Happiness is a Christmas Card

This summer we did quite a few things that made us happy.

Caleb got to go to scout day camp for the first time this year.  The Cub Master noticed that the day camp was open to 7 year olds and, since I was going anyway, invited Caleb to go with us.  He loved it.  Especially the obstacle courses.

Caleb's silly face picture is the only one that turned out.  That should make him happy.

 Katrina and her cousin Lia have decided that they are "sister-cousins."  They have even made up a song about it.  It's all about how much they love each other and like playing together.  New verses get added when they forget the old ones.  It's a great song really.

Sister-Cousins with leis for the luau BBQ we had.

Aaron and I got to go on a trip to Hawaii at the end of the summer.  He had a job to do there and I tagged along.  We rode on a catamaran at sunset and saw turtles on the beach.  Happiness is spending time with your best friend.  (Being in Hawaii doesn't hurt either.)

OMG that's a giant sea turtle on the beach!  Wait, look there's more!

We saw 8 or 9 sea turtles who had come up on shore to rest. 

One came out of the water right in front of us.

The girls have been wanting to go to Hawaii for quite some time.  Imagine their excitement when Aaron had another job there, and they got to go to.  They loved going to the beach and playing in the warm water.  

Maggie, Sophie and Hannah on their way to the beach in a tropical paradise.

 They got to go to the Dole plantation and the Polynesian Cultural Center.  They had a lot of fun there learning about Polynesian cultures and sampling the poi. (Poi's really gross.-Hannah)

Aaron and the girls with people from Fiji.  Sophie's holding the chiefs whacking stick.  

Hannah went to Oakcrest for a week in the summer and her favorite part was archery, so now she wants a bow and arrow for Christmas.  Let's hope she doesn't shoot her eye out.

Aaron and I ran in two events this summer.  First, my Dad turned 65 this year and wanted to run/bike 65 miles from where he was born in Panguitch through Bryce Canyon to where his parents lived in Tropic.  It was an amazing run.  Aaron and I ran a leg with him from the rim down into the canyon and back up.  

Dad an I on the trail.
 We were heading up and pausing for pictures and to catch our breath.

The other race we ran in was the Porter Rockwell 10k.   It was a nice race near our house which I wanted to run so I could get a t-shirt with a picture of Porter Rockwell on it and a belt buckle, which was the medal you got if you won.  The t-shirt had the picture on it, but I figured the belt buckle was just a dream.  No one was more surprised than me, when I placed 3rd in my age group and got a belt buckle.

The Proclamation on the Family says "Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities."   We wish you all this happiness this Christmas season and in the new year.

Love, 
The Abbotts