September's Still Sizzling!

My husband looked so handsome after we returned from church one Sunday, I told him to stand still, I want to take your picture.

Pickleball players and spouses were again invited up to Swift's cabin home in Pine Valley, where they retreat in the hot summer, for some pickleball and potluck lunch. It's always a fun respite from the heat in St. George, and there are such fun people who play pickleball! The Swifts are such a great couple!

My dear friend, Nancy, hosted a cooking demonstration in her lovely home for the Sunbrook cooking group. She demonstrated 3 ways to prepare pork tenderloin, and I was amazed at her presence of mind as she had 2 timers going at once while she showed us how to remove silver skin on a pork loin and make sauces and sides. I love to cook, but I marvel at the chefs on cooking shows and social media having to talk throughout their demos. I can cook and I can talk, but don't make me do both at the same time! I just got a couple of pics, but it was all delicious!

September 18 was the Keith Stratford Family Reunion with Roger's siblings, spouses, kids and grandkids. We traveled up a day early so we could meet my dear friend, Karleen, for lunch and Jessica could do my hair. It was very rainy on Friday and Rog took this pic of a double rainbow.

We lucked out on Saturday. Rain was in the forecast, but it was just overcast in Mountain Green, where Roger's sister, Shellie and husband, Todd, have just built a lovely new home and they hosted our reunion. All through the years, when you go to a Stratford gathering, you know you're going to have delicious homemade food. That has continued into the next generation with our kids! And it was wonderful catching up with Roger's family! We lived by his siblings for so many years in Ogden, and now that we're in St. George, we don't see each other often, but we love to get together!

Roger with his siblings - Chyrrl, Susie, Shelly and Scott

left to right - Craig and Susie, Roger and Pam, Sherie and Scott, Shellie and Todd and Chyrrl (Glynn was on his way up with the horses)

The kids were so excited when Glynn arrived with the horses!

Shellie and Todd's little grandson idolizes Cowboy Glynn and couldn't wait until he got there! You can't see them in the pic, but they both have on giant cowboy belt buckles!

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• We stayed in Rick and Jodie's pool/guest house while we were up north and Addie came home for the weekend from BYU to tend Blake on Sunday. Jodie was in Honduras for a week on a service mission with special needs kids and Rick is the 1st counselor in the stake presidency and has lots of meetings on Sunday. We took some quick pics while Rick was between meetings.

Every year on my nephew, Adam's, birthday, we toast him with his favorite,  burger and fries. He had Down Syndrome and passed away when he was 23.

Well, we're still tearing up photo albums to scan the pics we took from our travels so we can make our history book, so here are some more. Going down memory lane, verified with photos, tells us that we really did used to be young!

On a beach at Playa Del Carmen, Mexico, on a Gabrielsen family trip, 1999

This was Mom's last trip with us.

Gabrielsen siblings at the ruins of Chichen Itza

Left to Right, Ken, Patty, Roger, Pam Cindy, John, Joan, Tom and Hal

Leaving for a RCL Family cruise to the Caribbean with the Stratford family

L to R, Pam, Shellie, Susie, Todd, driver, Keith, Lois, Craig, Lois, Chyrrl and Scott

Trip to Chile, where Roger served a Church mission when he was 19, and Glynn and Chyrrl's son, Nate, had just completed his Church mission. They, with Roger and Chyrrl's parents, Keith and Lois and Roger and I went on a wonderful trip to Chile to pick up Nate.

buying a ring made by this artisan in Santiago, Chile

Roger hugging Orlando Ruiz Oyarsun, whom he baptized into the Church 32 years previous to their reunion. They were so tickled to see each other again!

Saltos Del Rio Petrohue, Chile

Down to the bottom of Chile is Torres Del Paine, which is ruggedly beautiful!

Overlooking the Old City of Jerusalem at the BYU Jerusalem Center in Israel

I was invited to travel to Israel to sing in the Millennium Choir with the Kay Starr Singers. They, and other singers traveled from all over the US to sing Hosanna: The Last Days in the Life of Christ by Lex de Azevedo, in a concert in Sherover Hall in Jerusalem.

Here is our group on the steps of Dome of the Rock. Dan was our tour guide.

Roger at the Garden Tomb

In the Garden of Gethsemene

I'm with a resting camel at Jerico

I'm holding a little goat in the Shepherd Fields overlooking Bethlehem.

Tombs in Bet Given Caves

Masada - So hot! Such a dramatic, tragic history unfolded here!

Roger swimming in the Dead Sea, holding on to his Dad

I didn't want to get my hair wet - Thanks, Roger! The buoyancy of the Dead Sea is amazing - 34% salt when ocean water is 3.5% salt!

By the River Jordan

On a boat on the Sea of Galilee

Biblical Jaffa

Okay, back to the present!

We attended the annual ward party at Janice and Jay Ence's cabin in Pine Valley. This year it was a brunch, and the committee had cooked up pancakes, eggs, bacon, ham and hash browns. Ward members brought fruit plates, cinnamon rolls, breads, pastries, cake and cookies, and it was a feast! Tunes through the years were played, then stopped part way through as we played a game of who can identify it. It's always such a fun party and with great attendance with members bringing friends and neighbors.

Is life speeding up? The older I get, the more it seems to be, and I have a hard time remembering when I did what! And we're still waiting for some cool weather!