Summertime: when the livin' is easy!

It is officially summertime. I have been reflecting on all the fun things I used to get to do as a kid. Mostly trips to the beach in sunny California and to Lake Powell waterskiing with my family and several other families we used to vacation with. I remember lots of zinc oxide on my nose and red-hot sunburns. I went to Malibu, Zuma, Capenteria, Santa Barbara and Newport beaches the most when I was young. Although I really went to all the beaches up and down PCH at one time or another. Trips to Disneyland were often, especially when my Utah and Kansas cousins came to town. I also remember all the beauty of God's creations and the relaxing time it was. And of course all the 4th of July celebrations I enjoyed on my birthday. Too bad I didn't figure out we were celebrating Independence Day until I was 5. I thought all the hoopla was just for me. Ruined me, it did.

I pretty much grew up going to the beach alot. My mom used to make these amazing picnic lunches when I was young.... my older cousins always talk about.....fried chicken, fresh green beans, potato salad, homemade cookies. My mom was Martha Stewart before her time. Once when I was 3, I went back to the wrong blanket...we had so many relatives I didn't really know. I didn't recognize them, so I kept walking..the wrong way. I walked one mile down the beach to the last lifeguard station before I was found. The cute, young lifeguard ( I remember that part:) fed me an entire box of milky ways so I would stop crying. It was starting to get dark and my mom was sick to her stomach and really scared. There were so many people on the beach, it was hard to see little tiny me. We didn't have the kind of communication back in the dark ages we have today. She used to tell me the story....I can now appreciate it more..... being a mother and grandmother.

I remember lots of fun dates to the beach and great beach parties when I was a teenager. It was so fun to have a campfire at the beach....and a little skinny dipping with just the girls in the dead of night. I remember one party at my friends condo..boys and girls all day and then sleeping over. She was one of my best friends. I wanted to stay over with all the other kids, but my dad said no. I called him and tried to tell him it was raining and too dangerous to drive. Amazing how when I wanted to go somewhere in the rain, I was the best and safest driver. He reminded me of that and told me to drive home slow and safe. I was about 2 hours away from home. I was mad and even sad at the time, but now I salute my dad for holding the line. I don't think there were any parents there chaperoning...you know crazy, wild California. My dad was a great dad and very wise. I had alot of experiences at the beach where I know a guardian angel was watching over me.

And when I was married, my folks bought a condo at Laguna Niguel in Laguna beach, California. So that is where my family
( Greg and my kids) spent alot of summer vacations. Their condo had the the most beautiful view of the ocean. I loved having breakfast out on their patio in the most perfect weather you will ever enjoy. And eating great mexican food and fabulous breakfasts at a local diner.It is a beautiful place. We had so many good times there. I miss that and my folks. I wish we still owned it.....it would be worth alot now. Shoulda..coulda...woulda. I usually go stay near their condo in Laguna when I go to California to satisfy my memories.

I also remember many trips to Nebraksa with Greg and the kids. We saw lots of things but mostly just fun hanging out in Arnold at Greg's parents house. Grandpa had a riding lawnmower with a wagon attached and the kids loved to ride around the circle with all the beautiful marigolds they planted every year. There was so much land, the kids could just play outside forever. We all remember Kathryn's ( Greg's mom) slushy punch and homemsde hamburger buns. I think we all like to make that punch. The kids loved to play on the merry-go- round in the yard and the round and round bed in the basement.I loved to go to the Arnold cafe for soup and salad on Friday nights. Or for breakfast or a hot roast beef sandwich anytime. I loved how they brought you your piece of pie before the meal...alot of people used to eat it first. They had the best food...and you could even just charge in to CO ( Greg's dad):) One of the things I love about small towns. I remember several great family reunions with all the cousins, some in Arnold but mostly in Utah or Wyoming. We have lots of cute pictures of all the families in matching T-shirts. My kids have great memories of fun summers everywhere.

I don't love summer time in Virginia because of the humidity. Although, I have to say this year has been pretty good so far.It is beautiful and green and flowers abound...so I can't really complain. Greg and I like to go to our outdoor mall on Friday nights and listen to the live bands they have every week. We get a fun, cold drink and just sit and relax and talk. There is always a cool breeze where we sit and so relaxing. Last night I had a lime smoothie from Squeeze. I sat there just reminiscing about summer and all the good times I have had in my life. And I hope many more to come.
Summertime when the living is easy.

You scream, I scream, We all scream for ice cream!

I had the best dessert at a friends the other night...made from store bought ice cream sandwiches. It was light, refreshing, and so yummy...great for summer. And so easy to make. So I thought I would share because summer is all about ice cream.

Ice Cream Dream Dessert

A box of ice cream sandwiches (Food Lion sells mini ice cream sandwiches -- they are a little easier to work with but any kind is fine)
8 oz cool whip
4 large crunchy candy bars (Butterfinger, Heath)...place 2 bars (still in their wrappers) inside a plastic bag...pound with a meat tenderizer or something that will break them up). Remove from wrapping and dump the crumbs into a bowl. Repeat with the other 2 candy bars.
a little chocolate sauce

take a 9x13...lay ice cream sandwiches all across the bottom...cutting some to fill in the edges as needed
spread with a thin layer of cool whip
Take about 2/3 of the candy bar crumbs and place evenly over the cool whip
Spread the remainder of the cool whip
Spread remaining 1/3 of candy bar crumbs.
Swirl or create a lattice with chocolate sauce just for garnish

Enjoy!

The Great Seduction : Things Change

I read a very interesting article in the New Your Times that Clayton sent me. I think it summarizes some of the problems with our culture today. I grew up in a different time and I can surely see the difference in the people of my generation and the younger generation. . I hope I have taught my children right......but the culture we live in doesn't support it.

We need to claim our values. Change things back. And follow the prophet of the Lord.


Read it here : http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/10/opinion/10brooks.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

Father's Day Fun

So Father's Day is finally here. I saw this funniest video that will make you laugh....so typical and so true.It is at the bottom of this post.

A shout out to all Father's. I want to try to add some pictures of my dad and Greg's dad to this post when I can.... but for now I have added a few of my family father's....... and now a tribute to the father's in my life:

My dad, Don Sodergren, who died 11 years ago , at age 88. I could never imagine my life without him..but I have had to adjust.
My dad was the most generous man I know. He was the guy who wanted to give everybody the moon. Whenever you went anywhere with my dad, it was first class all the way. He took us on great vacations, celebrated life moments with pizzaz, and always was sure you were having a good time. He did everything to his best and was dependable to a fault. I know my mom admired that in him. He was a great example to me in so many ways all my life. But it wasn't until he was 80 and joined our church that I saw him at his very best. He was smart yet humble and loved his family very much. He wanted the very best for his kids and grandkids. He was very successful in many things in his life. But the example he gave me in caring for family, I will always hold most dear. I have never known anyone who took care of their parents better than my dad. My grandma lived to be 96. She lived with us for 10 years after my grandpa died. She had to go into a nursing home the last 2 years of her life because we couldn't care for her at home anymore. My dad went there every single night of her life to be sure she was taken care of. My dad served in WW2 and was a conservative....friends with Ronald Reagan in California. He taught me many good principles. He had a great sense of humor. He would rub my feet with lotion for hours as we watched TV at night and laugh a gut-belly laugh that I can still hear in my head. I have been close to my dad all my life and he believed in me. I was the baby and the only girl which always makes for a daddy-daughter duo. I could go on and on but I will just say I miss him. He is my hero.

Greg's dad , C O Romans,who will be is 85 this year. Greg should write his post but I will say a few things. Grandpa Romans is also a very generous man. He has helped many people in his life. He spent alot of time with Greg ( he is the only son) Greg's little brother Roger, died at age 3. He would take Greg with him to work and on trips and taught him how to work. Grandpa has worked hard all his life. He came from a family of 11 kids.....he is the baby. He didn't have alot growing up in Nebraska, and he appreciates all the blessings that have come his way. He has had his own businesses all his life and has been successful. Grandpa can make or fix anything...including homemade lemonade. I think he is a genius. And he is good at math. All these grandkids that do business related stuff, can thank grandpa for their left brain genes. Grandpa has been a good example to his family is so many ways. He was good to all his siblings and their kids. He has been good to all his kids and grandkids. I admire the way he loves his wife, Kathryn, and has treated her all of their marriage. He joined the church when Greg was 7 and has been a faithful member ever since. He and grandma served a mission and these last several years he and Kathryn have served in the temple on a regular basis. I know Greg is the man he is because Clarence was his father. He life has blessed my life in so many ways.

Greg, my husband of 35 years. Ok I could get crazy with this but I will keep it to a minimum. He is a complicated man. He is definitely a combination of his mom and dad and a little of his own self mixed together. There are many layers and you have to know him a long time to figure it all out.He is atheletic and artistic, which doesn't always go together. When it comes to book learning, he is one of the smartest people I know, The average person wouldn't know it because he is humble and quiet about it. He knows a little bit about everything and alot about some things. He reads more than anyone I know and has the biggest vocabulary, He read almost every book in the Arnold library ( probably because there wasn't much else to do :) For as long as I have known him, he has done crossword puzzles.
He has a brilliant and creative mind, That is the part of him , I fell in love with first. He did so many creative and special things for me when we were dating. Like painting me a 6 foot Merry Christmas card and writing me a letter on the whole back side of it. He even potato printed the wrapping paper of the first present he ever gave me. He worked hard to impress me doing several things... and it worked. Although I fought it for a while because I was so young. But he was so old :) ....7 years my senior. So I had to marry him or say good-bye ..... and I couldn't say good-bye.
Greg is an unassuming man. He is an amazing worker...no job is ever to hard for him. He loves kids, especially his grandkids.
He was a great Bishop and helped many people both times he served. He is a great present giver.... one of my favorites was the Mary Englebriet picture he gave me on his birthday with a poem written on the back. He put it on my side of the bed and I thought it was for him from someone else. Turned out, he said for his birthday he wanted to give me a present. It says " Life has no blessing like a good friend"...I loved it and it still hangs in my house today. Ok I realize I am going on and on......so let me stop now and say he has been a great father to our 5 kids and now to our 10 grandkids. When I saw him interact with kids when we were dating, I knew he was a natural. I was right.

My sons Jordan and Denton and my son-in law, Dana: All these boys are great fathers. I am so impressed with the way they love and parent their kids, my grandkids. I can think of special things about each one that I admire. They are very hands on and love their kids. They are great fathers and I am so proud of them. I could go on and on but this post is getting too long.

Clayton and Regan: These are future fathers one day. Both Clayton alias Tio ( my son) and Regan ( my son-in- law) are favorite uncles. All the grankids go crazy, when they see them. They play with them and take interest in their lives. I know from watching them, they are going to make good fathers some day. I appreciate the way they love the kids.

A shout out to all good fathers. They add so much to the lives of children and are so necessary to the happiness and success of their children. Happy Father''s Day!

Lindsay and Regan come home

Lindsay and Regan arrived in Richmond today. They will be living with us for several weeks while Regan does am internship for Law School. He just finished his first year at Wake Forest. Lindsay is trying to find some kind of job, but is going to help me with some of my "hard" projects when available. It will be fun to have them here. She is an awesome babysitter if you are reading this and need one.

Evie turns 3 on June 8th

I guess you get the picture that someone is always having a birthday in the Roman's family.

This Evelyn June Wood aka "Evie" She is a cute curly girl with a cute accent. She is the baby of the the little Wood family...although almost weighs the same as her siblings. She is tall and average weight. We just love that curly hair....thanks to Grandpa Big Dana , we think) Maybe a little from Great-grandpa CO.

Evie is a riot. She loves to sing and change her clothes all day long. She loves men, especially her Dad and her Grandpa.
She likes to pretend she is a dog .....barks and pants and crawls around on the floor. She loves stuffed animals has a special
room at Grandma Suzie's with her crib and all her stuffed friends.... that are always there waiting for her. When she is tired, she loves to go up to this nursery and listen to a CD, hug her friends ( especially Fluffy the white dog) before going to sleep.

She uses grown-up phrases alot ...like one day she said " Grama...where is your husband..you know,...grandpa"
Sometimes she calls me on the phone just to say hi.

She loves to get pretty and put on make-up. Chloe gets her ready alot for her mom in the mornings.
She is pretty passionate girl about everything. She knows what she wants and sometimes even gets it. Felix likes to tease the living daylights out of her...but loves her and takes care of her dearly...unless he is painting stripes on her face with nail polish in the car turning her into a tiger. Nobody pushes her around.

This year she is coming to Richmond to celebrate her birthday with friends and family. Aunt Lindsay and Uncle Regan, The Denton Romans. Grandma and pa Romans, her family and a few friends will go to CHIPOTLE and run in the fountains at Stoney Point on Monday June 9th ( although her BD is really the 8th)

She called today to make sure she was getting some presents. Always covering all her bases ....that little Evie.

She keeps us laughing. We love you Evie Bevie!

Paul Newman and Jeff and me

I thought this was so funny and so possible. Reminded me of the time I went to see this older boy (Jeff at 18) at a ice cream stand at the beach (I had met him earlier on the beach) when I was 14. He was flirting with me shamelessly and I thought I was so cool and so old. I was walking backward talking to him with my ice cream.....hit the car stop cement thing and fell and threw my ice cream come up in the air. So embarrassing. I died a thousand deaths. Believe it not, he wrote me for a couple of years when he went in the service. I did write him back.( found the letters).....from the response he made to my crazy questions, I should be equally embarrassed. He was really handsome. I did run into him in another city 15 years and 4 kids later.....he was still cute but still a teenager. It was just the beginning of many embarrassing moments.

Post any of your embarrassing moments on my blog...this could be fun....after you read Paul Newman.

Paul Newman

Only women of a certain era will fully appreciate this story. (if you don't understand this, tell your mother, she'll get it)
A Michigan woman and her family were vacationing in a small New England town where Paul Newman and his family often visited. One Sunday morning, the woman got up early to take a long walk. After a brisk five-mile hike, she decided to treat herself to a double-dip chocolate ice cream cone. She hopped in the car, drove to the center of the village and went straight to the combination bakery/ice cream parlor.

There was only one other patron in the store: Paul Newman, sitting at the counter having a doughnut and coffee.
The woman's heart skipped a beat as her eyes made contact with those famous baby-blue eyes.
The actor nodded graciously and the star struck woman smiled demurely.

Pull yourself together! She chides herself. You're a happily married woman with three children, you're forty-five years old, not a teenager! The clerk filled her order and she took the double-dip chocolate ice cream cone in one hand and her change in the other. Then she went out the door, avoiding even a glance in Paul Newman's direction.

When she reached her car, she realized that she had a handful of change but her other hand was empty. Where's my ice cream cone? Did I leave it in the store? Back into the shop she went, expecting to see the cone still in the clerk's hand or in a holder on the counter or something. No ice cream cone was in sight. With that, she happened to look over at Paul Newman.
His face broke into his familiar, warm, friendly grin and he said to the woman,

'You put it in your purse.'

Ellie turns 7

This is my second oldest granddaughter, Ellie Etiene Romans ( Jordan's oldest daughter). She turns 7 on June 4th. She is the one on the end with the long, brown hair. I couldn't access a picture of her by herself becasue the Costco website was down. But that's ok becasue she is such a people person, you will usually find her with friends. Cousins, Chloe and Leo in this case.

She is an amazing little girl. Very friendly and loving. She has won student of the month 2 times this year because she is so nice to everybody. She makes friends easily. She has alot of passion ( must get that from her dad via her grammy suz). She was a fireball with those temper tantrums when she was little, but has channeled that energy well. Her dad must have taught her his secret. She is smart and a go-getter on the things she likes. She is good at dance and gymnastics...her mom says a "natural" ( and she knows because she is a dancer too) And I know she loves school and is a good student.

We always get good reports about Ellie ( and the other kids) when they go to the cousins dinner's in Provo....everyone thinks they are so fun and just fit themselves in anywhere they go. Ellie is very mature for her age and is a great cousin to all her other cousins. And I know she is also a good big sister to Reagan, Maddox and Tess.

We are so happy Ellie was born. The first time we met her, her dad put her on our front porch in her carrier, and rang the doorbell. There she was just smiling in her little seat. We always said she will be "Miss America" one day because she smiles so big for all her pictures. She was never camera shy. Now we just need or teach her to wave :)

Happy Birthday Ellie. We miss you and love you very much. Can't wait to see you again this fall. xoxoxoxox

Fischer turns 3

I thought since I started posting some of my grandkids, I would post them all.

Here is Fischer Gregory Romans ( Denton's son)

He reminds me all the time that that is his full name. He turned 3 in May and is a boy all the way. As you can see, he is adorable. He just got "big boy" pants permanently and loves to tell you all the details of his new found skills. I won't go into any graphic details but he is oh so proud. That is a thumbs up from him do to his success. I won't post any of the other pictures his dad sent me, lest I be turned in to the authorities.

He loves cars...the toy ones and the movie. He will sit mesmerized watching it. And he loves to bring his toy cars with him. He is running, jumping and flipping all the time ( much like his dear old dad used to do). He loves candy and presents.....which he gets sometimes when he comes to grandma's house.


He is a cutie pie and reminds me somewhat of Denton when he was small. He is going to be a lady killer with those big, brown eyes. Thanks Grammy Sodie.


We love him very much .

Baby Tess is 2 months

This is our beautiful new baby grandaughter Tess Annabelle ( Jordan's) at 2 mos. I just saw her at out family reunion 2 weeks ago and she already looks so much bigger and more alert. Jordan and Melissa sure make cute kids ( maybe I can take credit for a few of the genes) I won't see her again until she is about 6 mos. But I am sure am glad for computers so we can see her and all the other kids grow. It is also nice to hear what they are doing.

I am a lucky grandma to have 10 beautiful, healthy grandchildren. I love them all.