This week I have spent a lot of time working on a digital scrapbook about our California trip in June. I felt frustrated that I couldn't fit the stories about each photo into the book format so I put some of the photos and stories here. I think there are ways that I could have put the stories into the book but that would take extra time to figure it out and I didn't have extra time this week and I wanted to get it done in time to get a special deal. So.... these are old photos but that is how I spent a lot of my time so I am blogging about it this week.
We did have an awesome "Make it and give it" stake humanitarian activity before the general Relif Society broadcast. I helped put hair on little doll heads. I loved Elder Uchdorf's talk.

Debbie's with her dad Ken. Some of my favorite memories that I will always treasure are of walking on the beach with my dad. When I was little he would be such a great sport to go into the COLD water with me. I loved running into the waves. I say "loved" because at my age now I am happy to stay out of the numbing cold water and enjoy walking beside the waves not in them.

My mom Marlene and I love sitting and watching the waves. I have fun memories of my mom and I cheering if we found that our motel was close enough to any beach we visited so we could hear the ocean waves. Sometimes I think I should have been born closer to a beach than Utah. We sure love the ocean.

Terry talked Eric, Drew, Chris and I into taking a 5 mile hike into the Big Tree State park so we could see Aquizzes Tree the biggest tree in the US. I didn't want to leave my parents sitting in the car that long and it was getting late so I used a bit of nervous energy to walk very fast. Eric, Drew and Chris really didn't want to hike again but they were such great sports so they came with us and ran with Debbie. Terry did not want to hurry. He wanted to stop enough to take readings on his hand held GPS devise and read his little tour book about each of the trees. We kept running so Terry grumbled and kept his book in his back pack and we made the 5 mile hike in 70 minutes. The tree was awesome. Eric said that in 5 years when we look back at the pictures we will probably all agree that the hike was worth it. We grumbled a bit at Terry but it was cool to see the biggest tree and get this photo. The Drew, Chris and Eric were really great sports. They didn't complain about being squished in the back of the van with stuff all around their feet, or about the long drives and they were really fun to have as part of our family for the California adventure. They did complain just a tiny bit that Terry, my mom and I made them pose too often for photos.

digital scrapbook

Drew, Chris and Eric riding through Cannery Row, California on a four man surrey bike. The bike rental place made me sign my credit card with the promise to pay quite a bit if the bike pedals got damaged while we tried to drive through the bollards ( the poles that block cars from going from the streets onto the bike paths) Chris drove quite cautiously because the poles left little room to maneuver. Eric drove like a speed racer always trying to beat the other surrey that Terry drove with my mom and dad and I pedaling as passengers. Drew had fun driving crazy close to the poles steering wacky back and forth. We all laughed so hard we could barely pedal. Debbie had a steering wheel that didn't control the direction of the bike. Every time Terry steered us close to the bollards Debbie turned her wheel like crazy and tried to slow down. Slowing down didn't work because Debbie's dad Ken's pedals worked with Debbie's and that made him work twice as hard. Terry loved Debbie having a wheel to keep her thinking she had some control. Terry and Ken both teased Debbie for her nervous concern about the bollards being too close. We didn't get a lot of exercise on the surrey but it sure was fun.

Tree huggers! These old trees survive many fires that make them hollow so we had fun at Big Tree State park climbing inside, on top of and around. We evern walked through a fallen tree. Terry and I couldn't believe would could stand up and walk normal inside a tree. They really are incredibly huge!

Marina Dunes Beach, California

Since Becca put my birthday photo on my blog I thought I better add Terry and Jana's. Jana shares Kyle's birthday Sept. 17 and Terry's birthday is Sept. 19th so we celebrated at dinner at the On the Border restaurant. The waitress put these hats on them and took this photo and gave them each a birthday brownie. MMMMM

This is a photo of Chris after a football game. He won the shoes during a Littlefield Christmas party white elephant gift exchange. I have no idea where the Afro wig came from or why he wanted to wear it but I had to take a photo because we all laughed quite a bit.

I came home from Ogden Wednesday in time to take Chris to the doctors. He had a virus with sore throat and fever but nothing that medicine could treat. Unfortunately he missed 2 soccer games. ( his soccer team is still undefeated! )

Chris plays soccer for the Mountain Home High School JV Team. They are 6 and 0 so far! Hooray!

On Sunday September 14 I drove to Utah to visit family. My parents celebrated 52 years of Marriage on the 13th. I enjoy visiting Ogden by myself every now and then. It is fun to be spoiled by my mom and dad and visit them. I got to Ogden just in time to join the monthly family dinner. It was fun because the Sips gave a Chinese party. Payden just had his last interview for his mission call which should come in a couple weeks. We all guessed the country he might go to. I guessed Brazil but I also think Thailand where both his parents served is a good guess. Any mission call is exciting.