Cody n' Donna: November 2011

Monday, November 7, 2011

The winds of change...

Allow me to indulge myself here. This is the home I grew up in. My parents have lived here for 34 years. I have a million memories here. This weekend we helped my parents move the last of their things out and clean it for the last time. They will be in an apartment in Layton for a few months and then they will move to Mount Sterling, 8 miles south of our house here in Nibley, into a new home that is being constructed. We can't wait for them to be closer and for our kids to be able to have a closer relationship with their grandparents. You can't live in a place for that long though and not miss it! I loved growing up in Kaysville. It was smaller then. Of all the places to grow up I wouldn't have it any other way!

Goodbye for Now...Grandpa!

Last Monday my mom called and told me my Grandpa Thorson had passed away. He had been sick for quite some time and we were not expecting him to live too much longer. However it took me back to hear that he was really gone. I sat in shock for a while. My entire childhood is filled with memories of my Grandma and Grandpa Thorson. We grew up a few short miles from their house. We spent Sunday evenings there regularly. We worked in the greenhouse most springs from the time I was 8. I was paid 50 cents a flat that I transplanted. I remember my mom had to check each one before I moved on. We went on several deer hunts with Grandpa there, reunions, birthday parties, etc. The memories are endless. I think my Grandpa did five times as much work in his lifetime than other people. He is the most honest man I've known. The funeral was on Saturday with a viewing the night before. It was a bittersweet funeral, but it was a beautiful one. We knew it was his time to go. He lived a good life and we know he is in a good place. Until we meet again...I LOVE YOU Grandpa!
We had some neat pictures taken of the day...these are my cousins and brothers. This is only half of the pall bearers.

The other half of the pall bearers.

The grandsons placed their boutonniere on the coffin and then the granddaughters got to place a daisy each. It was a moment where I felt a sense of pride that I am his granddaughter.

This is a picture from a few years back of me, my dad, grandpa, and Corbett

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Grandpa Thorson's Obituary

Joseph Oscar Thorson

1921 ~ 2011

KAYSVILLE/LAYTON, UT-Joseph Oscar Thorson, 90, a giant among men, passed away peacefully at home on Monday, October 31, 2011.

He was born in Provo, Utah, March 7, 1921 to Joseph Thorson and Sarah May Curtis. Joe lived a long and wonderful life. The world is a better place because he was in it. He graduated from Provo High in 1939 and attended Brigham Young University where he met his lifelong sweetheart, Mary Barnett, in a dance class. They danced into each other's arms and never looked away. They were married July 30, 1942 in the Logan LDS Temple. Sixty-nine years of marriage made in Heaven is the beginning of eternity for them. They are the loving parents of 12 children.

Joe served valiantly in the 275th Regiment of the United States Army from 1942 until 1945. He was awarded the bronze star for bravery. He was a front line medic and risked his own life to bring first aid to many wounded soldiers.

He was a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, holding many callings including Bishop and High Priests Group Leader. He was a member of the Country Creek Ward of the Layton, Utah Holmes Creek Stake.

Joe served his community. In 1951 he opened the doors of Joe's Greenhouse, where he grew the best plants around for 60 years. He loved the look and smell of growing things. He also worked as a civilian employee at Hill Air Force Base for 30 years.

Most of all he loved his family. He taught his children and grandchildren to work, to laugh, to sing, and to love. He gave them everything he had. He was a loving husband, son, father, grandfather, uncle and brother. His posterity is numerous and grateful. Joe enjoyed traveling and being outdoors, and he had a special love for fishing. His boat was the source of countless hours of enjoyment for him. He valued hard work. He built his parents' home, and then his own, with ingenuity and strength. Both of the homes have lasted a lifetime.

He is survived by his devoted wife Mary, and twelve married children. Mary Jo (Wayne) Smith, Richard (Mariann) Thorson, Raymond (Beverlee) Thorson, Arlene (Dennis) Rasmussen, Russell (Wendy) Thorson, Randall (Shelly) Thorson, Janice (Kent) Johnson, Janet (Kit) Andersen, Larry (Pamela) Thorson, Nadine (Bret) Passey, Delana (Wayne) Huber and Camille (Jeffrey) Jackson. He has a total of 52 grandchildren, 99 great-grandchildren (with two on the way) and one great-great grandchild. He is also survived by sisters Myrna Brooksby, Nona Walker, Myrtle Lassen, and Gail Kochevar.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his sisters Patra, Joyce, Karna, and Iona, and his brothers Ralph, Grant and Robert.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, November 5, 2011 at the Kaysville Tabernacle, 198 W. Center Street. Friends may visit family Friday from 6-8 p.m. at Lindquist's Kaysville Mortuary, 400 N. Main and Saturday from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the tabernacle prior to services. Interment, Kaysville City Cemetery where military honors will be accorded.

God be with you until we meet again.

Published in Salt Lake Tribune from November 2 to November 3, 2011

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Halloween 2011

Yeah so this is as good as it got for Halloween pictures of my kids all together! It was still a great Halloween! We had MUCH better weather than last year.
I LOVE Halloween! It's all about kids dressed up cute and candy! What more could you ask for?? During the day I took Corbett, Tessa, and the twins to Cody's work and then over to Macey's for a little early trick or treating. Early evening we hit a trunk or treat. The twins had their fun by this time (and way more candy than they needed) but Corbett went trick or treating in our neighborhood with his cousin/partner Carson/Robin after that and then went over to Carson's neighborhood as well. The weather was so good there were way more trick or treaters than we planned on and we had to sort through the kids candy and determine which ones we were willing to give up to the trick or treaters!

Corbett couldn't have been happier with his costume!

Luckily I got pictures of the twins a few weeks early so you can see their cute costumes, that I made ALL BY MYSELF!

Heritage Center - Fall 2011

We have had so much fun at the Heritage Center this Fall. We went through the corn maze several times and played in the hay and slides, rode horses and trains among other things! A lot of these pictures are from the day we took Jake and Tessa with us to pass the time over UEA. The kids were such good sports and we had an awesome day! Above, Tessa, Jake, and Corbett in front of the train. They opted to ride in the caboose which was over crowded and Tessa said she got out of jail when she got to climb out of it.

This is from a previous trip...Corbett is doing a flip off the hay jump below.

I just think this picture is adorable...

The kids spent a lot of time jumping off the hay jump.

But not nearly as much time as they did on the slide. At first they had to ride mats until the slide got slick enough and then they just started going any which way!

I love this picture...

We were lucky enough to have the slide pretty much to ourselves for the longest time! We tried to come back later and there was a constant stream of people going down.

Corbett is launching a gourd...

I love this picture too. Lunch break.

The kids did not want to get lost in the maze. We stuck closely to the map...

A Few Random Pictures!

Every time I blog I just go back through my camera to see what I need to catch up on. There's always a few pictures that really have no activity associated with them but I just like them and want to share...So here is this time's batch of random pics.

I think Kennedy looks like a little model in this picture...