New Babies!

We are so excited to have two cute new grandsons in our family! Julie and Adams's little Evan was born on September 1st. (He is on the right in the picture.) Adam was in Army basic training so Amy and I got to be there with Julie for the birth. Amy got to cut the cord and I got to help give Evan his first bath. It was such a neat experience! He is such a little cutie!
Ten days later on September 11th, Jacob and Mary's little Scott was born. The doctor couldn't get him to turn around correctly so they had to take him C-section, but Mary is recovering very quickly. These two are so cute and we just love them!
We also found out this week that Danny and Courtney's baby who is due March 5th is a GIRL! That will be 2 granddaughters and 7 grandsons! We are so excited to get another girl!
Having grandchildren is just the greatest! Robert and I love children so much and it's amazing how much love we have for each of our grandchildren. Sometimes I really miss my children when they were little and could hold them and take care of them and know where they were all the time! But it is wonderful to know and love them now as adults too. It's just a good thing that we still get to have little children in our lives with our grandchildren!

Kitchen Table Memories

It's amazing the memories that can come from seeing an old kitchen table!
Several years ago I was called to be a visiting teacher/home teacher with Robert. This is when I met a very dear lady named Lila "Jo" Wade and her family. Robert had been visiting her for probably about 15 years before that and had become very good friends with her. When I first walked into her living room I saw a table set up with a puzzle-in-progress on it. I kept looking at that table and realized it was the exact style of table that I had grown up with most of my childhood. What a lot of memories came pouring back! I remembered my family all sitting around it every night for dinner, eating my after-school snack of graham crackers and milk while doing my homework, seeing Dad sitting there paying bills every month, seeing mom working on her Relief Society lessons, etc. My sisters and I always hoped to be able to sit in the middle of the table on either of the sides so that we could put our feet on the bar underneath!
Last year I had the idea of asking if I could borrow the table for a night so that my mom, sisters, daughters, and I could have our Book Club sitting around it. Lila Wade said yes and it was very fun to have that night of memories with my family.
Well, dear Lila passed away last month after having been in poor health for many years. Robert and I will really miss seeing her every month. It is very sad to lose her, but we know that she is now able to walk around and do so many things that she couldn't do here anymore. We know that she is back with her husband who she lost many years ago, and with other family members. And that sweet family of hers said that they wanted me to have that kitchen table, which is so very generous of them. I keep worrying that other family members will want it, but they said no one did. What a kind gift for me to treasure!

These Hands

These hands held me when I was just a newborn baby and played with me in my playpen. These hands built our house and dressers and little rocking chairs and my built-in room. These hands baptized and confirmed me. These hands gave wonderful hugs and strong handshakes. These hands operated the controls of airplanes both small and very large. These hands took care of the finances at home, at the bank, and at the Church. These hands took such good care of our yard and grew an amazing vegetable garden. These hands belong to my dear father who I love so much. Thinking about my Dad today.

Halloween Cuties

All of our grandkids except Sammy came over on Saturday night in their great costumes. Every year Mason and Gavin ring the doorbell and I come to the door and try to give them candy, but they don't have their bags. I ask them about that and they say "grandma" and then I know it's them. They get me every year! ( It doesn't help that they are always wearing masks!)
I sure love all my grandkids!
Mason and Gavin, the Grim Reaper and scarey creature with lighted eyes!

Logan the Jedi knight.

Cason the bear.

And sweet little Emma, our ballerina!

My Dad and Me, Part 2

I feel very lucky that I was the firstborn of my family. I got to have my mom and dad all to myself for the first 17 months of my life! Then sisters kept coming every 17 months for several years. These are all the photos that I have of my Dad and me when I was young.

These photos were all printed from slides which my sister Becky was so nice to have made onto discs for us.

Don't I have a good-looking Dad?!

What a nice Dad to play with me in my crib!

This was at the Great Salt Lake.

I know I look like a little ghost! And this is my sister Laurie, who was lucky enough to be born with some color in her skin!

"Helping" my Dad shine his shoes. That kitchen table, which we had for many years, brings back lots of memories.

I sure love my Dad. He was just the greatest!

My Dad and Me

I am so glad that I had this picture taken last year of my dad and me. It is a real treasure now. I miss him so much and still have a hard time believing that he is gone. The only other pictures I have of just Dad and me are when I was about two years old and younger. Why I didn't think to have more pictures taken of us together in all those years in between, I don't know. I just always thought that he would be here for a very long time like his long-lived ancestors before him. His grandmother, Elizabeth Jane Russell Day, lived to be 103 years old. I thought that my dad would live a very long time like her because he had always been in such good health. This is obviously a lesson that we need to more fully appreciate all the special people in our lives now, because we never know when they will be taken away from us.
My dad graduated with honors from this school of life on earth. He lived a wonderful life of service and was such a great husband and father to us 6 girls. After he passed away my mom was asked if Dad had ever expressed any words of regret that he never had a son. She said that he NEVER said a single word about that. He was happy with his 6 little girls. We are all very happy to know that.
In my prayers every day, I ask Heavenly Father to please tell Dad how much I love him and miss him.

My Dad

I lost my dear, wonderful dad on July 13th. I still can't believe this is all real. My 5 sisters and I could never have asked for a greater dad to grow up with. I love him and miss him so much. I know that it must have been the time for him to go since we are told that no righteous person will be taken before their time, and I know that I will see him again someday, but that doesn't make my heart stop hurting right now to think of having to live the rest of my life without him here with us. And my heart just breaks for my dear mother to have to live without him and be alone after 56 years of marriage. At the funeral, the former bishop out at the State Prison where my dad was a counselor, said how much he loved watching my dad going from cell to cell talking to the prisoners and bearing his testimony to them. He must have been needed in the Spirit Prison to teach them there now.
My sisters and I have so many wonderful memories of growing up with our great dad. I remember him trying to teach me how to whistle when I was only about 4 years old. I remember going on the roller coaster with him, which he loved, and he had to hold up his hands the whole ride. I loved that he took us out to the airport and let us go in the big planes that he flew for the Air National Guard and go in the Operations building. It was great to sit in the car with my mom and sisters and watch him take off in his plane. He loved to fly.
I loved dancing with him at the "Daddy-Daughter Dates" at Church. He was a great carpenter. He built our house and the chest of drawers we used for years. He made the great bedroom with all the built-ins for Laurie and I. He always grew the most perfect gardens and loved to work in the yard which he kept immaculate. He was a really big tease with all of us girls. When we would ask for our allowance he always told us "I'd rather owe it to you than cheat you out of it". Being the banker that he was, he always encouraged us to save our money and brought home little covered wagon banks for us. I remember him chasing my mom around the house- through the kitchen, the dining room, and the living room- with all of us girls screaming and laughing chasing after them.
I'm really going to miss him calling me "Mary Man", which he did every once in a while.
"Gee cly!"
"Judas Priest"
"Put the board in the hole"
"I'm going to see a man about a dog"
I have a wonderful dad. I miss him so much and always pray that he will know how much we love him and cherish the life we had with him. I look forward to being with him again someday and getting that great big hug he always gave us. I love you so much dad.


Obituary:

Royal Duane Ridd 1931 ~ 2010 Lt. Col. (ret.) Royal Duane Ridd passed away July 13, 2010 of complications following surgery. Duane was born on April 11, 1931 to Heber Eugene and Etta Ridd in Hunter, SL, Utah. In 1954 he married Janet Meriam Holding in the Salt Lake Temple. They are the parents of six daughters, have 15 grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. He graduated from Granite High School and the U of U. After going through Air Force Flight and Gunnery Training he received his pilot's wings and returned to fly in the Air National Guard for 24 years. He flew fighter jets, cargo planes, and air refuelers to over 60 countries and islands in the world. In 1992 he retired from Bank One after a lifetime of working in banking. He was an active member of the LDS Church. He served in three bishoprics and had many other church callings, most recently serving at the Utah State Prison as supervisor in the Family History Library. He was also a member of the Murray Kiwanis Club. He is survived by his wife and daughters Marianne Nattress (Robert), Laurie Shaw (Paul), Carolyn Smith (Ken), Linda Herzog (Ron), Rebecca Hammond (Wayne) and Sandra. Each of his daughters is so proud to call him Dad and they always knew that he loved them. Duane and Janet spent 56 years of marriage and loving each other. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 17, 2010 at the Holladay 1st Ward, 2065 East 4675 South. Viewings will be held on Friday, July 16, 2010 at the Holladay Cottonwood Mortuary, 4670 So. Highland Drive from 6-8 p.m., as well as one hour prior to services at the church. Interment: Holladay Memorial Park.

Baby Emma

FINALLY! Our first granddaughter was born on July 4th. She announced her independence by being born at 6:07 that morning. Her name is Emma Denai and she is a beautiful little girl! She weighed 7 lb. 11 oz. and was 20 inches long. She is the daughter of Steven and Katheryn. We are all very happy to have her in our family!

My Mom

My mom has been my hero my entire life! When I was very little, I wanted to be with her all the time. When we went somewhere, I always wanted to hold her hand. I was so terribly shy and I felt very safe and secure being with my mom.
I remember how hard it was to even go to school. I just wanted to be home with my mom. I know that my sister Carolyn felt the same way- having major butterflies in our stomachs at the beginning of every school year.
I was always so amazed at how my mom was so confident and able to talk to people in all kinds of situations, such as with strangers in stores, doctors' offices, or anywhere we went. As I got older, I wanted to be more confident like my mom. In high school I tried really hard to be more outgoing and I decided to act confident, even though I wasn't, by smiling at people. I remember walking down the halls between classes with a smile on my face most of the time. It's funny that now, many years later, I read the writing of people in my yearbook and many mentioned how they liked seeing my smiling face at school!
I also discovered that acting confident actually makes a person feel more self-assured. I've definitely come a long way from that very shy, insecure young girl that I was. If someone had told me back then that I would someday be a Relief Society president, Primary president, Young Women's president, teach classes, and have my own business, I don't think I would have believed them!
My mom has had such a great influence on me in so many ways besides helping me feel more confident. She taught me how to cook, knit, sew, crochet, clean, organize, keep files, teach lessons, give talks, take care of children, do all kinds of crafts, and the list could go on and on. I feel like she taught me every important thing I know! I remember being very young one summer when mom had to spend a lot of time in bed for health reasons. I would walk back and forth from her bedroom to the kitchen getting instructions on how to cook things for the family like macaroni and cheese. That's how I learned to cook.
Mom even got me started on using rubber stamps, which I love. In the late 1980's mom showed me some rubber stamps she had bought. I told her they were cute and asked what you do with them. Well, I figured out quickly, loved using them, and started collecting them. Soon after that I learned how they were made and started my own business making and selling rubber stamps under the name Rubber Stamp Emporium. It was a great home business money-maker all through the 1990's and I have my mom to thank for that.
One of the major things I've learned from my mom is to have a thirst for knowledge. As long as I can remember, my mom has been taking classes to learn all kinds of things and has also been a constant reader learning everything from crafts and painting to writing, history, and archeology. She even ended up helping dig for dinosaur bones here in the Salt Lake valley and up in Idaho. We always said she should go on a television game show because she has so much knowledge about so many different subjects! I have loved reading ever since I learned how to read! I definitely got that from my mom!
And most importantly, my mom also helped me have a testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I remember many, many times seeing her sitting at the kitchen table with books and papers in front of her, preparing for her Relief Society lessons which she taught for many years. Quite often, I sat at the table with her and she would read me little stories and information from her lessons. She would get very emotional and I could feel the Spirit with her, which also became very strong and a great help in my own life.
Yes, my mom, Janet Meriam Holding Ridd, has been my hero my whole life and continues to be a huge inspiration to me. I love her so very much and feel very blessed to have been born to such a wonderful mother.

Taberncle Choir Broadcast

On Sunday morning, Robert and I went downtown to the Tabernacle Choir Broadcast of Music and the Spoken Word on Temple Square. It was our Stake Conference that day, and we had gone to the adult meeting the night before, so we decided it would be a good day to go to the broadcast since he didn't have bishopric meetings in the morning as he usually does.

I had wanted to go do this for years because I love the Tabernacle Choir. When I was growing up, my mom played their music probably every Sunday morning. I love their harmony and all the wonderful music they sing. It was a thrill for me to sit there in the Tabernacle and listen to them. It had been many years since I had been in that beautiful building.

I have the greatest husband! He really doesn't like the Choir very much, but he took me anyway! That's just the kind of guy that he is and I really appreciated it and all he does for me! It was a great Valentine's Day gift for me!

Steven's Wedding

Friday July 3, 2009 was Steven's wedding day at the Draper Utah Temple. It was a wonderful day from the Temple ceremony in the morning, to the lunch at the church, to the reception that night. Steven and Katheryn are such a great couple and they look so happy together. Steven has a cute little package thrown into the union- 3 year old Sammy! He is her son from a previous marriage and he is such a cutie! That means that we have 5 GRANDSONS now! Someday we might get some granddaughters! We are so happy for Steven that he has found such a great love. We love Katheryn dearly. She is such a sweetheart and is very beautiful! We hope their life together will be wonderful. They started it out the right way- sealed for time and eternity in the Temple!

Baby Duty

Today is my first day to watch TWO grandbabies! Cason is now six months old and Logan is about 7 weeks old. This morning they ate at different times and both slept a lot. This is Cason's dad's day to come home early so I only have Logan until 5:00. I should survive today! We'll see how the longer day tomorrow is! I love these little guys lots! Hopefully we'll get a good routine down taking care of both of them. Robert keeps reminding me that I wanted to do this! When they get a little older they'll have lots of fun together-- we just need to survive til then!!

The Red Dress

About 13 years ago my oldest daughter, Amy starred in her high school production of Hello Dolly. She was so good in it that a lot of people thought that she was a professional that the school had brought in to perform with the students! Her voice was and is just amazing and I will never forget sitting in that auditorium watching her perform. I was SO proud of her.The number where she comes down the stairs singing in that beautiful red dress at the Harmonia Gardens Restaurant and then dances with all the guys was so terrific. That was a moment in my life I will never forget. A friend of hers actually bought the red dress from the school and gave it to Amy as a gift. She wore that dress a few more times over the years- singing in a couple of pageants and in a couple of plays at the Off Broadway Theater in Salt Lake City.

I made this collage for her and also reduced it and made a pendant. I gave them to her yesterday for her birthday. Yes, we have the same birthday! She was a wonderful present for me on my 23rd birthday. She is a wonderful person and I'm so glad she is my daughter. I love her very much!

The Hawaiian

My favorite place to go out to eat when I was growing up was The Hawaiian restaurant on Highland Drive in Sugar House. I remember our family going there many times, usually with my Grandma and Grandpa Ridd. I loved the big murals of tropical scenes on the walls and the Hawaiian plants, flowers and music. I especially loved the lighting and sound effects of the tripical storms with "rain" coming down along the walls. There was a very small stage where they had Hawaiian dancers to entertain us. Besides the main restaurant, there was also a seafood buffet upstairs that we went to a few times, but I loved the atmosphere downstairs. I almost felt like I was on vacation when we went there. I don't remember much about the food, other than that I think I usually ordered chicken- I wasn't real big on seafood then. Robert and I went there once after we were married, but then I was very sad when owner Johnny Quong closed down the restaurant. Such great memories there! Do you remember The Hawaiian?

My Sister Carolyn

This week we celebrated my sister Carolyn's birthday. I made her a collage on a wood plaque. This is the first time I have attempted such a thing. There is a photo of her when she was about two years old and then things she likes around her. I painted the wood with acrylic paints, then stamped, colored with chalks, and glued pictures on. I worked on the collage for two weeks, alternately liking and disliking it in the process. But I do like how it turned out. You can click on the photo to see the details better.

I have 5 younger sisters and Carolyn is the 3rd oldest. She and I have a lot in common and I love her dearly. She is a wonderful, caring person and a great friend as well as sister. I am very blessed to have all the terrific sisters that I have.

Christmases Past

Robert and I have talked about how much we miss Christmas when our 5 kids were little. We always woke up before the kids did on Christmas morning and just lay in bed waiting for them to come in and get us up. When they finally came in and tried to pull us out of bed to go open presents, we got up, pretending to be very reluctant to leave our nice warm bed!

One year we got out of bed when we heard the kids start to stir. Robert put pillows under the covers to make it look like we were in there, and we hid on the floor on the other side of the bed, waiting for the kids to come in and try to find us. They were surprised to find only pillows in our bed and it didn't take them long to find us on the floor. We all got a good laugh about it!

Another year, Robert and I did the same thing except that we hid in the closet. It took the kids a little longer to find us that time!

A few years later we added on the garage and family room to our house. Our Christmas tree was then upstairs. One Christmas morning after Robert and I woke up we tiptoed as quietly as is possible on our squeaky floors down the hall and up the stairs before the kids woke up and listened to them wandering around downstairs trying to find us. They eventually figured out we were upstairs where we had turned on the Christmas tree lights. It was always tradition that Robert and I had to go up first and turn the lights on before the kids came up in age order- youngest to oldest. Each child picked a spot to sit on the couch or a chair with their stocking and then Robert passed the presents to each of them. They each ended up with a big stack of presents by them. Then the youngest child got to open one gift of their choice while everyone watched. Taking turns, they each opened their gifts so everyone could see what they got. After the kids had opened all their presents, it was mom and dad's turn. We know lots of people who just let their children start tearing into all their gifts at the same time, which is what Robert and I did in each of our families when we were young. But we liked the idea of doing it one at a time so we could enjoy the moments longer, otherwise Christmas is all over in a couple of minutes!

It's very fun to think about those great Christmasas we had in years past, but we also love our Christmases now with our grown-up children and our sweet grandchildren. We love them all so much more than I could ever say. They mean everything to us and we are so glad that we have the gospel in our lives and the great blessing of being a "forever family".

Sweet Baby

Cason is 3 weeks old already and he has changed so much since the day he was born. It's great to have those sweet newborn baby sounds in the house again. Even his crying isn't very loud. He really is a good baby.

Baby Cason

Cason Daniel was born on Tuesday, November 4, 2008 at Alta View Hospitol. He weighed 8 lbs. 3 oz. and is 21 inches long. What a cute little guy! Danny and Courtney were supposed to call the hospitol that morning at 7:00 to make sure they had room for them to come in so they could start her labor since she was 10 days past the due date. But at 2:15 that morning her water broke and labor pains started, so they got to the hospitol at about 3:00 and Cason was born at 12:51 p.m. that afternoon. We are so glad that he is finally here! How great it is to have a newborn in the family again! They came home from the hospitol on Thursday afternoon, and this grandma loves to hold him!

Is this a happy face or what?!

A new family!

Fun with Grandsons

In the past couple of weeks I have gone to Hogle Zoo and the Ogden Dinosaur Park with Amy and her two cute little boys, Mason and Gavin. They had so much fun and it was lots of fun to watch them. It was hotter than hot at both places, but well worth it. I love those little boys so much! I dream quite often that I am holding and taking care of a baby. And they always look different. I love babies and children so much and I really miss my own 5 kids being little. My sister, Carolyn and I have often talked about this, and we decided that it's a good thing we have grandchildren to love and help take care of to help these baby cravings we have! It's very exciting that we have another grandbaby coming in October and another one in March! We know the one in October is a boy and we are hoping that the March baby will be a girl, but if it's another boy that's great too!

The Hills are Alive...

I went to see our oldest daughter, Amy perform in The Sound of Music a few days ago at a very nice ampatheater in Herriman. She played Elsa and sang two songs that are in the broadway play but not in the movie. She did wonderfully as did the whole cast. They all had amazingly wonderful voices. I was so impressed with the quality of that production for a small town. We're going to see it again next Monday night. Parents just can't get enough of watching their children perform!