Backyard Visitor

Ben happened to be looking out our window and saw this beautiful pheasant sitting on our neighbor's fence.  He got this picture while I ran to grab my camera and try to get a picture (I didn't).  It was amazing to see such a wonderful bird in the backyards of our subdivsion.

Good Night Thanksgiving!



I don't know about you, but it makes me a bit sad to take down my Thanksgiving decorations at the end of November (and actually they aren't completely down yet and the only Christmas change I have made is on this blog page.)  It is not because I have such wonderful decorations or that I don't like my Christmas things.  I just like the simple reminders of thankfulness and the colors of fall in my house.  I don't like the rush to Christmas lights and trees even before the turkey is cooked.  If you are one who does that, it is great.  Christmas is wonderful, too.  But for me, it is just now time to say "Good Night Thanksgiving".


Thanks for the blessings that abound in our lives of food, shelter, employment, and most of all, the gospel.

Thanks for family---Halls and Gibersons of all ages.
So exciting to add twins, Max and Sophee Giberson (nephew Paul and wife Randee), right before the holiday.

Thanks for friends, community, and the beautiful fall colors of Utah

depsite the amazing windstorm on Friday.

I felt like I was right at home--in Richland, WA, or Amarillo, TX--both known
for daily winds.  However many of our friends and others nearer
the mountains had winds over 100 miles fly in and many lost fences, roofs, trees, etc.



Thanks for the reminders to stop and count blessings even when things are tough.
They are there to be counted everyday.
I helped Jena record three blessings she saw each day for the weeks before Thanksgiving.
That was a sweet experience as I saw life a bit more from her eyes.
You certainly want to be counted as a blessing by Jena--as all of her dad, siblings, sweet YW leaders, Bishop, seminary teacher, and friends were.



Thanks to the pilgrims who came to this country and for this county itself.
How luck we are to be Americans.



Thanks for another reminder to remember!



Thanks!



So, good night Thanksgiving

and the cute decorations.

Hopefully we won't forget your messages to be thanksful and remember to count our many blessings.

Now let the Christmas Fun begin.........

shopping is well underway, packages ready to be mailed, the "Hall Almost Annual Adult Christmas Party" is set for Saturday, and Christmas Card letter almost prepared.  I am so excited....

if only I could think of what to give Gary.



Happy Thankgiving...

What does it mean if I have less time to blog now that I am not working as much?  Why is time like that?  It flies away so fast and I can't get done the things I would want to choose to do.  I must be doing something but it is hard to remember.

Thanksgiving weekend doesn't count for that.  It is about taking a break and being grateful for blessings that surround all of us---family, friends, food, and shelter, and most of all the gospel and all it teaches us about our Heavenly Father, our Elder brother, Jesus Christ, and His atonement for us.  So it is okay if all you did was hanging out with family, eat, play games, and enjoy some "off" time from work, laundry, and other tasks for regular life.

That's what we did.  Wednesday I made a quick trip down to Provo to pick up Katie (my niece) who came and spent most of the holiday with us. We spent Thursday with Gary's family at his mom's house, eating the turkey and the rest (although Gary realized later in the day that he hadn't had any turkey as his plate was too full when he reached that end of the serving table.  There is always next year.).  We played some games mainly Catch Phrase and Wits and Wagers.  We were planning to go bowling together but had found out the bowling alley was closed on Thursday so Friday morning we(Gary, Jena, and I) headed for an early morning bowling with Gary's sister and her husband.

Friday afternoon, my dad and Karla came up for the afternoon and evening and we played games non-stop until about 8 except for a dinner break for pizza.  Katie played games with us and then headed out with Tosha to go shooting and shopping.  Shooting at a range...not at fellow shoppers....:)

Saturday included Special Olympics bowling, "The Muppets" , another fast trip to BYU to take Katie home, and an evening of movie/TV watching and doing nothing much.  Sunday (today) a quiet day to rest from all of the playing around of the holiday.

While in Salt Lake on Wednesday after Jena's dentist appointment, I was in my first accident while driving...not my fault.  We were stopped at a light preparing to turn right when someone hit us from behind.  My car and his only had minor fender damage but just one more thing to add to the list of things to do.  No one was hurt which is always the most important thing.

Hall Ticker update:  Jessica is loving her job on the crisis line at DCFS, Scott and Chantel are counting down the days until the end of another semester at Weber State, Ben is learning about fish online while he is taking care of his own aquarium, Tosha is working at Cracker Barrel--good days and bad lately, and Jena is having fun practicing for the junior high production of "Guys and Dolls" which will be presented in February.  Gary is busy with work, Scouts, Stake Employment needs, and everything else anyone can think of for him to do--busy man.

And there we are.  Hope Thanksgiving was great for you.  Enjoy the upcoming Christmas season and have fun!

Easing back to my "new life"

And actually I spent about 12 hours working at LDS Family Services this past week as I wrote a home study summary (11 pages) and took care of some other issues.  This week I should work about 4-5 hours as I continue to support my clients and finish paperwork.  This will be the first week that I don't attend staff meeting at all so it will be a change .....

I had the experience on two different forms lately to write that I was not employed.  I felt "odd" for a moment like that made me seem "less capable" or can I say "less valuable", then immediately I realized that those feelings were not right nor even what I believed.  It is great that we have an option as a family for me to stay home and the things that I want to do and will be able to do as a result of not working are valuable and worthwhile.  I sat down and started writing what I wanted to do "since I wasn't working" and produced a list of 21 things in about 10 minutes.  It is now in my day planner and will help serve as a reminder of what is important to me at this time.  That is the awesome thing about this life.  We have choices and we also have the ability to seek counsel and direction from a loving Heavenly Father who knows even better than us where we should go and what we need to do in the time allotted to us.

We started the week hosting the Hall Annual Halloween "Chili and Scone" dinner at our home.  This is a time for people to gather after trick and treating and show Grandma Hall their costumes and eat and talk.  This is our first year to host it.  Grandma Hall (Gary's mom) started the tradition after having chili and scones for Halloween at friend's home while she and Dad Hall were engaged.  She thought it was a great idea and did it for 50 years, then Gary's sister's Valerie has hosted in for the past few years.  Their health isn't great this year so it moved around the corner to our house.  Using Valerie's great (and easy) chili recipe and her awesome large cooker, we fed about 30 people.  (No pictures because I had left my camera at work.)  We had Scott and Chantel as "bikers", Eric and Bree as Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy and Uncle Gary (my brother-in-law) as Harry Potter.  We set up our fire pit in the back yard and cooked marshmallows and just enjoyed the fall weather and the fire.  Good times.

Webelos hanging on to the wing.....

Gary took his Webelos to the Hill Air Force Base Airplane Museum. His partner knows everything about planes and dazzled the boys with his knowledge as they walked around. One of the volunteers there commented that he didn't even know as much as Bret did. It was a fun visit.

Snow on Saturday in Syracuse

First snow of the year

Our rain chain froze over night and then dripped all day as the sun melted the snow on the roof and on the chain.
 It was awesome.   Have I mentioned how I love our rain chain!  :)
Our neighbor asked if it was okay to put one in her house...we said YES!  We love them.



The big news for Saturday was my bowling score.  Jena started Special Olympics bowling on Saturday morning and Gary and I bowled as well while we waited for her.  In our second game, I bowled a 194 which is my highest ever in my entire life by 30 pins.  I am not sure how it happened but there it is in black and white.  Of course I followed that up with a 95 which shows what a fluke that was, but fun nonetheless.  Jena did well as well averaging 88.  She is going to move from developmental bowling to the regular division since she can bowl three games with no difficulty.

And that is our week.  Hope yours was good as well.

Parties and Fun

Jena had a busy week of partying.  Tuesday was Young Womens which she loves, Wednesday she attend a Halloween party for the Utah Down Syndrome Foundation which was put on by a Mutual Group in Centerville, Thursday we went to see "My Fair Lady" at the Hale Theater (awesome), and Friday we had a Special Olympics team Halloween Party...................and Saturday we stayed home and clean the house!  Excwpt for me who spent the morning at our Stake RS Meeting which included me doing a part of a presentation on "Meaningful Family Traditions which bind a family together". (Actually I did come home and do the yard and house cleaning stuff.  We had had our carpets cleaned on Friday and the house was still in disaray and there were some things I wanted to do before putting everything back.  You know how it is.) Whew........We (at least Gary and I) took long Sunday naps today.

Tosha took a quick jaunt to Moab at the beginning of the week and sent me some amazing pictures.

Climbing

Clouds are such a bonus of living on this earth

Amazing view of the river

In addition to the parties Jena had, I also had my "good bye" party at work as I am officially "in the process" of quitting.  What that means is that except for a few things that I am going to finish up over the next few months, I am no longer working at LDS Family Services.  I will finish two home studies and complete the supervision for my families who got babies and will be finalizing over the next five months (so they will not have to change caseworkers).  So I will technically remain on the payroll to finish those things up.  "Any whatever else I can get her to do", quote from my boss, Tammy.

I have loved working at LDS Family Services.  It has been a very rewarding opportunities and I will always be grateful for all that I learned and the great people who I got to work with.  My life has been touched so many times as I have been a small part in someone else's life as they deal with what life and choices have dealt them.  Those young women and young men that I was able to rub shoulders with at a particular time in their lives have been great examples to me of the power of atonement and of change.  The adoptive couples who I have worked with are also examples of dealing with life and its twists and turns.

People have asked me what I am planning to do with all of my free time........no worries, I have a long list of things that I need and want to do--more than a lifetime of things.  The challenge is choosing the right and best things for that list to do.  And after a week or two it might seem like I have more time (still writing a home study and some supervisions this week), but then life will fill up and I will wonder how I ever managed to be away for 20 hours a week on average.  That's life................

Enjoy trick or treating tomorrow.

Pack Meetings and Pinewood Derby Races

but not on the same day.  Thursday night Gary and I were busy with Pack Meeting where the core value was "compassion".  We did a service scavenger hunt for our activity.  Our cub master wrote a darling script based around a trial to see if we could "convict" our cub scouts as "true scouts."  I was "Judge Judy" (of course), and Gary played the defense attorney pleading guilty on behalf of his clients (the scouts) and presenting evidence in their behalf.  They were all convicted and sentenced to 15 minutes of community services which is when they headed to our neighborhood to try to rake leaves and perform other acts of service.

'Judge" Judy
purple robe was all the DI had

Gary interviewing the mothers of the boys getting their arrow of lights.

Pictures taken by our court photographer for the evening, Jena.

On Saturday night, we did the beta testing on our new pinewood derby track with the High Priest Group in our ward.  They organized a yummy potato bar and salad dinner and we provided the track.  We ended up with 24 cars in the races and everything went great.  I have to say that I am looking forward to a relatively smooth race in Pack Meeting this coming January.  Computer timing and racing heats are a BIG improvement over stop watches and chalkboard.

The Senior Pinewood Derby
Some new cars were constructed but other borrowed from other high priests, sons, or grandsons.

Starting gates

Finish line--that is our car on lane one--"Daddy/Daughter" from a pinewood derby race
with Jessica over 15 years ago.

Our open class had these two very different competitors--

Every car raced on each of the tracks and then the winner was the one with the lowest average time.  All of those races were completed in about an hour.  It was a fun evening...and no tears were observed nor did anyone run out of the gym.  Two trademarks of a good pinewood derby race.

We are now planning pinewood derby races for our family reunions next summer.  Let the race begin.

Tosha earned her 2nd star

at Cracker Barrell.  She sent me a text with a picture, but I don't know how to change it from my phone to the blog so she took this other one at home to "recreate" the moment.  They pass off certain tests and requirements to earn different levels.  They will get more tables or longer hours or other things as they achieve different levels.  She isn't happy on slow days when she doesn't get many tips but some days are great.  I think overall she enjoys it.

Fall Games 2011

On the 14th and 15th of this month, Special Olympics held their Fall Games at the University of Utah swim pool.  Jena swam the 25 meter back stroke and the 25 m. free style.  She came in second and first.  For the first time, she also swam a relay and they came in first place after the first team was disqualified for taking off too soon on one of the laps.  No pictures because I had the camera in the bag on the pool deck but was busy coaching in a different area.

Basketball was the next morning so for the first time, we stayed down in Salt Lake overnight.  It was a nice little getaway.  Jena did well also in basketball skills.

If you are missing

the post about my brother Mike...I realized that I had published it on the wrong blog.  It was meant for my extended family blog.

I will catch up this blog when there is a spare minute that is not 2:00 a.m. like it is right now.

The Rain Change in Action

I know that seeing pictures of the rain chain isn't as exciting as being here in person.  After all you miss the freshness of the air which comes with a Utah fall rain and the great sounds of the water as it flows through the copper funnels.  It rained so hard for about 10 minutes on Tuesday that it actually was too much for the rain chain to handle and water spit out off the top and then a cascade of rain overflew the gutter on the front of the deck.  On a few moments it was like being under a waterfall (that's when I thought to go grab the camera but it had stopped by the time I got back.).  Amazing sight and sounds to share with Gary.

View from the deck where we were dry.

See the rain............

Gary had begun to cut out the path where we are going to have cement poured.  We had debated about this piece of sidewalk before we had done the other cement work earlier in the summer and decided against it.  However as we continue developing our (mostly my) plans for the back yard, we agreed we wanted it so made the arrangements.  Unfortunately the rain has prevented it from being poured.  Hopefully tomorrow!

Our new "skinny" pine tree
We removed our three beautiful aspen trees which had provided great shade for our deck for the past 12 years.  I love the sound of the wind in aspen trees and have missed them.  However I will not miss the swallow roots and the little saplings that pop up all over the yard. (When we bought them the nursery man said these were the type that didn't do that.  Oh well.)  In their place, we extended the deck and plant this tree.  It is not supposed to get wide just tall.  The goal is that it will provide a green view once again through our dining room window when it gets a bit bigger.

Busy week for me as I worked everyday (at my paying job that is.)  We were busy getting ready for Education classes which were Friday and Saturday,  adjusting to a new manager (who is great), being involved in an adoption placement (their first child...very sweet.) preparing for an audit this upcoming week, and the regular work and meetings.  Glad it is done although this will be another busy week as we finish up everything for the audit.

First weekend of October

which of course, brings Conference weekend.  It was a nice change from the usual routine of life and to be reminded of the real purpose of life.  As has been said before,  we are in the second act of a three act play.  Sometimes we act or feel like this is the only act.  Yet the climax isn't until the final act.

We did have a couple of other things going this weekend.  On Saturday we headed up to Logan for Jena's Area Games at Utah State for swimming.  No pictures of her swimming as I was asked to help with coaching on the deck.  It was a fun morning and Jena came home with two bronzes and one silver.  This is her first time to swim three races in one day in the "big pool".  It still makes her a bit nervous to be swimming in the deep pools used for races.

New team swim suits

Free style metals--the two on the right are also from Jena's team

Sunday after conference, we headed up Weber Canyon, over Trapper's Loop and across Ogden Valley to see Gary's sister Vonette and their family.  On the way, we enjoyed some fall colors.

Two trains at the mouth of the Weber Canyon--
great scene for train lovers like Gary and I.

I was trying to get a picture of the engine before it went out of sight
and actually caught the engine of train and the end of the other.

Over Trapper's Loop

Scenes around Vonette's yard

My niece, Krystal, playing chase with their dog

Good weekend all around.............even got my bathrooms cleaned on Saturday evening.

Against our best advice....

Jena turned 15 this past week.  It is hard to believe that it has been 15 years.  Like each of our kids, we are so glad to have her in our family (and glad to be finished with the birthday celebrations for the year.)

Getting ready to blow out her candles.

She commented that there was alot of smoke after she blew out the candles....that's why Gary and I don't have candles at our birthday celebration.....

Gary's "HAPPY" birthday!

Gary started his day with mom running some errands and then we met for a late breakfast then split up again to finish up errrands before getting Jena from school ealier.

As part of Celebration for Gary's birthday (Jena's and his mom's birthdays, too), we took Jena and his mom to see the matinee performance  of the Braodway performance of "Mary Poppins".  It was fabalous.  We had a very fun time.  It was at the Capital Theater in Salt Lake.  Of course, I expected we would see Mary Poppins fly through the air (although Jena was amazed by it), then there was kite flying, Mary poppins popping different places, her carpet bag just like the show where she pulled a coatrack and a plant out of her bagge along with other items, and the amazing scene where Mary Poppins with a "spoon full of sugar" fixes up a kitchen that had been broken.  A young girl behind us said "She's magic"  It was so sweet.  The costumes and scenery and voice was all excellent.  We would certainly encourage all of you to see it if you like the movie if it come to a place near your.

We headed quickly out and decided to change our evening plans since the BYU football game was tonight.  So instead of a nice Chinese meal in Salt Lake we hurried back to Gary's mom's home, picking up a take and bake pizza along the way (I know yes, we are still fans--forgive and forget, move forward....)  It got a little scarier in the first half, but we pulled it out at the end.  It was not all pretty but there was some fun plays including the run back on the kick-off to score...the first in over 13 years ago or something like that.  Yeah, a Win.

I am so glad to celebrate your birthday with you, Gary----

because:

You are my best friend,

my biggiest cheerleader

the labor for my wild ideas

the laundry folder when I am busy

the dog-feeder

the hard worker

my best travel co-adventurer.....

not caring where but just to be with me;

my computer programmer,

the provider, presider and protector-

even from the mud splatters from cars;

my handman,

yard "boy",

my Sunday walk companion ...

forever!

Happy Birthday, sweetie....

3333333333333333

For a day like yesterday....

I love living in Utah.....Our ward had their day of service on Saturday.  It was decided that we would help our neighbors with projects that were difficult to do alone.  Now our ward boundaries are basically one block by six blocks or so.  That meant when you drove around our neighborhood between 8 to noon on Saturday you saw groups of families working together to do yard work, clean out sheds, paint front doors and fences, etc.  One group of families cleaned out our roundabout flower area.  It felt good to be a part of something bigger as we helped one of the single sisters in our neighborhood tackle some fall yard projects.

Another reason I love Utah yesterday was the opportunity that I had to go with some friends and attend the General Relief Society Meeting at the Conference Center.  It was great of course, but it was also an experience to be in a room with mostly women (over 20,000) to hear Pres. Uchtdorf's talk on "Forget Me Nots".  Along with his amazing message, I will remember the responses of the audience as he spoke.  If you haven't heard it yet, head over to lds.org and listen to it.  Click below to be directed to the correct spot to read or listen to his talk.

Pres. Uchtdorf's talk

I have a feeling that there will be a run on "Forget Me Nots" in nurseries around the world.

I have loved everywhere I have lived.  Each place with their own uniqueness and richness......I am sure it is wonderful to live in one spot your entire life but I am grateful for each of the spots I have lived because of the impact they have had in who I am as a person.

Hope you enjoyed where you lived this weekend.

For those who are waiting

....I have officially completed all of my goals for my Wood Badge "ticket" and was given my beads and neckerchief at our Pack Meeting last week.  Jena was our photographer for this event.

Jena missed taking a picture of me actually with my new neckerchief and beads but this is the point where my Course Scoutmaster was talking about the beads.

This is a display with some quotes from Baten-Powell, the Pack History book I did for one of my goals, and some other Scout stuff.

It is a good feeling to be done and to have forced myself to do things that I would not usually have done.  It is easy to be caught up in the day to day business of life that we (at least I) can forget that we can do new things and challenge ourselves a little bit to do more or do better or learn something new.  It is part of what enriches us.  Now on to new tasks and goals.....(I am sure that Gary hopes it has something to do with cooking, but I am not sure.  I do know that I want to do a 25 miles bike ride down the rail trail between Parck City and East Canyon, so we have been biking in preparation for that.)  Come join us if you can.  It will be great.

Quote from Baten-Powell: 

“The most worth-while thing is to try to put happiness into the lives of others.”

Have a great day!!

Jena has been busy....

Jena and Kaitlyn dancing

This was part of a YM/YW Activity Night in Centerville where they had invited youth with disabilities from Davis County to join with them for a dance. There were about 15 youth with disabilities  there and about 30 youth from the ward. Jena was nervous at first, because she didn't know anyone but some adults and youth gathered her in and she ended up having a great time. And it was more fun when her friend Kaitlyn arrived later. They handed out soxes at the end for prizes. She got the prize for the "most graceful".

Just before going to the YM/YW dance, she got an expander placed in her mouth in preparations for braces later. She has been a good sport but it has been a challenge for her to talk and eat with it. She was swollen for the first week or so but finally that seems better.

We have been busy attending plays--We attended "Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat" at the Hale Theater last week--fabulous! This week we are going to see the Broadway performance of "Mary Poppins" at the Capital Theater. We are heading to the Peery Egyptian Theater in Ogden in a couple of weeks for a play called "Nephi and Sword of Laban." Jena is "in heaven" as she loves plays.

They are doing "Guys and Dolls" in her musical theater class and she is having fun learning the music and planing her costume. She told me that she will probably wear her hair in a bun .  That is a big deal.  (for those of you who don't know, Jena wears her hair in a ponytail EVERY day except for family pictures or school picture days.).

She is doing both swimming and basketball for Special Olympics and she just completed her Area games yesterday. She played a couple of games (two ten minute halves) and did basketball skills. They got a bronze metal for their team and she earned a silver metal in skills.

Hanging out with her friends and Gary are certainly some of Jena's favorite parts of Special Olympics. She enjoys being with Kaitlyn and also the older girls who are so nice to her.

Team C of the Comets

I was trying to take a picture of Jena watching the games, but she saw me and immediately moved to this pose. It made me laugh.

In addition to her birthday this week, she also gets to attend a dance performance in Salt Lake as a field trip for her dance class on Wednesday. Then on Friday, a dance for all of the students in junior high and high school in Davis County schools with special needs. And of course, Mary Poppins.....fun week ahead for her.

I was driving down the street...

....and in preparation to make a right hand turn, caught a glimse of the mountains to the east, and it took my breath away. They were so beautiful. They were green for this time of year when often they are more yellowed and brown from the summer heat. Of course, I live here and they are there every day and each time I look to the east I can see them, but life is filled with little moments and this was one where my heart and mind were filled with an awe of the beauty around us. We are so lucky to live on this planet whereever we live because of the nature which surrounds us and serves to remind us that there is a God. Take a moment to look around where ever you are.

Our mountains...not quite the view I saw a couple of days ago, but for those of you without mountains, it reminds you what they are. :)

Hall up-date: Gary and I are busy with the usual things and trying to regain control of our backyard and all of the little and big projects that I have come up with during the dreaming and planning and construction of our new deck.

Jessica is starting a new job with the Division of Child and Family Services as a caseworker. She is excited because it allows more opportunities for growth and progress. And a raise in income is always good as well.

Scott and Chantel are back to school and their senior years. If all of the stars align, they should both graduate in May. They have added a kitten and a fish to their family.

Ben celebrated his birthday yesterday, the beginning of our birthday week with Gary and Jena having birthdays at the end of this week. He spent most of his day with his good friend, Travis and his girlfriend which was good for Ben.

Tosha is enjoyiing her job as a server at Cracker Barrell, on most days anyway. She likes meeting and talking with people in this casual environment.

Jena is enjoying 9th grade, esepcially seminary, dance, and musical theater. She is busy with Special Olympics at this time of the year when she plays basketball and swims. In the next post, I will focus on a couple of her recent activities.

A view from the mountain down.....

Antelope Island Buffalo and Balloon Stampede

If you have ever been to Antelope Island, you know that Syracuse is the "gateway city" to this island which is located in the Great Salt Lake. It is a popular place to take out of town guests who want to try swimming in lake. There is a great sandy beach but the water is located so far from the parking area and you have to walk through hordes of brime flies on the way there and back...it is one of those "once in a life time" experiences. However the island offers other things like nice hiking, buffalo, a historical ranch, and of course, the Stampede. This was actually our first time there. On Friday night we took Jena and her friend Kaitlyn out for the Friday evening activities. It was so fun that Gary and I headed back on Saturday night to hear the concert for that night as well.

It was held on a large dusty plain area which is used usually as a group camping area. The weather was perfect...blue skies with white fluffy clouds, no wind, and temps. around 80 degrees. Actually the no wind wasn't too great for the kite fliers and the balloonists as they had to delay their "flights" until later in the evening. Howsever it was still amazing to watch them both.

A single kite flying in the sky.

Kaitlyn and Jena watching the balloon preparing to inflate.

Ready....

Set....

Go..............

Just one launched tonight from near the stage. Others took off from another location and landed during the concert.

Jena and Kaitlyn watching the takeoff.

A arms-length self photo---Kaitlyn, Jena and I

They had an amazing kite flying display of "Quad" kites which are controlled by four strings. These pictures aren't great because they couldn't fly until later in the evening. The kiters could fly their kites together and do amazing tricks all together. I couldn't figure out how they avoid tangling their strings together. They would fly in formations and then twist off in different directions. If you ever have a chance to see it do it.

We saw up to six kites in the air, flying together. It made me want to go fly a kite. In Hong Kong, there was a place in the New Territories where people would go and fly kites. You could buy a kite from a vendor and then stand near the top of a hill and fly the kite...often with a hundred other people. They had some fancy Chinese kites that were great to watch as well. I wonder how many kite flying places there are in the world?

The kites are not the typical shape as you can see but they shoot through the air. I watched the kiters on the ground controlling them and I still can't figure them out. It is hard work.

The main event was a Beach Boy tribute band. We brought our own chairs and enjoyed a fun concert....especially if you like Beach boy music which we do.

Kaitlyn and Jena enjoyed dancing with everyone else in front of the stage.

The concert was great and they did a good job with the songs. So on Saturday night, Gary and I went back to hear the "The Diamond Experience" band which was a tribute to Neil Diamond of course. Two concerts in one weekend is a first for Gary and I. Final pictures from the night............. Smiles from Jena

Enjoying a sucker with a friend

The Band

A bumper sticker on one of the balloonist's cars

The moon over the Lake I think we will be watching out for next year and maybe go again.