The Older Flower Mound Brinkerhoff Family
The Younger Flower Mound Brinkerhoff Family
June proved to be quite a whirlwind for our family. We started off the month with camps and birthday celebrations. Liv turned one and decided to stand up all on her own. Kajsa Jane celebrated her eighth birthday two days later, on Father's Day. Roman headed off to soccer camp in the mornings, while Kajsa attended a high school dance camp. The kids (and Scott) were farmed out so Erin could attend Girls Camp for a week. That same week, Scott started a new job at an international law firm, still in downtown Dallas. Asher finally got to his splint off, and his broken arm seems to have healed well. The next day, he spent a week at Cub Scout day camp, while Kajsa and Roman made their tennis debuts at the high school camp. Kajsa also attended her first Activity Days camp - she was thrilled! We ended the month with the highlight - Kajsa Jane's baptism. We really appreciate all of the family that helped celebrate the special day with us!
Oh, and we got a airedale puppy.
Emerson is loving swim class, which she calls swim CAMP because that's more exciting. She is really looking forward to starting preschool in the fall, but she is most anxious about the pending arrival of baby sister. She talks about baby girl all day, every day and is counting down the days until her big sister debut (take two).
Ryland is talking a lot and has quite a personality. He does whatever he can to keep up with Emi and Miller. He's not sure what all of this baby business is about, but he is very excited for Oma (and maybe Opa) to come play when "baby comes out".
Quin is really excited about all of the attention he's getting from random CrossFit pictures posted on Facebook. That's really why he goes to the gym every morning, so that's rewarding. He spends his free-time mowing the lawn, taking three kids to the pool, towing kids on family bike rides and checking things off of Jordan's to-do list.
Jordan is determined to have a baby this week. She spends her free-time nesting and wishes for more hours in the day that don't require feeding people because that eats up a lot of time. (See what I did there?) She also looks forward to the days following the impending pandemonium (due in July) when she can pursue her many goals and talents.
We had a great time vacationing in sunny California this past week. We left on Wednesday after work and stayed the night in St. George with my grandpa and Grandma Verna. They are always so very hospitable, and we are grateful that we were able to see them again before moving to Washington. After breakfast, we headed off to California and arrived at about 5 pm on Thursday.
My sister Stacy and her daughter Adelaide took us to Venice Beach where we walked along the beach and also the canals in between beach houses. We toured my brother-in-law Pierce's office, which is a giant warehouse that has been converted into creative workspaces. It doesn't look like your average office (with surfboards, an old Datsun, an indoor park, and coworkers' dogs roaming around), but then again they house a lot of creative minds in their advertising agency.
On Friday we went to Orange County and visited my best friend Melissa. We ate at a quaint little (or rather, not-so-little) '50s diner called Ruby's; Lile was impressed with the old motorized bike, cars and trucks that are used as decoration at the restaurant. We went to the beach again (a daily occurrence) and this time took our first dip in the cold, salty Pacific water.
We enjoyed setting up for Adelaide's first birthday party on Saturday morning. Her party had a kite theme, so we flew kites for awhile in the park next to the beach and devoured many, many doughnut holes. Adelaide is still so teeny (having been born prematurely), and at one year weighs 15.2 pounds. How does she compare to Carson and Logan?!
On Sunday we went to the Spanish branch at the Ximeno Building in Long Beach where Lile served for about a year. It was great to meet many of the members who still attend the branch. Lile got a LOT of double-takes after a courteous, "hola, hermano." "ELDER SQUIRES!" It was fun to attend church in Spanish again (I haven't told Lile yet, but I'm tempted to attend a Spanish ward in Washington…!!) It's been almost seven years since he served there!
The highlight of the vacation was our trip to Catalina Island. We set our alarms for 4:45 am and set off for the island at 6:15 am. After arriving around 7:30 am, we roamed around the streets and found Lile's mission apartment, the island library where he wrote emails, the one grocery store where he and his companion shopped and the laundromat. We then took a five-mile hike where we had a spectacular view of the whole island and bay. We stopped at the Wrigley Memorial and read about William Wrigley who was the one primarily responsible for developing the island. As we entered town again, we decided to wander around so Lile could try to identify houses where his investigators and converts lived. We ran into a member named Alma in her golf cart! Alma told us that her husband Miguel and son Michael worked at Pancake Cottage around the corner. We set off to visit Miguel and Michael at work. Michael was 8 when Lile baptized him and is now a big 15-year-old! Miguel offered his golf cart, which was very exciting since we had been on foot for so many miles that day. We drove up one of the mountains on the island and took some great pictures. We then moseyed over to Descanso Beach and took a dip in the cold, clear water and soaked up the sun. It was quite a different experience for Lile since he had only dreamed of getting in the water on his mission. :)
Needless to say, Lile is dark, dark, dark, and my sunburn is slowly turning into a tan that is sure to fade quickly! Now it's back to work for me while Lile finishes a few small projects. I have given my official two weeks' notice, although we don't know when we are going to leave exactly. Lile has to attend a short 30-minute meeting at Boeing on Wednesday, July 16 and will go to an orientation meeting on Friday, July 18. He will talk to someone about travel arrangements on Tuesday, July 1, so we should know more in a few days. We are very excited about having a start date and making arrangements for the big move!
At the beginning of June, dad and I took our new convert friends, the Borsts, to the temple for adult baptisms. They were baptized for many of their family members, including parents and a son who took his own life about 2 years ago. At ages 83 and 79, they did a great job. It was a special experience for them. The full time ward missionaries also attended with us. You know how converts love their missionaries, so that was a bonus for them that night.
I spent several weeks preparing our ward Young Women for Girls Camp. It was a workout, but at least I didn't have to attend:). The young men in our ward tease the girls that they actually attend a 'retreat' because after all, they stay in air conditioned cabins. They have a point!
Dad attended a scout campout with Christian Miller since Phil was out of town. He now realizes his old body doesn't like sleeping on the ground anymore. At the evening program, the boys were asked to switch off their flashlights. Most did, some as you expect, didn't. One kid sitting near dad turned his flashlight back on and it was shining directly on a huge scorpion. They all vacated the area quickly. Thank heavens for scout disobedience.
June is always a busy birthday month in the Brinkerhoff family. Another Happy Birthday to Liv, Kajsa Jane, Adelaide, Jordan, GrayBear and Pierce. And a special shout out to Kajsa for her baptism. It was a wonderful program and fun party. Dad and I were able to attend Liv's and Grayer's birthday celebrations. We have the cutest grandkids!!
I leave for Houston Thursday am. Baby Parks might make an appearance soon. I'll keep you posted.
Early in the month we made a trip to LasVegas to pick up some friends who were returning to St. George from Phoenix. The Martins took us to a place called "M" (just plain M)spa/resort/hotel/casino for a buffet lunch. It was amazing. You might want to do it once just to say you did it - at a price of $35 each.
Verna and Lee went to the St. George temple on June 5 and Lee did an endowment for an Irish/Welch relative (John Buckley) that he located from out of the woodwork. We have a dozen or so additional ordinances to do for this family
some of whom migrated to Canada and then to Long Beach, California and were there when the Linnells moved from Salt Lake to Long Beach in 1941.
We drove to Fullerton, Ca. on June 12 for a few days, mainly to check on Verna's house and to see her family and Scott Linnell. We drove to LaHabra to go to Seafare Inn for a fish dinner and lo-and-behold the place is closed up. Our family has been going to Seafare since 1963 when we first moved to Fullerton (only 51 years ago). Lee went with Scott to buy even more pots, and a concrete fountain for his yard, which is now over-run with pots, pots, pots. We made a trip to the Temecula, Ca. area for Verna to see a high school girl-friend from the covered- wagon era.
Katy and Lile stayed with us one night while on their way to California. Lee leaves for Texas in two days for Kajsa's baptism, and Verna's gandaughter, Heidi, and her family will stay with us one night on their way to Disneyland from Nampa, Idaho.
Verna and Lee are now the official greeters at the doors of the Eagles Landing Ward. Verna is a visiting teacher supervisor. Lee is no longer a stake auditor. He now is a do-nothing member of the stake audit committee. (I think someone figured out that stake auditors can't exceed age 70, so I'm 17 years past retirement). In July we will go to Rexburg, Idaho with Gail and Mark Roberts (Verna's daughter) to the graduation of Simon Roberts from BYU Idaho.
The Houston Parks Family
Miller has discovered that he loves summer camps. Now that he has finished Nature Camp and Basketball Camp, he has lots of time on his hands. He fills his time dreaming up a birthday list and inventing things. Most recently he has made several marble runs, ant farms and rubber band-powered boats/planes using recycled materials. He gets most of his project ideas from YouTube.Emerson is loving swim class, which she calls swim CAMP because that's more exciting. She is really looking forward to starting preschool in the fall, but she is most anxious about the pending arrival of baby sister. She talks about baby girl all day, every day and is counting down the days until her big sister debut (take two).
Ryland is talking a lot and has quite a personality. He does whatever he can to keep up with Emi and Miller. He's not sure what all of this baby business is about, but he is very excited for Oma (and maybe Opa) to come play when "baby comes out".
Quin is really excited about all of the attention he's getting from random CrossFit pictures posted on Facebook. That's really why he goes to the gym every morning, so that's rewarding. He spends his free-time mowing the lawn, taking three kids to the pool, towing kids on family bike rides and checking things off of Jordan's to-do list.
Jordan is determined to have a baby this week. She spends her free-time nesting and wishes for more hours in the day that don't require feeding people because that eats up a lot of time. (See what I did there?) She also looks forward to the days following the impending pandemonium (due in July) when she can pursue her many goals and talents.
The Los Angeles Thiot Family
I've decided I am not having any more kids in the months of May and June. I feel like I blinked in April and all of the sudden, it's July. My birthday was May 20th and then Adelaide's June 18th and then Pierce's June 27th. It's a little overwhelming to say the least. If Adelaide had just come on her due date on July 17th, I think I could come up for air! Oh well, it was a crazy busy last couple of months, but I wouldn't have had it any other way. Mom came to visit us for my birthday in May, then I was so entirely focused on Adelaide's year photos and birthday party, that Pierce's birthday just kind of snuck up on me. Especially because his dear sweet Gram passed away the day before his birthday. I tried to make his special day, well, special. We went on two dates. Friday the 27th, we went to Mormon Dodger night. Then Saturday we went to dinner and a movie. Then Sunday, I left with Adelaide to go to the funeral in Utah and came back Tuesday. Now we are getting ready for his family's summer vacation in Anaheim. I'm glad we don't have to travel far. We are going to Disneyland next week and hanging out at the beach. Can't wait! Then, hopefully the rest of the summer will be more relaxed. Pierce has been working so hard on some Gatorade commercials and he's really excited about them. For the past three weeks, he's been working over 100 hours each week. Crazy! Adelaide and I are so excited when he comes home before her bedtime, which hasn't been often these days. I plan on going to Texas in August for sweet Lainey's blessing and can't wait to see everyone!The Provo Squires Family
Congratulations, you have all inspired my family to start a monthly family newsletter! Lile and I send our weekly emails to my parents, and my mom loved the idea, so the Brinkerhoff family is going to follow suit. :)We had a great time vacationing in sunny California this past week. We left on Wednesday after work and stayed the night in St. George with my grandpa and Grandma Verna. They are always so very hospitable, and we are grateful that we were able to see them again before moving to Washington. After breakfast, we headed off to California and arrived at about 5 pm on Thursday.
My sister Stacy and her daughter Adelaide took us to Venice Beach where we walked along the beach and also the canals in between beach houses. We toured my brother-in-law Pierce's office, which is a giant warehouse that has been converted into creative workspaces. It doesn't look like your average office (with surfboards, an old Datsun, an indoor park, and coworkers' dogs roaming around), but then again they house a lot of creative minds in their advertising agency.
On Friday we went to Orange County and visited my best friend Melissa. We ate at a quaint little (or rather, not-so-little) '50s diner called Ruby's; Lile was impressed with the old motorized bike, cars and trucks that are used as decoration at the restaurant. We went to the beach again (a daily occurrence) and this time took our first dip in the cold, salty Pacific water.
We enjoyed setting up for Adelaide's first birthday party on Saturday morning. Her party had a kite theme, so we flew kites for awhile in the park next to the beach and devoured many, many doughnut holes. Adelaide is still so teeny (having been born prematurely), and at one year weighs 15.2 pounds. How does she compare to Carson and Logan?!
On Sunday we went to the Spanish branch at the Ximeno Building in Long Beach where Lile served for about a year. It was great to meet many of the members who still attend the branch. Lile got a LOT of double-takes after a courteous, "hola, hermano." "ELDER SQUIRES!" It was fun to attend church in Spanish again (I haven't told Lile yet, but I'm tempted to attend a Spanish ward in Washington…!!) It's been almost seven years since he served there!
The highlight of the vacation was our trip to Catalina Island. We set our alarms for 4:45 am and set off for the island at 6:15 am. After arriving around 7:30 am, we roamed around the streets and found Lile's mission apartment, the island library where he wrote emails, the one grocery store where he and his companion shopped and the laundromat. We then took a five-mile hike where we had a spectacular view of the whole island and bay. We stopped at the Wrigley Memorial and read about William Wrigley who was the one primarily responsible for developing the island. As we entered town again, we decided to wander around so Lile could try to identify houses where his investigators and converts lived. We ran into a member named Alma in her golf cart! Alma told us that her husband Miguel and son Michael worked at Pancake Cottage around the corner. We set off to visit Miguel and Michael at work. Michael was 8 when Lile baptized him and is now a big 15-year-old! Miguel offered his golf cart, which was very exciting since we had been on foot for so many miles that day. We drove up one of the mountains on the island and took some great pictures. We then moseyed over to Descanso Beach and took a dip in the cold, clear water and soaked up the sun. It was quite a different experience for Lile since he had only dreamed of getting in the water on his mission. :)
Needless to say, Lile is dark, dark, dark, and my sunburn is slowly turning into a tan that is sure to fade quickly! Now it's back to work for me while Lile finishes a few small projects. I have given my official two weeks' notice, although we don't know when we are going to leave exactly. Lile has to attend a short 30-minute meeting at Boeing on Wednesday, July 16 and will go to an orientation meeting on Friday, July 18. He will talk to someone about travel arrangements on Tuesday, July 1, so we should know more in a few days. We are very excited about having a start date and making arrangements for the big move!
The Arlington Brinkerhoff Family
Hi Happy Family:At the beginning of June, dad and I took our new convert friends, the Borsts, to the temple for adult baptisms. They were baptized for many of their family members, including parents and a son who took his own life about 2 years ago. At ages 83 and 79, they did a great job. It was a special experience for them. The full time ward missionaries also attended with us. You know how converts love their missionaries, so that was a bonus for them that night.
I spent several weeks preparing our ward Young Women for Girls Camp. It was a workout, but at least I didn't have to attend:). The young men in our ward tease the girls that they actually attend a 'retreat' because after all, they stay in air conditioned cabins. They have a point!
Dad attended a scout campout with Christian Miller since Phil was out of town. He now realizes his old body doesn't like sleeping on the ground anymore. At the evening program, the boys were asked to switch off their flashlights. Most did, some as you expect, didn't. One kid sitting near dad turned his flashlight back on and it was shining directly on a huge scorpion. They all vacated the area quickly. Thank heavens for scout disobedience.
June is always a busy birthday month in the Brinkerhoff family. Another Happy Birthday to Liv, Kajsa Jane, Adelaide, Jordan, GrayBear and Pierce. And a special shout out to Kajsa for her baptism. It was a wonderful program and fun party. Dad and I were able to attend Liv's and Grayer's birthday celebrations. We have the cutest grandkids!!
I leave for Houston Thursday am. Baby Parks might make an appearance soon. I'll keep you posted.
The St. George Linnell Family
OK, this is the St. George Brinkerskoop report for the month of June: Way before the beginning of the month Lee received a very large box from Lori for his birthday. The contents weighed a mere six pounds, which was mystifying. Turned out to be a home-made Lori wall- hanging project to remind Lee of the family birthdays and anniversaries. It now hangs on the door entering Lee's "office" computer room and the blue wood hanging looks great on the white door.Early in the month we made a trip to LasVegas to pick up some friends who were returning to St. George from Phoenix. The Martins took us to a place called "M" (just plain M)spa/resort/hotel/casino for a buffet lunch. It was amazing. You might want to do it once just to say you did it - at a price of $35 each.
Verna and Lee went to the St. George temple on June 5 and Lee did an endowment for an Irish/Welch relative (John Buckley) that he located from out of the woodwork. We have a dozen or so additional ordinances to do for this family
some of whom migrated to Canada and then to Long Beach, California and were there when the Linnells moved from Salt Lake to Long Beach in 1941.
We drove to Fullerton, Ca. on June 12 for a few days, mainly to check on Verna's house and to see her family and Scott Linnell. We drove to LaHabra to go to Seafare Inn for a fish dinner and lo-and-behold the place is closed up. Our family has been going to Seafare since 1963 when we first moved to Fullerton (only 51 years ago). Lee went with Scott to buy even more pots, and a concrete fountain for his yard, which is now over-run with pots, pots, pots. We made a trip to the Temecula, Ca. area for Verna to see a high school girl-friend from the covered- wagon era.
Katy and Lile stayed with us one night while on their way to California. Lee leaves for Texas in two days for Kajsa's baptism, and Verna's gandaughter, Heidi, and her family will stay with us one night on their way to Disneyland from Nampa, Idaho.
Verna and Lee are now the official greeters at the doors of the Eagles Landing Ward. Verna is a visiting teacher supervisor. Lee is no longer a stake auditor. He now is a do-nothing member of the stake audit committee. (I think someone figured out that stake auditors can't exceed age 70, so I'm 17 years past retirement). In July we will go to Rexburg, Idaho with Gail and Mark Roberts (Verna's daughter) to the graduation of Simon Roberts from BYU Idaho.
