Garth and Doris Whatcott's Big SHA-BANG!

A quick post to all family and friends of my parents, Doris and Garth Whatcott:

Saturday, March 21st - 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. (or so!)

What you ask?

A BIG celebration of great magnitude ! With a professional polynesian show, by Tausala, at 7 p.m., short program (and I mean short!!) and lots and lots of visiting, talking, bragging, one upping (this for all you Arnetts with A.S.S.), or whatever you want to discuss.

Why you ask?
To celebrate Doris and Garth's 60th anniversary (that very day, by the way!) - AND -

Doris's 85th birthday (a week and half later on the 30th!!)

Aunt Doris would love for you all to come so that she can enjoy visiting with you all, rather than waiting for her funeral, where she can't be quite as "involved" with the gabbing! (her words! or close enough, anyway!)

Where you ask?

At the church building/stake center, in Gilbert Az, on Cooper half way between Baseline and Guadalupe (southwest corner of Cooper and Houston Rd.)

Pass the word along to all family members please!!

See you all Saturday, March 21st, at 6 p.m.!!!!!

February Funk

Ok, so I don't know about most of you out in bloggerland, but this time of year brings me to what I like to call, February Funk!

I mean, come on, what really is there to be THAT excited about????? Christmas has been over now for a month or more, so the coolness of that has worn off. January is still close enough to Christmas that the lovely feelings still kind of carry over. Plus that Martin Luther King holiday is enough to get you up over any little hump, or slump! (that was a joke by the way!!). But by February. . . . hmmmmm. 

 I know, I know, some of you are thinking, come on now Rhea, what are you talking about? There's the wonderfully romantic, sweet Valentine's Day! But let me argue the point!

First of all-- one day. One day to claim your truest and most heartfelt love for that special someone. One day to buy the candy, flowers, cards, special "surprises", sneaky get aways, chocolate, delicatable tastees, sugar cookies with pink frosting (my all time, most favorite by the way!! hint hint!), floosy nightees, well, you know what I'm talking about!! 

 And then, bam. It's over! Whaaaaite?? What happened? Where did all that lovey dovey, kissy kissy facey, oh you deserve all these wonderful "things" because you are the most wonderful "thing" to happen to me, and here are a dozen roses and chocolate to say it all with!!! 

Now, let me see, what was I talking about???? How one day of ecstasy was a waste because it is ONLY one day, and . . . . 

Let me go on. That did not prove my point at all about February!!! Ok, before I go on I must confess!!! 

I LOVE VALENTINE'S DAY!!!!! I REPEAT! I LOVE VALENTINE'S DAY!!! So what if it's only one day! Better one day then none at all!! I'll take what I can get!! 

I bought this valentine card today for my love-- hopefully he won't read this before (he never has that I know of) - but it says something like, "I love you and candy more than anything. . . 

want to make it a threesome??". Pretty well fits me to a tee. Except that it could've said sweets rather than candy. I am an equal opportunist when it comes to sweet stuff!

But I have digressed rather far. 

So my point being. . . I think it had something to do with February and Valentine's. Or February and days off school. Or nothing worth really getting excited about?!! 

Ok, ok, so forget what I started. February is a lovely month. But really - once you get past Valentine's Day it is pretty boring. So we get President's Day. Big whoopie!! No offense to all the presidents [men] but it's kind of a snoozer holiday. Only kids get it off. Sam doesn't. And we get no mail that day. So in reality, it's more of a bummerday than a holiday! Get it? Bummerday. . . holiday??? 

So ok, so we get the lovely Valentine's Day (no school out or days off of course). And then there is President's Day. An "eh" day off. By then, well, we have another what like 10 days to go before Feruary is over??? It is a short month and all!!! And before you know it, it's March!!! woohoo!!

Speaking of draggy months. . . .!!

   

 

Cloud 9 - Heavenly Day!

So last Wednesday was a heavenly day I won't soon forget! Ashley and I spent most of the day at Cloud 9 Spa and were pampered wonderfully! For Christmas, Mark and Sam gave us the gift that keeps on giving!! A spa package!!! It was to die for!! We started out with the full facial (I ignorantly thought this would be a little mask stuff slathered on my face and then a bit of rubbing and massaging it in or something to that effect). Wow! Was I wrong!! Boy, have I been deprived all my life!!! Next came the swedish massage - 50 minutes of heaven.
What more can be said!!
Then they fed us a "light lunch". Which was quite yummy, I might add.

This is the life!

Lastly, we were treated to a pedicure and a manicure. Again, lovely, and wonderful!! We had great gals to work on us! And this is Ashley's new friend, Trisha, who was adorable and lot of fun! Mine was Nikki and she was very sweet and fun to visit with too!

All in all, I great day!! Something I would probably never do again, unless given as a gift. At least not all of it in one day. But, I felt like a spoiled princess for a day, and every girl should have that at least once in their lifetime, right???

Ok, maybe twice!!

Three down and all done!

Aaron, Taylor, proud Mama, and happy Dad!!!

NayNay, and TayTay

(Nate Askins is Aaron's brother in law and he got his the same night!)

Thursday night marked another countdown for this mom. My baby boy (that would be that big strapping kid on the right!) had his Eagle board of review. . . . and passed! Well, I think it's officially called "recommended" for his eagle. Yea!! Yippeeeee! Zippity do dah!! Hallalujah, Praise the Lord! And all other some such terms of excitement and praise to the One above!

Now some may say, "oh, that's nice"! and really not realize just how really cool that is!!! First, let me say that if the guy that was in charge that night is correct, 4% of boys who start scouts, counting waaaaaaaaaaayyyyy back in cubs, actually get their rank of eagle scout. So the odds alone are pretty much against a boy to start with. Add in the factors of doing his eagle project 4 1/2 years ago, he being past the prime eagle boy scout age of around 13 or 14(after this age they start losing interest, greatly!), and the fact that he had one older brother who got his by the skin of his teeth (I guess the point is, though, is that he DID get it!!) --well, we were just more than thrilled beyond measure for last Thursday night.

So if someone asked me to explain why it was so difficult for Taylor to finish up his eagle - especially when he got what is considered the hardest, or at least the last thing you do, done and why it took so long, what could I really say??

That, maybe, the 5 merit badges he had left to do, when he did his eagle project were next to impossible to get, because he had to climb Kilamanjaro to get it??? Nope, that wasn't it! The five were five requireds that he started, got half way, (or maybe even finished but never signed off!) and lost his drive, or "motivation" or zeal for it??!! That's where Sam and I tried to come in (many times!). Things like, "ok, Taylor, you are NOT doing anything this weekend until you get that dang chart made and started for your money management (??) badge!!" It usually worked, to get the chart made. But you have to keep track of your expenses for 3 whole months!!! Straight!!! Whoa!! Now that is asking A LOT! (the kid lives on allowance which is quite minute and very consistent, every two weeks!! So what's so hard about that???).

Well, you get my drift. Enduring. Enduring to the end!!! (Or more accurately, deadline!! had to get it done by 18 yrs. old or not at all!!)

MY last born, bless his heart, has this gene that I know he definitely got from his dear mama!! It's that oh so great and dreadful PROCRASTINATION gene!! Makes me proud! A chip off the ole block!!! Ok, do as I say, not as I do!!!

Anyway, we are proud of Taylor. As we are, our two other sons who also got their eagle scout awards. It is an accomplishment, we are told, that will go with him throughout his/their lives and be a benefit or asset to him throughout his life. Way to go Tay!!

Now all I need to do is plan and put on his Eagle court of honor!! See you all at it in a year or two!!(wait, I have a deadline! He leaves on his mission in less than a year! yyyiiiikkkkkeeessssss).

God bless America,God Bless the AZ Cardinals and God bless wonderful friends!

January 20, 2009 - Washington D.C.

Today was the inauguration of the 44th president of the United States of Americac. Our country is the greatest! Whether you voted for President Obama or not, it is amazing that our country's presidential transition is so smooth and peaceful! I personally did not vote for Obama. I have strong reservations as to what he will do as president and also be ABLE to do. He sounded truly inspirational today. Words. Powerful words! But, unfortunately, in many years of life, I have come to have little faith in polititian's words. They are worth about as much as a penny. Although, even pennies are worth a little bit. I don't think I would pick up off the ground, words spoken from most polititians.
I truly hope I am wrong this time. It will be in the actions that will count. So, on this celebratory day, and one so many in this country are praising as one of the greatest, again, I hope I am wrong, and that our 44th president will be trustworthy, as to what he has, and will say to carry out. IF it benefits the country. Some of the things he has said he will do, I, of course, do not agree with and hope he really won't, or can't. But, in respect for the man and his office, I wish him the best, and will pray for him and our country. It is the greatest country on earth, still, and I have hope it will stay that way.

YOu may not agree with me, but I always liked Pres. Bush!





GO ARIZONA CARDINALS!! SUPER BOWL-TAKE IT ALL THE WAY!

Pretty Patty!

shiningly lovely Shannon

Stunning Susan and tantalizingly sexy Tricia!

The neatest thing happened to me on Sunday.!

Yes, the cardinals won their conference championship. BUT, that is not the great-EST thing that occurred for me! How could anything be better than that?
Well, let me explain.
Sam and I were sitting downstairs watching the game. There was about 2 minutes left in the game. If any of you were watching, you KNOW how exciting and tense of a time that was for the cards! And those who were cheering for them!! So out of the blue, the doorbell rings!

Sam and I looked at each other, and I said something to the effect of, "who the heck could THAT be???" (note there was a bit of irritation in my voice!). So I let Sam get up and go upstairs to answer it. (He did pause it so he wouldn't miss out on any of it!). So I'm sitting there wondering who it is, and I hear a voice that I think sounds pretty darn like my good buddy, Susan Gratil. My initial reaction is, "what the heck? What is Susan doing here in the middle of the big game? She is usually a big die hard sports fan. Much more than I ever have been!!

Then I hear a couple of other voices. Taylor comes down and says he thinks it is Tricia Brown, and Patty Cox. Now each one of these gals are my very close friends, at least I think so, but they don't necessarily run around together too often, that I know of. At least not all three of them at the same time!

So my curiosity is peaked! Enough to get me out of that comfy couch and to go upstairs to see for myself???
No sirree!!! So I sit there trying to figure it out by voices!
Finally, when they are about to the stairs, I figure I"d better get off my duff and go talk to them. EVEN if the cards game IS in the last 1 1/2 minutes or so!!

Well, you guessed it. There all three of them were. And Patty had a phone in her hand, speaker phone on, and our dear friend Shannon Ostler, who lives in St. George now, speaking on the other end!! (Rebecca Crozier was in on the whole thing but was out of town at that time! Sorry, I couldn't find a pic of her anywhere!!) They didn't leave me in suspense for long, and revealed their intended purpose.

A get together/par-tay in honor of me--to present me with a beautiful painting by Del Parson! It was to show their love for me and their sweet thoughtfulness in honor, really, of my little grandson, Miles. As you can see in the picture, it is of Jesus Christ holding a little baby. He even looks like a boy baby. It is a very powerful painting, I think, and one that I had never seen before. I will always treasure it. But more importantly, I will always treasure these 5 ladies who have been such good friends for an awful long time and who knew that a simple, yet profound painting would move me beyond tears.

Thank you ladies. You truly are my friends and my sisters!!

I love you guys!

PS. They were very happy to go downstairs and watch the last minute or so of the game, and were just as excited as I was to see our dear ole AZ cardinals win!! We laughed, we cried, we screamed!!

It was a grand ole time!!!

A penny for your thoughts. If even that much!!

I was thinking the other day. . .

 Yes, it's true. I do think once in awhile! The problem is remembering my great thoughts and wisdom! I knew at the time that I needed to go write it down right then, but was putting my make up on and in a hurry, because I was getting ready to go somewhere. Can't even remember where I was off to. 

Oh, wo is me! So much wisdom, and nowhere to send it to!!

I know it had to do with dying. And living. and something so deep and profound I couldn't believe I was actually thinking it!!!

Boy it must've been good! 

It'll come to me. As soon as I sign off here and am not actually trying to think of it. It has to come in it's own due time. NOT on my time or desire for it!! 

The mind is like a child. It's its own person. Has its own mind. . . .  

OK, that may have been the most brilliant thought I've had in the last few minutes, or the most redundant!!!   The mind has it's own mind!

Now, there's a thought!!

2009 ! Bring it on!

OK, so the last couple of months of 2008 have been the hardest, saddest, most stressful, spiritual, growing, interesting months ever!!!

So, needless to say, I am very much looking forward to 2009! I would never have thought at the beginning of last year that I would have lived through:

January- can't think of anything big-- starting to get Tanner ready for a mission is all I can think of.
February - my Dad has a mini stroke. In the hospital for a week or so.
March- Again, nothing really big. Again, the focus is on Tanner- preparing to enter the MTC
April - Tanner begins his mission to Russia, Rostov-na-Danu on April 9th. (If you have ever been a missionary mom, you know that this is a little stressful. Preparing, and then saying good bye to your "baby"! But a good hard thing!
May - the beginnings of our addition and remodel on our house (filing plans, contracts, etc)
June - the REAL beginning of our addition and remodel.
Tanner leaves for Russia.
July - Aaron marries the love of his life, Allie Askins! (Most of you know that a wedding, albeit very positive and great, is on the stressful side too!1 But, alas, I am the mother of the groom, so not as much!!! But with my house torn apart and living out of my bedroom, and no kitchen, still, the stress I feel could be matched if not toppling Allie's mom's. She may beg to differ!!!)
My father has another mini stroke and is in the hospital for a couple weeks at least.
Oh, and we find out that our Ashley and Mark are expecting a baby! Yippeeeeee! Grandparenthood!! I can hardly wait!

Taylor breaks foot at football camp. Has to have surgery.
August- school starts!! yes!! Taylor's foot heals nicely, and he misses only one or two of the regular season games! We love football season or any sports season, when our kids are involved!
We are still without a kitchen at this point. We are frustrated, to say the least, and my stress, anxiety level has been raised to a new level and I am thinking I need to up the meds!!!
September - things seem to be getting better. I think this is when we get our kitchen finished. So things are looking up. It's still hotter than haites here, but things are plugging right along.
October - this is when the fun begins. Taylor hurts his knee in football. But it isn't too seriously, thankfully. My birthday comes with a lot of fun at the lake and all. (And I haven't hit any BIG landmark b-days yet. JUst getting much closer!).
On my birthday, Ashley finds out she is leaking amniotic fluid and the real "fun" begins! She is in and out of the hospital a couple of times and on bedrest the rest of the time.
November - Ashley's situation continues. Affects us all. But hey, my kitchen is in full use and the house is doing great. Oh, I forgot that even though the actual adding on was completed in August, we still had tile, painting and carpet to be installed throughout all these above mentioned months and it seemed like we would never have a finished, un chaotic house ever again. Somewhere in here, can't remember when now, we DID have the tile installed. Then we painted, and painted, and painted some more. Don't want to put carpet in BEFORE painting!!
Can I just say, "I HATE TO PAINT!!!!!
Ashley is admitted into the hospital on Nov. 17th when she hits 24 weeks! Yeah!!! We think!!

Thanksgiving weekend (now I remember, we finished painting and got carpet in the Monday before Thanksgiving!) we moved my parents in our house. They have the two other bedrooms upstairs. We also, moved Mark and Ashley out of their apt. into a littler basement apt. by the temple.
Ashley is there for two full weeks, we all think we can do this until Jan. or Feb. at least!! But not so!
December - Our little Miles decided that he was tired of it all and came Dec. 1st at 26 weeks exactly. After a scary emergency C-section due to cord prolapse, he came out not breathing or heart beating. But they got him going.
After two days of suffering and his organs not functioning - especially his kidneys, he passed away on Dec. 3rd.
Taylor's B-day was Dec. 3rd. He will always always remember his 18th birthday.
The next couple of weeks are a blur. But we have a funeral for Miles on the 13th and burial is on the 15th.
Ten days left to think about and get ready for Christmas. Also, Mark and Ashley move in with us for a couple of weeks while she heals from her major C-section (she was cut both ways in order to get Miles out quicker) and she can't go down and up stairs - which they live in a basement apt.
Sam and I move down into the basement so Ash and Mark can have our room. I missed my bed!!
We hop along getting ready as much as we can and trying to be in the Christmas spirit.
Have our annual Whatcott white elephant party on the 20th.
Sam's sister, Paula comes into town for Christmas, 21st. Also his Dad and wife! Get together with the Dahl side at his brother's Christmas Eve. Party for all that week, eat, eat and eat. Get sick from eating so much and so crappy! But are we ever celebrating!!!
Have a great Christmas day!
Monday before New Year's go up to Lakeside with the Browns. Relax and do nothing as much as possible. Throw in shopping and shooting, and for the guys skiing/snowboarding, and we are set!
New Year's Eve, come home from Lakeside, and celebrate like it's 1999. Oh wait, I do mean 2008!! Woohoo!!!
A few more days of vacation. Sleeping in, eating crappy, staying up late. Can it get any better???

January --5th ---2009--- TODAY! Looking forward to a calm, low stress, sit around emailing, facebooking, and blogging all day!!!
SUCCESS!!
(Now if I can get my tight, sore shoulder muscles from sitting at the computer all day to relax!!!)

PS. I can't believe it's 5 o'clock!! Where does the time go??