Relaxing in Riverbank

Thanks to Aliya's baptism it gave us an excuse to get together in July. Jennie has a friend that let the kids come and cool off. Halley has a famous split dive...can't remember if she close her legs before hitting the water.

Naoki is famous for showing his cool tricks. I had to add a cool camera trick to equal his moves. You always know when you score big because he borrows the SD card to download to his computer. Yes!!!

Halley and Melanie were concerned that Papa might forget to plug his nose. These two love their grandpa.

I never got tired watching him jump...grinning from ear to ear.

Not quite a Halley split but more than Mommy can do.

She is a show-pony like her uncle....a future scuba diver for daddy.

It isn't a legitimate trip unless we have photographed these two together. Best cousins!!!

12

It is no surprise to my kids that I am not a fan of them growing up. If I had my wish I would rewind the clock to when they are small and squishy....even if it meant re-potty training. I just hate to think that some day they will decide it is time to leave my home and make one of their one. Since I do have to see them grow, it is fun to see them do things that I remember doing for the first time and being so excited about it. Breanna got to go to the temple for the first time last week and it was awesome for her. Shane was there with her and they had a special time.

She also got to go to Girls Camp and to say she was thrilled is an understatement. She went to the Whitney's to braid her hair as is the tradition for Medford 2nd girls. The theme is Survivor and I am excited to have her come home and tell me all about her adventure. It was fun to see some of the same leaders at camp who were there when I was a youth.

Here she is with her J.C.'s Karla Grow, Sherilyn Shumway, and Clara Dunn. What a lucky girl to have such terrific girls be her mentors. I am not worried one bit as to how she will fare. Breanna has done a lot of missionary work with her friend lately and almost had her coming to camp too. What a great kid she is shaping up to be...if I don't say so myself.

Brea's 12th Birthday surprise in San Francisco

Luckily the weather cooperated at the sun finally poked through by 2pm.

We enjoyed time on the wharf watching the stinky sea lions and eating at Rain Forest cafe.

It makes me think of Rice-a-roni..the San Francisco treat ding, ding. Fun to catch a ride 'board the cable car.

Here is the Chinese square. Several people playing card/board games. I saw no sign of Chinese checkers...kinda disappointing. Our hotel was the one right behind Shane and Brea. We were up several floors to see this view...

Cool huh?! Was fun to stay in and be close to the theater so that we could walk home after we saw Peter Pan. Traffic can be so bad, but we just took an evening stroll. Couldn't see paying those prices very often though...Yikes! Hopefully a great memory was made. Definitely was for me.

LJ's Birthday in Adventureland

Ray was her favorite character from Princess and the frog. Can't start summer without new goggles. Look at those teeth getting straighter.

Spencer tried to pretend it was summer and eat outside. Thunder clouds didn't get the memo...or they felt he was taunting them by building a fire.

Evan saying hello to our visitor from Adventureland, Harry the Hippo.

Doesn't look a day older than 9. We shared the day as it was mother's day as well. Can't think of a better way to spend it than with tiki torches and steel drum music.

Grandma had enough birthday and was ready to go home.

Cantare Chorus performance

In April Spencer's community chorus that he sings in traveled to Corvallis to compete in a small ensemble competition. They got to perform in a very old Methodist church in Corvallis. They acoustics were amazing which the kids enjoyed. Here is a slice of their work. I apologize in advance for the camera work.

With three college professors as judges the kids did extremely well. They are judged according to how you should sound for your age level. In this case they are 7th-9th graders. They scored an average of 91 out of 100. They got all I or I+ with I+ being the highest. They were amazing.

I recently went to Spencer's school choir concert and nearly gasped at the lack of discipline and the immaturity of their tone quality. I have worked so long with Cantare (community chorus) as a rehearsal assistant, that I didn't realize how good they really are. I get a little teary eyed listening.

Halley-isms

Conversations with Hal:

Mom: "What's that Hal, I couldn't here you"

Halley: "Nothin' I was just speaking whale"

Mom: "Here's some chocolate from daddy's office"

Halley: "Can I eat it?"

Mom: "Nope, just look at it"

Halley: "What?, Why?"

Mom: "I'm kidding, go for it"

Halley:" ....you totally got me"

Halley: "Mom, I love you"

Mom: "I love you too"

Halley: "I love you more than............hmmm.......my room"

Mom: " Thanks"

Halley: " Is that the happy thanks, or the, you know, mad thanks?"

"Seedlings turn overnight to Sunflowers...Blossoming even as we gaze"

This is Jessica..my sister. We stopped at the Portland temple as we headed to Ricks College to drop me off for my first year. Yep, she was just a pip squeak.

Here is a pic of the Bringhurst family reunion 2003. She is on the far right.

Here is her very adventurous self when she went to Australia/New Zealand last Fall.

Here she is at the New Zealand temple. Ready to proceed with her next, new adventure...serving a full time mission. Tonight we all got to listen by phone as she read the call that for 18 months she will be serving in the Peru Arequipa Mission. She reports to the Missionary Training Center June 30th. What a blessing she will be to those living in Peru. We are so proud of you Jessica.