Family Events and Europe is ON

As parts of the nation suffer from extreme weather we continue to have unusually cool and wet weather. There was snow on the yard just yesterday morning and low temperatures still hoover around freezing with highs rarely reaching 70 degrees.

After prolonged negotiations Dad and Dave have accepted an offer to contract with ON Semiconductor in Oudenaarde, Belgium during July, August and September. They will assist with work on expansion of the factory automation system they developed and installed there while working for AMI before it was acquired by ON. We plan to travel around some in Europe while there with some weekend trips and possibly a more extensive tour at the end of summer before returning home. I look forward to learning about other cultures and languages and the time Laurene and I can spend together exploring the area immediately around Oudenaarde while the guys are working.

This past week we visited with our three kids and their families in Northern Utah. Last Saturday we went to the final performance of "Les Miserables" performed by Merit Academy High School in Springville. LaRinda and Trevor's kids, Brendyn and Kaylie as well as their Danish foreign exchange student, Josie, had multiple parts in the play. This performance was spectacular! The kids all put so much emotion and intensity into their parts. The costumes and props were most impressive as we compare this performance to the austere presentation of "Cinderella" at the school just a couple of years ago.

Brendyn, Kaylie and Josie



Most of Cast with Drama Teacher on Floor in Front

Then the following Wednesday we attended the graduation from Payson High School of Leon and Nicole's daughter, Kendra at the UVU special events center in Provo. We are especially proud of Kendra as she was one of just four students in her class to complete high school with a perfect 4.0 GPA.



Brendon, Chrissy, Kendra and Leon

The preceding Monday evening we attended a party for her at the Maple Dell Boy Scout Camp a few miles up the canyon East of Payson. Kendra's step father, David, is a scout executive responsible for this facility. It was a nice setting in the mountains with a lake just outside the hall where we met.

Kitchen Help

 

Kids Goofing Off

In the time between events we spent time with each family. At Laurie and Evan's we got to go to a special treat and movie with Mckinsie's class at school. It was fun and Dad got assigned by the teacher to pick the order the kids could come up to be served ice cream prior to watching the movie on "kid" safety.

Now that the creek flow has dropped a little we see that the pond is now completely filled with gravel after Dad completely dredged out all the mud and sticks earlier this spring. Thanks Mother Nature for the added exercise! Along with house and yard work we continue to enjoy having little Taylor to brighten our lives a couple of days each week.

Heavy Lifting Back Home and Old Man Winter Lingers Still

This past two weeks were busy and physically demanding after the relative leisure of our winter away from home. The weather, except for a few days, continues to feel almost like winter. At this writing it is snowing heavily as it has done all day and beginning to accumulate. During the few dry days we put in many hours recovering our property from the ravages of winter. Little furry critters love to shred our beautiful lawn under the cover of snow every winter but this was the worst we have seen by far.

All the dead turf had to be raked off and nest holes filled. Every spring there is also a major cleanup of willow branches and twigs that have to be raked up from the property along the creek and burned. The pond as usual had filled to the brim with mud and willow branches which had to be dredged out by hand. All this was finished just before it began dumping rain and snow again for three straight days now. The creek is running at levels we have not seen since building here twelve years ago although Dad says we have seen nothing compared to several summer flash floods his family lived through on this property in the 1950's that saw the entire valley floor knee deep in flood waters. For those who have seen the quite pond and tiny clear stream that normally flows check out the following. In the second picture a 10" culvert through the dam is running at capacity but hidden by the flow over the dam.

In addition to yard work we have had the pleasure of babysitting Lance and Aubri's little Taylor several days as well as celebrating her second birthday on May 5th.

Then there have been major car repairs to our little blue Elantra. Two were an eventual consequence of inadequate protection from pelting gravel to both the radiator and air conditioning condenser while being towed, primarily during our Alaska trip in 2009. A recommended timing belt change whose failure would destroy the engine was also done. A big surprise upon returning was an offer from Dad's old employer to go to Belgium with Dave Gardner for up to three months to work on a fab automation project with which they are intimately familiar. There are many considerations but a major condition was that the company would also pay the way for Laurene and I to accompany them. We don't know if all conditions will be accepted and are awaiting the outcome of negotiations at this time. We hope to hear by the end of this week so that we can make plans to either leave the first of July for Europe or get on with summer plans at home. Finally, I had a wonderful Mother's Day, receiving gifts, visits, cards and/or phone calls from each of our dear children after very inspirational Sunday meetings to honor mothers.