Our 25th Wedding Anniversary

On August 26th, Rich and I had our 25th Wedding Anniversary!!!

25th anniversaries are great - I highly recommend them!

Earlier in the year we took a trip to Hawaii.  True, it wasn't our anniversary, but we needed a warm break in February, not August.

It was a most memorable and delightful trip together.

Our actual anniversary day was a Tuesday and Rich was out of town working.  The Friday before, we decided to have a nice date together by attending our local temple and then attending a community play of "The Scarlet Pimpernel" which was awesome.  Lovely date together.

On our actual anniversary, I opened this gift from mom and dad - perfect for our Silver Wedding Anniversary!  Thanks Mom!!!

When Rich came home on Saturday, he took me away on a camping trip to the mountains.

(Note:  Okay, I haven't posted anything in Delle Delight's for years and find this in my draft folder many years after it happened - so the rest of this post is the best I can remember from four years later!)

Attended church at the Waterton Chapel on Sunday.

Went to Cameron Lake for our Sunday afternoon picnic.  The wind was so cold coming off the lake that we had to eat in our sleeping bags!

A kind stranger took this  picture of our windy picnic for us. I love this one!!!

Exploring the marina and shores of Waterton Lake during our Sunday afternoon stroll.

Richard taught me how to longboard - can't believe I was able to keep my balance with four wheels underneath me!  This was along the bike trail that runs along beside the highway. 

And sadly enough, (since I am writing this four years after our 25th Anniversary) last year in Sept 2017, a big forest fire roared through Waterton Park and many of these trees along the highway are now destroyed.  Luckily the townsite was able to be saved, and the Prince of Wales hotel.

Cameron Falls - the most photographed spot in Waterton!

Richard arranged a surprise and on Labour Day Monday.  Grampa brought a bunch of our girls to come and be with us in Waterton for the day!  We took the pictures at Cameron Falls, which I guess was the pre-arranged meeting place at a certain time!  We finished taking the pictures and turned around and . . . 

. . . look, a bear!  After a little bit of time for bear photo ops, Richard chased it back into the trees by letting out his shrieking whistle and running towards it.  Such a hero!!!

I confess I don't even remember who these people are - I think they were some of Grampa's family?  They must have been special though because we got a picture together.

Picnic lunch time - Jordyn is sitting very carefully as her flipflops slipped on the Cameron Falls trail and she slid and landed on her hinder.  

After lunch, Carlee and Jenna took the long-boards out for a ride and we were planning to meet them at the playground.  Soon we got a text from Carlee saying that Jenna had hit gravel and wiped out and was hurt and needed us.  So we got to them and lots of other people had stopped too.  Someone called the ambulance.  They didn't want to move her until they had checked her out but it was mostly her knees and elbows and hands that were scrapped up, but Jenna can get pretty freaked out about blood and pain!  

It was starting to rain so they put her on the stretcher to get her patched up inside the ambulance.  Jordyn and Carlee were quite enchanted by the muscles on this paramedic!  Once we knew Jenna was okay beyond surface wounds, it was quite entertaining to listen to them!

Inside the ambulance for a little while, out of the rain, getting her wounds dressed.

 As we drove home, we kinda broke the law by letting Jordyn (with her sore hinder) and Jenna (with her scraped body) lay on the bed in the camper as we towed it home.  It was a much more comfortable trip home for them that way.

Apart from some drama at the end of the weekend, it was a lovely anniversay!  In fact, it's been the best anniversary I've ever had!  Love my Richard so much!!!

Now good luck at volleyball tryouts tomorrow Jenna - hope you can move!

(She made the team!)

Reunion Time

We had a family reunion scheduled for August 15-16th, but circumstances changed so we were able to make it into a little vacation, ending with the reunion.  We had Young Women's on Tuesday night and didn't want to miss that as the girls got to try on modest grad/prom/wedding dresses. 

 

Lots of fun - these were the favourites at the end.  Jordyn, Carlee and Jenna are standing together in the teal, pink and teal dresses.  Jenna has really grown this summer and now appears to be the tallest sister, even passing me!  Carlee is very close too though.

 

So we left early Wednesday morning, timing our trip out of town with Carlee's ortho appointment at 9:10am, which took exactly 9 minutes!  We met up with Rich's sister Kaylene, who had just moved back from overseas, and were able to haul a trailer full of her furniture into her new home.  We unpacked very quickly because the mosquitos there were horrid.  And you couldn't smack them away when you were hauling furniture in!  From there we headed off to my sisters home and arrived around 7:30pm.  We spent two nights with them and the cousins had a ball together.  

 

The second evening we went to their favourite lake.  

Youngest cousins are here in the van ready to go - singing along to Frozen and sounding great!  Older kids went out earlier with Rich.  We got out there and had a delicious picnic supper consisting of baked potatoes, caesar salad, garlic bread, KFC chicken, and chocolate cake!

 

Then it was beach time!

It was a beautiful beach with the playground right on it, and tires, and volleyball net, and horseshoes, picnic tables and tons of room for sandcastle building and sunbathing. 

Jenna and Daddy on the dock.

Dad doing a handstand into the water.

Cousins Olivia, Carlee and Jordyn.

Marina and Katia sitting, the oldest three standing, and Jenna and Savannah in the water.

 

We had lots of fun with them and Rich was able to help them out by putting some casings around the door in the wall that he built the last time we visited.  We left Friday morning and stopped in to visit my other sister, Denyse, who was overdue with her sixth baby.  We were hoping she had it while we were other places, so we could see it on our way out of town.  She was actually in the beginning stages of labour while we were visiting, but we missed the baby's arrival by about 10 hours.  Baby Landen Joseph arrived at 1:15am Saturday morning.  But we had a nice visit with their family and enjoyed some delicious ice-cream with them. 

 

We continued on our journey to the family reunion site and met up with Richelle and Addison (Logan had to work) at our hotel.  Unpacked, bought our supper supplies and headed off to meet everyone else for supper.  We cooked our various suppers and shared pot luck items and visited with everyone as people arrived.  Brad was in charge of this reunion and did a great job of of keeping us entertained.  He made a frisbee golf course the the kids particularly enjoyed and we had bocce balls and a bean bag toss game that I skunked Rich at! lol  The worst part of the evening was gramma locking both sets of keys in their car.  An AMA guy came and worked for a long time and couldn't get in, so another guy came and eventually got into the car, but cracked the passenger window in the process.

 

We enjoyed time around the bonfire visiting.  As the evening got later, people left to their various accommodations.  Rich camped at the site with his two little girls, Katia and Mackie, and they had a grand time together in the tent.  The rest of the girls and I stayed down the road in a hotel.  When we got back, the pool was closing in 8 minutes, but that didn't stop some of them from going in for an evening dip.

Jenna, Chelle, and Carlee with Addison.

Addison loved the water!

 

We all slept great!  I got to share a bed with Chelle and Addison and I don't think they moved all night.  We went back for breakfast consisting of pancakes, scrambled eggs and tons of sausages.  Our meals on Saturday were all at the Seniors Center which was a block away from the beach.  After breakfast, we all went back to the campsite for more games.

Kevin had a golf ball and invented a game that kept us entertained for a long time!  He threw the ball in the fire pit.  The fire pit was shaped like a giant metal bowl, so the golf ball would hit the side and bounce back out, right at the people sitting around it.  Often you couldn't tell which way the ball would be headed, so you really had to watch the ball.  It's in the right side of the fire pit, a neon green little circle.  I think it's boucing towards Jenna because she looks like she's getting ready to screach and catch it.  It was a ton of fun to play while visiting in the circle.  Later, Carol added a twist: whoever had the ball had to say a movie quote that everyone had to guess.  Lots of fun and laughs.

 

Between the fire pit ball game, Brad organized other games.  He warned us the night before that we'd be getting wet so some of us are in rain coats.  It was also spitting a little bit from the sky.

The little girls are trying to squirt ping-pong balls off a paper plate with their water guns.  But before long, they had more fun squirting people.

Mackie attacking Auntie Kaylene!

For this game, you had to toss a ping-pong ball into the other persons cup.  If you got it in, they had to dump the cup of water on their head.

 

Carlee doing the water dump!

 

Carol playing with Jenee.

Carol doing the water dump!

Rich and I played together.  I must admit to kinda cheating when I had to dump the water on me - I just held my hair out to the side and poured it on that hair.  Brilliant I thought!

 

We played a frisbee toss game - stepping back after each toss.

Jenna was my partner and we did pretty good.

We also did the same game with tons of water balloons after the frisbee toss.  After the games, you can imagine that with all the water guns and water around, some little water battles errupted!  And this continued to occur as we played our favourite golf ball fire pit game some more!  We had lots of laughs and fun together. 

 

It was very nice that all of  Richards seven siblings were able to attend.  It would have been even more fun though if more of their kids had been able to attend - cousin bonding time!  Chelle enjoyed showing off her baby Addison though to distant family members.

 

Then it was lunchtime, so back to the Seniors Center for subs.  After lunch we all had free time to play on the beach, water slides, nap, explore, shop or anything we wanted.  Rich and Carlee long-boarded around.  Mackie got her face and arm painted with pink butterflies.

It was the prettiest face painting I'd ever seen.

 

A bunch of us ended up on the beach together.  Girls enjoyed hitting the volleyball around.

That little kid didn't want to leave their circle!  Rich played with them for awhile too.  I tried, but after about five hits, my arms were dead - it was a new ball and sooo hard!  Chelle was all bruised afterwards.

Kevin, Rich, Mackie and the twins buried Katia.

She had a head and two odd shaped feet.

I got to look after Addison and put her to sleep.

The sand castle project - about half done.

 

 

It was mostly these girls and Kevin working on this creation.  You can see Kevin in the background filling his bucket up in the lake.

People checking it out.  Looked pretty good when it was done with a connecting moat and drawbridge and flags.

 

After the beach, we went back to the Seniors Center for our spaghetti dinner.  We enjoyed some board games and puzzles while the supper crew worked hard making our food.  After supper we had a little meeting and decided that the third Saturday of every August was going to be our family reunion time - so book the time off work now!  Kaylene will be in charge next year.

 

We said our goodbyes and went back to our hotel room.  We all went swimming in the pool with the waterslide together and had lots of fun, except for a few minor mishaps.  A train on the slide went wrong and Katia, who was in front, got landed on by big sisters and had a sore shoulder.  And Carlee's turned into a cannibal when her mouth and braces connected with Jordyn's scalp and took a bite out of it.  Good times though, but Addison didn't enjoy the water as much the second time.

 

We got on the road on Sunday morning and arrived at our pre-determined church location, but not at the right time.  We attended half of Sacrament meeting and Sunday School in one ward, and then the first half of Sacrament meeting in another ward.  We actually knew quite a lot of people as these wards were part of our old stake and many of our old YSA friends lived there.  We got home in the evening and said our goodbyes to Chelle and Addison.  Our new lawn looked luscious and green thanks to the rain while we were away.  Carlee collected her fish from her friend and Benny the cockatiel was still alive and happy to see us.

 

It's wonderful to get away and have fun, but it's also wonderful to come back home.

Love Summer!!!

 

Camp of Israel {Trek}

Our Stake does Trek every four years - that way each youth age 14-18 will have a chance to go.  This year it was Jordyn and Carlee's turn for the experience.  These youth were well prepared - for months they'd been working on Faith in Every Footstep challenges to help them prepare physically, mentally and spiritually.  Some examples of things they did were:  walk 10km, read The Book of Mormon, learn to dry fruit or meat and donate it to trek, upload family history pictures and stories, light a fire with one match and no paper, Index 100 names, etc. and tons more! 

They left the church at 6:00am on Friday, July 4, 2014 and returned around noon on Monday, July 7.  They had absolutely marvellous experiences and didn't want to come home! 



 

When they checked in, the trekkers were each given a bandana and told to go and find their family flag - which was the bandana on a stick. 

 

Carlee (in the blue blouse) getting to know her new family.



Carlee's Family - the Pink Bandana Family.

Her Ma and Pa were Roger and Shauna.

The girls are: Brooke, Adrianna, Tayler, Bethany, Mackenzie, Carlee.

Boys are:  Nelson, Austin, Parker, Josh and Tyson 

 

 

Jordyn's Family - the Royal Blue Bandana Family

From left to right:  Jordyn, Ina, Kaden, Yael, Alyssa, Ady,

Ma Tabatha and Pa Darin, Tristan, Keaton, Jordan and Brady

 

 

Handcart is packed and they're ready to roll out.  The handcarts carried each persons sack and bedding, water and other family supplies.  That round necklace (treklace) she's wearing has an ancestors name on it - Jane Scott, who crossed the plains in a covered wagon.



 

Carlee's family heading out - she's behind the cart somewhere.



Jordyn's family heading out - she's walking behind in the purple bonnet.

 

Trek consisted of pulling the handcarts all day Friday.  They travelled about 16 km, up and down hills, through creeks, rivers and lots of muddy bogs and swampy patches.  The following pictures are all things they experienced while on the trail:

Carlee pushing that last handcart.







 

Jordyn at the back of her family handcart.



 

Being helped through the muddy area by scouts.

 

Carlee is ready to help if needed.  Hopefully that falling sleeping bag didn't get too wet.

Jordyn pulling with Ady, with Kaden and Keaton behind them.

The trail wasn't always smooth.

A handcart tipped in front of Jordyn's family.

They had frequent water breaks.  Each family had a 5 gallon jug in their handcart.



Carlee having fun with her family. 
"Yeah, they're telling us we have to cross a river!  Haha!"

Carlee pushing in the back left corner.

They're halfway across the Twice Crossed River.  On one river crossing she slipped and got drenched.







This is after the Women's Pull.  The women of the family had to pull the handcart up a long hill, without any help from the men.  And it was done in silence too.  As they were nearing the end, they heard the singing of "Come, Come Ye Saints" which was being sung by those who had already finished.  This picture is of singers - Jordyn is on the right.
The Women's Pull is difficult for everyone - physically for the women, and mentally for the men.  Jordyn had low blood sugar after this from all the effort she put into pulling.  The juice box tucked in her handcart perked her right up again.   

 

After the Women's Pull, and at various other times, families went off and had devotionals and wrote in their journals.  This is Jordyn's family.



 

Jordyn - the happy trekker.

 

Carlee's starting to look tired.

 

A river crossing.  Jordyn's Pa and some of her brothers were always quick to help others, and she was proud of them for that.  But she said it also made it difficult for the rest of the family sometimes to maneuver their handcarts without their help.

After a long day of trekking, they made their campsite and put up their teepee tents.  Each family had a "kin" family and the Ma's and sisters of both families slept in one tent together, and the Pa's and brothers slept in the other tent.

 

Carlee's family trying to dry their shoes around their fire.

 

Saturday morning, they were awakened early to the sound of gunfire and told they had 30 minutes to be packed up and out of there - which meant tents taken down, everyone packed up, fireplaces, stones and log and benches made all taken back to where they came from.  There was no time for breakfast - it was just like the mobs driving them from their homes.  They ate dried fruit and jerky on the trail.  Jordyn and Carlee actually slept through the gunfire and were woken up and only had 15 minutes to be on their way.  They were on the trail for about half the day and then made camp for two nights.

Carlee leading her family.

Jordyn's family.

Jordyn with her Ma and sisters.

Jordyn's Pa and brothers.

Saturday afternoon was filled with activities:  The theme of Camp of Israel was

Learn, Choose, Act, Become.

Some of the local seminary and institute instructors taught classes on each topic - and the youth could choose two to go to.



Jordyn and Carlee are together at this class- sitting on a bench near the center of the picture.





They could choose some other activities too.  The choices were learning to square dance, making furniture, killing and plucking chickens, shooting (archery, 22's and Black Powder), and getting your hair washed in the river. 

Jordyn and Carlee chose dancing, shooting (Jordyn shot Black Powder and hit her target dead center) and hair washing.

 

The Hair Washing Station.  Popular spot!



A special roast beef dinner was provided for the trekkers as they began their fast.

Eating in the gathering place.



Saturday evening was a dance.  Jordyn and Carlee are here in the same Square Dance square.  They also danced polkas, jives, Chicken Dance, Butterfly, Virginia Reel, etc.  They had a great time!

The trekkers were told to pack two pioneer outfits.  They wore one outfit for the first two days and then changed into their clean one for Sunday and Monday.

This is Carlee's family on Sunday.

 

Everyone was fasting on Sunday.  They started the day having Sunday School with their kin family.  Then all the youth separated for Priesthood and Young Women's.  During this time, it was announced that there were people out there who needed to be rescued and they asked for volunteers.  It was an emotional time for the girls as they watched their Pa's and brothers volunteer to go out there and face the unknown to rescue those who needed help.  So the men gathered some handcarts and supplies and left and the woman stayed back to prepare room in their tents for the rescued people and to clean up and make meals.

The Bishops from the wards in our stake drove out on Sunday morning with their wives and youth from the wards who couldn't attend the whole trek, or any 13 year olds who could go.  These were the people who were needing to be rescued.  Jenna got a call on Saturday from the Bishop asking if she wanted to go.  Of course we said yes and she got to be one of the rescuees.

The men building a bridge.

They helped the poor rescuees across.  Jenna's the one in the shawl.

Jenna's turn to get helped across.
We didn't know she'd be trekking out there so she didn't wear the greatest footwear.  So someone carried her across a river and she got to ride in a handcart for most of the journey back to the Camp of Israel.

 

When the rescue party was spotted returning, all the girls went running out to greet them.  Carlee's in the lead!

 

Jenna is in the handcart!  She appreciated that there were sleeping bags in the cart to make her bouncy journey a little more comfortable.

 

Jordyn's family is reunited!  {You can see her black shoe.}  I love that lots of the boys collected flowers for their Ma's.

 

The flower centerpiece on the handcart that became their table/counter.

 

The rescued people were adopted into families - Jenna joined the Dick family and was with them for the rest of the day until it was time for her to go home. The rest of the day included Sacrament Meeting which was a testimony meeting. They also had quiet time when all the youth received letters from home. They broke their fast - Jordyn was able to fast the full 24 hours without feeling low. It was a miracle!!! In the evening, the Area Seventy and his wife came and spoke.

Jordyn sitting with her family for Sacrament Meeting.

Jenna having supper with the family that adopted her.

 

Carlee's family with their newly adopted sister in the blue bonnet.

Carlee's family campsite.  Jordyn's family is the tent right in the middle.

Jordyn's family settling in to listen to our Area Seventy.  They used a side of their handcart propped against the tree and a stump as a backrest, and those in front leaned against the legs of the people behind them.  The lad on the far left was their newly adopted brother.

They felt a few drops of rain during this talk, and then it rained later in the evening, but this was the only rain they had on trek.

 

Monday came and it was time to break camp, load up the handcarts and pull them back to the waiting vehicles.

  

Jordyn doing her part with the clean-up.  The milk had to be finished or tossed.

 

Jordyn and her crazy sisters doing the Bloomers shot.



 

One last family picture of Jordyn's family.

 

Group hug!  Jordyn's in the khaki skirt.

 

And the view from inside the group hug!

 

When they got home, Jordyn and Carlee spent hours telling us all their stories.  We sat in the living room and they went on and on - each with their own versions of the same events.  It was wonderful to listen to them.  We finally had to have a break and we were only at Saturday evening!  And we almost forgot to check our email for our missionary's weekly letter home!  Jordyn wanted to keep her trek clothes on - she only eventually got cleaned up so we could go out for dinner and celebrate Daddy's birthday.

 

We were so appreciative of the members of our stake who spent thousands and thousands of hours planning and preparing this amazing event for our youth.  Words cannot express our thanks!!!

Camp of Israel - 2014