Monday, July 31, 2023

July 2023

 Still catching up, so if I got something wrong or missed something significant, please remind me and I will edit.


Fun at Lake Anna with the Soderholms- Bobby's family, our family, and Robert's friends.

Victoria went to see Camila and Chandler in UT! Her pics will be interspersed with ones from VA.

Christian and Mia continue to date and we love her! They are the cutest together. This was a picture from one evening when she was over and Christian showed her his drawings that we made with his friend, Noah, in middle school. I think she was impressed. For real, this long scroll of cartoons is so cool!

While in Utah, Victoria had fun time with Luke, Chandler's cousin and best friend. 
Of course, she couldn't go to UT and not see her bestie, Jeff! He is the best and came up to see her!


We missed V on the 4th of July and she missed us, but she did some really fun things there too like hot air balloons, a parade, and Chandler's family's cookout.

The rest of us played at the river.







We loved watching fireworks at the ballfields in Kilmarnock. We will definitely go back!

We celebrated Christian's 18th birthday there too! Grandma made him a fruit pizza cookie cake just like he wanted! Aren't they both the best?

Camila and Chandler didn't want to go out, but Luke took V to watch the fireworks.

We continued to have fun at the river.


V had breakfast with the Davises and loved seeing them!

One of the reasons for Victoria's trip was to help put on a bridal shower for Camila! It looks like it was so sweet. (V, let’s add one of your pics). Megan flew out for that as well and was staying longer, but V was glad to hang with Megan during the overlap!

Not surprisingly, they found a ballfield! Salt Lake Bees?

After the river, Grant and I headed to his opening ceremony and games in Newport News.
Geemaw and Papa came to watch this guy pitch! 

He had a great game pitching and was actually the #2 pitcher stats-wise for the whole state tournament that day!
That afternoon/evening, Grant and teammates had a really fun time at the hotel pool and at the mall next door (convenient!) They also made friends with their server at Red Robin and met some baseball players from other teams. (Grant, anything you want to add game wise or memories or pictures?)

The next day they played a hard team and it wasn't super fun for Grant, but it was really nice of Craig and Lorel, Eve, and Liam to come while he was playing closeby.

Supportive fans!

While I was with Grant, we missed Katherine's first game in the tournament. I got this cool picture from a friend though! Yeah, girl!

Papa and Geemaw got to see that game!




Danny and the softball girls and their families celebrated their win with an afternoon at the beach. I'm not surprised that they played wiffleball on the sand!



Grant and I were able to catch one of K's games. They won! Danny- can you help retell specifics from the girls' time at states?
The girls were still in it, but G and I couldn't stay because we had Youth Conference the next day and we needed to get home to pack and to finish up last-minute changes for room and bus assignments ( I volunteered to do those- ughh.)


I am kidding, halfway, but it truly was a neverending puzzle and I tried my best to accommodate everyone's requests and hopes etc. I took this hideous and hilarious picture of myself to describe my mood working into the wee hours after being out of town for so many days prior. Haha!!!

 We took 110 youth and about 20 leaders to Ohio on 3 big charter buses. We left bright and early on Tuesday morning and had a whirlwind 3 days. We stayed at Hiram College and visited the Johnson Farm, the Kirtland Temple, the Morley Farm, and Historic Kirtland. We learned a lot about church history and felt the peace of the Spirit many times. Interspersed were good meals, group games and activities, a dance, and a testimony meeting. 

Like YW Camp, I don't feel comfortable sharing pictures of our youth. Instead, I am posting just a few of Grant and his friends from his group. These are photos that were shared with me and not pictures that I took.


Hahaha, aren't we so funny?!

Honestly, Youth Conference was pretty great! It made all of our hard work worth it. I really love these leaders, Julie and David and Sean and Gabriela (She was in Utah meeting her new grandson!), and all of the ward leaders we work with! I loved talking with the YW presidents and bishops on the bus, at meals, and late at night as we chaperoned the lobby.  I feel so honored to be able to learn and grow and serve with them and to spend time with the stake's incredible youth! 

A friend sent me this cute pic of Grant and Dawson hooping it up at the pool. 

K and Susie picking peaches!



Kristie and I!

Fun Friday at the lake with Danny and Kate



G man, catching fish


Recycling Katherine!

A little more softball! McClean asked Culpeper Allstars, their best opponent in states, to help them prepare for regionals. They came to Culpeper and even thanked the girls with Kona ice! So sweet!

K and I- scavenger hunt thrifting!

Celebrating Pioneer Day!

Tie dye with friends

Cute tank

tee, and scrunchie!

And Paige came to visit really quickly one weekend, so I met her in Midlo to see her at church. It was awesome to see her and Megan and Melissa and so many other special friends in the ward there.  

It was especially fun to skip Sunday School with Paige and Melissa! I hadn't seen Melissa for years and catching up was so good for the soul!