GETTING READY FOR CHRISTMAS

Now, where is Santa

Bahamas, St. Thomas and St. Maarten cruise

We have always liked to cruise. We were very fortunate this cruise to have great weather and great company. The islands were beautiful and the water was warm. The cruise food was great.
Even with all of that, we missed our family and knew the cruise could have been better if our family had been with us. Do you think they would let Sandy on the ship?

Smiths and Staples

What a view of St. Maarten

The three ladies bought matching cover-ups in St. Thomas

Dad in the surf


Paradise Island and hotel, famous and expensive

A little bit of paradise

Friday Night Dinner Date...

Game...Set...Match

Game........Set.......Match

How could this be????? The wii beat Brenda at
tennis. Fun anyway!!!!

Pretty Time of Year

It is supposed to snow tonight. Thought I would enjoy the day.

Fort William Henry

Here we are behind the French artillery at the Battle of Fort William Henry in Lake George, New York. It was amazing how realistic the uniforms and equipment were of the hundreds of people participating in the reenactment. This weekend was the 250th anniversary of the battle and surrender of the fort.

The paddle wheeler Mini-Ha Ha takes tourists

on regular tours of Lake George.
Here I am with two British Army recruits!

Our Own Paul Bunyan!!

After


Remember the big cottonwood in the yard that caused a blizzard everything Spring? Well, it always made a big mess, so our own Paul Bunyan decided to take care of it.

Before

Requested Hawaii pictures (February)

Famous Sunset Beach

Don was sent to Hawaii (Brenda went with him) while serving in the military. It was vowed that they would return within ten years after leaving. Well, it took thirty years. However, Hawaii is just as beautiful as ever. View from our hotel...very pretty.

Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor

Our apartment.....only one room which included living room, bedroom and kitchen.

The temple

We climbed to the top of Diamond Head crater (we were even given a certificate) and posed with Honolulu in the background.

View from our hotel balcony with Diamond Head in the background.

HEY, HEY, WHERE ARE ALL THE SCRIPTURE READERS?

Nothing much has happened with our family reading lately. Let's go!!!!!

BIKER CHICK

One year ago tomorrow I had my knee replacement surgery. As I remember, it took me a long time to even lift my leg. Now look at me!!!! I am a biker chick. I ride before work at Liberty Park.......four times around is 6 1/4 miles.

LAST GASP FROM THE ZCMI CENTER

Remember the ZCMI Center? This is what it looks like now.....and it will be getting worse. The Crossroads Mall is already totally gone. That orange thing in the middle raises up like a dinosaur and bites the metal and then the debris tumbles to the ground. It is a real sight.....people sit around watching it all day.

WHAT A GREAT FAMILY!!!!!

Dang, we are even good looking in the pouring rain!!!!! I look forward to when we are all together again.

GREEN THUMB......MAYBE NOT

This is the Smith family garden. It is Brenda's year because Brenda and Don fight if they work on it together. However, Don has spent some time secretly weeding. It has been fun to eat beets, carrots, cukes, beans and squash from it. Brenda did not share the peas. We are looking forward to tomatoes.

The Hupp Family Reunion

Tremonton Park, July 11, 2007

Reida and Herman

What a legacy

Rudy, Ella and Anna

Rudy and Ella left Germany with their mother after her husband died. She left her entire family after losing her husband and Rudy's twin brother, Richard (who died in infancy) to go to America. She had joined the Mormon Church and was encourged by the missionaries to take her family to Utah. How courageous. After settling in Utah, she met Herman Hupp who she married. They had a daughter, Anna.

Brenda and Don are there for Ella

Brenda and Don represented Ella at the reunion and stood and told things about her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Ella was the oldest of the three children: Ella, Rudy (who was a twin) and Anna.

Margaret introduces Rudy's children

Margaret, holding her grandchild in the center of the picture, organized the reunion. She did a wonderful job. She actually delivered the little girl she is holding.

Richard Hupp and family

Richard shared many growing up stories at the reunion. He sheepishly told how he had started a major fire in the farming area and certainly regretted it. He shared a story about grandma Done. Grandma Done was a few years older than he was and when he visited the family, then living in Providence, she would take him around to visit her friends with her. It made him feel cool and he thought she was sooooooo beautiful.

Parker Hupp and family

Parker and his family live in Vernal. Parker's name came from the same source as many of your children's middle names. His mother Meada was the daughter of Don's grandfather's brother (figure that one out).

Ruth Ann and her family

Ruth Ann and her family live in St. Louis. They were visiting so that is the major reason this reunion was held.

Thayne Hupp and family

Thayne and his family still run the farm in Hansel Valley, thereby preserving our family legacy. As a young girl I remember visiting the farm and Thayne gave me a ride behind him on one of the horses. I was a city girl so I was scared to death. I just held on for dear life. When we left, my hands where I had gripped the saddle were totally blistered and I had a little trouble walking.

Anna's Family-four children and families

Anna's children were all in attendance. Paul was late so there are no pictures of him in the introductions. A memory I have of him is that when I was in about 5th grade, living in Salt Lake, he came to live with us for awhile. He was having vision problems and needed to be seen by a specialist. My mother made him feel welcome and he stayed with us while he was going through this ordeal. I remember that he ate his meals on our out-extended breadboard. Mom was so kind.

Lewis Abrams

This is Lewis and the members of his family who were able to attend the reunion at Tremonton Park. Lewis worked on the farm in Hansel Valley with his uncle Rudy and uncle Jay (Brenda's grandfather) and grandfather Hupp when he was a teenager.

Jean and her family

Jean and her husband, Bill, live in Pocatello, Idaho. She is my e-mail cousin and her three children advise me on computer things. Sometimes Jean writes things for me. She has also had some of her stories published. I especially like her story about Grandma Rinderknecht and her sister, Anna. The little girl third from the left is named Ella after Grandma Rinderknecht. It would be great to have an Ella in our family (maybe middle name).

Cousin Kaye and attending family

Kaye's family lives in Tooele. She took care of great-aunt Anna before she died. She was a constant tease to me when I was little. She made me push her on her bicycle up the hill and laughed all the while. I have forgiven her.