There & Back Again

Some of you might have been wondering where we were in August. The map above tells part of the story. Here are some other interesting facts

August Stats:
Numbers: Miles traveled in August: 4, 470. Days I slept in my own bed: 14. Number of Times I saw a temple: 20. Re-packed my suitcase 8 times.
Attended one baptism, two funerals, one homecoming, one temple dedication.
Saw 2 new nieces, 1 new nephew, 2 Shakespeare Plays, 2 Herds of Elk, Dozens of Deer, 1 Wolf, Caleb fall into Collard Lake, The Redwoods of Northern California, The Pacific Ocean, Dixie National Forest, Lassen National Forest,Uncle Dick's cabin on Catherine Creek and many of my lifetime mentors and heroes.
Didn't see: Shawn & Emily-sniff (But we saw everyone else on both sides of our family)
Things I did for the first time: Sand-boarded- albeit unsuccessfully. Sewed a dress. Returned to the place of my honeymoon. Led a song at a funeral. Turned 42. Collected golf balls from the ocean. Listened to a testimony in Tagalog. Threw a starfish back into the Sea. Posed for a photo with a Pirate. Celebrated my son's first year of missionary service. Surprised Shelly G. at work- in Cedar City. Went to Union Oregon without seeing Grandma Livingston. Walked where Big Foot walked. Ate lunch with a stranger on the beach. Said goodbye to my last grandparent.

It was a great year stuffed into a month.

And now in pictures...... CLICK ON THEM AND SHAZAM-THEY GET BIGGER.....

We had a marvelous trip up the California Coastline. We only wish we could have spent more time. Next time for sure.

Just a day after arriving in Eugene we headed back to the cabin on Mercer Lake. We haven't been since we lived in Oregon so this was a major treat. Kent's family joined the fun, which made it all the better. We really had a blast and Caleb survived his surprising dip in the lake.

Must row the canoe. Must!!

Sand-boarding was MUCH more successful for little first-timers. They flew!!
Without question- one of the things I miss the most about Eugene is Florence. 45 minutes to complete and total bliss. Trust me on this.

We stayed in Boise with the Holyoaks for nearly 5 days. There was a lot of sewing for the adults. McKenzie read every book she could find ( Mostly Nancy Drew)and bonded with the Gavinator. Everyone else played and played some more. We were so happy that Molly was kind enough to come all the way over. As a treat for the girls we got Bailey for the night, boy was Ellie happy.
Be sure you click on the photo so you can read-up. The following weekend was full of highlights. An excellent 42nd Birthday spent with so many people whom I love.

August 20-22nd
Surprise!! Scott took me to Southern Utah for the Shakespeare Festival.
We stayed at a gorgeous Bed & Breakfast Inn. We saw Henry the V
and The Comedy of Errors. We also surprised my good friend Shelly at work. We discovered how much we still love to laugh. Great food, perfect company, entertaining plays, fun times in Cedar City.






Then we went to Manti, UT. We did a wonderful session in the temple. What an amazing building this is!! We stayed at the Manti House Inn. Thoroughly enjoyed the small-town quiet and the beauty and hospitality we remembered from our wedding day. On our way home McKenzie called to tell us that Grandma McClellan had passed away. We were thankful to have just been in the temple and have that perspective it gives.


We attended Grandma McClellans' funeral the following weekend. We had a very fast trip to Union and met-up with all of Scott's family at Uncle Dick's cabin along Catherine Creek. We met our two newest cousins, Claire and Riley and saw how much Ammon had grown in less than a month. All of the kids loved seeing Uncle Cory again too.