This year Alan's parents celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary. The kids all decided that instead of having a reception for them that it would be fun to meet as a family up in Washington and have a family reunion to celebrate where the Pat and Wally Brown family began.
Everyone but Loren (on his mission in Texas) was able to be there and we spent 3 fun days together. We stayed at the Salish Lodge in Snoqualmie Falls which was a place Pat and Wally used to take the kids when they were little for a special family brunch.
We took a shopping trip to Pike Place Market in Seattle and spent an afternoon at Point Defiance Park. We also drove around (3 cars with walkie talkies) the area where Pat and Wally lived when they were first married and Wally was attending Dental School. They were able to show us all the houses, churches and fun places where they used to live. They obviously have many fond memories of living in Washington and it was fun to have them share them with all of us.
The trip culminated with a really nice formal dinner at the lodge where we were able to take a trip down memory lane with slide shows and fun music. At the end of the evening Alan's sister Diane presented to Pat and Wally a couple of memory books she had compiled that were filled with cards, letters and pictures all their friends and family members had sent in. It was a great trip and very fun for the family to be all together for a few days!
Our Anniversary
August is also our anniversary month. We have been married 24 long years. Did I say long years? I meant happy and fulfilling years! We celebrated quietly this year (saving up for the big 25) with flowers from Alan to me and a halusky dinner from me to him. We also enjoyed a temple session together which is a favorite tradition of ours.
Tess headed back to BYU a couple of weeks early this year to be trained as a Resident Assistant in Robison Hall in Heritage Halls on-campus housing. It was a bit lonely for her at first until the rest of the girls all came and then of course she had the bit of stress that comes with meeting new roommates and dealing with their sometimes a bit over controlling mothers. But, the mommies all went home and the girls are getting more comfortable with each other and settling into their routines. I think the year will be a good one for her.
So our house is nearly 15 years old and except for the bedrooms and the study, was still sporting the original single paint color (walls and ceiling)! Of course with six kids living here the walls did incur a few scuffs, dents, dings and chips and we decided it was time to repaint. And so the big project ensued. First we had the hardwood floors refinished (see all the above reasons) and then the painting began.
With the 2-story high ceilings in the living room, dining room and entry, we knew we were not qualified to do the job ourselves, so we found a great painter to work for us and then as projects tend to do, it did a bit of snowballing and we ended up having him paint the kitchen, family room and 2 bathrooms as well.
The result? It looks and smells like a new house which is so fun. I consulted with my friend's daughter who is a designer and she helped me choose the paint colors. There were moments of anxiety dealing with so much color after being so used to boring peachy white walls, but we were brave and just kept plugging on. Color is so much fun -- it just really enhances all your belongings and the colors you are already using. It is also so warm, friendly and inviting. I think the winter is going to feel much cozier. So now the furniture is all back in place and of necessity everything is a bit cleaner than it was -- nothing like a good project to force you into a little spring cleaning at the end of the summer!
Josh Groban Concert
To finish up the month, Madeleine and I got to attend the Josh Groban Concert which was absolutely amazing! It was way better than I even thought it would be. To make it even more exciting, shortly before it started they announced to us that this concert was being recorded to be the DVD of this particular tour. Everyone went crazy and I'm sure that is what they wanted. So, I'm sure that is why we got such a fabulous concert -- he sang non-stop for over 2 hours! One of the best parts was when we were surprised to see him coming down the stairs 3 portals over from us making a great effort to shake everyone's hands. He wandered around through the crowd on the floor and then back up to the stage. He gives a great concert.