The Wild, Wild Wests

I Love My Grandchildren...

2010-08-07T21:33:00.003-06:00

Grandchildren are one of the best things in life. Having many of them living out of state makes me sad. I miss them all so much. I am grateful for those that live close so that I hug them, make them laugh, and make memories. As we journey together to Park City for our family vacation in a few days, we will enjoy the time together and miss those that are unable to join us.

Our Little Treasure...

2010-07-25T16:06:00.006-06:00

Our precious Kate Austyn Sharp didn't need to linger long on this earth to accomplish all that was required of her. She came to earth already perfect. Her time was short but the impact she had on all of us will be much more far-reaching. She is truly a blessing to all of us.

This whole experience has been unlike anything I have ever gone through. The emotions that accompany the role of grandmother are unfolding to me these last few weeks. When the birth of a new grandchild child is close at hand, there is a level of excitement very similar to those I felt when it was my own child coming; such joy! As Kate was born and her challenges discovered, new emotions accompanied each day...each hour... each minute of her precious life, for those that love her so much.

I watched her loving parents and their sadness and concern, I watched Kate's sweet Kennedy, Jackson and London hurt and wonder what all the tears meant to them, and I not only ached for all of them, but I felt a new and more painful ache in my own heart. As a grandparent, it seems the hurt comes not only with my own sadness, but also the sadness of all those that I love so much around me. No one warned me how much this would hurt.

How grateful I am to have been able to join with Kate's family in a beautiful funeral and celebration of her life. The gospel and the hope of eternal life where all the sadness goes away has brought peace to my soul. Our precious Kate is now watching over all of us and wants us all to be happy. I'm sure her wish for all of us is to focus on those things that will bring happiness and joy in our lives and to put aside anything that takes us away from the good.

Thank you Kate for the joy I experienced with you and your family. I love you!

Remember... "When someone you love becomes a memory... the memory becomes a treasure!"

For more about her life... go to http:\\thesharpspot.blogspot.com

A Special Time In Texas

2010-06-20T14:31:00.004-06:00

This is Jackson Young Sharp - His little sister, Kate Austyn Sharp was born on June 5, 2010. She comes into this special family for as long as Heavenly Father will let her. Kate was born with Trisomy 18, or Edward's Syndrome.

She is loved by all who know her. What a special daughter she is.

Her big sister Kennedy Brooke is bonding with her little sister and teaching her all she can about earth, about her family and about heaven.

Even London can hardly believe she has such a beautiful, baby sister.

Kate Austyn Sharp is truly one of Heavenly Father's very special angels.

She couldn't have come to a more loving family.

Every day will be treasured time in the Sharp home.

We know that Nana and Paul feel very blessed to have spent time with this special family. We love you and pray constantly for the strength and faith to carry us all through the days ahead.

...life goes on...

2010-04-28T22:37:00.003-06:00

Since having my computer crash a little over a month ago, I have been very neglectful of our little blog. I'm not sure anyone ever looks at it anyway, but if you're interested...our life continues to be full of fun and adventure. We have completed our remodeling and as soon as I can find my external card drive, I can load the photos onto this page. We have a beautiful new master bath, walk-in closet, french doors in our living room/dining area with new paint and carpet on the main floor. What a beautiful home Paul and I share. The construction mess was SO worth it. It's even more fun to live in this beautiful home in Bountiful. We're excited for spring and gardening and sitting outside in our yard in the forest. I'll keep writing if you keep reading! Love, Karen

The Remodeling Has Started

2010-01-28T22:06:00.002-07:00

This week we started remodeling our home in Bountiful. It's going to be fun to live among the dust, wood, and nails. When all is said and done, we will have a new master bathroom, walk-in closet, and french doors between the living room and dining room/kitchen. I'll try to get some "before" photos posted in the next few days. Paul is in charge and is a great help making all the decisions and keeping the subs working hard. Our hope is that Grandpa will survive the "open house" that lets the cold air into his space. He stays bundled up in his blanket most of the day. This is a fun new adventure for us. When it's all complete, I know we're going to LOVE IT!!!

August 29 - A Wonderful Day for The Wests

2009-09-04T21:41:00.005-06:00

We were sealed in the Bountiful Temple on August 29, 2009, our 18 month anniversary. We shared this wonderful day with children, grandchildren, siblings, parents, and dear friends. We are very grateful so many of you made the effort to participate in this special day with us. We want to thank Daniel Sharp, Karen's son, for the fabulous photos. They will be treasured for many years to come. We hope you will agree, the happiness we are feeling is written all over our faces. Thank you dear family and friends for making this such an incredible day. Your love and support made the day the very best!

News of Late...

2009-08-23T19:43:00.002-06:00

This will be an eventful week for Paul and Karen West. We are going to be sealed in the Bountiful Temple this next Saturday, August 29. This is 18 months to the day since we were married. (It's easy to remember since it's also the 29th. :-)) This is a very special day for us and one that will have eternal blessings. We'll hopefully have some photos to share after this weekend.

We Arrived in Bountiful!

2009-06-25T23:48:00.002-06:00

On June 20th, we pulled up roots, (that were pretty deep after 6 1/2 years in Sandy) and headed to our new home in Bountiful. We had help from 3 wonderful sons-in-law, Steph, Gregg and Kathy Soffe, and two of Rich's employees to help the day go by without a hitch. The rain started about the time we were finished so we dodged getting a little damp on this fateful day. We are so grateful for everyone that helped and made the move possible.

Bountiful is a peaceful, beautiful place with many adventures in store for the Wests. Our membership records were read into the Mueller Park 2nd Ward and we were welcomed with open arms. There are many we met on our first Sunday, but since we're old... the names are difficult to remember, but I'm sure we'll get better.

I left for my commute on Wednesday morning to JetBlue, only to have two deer run past my car as I backed out of the driveway. Yes, we live in the mountains of Utah. =]

As soon as I can find my camera...(there are still several boxes to unpack) I will post some photos of this WONDERFUL place. Paul and I are pinching ourselves that we have found this home and all the blessings associated with it. The many hours of frustration that we experienced while we were looking for a new home are but a memory. The Lord was teaching us patience and reliance on Him. He knows best. We are grateful for our blessings and can't wait to have you come visit when you can.

The Move is On...

2009-06-16T22:58:00.002-06:00

It's true... the long awaited move to our new home is on for this weekend. Paul is working hard everyday to get the cottage packed up. He is definitely a packing machine. ;-D You wouldn't think there would be that much "stuff" in our 700 square feet, but there are a lot of boxes patiently waiting in the living room and we still have the bedroom and bathroom to pack. The weather is looking better that the recent 3 weeks of rain. There is supposed to be sunshine... yippee!! We really don't want to move in the rain, so we are praying for good weather.

The sadness continues to hit as we think about the great people we are leaving behind in our ward. I have lived here 6 1/2 years (16 months as Mrs. West) and Paul lived here over 20 years before he moved away. We love the people here and will miss them soooo much!!! We'll be putting lots of miles on the cars as we continue to visit our friends in Sandy.

Bountiful is going to be a wonderful place for us with great people around us there too. This home is about 4 times larger than the cottage. I'm almost sure it will take some getting used to. We're starting out with our first ever dinner with Paul's girls and their families. It's Fathers' Day and the day after the move. We're going to pull together a dinner with them and celebrate Paul's Birthday and Fathers' Day together. Should be fun... Pictures to soon follow...

This Really Is The Place!!!

2009-06-03T23:19:00.003-06:00

This really is the place...The one that Paul and I bought yesterday! We've been looking at homes since November 2008 and even put an offer in March for the one from the previous post and then waited patiently. We placed a deadline of May 21 for the bank to respond and since we didn't hear anything for several weeks, started looking for something else. We never anticipated looking in Bountiful, but as soon as we did, we found this house and it is just right for us. We hope to be moved in by July 1st!!! Paul and I are very excited and will truly appreciate the room. Stay tuned for photos of when we are moving in.

This Is The Place?

2009-04-06T00:00:00.003-06:00

It has been a long time coming, but we may have found our new home. We have been looking for a new place to live since December and have truly seen more houses that we thought possible, but this one shows lots of promise. The terms are a short sale so it may be weeks before we know, but the seller has accepted our offer so it's a waiting game... There are 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, and plenty of room for Grandpa Woody when he joins us... More details to follow...

We Made it One Year!

2009-03-06T22:53:00.002-07:00

We looked for February 29, 2009 to celebrate our first wedding anniversary but since there wasn't that date on the calendar, we had to celebrate BOTH Saturday and Sunday! I think that's only fair. A delicious dinner at Mimi's Cafe (way too much food) and a night in a very nice hotel made the celebration complete! Here's to another three years until our Leap Year celebration in 2012. I can't wait to see what lies ahead for us.

We're busily looking for a new home for us as we take Grandpa Woody into our care. The cottage just isn't big enough for the three of us. :-) We'll keep looking for just the right place to live and wait patiently for the day when we can retire to our beautiful home in St. George. For now... it will be put on hold. Looks like we'll be the proud owner of two homes in the process. Lucky for us it's a buyers market. It does mean there will be room for "visitors" from out of town or even sleepovers at Papa and Nana's house. We're looking forward to the space! We will post pictures as soon as we know which house is the place for us! Stay tuned...

It's All About Friends!

2009-03-06T22:44:00.002-07:00

These wonderful women are my friends from junior high and high school. Even though it's been almost 40 years since we walked the halls of Olympus High School, our connections are still going strong. With the exception of four, plus Cozette Carlson who is behind the camera, we all attended a delightful dinner catered by Cozette in her beautiful home. We shared memories of our "escapades" and gave updates of our lives. What a wonderful group of friends. Thank you for always being there for me when life threw me a curve. I love associating with all of you!

Our Belated Honeymoon

2009-01-27T23:13:00.008-07:00

After nearly a year of marriage, Paul & I went on our honeymoon to
one of the most beautiful places on earth...
The Garden Island of Kauai Hawaii!

Paul has been there a couple of times before, but this was my first time in Hawaii.
It is definitely paradise and such an amazing place.
Traveling to this place with my best friend was more fun than I could have imagined.

These pictures don't begin to do justice to the places we saw.
We saw whales breaching the ocean, sunsets that looked like the sun fell into the ocean,
and even had a baby gecko in our condo.
Some of the highlights and photos include our hotel view in Waikiki,
our rental car (a red Jeep Wrangler), a tour of Pearl Harbor,
a view of the beautiful Laie Temple,
waves crashing on the North Shore of Oahu,
Paul on the North Shore "flexing", our stop at the Waiamea Canyon,
amazing waterfalls, The Spouting Horn,
and shots from our helicopter ride to see the sights of Kauai.

We had such a wonderful, memorable trip that our hope is to return there soon.
Maybe next time we'll take you all with us. =]

2008-12-15T22:07:00.002-07:00

Christmas has arrived in Sandy. The trees are just the right size for the cottage and Paul carefully climbed on the roof to hang the icicle lights. 'Tis the season to be jolly!

Hannah's Recital

2008-12-07T20:20:00.004-07:00

We went to Hanna's piano recital a few days ago. She is shown here with her Mom, Teacher, Duet Partner, and her Mom. The music was fabulous and Hannah is a very talented musician. Her grandparents were honored to be there and are very proud of Hannah.

Thanksgiving In St. George!

2008-12-04T22:37:00.006-07:00

Here are a few photos of our family on Thanksgiving Weekend! You may think they are surrounding the table in prayer, but in fact... they are playing "Speed Scrabble" and totally focused on figuring out their individual strategies.

The grandkids surround the kitchen counter anticipating one of Grandpa and Grandma's sensational breakfasts. With turkey only a memory, the oven pancakes, scrambled eggs with cheese, and bacon were quickly consumed.

It was a fabulous weekend with some wonderful memories. Remember... it's all about family!

Karen's Kids Together

2008-10-26T20:53:00.003-06:00

Karen's kids all came to SLC for a short visit. Everyone got together at Grandma Lorraine's house to celebrate being together and also Stephanie's birthday. Nate came from College Station, Texas and Amy from LaJolla, California. There are 4/8ths of the grandkids pictured here too. What could be more fun than that?

A Kokkola Birthday Party!

2008-10-26T20:20:00.014-06:00

Little Hallee Kokkola had her first birthday! Part of her birthday is her own birthday cake! You can tell that she is having a great time diving into the frosting and everything underneath it.

Her dad, Jason, also had a birthday on October 25! Happy Birthday to the two Kokkolas. It was a great party with the Timmreck's too!

Fun with Adam & Richie

2008-10-26T19:44:00.008-06:00

Last weekend Adam & Richie (Dan & Lisa's adorable two sons) spent the weekend at the West Cottage. It was a birthday/sleepover and a trip to the Aquarium! These two little boys are full of energy and questions and fun. Here are a few images of the adventure!
Nana and Papa shared a pasta lunch with these two handsome boys. Was there more food on the floor or in their tummies? We'll leave it up to you to decide...
Birthdays with grandchildren are the best! Presents are out... memories are in!!

A Must-See Movie

2008-10-11T22:47:00.002-06:00

On this very cold, wet day here in SLC, Paul and I took the opportunity to go see a highly recommended movie. (Even though our favorite thing is to go to movies on a weekday afternoon when the theaters are pretty empty, today was a perfect day to go.) This movie is about the Highland High Rugby Team and how it shaped the lives of the young men on the team. It's a true story and very touching. Your time will be well spent as you enjoy the wholesome message of the story. For an afternoon of great entertainment... see Forever Strong!

The Colors of Utah

2008-10-05T15:02:00.003-06:00

As Fall has finally come to our beautiful state, the colors are unfolding. With the limited moisture this year, the colors are not as brilliant as some years, but worth savoring. Paul took a few shots while golfing at the Wasatch State golf course in Heber and Hobble Creek in Hobble Creek Canyon above Springville. You can also get a view of Paul's golf form... very nice!

Some Photos from London's Baby Blessing

2008-09-15T22:30:00.002-06:00

We finally got the photos off of Paul's memory stick from London's blessing a few months ago. The dress was made by my friend Sue Somsen and really is a beautiful creation. It doesn't compare to our sweet London. What an adorable family!

More From South Pacific

2008-09-15T22:12:00.002-06:00

Here are a few more photos from South Pacific.

We Went Flying

2008-09-06T09:39:00.004-06:00

Last Saturday we took a flight with our friend Max in his new airplane. It was so beautiful to see the Salt Lake Valley on a peaceful Saturday morning. This valley is really changing with building going on everywhere. The photos will show some of the sights. Thanksgiving Point Golf Course birds-eye view of course would be included and a shot from the Southwest corner of the valley looking East. We really live in a beautiful place. Just wait until the leaves start changing. We'll probably get to fly again to see the colors unfold. Stay tuned... Life is good... Love is great... Happiness is priceless...

South Pacific is Over

2008-08-29T22:26:00.004-06:00

My latest adventure is over for the Summer of 2008. In mid-May I auditioned for Sandy Utah's production of "South Pacific". Thinking I was too old for most of the parts, the role of Bloody Mary was one I thought would be fun. When I actually got the part, I never dreamed it would be such a transformation for me. After 2 1/2 months of rehearsals, we opened on August 15th at the Sandy Amphitheater. I dyed my hair dark black and worked each night for an hour making my face dark, wrinkled, and ugly. I wore a "fat suit", hair extensions, and blackened my teeth. Many of the people that came to the show did not recognize me. I came down with a cold the week before the show opened but it contributed to a low, gruff, Tonkinese voice. I guess I really pulled it off. The role was challenging and rewarding all at the same time. Paul was so very patient with the time away from him for rehearsals and then came to almost every performance. I even spent my birthday on the stage with most of my family and Paul's family in the audience. What a great birthday!

Yes this is a picture of me and the girl that played Liat, my daughter in the show. I'll let you figure out who is who. The experience has taught me that I can transform myself into a part like this and actually make it believable. Theater is in my blood now... very deep! I look forward to more roles in the future! Stay tuned... I'll let you know the next performance.

Welcome to our Blog

2008-08-24T22:47:00.000-06:00

As older, technically challenged, new bloggers... we would like to welcome you to our first attempt of this kind. Please be patient as we try to post information and happenings in our life that will be of interest. We welcome your feedback, comments, and suggestions. Come back often and we'll try to make your time worthwhile.