Dan. Our news is growth in the family. We were happy to welcome Giselle in May and are having a ball now that she is here. Sofia is even happy about it now.
Nadya finished her first semesters of college in the U.S. with great marks and Danil made the honor role at school. It's not easy being the bonehead in the family. However, I believe if you surround yourself with smarties then you look smart too. I don't know why I think that, it didn't work for Mr. Bush or for Mr. Obama.
Nadya's mother, Luba, is with us for a few weeks to help with babies. She has been a Godsend so life is easier for us. We took Luba to the Grand Canyon and we got snowed on June 12. Global warming I guess.
This week is Vacation Bible School at church so we are busier than ever with summer activities. Danil takes swimming lessons, Sofia loves to go to the park, days are long so Papa works longer, but is grateful to be busy. Nadya and Luba plant flowers and keep them watered, enjoy their walks with the babies, and feed us well. Danil works with me this summer to fund his new project car. We are restoring an old car together which we have been planning for some time. This weekend I will return to where it all began as Annie and I head to Tekoa for our class reunion -- 10 year! :) Nadya and the girls will go with me as we cruise Crosby Street, walk down the halls of THS, and visit the old farm. I am really looking forward to seeing Ken and the girls and walking down memory lane with my old friends. And I do mean old. Have a great summer! We love you all.
Amy. Thank you everyone for the support for Britt! We look forward to seeing those of you who can make it to the wedding and wish you all could be there, but totally understand if you can't. We hope to get the announcements out next week, but I wanted to let you know there is a luncheon for all family and close friends at noon, the wedding in the Salt Lake temple at 3:40, then a reception 7-9 (on 8/14). We are in Colorado right now for Brittany's bridal shower. Thanks to Jim for having us for a few days! The boys are in heaven hanging out with friends, I don't know if I'm going to get them to come back. Actually things are good in Texas. Sean's lacrosse team won district and went to state for the first time. Sean made the All-District team. He also got picked to go to T99, the top 99 players in Texas where they have a tournament and lots of college recruiters. It was pretty exciting. Colton had a fun lacrosse season, too, and he will go to Scout camp when we get back. Brian's basketball team also got first place in their division, so that was a good time.
Here’s a picture of one of Sean’s games:
Laurie. The Nelson's are waiting for some sunshine and sweet Oregon strawberries which have been at a minimum so far this year. We have hope, however, that brighter days are soon to come! We enjoy having Cassidy home from BYU for the summer. She came home, got her wisdom teeth out and found a job all within a couple of weeks. She is blessed to be working for an architect doing some CADD work and learning a
lot about construction which is amazing because her major is construction management. (Who would've thunk?)Camille has a few days left of school. She experienced a minor bout with mono this past month. She has done an amazing job of playing "catch-up" with her school work. Now she just needs to make it through finals and hang on to her good grades. Finals will be a little tough since she has missed so much school. She works hard. Maybe she can sleep all summer---or at least when she's not at Girls Camp, Twin Lakes, EFY or soccer camp. (Okay, forget the sleep.)
Just a quick word about the older kids -- DaNeill is at boot camp for the Air Force Reserve and Brian is in Everett working and taking care of the three girls. Nick and Rachel are in Colorado continuing their graduate
work. Rachel will finish this summer. They bought and are fixing up a townhouse. Greg, Kandice and boys will be moving to Pullman at the end of this month to attend graduate school at WSU. Chris and Jessica are celebrating their one-year anniversary and Jessica graduated from BYU in April.Neil and I just try to keep up with it all. I volunteer for too many things. Neil is finishing a big project in the backyard to improve drainage. He has a very busy summer ahead with trips for work and family. We are looking forward to Brittany's wedding in August where we will also celebrate my 50th birthday---YIKES! (Not to mention David's 40th and Merrily and Amy's b-days, too!)
P.S. In the picture, can you find Laurie, Annie, Holly and Lucy? Uncle Walter Jones gave this picture to Greg.
Greg & Kandice. Much has been going on in our home. Joshua, age 1, loves to climb, walk and talk. He is growing like crazy! He loves to watch his brother and do what he is doing. He is a great help around the house.
Zachary, age 3, just had is birthday and had a wonderful day. Zachary too is growing like crazy. He runs all over the place and is talking up a storm. He talks about going to school and loves to be superheroes.
Greg loves to spend time with the family and be outside. Greg graduated from BYU-Idaho in April. He will attend grad school at Washington State in the fall. We’re moving to Pullman the first week of July. Our new address is 555 NE Terre View Dr #A304, Pullman, WA 99163. Right now Greg is doing odd jobs and enjoying the World Cup.
Kandice loves to spend time with my boys! I am also looking forward to moving. I think we all are. We are looking forward to the next chapter in our life. My days are spent packing a little and spending time outside because the sun has decided to come out and play.
If you would like to see more on our family and some pictures you can check out our blog at gregandkandice.blogspot.com.
David. Sabrina finished their school’s production of “Fiddler on the Roof”. It was AMAZING! It nearly killed her off. The director was a real slave-driver, but the result was worth it. For a review and pictures you can check out Jen’s blog http://www.wolftalez.blogspot.com. She has one week to recoup before she starts “Alice in Wonderland”. She’s now a Young Woman and is looking forward to her first Girl’s Camp in July.
Little (now officially taller than Jen and closing on his dad) David leaves soon for EFY in Utah. He will get back one day before Trek. Between EFY, Trek, High Adventure Camp, and Scout camp we plan on seeing David a couple of weekends in July. It will be good preparation for him. He starts high school (gasp!) in the fall. He’s already packed his freshman year full of early-morning Seminary, three honors classes, band, and football. He continually reminds us how many months, weeks, and days he has until he gets his driver’s license. But first he has to get his Eagle. He’s a couple of merit badges and a project away.
Zach plays soccer and is the kid who loves the piano. He and Jen went on a mother/son trip to San Diego. He was the king of the boogie board and ruled the “Screaming White Coaster of Death”. He loved LegoLand and the Wild Animal Park. He was so mesmerized by the beach on Coronado that he wanted to take jars of golden water home to his class. (He settled on pencils from the Wild Animal Park.) I was so proud of him. He worked for a week to earn money to take on the trip and then used it to buy gifts for his whole class and his brothers and sister. He only bought a set of shark’s teeth for himself.
Daniel has survived Kindergarten. He received his “self-manager” award and then had it taken away. He neglected to end his game of hide and seek and come in from recess. (But Sammy was supposed to find me, Mom!) He continues to amaze us with his math and reading skills. He started soccer this spring and LOVED it.
David (the older) has been working, running, and doing photography. He has some amazing pictures! You can check out his website at www.davidwolfphoto.com He and Jen want to run a half and then a full marathon soon, but haven’t been able to fit one in yet.
Jen tries to keep it all together and keep the schedules straight. She still enjoys writing and has finished her third complete manuscript (unpublished work). Under Annie’s divine guidance she is sending it out to agents.
We look forward to seeing everyone at Brittney’s wedding. We miss you all!
Rob & Shante. Rob was accepted into the ASU MBA program which is really exciting. We are currently living with Annie and Al awaiting the start of school. This way we will be eligible for in-state tuition earlier. Rob can't wait to start school. One of the best things about moving out of Utah for us was moving into a great ward. We love it here and the people are so friendly. Rob is the Assistant Ward Clerk and I am the Primary Secretary. It's great to be involved in the ward.
Jack is now 18 months and started Nursery at church. He was so excited to go, he loves
playing with other kids. He also loves playing outside and in the pool. He especially loves playing with Uncle Will. Jack and Will are the best of friends. See more cute pictures of Jack at our blog: robandshante.blogspot.com.
Nick & Rachel. Hello from Colorado! Our big news is that we bought a house - okay, a townhouse. It’s a little fixer-upper that was a foreclosure, but we got
a great deal and are in the new homer-owner phase where all the little things that need doing still seem like fun. We are now fairly firmly planted for the next few years in Lafayette, Colorado, which is just north of Denver and east of Boulder. We very much like it here. Colorado is a beautiful place.As I write this Rachel is cranking away on her capstone project for her Master’s degree in public administration. She is done with her course work and is now doing her capstone project as a consultant to a non-profit organization in Denver that partners local businesses with schools to help improve education. She’ll graduate in August. She is also in the thick of a job search with interviews doing all sorts of important public policy stuff. Additionally, Rachel is on the board of directors for the Colorado chapter of Families Supporting Adoption, a group that promotes adoption, seeks to raise public awareness of adoption, and advocates on adoption issues at the county, state, and national level. On top of all that she is now the primary chorister in our ward, which both she and the kids at church enjoy very much.
I have just completed my third year of graduate school at the University of Colorado and I’m hoping to eventually graduate, but probably not for at least two more years. I am learning a lot about fixing things around our new home. My next adventure is replacing our 21 year-old gas hot water heater, so if I’m killed in a freak gas explosion in the next couple weeks you will all know why.
We are still waiting to adopt the little baby that is currently AWOL from our family. We know he or she is out there so if you have any ideas as to where he or she might be, please let us know. If you’d like to know more about our adoption process, you can check out our new and improved adoption blog (http://rachelandnicholas.blogspot.com/)or our adoption profile(https://www.itsaboutlove.org/ial/profiles/23029714/).
Doug & Theresa. Here is Drew's new address. Love you all!
#3 Varny Hill Road
Windham, ME 04062
Lucy. Summer is upon us so let the activities begin! We have a busy summer planned. We started it with a trip to Vegas.
It was a fun trip, including laying by the pool, scary rides, Cirque du Soile’s Mystery, and 24 hours worth of buffets!
Next it was on to Girls Camp. I was ward camp leader, Matt represented the bishopric, and all three girls got to go this year. It was a great 
experience to have us all there. It was Adri's 1st year and Sidney's last. It was an amazing experience. We had 32 girls and 8 leaders and absolutely no drama! I think it was because our theme was service and they were too busy serving and loving each other. So mark that one down in the record books. In July we are going to Lake Powell with our Bishop and his family, Boise for a family reunion with Matt's family, and then Matt and I are taking a cruise to Alaska. I am looking forward to seeing everyone at Brittany's wedding. Hope you all are happy, healthy and enjoying summertime with your families! We love you all!Mom & Ramon. Valentines Day was a lot of fun. Kandice and the boys came by for a treat. We had flowers and candy and fun cards. That evening was Raija Nyborg’s viewing at the mortuary in Ashton. She was my special friend for many years. Everything was beautiful.
Ramon continues to work the early morning shift at the Rexburg temple. I go once a month to a temple session.
The first part of April Greg Nelson graduated from BYU-I in mechanical engineering. Laurie and Neil and all the Nelson family came to attend. We got to see him get his diploma. It was very special. We really had fun. The next morning they all came to our house to have lunch and visit.
Our dear friend Ted Garner passed away and we attended his funeral on May 3. He is Shante’s grandfather. He had kept a daily journal over the years and there were a lot of funny things that happened to him that were included in his history.
On May 6 we attended and Extension retirement dinner for Janice Stimpson. I had worked with Janice for about 20 years.
May 7 Ramon and all of the Curtis clan left for Colorado to attend a memorial service for his grandson’s wife, Jill Curtis. She was 45 years old and had been battling cancer for several years. She left a seven year old son, Nathan. They made a quick trip because Sunday was Mother’s Day. I want to thank everyone for the lovely cards and flowers you sent to me. I really enjoyed them.
On Memorial Day we took flowers to Rexburg and Sugar cemeteries and to Ramon’s family. They are in Ucon, Milo, and Iona cemeteries.
Merrily. Abraham played basketball in the spring. He’s a monster on defense! He recently participated in a bike rodeo,
went fishing, and spent a day at a BSA camp with the Cub Scouts. He also takes karate.Solomon joined a track team. He placed first in the city meet in long jump and advanced to the state meet in the softball throw (a precursor to javelin, I think) and took 5th place. He’ll play some basketball and go to Scout Camp this summer.
Eliahs was in and out of the hospital much of the spring. His kidneys stopped filtering properly. We don’t know why. He’s on a grocery bag full of medication and a low sodium diet. He’s learning to cook without salt and is becoming quite good at it.
Victor is looking forward to summer. There’s a place in Moses Lake, WA that has an artificial surf wave. We’re taking the kids there to teach them how to boogie board.
Kaela turns 20 tomorrow (July 5th).
Happy birthday, Kaela! That’s also Mom and Ramon’s anniversary. Happy anniversary to you! Kelsey moved to her Dad’s. She works for T-Mobile in Post Falls, ID.I spent last week making jam and giving the garden some long-overdue attention. I’m considering getting chickens. They’re all the rage in Seattle. Robert’s job at the WA State Convention Center is winding down. We’re not sure yet what will be next for him.
Jim. Beth is in DC for a couple weeks so I’m doing Mr. Mom more than usual. I can do most of my work from home when I need to so that helps. My clients are mostly companies who do business with the government, but sometimes it’s the government itself. I’m still the new guy so am bouncing around some among projects.
Beth’s job will keep her stable for a couple years here, then she’ll still owe the Air Force one more. We hope to stay here while Tyler gets through school but that would be the break between junior high and high so we’ll move in the summer of ‘12 if it’s the right thing all around.
Melody’s visit was good and came at the perfect time – right when we were having Beth’s promotion party. Melody knew a few people from our wedding – Beth’s mom and niece (that’s them in the picture), and a couple friends from here.
