Amber's off to China

Amber just left this afternoon to go teach English in China.  She had a 6 hour layover in Las Vegas.  Nana picked her up from the airport and they made dinner together and enjoyed spending a few hours together.  I have mixed feelings.  I am nervous and excited for her all at once and we will all miss her tremendously.

Amber is excited about the currency exchange!

 Papa and G'ma Nancy came for Family Home Evening this past Monday.
It is always fun to have them come!  Amber gave us a fun power point presentation about China for our lesson.  Papa and G'ma Nancy brought everyone a box of Jelly Belly's.

Ty is excited about the candy Papa brought.

The First Day of School, 2012

Emily is a Junior

Brittany, with friend Danielle, is in 8th grade

Tyler is in 4th grade and has Mr. Ockey this year

My Grandmother, Martha Lee Gunn

My dear grandmother, Martha Lee Gunn, passed away on August 3, 2012.  She was born in Macon, Missouri on April 9, 1918.  She grew up in Missouri.  She married George Edward Wiggins in September 0f 1942.  She had two children, Woody in 1943 and my mother, Martha Jo (Jody) in 1944.  My grandfather left the family when my mom was very young.  Grandmother Martha was a single mother who loved her children and worked very hard to support them and her former in laws who lived with her.  She always had a kind and thoughtful heart and a great work ethic.  She met Robert D Wilson while she was working in California and married him sometime in the 1960s.  I have many wonderful memories visiting them in their home in Redondo Beach, California where they lived in the winter.  I also have very fond memories visiting them at their home on the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri where they lived in the summer.  When they felt they were too old to travel back and forth, they sold their home on the lake and rented out their duplex in Redondo Beach and moved to Las Vegas.  My Grandpa Bob passed away in 1998.  Soon after his death Grandma Martha moved in with my mom.  Together my mom and grandma have lived in Arizona, St George, and then Las Vegas.  I love my Grandma Martha so much and will deeply miss her.  I am sure she is learning about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ now.

My mom wrote the following poem about her.

My Mother, A Radiant Light
by Jody Russell
The heavens are aglow with the last rays of day;
The sun steps aside and the stars make their way.
Time and space don't deter the light of the night;
It travels to our presence and into our sight.

We can't feel it or hold it, but we know it exists,
A powerful beam even the dark can't resist.
It travels through galaxies, through infinite space;
And blesses the lives of the whole human race.

There is a light inherent within each living soul;
And along life's journey it will dim, or it will grow.
My mother's light grew within her tiny form;
It was a beacon of strength through many a storm.

Awaiting her arrival on a lovely spring morn,
Ola May was excited to welcome her first born.
On the ninth day of April; 1918 was the year;
Martha Lee Gunn of Missouri was finally here.

No words give it justice, no joy could compare,
To the love all around that surrounded them there.
The heavens were gracious giving Ola May this role,
For she was now mother to a most valiant soul.

Martha Lee was precocious, a year early in school;
She loved all her studies and lived the golden rule;
Happy and joyful, on the farm or in town;
Her light was an inspiration to everyone around.

She graduated from Business College and attended MU;
Working full time and taking night classes too.
Living through the Depression, to be thrifty she was prone;
Sending most of her pay to her mom and siblings at home.

At twenty-four she fell for a student in pre-med;
In September she and George Edward Wiggins were wed.
The first year came a son, a daughter the next;
Children and working left little time for rest.

After becoming a doctor, Dad left us to marry another;
It was so sudden, and most devastating to my mother.
But her thoughts were for her children, who were four and three;
We had little money, but love and caring were free.

I was that daughter, and my memories are clear;
She spoke kindly of others and held everyone dear.
I remember her soft voice and the songs that she sang;
She thought first of others and never complained.

She taught me values and set the example I'd need;
Giving me the freedom to fail or to succeed.
If I fell, with love she offered me her hand
And gave me faith and the courage to try again.

Mom and her dogs in ninety-nine came to my home to stay;
She volunteered at my school eight to ten hours a day.
At home we laughed, played games, and talked;
And every day took our dogs on a long walk.

Her life was Christ-like, her countenance glowed;
Her love was manifest in the seeds that she sowed.
She was my mother, I rejoice that of her I am part;
She first held my hand, bot forever my heart.

Before coming to earth I'm sure we agreed;
Together as mother and daughter we'd be;
We have a bond even time can not rend.
She first was my mother, but forever my friend.

We went to Las Vegas for the funeral.  We got to visit with family.  Ashlee and Jordan were able to come too.  We always enjoy being together with siblings, parents and cousins.  We got to meet Grandma Martha's brother's son, Allen Gunn and his wife.  (His father is Hurley Allen (HA) Gunn Junior.)  We also saw my mom's half brother, Samm, his wife, April and their daughter, Hailey.

We enjoyed Troy and Deedra's pool

We celebrated James 11th birthday and Sara's 20th birthday.

SUMMER 2012!

We started our summer off by switching rooms around, redecorating rooms, and painting the walls. They turned out beautiful.

Brittany and Danielle Kemp painting Brittany's room

Ice blocking

Ice blocking with Emily, Brittany, and Tyler

We had lots of Sunday walks to and around the Highland Glenn park across the street.

Brittany

Girls camp at Heber Valley

Mike jokingly got in trouble for snuggling up to one of the girls!

So fun to have daddy at camp

Cake decorating

Amber helped her friend, Katelyn make a birthday cake for her
husband, Phil.  Phil is Tyler's soccer coach along with Mike.
Katelyn is currently Emily's drill coach and is a good
friend of Amber's from High School.

For Father's Day, I gave Mike an annual pass to the Hogel Zoo.

Cabin

Fun at the cabin

We had a summer filled with soccer tournaments!

Brittany is now playing for Celtic Storm on their D1 team.
Mike is her assistant coach.  It's fun to have dad still involved!

Snow cones after Brittany's tournament on July 4th.

Tyler started playing goalie a little bit last year.  He has become
such a good goalie.  He is playing for a newly developed
club team, Dynamo and is the main goalie.  Mike is still helping
coach his team with Phil Lamoreaux.

Brittany and Danielle Kemp planned another fun and successful kid's camp. 
One of the days they featured different countries.  They had 6 different stations each representing a different country. 

For the United States they had a Hawaii set up.

For Africa they had an safari with lots of animals hiding.

Bow and arrow

Tyler wanted a bow and arrow so he decided to make one.
Daddy helped and they made one that really worked!

Jones family reunion at Bear Lake 

The nice cabin we stayed in

The gorgeous view from our deck.

Anna and Brian

Emily, Brittany, Amber, Sydney, and Lauryn having fun!

Tyler

Matt, Andrew, Tyler, Emily, Chloe, Brittany

Anna, Amber, Avery

Andrew, Jack, Tyler, Matt

Jack, Andrew, Matt, Tyler

Happy Birthday to Oliver!
Matt, Isaac, Oliver, Lissa, Ella

 Nanny planned lots of fun crafts for Sunday afternoon.
Nanny, Chloe, Hailey, Abbey

Andrew, Oliver

We sure enjoyed all the sand at North Beach.  Lots of sand and
lots of shallow water for play.

Brittany
We had so much fun playing Frisbee on the beach.  

Mike, Brian, Jon

Tyler, Cory, Jack, Andrew

Sydney and Brittany

We rented sea-doos for the day and had so much fun

Amber with her sand creations, the Leaning tower 
of Pisa, Eiffel Tower, and the Egyptian Sphinx.

The awesome crocodile that Emily and Katie made!

Brittany's cool creation

Papa

Daddy, Chloe, and Tyler

It's almost done!

Tyler making another cool sandcastle

Fun playing games in the evening.

A visit from Aunt Cheeri, Brooklynn, and Stetson

We had so much fun with them.  They stayed for about 3 days.  We played games, visited, went to City creek, and went to the temple.

Stetson and Tyler cooling off in the pool

Richards family reunion
We had a fun day in the park with daddy's Aunts, Uncles,cousins and their families.  We had lunch in the park and then played "minute to win it" games.

Matt and daddy catching rubber chickens in their pants!

Brittany and Lauryn catching rubber chickens in their pants

Amber and Tyler (cousin, Emily's husband) shaking eggs out!

Abbey and Tyler cup stack racing.

Papa won his game being the only one to stack his apples in
under a minute!

A surprise baby shower for Ashlee
Ashlee has been living in California for the summer.  They came to Utah for a Price family reunion.  Two days before she came, we found out that she was coming a day early to spend a day with us.  Amber, Emily and Brittany quickly put together a surprise baby shower for her with her friends from high school.  It was a fun gathering for all of them.

Emily, Erika Bunker, Ashlee, Brittany, Amber, Savannah Slater
(We took the picture after many had left.  Should have thought of it sooner.)

Fun hike with my cousins to Stewart Falls by Aspen Grove

My cousin, Jessica and her newborn, Mason
and two of Aimee's kids, Nicholas and Camille

Me, with cousins Aimee' and Jessica

Natalie (Aimee's daughter), Brittany, and Emily

A few more fun activities just before school started:

We have season passes to Seven Peaks.  We had such a busy summer that we didn't make it there very many times, but we squeezed in a couple trips at the end of the year. We also enjoyed many times in our pool before we had to take it down.

                                   

For Family Home Evening the day before school started, we went
into American Fork canyon and had a picnic.

Tyler found fishing line and a stick and tried to make a fishing pole.