April's almost gone....

Our Mansfield Thiot’s

Saturday night at 11:00 pm, 3 ¾ Thiot Ladies landed at DFW airport after 10 glorious days in California at Becky’s parents home. What a lot of fun and what a lot of great memories they packed into 10 days away. Ricky and Rocky are soooooooooooo glad that they came home. I can hardly wait to hear all the details of their fun adventures. I do know that on Thursday, they went to see the new Disney movie about Chimpanzee’s. Brooklyn said it was a little scary, but she and Addison really liked it. That little baby chimp earned his name Oscar, by being a great little actor. Welcome Home Girls! I can’t wait to see you and give you a giant welcome home squeeze!

Our Lovers Lane Granges

Tatia and Penny came over Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to help with painting projects this week. It was so fun to have them here and they were both quite helpful. I’m happy to report that the bedroom is painted, the carpet is in and my nightstands have had a face lift with new paint as well. What a difference a week makes. It may take another week to get it all put back together, but it is looking better already. Jake was on his way to school on Friday when the truck started making some funny noises and then quit running altogether. He was able to call a tow truck and have it towed to the shop and now they are waiting for them to figure out what is causing the trouble. They installed a new alternator and battery, but it’s still making some crazy sounds. We will keep those mechanics and that little green truck in our prayers. This Wednesday, May 2nd is going to be a BIG day for the Granges. Little Miss Penny will be 12 months or 1 year old! Happy Birthday Penny Elaine!

Our Carmichael Thiot’s

When we caught up with the Carmichael Thiot’s this week we discovered what a busy week they have had. Mackenzie and her mom ran a ½ marathon on Saturday morning, while Charlie and Keelie and Callum went on a California Helping Hands clean up project. Keelie was most helpful in cleaning out rain gutters by carrying away bucketfuls of leaves and other trash clogging up the gutters. Callum was quite entertaining himself and of course Charlie has always been a wonderful worker man. Keelie starts her second set of swim lessons on Monday. This time she is in the swim strokes class. She’s a really good swimmer and loves taking swim lessons.

Our LA Thiot’s

When Pierce and I caught up with each other after playing phone tag earlier in the week, I caught them as they were walking into the LA Zoo. It was their first time to go and they were looking forward to it and promised me a fun photo shoot of the animals that live there. I can’t wait to see that too. Next week Stacy will head to Portland, Oregon, and Pierce will join her for the weekend. What fun!

Our Provo Thiot’s

Skyler called this week to tell me the good news that Kara had found a job at a jewelry store in the mall. She is hoping for this to be temporary while she hunts for something else. The city of Provo is hiring someone to help in their cable TV department and she would LOVE to go to work for them. She’s preparing her reels to apply for that position. I’m crossing my fingers that it just might be a perfect fit. Good Luck Kara. Skyler started his spring term on Tuesday and is off to a good start. Spring and summer terms are both half the time of a regular term so you have to work twice as fast. Go for it Sky!

We Empty Nesters

This has been an interesting week. I’ve heard people say that a gallon of paint can make a world of difference, but I can now say that in full agreement. I can’t believe that my room is the same room it was last week. Teepee Brown paint, looks so crisp and fresh on my walls. The new carpeting is soooooooo soft, I just smile every time I step on it. I cant’ believe what a difference it makes to have fresh new carpet. Wahoo! Thank you Dick for giving the approval and for your hard work too. My sweet friend Kerith came and helped on Monday and Tuesday mornings. She is an excellent painter and helped Tatia do a great job. Penny and I mostly watched and tried to be a little help too.

Saturday evening was a wonderful. Caitlin Garvey was baptized a member of the church. She is what you might call a golden investigator. She was so prepared and so ready to learn and accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am so happy for her and for her choice to be baptized. I’m so glad I could be there to share in that great spirit with her.

April has surely gone quickly this year.  There is still one more day left and it belongs to a very special little lady in my life.  Miss Kinsley Kate will be six years old tomorrow.  Kinsley is not really related to us unless you count our hearts.  She has a very special place in my heart.  I have loved her since before she was born and I'm so grateful to be her Texas Grammy. 
Today in Primary we are taking about when you choose to follow Jesus Christ, you can feel the love that he has for us. I totally agree and I’m looking forward to teaching our Primary children about that today. Have a great week ya’ll! SLY Robynn

Graduation Week

We Empty Nesters

At 6:45 on Saturday morning, Dick and I were still in bed when we heard our garage door opening up.  I looked at him and he at me and then we remember Ricky was coming to play golf in a tournament with Dick early Saturday morning.  Ricky was dressed in the most flowery golf outfit I believe I have ever seen.  He had purchased a pair of golf pants on CLEARANCE (I hope) on his mission and had never been allowed to wear them. With Becky out of town, he put them on to come play golf with Dick.  I’m hoping Dick took a photo so I can share. Oh my, he looked , ooh I’m trying to think of the right word, “sweet”.  He told me there is a golfer who always comes dressed in the unexpected.  He defianatly tied with him.  When they returned from golf, with Tatia and Penny’s help, they began unloading our bedroom to ready it for painting on Monday and new carpet on Wednesday. What a fun week this will be.  Twenty years of stuff and dust is a lot.  Wish us luck! Today was my nephew Chandler's Missionary Farewell.  He is entering the Missionary Training Center on Wednesday to study Spanish for a few weeks and then will head to the Texas Houston South Mission Spanish Speaking.  He's going to be a wonderful missionary.   SLY Robynn

Our Provo Thiot’s

Monday about noon I spoke on the phone with Skyler to hear his GREAT news of being accepted into the Creative Track of the Advertising Program.  There were many more applicants than position available and he was nervous about the possibilities of him being accepted.  I was DELIGHTED when he shared the good news with me.  Congratulations Skyler!!!!! Thursday and Friday were two wonderful days for Our Provo Thiot’s too.  Kara Neaves Thiot Graduated from BYU.  She looked so happy in the photos Skyler sent.  Kara’s amazing parents were there to congratulate her. I loved seeing their photos together.  What a great accomplishment to have graduated from college and she barely turned twenty last month!  Go Kara!  We feel so lucky to have you in our family!

Our LA Thiot’s

We had a fun visit with Pierce on the phone.  He is trying to put together a boys weekend in San Fran when the Texas Rangers play at Candle stick park and play the San Fran Giants.  Oh, we were meant to be rich and famous as we have fun ideas.  I keep hoping that a great airfare might come up and those brothers and their dad could be there together.  That would put the biggest smile on my face.  I’ll keep my fingers crossed. Come on airlines! Pierce sent a photo yesterday of him on the beach with his surf board.  He and Stacy are surely enjoying their time living so close by the beach with the heavenly California weather.

Our Carmichael Thiot’s

Charlie’s family has had  a good week.  They’ve felt better and that alone can make it a better week that the last few.  Charlie send a few photos this week with him and his kids dressed in Texas Ranger gear.  I love that even our California grandkids are being raised as Texas Sports Fans.  This week with Becky, Brooklyn, and Addison in California, 80% of our Grandchildren are in California.  I’m so glad it’s only temporary.  I’m crossing my fingers that those cousins might get to see each other while they are there.  I know Redding and Carmichael are not close by, but a Grammy can hope.

Our Lovers Lane Granges

Jake has had his first full week in labor and delivery and has been blessed to catch many babies this week.  What lucky little babies to have the first fact they meet be Dr. Jake’s.  What a dear man you are Jake! Tatia and Penny have kept busy while he’s been away by spending a day with a lucky Grammy me, wallpapering my doll house and then that evening Tatia taught Photography 101 to some darling Young Women.  They had a fun time together and I LOVED having miss Penny be my partner that evening.  Tatia attended the Dallas Zoo with her wards Mommy and Me play group.  Most of the children are older than Penny, but they still had a fun time. Tatia and a girl friend had a sewing date on Friday and made the cutest aprons you have ever seen.  They had a good time.  Now the funnest thing for this week will be Planning a Penguin Party for Penny who will be ONE year old soon.  

Our Mansfield Thiot’s

Ricky’s girls left on Wednesday for a 10 day adventure in California.  They flew into San Francisco and were picked up by Becky’s cute Grandmother Gloria and spent two delightful days with her.  Then Becky’s mom drove down and picked them up and took them to Redding to spend the next week.  They have been to the Jelly Belly factory, yes you read that correctly.  They had a wonderful time being official samplers. They’ve been to the beach, it wasn’t too warm that day but they all loved it.  Becky’s dad sent Ricky a photo of Addison with a LA Lakers hat on and Addison was NOT smiling.  She is a true Maverick fan at 2 years old already.  Go Mavs!  I’m so happy that they got to go and are having such a fun time.  I know Becky’s parents, Jim and Diane, are having a wonderful time as are the girls.  We miss you ladies!  Have fun, and we will see you next weekend!  I've gotten several people wondering about Miss Brooklyn's picture of her having a breathing treatment. Brooklyn has crummy allergies and it may be ashma. The doctor sent them home with a breathing machine to help her when she if feeling especially crummy.  Thanks for asking.

April 15th Thiot Times

Our Mansfield Thiot’s
Saturday morning at the high school in Mansfield, all of the children who will be in Kindergarten in the fall met to register. Oh what a lot of fun children were there. Brooklyn may have been one of the most excited to be there. She loved seeing several of her friends there too. Would you believe, they even got to have school lunch while they were getting signed up. Chicken nuggets and green beans were the favorite fare of the day. Addison was excited that she got to go too and it made her so excited to be a kindergarten girl too in a few years. What fun it was to see the Mansfield Thiot’s at Jared Palfreyman’s wedding reception on Saturday night. He and Ricky have been friends since high school. His mom is my secretary in the Primary. We love that family and it was sure fun to get to see my little girls and watch Brooklyn with her brand new PINK soccer ball. We walked over to the park and played and had such a good time. I’m glad you came Mansfield Thiot’s.


Our Lovers Lane Granges
Jake went back to school on Monday and has this rotation in OB/GYN. Yes, he’s been helping to deliver babies at Parkland Hospital. Parkland is one of the highest birth rate hospitals in America. Jake is enjoying it. Tatia started the week with a Busy Bag Project. You will need to peek at her blog for a good description. 15 gals signed up and each picked a project of things to make to help teach different skills to children. Tatia said most things are for 2 year olds and up but she loved getting involved with it. Tatia made popsicles, 102 of them to be exact out of felt. So cute and what a fun busy bag that made. Penny has been concentrating on growing teeth this week. She had 8 now and is quite happy to be sporting a new bracelet that her Auntie Lani sent her this week for an early birthday gift. It has sterling silver beads, a little bigger that the one she work the first 8 months of her life. She’s thrilled to be a fancy gal once again. Thanks Auntie Lani!

Our Carmichael Thiot’s

This has been another crummy sick week for our Carmichael Thiot’s. I’m so sad this mean bug took a turn with every body. I’m so hoping and praying that this new week will bring good health and much happiness to the Carmichael Thiot’s. Charlie got a piece of mail this week that cased him to think and smile. The Gerber company is offering Life Insurance to new parents and sent the letter to Mr. Charlie…and congratulated him on being a Caring Mother. Hmmmm that one made him think. He is an amazing dad but by no means a Mother. Silly Gerber!

Our LA Thiot’s
Stacy sent me some fun photos as you will see of their week in photo form. She’s been busy remaking some lamps this week. WOWSERS! I loved the ruffle lamp shades, way cute Stacy! They also went on an adventure to the Lego Store. Dick and I had seen one on our date on Friday night at Stonebriar mall and Dick quick took a picture and e-mailed it to the boys. Pierce wrote back that they had one not too far away and they went the next day. My boys have all loved Lego’s and I guess it’s something you really don’t grow out of it. Stacy and Pierce were able to go to their first Dodger Baseball Game last night. What a fun place LA has. Lots and lots of fun things to see and do.

Our Provo Thiot’s
I got a message on my answering machine on Monday night wishing me a happy family home evening. I was not feeling well and had gone to bed early. It was so fun to hear his voice when I played the message on Tuesday. He said he was just thinking that April 9th was the 4th anniversary of him entering the MTC. That was a great day until I got back to my parents and slipped on a slippery drive way and broke my wrist. Uggg one of those times you wish you could use your rewind button and try it again, a little safer this time. Monday night, the Utah Jazz are play the Dallas Mavs and I’ve heard a rumor that Sky and Kara will be there thanks to Kara’s dad hooking them up with some sweet tickets. I hope the Mavs will shine and make it a fun evening. Go Mavs!

We Empty Nesters
What a week this has been. I guess I would have to call it a Dentist Week. Dick and I each spent some time in Dr. Jesse’s chair and I would like to say it was really fun but we all know better. Not my favorite place to be, but I’m glad things are feeling better now.
Dick got to play a round of golf with some fun friends. He always comes home so happy after a nice afternoon away from the office and stress and worry. I’m glad he could go and have a nice time.
We’ve got some severe thunderstorms heading our direction again today. I’m glad we will be at church where I think it’s much safer than at our home. This spring has been an extra busy storm season all ready. You would think these are the last days or somethingJ Yikes. I hope you have had a good week and that you are safe from harms way and that you know that I love you. Have a great one! SLY Robynn

Egg citing Thiot Times

Our Mansfield Thiot’s
Monday morning Brooklyn Ann Thiot had an Egg-citing kindergarten check up. Yes, you read that correctly, our Brooklyn will be heading to Kindergarten this fall and it’s time to get all the paper work in order for that to happen. She was a little nervous about the possibility of having to get a shot and asked the doctor if she could get a soft shot instead of a hard shot. The doctor told her the good news that she didn’t need any more shots until she turns 11 years old. The Doctor told her he thinks she is going to LOVE kindergarten and is going to do great! I’m so excited for her. Miss Addison got all signed up for Preschool in the fall. She is most excited too. Becky has 9 more weeks until baby girl number 3 joins our family. She looks so cute pregnant. I’m so excited for her and can hardly wait to meet out newest little lady. My nephew Josh’s family added a sweet new little lady to their family this weekend. Seeing Gabbie Isabella’s photos sure put a smile on my face and made me so excited to meet out new baby.


Our Lovers Lane Granges
Jake headed back to work/school this morning after two blessed weeks of Spring Break. It was just long enough to kind of get used to having him around a lot. I think he was ready to go back but Tatia and Penny will miss him. They had a fun Stay-ca-tion week two of Spring Break. They started out with a trip to the Dallas Blooms Arboretum just as all the blooming bulbs were at their peak, They had a day at the Dallas Zoo meeting the new display of Koala Bears. Penny loves going to the zoo and seeing all the animals. They even spent an Egg-citing afternoon in the Bathroom at home locked in with news reports of tornados in the near by vicinity. It was a scary afternoon and we feel so blessed to have been safe from the storms. Tatia and Jake and Penny were here when I got home from church on Sunday. They came early to help get ready for our fun Easter Dinner. What a team those three are. They worked a mighty miracle and for that I am grateful. Thank you!

Our Carmichael Thiot’s
After an egg-citing weekend in Idaho with Mackenzie’s grandparents, they arrived home on Monday evening and spent the week making preparations for Keelie’s birthday and party at the end of the week. She had a Royal Tea Party. She wore her Cinderella dress and was such a gracious hostess to all the little princesses who attended her tea party. Mackenzie found some beautiful tea cups at the local thrift store and the pretty lemonade tasted even better served in such pretty cups. I wish I could have been a fly on the wall at the party and watched all the fun things the girls did. I’m so glad the party was last week as Keelie and Callum have both had the stomach flu this weekend. Not fun to have such nasty bugs running through families. Charlie and Kenzie are hoping to avoid it.

Our LA Thiot’s
Stacy is making some egg-citing plans to go out of town for some photo shoots. Have a great trip Stacy. I’m sure Pierce will be one lonesome hubby. Stacy and Pierce had a fun evening out celebrating the birthday of a fun friend. What a fun group of people to hang out with. I love that saying that "Friends are relatives you make for yourself."

Our Provo Thiot’s
Finals week, Graduation details, work, news, school are all egg-citing times filling the lives of Kara and Skyler this week. The good news is that with April’s rent, that marks the last month of double rent payments. Hurray! Graduation is the 19th and I know Kara’s parents are making plans to be there. We will surely be there in spirit. Sky and Kara were able to attend the Easter Celebrations at Laurie and Mikes with the Birks Family. They enjoyed the yummy food and loved getting so see so much family. They loved getting to see Jordan and Jamie who were in town for Spring break from Georgia. What a lot of fun they were able to pack into their week away.

We Empty Nesters
I would say our stormy Tuesday was one of the egg-citing memories of this week. I’ve lived in Tornado alley for 26 years, that’s almost ½ my life. This was the first time that the news has shown tornados heading right toward us right towards Tatia’s family and Ricky’s family too. Dick was out of town and he is for sure the calming influence inside of me. He usually has a ham radio on with storm trackers telling just where the storms truly are which helps us know we are not in the path of the storm. This time I had two missionaries here who this was their first time to hear those tornado sirens screaming for real instead of just the once a month testing. I guess it worked well for both of us. I was being brave for them to be calm about it and then having them in my house helped me feel calm since I know the Lord protects his missionaries. I will admit that I did say many prayers and was sure grateful that they passed over us. I was so grateful that Stacy and Kara’s families were protected as well. I’m hoping for a calmer weather week this week. Baseball has begun and Dick’s is thrilled to have the Rangers back in town. Maybe this will be “the Year” they can go all the way. We sure enjoyed our Easter Company on Sunday. What fun it was to have 8 little ones along with their parents. We had 3 five year olds. 3 two year olds, 1 one year old and 1 eleven month old. We had the cutest 9 year old come and hide all the eggs for the big hunt. Almost more Egg-citment than I can takeJ What fun it was. Have a great week ya’ll, SLY Robynn

General Conference Edition

Our Mansfield Thiot’s
Ricky celebrated 32 years of living on Saturday. Dick loves to say, “How can we have a 32 year old when we have only been married 32 years?” I love to say “32 years and 10 months, that’s all it took?” I’m so grateful to have Ricky in our family. He has been a joy every day of those 32 years, Ok, almost every day of those 32 years. I’m proud of what a great man he has grown into and what a good husband and super daddy he is. His little ladies adore him and that makes this mom mighty proud of him. He has kind of had a week of celebrations. He and Becky went to see the Broadway play of Mary Poppins on Tuesday evening. I was lucky enough to have Brooklyn and Addison for a sleepover and then we met Ricky and Becky on Wednesday night for an early dinner at our favorite spot, Benehana’s. Yummy. Those little girls were amazed and loved watching our Mexican/Japanese chief prepare dinner right at our table. YUMMY! Happy Birthday Ricky!


Our Lovers Lane Granges
With Jake being on Spring Break, the Lovers Lane Granges headed south on Monday afternoon. They spent the next day and a half in Austin visiting some Texas things, capital building and also a 2nd cousin of Jakes and an old Missionary companion who both live in Austin. Then they headed further south to the BEACH where they enjoyed the rest of the week. Penny was a perfect traveler and enjoyed the journey sitting backwards in her car seat. She was able to nap in the car and just did a super job of being a vacation baby. They are coming over this afternoon and I can’t wait to get more details on the trip. Tatia said that they really enjoyed all the Bluebonnets (our state flower) that were blooming their little heads off all along the freeways. What a beautiful site!

Our Carmichael Thiot’s
Four o’clock in the morning is not Mackenzie’s favorite hour of the day, but to go visit her brother, sister and grandparents, she was game. She and her mom and Keelie and Callum headed east for a Conference Weekend Getaway to see her Grandparents in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Charlie stayed home to keep the home fires burning. He was able to take a challenging mountain bike ride on Saturday morning prior to conference starting which he loved. Charlie loves conference and when he was younger, I used to think he was sleeping through it as he enjoys listening with his eyes shut. Each time I would ask, “Charlie are you awake?” he would assure me that he was not asleep, but was merely resting his eyes. On Tuesday of this week our sweet Keelie Christina will turn 4 years old. What a fun little lady she is. I wish I could be there to celebrate with you Keelie! Callum has discovered apples, much like his Uncle Jake who eats two a day, Callum loves to eat them too. He doesn’t want a slice or two, he wants the whole apple which are nearly as big as him. I love you Callum Jay! Charlie just sent me a photo that Mackenzie sent him of Callum watching General Conference. I LOVE it!

Our LA Thiot’s
I’ve loved watching Stacy’s photography blog this week, she’s been working on some photo shoots she has done and I love it when she posts the photos there. It’s so fun to see what she’s been up to. She had a fun afternoon making strawberry jam with a girl friend recently and I hope it turned out yummy. Pierce must be working a LOT since I haven’t heard a word from him. It seems like Dick told me that he was working on some radio spot commercials for some chips. Now I may have dreamt that. I remember Dick saying that maybe Ricky could help Pierce, because Ricky made a famous radio commercial when he was 12 years old for the Boy Scouts of America about their Scout Show. Get in touch with Ricky if you need help PJ! I LOVE this picture of my boys and my dad and Dick getting ready to go to the Priesthood Session of General Conference together. That has been many years ago. I know that is Dick's favorite thing, to go with his boys. Maybe one day soon it will happen again.

Our Provo Thiot’s
With the price of gas skyrocketing, Sky says he can only afford to put $5.00 worth of gas in his jeep at a time. Now $5.00 used to be able to get you around for a day or two, but in today’s world, it barely gets you home from school. To attest to that, I was on the phone with the Skyman when he ran our of gas on Friday. I’m happy to report, he was close by a gas station and was able to get $5.00 worth of gas in the jeep and get back on his way. He called me to share some great news with me. He had just come from his audition for a part in a Bible Movie that the LDS church is making. He scored a part and will be involved in the filming in May. Congratulations Skyman!!!!! It should be our by Christmas time. I can hardly wait to see it. This will be Sky’s 2nd movie to be in as he has already had some experience with the City of Allen, Texas making of the Bass Brothers Train Robbery when he was in high school. Kara is being or trying to be patient with him "having" to grow a beard and let his hair grow longer, YIKES! You are famous Sky!

We Empty Nesters
Dick left early Saturday morning for Florida for a conference where he is teaching seven classes. He was feeling good about his preparations and excited for the round of golf he was scheduled to play on Saturday afternoon with Keith and Keith’s two boys. It’s sure lonesome with him gone. I do have two fine missionaries up stairs so I am not home alone, but almost. I’m enjoying conference weekend and hope it doesn’t go by too quickly.
While the little girls were at my house on Tuesday and Wednesday, we had lots of fun times and made some good memories. We went to see the movie, The BIG Miracle about the 3 whales that were traped in Alaska in 1988. It was really good and Brooklyn did not take her eyes off the screen except to grab some popcorn every now and then. Addison loved the first hour and then was ready to go home. The next day they played with my new/old doll house. They played with my five little grandbunnies in the house. We sewed little quilts for each of them and had such fun times. Those little girls drove the bunnies around in the school bus and played so nicely together. We also made bunny cookies, yummy and the girls played with pink playdough for an hour or so. They loved that too. Oh how I love spending time with my little grandchildren. This is a wonderful season of my life. Thank you Dick for allowing me to have all these great opportunities. SLY Robynn