Easter with the Bryans .....

Theron and Sydney~Easter


How wonderful to share the Easter season with our family in Washington!! Theron and Sydney are growing up so fast and it is so wonderful to have the chance to share in some of their activities! Even though we aren't there, Shawna is so good about posting the activities and goings-on of her family so even though we are a few miles apart, we are still part of the action. So lovin the time to be able to go and see them and this time Papa will be there. This year Easter fell on Rex's birthday, April 24th!! So that was an even special reason to celebrate!!

People from the past .....

To set the stage for the reasoning of printing this email, I met Allison Ashley West in 1967 while a sophomore at Mesa High School. Allison had the personality of one who could take you into her world and treat you as if she had known you since the beginning of time. She is loving, caring and a friend for life. If you can ever find someone like this, do everything in your power to hold on to that friendship!! They are extremely rare!! Thirteen years ago she lost a son to cancer and it was a most difficult, painful time but as you can see she never let it suck her into the abyss of despair and hopeless grief. She was and is and always will be one of my sister~friends!! I love you, Allison!!!



"Sue,
It meant so much to me to see you and Vergene. We have to try hard to reconnect and stay reconnected, talked to Mary today and she says we really need to come up and visit you for that slumber party. You can not see someone for 20 years and when you do it is just like you left off yesterday, I believe that is what true friendship is. These kinds of friendships have become like gold to me at this stage in my life. It really felt good to talk to you, I admire you and Vergene. What are the odds of a football star and a cheerleader becoming everyday people and surviving the hard knocks that life throws at us sometimes. I feel lucky to have had Lonnie all these years, he has been by my side always and you and Vergene seem the same way. I always tell people I could have left Lonnie, my husband once or twice, but I could never have given up my best friend, who I knew he was within days of meeting him. From just talking to you yesterday I feel like you and Vergene are the same way. And that is how we survive, by being loved.
Love you so much, Allison"

Third Grade Hottie ..........

Okay, so can you find my best friend, eternal companion and father of my children in this adorable picture of a third grade class!!!???
When we went to our class reunion picnic, one of the guys who ended up going to "the other high school" knew he had known Vergene before. He went home and found his third grade class picture and sure enough there he was standing to right of Verg!!!
How weird is that?! (Not weird weird but exciting weird, movie line!) So right from the get-go my honey was a hottie!!!!

Reflecting

I have been down with my annual "cold" since last Thursday and I have been "reflecting" on how much I love this group of little people. My life has been pretty much in the mine-set of becoming a grandmother which my mother told me would definitely happen IF I became a mother myself. Okay, sounded great to me! It took the better part of my teenage years holding on to the man whom I wanted to share my eternity with and believe you me when I say holding on I MEAN holding on!!! To this union came five of the most incredible people who have been an inspiration and example to me!!! Then one by one they left my security and roof and began their own journey!!! As they found their eternal companions, my grandmother~clock started ticking and before long, these precious, yes~perfect, amazing little humans entered the Gardner family!! I know my Heavenly Father lives and loves me because as I watch these awesome grandchildren grow and come into their own I feel His presence daily!! Now I must admit I wish they were all a two minute drive away but their parents are so wonderful in keeping Papa and I a part of their activities and lives.

Cody Hayden ~ our hunter

Wyatt Floyd ~ our lover of life

Kaely Sue ~ our dance entrepreneur

Cambry Christi ~ our barrel racer

Doyle Brian ~ our tool man

Brynlee Dawn ~ our sweet baby

Theron Vergene ~ our lover of sports

Sydney Lillian ~ our princess

How can people not know of a divine presence when there are treasures in this world such as these. I want Chet, Delores, David, Christi, Bruce, Sandra, Chris and Sue Ellen to know how much I love and appreciate the upbringing of their children in some way, shape or form to become the most incredible spouses to our children. Yup, this Mimi IS extremely grateful for this journey and I look forward to whatever comes our way because I know we will endure anything when we endure together!!! FAMILIES ARE FOREVER!!!!!

The Class of '70 Picnic Reunion

The magnificent Superstition Mountains

Front row: Charolette, me Lou Ann, Nancy, Isabele,Sherry

Back row: Carla, Mary, Lynn, Allison




Left to right: Vergene, Dale, Bill, Vance, Chuck, Johnny, Leonard

A few weekends ago we were fortunate to be able to go to a Mesa High School Class of '70 picnic reunion at the base of one of Arizona's grandest mountain~the Superitions. It was a gorgeous day and as the sun went down the full moon was high~absolutely breathtaking!!!! Our good friend Dale Hamblin got it organized and we had people from Montana, South Carolina and as far away as Scottsdale come for a day of bonding, memories and eating! These "kids" are we fondly refer to each other have been a part of our lives since elementary school and they are still "rockin on"!!!!!!! Some of them, Vergene and I haven't seen since we graduated 40 yes I said 40 years ago!!!!!!! This reunion will be a yearly event and will bring more classmates since the world of communication now includes Facebook!!!! Carry On Jackrabbits Carry On!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday, Rex !!!!!!

Our boys

Can this be~yup, it is!!!

Look lively, Soldier!!!!!!

This wasn't suppose to happen. This young man was not suppose to reach his 16th birthday let alone his 29th one!!!!! He wasn't suppose to get his driver's license or go to Prom or be president of Chef Brigade or graduate from high school or serve a mission or work for Safeway or finally ending up at Disneyland and be Pluto of the Year~TWICE!!!!!!! To say we are so grateful for his love, support and what he brings to this family is to say the least!!!! People are so grateful to have Rex cross their paths both face to face and under a "head"!! He is kind, humble, focused, loving, caring, trustworthy, loyal and noble!! I am so grateful and blessed to be his earthly mother. We love you so much, REX!!!

Opposite ends of the equation......

Benji~2011

Shamoms~2011

Okay, so here is the greatest example of how opposites can attract. The stud on the top of the hill, stately, focused, so GQ and then we have the mascot/cheerleader, crazy, never stops being spontaneous, so crazy! We absolutely love these two because they so compliment each other and have easily rubbed of on each other hence Benji can be crazy and Shawna can be focused!

The spouses of our children are awesome and Verg and I love 'em like our own!!

We are so blessed for this family unit and eternity will be terrific!! Love you all!