A Special Labor Day Weekend

Adelaide turned eight!

She was so excited to be baptized 

and become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!

Of course Grandma and Grandpa wanted to be there, so we drove to Alpine Friday, August 31. 

Her daddy baptized and confirmed her a member Saturday morning, September 1.

The cute Lind family in front of their home

 Here are the Stratfords' who were able to be there. 

Rick, Jodie, Josh, Abby and Blake came from SLC.

Here are the Linds' - 

Jeff's parents, Brent and Rosemary and brothers Steven and Scott with their wives and children 

and his sister, Maryanne, and husband, Dave and their 5 kids also came, 

but she was feeding her new baby.

 Grandma Pam and Grandpa Roger with our special Addie

 Proud Grandparents

Mindy and Jeff had a wonderful lunch in their backyard.

They ordered delicious pizza and breadsticks

and Mindy put together a big salad and yummy goodies. Rosemary brought cut up fruit 

and Jodie made her famous dip and brought Scotcheroos.

The kids, young and old, loved the soda bar with make-your-own combos with cold drinks and syrups.

I love this precious daughter!

little sis, Fi

That evening, Jeff and Mindy treated us to a yummy dinner at Milagro's.

The kids love the free ice cream sandwich they get for dessert!

We watched the BYU-Arizona game afterwards.

Yay, BYU! 

Mindy was exhausted after a big day!

After Sacrament meeting in Mindy and Jeff's ward on Sunday, 

we drove to Rick and Jodie's for a delicious dinner. 

She invited her mom, Kathie (Bart had to work in the ER) and us 

to have dinner with them and then Josh showed pics he took 

when he spent four months at the Jerusalem Center in Israel. 

He had such an amazing experience learning from a Jewish and an Arab instructor, 

as well as from excellent BYU instructors.

Their flowers always look so gorgeous!

On Labor Day, Roger, Rick and Josh got up real early and played nine holes of golf at Eaglewood, 

then we left at 9 AM to Park City to try to beat the lines for the Coaster and the Alpine Slide. 

There were so many people with the same idea and we learned that they were also celebrating Miner's Day.

Still worth it! 

Blake LOVED both the Coaster and the Alpine Slide!

Grandma found some good shade. 

I fear that my going fast on slippery things days are over!

Rick treated us to a yummy lunch at Zupa's . . .

. . . and a super yummy dinner at everyone's favorite, Mikado!

It was such great fun to be with these two wonderful families!

As a big bonus, Jan and Dave Noyes were in SLC from Texas, so we met them and Karleen, 

who lives in Salt Lake, for breakfast on Tuesday morning at a quaint German bakery. 

Jan and Dave lived in Germany twenty-some years ago and we visited them there, 

so that made it even more fun - such happy memories when we were all friends in Ogden. 

Karleen is recovering amazingly well from her t-bone auto accident 6 weeks ago. 

She had surgery on her eye socket and her pelvis was broken. 

She is in the elite Energizer Bunny Club! 

We love these guys so much and we spent two and a half hours chatting and laughing!

After our last good-bye hugs, we headed to Ogden to see Lois and for Jess to do my hair, 

then we drove back to St. George.

Special really is an inadequate word for our long Labor Day Weekend!

Enrichment Plus!

These two cute BYU Summer School guys stopped in St. George to have dinner 

and to spend the night on their way back to Mesa on Sunday, August 19. 

Our handsome grandson, Pete (blue shirt), and his friend he grew up with, Eric, are both returning home to get ready to serve LDS missions. 

Pete is going to serve in the Armenia Georgia mission and Eric is going to serve in Brazil.

I love to feed my grandkids when they stop by!

We grilled salmon and fresh corn and I made an arugula, cantalope, mozarella ball, 

macadamia nut salad. I tried a new recipe, Hassleback potatoes, and I think I'll add them to my repetoire. 

We had Pete's favorite, banana cream pie with salted caramel sauce, for dessert.

Monday we left for Alpine to stay with Mindy while we attended BYU Education Week.

Early next morning, while we were getting ready to leave for the BYU campus, 

look who got up to chat with us before we left!

Fi and Charlie

Roger and I were recently trying to remember how many times in recent years 

we have been able to attend BYU Education Week and we think it's about ten years. 

We look forward every year in August to completely focusing for almost a week on learning, 

becoming inspired and getting our spiritual batteries charged!

This year was extra good!

Selfie in the first class in the Marriott Center

We attended classes taught by some of our favorites, as well as trying out some new instructors. 

We especially enjoyed Brad Wilcox, Susan Easton Black (Durant), Jack Marshall, Anthony Sweat, Wayne Burton 

and Janice Kapp Perry. 

I've included some random iPhone pics of some of the posted power points made throughout the week.

We LOVED Nathan Pachecho in concert the first night!

He has a beautiful voice and was so charismatic.

There were several of the great classes in the Marriott Center.

Roger took a quick pic of Marvin Goldstein, Vanessa Joy and Janice Kapp Perry.

Janice lost her husband in July and there were many poignant moments in word and song.

Mindy met us for dinner at Bombay House and a concert of the Deseret Strings. 

What incredible talent each of these BYU faculty members have!

We're still rarin' to go on the third day!

A real bonus, on our fourth afternoon, as we were last-minute shopping in the BYU Bookstore 

before leaving for St. George, we ran into Sarah Bedke, my cousin Scott's wife from Oakley, Idaho. 

We haven't seen Sarah for a long time - she had a serious health scare, but seems to be doing great now. 

She was enjoying Ed Week with her four sisters and told us that next week their adult families 

are going on a McCall vacation together with Aunt Nedra, Scott's mom, who is still doing great. 

She's the last Gabrielsen sibling. Their lives are so busy with Scott being the Speaker of the House in Idaho.

Then, two minutes later, we ran into Linda Taylor, my close Kappa Delta roommate/sister from USU.

She was at Ed Week with her husband, Bob, who we also know, but he was in a class.

I love this girl!

We arrived home Friday night, where Rick, Jodie and Abby were staying in our home so Abby, 

who is on her school's tennis team, could play in a tournament Friday and Saturday. 

We watched her play in two matches on Saturday. 

She is a good little tennis player; she can hit great returns!

I'm sad we didn't get any pics!

Saturday afternoon was the annual Branch Picnic at the Ence home in Pine Valley.

It is a smashing success every year and so well attended. Everyone brings their friends, relatives, neighbors and there is always such a welcoming, festive air among these wonderful people. 

This year the couple who headed it up (Randy is in the cattle ranching business) 

provided steaks for everyone and we all brought yummy salads and desserts. 

I love this woman! Janice Ence has been my visiting/ministering teacher all 14 years we have lived in St. George. 

She is one of the most generous, caring and fun women I have ever known!

And the most enriching influence of my life just turned 74 on Monday, August 27!

What a wonderful journey it has been married to this amazing guy!

Roger golfed 18 holes with his golf buddies and I made him a mango smoothie 
and Rhee's, cinnamon toast the right way.

That night, I made a fresh corn and black bean salad 
to go with one of his all-time favorites, Sloppy Joes!

I made a fresh peach cobbler for dessert.

August truly was filled with Enrichment Plus!