Hall Reunion at Bear Lake-#2

Two years ago we gathered the extended Hall family at a big house in Bear Lake over Fall break. This time we wanted to go in the summer to enjoy the beach and lake more, but when I went to make a reservation the same house was not open anytime in the summer (by mid-January).  The vote was the house was the key so we picked a weekend in September--17th through the 20th.

This time all of our kids were able to come except for Tosha and family in Japan.  The weather was beautiful and we had a restful and fun time being together. Ben came up on Thursday which was his birthday so we were able to have birthday cake with him before Gary and he headed home that night.

Scarlett while we were waiting for breakfast

View from the deck

New sand box

Scott with his cousins Matt and Nathan

Gary and Gary Kerr tried to fly our kites from Oregon
but the wind wasn't very good

Scarlett and Jena taking a minute on the stairs out back

Game playing

Great grandchildren "sandwich" on the indoor tramp

Liam and Jessica

We didn't really do anything spectacular but it is just good to be together in a beautiful spot.  Uncle Mike, Scott and Chantel and several others went shooting on Saturday and had a great time.

The only downside for me was I started feeling sick with a cold on Saturday which hung around for the next 2 weeks---mortal bodies, you have to love them!

This is what my house looks like

when I got back to school right after a big event....

This is the Saturday a week later and doesn't even include the 7 boxes of paper rockets and 6 launchers, five Strider balance bikes, seven boxes of snack cakes, and a couple of other boxes which made it all the way downstairs.  This stuff has been cleaned up and much of the stuff we took up to Logan Utah for their Buddy Walk at the end of September, but my office/craft/exercise room still has piles to sort through---sad to report!!! Well, there is always Christmas break.

Year Two of graduate school

There are times that I wonder why I am doing this, but in the heart of my hearts I know that it is the right thing for me at this point in our lives.  In some way, it will allow me in the future to interact with people at a time in their lives that will matter to them and to me.  Truly I have loved school so far.  It is only in the middle of the busyness that it gets a little crazy and I want to second guess my decision.

The week after the Buddy Walk, I started my new classes for the semester and also my internship with the Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS).  I work out of both the Ogden and Clearfield offices and I am connected with the post-adoption group.  Mostly I just go to meetings and talk to staff about their jobs.  It is all very interesting and like I told Gary, "I am not in Kansas anymore."  It is suppose to be about 14 hours a week.

We also still have two classes on Tuesday nights.  One of our professors gave us a Social Worker Survival Kit.  I haven't actually used any of it yet but my kids have.

Missing a few of the items!

It included: Tylenol-for the headaches you will get; marbles-for when you lose your own; paper and pen-for jotting down appointments; colon ball-to remember feelings are soft; rubber bands-to remember to be flexible in your thinking; button-to help button your lip from saying what you may really think; tea bag-so you will take some time out to relax; caffeine-to keep you away; starbursts-for the burst of energy when you really need it; nuts- for when you feel like you are going completely nuts; M&Ms-you won't earn much money-job satisfaction come from much more; quarter-listening with an open mind makes more "cents"; smiley face-to remember your impact fro good makes it all worth while.

So life is busy at a higher level again, but I am learning so much and it is always good to be doing something that you know is what Heavenly Father wants you to do....now if I only knew what for????

Buddy Walk 2015

We had the third Buddy Walk since I became president of the Utah Down Syndrome Foundation on August 29th and it was great.  We didn't have as many people as we hoped due in part to having to do it in August rather than September.  People had a great time and it was fun----and I am so glad to have it done and over with.  Our Buddy Walk Chair person ended up having a lot of family crises and that left the bulk of the work to Steve, our CEO, and to me.  Planning for 1000 people for an event in Salt Lake becomes a full time job during the last month or so.  It was nuts.  Luckily my family is a great help.  A special thanks to Gary who ran rocket launching, Jessica and Elessia who passed out t-shirts, our good friends Hal and Jolynn Beckstrand who pitched in and helped everywhere, and Jena who is always willing to help.

Our theme was "Shoot for the Stars" so we centered things around Star Wars:

Zach singing

We had rocket designing and launching, a Bike Adventure Zone, inflatables, carnival games, lunch, dancing and the 1/2 mile walk around the park.  We had about 1000 people including Princess Laia and a Storm Trooper.

 

Liam in his cute Star Wars outfit

We got there about 6 in the morning and I headed up around 3.  This is what it looked like at our house for about a week until I actually got most things put away.

Gary's half of the garage

Something I took home that I had to take back to storage in Salt Lake

The Dining Room

And this was just the stuff that I needed to put away.  Down in our basement we had 5 balance bikes, 7 boxes of rockets, 6 rocket launchers, and several other boxes of items which we delivered to Logan on this past Friday for their upcoming Buddy Walk at the end of the month.

It was fun, but I am REALLY glad it is over!!!  Needless to say, but both Gary and I met our steps goal on that Saturday.