Summer 2026

 Part 11

Julie’s summer backyard concert with Melody and friends.

Activity Days at the Delta Project with Tracy Taylor, Susan Standefer and Primary girls.

July 4th barbecue. Jacob did a great job cooking kabobs!

My dear childhood friend  Becky Parker Wheeler passed away on July 4th from dementia.

Here she is at her daughter’s wedding. Becky and I grew up together in the Bountiful 19th Ward. She was such a kind loving person. Gone too soon.

Water Zumba at the Provo Rec Center

Chinese birthday lunch.

Daisey’s are in full bloom!

I forgot to post Jacob and Brittany’s Atlas. Such a good and adorable dog

Coleton and Julie babysitting Coleton’s nephew Rider. He was such a good baby during dinner time. When it came time to go to bed he wanted his mom. She was at Stadium of Fire with the rest of  Rider’s family. Great practice for Julie and Coleton.

Spring & Summer 2026

 Part 1

Japan Update 

Jenny always loves the springtime in Misawa. She also got to do a little traveling with the missionaries. The week before Jenny flew to Utah she went to girls camp near Mt. Fuji with her stake. She said there was a small earth quake right after their testimony meeting ended.

Jessie was in her first in Boise Idaho. After the play she flew to Mexico to celebrate Dayna’s mom 60th birthday.

Gary’s trip to Huntsman Cancer Insitute

 Gary finally met Doctor Huang (rectal cancer surgeon) at the Huntsman Center. The hospital is very big and really nice. We got a date for surgery! July 31st!! Meanwhile Gary has to do prep work and meet with other doctors. Bone doctor, Prostate doctor, Anesthesiologist, Plastic Surgeon. We drive back this coming Friday so Gary can have a biopsy on his prostate to see if they need to remove any cancer in that area. We still make it to the rec center and park for exercise but his pain and discomfort are challenging. Getting enough sleep also seems to be hit and miss. Hopefully after surgery that will start to change.

Worst Fire Season ever on Record

 June 2026

The last time I remember a bad fire season was the summer of 2018. It started around August. This year it has started in June! Serious fires in the mountains above Beaver Utah and just south west of us about an hour away around the town of Elberta. We have had nothing but smoky skies, dark orange suns and ash falling every where. The town of Elberta had to evacuate for a few days but luckily the brave fire fighters saved the town.

Huntsman Cancer Institute

Elberta Fire where we camped last summer 2025

More roses.

Spring 2026

First time planting tulips for spring. Hopefully they will come back next year.

Mother’s Day 2026

New roof.

So much has happened since last March. I took the plunge and have officially retired from Amelia Earhart Elementary. I will probably continue to cross guard before and after school but no more elementary aid work. I worked 17 years for Provo School District. I started at Sunsetview Elementary just working lunch recess for 2 hours every day. Did that for two years because Julie kept getting strep throat in 3rd and 4th grade. When she finally got her tonsils out no more strep throat. 

There was a part time opening for school lunch lady at Sunsetview Elementary so I tried it for one school year. Too much work for a fifty year old. I ended up applying at Amelia Earhart Title One program in 2012 as an aide and I got the job! Julie was in sixth grade at the same school so that was pretty fun and I worked 29 hours a week which was perfect. The ladies in the Title One room were very patient with me and I learned how to teach all age groups how to read following a simple but strict curriculum. 

Candy Mack made this lei and gave it to me right before my last day of school. I wore it to celebrate my retirement.

Update on Gary’s Cancer:

He went back in May to get results from radiation and chemo treatments. The MRI showed signs of greatly reduced shrinkage so that was a relief. We found out last week that he still has cancer cells in his Sacrum bone area so that might be a challenge. We are just waiting to find a surgeon who can not only remove the cancer mass near his rectum but also remove the cancer from his Sacrum bone. Hopefully a surgeon from the University of Utah can help Gary. In all we continue to eat healthy foods and walk, walk and walk. We also like lifting weights at the Provo Rec Center.

June Roses

Our tree in the front yard has taken off!

Daisy’s are beginning to bloom.

War with Iran and Updates on Gary’s cancer

Yesterday America and Israel launched an attack with Iran. I am fasting and praying for the people who live in Iran and the Middle East. Our prophet has also asked us to pray and fast for the country of Mexico. The drug cartel has been fighting with Mexico’s National Guard. There is a lot of unrest around the world. Ukraine continues to fight with Russia which has been going on for four years! I was really hoping it would be over by now but Putin is a lunatic!!

 I will start to pray for our American soldiers every day this week. Also the women and men who lead our great country.

It has been a while since I blogged about our family. Gary is still going through treatments for his rectal cancer. Right now he is still on chemo but started radiation fourteen days ago. I drive him to the cancer center for ten minute radiation treatments Monday through Friday. He is getting just a little more sleep but suffers from neuropathy in his feet. The pain in his back side is very uncomfortable but Gary tries to stay upbeat even though he has lost a lot of muscle and weight.

Seven weeks ago Gary had colostomy surgery so his intestines would not get blocked up during radiation treatments. He is no longer on a liquid diet but can eat soft foods like eggs, white toast and mashed potatoes. He also likes chicken pot pies but picks out the chicken. 

Last chemo fusion treatment.

I need to write about Christmas 2025. Jenny was able to come and spend the holidays with us. Her husband JJ no longer wants to be married so he spent Christmas in Japan packing and has now moved back to Utah. We of course have been sad for our Jenny and only wish the best for JJ. Our Jenny continues to teach in Misawa Japan. Thankfully she has good friends that she can hang out with. Personally I want her to move back to Utah as well but she wants to teach one more year in Japan then she will decide. I’m sure she is going through loneliness now that her almost 8 year marriage has ended. I pray for her everyday that God will continue to watch over and her dog Peach.

Julie and her close friends came over to our house one evening five days before Christmas. They sang Christmas carols to Gary and performed a short program with instrumental and vocal solo’s. It was very touching and both Gary and I wept. Best Christmas gift ever!

 

Thanksgiving 2025

 

We had a great Soupfantastic meal this year. Coleton and Jacob really pulled off delicious soups so GW could participate. Now we want to make it into a tradition! 

GW is halfway with his chemo treatments. It has been quite the experience and hopefully by the time January 2026 comes around he won’t have to suffer as much.