A little of this and that...

While the outside world continues to struggle,  our small world here is peaceful and fun as we gather to celebrate birthdays and spend time with family, friends and neighbors. I would love you to visit!

Grand-daughter Cordelia celebrated her 7th birthday with her favorite activity: soccer. In their 6 weeks in UK, she was able to watch British women's championship games. In SLC she was able to march out with her soccer club around Salt Lake Real's beautiful stadium. SL lost to the number one ranked LA team, but it was a great game, so much fun to watch amazing players.

To the east of the Provo Temple, the mountains, to the west, the lake.

Grand-daughter Hannah and her friend Oaklie settle into their dorm room for BYU's For the Strength of Youth conference. Her brother Nick also enjoyed the week, a mix of spiritual activities and play.

Warm summer evenings are perfect for neighborhood friends' gatherings. A fun game: Looky, Looky, Looky, Look. On the "Look", everyone looks at someone in the circle. If 2 people look at each other, they are out!Try it!

Evie and I did a 500 piece puzzle while she and Nick stayed with me while their parents took a cruise to celebrate their 20th anniversary. Lucie and Evie enjoyed the week at Splash Summit water park, swimming at the Provo Rec center, Lowe's bouncy house, and inventing their own games and activities.

We (Nick, Hannah, Evie and I) had dinner with their other Provo/Orem grandparents (grandmother in background and great -grandmother on left). Their aunt and uncle stopped by, too. I wish I understood Portuguese better!

Lucie (who lives around the corner from me) turned 12 and celebrated with family (lunch including Nick, Evie and I) and in the evening with friends and family.

I continue to enjoy my volunteering at the mission training center on Tuesday evenings, and zoom conversations and interpreting in English and French. Gardening, reading, walking, temple work, and spending time with friends and family have made for a fun summer. 

Samuel H. Smith, younger brother of Joseph Smith was the first missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Today we have over 60,000 junior and senior missionaries from many nations serving  throughout the world. It is a thrill to rub shoulders with these enthusiastic, faithful, devoted young people. My son-in-law took Julie and their 5 children to Brazil. They recently returned safely, thrilled to have been able to visit many wonderful people he baptized in Manaus over 27 years ago. Many are strong leaders today. They had great adventures everywhere. A highlight was staying on an island in the middle of the Amazon, even seeing anacondas and catching a piranha. Yikes! They have the sharpest teeth! 

Peter and Rebecca and girls returned last week from 6 weeks in UK leading 30 BYU students to cultural and historical sites. 

Emily, Kelly and George spent some wonderful days on a road trip in n. Italy, Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. Emily, our amazing genealogist, was grateful to have found several Schweinitz family ancestral homes and sites. I hope we all appreciate the incredible lives of our forebears, even if ordinary in many ways.

They would not recognize today's world.