Visiting Chrissy

Much of July we spent at Chrissy and Randy's in Minneapolis, Minnesota helping them...

strip wall paper, repair walls, and repaint the living room, entry, dining room and kitchen in their new house.

Of course grandma cooked lots of our favorite Filipino and Hungarian food to keep the workers happy.

To keep grandsons James and Owen happy...

we took walks around the block to parks ...

discovering trees that had been hit by lightning.

We walked across the Mississippi River to eat at a German restaurant...

and watched movies and attended concerts in the park...

while boats sailed in the distance on Lake Harriet.

We took a break to go to Lake Thirty One in northern Minnesota to sail...

explore with a paddle boat...

swim...

and ride behind a tractor.

We earned our keep by helping to install new screen doors on the sauna...

and leveling the dock.

The highlight of our visit was blessing grandchild 24, grandson 11, Owen.

Don't the parents and grandparents look proud?

A Library Idea for Kim

In Minneapolis they have these free neighborhood libraries that look like bird houses.

You exchange books you have read with books you would like to read. The selection ranges from books for children to detective and romance stories and self-help books for adults. What a great inexpensive idea to encourage summer reading while clearing out those books cluttering your shelf that you read long ago but hate to throw away.

Book of Mormon Quest

We just spent a week with the youth from our stake at youth conference. This year it was outdoors along the banks of the Suwanee River reenacting scenes from the Book of Mormon--all week in costume. How do we look in our tunics as tribal leaders?

Here are the members of our tribe, the tribe of Mosiah.

Of course the favorite reenactment time was fighting battles against the Lamanites. Here we are getting ready for one of the wars next to the Suwanee River (a cool place to swim and wash off the wounds after the fight.)

Everyone had a great time--though it is good to be back to the air conditioned comfort of home.

Rob's action picture

This is Rob's new family action photo for our family gallery above the piano--one last swim before moving to San Diego.

Here they are the next morning bright and early getting ready to check in at the Orlando Airport. Note that they are traveling light, Thompson style--just two little bags and some carry-ons. Of course, last week they sent everything else by truck and have been living out of their suitcases and sleeping on air mattresses.

Breaking in Gideon

Have we chosen the best cowboy to break in our new donkey Gideon for young riders?

It seems to have worked!

Happy Independence Day!

Happy July 4. We hope you enjoy the fireworks tonight. For some reason in Gainesville, they shoot them off on July 3, so you get to wake up on July 4 to our firework picture. Enjoy.

Grandparents Camp 2012

Why are all these colorful kids on the beach?

Why do grandma and grandpa look so happy?

Even their grown children look ready for fun!

Why, it's time for Grandparents Camp 2012 with lots of beach fun to celebrate our 45 years of marriage: Games,

kite flying,

jumping in holes,

building sand castles,

and boogie boarding.

There were even indoor activities to keep out of the noonday sun to prevent sunburns: making balloon hats and animals,

playing carnival games

and playing card games,

making shell animals

and wallets,

listening to Aunt Kim's stories,

watching Uncle Randy's yo yo tricks,

eating treats,

and, of course, singing family favorite songs such as the "Ole Black Sow," the "Titanic" and the "Preacher and the Bear".

We also did mud bogging,

four-wheeling,

and golf carting.

Some tried their hand at archery.

We picnicked on our new land,

played games,

and sat on cars to tell jokes and watch the sunset.

We also made videos.

Here's the fun video Uncle Eric made the last day. Of course, the guests of honor for the week were the new babies born this year: Sarah,

Owen,

Tatum,

and Oliver (still in momma's belly!)

The highlight of the week was Wendy and Daniel's wedding on Thursday.

Here we all are at the yacht for a 3 hour breakfast cruise up and down the Intracoastal Waterway at Palm Coast.

Does anyone look hungry?

After the delicious Southern breakfast buffet (the biscuits and gravy were wonderful), there was dancing...

and cake eating.

Then we were off to the Orlando Temple for the wedding at 4

in the room behind the shining window.

Don't the parents look proud?

As do Wendy's brothers and sisters.

What a great way to end Grandparents Camp 2012. For the first time, everyone in the family, including spouses, was there. Thanks Wendy and Daniel for bringing everyone together.