Dreaming of Togetherness

Benjamin and Isley dream of playing together and staying at each others house. Isley came to stay with us when his mom had his baby brother. Isley and Ben have so much fun together. Jim took Ben and Isley with him when he went to Cortez. All three got a haircut. Isley was as he said "growing his hair into a ponytail". He didn't want it cut until he saw Ben getting his hair cut and then when the lady asked him how he wanted his hair cut he said "just like Ben's". So cute, they were very good so they went to McDonalds for lunch. I blew some bubbles and they laughed and tried to get them with their mouth! Soapy bubbles don't taste too good! We really enjoyed having Isley stay with us...what a BLAST!

Two Angelines

The picture of the lady with the two little kids, me and my brother Todd, her name was Angeline Duckett Westcott also known to friends as Gerd. Look at Todd's face, he loved her as much as anyone could, her death was very hard for him as a teenager.

The little lady's name is Angeline Mary Putnam, she is the daugher of Tom Putnam and Jennifer Westcott Putnam. Angeline Putnam started kindergarten this year and has a whole lifetime ahead of her. I hope she has some of the character traits of the lady she is named after.

My memories of "Grandma Gerd", as we called her are sweet and bring me much happiness. I loved her voice, it was gravely and low, as she was a smoker most of her life. I loved how she always tried to hide her cigarettes and sprayed lysol around to get rid of the smell. We loved her just the way she was so we didn't really care if she smoked but she didn't want us to know. As little kids we would find her cigarette butts and "pretend to smoke" them. She had a garden in the back of her house and Todd, Kristin and I would play with plastic army men and cars and trucks. We left some of them there and years later as dad tilled the ground we saw our old treasures. I remember that we would always go over to her house to watch TV on Friday nights. We didn't own a TV and so watching at her house was all the TV we had access to. She let us watch whatever we wanted but I remember she hated Mr. Rogers. She had the irrigation ditch that ran beside her house and out back by the garden. We played in the ditch a lot even though she didn't like us to. She was the "ditch witch" and was always telling kids to stay out of the water. Every fall during the deer hunt she cooked the liver and heart of the deer that were harvested. I remember eating liver and onions...she was a fabulous cook. She made the absolute best deer meat, my dad can make it like she did. She cooked at the hospital for more than 30 years. She also made pies and sold them. Most of her life she spent cooking for a living. What ever food she made was always very, very good. She would make home-made root beer and sputnuts in the summer time. She had an old washing machine that had a hand crank to wring out water from the clothes, she didn't have a dryer. She would hang the clothes and sheets on the clothesline that was strung between two huge cottonwood trees in her front yard. After she had spent the day washing and wringing out the clothes she would hang them out in the afternoon air to dry. We loved to run through her wash hanging on the line. No wonder she always got mad at us for that and said we were little heathens! She had many friends and everyone she knew loved and respected her. She had a hard life but she made the best of it and she raised my dad with good values and the knowledge of hard work. She took care of Bryce, Jennifer and Allyson when my mother went back to work. Jennifer probably got to spend the most time with her maybe that is why she named her daugher Angeline. I hope it was in part to honor a lady that spent most of her life in the service of other people. At this time in our lives, Grandma Gerd is sadly disappointed in one of our family members.

I hope that we remember the lessons that Grandma Gerd taught by example. Grandma Gerd would never use others weaknesses to take advantage of them and purposely cause them pain. She would not shut them out of her life even if they made mistakes. She loved her family and friends and would do anything in her power to help them out. I hope we realize that the things we do in this life will leave a legacy for future generations. May we do things that will leave the generations to come proud of our legacy.

100% Boy

My little man Benjamin can load and unload the dishwasher. He is very helpful when he wants to be. I am so proud of all the things he can do!

ORANGE

Valentine roses that Jim got for me. These pictures don't do them justice...they were an orange color! Yes...that's right ORANGE roses. Unique just like my Jim!

GRaPe EyEs

Ben loves to play with his food! He is a grape eyed monster at Denny's!

Welcome

My Valentine...

My Valentine for forever and eternity is Jim. He is also my friend, my helper, my fix it guy, my comfort and support! I had a terrible headache, no thanks to my stressful job! Jim decided to come home from work early and make us dinner for Valentine's day. He went to the store and bought some groceries and picked up Ben. He came home and grilled the steaks and started on the potatoes. We also had some shrimp and pasta with fresh baked rolls. Jim even made a salad! I got to go to bed and Jim cleaned up everything did the dishes and put Ben to bed. I couldn't ask for a better gift or a more considerate and loving husband. The BEST Valentine's day gift ever!

SAturDay NiGHt SpECiaL!

We went to the movies in Moab on Saturday. We saw the Yogi Bear movie. We laughed a lot and Benjamin even laughed out loud several times. We had popcorn and sprite(Benjamin's favorite). Ben told Jim that he was eating too much popcorn and to "leave me some"! We went to eat at Denny's after the movie. Did you know kids eat free on Saturday? We didn't but now we do. Benjamin ordered mini cheesburger and a side of bacon and some grapes...he is so funny about food! He loved his side of bacon! There were only a few people in the Denny's so we had great service. Everyone was happy and full when we left. It started to snow as we were coming home luckily we didn't have bad roads. We need to have movie and dinner night more often!

In Your Own Way

A young cowgirl of bright green eyes, grew restless in her town.
She married a man that left her, as a little child came down.
Alone she was left to love and raise her little blue eyed boy,
Multiple jobs, pain and strife could never take her joy.

Humbly in times of trial and faith, a favor from the town
She would ask for help to pay the debt when illness came around.
She taught her son life's lessons well and to always pay it back,
To always give of yourself so that others would not lack.

The little one quickly grew into a handsome young man.
Grandchildren he'd bring to visit his mom, service was his plan.
Deep in his soul the lessons grew as he gave of himself.
He learned to serve humankind whether in sickness or in health.

He never forgot the little town that on a humble day,
Would make right the hospital bills his mother could not pay.
His talent in life was teaching kids how to use their hands,
In later years he wondered often how to fulfill his plans.
An idea came, he knew he could use his talents once more
He'd give back to the town a restored tractor called "BIG 4".

by Bryce Westcott

The REASON

that Jim was not feeling very well! Last weekend Jim got up from bed in the middle of the night for a snack. He didn't turn on any lights. He got into the fridge and he got out the cheese. He took a few gigantic bites out of the block of cheese and returned it to the fridge. Then he returned back to bed. In the morning he felt like throwing up...huh, I wondered why. I thought he was getting sick because Benjamin had thrown up a few days earlier. I was making breakfast and Jim came into the kitchen looking a little greenish. He went to the fridge and got out the cheese again and look what we found all over one side of the cheese...yes that explains the greenish look!!! Better look at what you are eating in the night from now on!