Father's day

This Father's day was very quiet. Parker is gone at Scout camp all week so it was just Conner at home. It sure is strange to just have one child at home!  

We are so blessed to have the most wonderful, loving, spiritual, smart, hard working and kind father!!!

Parker- Scout camp and seminary award

Parker left for his Scout camp on Saturday.  He was looking forward to this trip. He gets to do white water rafting the whole week.  They are up in the South Carolina-Georgia border.  One of the adult leaders sent these pictures. It is a beautiful place.

Parker got the Honors award in Seminary this year. He did not go to seminary graduation though, so President Johnson came over and dropped it off at our house.  We are so proud of him!!!

My Aunt Ana turns 99 years old

Today my my aunt Ana Sotomayor (my mom's sister) turned 99 years old. She lives in Ponce, Puerto Rico.  I called her and spoke with her yesterday. She is amazing.  Her mind is so bright, she remembers things that happened when she was 4 years old and she loves to tell you all about it. She told me so many stories on the phone.  She is very loving and sweet.  She misses my mom very much.  She was 21 when my mom was born.  While I had her on the phone I thought to ask her about a family name, her grandma and my great grandma Genara Thillet.  I always wondered where the name came from.  We don't have any information about her father.  She told me that Genara's father Mr. Thillet,  was French.  He left Genara in Puerto Rico to be raised by a family by the last name of Escudero, when her mother died and left Puerto Rico to live in France.  My aunt doesn't remember him.  That is too bad, I don't know if we will ever find his records. So this is cool, now I have French, Italian, Austrian and Spanish in my family. I think it is so wonderful to find out where they all came from!

Mariela Sotomayor (my cousins wife), my aunt Ana (my mom's oldest sister), my uncle Guillermo Sotomayor (my mom's brother) and my uncle's wife Aida Sotomayor.

My cousin Guillermo Sotomayor

My Aunt Ana Sotomayor

A letter I found

I read this in Sorella Baer's blog.  It mentions Alison and it is a cool story.

Also, this week-- we traveled ALL over the place. We spent a day in Verona, a day in Venezia, and a day in Bergamo! Oh, my goodness, Bergamo. As soon as we got off the train, I felt of the Baer legacy there. My dear big bro, Anziano Baer served in Bergamo and I was STOKED to finally do a blitz in an area where he had served! I was with Sorella Hanson, she's the smartest and greatest. She told me that we had an appointment with a less active that no one knew and that a member would be joining us. This member was just off his mission from London, and loved to go teach with the missionaries! As we met up with this member, I learned that his name is Mikhail Botta and that he's the bishop's son. I didn't think too much about it until I decided to take a shot in the dark. I said, ''Mikhail, do you know an Anziano Baer?'' His jaw drops. His eyebrows raised high. He then proceeded to tell me that Anziano Baer ate at his house often back when Mikhail was 14 or 15. He said that my dear bro was a great missionary! It was NUTS. I know that it wasn't by chance that he happened to come with us while I was on a blitz there, and that we met. I had a little taste of home, feeling the Baer legacy. Mercy, it was the world's best. It made me realize how grateful I am for the example of diligence my brother gave me. I couldn't be luckier to serve in the exact same mission as one of my heroes, and to be reminded of him, his goodness and his service OFTEN. I love it!

Science Camp

This week Conner had Science camp.  I completely forgot to take pictures until today.

Last day at Science camp

Parker

Parker got all these awards at seminary.  We are so proud of him.

Yesterday was the last day of school and Parker is enjoying some time off before he starts working at the office next week.

I love my neighborhood

Brent and I love to go for walks in our neighborhood.  We love our neighborhood, it is one big loop with 82 houses.  We have a big pond in the middle and a swamp on one side of the loop.  We also have tennis courts and a playground.  We have a couple of houses that have been abandoned by their owners and it is sad because they are so beautiful and their yard and pools look terrible.

The swamp in our neighborhood

The pond in the middle of our neighborhood

I love taking pictures of flowers

An abandoned house in our neighborhood

This house is so beautiful and it is so sad to see it like this

Our house

Our front yard