Everything is so relative, isn't it?

Sherry, Greg and Jason

How does it feel to be 71?  Frankly, it turns out that the "golden years," aren't all  they are made out to be.  I think that getting older is really overrated.  Remember the movie, Cocoon?  Now that was a great show!  Next time we go to Saint George for a weekend, I think I will be looking for a hotel that has a swimming pool with a pulsing, glowing object at the bottom.  Ha ha.

   

Nick

One good thing about having smaller kids around it the fact that I can still hoodwink them into thinking I am 17 years old, instead of 71.  A great joke is to ask them what 1 + 1 is.  Thinking they are very smart, they will always answer 2.  "No, no.  It's addition," is my reply.  I keep asking the same question until they answer, "addition."  Then I say, "No, no, you silly goose, it is 2."

Jeff, Rachel and Bev

Really, it was so great to have family around for the combined birthday party at our house.  There was lots of smiles and fun.  Time really does seem to move faster as the years pass.  I remember time moving so slowly in my younger years.  The days just dragged by from one year to the next.  Waiting to be a year older was excruciating.
 

Erin

Finally the day came when I graduated from high school.  I felt so mature, so grown up.  I'm sure my good friend Bob felt that way also.  That fall I enrolled in junior college in the same town.  One day I drove past the old high school during lunch time, and all the kids looked so young and immature.  Wow, everything is so relative, isn't it?

Sam and Erin

Nowadays, my own kids, who are around 40 years old, still look like kids to me.  It is shocking to think that soon they will be grandparents.  So what does that make an old duffer like me?  Right, a great grandparent.

Rachel

One great thing about getting older is retirement.  The freedom it offers is unmatched.  No more busy schedules!  No more unnecessary worries!  No more pressures!  What a life!  I don't have to go to bed at a certain time!  I don't have to get up at a certain time each day!  I can go anywhere I want, and do anything I desire, within my means of course.

Katie

I must admit that all has gone well so far, considering some pressing health issues, but hey, we all have those no matter what our age may be.  Health is a relative issue, like time.  No matter what physical problem you have, there is always someone who is in worse shape than you.  It's like driving down the freeway!  No matter how fast you are going, someone is going faster.  Thank goodness we have good doctors that can fix our bodies.  

Matt playing Jimmy Neutron

Anyway the next 20 years are going to be interesting.

We were all smiles

The birthday party was great.  We were all smiles when the family came bearing both food and gifts.  One of my favorites was the new basketball.  Now I can throw all the flat ones away.  Pumping them up for the grand-kids to use was becoming like a real pain in the back, ha ha.   

Mike was the chief chef.  I don't know how he does it, but his burgers are always delicious.  He is also good at about cooking anything that is meat, whether it be chicken cordon bleu, barbecue ribs, or steak; but on this day, hamburger was the supreme choice.  

Sherry brought a large bowl of Chicken bow-tie, mainly for the girls, as she thought they might enjoy a lighter main course; and guess what?  It was so good that the men had to have some also.   Yes indeedy, this was a great feast!

Kitchen Nightmares?  Not in this kitchen.  To add to everyone's delight, Sherry brought a whole bottle of Ranch dressing produced by the BYU dairy, for everyone to enjoy.

Matty took his burger and went outside.  I think that by the look on his face, he is going to grow up to be a good cook like his dad.  He looks really serious as he is about to take his first bite of his delicious burger, or maybe he has spotted a bug?





By the way, this was a duel celebration for both Grandma and Grandpa.  I will be posting more pics within the next few days, so be sure to come back.  What a great family we have!

Flying high!

Spring is in the air!  And three granddaughters are flying high as they donned their new Easter dresses.  You will have to ask Grandma Zucc for the whole story.  All I know is that when the girls walked into the house, they couldn't wait to change into their new dresses for show and tell.
 

"Smiles radiate from their lips and eyes.
The promise of Easter is upon them,
and, like a pearl, it is a great gem.

These girls are happy, it is no surprise,
for the promise is a gift
from the great I AM."

I'm not a trained poet, but the above words express my view quite well.  Grandpa Zucc sometimes gets creative.


 

Isn't she trendy?

Even though she is reportedly from another planet, (just kidding) Jenna proudly smiles, as she shows off her new specs.  Sometime in the last two months, the kids came over and we put them to work.  Erin vacuumed the basement carpet, while the other three went "yard hunting."  Three shopping bags were filled with paper junk blown in during the winter.  They were all paid for their efforts, and then Grandpa took them to the Dollar Tree store, and they all spent their hard earned money.  Jenna bought the glasses.  Isn't she trendy?

Just recently, Grandma had her foot operated on.  Mike and the girls brought over some food for us, but what we enjoyed the most was their company.  

Mike, Erin and Rachel

Grandma Zucc was feeling well enough to visit with the family on this occasion. The boot had to worn 24 hours a day during the first five days.  After then she was allowed to take it off at night at bedtime.  She was delighted to not have to ware it to bed.  Grandpa Zucc was only a bell's ring away most of the time.

When our kids were little we went to Knott’s Berry Farm in California, and there I purchased a little metal liberty bell.  Mostly we used it, over the years, for playing the Pit card game on New Year's Eve. Luckily she didn't have to use it during her recovery period, except only as an experiment.  When I heard it, I came a running, and was greeted with a little chuckle.   

Our family added two new members this spring, a couple of doves.  They sat in the sun, on our deck for maybe half an hour.  The male always had one eye open, but the smaller female, kind of dozed off a little now and then.  When we first moved here 40+ years ago, these birds all migrated south for the winter.  Nowadays a lot of them just stay around.

PERHAPS WE ARE ALL NUTS!

The girls put on their best smiles for us during our trip.  We were so grateful that Julie sacrificed her bedroom so that we could have our privacy.  She set up a cot in Brendan's room.  Brendan and Julie seem to get along quite well, thank goodness!

Dayle Jr. had a lot to smile about.  I did sneak a peek into his bedroom, and I must say that it was quite well organized.  This is a big compliment for a teenage boy.  But then, when I consider what Jr. has accomplished in scouting, school, baseball, and music, can anything other than crowning accomplishment be expected.

Dayle Sr. has a lot to smile about in this picture.  Belana has the looks of a movie star and is so smart, athletic and musically talented.  Somehow I feel really comfortable with her driving.  She has a spirit of confidence behind the wheel.  

We feel really happy and blessed with wonderful family located in two states.  Traveling to Washington is always a fun thing to do, whether by air or by car.  We love this land of beauty and opportunity.  We have encountered people of all races, religions, and values; and I must say that life here is good.  

With that off my mind, it is time to discuss "THE WHOPPER TEST."

Tammy has long contested that Utah whoppers are better than Washington whoppers.  In fact, during past trips to our state, she has made it a point to buy whoppers here.  Those of us living here, have found this behavior kind of strange, being that whoppers are all produced and packaged back east.  

I have long contended that the Walmart truck delivers whoppers in Utah first then 2 days later, in Washington, and that her fascination with Utah whoppers is just psychological. With this in mind, we bought a box of them and transported them to Olympia.  At the Walmart there, we bought another box.  

We then had the whopper challenge in Tam's home.  The whole family participated, and without exception, the Utah whoppers won!.  As you look at the above picture, the Washington whoppers are a little darker.  According to all the participants, the Utah variety won, hands down! 

Now, the funny thing is that, in Washington, we bought a box and brought them back to Utah.  We had the same test with family here, and guess what?  The Washington whoppers won, hands down!  No kidding!  How do you explain this?  PERHAPS WE ARE ALL NUTS!

Bozo in the Store

Walking the Vancouver Mall had its' interesting moments!  I was particularly impressed with the huge chess set displayed on the bottom level.  The pieces were lite enough to be moved, which means that an actual game could be played.  If Jason had been with me, I would have challenged him to a duel.

On the upper level, a large gorilla was on the loose in one of the stores.  As we made eye contact, I could sense his stone-cold will.  It was like one alpha male meeting another, and the prize of battle being that of total territorial control.

After looking over his domain, I decided to back off!  I already had a female waiting for me downstairs; and besides, if I won the battle, he and I would have to change places, then I would become the Bozo in the store, knocking over all the fragile stuff, and he would be free to roam at will, in the mall.  Ha ha
. 

The female on the left is Grandma Zucc, and the one on the right is her childhood friend, Linda.  Gordon, Bev's brother, joined us for lunch at the Red Lobster.

The female below, Julie, is probably the one the gorilla would have pursued, she being free, single, and  homecoming queen.  I wonder, "Do gorillas have to commit to the on-campus honor code?"