Connie kissed Wal-Mart off as a losing career with no chance for advancement. She made up her mind that she wanted to sell insurance for Farm Bureau. It was a tuff business but with determination and a lot of mind boggling studies and tests here in Boise, each time she had to take the test over it cost her $60.00, she finally passed and went to work as an insurance agent.

              On June 29^th Connie's kids came and we went to the river festival again. Jack wasn’t enthused about it so as usual he took us down town and dumped us off. There was something going on all day long and then the lighted floats after dark and fabulous fireworks. When it was over, we called Jack and told him where we were so he could come and get us. I don’t know if this was the time, but on one occasion I got very tired and little Kyle said, “I think we broke Grandma”. He was right!

              Kellie came to Boise for her 14^th birthday and baked her own cake. Cindee came and she and I spent a great day touring beautiful Kathryn Albertson Park (one of my favorite places in Boise) and went shopping. I don’t think I even mentioned in all these stories how much I love flowers. Well I do, and I don’t even know which one is my favorite.

With two classmates: Marjory Bunn Warwood and Helen Wixom Ivie

              How time flies by, that year on July 27^th was my 50^th Class Reunion. I was asked to design the program cover. I don’t know who got me into it, but after a lot of discarded ideas I did come up with a real nice one. (The class ahead of us copied it for their next reunion, so I guess it was good.) I had a great time mingling with my good old buddies from yesteryear that I hadn’t seen since I left school many years ago. (Girls can be buddies too you know!) I haven’t missed a reunion since, and each year they are better.

               The Frost Family Reunion was on August 10^th at the Unity Ward recreation area. Gerald and Verlee were in charge and had everything planned something for everyone. There was a presentation by Shawn Kay, who taught marshal arts. He demonstrated proven methods for a person to protect themselves from assault, muggings and rape. It was very enlightening to women and young girls. As usual there was the annual dinner, games , drawing and visits. It was so good to see my wonderful families.

On my 70th birthday

              On the 19^th I had my 70^th Birthday. That was one birthday I was not looking forward to. Oh my gosh, 70! I could not say the word seventy for months and months. I didn’t even want to remember it, but I was glad to still be alive and healthy. On top of that, I had to go and renew my driver’s license.

              Two down, two more to go; reunions that is. George and Becky with Chad came from Minnesota and got in Boise Monday evening the 19^th and left on Wednesday morning for Seattle. We left on Thursday and the reunion was on Sunday. It was wonderful, but nothing like our Frost reunions. We don’t hold them on Sunday, nor do we have beer!!!

The Gilmour family reunion

              George had arranged this reunion from Minnesota by phone with one of Pat’s boys. Jason their oldest son flew into Seattle on Friday. Jack Jr. and Aurora came from Sunnyvale California. Everyone else lives in the Seattle area but for Louie and his daughter, who lived in Los Angeles and was unable to be there. There were 26 people in attendance with only two missing and two who were not invited. That is the whole Gilmour family. Weird huh? What made it so special was that George had not seen his cousins in over 20 years. How time flies! Young Jack’s niece who he had not seen since they were kids showed up. They grew up more like brother and sister. When all those people meet for the first time after all those years it got just a little emotional. We snacked all afternoon and had a big spaghetti

At Whidbey Island

dinner in the late afternoon. One of Pat’s five sons, Scott, is a professional musician and plays in a band in Seattle. The guys brought out the guitars and we all joined in the sing along. It was fun music filled evening.

              On Friday Jack and I, George’s family, and Jack and Aurora all drove over to Whidbey Island to see their aunt and uncle (Jack’s ex-in-laws). I did not want to go, but it turned out okay. She had fixed lasagna for dinner. Their home was right on the water, I enjoyed the beach and was treated very nice. The drive over was awesome. It was a cool trip.

              We drove back over to Seattle and left the next morning around 8:00 a.m. and went by way of Shelton, Washington to visit Jack’s brother-in-law, (George looks just like his uncle) then down to Portland and stopped in to see a nephew that we had just seen. They wanted us to see their new home. We left there and drove strait home getting here at 3:00 a.m. Cindee, Connie and the kids stayed here holding down the fort while we were gone. They took good care of the yard and most of all my flowers.

              We just completed our third reunion for the summer with one more to go. We went back to Seattle on the 14^th of September, for Jack’s 50^th high school reunion. Jack and Pat decided that since they had never been to any of their reunions, they would go. They had a very good time and were surprised to still know so many of their classmates after all those years. Time sure does fly.

One fit 70 year old

              Joyce Kieken from church talked me into running with her for the Idaho Women’s Fitness Celebration. She saw me as I walked most every day (that I was home) so thought I was fit enough to do the 5-K run. So I did. It was a lot of fun. We had to be downtown in front of the Capital very early for the lineup as we ran in waves. I think we were in the yellow wave. I never saw so many women in one place in my life, some were even in wheel chairs. It is the largest fitness group in the nation and grows each year. Women come from all over the nation to run in it. Of course I didn’t run, but I walked pretty fast. The celebration ended at the finish point which was Ann Morrison Park. There was all sorts of treats, healthy ones of course. We all wore shirts with the logo printed on the front with all the sponsors adds on the back. Joyce got back before me. Jack took us down there and meet us at the park.

              As they were calling gals to the stage for different prizes, they called for all women 70 and over. As I walked up there I was escorted on stage by a handsome young man in a short pants tuxedo. Wow! All of us that would admit our age got a cool medal. When I came off the stage a woman from our ward was standing there and she said, “You are not 70” I had to finally admit, “Yes, since the 19^th of last month!” That was the last time I said seventy for a long time. Where did my 60’s go too, How Time Flies!

              I haven’t mentioned our missionary work for a while. We were still at it. We had the Elders and Clyde over for dinners quite often. We went to our training meetings, holding some of them in our home. We helped with discussions and were always happy when we could go to the baptisms.

              Raydon came with her aunt, Debby Egland for a ski sale that their boss was into. They was here to sell his skis. Of course they brought baby Lacoya and I got to tend her. She was then five months old and so adorable. She was looking more like a sweet little papoose all the time. I was so proud to show my first great granddaughter to all of my friends. They had to admit that she was the cutest papoose they had ever seen too. She was so good all the time she was here.

              How time flies! We grow older, our children grow older, and our grandchildren grow older. There is no stopping it. Grandchildren graduate from high school. Some go on missions for the church then go to college and marriage. Some just go to college. Some go into the service for our country. Some get married right away and others wait longer for the wedding bells. I thought being a grandmother had aged me, but a great-grandmother?

              I missed my grandchildren when they no longer had time to come around, they start their own families and move to faraway places. They are so busy we never get invited to their homes. When I am gone to the Great White Castle in the Heavens, I know that none of them will even miss me. How would they miss me when they really never knew me?

              Here I was a great-grandmother and still hiding my gray hair. I decided it was time to quit fooling myself and fighting it and let it go and just be gray. It took months for the color to grow out. I hated it! I looked like someone else. That could not possible be me looking back at me through the mirror. Well I put up with it for a while until one day I ran back to my beautician and yelled, “Color me”! She wasn’t surprised.

Kyle in his lion costume

              Kyle was in a play at the Heyburn Elementary School, one of Acsops Fables called “The Lion and the Mouse”. He was the lion and needed a costume, so who did me call on, his Grandma. I put my thinking cap and came up with an Idea. After making a wild head of yellow yarn hair and putting together a brown sweatsuit, he was the cutest lion I had ever seen. We drove to Burley to see the play, it was real cute and he did a good job.

Fall leaves along the Snake River

              I made time for a fall trip to Rexburg to visit the Buttars. They took us on an outing of Eastern Idaho over to Palisades and a place where we could overlook the Snake River. The fall colors were so brilliant and in all shades from deep reds to orange, yellows and browns with a little green here and there. We were able to get some wonderful photos. The whole trip was so worth it. We didn’t get those colors in the part of California that we lived and I missed them. We were not able to stay for their Halloween which is one of their favorite holidays or for Glen’s 17^th birthday. The kids really dress up in great costumes.

My kids (less Gordon)

              We celebrated our 18^th Wedding Anniversary November 25^th all dressed up in our finest at our favorite high class restaurant “The Chart House” on the river for an evening of fine dining with just the two of us. Still very much in Love!

              Thanksgiving great! It was on the 28^th that year. We had all of my family here, except, the Buttars. A couple of weeks earlier, just a couple days before her 14^th birthday, Olivia had a seizure and they were trying to figure out what had caused it. They ended up taking her to Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake in December. They never did find out why and she never had another one. We missed them, but they were with us the year before. There were seventeen of us sat down to dinner and when we were though there were very few left over’s. The cousins had a good time getting acquainted and playing with each other. We had guests from Wednesday at noon until Sunday at noon. We were able to take a lot of great family pictures, which were not complete without Gordon’s family. We were so thankful for our family and that we could be together for that Holiday

              December came with a full, fun schedule. After getting the house all dressed up for Christmas, with mostly white lights, for the light of Christ, we also dressed up the front yard with lights and our white nativity set. This is a tradition for me. I have to decorate for the holidays and keep them up until January 2^nd. Jack was kept busy cutting out the small sized yard reindeer for a craft project for the Relief Society. 54 Reindeer added up to 378 pieces. He said he didn’t count sheep when he went to sleep, he counted reindeer.

              As the month went: Monday night dinner and Christmas party with the Owens’s family. Tuesday night was our Frost Dinner and Party hosted by Lorna and Kenneth. We had the traditional dinner, opened our gifts to each other, lots just plain old fashioned visiting, and sharing the love. We must have stayed overnight there. Our family parties or so much more fun than the Owens’s parties. Jack sneaked in his 70th birthday. I think it is a sin to have a birthday so close to Christmas. It is hard enough to decide on one gift let alone two.

A kid on Christmas morning

              Next came the ward Christmas dinner and party. A Relief Society dinner and next was a stake temple night, all before Christmas. When Christmas finally arrived we had the Elders over and gave them their stockings that I had made for them. As with the the Elders the previous year, they acted like little kids. It was so much fun to have them in our home. I know that our home is blessed by the Spirit that they brought. For dinner we had Elders Locke and Jensen, Glen and Ada Owens, and Clyde. The weather was fairly good, we had snow a few days before but was gone, so we finally had a white Christmas.

              New Years Eve we celebrated watching TV and drinking sparkling cider until we both fell asleep and let the New Year happen without us. Thus, Time does Fly!