Then it was the grandmother's turn to welcome home this dear granddaughter! Home safe, at last. Linda had taken several different trips and extended stays with this family of our oldest son, because they have always lived some distance away from us; too far for frequent contact.

And Adele, being the oldest and the first to serve a mission among our granddaughters, had entered the mission field and served during the time we were serving our mission in Virginia. So, she was always in our prayers as "the other Sister Chapman" out there in the Lord's service. We are so proud of her and so thankful for her sweet, courageous spirit and her great faith in the Lord and her true love for her fellowmen. WELCOME HOME, dear Adele!

Adele, the oldest, taking a good look at Anna, the youngest. "My, how you have grown while I've been gone!"

Adele and Jacob are twins. They are our very first grandchildren. We have seen them from their infancy and often during their growing up years. They have always been the best of friends and truly loved and cared for each other.

It was a very tender moment to see them as they embraced after being apart for these past 18 months.

It got pretty tearful, seeing Adele in the arms of her mother and then her father, once again!

I really couldn't do justice to it with our little camera -- too much happening too fast! Like the fireworks on Saturday night!

Then it happened! There she was, coming through the doors in her missionary attire, looking every inch the LDS sister missionary we knew her to be!

She was immediately seized upon by her 3 younger sisters, screaming and hugging and laughing and crying! They were so happy to have Adele home with them again!

While Anna took the low position, Jacob, with Liz assisting, took the hign position, climbing up on the interior window frame and holding his poster high so Adele might see it before any of her family would come into view.

Anna took a floor position, while waiting nervously for her big sister to finaly walk down the concourse and the down escalator and through those restricted area doors.

Jeffery learned the flight from Salt Lake was actually ahead of shedule by a few minutes, but the time seemed to drag, nevertheless!

Adele had a 9 hour flight from Santiago, Chile to Dallas, Texas, then another long flight from Dallas to Salt Lake. then a layover of 2 hours before the short flight on up to Idaho Falls. It had been a very long night and day coming home.

As the arrival time for Adele's flight from Salt Lake City drew near we joined the other members of the family at the airport terminal on the northwest side of Idaho Falls. The girls and Jacob had prepared some signs to welcome home their sister.

Here is Liz and Jacob displaying one of them and we positioned ourselves in the public waiting area.

Acht! What did I tell you? There is the evidence right before us! Well meaning park patrons, feeding the geese! Too bad, but that is what happens. We can't seem to let wild things stay in their natural habitat.

It was nice to see these magnificant birds up close and personal. I could never get near one in Colorado where they congregate in the winter time, thousands of them. But, you would be lucky to get within 200 yards of those Colorado variety. Off they would fly! Great flyers those Canadian geese!

Canadian geese and other birds and waterfowl inhabit the park area along the west bank of the Snake River, across from the Idaho Falls Temple.

These great birds, usually so ready to take flight to avoid the approach of any human, are, in this park setting, quite docile. They apparently know that some strollers in the park will bring food to scatter about among them.

This is a view further downstream, looking across the upper end of the falls towards the Temple. These falls extends some distance down the river. They, of course, give the city and the temple their name.

Tuesday, July 6, Adele's return from her Mission day!! She was due in at the Idaho Falls airport at 2:40 p.m. Linda and I went down early to do some shopping before time for her plane to arrive. We agreed to meet the other members of the family at the airport.

We found we had some extra time and so we drove down along the Snake River across from the Idaho Falls Temple and took some pictures. It was perfect weather, low 70's. Another beautiful summer day that to us feels much like early spring.

Going back a couple of days to July 3, Jeffery and Kristi had us go with them down to Idaho Falls for the 10 p.m. fireworks show which they said ranks as one of the very best, west of the Mississippi.

We found all the side streets crammed with cars and people by the hundreds, sitting outside along the streets, awaiting the show. We were able to find a parking spot on a little residential lane, north of the highway (US 20) just as the fireworks began.

This, I admit is not my photograph. By the time my little camera went into action my timing was always off. But, we did see quite a brilliant and lengthy (30+ minutes) fireworks show with multiple bursts of rockets of all types. It was a very nice evening. They had patriotic music playing on a radio station that was timed with the fireworks.

Camilla gets a big hug from her dad at the finish line. She and friend Brook weren't the leaders of the pack, but despite some pulled muscles they finished and we were proud of them!

Camilla and Brook, 'bringin it home!'

They are very near the finish line here. I don't want to say that the gentleman in the wheel chair finished ahead of them. Traffic continued along the race course, all very informal. So, cars and non-runner pedestrians were seen on the roadway during the race.

We really enjoyed overhearing the director as he brought his pick-up truck to a point on the race course which was near where Jeffery had parked the family car. The director got out a table from the truck bed and set it up on the roadway. He then began walking along the edge of the pavement, looking down, obviously searching for something. We heard him say to one of his helpers, "I can't find my mark for the finish line. It has always been here, but somebody has messed with the road. I can't see where it is." His helper said, "Well, just make it up." And that is what they did! Cool, uh? No problem!

Here we see the Menan 5 K race director giving final instructions to the participants at the starting line. All ages, types and fitness levels were represented. The director emphasized that this was a fun run, not a competition, but that he would be keeping times at the finish line and each runner was to pull off their stick-on name tag and hand it to an official as they crossed the line and their time would be written down on their name tag. The director also acknowledged that this was by far the greatest number of participants they had ever had at this event and he wasn't prepared with sufficient waviers. So, he said, "Everyone please place your hand on your heart and repeat after me, 'I will not sue the city of Menan for any injuries I receive as a result of participation in this event.' " That brought a few laughs. This was a pretty relaxed, good natured crowd. There were several young men standing at the front of the group to the right of the director, wearing capes. They turned out to be the serious runners. What the capes signified we did not know!

Camilla and Brook are about 3 rows back and towards the right of the picture. I am not sure you can see them.

Monday morning, July 5, we went with the family to the nearby town of Menan, Idaho to see Camilla run in an Independance Day 5 K race.

Here we see her and her friend Brook Lofthouse just before the race began.

July 3.

Father and son, kneeling with a certain degree of humble pride along side the retaining wall of stone they set in place as part of the sprucing up of things at the family home, prior to the big events of the coming week.

Jacob must be given credit with helping his grandfather set the first couple of courses. As he reported in his testimony on his last Sunday in his Singles ward, the proper foundation makes all the difference!

This is the first annual watermelon seed spitting contest, held on the back patio of the Jeffery & Kristi Chapman home in Rexburg, July 3, 2010, during a backyard BBQ. I believe Laura was the winner for distance and Liz may have won for accuracy!

Starting at the far end and coming forward, we have contestants, Camilla, Becca (Liz's sister), Liz, Jacob, Laura and Anna.

Here is a front view of the Rexburg Temple, as we see it when coming from Jeffery & Kristi's home on the east side of town.

This Independance Day parade (held the day before the 4th because of it falling on the Sabbath Day this year) attracts a great crowd of people from Rexburg and the surrounding farming communities of Madison County. The parade is very old-style, with lots of entries by businesses, families, horse owners, old car owners, ancient tractors that are still operational, and beautiful old fire engines.

From almost every entry there is a rain of candy being thrown toward the parade watchers. Little children along the parade route scramble to grab up the candy as each entry goes by. It is a noisy, good time!