~MY KIND OF SATURDAY~

Sometimes you just have to say to "heck" with the usual Saturday stuff and spend the day with the grand kids! For the past couple of Saturdays Steve and I (mostly Steve and the boys) have been working on our garage. Now that it is done our Saturday project was "the GRAND KIDO'S! The ones who were in town that is...

A little golfing, shopping, and lunch and a lot of energy! Then home for naps to get ready for the big football game. I wish I would have gotten a picture of Cole all decked out in his BYU hat and shirt. He looked like a little football stud!

All of you know that in this family we are huge BYU fans but I am not sure that you realize just how young we start instilling that sense of loyalty. If Charly is any indication then you have a pretty good idea. We SO hate it when they lose and know that most of you SO love it! (We forgive you. You have the rest of you lives to come around).

I think that next time we have our "Saturday" with the grandkids we will plan a picnic. I really don't like taking them to the "slide place". It is just so not clean...If the weather holds out, I'm thinking a blanket, the park and a warm fall afternoon sounds fantastic.

~A LITTLE SEPHA-A LOT OF LOVE~

September 1929. Grandpa was in LDS hospital in Salt Lake City with what appeared to be a blood clot however, as I continue to post these letters you will find that this is just the beginning of his battles with health and hospital stays and grandma's battle to once again "survive" this difficult time. Grandma was overseeing the family at home in Sutherland. She was also pregnant with Choral #9 who was born on November 8.

Before posting this I wanted to talk to my Aunt Mildred the only surviving member of my mothers family to make sure that I had the birth order of all the sisters and brothers right. I LOVE talking to her and will make sure that I do it more often...Grandma's children in order:

Marion
Eleanor
Wayne (died shortly after birth)
Lela
Mildred
Ward
Betty Jo
Brooks
Choral
Sarah Ann (Sharon)
Alma

Dear Ward,

I just came back from Howard's and he told me you were feeling fine the last time he saw you. I surely hope that you are at least comfortable. I was terribly worried and I did not hear. The boys got home between 10-11 last night.

We are alright up to date. I got Marlan started in the seed yesterday. She cuts a little then uses the rake. It was against your wishes but we felt that under the conditions it would be better.

Frank Dickerson came after the calf but we wouldn't let it go for $15.00. Howard handed me your purse this morning. It contained $15.00. I will send you $10.00 and keep the $5.00. I may have threashers and I spent my money for peaches. I bought 5 bushels at $1.25 making $6.25. Then some bottle lids and that leaves me nearly broke.

Father came in Tuesday morning. He was awfully sorry he didn't know. He said if he had stopped he would have gone back with you. We received an invitation to the Abbott reunion but I sent our regrets yesterday. It is to be held Sept. 26,27,28.

Well, lover, I will close and go milk the cows. Will be glad when you can return.

With lots of love I am your loving wife.

Sepha

P.S. I loves daddy and want him to come home...Brooks
I love daddy and hope he is lots better...Betty


LDS Hospital
September 21, 1929

Mrs. Sepha Robison

My Dear Wife and family. Your letter was rec'd and was much pleased to get one letter. I am getting along as well as can be expected. Dr. Merrle and Dr. B.T. Richards was just here and said I would be very lucky if I get out in another ten days. I had a blood clot that has been bad. But yesterday I was wheeled back to the Top. So am wrapped in cotton. Tied in bed flat on my back. Nothing to eat but soup, soup, soup...They have gathered up all the old cow bones, horse bones, dog bones and even digging up the graveyard for bones o boil to feed fellers like me with a sore ____! I haven't seen a piece of bread since I came in. Three times a day my menu:
1 Glass of oil
3-6 gallons of soup
1 chocolate ice cream
*cup of chocolate
And with all that good stuff to eat haven't had a bowel movement yet...Seems to be important to them!

(Poor Grandpa, he's not going anywhere until he "goes").

Jimmie Gee just came in and he will post this letter.

I have counted all the nurses (150). Have counted 65 doctors. Mouse tracks on floor, 10,000. Fly specks on the ceiling 200,000. Can tell about a lot of stuff when I get home and that won't be many hours if I get my way. Don't worry about me. Take care of yourself. And look for the bright side of all conditions. So appreciate letters from home. Will chew off with lots of love to you and the children. I remain as ever your husband and father.

Ward.

P.S.
How are the elder boys getting along cutting seed? And are the sheep any easier to herd?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm thinking that Grandma was the serious one and Grandpa had to be reeled in most of the time...How I would have loved to have known them both!

~OREO'S AND ROZZY~

She saw me coming with something in my hands...I had defiantly gotten her interest. Rozzy LOVES Oreo's but, only the insides...

How is it that they figure out that the inside of the Oreo is the most enticing at this young age? Every one that I handed her she somehow opened up and ate the icing out of the middle and then threw the cookie aside.

Rozzy is a "thinker" she carefully twists the cookie in opposite directions and opens it up. Very patient for a 15 month old. (okay, I loosened them slightly...).

She is a little sweetheart and I miss seeing her everyday now that her mom and dad moved her to Farmington. It was so nice just having her a couple of minutes away. We sure do take things for granted until we don't have them anymore.

I love you Rozzy Jean!

~A LITTLE SEPHA-A LOT OF LOVE~

A few days ago via email, I received from my sweet sis. Chris, some writings from our grandmother, Mary JoSepha (Abbott) Robison. She passed away before I was old enough to remember her, however, my mother made sure that I had a good education in "Sepha". What I missed out on was her sheer strength and iron clad will to make life better for her children. ALL of them.

In an attempt to share what I have with my children and perhaps help them to understand as I do just how much her blood, sweat and tears molded her own offspring, so those same tears also have watched over us. I stand a little taller today after reading these entries knowing that Sepha was MY grandmother. What a lady, and what an example. I wish that life could have been happier for her. I wish that life could have been happier for everyone during those desperate times. They did the best the could and when ever I asked my mom about her childhood...It was ALL good! My mother recalls being without a lot of "things" but she always said that she never felt as if she was "poor". "Poor" was the family down the road.

So, read the lines and then read between the lines for it is there that you will begin to really "feel" her thoughts.

Journal entry...No date, I am thinking that this was probably written after everyone had left home...

Shall I throw it away or keep it? Yes, I can see it is broken across the bottom and one of the three little legs broken off and another one made of plasti-wood.

But...

I received it for Christmas 1936. I shall always remember.
We were just digging out of the year of the depression.
That time was very trying to all people and very disastrous to many
including us. We lost everything we owned. Almost our self respect.
We were trying hard to regain a footing so we could climb back up to level ground
hoping that we could regain some of our losses and pay some of the accumulated debt.

CHRISTMAS, what a memory! 10 children to buy Christmas for and $5.00 to live and household expenses of $18.50 per MONTH.

Lela had $.50 to buy a Christmas present for me. This pink glass bowl was it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm not sure that I could have thrown it away either grandma. Some things just hold too many memories.

~SUMMER WORK PARTIES~

First let me begin by saying that I know that all of you are STUNNED that I am actually posting! I had to pull myself away from Pinterest to do it but, I successfully find myself on Joeyology today posting a few pictures of our weekend and of coarse the grand kidos.

My work had a party this weekend and I coerced my children...ALL of them, into attending with their children. Guilt may have had something to do with it. Whatever it was it worked they were all there and I was so happy to show them all off! My boss had set it all up so that it was very "kid" friendly. I think that they had a great time. Gage even won the bull riding contest. I think that if Cole would have stayed just a little longer Gage would have had a little competition. As it turned out Gage stayed on the bull about 1 minute longer than anyone else in his age category. Way to go Gage...He won $20 bucks! There were slides, climbing walls, jumping "things" and all sorts of food. Thank you Riverwoods Surgery Center for all the fun! I even won a "Tablet" which I think maybe I will get to use today...Everyone has gone home :)

Thank you everyone for taking time out of your busy schedules to come to my company party. I think that the kids had a good time don't you?

~THANKS~

Thank you Stephanie for the new look on my blog, I LOVE it. I am sure that everyone that reads my blog wishes that they had their own designer like I do that does all the work for them. You make me happy EVERYDAY! Thanks again. Love you!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies
Sweet Pea's Kitchen

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar (plus more for rolling)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
3/4 cup powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 375º F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together sugars, butter and 1/4 cup of peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and egg, beating to combine. Stir in the flour mixture and stir to combine, blending well. Set aside.

4. In a medium bowl, mix together powdered sugar and remaining 3/4 cup of peanut butter until smooth.

5. Pull off a heaping tablespoon of cookie dough and flatten with your hands. Take about 1 teaspoon of peanut butter mixture and place it in the center of the chocolate dough. Wrap the chocolate dough around the peanut butter center, pressing to seal. Roll the cookie into a ball and roll the cookie in the sugar. Place cookies on the prepared baking sheet 2 inches apart. Using the bottom of a glass, flatten each cookie to about a 1/2 inch thickness.

6. Bake in preheated oven for 7 to 9 minutes. Let stand on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then remove to a wire rack.