Talking to sister Ann on her way home from the party before the big storm hits in Utah!

Five members of my family, my daughter Ronda, son Dan, and grandsons, Jamal, Ethan, and Dante, were in St. George, Utah having get to gethers with all the Utah family yesterday.  They are headed back home today.  They happened to arrive just as my niece Colette's grandson was making a premature appearance in the world.  He is in the preemie unit in St. George weighing in at 3 pounds and must stay there until he is 5 pounds before he will be deemed big enough to leave. I haven't heard what his name is going to be yet, but everyone is so relieved he is doing as well as a 'preemie' can be expected to do.
In the meantime Ann said she met with my family and had discussions, a party, and food at two places, her daughter Mala's and my sister Margie's daughter Karen's.  Karen is the best party giver in the family and has a big house.  My niece Cheryl ,  Ann said,  initiated a wonderful discussion.  She told Ann's and my daughters, Ronda and Mala, that they should not complain their mothers talk (write) (blog) too much when her mother, my sister LaRae, is not even in the world to talk and must be picked up by telepathy if she is to be accessed at all.  She thought they should take advantage of having a live mother while they could.
I was glad our niece Cheryl stood up for us as Ann and I both decided after LaRae passed that we would have to try to be substitute moms to her daughters, Cheryl and Colette.  Cheryl facilitated the family web site where all the sisters try to write so she won't miss her mother too much.
She still misses her, but we were all certain she was in St. George during the tense moments her latest great grandson was being born, standing by in case he had to leave this world and go with her.  There is nothing like a life or death crisis to remind us all that if life cannot be sustained we may at any time have to leave the earth, even if we are not quite 7 months old.
Everybody agreed the baby would be better off with his own mother and dad if his life could be saved, so the doctors and the nurses are trying their best.
My daughter Ronda, who has not been a nurse very long, no doubt offered as much encouragement as she could to affected relatives.  Ann said her grandson Garrett startled them all with how well he could play the guitar at around 10 or 11.  My grandson Ethan, 10, was very impressed, and he is no doubt thinking he had better get to work on his musical instrument as soon as he gets back home.  I think he told me he had started playing one.  Shayna, Ann's granddaughter, who has a beautiful voice, sang along with the guitar.  Shayna has always been great pals to my grandson Jamal who is now 19, and they had a good chat.  Shayna graduates from high school this year, while Jamal graduated going on two years ago.  They haven't seen each other for a long time.

I don't have a picture of them together, but since Mala and Ronda grew up playing together they continued to be good pals after they were married and started to have families, along with Linda's daughter Rissy who lives in San Francisco.
Dante has not been to Utah since I took him when he was 8 years old.  He is now 15, so he was having a good time, Ann, said getting reacquainted with all the family again.  I am sure glad they got to see him.  His father Dan has been going to Boulder the last two summers, but just has somehow not been able to get Dante up there.  Now he has gone up there, perhaps it won't be so hard next time  for him to go.
I am so glad my son Dan got better acquainted with his Utah family in the summer as Ann said he was really having a good time reuniting with them.  He now feels comfortable about teasing and jiving with them, so it sounds like he was having a heck of a good time.
Karen, my sister Margie's daughter, had all four of her boys home in St. George at the same time, so they were all there, some with wives, and even one with a baby they are all having fun tending.  Aaron the youngest is due to leave on a mission in the spring.
There is nothing like a great family gathering.  I am sorry I missed it, but next best thing is hearing about it.  Ann has a speaker car phone so we were able to chat quite a while without me worrying she might run off the road.  I think she was getting home before the storm hit.  Our storm is due to start any minute.
I hope my family on the road misses most of the storm.  They are probably almost here by now!
Oh yes, Connie did my header and another one I can't wait to use.  I sometimes save them a while for the perfect time.  I love her graphics. Check her blog out for tags http://visitconniesplace.blogspot.com/