... and as the summer winds down, we tried to get in as many outdoor activities as possible, which included, a 5K for me and Dad, a parade, a hike for me and Ann, a Relief Society Dinner, a Fairy Party, a hike for Dad and me with Davin's family, and an outdoor wedding celebration.
Here is Dad before the Onion Days 5K. He is shown with Daniel Crump and Tera Caron nee Barnett, who paced him for the race. Her husband Mark came in first in his age group for the 10K.
This is after the race, a mini Geneva Heights 7th ward reunion, including Perry Ewell (LaVern Crump's nephew) and Ann Shumway, with whom I walked the race.
After the race we had breakfast on the balcony, while we watched people gathering for the parade. We were so tickled when Becca called to say they would be joining us. I really thought coming home from Bear Lake on Sunday made for the perfect Labor Day weekend for us.
We were even happier when we heard Spencer's cute family was also coming down!!
The kids had fun gathering goodies that were thrown from the floats.
Everyone loved the horses, since Becca's a horsy gal and Brittney grew up in a horsy town.
Having the puppies come was fun too.
On Tuesday Ann and I hiked up Hobble Creek again, such a beautiful hike. I was so happy to see that the leaves have started to turn, just a few trees for now, so we'll have to go back soon. It turned out to be a double hike, because after Ann and I went to Cosco to load up on the Kodiak Cakes, that are on sale, I realized I had lost my glasses.
Dad insisted we go back up and look for them. I was pretty sure they had flipped off when I took off my hoody, which was 2/3s of the way down. We hiked up about 3/4 of a mile and found them, all dusty, folded and sitting on a rock. since we had seen no one, on the hike initially, nor when we went back, we assume they flipped off, folded themselves, and landed neatly on a large flat rock on the side of the trail? I don't think so, so whether it was an earthly angel or the other kind, we were grateful.
And look who else is out hiking these days. This is Kathy and Peter Okada, Brittney's parents, on a peak in Yellowstone. Cody is just an hour away, maybe we can draft them to hike with us sometime too.
And in other fun, extended family news, Becca is shown here with Barb and Randy's son Ryan and his family, after closing on a new house in Eagle Mountain.
Dad worked at Darby's on Wednesday and Thursday while I worked at the antique mall.
It was Kai's nineteenth birthday on Wednesday, and Britt posted this picture to help him celebrate.
Dad came home Thursday, early enough to help set up for the Relief Society dinner, for which I was on the committee, but wasn't able to come to, until it was time to start. Thanks Honey.
Here's my table, I am sitting between Tina and Michelle.
On Friday, I spent the day working on getting ready for my Fairy Tea Party. I had spray painted the Mad Hatter's Hat last week, and thought I would get the lettering done, as this will be my last cottage event of the year.
I was pretty happy with how it turned out.
Tina came around two to help set up. She brought her adorable collected flower tea cups and saucers. I had put together a fairy garden for the center piece using the charcuterie board that I bought from Britt in Idaho in the spring. I think this was my fifth time to use it. Yeah!!!
The sunflowers made the over grown garden look magical, so I grabbed my giant mushroom from the borders to act as a fairy seat for pictures.
Here are Tina's granddaughters, Jenevieve, Delaca, Rosie and Mica
Rosie is 18 and was in Young Women's with me between my missions. When her grandmother asked her to provide music for fairy dancing, she asked if she could come. It was so fun to have her. She intermediately wanted to show her sisters and cousin the library. I loved that.
The crowns were compliments of Tina's collection, she has some stunning crowns and tiaras, and the girls got to choose their own. Here are Adi and Nenna.
Here's the table all set for fun.
The Mimi fairies.
Now this picture gives a whole new meaning to the phrase, 'Fairy Garden'.
We made fairy wands in the garden house.
Davin and Bri took this picture when they came to get the girls.
Dad got a lot of mudding done in the three days he spent at Darby's this week.
Barb and Randy brought their friend Katy down to meet us Friday night. We had dinner at Zupas in Spanish, after Dad took the North County Fairies home. Katy will be going on the Panama Canal trip with us in January, so Barb wanted to make her feel more comfortable about knowing us before we head out together. She seems lovely, about our age, and very energetic. She was made a covid widow, after they chose not to vaccinate earlier this year. She's trying to find her footing now, and I love that Barb and Randy are inviting her into our social circle.
Barb loved the Steampunked Mickey Mouse ears that my friend Shirley gave me a couple of weeks ago. And speaking of Disneyland ...
Guess Where Alex got to go for his Birthday on Saturday? Edi and a friend of Alex' went along just for fun.
On Saturday we hooked up with Davin and Bri et al, to hike the Rocky Mouth Falls trail. It was beautiful and the kids were amazing. We loved it so much.
The falls were pretty weak sauce, because its September. They had hike it in May when it was falling in torrents.
Then we all went for Mediterranean Street food for a late lunch, including the first Falafal we've had at a restaurant in the USA I loved the decor, it was somewhat similar to Fafa's in Finland, and I realized that given its street food, the decor is based on graffiti. I never caught that in Finland. But fun stuff.
Other family members had other plans for Saturday, which also kept them out of doors. I love that Trevor and Nell ran into Rick and Wendy's daughter Katie and her husband Mason at the BYU - Utah game.
We had taken clothes to change into that day, so that after our hike we were able to get dressed up a bit before heading to the wedding celebration for Elise Madson's nee Peterson, reception. They got married on my birthday last year, so its been 16 months, It was a lovely party, with a taco truck and a caricaturist, and lots of Finnish Missionary friends. Here we are with Katelyn Kunzler and Elise.
Laurie Kehr and her boyfriend Ben, who goes by Red for some reason.
Katelyn, Brynn Parker, Elise and Anna Brown nee Wilson are four of the six members of their MTC group, missing Sarah Barrus and Philip Sisco.
Anna's husband Cameron was also one of our missionaries.
This morning we went to the missionary homecoming for Kortnee Sanders in Ogden.
Dad, Me, Kortnee, Charles Johnson, McKenna Field and Karli Moss with masks to show off how many Finnish masks there were.
and without.
As dad and I were rushing from Ogden to Eagle Mountain, to welcome home another missionary, these north Utah missionaries sent their hand hearts of love to Sister McKenna Terry.
Here's McKenna Terry, Charlotte Elkins, me, Dad, Samara Worthen, Britton Stanley and Emma Quigley.
We went home for lunch then headed back north to Lehi where we met with missionaries who knew and loved the Vesterinens. They are the extraordinary couple who have leave a ward and a branch, first as a bishop in Rauma and on this mission it was as a Branch Pressident in Pori. You may recall that I mentioned in our mission blog that they actually moved to Pori to lead the branch there.
Here we are with Will Hall, Eliza Middleton and Gwyneth Allen.
Eliza, Gwyneth, Erica Alto (A Finn going to BYU) and Mary Dailey
Dad with Alejandro Viitanen, who is also Jari Vesterinen's nephew, besides being one of our missionaries.
Here are a few more added missionaries, from the left, Ian Isom, Stephen Koch, William Vesterinen, Alejandro, girl friend, Darien Reed, Jari Vesterinen, Mary, Erica, Gwyneth, Will, Eliza, and us.
Top, Chase Piggot and his girl friend. Left David Smith and Brian Berrong. The dog belongs to the Vesterinens.
We had a wonderful week with lots of fun activities with family and friends, and a few chances to reconnect with Finns and missionaries we love.
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