It's Too Quiet

Seven of the "kids", along with spouses and grandchildren joined us for Christmas. We traveled to the Hales' Theater in SLC to see "Christmas Carole", ate at The Cracker Barrel, shopped at Tai Pan, played pool at Noah's and rocked out to the "Rock Band", celebrated the upcoming birth of our 13th grandchild at Olive Garden, jumped at Jumpin' Jacks, ate everything good, looked at lights, opened gifts twice, prayed often, went to Church, watched our special movie and thoroughly enjoyed every moment - even when Brooklyn threw up! The last family left yesterday and we dwindled from twenty five back to just the four of us. Call me crazy, but my favorite thing is to sit back and watch everyone interact - how did we get so many personalities, but one thing we all have in common - a sense of humor. I just found out how important a sense of humor is when Bill and I made use of one of our gifts - tickets to "Body Worlds 3". Happiness has more influence on your getting heart disease than weight, exercise, and age. Don't Worry - Be Happy!

The Deer Hit Us

J and Brooklyn decided to come and stay with Grandma and Grandpa on Thanksgiving night. J called and said he wanted to stay for six days but his Dad negotiated with him to stay six days, but do it two days at a time (we taught Tom well). We put puzzles together, played "The Marble Game" on Grandma's computer, read stories, went to visit Maty, ate at McDonald's, and went looking at Christmas lights on Friday evening. We were going through Mapleton when I told J that Christmas was when we celebrated Jesus' birthday. Now everything took on a different perspective - instead of "look at the lights", J would say, "they are sure excited about Jesus' birthday!" and then the next house would have even more lights and he would say, "they are REALLY excited about Jesus' birthday!". As we were passing a very elaborately lit house, we heard a very large BANG and a very large deer continued to run across the street in front of us, stopped for a moment, then took off into the wooded area. We got out and inspected the car (not too much damage) and then continued on. I asked J if he was still looking for lights and he said, "I'm seeing shadows - I think there are more deer!" Then a few minutes later he was back saying, "they are excited about Jesus' birthday, huh Grandma?".

How excited are you about Jesus' birthday?

OK - Maybe Not

I'm just trying to cut back a little, maybe I'll just cut back on....not french fries.....not quilting.....not seeing my grandkids....not seeing my kids....not sleep....not shopping....cooking - that's it! Here we come McDonalds - filet of fish does sound good. Wait til I post about a deer hitting us!

"So Long, Farewell......"

It has been an experience being a blogger, but I must move on. See ya' later. All good things must come to an end - this one on November 22.

A Visit With "Kids"

We left for Las Vegas on October 16th after spending the morning having our "Check Engine" light investigated at the dealer. We were assured everything was just fine and began our trip about 11:00 AM. We made it a whole six miles before we ran into mega traffic - did I forget to mention that it was fall break for Utah schools and Friday was the opening of the deer hunt - thus, the traffic. I am so glad that we are well acquainted with the metropolis of Spanish Fork (where the traffic jam began) so we were able to take surface streets and avoid all the traffic - saving us, as I'm told by those less familiar with the aforementioned metropolis, approximately 47 minutes. We lost count by Nephi of the number of motorhomes on the road - roughly 42.5 - and we had only gone 30 miles! Our next stop was St. George and the big decision as to where to eat. We always eat at Panda's - let's try something new - not MacDonald's, we ate there last night - how about Subway - doesn't sound good - how about Wendy's - don't see one. Oh, look, there's Carl's Jr - haven't eaten there for at least a week - so we did, that is, eat at Carl's Junior. Next stop, Levi's. We were thoroughly entertained by Aly, had a very nice dinner and then Levi arrived - not before 8:00 PM. We visited and then went to bed and awoke the next morning to prepare for the trip to Craig's. Would we mind going to Aly's gymnastics class first - not a bit. You'll love the family video this year - Aly is quite the performer - when she wants to be. We all loaded into the Cadillac and we were off to Gilbert. Once across the impressive Dam we are on our way. Uh, oh - time for another decision - where should we eat? How about Kingman since that's where we always get lost - and we did, eat (grabbed a few snacks) and got lost. GPS and cel phones don't work too well in Kingman. We did manage to call Craig and get directions, for what good it did us - we still went the wrong way - I did too say we go left not right! We managed to make it to Craig's with perfect timing - Craig just arrived and Diana and the girl's arrived shortly thereafter. Diana and the girl's picked up Pizza on the way home and we had a great evening together. The schedule the next morning included a soccer game starring Cori Bachler and her team - so it was off to bed - and I need to report that Bill and I did not get locked out of the Jack-n-Jill bathroom THIS time so there was no hurrying down the stairs at 1:00 AM - did I say hurrying down the stairs - only to dribble just a little across the floor - thank goodness it was tile and easy to clean up - growing older is not graceful! The soccer game was fantastic - Cori's team (all girls) against those huge bully boys! Next was shopping - of course and then the usual trying to stay up with Craig on the freeways, etc. A wonderful dinner was prepared for us and then later we went to bed - now this was exciting! As I was laying in bed, almost asleep, the huge muscular guy, Bill, went to climb in bed and the bed BROKE! Now, I'm laying on the mattress on the floor with the frame of the bed located in such a way that I couldn't crawl out. Bill tries to help and then he falls and then, well, we start laughing soooo hard - I tell Bill to turn the light on and then he starts laughing harder - he had picked up my glasses and put them on and thought he had lost his lenses until he realized what he had done and then - oh my gosh I haven't laughed sooo hard..... Well, it didn't end there, but I will.

The road trip back was great, just one little problem. I forgot that Bill doesn't like to drive at night, and I took my turn first. That meant that when it started getting dark - Levi had to drive. I just sat in the backseat, closed my eyes, and tried to convince myself that flying over the Dam wasn't going to be that bad!

Trip to Logan

We went to Logan on Friday, Sept. 27 to help with a project, visit, and celebrate a very important birthday. The project consisted of laying about 7500 sq. ft. of sod. The neighbors came over to help along with relatives - it took about four hours of intensive labor. Afterwards we had pizza and pop for everyone.



Saturday we celebrated Mason's 1st birthday. He had lots of cousins, grandparents, a great-grandpa, uncles, and aunts to help him celebrate. His mother made three beautifully decorated cakes that tasted just as fantastic as they looked. One cake was specifically made for Mason by his mother and that's the one in the picture. His mom let him dig into that cake all by himself and he thoroughly enjoyed it - I envied him. We had a fantastic visit. Mason's newest cousins were at his party - twins just born two weeks ago.

While I was at work one day Bill took a trip with (from l to r) his brother Dan, Dan's wife, Nancy, Bill, and Bill and Dan's sister, Kathy. They took a tour of Salt Lake and had a great time. Kathy and her husband, Clark, were visiting from Council Bluff, IA. They need to plan when I can go - I know the best places to eat.

A Labor Weekend of Love

Tom called Thursday night and was in need of a babysitter for Friday and, you guessed it, we just happened to be able to work things out. J had told Tom and Julie the next time he came to Grandma and Grandpa's he would stay for three days. He was right! I have to give a lot of credit to Richard for Friday - he works four tens and opted out of working Friday for overtime so he could help Tom out - both Bill and I had to work Friday. Well, Julie needed to work Saturday and so Grandma suggested we just keep them Saturday night so B and J could go to Church with us on Sunday. We received a call from Michael and Mati was not feeling well and was running a temperature - they ended up taking her to the emergency room Saturday night and finding out she is just like Grandpa - beginning stages of pneumonia! She is doing much better now.

J heard me talking with Kristina about going to visit her Sunday afternoon and returning Monday, he made it clear that he just had to go too and visit Carter and Tyler. Well, that's what he ended up doing . We dropped B off on Sunday and after stopping to check on Mati and then we proceeded to Logan. We had a great time and arrived back home Monday around 5:00 PM.

Needlesstosay, we had a great long weekend! The weather started out windy and raining, but ended up being a perfect drive home with clear beautiful skies and the feeling of crisp autumn weather.

Aunt Mary

We went to Price Tuesday evening to visit with Aunt Mary. It was a delightful evening. She left for home - New Jersey - today. I told her I would visit her - sure hope I can this summer. In the picture to the left are (standing from l to r): my Mom, Jack, Dorothy, Perry, Grandma Fry - sitting down are (l to r) Thelma, Mary and Martin (Thelma's oldest son). This picture was taken in Grand Junction in our front yard - there are only two Fry siblings not there - Joe and Ben (Ben died from Rocky Mt. Tick Fever while tending sheep when he was about 14).

The "Kids" Latest Visit

We again were able to have those days I live for - when the kids and grandkids come for a visit. This time we decided to take the grandkids out to this wonderful place so they could slide down these huge slides and have a great time. Marti took Phase 10, our favorite card game, so we older ones could have something to do while the grandkids played on the slides. Well, one thing led to another and before I knew it all of the "kids" were enjoying the slides and it was a great fun time - I think we should hold Michael's birthday party there! Next time everyone wants to go to "Jump On It" - I can't wait.

We Are Back

What a great time we had! We went bowling at a "very nice" bowling alley (they bring you your shoes, you sit on a very comfortable sofa - no hard chairs, they bring you food and drinks, very automatic scoring, etc.), we swam every day in a beautiful pool, we ate wonderful food, went shopping (of course - that's what I do best), met some very nice people, watched the dancing waters at the Bilagio (dancing to Elvis music - what more could I ask), did a session at the Las Vegas Temple, played with the greatest grandchildren, looked at a few model homes, took in a lot of scenery and on and on. We were on no time schedule and were very laid back. Now this weekend we will all (not Marie and family) meet in Logan for a reunion of all our kids and grandchildren. We will swim, play games, BBQ at the park, see a huge car show, shop (females only), and see Carter get baptized. This is a wonderful summer - we've done the things we really enjoy doing.

118 Degrees

Yup we are here and having a great time. I love it!

Here We Come - Ready or Not

We will be on our way in the morning for our first stop - Las Vegas. We should arrive around 5 or 6 PM. We will leave Vegas around noonish on Friday and arrive in Gilbert Friday evening. We are so excited to see everyone. Marti update - she now has three guys that want to date her "seriously" - when it rains it pours.

Little Duce Coupe and More!

Last night (June 13) Bill, Dan, Nancy, and I were rockin' and a rollin' to the Beach Boys music performed by the Kahuna Beach Party band. Opening for the band was the Flashback Brothers and their repertoire included music made popular by artists and groups including Elvis (yeah!), the Eagles, Elton John, Van Halen, Styx and Billy Joel. We took our lawn chairs and jackets to the Arts Park and had a great evening. Beforehand we ate at the Springville Firestation and enjoyed hamburgers cooked and served by the Springville EMTs and Firemen. We wondered through a lot of Art City Days exhibits and chatted with a lot of friends and neighbors. What a great evening. Oh, I almost forgot - we also had a hot fudge sundae from McDonald's. Tomorrow, we plan on stopping by the park and enjoying a meal before we leave and then head off to Brooklyn's birthday party. This is my kind of day.

Favorites!

When Bill and I went out to our usual Tuesday night place we were talking about which one of our nine kids thought they were our favorite. Well, we couldn't help but recall something we heard a long time ago. Click on "Mom Liked You Best" - just to the right.

Birthdays...

This month contains the birthdays for three of our grandchildren. Carter will be celebrating his birthday on the 8th. He will turn eight years old. He gets to go to his favorite place - Soda Springs to Grandma and Grandpa Reutzel's cabin. He will have a great time riding four wheelers, catching bugs, and spending time with the people he loves most - his family.

Brooklyn will celebrate her second birthday on the 14th. She is just happy to celebrate anywhere - life is just one big celebration for "B". She loves everyone and loves to tease her brother "J". We get to spend some extra time with her and J this coming week and we are really looking forward to it.

Tyler Wood will be celebrating his 13th birthday on the 15th. WOW - a teenager! He will be celebrating his birthday in Lacey, WA with his favorite people - his family. One of these years we might be able to celebrate a birthday with Tyler on his birthday, but for now, we'll just hope we get a few pictures.

There is one more birthday this month, and I believe it is on the 8th. He's not a grandchild or a child or even an official relative - his name is Tom Halverson and oddly enough, he is in Thailand, but Natalie will be there to make sure this birthday is a very special one!

This month will find Bill, Marti, and me spending some time with some great people as we vacation to Nevada and Arizona. We are really looking forward to our trip and we are going to just take our time and savor every moment.

This is going to be a great summer - especially in July - I'll telll you more about that later.

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The Greatest Job On Earth

How many can truly say they are employed outside of the home in the job they had wanted since they were in the seventh grade? I am one of those very fortunate people. I went into the office when I was in the Price Junior High School and took one slow look around and decided, yup - when I grow up I want to be a school secretary - and here I am fifty two years later - having fun at Sage Creek Elementary and getting paid for it! I've been at Sage Creek in one capacity or another for 25 years now.

I meet the most wonderful people everyday and I work for and with some of the greatest people you will ever meet in your lifetime. I work with people that are truly dedicated to their profession - they haven't chosen to work in this field for the money or the fame - they have chosen it because they love learning and want to instill this love of learning in others. I have been a secretary for the Department of Defense, a legal secretary, a secretary for the Bureau of Land Management, and a school secretary and I have never met such hard working, dedicated people as I have as a school secretary.

I love my life!

I tell my children to choose their professions wisely - make sure it is something you enjoy - their father spent the last fifteen years of his career dreading going to work most mornings. He now is a substitute teacher and loves working in the elementary schools.

"Decoration Day"

My first memory of "Decoration Day" (Memorial Day) was as a young girl living in Dragerton, UT. We would make flowers out of different mediums so we could transport them to Fruita, CO. We would spend weeks folding crepe paper into beautiful roses, carnations, etc. and then carefully put them in very attractive arrangements and put them in the trunk of our car to transport for placement on my brother's and my uncle's graves. We would then go visiting several friends and relatives in the area. Mom would have already called up Wadell's Meat Store and arranged to pick up a side of beef that would be frozen solid for the three hour trip. We would pick up the meat just before heading home.

This Decoration Day finds me placing fresh flowers on my son's grave and then traveling to Price to place fresh flowers on my parent's graves. There is, also, a little girl's grave in Price that we will visit. Her name is Amanda Dean. I'm sure Amanda's parents have long since moved since ours are the only flowers on her grave each Decoration Day. When we would visit Price from our home in California, Amanda would come and play with my daughters, Marti and Kristi. My Mom said Amanda would always check with her to see when we were coming for a visit - she frequently visited my parents.

While in Price we will have lunch with my brother, Bob, and maybe even my Uncle Perry and Aunt Dot. It will be a great time. My Uncle Perry (my mother's brother) recently celebrated his 80th birthday and it's always a delight to visit with him.

This year those traveling to Price will be: Sandra, Bill, Marti, Richard, Michael, Lyssa and Matyson. Maybe next year there will be more of us. Last year (see the picture) it was the same group, except Matyson was to be born just two months later.

Mother of Nine

The experiences I've had raising nine children would certainly fill volumes but what it has taught me can be summed up in one word - patience.  My mother was the perfect example of patience and my father taught me to "listen to your mother".  I've also learned to listen completely. Both of these "life principles" have enriched every aspect of my life.  When my father reached his 80s and was experiencing dementia I practiced patience and listening, when my mother was diagnosed with cancer, I practiced patience and listening, as a wife I practice patience and listening, as a secretary at an elementary school with over 700 children and 60 staff members - you guessed it - I practice patience and listening.  My mother also taught me calmness.  When my brother, Tommy, was hit and killed by a car while getting off the school bus my mother never "lost it" in front of me and my siblings, but we knew how much she loved and missed him.

I was born in Fruita, CO and was named by my brothers.  My mother had given birth to my oldest brother, Jim, then a girl they named Martha Ann that lived less than an hour, then my brothers Tom and Bob and finally me.  My brothers just loved the name Sandra and my mother's nurse in the hospital was Helen - so thus came my name - Sandra Helen.  

I am so blessed to be the wife of Bill Bachler and the mother of Levi, Marie, Craig, Tom, Richard, Marti, Kristi, J.R. and Michael.  They are my teachers and I am their pupil.  They are the sources of my greatest joy.  I am also the proud grandmother of Aly, C.J., Tyler, Joe, Marissa, Corinne, J.R., Brooklyn, Carter, Tyler #2, Mason and Matyson the sources of great happiness.