April 29th through May 5th

April 29^th through May 5^th:  Monday while Chris was at work, I was able to use the truck to pull out a large bush at the back of the concrete pad on the south side of the house.  I then started to remove some of the large rocks that were acting as a retaining wall behind the pad.  I am going to build some stairs from the backyard up to the concrete pad so that we have an easy entrance to our apartment from the parking pad.  

The bush I took out.

Removing rocks so I can build some stairs.

Charlotte's son Luke at his flag football game.  He scored two touchdowns.

Tuesday was Chris’ birthday and John and Jill invited us up for breakfast for mom’s birthday.  They prepared iced sugar cookies and ice cream.  Anyone who really knows Chris knows that sugar cookies and ice cream are,in fact, her favorite breakfast.  I think that maybe she now has some grandchildren who have a new favorite breakfast also.  

Happy Birthday grandma.

Cookies and ice cream for breakfast.

Chris and I then drove into Salt Lake and went to Redford Jewelers, where we had Chris’ wedding ring made many years ago.  We left her ring which needed to have the stone remounted.  Chris’ father, Glenn, had brought back  some Alexandrite stones from Egypt when he was stationed there during World War II.  He had them made into earrings as a wedding present for Chris’ mom, Shirley.  We asked the jeweler to make them into earrings with posts.  We then went to the Salt Lake Cemetery to see what it would cost to be buried on top of my mom and dad.  We decided that it would be way too expensive and a lot of hassle.  So we went to the Bountiful Cemetery and looked at burial plots there.  Such a romantic way to celebrate a birthday.  We then went to Charlotte’s house where I got the assignment to tend Tilda and Abby while Chirs went to lunch with Charlotte, Kate and Jill for her birthday.  After lunch they picked up Tilda and Abby and went to South Town Mall to meet Kirstin, our son James’ wife, and Emme, their daughter.  The plan was for Chris, Emme, Tilda, and Abby to all get their ears pierced for Grandma Chris’ birthday.  All went well, except Tilda, the youngest, decide that she should wait until she is a little older to get her ears pierced.  Now you understand why we left the earrings to be made into ones with posts.  All in all, I think Chris had a nice birthday.  

Mom being brave while she gets her ears pierced. 

The ear piercing party.

Flowers for Chris' from her brother Craig
and his  wife Pam.

I also bought Chris flowers for her birthday.

Wednesday I went to the dump to get rid of the large bush.  I stopped off at Lowes on the way home and bought a pallet of pavers to start working on the stairs.  I could only get half the pallet on the truck because of the weight.  So I had to make another trip to get them all home.  After I got them unloaded, I went and rented a dump trailer and delivered to the house a load of road base and then a load of sand for the installation of the pavers.  In the evening I had a church meeting and Chris went to Luke's pinewood derby.  

Wednesday morning, May 1st, we woke up to a little snow.

Pavers, road base and the load of sand.

I could not find a picture of Luke but here is his little sister Tilda.

Thursday I dug out a section of the grass next to the patio at the entrance to our apartment.  In the process, I put a pick axe into a sprinkler pipe and created a lake in the hole I had dug.  I hurried and called my son, John, to find out where the Weber water key was and where the turnoff valve was. I got the water turned off and then started to drain the lake.  It took me most of the day to clean up the mess I had made, go to the store and get the parts to fix the pipe, fix the pipe and then get 6 inches of road base in the bottom of the hole.  I wanted to see if we liked pavers as the new sidewalk or if concrete would be better.   

My lake.

I hit the pipe dead center.

The pipe is all better.

I dug down a foot before I started filling it back in with road base.

The road base is in.

I was dead tired and sore from all the digging and hauling of road base and I concluded that concrete would be much better.  So I need to get two bids for the new concrete pad and sidewalk entrance to the apartment.  However, I will finish the stairs.  Thursday evening we went to the play “Matilda” at Hale Family Theater in Sandy.  As we were entering, I saw Ted and Sharon Jackman standing over by one of the doors.  We served with them in the Cochabamba, Bolivia temple   We went over and gave them a big hug, and then we took a picture with them.  It was great to run into them and get caught up a bit.   

At "Matilda" with the Jackmans.

Friday I worked at Charlotte’s house repairing a number of things for her.  Mom spent the day organizing and putting things away.  We still have things in the storage unit.  We did, however, go to dinner with Wally and Martha Cooper.   Wally drew up the plans for the apartment so that I could get the building permit.  After dinner, we took them on a tour of the apartment so that they could see how it turned out.  They are some or our best friends and we love them.  

Dinner with Wally and Martha.

Another one of Luke's football games.  We did not stay long, it was raining.

Saturday, I got started the stairs before we had to go to the temple for our shift.  We had a nice day in the temple.  In the evening, Chris took 4 of our grandchildren to an Escape Room.  They did not solve the clues and they all got blown up along with most of the US.  I went and watched Charlotte play her last basketball game at the recreation center.  

The start of the stairs.

Charlotte, #2, would not look at me for a picture.  

The escape room adventure.

Sunday after church we went to Charlotte’s house for dinner.  After dinner we played some games with her family.  It was a great week and we crammed in a lot of stuff.