Leavenworth Autumn Leaf Festival

Our weekend trip to Leavenworth was great! Every year our high school band participates in the Autumn Leaf Festival parade in Leavenworth. Last year we went and watched both Sami and David play in the parade and stayed for the year. This year we decided to stay over the weekend. The number of people that came was amazing...the shops were very full. We've decided that we will go back for the day again this summer to enjoy the shopping without so many people! The band won first place for AAA schools. YEA River Ridge High School!

Finally, our Utah Trip!

We weren't sure we would have time to go to Temple Square - I am SO glad we managed to get there! We had a whirlwind tour of the temple grounds, the church office building, and the visitors center and we pretty much ran through most of it. It was so beautiful!
It took us a few trips to various stores, but we finally were successful in getting Sami's room put together. We did buy some things ahead of time and had them shipped to our friend's house...but it was amazing the number of times we still had to go to the store. And I would not have believed this if you had sworn on a stack of bibles, but most things WERE cheaper at the bookstore!

David spent most of the trip "trying to have patience!" The one thing he wanted was to buy a special CTR ring...and they didn't have the one he wanted in his size. We did order it when we got home - so not all was lost. It was very hard to leave her there - but we all knew it was the right thing. We are so excited that she is coming home for Thanksgiving!

Only in Utah

I will definitely post pictures soon, but since SOME of you think I am stingy in my posting, I will do this for now until I can unbury work desk!

We just got back from taking Sami to BYU. For those of you who don't know, it is in Provo, Utah. We noted a few things there that you would only find in a heavily populated Mormon place....
1. A store devoted entirely to TIES. Millions of them. I had to drag David away..
2. A store just for missionary preparation...anything and everything you may NEED on a mission.
3. Beggars with signs that said "Jesus loves you" and "Love your neighbor, please give".
4. A chapel on nearly every street corner.
5. A ward for every three streets, and a stake almost as often!
6. Someone sitting behind us on the plane to Utah testifying of his knowledge of the savior and the gospel.
7. Food storage - huge food storage - for sale in Walmart!

The Coolest thing EVER

Well, if you are not a fan of genealogy, this may not be the coolest to you. This last week I contacted someone that entered in info on my family line into Family Search. After a couple of days I was disappointed because they didn't email me right back - very patient, I am. Then I received an email today. We really couldn't prove, yet, that my ancestor is her ancestor, BUT, she had me go to this website: http://pilot.familysearch.org. I did, and found the coolest, most wonderful site ever! If I am the very last one to discover this site please don't laugh. I was able to pull up my ancestor's name and with the name it had a copy of the ACTUAL register where the ancestor and his new wife's names were written! It is amazing! Go - go now and look for yourself! It is SO COOL!

Boys of Summer

This is not happy post, nor a funny one. I have been agonizing all day over some news that I received. I believe this happened Sunday...Four boys that were on the varsity baseball team at my children's high school were involved in an accident. A preventable accident. This entry is not to place blame, or stand in judgement - it is just one mother's view of a terrible, awful happening. These boys were at the height of their lives. 18 - newly graduated seniors with their whole lives ahead of them. They decided to drink and drive. Now one of them is dead, one is critically injured, one is in jail facing dire consequences of being the driver, and one walked away with no physical injuries, but probably enough emotional injuries to last a lifetime. I've seen these boys - I saw them all get awards at the baseball award banquet. I believe they all signed my daughter's yearbook. What a waste. I feel deeply for their parents and the anguish they must feel. I feel for the boys themselves, and the awful realization of the consequences they must now face. How I wish they could be boys of summer one more time.

106 Degrees.....One Hot Cat

Does this need any explanation?? It IS HOT!

Everyone is Dripping....

Do you hear it? The constant drip, drip, drip...no it is not a leaky faucet, but all of us SWEATING! I am SO ready for fall! And yes, I am whining, I live in Washington! The temperate state...not too cold, not too hot. But it IS too hot!