Goosebumps

 I have not posted on my blog in quite some time.  Life has really been on the fast track.

Let get you caught up on our "Goosebump Moments".  Those moments that cause the hair to stand on end in a good way.  

Our first Goosebump Moment was walking into the Grand California Resort with Sean.  We have visited the resort on previous trips, but never stayed.  Staying at the resort was on Sean's Bucket List and blessed by a great deal I was able to make this a reality for him (us).  We had a beautiful room overlooking a quiet patio seating area where the Disneyland Monorail would quietly pass through.

We felt so spoiled.

Dancing on the esplanade, hugs in Disneyland, playing like kids with Jake and Riss, trying new foods and eating lots of our favorites, enjoying rides with fewer people, shopping till our hearts content and walking 23.5 miles in 3 days made for a wonderful start to 2026.

Ashley came to visit!

My dear friend and teaching partner Ashley came to visit.  This girlie does not take sick or personal days throughout the school year if she can help it, but she used both of her personal days to come visit me.  WOW!.

I took her to all of my DC favorites, Fort McHenry, Annapolis, the Capitol, all of the monuments and memorials.  I love having memories with her in this very special city.  

My favorite moment were watching her frost Valentine cookies with the boys.  She was so patient, encouraging and loving with them.  They loved her.  

But the official goose bump moment was when she came downstairs wearing a light gray textured sweater, but like me.  We shared many days at school dressed similarly.  The students thought we planned it.  NOPE. 

We have celebrated a lot of graduations this year.  Dreyton started it off with graduating with his masters 4 months early.  Dreyton loves to learn.  He is an exceptional student, writer and dedicated to further his understanding in the fields he loves.  I am so grateful I got to watch him walk across the stage.

Listening to the boys yell "Daddy" and clap as they said his name gave me goosebumps.  His example shows them how important earning an education is and that it can be done even with many responsibilities.  Cutie E and Cutie O love their Daddy.  

A quick trip to Nashville became a goosebump moment over and over.

Thanks to my sister and nephew, Sean was given an opportunity to photograph the senior living property my sister works at.  

My sister is very talented, but doesn't always see her gifts and the joy she brings to others.  On this trip I was able to watch her laugh, love, spoil a special group of seniors and co-workers.  Every time she walked into a room each of their faces lit up.  I've known Leslie's pure joy for life for 50 years, it was so much fun to see others benefit from her zeal as well.

I've said before how much I love watching Sean work.  He has a real talent for capturing what makes each property special.  Beyond that his love for people really comes out.  Each trip I have taken I have witnessed him slowing down to briefly visit with residents.  This trip wasn't any different.

As we rolled into April life began to pick up.  General Conference, Holly left for training and moving to Virginia was inching closer. We took a break from packing to enjoy two more graduations.

Temple visits are always a peaceful time for me to focus on my relationship with Christ.  General Conference weekend ended up being a perfect time to take the Cuties for their birthday pictures.  They love the temple.  

Our first stop was Phoneix, Arizona to watch Ragen graduated from Grand Canyon University.  Ragen earned her masters degree in social work, a perfect field for a girl that loves to help and support others.  While we were waiting for graduation to begin I couldn't get over how Ragen did it.  She worked 2 jobs and sometimes 3, did an internship and graduated with honors.  Sean and I were truly overcome with joy as we celebrated this huge accomplishment.

                                                          

Two days later we were in Logan, Utah celebrating Harrisons graduation from Utah State University.  While teaching 3/4 time, coaching football and basketball he earned his masters in Sports Management.  He loved his program and the opportunities to spend time in different areas of athletics in the public school setting.

Harrison is much like his dad, he enjoys learning, but does better when he is able to experience the learning, not just read about it.  When he told us he was going back to school we were a bit surprised.  Watching him walk across the stage earning a master degree gave me chills.  He sacrificed a lot to earn his degree.

Spring was in bloom in the most beautiful ways this year.  Washington DC really shines during Cherry Blossom season.  The trees were so heavy with flowers that many of the branches dipped into the water along the Tidal Basin.  As we walked along the basin from MLK to Jefferson I could not get over how beautiful the flowers were.  Each tree seems look more perfect.

The boys loved getting back outside after a long cold winter.  One of their favorite things to do is listen for airplanes, helicopters, trucks, and birds.  I loved when they recognized a cardinal singing or when they learned to blow wishes.

Before leaving DC I had to see the panda bears.  They are magical.  Quiet, peaceful, cozy creatures.  Cutie E loved watching them eat bamboo Cutie O liked watching them sleep.  Either way was incredible.  

Give it up for Dreyton, and his second graduation this year.  In late May we celebrated him completing a rigorous 3 year program with the military.  His training focused on improving his technical and leadership skills within the military and intelligence community.  There were long days, late nights, papers and reports that kept him busy, each helping him gain a deeper knowledge of keeping our country secure.

Sunsets any time of year are beautiful, but. this one made the hairs on my arms and neck stand up.  This beautiful display of purples and pinks appeared just over our house after a thunderstorm.  The rainbow was such a surprise since I couldn't see the sun shining through any clouds.

Toy Story 5 with the boys, this was their first movie.  Toy Story was Harrison's first movie and the theme of his first birthday.  It was absolute joy to share this beloved movie series with two generations of adorable boys.

          

                                                   

One more graduation, Jake graduated from Officer Training School.  This was 9 weeks for intense physical and mental training to prepare him for pilot training.  Graduation was incredible.  Watching these men and women march onto the bowling green in uniform took my breath away.  My dad would have loved seeing this display of honor.  That wasn't the only moment that gave me goosebumps.  Watching Riss and Jake hug after being separated for 9 weeks was so sweet.  These two have been through a lot of separations due to military assignments and her obligation for her scholarship.  It is not easy, but they find a way to make it work.  

Strawberry Picking.  I was afraid we would miss the season due to moving, but we caught it just in time.  The Cuties ate more than they picked, but were super helpful mashing them, stirring in the sugar and pouring in the pectin to make freezer jam.  The Dotson strawberry freezer jam making lives on.

June began the Organized Chaos Shuffle, that lasted 8 LONG weeks!  Back to that in a moment.

Before leaving DC we wanted to make one more visit to our favorites and check out a few fountains that are now working.  We were pleasently surprised to learn that the "Great American State Fair" opened the night we headed into the city.

There were a lot of people, but we didn't mind.  We were able to pick up a few special momentos for the 250th, check out Washington Monument, WWII s Memorial, see the blue reflecting pool and hang out at the Lincoln Memorial as the sun set.  The colors of the sunset gave the Washington Monument a beautiful display of colors.  

Just before we left a very kind man alerted us to special fly over's that were going to take place.  We chose to wait.  It was worth staying an extra hours to see four different military fly overs.  

What a night!

Thank you Facebook for the photo

  

S'more night seemed like a fitting good bye to our home of three years.  Cutie E loved them so much he had three.  Cutie O wasn't sure of the sticky mess.

                                                 

                                               

I always thought it would be fantastic to have someone else pack you up, load a truck, move your stuff and then unload the truck.  Sure, its less stressful.  You aren't packing your things for months on end, but It Is Not What Its All Cracked Up To Be.  

For two months I had no idea where anything was.  Like items or items from the same room were not in the same box.  Boxes were not clearly labeled in Shannon Fashion, nope it just said the name of the room.  So home became where the boxes were.  Yorktown's recycling center is going to know us by name very soon.

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We said good bye to our amazing neighbors, friends and ward and have moved to Virginia where we have enjoyed getting to know our new ward, neighborhood pool, Richmond Temple and Williamsburg.  I am so excited to get to live so close to Jamestown, Yorktown and Williamsburg, plus the Atlantic Ocean is just 30 minutes away.

           

In 1976 I was 4 1/2 year old when we celebrated our countries 200th birthday and I don't remember much.  I have been looking forward to celebrating our 250th Birthday and was thrilled that we would be in Virginia to celebrate.  Of course our move happened the week of the 4th of July and our household goods were delivered on July 3.  

Have you ever heard a Thomas Jefferson interpreter speak?  The gentleman at Monticello is phenomenal, so when I saw that Williamsburg was going to have "Thomas Jefferson" read the Declaration of Independence from the Capitol Terrace I knew we had to be there.  I have no idea what it was like to hear this precious document read in 1776, but if it was anything like the chills I felt on July 4, then it was pretty spectacular.

We stood among a patriotic crowds to hear the Declaration, to listen to the Star Spangled Banner and Pledge of Allegiance, to talk to the horses, tour the Wythe house, sign the Declaration and sit with a copy for a picture.  It was worth every drop of sweat we spilled.  

Instead of returning to see the fireworks we snuggled at home and watched the firework displays from Williamsburg, New York City and Washington DC. It was cooler, not so sticky and much more comfortable, plus the boys got naps and to bed on time.

We've only been here  5 weeks, but it already feels like home.   

 

Third Snowstorm

 Our third snow storm blew in Sunday evening. We were left with a bit of snow, but nothing compared to  Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York.  Thirty inches of snow is way more than I could shovel.

I love snow.  The boys love the snow, but we are ready for an early spring.

Luckily I could answer Cutie O's call for his jacket.  He wanted to go outside and play with his trucks.  Our drain spout said we should stay inside, but the boys insisted.

We bundled up in our winter coats, hats, boots and gloves.

To keep them busy, moving and warm with activity I downloaded and printed this adorable free Winter Scavenger Hunt.  They picked their marker and we headed out into the cold, windy, snowy day to discover all things winter.  

Cutie O recognized the hat right away, showed me his and he marked it off with his yellow marker.

Cutie E was excited to find Daddy's snow shovel in the garage and help him clear away a bit of snow from the driveway.  

Cutie O wanted to try shoveling, but sharing the shovel wasn't in the cards for today.

We headed down the driveway to stomp in the snow and make snowballs.  They crossed off a few more pictures from the scavenger hunt.

The boys know what pinecones are and couldn't wait to uncover them beneath the snow.  As soon as Cutie E discovered the pinecone dusted in snow he picked it up and matched it to the picture on the page.  Excitedly he popped the cap off his blue marker and scribbled across the square.

I love watching him connect the activities we are doing together, discovering something new and announcing "I did it!"  

Our new pinecones are in the garage drying so the boys can make more bird feeders with peanut butter and birdseed.  They loved watching the birds eat from them during our January snow storm.   

We continued our brief outside winter adventure with a walk around our neighborhood.  Normally they can't wait to run and collect sticks, but a block down the street they echoed, "its cold Gammy".  The wind was strong, fingers and cheeks were getting cold.  We turned around and headed home for a yummy warm lunch.

Cutie E ran ahead of Cutie O and I.  As soon as he got to the driveway to turned around and said, "Look Gammy, I made it home."  Too cute.

I feel like I am finally settling into my new normal.  Taking a little of my middle school teacher self, mixing it with being a full-time Gammy and adding a little touch of Shannon.  It feels good to be able to find ways that I can mix these elements together.

Finding creative ways for the boys to discover the environment around them has led me to discover scavenger hunts.  I love that they are free, simple, have pictures that they can easily recognize, gets them actively involved in their environment and can be used for many different activities.  I have even used them as matching games when it has been too cold to go outside.

Pinterest makes it easy to find free ones and Etsy has some adorable ones with realistic artist drawings that are beautiful.

It felt so good to get outside and breathe fresh air.  Hopefully we warm up throughout the week and can get the dump trucks out of winter storage.

Siblings

 Siblings are our first friends, sometime our first besties too.

No one knows you quite like a sibling.  They hold all your childhood secrets close to their heart.  They are the ones that will give you a hug one minute and torment you the next.  

                                                    

Do you know how wonderful it is to be with your grandchildren each day? 

I get to watch Cutie E and Cutie O grow up.  I witness the big milestones like putting words together to build sentences or learn to use the potty.  But I also get to see them figure out how to show love for one another, say sorry, learn to share and recognize how amazing it is to have a brother.

                                                   

Today Cutie E and I ran a few errands together.  Cutie O was home with a bit of a fever.  Cutie E was lonely in the car, missing his buddy.  In the grocery cart he tapped the seat next to him and let me know that, that spot was Cutie O's.

They are young, but their bond is strong.

Holly loved Harrison from the moment they met in the hospital.  She smothered him with kisses and was always willing to help.  She was disappointed that he couldn't play with her right away.  When he did finally play with her she wasn't always in love with the idea of sharing toys.

Guess Where

Harrison and Riss were best friends at a young age.  He lovingly shared his toys, his time, his room and even his bed.  She would walk into his room at night and he would roll over so she could sleep next to him.  Riss was never a tag-a-long, rather a sister that was included.

Harrison's Wedding Day

I have two sisters, Leslie and Kristen.  

May 1980

Kristen, affectionately known as Shorty, passed away 24 years ago of kidney failure.  She wasn't your typical sister, she was born with many birth gifts that made life a bit more of a challenge.  At her birth the doctors told my parents she wouldn't make it to her first birthday.  I'm pretty sure my mom willed her to live through that year and 20 more.

Shorty loved to play puppets, sit next to me while I did my homework, cozy under the blankets after taking the sheets off the bed and wanted her nails painted if I was doing mine, but then wanted it off immediately.  She loved you no matter what and always put your shoes right where they belonged.

Unconditional love was Kristen's talent.  She could walk up to a perfect stranger and give them a hug.  We didn't know why, but usually the receiver needed a little love.  Life with her was often difficult, but I wouldn't have traded that time away.

Leslie and I grew up together.  I still remember making the poster to welcome she and my mom home from the hospital.  I was so excited to be a big sister.  Sitting in bed with my mom feeding my doll while she fed Leslie is one of my earliest memories together.  Once I entered elementary school I realized having a tag-a-long little sister slowed me down.  

 1976

Flee, one of Leslie's nicknames, has always been the life of the party.  She brought the fun, the smiles, big belly laughs and silly antics.  No one can get our family to loosen up and have fun like she can.  

The Grinch had a heart two sizes too small, Leslie was given a graceful heart that is two sizes bigger.  Kristen taught us unconditional love, but Leslie taught us that there is always room for more.  She will open her home, give you the coat she is wearing, prepare a meal for you if it is what you need.  You will never know what she had to sacrifice in order to make you a little more comfortable, thought of, cared for and loved.  

We haven't always gotten along.  I don't know too many siblings that don't disagree, argue or fight.  

In the last 12 years Leslie and I have lost both of our parents, an uncle, an aunt, moved and experienced many difficult trials.  But through it all she has been right by my side cheering me on, supporting me and loving my family.  

Recently I have realized that she was my first best friend.  She did keep all my childhood secrets and she is the only one that knows our childhood.

Today our bond is stronger than it ever has been.  I couldn't do this life with out her.  As the Cuties grow and change I hope they will recognize sooner than I did that they have a real treasure in one another, that they are each others BESTIE.