Good morning my darlings - Matthew - in my haste to get a message out last night - I wanted to tell you that we hung the Miss "Almost" America picture!!~  I don't know how you do it - but your unique cleverness always comes through - this was a very special moment for me - and Trisha - I think you had a hand in this getting it framed. I love it - a nice remembrance for a then just barely 18 year old.  Who would have known that Marlene Coleman from little Pocatello, Idaho would be sitting on the Atlantic City Convention Hall with Bert Parks caring on a conversation like we knew each other!  Thank you - thank you - for this special treasure.

Ashley - your Mother's Day message with the picture of the two of us - you just barely a few weeks old - would bring back such beautiful memories - I love and thank you for that.  Mother's Day is a unique and lovely time for me now - I remember a time in the Mount Olympus Ward Newsletter that I thought the perfect Mother's Day would be staying at the Little Ameria - alone !  Now I can't even think of thinking that, let alone saying it.  The perfect day would be with you altogether again.  Phone calls, beautiful flowers, cards and messages made it quite a lovely day for me - Paul even got a kick out of it playing his part!!!

We spent out last morning on the patio today - such a peaceful lovely place - but we look forward to seeing you and spending time for you - Ryan's send off to Lima, Peru - family get together in July - Cherry Hills - golfing - fishing - hiking and much more.

We are so very glad and grateful that Nicole is home and feeling better - In case some of you didn't know, Nicole had a kidney infection and was in the hospital for three days - but home now and doing so much better - thanks to a sweet and caring mother, who spent three nights sleeping by her sick child,  Nothing works wonders for a sick child than good parents and caring friends and family.

Erin is 14 on Sunday - time for a new pair of 5" heels Erin - you are such a love and wish we could be there to share your great day.

Paul has us all packed - he is such a hard worker - see you in Farmington - we will call when we get home.  Happy landing!!!!!

Your mother loves you,

And Matthew, you are still my favorite        -  SON!!!!!

Dearest children - On the 26th of April I certainly had visions of sugar plums dancing through my head as I watched you all come together --- and said to myself - my children are home!! With the introduction of the new Queenie's blog - I felt like the proverbial glass slipper had just been put on my foot - a Queen for a Day!!!  What an absolute joy that day was - watching you all 'bounce" off of each other - laughter and Joy filled the house.  Catherine, thank you for so many hours puting this beautiful book together - I literally look at it everyday and marvel how everything has turned out and how proud as punch I am of all of you and the lives you have chosen -- producing the most thoughtful, kind, beautiful, talented, perfect "grand" children.  And thank you so much for this Blog - when I get home, I will get Ashley to show me how to put photos on it and I promise to keep up and record memories as they come to mind.  Thank you all for selecting your favorite photographs - they are now mine.  .....  watching you grow - your trials and successes - your marriages - children's births - our family activities - I cherish all these in my heart.

Matthew - truly I was thrilled to receive The Masters towel - the program book - and golf markers - they are so pretty that I think they should be made into cuff links.  Funny how I had just been talking to a friend I golf with - she told me how she had been to The Masters and asked if I was getting a "towel"?  The next time we golfed together she brought her "framed" towel --- and I was only too happy to tell her that I was now the happy owner of one too.  Thank you for that special remembrance.

"A Walk to Remember" - isn't that a title of a book - I have walked Lagoon many times for many years and can't recall one this fun and very """""special""""". We should do it again sometime soon.  You kids are really too darn much fun - I did win the Fast Walk contest, did I not - but Cat, Trisha, and Matt certainly had the best form.

The look on the face on the waitrees at Cracker Barral was a little spooky - I think she was in disbelief seeing all of us converge on her - but with help on the way she managed quite well.  Breakfast was delicious - Kylee - what did you think of all of this?

The photo shoots - how many did we have that day - not nearly enough I am sure - I see a new photo book in the future.  Alison and Gregg, how lovely to have you come all that way and join in the fun - Gregg - I will talk about you a little later - and Cat too - thank you for making this day so very special - there is that word again - by traveling home.

Now as for the dinner - Trisha, I think that you had a big hand in planning that event and it couldn't have been more perfect - more fun - crazier- choice and wonderful.  Againb, how can I tell you how much it meant to me - how truly thrilled you have you altogether - and honestly - I can't remember laughting that hard in many many years.  Ashley - Mike was such a good sport wasn't he?  Especially when our Attorney from Dallas performed the good ol' " ASS PEAR A GRASS'' of prior years - Jason would
 have been proud.  I would like to see the look on the faces of your children when they see that.

And lest we forget our howls of laughter and tears in our eyes as Brett recalled "The CHANGLING OF BABY CATE".  I hope we never ever forget that one - it only we had a video of that - Noelle - that is your job for the 80th one!!!!~  Brett - that was a first class performance - worthy of an Academy Award!!!!!

What an Enchanted Evening - everything was right and everything was perfect, including The Car Exchange - at the new City Center - what a grand evening!!  Cat - picking the Subarooooo!  When she really deserved the Mercedes!!

My heart is full - I have led an enchanted life - I have more happiness than I deserve - children that bring the best out of me - bring me the greatest JOY - and a posterity of the 'grandest" children - beautiful in everyway - and my hearts greatest desire for their success and Happiness.  Thank you for being "Who" you are - thank you for being "good" - thank you for loving your mother - who loves you in every way - thank you all for blessing my life with your lives and here's to the 80th!!!!!  I can't wait!!!

                                                               From deep within my heart - love,

                                                                Your Mother - and your Queenie

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day!  Mike hung this picture a couple years ago on the wall above my stairs.  I get to see it everytime I walk down the stairs.  Thank you for everything you do and I love you very much.  Can't wait to see you!

Ashley

Recipes

Hi Family,
I thought I'd share some new recipes I just discovered that are on my "Favorites" list.
If you try them, let me know what you think.  Yummy!!!
{Click on title for the recipe}
xoxo
Cat

Lemon Brownies


Grilled Chicken with Mango Salsa & Coconut Rice