Speaking in churchOn June 29 Rhett (Kay's family) posted: "Madison spoke in sacrament meeting for the first time yesterday as the youth speaker. She did a great job speaking on 3 Nephi 11. She volunteered to speak. It was quite different helping her prepare her talk than when we do talks for McKay and Mallory for Primary. She did very well and we are proud of her."
Trip to WashingtonI traveled with our daughter Rachael and her three daughters to Everett the first week of July to visit our daughter Camilla and her husband and son. We stayed overnight with Dale and LeAnn in Nampa on July 2 and got together with a lot of the family
living in the Treasure Valley area: Lyle and a lady friend named Doris, Jackie and Jared, and Cheryl and four of her children (LaWanda and her husband Terry, Bobbie, Gena, and Ronnie and his baby Roxie). Gene was up in the mountains working on their cabin. There were 17 of us who went out to eat at a Mexican restaurant. The next day we drove on to Everett.
It was a delightful vacation. On the Fourth of July we watched Everett's Independence Day parade and saw fireworks at Lake Stephens that evening. During the week we were there we went to the beach a couple of times, visited Snoqualmie Falls (shown at left), went to free concerts in the park, and had a lot of time to visit. Claudia flew to Seattle midweek to join us for the rest of the time we were there. The day she arrived the two of us spent an evening catching up to date with one of my missionary companions who now lives in Edmonds and is an OB-GYN physician in Seattle. Another day we drove up I-5 to Burlington, across to Deception Pass, and back down the full length of Whidbey Island before taking a ferry back across to Mukilteo. We celebrated little Sam's third birthday also.
Fun on the FourthOn July 12 Andrea McAllister (Kay's family) posted about their activities on the Fourth of July: "We had a good 4th it was pretty low key we started the weekend with the kids sleeping out in a tent in the back yard. They all thought it was a blast but next time I have been informed Kendall is sleeping in her own tent because she moves to much and kept hitting who was sleeping by her.
"We then headed for breakfast in the park. The food was really good this year and we enjoyed all the booths in the park. Now normally the kids run in a 5k but I forgot to register them and when I remembered the price had doubled and I was not about to pay that. So without a race to recover from and no Peterson reunion, we had lots of time on our hands before our other events. We watched a movie, had a short nap (or should I say Chuck had a nap), and then we helped our Dad go finish all his errands for scout camp.
"We then finished the night with a picnic in the park and fireworks. Colle, Chad, Easton and Gretchen joined us. I actually like the hanging out for fireworks almost more than the actual fireworks. We played card games, played catch, ate good food and enjoyed each other.
"I hope everyone had a great Fourth, and I am very grateful for all the men and women who have fought for my freedoms. God truly has been good to me."
Fourth of July and afterOn July 13 the Burdetts (Lyle's family) posted the following summary of some of their early July activities: "For the 4th of July we decided to get out of town and headed down to Portland OR. The weather was beautiful, We couldn't have picked a better weekend to relax and unwind. We stayed at a lovely hotel in downtown portland called The Embassy Suites. We were on the 5th floor and had a GREAT view of downtown portland. We did a lot of shopping, swimming and just relaxing. We rode the max lite rail system around to get us to the malls and to go touring. The first day we were there we attempted to go to the zoo... but it was very crowded and VERY HOT so we cut that trip short. I could have lasted (the sun goddess I am) but Shawn and the girls were not happy campers. . . .
"This last week the girls got to go up to grandma and papa's house (Terry and Becky Cleverly). They went raspberry picking and played outside a lot and I heard they got rather good on guitar hero playing Michael Jackson songs."
Vacationing in IdahoDylan and Sarah Rager (Dale's family) traveled from Texas to Idaho to spend a week or so visiting with Dale and LeAnn and family. Concerning the visit Kira posted on July 7: "My sister came into town yesterday! We spent the evening celebrating a late Fourth of July, complete with pizza on the grill, homemade ice cream, games and fireworks."
Heritage daysOn July 19 Nicolle Higley (Kay's family) posted: "This week where we live has had its annual heritage days!! On Thursday night we went and had a dutch oven dinner in the park and listened to a little music.
"Saturday morning I woke up bright and early and jogged in a 5K. I love to run in races because when you finish you just feel good. Well usually anyway. I haven't ran to train for this race and thought I just might die at the end. I didn't of course and still would like to run in some more races.
"The race started way late so I got finished and we had breakfast and then headed to the parade. The kids came home with a ton of candy
. After the parade we went home for a while and then we decided to go to the park and see what was going on. It was super hot so we got a snow cone. I love snow cones!
"It was really hot and we told the kids that they could do one ride so we decided to go home and come back after dinner when it would be a little cooler, or we were hoping. We watched a Hypnotist show. Easton thought it was pretty entertaining. He sat and watched the whole thing.
The rides were incredibly expensive so we decided to let them go on this blow up slide thing. Gretchen was a little stinker she went up and wouldn't come down so I had to go get her.
"We came home got PJ's on and then watched the firework show from our front yard. Gretchen watched the first little bit and then fell asleep. It was so nice to be able to walk in our house and put her to bed."
Lazy summer daysOn July 22 Crystal Price (Lyle's family) posted: "We've been keeping really busy around here doing nothing lately. Spent almost a week down in Auburn. Discovered my newest obsession...which may or may not require some intervention soon....but anyhoo, I'm speaking of IKEA!!! I have never ever been there and on a whim we decided to go check it out. Hoping to find curtains. Well, we didn't find anything for here, but my 'wish list' for after we move is about a mile long. . . .
"That's enough about that. . . . We also celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary on the 14th by having a picnic at Hovander Park (where we were married), had a little birthday celebration for Zaccheaus' fourth bday and went to a little shindig for Ocean Card's fourth birthday the next day. We've really been enjoying our time with Josh home with us, but are eagerly awaiting him finding a new job. He's got a couple prospects on the horizon and is still looking for others. Please pray with us that he can find something by September. Our lease is up then and we will have to move anyways, so we're really hoping he'll have his new job by then."
Lava Hot SpringsTwenty-seven members of Claudia's and my family gathered on Monday, July 20, to celebrate my 60th birthday by taking a horse-drawn wagon ride up into a canyon in southeastern Idaho where a chuck wagon supper and entertainment were waiting for us. The evening was a highlight of our week this year at Lava Hot Springs. Everyone was there except our two children who live out of state: Chris and Camilla in Washington and Paul and Eliza in Georgia.
The previous day, which was my actual birthday, I was called, sustained, and set apart to join Claudia as one of the gospel doctrine teachers in our Bountiful ward. I was released from the Scout committee and my assignment as Duty to God coordinator. Apparently I will also be released as an instructor in the high priests group. I will continue to serve as priesthood pianist.
Off to IllinoisRobert and Rachael and their three girls, who have lived the past three years in Malad City, Idaho, are moving to Harrisburg, Illinois, where he will head up the Emergency Room in the town in southern Illinois where he grew up. Michael and I drove across country with them this past weekend to help them move. We will fly back to Utah from St. Louis, which is about two hours away from where they will be living.
Summer funJackie just e-mailed with the following update on their summer: "We had a fun week when Jolene flew home from Houston, Texas, for five days. She came home to take a test at BSU and to go on our 2009 Redfish Lake vacation. We spent three nights and four days there camping this year at the Point Campground.
"When I got home, I wasn't feeling very good on Monday. I had been bothered with a cough all summer and was running a temperature on Monday. I went to the doctor and found out I had walking pneumonia. After a few days of sleeping a lot and taking antibiotics I feel a lot better.
"Summer school ended on July 17. It was a lot of fun, and I met some really neat people."
