Sharon's Stateside Summer (July 13 - 20 in Murray)

The summer of 2016 will be remembered as a whirlwind of activities for our family.  If it has not become clear by now, the following posts will reveal just how much we are adventure seekers - rarely missing an opportunity to enjoy playing, discovering, interacting and making wonderful memories together.  Of course, I only feature all the joyful moments, while the real-life scenarios are usually equally filled with strong gusts of stress, tantrums, and physical exhaustion.  I am grateful that what we remember are the good times, the laughter and smiles, the hugs and thank-yous, the priceless joys, and the incomparable love we feel when we are with family and friends!  I will attempt to portray a sprinkle of that through the photos which follow in the next few posts.

In a nutshell, here's our 2016 summer travel itinerary:  Bob flew to Texas for business meetings on July 4, 2016; Chelsea and Knox flew to Utah on the 6th (to watch Bobby and Jill's kids while they enjoyed a 9th anniversary weekend away); I arrived in Salt Lake City on the 13th, and Bob arrived in SLC from Texas on the 15th.  Chelsea extended her stay until the 28th - hoping to be around for the delivery of Stephanie's 4th child scheduled to arrive on the 26th.  Bob had to return to Seoul on the 25th (yeah, missing Tanner's arrival) and took a business trip to Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, Malaysia sometime around August 17.  The birth of Michael and Kristin's first baby, Eve, occurred on August 8, and Sharon returned to Seoul a month later on September 10.  In addition to celebrating the births of Tanner Johnson and Eve Goodman, we acknowledged the birthdays of Bennett Johnson, Chelsea Bosen (same day as Eve's birth), Bob Goodman, Emma Johnson, Doug Hill, and Jill Goodman during my time in the states. Jill had her tonsils removed August 8, requiring a couple of weeks of recuperation and a little help from Grandma.  And Michael and I were able to participate in the wedding celebrations of two of his friends (and my former seminary students), Alli Bickmore and Aaron Fife.  Whew!  What a whirlwind!

Now, let's begin by taking a peek at the week of July 13-20, at Bobby and Jill's home in Murray, Utah, where Bob and I had fun with their family and Chelsea and Knox. (We missed Thomas who spent most of the month in Tulsa for medical school requirements.)

Playing at Home and in Their Newly Constructed Backyard.

 Swimming at the Murray Park Pool

 Jill Hosting a Baby Shower for Kristin

 Exploring Discovery Gateway Children's Museum

 A Quick Visit to Michael and Kristin's Apartment in Provo

On  July 20, Chelsea, Knox, Bob and I drove to Wyoming to spend some time with Stephanie and Ben's family  They would all return to the homes in Texas and Korea the following week, and I would remain in Green River for a few weeks to help their growing family. Our time in Wyoming will be the subject of my next post.