Keeping Tabs on SD

Ron has been so good about keeping us up to date on Sunny Decals.  Orders continue to increase as does our future workload! 

Mannequin Dancer

Brenna practicing her mannequin dance moves.  Next time I'll need to get a video instead of just a pic

Float Queens

Our Stake had a float in the Pioneer Day Children's Parade this year.  Following the parade, they have delivered the float to each of the Bishop's houses so that the neighborhood could get to enjoy it for a few days.  Last night it arrived outside our house. 

Kay off to Kagali

At the airport checking the flights.  Kayla was flying from SLC to JFK with a 4 hour layover at JFK before heading to Doha, Quatar.  Her flight out of  SLC was delayed 4 hours due to extreme weather in the East where her plane was coming from.  We left her not knowing whether she would make it onto her next flight, but we had no doubt she would make it eventually.

Her official Kennedy Center Internship Backpack

Got her passport pouch going on

Our final farewell before she heads through security

Love you Kay!  We Plan, Prepare, Pray, & Do all that we can do, and Trust in the Lord as we move forward to fulfill HIS purposes.  You'll be awesome!  NECfamily

Emily DRIVES

This cute passed her permit test and is now an official PERMIT DRIVER

She is soo sooo sooo sooo excited!

I'm totally happy for her, just not quite the same level of excitement on my face.  She'll be great!

Kagali Prep

Kay getting ready for Kagali by reading on her many assigned books while cooking tortillas

Packing her suitcase - lots of pills

Trying to figure out the best was to transport a mosquito net not knowing where she'll be staying or how she'll be able to attach it.  Just doing our best trying to get her ready.

B is now a Beehive

Within the church, when a girls turns 12 years old, she moves from Primary to the Young Women's Program.  With in the YW program there are 3 groups.

Beehives    12-13 year olds

Mia Maids  14- 15 year olds

Laurels   16-18 year olds

Brenna is now an official Beehive and her Stake Leader Kathleen Balls brought her over a special homemade 'beehive' treat.  Brenna is Soooo happy to be 12.  Thanks Kathleen!

Girls Camp Prep

We spent Pioneer Day getting ready for Girls Camp.  Becky had cut all of the vinyl previously and we gathered to weed it and heat transfer it on to canvas bags.  

They set up a little assembly line and got right on it.

They turned out awesome!  A big THANK YOU to my neighbor Becky for making these

The girls also helped me organize camp by day and get some of the snacks and crafts packed up

I think we're about ready for CAMP!

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

The older girls and I left the search area near Hidden Lake just after 6:00 pm and I made it back to take Brenna for an 8:00 pm play in Herriman.  She had never seem Chitty Chitty bang Bang before and she loves all theater productions.  

The show was quite a treat.  Herriman City does such a great job with props, stage, sets - they always put on a really good show and this was no different.  Glad I got to spend this night with B

Search for Ray

 Our search party that went to Search for Ray (Click on link to learn about the search)

Ray was reported missing on Thursday morning.  Late Wednesday night he had gone about 40 yards from camp to fill up a jug to extinguish the campfire as the rest of his family headed off to bed.  He never returned.  Ray and his family had camped here at Hidden Lake every summer for the past 29 years, he was in good physical health (he's an elementary PE teacher) and a string outdoors man.  Searchers hope to find him quickly.  The days passed and no sign of Ray, who lives in the neighborhood just behind our elementary school and is part of our stake congregation.  

Saturday night we all received emails about joining the search to look for him.  Kayla was able to heed that call and spent 15 hours up in the mountains on Sunday.  She had never been involved in a search before and was caught off guard by the depth of emotions she felt.  She came come physically and emotionally exhausted asking if they did not find him by morning if she could spend another day up searching.  

The next morning she finished up her swim lessons while we loaded tons of food and gear into the car - not know that would be provided there.  Lindsay, Ellie, and Lizzie also joined us.  We were assigned Search Captains and they lead us out to a designated area about 1.5 miles from where Ray was last seen.  We spread out about 10 yards apart, forming one long human chain and proceeded forward as a group looking up down, around, under, behind, periodically calling out his name and them listening in silence.  We wanted so badly to hear a response, any type of noise, just something, but pure silence in those woods.

The volunteer search, which was run under the direction of the Garrett Bardsley Foundation, was called off about 6pm that night.  We were the last group to report back to trailer and conclude our search.  It really is heartbreaking, there is no other words to describe it.

Here is the conclusion to Ray's Story  (click to read)

A link to Ray's Obituary  (click to read)

Kong Kones

We took Marianne out for Kong Kones cause we all need a little more ice cream in our lives.  She got to tell us all about her trip to Kanarville, 4-wheeling with Nick and Kayla, and being able to visit Woody's grave.  So glad we got to enjoy time with her!

Family Temple Time

 Today was such a great day for Brenna and for our family!  Last week she had a temple recommend interview with her bishop and was found worthy to enter into God's House upon her turning 12 years old.  Temples are all about bringing people to Christ, both those on the Earth and those who have passed on from this life, through covenants and ordinances. It was so special to be in the temple all together as a family for the first time.  We felt immense love from God and for each other.  The temple is a place of love, peace, joy, and tranquility,- a refuge from the storms of life that rages on throughout the world, and we definitely felt that.  This starts a new chapter in our lives - for all of our children to now have access to holy temples.  We have faith in the blessing promiseds as strive to keep our covenants and obey the commandments. We believe there are many more sacred and wonderful experiences that lie ahead for us as individuals, and as a family, as we are found in the temple often.

Brenna's 12th Birthday

This cute girl turned 12 today.  She has looked forward tot his particular birthday for years as it allows her to move from Primary to the Young Women's Program at church and also allows her the opportunity to get a temple recommend, which she can use to do work for the dead in any temple. 

She and Makalya slept in the 'Pool in the Pool' so they could be together for the start of Brenna's birthday.  

  Breakfast was at Kneaders - her favorite all-you-can-eat French Toast.

 In the afternoon we swam, ate, opened presents, and played with Izzy.

Not sure we'll ever celebrate Brenna's birthday not in swim suits.  A fun look back at a pic from her 5th birthday.  We miss those girls, but love that same radiating smile and happy disposition.

This year she enjoyed making her own birthday cake and it was delicious!  So fun to see this girl grow up into such a beautiful young woman.

Lindz & Co. - Jordanelle

Today Lindz and her friends headed up to Jordanelle to enjoy a day at the lake

Such a good CREW - so fun to see them grow up and have such fun adventures together

Lindz and Benjamin

Trying to make funny tan lines with sun tan lotion, and yes, it does work.

With a final stop at Granny's in Heber (seriously the BEST shakes ever)