We are celebrating!!!

Alvin was finally offered the ceramics position at CGCC today. It has been a long and very stressful 10 weeks. This is how the long drawn out process went!

Job Posting – April 2
Job Posting Closed – April 16
12 applicants
First Interview – May 12 (4 weeks)
Committee of 5 interviewed 6 applicants
Second Interview – June 2 (7 weeks)
President and Vice President of College interviewed 3 applicants
June 7 – (8 weeks)
No news
June 14 – (9 weeks)
No news
June 23 – (10 weeks)
Signed paper authorizing HR to do a background check
June 24 – offered the position!!!!!!!

We had planned all along to have a party for his college supporters in our backyard if he got the position. I planted flowers and put solar lights everywhere but now that it is 110 degrees it is way too hot to have this party outside and our house is way too small inside for this crowd so we will have it in the ceramics studio instead. Not as nice but still a thank you to his friends for supporting him!


Since January when Alvin moved into the new facility at the college as the adjunct faculty this full time job position has really worried him. The time has been stressful with too much anxiety. There were a few days I wondered if he could take much more! Now he can relax. We can go on our beach vacation knowing that he has the job on his return. School starts August 21!

He is resting until then - well deserved!

Washington boys getting braver . . .

Carter and Cash got into the "water wheel" on their second visit to our pool. It didn't take them long to feel confortable in the water.

Chandler, Carter, Cash, Tatum, Stephen and Cooper.(Stephen had his hands full with five swimmers)


Cash had the wiggles and the giggles. Carter was a little more subdued.

Wasp Problem

We have a wasp problem and they are scarry when they fly around our pool when little people are swimming. So, this is what I am trying to do to get rid of them. So far, not working!

Glass Wasp Trap
This sturdy, colored glass trap will take a bite out of your wasp problem. Simply add the included lure, a bit of water, and replace the stopper. Hang or place in an area with high wasp concentrations. Wasps fly up through the bottom hole, become trapped, and drown in the water. After two weeks replace the lure, or just add sweet liquid (lemonade works).


The Original Waspinator
The Waspinator repels wasps, it does not harm or kill them. It works on a very simple principle: wasps avoid the nests of other wasps. By giving the appearance of a real wasp nest, any nearby wasps will keep their distance, commonly about 20' or further. No chemicals, folds flat to bring on picnics, weatherproof, environmentally safe. Think of the Waspinator as a "scarecrow for wasps".

Cousin Time

Chelsea, Carter and Cash arrived early Wednesday and we got together late afternoon. First thing they did was jump in the pool - five kids and Pa!

Then we had dinner at Red Robin - Pa's treat! (sorry no pictures) Everybody was hungry from swimming! We were saying goodbye to head home and Chelsea and Stephen said they were going to the mall. Tatum immedieately said, "can I get my ear's pierced?" I guess the last few days she had been talking about it to her mom and had finally gotten up her nerve to do it. So, we couldn't miss this moment so we all headed to the mall. A big audience!

Picking out her earrings.

The first ear already done. Usually you have two people working on each ear so the hurt only lasts one time but unfortunately there was only one girl in the store to do the procedure so she had to do the second ear right after the first. Alvin said she probably would just end up with one earring but the girl worked so fast she didn't have time to backout.

She defnitely had a "hurt" reaction but got over it very quickly.

Her mom cleaning them.

Tatum, cousins and brothers all got suckers after the procedure.

And, she was so proud and acted so big. A stop at the Dairy Queen ended the evening.

Retirement Party Pictures

Regina just sent me photos of Alvin's party. I had obviously forgot my camera.

Our Short Story . . .

Today is our anniversary – forty-two years!

Alvin tells “our story” so much better than I do. I believe he is a romantic at heart that is why. But, I will give my version at this time and some day he will give his.

We met in the 3rd grade at Cleveland Elementary School. He remembers me but I don’t remember him. Actually, I don’t remember him until high school even though all those grade school years we were students together.

In high school we started dating when we were juniors. It was an off and on romance. He liked me and I didn’t like him. When I decided he wasn’t such a bad guy he didn’t like me so much. Alvin was a short skinny guy that had a big toothy smile with lots of energy as I recall. But, he just wasn’t the guy for me at the time. I wanted the student body president who was at least 6 foot tall and more in the public eye. He wanted the blond cutsy airhead with the bubbly personality. Finally in our senior year we got together and pretty much stayed together.

We graduated. He went off the BYU and I to ASU. We both dated a few others which was good! I visited him once in Provo and he surprised me a couple of time by showing up at my dorm room in Tempe. We decided we liked being together. So, he enrolled at ASU the second year.

The third year he went on a mission to Brazil for nearly 2 ½ years. It was hard having him gone and he says it was equally hard for him as well. I continued on with school and did not date the first year he was gone. I started working for a bank and enrolled in banking classes. There I met a guy who worked for another bank and was a member of a long time Mesa family who were friends with my parents. We dated for months and then he had to leave for national guard training for several months so I was writing two guys letters at this point. He returned and the romance continued for a while but finally ended. I decided I wanted to be available when Alvin returned home. After all, he was the guy I wanted. We were married 6 months after his return from Brazil.

(and, an added note posted 7 PM Monday night - last year I forgot the anniversary - this year he has no clue of what day it is)

Retirement Party!

Our good friends Sterling and Regina Skousen hosted a retirement party for Alvin last evening in their home. The group consisted of nearly 40 close friends, mostly retired CHS teachers, and it was certainly an enjoyable evening. Alvin was very appreciative of those that attended. Several "toasts" were given on his behalf and also a tribute was given to a fellow art teacher, Karl Dowhie, that had passed away within the past year.

Lots of memories were shared of the good times in the art building at CHS. Those were defnitely the fun times of teaching and defnitely the building block of the great friendship these teachers still share. Thanks Sterling for sharing your wonderful cooking skills and Regina for your warmth of having us in your home.