Danny's Blessing Day

It was the kind of day you want to wrap up and tuck away in a special drawer so you can pull it out to enjoy again later. Danilo gave the blessing in Spanish. Danny's grandma (Nona) had his outfit specially made by a close friend. I was able to share with the congregation the reason why we named him as we did. My Grandpa Achter expressed how meaningful it was to him that I had spoken about his father (Herman Erich). We hosted a major event in our backyard for the first time with family after church. I am so thankful to our families and our ward family who extended their love and congratulations to us on this special day.

Note to self: get a picture of all four members of the Collado family together next time. :)

Grandmas and Grandpas

I have had lunch in the homes of both sets of my grandparents in the past week. I feel it's such a blessing to still have all of them here with me. I was so fortunate to have a very happy childhood and their homes and their presence was very much a part of that. It's fun for me not to just tell Danilo and Grace what my grandparents were like, they are sitting right next to me experiencing it too.

With my Grandma Parke on her 70th birthday

 Yesterday we were at my Grandma and Grandpa Achter's to hike the trail to a waterfall you can access about an hour from their backyard. For the first time in my life my 82 year old grandpa said he'd love to go but didn't think his health would allow it that day. Instead, he hiked with us about nine or ten minutes to drop us off at the main trail. With a twinkle in his eye my grandpa told us to enjoy our youth while we still have bounce in our step. I say he said it with a twinkle in his eye because there was not a hint of regret in his voice. Really what he was saying was, I encourage you to enjoy life to the extent that I have.

After we returned from the waterfall, we had the kind of lunch that is characteristic to my grandparents' house... carrot and raisin salad, potato salad, tuna fish and celery sandwiches, and pumpkin cookies for dessert. The kind of lunch that used to make me sigh inside and wonder, where's the macaroni and cheese? Now that my taste buds and I have grown up, it's the kind of lunch that I love because of the way it takes me back to my childhood in one bite. I forgot the brown cow. I don't know if anyone else calls root beer and milk poured in the same glass a brown cow, but my grandpa always has.

When I turned out the light last night, I thought about the couple hours spent at my grandparents' home and thought, I think that was important. I wanted to remember it.

Going up to the waterfall with my Grandpa Achter, Memorial Day 2007

I know I am fortunate and that sometimes other factors come into play, but I'm thankful for the way both my mom's and my dad's parents have taken good care of themselves so that my new little family has been able to enjoy them too.

70

Wait for it...

SURPRISE!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

My darling grandma turns 70 today and last night her kids and grandkids squeezed ourselves into her kitchen to surprise her when she got home from a fall leaf drive with Grandpa. We took turns expressing our love and appreciation for Grandma's faithfulness and dedication to the gospel of Jesus Christ, for providing a warm beautiful setting in her home, for her delicious baking, and patience during piano lessons. I want to elaborate a bit on what I said when it was my turn. I have always loved how ladylike my grandma is. She is a beautiful woman inside and out and I have always admired how she takes care of and carries herself. I have had a love/hate relationship with my height over the years. I'm not ridiculously tall, but taller than average, and I'm usually okay with it until somebody points it out (once I was at a dance with the Spanish branch and Danilo hadn't arrived yet, so my mother-in-law encouraged a 14-year-old kid to dance with me. His eyes scaled from my toes to the top of my head and he shook his head. "Muy grande," he said, walking off. Maybe I should have grabbed him and taught him a quick lesson on the top ten things you should not say to a girl, but I didn't end up doing him the favor). I know height is kind of like straight or curly hair, you tend to wish you had the other no matter which one you've got. One day though, I realized one of the reasons my grandma is so ladylike to me is because of the way she carries her height, confidently with no apology, the way it should be. And so did her mom, my great-grandma who I adored as well. The day I realized that, I decided I was going to embrace my height and never go back. Happy birthday to a lovely woman who I am so thankful to be able to enjoy in my life. 

The 10th

What started out in 2001 as this


has grown into a 4th of July tradition involving in-laws and family on both sides. If you want to stay out, you better be inside or with the youngin's (click on the collage for a better view).

Wait. Who is that going after Danilo? Just my 80-year-old grandfather. He dishes it out as well as any of the rest of us can.


On this 10th anniversary, we'd like to thank our founder, Uncle Russell.

Small Town, Idaho

My Grandpa Parke was born and raised with his two brothers in a small Idaho town. His twin brother still lives there with his wife Dianne. Their four living kids have all made their way back there over the years and are raising their families there, too. You can read about their fifth child, Derrick here.

(Dar, Brittney at 18, Grandpa)

While I'm in love with my Utah home, I take any chance I get to go back to my grandpa's hometown. I had an opportunity to do that this weekend with my family because Dar and Dianne's oldest grandsons, twins Trent and Tyler just returned from their missions. Being there never fails to lift my spirit and feed my soul. Dar and Dianne are some of, if not the most stalwart, faithful, inspiring and beautiful people I know. There is the richest, sweetest feeling in and around their home and some of my choicest memories have been made there. I associate powerful feelings of fun and love and belonging with being there and I don't know if they'll ever know how special they and the experiences we've had up there are to my siblings and me.

Brittney (9) feeding a calf

Danilo and I run in a 3-legged race at the rodeo


saying goodbye a few summers back

Sometimes I wonder if some of the way I feel about their small town is romanticized because I only visit from time to time, but I don't believe it. Something inside tells me that Dar and Dianne's way of living and their character goes even deeper than what I have experienced... that while no one and no place is perfect, if I stayed a little longer than a trip, I would find that they are truly just as wonderful and genuine as I think they are.

last weekend at the ranch house
my grandparents were there, too
can you spot the twin returned missionaries?

60 years

These two beautiful people are my grandparents and this picture was taken on Saturday night when we celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. The first time Grandma remembers seeing Grandpa, the son of German immigrants, is when he spoke in church as a youth. He had just moved to Salt Lake from New York and had a heavy Brooklyn accent. He talked about things like "'boids' in the trees" and Grandma "didn't understand a word he said."

I so admire the love between my grandparents. I can remember distinct times each of them has sat and personally told me of the strong love they have for the other. When Danilo and I were first married, Grandpa pulled us aside and told us how fun and wonderful it is to be in love with the person you married. He said, "Sometimes we're even late to places, and it's because we're kissing." :) Grandma is so proud of Grandpa and Grandpa especially makes it known how proud he is of Grandma. I've had to agree with him a number of times when he'll pull me aside and ask me, "Isn't she beautiful?"

I realized last night that all of this has trickled down to the way my dad treats my mom. When I was home and Dad would call from work, I always counted on hearing him ask for her by saying something like, "Is your GORGEOUS mom there?" I realized last night that one of the greatest things parents can do for their children is show them that they love each other and I am thankful for the people who have demonstrated this so beautifully in my life!

Sweetest Day

Gracie was blessed this past Sunday and as I look back I realize what a truly special day it was. She was blessed in the same dress my Grandma Parke made for my blessing 25 years ago.

Her dad gave her a wonderful blessing. I truly felt like the heavens were opening and Danilo was speaking to Grace on her Heavenly Father's behalf. He wasn't wearing a t-shirt and shorts at the time. That was after, when we got to the park. The men in their black suit coats were a little jealous he'd had time to run home and change. My parents said this picture belongs in an aftershave ad... tough yet soft.

Gracie had all of her grandparents there...


I had all of my grandparents there...I am so fortunate to still have them! (See Grandma Parke above, apparently Grandpa Parke didn't get dragged into any of the pictures.)




All of Gracie's adoring aunts...
And Uncle Andrew.
Thanks to my aunts and uncles and cousins who helped with the luncheon afterward and made the day so meaningful by being there. We love you!! Y tambien mandamos saludos y mucho amor a nuestra familia en Chile.