Le bapteme de Megan

On July 16th, our granddaughter, Megan Seamons, turned 8, which means she was able to be baptized. Rollie and I loaded our car and took a road trip to St. George, Utah for the event. As you can see Rollie is poised and ready to go with the necessary gear.

We traveled from Elk Grove to Bakersfield, and then across the Nevada desert where Rollie practiced taking photos from the car window as I drove. We figured that if the pictures didn't turn out, we probably weren't missing much.

But, Rollie's skills prevailed. He took this picture of a moving train from our moving car. Pretty fancy photography.After driving for eleven hours, we were very glad to have arrived at the Seamons' home, a welcome sight. You can find it by the white "polyg-rig" as Rob's students call their big van.

The evening of our arrival Karla was finishing the dress she made for Megan's special day. Megan chose the pattern and the fabric and was very excited to wear it.

Jeffrey and Joseph were still at Scout camp, but the other three children wanted their turn at posing. Here's Aubrey:


Ben:
Courtney:
The next day, Friday morning, Karla put the finishing touches on Megan's dress, the kids wanted to try their hand at sewing, too. Even Ben got into the act.

Courtney and Megan decided to make some outfits for their stuffed animals.
Grandpa wanted to get some pictures of the area around St. George. Like Nevada, it is desert country, but the rock formations make it a prettier desert. Rob, Karla, Courtney and Megan took Grandpa on a hike for his photos, while I stayed home to watch Ben and Aubrey.
Later in the day, Jeffrey and Joseph returned home from Scout Camp. Everyone is back together and ready for tomorrow's baptism. Here is Jeffery just as he got in the door. Notice how clean he looks? He actually showered three times at Scout camp, and has the beads to prove it.

The next day, Saturday, was Megan's special day. Her dress is finished and her Dad is ready,too.
She doesn't wear her dress to be baptized in. There are special jumpsuits just for that.
In the LDS church, we don't photograph the ordinances, due to the sacred nature of the event, but here is Megan ready to follow the Savior throughout her life.
No family baptism is complete without the family group shot, the Seamons' family, Grandma Bonnie Seamons, and Grandpa and me. Notice the hat that Courtney is wearing, more about that in a minute.
Joseph wanted to wish Megan a happy day by lifting her up in the traditional "boy scout chair" pose.

A few gifts were in order.
Later Megan took some time to write about this day in her new journal.

So, you've probably noticed that Megan has a hat too. How did this come about? I brought some yarn with me on the trip, and wanted to try out a hat pattern that looked interesting, and needed to make sure it would fit a child's head. It was a hit, and all of the girls wanted to wear one. So I went to the store and bought enough yarn to make them hats. Ben wanted one too! He didn't want to be left out. I spent most of my time at Karla's crocheting vigourously as each child waited for me to finish. Courtney asked me to teach her to crochet, which she spent most of the week-end doing. She designed a book holder, and a little basket while I was there.



Voila, the finished products.

Ben refused to pose with the girls, and his hat doesn't have a rose. It is a ball that serves as a "light" in the dark. He also stretched it to a more masculine shape and size.

No visit to the Seamons would be complete without a few reading sessions. Jeffrey has taken over reading to his siblings, so we get to listen in.

On our last evening there, Rollie and I drove to the bluffs to get a night shot of St. George, then we went to the temple grounds and enjoyed the cool evening. Rollie took some pictures of the temple. My favorite is the one with the flag waving in the breeze.


The St. George temple was actually completed before the Salt Lake Temple. Inside hangs a picture of the founding fathers of our nation. The ordinance work for them was done at this temple.



Sadly, we leave St. George. It was a great visit. There will be many more. (Off to Dallas Texas next. Stay tuned.)

La nouvelle maison de ma fille

In June, our daughter Andrea, husband Robert, and children, Jack and Ella moved into their first home. They never thought that they would be able to afford something in Los Angeles area close enough for Robert to commute to work in a reasonable amount of time, but when the economy tanked, they knew it was time to move. They purchased this home, a cute 50's bungalow in Arleta, California, not too far from the studios where Robert works. This house comes with a story. Robert and Andrea bid on some bank-owned homes without success, so they decided to send a letter and pictures of their family the next time they bid, letting the owner know how they really needed a house for their children to have a yard to play in and a place to grow. This home was being sold by the original owner, a 91 year old man who wanted the house to have the best owners. The letter did the trick. He accepted their bid.

The story continues, however. The previous owner was a widower, who went to his high school reunion and met an old girlfriend. They got married and decided to live part time in California and part-time in Roswell, New Mexico, where his new wife lived. His age being what it is, he decided the traveling was a bit much, so his house went on the market. After raising his family there it was very hard for him to let it go, as you shall see.

Come on in and take a look. Notice the interesting stained glass panels in the door which his daughter created many years ago.

Have you ever seen the show on HGTV, "If Walls could Talk?" about people who discover interesting facts about their home and the previous owners? Well, Robert and Andrea's new home "spoke" to them. As they entered they discovered sticky notes everywhere. Being young "whippersnappers", they apparently needed some information on how to take care of their new place. Here's a sampling:





This house not only came with instructions, but many items that a homeowner might need were left behind, from dishes and towels in the cupboards, to lamps, telephones, outdoor furniture, to a garage stocked with tools, and of course, the wine cabinet was full. The neighbors also welcomed them to the neighborhood with a bottle of wine. That's Hollywood. I guess, they don't have too many tee-totaling Mormons in the neighborhood.

The man who owned this home, was named Jason, but he should be nicknamed "Bob, the builder." There isn't an area (inside or out) in this house that doesn't have a cabinet, or cupboard added on somewhere. He built them all, including the kitchen cabinets. Well, it is time for the grand tour (and French lessons). Rollie took the pictures with a different kind of lens, so you are getting the version of what the house would look like to you if you were a fish.

Voici le salon:


La chambre de Jack et Ella:


La salle de bains de Jack et Ella.


La chambre de Robert et Andrea:


La cuisine: (In the closets are the washer and dryer. Next to the closets the computer desk, all built by owner.)

La salle de sejour:


Le jardin: Jack and Ella have a terrific yard to play in.
The owner left a list of all the rose bushes by name.

Le dejeuner dans le jardin! C'est "le fun."
Jack has a pool!

This little dove has moved her family in also. There are eggs in the nest that she protects while she observes the Fewkes family's activities. The basket hangs just outside the kitchen window.

Jack really didn't want to move. As Andrea would pack up his things, he would unpack everything, but with a little help from the Berenstein bears he made the transition.

Before the moving day, Jason, the owner, came over to their apartment, and brought them the floor plans of the house, layout of sprinklers, and other necessary information. Then he took a picture of them to remember the great family that is inheriting his labor of love. Over time, it will become a labor of love for Robert and Andrea. We are so happy they have a place to call home.

Nos petits-enfants

An unusual event occurred at the Bowns home in March when Ross and Shannon got married. Rollie and I had all ten of our grandchildren visiting at the same time. A real first! The visit was not long, only a couple of days, but the children had a chance to get acquainted. So,what did the cousins do in their brief visit?

It seems that Grandpa's workshop was a hit (pun intended). Courtney demonstrates the art of pounding a hole into a board, while Sami, Joseph and Ben begin their projects.

It looks like Sami has gotten the hang of it.

Megan has reached the expert level in hole making. Grandpa's drill press works great!

Jack settled for building with legos, the kind that his big cousins like to use. Looks like he is ready to move to the next level.

But all work and no play, make Jack and his cousins such dull fellows, so Uncle Robert demonstrated his skills at Ninetendo. They all seem impressed. Jeffrey seemed to be pondering his own ability to challenge his uncle. There was some time for outdoor play as well. Aunt Dre-Dre taking the nieces and nephews on a snail hunt. Yes, they found quite a few. Aubrey shared her hat specially made for her by Aunt Andrea with her Uncle Dan. Very cute!With all those people in the house, things could get a bit noisy. Ben solved that problem!Here is Sami are reading to Aunt Candice, Megan, Emily, and Ella. It looks like Emily might not be too happy that her mom is holding someone else's baby. Ella doesn't quite know what to make of the situation so she is staying safe with Aunt Candice. Here they all are: Back row, Megan, Joseph, Jeffrey, Courtney ( and baby Ella). Front row: Emily, Ben, Sami, Jack, and Aubrey. We hope it won't be too long before we can do this again!