Trip to Provo

Last month, the five younger kids and I went to Provo for a couple of weeks to spend time with Rachel and Summer to keep them company while their husbands were gone, to send Gwen and Kelly to EFY, and for Summer and me to take a knife making class.

It was great to be together with all seven kids. We all missed having Stan with us, who stayed home to hold down the fort.

Naomi visited Mars, well, the Mars diorama at the Clark Planetarium.

 

Summer, also at the planetarium, tested the plasma ball with her nose.

We hiked up to Stewart's Falls, seeing pretty flowers on the way.

 

 

Can you find Rachel, Heather, Michael, Gwen and Naomi?

I have never done woodworking before, but...

Summer and I had SO MUCH FUN making knives and other tools.

Here are the three knives, two lifers, spatula and folder I made.

Here is Summer camouflaged by her dress on the big sleeping bag Rachel let the kids use while we were there.

It was a wonderful trip! 

Covenants

Covenants are important for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

In the past year and a half, our children have reached milestones and made covenants.

Naomi was baptized a member of the church.

She had lots of loved ones around her.

 

Rachel received her endowments in the St. George Temple.

Summer received her endowments in the San Diego Temple.

We sure love our children!

Food and Other Adventures

Before and...

 

 ...after we moved all the irises and planted some new flowering bushes in the front of the house.

 

 Randall and Gina and their family came to see us on their way to a cruise. We loved visiting with them!

 One evening for FHE, we each chose something (mostly) new to try from the Asian grocery store and then ate it (mostly) all for dinner.

For our semi-annual exercise reward dinner, we went to a place where they boil seafood, then toss it in seasoning and just bring you a plastic bag with your food in it. You eat it with your hands and it is even messier than it sounds. We had crawfish, catfish (this was fried, not boiled), clams, shrimp and crab legs. It was all delicious!

 At the end of the meal they brought soapy water with dry ice in it - to wash your hands.

 

 The kids found other uses for it, too.

Summer is here while Jake is in South Korea, so we took a quick trip to the beach yesterday - everyone's favorite place.