With Bryce and Alyssa

Bryce and Alyssa Flindt were born more than a year apart, but we think of these grandchildren almost as twins.  They are Lisa's "cabooses," her last children still at home.  The four other Flindt children are already back from missions and finishing college, with three of them married or seriously dating.  Bryce, Alyssa, and Lisa were in Salt Lake City the week of June 8, 2020, as a stop on their way to a Flindt weekend reunion at our St. George house.  Dave and I took Bryce and Alyssa to Zao, a favorite Asian fusion cafe, just to catch up.  Bryce and Alyssa are both cross-country runners at Eastlake High School in Sammamish, Washington, a suburb of Seattle.  They take AP classes, hold part-time jobs, have lots of friends, and are having fun.

Another evening, we shared ice cream sundaes at home, and heard about Bryce and Alyssa's friends and adventures.

Lisa spent the week polishing her resume, as well as visiting her BYU children in Provo.

With the coronavirus raging in Washington, as well as Utah, Alyssa and Bryce attended classes remotely, on their laptops.
 

Desert Trip

For thirty years or more, one of David's family traditions has been to take road trips into Utah's desolate West Desert.  Dave's dad even chartered buses to carry his friends throughout the area.  On June 6, 2020, Dave and I took an all-day desert trip with our son, Mike, Jonny and his family, and Jonny's parents-in-law, Dave and Shelly Leatham.  First stop was Camp Floyd, where nearly one-third of the U.S. Army was stationed during the late 1850s to quell the "Mormon rebellion."  The soldiers left when the Civil War broke out in 1860.  Henry posed next to a gravestone in the military cemetery.

Dave and Shelly are wonderful grandparents to Jonny and Jenny's children and we always enjoy being with them.

Jenny tried to comfort an unhappy Henry.

Thomas wasn't feeling much better.

Henry and Sam brightened up as we watched a movie in the museum, showing the history of Camp Floyd.  Jonny offered to buy Henry a stuffed animal.  Jonny hoped he'd choose a macho buffalo or bear, but Henry wanted a stuffed bunny!

Even two-year-old Thomas enjoyed the show.

As we traveled the dirt backroads, we came across an infestation of crickets which was much heavier than this photo shows.  We stopped to look at the hordes of insects on the road and sympathized with the 1847 Mormon pioneers, whose first harvest was eaten by crickets.

We also stopped at the dog graveyard built by the wife of pioneer Porter Rockwell.  There are all sorts of quirky monuments and historical plaques in the West Desert.

After dozens of desert trips, Dave knows all the stories, and he shared them with Shelly and Dave.

Mike knew that his baby, Audrey, wouldn't do well on a day-long ride through the desert, so Mike came without Audrey and wife Heidi.  As usual, Mike carried his professional camera, ready to catch perfect photos.

Dave grew up in Dugway, Utah, in the desert near here.  Not everyone thinks the desert is beautiful, but we do.

By early afternoon, Henry was very tired.

Jenny still looks like a teenager, after fifteen years of marriage and three little sons.

We stopped for a picnic lunch near Fish Springs, on the flyway for birds from the northern to southern hemispheres.  I brought muffaletta, the Italian-style sandwich from New Orleans.

Lunch revived Henry.

Sam enjoyed a bottle of Fanta.

We paused at Gold Hill, a ghost town which was once an area where prospectors found gold.

There was a new bar in Gold Hill.  We kept our distance; we were wary of ghost town settlers.

Dave often describes a drive through the desert as "good for the soul."  This drive certainly was.
 

Garden Party

Sunday dinners in the garden have become a happy tradition.  On May 31, 2020, we had "All-American food," with barbecue brisket and homemade ice cream for dessert.  Jonny's family was in town, and so other family members gathered to greet them.

It is always a treat to have our Ebert granddaughters visit--Mia, Sophie, and Emilie.

Our grandson Spencer Flindt's wife, Naomi, is expecting her first baby in August, as well as working on her Ph.D in chemistry at BYU.  We are delighted she is still feeling so well.

Carol Garza, who lives across the street, often joins us.

Steve and Dave had lots to talk about.

As did Jonny and Steve.

Michael ran tutorials for his nephews, Spencer, Grant, and Jono, on how to invest in real estate.

Thomas went after his patient big brother, Henry, with the hose.

Sam climbed the boulders in our back yard.

Heidi brought Audrey.  Both mom and baby had fancy headwear!

 

Shiver and Shake

It was still chilly in the Uintah Mountains on May 30, 2020.  Dave and I drove past Kamas towards Mirror Lake.  We stopped at the lookout over the Provo River, rushing out of the mountains towards the densely populated Provo area.  It is during moments like these that we really feel like Westerners--virtually alone in wild, rocky country, which is also within 90 minutes of home.

On the way home, we treated ourselves to shakes at a favorite haunt--the HiLine Cafe in Kamas.  Dave and I have our traditions.  I order the "everything" shake, with crushed candy bars, and Dave orders the poppy seed shake.  It was the perfect weekend excursion.