Family Time!

After Jessica's Temple Day, we had the rest of the family join us in SLC for a REUNION! We had such a great time together. We'd rented a home for the weekend --Some tho't it looked a little "getto" -- I guess it did, but it was fun to be together no matter where we were.

We headed right to the Salt Lake Temple first thing on Friday. Before we went in we met up with John's parents who are serving in the Family History Library as missionaries. They joined us that night too for a Graduation Celebration for John. He has finished his Masters of Accounting in Taxation! Way to Go John!

Lee, Miriam and Kate went to the Baptistry and the rest of us to do an Endowment session. It was like a slice of heaven to all be in the temple together...

Lee finished up in the Baptistry just in time to be a veil worker as our session was coming through. Jessica was directed to one side of him, and I went to the other...But it was neat to hear his voice as we sat there waiting!

We were also able to participate in some sealings after the session --- in a beautiful sealing room just off the celestial room, with a stained glass window of the First Vision. Lee stayed with the older kids and I met up with Miriam and Kate at the Visitors Center.

Lunch was on top of the JSMB in "The Garden" --- It was a beautiful day!

Jessica took this great photo of the Temple from the top of the JSMB...

The next morning was the big race everyone has been training for... These are our 1/2 Marathon-ers and the 10k-ers before they headed out that morning. Heather and Kevin had made us some great "Team Shumway" t-shirts with our names on the back. We love them!...Especially the new names they've given us!

The 5k-ers before the race...

The race ran along the East bench of the city and into Sugar House Park...It was a beautiful morning for running! Kevin came in first for the 1/2 marathon...he was so fast I wasn't there to take his picture. The officials of the race weren't ready for runners yet either....!

This is Heather coming in from the 10K...

Miriam coming in from the 10K....
John and Kate coming in from the 5k...Kate was top in her age group!

Waiting for the last of the family to get in...
These next two are in the wrong order...This is Lee and Jes coming in from the 1/2 marathon. Miriam and Jess went out to run in with them...But Leeann had come in from the 5k before that...
Leeann coming in...

Lee and Jessica are so GREAT! They have trained so well...It was hard - but they did awesome. You can see their time --they averaged 11 minute miles for 13.2 miles!

We stayed around the park for a while after the run...Had a picnic and Kate got autographs from some Olympians (not Michael Phelps...or Jes would have been in line too!) Then headed back to the house for NAPS!

We enjoyed the MLS game in the RioTinto Stadium that night...Soccer is a great sport to watch live!

The next morning we attended Music & the Spoken Word in the tabernacle. It was outstanding! And then we had the neatest tour with Edward Payne the Executive Producer of all the church broadcasts. (Our good friend Terry Hritz from the Elko TV station is now working for the choir - he is over the marketing, but was actually in Elko for the weekend. Terry had arranged for us to meet with Brother Payne for the tour...It was amazing!) He showed us "behind the scenes" of the audio/visual. How they prepare for each live broadcast...and the sound/visual booth were he sits. When we walked in and saw all the sound boards and lights and switches, Kevin said "OK --What year do you want to travel to?"

We toured back into the Tabernacle itself and then in the basement and tunnels underground to see the choirs music library, and all they've added with the new construction of the Tabernacle...An amazing audio mixing room that floats unattached to the rest of the building so it won't have anything affect the recording.

When we were in a rehearsal room that sits right under the tabernacle itself Brother Payne told us about the construction workers finding some Indian graves while they were excavating. This is in the new portion that was dug out - not done by the pioneers. The local Indian tribe was contacted and the church was told to leave them there - just bury them deeper. So that 's what they did.

We followed the tunnel under North Temple and came up at the Conference Center. Brother Payne showed us the audio/visual rooms in that building too and told us neat stories of working with President Hinckley and President Monson.

It was all remarkable! --- As Brother Payne was describing the outstanding technology the church has in place he said, The church wants the world to see the devotion we have to the Lord's work...using the best technology and always striving to improve shows the world that we are dedicated to doing the best for the Lord.

I've got other photos of the tour---they are on Miriam's camera. We'll add them to the post later.

Now we have Heather and Kevin off to North Carolina - He begins work with Shaw Power Group on the 20th of June. Jes flys out for Taiwan on the 27th. And Leeann and John will leave for NYC about Labor Day. He begins work with PriceWaterhouse on Sept. 12.

It was so great to be together---and comforting to me as a parent to see the strength each one has, and their commitment to the Lord. Lee reminded us that no matter where we are around the globe we will still be connected to each other through our covenants and the ordinances of the gospel ...We are so Blessed!