Matsons and Memories: July 2009

7/27/09

A Little "Pit Stop"

Last Thursday our missionary, Starsi Matson, returned home for a little "pit stop." He has been having problems with his previous surgery and so the mission president sent him home to take care of it. We are hoping we can find the answer to his problems and get him feeling better quickly! He is still a missionary and we are hoping that he will be able to return to the Czech Republic very soon.

It was certainly wonderful to see him again, although he is very disappointed in the turn of events. We have missed him and his laugh and smile. He has lost probably 25 pounds and he looked so pale! We enjoyed the hug...it was wonderful! Keep praying for him!

At least we get a family picture!

7/17/09

An Independence Day to Remember!

On July 4, 2009, we had Mark's family over for a BBQ and is looking like a gorgeous day. After we finished eating and commenting how good our garden looked, these storm clouds came in over the horizon....

It began to lightening, thunder and rain....then it began to hail!

Take a look at the hail accumulated on our neighbors house. It hailed for a good 30 minutes!

The hail beginning to accumulate on the lawn.

After the storm stopped, we went outside to see what damage was left behind. The storm drains were slow taking in all the water. This is what it looked like out front.

Cars driving through the water were fun to watch!

The water from lawn-to-lawn across the street.

Boy is that COLD!

The hail knocked down leaves that were on our front tree. The hail filled the rain gutters and piled up all around the house. Many people in the neighborhood have to replace their roofs and had water damage in their basements. Jason and Mark went around the neighborhood and used ice cream buckets to bail water out of window wells. Mark finally came in around 1 am.

Mark with a handful of hail! Never seen anything like that before in our lives! It was quite the storm.....our lovely garden.....destroyed!

Jason having fun on a scooter....yep....it is COLD!

Well here is proof that the earth will not flood (totally)....

even a double rainbow!

Off to Disneyland!

Erin's brothers-in-law and sisters did a great job on the old Honda....

The car was stuffed with papers. Josh and Erin did not want to clean it up, so when they came out, they emptied everything out on to the parking lot so we had to clean it up....

As the newlyweds came out of the church to head off on to their honeymoon, we were all blowing bubbles to wish them well!

Their reaction when they saw the car.....

Even though they emptied the contents of the car out on to the parking lot, they were not expecting this surprise. Glitter and confetti was placed in the air vents with the air turned on high. When Josh started the car....you guessed it....glitter was everywhere.

After they returned home, they got the oil changed and the air filter was full of glitter and the technician was wondering where they had been.

We are ready to go....we're off to the Black Swan for a couple of nights and then on to the "Happiest Place on Earth.....Disneyland!"

Thumbs Up and So Happy!

A Wedding!

We all had been praying for the rain to stop, or at least just be cloudy on June 12, 2009, but we were blessed with the brightest sunshine!

Our family, minus Elder Jeremy.

This is a picture of the whole crowd! Thank you all for your sharing this day with Josh and Erin!

Some guy drove into the parking lot and asked the kids if they wanted their picture taken with his car. Apparently, this car belonged to Gold Medalist Rulon Gardner, or so he said....