The Sunnyside

I have changed my blog title to The Sunnyside of Life. This is a challenging time in my life. I take a day at a time and often, most often, I find wonderful things happening in my life and around me. When my focus is on the positive, the negative seems minute.

One of the blessings in my life right now is technology. I get to listen to my grandson, Stefan, practice his violin , he will call me up, put the phone on speaker and practice. Kendy even called me when he did his recite and I listened to that! I also get to see videos now and again of his events that I wish I were able to attend.

Britt skypes me on the computer and I can watch my granddaughter, Olivia, practice rolling over, sitting up, giggling or just smile because she reacts to my voice and image on the computer.

I've been pretty house bound for the past few weeks because my car engine is ruined and the weather is cold but with the internet, Wii fit, guitar hero, tv, painting, cleaning house, and caring for my disabled sister-in-law, Shelly, I have been pretty busy. I feel like I can order just about anything I need online and it will come to my door step. It just takes a little for-site. Technology provides me with options, convenience, and activities.

Definitely my favorite piece of new tech is my iphone. I enjoy playing a game of Shake and Spell with my daughters, even though they almost always win, they're both so smart. I can check my email and respond. I can take a photo or receive them and feel apart of the happenings of those that care to share. Britt has sent me a photo of Olivia since the day I left Spokane when she was only a few weeks old. I have literally got to see her grow-up daily.

Stefan makes us abundantly proud of his many endeavors! After being inspired by “So You Think You Can Dance,” Stefan has begun pursuing several genres of dance. He auditioned for the Utah Valley String Sinfonia and was accepted as a second violinist. He has accomplished a great deal of personal growth with violin. Stefan took an exciting summer trip with grandpa to Carlsbad Caverns, Petrified Forrest and the Grand Canyon. Stefan is in the fourth grade, but is in the fifth grade advanced math class. He enjoys time at scouts, creating extraordinary objects out of legos, playing the wii and spending time with his family, dog and friends. We all recognize what a blessing he is to our lives and how enriched we are by him.
Kendy became a Licensed Practical Nurse earlier this year. She was elected President of the Utah Valley University Student Nursing Association. Kendy became a recipient of the Americorps Service Scholarship. After a long journey and many sacrifices by her and her boys, she completed the UVU nursing program. Kendy and her boys had the opportunity of caring for their Aunt Shelly a couple months this fall. They treasure that time with her; although it was not easy, it was an insurmountable blessing.
On the tenth anniversary of Luis’s employment at Usana, he said farewell to his friends and colleagues and began his career at a different company. He is now the Manager of Regulatory Affairs at Beluga Ventures. He enjoys his new position and is greatly appreciated there.

Britt graduated from BYU with a BS in Marriage, Family and Human Development.
Britt and Bret moved to Spokane, WA where Bret was born and raised. Bret coached his sister's softball league with his dad, while also being an umpire. Bret works fulltime and alo attends college to finish his degree in criminal justice.
Britt went into labor 3 1/2 weeks early, on her dad's birthday, Olivia is born the next day at 4 lbs 12 ounces
Olivia is gorgeous, smart, and a happy baby.

Brice and Angelina have worked at Massage Envy for two years now. Clientele is improving keeping them busy. They’ve been working on their home, two more walls to finish up in the bathroom and install a new sink and mirror. Eventually they will be moving on to the floors of hallways, kitchen, living room and bedrooms.
Angel enjoys reading, she is rereading the twilight saga series. Brice surprised Angel into seeing the New Moon at the Megaplex 20. “We were so ecstatic to finally watch movies in theaters with captions, made possible by reflective ‘windows’ and it are the only movie theater that has Caption in Utah!”

This year Casey realized that his best friend of three years, Ashley McNamara is an amazing girl and feel in love. He has been inspired to make his and her life better. He is the Lead Web Programmer at Envision Interactive. Located in the heart of Dallas, the company has various clients including a TV station that was doing a contest recently that required complex programming that Casey quite enjoyed doing. His work always brings on new challenges. Casey has been attending the Celebration Covenant Church with Ashley and her family. He feels inspired and looks forward to the New Year.

Britt wrote “On Sunday, November 8, my Grandma Bernadine Lujan passed away. She had just turned 73. Grandma was always down to earth. She told you what was on her mind, and was always very genuine.
If you looked up the definition of good ol' home cookin' you'd find her name and picture. She had a great sense of humor. Oftentimes we use the phrase "we've lost a love one" but she's not lost, I know exactly where she is, and because of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I know I'll get to be with her again.

Brittney Nicole Robbins Riggin

When Britt was learning to talk it was at the same time that her deaf brother Brice was in intense speech therapy. So she talked younger then most but she had trouble with pronouncing her own name, Britttney. She called herself "mitmey". What's your name people would ask and she proudly stated "mitmey". So we decided to do a little speech therapy our self with her. We would practice over and over brrrrrrrrrrrr. Now say brrrrrrrrrrrrr. Clear and beautifully she would say brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Then when we were certain she had it we would have her add itney but it still would come out brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrmittmey.

As the mommy I wanted Britt to have pierced ears early on. I would have been happy if she had them as a baby but Marty would not allow that. He said that when she was old enough to ask for her ears pierced he'd succumb. So my next lesson on speech was "daddy, ears pierced" . All day we practiced , over and over again until she could perfectly rehearse "Daddy, ears pierced". She was barely one year old. He came home and with a little coaching she hugged Marty and clearly stated "daddy, ears pierced" with big head nods and big puppy dog begging eyes (we rehearsed that part too). He promptly responded "head chopped off". Britt with her great mimacing talent put on those puppy dog eyes and nodding declared "head chopped off".. It was quite a while til she ever got her ears pierced.

Around this same time Britt comes running up to me one day all excited. She opens her mouth and wiggles her tongue around and in all seriousness says, "Look mommy its alive!"

She informs me one day that "When I'm the mommy and your the little girl....."

When Britt learned to count to a hundred she was insistent that I listen to all the counting she could do. All the numbers. Everyone of them from one to a hundred. Good thing she hadn't learned to count to 1000 yet!!!

When Britt was about nine, Marty handed her a dollar for something. She looked at it and said, "I love you Daddy!" The money wasn't for her but I guess she loved him anyway.

Britt we love you and you were and are a delight. Have fun with Olivia and be sure and blog all the cute things she does.

A Child's Paradise

One of the sweet blessings of my life is spending four years of my childhood in Oahu, Hawaii. Truly a child's paradise. I went to Laie Elementary school barefoot, like everyone else including the teachers. I learned to hula in first grade, "goin' to the huki lau". I wore my swimsuit under my little sundress so I could run into the ocean right after school. I could make my way home on the beach most of the way. We lived on Kamehameha Highway across the street from the ocean in a beach house. It is no longer there but the land is now part of of the Polynesian Cultural Center. I learned to surf when I was eight, watched seahorses play in the coral and would ride on my Uncle Lamond's back as he swam me out to the reef. It was there my first year in Hawaii that I learned to swim. I was five years old. You could stand up on the reef, it was about a 100 yards out from the beach but seemed like miles to me then. He started to swim away and I yelled " what about me?" . "Start swimming" he said. "you know I cant swim yet," I replied and he wisely said "You think you can't but I know you can. Jump in and swim. " I trusted him and I swam. Lamond lived with us for a time, he was enrolled at the Church College of Hawaii, now BYU Hawaii, in fine art. I would watch him work on his projects and he would let me do some art with him He told me I was an artist, I believed him about that too and am probably an artist today from that encouragement (along with the incredible support of my number one fan, Marty Robbins). Marty has taken me back to Hawaii a number of times. I sat on the beach where I played as a child and painted it in watercolor.

Stefan and Violin

My daughter, Kendy plays the Cello. She decided from her own enjoyment and personal growth of playing the Cello that she wanted this for her son. When he was three she went into the music store intending to buy Stefan a Cello. He was fascinated with and sure he wanted a violin. Since personal commitment and motivation were key, she got the violin. It was a little sixteenth size instrument. He is ready for a half size violin now. He had the opportunity to play for his school this past year and has made tremendous progress in his skills. This year he was accepted into the Intermediate Timpanogos Chanber Strings which will be a new and challenging experience working with the other musicians. He has an outstanding teacher David Beck who is Managing Director and Conductor of the Utah Valley Youth Symphony.

Olivia Ann Riggin

Olivia was greatly anticipated as the first child to Bret and Britt Riggin, the first grandchild of Ray and Donna Riggin and the first granddaughter to Marty and Anita Robbins. She decided to lessen the suspense by arriving three weeks early. Tiny but strong she came on July 6th the day after her Grandpa's, Marty Robbins, birthday.
The photo is of Olivia in her blessing dress. Britt had made a gorgeous one for her but it was waaaaaaay too big because Olivia was not even 5 pounds. Her Grandma Donna whipped out a darling dress using a doll dress pattern. Britt had to sew up the itty bitty shoes so they would fit. The blessing was wonderful. Many Spokane family members attended, Marty and I were there. Bret was one of the speakers. I'll sum up his wholehearted testimony of one of God's greatest earthly blessings, parenting, by quoting the same chorus of a country song he did. This was his immediate feelings the moment he held his little girl,
"Daddies don't just love their children every now and then.
It's a love without end, amen, it's a love without end, amen."
(Love Without End, Amen Lyrics by George Strait)

My old friend Earl

Earl was old. He had lived a difficult and troubled life. He had little money and was unable to work a regular job. Early in our marriage Earl moved in the apartment across from us. I saw him often because when Earl would go fishing to catch some cat fish for dinner he would catch many and take them to his neighbors. He would go in the woods and find wild blackberries and pick enough to give away some to his friends. I said to him, "Earl, you should freeze your fish and your berries so you can have them on the days you're too ill to go out.” And he explained that if he wasn’t doing something for someone else everyday it was a wasted day. He had very little but he gave so much.