Mission Reunion

The Rizley mission reunion was so fun.  The best part was getting to see so many of our beloved friends.  I was blown away by seeing the Schmidts and Howards.  They served such a short time under the Rizleys.

We love these people so much and didn't get to spend much time with the Howards.  They were there for just the evening but had to get back to Wyoming for a grandchild's baptism.  Still great to see them. 

No trip to Nauvoo is complete unless you get to attend the temple! Thanks Marilyn Rizley for taking this photo of us. 

We had dinner at the hotel and then photos.  Jim and Shelley Brown are some of the best people. 

We were neighbors with Colleen and Steve Avey.  He was a member of the presidency but they needed to go home early as his cancer returned.  I think the doctors thought his life would be short but he responded to the treatments and life it good. 

Life would be boring without the Odums in it.  Love their South Carolinian accents and his goofiness.

Brian and Pat Poll are gems.  We spent a lot of time with them and assisted them when they had to leave and go home due to his illness. 

Bruce and Sherry Robertson are such a fun couple.  He has such a great sense of humor and she is just such a gentle woman.  Love them immensely.

Some of the people we attended the temple with. 

On an Iowa historic site tour with the Polls riding with us. After lunch we decided to skip the rest of the tour and head off on our own.  I'm glad we did!

A beautiful September day made just for touring.  It started out cool but turned out great.  

The group that attended.  I think I knew maybe one third of the people there.  So many came after we left.

Of all the missionaries that returned, these are the hard working FM missionaries.  I loved our mission and I loved working with so many dedicated people.  These were days never to be forgotten!

 

Back to Branson

With the upcoming Rizley Mission Reunion in Nauvoo we decided to spend a few days back in Branson as we enjoyed it so much the first time.  

We did a lot of shows that we didn't see the first visit.  This one was a comedy show but there was a whole lot of singing and not as much comedy as expected. 

We went back to Pierce Arrow as we thought they put on a fabulous show.  There were probably less than 150 people at the show and they put on a show as if the place was packed.  I loved it the second time just as much as the first. 

We went to see The Gambler.  It was a tribute show about Kenny Rogers.  The guy was really, really good.  Not only did he look like Kenny, he sounded like him as well.  

A county, gospel show was entertaining.  Not my favorite but their keyboard player was fantastic!

Dolly Parton's Stampede was a dinner show which included a warm-up act prior to being seated. 

Once seated, we had a table top in front of us on which our food was deposited.  There was some rodeo type things happening and some singing and dancing as well. 

They served us so much food and I couldn't begin to eat it all.  It was a fun evening with lots of horses!  I don't need to do it again though.

We saw a play with lots of music set in a southern church.

It was so entertaining and funny.  People in the audience were added to the mix without putting them on stage.  Those people played along so well that at times it really surprised the actors. 

The story was so cute and the expressions on some of the faces were priceless!

This character never sang but played all the strange percussion instruments. 

This instrument was sandpaper on knee pads.  

A trip to the south is never complete without a trip to Waffle House. 

 

Back to School Carnival

I had this idea to have a "back-to-school" carnival in the yard for my family.  

We began with roasting hot dogs and brats over the fire.  Lots of sides and desserts to go with them. 

Then the games.  I created some games and used some things I already had to make others. 

Prizes were available in the prize box.

There were some silly toys like the shooting ice cream cones and yo-yos that were big hits.  

There were also school supplies.

The kids had a great time and so did the adults.  

Next time I will be a bit more organized.  I think I'll utilize my adults to "run" a game so there can be multiple things going on at the same time. 

I have some pretty cute grandchildren.  Some have BIG personalities!

I think Eddie really like the shooting chicken game as he asked if he could take it home. 

I think as much as Tom avoids the children, he had a good time too.  

I love the concentration of the children as they attempt to shoot down the cups with the chicken.

There was definitely a learning curve.

Treats were gathered both by "pass the parcel" and by choosing them from the prize box. 

Digging for buried treasure yielded it's own prizes. 

Sammi was the brave one to put the goal post on her head for ring toss. 

I think I'll have a "out of school" carnival as well.

It was so much fun!

 

Whitefish Dunes

Erin likes to have a family day out at Whitefish Sand Dunes State park on the Saturday nearest her birthday.  We didn't attend last year.  I'm sure it was because we were in the temple.

The weather at home was cool and rainy and there were thoughts of staying home by several.

It rained on our way to the beach but was only overcast when we got there. 

Everyone brought their own lunches.  Henry enjoyed his Subway!

The water was very COLD!  I walked in and got my ankles wet and that was enough for me.

The sand was warm and holes were dug and castles were built. 

There were also "Olympic" events captured on video. 

The sun actually showed it's face for a while and it got warm enough for me to go put on a swimsuit. 

The water in Lake Michigan is never warm but watching my family wade in slowly was testament to just how cold it really was. 

I didn't think we would need the beach umbrella but I'm so glad it was packed along. 

We stayed for a few hours and fun was had by everyone.  

Erin dug her "heart hole" so we could have our picture taken inside the heart. 

We should have been on the other side. 

Lydia got to be a mermaid in the sand with lots of feathers.  

Just to make the day complete, it rained on the way home.  It was a perfect day!