It is the end of summer 2018. We have had a beautiful summer! I am so blessed! My children are all happy and healthy! I have two daughters-in-law expecting new babies, which means I am just about to be a grandma. (not sure about that!)
We have made great memories together this year! I love to print recent photos of our adventures together and plaster them on the cabinets of our kitchen. It is my own social media board to remind us that family is most important and that we do lots together! I love to be reminded of the fun times we have shared! I would like to just list some off, maybe I can even drop some photos in to show the fun we have had this year!
I will go back to March 2018 we left early in the month in a brand new 15 passenger van to spend a month on the road! We didn't have everyone for the whole time, but there was about a week when we had everyone but Sam with us! Sam was in the middle of his classes at DXATC and said he couldn't get away. We missed him! We drove across the country, stopping at Nauvoo (baptisms there with all my older kids will never be forgotten! Special visit with the Temple President!!!), Winter Quarters Omaha Nebraska, and then on to Washington DC. Annie had never been there, so we took her! We stayed in a Marriott Destination our first night there, just behind the White House.
Then we spent a few more days in a VRBO house just a few blocks further out. One of my favorite memories of those days was the day we rented the scooters and rode through the streets of Washington DC with two of us on the scooters, dodging through the cars, to all the monuments! It was a day never to be forgotten! We did the tours, and visited the national museums, yes. The littles, Sara and I went to the Newseum this year for a couple of days! It is packed full of photos and history of the world through the medium of the news sources! It was fascinating! Oh, there is so much to share! The DC temple was just closed for remodeling - they were putting up the fences. We snuck in and got photos but didn't get to go inside that one.
Then we drove North, and had the others join us in Philadelphia! Of course, found the LDS temple there! Cool to find it from the freeway above us! We visited the liberty bell and constitution hall, then we went to New York with everyone. We stayed out on the island in the Marriott! Parking the extra tall 15 passenger van was a trick! We found the temple in New York, went to Central Park. Did the 911 museum, took the ferry and toured the Statue of Liberty! It was awesome!
Stephen painting the fence in Hannibal Missouri. :)
Temple in Columbus Ohio, we had some time to kill as we waited for church to start that Sunday morning, so we found this temple! Enroute to Washington DC.
Washington's Obelisk in the background at the Washington DC Mall. From left to right - Brinley, Sophia (front) Jakob, Stephen Haley and Sara.
Part of the Wall of China in the Newseum in Washington DC.
Washington DC Capitol Building! Statue from Utah. This was the group that drove back with us! Jed and Annie flew home after New York because Annie had to get back to teach. I am so grateful for fun memories together!!!
Plymouth Rock monuments - cemetery on the coast, we found Edward Doty's(my family) headstone right next to John Alden's (Brad's family)! Angels were watching over us to find these two in the freezing cold snowstorm that night! Right next to each other! I felt those people from the other side of the veil celebrating that we were there connecting! They were working on getting Brad and me together hundreds of years back! I am so grateful!!!
Sledding in the Walmart parking lot in New York! It had snowed huge flakes, and we needed a break from the car, so we tried to buy a sled - not to be found - so we bought plastic paint trays and used those to slide. It was a fundetourr!
Banks of the Susquehanna river where Joseph was baptized.
Then some of the group flew home, and we drove up to Boston. We visited a law school that was recruiting Chandler hard, and we went to Plymouth. We rented a house right on the coast, steps from Plymouth rock. That night it was snowing, and they were expecting 10" the next day. We got up early in the morning, and moved on to upstate New York LDS church history sights! We visited the new site on the banks of the Susquehanna river and restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood sight) then we went up to the Hill Cumorah, then the Sacred Grove. What beautiful memories we made there. Then we stopped at Niagra falls, ventured into Canada over to the temple just over the border so we could say that we did it! :) Fun Sunday afternoon! Then on to Kirtland, Ohio and then home. It was a great trip together!
In May we needed to celebrate the graduation time of Sam! He graduated from Seminary and was very near completion of his DXATC Engineering Certificate (done in August) so we held a fun party for him, renting a cabin at Sundance and spending a few great days together there! Brad decided last minute we should learn to fly fish, so I arranged for guides to take them, and everyone but Sophia, Stephen and I learned to fly fish! The littles and I hiked up the Timpanogos trail - not quite to the top - we stopped after crossing 4 snowfields which were rather slippery! Beautiful days together! We did take some family photos in the lush greenery of the canyon while we were there! Here is a peak!
June 1st, Sam moved out. He wanted to have his independence and not have parents checking over his shoulder so he found a way to be on his own. He thought he was going to an apartment, but as June 1st (his target move out day) got closer, that didn't work out. Back in March while we were back East, he bought a camp trailer that needed work, he thought he was going to fix and sale to make some money. He still hasn't sold it, so for a few months - he moved out to that trailer - living down by the river on our property without water or electricity. I understand he bought a little generator so he could have power when he needed, and he did have the water tank on the trailer. He insists is was not so bad! I was a grateful Mom when in July - temperatures have been above 108 every day for weeks, he found a room to rent from a friend of Ann Hansen :) - grateful for her friendship and swimming lessons - I was there with the littles in her classes, and she mentioned this room for rent in her ward. It was far enough away from home, and Sam checked it out and the lady begged him to move in quickly. He has been living there for more than a month now! Yay! He says it is great, the other tenant - a nurse lady - works lots! Sam has only seen her 3 times in the month he has lived there. They share a big house.Sam seems to be happy. He shared with me last week that he has decided that he does want to serve a mission(shhh :)), and is working secretly on his papers to surprise us! yay! I hope he decides to serve the Lord! I know he is a great young man, and the Lord needs his help! Sam needs to decide to serve for the right reasons! Sam is working for Quality Excavation making great money! At the beginning of the summer, just before he moved out, he had said he didn't know why anyone would serve a mission because they just come back broke. We testified that return missionaries may be broke, but the Lord blesses them for their sacrifice far more than they can ever measure! Brad told him that he has his whole life to work, but that this time is the time, the Lord has asked for service! I hope he decides to serve! Fasting for him today (August 5th, 2018).
June was filled with camps, efy, and moving and remodeling a house for Jed and Annie to move into in Boise Idaho. They rented out their condo in St. George, and bought a cute 3 bed 2 bath home in Boise. Jakob went with them, and we joined them for a few days to work morning until dusk on tile work. It is almost ready for them to move into to begin law school in just a few short days! For now, they are back in St. George, enjoying a few last days together!
July we rented a houseboat and took Budd and Jolene (Brad's parents) with our beautiful group to Lake Powell for a week! It was super fun! Dreams come true! We have long talked about having a way that the brides of our kids while they were pregnant would not want to camp out at Powell, but we wanted them to come, so we wanted a way they could have a cool, nice place to stay while still making those fun water memories in the red rock together. It was a beautiful week together! Highlights include the lights from the fishing boat coming round the corner when Sam came in the dark mid week! Never forget that night! Watchinging the Sunset from the top of the rock with Sophia admiring the colors, Jakob fishing nearby, Chandler ripping it up behind the boat! We had a fun beach relay with runners, swimmers, climbers all participating on teams! Our theme this year is "Smile" so Sophia and others made cute smiley faces to put up all over the houseboat. We made Powell blankets for everyone to remember this year together! Another highlight was the 100 slide challenge - which didn't end so positive, but by Stephen sure slid that slide a lot of times! :) In the end, we didn't have serious injury, but we had some bickering about who really had the most tally marks on the chart, so it was a battle about who won, so we scratched the competition! Next time we need to set a few more rules up front!
So here we are to the end of the summer. Jed arranged for a hike to KeyHole Canyon - georgous!!!! -yesterday. Liesl missed
that hike last time, so when she learned it was happening, she insisted on coming down. I love having her home! She just left to drive home. I love to have everyone together! Chandler and Haley were with her family this week, so they didn't come on the hike, and Sam had other commitments, but it was a fun weekend!
We have made great memories together this year! I love to print recent photos of our adventures together and plaster them on the cabinets of our kitchen. It is my own social media board to remind us that family is most important and that we do lots together! I love to be reminded of the fun times we have shared! I would like to just list some off, maybe I can even drop some photos in to show the fun we have had this year!
I will go back to March 2018 we left early in the month in a brand new 15 passenger van to spend a month on the road! We didn't have everyone for the whole time, but there was about a week when we had everyone but Sam with us! Sam was in the middle of his classes at DXATC and said he couldn't get away. We missed him! We drove across the country, stopping at Nauvoo (baptisms there with all my older kids will never be forgotten! Special visit with the Temple President!!!), Winter Quarters Omaha Nebraska, and then on to Washington DC. Annie had never been there, so we took her! We stayed in a Marriott Destination our first night there, just behind the White House.
Then we spent a few more days in a VRBO house just a few blocks further out. One of my favorite memories of those days was the day we rented the scooters and rode through the streets of Washington DC with two of us on the scooters, dodging through the cars, to all the monuments! It was a day never to be forgotten! We did the tours, and visited the national museums, yes. The littles, Sara and I went to the Newseum this year for a couple of days! It is packed full of photos and history of the world through the medium of the news sources! It was fascinating! Oh, there is so much to share! The DC temple was just closed for remodeling - they were putting up the fences. We snuck in and got photos but didn't get to go inside that one.
Then we drove North, and had the others join us in Philadelphia! Of course, found the LDS temple there! Cool to find it from the freeway above us! We visited the liberty bell and constitution hall, then we went to New York with everyone. We stayed out on the island in the Marriott! Parking the extra tall 15 passenger van was a trick! We found the temple in New York, went to Central Park. Did the 911 museum, took the ferry and toured the Statue of Liberty! It was awesome!
Stephen painting the fence in Hannibal Missouri. :)
Temple in Columbus Ohio, we had some time to kill as we waited for church to start that Sunday morning, so we found this temple! Enroute to Washington DC.
Part of the Wall of China in the Newseum in Washington DC.
Washington DC Capitol Building! Statue from Utah. This was the group that drove back with us! Jed and Annie flew home after New York because Annie had to get back to teach. I am so grateful for fun memories together!!!
In May we needed to celebrate the graduation time of Sam! He graduated from Seminary and was very near completion of his DXATC Engineering Certificate (done in August) so we held a fun party for him, renting a cabin at Sundance and spending a few great days together there! Brad decided last minute we should learn to fly fish, so I arranged for guides to take them, and everyone but Sophia, Stephen and I learned to fly fish! The littles and I hiked up the Timpanogos trail - not quite to the top - we stopped after crossing 4 snowfields which were rather slippery! Beautiful days together! We did take some family photos in the lush greenery of the canyon while we were there! Here is a peak!
June 1st, Sam moved out. He wanted to have his independence and not have parents checking over his shoulder so he found a way to be on his own. He thought he was going to an apartment, but as June 1st (his target move out day) got closer, that didn't work out. Back in March while we were back East, he bought a camp trailer that needed work, he thought he was going to fix and sale to make some money. He still hasn't sold it, so for a few months - he moved out to that trailer - living down by the river on our property without water or electricity. I understand he bought a little generator so he could have power when he needed, and he did have the water tank on the trailer. He insists is was not so bad! I was a grateful Mom when in July - temperatures have been above 108 every day for weeks, he found a room to rent from a friend of Ann Hansen :) - grateful for her friendship and swimming lessons - I was there with the littles in her classes, and she mentioned this room for rent in her ward. It was far enough away from home, and Sam checked it out and the lady begged him to move in quickly. He has been living there for more than a month now! Yay! He says it is great, the other tenant - a nurse lady - works lots! Sam has only seen her 3 times in the month he has lived there. They share a big house.Sam seems to be happy. He shared with me last week that he has decided that he does want to serve a mission(shhh :)), and is working secretly on his papers to surprise us! yay! I hope he decides to serve the Lord! I know he is a great young man, and the Lord needs his help! Sam needs to decide to serve for the right reasons! Sam is working for Quality Excavation making great money! At the beginning of the summer, just before he moved out, he had said he didn't know why anyone would serve a mission because they just come back broke. We testified that return missionaries may be broke, but the Lord blesses them for their sacrifice far more than they can ever measure! Brad told him that he has his whole life to work, but that this time is the time, the Lord has asked for service! I hope he decides to serve! Fasting for him today (August 5th, 2018).
June was filled with camps, efy, and moving and remodeling a house for Jed and Annie to move into in Boise Idaho. They rented out their condo in St. George, and bought a cute 3 bed 2 bath home in Boise. Jakob went with them, and we joined them for a few days to work morning until dusk on tile work. It is almost ready for them to move into to begin law school in just a few short days! For now, they are back in St. George, enjoying a few last days together!
July we rented a houseboat and took Budd and Jolene (Brad's parents) with our beautiful group to Lake Powell for a week! It was super fun! Dreams come true! We have long talked about having a way that the brides of our kids while they were pregnant would not want to camp out at Powell, but we wanted them to come, so we wanted a way they could have a cool, nice place to stay while still making those fun water memories in the red rock together. It was a beautiful week together! Highlights include the lights from the fishing boat coming round the corner when Sam came in the dark mid week! Never forget that night! Watchinging the Sunset from the top of the rock with Sophia admiring the colors, Jakob fishing nearby, Chandler ripping it up behind the boat! We had a fun beach relay with runners, swimmers, climbers all participating on teams! Our theme this year is "Smile" so Sophia and others made cute smiley faces to put up all over the houseboat. We made Powell blankets for everyone to remember this year together! Another highlight was the 100 slide challenge - which didn't end so positive, but by Stephen sure slid that slide a lot of times! :) In the end, we didn't have serious injury, but we had some bickering about who really had the most tally marks on the chart, so it was a battle about who won, so we scratched the competition! Next time we need to set a few more rules up front!
So here we are to the end of the summer. Jed arranged for a hike to KeyHole Canyon - georgous!!!! -yesterday. Liesl missed
that hike last time, so when she learned it was happening, she insisted on coming down. I love having her home! She just left to drive home. I love to have everyone together! Chandler and Haley were with her family this week, so they didn't come on the hike, and Sam had other commitments, but it was a fun weekend!