We also took them to South Weber so that June could play in her last T-Ball game, and she hit the ball with the coach pitching and ran!! It was fun watching these little ones trying to figure out the concept of the game. Brooks, Dale and I were all cheering for her on the sidelines. After her game we let the kids play on the playground for a bit and then went to McDonald's for dinner.
We did puzzles, some more crafts, played games, pushed them in our swings. We took them to visit their cousins, to church, The Willow Park Zoo, and just loved them. Then we took them to their house, so they'd be there when their dad and mom came home. They received a hearty welcome too. We used sidewalk chalk and made a big "Welcome Home" picture in the driveway.
The Hyde Park Stake was asked to feed the Smithfield Temple construction crew, So the Stake Relief Society presidency shopped for the food, and pulled some sisters together and fed around 140 workers; sandwiches, chips, salads, a veggie tray, baked beans and for dessert, Creamies.
I met my gal group at Morty's for Lunch Bunch, did some temple sealings, and ushered at the Eccles for "Scarlet Pimpernel" . It was put on by Music Theater West and was very well done. Logan has much talent to share for others.
At the request of Pres. Westwood, and my calling in the Stake Relief Society Presidency, I started taking an "Emotional Resilience" class which ended this month. It gave me some insights on how to handle what life throws you. It was very helpful to know how the class is taught as well so we can suggest it to others as needed.
The big highlight of this month was our Hansen Family Reunion that was held in Washington. Nate and Diana found a place on Orca Island (in the San Juan Islands), a big house that looked like a castle for the reunion.
Dale and I headed out early to get some time in with Nate & Diana and to see their new place. We also got to check out some beautiful trails in the beautiful state of Washington, check out his office, and help buy the food and other supplies for the reunion.
We also got in a "Beneath the Streets" tour in the downtown Pioneer Square area in Seattle. It was pretty interesting We learned how Seattle came to be and formed. The passageways under today's Pioneer Square area are a byproduct of a regrading process after a fire in 1889, which helped reshape drainage issues. All of the buildings were built after the Great Fire, mostly between 1889 and 1895, It was pretty cool to learn to story behind the city.
Diana cooked up a nice salmon dinner and had her mom, Rosa, and stepdad, Paul join us for dinner. They were delightful to visit with. We ate on their back deck. It was a nice evening and nice to meet them. After they left, we roasted marshmallows and visited some more with Nate & Diana as well. It was a busy full day.
On Day 1 of the reunion: we loaded up Nate's van and headed to Anacortes, WA to catch the ferry that took us to Orca Island. Once on the island we had some time to waste before we could get in our place, so we met at Cascade Lake and had lunch, and those that wanted went kayaking and played on the playground or just chilled.
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When we could, we headed to our castle, "Chateau Nighthawk" and got settled in our rooms, as well as checked out the place.
For dinner we had a traditional type of renaissance meal of roasted chicken, roasted potatoes, corn on the cob, a vegetable tray, rolls, and a cookie or a strudel bite with water. We ate without utensils and were dressed in our renaissance costumes. Before we ate Grandpa, the King, and me, the Queen, accepted our guests to the castle meal by having all having their official title read. It was a fun way to kick-off our stay in the castle, having dinner with Princes, Princesses, Lady's, Lord's, Duchess', Knights, and Empress The area was gorgeous! So green and on a hill so you can see out over the islands. So pretty!!
Day 2 of The Hansen Reunion: We woke up to a breakfast hosted by Prince Matt & Princess Amie that consisted of Omelets, yogurt w/granola, and fruit, we loaded up in the cars and headed to Mt. Constitution for a hike to the top of the mountain where we could see forever it seemed. It was Very pretty!! We stopped for lunch at a pavilion site and explored more of the area before heading back, Some of the group hiked around Cascade Lake while others went another way and saw more of the beautiful area.
For dinner Prince Garrett & Princess Diana hosted us to a meal of breaded cod, french fries, rolls, a fruit salad, and asparagus, with cookies or a piece of a cream cheese type cake for dessert. We definitely weren't hurting for food. It was all yummy!
The kids explored the area around the castle, sat in the hot tub and played pool or watched a movie. We all visited and had a nice time. That night we did have a royal mouse visit us as well. Eek!!
Our castle reunion carried on into next month, so you'll read more about it in July's post.
Nate and Diana enjoyed the beauty of the mountains in the Sierra Nevada Mountain range in California which is the highest point in the contiguous United States, with an elevation of 14,505 feet. They climbed it twice while they were there. Talk about over achievers, huh?
Matt & Amie celebrated their 21st anniversary. Here's to at least 20+ more!
Mazin's soccer team took home gold in the Golden Spike Soccer tournament, I'm sure the family support helped keep him going. Way to go Mazin!!
Langston made the Northern Utah United - ECNL - RL team. This team will compete against teams in Arizona and New Mexico in the fall. We wish him the best in this new feat.
Kennlyn attended a "For the Strength of Youth" conference with some of her friends at USU for five days. She said it was a great experience for her and that she'd go again, so it sounds like it was a great time.
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They left for the Hansen Reunion a couple of days early as well and flew to Seattle. This was the first time flying together as a family (minus Jaxson). They stayed in downtown Seattle and checked out some of the sights there before joining up for the reunion.
Checked out the space needle, the famous gum wall, and Pike's Marketplace
Elder Mallory got transferred to Martinez, MX and is serving in a place called Independencia with a new companion. It is a bigger city, so a LOT different from what he left. There's a lot of houses and more stores. He said the ward is pretty strong and is looking forward to working with them. Not much progress has been made with the people in the area however, so he's got his work cut out for him. He said that this transfer is going to stretch him and that he will learn and grow a lot with the Lord's help.
Andrew and Lindsay also celebrated their wedding anniversary. They've been married for 15 years!! Crazy how time flies!!
Andrew was working in Alabama and took a few pictures to show us what he's been up to while on the job. He said it's been really hot and humid there. We've been enjoying the mid 80's to low 90's mostly, so I'm glad I'm home.
Garrett talked Andrew into doing the Logan Peak Run, a 26 mile trail run. They did what they could to train and both finished! Some friends of theirs, Josh Nuckles & Jon Bennion also joined in on the run as well. Way to go guys!!
They drove to Seattle for the reunion, leaving in time to get there a day before it started. All were troopers and they made it to Seattle safe.
Garrett's wife, Zandra, rode in the Little Red Bike ride with her biking gals and had fun as well as a good ride. Way to go ladies!!
Then Garrett did his run, the kids helped make posters for when their dad finished. I made some for the rest of the guys. What an ambitious couple they were this month huh? Way to go G& Z!!
We went and got some Aggie ice cream after to celebrate with the crew. It was a great way to cool off too.
Luke turned 8 last month and was baptized by Garrett this month. It was nice to have family that could, support him for his special day as he receives the first ordinance that puts him on the road to returning to his Father in Heaven.
They took advantage of the good weather days and got their boat out. Jorie knee boarded. They love the water!
Garrett's crew flew to Seattle, on the same flight as Jason and Danica, arriving a day before the reunion as well. They had a few set-backs but made it to Seattle! And on the ferry! Mission accomplished!
Danica and Jason had a delightful time while on their European cruise with Jason's family. They saw some pretty amazing sights. They started out on land last month and this month they moved from the Rome where they rented scooters and rode around on cobblestone streets, almost got to hear the Pope speak, due to being in a wrong line, and had lunch in front of the Pantheon.
Then they rode a train to the cruise ship and set sail stopping in Greece and ported in Santorini where they rode donkeys, rented scooters and toured around the island, and hit the beaches.
They visited Turkey and explored Ephesus and saw the Goddess Nike. Visited Mother Mary's home and saw how Turkish silk rugs are made.
They also visited Mykonos, a beautiful island with fun shops, beaches and yummy food.
Then onto Naples, Capro, Sorrento & Pompeli where they ate great pizza, learned the history of the area, and fell in love with Italy. She said that Europe will forever hold a piece in her heart.
When they got home and settled they didn't settle for very long. They got their boat out and took friends and family out on the water to officially bring in the summer vibes. They also took the kids to Lagoon for their first experience of fun for a day. They know fun!
This month also consisted of numerous protests around the country due to Pres. Trumps action towards democracy and administration policies. They called it "No Kings Day" because they wanted the Trump administration to not be so controlling like Kings in other countries. Some of these protests got out of hand and police and safety volunteers had to intervene. Salt Lake City was one of those protests that got out of hand and had a shooting by a safety volunteer that killed a man. Sad deal.
Our state hasn't had any rain for quite some time and have had fires flare up due to lightning. Gov. Cox declared June 29th as a statewide Day of Prayer and Fasting for Rain by saying: "I invite every Utahn, whatever your faith or belief system, to join me this Sunday in a unified fast and prayer for rain. And while we look heavenward, let's do our part here at home -- fix leaks, water lawns less and use every drop wisely. Small actions, taken together, can make a big difference for our state."
It isn’t the first time Cox has urged Utahns to pray for divine intervention to address water shortages. In 2021, he called on Utahns to join him for a weekend of prayer and two years later, as the state received record snowfall, he declared a "day of thanksgiving".
Earlier this spring, Cox declared a state of emergency for 17 of the state’s 29 counties and said "nearly half of the state — 46% — is suffering from drought".
According to a release from the governor’s office Friday morning, “extreme drought conditions” have expanded by more than 82% since earlier this month, and 380 wildfires have already burned more than 43,000 acres of land across the state. Of those wildfires, 275 have been caused by humans, according to the governor.
So I ended this post on a not not so jubilant note, shows that life is what we make it. One thing I do know is that we can find Joy in spending quality time with family and friends.
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