August 2012

I love August. It's the month I feel I want to hold onto Summer and yet I am looking forward to the cooler days of Autumn. I was just about to write that August was a little more relaxed than the last few months have been, but when I started gathering pictures I asked myself, "how could you possibly have thought it was relaxed?"  We were busy from the very first day to the last with wedding celebrations, new baby, children and grandchildren moving in, back-to-school, birthdays, a mission call, and, of course, temple service.  It has been a good month, though, full of the very things parents and grandparents pray for...happy children and grandchildren doing the things they should.

Our August birthdays were very happy ones, to go along with the other happy events of this month.  Tyson, Brynlie, Camille, Brody, Bethany, and Carson all celebrated birthdays in August.

Tyson's birthday was August 14th

Brynlie turned 7 on August 17th

Camille turned 7 on August 17th

Brody turned 3 on August 17th

Bethany turned 19 on August 18th

Carson turned 6 on the 22nd

Dad and I started the month with Temple service, and then the next day we went to Mesa to attend the wedding of Josh and Nicole in the Mesa Temple.  We got to Mesa at lunch time on Thursday the 2nd, so we called the kids who were in town, and arranged to meet at Mi Amigos for lunch.  Everyone came, including the happy couple, and we had a great time.

That night we had dinner with Nathan and Shauna and Shauna's parents who were in town for the wedding.

Now I have to say, August, in general, has been very pleasant, weather-wise.  We have had cooler temperatures due to a late monsoon, with lovely rain and clouds.  However, on August 3rd, the day of Josh and Nicole's wedding, it was probably the hottest day of the year...117 in the shade.  In fact, when we got in our car to go to the Temple, the car thermometer registered 120!!!  Of course, we were cool inside the Temple, but the kids who had to wait outside were sizzling.  When we joined them after the ceremony, we were amazed that they hadn't all melted.  It was so hot that we just took one family picture on the steps of the Temple and called it good.  Can you imagine that? Actually, if you can't imagine it, it is because we took three.  But three for this family is like one for any other family, right?

When the newlyweds finally came out of the Temple, we all agreed that it was worth the wait! They 

were so beautiful and so happy.  What a great day.

Little girls gathered around the "prince and princess."

Josh and Nicole with Josh's grandparents

What? Comfy black shoes?

The Tom and Susan Biggs family...minus our missionaries, Connie and her older kids, and Thomas and Jenn and their family. Everyone else was there. Pretty good for us...Actually, as I re-look at it, I don't see Shad or Soren or Brody. I know they were there, just not in the picture, I guess.

Josh and Nicole were so relieved to be out of the heat that when they arrived at the church for the luncheon, they just plopped on the floor.  She looked like a lovely white flower.

Finchers

Nicole and girls

Josh and boys

The grandparents, just enjoying the party and "looking cute." Dad says that's our whole responsibility now...just sit at a table and look cute.

Grandpa and Grandma were able to come. They really enjoyed seeing everyone, starting with Marlie.

Daniel brought his girls over to greet them

Family members enjoyed the festivities and each other's company at the luncheon/ring ceremony

Josh and Nicole with Grandpa and Grandma

Dad giving helpful, loving advice as he conducted the ring ceremony

Susan and Nancy

Jan and Nancy~Karen also came to the reception, but she had gone before we got there.

Rebecca and Lisa (Lisa is in Nicole's home ward and is a good friend of her mom. She was also Nicole's YW leader)

Dad with Robert and his wife, Nathan, Brad and Teresa~We also saw Carolyn and Diane, but didn't get a picture of them.

Karl and Brad Biggs

Nathan and John Biggs

Dad with cousin Bill Biggs.  His granddaughter, Layni, is Nicole's friend.

The romantic dance under the fabulous chandelier.

Josh and Nicole dancing with Josh's parents

Josh dancing with Bethany

Daynen and Hannah enjoying a dance

Hayden and Crew really had some cool moves

Dad and Nathan

Dad and Jeremy and Nathan

Jeremy and Erika with Bethany, Hannah and Sam Biggs

While Rachel's family was in Mesa for the wedding, they stayed at Grandma and Grandpa's house. Grandma loved visiting with the kids.

Thomas missed Henry's birth by one day, but he has come home from Mexico, permanently, so he has lots of opportunities to hold him and bond with him...and help Jenn as she recovers.  He realized, after much fasting and prayer on his and Jenn's part, that he didn't want to spend any more time away from his family, and if giving up medical school was what he had to do to be with them, then he would give it up.  He is now looking into other options and investigating other possibilities.

Henry's siblings are crazy about him

As are his cousins

Of course, Jared would just as soon eat him.

Maya actually turned 2 on July 31, but since her mom was in the hospital having her baby brother on that very day, she celebrated her birthday after they got out of the hospital.

During the week we were home, between receptions, school started in Arizona.  I am including the pictures of all the kids, also in Colorado, even though they didn't start so soon. We also enjoyed Rebecca's famous back-to-school foot cookies. She makes them in the shape of feet to symbolize that education is the pathway we walk to success. Besides that, they're delicious.

Brianna 

Carson 

Crew

Docker

Isabel

Rylie

Luke

Camille and Brynlie

Marlie

Harrison

Bridger

Kirtlyn

Thomas

Porter

Shadrach

Parker

Albert

Shannyn

Jonathan

Analynn

Emma

Lillian

DeWitt

Polly

We flew to Omaha to be with Josh and Nicole for the reception there. It was beautifully decorated by one of Shauna's friends, and the happy couple were the stars of the show, of course.

Josh and Nicole had driven across the country with Nicole's parents, so the day after the reception, they packed up and drove back. By the way, the weather in Omaha was perfect!

Poor Bethany, had to say "good-bye" to Mason. We didn't invite him to come along with her.

She  also had to leave her sister and best friend, Hannah.

While we were in Omaha, we had the chance to visit with Elder Sanders and his little family.  He was one of our favorite missionaries in Portugal and has since graduated from BYU and located in Omaha. That was a real treat for us. It brought back Portuguese memories.

Bethany flew to Arizona on the 13th, then drove her car (which Nathan had previously driven to Mesa) to Safford to begin her stay with us while she attends EAC.  She even had to give a talk in Sacrament meeting on the 2nd Sunday she was in the Singles Branch! She did a great job, too. She also got caught up in everything revolving around Henry.

She just fits right in.

While we were gone to Omaha, Rachel and Mary really pitched in to help Jenn. It was before Thomas came back and she really needed all the help she could get. They brought her meals and took her kids. Here is when they took the kids to a new park at the fair grounds.  Notice how red everyone's faces were. It was obviously very hot that day.

The twins celebrated their 7th birthday on the 17th, with a princess slumber party.

They decorated t-shirts

When we came back from Omaha, we stopped at Esther's house to give Brody a present for his 3rd birthday, which was actually on the 17th.  His favorite part of the gift was the brochure in the box showing all the other trains he can buy!  Notice his 5 o'clock shadow.  Soren was sporting one too.

Bethany's 19th birthday was the 18th. We, including some of her Safford family, went to Jumbo's to eat Chinese food. Yes, she was the princess.

At home, we went swimming and then she had a strawberry cake.

Josh and Nicole dropped by to wish her a "Happy Birthday."

The 18th was the "moving in day" for Levi, who moved into his apartment at Howard's, and for

Josh and Nicole, who moved into a trailer at Howard's, just across the parking lot from Levi.

The next day, Sunday, we all ate Sunday dinner together...including Thomas and Jenn's family, even though they're not in the picture.

That week we had a wonderful, exciting "gully washer." Rain fell by the buckets full! It was great!  We all went outside to watch the rain, and Maya was fascinated by it.  She went out to stand in it for a few seconds, then came back on the porch and put on her goggles and went back out to really enjoy the weather properly.

Mary had Carson's party for his 6th birthday on the 24th. She was afraid the wet weather would continue and spoil the fun, but it was a beautiful day. Carson's friends enjoyed the jumping castle she rented, and the "Phineas and Ferb" cupcake cake, and then the family came later for chicken enchiladas and Spanish rice.

August was also the time of the summer Olympics in London. We had a lot of fun watching the athletes perform and Maya had a lot of fun trying to do the things she saw them do. This was during the gymnastics competitions.

She wasn't as interested in the Political Conventions, however!

Even though Rebecca's birthday is September 8th, we had her birthday lunch on the 30th so Allison could join us before she goes away to school at BYU Idaho.

Then we had the second annual "Allison-is-going-away-to-school-send-off" at La Paloma on the 31st.

As we were leaving the restaurant, we saw the "Blue Moon." Dad explained that it is called a blue moon because it is the 2nd full moon in the same month.  That doesn't happen very often. In fact, the next time it happens will be in 2015!

We also enjoyed the fabulous sunset on our way home from Solomon.

MISSIONARIES

We have officially added another missionary to our roster of those serving the Lord.  Yes, DeWitt got his call on Thursday, the 30th.  Everyone was there to witness the grand opening, and we all were surprised at where he is going.  ARGENTINA!  And not just anywhere in the 13 Argentinian missions, but to Mendoza, where Stetson is serving. We were all so excited, but not as excited as DeWitt is. He has already started crocheting himself an Argentina-colored beanie to take with him.

His brother, Dallin, in Neu Quen Argentina. See the snow-covered Andes Mountains behind him? He has been transferred, though, and is now serving as a zone leader.

Enjoying the package he received from home.

With one of his Argentine families

Stetson with some of his members/investigators/converts.

This photo was posed in fun, but it wasn't so much fun when Stetson and his companion were held up at gunpoint...and I don't mean neon plastic guns, either.  They were not harmed, though, as the Lord was protecting them.  Stetson said that before he left his house that morning he prayed for protection, which, he says, he doesn't always do. We are so thankful that he did that morning. He, too has been transferred. Wouldn't it be super if he got to be DeWitt's trainer?

NEWS FROM AROUND THE FAMILY

OK, so how much fun is it to be the only boy with four sisters? Maybe slightly more tolerable than being the only girl with four brothers, right Marlie? Or maybe not.

When we went to the Alders for the twins' birthday party, we found Isabel shooting at a can. She's a pretty good shot, too, as evidenced by the demolished can.

Tony is the epitome of "Soccer Dad."

The twins in their soccer gear

Polly and Isabel are on the same team this year. Hooray. At least they won't have to play against each other.

And, DeWitt and Lillian are also on the same team...co-ed soccer...who'd have guessed?

Soren has become a swimmer.  He showed me how he could jump into his pool without floaties. He is a regular fish.

On the way home from Arizona, Daniel and the kids stopped at Twin Rocks Cafe in Bluff, Utah

After being in Arizona and swimming in Esther's pool, all they wanted to do was go swimming, so Shadrach made them this "red neck pool" and they loved it!

Parker, working on his Eagle project. He is taking up the grass, not laying it down.  He is putting in a patio of pavers at his school because the grass in front of this particular door gets chewed up by the football players' cleats.

He had a lot of help from family and friends

It was a pleasant job until it started raining on them

Even still, they got it all done!

A good place to clomp into the school without grass and snow on their cleats.

Daniel took his boys para sailing. Here is a link to two u tube videos. They are really worth watching:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sxyw1A6f2sA

http://youtu.be/_iW8OB9fFBg

Devynne at Disney World where she is an employee for this semester. It is actually a BYU semester at Disney world.  She is taking classes, including Institute, and getting BYU credit for working there.

Her WDW name tag

Joel sent us this picture of Crew because he looks like Dad in his floppy "Grandpa hat."

Levi had his wisdom teeth pulled...all 4 of them at once, in preparation for sending in his missionary papers. Poor boy. It looks like even a milkshake wouldn't have helped very much. According to his parents, though, he was hilarious! The medication made him say goofy, funny things. They have video, which I bet you could find on u tube.

Jared is getting way too mobile! If the door is left open, he can sense it from wherever he is and he is on his way!

Talk about mobile babies! As silly as this looks to you, it is even sillier when you realize it is Thomas' scooter and that he bought it for alternate transportation! Where have we gone wrong? At least he bought a helmet to go along with it. Hopefully, if he ends up in the hospital with his arm in a sling and his leg in traction, his head will be okay.

We started this blog with the excitement of the wedding of our oldest grandchild, and we'll end it with the peaceful slumber of our youngest grandchild.