This and That in July 2024!

Here are a few other things that happened in July after the Family Reunion.

Some of the McClellans went to see a Broadway production of "Frozen."

The Melanchuks visited the Rexburg temple.

Melanchuk reunion in Idaho: Amelia is doing great!

Daniel flew by himself to Seattle,

and is spending two weeks camping and working at Lake Wenatchee State Park.

Lily is trying out her sleeping pad for her first time to go to Girls Camp.

Ready to take off Monday morning but the whole group

 ended up coming home a day early

 because of bear sightings.

I got myself my own Dutch Oven,

so I can make artisan bread.   It's easy and fun and tasty!

Sarah got a job as a lifeguard at their local YMCA.  

They shift positions about every half hour.  

Here she is working at the water park area.

Elizabeth had a great month as a full time missionary!

Waltogee

7.2 Mission Leadership Council

Dorcas

Donuts for the exchange

Car selfie

Best Zone of sisters

Joshua and family continue to make it to the temple for baptisms every week.

We are happy when they sometimes stop by here afterwards.

Penny got a surprise package in the mail: A rock polisher

It turns out it was from her Dad!

These were rough edged stones.  

They have been tumbling for 6 days.

When dry they are frosty looking.

Here they are ready for the next stage.

Brian chose the game, Everdell, to buy with some birthday money.

"Everdell is a board game for 1 to 4 players.  In the game, players take the role of forest animals building a city over four seasons and collecting resources, recruiting workers, and constructing buildings."

Josha and David said it was really fun!

On Monday, July 15th we were invited to the Perrys for dinner.

Afterwards we had fun playing games.

Time for a mission haircut for Kathyrn:

Kathryn got this dress and added the ruffle and neckline herself!

There was a huge fire in Chico.

 The Park Fire is the largest wildfire in California so far this year.

It has burned over 600 square miles across 4 counties.

Amanda took this photo from near their home just a couple of days into the fire.  It started July 24th and although there were evacuations, it did not affect them.

Nathaniel as Korihor.  Their family acted out the story.

Nathaniel was happy when they got to babysit a 3-month old.

The Perrys spent the last couple of days of July camping!

Got to watch via Zoom these missionaries preparing to leave:

Mike and Becky

Reid and Kathy

The members in Kansas are excited about the announcement 

of their temple groundbreaking: Saturday, September 7th!

It was hot here in California but it was a great month!

Family Reunion 2024 Day 4: Graduation!

The 4th of July was our last day!

The Shafers had to leave in the morning:

We continued to have fun

 (but not as many pictures as previous days)

McClellans went to the beach early in the morning.

It was already getting crowded but they had fun.

There was some more Koob

And more video games and playing Sardines.

And then we gathered for the Graduation.

We all played Pomp and Circumstance on kazoos!

And then it was time for the Graduation speech.

We learned that there was a 40-way tie for Valedictorian,

so we all helped write the speech the Mad Lib way.

Jeff read it for us.

My fellow hippos, we only arrived here four exuberant years ago, and now it's already time to jump. How did it all go so clunkily? It seems like only yesterday that we were squishy little freshmen square dancing with the locks on our lockers, trying to figure out where our next class was, and vaulting generally hairy to all the upper classmen. Now we are the buses, the seniors who stand here ready to skate and move forward in the world. Yet at this sparkly moment, 

we can't help dashing back. 

How do we measure the kazoo we've spent in high school? In the beginning, we snapped it in class periods, counting down the days to alive freedom. As the days and souls passed, we measured it in poison, and later in years as we destroyed from being those ruthless freshmen, to becoming legendary sophomores who thought they had it all figured out. By the time we reached our spooky year, we were brave that we were prepared to take over for the slipping seniors, and we couldn't wait to " wake board the school." 

And now here we sing. Our rule is over, and it's up to the next kumquat to step into our Mario Karts and take over. I know that as I look out at all of you, I will eat my time here in a much epic way. I will tease it in all the friendships I've smashed these last 2 years. Some were pretty cantankerous and others were much closer, but I'll remember each one morosely, as I'm sure you all will, too. And when many of our high school parkour begin to fade, that's how we'll speedily measure the time we spent here, not in periods or semesters or monkeys, but in the sardines that we made and the times we jetskied together. 

Congratulations my fellow maracas of the class of 37. Wherever we go and whatever we do, may we always be teapot when we meet again.

Everyone got a diploma

And then it was time for a Glow Party!

The next morning we all said good bye to each other and to Raspberry Ridge!

It was another great Reunion!!!