October Fall in Syracuse

Happy Halloween

It is October so I managed to pull out the Halloween decorations before we left for San Fransisco. 

This hangs on our front door.

I already blogged about our short trip to San Fransisco.  It was beautiful weather there and also here.  Our weather did one of those unseasonable warm to winter weather in just a few days.  We actually have had snow flurries this week in our town with lots of snow in the mountains.  We have enjoyed the wonderful colors of the fall from our maple trees in front. 

They are very slow growing, but the colors of their leaves are amazing. 

(I had a great picture when they were full of red and brown leaves but I can't find it anywhere.)

On Oct. 10th, Tosha ran a half Marathon around Layton and Syracuse.  She was pleased with her time since this was her first time.  She is hoping to be ready to do a full Marathon in the spring.

I had  headed home a day early from San Fran to coach Jean's Special Olympic basketball team.  They were preparing for the Fall Games which are held at the University of Utah each October.  Jena was involved in swimming and basketball.  As mentioned before this was her first year to compete in the regular swim meet at the 25 meter distances.  She did back stroke and free style.  In basketball she did developmental skills.

She had a fun couple of days.  I think that she enjoys her friends almost as much if not more than the actual competition.  Fun and fitness are two major goals of Special Olympics.  Here is some looks at the competition.

That was a fun weekend.  I think that Jena got a silver and gold in swimming and then a silver in basketball.

We spent a couple of days trying to catch up from the 2 days down at the Fall Games and to prepare for the next adventures.  I flew out to St. Louis on Wednesday the 20th with five other people from Davis Behavioral Health.  We attended a training for Starting up at new Clubhouse.  Club House is a rehabitiation model to help people suffering from serious mental illnesses.  It is an international program that is very successful in helping those people find more life fulfillment and also find jobs where they can be successful in working.  I am part of a working committee to organize and support our brand new clubhouse which opened it's doors about 2 weeks ago.  It is called Journey House.  It was very intense training "from dawn to dusk" with homework.  On top of that I had a client give birth before I left so I would spend each night form 9 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. working on things to prepare for that plus talking to her.  She was three weeks early so there was things still to be done to get ready.  We were so busy while in St. Louis that we only saw the arch from our hotel and didn't get a chance to get close.

We enjoyed our time however.  Our driver who pick us up from the airport commented that we didn't look Amish......which started a fun relationship with him throughout our stay.  He told us that we weren't like most people who came for training...we started out funny and talkative rather than taking time to warm up.  That made us laugh and try harder to live up to that standard.  Four of the people work together at Davis Behavioral Health and another was a member of the Clubhouse and then I was the community member.  I didn't know the others much but they were great and I had a great time with them.  We laughed so hard when we were together.  I discovered that one of them went to school with Gary although she didn't think he would remember her (he did actually).  Hard work and fun times and not much sleep...I am getting old for that.  Even now I am still tired and not quite caught up with things.....of course I have a sore throat and moving to a cold I think so that adds to it.......

Of course, life didn't end when I got home.  We were delayed in our flights home so I didn't actually get home until 1:00 a.m.  Utah time on Saturday.  Jena and Gary had to get up at 6:30 a.m. for an early morning dress rehearsal for the Roadshow that night.  Jena was a dancer and Gary did the sound.  That meant I had to get up to get her dressed and ready to go.  Gary doesn't do ponytails.  As they spent time at their practice, I went to work to prepare for an adoption relinquishment and placement.  That was how I spent my day. 

Ben also had a big Saturday.  He spent the day in Salt Lake at a Young Adult Conference for those with mental illnesses.  He actually did two presentations on soap making as an example of leisure time activities.  It went fine and he was pleased with it.

After picking Ben up in Salt Lake, I joined Jena and Gary at the Roadshow Evening at the Stake Center.  I forgot the camera so only have one picture of Jena in her costume as a "Lollipop dancer".  She was darling and had a fun time being part of the play.  No awards were given but we had a great roadshow that was centered on "Once upon a time....when you could watch TV".  One character was "Laura Ingalls" and she was often adding little comments about "This is Walnut Grove and I belong here".  Since our ward is the Walnut Grove Ward....it added a funny twist to an already funny productions.  We all loved it.

Sunday was the Primary Program in Sacrament Meeting.  We have 155 children and in the past we have tried to write a program where most kids had a speaking or special group singing part.  This time we decided to focus on the music instead and sang a larger number of songs. The main song "I know the Savior lives" was beautiful.  The writer of the song happens to live in Syracuse and came the week before and talked about writing the song.  Then she lead the kids singing it.  It was sweet although I think the teachers were more touched that the kids themselves. 

Each class had a part they did together and then we had three children give talks about our Primary activities and two kids play a piano number.  It was awesome.  The kids sang great.  Of course, the Sunbeams were crazy and enjoyed grabbing the mic during the songs.  Oh, well...memories.

Then to manage those crazy (yet cute) kids during Sharing time we decided to do something completely different.  Gary and I put together "Walnut Grover Eyeball Benders".  We took 53 pictures around our Church building, adjusted the pictures to be close up.  Then the kids got to guess what it was in the picture.

Here is a couple of examples:

Any of you who have been in an LDS Church probably can identify all of these pictures.  Have fun!

And this week we have just been trying to recovering in the middle of all the things that we have planned.  Jena has been sick with a cold for over a week and now has bronchitis so she has been home from school all week.....so Tosha and I who are getting colds feel like the germs came from her and the junior high :)

We are hoping for a quiet weekend.............chili and scones with Gary's family and passing out candy to the neighborhood kids on Saturday and Sunday.

Hold on.....................

I know it has been awhile since I posted.  I don't want you to think nothing has happened to us since I last posted...I have just been too busy to post.  Too tired tonight but look forward to news about the Fall Special Olympics, my trip to St. Louis, Roadshows, Ben's soap making demo, etc........keep checking in....

Back home....

...to Syracuse and the real world.  It was great to get a way and it is also nice to come home again.  Gary stays one more day, but I came back to help with Special Olympics and also be able to work tomorrow.  I was glad to find things good at home and Jena had even done her homework while we were gone, although I am not sure much piano practice happened.

I really like the Bay area and we often thought we would end up there at some point in Gary's career.  Then came the internet...and home offices....and I am glad to be living here and visiting there.  That is a good place to be.

Heading up the East Bay towards

the Oakland Temple for a session and a walk around the grounds.........

The Relief of the Last Supper

The Temple Terrace...the scripture on the wall is

 from 3 Nephi where Jesus blessed the children.

The temple is built on a hill over looking Oakland, the bay,

and even San Fransisco

If my memory is correct, the Oakland Temple was the first temple I actually saw in person.  It was under contruction at the time.  I can remember parking and walking up to a fenced area and looking at the temple.  The walls were up and they had begun the work on the relief of the First Supper which is on the front.  Judging by the dates the temple was announced and completed, it must have been in the summer of 1963 or 1964.  It must have been the year we came to visit Calls in Livermore and went to Yosement National Park.  All Giberson historians are welcome to correct or clarify this memory.

It was a nice visit both to go to the temple and to visit that old memory of seeing a temple for the first time.

Off to meet Gary...................

Guess where we are?

First hint--this is an afternoon shot....

 These next two were taken about 50 miles south along Hwy. 1.

(Unfortunately, I didn't get to see them in the wild.)

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 An egg yoke jelly fish

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This is a leaf Seahorse, amazing!



Hundreds of years of "visits" by the local and traveling birds have made these rocks white....

Have you seen houses like this before?

Have you guessed yet?

Here is a self-shot with the familiar look of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Gary had a business trip in San Jose (his first trip in about 10 years) as part of a "meet the team" meeting.  Gary has worked with many people on his team for years and never met them or they haven't met many of each other, so his new boos called them together.  I got invited.  We flew in on Monday and made a quick trip up to the Golden Gate Bridge and the coast.  It was a clear day and it was great to see that amazing bridge again.  We wandered about the city and then headed to the coast and saw some huge waves, birds, and these amazing surfers holding on to kites that pulled them through the waves.  We headed back down to Cupertino to join his team for a dinner at his boss's home.

Today Gary headed to work and I went about 70 miles down to Monterrey and visited the famous Cannery Row and Monterrey Aquarium.  It was a beautiful drive through the mountains and along the coast and dunes.  Tonight Gary and I then went for Indian food which was very good, but it is biting back this evening.

I will be heading home on Thursday and Gary will return on Friday.

We appreciate our kids "minding the store" while we are gone.

One more September 25th highlight--Tosha's "Dirty Dash"..

Tosha ran in her first official 10K race with a group of friends.  She was a late entry into the team.  The race happened at Midway, Utah, and consisted of several different mud related trails that they had to go through as a team.  It included sloshing through streams, climb mud hills, running through fields of mud, you get the picture.  Here is sweet (clean) Tosha with her team, the before and after.  She will be running in her first regular race on Saturday, Antelope Race where she is running 13 miles.

She said it was great fun.  Another first in a great day!

Another Special Olympic Event

Jena swam in her first 'regular' meet for Special Olympics on October 2, 2010.  In the past, she has swam in the developmental swim meet which is the beginning levels in swallow water.  She had raced the 10 and 15 meter races for free style and back stroke.

This year her coaches decided she was ready for the Big Time and she was moved to the 25 meter length which in one length of a Olympic size pool and it was deep...so deep that Jena was worried about it.  She had practiced some in very deep water and she talked about wanting to swim in a small pool not the big one.  Her coaches said she was ready and SHE DID IT.  Two races across the 25 meters--back stroke and free style.  She was nervous but she got in and swam the races to the end without stopping.  Here is a short movie of her backstroke...ignoring my cheering for Katie and Jena.

Here is Jena with some friends showing their medals from that event.  Fun times...

And a look at Sardine Canyon on our way home from the meet which was held at Utah State University in Logan, Utah.  Jena took this pictures as we were driving.

The Logan Temple in the skyline of Logan

Pictures by Jena Hall

September 25th..

Some days are nuts...but filled with great things nonetheless.  That was true about September 25, 2010.  Jena woke up at her regular time and got dressed for swimming practice which usually is at 7:45 on Saturday.  However today, we had the area basketball tournament held in Clearfield.  This is my first year as an official "Special Olympics coach for basketball" although I have helped for the past couple of years.  I recently completed my training to be certified.  I help in the skills area where players are assessed in passing, dribbling and shooting.  This year, our team also got to play a couple of games for the first time.  Jena enjoys basketball and especially being with her friends.

I had to leave early so Gary finished my coaching assignment for me as Ben and I had been invited to a very special event in Salt Lake.  One of his teachers at the STAR program which is where he completed his last semester of schooling to graduate was being baptized.  Anne had been a very important person to Ben and to us as we adjusted to his illness and tried to help him complete school.  As part of their relationship there were opportunities where religion came up in the discussion.  She would often comment to me that she didn't understand why it happens so often with Ben and with me that she felt like talking about more personal things.  There were times that the Spirit was so strong when we were together.  I didn't imagine that two years later we would have this special experience to see her join the Church.  It was awesome.  She told us as she took the missionary lessons that she would sometimes tell them, "Oh, I heard this from Ben a couple of years ago."  Even during his trials, he was an influence for good for someone else.

Then it was the usual highlight Saturday night with the General Relief Society Conference from Salt Lake.  Our stake RS sisters joined for a pasta dinner and then watched the broadcast together.  Pres. Monson was in "rare" form, posing for the camera and making jokes.  He warned us about the importance of not judging each other and showing true charity to all, especially to other sisters.

A long day with nothing of the regular Saturday things done, but a great one any way.  Jena's first basketball game, a baptism, and a prophet..............what more important way is there to spend a Saturday.

The Birthday Events......

It shouldn't be that hard to avoid having three birthdays in eight days...just a little planning ahead time...oh, I forgot...we weren't choosing children based on their birthday...perhaps we should have.  Every year it is crazy as we try to celebrate Ben, Gary and Jena's birthdays.  It is even more difficult as we try to still include these young adult and married children in our planning.  This year we got some to each but not everyone to any one's birthday.  Oh well....the highlights

Ben wanted to go out for Chinese food so we got his grandma, Jena, Gary, and I and Jessica to eat at Dragon Hills, a local Chinese restaurant.  We opened gifts afterwards which included a new paint job for his room which he hasn't decided on yet.  He is now 22 years old.

Gary's birthday is next.  Tosha, Scott and Chantel joined us for a BBQ of hamburgers and potato salad and gift opening.  Jessica has commitments in Salt Lake but left a gift earlier in the day.  A separate post will highlight her gift. Finally Gary is now the same age as me and he has to quit teasing me about it.  :)



In addition to Scott and Chantel, the puppies had to be part of the fun as well.

Jena's birthday is the day after Gary's.  We had been searching for a night to do an outdoor movie for her and some friends at her grandma's house on our projector and big screen.  Her birthday became the only night to do it so it became her birthday celebration.  She picked "The Music Man" as the movie and her friends enjoyed popcorn and lemonade as they watched the movie.  It got a bit cold but we will do it again.  It was fun.


Jena didn't open her gifts until the next evening because we were so late on Friday night (We forgot to check how long the movie was.  Usually movies are 2 hours right...not the old ones.  This one was 2 1/2 hours.)  Jena is now 14 and moves up to the Mia Maid class of Young Womens.  Here is the sign that they posted in our yard for her birthday.

Whew....the celebrations were over.  But Happy Birthday to all three of you and I am so glad to have you part of my forever family.  And as Jena says, "I 'heart' you, too."