August: Sean's Homecoming
My littlest brother, Sean, served a 2-year LDS mission in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His homecoming was anticipated for weeks and when the afternoon finally arrived, my family gathered at the airport brimming with anticipation of what 2-years did to and for Sean.Brock, Jamin & Travis were, respectively, only 3 years old and 1 year old when Sean left in 2009. They hardly remembered their uncle, but rallied in the excitement of the rest of us--waving their welcome home signs at every stranger who exited the terminal--in the hopes that one of them would be uncle Sean.
Impatient 5-year olds are rough on signs and by the time uncle Sean did arrive, our sign was falling to pieces.
Miss Libby had never met her uncle before; nevertheless, she was easily the most patient of all the kids.
He promised to bring a cheese head home, and that is exactly what Sean did as he came running through the doors into the arms of his family...
Mom got the first hug. And deservedly so.
Sean almost took down dad in his excitement to be home!
We are so proud of Sean for his dedication to missionary service, for his strong testimony and we're especially happy to have him home!
September: The National Gas Rodeo
Don't let the title fool you into thinking that we've embraced some sort of flatulence contest. Ew.
Nope, Clarke, as you recall, works for the local gas company as a technician. Every year, natural gas companies from across the country send their strongest teams to compete in a national test of technician skills (like setting a gas meter, digging and backhoe and dump truck challenges). This year, Clarke's team, Rapid Expansion, won the right to compete for Idaho, and traveled to St. Louis, MO to meet and compete against the best teams in the country!
Each team consisted of four members. This is what Rapid Expansion looks like:
They had a great opportunity to lunch at the Boise State Sky Box a few days before they left for the national competition. While there, they decided to pay a visit to the coaches offices, where they explained who they were and about the competition. The coaches office staff happily gifted them official Boise State helmet stickers to decorate their safety helmets for the competition!
When arrangements were being made to send the Rapid Expansion teams and their wives to St. Louis, I had not been cleared to travel and we assumed I would not be able to travel. When I was cleared for travel, in August, it was too late to get on the same flights and even then, Delta wanted TWICE the amount for tickets. Um, no thanks. So, all the pictures from the competition and St. Louis are courtesy of Clarke, who diligently called home often to report how much fun he was having and how much fabulous food he was eating. Clarke's favorite part of the 4-day trip was the Gateway Arch.
View from the top of the arch, looking down...
He couldn't (and can't) stop talking about how much fun he had on his vacation! Next year, if his team wins the privilege of returning to St. Louis to compete once again, I'll go too.
Late September: Papa's New Gig & Rig
There are a lot of smart, talented people out of work right now. After devoting most of his life to becoming a master carpenter and business owner, my dad found himself struggling these last few years to procure any little job he could to help bring in what used to be a substantial monthly income. With ZERO construction going on in the valley, pickings for skilled workmen were slim and my dad, or "papa" as we call him since he started going gray, had to make a career choice. He decided to study and earn his CDL and become a truck driver. Right now, he's hauling gravel to the oil fields in North Dakota. The night before he left, he brought home his brand new truck to show off to the family. The kids had a ball climbing all over it!
Travis...
Libby & Sean...
Brock
and Brock again...
Jamin...
Lovely Miss Libby and Nanay...
So, that's it, folks. I've emptied out my memory cards and they're fresh and ready to take on autumn. I hope I can find the energy and inspiration to exercise my shutter button in the next several weeks!
