Saying Good Bye to August

Our Mansfield Thiots

The first 2 1/2 weeks of online school are behind the Mansfield students.  They are making the best of a crazy and challenging situation.  It was a bit challenging when the wifi went down but they are trying their best.  It was soooooooooooooo good to see them on Saturday afternoon when they came over to help celebrate Sky's birthday with us.  Ricky organized his siblings to find the perfect birthday present for Sky.  He put a smile on his face! 

Our Medford Granges

This was the next to the last week of summer vacation for our Medford kidos.  They've packed a lot of fun in and are making preparations for school.  They took a family hike to Roxie Ann, a beautiful mountain they can see outside of their windows.  They each got to pick two rocks as they have been learning Helaman 5:12 to paint later.  I love this picture of everyone carefully cleaning their rocks.  I love their new school shoes, thanks Mom Mom!  Oscar got to have his preschool graduation and got a great treat at Sherms.  Charlie got to spend his birthday bucks at Target and was thrilled with his find.  They are looking forward to a Grange Family reunion at their home this coming week.  Cousins are the BEST! 

Our Carmichael Thiots

Charlie and Jen's crew are busy working to get Charlie's home on the market.  They found a new home that will fit their family better and so they've hosted painting parties and all sorts of work has been getting done.  It's a lot of work, but they seems to know how to make it fun for the kids.  This is when I wish we lived closer to be some help.  uggggg  We love you hard workers!

Our LA Thiots

I loved these two BYU Cougars taking a bit of time for recess on a school break.  They make me smile and it was so fun to see how their head phones even match their cute cougar swag.  I loved getting to face time twice this week and seeing them nearly in person.  Stacy's been super busy with orders this week and is grateful for good helpers.  She's invented something new to hold your mask and to also act as a darling necklace.  I can't wait to see them, I'm sure they will be a hit.  As masks seem to be our new normal.  Why not be cute? love it!

We Plano Thiots

This week in Plano we were able to get the list of grade levels for each of the grandkids updated for this school year.  We also celebrated the last second victory for the Mavericks when Luka made a shot at the buzzer to win.  It was so excited that we had to have Luka come in to celebrate!  He might have even been kissed in the celebration.  Our big day was Saturday when Graypa gave blood at the annual Plano Stake Blood Drive then Ricky's family came over in the afternoon to celebrate Skyler's 32nd birthday.  We were planning on Fletcher's Corny Dogs as they were doing a popup in Plano. Our State Fair was cancelled this year and Fletcher's Corny Dogs are maybe the best part of the fair.   However, even arriving early, we decided not to stand in line for 1 1/2 hours on the hottest day of the year for their yummy corn dogs.  Skyler opted for Sonic Corn Dogs.  We took those back to the house, opened presents, enjoyed the corn dogs then off to Crandall's home for some swim time.  They are very kind to loan us their backyard.  Skyler got the cool autographed Luka jersey from his siblings and a huge picture montage of Elie from his parents.  We are looking forward to real birthdays this coming week.  We will celebrate Skyler, Tatia and Becky.  We hope that everyone is healthy and maintaining a good outlook on the current crazy world.  We love you all!
 

We can do HARD Things

Our Mansfield  Thiots

Doing on line school can be a bit hard as you may have guessed.  Having to have your eyes on the computer screen can make your eyes tired.  Well, something new has been created to help with the glare all day long and it's these snazzy new glare resistant glasses.  I can't even believe how cute they look on these cute girls.  I hope they help your eyes to be more comfortable because we CAN do Hard things.  Ricky has been planning for his guys getaway for the past few months.  This year they met up in Cordalane Idaho for a wonderful weekend.  There is a golf course there which one of the holes in on it's own island.  You have to take a boat out to the island for that hole.  How cool would that be?  Have a great time Ricky!  

Our Medford Granges

Oregon Schools don't start back up until after Labor Day.  They are still enjoying their summer time although each morning they do some reading and math time.  Guess who is reading?  Mister Oscar this week got a new set of reading books that he can READ!  He is thrilled and I loved getting a phone call from him asking if I'd like to hear him read.  You better believe I did! I loved it.  The twins celebrated their 8 month birthday on Thursday and I loved the photos tatia took.  Sooooo cute!  On Friday night, The kids got to invite a couple of friends over for a LATE NIGHT.  They got to swim, eat pizza and watch a movie before they got picked up by their parents at 8:00.  Talk about a fun time.  They loved it and I love Tatia's big table that can fit all those cute kids! 

Our Carmichael Thiots

Charlie sent some pictures of it "SNOWING" on his car earlier this week.  It was way to hot for snow and was acturally white ash blowing in from the fires that are not too close by but close enough to send ashes.  It's kind of an earie feeling for sure. I loved getting a photo last night of the sun going down on the lake and a fun video of Charlie doing a back dive into the lake.  Something about the lake that has sure become a happy place for our Carmichael Thiots. The kids finished their first whole week of on line learning and so far they are enjoying it.  

Our LA Thiots

Back to school for our LA Thiots too.  They are doing online school and can actually do it from Orem or from LA.  They are headed home to LA sometime today.  Happy Travels to you amazing people.  They've had a fun last week in Utah but were looking forward to going home.  I love the office space Pierce and Stacy created for them to get settled into a back to school vibe.  Snacks on the desktop makes everything better! 

 We Plano Thiots

My friend Alice dropped off a fun little treasure bag to me this week.  A cute plant that grows in water.  She told me there is no way I can kill it as long as I keep water in the cup.  I got a fun phone call from my sister Laurie who had walked to the new temple site for the Taylorsville temple being built about a 20 minute walk from her home.  I loved seeing the sun shining down on that sacred lot for a temple of the Lord to be constructed.  I loved the artists drawing of how it will look when it is completed.  My sweet brother Jeffrey had two toes operated on this week.  It's a miserable healing process but will hopefully be so worth it to not have his feet hurt so much.  My brother Ric and his family are moving to a new home in Salem but they have to be out of their home before the new home is available to move into.  Theyve had a crazy weekend moving things to storage units.  Nothing like a double move.  Ugggggg.  Good Luck! We loved celebrating Mom Mom's 101 birthday this week.  I hope everyone has hd a chance to get their school shoes.  I loved this photo of Graypa eating his cookie that miss Elie frosted and sprinkled for him.  That girl is good with sprinkles! We had a fun game of scrabble on Saturday night.   I hope you have had a good week and maybe you too are learning that you can do Hard things too.  Sure love you, Robynn

It's Back to School for Some of Us!

Our Mansfield Thiots

On Line School began this week in Mansfield.  Ricky said that everyone gets up on time, gets dressed for school has breakfast and then goes to their office/school space and begins their school day.  Ricky said Becky does a great job of keeping everyone on task and makes the very best of this crazy situation.  Way to go Girls! 

Our Medford Granges

It's been a hot time in Medford this week and that's made for some great pool time for the kids.  Tatia even got time on Saturday while Jake gave crawling lessons to the two little ones.  They are really loving to explore and learning to love playing with toys.  I can't believe on the 20th, they will reach 8 months old.  Penny and Gigi had some fun time while they were there sewing doll clothes and Penny also made a dress of gigi's into a darling summer skirt.  Oh how that girl loves to sew.  Max and I got to face time one morning while he was doing a page of math.  That boy can borrow and carry in addition and subtraction problems  amazing.  Charlie is enjoying getting birthday cards in the mail even if they were a bit pokie in arriving.  Oscar is counting the days until kindergarten starts.  Still no word if it will be virtual or in person.  Love these Harry Potter dolls Penny and her friend made with Tatia this week.  Oh so fun!

Our Carmichael Thiots

It was back to online school in Carmichael this week too.  Charlie and Jen have found a home to purchase and so they are busy getting Charlie's home ready to go on the market.  Lots to do during this busy time of year.  Good Luck with it all! 

Our LA/Orem Thiots

Pierce's family is in Orem staying with Stacy's cousins  Exciting times. Exciting times this week when Adelaide discovered Frisby golf and they all had a blast floating the Provo River on Kayaks.  Stacy and Adelaide's kayak tipped over and Adelaide still thought it was pretty amazing floating in that cold water. I'm so glad they are able to have so many very fun adventures this summer.  Making lots of great memories!  I can just picture all of us Thiots playing Frisby golf together.  What fun!  Today is Pierce and Stacy's 12  year Anniversary!  Congratulations!!!!

Our Oak Lawn Thiots

We got to have some time with Miss Elie and her daddy this week on her half birthday.  On Wednesday she turned 3 1/2  Skyler never gets a half birthday and so he thought it was extra fun to get to celebrate Elie's with her.  we had half a cake with 3 and 1/2 candles and Sky made a darling birthday crown.  She got lots of calls from cousins and aunts and uncles wishing her a happy day.  It was so fun.  We got to go see the magical waterfall in Richardson that night and you'll never believe it, but it's true, there was a mermaid in the pond there having her photos taken.  It's a popular place for photo shoots we learned. We loved it!

 We Plano Thiots

This week is Mom Mom's birthday on the 18th.  For the past few years, we've had a tradition of for Mom Mom's birthday, all the school kids get a pair of school shoes.  When our kids were little ones, Mom Mom always wanted everyone to have shoes that fit well.  She would often take our littles and buy them new shoes that fit great.  They always had to jump to see if they truly fit.  We got to go with Sky and Elie when she got her school shoes, and boy could that girl jump in her new shoes.  So very fun to watch her.  My friend sent these funny comics to me and they put a smile on my face each time I look at them.  I also found the Back to School collage that I made four years ago to hang on my Dad's fridge.  Four years makes a big difference in those cute kids.  I got my Seminary things all ready this week and passed our to our 14 cute Seminary students.  We begin at 7:00 in the morning.  I can hardly wait! I got a package in the mail this week from my cousin Chris.  He painted me an abstract and it looks great next to the one he painted me last year.  He is such a good cousin to call often and check on me and send  me his art work.  What a treasure.  I hope you've had a good week, know you are loved and thought of often.  SLY Robynn

Happy Birthday Charlie Grange & Sleepovers!

Happy Birthday Charlie Boy! What a wonderful little boy Charlie is.  I've loved him since before he was born.  Graypa and I were coming home from the Boy Scout Jamboree in West Virginia and stopped to see the Granges and  I got to stay until Charlie Boy was born.  I loved being there for several weeks and getting to help before he arrived. What a blessing he has been to our family.  2017 brought two special little babies to our family; Charlie and Elie adore each other.  

Tuesday was Addison's day for a sleepover.  Before I left to pick her up I got to visit with MIss Keelie who had just picked up her stylish new glasses.  Purple frames and all.  She was not in the mood for a photo when her dad snapped her picture.  Charlie said it reminded him of the day he picked up his first pair of glasses.  He could read street signs and billboards and was amazed at all he'd been missing.  Another great happening of the day was that I got to take Kinsley with me to meet Becky and I exchanged Kinsely for Addison.  Oh my goodness, it was so fun to catch up with Kinsley.  How I love that sweet girl.  Addison and I made a list of things we could do on our drive home and we had lots of fun trying to get everything done in our 24 hours together. We loved having Miss Elie and her mom come join us for dinner and a swim. 

We made Jollipops out of Jolly Rancher candies which I hadn't done in years.  So fun.  Addison made a beautiful picture with paint with stickers that Cousin Pamela had given her when we stopped by to wishi Pamela Happy Birthday.  She loved it and we ordered a book of those stickers for ourselves to work on too.  We sewed a sassy new skirt for her doll Anna Belle and Graypa brought us lunch from Whataburger.  Addie knew just what she wanted for lunch.  She is so fun! When we met Becky to take her home, I got to bring Kinsley Kate home with me for a few minutes to meet her mom.  What a fun day that was. Thanks Ricky and Becky for sharing Addison with me. 

Brooklyns day was Thursday and her dad had a work assignment in the Colony and gave me the address of a Target where I could meet him and pick up  Brooklyn.  I was a few minutes early and dashed in a bought a package of Lays vinegar and salt potato chips.  They are Brooklyn's favorite snack and she was pretty excited to see them.  She has designed a character that is a white wolf that she has been wanting to sew.  She brought her sketch and we headed to Hobby Lobby for supplies.  We worked quickly and were able to finish her and Brooklyn took her home with the hot glue still cooling.  We two can work fast.  Brooklyn is a great designer and fabulous stuffer.  It's not easy to stuff those tiny legs and arms and head but she did it.  How I love Brooklyn.  Our day was cut short but we promised each other that we would have another day soon.  Thank you Ricky for meeting me and sharing her with me.  Brooklyn and I both loved these beautiful wire horses that we saw on the side of the road.  I've been watching a show called Heartland which is all about horses and I loved these  too. 

 These photos show some fun going on in our big family.  First, the babies are out by the pool watching the big kids swim with Gigi and Bumpa who are in town for Charlie's birthday this weekend.  Lucky grandparents!  Then the pool and hot tub photos are my sister Laurie's family on their grand summer vacation in St. George Utah.  They rented a gigantic home with a pool and hot tub and are having a blast all together.  My sister Lani got to go too and as you can see, she was loving all those nieces and nephews in the hot tub with her.  What a summer blast of fun!  Skyler got his t-shirts organized into totes and stacked up which made for a little more room in the guest room.  Thank You SKY!  Graypa and I worked on covering journals for my seminary class.  It's funny how brown paper book covers can be so tricky to do.  I couldn't have done it without Dick's help.  We listened to a pod cast b y Richard and Linda Eyre while we folded and folded.on Marriaging.  We enjoyed it and learned a bunch too.  I got a phone call from Adelaide and Jackson on Friday morning.  Adelaide had some bad dreams and wanted to tell me about them.  I hope all my grandchildren will always know how much they are loved and how I love to hear from them and love when they share good days and not such good things too.  We've had those this week too.  Sure love you all, Robynn

Let's Say Goodbye to JULY!

Our Mansfield Thiots

Tuesday morning, Miss Harper, Miss Mary and Ricky headed to Plano to bring Harper for her sleepover.  You see, she was AVAILABLE on Tuesday where the other girls had prior commitments.  When we drew names to see who would come first for the sleepover, Harper was drawn last but with availability in consideration, she got the first sleepover spot.  We had such a fun time beginning with Perler beads.  She made a darling blue kitty without a pattern at all.  She is great on perler beads and we both had so much fun.  We got in a very long line at Chick fil A for lunch and then we watched Frozen 1 in the afternoon and then Harper wanted to go see Miss Elie.  We made a plan when Graypa got home and had a fun time with a dance party included.  We stopped for Fettuccine Alfredo at Olive Garden take out to bring home and it did not disappoint. A bubble bath and off to bed made a perfect first day. On Wednesday, we heard how sad Elie was when we left and we decided it would be fun to take her on a little field trip with us.  Harpers new doll Mary had never seen our beautiful Dallas Temple and so we  met Sky and Kara and got Elie to go with us.  We loved being on the temple grounds together. We came home and when we picked up the  mail, we discovered our mailman had given us our neighbors mail so we walked down to give it to them.  Our neighbor is a piano teacher and when we told her that both Harper and Elie loved the piano, she gave Harper a abook to borrow to try it out.  Harper loved practicing old Mcdonald and we loved being the audience and clapping out hands off.  All too soon, Ricky came and picked up Harper and Mary.  I loved getting to sew a new skirt with Harper for Mary and a new scrunchie to wear to the temple grounds.  What a fun fun sleepover.  Thank you Harper!

Our Medford Granges

It's hard for me to believe, our babies are seven months old.  They have both mastered sitting up, Simon a bit before Gracie and he's happy to offer support to her.  Simon is learning to scoot about and Gracie is just content to watch him and sit and play toys.  Tatia said it's like having Penny and Max over again.  Max was always anxious to try to new things and Penny very happy where she was.  Love these babies and all six of Tatia's littles.  On Monday night, Family Home Evening was all about Pioneers and they loved having their own PIE oneer Pie for dessert.  FUN!!!!  Tatias cell phone has not been behaving lately and so she got a new one and Penny and I have loved face timing checking out the new features.  What fun! 

Our Carmichael Thiots

What a fun way to celebrate Charlie and Jen's upcoming wedding.  Root beer floats are what Graypa and I served at our wedding reception and I loved that they served them with Keelie and Callum for their engagement announcement party for the kids.  Happy Day!  Callum left shortly after for a trip to Houston, Texas with his mama to visit Mackenzies sister Kelsie and her 3 little kids.  I'm sure Callum is having the time of his life.  Keelie and Charlie have had some fun adventures while Callum is away.  Including picking up a screw in the Camry tire.  OOPS!  Crazy times. They went to an adventure obstacle course on Saturday with Zip Lines and all kinds of crazy things.  They both loved it! 

Our LA Thiots

Adelaide had a great two weeks at her summer camps.  On the next to the last day of Art Camp, she came home with her front tooth in a little envelope.  She had pulled it out at Camp.  What a darling smile she is sporting.  She said she feels so grown up with her front tooth missing.  We've got two Grandchildren with missing front teeth.  So cute you are Max and Adelaide.  Pierce, Darci, Adelaide and Jackson loaded up the car early bird style Saturday morning and headed back to Orem, Utah.  Darci had permission to stay for two weeks and her time is up.  Stacy to staying home for a week to get ready for a big sale she is having in her shop and will join them next Satruday.  I got to face time with them on their way and they were all enjoying breakfast from Jack in the box.  It looked delicious!  Pierce sent me this photo of the Salt Lake Temple that he finished this week.  We gave him the set for his birthday last year and he finally had some time to work on it.  Just in time to celebrate their upcoming anniversary.  It looks beautiful!  

Our Oak Lawn Thiots

It was so fun to go to see Elie and Sky and Kara at their home.  With all of the t-shirt project, we've mostly gotten together at our house.  I loved seeing Elie's plant that we planted back in May.  My has she taken great care of it.  I'ts way bigger that when we planted it.  That made me smile.  She is a very good watering girl.  I loved watching Elie and Harper together.  They are five years apart in age but darling cousins to play together.  It made me smile as I could tell how much they love each other.  I love that Elie calls Harper my cousin.  Kara is working at getting excited for back to school.  There are a lot of unknowns as far as what it's going to look like.  She loves teaching and will be great at however they end up teaching the kids this year.  

We Plano Thiots

On Friday, we said Good Bye to July and on Saturday I packed up my patriotic decorations and my Pioneer Day decorations and put out my Back to School things.  Our Seminary is going to start on line instead of in the classroom so I've been working at trying to get excited for that too.  Lots to learn.  We did the last six weeks of the year with ZOOM and I have to say I loved that.  This year will be different.  Four days on line and one day of ZOOM.  We've not been given much information yet, so it's a bit like walking into the unknown but we will get it figured out.  

Dick got to play golf with Ricky and Michelle Taylor on Thursday.  Before she went back home she wanted to play golf again.  Dick loved getting to play with them but forgot to take a picture for me. They had an early tee time and they played pretty quick with no slow pokes in front of them and the temperature wasn't too warm yet which made it nice too.  

I'm looking forward to this coming week.  On Tuesday Addison will come for a sleep over and then on Thursday, Brooklyn will come.   This is my first time to have them come by themselves and it's been fun to get to have some one on one time with them.  Love it!

One of my favorite things on Saturday was when Jen posted some fun things about her children.  She has a darling daughter and two super sons.  It was so fun to learn about them and get to love them even before I have gotten to meet them in person!  
I hope you've had a good week and know you are loved. SLY Robynn