And...it's over!

Although it seems impossible. June is over and July starts tomorrow and fireworks are coming...in fact someone in our neighborhood has been practicing each night, rather late:)!

Thought for this week came from Emily: This came from her bookclub book (we need to ask her what it was!) and, to quote her: "It's really stuck with me!   So here it is:  The grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence. . . it's greenest where it's watered.  Thank you Em:).

Coming Up:  Isis (Oliphant) & Devin Albert are having their 10th anniversary on July 2nd!
     Aunt Mary has a birthday on the 5th and Uncle Bill has a birthday on the 9th.  Maybe you can wish them a happy birthday on Facebook...or e-mail me if you would like their address:)!

As to what Elder and Sister Oliphant have been up to, all I can say is the work has been continuous.  Friday was our last day of preparing for the new mission and we traveled up to their new mission office in Newberg, carrying with us all the physical records, folders, etc. to give them as well as flash drives with as much computer stuff as we could think of to help them get a good start.   Then we spent several hours there (they had made us a lunch which was very nice) before finally starting back to Eugene.  Dad drove a van up and Elder Terry drove a pickup truck and trailer.  I rode in a car with the Routs and Dad rode back with us.  We made a stop at a local fruit stand and bought a few things - strawberries and blueberries for me, sweet onion dressing for Dad, and I think the Routs got strawberries and carrots and the sweet onion dressing too.  Everything here is so green and beautiful right now and the last few days have been wonderfully warm.  We got back about 7 or 7:30 and stopped at Baja Fresh to eat before coming home to crash.  And we did crash - especially me:)!

We have transfers Monday, departures Tuesday, and 28 new arriving missionaries on Wednesday - so this will be another very busy week.  The new Salem mission can call us for help, but they will be pretty much on their own; we are looking forward to a little relief from the load that has been on our shoulders for the past months.

Family Notes:  OK, I have tried to gather up notes and pictures to add to this blog from the various places where I hear from my dear family members.  Jim and Jeanie have been on vacation with their family and finally arrived home yesterday - to 105° temperature outside and almost as high in their house because the AC was not working.  Jeanie and the kids headed for the swimming pool while Jim went searching for a solution to the AC problem.  Took awhile, but he was ultimately successful - Yea Jim!  It does make one wonder  how the early settlers did it, doesn't it?  Here are a couple of pictures from their vacation:

Fishing with all the kids. Colin caught a 4 lb trout! Maddie, Abby and Dj all have caught 2 1/2 lb trouts. Taylor is still trying.

Tweetsie Railroad:  Tanner, mesmerized by a western themed act along the tracks as our 1943 steam powered locomotive train rolled by.

The whole family, Blue Ridge Mountains in the background.

On to the Bullingers...Christine was in SLC for Ammon't medical appointment on Monday morning and apparently it went so well she decided to go ahead and drive on home on Monday instead of Tuesday.  The downside of that is that she ended up doing things she thought others were going to do in her absence, but since she was home she got to do those things anyway:)!  (Next time she may stay put and rest up instead of head back so fast?)  They are in the middle of their normal very busy summer stuff and I wish I could remember the details to share, but my head is too full and doesn't remember much new anymore.  I am sharing pictures she sent of Ammon working with his lasso - Cowboy  Ammon is his new name.  I know they were doing horse stuff and things sounded good.  I think their lamb show is soon too...  So, here are pics of  Ammon and a couple of Rachel I stole from Facebook.  Don't have any resources for any of the other family members..

Cowboy Ammon...Ready, Set...

Throw!  Go Get Um, Cowboy!

Oh my goodness...she's a grown lady!

Rachel and the girls of the OTto Rattlers Baberuth team!

On to Kirbys - who I think are very busy with life and horse shows, no pics on Facebook to share, and then to the Manvilles:  Emily shared gorgeous pictures of Rose on Facebook and let me know by e-mail that she is working on Eli's bedroom (You may have seen the Facebook picture of him working at his desk and saying he had to work just 5 more minutes!)  She said they just got him a headboard/footboard for his bed and that she is going for the architect's office look (even though she is fully aware that his desk is NOT an architect's desk!).  Good luck Em.  She also shared that they have an apricot tree and peach tree with fruit on them, making her think of our Treasure Valley orchard.  OK - here are the Eli and Rose pics:

Rose is looking a little more in dependent here...?

4 months...can it be?

Now to the Georgia Oliphants and the Washington Huyetts...Holly was kind enough to give me a little update on Facebook...she said they are doing well, that she is enjoying the lack of a schedule and Steve is getting a new car this week.  I guess he talked with Dad at some point and said he was selling his mini and might be getting a BMW.  You will have to ask him!  Holly is off to girls' camp in a week which should be lots of fun and we know they will love her!

Charlotte and Seth have been investigating ways to take a trip to New Zealand just for fun and to celebrate their 5 years of marriage...we hope they find a great deal and are able to do it soon!  Yesterday they were headed to Leavenworth for an all day rafting trip - sounds like fun but I can't share any more details because we haven't heard back on how it went:)!  They are still having fun with their wonder dog, Cuda - and it sounds like she has fun with them too.

OK - it is Mary's turn to share how things are going for her.  But I have to get hold of her to find out.  I will go ahead and post this and then post a PS when I hear from her:)!