Thanksgiving

 Michelle and Brian graciously offered to host our entire family for Thanksgiving.  We had a wonderful time together.

One of the highlights for me was getting beautiful family pictures with everyone in them.

Kristen and her crew came on Tuesday.  They went to a local elf hunt with Michelle.  I love the pictures they shared.



And they went shopping at Gardner Village.

William was the model of fun things they found.

Music boxes

Thanksgiving morning, we participated in a Turkey Trot in Orem.  The Camerons weren't with us yet, but everyone else ran in it except me.  It was a fun family activity.

Some had a bit of help running it!

Here comes Lisi.  She won first place girl in the 2-4 age group.  She won a turkey!

Here comes William!

Ready to run!

Along the route were hidden lots of turkeys.  The Mackrory family found three of them and then Lisi won one.  So they got four.  Jared quipped, "Four turkeys for the family that doesn't like turkey."

Lisi with her ribbon and prize ticket.

Audrey and Kenny were in the same age group.

The older group ran at 8, then the children at 9.  I sat in the van with the younger kids while the adults ran.  They watched a movie.

Here comes Kenny.  He kept a good pace and ran a good race.

Audrey coming across the finish line.

We then hurried home and everyone pitched in to cook the Thanksgiving dinner.  They set up tables downstairs for us to enjoy the feast.

Fruit Salad

Man, that turkey was so good.  It was moist and tender.

A Prince tradition is to have this slush for Thanksgiving.  We thought it fun that Ken's mom had almost the exact same recipe as the Prince's grandma had.  He remembers her making it.

We added blessing feathers to the grateful turkey.

After dinner, Gabbi gave pigtails to all of the boys.  We had to get a picture.

The kids made turkeys out of oreo cookies, frosting and candies.

Jake getting pigtails

Before Thanksgiving dinner, everyone traced and cut out their hand.  Then we wrote a blessing on each finger.  We brought these to dinner with us and each shared their five things they are particularly grateful for this year with everyone.  It was such a sweet exercise.  It helped me get to know everyone's hearts better.

There were games going almost all of the time.

Family pictures on Friday morning.  We were supposed to take them outside, but over three inches of snow fell overnight.  But I love how they turned out!

This is what we woke up to that morning.

After pictures, we had "Christmas" together.  It was so nice.

Princes gave each of the Mackrorys an ornament meaningful to them.

Camerons gave Ken a new garden hose after they saw the state of his!

Michelle gave her sisters sweet nativity necklaces.

Even Fred got a new ball.

Waiting for Christmas

Thank you, Aunt Michelle.

Sammy got a puzzle that he had to immediately put together.

Girl shopping was a highlight!

On Friday evening, we all went to the Orem temple open house.

When her mom told her where we were going, Lisi ran over to me with pure joy and excitement in her eyes and exclaimed,"It will be my second time!"  She was so excited to go.

Sometime while we were there, Brielle lost her purse.  They discovered it missing on the way home.  They called the temple security guards who looked and reported they didn't find it.  It had her credit card, driver license, temple recommend, and epi pen in it.  On Saturday morning Kristen drove back to Orem to the temple and looked herself and left her name and number with three different people.  Several days after getting back home to Colorado, a security guard called  and said someone had turned it in and he told them it would be his privilege to. mail it to them.

A highlight of the weekend was attending Gabbi and Jaron's piano recital on Saturday morning.

We were SO proud of these kids.  They did so well and have really advanced.  It was all I could do not to jump up when they finished and give them a standing ovation.

On Saturday, Ken and I stayed home and watched the BYU game.  The rest went ice skating.  Kenny chose to stay with us.  He is so fun to watch BYU with.  Following are some skating pictures.

Even William got the hang of it.

Games, games, games!

Food, food, food!

Barbecued chicken, pineapple, cantaloupe, roasted potatoes, and green salad.  All prepared by Brian and Blake.

Michelle and Brian's sweet neighbor across the street saw our big crowd and brought two pans of fresh-baked cinnamon rolls.  They were delicious!

We had delicious food all weekend.

This cauliflower soup, salad, and homemade bread meal was delicious.

Lisi is the baby of our family and what a delight she is.  She has such a sweet, bright, cheerful personality.

When our family gathers, there are always a lot of stories read.

Lily and Hannah presented Michelle with homemade gifts to thank her for hosting us.

There was quite a tussle one day as all of the cousins tried to steal Nathan's phone as he was texting with his girlfriend.

Nathan won, but it was a battle.

Sweet Lily even gave me a footrub.

Getting ready for pictures.

Sweet dreams and God be with you until we meet again!

Blasts from the Past

 I recently joined a group on Facebook about Caldwell- my hometown- in my growing up years.  There have been many pictures posted on there that have elicited memories from my childhood.

This is a picture of Caldwell's public swimming pool back then.  I actually didn't swim here much as I had access to a neighbor's pool.    But I would occasionally come to swim with friends or with Joan.  I did join the swim team one summer and came here every day for a while.  You can see the high dive in this picture.  I remember working up courage to jump from there.

This radio station was on the corner of a very busy street in downtown Caldwell.  You could walk by and look in the windows and see the DJ or newscasters broadcasting.  A kind man in our ward was one of their main announcers- Dale Peterson. Their motto was "the corner where the world turns."  The globe on top of the building turned.  But because it turned the wrong direction, whenever they said their motto, someone would always add "backwards."  It was the big joke in Caldwell.

Ah.  This building elicits such fond memories.  This was the Carnegie library.  Joan and I always joined the summer reading program.  The children's library was downstairs.  We walked or rode our bikes there many days to turn in and check out more books.  I loved that place.  As I grew, I frequented the upstairs adult library.  I learned to love books in this old building.  Inside was a very distinctive old book smell.  I can almost smell it by looking at this picture.  Thank you, Mr. Carnegie, for helping me love books.

This was the theater in town.  This picture was taken earlier than I remember.  The name later changed to the Top theater.  Every summer they would sell books of tickets to children for matinee movies.  Kids would line up down the block to go inside and watch the movies.  It was an inexpensive way to entertain children all summer.  While I was waiting in line one summer day, an eclipse of the moon happened.  Adults went along the line warning us not to look at the sun. 

I also remember going to this theater with my family when I was in 2nd grade to see "Mary Poppins" when it first came out.  Later, when I was a teenager, our family went to "Camelot" here. I have so many memories at this old theater.

It is amazing what memories an old picture can elicit.  It truly is a blast from the past.

Frozen Eggs

 One day we woke up to discover that many of the things in our fridge had frozen.  

I went to fry some eggs for breakfast.  I found them frozen solid.  I had to soak them in warm water to be able to crack off the shells and get them in the pan.  You can see they are frozen.

Even after they were cooked, they maintained that shape.

We called a repairman who came and diagnosed the problem with our fridge. He said he would order the part and get back with us after Thanksgiving (this was right before Thanksgiving.)  But when we got home from our Thanksgiving week with our family, nothing was frozen.  The fridge had fixed itself, I guess.  We never heard back from the repairman, but we didn't feel an urgency to get it repaired now.  

By the way, eggs that were frozen taste just the same.  I guess that's what we learned from all of this.

Dan Sadler, Jr. Passes Away

 Our ward is losing so many wonderful people.  This one was a total shock.  Dan was so healthy- walking his dog Ludo every morning and often spending his afternoons hiking as he was a nature photographer. He died from blood clots in his lungs triggered by a medication he was on. 

 He was so friendly, kind and so funny.  He had such a quick wit. We loved being around Dan. He served as the ward financial clerk, but it was he who I would call when I needed a substitute to teach gospel doctrine.  He was an excellent teacher and friend and had a deep and abiding testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Dan had a beautiful bass voice.  He sang with the St. George Chamber singers.  But he also was at ward choir practice every week.  He truly was the anchor of our choir and we are floundering to prepare for Christmas without him. He was always willing to use his talent to serve.  He sang in special groups for ward and stake functions, and did so willingly.  He always said yes.

Ken hiked with Dan a few times.  This was the Mill Flat hike with Brian, Jared (our nephew), and Dan.

Daniel Charles Sadler Jr.

October 19, 1954 — November 18, 2023

St. George, Utah

 

Daniel Charles Sadler, Jr., 69, loving son, husband, father, grandfather, friend, and all around amazing human being, ascended to his heavenly home on November 18, 2023 in St. George, Utah.

 

Born October 19, 1954 in Bangor, Maine to Daniel Charles Sadler, Sr. and Charlotte Sadler, Dan was a good apple that his father said fell far from the tree, but was the apple of his mother’s eye. Dan grew up with his two brothers, Don and Dee, near Pittsburgh, PA, graduated from Mt. Lebanon High School, served a full time mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Frankfurt, Germany, earned a Bachelor of Arts from Brigham Young University, and was an Advertising Sales Executive for the Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and Beaver County Times.

 

Dan was an active member of the LDS church and served in many callings, not least of all was his time as a Boy Scout Leader. Over the years he taught scores of young men outdoor skills, character development, and how to time a well-crafted pun. As an avid lover of nature, he spent as much time as possible outdoors, including as a very talented nature photographer, member of the Allegheny Mountain Rescue Group, geocacher, and hiker. Dan was also an event photographer for the Huntsman World Senior Games.

 

Dan loved all forms of music, from Amadeus to Zappa. He began singing in children’s choirs at the age of 8, played trombone for twelve years in school concert and jazz bands, brass choirs and orchestras, performed in a number of local choirs and plays, and spent many years as a baritone and Board Member of the St. George Chamber Singers. His appreciation for listening to and performing music lives on in his children and grandchildren.

 

Yet, with all of Dan’s many talents and callings, his legacy will be one of humanity. His kindness, affable nature, and willingness to serve will forever be his most endearing qualities. His sense of humor, quick wit, and ability to make others laugh will be his most memorable. Dan is known to always be ready with a helping hand or a snappy quip - even to the eye-rolling and exasperated sighs of those who were closest to him and had to put up with his incessant puns (which we secretly loved and will miss immensely.) His love of The Three Stooges, Monty Python, Mel Brooks, and Mystery Science Theater 3000 will live on in his progeny and will be watched in his honor in perpetuity.

 

And most important of all (according to his children and for the sake of their existence), was his marriage to the love of his life and eternal companion, Karen Whitehead, in Manti, Utah on April 22, 1977. They went on to create three amazing, phenomenal, spectacular children who to this day continue to give them much grief, consternation, and an expression synonymous with “posterior discomfort.” Despite their children, Dan and Karen lived a life full of loving companionship, celebrating the good times and weathering the difficult times as partners who were always there for one another. Their love for each other was their greatest gift and example to their children, grandchildren, and anyone who spent time in their home.

 

Dan is survived by his loving wife, Karen; his boon companion of 12 years, Ludo; father, Daniel Sadler Sr.; brother, Dee Sadler; children: Seth and Shanalee Sadler of Eagle Mountain UT, Meg Barber of Freedom PA, and Brittany and Josh Atkins of Bridgewater PA; grandchildren: Kyleigh, Grant, Gabby, Evan, Marley, and Dylan; and many family and friends who loved him dearly.

 

Dan is preceded in death by his mother, Charlotte Sadler, and brother, Don Sadler.

A Celebration of Life service for Dan will take place Saturday, November 25 at 12 pm at 750 Fort Pierce Dr. N, St. George, UT 84790, with visitation starting at 11:30 am.

The funeral was held on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.  We were unable to attend because we were still in SLC with our family.  We tried to tune into it, but the link was not working.  We felt sad to miss the funeral of a good friend.  There is a hole in our ward and in our hearts.

The Mystery is Solved

 Remember these mysterious marks that kept appearing on my arm?  Well, I finally solved the mystery.  They are from my blood pressure cuff!

Evidently, I left one of my purple pens resting on the inside of the cuff.  You can see the purple marks it left in there.  Unaware of it, I kept strapping on the cuff.  It would leave the same marks every time.

The mystery is solved!  My body is not being invaded my foreign substances.  Yea!

Living

 We really enjoyed this thought-provoking movie on Netflix.  Thanks for the recommendation, Don and Ada.

Downton Abbey

 This movie picks up where the series left off.  If you didn't watch the series, it probably wouldn't be that interesting, but we enjoyed seeing the characters again and going through a visit from the King and Queen of England with them.  It is on Netflix.

Go Cougars!

 Here are some of my favorite pictures of the BYU Cougars 2023 season:

Arkansas game (these are my favorite uniforms)

Arkansas game- Love this coach!

Roberts' amazing catch in the Arkansas game.  I have had this picture as my phone wallpaper for most of the season.

Father/ Son (Slovis) after the SUU game.  This picture is so precious.

Ken's brother, Rick and Sherrie and our nephew, Bryan at the Cincinnati game.

Cincinnati game.  There is nothing better than being in the stands at a BYU game.  This picture captures that feeling for me.

I love this tradition after each game.

Remember this amazing scoring play?

Or this impossible reception?

I love this picture of Sitake comforting Rex after he fumbled in the double overtime game against Oklahoma State.

I have been putting pictures into this post all season- after each game.  It was a rough season for the Cougars, but there were some great highlights.  We remain true blue Cougar fans and look forward to next year.

Lily's Sweet Thanksgiving Card

 

I got the cutest surprise in the mail.  My granddaughter, Lily sent me a darling Thanksgiving card with a recipe she created in it.  Lily loves to cook and she is very creative.  Her sister has celiac disease, so can't have gluten.  Lily has made it her mission to create gluten-free recipes that the whole family can enjoy. How I love my Lily!

Beautiful 12-year-old Lily Kay

Love and Peace

 

The G.O. Bond Passed!

 We are so happy to announce that the St. George G.O. Bond passed!  Ken, along with others on the Quality-of-Life committee worked so hard to inform the public and get this important bond to pass in our election.  The current bond expired.  It provided money for St. George's wonderful biking/ running trail system, many neighborhood parks, pickleball and tennis courts, soccer and ball fields, and a lot of other wonderful things that make St. George a wonderful place.  These things also bring many people here for tournaments, races, etc. boosting our economy. This bond will continue to fund those wonderful kinds of things as well as maintain what we have.  Ken spent many hours in meetings, putting up signs, and passing flyers door to door in town.  There was a faction in our city that tried to defeat the bond, but we are grateful it won!

The video they made of Ken on his bike went viral as the committee kept boosting it on Facebook and Instagram.

This is a photo they took of Ken and Ky (coincidently Ky serves as our ward's elder's quorum president and Ken serves as his counselor) with a drone as they crossed the Virgin River bridge on their bikes.

This is a photo of one of the flyers they passed door to door.

Love Note from Jack

 Our cute, little 7-year-old neighbor boy, Jack left a love note for Ken on our porch.