My Cousin Gerard

My cousin Gerard passed away Saturday night. I remeber playing at Tante Dina and Ome Gerard's house as a little girl when he was a teenager. He had a wonderful laugh, a beautiful collie dog, and surprised my Opa Van Leer when he brought a girl to meet Opa that spoke Dutch. We will miss Gerard. I "borrowed" the picture and obit from Russon Brothers Mortuary website.

Gerardus J Van Hulten
Born in Rotterdam, The Netherlands on Jun. 6, 1943Departed on May 24, 2008 and resided in West Bountiful, UT.

Visitation:
Friday, May 30, 2008
Service:
Friday, May 30, 2008
Cemetery:
Bountiful City Cemetery
Please click on the links above for locations, times, maps, and directions.

Our beloved husband, father, son and brother passed away late Saturday night May 24, 2008. Van, as many called him, was born in Rotterdam, The Netherlands on June 6th 1943. He immigrated to the United States in July of 1950 with his family at the age of 7, arriving in the Salt Lake Valley on July 24th. He attended high school at Bountiful High graduating in 1962. He would be called on an LDS mission later that year to his native country of The Netherlands where he served for two and a half years. Upon returning home he would marry his own little Dutch girl (Pearl Straatman) in the Salt Lake Temple in November of 1966. Continuing on at Weber University he studied automotive engineering, where his college education was interrupted by a call to serve in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. After returning from duty in Vietnam, Pearl and Van would make their home in Farmington where he owned and operated Van's Auto Repair. After sixteen years of marriage they would adopt a baby girl named Heather and two years later adopt their son Jeffrey. Moving to West Bountiful in 1984 Van would continue running Van's Auto repair until 2000 when Van would start his own car dealership, Van's Auto Sales. Van would serve faithfully in his church callings, and would never shirk a moment to help another. He loved to travel weekly for business and always had a fond love for cars. Van passed away from complications due to an injury in his shop while doing what he loved most, working on cars. He will be sorely missed by all he leaves behind. He loved helping out anyone in need and never thought twice about giving all he could to those he loved. He loved to laugh, enjoyed the simple pleasures of life, and was an avid NASCAR fan. We will all miss you and the beautiful things you taught by example. Van is survived by his wife of 42 years, Pearl, his children Heather (Wade Reese), and Jeffrey, his mother Arendina, his brother Leen, his sister Gonnie (Don Buell), his brothers and sisters in-law, and many nieces and nephews. Preceded in death by his father Gerardus J. Van Hulten Sr., his sister-in-law Mary lynn Van Hulten, and his mother and father in-law Daniel and Neeltje Straatman.Funeral services will be held Friday May 30th at 11 a.m. at the West Bountiful 10th ward Chapel 1750 North 900 West, West Bountiful. Friends and family may call on Friday morning from 9:30-10:45 at the church prior to the services.Interment, Bountiful City Cemetery.

Painting Fun

Keith and I decided it would be fun to have the grandkids help decorate our walls in the pool equipment room. We have been trying different techniques, such as paint in plaster and then rolling it on the drywall.

I think the kids liked the colors best. We practiced on the yellow wall first. Cirrus figured out that if she smacked the wall it made a great hand print. Crimsel managed to get paint in his hair and eyelashes.

Jon came with the kids and he put up a few hand prints too! We've saved some space for Ariana, Zach, Cannon, and Elliot.

Family Get-Together

May family birthdays were at David's & Jana's. Taking pictures of the three grandkids there were like getting three little kittens to stand still and smile at the same time. Nevertheless, they are cute. You can choose your favorite. If I were talented like Dirk, I could photoshop these pictures into one good one.

Here are five of my girls. All of a sudden I am up from two Easter dresses to four!

Florida Wedding

We arrived in Florida late afternoon, located our room and headed out for BBQ. Yummmm.

Saturday we headed for the temple and found a friend hanging on our antenna. He stayed there for the whole ceremony. Seems to have personality.

After the ceremony; pictures, wedding breakfast, and then a sit down reception with the arch of swords.

Sunday was church, where we found more Wolfgramms. Then there was an impromptu family reunion, Tweeds and us. They were all there, the only thing missing was pie!
These are my Atlantic seashells, and turtle ornaments for our grandkids' Christmas ornament boxes. After we checked out of our room, Keith asked what I would like to do. I wanted to put my feet in the Atlantic Ocean. So we drove to the ocean (60 minutes, plus) I jumped out of the car put my feet in the water, found some shells, took a "few" pictures, got back in the car and drove back to the airport. It was nice to get away, and to spend some time with each other.

This and That

Lately we have been having warm weather and then some snow. All in the same day! Lately we are wearing sweaters to abandon them later in the day. One day it was 54 degrees and snowing. Our tulips and daffodils are mostly spent by now.

Today Ben was baptized by his Dad.

Quilt Blocks

Alex is getting married in May. The bride's mother has asked us all to send a quilt block. Sounds like a fun tradition they have in their family.

Keith's is the paisley with his mother's "W". Mine is the windmill. David's is the tie-dye "W", Dirk's is the purple paisley "W", and Emma's is the "O". They were fun to make.

Little Scientist

This past week we've been assisting Emma by getting Cirrus to preschool and then picking her up. I ask Cirrus if she wants to go home or go to Oma's school. She wants to come to school. She helps by putting "A"s on papers, sometimes circling the "A" and occasionally putting a smiley face on a paper. She informed me that she was teaching me how to write "A"s. She makes me smile. We are studying micro-organisms, and learning how microscopes work. She loves to look in the microscope and adjust it. She then asks if I want to look at what she has been looking at. I love how she is interested in so many things.