This year I was asked to be a YCL leader at girls camp which meant that I got to be with Kristen and Brianna. It was a privilege. Playing baseball with corn on the cob was definitely a highlight, and the good angel on my shoulder wasn't loud enough in shouting that I am a leader not the kid. Kristen had to reign me in only a few times. So glad the three of us were all together!
Brianna had to get her wisdom teeth out. We had a few great videos of her which I won't post will but gladly show if asked. "It's so weird, Dr Hopkins poked me here and then that's all I remember, it's so weird"
Elsie came to visit us for a whole week. It was so much fun. These are two peas in a pod for sure.
Let's do it again next year!
Brian got to go back to Louisville where he served 22 years ago to visit his mission president, who has been the temple president for the past few years.
They toured Lexington Kentucky where there is an amazing amount of wealth in horses. This horse's in-foal mares he breeds have sold for over $1,000,000!
This is not a church but a stable.
Brian got a chance to visit with people he had baptized. What a memorable experience to visit with wonderful people whom he hasn't seen for over 20 years.
After his time in Kentucky he took a road trip to visit his brother, Doug and his family in West Virginia. The plan had been for Doug to meet him in Kentucky and they both would go to the Paul McCartney concert. However, Sir Paul got sick and had to cancel the concert. Very disappointing. But Brian still made a trip to see Doug and enjoy their wonderful family.
Doug's air conditioner broke, so the boys made some window screens.
In July Kristen got to go to Washington D.C. for a week long leadership camp. It was a tremendous experience for her, and she was so glad she had this opportunity. She had several chances to answer questions about our church and beliefs.
So, I wanted to paint Elizabeth and Lydia's room before Brian and Kristen returned from their trips. I went and bought the paint while the girls cleaned and prepared the room. When I got home Lydia grabbed the paint can and drop cloths to get it ready for me. I was ready to get a little lunch when I hear, MOM! My thought was, Oh no, please no, no, no, no. I got down to their room and sure enough paint was all over the plastic drop cloth and was leaking onto the carpet next to their bed. I started hollering and yelling, "thirty-five dollars" over and over. Then I went up and down the stairs trying to figure out what to do, but all I was doing was saying, "I don't know what to do, I don't know what to do." I finally calmed enough to think and Brianna came to help try to clean it up. We just started painting, and using the paint off the plastic drop cloth. A miracle, I didn't have to buy another can, it was just right! But I still have a paint spot on the carpet. Oh well.
Also in July we got to have Laure with us from France. She has been so much fun! Very adventurous and brave. This is Brian teaching her how to country swing.
We took a trip to Sun Valley with friends to visit their very cool park and their YMCA swimming pool.
Elizabeth and her best friend Lucy.
Lydia and her best friend Grace.
We met a family from Sudan who are trying to learn to live and work in
the US. They have five kids, Ekram, Alawi, Tahani, Aisha, and Osman. The first
time we met them we went to their apartment and chatted with them. Ekram
was good at English so we could communicate pretty well. Right before
we left, Majda (the mom) took me by the hand and motioned me to follow
her. So I did and we went into her bedroom. She then had me hold open my
hands and she poured this perfume from a bottle and then directed me
through gestures to put it on my neck, arms, hair etc. I am smelling
like a perfume fountain. She then gave me a splash of another bottle
telling me it's from Sudan. I added more to my already pungent body. Then
she gestured that it's good for, and pointed to the bed and said
something about husband. I was laughing. We left the room, and my family was intoxicated with the smell. We then drove home with the windows open
despite the cold temp. I was
drrenched in perfume, and I mean
drrenched. We
laughed for a long time about it.
When they came to my house, Majda brought some perfume for me in a bottle so I could have more for myself. Oh boy! She also brought their traditional dress and dressed me up in it. It was great fun.
Yesterday we had them over again. We had made plans with them that they would come over Saturday evening at 9:20 pm because they had to break their fast for Ramadan after the sunset. So I prepared an American meal, hamburgers and she was to bring Sudanese food. We waited and waited, and finally at 10:30 pm they came. But it wasn't just them, we watched as five additional people came into the house. I was thinking, I only have 11 burgers and this is more than that. They came in and sat down and we chatted, got introduced to their friends and asked if they are hungry. Majda (the mom) told us no, they just ate to break the fast. So after several more awkward minutes, we started putting away food, but as were were getting the birthday cake out, Ekram admitted she was hungry, and said they hadn't eaten much. So then we got the food back out and I warmed everything up and we fed them. They needed more hamburgers, though, so we quickly thawed more hamburger, and I went out to grill it. By the time I got done, they were finished eating and it was all for naught. It was a crazy time, trying to entertain people from Sudan, Iran and France with such a language barrier! There was Arabic music pumping, kids screaming and running all over, eating cake all over.... We just had to laugh!
The little boys were so crazy and Brian had to make sure they didn't destroy our piano or anything else. All in all we had a great time. It was midnight by the time they all left. We just laughed at such a funny experience!
City of Rocks with our friends the Olsens. We found a wonderful new huge rock to climb called Bath rock that everyone could do, but it was very high.
Climbing on Bath Rock.
Elizabeth and the Eli the two-headed monster.
This rock was also a new daring rock we had never climbed before. We called it the Sphinx. It was narrow and about 200 feet almost straight down either side.
Boating with Dewsnups. They have a fantastic boat that we can wake surf on. Kristen and Brianna got up pretty fast and could do it for awhile. Brian was also really good but I didn't get pictures. I was ok.
We rented a paddle board and the girls played and played and played on it. They jumped on and off it a hundred times. It was another wonderful day on the river. "My dear friend, there is nothing--absolutely nothing--half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats." Ratty (Wind in the Willows)
