Seguine Family Reunion

We were able to spend the weekend at Ed and Kathy's with EVERYONE for the first time in about 10 years! We even got to meet Nana Bunni for the first time and it was a pleasure:) A lot of people traveled a long way so that we could have a few precious hours together. The kids had a great time and everyone enjoyed holding the babies, catching up, watching the Olympics (go Phelps), and getting to know Bunni. Hopefully it won't be another 10 years before we all are together again.

The Whole Gang

Forester

All the Kids (many against their will)



Bella, Courtney, Cami, and Jonah

This was a "jump on Dallin" pile after hide-and-seek.


Lynn and Eric's youngest - Maddie



Ilana and Cami

Mini Golf with Heather, Tom, Dallin, Jen, Bill, Ed, Taylor and Austin.

Kennan's Baptism

We were able to attend Kennan's baptism in Hanover. She looked beautiful in her white dress and we were all very proud of her. Taylor played the piano in between the baptism and Ed's talk on the Holy Ghost. They both did a great job. Everyone had dinner at Ed and Kathy's afterwards. I don't think Kennan will ever forget this special day. Congratulations Kennan!

8-Alarm Fire

Yesterday there was a massive fire a few buildings down from where Ed works. He called in the afternoon and said, "If you turn on the news and see a massive fire in Conshohocken, I'm fine." The blaze engulfed an apartment building under construction, spread to an occupied apartment building, and even spread to the building where Fast-Track used to be on the other side. As it was, Ed said he could feel the heat through the windows of his office.

He left just after 5pm fearing traffic problems. It's a good thing he did, because shortly after they closed all roads in and out of the complex and many people he works with were stuck until after 10 pm. They finally walked out a few blocks and called cabs to get home. Thankfully, no one was killed, but many people lost everything. We're glad Medidata's new offices are safe and sound a few buildings down.

Click here to see the local news coverage: http://www.nbc10.com/slideshow/news/17183413/detail.html

Camper of the Week

This week Taylor was at Lacrosse Camp for girls grades 4-9. There were over 40 girls and each day they participated in drills, contests, and scrimmages. Taylor won a shooting contest the first night (and received a cool bag) and won the most coveted award of Camper of the Week at the awards ceremony.

This award embodies the person who was the best all-around player for the week. Coach Remy stated that Taylor was coachable, a fast learner, a cheerleader for her teammates, and had wicked skills. She has her eye on Taylor as she gets close to middle school. Taylor had a goal for her team in the final game and was definitely on a high as we left to go home. I still marvel when I see her darting around girls twice her size and get a goal. We're proud of you Tay!

My Strippling Warrior

As I mentioned in a previous post, Dallin went to scout camp with his dad and cousin. He earned quite a few required merit badges while he was there, but the one I'm most proud of is the one he wasn't required to earn.

It was an all LDS encampment and included a visit from Pres. Niederer (second counselor General YM Presidency) and Elder Smith (area 70). The boys had some sort of devotional each night and worked very hard during the day to make the week a success not only for themselves, but for the many inner city boys who joined their troop and were, shall we say, out of their element.

The boys had the opportunity to earn the Sons of Helaman Award by earning points throughout the week. They could memorize scriptures, articles of faith, portions of the priesthood handbook, participate in a quadrathlon, run early in the morning, etc. It was a lot of work on top of the other requirements for the week, but Dallin earned 2800 points when only 2000 were required.

If you are not familiar with the story from the Book of Mormon about the Sons of Helaman, or Strippling Warrioirs, here's a summary:

A group of people (the anti-nephi-lehis) had covenanted with the Lord that they would forsake their old, murderous way of life and embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ. As a symbol of this covenant, they buried their weapons in the ground and promised that they would rather lay down their lives than kill a brother or sister.
They were protected by other followers of Christ (Nephites) and often felt guilty for their inability to fight. Their grief was so great at the sight of others dying on their behalf, that they considered breaking their covenant and taking up arms during a great war. The Nephites would not hear of it and all believed that the Lord would come to their aid in some way if they kept their covenant.
The answer came in the form of their 2000 young sons who had not made the same covenant and offered to fight on behalf of their parents. These 2000 young men had such great faith in what their mothers had taught them, that although all were injured, not one perished. Because of their bravery, the war was turned in the favor of the Nephites and their families were protected. The record of this story has also been a source of inspiration to millions.

Now you know why I treasure the image of my son as a Strippling Warrior. He has great faith and I hope that if asked he would say as the Sons of Helaman, "I did not doubt, because my mother knew it." I love you Dallin and I'm so proud of the man that you are becoming.

Ben's Visit

Ben flew in to go to scout camp with Dallin. We tried to work in a few fun things around the week of camp (see Jersey Shore). They had a great (and interesting) time and are well on their way to eagle. Cami and Ben share a birthday and he just happened to be here to celebrate with us. We celebrated Cami's birthday on Saturday and Ben's on Sunday. We made him a chocolate chip pie and he received several gifts related to music. He also received a nice shirt that I will not comment on further - my children made me say that much. Happy birthday Ben! We're glad you were able to come for a visit!

Cami's Birthday

Cami Turned 7 on Sunday and we had a fun Tiki themed party (she picked the theme) the day before. Friends from the neighborhood came over to play in the sprinkler, have a water balloon fight, and eat cake. We thought we were going to have to cancel the party - it rained and thundered all morning. With about 20 minutes to spare, the sky cleared and it turned into a beautiful afternoon. Happy Birthday Campbell!

Hot Air Balloon

While cleaning the kitchen the other night, I heard Zoey barking like crazy in the backyard. I went out to tell her to be quiet when I spotted why she was barking - two hot air balloons directly over our neighborhood. I yelled for the girls to come out and see and then we realized they were going to land somewhere across the street. We jumped on our bikes and took off chasing them. One of the balloons landed right in the middle of the street! The balloonist let all the kids come and see the inside of the balloon, take pictures, and he answered all their questions. He then let them help take the balloon down and pack it up. It was really fun and an experience Taylor and Cami will never forget!