Garrett's Science Camp

Garrett had the wonderful opportunity to enjoy two weeks of camp at the Greater Hartford Acadamy of Math and Science. It was an opportunity to explore career futures in engineering.

They made cars, batteries, robots, all kinds of things - he enjoyed it

He liked this sculpture on the GHMAS campas too.
He now wants to be a robotics engineer.

Kat's photos from SLC

Yay!! Kathryn got photos of Garrett dancing with the video guy at the museum.

He did well apparently -

I really wish I hadn't missed it!

Alaina and Becca again

President Hinckley's chair from his office or tabernacle or something . . .

Chandelier in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building - Beautiful!

Fountain, temple, and administration building world map relief sculpture

Nauvoo temple Sunstone (replica?) in the Church History Museum

One of many conference center fountains.

BYU and more cousins

On Kathryn's last day at BYU Basketball camp, the other three kids and I walked around campus. We had lots of fun, got Garrett's hair cut at the BYU barber, and ended our day with ice cream from the BYU Creamery :) Good day. Making funny faces for me - notice the Y in the background

Also notice the new BYU shirt Becca is sporting - her dad bought her a Jamba Juice and she poked the straw through the styrofoam cup and spilled juice all over herself . . .

And notice Garrett's HEY GOOD LOOKING shirt - free from the BYU barbershop - on the back it says 'hair by BYU barber - tell your friends' . . .

Kathryn and Rebecca in front of the Cougareat sign at BYU the day before we dropped Kat off for camp. It was the fourth of July and everything was closed,

but we wanted to show Kat the campus . . . The kids were TOTALLY bored and wouldn't stand nicely for this photo at all - hence the tongue and the absence of the other two hoodlums.

Rebecca really enjoyed her time with her cousin Ashley - especially when licking bowls :)

Too cute! It all went by too fast! but it was also good to be home when we arrived back in CT. Hopefuly it won't be another 7 years before we make it back there. Thanks everyone!!!

Music and the Spoken Word

One of the highlights of our trip to Utah was Music and the Spoken Work with the Tabernacle Choir. Kathryn, Alaina and I went the day before the fourth of July and it was spectacular. After the broadcast, we walked around temple grounds and went into the Tabernacle where they ususally perform. Music and the Spoken Word is a radio/TV broadcast that features songs by the choir and a short sermon or spiritual thought mixed in. It is usually performed and taped here in the old Tabernacle, but during the summer months there are too many visitiors to fit in the Tabernacle so it is held in the new Conference center which is much bigger.

I'd like to go sometime when it is here in the Tabernacle - it would be cozy and accoustically amazing I'm sure!

This is the choir in the Conference center singing the closing hymn - God be with you till we meet again. It is always sung at the end of the broadcast. It was so good! So patriotic - being so close to the fourth of July, spiritual, fun, free :) Just a great way to spend a Sunday morning. Pres. Uctdorf was there in attendance - the girls loved that. Their favorite song that morning was "I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy" I just loved the spirit we felt while being there.

Temple Square

The peace of the House of the Lord never ceases to amaze me. After the church history museum, we toured the Beehive house, then spent a lot of time walking around temple square. We loved to see the temple, were amazed at the spirit we felt just walking around the grounds, enjoyed the visitor centers, and Ohhh the reactions of our children - they were reverant, glowing and so happy. Beautiful!

Alaina and Rebecca recognized this

and this from our wedding photos. They were so excited to be able to stand there - and to actually touch the temple

and the temple doors - big smiles!

Walking up the steps to the temple doors together - I love my kids! So grateful that the temples and the gospel promise us a forever family.

The Christus inside the North Visitors Center.

It was an incredible day.

Museum of Church History in SLC

Utah was so fun! One of the first days we were there, Gregg attended a sealing at the temple and I took the kids to the church history museum. The sealing was a great experience for Gregg - and the kids and I had fun.

This was a fun thing that Rebecca discovered. They got to dress up and then a video showing a traditional dance played in front of a big mirror so you could learn the dance and watch yourself do it - the skirts were wonderful and the girls had a blast trying it out. Above is Becca when she first discovered it, watching the video in the mirror and not quite following it yet.

Then other people, including Laina joined her . ..


Alaina in full swing


as Rebecca watches.

Then Kat joined in

And the museum lady convinced me to get in there too . . .

I loved watching them do this! My beautiful dancing girls! We tried to convince Garrett to join us, he said he would ONLY if he could wear a hat like the man in the video - but they didn't have hats. His older Allen cousins convinced him to do it later - but I missed it. I only saw the last bow and he wouldn't do it again for me. . ..

Kathryn said the videos were like Hogwarts Portraits with the girl and guy waving while they weren't teaching dances. They even hopped frames a couple times - Really cute!

More Colorado

In the west they really do call soda - "pop" :) I guess I've gotten very used to the New England way of saying things because I really thought this sign was amusing!

Puzzle with cousins

The girls had fun putting together this puzzle Sunday afternoon.

Riding quads with the Bohnes. After leaving Glenn and Michelle's we stopped in Craig to visit with Tim and Heidi Bohne - they have a beautiful family and they really spoiled us. We searched for fossils and rode quads, had fun on a huge water slide in their backyard, ate yummy food, helped with their two beautiful babies, and just thoroughly enjoyed our time there.

And then it was time to get back in the car and make our way to Utah . . .