Lisa n Tom (n James n Joseph)

Lisa writes: For their 40th wedding anniversary, my parents went to Branson, Missouri . I've never been there, but from the pics, I'd say it's sort of Las Vegas meets Nashville meets Provo. My mom is a very enthusiastic fan of anybody with singing/dancing/instrumental talent. Very, very enthusiastic. For my mom, Branson was like a petting zoo -- she got to go see the shows, then meet the singers in person. Mom and Dad both got to drive the Duckmobile. Mom writes: "We were told at church that we should see 'SIX: An Orchestra of Human Voices.' This is an LDS Family of 10 boys. Six perform in astonishing vocal ranges with no orchestra. They make the orchestra with their mouths! (This week there were over 60 shows to choose from.) [The picture is] Brother Knudsen with his SIX sons and us after the show. The the audience was welcomed with, 'You are in Branson, where you can talk about God, Family, Country, and In God we Trust.' Roy stood in every show that w...

Lisa's sister, Lori, writes: David grew up looking out at the Olympic mountains. One of these peaks was called "The Brothers." He decided he would hike it one day with his brothers. They finally did it this August '09. Jon wasn't able to make it but Paul, David, Sam, and Danny plus one brother-in-law Kory had a great hike. They even made friends with a mountain goat who led the way. On the way back down the goat received his "tour guide" payment...getting to lick the salty sweat off of Kory's hand. The brothers celebrated with milkshakes at the ice-cream shop their Dad used to take them to traditionally after hikes.

Lisa's sister, Lori, writes: Aunt Lisa made this shirt for Evelyn. Perfect for the hot, sunny weather we've had (LOVE IT! The weather and the shirt that is). The last picture is the perfect little gift basket. --Lori

Lisa writes: My mom sent us this picture last week. It's my grandfather, Rex (far left), and his siblings Merlin, Bernice, and Dorsal. Rex, Merline, and Bernice have passed away. Uncle Dorsal just turned 90. My mother, Rexene, is named after her dad. (It only just now occurred to me that if the name-the-first-daughter-after-the-dad tradition had caught on, I'd be Royina. Thanks Mom and Dad!)

Lisa's sister, Christi, writes: "Labor Day Weekend at Big Creek Ranch. Kids had a great time riding golf carts all over a golf course in the middle of the Nevada Desert, riding in Uncle Carl's helicopter, exploring on 4- wheelers, skeet shooting and playing with their cousins, all 5 dogs and one kitten. We all went to church on Sunday, it was great. The branch is an hour away, but branches are my favorite. Tim got in a game of golf w/ Uncle Carl, they spent most of their time searching the sage brush for their golf balls. Larry is the BBQ master, we had some seriously good eatin'. The only picture I didn't get was Tim pushing the car in the middle of the desert when we ran out of gas...dang...maybe next time. Thanks for a great weekend Uncle Carl, Larry, Tammy, Tiffany & Ashley!"

Lisa writes: Today is my parents' 40th wedding anniversary. They were married in Salt Lake City in 1969. The Vietnam War was still on. They met when Dad was stationed at Hill Air Force Base outside of Logan, Utah. Here, Mom was 21 and a BYU student. Dad was 23 and just back from serving in Greece and Thailand. Click any picture to enlarge. Dad was overseas for 18 months. They wrote love letters. Mom's letters were typed with red typewriter ribbon on pink paper. They got married 12 days after he got back. Above: The wedding party: Mom's little brother, Curt; Mom's mother, June, and father, Rex; Dad's mother, Edna, and father, Lester; Dad's brother, Harry; Mom, Rexene; Dad, Roy; Mom's sisters, Joyce and Marilyn; Mom's college friend, Maurine. Below: The little lady on the right in the pink dress is Dad's aunt or great-aunt, Helen. Mom's parents were in Idaho, Dad's parents were in California, so Aunt Helen was the closest family. Mom and Dad di...

Lisa writes: By the way, this isn't the first time Benjamin has been abducted. Remember this?

Lisa writes: It only grows like this in Washington.

Lisa writes: Evelyn aboard the tour train in the Dole Pineapple fields in Hawaii. She has a need for speed.

Lisa writes: For Lent, Catholics try to do fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. As part of our almsgiving, Tom was looking for someplace that we could volunteer part-time, during our after-work hours. I currently work in the Appeals department of a large and much-hated insurance company. Our unofficial motto is "Appeals: Shattering hopes and dreams." I was looking for someplace that would help me work my way back into heaven after denying medical claims all day. We found ECHO through VolunteerMatch . ECHO is just one of a series of very well-organized charity organizations in Northern Virginia. Each is arranged to serve a particular geographic area. For example, ECHO services Springfield, ACCA serves Annandale, Fairfax FISH services Fairfax, etc. They provide food, clothing, bedding and kitchen supplies, school supplies, emergency rent assistance, and financial education. Patrons must schedule an appointment in advance in order to meet with a counsellor who helps them figure out...

Lisa writes: Tomorrow is our 3rd anniversary. I just looked up traditional anniversary gifts and found this: Since this tradition comes from medieval Germany, I'm assuming "leather" means something like ... a new saddle? Shoes? A nice wallet? I don't know, but I'm sure it was something very, very innocent . By the way, did you know in the United States, one can receive a greeting from the President for any wedding anniversary on or after the 50th? In the U.K., you can get a message from the Queen starting at your 60th.