Happy Birthday, Eric!

Happy 25th, Eric! Wow, just yesterday he was this little kid throwing eggs from the fridge because he thought they were balls. I couldn't keep him out of them. The little guy who loved following his big brothers and sister and would ride his hot wheel with such speed to try to keep up with them. Now here he is a quarter of a century old (that is Eric's phrase for 25!) and having just graduated from college. What a great son! We are blessed to have such a sincere, loving and giving son! It has been fun to watch him become a great husband and father!

Happy "25" Eric

We Love you!

The Mom's in my life!

To all the Mom's in my life, I want you to know that I love and appreciate you for the examples you have been to me. I know that I can't give a tribute to everyone but here are a few...

My Mom - Being left with 8 children when my father passed away, her hands were always busy making sure that we had the basics we needed to provided a warm home for us. The one thing that I remember is her baking bread and cinnamon rolls, making sure there were cookies always in the cookie jar, making pieced quilts to give away, and taking extra jars of jam and loafs of bread to the neighbors. She was always very giving even though we didn't have much. Her hands were always busy! I don't remember her complaining much which I'm sure that there were many a day she wanted to just sit down and quit. She showed me how to get through the tough times and to have the courage to keep going. She is an"Elect" daughter of God. One whom I love very dearly!

Nina (Rick's mom) - Without her I would not have the wonderful husband and companion I have. I wish I could have met her. From what I know about her, Nina was a very warm and loving mother, who gave her love and a home to her stepbrothers and stepsisters when her stepmother and her father passed away a year within each other. She and Everett took them into their home and heart. Several of them were teens at the time. I think about the courage and strength that she must have had to do this. Everett and her were then blessed with five of their own children. She raised some great children, Rick being the oldest. I know that she instilled in her children an attitude of kindness because each of them have carried that into their adult lives.

Stephanie - my beautiful daughter! I have come to learn much about motherhood by watching my daughter with her children. She is such a caring, loving and giving mother. I have been so blessed by her in my life. I love the mother-daughter relationship we have. She is truely one of my best friends! She has been so appreciative to me and overlooks all my mistakes...or the mistakes I made while she and her brothers were growing up. But has always been one to lighten my life and make me smile. She gave me such a beautiful present for mother's day that she made. What happiness she has brought to me. I love you, Stephanie, and the mother you are!

Lacey, Katie and Joy - my wonderful daughter-in-laws. Their mothers did a great job in raising such beautiful women. They are the light of my son's lives and the mother of my grandchildren. I so love watching each of them with the love and warmth they give their children (my little grandchildren) and seeing the love that comes to their faces as they watch them grow. Each one is an example to me in so many different ways of things that I need to be working on in my life. I love each of you! Thank you for being such great moms!

My sisters-Faye, Sharon, and Margie - They each are special women. I love the fact that they have always had a great interest in my children and now my grandchildren. Whenever we visited Idaho as the kids were growing up, they took an great interest in them and then when our children went to college in Idaho and Utah, they were there to help and support them in what ways they could. I love the fact that Margie has always been there for my kids and now she enjoys the grandkids. Stephanie's boys love "Grandma Margie".

ERIC'S GRADUATION

Now for the end of our trip...Eric's graduation! (Wow, my baby graduated from college!) What a heart warming experience to see your youngest graduate from college. I didn't think I would cry but being a mom there were some tears. It was a great experience to see Eric graduate and to be there with him, Joy and little Olivia. We have been so pleased with the choices Eric has made in his life and his focus on what he wants to pursue. What a wonderful son!!! One of the graduation speakers talked on putting things in order in your life and doing the right steps in the Lord's plan, also. It has been so wonderful to see all our children as they have made the right steps in their lives. It was interesting that Stephanie graduated from "Ricks" with an associate ten years before, Eric's aunt Margie with an associate forty years before...and hard to say it...myself thirty-eight years before, all in the same building. (BYU-Idaho is now in the process of building a new student field house which will hold 20,000.) After graduation and a celebration dinner at Olive garden, we got on the road to help Eric and Joy drive back with their moving truck and car. I got to sit in the back of their car most of the time and play with Olivia. We had lots of fun!!! I love being a grandmother...one of the best blessings in this world.

Congratulations Eric!!!

We Love You!!!

Dinosaurs!

After going to Matthew and Katie's home, we headed to Stephanie and Brett's. It was fun being able to visit with Brett, Stephanie and the boys. It was a short stay but we were all able to go up to Idaho to Eric's graduation and then come back to her home for one more night. While at Stephanie's, we went to Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, Utah to see the Dinosaur museum. It was quite amazing (some of the dinosaur remains were from Nebraska...wow). Anyway, I thought I would post some of the pictures from Stephanie's home and our fun times. Noah and Cooper are so interested in everything and loved going to the museum and Micky D's (one of Grandma and Grandpa's favorite place to take them.

Easter, Pinning on Captain, Dinosaurs, and Eric's Graduation!

I'm trying to catch up on my posting....The last two weeks went by so fast. It was such a great trip, I hope you don't mind all the pictures but there was so much I didn't want to leave out! We loved every moment of it. (Although the ride back to Omaha was a little slow! Moving trucks don't go too fast. You know you are slow when almost every semi passes you!) We flew to Matthew's on the Saturday before Easter and spent Easter with Matthew, Katie, the boys and Sharalyn. Sharalyn picked us up at the airport in Denver and went to CO Springs with us. We enjoyed our stay. It was fun to see their new place and to spend time with them and the boys. We stayed through Wednesday so we could see Matthew pin on Captain. Matthew invited Rick to come and give him the Oath. Katie and I also pinned on his bars (we used the bars that Rick pinned on Captain with). What a great experience!

Easter

Grandpa Rick, Carter and Keegan (Matthew and Katie's boys)



Grandma Ranae and Keegan

Grandma Ranae with Carter!

Easter Fun!





Sharalyn and Carter!

Going to the playground across from Matthews. The community center is right across the street with a wonderful playground and an indoor swimming pool complete with a toddler's swimming area. Rick thought it would be great to take a picture of us walking. (I'm not too sure!!!)

Matthew's Captain Advancement

It was a wonderful opportunity to be a part of Matthew recieving his rank of captain. Rick was able to give him the oath and Katie and I the pinning on. It was well attended by his fellow servicemen and was a nice event.

Pinning on the Captain Bars
Rick giving Matthew the Oath

After the pinning on, we headed to Salt Lake City to visit with Stephanie, Brett and family.

Easter, Pinning on Captain, Dinosaurs, and Eric's Graduation to be continued......

March Highlights (April Highlights coming soon!)

I thought I would put in a few of Feb/March highlights. It was a very busy month. We were able to attend Kaitlyn's baptism. What a special event it was! Kaitlyn is such a precious granddaughter with such a sincere and kind soul. Our niece, Sharalyn, came to visit the first weekend of March. We enjoyed her visit, spending time with Jason and Lacey and their family while she was here. Then I was able to go out to Utah and Idaho. I stayed with Stephanie and Brett for a couple of days and Eric and Joy for a day and half. It was a quick trip but a much needed one for me. I enjoyed being able to do things with Stephanie and to see Eric conduct his first Sacrament meeting as a member of the bishopric. We have also been cleaning and discarding alot of files...that has kept me very busy. I feel like shredding has become my first job! When you find bills and receipts from 14 years ago, you know you haven't moved in a long time. I also have been teaching the family history class at church, which is rather fun. They have new and hands on lessons with several workshops to do with the class members. I thought I would include a few of my favorite pics from Feb/March:

Kaitlyn's Baptism

Jason's kids

Stephanie's Boys~Noah and Cooper sporting their new glasses!

My Creative Daughter!

My daughter, Stephanie, is very creative and talented. It has been so fun to see all that she does and accomplishes. I love seeing her sewing, refinishing furniture from wonderful sale finds, and making wonderful decorating items. She has given me some really fun and unique items which I love sitting in my home. I thought I would post a few of her many creations.



She made and gave me this fun "A Few of My Favorite Things" stand. It has been fun to put my favorite pictures on it.


This is a chalkboard made from a plate. What a fantastic addition to my kitchen.

This is a wreath made from pages from a book that Stephanie made and put on her wall.

A beautiful finish to an entertainment center.

Happy Birthday, Lacey!

Today is Lacey's birthday! I hope she doesn't mind that I write a few things that I admire about her. I love Lacey's gorgeous hair. It is so long and always cut so beautifully. She is also very creative with her girls hair. They always have such cute dos. I admire her strong motivation about exercising and how she works hard at it. She, also, works hard at her job and accomplishes much with four kids at home. Although busy, she is very organized. The thing that I admire the most, though, is her attitude towards being a mother and the effort she puts into it. You can see the love she has for her children. It shows in how loving and giving her children are towards each other and towards others. Jason and her have four great kids and are doing a great job in raising them.
We hope you have a great birthday!

A Powerful Testiment of Courage

I was very touched yesterday to have been able to see and hear Gerda Weissmann Klein (one of the few remaining holocaust survivors) speak. She spoke to the high school world history students. Her story is an amazing story of the human spirit. Gerda was a young polish woman of seventeen/eighteen when separated from her family and sent to slave-labor camps. She endured three years there and then sent on a three-month death march from the Polish-German border to southern Czechoslovakia walking 350 miles (of the 2,000 that started the march only 120 remained when liberated).

Gerda Klein is an example of the resilience of the human heart and our need to always have hope. She told the students to never take anything or anyone for granted and asked them to look around them as they entered their homes after school, to invision what it would be like to never see your family, your room, your favorite things again. I know that many of the teens were touched by her story. I started reading her memoirs last night in the book, "All But My Life". What a powerful and inspirational woman!