Anticipation

One more day and Paul and I will be on our way to the Mediterranean! It is always exciting to plan a trip and to anticipate all the places we will see. This trip has been planned for at least one and one-half years. That time has been spent dreaming of the far away places we will see.

This will be the longest trip we have ever taken (26 days). For old people, like us, part of the preparation involves having enough pills to last 26 days!! Since insurance companies only dispense certain pills for 30 days at a time, and those days won't coincide with the days on our trip, I had to call to arrange ahead of time for enough pills to keep me alive until we get home. It is interesting that when we are young and very healthy, most of us can't afford the time or the money to go on great trips like this. When we are old and creaky, we can go, only to hope that the pills do us a favor and keep our bodies fit enough to enjoy the trip. (Oops, sorry; I reread my previous blog of our trip and saw that I wrote about pills there too! That is what you get for reading an old-person blog.)

Our friends the Paynes will be sharing this trip with us. Mary Ann and Dennis Payne introduced us to each other, so we owe them a great deal of thanks. They are wonderful traveling companions; we have spent many vacations with them. Before Mary Ann introduced me to Paul, she said, "I have a selfish reason for the two of you meeting. I hope that you fall in love and marry, and the four of us can travel the world together." That is exactly what happened! We are eternally grateful to Mary Ann and Dennis for making our journeys possible.

Wednesday we will spend on the plane (five hours to New York City and then nine hours to Athens, Greece). Doesn't that sound fun?!! Thursday we will arrive in Athens and embark on the Prisendam, which is our ship. On Friday, we dock at our first port, the city of Ephesus, Turkey. What an intriguing place to spend Halloween and my 63rd birthday. (By the way, I have spent many, many Halloweens and birthdays trying to teach English at Butler Middle School and Alta High School to hyperactive, sugar-saturated teenagers.)

I should promise myself that I won't eat everything in sight on the ship, but I won't do that. Hopefully, my uncomfortably full tummy after meals might reign me in a bit. Food, adventure, and friends--what an incredible way to spend November!

Chad and Andrea

Chad Hopkins is our oldest grandchild. He is the son of Lisa and Steve Long and the brother of Lucy Long. Chad is engaged to Andrea, and they will be married next August.

Chad has just purchased a lovely home in Sandy (near Alta High School). Previous to this time, Chad had bought two other homes. He lived in each of these homes while fixing them up and improving them for resale. After renovating each house, Chad would sell it and increase the equity he had toward buying his next home. He is a hard worker and clearly has set some enterprising goals for himself. Chad and Andrea are now going through their newly purchased home and painting and doing other improvements.

We all love Andrea. She is a student at the University of Utah and works for American Express. One fun thing I learned about Andrea was that she and her younger brother danced in The Nutcracker Ballet for several years as children. Andrea has fond memories of her experiences in ballet.

Chad has been a manager of several restuarants in the Salt Lake Valley. He works well with people and oversees the operations to keep them running efficiently. This next month he will be in Boston for two weeks for training in a new position.

Chad has been a wonderful big brother to his sister Lucy. She clearly adores him. Chad teases her (in a nice way) and takes an interest in her activities both in and out of school. Lucy is thrilled to have Andrea join their family.

The family goes each November on a vacation together. This year they are going to Disneyworld. Last year they went on a cruise. This is a fun time for the family to enjoy leisure time together. Chad and Andrea will have a lot of fun with Lucy in Disneyworld.

Chad is the oldest of our grandchildren. It has been satisfying to watch Chad grow into a mature young man. He and Andrea are looking forward to sharing their world together in their new home. We love Chad and are proud of his accomplishments.

(This is the last post of our 13 grandchildren. It has been fun to think about personality traits and acheivements of each grandchild. Paul and I couldn't be more pleased about these 13 precious grandchildren who have made our lives richer. As children usually do, they have also helped us feel young.)

Katie and Eric

Katie Moore Leach is our granddaughter. She is a senior in Accounting at BYU. Katie is married to Eric. They were married in the Manti Temple in August of 2007. What a cute couple they are! Eric is a junior at BYU, majoring in Business Management.

Katie has to be one of the most thoughtful people in the world. She sends us cards for a variety of reasons or just to say "hi". A few weeks ago, she and Eric came to a family party. It was Paul's birthday in the next few days, so she had a lovely card and a bag of Paul's very favorite apples from Allred's Orchards in Provo. One Christmas Katie knitted a beautiful neck scarf for me. She and Eric are on a very tight budget as students, but that doesn't stop Katie from being thoughtful. She is a jewel.

Katie is very friendly and outgoing. She gets along with everyone. At BYU, during her freshman year, she made so many new friends in the dorms that it was hard for her to study! People are drawn to her bubbly personality and kind way. She also has a special spot in her heart for the underdog or the disadvantaged.

Katie is a wonderful example to her three younger siblings. She is a great role model. Her family is very close-knit, and they do lots of fun things together. The younger siblings can see all the good choices Katie has made in her life as a guide for themselves in the future.

When Katie was in high school, she was a studentbody officer all three years. She is a competent leader and added a lot to her school's goals and accomplishments. She is a good athelete as well and spent quite a bit of time playing soccer and basketball. She learned to juggle her studentbody officer duties with her academic work and her athletic team responsibilities.

Katie and Eric make an impressive couple. They work well together toward their respective academic goals and have plans for many future goals including children, church callings and employment achievements. We as a family love Eric and are so glad to have him as part of our family. Katie and Eric complement each other in a really good way.

It is a joy to watch Katie advance in her life. She and Eric have made a good start toward a bright and fulfilling future.

Jessica Nancy Moore

Jessica Moore is our granddaughter. She is attending BYU-Idaho and is in her third year. From the start of college life, she knew exactly what she wanted to be. She is studying to be a high school biology teacher. I think she will be an excellent teacher. She is a confident girl and is not easily intimadated. When I talk to Jessica about teaching as a career, she lights up. Her enthusiasm about her future teaching assignment is wonderful to see. She already has many ideas of things she wants to do in her own classroom.

Jessica loves to be outdoors. She also likes playing sports and was very good in her growing up years in California at a variety of sports. She was often the best player on her team. In her later years of high school, Jessica refereed young kids' soccer games, basketball games, etc.

I love Jessica's laugh. She puts all of her fun personality into the laugh. It makes me smile or laugh myself just to hear her laugh!

I asked Jessica's brother and sister what she liked to do for fun. They said she loves all kinds of music. As a child, she took piano lessons, and she currently plays the guitar.

One of Jessica's favorite things is to go to dances with her friends. She has friends in Utah who "hang out" together when she is home from school.

Last summer Jessica had a job at the Veterans' Hospital in SLC. She did clerical work. Every day she rode into SLC with her dad and brother Driggs (Driggs worked on the grounds). Her dad works at the V.A. and was able to get both Driggs and Jessica good summer jobs.

Jessica is a fun-loving girl who brings joy to any situation. We are very proud of her.

Mediterranean Cruise

It is a good thing I checked my old-fashioned dictionary for the word "Mediterranean" before I began this blog. The spell checker with this blogsight doesn't know how to spell! I have been writing this word with one less "r" up until now. It doesn't look too cool for me, a retired English teacher, to misspell a word.

Paul and I booked a Mediterranean cruise about one and one-half years ago. We have had all this time to anticipate the trip. Now that the trip is one week away, we are starting to think that it will really happen. The included map (at the bottom of this post) shows some of the places we will visit. It is a 26-day trip--the longest we have ever taken.

One unique part at the end of this trip is sailing across the Atlantic Ocean, leaving from the island of Funchal (which is part of Portugal) and docking six days later in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. This way, we avoid the long plane trip home across the ocean.

Paul and I have decided that our pills will take up a significant part of our carry-on bags! The longer we live, the more pills we take. Well, old pill-taking senior citizens can have fun too, in spite of our aches and pains.

You will know that we are gone when I stop posting for almost four weeks. I will miss the blogging. It is a lot of fun for me. In the meantime, I will continue to highlight the rest of our grandchildren's lives. I have three left to go.

I have an outstanding piano student I would like you to meet. This is Tia Harrington. She is almost 13 years old (in December). She has been taking piano lessons from me for five years.

What an absolute joy it is to teach Tia! She is among a rare breed of students who is very musically gifted and driven to strive for perfection. Those two qualities--talent and drive--spell success at the piano. Tia's mother Debbie says that Tia is totally self-motivated. When Tia performs under pressure at recitals, she practices many, many hours to make her pieces flawless and expressive.

Tia does a variety of things well. She is an "A" student at West Jordan Middle School. She is an outstanding athlete. Best of all, she is a sweet, kind, and fun-loving girl. I look forward every Monday evening to teaching her.

Credit for Tia's success also goes to her mom. Debbie drives from her West Jordan home, most of the time through heavy traffic, to get Tia to lessons. Debbie has a very structured environment for her children, which helps Tia into a steady routine for practicing the piano.

When a teacher comes across a student like Tia, the profession of teaching becomes truly a wonderful opportunity!

Chuck A Rama Day

When I think of Chuck A Rama, I think of my dad. Paul and I have been going there with him (and my mother before she died) for many years. Today was a Chuck A Rama Day!

Dad likes to go to Chuck A Rama because he can have many choices of main courses and desserts. You would never guess that Dad weighs only 150 pounds (he is six feet tall) by what he consumes at Chuck A Rama. After he finishes his main course, he almost always has three desserts. Today I thought I would capture those three desserts on camera.

Actually, Dad eats very little most of the time. It is just at Chuck A Rama when he really splurges. We always look forward to going to lunch with Dad. After we get back to his house, he plays songs on his organ for us. Today he played about ten songs. Two or three of the songs he had memorized. He is an amazing man!

Driggs

Driggs Moore is the only boy in a family of three sisters. Once I remember reading a past annual Moore Christmas letter in which his mom said, "Driggs has to live in a household with lots of drama from his sisters." Nevertheless, Driggs seemed to have survived and is an easy-going kind of guy. He also has lots of energy and enthusiasm for life.

The future looks pretty exciting right now for Driggs. He graduates from Bountiful High School in May, and then he is off to college this next fall. He plans to attend Snow College for a year and then serve a mission for his church. Driggs has grown up a lot in the last year. When I talked to him recently, he seemed very focused on his plans for the future.

Driggs has a favorite class in school this year. It is College Algebra. He really likes math classes in general. At the end of a school week (Friday afternoons), he likes to play basketball both with friends and with his dad. He also is an avid snowboarder, so he looks forward to cold winter days to exercise his snowboarding skills.

From the time Driggs was a little boy, he has been a great conversationalist. With his upbeat personality, he wants to share his world with others. He also is a good listener.

Driggs currently is the owner of his family's small red truck. Each child in the family takes a turn with the truck when he/she reaches driving age. The truck has seen better days, but it still has one more duty to fulfill--sister Abby will inherit it in a few years.

Driggs is one of the most friendly people I know. His optimistic attitude is catching. After talking to him for awhile, the world looks brighter and full of promise. Driggs is a great kid, and we love him.

Abby Moore

Abby is the youngest daughter of Paul and Char Moore. The family live in Bountiful. Before moving to Bountiful, they lived in California. Abby went to grade school there. When the family came to Utah several years ago, they decided to build a house in Bountiful. The house sits on a knoll, and it is surrounded by scrub oak. The family also have a beautiful view of the Bountiful temple. It is really a beautiful setting.

Abby is in 9th grade at Mueller Park Junior High School. Her favorite subject in school is English. I know that Abby is a good writer because I have seen samples of her writing. She is meticulous and very creative in her work.

Tennis is Abby's favorite sport to play. She enjoys playing with her dad. Also, Abby likes to go to football games and hang out with her friends. He favorite color is green.

When Abby was younger and still living in California, Paul and I would come for a visit and stay for the weekend. As soon as we arrived, Abby was at my side asking if I would like to play a board game with her. We played many board games throughout the weekends we were there (she always beat me!!).

When we went for visits to California, we attended the sporting events the Moore kids were playing in. Abby played soccor and basketball. Tiny Abby was one of the best players on the court. She weaved in and out of other players and proved to be aggressive in her moves. I think she first started playing soccer when she was only four years old.

"Lil' Anne" was the name of Abby's pet dog. Lil' Anne had to be put to sleep a year or so ago, but she was a loyal companion. She just got too old and had lots of health problems. Abby loved Lil' Ann and spent a lot of time with her while she was growing up.

Abby is a sweetheart. She is growing up too fast. We enjoy having Abby at our house. She has a great smile and a kind and thoughtful personality. We love her lots!!

Happy Birthday, Paul

Ten years ago, I experienced a life-changing event. I met Paul Moore. Our mutual friends, Dennis and Mary Ann Payne, introduced us. On our first date, Dennis and Mary Ann (as moderators!!) accompanied us. We went to a production of Pioneer Theater and out to dinner afterwards. From then on, we were constantly together.

We were married on July 3rd, 1998. The last ten years have been some of the happiest years of my life. Paul is a dream come true. He is loving, appreciative, supportive, thoughtful, and I could go on and on. He not only knows how to do anything around the house, but he actually does the stuff too--from vacuuming rugs to scrubbing the floors. He works hard to make our home inviting and clean.

Paul supports me in my relationships with my family. He is usually the one to suggest going to Spanish Fork to see my dad. He plays games and throws the ball with Natalie's children when they come on Fridays for piano lessons. He has remarked to me several times that he feels equal love for all of our 13 grandchildren.

Paul is an excellent dad to his four children. They respect him and look to him for good advice. He taught them resilience, while young, to face the challenges of everyday life. As a result, they cope very well with any curveballs life throws them. He also taught them how to work hard and how to have fun. One of his favorite activities when they were young was to take them camping.

I can't imagine my life without Paul. When we first started dating, my daughter Natalie remarked that I "sparkled" when I was with Paul. This was true ten years ago, and this is true today. There cannot be a finer husband, and I am the luckiest woman in the world.

Happy Birthday, Paul. I love you dearly.

Bryce

My grandson Bryce Ferguson is almost 14 years old. He is in the 8th grade at West Jordan Middle School. He is an excellent student, currently having all "A's" except one "A-".

Bryce loves University of Utah football games, and he goes to all the games (played in Utah) with his dad.

A favorite pasttime of Bryce is teasing his younger sister Nicole. He also loves to listen to his Ipod. Recently, however, Bryce did not check his pockets when his clothes went into the hamper. His Ipod went through the washer and dryer and came out dead! Thank goodness he had money in his savings account to buy a new one.

Bryce's mom, Catherine, says he is a full-fledged teenager. When he is at our home, however, he is always a very polite young man. This last weekend he had lots of fun with his young nephews Sully and Keaton, roughhousing with them and playing games.

Bryce has grown a lot in this last year. He is now 5'7" and still growing. He also has developed a deep bass voice. It won't be long before I will be looking up at him.

Bryce's birthday is December 16th, the same day as his cousin Keaton's.

We love Bryce and are very proud of him.

Jake Becomes a Teenager

Happy 13th Birthday (October 8th), Jake!

A Moore Family Gathering

It had been quite a long time since the aunts, uncles, and cousins had a chance to see Keaton and Sully. We held a family gathering where everyone could visit and get a chance to interact with the boys.

Keaton lost his bottom tooth during the activities of the evening. That was a special event to share with his cousins. He put the tooth in his tooth-fairy pillow; sure enough, the next morning the tooth-fairy had left a gift for Keaton.

The Moore family left this morning to go back to Oregon.

The boys were looking forward to seeing their two kittens again and sleeping in their own beds.

Keaton and Sully Play in the Snow

On Tuesday, October 7th, Paul's youngest son Mike and his wife Patti and their two boys came for a visit. Four-year-old Keaton had been anticipating the trip for weeks, and he had his backpack filled (for many weeks) with treasures for the long trip. He could remember previous trips to Utah, but his brother Sullivan, who is only two, could not. Both boys were very glad to get here to see their grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

On Wednesday, the family and Paul drove to Snowbird for a fun excursion. The leaves in the canyon were very beautiful, and the boys got to play in the snow when they reached their destination.

Jacob Alan Peterson

Thirteen years ago I became a grandma for the first time. I was so excited for this new role and have loved every minute of it. Jake was my first grandbaby. He was such a cute little guy and has continued to be a handsome young man.

Jake is the oldest child in his family. He is very responsible, both at home and at school. In school his favorite subjects are math and orchestra. Jake plays the violin in the school orchestra. He also has taken piano lessons from me for the past five years. His musical talent shines through in his performances at our recitals.

Jake is a competitive swimmer. This activity makes him very strong. It is a thrill to watch him swim. His strokes are fluid, and he hardly makes a ripple in the water. (Watch out, Micheal Phelps!!)

This is Jake's first year of middle school. He attends West Jordan Middle School. In elementary school, for 5th and 6th grade, Jake was involved with the student news team in charge of daily morning announcements. Jake took the role of anchorman as well as the camera man behind the scenes. As he moves on to high school in the future, he would like to be involved with the swim team.

A fun activity that Jake likes is going to Lagoon with his Aunt Melanie. Last Christmas Melanie gave Jake a season pass to Lagoon, and the two of them had a blast this summer going on the rides and camping out at the KOA nearby on the night before their adventure.

Jake is a diligent young man who always tries to do the right thing. He has a strong sense of self and follows his conscience. He has a wonderful smile (including braces) and a kind and thoughtful disposition.

Happy 13th birthday, Jake (tomorrow). You are such a good example to your younger brother and sister.

Piano Lessons

On Monday and Tuesday afternoons, I can be found in our "music room" teaching piano lessons. Retirement is great, and I certainly wouldn't want to go back to the demands of a full-time career; however, there is something very rewarding about teaching a few young students to play the piano.

My students range in age from five to 14 years old. There are 13 students all together, which is just the right size of group for my part-time vocation.

Why do I like teaching piano so much? Well, first of all (and best of all) I only teach one student at a time. In the public schools I taught from 35-40 students in one class. I can focus on the unique talents, abilities, and challenges of each student. Each student can progress at a rate that is just right for his or her comfort zone. There is such a wide range of talent and work ethic of each child that challenge my own abilities to teach.

Another fun thing about teaching piano is trying to find ways to motivate the kids. I have a "Student of the Month" set in a frame on my piano for all the kids to see. The students are always interested in seeing the new student posted every month. Another motivational trick I use is something I learned in a graduate education class at the University of Utah. My teacher at the U had tickets he handed out to us, his students, for various positive ahievements we produced in the class. I pass out what I call "Moore Money", which is also a positive reinforcement tactic. My students earn the pretend money for practicing weeks that are especially good or for good concentration on a lesson day. When they get a certain number of tickets, then they choose something from the treat basket. I find that with younger kids, especially, they focus attention better if they know there is a possible reward at the end of the lesson.

Teaching piano lessons is flexible for my current life. If I am out of town on a trip, then we just don't have lessons for that time period. The students also have times when they are out of town or ill and skip a lesson.

Each April, I host a recital for the students to perform for parents and friends. The students are always proud of their accomplishments. It is a really tangible reward for me to see my students perform at the recital. I become very attached to my students. They are a part of my life.

Lucy

Meet Lucy Long, my 12-year-old granddaughter. Lucy is in the 6th grade. She is an excellent student and is a very good writer. Last year Lucy produced her very own monthly magazine and distributed it to fellow classmates. Lucy knows her way around a computer like a pro. She is really a very talented young girl.

Lucy is tall and slender. She is very pretty. She lives in Salt Lake City with her mom, Lisa, and her dad, Steve. Lucy has a brother named Chad who recently became engaged to marry Andrea. After the wedding next summer, Lucy is glad that she will be getting a sister to be part of her life.

I remember when Lucy was a little girl, she seemed very grown up. She had a grown-up vocabulary and a serious demeaner. At the same time, she could be a lot of fun. I remember her spending lots of time on her backyard playset and having fun with her two kitties. Now she has just one kitty but also a neat dog.

I also remember Lucy and her dad having fun ice skating during the wintertime. The family does lots of adventurous activities together.

Lucy is an excellent photographer. She likes to take pictures on the numerous vacations she goes on with her family. She captures the excitement of the trip in each photo. I remember wonderful photos of dolphins on one of the Long vacations.

Every summer, we look forward to attending an acting performance from Lucy. She has participated in acting workshops at the U of U and the Hale Theater. It is fun to see Lucy slide into the roles of other people, like her portrayal of an English girl in a video production of a play. Her accent was very authentic.

Lucy is an elegant young lady. She is going to grow up using her many talents to be an outstanding woman. I am proud to have her as our granddaughter.

Nicole

Nicole at her latest dance recital

Nicole

Nicole Ferguson is my adorable granddaughter. She recently turned 11 years old and is in the fifth grade. Nicole is a beauty, and she has a sparkling, outgoing personality to match.

Nicole is a good student in school. She is well-liked and has lots of friends. In any situation, she makes friends easily. Nicole is a happy girl, and her enthusiasm for life is contagious.

One of the things that Nicole does so well is DANCE. She is an absolutely terrific dancer. I think she has some "dancing genes" from her Grandma Nancy. We have watched Nicole in dance recitals, and she stands out in the group with her talent. (I am not just saying this because I am the Grandma.) She puts her entire self into the dance, and you can tell from her facial expressions that she is completely immersed in her role. It is a joy to see Nicole dance.

Nicole is a very sensitive and kind-hearted girl. If she thinks that anyone (or any animal) is being mistreated, she is right there with caring and support. One time when Nicole was at our home, we found a little kitten wandering around our yard. We brought the kitten in our garage and gave it some food and milk. A little while later, I could see that Nicole was upset and had tears in her eyes. She said that she was worried that the kitten was too cold. We eventually found the kitten's owner, and Nicole was feeling better about the fate of the kitten.

Nicole's family loves to go boating on the weekends they can get away. They just purchased a new boat. Both Nicole and her brother Bryce are excellent water skiers.

Nicole has a lot of confidence. She is very self-assured. In one of my piano recitals, I had the kids introduce themselves and the pieces they would be playing. Nicole was completely at ease in front of the audience as she introduced herself.

It comes as second nature to Nicole to show love and affection. She always gives me a big hug when I see her, and she tells me that she loves me. What a sweet and loving granddaughter! How lucky I am to have her in my life.

Mom and Me