OH HAPPY HAPPY DAY!

Last Monday Travis (Brian) came back into our lives. Here he is in South Africa.

21 Year Reunion: Brian (Travis), Alisa's Birth Son

Brian (Travis) and girlfriend Jillian


















South Africa bound: LDS Mission





Brian and his family - Sacramento Temple

After 21 years of separation and several years of searching, Brian (Travis) found US!! Alisa and I have been in the clouds, on top of the world, for 5 days!! IT'S SUCH A MIRACLE!

      Here he is with his beautiful sister, Stacy.

Back in the Day... Mildred Wingate

Here's Grandmother B, back in the day...
Ol timey picnic. She was the oldest in her family. Although she was born in Florida, she lived in Georgia (St. Marys & Kingsland) most of her life.







































I love the hat! Looks like fall by the oak tree & lake.

Sisters - Keta & Mildred

Grandmother Balkcom (Mildred Irene Wingate)

Grandmother Balkcom is an amazing woman. She's 96 year's young! "GO" was her middle name, according to her husband, Dewey. (He died of a massive heart attack about 35 years ago.)
When David came home from his mission in December of 2001, she came to San Diego from Sacramento. One of the main attractions on her San Diego list was to visit the San Diego ZOO!
Yes, indeed, we "did the zoo".
















This photo was taken at David & Ana's wedding
in 2007, at 94 years young, she's still a doll!















Happy Day, Grandmother comes to BYU from
Sacramento for Britt's Graduation in 2003.















Here she helps to send "Elder Balkcom" (Britt)
on his mission to Adalaide, Austrailia in 2000

Uncle Britt's BDay Party

What a party! Provo Canyon, Nunn's Park.
Here's five of the girl cousins (clockwise): Izi, Cass, Lace, Ire, JaNise.











The evening was BEAUTIFUL, Britt was frisky, and we all froliced in the canyon breeze. The food was yummy & the fire was blazing.


Alisa, Kess, Lacey Lu & a visiting chickadee.















Rich, Erica and Cass





















Sawyer, Hol, Brittney, Britt & Max. Max grilled the meat & helped clean up. He's such a great kid -- actually he'll be 19 this month.












Triple Trouble

GGGirl

Introducing Cadence Marie, Derek and Chelsea's new baby girl. Chelsea came down from Rock Springs, WY to visit and introduce her to the fam. She's beautiflul & Chelsea enjoys her so much and takes such good care of her. She's ADORABLE and so petite!












Here's Aunt JaNise, Cassidy, Chealsea & Cadence, and Isabelle.















Four Generations: Alisa, Chelsea, Baby C & GGMa.

Oquirrh Mountain Temple Open House by JaNise

(by JaNise) We went to the temple today and it was so glorious. To see that great magnificent building was terrific. This temple is a wonderful because it's the Lord's house. My favorite part was the Celestial Room where there were two huge mirrors showing you going on for ever and eternity. The giant star shaped chandelier was so magnificent!

This photo is with me and my mother, Alisa, and Olivia Mary. Kessler was nearby eating chocolate chip cookies. We went with Grammy and she made us Pigs in a Blanket (sausage rolls) for brunch to eat on the way and we had icy cold red grapes. Yum!! When we came back we went swimming for a bit at Grammy's pool. I'm spending the night tonight and we went to Yoga and then to Rubio's in AF. After we came home we washed the car by hand. Whew what a day of memories and special times.

Hawaii by Max

Max sent this to me from his iphone.
He's been working Northwest shore in Oahu.



















This is outside his lanai.

Summertime!

Ever since I was 8 or 9, I've been overjoyed by frogs. One summer we met our Tiffany cousins at a beautiful park on the way home from Huntington Beach. It was inland a bit before Disneyland in the Brookhurst area. The ponds were filled with frogs and tadpoles. I gathered as many as my dad would let me take home and made a cage of sorts for them in my bedroom. I soon realized I had to let the frogs out, to live in our gardens back by our Jackson Street patio, by the camelias and the ivy. However, I continued to raise the very large tadpoles. They were facinating (to Finna as well as the rest of the family). Once the cat knocked the screen off the top of the 9x11 baking pan they lived in and one or two got out. I remember finding one, covered with dust in the far corner of the bedroom.




This is about how I've felt the last few weeks... basking in the sun in my backyard.








The Crawford Gladiolas. Last year Dennis brought me a container full of bulbs. Kessler and I carefully planted them and we had fun watching them grow. Dennis said to be sure and dig them up before the ground froze. Well last winter I had major work done on my yard and had trenchwork done all over. I wasn't able to dig them up, as that area of the yard was blocked. Darn it! So they were covered with new dirt and weed meshing to prevent growth and more dirt. Didn't think I'd ever see them again. You know those Scottish blooded peeps... these weren't ordinary gladiola. Early summer I found two plants that had worked their way through the weedproof covering. I wondered if they would make it into blooms. Well with lots of water and a little coaxing they are blooming beautifully and gracing my garden. Amazing!

Budlin, cozing on his daytime spot on my desk by the window. He loves sunshine as much as I do.

Poor Bud is aging (12 now - 84 in cat years). He has an ear that is injured, and a few aches here and there, but he still has a soul mate -- her name is Ezita.

Now here is Britt's new look, has anyone seen him on his yellow bullet?

Oliva Mary's Photo Shoot - May 2009

Noni's Graduation from Pre-School 2009

June Brings Balkcom Wedding Aniversary

What a gorgeous couple and extra beautiful bride. Beautiful memories.















They sure do look younger here. Engagement Photo.



Such a perfect day!

Momma T's oldest boy. She sure is proud!

MAY BIRTHDAY'S, Nick, Derek & Lacey

SNOWBIRD Holiday June 2009

Uncle Dave & Ana treated Kess, JaNise and Grammy to a retreat in Snowbird. It rained and thunderstomed yet it was so much fun!! What a way to start the summer. Ariel caught her first fish, as did JaNise - (4 actually). Kess caught 7. The pond was stocked with beautiful rainbow trout and it was catch & release fishing.

Handsome Max - What a Ball Player!

Here's my second oldest grandson, Max. He's always been such a doll. He's a great ball player. Here he is after a baseball game - one of his last high school games, as he just graduated!!

Home Sweet Home - Oh, Happy Day!

Oh, such happiness! The "Windows of Heavan" have given me blessings. It's like Christmas in June. I've dreamed for over a year of landscaping my yard - had such challenges with drainage, etc. to overcome first. After 3 months of planning, it was finished Thursday. Notice the beautiful Canadian Cherry in the front ( in Ana's honor), with a new Weeping Larch on the right, and a new Norwejian Spruce on the left.

This is right outside my back sliding door. A Redbud & spreading Yew.

This view is from my door into my neighbors yard (someday we'll have the rest of the fencing). Another cherry, a clump version this time, a Canadian Hemlock (planted by Dennis), my three origianal cedars, and a Maple Flame clump.

This view shows the southeast part of my yard with a beautiful Norwejian Fairway Maple, and a Maple Autumn Blaze. The rose garden is in the far corner.

Here against the back of the house is a scattering of Dense Yews, Emerald Gaiety Euonymous, another Flame Maple Clump, and notice the Gladiolas who were determined to reappear this year! Photos were snapped between thunderstorms.

Holli's Kidlets - My how they grow...