Sneak preview

We got our pictures on disc from our recent family photo shoot.  We have to decide between over 300 pictures which ones that we like.  Here is a look at a couple of them. 

They were taken at Gary's mom's house.

I bet you wish that you could see all 312 of them.  One will show up on your Christmas card this year so at least you will have one of your very own.  Have an awesome week with your family and friends.

Then the bug arrived...

Life was moving swiftly along this month with all of the activities that I have blogged about and then .....Ben got sick early in the week with a stomach bug, then Gary got it early Friday morning, then me late Friday and Jena on Sunday morning.  Suddenly everything stops and all we do is sit around, sleep, and try to sip water.  Jessica, Scott, and Tosha are avoiding us as much as possible to avoid the germs.  I can't blame them.  It is rare for more than two of us to get the same bug.  It seems to last about 48 hours so hopefully things are better for us tomorrow....because of course, there is another busy week ahead...with wedding lunch planning, two birthdays--Tosha and mine, Jessica is having surgery to remove a cyst in her sinus and also her tonsils...and the list goes on....Next week we are leaving for Family Camp fun (for Gary and Jena) and Wood Badge training for me....I hope I have time to sew my stuff on my Scout shirt.

Well, I have caught up on my blogs so you might want to scroll down through the last few to catch up with us.

"Welcome to Zion" Primary Activity

Last Friday, we had our third and final activity centered around our Walnut Grove Primary Pioneer Trek.  After doing the "Winter Quarters" and the "On the Trail", our Primary kids were ready to head on their own little trek. 

We started at a nature park and walked about 20 minutes on a trail, headed across the street (with the help of a Syracuse policeman) to our Stake Center, 

There we joined other ward members in a picnic and pioneer games.  It was certainly hot enough to get a bit of a favor of a trek although we were able to spray the kids with water as we went along and we all knew that we would be sleeping in our own beds that night.

                                                                                                                 The Virginia Reel--Primary-style

It was great!  It reminded me of the many "July 24th Celebrations" that I attended as I grew up in Washington and Texas.  It seemed like almost every year we would dress up and decorate our wagons and parade around the park.  In some ways, I think the Church members in Utah miss out on those moments because it is a state holiday here.

Visitors from Texas...

We were lucky to get a visit from my brother Rick and sister-in-law Linda with their four kids.  It was timed with Father's Day so we had four fathers to celebrate--Rick, my dad, David Dobson (Karla's son) and Gary.   In addition my niece Megan came up from Orem so we had a houseful to party.  The usual dinner, conversation, and games!!!  We played "Wits and Wagers" which we played once before at my brother's Mike's house a number of years ago.  We now are in the market to buy our own copy.

Nephews, Duncan and Thad, enjoying the good weather and the trampoline.

Gary and Thad watching the Wii players.....

                                     

We spent Monday at a local fun center where we bowled, went miniature golfing, and played laser tag.



Cousins at the Fun Center                                                                            

                                                             Glow in the Dark Golfing

Park City--Part 2

Jena enjoying the late night movie--"Princess Diaries Part 2"

Just to finish up our trip to Park City, here is a couple of more photos from our stay.

Chantel with her mom and sister Jessica

Here is the group in front of the lodge......

It was great to spend some time with each other before the "Big Day"

This includes Chantel's grandmother and Scott's grandma

A Park City getaway

For the fun of it, Jena, Grandma Hall, and I took Chantel, her mom, sister and one of her grandmothers all to Park CIty for an overnight trip to Parck City.  We were looking for some time together to get to know each other better before all the busy wedding stuff starts.  We did the Alpine slide and coaster both down the mountain sides.

Getting up to the top of the Alpine slide, you ride up a six person chair lift.  They didn't put down the bar in front but we finally figured out when the ride was almost done.  Jena relaxed and liked it much better.

Here is Jena getting into the cart in waiting for the ride to begin,  You have a stick which you can push forward or back to make it go faster or slower.  She choose slower.....

Chantel and her mom getting ready for the coaster ride.

The scene on the way up the coaster.  You are pulled straight up and then rode down in and out of the trees with gravity.  You do have a break but no breaking means flying down the faster.....

A picture of the track down

while I was going up

Another scene of the track and trees.  It is a fast ride, too fast for taking pictures on the way down,  But it is a fun quiet ride in and out and around the trees. 

If you are ever in Park City you might want to try it!!  Jena did the slide but past on the coaster which is probably a wise choise for her. 

the sky as we started swimmng before the black clouds came

We headed back to the hotel and ate dinner together in the rooms.  Then off to swimming in the pool and hot tub

until it started hailing on us and we had to make a fast dash to the rooms.  We watched a disney movie and ate treats until we all fell alseep.  That was the end of our first day.

Sunday afternoon thought......

Just a note:  I have written several posts today tryng to catch up.  You might want to run down about five posts and read from there up to here.

We had a run of bad news this week as Gary's mom was diagonised with breast cancer for the second time and my dad with prostate cancer.  It makes me sad that people have to deal with the challenges of physcial life and of course, it impacts everyone around them too.  However, I am grateful that there are options and choices for them and all of us because of living where we lived and the great blessings of medical care and financial resources.

A friend speaking in Church today reminded us of a quote from Elder Jeffrey Holland in which he stated:  "The blessings will always outweigh the burdens if we look around".  How true that always seems to be in my life although sometimes I have to look for them.  These tulips are one example.  I planted them last fall and because they are on the north side of our home and I must have planted them too deep, they bloomed much later than the rest of the neighborhood.  This picture was taken just a couple of days ago and they continue to bloom.  What a pretty sight to come home to!

An award for Gary this time

Gary got an award at our last Roundtable.  This is the Webelo Scout Leader award.

I will have to get him a new Scout shirt so that we can sew this and other things on a clean and not-stained shirt.

June 2nd rocket launching...

....since buying a air rocket launcher last year, Gary and I are always looking for ways to use it.  So on Wednesday morning of last week, we went to Legacy Junior High and joined Jena and her special education class for a period of rocket launching.  They had made their rockets the day before so they were ready to go.  I think the class and the peer tutors all had a great time shooting off the rockets and then running to try to catch them.

      Three, two, one, ...blast off....

Peer tutor diving for a rocket......

Jena with her teacher and teacher aids.  They helped Jena have a great year as a 7th graders.  They will be back next year for her 8th grade year.

A wedding trip to Arizona....

 

View of Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell

(from hotel Thursday night)

Jena and I drove from Provo to Page, AZ, spent the night there and then went the rest of the way to Mesa to my sister's Valerie's house.  Her daughter, Landi, got married on Saturday, May 29, 2010 to Ralph.  We are excited to add him to our family.  I forgot to take the camera to the temple so no pictures from there, but it was pretty and hot..................

                  The entrance to the reception.

Landi had taught Engish in China for a year and then served her mission in Taiwan, so she went for an Asian theme. They had Chinese food, paper cranes for good fortune, and of course, fortune cookies that were black or purple. It was very pretty and unique.

Two pretty girls in purple

Jena with her cousin, Kylie.

Grandpa Mike playing follow the leader with Jay and Audrey

(I wonder what his students at Texas Tech would think??!!)

Cousins under the purple umbrulla

At Valerie's after the reception

Let the Giberson Game playing begin...

As is typical of Giberson gathering, we managed to fit a few games around the wedding activities.  Lance even challenged Ralph, Nate (Kristen's boyfriend), and Tommy (Kara's boyfriend) to three chess games at once.  He said that they had to beat him to marry one of his daughters......Nate was the only one that won, but Ralph still married Landi the next day.  Hopefully he will practice up while they live in Alaska so he can win the rematch when it happens...............

Kara and Tommy in the kitchen making cookies together....

Ipson cousins plus one.....hanging out.

For our final day there, we joined in the monthly running of the Ipson Family and Friends 5K run.  Usually held on the last Saturday of each month, it was changed because of the wedding.  We were signed in according to divisions based on age and mode of transportation--running, walking, or biking.  Mike and I were the leaders in the walking divisions,,,but our time is a secret.  Jena ran with her cousins for the first couple of blocks and then joined us and walked about half of it before catching a ride with her cousin, Jarom.
(picture:  Jena signing in before the start of the race....)

Lining up for the start of the race.  I think there were around 20 people who were involved in one way or another.  They even had water, bananas, and oranges at the end of the race for us. 

Coming in toward the finish line....

We made it but the best part was walking and talking with my brother, Mike.  We don't often have a time just the two of us to talk.  It was great.

We headed home (we got home on Tuesday around noon) later that day after spending some time in the swimming pool.  Sorry it is my blog and I don't have to post pictures of me swimming if I don't want to.  :)

Back track to Mother's Day

I forgot I had some pictures from Mother's Day.  We spent the afternoon at my mother-in-laws and played bocce ball in the back yard.  (I am only an average player.)  It was a beautiful day although it was a bit cold for my mother-in-law. 

                             I got to see all my kids although at different times due to work schedules.

State Track and Field Summer Games

After having a snowstorm. wind, and rain for the Area Games, we had a beautiful day for the track and field games at BYU in Provo.  I love going back to the BYU campus.  It is so beautiful and I have so many great memories of the years (and years) I spent on campus.  If I lived close enough, I would probably still be taking classes now.

I pointed out the "Y" on the mountain and told Jena that I had climbed up there and beyond on the trails around those two mountain tops.  From this distance, it looks a lot steeper than I remembered.  Not sure I would want to climb it these days.

Jena was in three events:  softball throw (she got a silver metal in her division); 50 meter run (fifth place ribbon)  and the 25 meter run (bronze metal).  She had a good time and beat her best time in the 50 meter even though shecame in fifth.  We were very proud of her.

There is her name on the "big screen"--lane 8

Here she is getting ready for her first race.....she announced her own name and team over the loud speaker...............

Here she is running the 25 meter.

Getting one of her metals from the volunteers.

Jena wanted to take a picture of us...but Gary decided to be silly.  Jena loved it!!!

It was a great day and we all got a bit sunburned.  We had driven in two cars, because Gary headed home and Jena and I headed off to Arizona.......................next post.  :)