How Our New Year Began

After getting settled in our new home, we enjoyed having family come for Thanksgiving, for Christmas, and for New Years.  We enjoyed being with friends at the home of Bob and Phyllis Brock on New Years Eve to welcome 2013.

Long before we had even thought about moving, we had made plans with our good friends from Ann Arbor, Helen and Harvey Bauss, to go on a cruise to South America and Antarctica in January.  Thus, our plane reservations had been made to fly out of the Rapid City airport.

Therefore, the first day of 2013 found us getting packed to leave for South Dakota the next day.  We were in our car and on our way by 7:00 on the morning of January 2.  Our first stop was at the hospital in Provo to meet our first great-grandchild, Anna Mckenzie Lontine, born the evening before.  

Anna Mckenzie Lontine
born to Derek and Sarah

January 1, 2013, at 10:52 p.m. in Provo, Utah
6 lbs. 14 oz. - 19 inches

  

Derek and Sarah, brand new parents!

On February 19, our first great-grandson was born.  Here is a photo sent by iPhone:

Montgomery "Monty" Charles Ure

born to Matt and Brittney

February 19, 2013, in Saint George, Utah

10 lbs. 11 oz. - 21 1/2 inches

While we were visiting Anna and her parents in the hospital, Sam got a call on his cell phone from Ann Arbor with disappointing news.  Harvey called to let us know Helen was in the hospital with a blood clot on her lungs and would not be able to go with us on the cruise.  (We are pleased to know that she is now at home and doing better.)

 

Happy we got to see Anna before leaving Utah for South Dakota, we headed for Denver and stayed the night with Scott and Kristine's family.  The next morning we continued on our way, stopping for a visit with Bill and Karen in Scottsbluff and treated with food from their favorite Mexican restaurant. 

Enjoying a short visit with Karen and Bill

We got to the farm about 5:30 p.m. and enjoyed a warm welcome from Rachel and Weston.

Friday and Saturday, January 4 and 5, we went to the Lyman wrestling tournament and watched our grandson, Sam, compete and place 2nd.

 Weston (left) helping to keep stats for

his dad at the Lyman wrestling tournament.

(Brent and the assistant coach)

Our grandson Sam placed 1st at Regions.  At the State tournament February 22 and 23, which we watched online, Sam placed 5th.  His coach and dad, our son, was honored as the Region's Coach of the Year.  Congratulations to both Sam and to Brent!

 Sam wrestling at State

February 22 and 23

Bennett County Booster photo

It was nice to spend some time with Brent and Tauna and their family in South Dakota both before and after our cruise.  It also gave us an opportunity to pick up a few things we had left before our move and to better organize remaining things to bring back at our next visit.

In the next blog posting, I will share some of the many photos from our travels in South America and Antarctica.  We saw impressive scenery and met some wonderful people.

Trent's Graduation and State Track Meet

On Saturday, May 21, the day's activities began at 7:30 a.m. with our grandson Trent's graduation from Broomfield High School in Colorado. The early morning start made it possible for Trent to receive his diploma and then leave immediately to compete in the finals of the state track meet in the 100, the 200, and the 400-meter races.

It had been previously arranged that as soon as Trent received his diploma, he would leave before the graduation ceremony was over in order to get to the State track meet for his first race.

Trent receiving his diploma from Broomfield High School.

Trent wore his warm-ups under his blue graduation cap and gown,
which he removed before I got an official graduation photo.
Sam (in photo) and I left with Trent's family for a hurried trip
to the JeffCo Stadium for the track meet. Trent's Grandma
and Grandpa Judd from Utah and his Aunt Sue and Uncle James
from California were also at the graduation and track meet.

We did get Trent to put his cap back on
for a photo with his sister, Brittney.

At their Conference track meet about ten days earlier, Trent had re-injured his hamstring. Last year, he had hurt his hamstring in the prelims at the State track meet and was unable to compete in the finals as a junior. As a sophomore, he had been the 100-meter state champion. Of course, it was disappointing that this year he would be handicapped with the hamstring injury, but at least he was able to compete and actually did very well placing third in all three races. It was nice having Trent's Aunt Sue, who is a physical therapist, there for help with his hamstring issues.

Trent (left) on his way to a 3rd place finish in the 100 Meter.
The runner in the middle pulled his hamstring in this race
and finished in last place, although he would otherwise
have been a contender for a top placing. The runner on
the right is from a private school and was the winner.

Trent on the winner's stand to receive his 3rd-place medal
in the 100 Meter.

Trent typically is first out of the blocks, although
the hamstring injury was a factor this day.
(400-meter race - State track meet)

Near the finish line of the 400-meter race.

Trent receiving his medal following his 3rd-place
finish in the 400 where he ran his personal best
in spite of the hamstring injury.

It looked like Trent was going to end up in 2nd place
in the 200 Meter, but right at the finish line his
placing changed to 3rd. The 1st place winner
also won 1st in the 100.

After the track meet, there were graduation parties to attend with visiting and delicious food. Graduating seniors from the church ward in Broomfield had a nice party at a park for family and friends that was well attended. They even had a fun air-filled plastic slide and a room with a bouncing floor for the younger children to enjoy.

Trent's display table with a photo collage and
basket for graduation cards.

We had gone to Denver on Thursday afternoon and stayed overnight with Bill and Karen in Scottsbluff, and we stopped for a brief visit on our way home after church on Sunday. We enjoyed our visit with them as well as the good Mexican food on Thursday and the Dairy Queen cake they served us on Sunday.

Granddaughters Honor Grandpa Sam

Rachel's Grandparent Essay was a third-place winner. She received a certificate and $10.00 for her winning entry about her Grandpa Ireland. Her picture was on the front page of the local Bennett County Booster. Unfortunately, her grandpa had a busy working day and missed being in the photo; but he was very pleased about the honor.

Maren, another granddaughter, also had a winning Grandparent Essay in her school in Mitchell recently that also told about her Grandpa Ireland. Congratulations to Rachel and Maren; and, of course, congratulations to Grandpa Sam!

Rachel wrote about her Grandpa Sam
in her winning Grandparent Essay.

Maren (left) also wrote about her Grandpa Sam
in her winning Grandparent Essay.
(Maren and sister Haley)

Enjoyed Trip to Chicago

I am so glad I accepted Marla's invitation to go with them to Chicago to see our granddaughter Maggie's show choir competition. There were schools from five states: Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and only Mitchell High School from South Dakota with their 50-member show choir. Eleven mixed show choirs competed and were narrowed down to six finalists.

It was exciting to have Mitchell's group win 1st runner-up. The grand champion went to Waubonsie Valley High School from Aurora, Illinois, who were the returning grand champions from the previous year. I had guessed before the winners were announced that Mitchell would place either 1st or 2nd. The top two were my favorite picks, although all six show choirs in the finals were excellent.

"Friend de Coup"
Mitchell High School
at Wheaton Warrenville South Classic in Illinois.
As their performance begins, the silver door splits
with each half moving to the side.
Maggie is hidden by the "door" in this photo.

Here they are singing their ballad number after
an energetic segment of choreographed dancing and singing.
Maggie is standing in front of the second open frame
from the right in the back row.


Maggie is the 4th girl from the left in the back row.
In front, the male soloist is singing while the
female soloist is standing nearby.

The allotted 30 minutes per show choir starts when the
stage hands begin setting up the risers and props
and includes the sequence of musical numbers
performed with lightening fast costume changes.


The boys deftly remove the purple jackets from the girls
that were worn in the previous photo. Underneath are
these sparkly costumes featuring a face on the front.
Now the boys are off stage changing to their next outfit.


While the boys perform, the girls had left the stage
and returned to join the boys for their final segment
wearing these unique costumes. The boys' hats
have silver masks on top.
Maggie is standing next to the right silver frame.


Maggie's Aunt Nancy gave her these
flowers after the performance.


We watched the competition from the bleachers, and
for the finals we sat in the very back row;
so I am surprised my pictures turned
out as well as they did taken from that distance.
[Narene with two of Maggie's sisters (Haley and Maren)
and their Aunt Linda (right) and cousin (center).]

I had driven to Mitchell on Thursday afternoon so I could go with Marla, Haley, Maren, and a friend (Heather) to Chicago on Thursday. Curtis drove another car part way for Heather's mother until her car broke down in Austin, Minnesota, where the car was left. In Chicago, we stayed with Curtis's mother; and Curtis's two sisters (Linda and Nancy) and his nephew and wife came to watch the show choir competition on Saturday. On Friday, we enjoyed seeing Linda's son Spencer in his school's production of "The Wizard of Oz," and we had dinner at Linda and Rob's.

In spite of getting to bed late Saturday night and having the change to daylight savings time, we got an early start the next morning and got to Mitchell about 6:00 p.m.; and I came on home that evening.

August - Bennett County Fair, Family Visits, Garden Harvest, and a Funeral

August in Bennett County finds 4-Hers busy getting ready for the fair, moms busy taking care of the family garden harvest, and farm/ranch dads focused on the next crop to harvest. Our grandchildren entered their 4-H market steers in the fair, and Rachel and Weston made numerous arts and crafts to exhibit.

Rachel (10 yrs. old) showing her 4-H market steer.
This was her second year to have a market steer,
and she is almost big enough to see over his back.
It weighed 1,245 pounds.
Her steer got a blue ribbon and sold at the auction
for $1.55/pound. (August 13)


Sam (13) got a purple ribbon on his 4-H market steer.
It weighed 1,340 and sold at auction for $1.65/lb.

Seth (16) getting his steer ready to go into the show ring.
His calf had good features and received a blue ribbon.
It sold for $1.35/lb. and weighed 1,420.


Weston (8) exhibited a "treasure chest" chocolate
cake at the fair and got a blue ribbon on it.
At the auction, Grandpa Sam was the high bidder
and bought it for $120.


This little pig went to market - or more accurately,
to the auction at the fair.
Ireland Bros. bought the one on the left.


One of Rachel's exhibits was this quilt she made.
It got a purple-ribbon placing at the fair.


Roy (Sam's brother) driving his vintage car in the
parade as Barbie waves. Rachel and her cousin
Kennedy and Uncle Steve are in the back.


Sam and Brent spent the day looking at farm equipment
at Dakota Fest in Mitchell. I tagged along and am always
impressed with the size of the machinery and the price tags.
The guys had certain things they wanted to check and
compare, which included this cart for an air seeder.


They were also interested in this tractor.
We had supper with Curtis and Marla's family
and then returned home.
(Sam and Brent - August 18)


Curtis & Marla's family came for a visit at the end of
July instead of at fair time, since that was the only
time they could come before school started.
Here the Smith kids and Brent & Tauna's
are watching "Back to the Future."

This year we planted the sweet corn in our garden instead of along with the field corn as we had been doing in recent years, and it produced very well in spite of sharing it with the racoons. We really enjoy having packages of cream style corn in the freezer, although it is a rather messy job preparing it.

Everything set up and ready to begin cutting a shallow slice
on the top of the kernels with an electric knife.
Newspapers help make for a quicker cleanup when
finished, since the cut corn is like glue.


Cooling the corn before packaging for the freezer.
The recipe is one we have enjoyed for many years.
Whole kernel corn is okay from the store, but
cream style corn you buy is a poor substitute.

One more batch ready for the freezer.

Making salsa is another ongoing process this time of the year with many red packages filling the freezer.

Sam was asked to officiate at the funeral of
Denzil Richards in Rapid City. President Layton, president
of the mission, was the other speaker. The two
sister missionaries sang a special musical number.


Denzil was buried at the Black Hills National Cemetery
at Fort Meade.
(August 31)

My big project lately has been helping to get ready for publication a book for our community's centennial next year. It includes information, histories, and photos of businesses and families in Martin through the years. I will be glad when the final draft is ready for our review, but it should be very nice.