Sunday, November 25, 2018

Hart Happenings

  Well, the news we got from Snowflake this morning eclipses all other news, as far as we are concerned.  There has been a spirit of jubilee at the Hart house ever since we talked to Jenn and Scott today.  Congratulations!!!!  We are beyond thrilled for the two of you...soon to be more of you....!  It was the icing on the cake of our Thanksgiving week.  We started early with a visit from Joe and his family last weekend and then the arrival of Alex's family on Wednesday who stayed until Saturday.  After they all left we jumped in the car to go hang out with Mom and Dad, get a tour of their new house, and help them with some painting.  We overlapped with Ruth's family who were going as we were coming.  Addy and Ian were lots of help getting the ruined carpet out of the basement.  It was a pretty smelly job and Ruth and I were entertained watching their funny faces and dramatics during the process.  It is a lovely house and Alex and eagerly anticipate the good memories we will make there with all of you guys!
  We got home pretty late last night and jumped right into Sabbath activity this morning.  It was a lovely day at church and we were just so happy and grateful for the Flake's miracle it has cast a special little glow on our day.
  We woke up to snow on Thanksgiving morning but it rained that day and it was all gone by the evening.  I feel like it was a portent of things to come......
  Things are good here and I'm excited for a nice, normal, unexciting week going forward.  Is there such a thing?

Sunday, November 18, 2018

Hart Happenings

  Poor Nilsson!  I hope the foot zone helped Eliza.
  Jack was excited about the idea of changing our post titles too if Grandma is going to.  His vote is for Smithfield Summary, Peter likes Smithfield Stunts, and Ian prefers Smithfield Smiles.  I'm with Jack and Alex is absent and therefore doesn't get to vote.
  We were gone from home more than we were here this week so it seemed to go by very quickly!  It was so wonderful to see everyone at the funeral.  Alex and I came away very inspired and have had many conversations about the thoughts that came to us during that day.  So amazed to hear the lovely music that Lauren arranged!  You have a gift, little sis.  And Joe and Lori sound so nice together.  It was my favorite part of the funeral for sure.
  A major highlight of the week was spur of the moment trip to Utah to see The Scarlet Pimpernel at the Hale theater.  We totally concur with Mom and Dad.  It was spectacular!  Jack even said that he liked it more than Newsies which is not what I expected at all.
  It was the very best thing to have Joe and his family up this weekend.  They got here late Friday night and Saturday Alex and Joe and a friend named Jeff holed up in Alex's office to work on their cellphone etiquette presentations and GOALit app they are still holding out for.  Meanwhile, Lori and I took the kids to the Artitorium downtown and then to the local bagel shop for lunch.  It was really fun and the kids made some really fun stuff.  It is so cute to watch the cousins together.  We enjoyed visiting and playing on Saturday night and today before and after church.  They are on the road now and we hope they get there safe and sound in time for a good night's sleep!
  Jack won his soccer game on Friday night which was fun to watch.
  Ian is gearing up for his first band concert and is busy with rehearsals for Newsies.
  Peter is really buckling down learning to read which is impressive to watch.
  Life is good at the Hart house.

Happy Thanksgiving week!  We will be down at some point to help with the moving in Smithfield.  So excited for you parents!

North Logan Notes

Oh, super sad for the Nilsson kiddos :(  So sorry to Eliza and Emerson.  I do hope it is a very short-lived malady for both of them.  Can't even blame it all on Halloween this time...

So, as I clicked on "new post" and started typing in the title, I wondered what I should call the posts when we move to Smithfield. Any suggestions? Maybe we'll take a vote:  Smithfield Synopsis, Smithfield Summary, Smithfield Stunts or Smiles or Scene.... It really should be an alliteration, so help me out here! What would sound best?

I can't thank you all enough for making the effort to come to Grandpa's funeral, for driving and flying long distances, for participating, and for staying and visiting for the evening.  Dad's family felt it was a fitting tribute to Grandpa's great life. There was a wonderful, uplifting and inspiring spirit. We are still getting emails and cards and texts from people about the music that Mannings and Bellistons presented and which touched hearts and lifted spirits. Thank you so much, Nick and Lauren, Joseph and Lori, for your part in bringing the spirit and honoring your grandpa. Thanks to Thomas for being willing to be a pallbearer. Thank you all for singing A Child's Prayer. It was a very sweet thing for me to lead the singing of that song. To look at Grandpa's posterity and feel their love for him, and his for them, and to listen to his sweet, dear friend sacrifice to accompany the singing was especially tender and meaningful.  It sounded angelic and I think it touched Tim, Jordan, Daniel, John and James, in particular, and blessed everyone. Thank you all.  Here is the letter from President Nelson to Christi that I want to publish here so that it won't be forgotten. Christi also received one from President Oaks that I thought you might like to see.



Upon returning home this week, we ran full speed ahead. Dad spent the week in meetings and in preparation for his stake conference. I had a long day of prenatals. We met with the mortgage guy, then the realtor, then with the mortgage guy again. We think all of the t's are crossed and hope the i's are all dotted. We are waiting to hear for sure, but right now it appears that we will sign papers to close on the house on Wednesday morning. Thursday we drove back down to Salt Lake to attend a marvelous production of the Scarlet Pimpernel. Joe and Lori saw it last week and they told us it was a great show, but I think they severely understated just how wonderful it was! So inspiring! Such incredible talent! The Harts were there, too, and we all enjoyed ourselves immensely. After the play, we drove down to Utah County once again and I got to visit with Lauren while Dad took a few things to Carl. The next morning we drove to Twin Falls, Idaho to attend a wedding of a member of our YSA stake. She was in Dad's ward when he was the bishop, so we've known her for a very long time and been through some ups and downs with her, so it was very special to attend her marriage. Then home again to get our talks ready for conference.  It makes me tired to recall the week!

Stake Conference was amazing! Prayers for good attendance, a rich spiritual feast, beautiful music, and hearts turned to the Savior were answered abundantly. Dad is still at the church doing interviews, but I hope he felt as good about it as I did. It is a tremendous burden for him to plan and prepare a conference. Now my job is to put the 5 or more pounds back on him that he lost worrying about the funeral and the conference!!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!  We'll welcome any wanderers to this part of the country who desire to show up. It is apparently supposed to snow for this holiday, so please don't travel if the roads are not clear! I am deeply thankful for our family. Thank you for blessing my life so richly. I love you all!

P.S. I finally got Emma's last letter put on her blog, if you want to take a look at it. We'll hear from her tomorrow again....

Nilsson News

I'm sitting home from church right now with sick kids.  Eliza is having some bathroom trouble and has to go about every 15 minutes and Emerson started throwing up around 1:30 a.m.  Luckily we were able to enjoy our annual trip to Layton before this all started.  We drove down to Layton on Friday and picked up Garrett who had been at training meetings in SLC all week.  We met up with some friends and visited for awhile and then that evening we went swimming at the hotel.  The next day we visited with several ward members from our Layton days.  It's crazy how everyone's lives continue on, even after you move away.  I guess I sometimes think that time should stand still but kids keep growing up.  We took balloons over to the cemetery and sang Happy Birthday to Hyrum and Joseph.  It's a few days early but I think that is okay.  They turn seven years old this year!  That evening we went to the wedding reception for one of Garrett's priests, when he was serving as bishop.  It was a party!  We saw and visited with so many wonderful friends.  Good relationships are some of the most important things in life and I saw how true this was when I was at Grandpa's funeral.
It was so good to see all of you there and reminisce about the good ol' days.  It was crazy to see some of our cousins that we hadn't seen for years and didn't even recognize.  Like I said, time goes on whether we like it or not and everyone grows up.

It is hard to believe that the holiday season is already here.  I don't know how it sneaks up on me every year but it does.  I hope that the time can be savored and last as long as possible.  It would be great to see some of you during Thanksgiving and/or Christmas.  We are so excited to see mom and dad's new place and help them move some things in.

Just a fun ending note, I've been watching Millie and how much she watches her older siblings.  We were at Addy's clogging and Millie was just entranced with the dancing.  She would stand and observe and then start tapping her feet back and forth just like the cloggers.  Yesterday, I was having a friend work on Eliza's digestive system on her feet and Millie was there watching.  As soon as Eliza was finished, Millie plopped herself down, took off her shoes and held her feet up to my friend.  She watches everything!

I hope you all have a wonderful, Thanksgiving week!  Love you all!

Sunday, November 4, 2018

Bellistons are Back

Well a lot has happened since we last wrote...6 months ago or so.  It's kind of like my journal.  So here are a few of the highlights:
Grant fell on his face and had to get stitches inside his cheek.  It was a much smoother procedure that the first time.
Joe coached  a 6 year old boys baseball team.  Grant was a star and we won every game...as long as we had more players than the other team.
The kids started school and have made a lot of new friends.  We haven't heard them ask when we're moving back to Springville for a couple weeks now.
Thank you all for helping us move out and in.  It was a long day and we definitely couldn't have done it without all of your help!
Joy and Jake learned how to ride bikes this summer.  It took about an afternoon in the church parking lot and they've been riding all over town since.  I'm a big believer in the strider bike now.
We went up to Idaho for the 4th of July to watch the fireworks and stopped by soda springs and saw a huge geyser.  It was pretty lucky because it only goes off every once and a while but as soon as we pulled up it started.  There are a LOT of cows on that drive and we were very cautious not to hit any.  Lori took it a little far and startled me when she said "Watch out for the cows!!"  They happened to be black garbage cans on the side of the road.
Lori got called to be the Relief Society pianist even though she doesn't play.  Well, she learned.  She got released today.  She's now a Relief Society teacher.
I'm liking the new job.  I've been able to record a lot of fun people including Pentatonix, Julie Beck who is our 3rd cousin, Wendy Nelson, Linda Burton, and some other supposedly famous people that I've never heard of.

We are so grateful to be part of this family.  Thank you all for helping us so much and being so good to us.  If anybody needs a place to stay this weekend, we would be happy to accommodate.

Here or some fun kid quotes for your enjoyment:

Joy: "Stop singing, Grace!  You're making me tired."

Jakes frisbee got stuck in a tree.  Dad took Jakes shoe and threw it to get it down.  Jake: "My shoe's a genius!"

Mom: "Joy can you go to the bathroom?"  Joy: "I already went last year."

Mom: "I love..."  Hope; "Oooo"


T&T In Texas

Well this weekend we were reminded how beautiful life is, and how important it is to keep positive relationships alive and strong.  Grandpa was a righteous giant, and the best example to me of how to treat people.  I remember grandpa's house in Provo the most.  As a kid, it was enormous!  and the fun play room, the swingset, and fruit trees in the back, playing music around the piano in the big family room, and all the family reunions that were held there.  He will definitely be missed, but he'll for sure keep making an impact through the lives he touched throughout the years. 
October was CRAZY!  We moved to a much nicer place, with a lot more room, and many more fun amenities, so if anyone wants to come visit PLEASE DO.  It's been pretty decent weather wise, other than some random torrential downpours after it's been in the 70s. 
We are trying to get our lives organized, with the side businesses, regular work, and trying to embrace all the neat things of where we get to live!  Houston always has something going on, and if there's a lull, there's always San Antonio or Dallas a few hours away!  Lots of fun places to see, interesting food to try, and unique landmarks to discover! 
Nothing really out of the ordinary happening, other than the Lakers are still finding their groove, but having a much better start than last season!  And Rudy just got a haircut so he's as cute as ever! 
I'll be flying in on Saturday morning around 10:30 am and leaving the following Tuesday morning.  Looking forward to seeing everyone and reminiscing Grandpa's wonderful life! 

Flake Fun

Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes and serenades.  I'm sorry that I wasn't able to answer many of the phone calls but they were much appreciated.  I have the best family in the whole world.  I started the day off opening a new set of speakers from Scott!  They are Bluetooth so as soon as we get the adapter, we won't have to have any more cords!!!

Then we took our car to the shop.  Scott has tried replacing multiple parts with no positive results so we took it to the professionals.  Then we headed to the valley.  Things went very well with our appointment.  Afterwards we went to lunch which was fun and then out for gelado!  To end the day we went and bought a car!  So, I was very spoiled for my birthday!

The day after my birthday we had the second annual birthday bash.  We invited a couple of couple friends over for dinner.  We made street tacos and enjoyed associating with good friends.

We are excited to see everyone next week.  We were sad to hear the news about Grandpa but felt peace knowing that Dad & Mom were there with him.  We are grateful for the good memories we have of him.

Love you all!  

Nilsson News

I've been reminded this past week of how our lives are not our own and how precious each and every day is.  Our neighbor's husband died unexpectedly of a heart attack.  He was only 58.  I went to his funeral and it really made me appreciate my life even with my so called challenges.  It made me think of Grandpa and how fulfilled his life was.  What an amazing person to be related to.  I have so many fond memories of him.  I remember when I was really little, he would pick me up by my ears and I thought that was incredible.  When I was around 14, he took me and some other cousins to St. Louis MO. and surrounding areas.  I remember the fun reunions we had in Nauvoo while he was serving there.  I remember wondering how it was possible that someone could run into someone they knew no matter where it was they went.  He knew everyone!  I remember his house in Provo and the many reunions we enjoyed there.  I remember when he sold that house and I was sad but it helped me to realize that it really was just a house and there are more important things/people to focus on.  I remember writing him my scholarship letter for college, hoping I would qualify.  I remember feeling so important because my grandpa was friends with so many of the general authorities.  I loved my last name of Belliston because someone would always ask if I was related to Angus.  Yes I am, he is my Grandpa.
It feels like winter has arrived, other than the snow.  Our garden is put to bed, our leaves are raked up, our animals are fluffing up and my mind is turning to indoor projects.  There's never a moment of rest around here!  I did get a week off from having a calling.  Our stake realigned all the ward boundaries in a major way.  Dissolved one ward completely and all the wards got new names.  Everyone was released from their callings except the bishoprics.  I was soooo happy!  R.S. secretary was just not my thing.  Garrett was beside himself and pouted the entire day.  He loved his calling (YM pres.) and had the entire new year planned out.  I've never seen him so upset about something before.  9:00 that night we got a knock on the door and it was our new bishopric whom we had never met before.  They told us they were wanting to come and meet the Nilsson family (uh-huh, sure.  What do you really want?)  After visiting for a bit they turned and said that they had a calling for Garrett.  They wanted him to serve as the Young Men's President.  He was elated!  I went the whole week without being called and then Sunday morning it came, R.S. secretary.  You can't hide folks.  Don't try it.
Anyway, we enjoyed some fun with the Hart's and mom and dad.  Addy did a fabulous job at her piano competition and earned second place.  We look forward to visiting with you this coming weekend!
 Emerson was thrilled to catch a garter snake we just about stepped on when we were on a walk.
 EIMTA piano competition second place winner!
 It's fall!
 Have you ever made deluxe home made caramel apples?  They are so fun and so easy!
 Eliza the unicorn
 Henry the freezing praying mantis
 Mr. Emerson Robot
 Dr. Addy Nilsson D.V.M.

Hart Happenings

  It was a good week to remember and tap into the power of families.  I am writing this while the boys are playing nicely together in the background (not quietly, mind you, but nicely) and reflecting on how fun it was to have Mom and Dad up on Halloween.  Ruth and Mom and I put our heads together to try to figure out a sewing project Ruth is going to tackle, Dad and Alex ended up in the same room visiting over our heads, the kids all wandered out at different points with questions and show and tell moments, and Lauren called and we got to visit with her in between Wesley commandeering her phone.  It was so family-ish! Very fun!
  It has turned very cold here, but that didn't stop us from getting our yesterday to tackle the rest of the leaves, scoop up the apples under the trees out front, and clean out the garage to make way for the snowblower.  It felt very good and productive and we celebrated our accomplishment by a big bonfire to burn some of the branches we have culled over the summer.  Good times!
  We got to see Addy perform at one of her piano competitions this week which was very fun.  We were all so impressed.  She is an excellent pianist.
  We enjoyed the ward trunk or treat this year and invited our friends from Florida.  I think they had a good time, but were slightly overwhelmed by the size of Latter-day Saint families!  We also went trick or treating with our friends the Martins Halloween night.  We went back to our old stomping grounds on 12th street and it was so fun to wander the familiar streets.
  Peter and Jack have been seek with bad colds and terrible coughs, but the rest of us have managed to steer clear of their germs.  Fingers crossed!
  We aren't sure when we'll be able to get down this weekend.  We'll make it for the funeral for sure, but how much sooner before that I don't know.  We'll be in touch I'm sure!
  Here is a fun poem about Autumn for you guys:


I love the Autumn,
And yet I cannot say
All the thoughts and things
That make me feel this way.
 
I love walking on the angry shore,
To watch the angry sea;
Where summer people were before,
But now there's only me.
 
I love wood fires at night
That have a ruddy glow.
I stare at the flames
And think of long ago.
 
I love the feeling down inside me
That says to run away
To come and be a gypsy
And laugh the gypsy way.
 
The tangy taste of apples,
The snowy mist at morn,
The wanderlust inside you
When you hear the huntsman's horn.
 
Nostalgia - that's the Autumn, 
Dreaming through September
Just a million lovely things
I always will remember.

Also, if you're looking for a really fun upbeat new song to add to your playlist check out "Like This, Like That" by the California Honeydrops.
  See you all soon!


North Logan Notese

It’s a drizzly, overcast, sullen day here in Cache Valley. That should be indicative of my mood, but there is an overarching peace and warmth that keeps pushing away the sadness. We cannot stop thinking about Grandpa and what an amazing man he was/is. It's an interesting awareness that even though we didn't always connect with him on a regular basis, the option of interacting with him - calling to check on him, asking for advice, counsel, blessings, etc., is no longer available. It's a rather lonely realization. But, that said, there are no feelings of anxiety for him or anything other than feelings of love and admiration and tenderness. Of course we will miss him. Terribly. For a long time. What a blessing to know it's all part of the Plan. And, just so you know, Dad and I "don't have any problem with the Plan of Salvation!"

Grandpa rallied enough strength to participate in our family reunion. He even went to Nephi and stood on farm soil. We read together the essay he wrote about the soil to make sure we remember the things that are most important. It completely wore him out and he wasn't out of bed much after that. His last days were filled with family, though without much conversation. All that needed to be said, had been.

Thank you all for your visits, letters, phone calls and texts. They were remembered and mentioned by him and Christi. Emma's sweet letter was beside him when we arrived on Friday morning. Grandpa loved you all very much, as I'm sure you felt and understood. He was immensely grateful, as are Dad and I, for your efforts to live the gospel. Often, he spoke of our family and his gratitude for your gifts, talents, obedience and goodness. Thank you for giving him such "joy in his posterity."

I loved Thomas' Instagram message and Emma's letter and wanted to share them with all of you, so they are attached below.

To clarify, so you all know the plan, the funeral will be on Monday, November 12 at 11:00 in Springville. There will be a visitation on Sunday evening from 6 to 8 and again on Friday morning from 9 to 10:30. I will send a copy of the obituary, or a link to it, when it is published. The schedule after the funeral will be a little different since Grandpa will, of course, be buried in Nephi. So, we will have a luncheon after the funeral and then drive to Nephi for the burial.

Jennifer and Scott will arrive on Friday, and Thomas will also be flying in, probably on Saturday. It would be nice if we could get together to visit while everyone is here, but I know that may not be possible. We would be happy to have you all here for a gathering of dinner and visiting on Friday or Saturday, if possible, otherwise we can plan on some good visiting in at the luncheon and other funeral events, hopefully. We are looking forward to seeing all of you and having some time with all of the family.