Reid and Stefani Adopt

This year for my family reunion, we went to Utah.  Day 1 was "This is the Place" Monument.  Then we ended up at a park, singing happy birthday to my brother, Tim, and hanging out at the Airbnb.  There were people all over the place.  Two of my siblings have grandkids now, and 2 more have children who are married or are getting married.  So there are people of all ages at my family reunions.  Isaac's closest cousins are my brother Tim's and my sister Kati's kids.  At first he felt a little lost, but found cousins to hang out with finally.  Esther palled around with Tim's youngest daughter, and Jaydon with anyone who would play with him.  He didn't seem too bothered by any age gaps.  We spent two nights at each place we stopped, and by the time we left Utah, I was totally ready to be in the same bed for at least a month.  I don't get that though, because the Archibald reunion is coming up at the end of July.  From L-R.  Isaa...

For Isaac's official "friend birthday party", we allowed Isaac to plan the party.  He reached out to his friends on his own, and set up the time and place.  When his friends were 45 minutes late, he was ready to go home feeling defeated.  But finally everyone showed up, and those 5 boys had a good time in some rough waves.    

The first summer vacation of 2024 was thus: biking in Bentonville, AK.  Except that Bentonville got hit by a series of tornadoes right before we got there...and most of the biking trails were closed.  So we had to invent a few other things to do besides biking.  Here are a few of them: This is a chapel built as a memorial for Mildred B. Cooper.  It is super pretty there.  Right after this picture was taken, we got kicked out so that a wedding party could start practicing for the wedding. The Crystal Bridges Museum of Art was another place we ended up visiting.  We got into their special exhibit for free because of the tornadoes. One of the exhibits at the art museum.  This was part of the special exhibit we got into for free. Showing off the loaves and fishes at the Great Passion Play area in Eureka Springs, AK. The giant statue of Jesus at the Passion Play area. Jaydon enjoying the full sized truck we got to carry our stuff and bikes. Literally eating...

Isaac is graduating from elementary school. The school had a 6th grade dance, where everyone dressed up fancy. Isaac took his dad on a wild goose chase at every goodwill and second hand shop to look for a tuxedo or a vest he could wear. Alas...there were none to be found. So he just went in his sunday best. And all that so he could stand around talking to the boys about soccer and Fortnite. He told me that he would have NEVER asked a girl to dance. Besides that, apparently no 6th grader actually knows how to dance. But he tells me the food was good. So in a few months, Isaac will be entering West Shore Jr/Sr High school, which I am pleased to report is a nationally acclaimed school. Here is a link to a web article about it and other schools in Florida that are highly sought after. We'll see how he does there. I'm excited to have him there with me. I'll have a driving buddy to and from school every day. Florida Today: Top Brevard Schools

Reid and Stefani went to iFly in Orlando to try indoor sky diving. Reid was awesome at it.  Stefani was not.   Dad and the kids outside the restaurant we ate dinner at for his birthday. Reid cake choice was "dirt cake" which consists of pudding, crushed Oreos, and gummy worms.  

  Ready for the Egg Hunt.  This may be Isaac's last year of doing the egg hunt.  Next year he graduates to helping hide the eggs. Esther examines our cement pile carefully for eggs.  The cement pile is remnants from us taking down our fence. Jaydon find one of his eggs in the tree.

 This Spring Break we stuck around local Florida and visited the Florida home of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford, who were good friends and bought summer homes next to each other.  The kids were overwhelmingly bored with the historical site, even though Jaydon and Isaac were the ones who decided to visit that site in the first place.  The next two days, we went biking.   The water line post mark showed how high the water got during the last hurricane.  It came near to taking out these historical monuments. Thomas Edison summer home.  He had two built mirror imaged from each other.  The third house in the back was Henry Ford's house.  He also had two houses. Mom and the kids in front of the statue of Thomas Edison at the historical site. The Banyan tree, which grows roots down from its branches, is the main attraction at this historical site. Reid enjoying the pre chilled beer mug which he filled with water in our Air B'n'B.   Esther doing what E...

 Our family was invited to the Kennedy Space Center to watch a rocket launch because Reid's company worked on the payload for this rocket.  It was really cool, and a little bit chilly.  We did finally hear the sonic boom, but I was super surprised how delayed the sound was from the visual.  The whole ordeal of sending a satellite to outer space was like 15 minutes.  It's crazy how fast we can put a satellite into orbit these days.  

 Isaac participated in the Brevard Phoenix Cup this weekend.  He only plays on Saturdays so we can attend church on the Sabbath and keep the Sabbath Day the Lord's Day.  Isaac has always been very responsive to this--never complaining that he doesn't get to play on Sunday.  His team has gone on to win a couple of tournaments with him helping them on Saturday and not going on Sunday.  I hope they continue to be understanding of our religious views.   Reid took a video of the one of the games they played on Saturday.  Isaac makes a sweet goal at 61:47 on the video, if you are ever interested.  He is player 10 in blue.  This was their second game on Saturday, Jan. 20th, 2024.  I was hoping against hope that someone from our team would score against this team--because our boys were playing up against the 13 year olds, and our team is all 12 year olds and under.  I was super excited when our boys scored, and even more excited that it hap...

 And the adventure begins!  Reid took a big leap of faith and took the kids on a ski trip by himself this year.  I stayed home to work and cough my lungs out.  They went to Pocatello, ID, and stayed with Reid's parents.  It was very quiet at home with them gone! Reid and the boys on the airplane. Esther on the plane...as she sees snow for the first time in a year. Geared up and snotty. Geared up and rosy. Geared up and sleepy.   Up, up and away! Lava Hot Springs break. With animal poses.  And icicles. Issac gets to go to the temple to do baptisms for the dead for the first time.  Grandpa Archibald was happy to escort him. Reid with Isaac at the Pocatello Temple. And I'm happy to report that after a red-eye fight, my little ones are back!  What a whirlwind trip they had!  Now to catch up with school work!  ... And sleep.

  Christmas was low-key this year...except, see those ski bags in the background?

 Jaydon was baptized November 19th, 2023 at the church.  Isaac and Esther were his witnesses.  Both sets of grandparents came, as did some uncles and aunts from both sides of the family.  A big shout out to Grandpa Archibald for the talk and Charley Carroll for playing the piano, and Costco for the pumpkin pie we served everybody afterwards! The Archibalds from L-R: Esther, Stefani, Jaydon, Reid, & Isaac Jaydon and Dad in baptismal whites. The witnesses.  Isaac and Esther are serving in an official capacity as witnesses and their names are on Jaydon's baptismal record. Mom loving on the newest member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints!  

This year for Esther's birthday we didn't do a great job of getting pictures.  We had family for Thanksgiving, for Jaydon's baptism, and also Esther's birthday all rolled into one.  I have been super busy trying to figure out how to manage a new career with all the old duties still going on in the background.  So for Esther's birthday we just had presents.  She opted not to do a cake for her birthday this year.  Her birthday party was a trip to the zoo with her friend, Aspen.  New pjs for her birthday. Isaac feeds the birds at the zoo. Esther gets another fan favorite:  a stuffed Iguana. Aspen, Esther, and Jaydon at the zoo. Esther's present stash. Esther feeding the birds. Esther and Aspen feeding the birds.