Last Christmas Here

This will be our last Christmas in our pretty, Christmas-y house on Woodhill Road. It's been lovely, and I'm thankful.

                  We had some friends over for brunch after church on the 24th. That was fun!

Yay!

Yay! Hard work and perseverance pay off, once again! (Many prayers too.)
Lina got word that she's been accepted to medical school.
She'll be following in my dad's footsteps, and if all goes well, we'll have another MD in the family!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

 HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the CFO and co-CEO of the outstanding enterprise, Charles & Cowles-Charles, Inc!

Dear Cristie, may this new year of your life bring much happiness and many blessings. May a special birthday wish come true.


picture






It's also Ute's birthday. She would be 68 today; hard to believe.

Ute

             Dear Ute, today on your birthday, I'm putting up this sweet little photo of you and me, in memory of you. I think of you so often, with love and gratitude. You are always in my heart.

Greenville!

On our way home we drove to Greenville! And spent a happy time with our darling little blond curly-head, who now has her own little kitchen to work in, and who RUNS around; and with her precious, chunky, cuddly, smiley baby brother; and with their dear parents.

September!

It's been an amazing, wonderful summer.

Now the pool has closed, and the days are getting slightly cooler.

Last week we were, as Opa put it, "teen-sitting" at D and L'z new home in Marietta, Georgia. So fun, and good to be with them all. From seminary in the early morning to high school and middle school and music lessons and tennis and Young Men's after school and in the evening, they are an active and loving and busy household.
We miss Amelia of course, but it sounds like she loves BYU life and her new friends and roommates already.

Two of the boys have birthdays in a few days. We made a Boston creme cake (in honor of their years in Boston) and sang Happy Birthday To You!

Opa and I also sang to our first grandchild, over in Switzerland. Nicky turned 19.
I admit I shed a few tears that night, thinking about how quickly the years are passing and how grown-up they are becoming.


pictures





pictures

Are these little guys really turning nineteen, fourteen and seventeen already?

"Beauftragt von Jesus Christus, taufe ich dich..."

    We believe that the first principles of the gospel are: first, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, repentance; third, baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.

    Thinking back today to those early days of my conversion in Ebelsberg, and to everything that has happened these many years, with much gratitude.

                                                                               Mosiah 18

Ray's Family is in Austria

    Ray's family was able to go to Austria.

     It's touching that they can be in "the old homeland".  Ray had asked that his ashes be taken there. His pension and insurance left the family some money, so they were all able to go. (all of his children, with partners, and many of his grandchildren.)
Pretty amazing, all the way from Yellowknife.

Photo: Ray's two sons, Sean and Miles, on the ends of the picture; his two daughters, Naomi and Michaela, in the middle, plus Naomi's husband Justin and Miles' girlfriend Cat, and some of the kids.

  

HAPPY DAYS (are here again)

We had a mini family reunion in Provo, and it was simply great. To us, it was as perfect as it could be.                                                        

We saw four of our sons, three of our daughters in law, and fifteen of our darling grandchildren. It was pretty special and happy.

Charlotte, Atticus, Hazey and our two newest grandchildren!!

On Saturday, we had a fun time with J and M and all the little ones. It was our first time with Miles and Mary (12 weeks old), both so sweet and beautiful, as is each of the other children. Good little travelers. Amazingly, they all have been traveling this summer, and having fun with little cousins and friends, both in Texas and then in Utah. 

Opa and Mary

Anna, Abey and Miles

                                 

The Hike!

Monday was our main reunion day. First we hiked the Y. Everyone did great. I can't say I did, because my stamina was very low, but my new hip did not hurt at all, and neither did the other one. So that is good. 

                                                                                                                                                          Y photos are by John

   
Cristie slowed down to walk with me.

Someone whose writing I respect said about hiking: "Along with the obvious gift of fitness and ideal setting for conversation, hiking lends itself to parables - looking out for others along the trail, ceasing from judgment, going at your own pace, pushing past your weakness..."  michelle lehnhardt          I like that thought.
     

picture

The Bowling!

Back in Provo, we had a great lunch (make-your-own deli sandwiches and watermelon). John gathered all the grandchildren around, and told them some stories from his life, mainly funny ones from his youth, but also some mission experiences, etc. He had wanted to do that for some time, and I'm glad it worked out. The kids were attentive.

Then we went bowling at BYU. So fun!!

   It was a lot of fun! Everyone did great. Chris ended up having the most strikes and getting the most points! Cheers!

We came back to Steven and Cristie's, ate a delicious and healthy dinner, and also sang Happy Birthday to all the many summer birthdays, and then to everyone there, with cake and candles, in many different languages, including pig-latin...  

We were so sorry that Noah was sick, could not come that day. He was included by phone, though.

The Concert / Talent Show!

THEN - drum roll, please --  the Family Concert and Talent Show! It was wonderful. We are amazed and pleased and proud of each of the kids for their hard work and talent and the confident and lovely way they shared some of their talents with us all. From the youngest ones - Anna did the splits, and played two cute songs on her "bells" (xylophone), to the oldest ones (Nick on piano, Sam on cello) and everyone else in between, each one was amazing in their own way! The applause was loud and well deserved.  (I'm sorry I don't have a picture of the amazing pianists who also performed.)

We want to thank Steven and Cristie for their hospitality, for opening their home and making the gatherings possible, and Cristie especially for arranging for all the extra instruments needed for the concert.

The evening ended with a few very cute and funny little skits.

Skit - "Is it Time?"

Tuesday morning we toured the new buildings of the MTC, which was uplifting and fun. I was impressed with all the light - huge windows, and sky-lights additionally. All the kids had already been, but Sam and Ben wanted to go again, and came with us. They wanted to see the newly revealed chandelier at the end of the tour. It is a work of art. "Amazing" does not do it justice. And to think it was designed and created by an artist in England who is only twenty years old!

The Provo City Center Temple!

Wednesday - another highlight: Baptisms at the Provo City Center Temple with our older grandchildren, except for Sarah, who was not feeling well that day. I recently found some Upper Austrian ancestors on the Woess side - siblings of my great-grandmother Crescentia Schaubschlaeger. We were very pleased to be able to do the work for them, and also some of the Pruess relatives. Each of the grandchildren was baptized for at least one Schaubschlaeger. Steven said the kids are now Schaub-geschlagen. 

We waited a little while for Chris and Amy to finish their endowment session, and walked around the temple grounds. Then we took Nicky out to lunch. He chose Mexican, and we went to Los Hermanos.

The Individual Time with the Kids!

We really wanted to take each child out separately and spend a little time with them individually. That's what we did in the next days. Nicky was the first one. Each could choose where they wanted to go, and what they wanted to do.

I don't have pictures for everyone, but here are a few.

The Pool!

On Thursday, Cristie took some of the children to the rec center, and I was able to admire some of the swimming and pencil diving!

So much fun! My heart was full.

The Cottles

Friday evening we had a wonderful time with Michaela and Jeff and Thomas and Bre. Per Bre's request, Michaela had made her specialty meal that is the all-time favorite - chicken and green dumplings. So good! Just a few days before, Mich returned from a trip to Chapel Hill. She also visited Adam and KayAnna and the little ones while out in the Carolinas.

                                                                                                                                                                          photo: Jeff

Saturday we stayed up in Heber, resting a bit, packing a little, and awaiting Margaret's return. We so appreciate her kind hospitality. The three of us went out to dinner, (delicious salmon at a cafe nearby) and then Margaret drove us around in Heber, showing us her father's saw mill and store, the little hospital where she was born (now a thrift store), etc. Heber means a lot to her. We also rode over to Midway, and loved the beautiful scenery with meadows and mountains. I have long thought, if I had a lot of money, I would devote a good chunk of it to preserving green spaces for the future. I would follow what Mr. Bernheim did here in Kentucky for us, preserving beautiful woods and meadows. I believe Midway would be a worthy cause for my millions. haha.

Sunday we went to church with Jacob and then we all went to St and Cr's again. We ate together, and then we had to part. It was hard to say good-bye.

Jake returned the day before from his Adventure Cycling ride in Colorado. HURRAY, JAKES! You did it! The start was very rough, with cold and rain, a leaky rain cover on his tent, being by himself and not knowing anyone, not being familiar with the terrain, having brought only sandals and no other shoes or boots, etc.
But he persevered, and things got much better. He conquered Vail Pass and every other obstacle. Success.

Jacob at his place of work, the Covey Center for the Perfoming Arts

I can't even express how happy and thankful we are for this wonderful time, with so many of us together. I thank our Heavenly Father for all the help and many blessings.


P.S.  I almost forgot to mention THE PEACHES at Allred's Orchards!! Oh, they were magnificent - fragrantly delicious, juicy and sweet. The kids loved them, too; especially dear, sweet Hazey, who reminds me of a peach herself.

Happy Birthday to Amy!

Happy Birthday to a wonderful mother and wife and sister and friend.

We wish you the best of everything, and we hope this long-planned-for family trip is all you

and Chris hope it will be. 

Happy 4th!

  4th of July in Kentucky a couple of summers ago

                             Happy Fourth of July!

Oh beautiful, for spacious skies, and amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesty amid the fruited plain... (on cross-country trips, I've often thought, how true - ) How beautiful for pilgrim feet, whose stern, impassioned stress  A thoroughfare for freedom beat, across the wilderness...

O CANADA!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CANADA!

You welcomed us, and so many other immigrant families, with generosity, optimism, wide skies, and the promise of a fresh new start.

We stayed only five or six years, but they were very important and formative years for us children.
Canada gave us many lasting gifts, including native-level fluency in reading and speaking the English language, and all the doors this opened for us.

So thank you for everything! And a bright and happy future to you, and all of your citizens and neighbours.

Our flag was still the Union Jack

P.S. You've all heard, haven't you, that it was actually an Austrian who gave Canada its name.
Many, many years ago, a small group of Austrians landed on this new shore. They looked around, but saw no one.

So one Austrian said to the others, "Kana da."  (Nobody here.)

Happy Father's Day to our wonderful sons, and their dad!

Bon Anniversaire!

at home in St. Clément de Rivières

Happy, happy Birthday and Joyeux Anniversaire to a cool French kid who was born fifteen years ago on this very day!

His sports class had a party today, since it's his birthday and it's almost the end of the school year and he is leaving and sadly, won't be there next year. He made cookies to bring to the fête, and everyone liked them. He said it was a great day. We love you lots, Hayden, and are very proud of you.

You've come a long way, baby, since your first days in lovely Oxford, England.

here's newborn baby Hayden in the blanket, with his family, punting on the Cherwell!

Created by Mom

For Mother's Day this month, I'd like to pay tribute to my mom's skill with a needle and her trusty treadle sewing machine. That machine was a very important part of our household, and it went with us on all our moves, including to Canada and back. Mom loved to create and to sew. She worked quickly, but carefully and neatly. Seams were finished, and almost every dress and skirt was lined. Usually she had just one or two basic patterns, and made the rest up as she went along.
She made many, many items for my siblings and for herself as well, of course. The pictures are just what I have on hand, and show a small fraction of her creations.

In my little wood, Letten

Ute and I with new dresses in white cotton with little blue flowers, for Pentecost Sunday, when new dresses are a tradition 

White dress for my debutante ball / graduation from dancing course in downtown Linz

Mom created this party dress, here beautifully worn by Urs, out of an old evening skirt, originally for me; I left it at home when I went to BYU.

My skirt and Ursula's dress by Mom, in Pasching, with our family's missionaries at the time

BYU graduation, expecting first baby

 this dress was of 100 % raw silk, really pretty material; expecting second baby.

leaving Davis Community Hospital with little David. Mom made this dress before I left home.

Baby's blessing day.  Mom sent this dress to Davis.

Law school graduation, with Delpha, Angie, Betty, Peter; photo by Jean. Mom sent this dress also.

 Mom made this wrap skirt with re-purposed fabric.

I kept a few items. The tag says "Specially Handmade by Mother".