In high school Karen had always planned to spend a year of college studying in Europe--and then we got married so she has been waiting since 1962 for "her" European trip.  In August we flew to Iceland for a few days to visit our friend BJ and her family, then took a short stop in Copenhagen before meeting our traveling friends the Mullens for five weeks wandering Central Europe.  Our trip took us from Berlin to Krakow, Budapest, Ljubljana, Vienna, Bratislava, Prague, and then back to Berlin.  We spent three days or so in the major cities and then two or three days in transit, mostly meandering off the main roads.  The countryside in that part of the world is just stunning and the cities breathtaking.  It was a great trip.  Headed to Myanmar October 27th.   

Jen, Drew, and Whitney moved to a "new" house this summer in south Salt Lake City that has a yard for Drew and room for a garden.  Jen is the coordinator for the special needs kids early intervention education program for the Granite School District, but looks forward to getting back in the classroom some day.  Whitney is a physical therapist at the University of Utah Medical Center. Jen is still competing in races and triathlons and teaches an early morning class of extreme spinning.  Whitney is trying to get back to competitive health after a protracted problem with her foot so mostly bikes and swims at the moment. 

Rog's and Tiff's oldest son is in the last few months of his mission in Wisconsin.  Tiff works as a respiratory therapist in Ogden and Rog manages a food processing manufacturing operation.  This picture was taken in the spring and Abby is now almost as tall as I am and still growing, Austyn graduated this year from high school and going to the local technical college, Caleb is .... well, Caleb.

Thomas returned from his two year LDS Church Mission to Wisconsin in August and, duly deformalized from suits, white shirts, and name tags, enjoys ... well, food with Austyn.

Nic and her family live in Kansas City.  Scott is the environmental engineering manager for a nationwide cement manufacturing company and Nic holds down the home front since Scott travels  often.  In the photo from the left and in the front are Scott, Nic, Karli, Carter, Tyler, and Braden.  It seems like just a few months ago when Tyler was born and now he's driving, involved in band and about a dozen other things at school  If there's a sport, Braden plays it.  Karli's mom's helper and I'm thinking Nic is dreading the day Carter heads to school .... but maybe not.  The tall guy standing next to me is Dalyn and his partner Sebastian is behind Nic. 

Darren, Jeni, Isaac, Hadlie, and Logan live in McKinnleyville, California where Darren is on the faculty and does fisheries research at Humboldt State University.  It's a beautiful place with miles of beaches for clamming and just a short drive into the redwood forests.  Jeni is back playing and coaching soccer, running, and working at a local elementary school.  Hadlie plays piano wonderfully and Isaac plays a mean guitar. Logan is .... well, wired!

Giselle, Kurt, Chapin, and Grayson live in Salem, Oregon.  Kurt is an archeologist for the Oregon Department of Transportation and Giselle works part time as a physical therapist.  Chapin started kindergarten this fall and lasted about a week before the teacher called Sel and said he really should be in at least first grade.  Apparently in this game you don't get $200 for "Going Past  Kindergarten."   At the current rate Grayson will be ready for first grade about Easter.

Dalyn and Sebastian are living in Chicago and just bought a renovated 100 year old home.   They still have the "away place" they bought off the Hudson River near Rhinebeck, New York.   They also have three 'kids' ... well, actually two medium sized dogs and Ellie the small dog.  

After ten years Karen decided to get rid of her precious Beetle (I honestly thought she would keep it until she was laid to her eternal rest strapped in the driver's seat.)  That's a picture of the Beetle just a day or so before we sold it to a very excited 16 year old girl.  Anyway, the Beetle was replaced by her new most favorite thing .... an Orangeburst Metallic Honda Fit.  For 38 years Karen never washed a car .... then I bought her the Beetle as a surprise and it was washed at least once a week for ten years.  The Honda got dirty on a recent trip to Utah and she watched the temperature by the hour waiting for it to get above freezing so she could wash it.

September 4th, our 48th anniversary, we just happened to be in the Książ Castle, Wałbrzych, Poland in a garden of hearts.  Isn't that just precious!