This is the Christmas Card that you've all been waiting for! The setting for said photo is on Bob and Mary's porch (at Thanksgiving)...We had all been fed well and were settling in for a long nap.....hence the photo op.
Jaynann (on the left) is working at EBay and being an extraodinary mom in her spare time. Kate is still with In Contact and living in Lehi. She frequently gets involved in shows and pageants, just because she thinks she's not busy enough.
Adrian is working at Direct TV and continues to be the comic relief. Addison is a soph at Hillcrest High and trying fight off the girls. Emma is the smartest 18 month old I know and will soon open her own dance studio "The duck says quack".
Diane is going on 3years in her doctors' office. Ella esta hablando y traduciendo en Espanol todos los dias. She's made I15 her home away from home.
Last, BUT not least, Adam is a Utah man/fan....hanging out with the younger society and trying to get an education. He has learned the meaning of good grades.

I hope no offense was taken in this bit of a blog. Yo momma loves you and is proud of each and every one of YOU.

Merry Christmas Darlings :) SWAK

Out West

Out West......That's what the Daly's called it when they went 'out of town'. I revived this old photo while digging for Christmas ideas and couldn't leave it just in the archives.
If you have any comments about the people in this photo, please share. I knew 4 out of 5 of them and I was very lucky to have known them.
Starting on the left: Bob Daly, Craig Buckner, John Daly, Jack Daly and Mae Daly.

A Non-prescribed day....at last!

Beauty....a simple word for such wonderful creations. I'm always amazed and humbled by sunsets and sunrises...hence the foto at the head of my blog.
I've realized one thing this week....I CAN live without the aid of mood enhancers. I depended on them right after the divorce and they were great. I've now come so far from those days and finally 'weened' off of them and I now have feelings.....real, true, emoting feelings and it FEELS Great!

Dared to update! Not fair Carrie!

Today we spent family time at Aunt Mary's in the midst of Kate Kings Baby Shower. It was a deeelightful time and that's when CarrieAnn reminded me that I hadn't updated my blog in a very LoOOOnnnnggg time.....don't try to sound out that long word....
I'm loving the fact that we have morphed into a closer family unit. For a while we weren't in physical proximity to the Carpenters, Madsens, OR Twitchells...but now? It's fabulous. Carrie and Sarah were there, Andrea showed up, Elaine made it from Davis County , Marilyn came with Shauna in tow (all the way from Spanish Fark)...It's been so long that we've had close cousins, and now we get together. I'm rambling. There is no point to this blog other than I'm grateful for Family. They are my everything! They are my circle! It brings tears to my eyes to see Kate with a baby bump, Twitchell-King that is.
When you have two Kates in the family you have to define who's who. We have Kate Twitchell-King and Kate (Katherine Fern) Daly----the 'OTHER' Kate! Family speak.
To list the rest of the guest list so that no one feels left out: the other Kate, Jeb and Emma, Susan, me, Mary and some of Kate's RS sisters and a roommates family.....
We had ribbon sandwiches with egg salad and a spicy Deviled Ham, veggies, fruities and the yummiest eclairs from Macey's.
I believe a good time was had by all because there were no complaints.

A Short, Long Summer

I just noticed that I haven't posted since July 2008 and today is the first day of November 2008!  It's amazing to me how quickly time passes especially at my age!

In the past month I have been to 2 concerts of varying type, been to a Hale Center production of "Into the Woods" and I attended a conference on Medical Clinic 'stuff'.

The first concert was thanks to Aunt Mary and Uncle Bob.  Somehow Mary gets wind of our cousin John Dalley whenever he's in town.  It just so happened that his quartet, Guarneri Quartet, that is were playing their last SLC recital.  It was phenomenal!  They played the most delicious selections.  Bob and Mary, Jerry and Janet, Robert and Jenna,  Susan and I were all there.  Afterwards we met up at the Little America and enjoyed a mouth-watering selection of hot rolls, ice cream, fries, cheesecake and many other items.  We laughed a lot, ate and many stories were passed around the table.   It was very grown-up and sophisticated, in a way.

The very next night we were at The E-Center with great tickets to see Panic at the Disco!.(thanks to Boyd and Nani!) ..Oh My gosh!   what a flip side of music.  Let's take role for this event: Steve and Erika, Susan, Andrew and Emily (Erika's sibs), me with Kate and Addison and another repeat from the night before Robert and Jenna!     It was a totally different venue than the night before, with a totally different ambience.  It was electric in its own way.  We got to hear four bands:  The Cab, The Plain White T's, Dashboard Confessional and of course Panic!  Before I forget, as I was coming down the steps of the E Center I saw a familiar profile.  It was Josh! and his sweetheart Mary.  I haven't seen Josh in ages!  It was so cool to talk to him and Mary.  I guess it was Mary's birthday and Boyd got them tickets to see Brendon and we were just a couple of rows behind.   The music was loud and pulsing and FUN.   I always get my best workout at these kinds of concerts!  I'm not inhibited at all to do a little moving around...and since my children has indoctrinated me to this type of music and constantly quizzing me on "who sings this"?

This past Thursday Susan and I went "Into the Woods", one of my all-time Favorite Broadway Musicals.........I've never seen it done professionally, but I have done it once or twice as Music Director and also as "Jack's mother" which was fun.   There were good and bad parts, not as much enthusiasm as I would have liked but all in all it was another great night out.   We had eaten at Cracker Barrel before the show.  We were served by a guy with no teeth and ate tasty food especially the Mac and Cheese.  Not much else....I'm looking forward to cooler temps and a slower pace.  I'm hoping for both, knowing that getting by with 59% won't be all bad.

It was so much fun

Could there be any MORE Policeman in West Valley?

Thursday was an uneventful day and most of the evening.  I had decided to 'practice' my piano skills (I'm not using them like I did in Lehi) and I was emoting quite beautifully "Claire de Lune" when Addison came running up the stairs and mildly yelling that "why don't you have your phone? Adrian is trying to get ahold of you!"  So he handed me his phone, with Adri on the other end.  "Mom?, I've been in a car accident!"  He voice was weak and trembling.  I asked him if he was ok, he was, the car wasn't and could I come out to where he was and be with him.  I told him of course and then started to list off things that Addison needed to round up so that we could go out and be with Adrian.  The camera was the first thing.  I had had my camera in my purse all day, but quickly decided that Addison's would take 'better' pictures, you know, the old pixel thingy.(Whatev).....

Addison and I got in the car with the camera, ice water and shaking nerves!  What had happened to Adrian and why the accident. Addison was his chatty self and I asked him to just turn on the radio, something calm because I was starting to freak out, you know, the unknown.  We headed down I-215 to Redwood, then went north to 3500 South and lo and behold!  In the parking lot of John Paras Furniture was Adrian, his smooshed car and the other driver in a little Toyota truck, with no apparent damage.  I thought for sure that upon our arrival that we would encounter flashing lights and such, but none of that was there.  He had called 911 about 30-40 minutes previously and so we started the "waiting game!"   The poor little old Asian man stayed in his truck of steel, waiting for his children to get there. No English!   Still not a policeman in sight and an hour had passed.  Adrian repeated his call to them at least 3 times, but because there were no injuries and the police happened to be extremely busy that Thursday night....we waited for a good 90 minutes for them to arrive.   We actually saw a few officers pass by us going to other 'calls', so we knew that they were not 'punking' us..   We are ruled by sarcasm and doubt.   As we waited in this parking lot I bet I counted at least 100 cars, trucks, vans and motorcycles drive through it, trying to avoid the traffic lights.  There were a ton of geeks and gawks!  "Yes, there was an accident, move on please" again with the sarcasm.  It didn't help that Adrian was in a bit of shock.  This was his maiden voyage in the world of idiot drivers.   The man that Adrian hit was being let out of said parking lot by a good samaritan, so that he could go south.  It just so happens that the good samaritan didn't clue anyone else in on his goodness.  Hence, the accident.   Please, please...don't think you're doing anyone a favor by letting them cross traffic.  You could do more harm than good.  Let them find their window of opportunity or suck it up and do a U at the light.

I'm grateful that Adrian wasn't hurt and that the old man admitted guilt.

This post was done it two parts over the span of a week, so my train of thought is totally askew.  Sorry dear reader.........I hope to be more timely next blog  :)

Relatives are a HOOT

Thanks for the memories!  We just wrapped up a great Dalley Family Reunion.   We've met 5 times in the last 15  years...is that right?  We meet every 3 years and the first one was 15 years ago.   Anyway, it is so fun to see the new additions (Emma Renee my first granddaughter, Ty Colton my grandnephew and Jenna...) and also to see the old stand-by's; Marni , Marlo, Susan, Dal, Ron and Ginny....you all know you're all included for those who showed up.   It's amazing how we grow each time both by numbers, waistlines and engage-ees!    I hope you all had a good time, I know I did.  Whether we were swimming, eating, sleeping, eating, swimming or singing, we enjoyed.  If you didn't enjoy it was your own fault.   Addison got a bit too much sun (first degree burns on his sweet face ) and had to be banned to the air conditioned hotel room for 24 hours.  I enjoyed watching the watchers at the pool.  There they were sitting in the shade all lined up as we walked by to get to the pool, then heckled us as we uncovered.......jk.

I'm so blessed to have a family where I never feel out of place, no matter.  Not having my parents has been somewhat difficult yet I have many wonderful relatives who keep me and my siblings in touch with every occasion.  Thank the good Lord for families.    Thanks for the fun weekend.  Can't wait to see you sooner than not and hopefully sooner than the next 3 years.....

P.S.   Thinking of the future reunions, let's just remember that there will be again new additions and also those who will leave a void.   Keep in touch with your relatives.  It's all about the family, I mean really, what would you do, who would you be without your family.  Being a something of an 'orphan' or parent-less I thank God for Aunt Mary and Aunt Ada for keeping my mother's memory alive and for their very being of being just like her (Fern).  Because I knew you, I have been changed for good.    I love you