Great Grampa Shaha's Memorial

Mom and I just got home from our drive back to Kansas. What a wonderful week you all provided for us--those who were able to attend my Dad's memorial service and those of you who supported us all getting there. We so much wish you ALL could have been there. I hope these photos will provide a little of what we were able to see and do while together. David and Ben, with technical assistance from Jimmy, were able to record the services at the cemetery and the church house, and I've got a digital copy . . . just need to figure out how to load it on this site so you can access it if you want to--it's pretty long.

So we gathered Saturday morning, 20 July 2013, at the Salt Lake City Cemetery for a short memorial ceremony for Dad. Our crew arrived about the same time as the VFW team and began the setup and rehearsals--what would a military op be without rehearsals, right? As time got closer we had a lot of family and some friends gather. Here is Mom with her boys.

Here is Buffie and me with my old pal Al Conklin--he joined the church when he was a high school senior and I was a junior at Madison High in Vienna, VA; we were Young Men together when Dad was in the YM presidency.

 

 Here is Hannah, Lizzie, Alex and Kate in their finery.

 And Katie with Natalie and Jack.

The VFW gun salute detail,

and bugler for taps.

 We were so fortunate to have Dad's older brother Marvin and his wife Nina attend with us. They have been so good to Dad over the years and especially helping Great Gramma Shaha through some tough times in the recent years. It was great having their support and active participation in the ceremonies. If you look closely in the background you'll see my cousin Vicky and her husband Rick who also came to the ceremonies and festivities.

 And here's the VFW team leader giving Great Gramma Shaha a flag and a memorial ceremony picture after they played taps for Dad.

 And to cap it off, Buffie had arranged for a Scottish piper to come play a medley of Irish and Galic (sp?) tunes for Dad--he closed with the tune to "Goin' Home" as he walked away from the group. It was a great tribute to Dad as he always did like the bagpipes (gaita).

 The Pat Shaha clan members able to attend . . . thanks to all who made it possible for us all to be here! We went to Great Gramma's church for another ceremony and a great lunch by Stacy and her Relief Society friends, and a slide show and some of Dad's old music (and some jodies for old times sake)--we just wish all could have been there with us.

 Once back at Uncle Steve's we got back into the reunion mode. Here is a photo of something new Abbie threw at us--human battleship. We put sheets up on the badmitton net to shield the two teams from each other, each team lies down randomly on their side, and we take turns tossing a water balloon over the sheets--if someone gets hit they're out.

 Well, as usual, at the Shaha reunion things quickly sank into chaos and it just became a water balloon fight with somebody's sheets in the way. Over 150 water balloons don't last that long at our reunions, do they.

Some of us were able to visit with Great Gramma Williams and had a great time sharing memories and stories with Fae.

And while we were there a WHOLE lot of the Williams clan dropped by so we had a makeshift reunion right there in Gramma Fae's room--I think we could have been arrested for overpopulating the room as we had 20 people in there at one time. And Gramma Fae was OK with it--she's the best.

And Natalie and cousin Ava had a good time playing in Gramma Fae's bedroom while the boys and adults were out front--Ava can be dangerous as you can see.

Hope all are doing well and that this post works as my posting skills continue to be challenged . . . just logging on!

Love, Pat/Dad/Mister Gwampa/Cwazy Grampa/etc.

Klaus Wolfgang Shaha: 9lbs 6 oz. 22.4" long born 11:43pm 2 July 2013

Standard misspelling of last name. 4.220 kg = weight (he was actually 4.25 kg). Marinda didn't have an epidural. She was amazingly strong.

Name is actually being finalized...

Amazing Week With Shaha and Enniss clans

Well all, another opportunity for me to show my blog prowess--or lack thereof.  Nancy and I got to travel to Gramma Shaha's pad last week--for me to help Gramma with some administrative stuff and do some visiting, and for Nancy to also attend her 44th Jerome High School class reunion; hard to believe a young 26-year old gramma can have graduated so long ago, but apparently true.

We didn't get any photos of her reunion sadly, but we did get some shots of our fun week with Katie as amazing hostess.

First a day at Hogle zoo.

Group shot early on in the day--it got a little warmer and droopier as the day progressed.

Lucy at the elephant exhibit.

Natalie and Jack resting with the big cats.

Hailey and her singing lunch--the ice cream was gooooood!

Jack keeping watch as the wilder elements of our party stopped for a drink.

And we got to visit Gramma Fae who was doing just fine, thank you!

Katie also excelled at her home science experiments--this one involving a large bottle of Mountain Dew and a stack of Mentos. The children were very impressed from their safe observation post across the yard from Scientist Katie.

And Katie took us on a hike up one of the canyons were the rock was quarried for the SLC Temple.

It was a GREAT visit. Thanks to Shea and Katie for their hospitality and for Katie's great visit plan. And to Gramma for putting up with Nancy and I and all our late nights.

Be excellent to each other and . . . ROCK ON!

Love, Dad/Gwampa/Pat

Sibling Gathering to Honor Grampa and Gramma Shaha

When Stacy called that Grampa Shaha was not doing well last Monday, we all dropped what we were doing and got to Draper as soon as we could. Bob and Buffie arrived first and were able to visit with Dad before he died. We all were blessed to spend the rest of last week with Gramma and help her deal with her loss and many things that now need to change in her life. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers and support. We hope you got the obituary we prepared, and the photo that came with it, but if not I'll attach here (I'm giving up figuring out how to attached a document--check your email--but here's the photo; well for some reason the photo is on some 'page' with a leaf floating at the top, so I'll post some other photos of Dad--good grief, you'd think I was digitally challenged or something!!).

Here's the young LT we older boys grew up with.

Yep, that's me with Dad and Mom--brand new family in quarters at Ft. Bliss, TX.

Wait a minute, how'd these two get in here--must've hit the wrong button. And I'm just as adept at this posting stuff as I am with snake charming (believe this was taken in Mallaca, Malaysia and yes I was assured those were real cobras--probably defanged, but I was not real confident in that report as you can see!).

Stacy and Steve hosted us all for a birthday celebration for Gramma on Saturday, though her birthday was Sunday the 2nd. Shea and Katie joined us with their family and we had a great time being entertained by Natalie and Jack.

 

 

Natalie and Jack enjoyed the trampoline. For some reason Natalie generated a LOT of static electricity flying around on the trampoline which resulted in her hair going in all directions.

Jack and Natalie were fascinated by the horses--that's Natalie's hand being offered to the horse. Jack was carefully checking out the horse's breath, clearly concerned about not becoming dessert.

Wanted to get a photo of Gramma on her birthday--still 16 after all these years! Happy Birthday, Gramma. The three dudes in the back are wearing Grampa's old ties--we all took one to keep for Sundays nearest December 10, Dad's birthday. At this point we plan to gather on 20 July for a short memorial ceremony for Grampa. We've been going through some of his old stuff and will be sure to have some on display, and some things should be passed on to the younger among us to whom they would have special significance.

A bit deceiving--Macho did not make it to church with us. But wanted you all to see Mom still flies Dad's flag. Also know that I was actually standing in a hole for this photo, and looks like Steve may have been goosed by Bob, I don't know for sure. At least the ladies appear normal.
Love, Pat/Dad/Gwampa

Awesome video starring Grandpa at SCMA

Decor Ideas

Ben, sorry for the delay but here are some ideas for decorations for the incoming boy's room.

Just some ideas bro.

Poll

First, thanks guys for all the FABULOUS nursery decorating ideas.  Rest assured they will be taken into careful consideration (yeah, right).

And I have a poll for the rest of you.  Ben and I have had this conversation many a time in our marriage, and it's something he isn't willing to give up ground on.

Is it acceptable to wear the same t-shirt that you have worn all day to bed?  Ben does this.  He just changes into pj pants, but wears the same t-shirt.  I think it's gross.  I REALLY need the women to weigh in on this too, and I'm especially counting on you NANCY!

Thanks.

The Enniss fam update

Natalie is now 5 years old! I would love to unload a bunch more classic photos on you, but the rest of them are on Shea's phone and he is ill and I don't want to bother him right now with my technological challenges. We took Natalie to Chuckey Cheese. She was terribly freaked out by the large furry moving things. The first 15 minutes of the party were spent trying to coax her from her hiding place inside a tubular slide as she begged in tears, "I want to go home! Please let me go home! Don't let the mouse get me!" Surprisingly the whole thing ended up okay and here Natalie is as we arrived home, with her crown and medallion on and her glow in the dark vampire teeth from her gift bag well placed.

I took the kids hiking at Silver Lake, after much directions-getting. It went pretty well even though there were still patches of snow.

Jack has some serious 2-ish terrible tantrums. I think this one involved me not allowing him to walk in the snow of the trail by himself. Notice Lightning Mcqueen is in his left hand - he never leaves Jack's left hand.

I caught Jack right before a terrific scowl during the bath. Now they both look seriously psychotically happy, eh!

 Grandma Shaha comes by from time to time and loves to play with Natalie and Jack. She fears nothing and is helping Natalie snoop on our neighbors.

 This picture is of Grandma playing cars with Jack. They were just running them along the tree together. My kids love it when she comes over.

By the way, thank you all for remembering my birthday and making it and awesome day. It was sooo cool to get to double-date with Dave and Wendy - like a once in 5 years experience based on our track record, right?!