Friday, July 16, 2010

Koosharem, Utah

On our way back from Capital Reef and Teasdale, we visited the Grass Valley and the very small town of Koosharem, the birthplace of my mother's mother, Beatrice Petersen Marchant.
 From the highway you can look through to the serene Grass Valley and town of Koosharem.
A historical marker is placed at this spot, concerning a significant treaty 
between the Mormon settlers and the local Indian tribes.

In the tiny Koosharem cemetary, we found the headstones of Great-Grandma's
mother and father, Anna Christine Pearson and Frands Peter Peterson.
Their daughter, Beatrice was only seven years old when her mother died. 
Her father married another woman, from whom she had many siblings.









Beatrice's father lived a long life and died just a couple of years before her husband, Stephen.

Fantastic Fourth of July weekend

Capital Reef...the magnificent sites of Utah


Thanks to Camilla's hospitality at her family home in Teasdale, we spent the holiday watching the Torrey parade, eating at the Boy Scout breakfast, and driving through some of the amazing sites at Capital Reef National Park, outside Torrey, in Wayne County, Utah.







A local quilt show inside the historic school house in Torrey





Camilla was smitten by the puppies for sale at the street market in Torrey. This one felt like velvet and had bright blue eyes.

























If you blinked, you missed the parade. It went down the main street one way then turned and came back. 
Walker was our favorite entry.





Danny and Amanda joined us later in the day,
and we visited the Gifford homestead, in Fruita, at Capital Reef.

















Looking at the petroglyphs made by the 
Fremont Indians,
a thousand years ago.




Grandpa and Walker on an early evening walk in Teasdale. 
The Scruggs home is in the background.





A beautiful sunset in Teasdale.





The original LDS Church in Teasdale, just across the road and down a few houses from where we stayed.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Postscript to the wedding...


Luke gets a haircut...
from his Dad and Uncle Jordan

Best event ever

Amanda and Danny get married

The Wedding Dinner, Friday, June 18,
In the Empire Room, Joseph Smith Memorial Bldg.

Early guests: Ryan & Ashlee, Jackson & Cara, Jordan & Camilla

Married at last! After the ceremony in the Salt Lake Temple,
Saturday morning, June 19th



Older Owen siblings with spouses...
Younger Owen siblings...
with spouses...

Danny and Amanda with Grandpa Butters and Susan

A very happy day!

U Museum of Fine Arts for the Reception

Ava carrying her floral headband





Steps of grandchildren, 14 to be exact


Bells were ringing!

Danny started up the jeep....and off they went!

Saturday, June 14, 2008

A Grand Adventure to Grand Rapids

With a very large truck loaded to the brim with all their
belongings, Ali and Jade are ready to travel across the country.
Salt Lake to Grand Rapids in four days, with stops in
Cheyenne, Omaha and Michigan City.
Grandma went along to help drive and entertain the boys.

Our second night was spent in Omaha, to the sounds of tornado sirens
and a phone call from the front desk inviting us to the basement
until the warning was lifted, about 10 p.m.
We took peeks outside to watch the clouds gather, changing directions rapidly,
from north to east then south, then heavy rain mixed with hail filling up a dry ravine
with 10-15 feet of running water behind the hotel, for a total rainfall of 2.5" for the night.
We were happy that no tornado touched down near us,
for by morning there were 60 tornado sightings reported from this storm,
including one at a scout camp an hour north of Omaha, that killed 4 scouts.


Rain or shine the delivery boy delivers, thank goodness,
and we ate our Chinese dinner in a basement room while the storm raged on.
For several hours this is what we watched on the TV screens,
waiting for the storm to pass.

The next morning, before continuing our journey east, we stopped at the
Winter Quarters historical site with the beautiful cemetery and Temple.
Owen and Connor were happy to pose for the pictures,
but Spencer hid in the shadows.


On day four, we arrived at Grand Rapids, Michigan,
and turned onto the lane where Ali and Jade would soon call Home.
Their home is straight ahead, at the end of this very long lane.

This is the back of the house (that's the Realtor, not Jade, standing on the top level with Ali and the boys). It's very high up, and through the trees where Owen is standing, you can see the river which is just one lot away.


The Bringhurst's new home.....and the best part, the boys spotted a blue jay!