fifty Three--suits Me

Dear family thanks for all your birthday calls, letter and gifts--it was a great day.. and we celebrated days before my birthday and days after...
.--so great to hear from you hope that you are having a good week
my birthday really was fun --we celebrated a few weeks back by going horse back riding in bryce canyon--for about four hours then hiking for five hours in the canyons. and then the kids came on conference weekend tooand we had singing and cake inbetween conference sessios. . On my actually birthday we had ice cream at joe and hayley's and then on the past day or two--I've still been getting cards and call's for birthday wishes--I love that it has been so well celebrated!! again --thanks for thinking of me --it made my day

birthday dinner (eaten the sunday before included one of my favorites: cheese potatoe soup
see gertsch family cook book under stephanie gertsch

abbie and I share birthdays one day apart --here we are holding her ice cream cake

hogies sandwiches were the order of the day--much like we use to have when the kids were home and watching conference with us--(in between sessions we usually had these huge hogies)

I have always maintained..*(and I'll stick by it) life only gets more fun with each birthday and each passing year---as the song says "l am the luckiest"
see the enclosures of the happy day of singing and cake and see if you don't agree...

ooh...gooey

ooey gooey--I think megan is saying--I think this is fun..?? if you say so grandma...
not sure why...cause it's sort of gooey but when the men go to preistood meeting
in connection with general conference--sometimes us girls--do a "mint spa face treatment"
it makes your skin soooo soft afterwards.

in addition to facials, the kirk girls and a I and Nancy
did, waxing the hands in hot wax, painting finger nails
brushing out each other hair do's and eating ice cream
at a new place by winco culver's.
then we watched part of a movie *seventeen miracles
we had enough fun to last us...well at least till next conference
all are invited--the more the merrier.


grandma smile while you take photo --you look so worried..ha (:

good luck Hayley --on 1/2 marathon

Let's all cheer Hayley on - with kind words and emails and such...as she prepares to run her 13 miles in Oct (Oct 29 is the race in Provo canyon) she says we all don't need to be on the sidelines literally.. but I hope we'll all be on the side lines in her life as she goes after this and wish her well and cheer her on, and pray for her.
as part of her training she ran about 11 miles last Sat and will do that again one more time plus a lot of shorter runs in preparation, when I've talked to her, she is always so positive about it. to quote her "its phycological" --well that may be true --but I couldn't never do it and those who have done it, we'll my hat's off to you. so from Dad and I good luck Hayley --you can do it.

As for our exercising goals for the past little while well....hum.................................I'd like to say we'll (dad and I ) try new things even in our old age--& so the latest thing we've tried is having a yearly membership to the Murray rec center. We get a discount through the school district so even if we just go three times a month it will be worth it financially--and who know maybe we'll even go more. Wouldn't that be a great way to keep fit, working out on the equipment.
I ventured out and tried a deep water class--that really builds your "core" and posture--you wear a floatation belt so that you stay verticle in the water--then you do variation routines to build muscles. I liked it. It was an introduction class free of charge. I think I know how to practice on my own now....I'll google it. Hayley or Kerri, did you ever do that as part of exercise science classes
okay...we'll do our level best to stay fit and we are motivated by all of you and what you do.

general conference--

The Prophet (Thomas S Monson)
and the apostles
truly are a lighthouse for us to follow
we enjoyed all the messages of conference
what a treat to listen to their testimonies and be
motivated for another six months.

birthday celebration --included horseback riding

do ya like the drop off both sides --?? yeah I hate
to think what that would be like on a 'skidish' horse
but our horses were pretty mellow

dear family thanks for the birthday well wish --I had such a great day.. and a few weeks ago --bryan took me horse back riding near bryce canyon it was beautiful--that was my birthday present from him.. it was fun to hear from all you kids and grand kids called or visited me. I am the luckiest person on earth and I genuinely feel that way. thanks again much for making the day more than I ever hoped for.

happy birthday !!!! you're growing too fast (:

Happy Birthday sweet Abbie. we remember well the day that you were born. Your mom called and said that they were headed to the LDS hospital and then we'd be hearing from then later in the day. What a thrill it was to hold you for the first time --
we love so many things about you..
here are ten just to name a few...*10 you are kind and gracious to us and others you learned some of it, but mostly it is just your way. *9you draw us pictures and write us notes to keep on our art wall and in our journals and those kinds words make us feel good.*8you are a person who tries new things *7you took notes during conference of each speaker and a little something each was saying, you are growing spiritually * 6you are growing stronger everyday with your dancing and taking good care of you body 5=you show concern for others and feel happy for them when they do well, such as doing a flip on the trampoline, or winning something. 4-you are organized and love to put things on your shelves and in on dresser just right. 3-you smile when things are funny and tell funny stories to the cousins in the hammock, when we camp as a family 2-you help you mom by doing your jobs and carrying megan and Kyle and you are a great friend to Anna too. 1-you are an all around wonderful little lady full of love and goodness and we love you

off to and away...

each year our neighbors the Sheddens are off and away to Arizona for the winter. A long time ago they asked me to paint the spare tire cover--so I did--it had faded a bit through the years so this morning *(friday) after we did the grape juice --I slipped over and fixed the painting up a bit--this was the end result--their dog is pictured in the middle of Don and Eva --they liked it, and said their friends at the trailer park get a kick out of it.