Sunday, June 25, 2006

20 Year Virginia Roanoke Mission Reunion - 1986 - 2006

150 (plus or minus a few) of the world's finest missionaries got together for a 20th year anniversay of their missionary service in Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina. We held the Reunion at the now famous, Heber Girl's Camp fifteen miles East of Heber City. The setting couldn't have been better, the weather was beautiful, the facilities were near perfect. Twenty years is a long time and lots of things have changed - mostly for the better. Nearly 1,500 children have been born to this prolific group of church leaders and a whole bunch of them came with their parents to the reunion. Some had traveled from as far away as Virginia, Pennslyvania, Tennessee, Georgia, Missouri, Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming and even Vernal. It was ana incredible experience.

Some of the nearly 500 who, who during the day, crowded into the Pavillion and surrounding space to be with us for this historic gathering. At least twenty have passed on since our mission days, most of them senior couples but also sprinked among the list were a few who were way too young, like Elders Eggen, Schmidt and Tustison as well as Sisters Kasteler and Edwards. Elder Lynn Searle had just passed away two days before the Reunion. Sitting among us were church leaders of every calling. Nearly all were actively building Zion not only by 'creating' the next righteous generation but also training those being produced by others.

Saturday, June 24, 2006

Summer Baseball is nearly a full time activity...

Sydney, Sam and Heath enjoy being at the field...and being buddies...
Sam making the umpire know of his consternation over the call...
Heath thinks he ought to be on the mound...maybe next year...
Garrett putting one over the fence...well, almost...
Bryson and Garrett waiting their turn at bat...
Caden taking a full swing - he's lookin' like an all star this year...
Kylie's smile is the home run...
Meagan's praying for a good game...
These few pictures are just a sample of the summer games being played by the Ritchie grandkids...between Baseball, Soccer and LaCrosse we could be on the field full time if we could fit it in...

Rulon and LaPreale Orton Reunion

The Orton mother and children...Carolyn, Grant, Grandma, Shirley Ann, Willis and Cynthia

Heber Valley in her glory

From our back porch to the East
Towards the West - it doesn't get much better than this...been a lot of places on this beautiful earth but this is pretty hard to beat.