.JPG) |
| He could be a new superhero! |
Thursday, August 28, 2014
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Cannonball Lou
 |
| Great landing!
Lou is a Star Scout and just yesterday finished the requirements for his fishing merit badge. We have the proof.
|
 |
| First fish - well, moss and fish. Can you see the tail sticking out of the moss? Check out Lou's expression too! |
 |
| The second fish...
Lou was brave and ate one bite of his fish. Grandpa does a great job cooking fish. Then he went for the hamburger! Can you believe it? He said that the fish tasted good. It was a milestone. We also taught him to play Shanghai yesterday. He picked that up really fast. Look out Uncle Allen.
Lou still plays golf every week and has golf lessons. He often wins tournaments. He will be attending 8th grade at Aliso Viejo Middle School this year.
|
Sunday, August 17, 2014
A Golden Opportunity!
This is your Golden opportunity!
Golden will start 8th grade this coming week at Thomas Edison Charter School in Logan. He had a lot of fun at Scout camp this year and has been getting a nice array of merit badges.
Wilderness Survival (they lived through a pelting rainstorm during the night)
First Aid
Citizenship in the Community
Rifle Shooting
A few others that that he received recently were:
Finger Printing
Music
Welding (that sounds so great!)
At the latest Court of Honor he received his First Class Scout Badge.
Golden will start 8th grade this coming week at Thomas Edison Charter School in Logan. He had a lot of fun at Scout camp this year and has been getting a nice array of merit badges.
Wilderness Survival (they lived through a pelting rainstorm during the night)
First Aid
Citizenship in the Community
Rifle Shooting
A few others that that he received recently were:
Finger Printing
Music
Welding (that sounds so great!)
At the latest Court of Honor he received his First Class Scout Badge.
 |
| Golden with a box of Perler Beads |
 |
| Some of Golden's Perler creations.
Golden was selling some of his creations to his friends at school until they told him it wasn't legal! His work is in great demand. It takes a lot of patience and creative imagination.
|
Sunday, August 3, 2014
Some random Teen happenings...
It's not so random that James David left for Mexico this week to learn Spanish. He gave a great talk in church and Lily gave her first sacrament meeting talk the same day on "Example".
Noah sang a duet. It combined Come Follow Me" and "I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go". The Ostergar's took over their sacrament meeting and lots of relatives filled the benches. They all did a great job.
Bright is working in Price and will go to school there again in the Fall. She is working at a Museum and at a Pizza Parlor. She now has a car and delivers Pizza too. Sunny is working in Bear Lake at the same place that Bright worked last summer. She doesn't like customers who are mean! Rae has a doctor's appointment in SLC this next week and we get to go to lunch with her.
Julia is in Nicaragua doing a teen service project. She drove Cynthia's car to Laguna Niguel from San Francisco after their family vacation and then lost the only key to the car. There is a funny story of her Mom and Jane cleaning her room to find the key while she is Nicaragua. They found 89 pens and pencils and a few calculators and her camera but no key. After some prayer, a call to AAA to open the car,and more searching, a key was found that Allen IV lost a few year's ago. The other key is still missing!
Ruth was here for EFY this week with some of her cousins. They loved it!
Peter returned from their family vacation to England, Scotland and Iceland. How fun for their family.
Noah sang a duet. It combined Come Follow Me" and "I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go". The Ostergar's took over their sacrament meeting and lots of relatives filled the benches. They all did a great job.
Bright is working in Price and will go to school there again in the Fall. She is working at a Museum and at a Pizza Parlor. She now has a car and delivers Pizza too. Sunny is working in Bear Lake at the same place that Bright worked last summer. She doesn't like customers who are mean! Rae has a doctor's appointment in SLC this next week and we get to go to lunch with her.
Julia is in Nicaragua doing a teen service project. She drove Cynthia's car to Laguna Niguel from San Francisco after their family vacation and then lost the only key to the car. There is a funny story of her Mom and Jane cleaning her room to find the key while she is Nicaragua. They found 89 pens and pencils and a few calculators and her camera but no key. After some prayer, a call to AAA to open the car,and more searching, a key was found that Allen IV lost a few year's ago. The other key is still missing!
Ruth was here for EFY this week with some of her cousins. They loved it!
 |
| Ruth with her cousin Madi Sedgwick |
James Atticus has spent 3 weeks in Australia visiting his Dad and family there. We had a nice visit with him on our recent trip to California for Mary's concert. I saw a photo of Mary and Anna Belle on Instagram today eating Yogurt at Yogurtland...They introduced it to us while we were there. It is yummers! Go get some.
We did a little camping this week at Payson Lakes. We took the canoe, bicycles and Anna's family.
Clara and Daisy look very good paddling in the canoe. We did some Beaver art and generally had fun. Daisy got her driver's license this week and passed two summer on-line classes all on the same day.
What have been some of your favorite summer reads? I have enjoyed Rump, The True Story of Rumplestiltskin by Liesl Shurtliff and another was West of the Moon by Margi Preus. Both were based on fairy tales...but West of the Moon was not a fairy tale itself. The heroine is a story teller and uses a Scandinavian folk tale to tell her own story.
Grandpa and I will celebrate our 49th wedding anniversary this week. That's a long time. Do you think we will make it to the big 50th? I think we will. How should we celebrate?
Thursday, July 24, 2014
Happy and Grateful for Pioneers - Happy Pioneer Day!
This wonderful story and poem was given in church last Sunday. Walter Whipple is speaking. He was the first mission president to Poland. He is our ward organist. He played the organ on a mission at the Jerusalem Center a few years ago. He has a collection of carved Polish religious folk art and does woodworking himself. Often on Christmas day he is the one who will play the organ concert on Temple Square. Enjoy this message that touched me.
Walter Whipple:
My maternal grandmother, Mabel Atkinson, one of ten children, was the daughter of a Danish
immigrant who had sailed to America at age 9, accompanied by her 4 year-old brother, over whom
she was in charge. Grandma Mabel taught school in Dayton, Idaho until she took early retirement due
to ill health. In her final ten or twelve years she took up writing poetry. I remember her pacing the
floor as she tried various ways of fixing a “dead line” that didn't flow just right. When she finally
found the desired word, she celebrated by taking the hatchet to the chicken coop. Within a short time
she served delicious fried chicken with freshly baked rolls, apple pie, and even green Jello.
From the early 1950's until her death in 1962, her writings appeared regularly in the Relief Society
Magazine. Her epic poem, Miracle of the Gulls, seems appropriate for this occasion:
MIRACLE OF THE GULLS
Singing, they blazed a highway to the West –
The Mormon pioneers. The desert sod
They conquered, even to the mountains' crest,
To build a great imperium to God.
“Come, come, ye saints,
We seek the place where God would have us dwell.
Though hard to you this journey may appear,
With joy, gird up your loins, for all is well.”
A reverent people asking but to be
Allowed, in peace, to worship Him they loved –
Their right within a kingdom of the free –
Were driven by the lash of slander; shoved
From their ancestral homes with rams of hate:
To coax the dormant life from desert sand;
To keep their shrine of faith inviolate;
Release an Eden in primeval land,
Where high above the ravens of despair
White wings of hope would bid them build their dream;
Where, clarionbclear, through elemental air
Tolerance would echo in the eagle's scream.
Day after day the covered wagons rolled
Across the startled prairies. Light hearts sang
With violins in gladness. Mourning told
Of graves beside the trail . . . Yet ever rang
The carillons of truth. A retinue
Of angels listened to their muted song,
“And should we die before our journey's through,
” they sang,
“nor labor fear.
All, all is well.” Hearts quailed to hear the long-
Drawn howl of hungry wolves . . . A prophet's death,
Mob violence, were left behind; ahead,
Cathedral mountains and the challenging breath
From desertlungs. When their great leader said,
Viewing the valleyland,
All eagerly they plowed and sowed and reaped;
Laid plans for Templed cities. The embrace
Of toil was sweet, and life in earth's womb leaped
To greening beauty: Thirsty acres drank
From cool canals and “blossomed as the rose.”
“This is the place!”
Then came black wings of doom, and laughter sank
In depths of horror: Hordes of cricketfoes
Came swarming from the mountains till the sun
Was veiled in darkness by them flying, creeping,
And field on field was barrened, overrun
By the marauders. Wives and mothers, weeping,
Fathers and children fought with fire and flail
Unceasingly, while sending fervent prayer,
Pleading for Heaven to save. To no avail
They toiled, then waited: On expectant air,
There came the ominous sound of rushing wind –
Great whirring wings alighted like a cloud.
The gaunt, worn pioneers, griefdisciplined,
Saw death descending swiftly in a shroud:
Rising from waters of the lake came gulls,
Great whitewinged birds that brought but added fears.
Could nothing save now but God's miracles?
The cup of joy became a cup of tears.
“All is well!” rang out the victory cry,
Then,
“God has delivered us! The crops are saved!
Great joyful wings!” Their paeans reached the sky –
“Praise God for mercy prodigally laved!”
The gulls would gorge, cast up, then gorge again.
Exhausted toilers stood in awe to see
The feasting birds eject the crickets, then
Refill their craws . . . Their dark Gethsemane
Was lilybeautified.
As strong men knelt
And wept like children, with new tenderness,
Mothers held babies to their breasts, and felt
Anointing hands of angels in caress.
Within God's shadow, weary hearts (grown old)
Leaped with the pulse of April. Pioneers,
Young as tomorrow, in a rescued wold
Sang,
“All is well! Dispersed are all our fears.
Why should we mourn or think our lot is hard?”
For God's sure fingers held His world in place.
Their hearts returned unto love's harpsichord,
They joyed within the peace of His embrace.
Today, beside a timeless monument –
Great silent wings — their children's children tell
The sacred tale of how the gulls were sent,
And sing the stirring anthem,
“All is well!”
Mabel Law Atkinson (1956)
Walter Whipple:
My maternal grandmother, Mabel Atkinson, one of ten children, was the daughter of a Danish
immigrant who had sailed to America at age 9, accompanied by her 4 year-old brother, over whom
she was in charge. Grandma Mabel taught school in Dayton, Idaho until she took early retirement due
to ill health. In her final ten or twelve years she took up writing poetry. I remember her pacing the
floor as she tried various ways of fixing a “dead line” that didn't flow just right. When she finally
found the desired word, she celebrated by taking the hatchet to the chicken coop. Within a short time
she served delicious fried chicken with freshly baked rolls, apple pie, and even green Jello.
From the early 1950's until her death in 1962, her writings appeared regularly in the Relief Society
Magazine. Her epic poem, Miracle of the Gulls, seems appropriate for this occasion:
MIRACLE OF THE GULLS
Singing, they blazed a highway to the West –
The Mormon pioneers. The desert sod
They conquered, even to the mountains' crest,
To build a great imperium to God.
“Come, come, ye saints,
We seek the place where God would have us dwell.
Though hard to you this journey may appear,
With joy, gird up your loins, for all is well.”
A reverent people asking but to be
Allowed, in peace, to worship Him they loved –
Their right within a kingdom of the free –
Were driven by the lash of slander; shoved
From their ancestral homes with rams of hate:
To coax the dormant life from desert sand;
To keep their shrine of faith inviolate;
Release an Eden in primeval land,
Where high above the ravens of despair
White wings of hope would bid them build their dream;
Where, clarionbclear, through elemental air
Tolerance would echo in the eagle's scream.
Day after day the covered wagons rolled
Across the startled prairies. Light hearts sang
With violins in gladness. Mourning told
Of graves beside the trail . . . Yet ever rang
The carillons of truth. A retinue
Of angels listened to their muted song,
“And should we die before our journey's through,
” they sang,
“nor labor fear.
All, all is well.” Hearts quailed to hear the long-
Drawn howl of hungry wolves . . . A prophet's death,
Mob violence, were left behind; ahead,
Cathedral mountains and the challenging breath
From desertlungs. When their great leader said,
Viewing the valleyland,
All eagerly they plowed and sowed and reaped;
Laid plans for Templed cities. The embrace
Of toil was sweet, and life in earth's womb leaped
To greening beauty: Thirsty acres drank
From cool canals and “blossomed as the rose.”
“This is the place!”
Then came black wings of doom, and laughter sank
In depths of horror: Hordes of cricketfoes
Came swarming from the mountains till the sun
Was veiled in darkness by them flying, creeping,
And field on field was barrened, overrun
By the marauders. Wives and mothers, weeping,
Fathers and children fought with fire and flail
Unceasingly, while sending fervent prayer,
Pleading for Heaven to save. To no avail
They toiled, then waited: On expectant air,
There came the ominous sound of rushing wind –
Great whirring wings alighted like a cloud.
The gaunt, worn pioneers, griefdisciplined,
Saw death descending swiftly in a shroud:
Rising from waters of the lake came gulls,
Great whitewinged birds that brought but added fears.
Could nothing save now but God's miracles?
The cup of joy became a cup of tears.
“All is well!” rang out the victory cry,
Then,
“God has delivered us! The crops are saved!
Great joyful wings!” Their paeans reached the sky –
“Praise God for mercy prodigally laved!”
The gulls would gorge, cast up, then gorge again.
Exhausted toilers stood in awe to see
The feasting birds eject the crickets, then
Refill their craws . . . Their dark Gethsemane
Was lilybeautified.
As strong men knelt
And wept like children, with new tenderness,
Mothers held babies to their breasts, and felt
Anointing hands of angels in caress.
Within God's shadow, weary hearts (grown old)
Leaped with the pulse of April. Pioneers,
Young as tomorrow, in a rescued wold
Sang,
“All is well! Dispersed are all our fears.
Why should we mourn or think our lot is hard?”
For God's sure fingers held His world in place.
Their hearts returned unto love's harpsichord,
They joyed within the peace of His embrace.
Today, beside a timeless monument –
Great silent wings — their children's children tell
The sacred tale of how the gulls were sent,
And sing the stirring anthem,
“All is well!”
Mabel Law Atkinson (1956)
Monday, July 14, 2014
A night to remember!
I haven't posted anything since May. I will have to go backwards for a while maybe. June was a very busy month for us. But here is a grandpa's corner that should make us all happy!
A BIRD IN HAND!!!
On a recent Saturday night Nancy and I had just gone to bed. It was just after 10:00
PM. As I lay there something hit me in the head. The first thought I had was that Nancy
had bumped me with her elbow. But, I opened my eyes and saw this winged thing flying
across the room. The wing span was two feet wide. It flew to the wall opposite the bed
and perched on the frame of Sara’s wedding picture. My next thought was that it was a
bat. but it seemed to big to be a bat. It then flew off the photo and landed on a small
lamp on the dresser. I told Nancy that there was something large flying around in the
room. Then I got up and closed the bedroom door so that it would not fly out and
around the house. I turned on the light. There on the lamp was perched a small gray
owl 6-8 inches tall. I could tell it was an owl because of the round head the round
eyes looking at us and the little hooked beak with the feathers ruffled around it.
Nancy left the room to look for her phone so we could take a picture. I thought, “How
can a catch it without hurting it”. I thought about throwing my robe over it, but the robe
is heavy and might hurt the bird and break the lamp. I thought of a towel, but decided
that a towel is too small. I got a sheet and folded it double. Nancy could not find her
phone so there is no picture. (She later found the phone right under the lamp where the
owl was perched). I held the folded sheet up in front of me and walked slowly toward
the bird. The light was still out. I walked right up to the owl and slowly laid the sheet
over the top of it then gathered the sheet at the bottom and lifted the sheet with the owl
inside off the lamp. As I carried it out to the back yard the owl moved a little and made some
clucking type noises but not much. I placed the sheet on the grass and slowly pulled it away.
The owl was freed and flew toward the trees next door in the Call’s back yard.
We wondered how the owl got into the house. The next morning I went into the living
room and saw that the screen in front of the fireplace was partially open and leaning
over. Then I notice that there were several black streaks on the ceiling and walls of the
living room. The mystery was solved! The owl had somehow come or fallen down the
chimney and into the house. As it flew around the house the soot on its wings left the
marks on the walls. We also found one small bird dropping on the back of the leather chair.
The next day in church I told Duane Call Jr, who lives one back yard from us, about the
incident. He told me that there are six Screech owls that live in a tree in his back yard. We hear
them hooting every day. He then said, “Every night before I go to bed I go out on our
back deck and whistle and the six owls fly to the railing on the deck. I talk to them and
even pet them. Last night only five came and I wondered where the other one was.
Now I have the rest of the story!”
We live in a wonderful world, full of beautiful creatures, plants and even people. I am
glad that we had a close encounter with one of those creatures.
Below is a link that shows what a screech owl looks and sounds like.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOMCHegQA7A
A BIRD IN HAND!!!
On a recent Saturday night Nancy and I had just gone to bed. It was just after 10:00
PM. As I lay there something hit me in the head. The first thought I had was that Nancy
had bumped me with her elbow. But, I opened my eyes and saw this winged thing flying
across the room. The wing span was two feet wide. It flew to the wall opposite the bed
and perched on the frame of Sara’s wedding picture. My next thought was that it was a
bat. but it seemed to big to be a bat. It then flew off the photo and landed on a small
lamp on the dresser. I told Nancy that there was something large flying around in the
room. Then I got up and closed the bedroom door so that it would not fly out and
around the house. I turned on the light. There on the lamp was perched a small gray
owl 6-8 inches tall. I could tell it was an owl because of the round head the round
eyes looking at us and the little hooked beak with the feathers ruffled around it.
Nancy left the room to look for her phone so we could take a picture. I thought, “How
can a catch it without hurting it”. I thought about throwing my robe over it, but the robe
is heavy and might hurt the bird and break the lamp. I thought of a towel, but decided
that a towel is too small. I got a sheet and folded it double. Nancy could not find her
phone so there is no picture. (She later found the phone right under the lamp where the
owl was perched). I held the folded sheet up in front of me and walked slowly toward
the bird. The light was still out. I walked right up to the owl and slowly laid the sheet
over the top of it then gathered the sheet at the bottom and lifted the sheet with the owl
inside off the lamp. As I carried it out to the back yard the owl moved a little and made some
clucking type noises but not much. I placed the sheet on the grass and slowly pulled it away.
The owl was freed and flew toward the trees next door in the Call’s back yard.
We wondered how the owl got into the house. The next morning I went into the living
room and saw that the screen in front of the fireplace was partially open and leaning
over. Then I notice that there were several black streaks on the ceiling and walls of the
living room. The mystery was solved! The owl had somehow come or fallen down the
chimney and into the house. As it flew around the house the soot on its wings left the
marks on the walls. We also found one small bird dropping on the back of the leather chair.
The next day in church I told Duane Call Jr, who lives one back yard from us, about the
incident. He told me that there are six Screech owls that live in a tree in his back yard. We hear
them hooting every day. He then said, “Every night before I go to bed I go out on our
back deck and whistle and the six owls fly to the railing on the deck. I talk to them and
even pet them. Last night only five came and I wondered where the other one was.
Now I have the rest of the story!”
We live in a wonderful world, full of beautiful creatures, plants and even people. I am
glad that we had a close encounter with one of those creatures.
Below is a link that shows what a screech owl looks and sounds like.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOMCHegQA7A
Saturday, May 24, 2014
Cousins hanging on the Beach!
The Loganstergars have spent a fabulous week+ in So Cal. What was everyone's best moment?
.JPG) |
| Sand between the toes!! |
Thursday, May 22, 2014
What happens if your birthday...?
Is the same day as your sister's?
You might get a gift that is the same...
 |
| Ruth's gets a Disneyland pass |
 |
| Abbit the Average headlining at Ruth's party |
Ruth wants to do cross country in high school.
Have you every heard of the "ipad academy"? All classes are taught using an ipad - no textbooks. Ruth has applied for that as well.
One sad thing...Ruth had her bike stolen--for the 2nd time. Ouchiters!
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Julia and ASB
 |
| Julia's birthday - A pass to Disneyland |
Allen IV's team won a student Emmy for their senior film. He attended the presentation in California to help accept the award. He has taken an internship with Blue Sky Animation Studio in Greenwich, Connecticu (very close to NYC).
Blue Sky is owned by 20th Century Fox and produced the films: Ice Age and Rio. Right now they are working on a "Peanuts" animated film for the big screen. Allen was also being considered by Disney and Pixar for an internship.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1FNL_iIp5c
Cynthia has taken a year-long internship in Palo Alto with the Bosch Company with their Human Resources.
They might do both! Cynthia will be a June graduate of BYU...Wahoo!
 |
| Allen at the student Emmy's with his Mom |
Monday, May 5, 2014
The Ostergar Weather Report
Bright, Sunny, and Golden Rae days in Logan
Aunt Darci graduated this week with her Master's degree. This is a wonderful accomplishment and it took her some time and she never gave up. The whole family is taking a vacation this month to Disneyland. It will be a celebration of everyone's accomplishments this year.
Bright is waiting for her mission call. She had to re-submit a medical form...all is well! She survived her freshman year at USU- Eastern and met a very nice boy. She performed in a recital at the end of the year for her piano class.
Sunny is busy with end of school things like prom and she was a *star* in her part of the school musical, Hairspray. She is planning to work at Bear Lake this summer like Bright did last year. Raspberry milkshakes are yummers! The lines are always loooong.
Rae is busy with piano and flute. She is looking for a new flute teacher. Rae and Clara will attend EFY this summer at USU and live on campus. They are very excited for that. She has a steady babysitting job and will probably do more this summer. If anyone needs to borrow money, it's usually from Rae!
Golden is now 5' 11" and taller than all the other boys in his ward. He is especially excited about their trip to Legoland when they go to California in a few weeks. He still loves to draw and will do Scout camp this summer.
We love you guys.
Aunt Darci graduated this week with her Master's degree. This is a wonderful accomplishment and it took her some time and she never gave up. The whole family is taking a vacation this month to Disneyland. It will be a celebration of everyone's accomplishments this year.
Bright is waiting for her mission call. She had to re-submit a medical form...all is well! She survived her freshman year at USU- Eastern and met a very nice boy. She performed in a recital at the end of the year for her piano class.
Sunny is busy with end of school things like prom and she was a *star* in her part of the school musical, Hairspray. She is planning to work at Bear Lake this summer like Bright did last year. Raspberry milkshakes are yummers! The lines are always loooong.
Rae is busy with piano and flute. She is looking for a new flute teacher. Rae and Clara will attend EFY this summer at USU and live on campus. They are very excited for that. She has a steady babysitting job and will probably do more this summer. If anyone needs to borrow money, it's usually from Rae!
Golden is now 5' 11" and taller than all the other boys in his ward. He is especially excited about their trip to Legoland when they go to California in a few weeks. He still loves to draw and will do Scout camp this summer.
We love you guys.
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Adam is WOTH it!!!
Now I am in Como! So my companion and I are the zone leaders of the Milano Ovest Zone. We have half of Milano, Varese, Busto Arsizio, Como, and Lugano (Switzerland). We are one of the smallest zones in size, but the second biggest in amount of missionaries.
Como is great. It is beautiful and the people are wonderful. We are having a baptism soon! An Italian GANS (YSA) is getting baptized on the 18th. We are hoping to start working with his family soon. We have a lot of cool new converts that we visit with as well. One had a miracle recently. He had work frequently on sundays as a cook. He decided to talk to his boss and tell him he would have to quite. Instead of letting him off the boss gave him a new contract (he hadn't been working with one before) with a raise and no work sunday morning. Yay!!
I love you all! The gospel is always true whether you are sharing it with someone on the street, in a train, on a bus, or at their door! and we do it all. Especially on buses :) I love it all.
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
James David...Si, Senhor!
Everyone in the world gathered to watch James David open his missionary call on April 8, 2014.
It was a noisy, happy, bunch.
He read his call with great emotion and joy.
He is going to the North Carolina, Raleigh Mission. He will go to the Mexico MTC to learn Spanish and preach the gospel in the Spanish language.
His Aunt Sara, who lives in the Raleigh, NC mission texted me back and said, "Seriously"? They are very excited as well.
James will do a wonderful job hastening the work! I apologize for not being able to make the video work. So here is a photo! : ). He leaves for his mission on July 30. He told me that care boxes are easy to mail in the U.S.
It was a noisy, happy, bunch.
He read his call with great emotion and joy.
He is going to the North Carolina, Raleigh Mission. He will go to the Mexico MTC to learn Spanish and preach the gospel in the Spanish language.
His Aunt Sara, who lives in the Raleigh, NC mission texted me back and said, "Seriously"? They are very excited as well.
James will do a wonderful job hastening the work! I apologize for not being able to make the video work. So here is a photo! : ). He leaves for his mission on July 30. He told me that care boxes are easy to mail in the U.S.
 |
| Called to Serve |
Daisy is Sweet Sixteen
There was a lovely aunt and cousin luncheon to celebrate Daisy's 16th birthday in March.
Everyone had fun memories of Daisy and a few mementos for her too.
She received a large boy swatter and some lip moisturizer in case the boy swatter didn't work. Her mom made a video of Daisy's life that was wonderful. Cousin's are AWESOME!!!
 |
| Daisy, Sunny, Darci, Bright, Clara |
Friday, April 4, 2014
Someone new joins Teen Talk
Guess who is the latest member of Teen Talk?
 |
| Three Months Old |
Most people can't recognize Lily in her baby pictures because she had so much dark hair and a super chubby face. She was born near Easter in 2002 and we had the hardest time naming her. The nurses kept hounding us and said we had to pick a name before we left the hospital. Kelly and Lily stayed at the hospital for 5 days so Kelly could recover from her c-section and Lily could recover from an infection. The other kids came to the hospital for an Easter picnic on the hospital room floor and someone brought a beautiful Easter lily flower for Kelly. The more we thought about it, the more we liked the name Lily Gwenyth.
A neighbor recently said, "Lily is the best connected 12 year old I have ever met." From an early age she has always loved being around people, visiting and making friends. From about age 2 she would make her "rounds" before church started. She would visit everyone and routinely sit with a different family or even sit on the stand with the bishop occasionally. At first we tried to stop her but soon realized that it was a strength we didn't want to limit too much. She still makes her "rounds" today, but doesn't sit on the stand anymore. She has now networked her way into multiple steady babysitting jobs and recently used her babysitting money to buy a 3 day pass to Disneyland and buy souvenirs for the whole family.
Lily will try just about anything, as long as there is someone to do it with. She loves to be outside, play golf, ride her bike, build a snowman, etc. Lily has recently been reading The Hunger Games trilogy, The Egypt Game, and has enjoyed some of Shannon Hale's books and the Harry Potter series. Now that she is 12, she is looking forward to doing baptism work in the temple. For spring break this year Lily is driving to Portland with her great aunt Barbara. Barbara wanted some company and Lily will be helping babysit Barbara's grand kids. Lily might even go back up over the summer to babysit some more, if she can fit it in between golf lessons, girl's camp, and youth conference.
Lily is a joy to her family!
Lily is a joy to her grandparents as well!
 |
| Lily Gwenyth - 12 |
Monday, March 17, 2014
"Open Up Your Heart (And Let The Sunshine In)"
This song was popular when I was a little girl. I used to sing it for my mother's friends when they would come over. I remember the chorus really well, but I don't remember the verses. It's pretty hilarious.
Monday, March 10, 2014
Noah and all things ORANGE
So, I tried to find these photos yesterday. And here they are today. Noah and all things orange at a car show in Logan a few years ago. Totes adorbs, right?
 |
| Noah 2010 |
 |
| Yum |
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Noah's Theatre Life
Noah's theatre life has been really crazy this year, as in crazy awesome! He performed in two shows before the Christmas break, then in an evening of one acts in January. He will be going to a Regional Drama competition on March 12th and is in rehearsals for Les Misérables right now as an ensemble member. He just finished up a run of "The Philadelphia Story" in one of Olympus' three theatre venues, the black box. It is a hilarious play set in the early 40s. The movie is great and it stars Jimmy Stewart, Cary Grant, and Katherine Hepburn. Noah played Sandy Lord, the brother, who causes much of the shows conflict. His favorite line was, "Holy cats!" Noah felt really blessed and lucky to be such a large part as a sophomore. The show eventually meant a lot to him and he grew really close to the small cast. He formed a lot of awesome friendships On the Monday before opening night the whole cast dressed up and went to a luncheon at the Joseph Smith building. The challenge being that they had to remain in character the whole time. It was a riot! Noah also plans on auditioning for another show that would run in the summer, break a leg! (by Noah)
 |
| Noah's Professional Head Shot for.... |
From another reporter: Noah's voice is improving greatly.
I love to listen to his lessons.
His teacher comes to our house each week so I get to listen in.
He is a very good student.
He works one day a week at the local yogurt joint (so does James).
He is excited to date very soon. (What???)
And...Noah loves the color orange!!!
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
James David
James' mission papers are going in TODAY!
I am thinking Alaska. He is attending Mission Prep and the temple to be as ready as possible for his mission. His companion will even eat well, thanks to his good prep in every way.
James was invited to the state FBLA and DECA competitions. (Business stuff!)
He placed 7th out of 1500 in the marketing competition and in the top 10% on the business written test.
Wahoo!
He has been accepted to Utah State. He has applied to be a student ambassador. If he is accepted for that, it means a full scholarship. Right now it's tennis season and he is on the school team. We will have Daisy, Peter and Sunny take him on.
I am thinking Alaska. He is attending Mission Prep and the temple to be as ready as possible for his mission. His companion will even eat well, thanks to his good prep in every way.
James was invited to the state FBLA and DECA competitions. (Business stuff!)
He placed 7th out of 1500 in the marketing competition and in the top 10% on the business written test.
Wahoo!
He has been accepted to Utah State. He has applied to be a student ambassador. If he is accepted for that, it means a full scholarship. Right now it's tennis season and he is on the school team. We will have Daisy, Peter and Sunny take him on.
 |
| He's Awesome and someone we are grateful for! |
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
At last, Harry the Gnome...
Harry the Gnome by Allen C. Ostergar Jr.
The birth of Harry the Gnome was on this wise...In 1995, I made each of the girls (Gwen, Anna, Sara and Martha), a wooden jewelry box. Martha’s was the la
I was behind schedule and did not have Martha’s box finished in time for her birthday. We were sitting in church one Sunday and Martha was teasing me and giving me a bad time because her birthday had passed and she did not yet have her present.
Martha and I used to sit in church and write notes to each other, usually on the sacrament meeting program, about various things. Nana got upset at us and told us we were irreverent. I guess we were, but it was fun.
Anyway, when Martha teased me about not yet receiving her birthday present , I made up a name and told her, “Harry the Gnome broke into the house and stole it.” She asked me who Harry the Gnome was, so I described him to her as follows: He is an ugly, crabby creature who likes to steal presents and ruin birthdays, Christmas, and other occasions when gifts are given. He sometimes returns the gifts, but only when he wants. If you complain or speak badly about him, he is likely to sneak back some night and leave you a present, poop under your carpet. Whenever Harry steals a gift, the person must wait until he is ready to return it.
Harry is still around and occasionally delights in delaying the giving of gifts. No one has every reported any poop under the carpet, but beware, it is always a possibility. We never know when Harry will strike again. So, if your present is delayed, it is almost certain that it is because Harry the Gnome has it. So just smile and be patient, but never, never speak badly about Harry the Gnome.
 |
| Actual photo of Harry the Gnome...take by Allen IV |
If you were choosing to take a color photo of Harry, what colors do you think he would be sporting?
My take on Harry...
 |
| Harry - actual color photo : ) |
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Sew What?
I remember having one sewing class in middle school. We actually sewed on treadle sewing machines...just foot power. I kept trying to sew and was able to decipher patterns pretty well, but not everything I made I would want to wear.
Here is a dress I made when I was a teenager, 16 or 17. The year would have been 1960-61 perhaps.
It had lots of bright flowers and was silky to the touch. I love that I know how to sew some simple things. It's a very useful skill. I made underwear for your parents a few times! LOL
Here is a dress I made when I was a teenager, 16 or 17. The year would have been 1960-61 perhaps.
It had lots of bright flowers and was silky to the touch. I love that I know how to sew some simple things. It's a very useful skill. I made underwear for your parents a few times! LOL
 |
| Would I be back in style? |
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Brave by Sara Bareilles - BYU Vocal Point (a cappella tribute)
Hey, Grandpa and I saw this group perform this week.
Enjoy this fun "Brave" number from Vocal Point.
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Initially Great!
These, I believe are the last of the birthday initials from 2013! I had a great time making them for each of the grandkids and I learned lots of good stuff too. I had a friend help with the framing that made them all look fantastic!
 |
| Adam |
 |
| Erica |
 |
| Clara |
 |
| Lou |
 |
| Golden |
 |
| Eloise |
Thursday, February 6, 2014
In other news...
Noah is acting in the Philadelphia story. Then his school will be putting on Les Miserables, a huge production.
Julia has plans to go on a service/tour this summer (July) to Nicaragua Two of her Sedgwick cousins are going too. She is excited about that.
James David is about ready to put in his mission papers.
This is a link to Allen IV's animation reel - kind of like a resume. The password is: animation
Julia has plans to go on a service/tour this summer (July) to Nicaragua Two of her Sedgwick cousins are going too. She is excited about that.
James David is about ready to put in his mission papers.
This is a link to Allen IV's animation reel - kind of like a resume. The password is: animation
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
James A. has started a blog...
Here is a link to James' new blog. Check it out!
I will also put it in the side bar with other family blogs.
www.redstonefornoobs.com
I will also put it in the side bar with other family blogs.
www.redstonefornoobs.com
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Odds and Ends...
 |
| The Bee Z Beaver!! Awwww! |
 |
| Where are you sailing, James? |
From a letter to Adam from Uncle Allen. Mary Falck played the organ in both the Saturday evening session and on Sunday. She was terrific.
For FHE last night I did a lesson on what it means to be an Ostergar. We had FHE with the Melanie and Kennie Jacobsen on the boat. I shared the story of Grandpa working all summer and being paid a valuable purebred calf. It later died at the fair before he could sell it. We talked about being an Ostergar means working hard looking on the positive side of things when things don’t work out how we expect. I talked about James’ dad being a hard worker. We also talked about the Ostergar love of missionary work. Then we sang our beaver songs.
 |
| Ruth's been sewing up a storm...darling dress! |
 |
| Bird Brain? |
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Peter goes swamp camping...
Peter went camping with the Scouts by the Great Dismal Swamp for three days after Christmas. The campsite was on an island in a swamp. He canoed for about 30 minutes to get to the site. The water is black from all the tannins in the vegetation. (As vegetation decomposes it releases tannins which make the water black and the water was pretty black). The water also had duck weed on the surface which makes the water look scummy. You can see it in the picture with Peter and his friend in their life vests. The canoe in the background aside the dock is in the water. It looks like it is on the ground, but the green stuff is the duckweed on the water.
The trees were also really cool. Some of them were cyprus trees and they grew right out of the water. They have the wide bases to provide stability in the water - you can also see them in the pictures. Some of them were covered with spanish moss, and some of them had mistletoe on them.
The trip was fairly cold. It got down in to the 20s at night and was in the 40-50s during the day. They always had a good fire going at night and everyone brought two sleeping bags.
During the day one of the leaders taught the finer points of managing a canoe (e.g. the J-stroke) in the morning and the afternoon was set aside for exploring the lake and surrounding rivers. Three of the boys did swim in the lake, but not really by choice. One of them tried to jump from a tree into a canoe the other two boys were in. He ended up tipping the canoe and all the boys ended up in the water. Lesson learned, don't jump from trees into canoes.
There are alligators in this lake, but they didn't see any this year. A few years back they saw one about 5 feet from the Scoutmaster's canoe. The group did see turtles, bald eagles, a deer and a beaver. (Peter and his Dad sang the beaver song as they went by a beaver house.)
The morning they left they had to break through ice with their canoes in some places in the lake. It was cool. (ha, ha).
All in all it was a great trip.
 |
| Check out the swamp and the duck weed and Peter |
 |
| Cypress trees and Peter |
 |
| Peter in the Great Dismal Swamp |
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Christmas Poem and thoughts
We love our neighbors, the Call's. Many of you know Tammy, who has been a dear friend to me for many years. She has a knack for getting to know people and for keeping me honest in my heart! She likes to do fanciful watercolor paintings. This one is entitled, Christmas in El Paso, Texas. On the south west hill across the border to Mexico, you can see a cross. You can also see three Christmas trees in all the lovely colors.
Tammy also wrote a l poem this year in the wee hours of a December morning:
AS WE CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS
SEEK
SILENCE
AND
OH PLEASE
LET PEACE COME
IN THE
STILLNESS OF THE NIGHT
WHEN
ONE STAR
BRIGHT
ILLUMINED THE NIGHT
PAUSE
AND
REMEMBER
WITH
WONDER AND AWE
AND
LISTEN
YES
LISTEN
FOR
THE VOICE
THAT
WHISPERED
WITH
TENDER SOFTNESS
THE
LOVE OF A MOTHER
FOR HER CHILD
THE STAR OF THE NIGHT
TAMRA SHEPPARD CALL
LATE NIGHT 2 OR SO
DECEMBER 9TH 2013
Tammy also wrote a l poem this year in the wee hours of a December morning:
AS WE CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS
SEEK
SILENCE
AND
OH PLEASE
LET PEACE COME
IN THE
STILLNESS OF THE NIGHT
WHEN
ONE STAR
BRIGHT
ILLUMINED THE NIGHT
PAUSE
AND
REMEMBER
WITH
WONDER AND AWE
AND
LISTEN
YES
LISTEN
FOR
THE VOICE
THAT
WHISPERED
WITH
TENDER SOFTNESS
THE
LOVE OF A MOTHER
FOR HER CHILD
THE STAR OF THE NIGHT
TAMRA SHEPPARD CALL
LATE NIGHT 2 OR SO
DECEMBER 9TH 2013
There was a note inside her card to us and to all other Ostergars...
Your Mother
Full of Grace & Goodness
spoke the
Message of Christmas
As only a Mother
A Mother could
with Insight
And a Belief
that she holds
Deep within her
whole Being
That He-- the Savior
of the World
Lives - and
His Love for ALL
is
True--for
Me and for You.
Monday, January 13, 2014
It's a New Year!
Welcome 2014!
We gathered at Aunt Anna'a for a New Year celebration. We started the day by attending the "Sacred Gifts" exhibition at BYU. We enjoyed and were inspired by wonderful paintings of Christ. It is such a wonderful opportunity to see great art work in its original form. The way the light plays on the paint and the vividness of the colors cannot be expressed in even the best art prints.
Everyone brought their leftover yummy food to share from Christmas and Grandpa cooked up a ham and a roast to add to it, along with Uncle Robb's famous hot cheese dip and Anna's lovely home made rolls. The best part, is visiting with family. Some went to the movies on New Year's Day. Grandpa and I enjoyed "Frozen".
We spent some extra time with Bright over the holidays and were able to drive her back to Price to start her new semester.
We gathered at Aunt Anna'a for a New Year celebration. We started the day by attending the "Sacred Gifts" exhibition at BYU. We enjoyed and were inspired by wonderful paintings of Christ. It is such a wonderful opportunity to see great art work in its original form. The way the light plays on the paint and the vividness of the colors cannot be expressed in even the best art prints.
Everyone brought their leftover yummy food to share from Christmas and Grandpa cooked up a ham and a roast to add to it, along with Uncle Robb's famous hot cheese dip and Anna's lovely home made rolls. The best part, is visiting with family. Some went to the movies on New Year's Day. Grandpa and I enjoyed "Frozen".
We spent some extra time with Bright over the holidays and were able to drive her back to Price to start her new semester.
 |
| Bright and crochet learning project! |
 |
| Can you find Erica? |
 |
| Sunny, James, Daisy, Noah and Mary |
Friday, January 10, 2014
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)