September 2011 - Picture of the Month

The Cannon Girls
Maja, Annika, Ava, & Lilah
I wonder how much Uncle Gary laughed when he realized this was going to happen

September 2011 - Executive office of Ken Woodward

Dear Family,

With the commencement of school on August 22, Joshua, Zachari and I began attending early morning seminary.  In 1970 when I became in charge of various stake ecclesiastical activities I changed the stake presidency meeting from a Tuesday evening , as was then the practice,  to early Sunday morning.  Our stake clerk, Norman Perry, then asked to be released.  He claimed there was not enough oxygen in the air that early in the morning. 

After driving the three of us to the Stake Center for the past 10 mornings for seminary I’m beginning to believe that old Norm may have been on to something.

As some of you remembered.  I had a birthday late last month. I want to thank all of you who called or sent a card, and also all of you who didn’t.  I mention this only for one reason.  I grew up in such a touch environment that we were not asked what we wanted to be WHEN we grew up, but what we wanted to be IF we grew up.  I believe I may make it. 

The tomato growing season is about over.  I want to tell Torrie and Levi that the Topsy Turvey upside-down tomato grower they gave me worked reasonable well but the picture on the box was an extreme exaggeration. 

Now with the end of the summer gardening season the most exciting events I have to look forward to is watching the leaves fall and getting a flu shot.

Love, Dad

September 2011 - Cannon, Aaron & Mindy & Family

Hello August.  Goodbye August.

August has been a memorable month for the Cannon family (the real Cannon family.  Not those imposters from up north.)  Football has started again.  Jakob is a year bigger and a year smarter.  This is evidenced by his ability to count ahead during tackling drills and avoiding going up against guys twice his weight.  Brilliant!

Prison is still a horrible awful place to work (I can't even imagine living here) what with all the tarantulas and rattle snakes and blood and sweat and pepper spray and ......I'll just leave it at that

.

We are preparing for school to start.  So far our preparations have included looking at each other and saying "When does school start again?"  We haven't really gotten past that.  Hannah is very excited to start pre-pre-school.  Mindy is excited to have her out of the house.  I am excited to have one more thing to pay for.  Jakob is excited because he is always excited.

I have several friends who join me in the early for am surf sessions.  We usually go out around 545 am and finish at 7ish so we can be at work by 8.  This past thursday we went to one of our favorite spots in mission beach and had a great time.  Then around noon I checked the local San Diego news and see "Great White sighting shuts down Mission Beach."  Huh?  What?  RIGHT WHERE WE WERE 4 HOURS EARLIER!?!?!?!?!  That's right ladies and gentleman.  The Man in the Grey Suit had paid us a visit and we didn't even know.  My other favorite euphemism for Great Whites is "The Landlord."  Then there is also "apex predator" but I don't use that one quite as often.

My parenting book is finished.  We have had interest from two agents.  We will see where it goes. 

Anybody interested in joining Adam and myself for a "tough mudder" run in February let Adam know.  We need teammates....in other words people to step in when we start yelling at each other.

Mindy Jakob Hannah Aaron

September 2011 - Cannon, Adam & Erica & Family

Hello and Hi. 

I know it has been a long time since we posted.  I put all the blame on Maja.  I am usually safe that way.  Anyway, We have been doing fine and have been busy.  

During summer vacation, we went to Lake Tahoe for a couple of days and had lots of fun.  Painted some of the rooms in the house and tried to relax. 

 Summer is over and the girls are all back in school.  We learned Maja made it into GATE.  I think its for smart kids.  I was never in it, so I don't really know, you should ask my brother and two sisters, they can tell you more about it.  Annika is in 1st grade and loves it.  Maja is also learning how to play the piano.  I expect Annika is also in soccer again and played her first game last Saturday.  She did not score a goal so I don't have to fork over any money yet, but she almost did and that worries me.  I need to change my arrangement from paying her a dollar for every goal to something less attractive.  Ava is still very very sneaky and Lilah dances every chance she gets.  We did stop by Grandpa and made our annual visit to Sacramento.  We should be good for the rest of the year.  Hopefully Grandpa lasts that long...

Thank You

Cannon, Adam family.   

September 2011 - Ekins, Justin & Emily

We’ve arrived in Boston and settled in, and so far it has been great. We have met so many amazing people, and we are really enjoying the many fun things to do in this area. We’ve gone kayaking and sailing on the Charles River, we go bike riding, running, enjoying Harvard square and Boston’s historic Italian North End. Justin starts classes at HBS this Wednesday and I plan to continue working on my dissertation and working at home. To make some money while Justin is also in school, I’m the polling director for Reason Foundation. We’ve just released a new poll, which you can find at www.reason.com/poll. The political science Harvard professors have so far been really welcoming and have offered to let me join their workshops and discussion/reading groups. So hopefully this will help provide me with an additional community.

A few weeks ago we took a trip to Niagara Falls, which was amazing. We’re trying to take advantage of all the fun places to go to on the East Coast. We’ve attached some pictures.

the US travelers 

Niagara Falls

September 2011 - Haupt, Levi & Torrie & Family

August was fun, hot busy and did I mention HOT?!? Holy cannoli what happened to it being the pacific northwest and cold and rainy forever and ever, so NOT the case. We’re such rookies at this home-ownership thing, our brown lawn can attest in court to near neglect.  To be fair we’ve been very busy, our summer-long houseguests left and the next week we were headed to McCall ID for a Cornilles ( Levi’s mother’s side) family reunion. It was a fun FILLED three days. 

As soon as we got home from that my mom and Arianna showed up. We had a great week before Arianna and Levi left for Utah, Arianna to return to school and Levi to attend to some business. 

We are very excited for September because a certain daughter will be 3 and I will finally be able to make good on the promise of a “berfday” party. We also have school starting for Emma who is mad that she can’t go the full day. I’m sure we’ll have more exciting news next month.

Until then

With love,

Charlotte “the berfday girl”, Emma “the Kindergartener” Levi, & Torrie  

September 2011 - McClintock, Robert & Susan

How could it be September already?! 

Kevin came to Sacramento this August and the those of the family still living in Sacramento were able to go to church together, have a nice family dinner together, and visit together.  It was a wonderful time…together.  

Emily was in Washington D.C. during the east coast earthquake and survived. (Justin said he never felt it in Boston)  Emily and Justin were in Boston when Hurricane Irene hit and survived.  Zack and Josh survived the first day of high school and seminary. Grandpa survived the summer.  Zack and Grandpa's garden survived the unseasonable weather deliciously. 

There is little else to report from The McClintock.  Periodically a local cat is allowed in the attic to flush out a squatting rat.  Occasionally a confused skunk shows up for dinner with the feline 'pride' at the McClintock residence.  Plums and peaches are picked and stored. The Temple recommend is current and well used. The ward is growing. Old friends are shrinking.  And Facebook continues to be an entertaining novelty.  

That's it from Carmichael.
The McClintock

September 2011 - Mercier, Kelly & Jilina

Jilina and I have been doing well.  Jilina just turned 10 and looks about 12.  I just bought her sneakers that are a women's size 11!!  She is most definitely going to be tall.  She is entering 5th grade and playing softball, basketball, volleyball, violin and piano.  I am applying for teaching jobs and will substitute teach if nothing comes along.  It is wonderful living around family and we are very happy we came here.  
 
Love,
 
Kelly and Jilina Mercier

September 2011 - Wilcox, Todd & Tracy & Family

Dear family,

The Wilcox family is doing well.  School starts in three days... not that I'm counting.  Brenton's starting kindergarten and he's excited.  


Seth is teething which has been miserable for  everyone involved, but he's still cute!!  


I have been limping around because I tore a muscle in my calf but is healing fast.  

Brenton also started soccer and Alexis is on swim team.  Alexis went to her first swim meet only 3 weeks after joining the team. I look forward to watching her improve.  She loves it!  Brenton has his first game today.  Should be a blast!

Love,
Tracy

 Go Brenton go!

Ready, Set.....Alexis! 

September 2011 - Woodward, Kevin & Tammy & Family

Woodward Fam,

With August coming to an end, we look back and take inventory.  I had the chance to visit Sacramento at the beginning of the month and spend time with dad, Wendy, Zach, Josh, Stephanie and Susan.  It was a trip that was long overdue, and was thoroughly enjoyable.  With dad treating Zach, Josh and me to Sam’s Hof Brau, and with his allowing me to stay in his room while he took to the couch at bedtime, it is more than appropriate to declare all debts from the 2010 World Series and All-Star games settled.  In fact, I will go on to declare that all debts from the 2011 and 2012 World Series and All-Star games settled as well.

Mid-month, I took a business trip to Washington, D.C for a few days.  While there, I felt first-hand that largest earthquake to rock to eastern seaboard in nearly 70 years.  However, I got out of town before the second of the”one-two punch” to hit the area in the way of hurricane Irene.   When the flight attendant told everyone to quickly take their seats so that we could take off though an open weather window as the rain began to fall, I sensed that our departure was teetering on the ragged edge, yet was very  timely.

Tammy headed for Mukilteo, Washington (20 miles north of Seattle) to spend time with Torrie & Levi and their family.  I’m scheduled to join her on September 1st.  Arianna spent the better part of a week up there as well prior to her starting her Fall semester at BYU.  Tammy told me of their daily excursions to a fashionable restaurant, the aquarium, the tide pools, the outlet mall, and of a ferry ride to a nearby island in the Puget Sound.  And all of these activities took place west of the I-5 (yes, that same I-5 we all know and love) where Levi and Torrie live.   So now the family is covered with places of refuge west of the I-5 on both our nation’s southern and northern borders.  However, come to think of it, most of Los Angeles proper also exists west of the I-5, which may come as mild a surprise to many.  But then that is a topic for another time.

Looking forward to September.

Much love,

The Woodwards