's a trooper

We enjoyed chicken and gravy

Dinner with Grandma Ison

Tyrel had a girl friend fly in from Arizona for the weekend

It was his idea to make and take dinner to Grandma Ison

and

introduce his friend to Grandma

Here is Lexie showing pictures of her sibling family

Grandma is studying

and asking questions

I made a fact sheet for Grandma

All about Lexie

So grandma can read and re-read it

to remember the visit

So you and Tyrel met on an LDS cruise?

Yes

And there are 5 children in your family?

Yes

And you live in Gilbert, Arizona?

Yes

And your work is selling eye glasses?

Yes

And Tyrel is learning to fly small airplanes?  Oh you better be careful, Tyrel!

Tyrel:  Grandma, do you want to go up and fly with me?

Gma:  (eyes wide)  NO!  I'm too old and I'd be scared!

Meanwhile

Tyrel was mashing potatoes in the kitchen

Roast beef, mashed potatoes, gravy, red jello with bananas, rolls, green salad, pineapple upside down cake

YUM

Daddy Brinton, Sterling, Amber

Sterling in the multi-generation high chair

On grandma's fact sheet

she also had me write down her age

She is surprised each time she re-discovers she is 96!

Grandma was in her usual humorous quipping mode at the beginning of the visit

After initially meeting Lexie she said

Well if you stick around here long enough we may just make you part of the family!

What cute faces

Lexie is delightful....fun and easy to be with

Tyrel did a great job of organizing dinner

As for now, they are figuring out how to date LONG distance

Good thing he has cheap cell phone rates!

Grandma Had a Lively Living Room

Is Grandma dazed by the whirl of kiddo action?

Nah....she loved having company

Amber, Sterling, Grandma Ison

A sweet wiggle bug on Grandma's lap

He is going for a safety pin within his reach

Beautiful Amber and Sweet Sterling

One year old

A miracle growing boy

One year ago he was a little guy in NICU

Daisylyn stopped to share a smile

Does her speed of travel

cause her cowlick

to salute the wind?

What a dear little girl