Proud of Julie

Two weeks ago this Monday Julie applied for a teaching job in the Las Vegas area as well as in the Jordan School District in the Salt Lake City area.  She was offered both positions.  Julie decided to take the job here so she would not have to move again.  Her job is actually in Henderson in the Green Valley area.  It takes about 20 minutes to drive to her school from her home.  I am thrilled that she will be able to stay in her townhouse which is close to us. 

Although this isn't what she thought she would be doing with her life, I am very grateful that she is beginning to reclaim some of herself by taking this teaching position.  She is a wonderful teacher, and I know the 5th graders that she will have in class starting Monday will benefit from her many talents and abilities. 

I'm sending a mother's love and best wishes to her for a successful year of teaching; GO, JULIE, GO!

Coral is a charter school located in Green Valley;
students apply and must maintain good
behavior and good grades.

Julie's room is right behind her in the picture;
I love the green grass and trees!

This is the playground near her room.

Julie is standing in front of Room 9; her home
away from home for the next nine months.

Natalie, Linda, and I all helped Julie at various
times during the last few days
with setting up her room. 

Julie and Natalie standing in the
front of the classroom

Juile and Natalie showing off some of what
we did one day this last week in
preparation for the first day of school.

A Quick Trip to Yellowstone

After Tom's memorial service in Idaho Steve and I decided to take a couple of days and visit Yellowstone National Park.  I hadn't been there in years, so it seemed like a great way to end our summer before the new school year started. 

Clowning around!

That's what I call a lot of antlers!
This is Jackson Hole, Wyoming right outside Yellowstone.

We were excited to finally arrive at Yellowstone;
couldn't resist taking a picture!

Gorgeous country!

Old Faithful

Steve and I ate lunch on the balcony of the
Yellowstone Lodge, played Scrabble, and
watched Old Faithful go off twice.

We saw lots of hot springs, geysers, mud pots, and caldrons.
I learned at a ranger meeting that the activity going
on in Yellowstone is connected to the activity
going on in Hawaii.  I guess it's all the same tubing
inside the earth.

Steve by a mud pot; it was bubbling and very, very hot!

This is the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone;
it's completely beautiful!

Memorial Service for Tom

Although Tom, Steve's brother, passed away on December 26, 2011, a memorial service was not held until Saturday, August 11, 2012.  Finally the time came that the family could come together and celebrate Tom's life.  Steve planned the service and ordered the headstone to match his mom and dad's.  It was a nice memorial held in Moore, Idaho, which is where Steve and his brother and sisters grew up.  After the service we traveled to the Lost River Cemetery not far from the church where Tom's ashes were buried.  After the burial we headed back to the church for a delicious luncheon that Florence had prepared.  I hadn't been in Idaho for quite some time, so it seemed good to reconnect with his family and enjoy fond memories of his brother.

Dorothy, Steve, and Forence

Rachel, Tom's daughter, with her
three children

Denver, Dorothy, and their daughter, Jennifer

Denver, Steve, and Dorothy

Tom's Grave
I love the caption on the headstone which reads
"AT HOME WITH GOD AND FAMILY."

The graves of Steve's parents next to Tom's grave

Steve in front of the church where
the service was held

Tom's daughter, Rachel, and her daughters
Ella, Eva, and Sophie

Jennifer, Dorothy's daughter,  and Rachel with her daughters

Visiting with Jennifer, Dorothy and Denver's daughter

Reconnecting with the Idaho Falls Temple

Steve and I were married in the Idaho Falls temple on August 30, 1974.  Although we have been back to the temple to walk around, we have not been back to participate in any temple work.  Since our anniversary is just around the corner, we decided after driving from SLC to stop in Idaho Falls for the night.  This allowed us plenty of time to attend a session and go out to dinner with some dear friends of ours named Kim and Patsy Johnson.  I met Patsy at BYU in 1970.  We lived in the same dorm in "Q" hall which was part of Deseret Towers at BYU.  Through the years we have kept in touch.  I was happy that we were able to connect while we were in Idaho Falls.



A Stop in SLC

Last week Steve and I traveled through SLC to attend a memorial service for his brother, Tom, which was held in Moore, Idaho.  The cemetery in Salt Lake City has become a very sacred and special place for me.  Since the accident that took Sheldon and Jace from us, I personally have been in SLC four times in five months.  I was particularly anxious to see the headstones that Julie selected when we were together in Utah for Women's Conference in April.  Steve and I bought some silk flowers and spent a few hours at the cemetery cleaning, weeding, and remembering Sheldon and Jace.  We were there all alone, so Steve and I said a prayer and felt the sweet peace that only the Lord offers.

We have recently discovered that Steve's grandfather, Joseph Dean, is also buried in the SLC Cemetery along with two of his wives and seven of his children that died at a very young age.  In reading his headstone, I discovered that Grandpa Dean had a set of twins.  One's birth and death date were the same, and the other twin lived one day.  Maybe now we have an idea where twins come from in our lineage explaining Thomas and Natalie's twins.  As a sidenote, we also discovered while in Idaho that Tom's daughter, Jeanine, also has a set of twins that are nine years old.  They live in Reno.  Evidently, twins run on the Dean side of Steve's family.

After going to the cemetery, Steve and I had dinner at
one of Sheldon's favorite restaurants in SLC.  This day
definitely was a day of remembering two people
we hold close to our hearts.

More Birthday Fun

On Monday, August 6, 2012, we checked into the Green Valley Resort in Henderson.  We booked two rooms for two nights.  Natalie and her family were in one room.  Steve, Julie, and I shared the second room.  Our stayvacation was completely fun and the best birthday I can remember.  Everyone had a great time, and I couldn't be happier how I celebrated my 60th birthday!

In the lobby for check-in at 3:00 pm;
let the fun begin!

Ellsworths entering Room 8116 ready
for the party to begin

Dad in our room getting ready to go to the pool
Monday afternoon after checking in

We stayed in the East Tower;
it took us a few minutes or so to figure our
way around this rather confusing
hotel floor plan!

Natalie, Thomas, and Cali poolside; the cabanas and
hotel are in the background

There were lots of shallow pools for sitting and sunbathing;
here's Julie and me

Ashton, Natalie, and Cali enjoying
the jacuzzi

Monday night Thomas and Dad went to
Cafe Rio and brought us our dinner poolside

The next morning which was my birthday I was completely
surprised to find out that my family had reserved a
cabana for us to use at Green Valley Resort for the entire day!

Steve and I posing with all the cute decorations
inside the cabana

On the counter in the cabana were four sheets of
paper.  The title on the first page read
"60 Reasons Why We Love Mom."  Everyone had
contributed reasons.  I felt totally loved!
Included in the cabana rental was a fruit tray, nuts, tons
of drinks, chips and dip.  How cool to have a TV to watch
when we needed a rest from the sun!

Our cabana was surrounded by palm trees

Julie and Natalie enjoyed the cabana as Baby Ben
enjoyed his bottle

Julie, Natalie, Ben, Weston, and Steve

This is the view from our cabana; we even had a
small pool right in front of our cabana

Cali, Thomas, and Ashton in the pool by our cabana;
it sat up a level from the regular big pool below

The view from our cabana looking left

My girls gave me a basket of things that I like.  It included
too many things to list here, but they gave me lugguage
tags because I like to travel and a photo album because
 I like to take pictures to name a few.  They also gave me a
gift card from Brighton so now I will be able
 to finish my "family" bracelet.

About 8 pm on my birthday we headed to
The Cheesecake Factory for a late dinner.

On Wednesday, August 8, Thomas and Steve took care
of the kids while Julie, Natalie, and I were pampered
at The Spa at GVR.

Outside the spa at GVR

This picture was taken by The Spa with the vineyard and hotel
in the background.

When I got home from our two-day birthday adventure,
I put all of the things on my dining room table that the
girls gave me for my birthday present.  As you can see,
they thought of lots of things I like.  Thanks to everyone
for making this such a special birthday.  It was fabulous!