Kayla's Birthday

We celebrated Kayla's Birthday this year in South Carolina. Kayla was so excited to be be with Jarom and Kathryn and thier families for her birthday.

Kayla got a special version of Happy Birthday from Uncle Mike and Uncle Jarom. I tried to download the video but it won't do it....so let me just say it was a haromized whistle version of Happy Birthday.

Charleston SC

We spent one day in Atlanta going down a river on tubes. The kids really loved that but I didn't take my camera with me. The next day we headed to Jarom's for the weekend. We spend 2 of our days there at the beach. The kids loved it. It is so different from the Pacific Ocean. The water was really warm so the kids were happy just playing all dayat the beach.

Kathryn and Mike had rented a couple of bike so the kids took turns riding them up and down the beach.
One evening we went and walked around downtown Charleston.

Catching up on Summer

This last summer for our big family vacation we decided to go visit Kristine and Kathryn in Atlanta and then Jarom in South Carolina. Kathryn has lived out east for several years and we had never been out to see her. There was some delays in Atlanta due to weather so we got to spend a couple of extra hours in the Houston airport.

Emilia

Grandchild #23 joined and left our family on August 19 2010. As always we are so excited when someone in the family is expecting. Even at number 23 it is still exciting and anticipated. I love all of my Nieces and Nephews. For Jarom and Liina this was their second child. On just a normal weekly visit they found out that she had died. She was full term and there had never been any indication that there were problems. The Dr cannot explain what happened. She was perfect...and may be that is the key. She was too pure to come to this earth. All she needed was a body....but she didn't need to spend any time here. Jarom and Liina named here Emilia Isabelle Hanson. Being here in Utah and my brother in South Carolina I felt helpless. There was nothing I could do to help or comfort. On Saturday I was practicing the organ for church and playing "Be Still My Soul" and crying when a thought came to me. I could make a blanket. I have done this for most of my Nieces and Nephews and I wanted to do something. So after okaying this with Jarom, Anna and I set out to find the perfect material for this blanket. I wanted it to be a comfort to Jarom and Liina...and I wanted it to be soft and delicate.

Jarom and Liina invited us to come to a small viewing and graveside service for her. Luckily I was able to go as were most of my sisters and parents and most of Liina's family. We had an opportunity to see Emilia. She was beautiful. She looked a lot like her older sister Hannele. Again I questioned how this could happen and once again knew that she was a gift to our family. We were able to see a glimpse of her and knew that she was with other family members that are no longer with us.



Jarom and Liina picked this beautiful spot to bury her. It is a very peaceful and calming place. I just wanted to post some pictures of the graveside service for those friends an family that couldn't be there with us.



Hannele

Jarom and Liina asked Dad to give a talk. Although this was difficult for him he did a wonderful job.

Hannele had a little bouquet of flowers to put on Emilia's casket.

So even though we wish she was still with us we realize that this is purely selfish on our part. And that all of our sadness is really not for her but for us. So though there is sadness we are also extremely thankful that she is part of our family .

Strength of the Youth

When my sister and her family were her over spring break she had this great idea that all of the cousins that are 12 and older go do baptisms for the dead at the Jordan River Temple. It was such a good experience. Uncle Mark was able to do the baptisms. After we took a couple of pictures in front of the temple.

All I can say is what a great bunch of kids!

The Maturity of a Scout

Zach has enjoyed being in the scouts with the deacons. As you can see he is not afraid to participate in the scout skits. He loves scouting and is advanding quickly. He is hoping to get his Eagle by the time he is 14.

This is Zach giving me my pins for his second and first class scout awards.

New Callings

I haven't written for awhile and this happened a couple of months ago but I thought that anyone who knows me would at least give me their sympathy. I have been a Sunday School teacher for the 15 and 16 year olds in my ward for the last year. In the fall I received another calling which was the Young Women's sports director.....well I was fine with this calling...I am at the games already because Anna plays and I always go to her games....and now I can yell stuff as the coach and not as an annoying mom trying to coach from the side. So this felt like a good fit for me. About a month later I was called to meet with the Bishop again...well I already had 2 callings so I wasn't sure what it would be for. So when I went to meet with the Bishop he asked if I would be the Young Women's Camp director. My response was to start to laugh. Anyone who knows me knows that I don't camp....nothing good ever comes with me camping. I did not come from a camping family....we went to Disneyland and stayed in hotels with pools and hot tubs....we ate out. I really didn't camp at all until I was married. Craig is from Ephriam and his family camped all the time. So early in our marriage we went to a few family campouts with Craig's family...None of these campouts ended well. We have had snow, wind, pouring rain so much so that our mattress was floating in the tent. Then there was the time that I ended up in the hospital dehydrated..7 months pregnant...and that time we just went for a day.

Of course we can't forget the ward campout. Craig was at scout camp and my friends in the ward talked me into coming to the ward camp out. The plan was they would help set up and Craig would come on his way home from scout camp and help me take down and pack up. So I went. Kayla was 1, Zach 3 and Anna 4. Things went pretty smoothly until about 1 am in the morning when Zach threw up all over the tent. I mean all over. So I woke up my friend to tell her I was going home and to have Craig bring all the stuff home the next day. I grabbed a diet coke loaded the kids in the car and drove 2 hours home.

Besides not having a clue how to camp let alone cook while camping (can you have hotdogs for every meal?) I am getting excited. I have no idea how to plan a girls camp. They gave me a ward color....what do I do with that? I do know that we have some great girls in our ward and I am lucky that I already know most of them pretty well....either because of Anna (18 beehives at last count and more coming in before summer)or my Sunday school class which I miss. So I will keep you updated on the progress....right now it is basketball season and I do know how to play basketball.