California (Karsten's Baptism)

Last Thursday Sam, Doogles, Penny, Ari, Jude and I arose early to drive out to Lizzie and Dan's place in California to spend some quality time with them and attend Karsten's baptism.  This is Penny after 11-12 hours of traveling.  Granny and Grandpa (Ogden) arrived the next day by air along with Gideon.

 "No more travel!"

"Much better than my car seat."

 Notice the youth on their cell phones. :)  The others are playing a strange game where you try to hold on to metal handles as long as you can while you are being shocked.

 Ah, the tree swing.  So much fun.  Sam, Penny, Magnus (aka Paggy), and Doogles.

 Their nightly gaming before bedtime.

We visited a Parkour (free running) gym where the boys climbed and jumped all over.

 Making crepes with Magnus, Doogles, and Jesper.

Not sure what's happening with my face here.

Grandpa Ogden chatting with Dan's parents, Larry and Mary, who drove out from Arizona to attend the baptism.

Watching World Cup soccer with Doogles prior to heading out to the baptism.

 Congratulations, Karsten!

 What an awesome family.

 Karsten and Douglas

Reverence

Thumbs up!

Slip 'n slide in Lizzie's front yard

 Paggy

 Oskar

Gideon

Penny

 Dan, Larry, and Granny Ogden watching the fun.

 Sam and Penny

 Anders and Ari

 Gideon

Penny didn't exactly enjoy coming down by herself...........or coming down at all.  :)

 After the first night we decided that Penny would do best sleeping in Lizzie and Dan's walk-in closet.   It worked great!

 Magnus and Doogles.  I asked Douglas yesterday (5 July) who he most enjoyed playing with at Lizzie's house.  "Paggy," he replied.

Soren reading to Jude, Paggy, Karsten, and Gideon.

 Lizzie held a neat FHE (Family Home Evening) while we were out there, reminding everyone to "Ask, and it shall be given you.  Seek, and ye shall find.  Knock, and it shall be opened unto you."

 Gathering for prayer

 Jude loved the costumes in the house

Doogles squeezed a bunch of oranges and boy was that juice delicious.

 On Monday we went to "Pump It Up" to celebrate Karsten's eighth birthday.

 Jesper

 Jude

 Ari and Soren

Douglas and Magnus

 Dan

Knowing that we would be driving back to Utah during most of the day on July 4th, we decided to don our patriotic apparel on the 3rd for a family photo.

Penny was more concerned with the neighbor's dogs than she was with the photo.

Jude and Karsten on the swing

 "Here we go!"

 5 July - I went to Costco to purchase, among other items, some batteries for Douglas's bubble machine.  He was happy when I returned.  He saw the two sides of the pack of batteries and stated, pointing to one side, "We can use this loaf for the bubble machine and this loaf [pointing to the other side] for something else."  The man loves his bread.

 5 July - Sam was busy doing something with Douglas when she realized she hadn't heard Penny for a few minutes.  Penny had managed to climb up on the chair, grab Douglas's half-eaten bowl of Cheerios from the table, drinking some of the milk and spilling the rest onto the cushion without spilling a drop on herself.

"More, please."