Happy Birthday, Kristin!

Dear Kristin:

Happy 23rd birthday! Here is a picture of you:

This is a picture of you and dad at Jon's baptism. You were always glad to be near us. As long as you could be around your parents, you were happy. A story about you that we like (although we pretended not to) was how you would come into our room at bedtime and get in between us in our bed, making like you were going to be there all night and that was that. Sometimes it took us hours to convince you to go to sleep (you were never a good sleeper--sorry about that genetic mess-up!). When you were a baby you were easy to love because you would cuddle up close around our necks and just dwell there.

You are good to your friends and a good listener. You are a sweet person. We are very proud of you for getting your education. You wanted to be an archaeologist since you were very small and you got your degree!

We hope your birthday is a great one. We will be thinking about you all day. We love you.

Love, mom and dad

School is In...

I'ts time for our Latin phrase(s) of the week: Today's phrases are taken because it is graduation time.
Congratulations to the seven plus Clifts who graduated or are graduating this semester: Kristin Clift, Jennifer Shaw, Ryan Shaw, Alan Clift, Melissa Aurich, Sarah Clift, BYU friend Karma Kerr, gradeschool friend, Courtney Innes, high school cousin, Darren Clift, and CNAs Aubre Norlund and Amber Norlund.
So we have three Latin phrases in honor of our graduates.
First is: • Summa cum laude--adverb or adjective [literally, "with highest praise"] with highest distinction.
Next is: • Magna cum laude--adverb or adjective [literally, with great praise] with great distinction.
And, of course, • cum laude--"with honor" (direct translation: "with praise").
Good luck to all of you Clift family and friends graduates and remember to "carpe diem" (car pay DEE uhm), [Latin], “Seize the day”; (enjoy or make the most of right now). Have a wonderful week!

Kristin Graduated from BYU

April 22, 2010, five years after Kristin graduated from high school, she graduated from Brigham Young University with a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology with an emphasis in Archaeology. That's five years of very hard work, done mostly by herself, with superb emotional and residential support (not to mention gastronomic) from Kerry and Steve.

High School: Kerry (L), Kathy, Alex, Mr. Johnson (band teacher--Kristin, as drum major, led the senior song), Jon, Katelyn, Joel and Sam is sleeping.

Marty and Kristin, April 22, 2010

Congratulations! We're so proud of you!

Thanks, Kristin!

Kristin made us a blanket for Christmas. Thanks, Kristin! It matches our couch better than the color on the picture shows. It is a soft flannel. The grandkids like it because it is just the right size for cuddling up in on a cold winter evening with a fire in the fireplace.