Generations

So...I typed this post last Saturday but did not finish it until today. Running to catch up with life, as usual!

The Little House on the Corner has been bursting with people and love lately. Diana and Lucas have flown home to their sunny beaches and Nick. My mother is here. She came to visit me but also to meet Lucas for the first time, It was sweet! As I type this post I am expecting the arrival of two of my nieces, my oldest sister Sharon's daughters, & their children. One of these nieces, Jalyn, is just four years younger than me and is the mother of nine, yes, NINE sweet children who are mostly grown now. She is bringing her two youngest sons. Annie is Sharon's youngest child and she is coming with her five little ones and her fun husband Cory. They are coming to see Grandma Helen and in the case of the kids, Great-Grandma Helen! Later on today another niece Emily will arrive from Provo with her father Steve. Em is my youngest sister Georgena's daughter and she is a BYU student. Steve is currently living and working in Ogden, far from his Colorado home and his sweet wife. We get to see them frequently on weekends but they are coming today especially to see that Grandma-Great! Hots and burgers will be on the grill this evening and thankfully the weather is finally behaving. It is a glorious 75 right now and I am in heaven. The only thing missing are my usual Mother's Day flowers that the Master and I go pick out the Saturday before. He buys me my hanging basket for the summer and I choose some pretties to put in my pots. Sadly, he is on a recruiting trip for BYU today but will be home tomorrow. I won't do the flowers without him so they will just have to wait. It's tradition, you know!

There will be five generations in the Little House today. Wow. Pictures will be taken and I am excited! Here are a few generational pictures I  insisted on before I took Diana & Lucas to the airport.

 This one cracks me up. My mother didn't want her picture taken because she was still in her robe although she had showered and put on her make-up. Rachel thought she would be sneaky and get her in anyway, A sneak attack Four Generation shot!

Lucas and I getting in a few extra hugs.                                                         We crack each other up!

 

We finally got Grandma Helen in one. Not bad either!

Lucas, his mother Diana, her mother Marianne (me!), and my mother Helen.

Four generations.

Done!

Here are the pictures we took on Saturday night. We had an extra surprise because the girls called their brother Norman, who lives in Logan and he came too with his darling wife Svetlana. It was so good to have them all here. Grandma loved seeing them!

 Back: Norman Black, Jalyn Black Bertagnolli, & Thomas Bertagnolli, Middle: Sveta Black, Helen Ellsworth, Annie Black Hadley & Cory Hadley. Front: Mason, Trace, Kennadee, Jaxon, & Olivia Hadley.

Emily Faria, Sveta & Norman Black, Thomas Bertagnolli, Helen Ellsworth, Steven Faria, Jalyn Bertagnolli, & Marianne (me!).

 In the photo below just add Annie on the end!

Helen Ellsworth with Great-grandson Thomas Bertagnolli who will leave in early July to serve a mission for our church to Ohio. His mom is Jalyn and in the second photo she and Grandma are sharing memories about my sister Sharon who we lost to cancer in 2007.

I have been wanting this picture for awhile too. This is my mother with her oldest and youngest grandchildren, my son Richard who is nearly 18 and my niece Jalyn who is...ahem! (four years younger than me!)

 

Here is our BYU student Emily hugging Grandma goodbye before she heads back to Provo. She is my younger sister Gena's daughter.

 

We had a wonderful visit, good barbecue, and fabulous desserts including cheese cake and a yummy Russian cake that Sveta brought! I put on a few pounds but may have lost them again playing Farkle with everyone.

 I won!!