JULY 2025 - 4th of July - Parades - Family - Theatre

 

FOLLOW THE FLAG 

Happy Birthday to Preslee - 14 years 

Always a great way to begin the month by celebrating Preslee's Birthday.  She is growing up so fast and becoming a beautiful young women.  She will be starting 9th Grade this school year and is a Timpanogos Cheerleader, choir and Silks.  I hope it is a great year for her.  

July is Apricot season in Utah.  My sister, Pam has two trees and so we went and picked a large bucket full and then the work began.  I made a sugar free sauce, reduced sugar jam and a gluten free apricot cobbler that was really good.  We then had plenty to just eat fresh.  Nothing like a fresh apricot in season fresh off the tree.  Once a year treat!

Our small garden has begun producing - I finally have been able to grow zucchini!!  I went to a gardening class and was told to plant a blue hubbard squash plant next to the zucchini plants and you would not have squash bugs.  I did that and have not had any bugs that destroy the plants and have harvested many zucchini.  We eat zucchini about 5 days a week and it is wonderful to have fresh from the garden.  We have two tomato plants and I have been able to make 1 recipe of spaghetti sauce so far.  The Blackberries are just coming in ripe and they are sweet and delicious.  Not enough to can but great to eat.  It is only my second year to have blackberries and they have done really good this year.  Every year will be better.  

FOURTH OF JULY

The Fourth of July is always a festive celebration.  We lined the front of our home with American Flags - the sunflowers that just decided to grow there on their own added to the Patriotic theme.  Sad it is not filled with zinnias' but over 200 seeds later and only a handful of zinnias - it was the year of the Sunflower.

Emily always decorates her home with all things American.  She also is one of the voices of the Provo Freedom Parade - this is her 5th year and we all get involved and help with the parade.  We arrive at 6:00 AM to set up and she starts the morning off with cheering on the runners in the 10K, 5K and Fun Run that is part of the Freedom Festival activities.  

Our neighbor, Jeremy is her co-host and they make a great team.  I help with the logistics of keeping entries and narration in the right order.  

For two hours we cheer on the runners and then she works the crowd to get them ready for the Parade.  She plays games with prizes, has trivia questions, jokes and music that participants can receive merchant coupons and bling.  

We have been participating in 4th of July Parades for many years - Arlington TX parades for over 30 years and now it is fun being a part of the Provo Freedom Festival and Parade.  It is a fun way to be patriotic without the politics.  

Always a great way to end the night - The Fireworks!

We went to Thanksgiving Point in Lehi and watched their fireworks.  We could see local fireworks for miles around - it was spectacular!  

I don't know why but I never tire of seeing Fireworks and the bursting color in the night sky.  So many memories with family.  

TAD CALCARA - NEW DEAL SWING ORCHESTRA

We completed the weekend at The Covey Center for the Arts with our neighbors, The Glades.  

What a wonderful evening of Big Band music and vocals.  

Tad Calcara is the principle clarinet for the Utah Symphony and also has the band.  He is so talented on the piano, clarinet and vocal.  What an entertainer!  

WEDDING TIME 

Emily had the opportunity to help  my friend, Rochelle Dunford and her daughter Anna's wedding on July 8 and since Emily and I are a team I was there to help her.  

We catered the Wedding Luncheon with the help of Chick-Fil-A and added the salads, fruit, rolls and chips.  

We make a really good team and had so much fun working together at this great venue in Provo with such a cute Bride and Groom.  

Emily has such a talent for displaying the food (that I cook) and making the event beautiful.  We served and cleaned up the kitchen just in time for the reception to begin.  The Groom's family was doing the reception and we could see they could use our help and so we stayed and plated and served the food for the reception.  We were so busy I did not get any pictures but it was AMAZING!  They had done all of the food prep but it all needed to be plated and served.  Between Emily and I we made the charcuterie boards look so good.  They had people non-stop for the whole evening and we stayed busy keeping up with all of the food.  It was so fun helping to make it a magical evening for these two families.  

Mr. & Mrs. Smyth

SURGERY DAY

Emily got as much in as she could before she was going to have surgery.  

Two and a half years after Emily was in a very serious car accident she was finally able to have surgery on her clavicle.  It has been a very long process and several Doctors to finally get a diagnosis that would lead to surgery and healing.  

At the time of the accident the ER was very busy from so many accidents that day and Emily was not bleeding badly and they did not detect any broken bones so she was released and told to go see her Primary Care Doctor.  That was the beginning of a very long journey to diagnosis and healing for many parts of her body.

She had back surgery two years ago and was still in a lot of pain.  She had MRI's, X-Rays, CScans, etc and they said it would just take time for her body to heal.  They started giving her injections in her knees, back, hip, shoulder and neck.  She went to a Chiropractor  for a year and it helped for awhile.  She kept telling the Orthopedic Doctor that her hip and shoulder area were still in so much pain.  At one point he told her that there was nothing in her upper chest/clavicle  area that could be wrong and that it was all in her head and referred her to a psychiatrist .  The Doctors she had been seeing in Salt Lake City told the Attorney there was no more they could do and were done with her treatments.  At this point we found Dr. Chen - A pain management Doctor.  After a year of seeing him and receiving multiple injections he was doing an X-Ray to know where to do the injection near her clavicle and saw there was a problem with her clavicle.  He was stunned and called me into the room to show me the X-Ray.  He wanted new MRI's and CScans ordered to see if she was healing or what was still causing so much pain.  

Miracles DO Happen - just not always on our time tables.  

Emily had a roommate 20 years ago in Jackson Hole, Wyoming who was a massage Therapist and is currently an ICU Nurse and in school to be a PA.   A few months ago when she was in so much pain, she called her friend Megan and asked if she could get a massage.  Megan did the message and in the process looked at Emily's chest/shoulder area and said, "This should not be moving like it is". She said she would talk to some of the Doctors at the Hospital and find the Doctor she should see.  It took a few months and Emily called her and told her what Dr. Chen had found in the current X-ray and that he had ordered additional testing.  That started the process of Megan finding the right Doctor for Emily to see - a Cardiologist - who would have known?  She got an appointment for the next week!  Miracle #1.  The day of the appointment came and it was canceled due to a surgery that went longer than expected.  At 6:00 that night the Doctor called Emily at home and talked to her about her condition.  He said, "The CScan does not show any problem.  He also knew Dr. Chen had seen an abnormality.  Emily and I talked to him for over an hour and she said, "Will you just see me so you can look at the problem?"  He said, "tomorrow is not a day I am in the office but come in at 2:00 and I will see you."  

We went to see Dr. Mitchell - the Cardiologist and he showed us the scan that looked good and then he touched Emily's clavicle and it moved.  He said, "lay down on the table - this is going to hurt."  He immediately knew what was wrong and said he is part of a team that would do the surgery.  He called Dr. Gillette while we were in his office and made the appointment for two weeks.  Dr. Gillette is an Orthopedic that is the only Doctor in Utah that is trained to do the needed surgery.  He said when the scans are done you are laying down and the clavicle is in place but when you stand up it would then fall off from the Sternum.  He said the other Doctors are only trained for the shoulder and would not have known how to diagnose or treat.  Miracle #2 that we found these two Doctors - Emily's friend Megan was the catalyst that made it all come together and we are so grateful.

Surgery was scheduled immediately.  The Doctor filmed the whole surgery - I will spare you the pictures - the technology is amazing.  The picture to the left is the opening and you can see the clavicle and the screw with a cadaver ligament  making the repair before they closed the incision.  She is in a sling for 6 weeks and starts Physical Therapy this next week.  She is healing well.  We found out at her two week check up that this was only their 4th time to do this surgery.  Dr. Gillette was trained at the Mayo Clinic in the procedure and said it is a rare injury - his previous patients are professional athletes.  I am glad they did not tell Emily that information until after the surgery!  She is a recipient of a Donor and they gave her a letter with the Donor families name to be able to thank them.  

Emily has been really strong through all of this even with so many challenges with her children and personal life.  She continues to be blessed with good friends and parents that are just downstairs to help.

The MRI showed that the tear in her hip did not heal but that it has gotten progressively worse.  Dr. Gillette has a colleague who is a hip specialist and we were able to get in to him last week.  Emily will have hip surgery in September when she has more use of her arm/shoulder.  She will be immobile for 21 days and on crutches so she will need to be able to use her arm.  

We are hoping by December she is healed and ready to enjoy Christmas and all that that entails in our home.  She is not able to work during this time and that is a challenge for her financially, but she has been blessed with some extra jobs she had before surgery and was able to sell her car last week so things are working out.  We are with her for the long haul the next few months and know it will help  in her healing and moving forward in her life.  

MUSIC AND THE SPOKEN WORD BY THE TABERNACLE CHOIR AND ORCHESTRA AT TEMPLE SQUARE 5,000 EPISODE SPECIAL CELEBRATION

On Sunday, July 13 we were able to go to the Conference Center in Salt Lake City for the 5,000 Episode Celebration of Music and The Spoken Word.  We have listened to the Tabernacle Choir since we were children and it has become a part of our Sunday mornings for many years.  We always enjoy attending their concerts in person and this Celebration was very special.  

On July 15, 1929, a small radio broadcast on KZN in Salt Lake City began with one microphone attached to the ceiling and a wire running a city block back to the control room.   The broadcast was not flawless - the microphone picked up shuffling of feet and the tapping of the conductor's baton - but it received a rousing response from the president of NBC, saying he was "eagerly awaiting your next."  No one involved knew it at the time, but it was the first of a history-making broadcast run that continues today.  It is the longest continuously running weekly network broadcast in history.  The inspirational program has served as a beacon of peace and hope for nearly a century, bringing comfort to people through The Tabernacle Choir's glorious singing, accompanied by virtuosic pipe organ music and now the Orchestra at Temple Square, and humble, heartfelt spoken messages.  

We really enjoyed the program and the stories they shared that people submitted of how the Choir broadcasts had made a difference in their lives.  They received more than 1,100 inspirational stories and experiences from viewers and listeners around the world.  There was one consistent message in all of them, "Music & The Spoken Word stirred something deep within me - a feeling that gave me the strength to continue forward."

I invite you to tune in on BYU TV or YouTube and listen to the beautiful music of The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra.  We have a few friends in the choir and orchestra and it is always fun to see them perform.  If you ever come to Utah for a visit we would love to take you to hear the choir.  

SISTERS

Oh how I love getting together with my Sisters!  Brooke had a Birthday on July 22 and just happened to be in town so Pam and I took her to lunch.  She shares a birthday with our Dad and so it was always a festive day.

The Joseph Smith Memorial Building - formerly Hotel Utah - just reopened after major renovations.  We went to the new Garden Restaurant for lunch.  Walking into the building filled us with awe.  It was majestic, light, airy and so beautiful.  The restaurant caters to local business people and was so delicious.  The raspberry tarts were the BEST!  

Our parents met 85 years ago in front of the building where my Dad had parked his car.  My mothers best girl friend was meeting her boyfriend for lunch and invited her to come along.  He was friends with my Dad and when he saw his car parked in front of the building he said, "Let's get in his car and surprise him."  The rest is history.  A few months later they were married and were married almost 75 years.  

What a special day to spend together in such a memorable place.  

ceiling of Joseph Smith Memorial Bldg.

Brooke's family gathered in Utah to celebrate her birthday and to have a family reunion.  Her granddaughter, Brenna from Salida, Colorado was attending the BYU Broadway Boot camp the same week.  We all gathered for her performance in The Phantom of The Opera.  There were 110 camp members in the show and it was so well done and entertaining.  

Brenna Chariton

We had all of Brooke's family over for a movie night showing pictures from our childhood and her kids early years.  It was so fun reliving all of the memories.  Her grandchildren had never seen the pictures of their parents and we had so much fun.  I spent this past year putting all of the pictures together for each of my siblings and it was very special to share it with this family.  

We also took a walk with the family to show them the Lindon Temple.  The picture on the left was taken in what we call the "Golden Hour".  It is before the lights come on and the sunset shines through the stained glass windows and it glows gold.  It is so beautiful.  Below is about 30 minutes later and the lights were on.  We look forward to the upcoming opening of the Temple.  

JULY 24TH

Russ and I took a drive through Cottonwood Canyon over the Wasatch Range to Midway on this day of commemorating the arrival of the Pioneers in the Salt Lake Valley.  It was a beautiful drive - so green and many wild flowers.  We stoped in Midway at the Veterans of  War Monument.  It is on the top of a hill and has names of those who served from the Midway/Heber area starting with the War of 1812, Nauvoo Legion 1841-1844, Mexican War & Mormon Battalion 1846-1848, Battle Creek War 1859, Civil War 1961-1865 - through today.  

It is a really nice memorial and has a 360 degree of the Midway/Heber Valley.  We then drove on to Heber and ate dinner and then headed home.  We had never done that drive and it was so beautiful and a really nice afternoon together.  

overlooking the Valley at War Memorial

PROTEIN BALLS

I went to an activity to learn how to play Pickleball  - yes, I am hooked and now play once a week.  I was asked to bring Protein Balls and so I made over 100 balls with 6 different flavors.  I was a little over ambitious and it took me all day to make all of them but we have enjoyed having them as snacks the past few weeks.  I made:  Almond Coconut Delight, Salted Caramel Crème Brûlée, Cinnamon Salted Caramel, White Chocolate Berry, Pumpkin Spice and Chocolate Sunflower Butter.  

CHICKEN CRUST ALFREDO PIZZA

1 lb. cooked chicken, shredded.  I use 1 can of chicken from Costco.

1/2 cup grated Parmesan  cheese

2 cloves Garlic

1/2 tsp Sea Salt

2 large Eggs

Toppings:

1/2 cup Alfredo sauce

3/4 cup fresh Spinach (optional)

                                                      1/3 cup Red Onion sliced thin

                                                      1 cup Mozzarella cheese - shredded

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400*.  Line a pizza peel (pan) with parchment paper.

Stir together the shredded chicken, grated parmesan cheese, minced garlic, and salt.

Whisk the eggs lightly, then add in.  Mix well.

Spread onto parchment paper as thin as possible, about 1/4 inch.  Slide the parchment paper onto a pizza stone.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until firm and golden on the edges.

Let rest for about 10 minutes.

Add desired toppings.  I used Alfredo sauce, shredded grilled chicken, red onion and Mozzarella cheese.  

Bake additional 10- 15 minutes.  

This has become a really good Pizza replacement for us.  I have made it with Pepperoni and olives as well.  

WICHITA KANSAS

We ended the month with a visit to Wichita Kansas to attend the performance with Music Theatre Wichita of Disney's NEWSIES that our grandchildren William and Nora were in the Chorus.  

Brian picked us up at the airport in his new hybrid Volvo - great day of flying - all of our flights went well considering we had to leave home at 4:00 AM and then had to wait and hour and a half at the Provo airport because of a mechanical on the airplane (that has become the norm at Provo). We missed our first connection but made the next one and arrived early afternoon in Wichita.  

We went to Opening Night and it was Fantastic.  It had an amazing cast of professionals from all over the US.  Nora took a real liking to "Jack" - the main character and was so cute after the dress rehearsal when he gave her a high five - she said, "I am never washing this hand."  After the Opening Night performance she gave him a hug.  They really had a great experience and put in two weeks of really long hours at practice.

They are the cutest "Newsies".  It was so fun to see them so engaged in the performance with their singing and dancing.  We are so proud of them.  

It is always a treat spending time with Brian and Beth.  Great food, board games and just hanging out together made for a wonderful few days.  

William & Nora

Will and Nora after the performance in their "skims".  They have to get out of costume before they can come out after the show.  And they received lots of flowers for their wonderful performance.  They are rising STARS and we look forward to future performances.  

Our return flight was a little more of an adventure.  We left Wichita at 8:30 Thursday evening and were to arrive at midnight in Provo.  While we were in flight the Dallas connection to Provo was delayed 2 1/2 hours due to weather.  We did not leave DFW until Midnight and arrived in Provo at 2:30 AM. We made friends with another couple who was traveling to Provo and helped them book a Hotel in Provo and then we took them to their Hotel on or way home.  It was 4:00 AM by the time we made it to bed.  So good to be back home. 

So that is a wrap for July.  I was a very busy month with family, activities and taking care of Emily.  There are about 30 steps between two staircases between my house and Emily's room.  I have certainly gotten my steps in every day attending to her needs.  We are so grateful to the friends and neighbors who have brought in meals and visited Emily the past few weeks.  It has been so good for her mental health and has helped me out a lot.  Taking care of two homes is a lot of work - the few breaks away were much needed for our health.  

We hope the final days of Summer are good to each one of you.

Russ and Linda Grimmett

JUNE 2025 - Family, 50th Wedding Anniversary, Reunions and Friends

 

What an AMAZING month!  It was filled with so many memorable experiences with friends and family.

We began the month with a Senior Missionary Reunion from the Alpine German Speaking mission.  It is always a great time when we gather with these people who we served with on our mission.  A few have served other missions and it was so good to hear about their service and new experiences.  There is a special bond with each other as we share in our experiences serving together.  

We were blessed to have Pres. and Sister Brown with us.  They made each of our experiences as Senior Missionaries the very best.  They loved and respected us and trusted us to do the work we were asked to do.  They encouraged us to see the beauty of Germany, Austria and Switzerland and to spend time with the people.  Our Mission Senior Conferences were the best R&R we could ever have.  It helped us develop friendships with other couples and gave us the instruction and Spirit to do the work.  Grateful to our wonderful leaders.  

On June 5th we met up with John and Carol Homer and Mike and Sharon Lloyd (former Senior Missionaries) at the Roy Community Center for a patriotic concert.  Sharon is a Cellist in the Davis County Community Orchestra and this was their Summer Concert.  It was a beautiful evening filled with delightful music.

It was the perfect way to start the Summer - good music and great people.  We ended the evening at my favorite Ice Cream Shop - Handel's.  They did not have my favorite Cinnamon but the Caramel Green Apple was delicious!

Three days after we arrived home from our Alaska Cruise I got really sick.  I was completely down and could not eat or drink for 3 days.  I finally was able to start sipping liquids and then I made some homemade chicken stock.  It took about 10 days to get my energy back and we had so much to do to get ready for family and our 50th Wedding Anniversary Party.  I knew I needed to slow down and get better so we canceled our trip to Minnesota for our grandson Zach's graduation.  

So grateful for the technology we have today - we were able to watch the graduation live - it was wonderful.  Zach is our #6 grandchild and has grown into a wonderful young man.  He is a gentle giant - very quiet; artistic and a master gamer.  We understand he is more outgoing at school and enjoys his friends.  We are so proud of him and look forward to what the future holds for him.  

I was really impressed with the speeches given at the graduation.  Superintendent Berg shared five things:

1.  Mistakes DO NOT Define You

2.  It is OK if everything is not figured out in your life today

3.  You are NOT Alone

4.  Being Kind will Always be Cool

5.  You are made for a purpose - You have Unique Gifts

Principal Jason Kriegel shared:

This is not an end today - A Beginning!

Don't wait for Life to hand you a Script - Write your own!

What you Should Do - What you Could Do

Where you Go - Carry with you Two Things:

                        Choices                                         Character

Superpower - How you respond.             Matters - Not a Test Score

My Hope for YOU -

Have BOLD Curiosity

Don't accept the world now as it is - Make it Better

Chase what Lights you Up Inside

You are the author of your future

Believe and Love Yourself

Go Write Something Unforgettable!

GRANDCHILDREN HAPPENINGS

It's that time of year again - OREM DAYS PARADE

Preslee marched with her Timberwolves Cheer Team.  This is a festive parade that is held in the evening - a little cooler and lots of candy for the kids.

Nora (Brian and Beth's daughter) came from Wichita, KS to attend a BYU soccer camp.  Brian and Nora stayed with us for the week and it was filled every day with activities.  

We began their stay on Sunday evening going to the Utah Premiere Brass Band in Provo.  They put one a free Community Concert every Sunday evening in June.  We have loved spending our Sunday evenings listening to fantastic music.  This Sunday was the music from Bluey.  I had never watched the show but when we got home we watched three episodes.  The music is classic - it is more than a cartoon- great message.

Nora marched with the audience with the 1941 March music.  They get the audience involved and it was a fun evening for all of us.  

Monday morning she was off to  BYU.  I think Brian enjoyed it as much as Nora.  We went Tues - Thursday afternoons and watched the scrimmages.  We have a rising Star in Nora and she loved her week with the BYU women soccer team and the new friends she met.  

Nora on BYU soccer field

JUNE means back on the Murdock Trail for our morning bike rides.  We ride about 10 miles per day and love the beauty and majesty of the Mountain.  This barn is very old and starting to be in disrepair.  This Spring the original owners son began a renovation of the property.  The barn is repaired and painted and looks so nice.  We stop just beyond the Barn for our drink break and to turn around and return home.  I love this view.  

This month also brought stunning sunsets and gorgeous moons.  

These pictures are from our back yard just as the Moon was coming over the Mountain.  It was about midnight before it came over the mountain.  It was so beautiful being outside in the quiet of the night and seeing the moon through our trees.  June is a wonderful month to enjoy the great outdoors.

We will be hosting our Anniversary Party on June 21 and so we continued our preparations and yard work.  We wanted a new sign for our entrance and so we created this metal sign so people will know that our home is on the side entrance.  It turned out really nice and looks nice with our new improved Flag Pole.  The sign says:  Welcome - Grimmett Home - Where memories are made and worries are few

I baked about 250 cookies for the party.  Preslee helped by scoop the dough and that was a fun afternoon with her.  We made chocolate krinkles, lemon drop, chocolate chip, snicker doodles, and thumbprint filled with apricot and strawberry jam.  The countdown begins for family to arrive.

We had a few friends who contacted us and said they would not be able to come to our Party.  

Steve and Betty Anderson - Russ's former Boss at American Airlines in Texas invited us to lunch to celebrate with us.  They treated us to Magleby's in Springville - what a special time with longtime friends.  They have always been good to us and we really enjoyed our time together catching up on life and our families.  

Jaime arrived from Minnesota and it was so nice that she could fly into the Provo airport.  It has been three years since she has been home and we were so glad she could come.  

Childhood friends are so memorable and from a time that forms and shapes the rest of our lives.  A few months ago we reconnected with The Crockett family who also now live in Utah.   They called and asked if they could come over on Friday evening as they would be at a family reunion at Bear Lake on Saturday.  My sisters, Pam and Brooke came and we had the most wonderful reunion.  They were our next door neighbors for 12 years from the time I was born until I was 12.  Those were the best years of my childhood.  We lived in Twin Falls, ID. in a neighborhood called Lynwood and were in the Twin Falls 5th Ward for Church.  That was our life.  Valene Crockett the matriarch of the family continued to live in their home until last year.  68 years in the same home and she then moved to Utah last year. She will be 97 this year.   She continued to be a dear friend of my parents and will always be a special lady to me.  She was the Primary President when I was 11 years old and I will never forget sitting in her living room and reciting the 13 Articles of Faith for memory to graduate from Primary.  She worked with me to be able to memorize them and they have stayed with me all of these years.  Four of the Five Crockett children came to our home for the evening.  WHAT A REUNION!  We laughed and cried and laughed some more as we reminisced our life in Lynwood.  Over 50 years since we had all been together and it seemed like yesterday we were kids playing in the backyard.  John asked, "Do you remember playing kick the can?"  we said, Of course - one of our favorite Summer games.  John said,  "we don't - we had to watch you play from our bedroom windows!"  We  didn't start till it got dark and they had to be in the house at dark.  Oh, the memories.  It was so much better that meeting at a funeral and just saying Hello.  It was the highlight of our weekend.  We look forward to another gathering.  

50th WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

June 20, 1975 we were married in the Idaho Falls Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  We had a Reception in Idaho Falls that evening at the Grimmett home.  Russ's parents had a beautiful yard lined with Lilac Bushes and flowers.  It was going to be so beautiful with a garden reception.  We had checked with the weather service for the past 50 years history of weather on that day and it showed it to be good June weather - so plans were made for an outside reception.  That afternoon the wind started to blow - that's Idaho - and then just as the reception was to start the rain came.  Russ's mother had an immaculate yard - but her garage was clean enough to have family dinners.  So, the family hurried and moved all of the tables from the yard into the garage and his brothers got umbrellas and escorted people in from their cars.  It was an eventful evening and so fun.  We didn't care that it ended up in the garage - the people who came made                                          the event special and we were married - that was all that mattered!

The next night we had our Reception in Twin Falls, ID at my parents home.  We could not have had a more beautiful evening.  It rained hard the night before just like Idaho Falls and then the next day it was all blown over and everything was fresh and a beautiful first day of Summer Day.  My sister, Pam was the Bridal Buyer for Weinstock's in Sacramento California and she arranged for the Tuxedo that Russ wore - Baby Blue with white shoes - he was so stylish.  We had a 6 layer wedding cake with three different flavors, skewered fruit and little sandwiches and can't forget the cream cheese mints and nuts.

We decided to start the day this year by attending the Mount Timpanogos  Temple.  Brian and Beth arrived on Thursday evening and they joined us at the Temple.  It was so wonderful being together in the Temple.  

We had The Crockett family over that evening as mentioned above and then Joshua and Julie arrived from Portland, OR.  All of our kids were now home.  We have not been together for 7 years and that was for my Father's funeral.  Not all of the grandchildren were able to come but we had 4 out of the 12.  

Saturday was a busy day getting ready for our Celebration.  We began the day picking up the chairs and tables from the Rental company and then getting the yard set up.  Everyone was busy working together and getting it done.  We then went to Los Hermanos - a Mexican Restaurant - for lunch.  It was a close to Texas food as we could get in Utah and we had a really enjoyable time talking and everyone catching up with each other.  This was one of the highlights of the day watching everyone enjoying the food and visiting with each other.

I cooked a Beef Brisket, beans, coleslaw, salad, and rolls for Dinner before the party began.  

Josh brought fresh Cherries from his neighbors Cherry Tree and made a fresh Cherry pie for everyone.  It was so good - reminded me of all the Cherry pies my mom made for me - I always had a Cherry Pie for my birthday instead of a cake.  

THE PARTY

After Lunch with the family we returned home to get all of the final preparations made for THE PARTY.  Everyone had an assignment.  Emily put together all of the Decorations, Brian made the Video, Beth put together the Memory Book, Josh and Brian installed the sound system and put up the outdoor screen for the video, I arranged all of the food and Russ and Jaime helped everywhere they were needed.  Russ was in charge of the punch fountain - he cleaned it and had it working three days before the party.  He was ready!  When he set it up plugged in the pump and filled it with Lemonade the pump would not work.  We had a new pump ready to go but the tubing was not the right size for the new pump.  Josh to the rescue.  He figured out how to make it work and the fountain was saved - just in time as the guests started arriving.  I loved how everyone pulled together and made it happen.  

Guests were welcomed by our Wedding Invitation blown up to a large banner that covered our Garage door.  The hydrangeas bloomed just in time at the front of our walkway.  

Emily really did a nice display of photos and memories from our wedding.  We had pictures from my Grandma and Grandpa Walton's 50th Celebration, My Parents, George and Ruth Haney and Russ's Parents, Earl and Emma Rose Grimmett on their 50th Anniversaries.  

Our back yard was so beautiful and the weather was really nice.

Emily had my Bridal Portrait blown up and displayed with my Wedding Dress.  It has yellowed over the years, but is still in really good condition.  

Wedding Picture and Current Picture

The Refreshment Table

We served cookies, lemonade and then had an Ice 'Cream Bar.  Preslee and Nora did all of the dipping and had so much fun together.  We had vanilla, coconut, strawberry and mango ice cream bars.  They were then dipped in luscious dark chocolate and then you picked the toppings you wanted it dipped in:

crushed Oreo's, almonds, pretzels, Andes mints, mini M&M's, Reeses Peanut Butter cups, Butterfingers, coconut, gold sprinkles or fruity Pebbles.  It was so fun and guests could have as many as they wanted.  

Ice Cream Bar

We had a program where a video of our lives was played with pictures from our childhoods, our dating, wedding and family through the years.  We have 21 years of pictures with our family on Christmas Eve with Santa Claus at Max and Sally Johnsons home in Arlington Texas.  It was great to see the changes in our family during that span of years.  The song Through the Years by Neil Diamond  was the background music.

After the Video, each of our Children shared a memory of us.  It was so special and very touching.  Wow!  they really came through.  People laughed that it sounded like our funeral - I said that is why I wanted to have them share their memories while I was alive so I could be a part of it.  So fun!  They then had us play a game to see how well we know each other.  We did pretty good - I think we got 8 out of 10 questions.  We missed, "What is your favorite trip together?"  Too many memorable trips.

Family pictures warms this motherheart.  The last picture we have with this group was 9 years ago on my 60th Birthday.  These will always be special to me.  We are only missing Jaime's husband Andy in these pictures.  He was not able to make the trip and was missed.  

The Picture with the grandkids is a rare photo with Logan actually smiling.  He was great to cooperate - He does not like photos.  Logan and Preslee and William and Nora are in the picture.  

Grimmett Family 2025

The first hour was absolutely wonderful.  We are so grateful for the friends and family who came to Celebrate with us.  My Sister Pam came and helped just like on our wedding day.  She is the best big Sister and continues to always support and bless my life.  We had Texas friends, some we had not seen in 20 years, Mission friends, Cumorah friends and neighbors.  We are truly blessed by the people in our life.  This Party was really all about being with the people we love and sharing our happiness and joy.  

So, as we started on June 20, 1975 the weather decided to change and the winds came up and with the help of everyone at the party we quickly moved everything inside.  Our large swimming pool was blown into the neighbors yard, our new flag pole was severed off at the base and the Winds were about 55 mph.  For the past three years on June 21-23 we have had the same winds.  We need to stop planning parties on those dates!  Even with the winds the evening was so memorable and enjoyed by all who came.  

The pool was dismantled and returned to our yard, the flag pole has been repaired, tree limbs and branches have been picked up and life continues on.  So many adventures every day.  

Homemade Chocolate Dip (a.k.a. Magic Shell) Recipe

250 g (1/2 pound) dark chocolate, 66% to 72%, finely chopped

200 g (1 cup) Refined coconut oil (Not unrefined or virgin)

125 g (6 Tbl.) light corn syrup

Directions:

Combine chocolate, oil and corn syrup in a microwave-safe fowl.  Microwave on half power in 15 second bursts, stirring with a spoon in between, 3-4 times, until chocolate is completely melted.  If heated too much, the chocolate may break, forming harmless brown speckles in the sauce, blend in a blender on high speed for 30 seconds to re-emulsify the sauce.

Transfer chocolate dip to a tall container (wide mouth quart jar worked great) and store at room temperature, stirring with a spoon if it separates.  Dip ice cream bar into chocolate and immediately into desired toppings.  Chocolate will harden within 30 seconds.  

Store your chocolate dip at room temperature.  It keeps for several months but will separate over time, so stir or shake before each use or briefly warm up in a hot water bath or microwave until all ingredients re-combine.  

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It is Summer and if your travel plans bring you to Utah or if you come to Lindon we would love to have you stop by and say Hello.  We might even have some Ice Cream to dip!

With Love,

Russ and Linda