Just a regular day...

Daniel worked from home yesterday and today, Dakota went on a 50 mile bike ride with a couple of YM from church. They rode around making random visits to some families. Jewel stayed in and played on the computer, watched a movie, did a bit of math, ate ice pops. Patricia cooked, shopped, did laundry, took the car in to get checked, tried to clean the house a little and played with the kids.

gratitude thought: grateful for regular days when we are all healthy and safe at home.

Bishop Killpack, is the Bishop's storehouse your home??

For the Turners'...thank you for your friendship, kindness, and love. We remember when you first moved to NJ with a little two year old Cami. Later David Graham and Priscilla Rose joined your family. Thanks for the MANY great memories, playdates with Jewel and Dakota, dinners and conversation. When we moved to this ward, Jason Turner saved us. He came to help us move in and between Jason, Daniel and Patricia, they moved ALL that furniture into their home. Something we will never, ever, forget. Best of luck in England (Jason's new appointment teaching Philosophy) and stay in touch.
Due to a park party that was rained out, we held the party in our Bishop's storehouse. The homes in Highland Park are small for parties.
Five year old Cami, thought this was the home of the Bishop=) Graham Turner and Dakota watching Peter Rabbit on video.
The Turners (Starr, Graham, Jason, Cami and baby Rose) with Jewel

Oh What Do We Do in the Summer Time? (primary hymn)

'Oh What do We Do in the Summer time when all the world is green?
Do we play with dry ice, cause it looks very nice...
and try to inhale, going pale....?
Is that what we do? NOT I'

Dakota plays piano at EFY (VIDEO)

Dakota's first EFY

Dakota is pictured on the bottom row, far left.
He is with his 'company' of 22 youth and counselors. Dakota is pictured with some of the young women in our stake.

Driving home the Rankins stopped off to visit one of the caves in Virginia.
Dakota playing for the variety talent show on Thursday evening.

What a great thing for a LDS youth to participate in. Especially For Youth is a program or camp in which LDS youth from around the country get a full week to spend time together participating in classes and other wholesome activities. This camp also gives them the opportunity to connect with other LDS kids and build friendships.

Coney Island

Wednesday July 16th, Patricia took Jewel and her cousins Chris and Jovi (for graduation and b'day) to NY's Coney Island. They all did the famous rides and Jewel spent some time in the water...Uncle Kevin came to drive them home as they all took the train going to Coney Island.

Daniel is still in San Francisco and Dakota is attending EFY in Virginia. Hopefully he will take some photos.

Patricia received a call from 1450 am, the Jack Ellery show to follow up any new leads for Dakota and college. She did another phone interview and will follow up once Dakota has made a decision.

gratitude thought: grateful for the wonderful beaches and the way fresh air, the sound of seagulls and waves, relax me.

grateful that Kevin lives so close to Coney Island that a $2.00 train rides gets us there in 15 minutes

While the boys are away...the girls will play

With Daniel in California for two weeks and Dakota attending Scout camp and then EFY...Patricia and Jewel are having the time of their lives playing!

Patricia is catching up on some very needed sleep and Jewel loves playing make believe games. Her current favorite is where she is a cat that does tricks ('Frisky' is her name) and auditions for Broadway shows. Patricia is the producer and holds the auditions which include an imaginary acrobat, fire breather, juggler and lion tamer. Although Patricia is slower when getting up from the floor or needs to sit down after dancing....it is still wonderful to enter the world of a little girl and to pretend!

gratitude: Lazy, hazy days of summer.

I have been listening to the group 'America' for the past few days. They had a hit called 'Ventura Highway' when I was Jewel's age or sometime in the late sixties. I would listen to the song looking at the summer sky, wishing I could stop time for a moment. This is how I feel spending time with my family.

Where do we go for college??

As of this week, Dakota's college status is as follows:

1. Accepted into Rutgers, aid available only in student loans
Pros: close to home, great research opportunities
Cons: large class sizes, unwilling to try to help us match scholarship funds

2. Accepted into NJIT (New Jersey Insitute of Technology)
Acceptance to the Albert Dorman Honors College pending...

Pros: math program #10 in the nation, small campus and class sizes, intimate teacher/student relationships, good research programs. very willing to help with scholasrship aid (still pending)

Cons: travel to Newark by train, name recognition not as prominent as Rutgers for grad school applications.

On Monday June 30th, Dakota had an interview with an undergrad admissions director from MIT in Boston. He wants Dakota to apply for spring or fall of 2009. Yikes???

Pros: IT'S MIT!!! He can't get any better school than that, and he could find some same age peers.

Cons: What in the world would we do IF he even got accepted? Acceptance rate is better than Harvard (7.4%) or Princeton (7.6%) as MIT is around 12%.... he'l only be 15 turning 16.
PRICEY...is an understatement. Worst nightmare is he gets in and we can't afford to send him after any aid he may get.

I always thought I had more time when it came to making decisions like Dakota living away from home, or the family moving again. I would like to stay in NJ for awhile longer. For some reason time is slipping away quickly and the challenges are back full swing. I don't know if I have any more boxing gloves left, I have used them all up....

gratitude thought: grateful for the opportunity to pray and receive insights and answers.

July 4th 2008, 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame'...

Jewel had free tickets to a local minor league baseball team, 'The Somerset Patriots'. We spent the overcast, light drizzling afternoon at the game and drove to Piscataway High School for fireworks in the rain. A fun time with $1.00 hotdogs at the game. Nothing beats America's favorite pastime of a baseball game in the summer.


gratitude thought: 'God Bless America, land that I love, stand beside her and guide her.....'

Court of Honor: Eagle Scout for Noah J.

Some of our youth drove one and a half hours to support one of the YM in the stake, for his Eagle Scout Court of Honor. Noah, is in the Stafford branch and there is only one YM in his branch. Everyone had a wonderful time.

Youth Conference in NYC

After MONTHS of planning and a hectic last three weeks pulling this together...the East Brunswick Stake began their three day Youth Conference. Day one: sign in, classes, lunch, games, service project, dinner, movie, dessert social and home to host families, Day two: Ellis Island/Statue of Liberty. The 116 people split into two groups. We rotated the Ellis Island movie, tour, museum exhibit and lunch. Things have changed so much since Patricia and Dakota visited the Statue of Liberty. Security is tighter than the airlines and now you have to have a reserved ticket just to set foot in Lady Liberty. NO ONE is allowed in her crown anymore, so the pictures of Dakota and Patricia in her crown will be treasured forever. Day three: Testmony meeting, cleaning the church building and home. Above, Dakota with his YM group, he did not wear the special designed t-shirt)
Outside the Stake Center, by the zipline activity with William G.
Service Project: Making Missionary kits and thank you notes.
A very tired group of YM (they did not sleep at all last night) on the ferry.

gratitude thought: Youth who try to be their best, a church activity that is planned to enrich and strengthen our future leaders.