Family Newsletter

I have not told you much about my sweetie's grandparents, even though he grew up right across the street from them so they were close. His Grandpa Leo was an extremely well-organized person and he arranged his 5 children and many grandchildren into a family organization. Each person has a specific job like record-keeping, reunions, etc.

He was very interested in family history and for years he put out a family newsletter that he wrote and compiled, then distributed in hard copy to each family member. He sent out this newsletter once a month because he believed it was important for extended family members to know each other. I don't know how long this went on before I joined the family, but even after 30 years, there is still a family newsletter although it is now emailed to everyone on a quarterly basis.

My sweetie's aunt is in charge and she sent out her call for information this week. I have every intention of updating her on our family's doings and tomorrow I'm going to share that letter with you. But just for fun, I pulled a binder of old family newsletters and found one I had written from July, 1999. Just see how much our family has changed! (Forgive me if I sound braggy, I was still young and thought I knew everything then...)

30 June 1999

Hi everybody,

How are things going? Life is good here as always. 

The kids are busy as usual. Bossy is marching in Bingham's band. She is having a great time! Their first parade is on Friday. They also have one on Saturday. She will also be marching in the Days of '47 parade. Bossy is on South Valley's track and field team. She was on Bingham's Varsity squad for throwers (only 4 girls make Varsity) as a ninth grader. She also just finished a successful softball season. Their team took second place in the tournament and second place in league play. She is being honored tonight by Dominoes Pizza in their national program for kids who do extraordinary things because of what she did for Princess (the bathtub thing). She just earned her Silver Award for scouts and she is going to Catalina Island in October with a group from the Girl Scout Council. She has never been on an airplane before, so that will be exciting for her.

Scanner did not like this one. I will try again tomorrow.

Gym Rat is also on the track and field team for South Valley. Their first meet is on Friday. He usually does quite well in the discus and the shot-put. He just finished a baseball season that was not very fun. He didn't play much and his team lost most of their games. Thank goodness for football! The other thing he is interested in is wrestling. 

He went to wrestling camp for a week right after school was out and he really enjoyed it. I think he is hoping to make Bingham's team in a couple of years. He did well in 7th grade. We were worried since he has not been the best student in the past, but he managed a 3.4 average for the year. (Bossy is right at the top of her class, so that makes it hard for Gym Rat to compete with her even though I keep telling him he doesn't have to.) He is also in the middle of a basketball camp at Bingham. He doesn't like it as well as he did wrestling camp, but his best friend is there and that eases the pain. 

Drama Queen also played softball and her team won the sportsmanship trophy. It is bigger than Bossy's second place trophy! She is now attending basketball camp at Bingham for a couple of weeks. She is a Junior Girl Scout and she just earned her junior aide patch for helping Teach's scout troop with their bridging activities. She attended Day Camp at Riverton Park and the group was actually on Fox 13 TV news. She will be in 5th grade when they start school next month. Drama Queen is an excellent student and her SAT scores were way above average. I think that is because she spends most of her time reading anything and everything in sight!

From Drama Queen's Scrapbook

Teach played softball and did very well even though her team didn't place. Actually they took second place, but the 8 and under group only got participation trophies. Teach is also attending basketball camp. I coached her and Drama Queen's Jr. Jazz team several months ago and we won the league play as well as the county championship. We went undefeated for 13 games. It was fun! It was the first year for Drama Queen and Teach. Teach was actually a second-grader playing with the third and fourth graders, but she did well. She couldn't throw the ball hard enough at the beginning of the season to make a basket, but by the last couple of games, she was actually making points!

Dog Walker has been placed in a diagnostic kindergarten for fall. He will be attending Bell View. We are pleased about that. I don't think that he is ready for regular kindergarten. he needs more attention from the teacher and his class will only have 6 students and two teachers. Dog Walker lost his first tooth a couple of weeks ago. He was so upset by his "'broken" tooth. He just didn't understand that falling out was what it was supposed to do. He is taking swimming lessons and he practically lives in his swimming suit. We took him in for his kindergarten exam and they told me that if he continues on his growth curve that he will be 6'4"!

Princess is being potty trained. She loves her primary class, and has both I am a Child of God and Popcorn Popping memorized. She is fast becoming the best painter in the house. She is doing very well on numbers and ABCs. Last week Grandma B. came up with ten new dresses for Princess and Prima Donna. Princess was so excited. Drama Queen and Teach got new school clothes. Why then should she not get any? We had a regular fashion show. 

Prima Donna is finally one, and with that out of the way, she decided that she was going to walk (after weeks of teasing). Prima Donna still keeps Mom from going to Sunday school and has been cuddled by the Young Women more than once. She now has a new sport, she can open all of the doors, except for the front and back door, which she constantly tries to open. If we leave the bathroom door unlocked, it takes her two or three tries before in pops a cute little girl.

Mom and Dad are diong great (that is all Mom will say).

You know what? I was just reminded of a dozen new stories I need to share with you...