SISTERS

AUNT PAT & UNCLE DARWIN CAME UP TO

VISIT FROM YUMA, ARIZONA.

THEIR GRANDSON, CADEN, WAS RETURNING FROM

HIS LDS MISSION IN NEW YORK CITY.  HE SPENT

MOST OF HIS TIME ON LONG ISLAND.

AUNT PAT IS 14 MONTHS YOUNGER THAN MY MOM.

IT'S BEEN SO GREAT TO HAVE SUCH A WONDERFUL AUNT!

WHAT A DIFFERENCE 2 YEARS MAKES

2 YEARS

24 MONTHS

731 DAYS

A TIME MY ENTIRE FAMILY STRUGGLED THROUGH,

BUT, CAME OUT EVEN STRONGER.

3-4 MONTH RECAP:

1.  I HAD TO TAKE MY MOM TO TONS AND TONS

OF DOCTOR APPOINTMENTS.

SHE THEN HAD SURGERY.

HER STOMACH HAD BROKEN THROUGH HER DIAPHRAGM.

2.  CAMILLE GAVE BIRTH TO McKENZIE ON JANUARY 17.

HER SECOND CHILD . . . BUT, HER FIRST CHILD WAS 9 YEARS OLD.

3.  HEIDI WAS PREGNANT WITH CHILD #4.

JACOB WAS BORN APRIL 6.

OAKLEY WAS 4 1/2.

ALLYSON & BROOKLYN WERE 2.

HEIDI IS AN RN FOR A HOME HEALTH CARE AND HOSPICE COMPANY.

WHEN SHE WAS ON CALL AND CALLED OUT,

HER MOTHER ALWAYS TENDED THE KIDS.

SHE HAD TO BRING THE KIDS OVER FOR ME TO WATCH,

AS I COULDN'T LEAVE MY MOM.

4.  I WAS GETTING SHOTS IN MY KNEE.

AND THE HARDEST ONE OF ALL:

5.  ASHLEY HAD BRAIN ANEURYSM CLIPPING SURGERY!

THEY CUT YOUR HEAD OPEN, MOVE YOUR BRAIN OVER,

AND CLIP THE ANEURYSM.

JAYCIE WAS 10 1/2, 5TH GRADE.

PRESTON WAS 8, 2ND GRADE.

ADDISON WAS 5 1/2, KINDERGARTEN.

AND, RYKER TURNED 1 ON JANUARY 23.

LAUREL (ASHLEY'S MOM) STAYED WITH ASHLEY'S FAMILY TO HELP.

THEN, KATIE (RN) CAME TO STAY WITH ASHLEY WHILE

LAUREL WENT TO STAY WITH CAMILLE AND NEW BABY

WHEN MARK HAD TO GO BACK TO WORK AT THE

LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

LAUREL THEN STAYED A COUPLE OF MONTHS

TO HELP ASHLEY.  

MY MOM'S SURGERY WAS MARCH 10 AT THE U.

REID STAYED UP AT THE HOSPITAL.

AFTER 5 DAYS IN HOSPITAL, IT WAS 3 WEEKS IN A 

REHAB UNIT IN OUR STAKE.

(WHICH MADE MY KNEE WORSE.  OF COURSE,

SHE WAS THE FARTHEST ROOM AWAY!)
CHRIS & KIM AND McKAY & LORI ALSO HELPED OUT,
AS WELL AS ALL THE GREAT NIECES AND NEPHEWS.

PICTURES OF ASHLEY RIGHT AFTER SURGERY,

AND NOW.

(I COULDN'T VISIT AT ALL BECAUSE OF STAYING WITH MY MOM!)

SOOO GLAD WE MADE IT THROUGH THOSE

3-4 MONTHS!

THE 3 NEPHITES

My mom grew up with two brother and two sisters.

She is the oldest in her family.
They grew up in Nephi, Utah.

The reason for the title of this post, "The 3 Nephites",
comes from the Book of Mormon.
They were 3 disciples of Jesus Christ in the "New World."
(We also believe that after His death, Christ appeared
to the people on the American continent).
They were blessed by Jesus to "never taste of death; but
ye shall live to behold all the doings of the Father unto
the children of men, even until all things shall be fulfilled."
Therefore, they are still on the earth today.


Mom 
Dixie Alice Howard was born March 12, 1935, age 82.
She was named after the "Dixie" area in southern Utah,
because my grandparents lived in Washington, Utah for a little while.
Her middle name, Alice, was her mother's youngest sister.
She attended and graduated from Utah State University.
My mom was a school teacher for 38 years.

Aunt Pat
Patsy Alyth Howard was born May 28, 1936, age 81.
I don't know where Patsy came from, but Alyth is her
mother's first name.
Aunt Pat was an RN for many years!  
She attended and graduated in nursing from
St. Marks/Westminister.  She also owned
a boutique and a scrapbook store.
She married Elmer Engstrom in the mid-60's.
He passed away in 1975.
Aunt Pat lived in Salt Lake City when I grew up until
the mid-80's.  She then moved to Centerville.
After marrying Darwin, her second husband, they moved to Bountiful.
Aunt Pat & Darwin went on a mission to the
"Desert Land and Livestock" in Woodruff, Utah.
They loved Woodruff so much, they moved up there.
About 3 years ago, they moved to Yuma, Arizona.

Uncle George
George Mat Howard was born June 20, 1938.
George was named after his grandpa's brother.
His middle name was his father and grandfather's first name.
He attended Snow College and graduated from the
San Francisco school of Mortuary Science.
Uncle George was a mortician for many years.
He also was involved in scouting.
He passed away 7 years ago (the last time the 3 Nephites were together).
His funeral was 2 days before Carter was born.

Uncle Bruce
Bruce Bigler Howard was born May 23, 1944 age 73.
I don't know where his first name came from, but
Bigler is his mother's maiden name.
Uncle Bruce graduated from Dixie Jr. College, and lived with us
when I was in "nursery school" and kindergarten.
He also graduated from Weber State and a 
physical therapy school in Galvaston, Texas.
He is still working as a physical therapist.
He worked in Racine, Wisconsin and currently in Ocala, Florida.

Aunt Jean
Ruby Jean Howard was born October 16, 1945.
She was born premature and had to share time
in an oxygen tent with another premie.
She was mentally retarded.
Her first name is after her mother's younger sister.
My grandma cared for her until 1975.  She then
resided in the "Training School" (aka Developmental Center)
in American Fork, across from the
Mt. Timpanogos Temple.
She passed away in 1993.

Aunt Pat & Uncle Darwin and Uncle Bruce & Aunt Nadene
are here for Katie's wedding tomorrow . . . July 29.
Uncle Bruce & Aunt Nadene got to know Katie & CJ when
he played last season for the Orlando Magic.
Besides the wedding, they all wanted to come
because the last time they had been together was
for their brother, George's, funeral.

SHOWER

WOW!

IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THE LAST

OF THE NIECES AND NEPHEWS IS GETTING MARRIED!!!

MARRIAGE DATES

CHRIS & KIM . . . OCTOBER 8, 1999.

ASHLEY & JON . . .  MAY 16, 2003 (1 MONTH BEFORE DAD DIED)

McKAY & LORI . . . MARCH 17, 2004

CAMILLE & MARK . . . APRIL 16, 2006

HEIDI & MIKE . . . JULY 17, 2008

AND

KATIE & CJ . . . JULY 29, 2017.

TIME HAS GONE BY SOOOO FAST, SINCE

CHRISTOPHER WAS BORN ON MAY 24, 1980,

THREE MONTHS BEFORE I STARTED TEACHING SCHOOL!

IN THE 10 YEARS BETWEEN 1980 & 1990,

I WAS AUNT TO 2 NEPHEWS AND 4 NIECES!

IT HAS ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL!!!

ON THURSDAY, JULY 20, KATIE'S AUNTS

(BUT NOT ME)

HOSTED A BRIDAL SHOWER.

BEAUTIFUL RAINBOW BEFORE SHOWER.

A GOOD LUCK OMEN?

OPENING GIFTS

BLANKET MADE BY KIM

THE BIG PRESENT

A "CALIFORNIA KING QUILT"

MADE BY KATIE'S FAMILY, AND HEMMED

BY GRANDMA NAMY

IT SHOULD MATCH THE

CALIFORNIA KING SHEETS I GOT THEM

FOR A WEDDING PRESENT!

FUN LINGERIE FROM VICTORIA'S SECRET

AUNT ANN GAVE A GIFT CARD FROM

"THE CONTAINER STORE"

6 OF 11 NIECES ATTENDED THE SHOWER:

TOP TO BOTTOM

JAYCIE,12    CAMRY, 11 1/2

SHAYLA, 10 1/2    KATIE, 26 1/2   HALEY, 9 1/2

COURTNEY, 16 1/2   LILY, 6

GRANDMA NAMY

(MOM'S MOM)

CAMILLE (SISTER #1), LAUREL (MOM), LORI (SISTER-IN-LAW #2),

HEIDI (SISTER #3), COURTNEY (NIECE #1), KATIE (BRIDE)

ASHLEY (SISTER #2), KIM (SISTER-IN-LAW #1)

GRANDMA DIXIE

(DAD'S MOM)

AUNT ANN

(DAD'S ONLY SIBLING)

AUNT SHYRLEEN (MOM'S SISTER #1), AUNT SHELLEY 

(MOM'S SISTER #2), KATIE, BRIDE

AUNT JAN (MARRIED TO UNCLE KAYLON...MOM'S BROTHER #1),

AUNT LISA (MARRIED TO UNCLE WAYNE . . . MOM'S BROTHER #2)

ALL OF THE AUNTS IN LAUREL'S FAMILY HOST

BRIDAL SHOWERS FOR ALL NIECES AND NEPHEWS.

THEY HAVE HOSTED 28!  1 LEFT!

ALL OF THE AUNTS & UNCLES HELP IN THE KITCHEN 

AT ALL OF THE WEDDINGS!

BRIDAL SHOWER GUESTS.

KATIE'S MOM, GRANDMAS, SISTERS, SISTERS-IN-LAW, NIECES

COUSINS AND COUSINS-IN-LAW ATTENDED.

(SISTER CAMILLE, NIECE SHAY, COUSIN-IN-LAWJACLYN, 

AND FRIEND KK HAD LEFTBEFORE WE GOT THE PICTURE)

THAT ONE TIME WE TRIED TO GET A CHRISTMAS PICTURE

Grandma Dixie wanted a picture of her with

all 16 of her great grandchildren for her

2016 Christmas card.

 

Ryker is letting everyone know who's #1!

And the finished product:

Back row:  Haley, 8 1/2 (McKay & Lori)   Cole, 12 (McKay & Lori)   
Camry, 11 (Chris & Kim)   Jaycie, 11 1/2 (Ashley & Jon)   
Preston, 8 1/2 (Ashley & Jon)
Middle row:  Brooklyn {Brooky}, 2 1/2 (Heidi & Mike)  
 Courtney, 16 (Chris & Kim)   Jacob, 5 months (Heidi & Mike)   
Grandma Dixie, 81 1/2   Shayla, 10 (Camille & Mark)
McKenzie {Kenzie}, 8 months (Camille & Mark)   
Front row:  Oakley, 5 (Heidi & Mike)   Lily, 5 (McKay & Lori)   
Carter, 6 1/2 (Chris & Kim) Addison {Addie}, 6 (Ashley & Jon)   
Allyson {Ally}, 2 1/2 (Heidi & Mike)   Ryker, 20 months (Ashley & Jon)

QUADRUPLE PARTYERS

WE FINALLY GOT TO SOME SERIOUS PARTYING!

RYKER TURNED 1 ON JANUARY 23.

McKAY TURNED 30 ON JANUARY 19.

WE WERE UNABLE TO CELEBRATE IN JANUARY

BECAUSE OF ASHLEY'S SURGERY, AND KENZIE'S BIRTH.

RYKER DIDNT KNOW IT WAS HIS BIRTHDAY, SO THAT WORKED OUT.

CAMILLE AND GRANDMA ALWAYS CELEBRATE TOGETHER.

CAMILLE TURNED 34 ON FEBRUARY 27, AND GRANDMA DIXIE

WAS 81 ON MARCH 12.

WE CELEBRATED ON MARCH 9, CUZ GRANDMA DIXIE WAS

HAVING HER SURGERY ON MARCH 10.

I GOT VERY FEW PHOTOS, CUZ I HAD A WARD CONFERENCE

MEETING AND HAD A NEW PRESIDENCY ORIENTATION.

MY FORMER NEIGHBOR, SUZANNE CARSON, IS THE

PRESIDENT OF THE HARBOR 3RD WARD.

FOR PRESENTS, I GOT:
RYKER, "SMART DOG"
McKAY, $30 GIFT CARD TO CABELA'S
CAMILLE, $30 GIFT CARD TO KOHL'S
MOM, HOTEL SHEET SET...500 COUNT

THIS PILLOW IS SOOO ADORABLE THAT CAMRY MADE!

THE BIRTHDAY KIDDOS:

RYKER, 1

McKAY, 30

CAMILLE, 34

GRANDMA DIXIE, 81