Celia Thaxter believed that "there shall be eternal summer in the grateful heart." As I thought about that, I reflected on June and July for our family -the good and bad, our heartaches and triumphs, the pains and pleasures. Decidedly, it has truly been summer to us, despite what the actual calendar says. The sun has shone at the end of each day because we've been together - summer forever....

1. Grand Central Station: If you thought the train station in mid-town Manhattan was busy, try Sample Cove in the summertime! We can't clean the sheets fast enough to accommodate all the friends and family that have come through the Berry residence, and we are lovin' it. They call SLC city "the crossroads of the west," and we must concur. We seen loved ones from southern Utah, California, Arizona, Montana, New York, and London (more from Florida before summer's end). Trains come it, trains go out, and you don't even need a ticket.

2. Never a dull moment: Reuniting with friends from Darren's "Munich, Germany era" was fantastic - incriminating stories and all. Reunioning with the Berrys proved a rush as we explored Snowbird (local ski-resort) with its mechanical bull-riding, ziplines, alpines slides, bungy-trampolining, etc. And nothing beats a day at the lake just "hanging out" courtesy of boat malfunction, or dinner at the Mayan while men in loin clothes depicted tribal traditions. And what's summer without BBQ's? Too many to count, but lots of excellent food and the pounds to prove it:)

3. No schedules - no problem: One of the greatest things about summer is the laxity of "schedules." A little more freedom, a little less planning, a lot more slip n' sliding. Getting up too early, going to bed to late, naps just because, watching movies late even when you have to go to work the same time in the morning, and a lot more "what the he**, let's do it anyway!" Good times, good times...

4. Projects: Must be in the bloodline, but you can't go through a summer without "projects." Painting, fixing, tile-sealing, mildew-scraping, rust-removing, book-reading, swim-lessoning, trailend-finding, insect-magnifying, fruit-preserving, physically-feating, growth-promoting ....must......do.......must.....be.......PRODUCTIVE!!!!

5. Traditions: Those never-get-tired-of things like trips to the aquarium (pic 1), a good hike in the mountains (pic 2), making quilt like our grandmothers used to do (pic 3), putting your feet in the river water for your birthday (pic 4), bowling in style at the Y (pics 5 &6), reconnecting with old friends in the outdoors (pic 7), lunch at the gateway (pic 8), and all the stuff you just do.

Yes, the season of summer may end in a few weeks, but not really. So many great things ahead (like Becky's big wedding at Lake Tahoe in just a few weeks - yeah!) and the memory of summer nights in our grateful hearts.

The DKB's

Our trip last week to Jackson Hole, Yellowstone National Park, and Billings MT was amazing. That part of the country is so absolutely gorgeous. It literally takes your breath away. We saw some of the old west in Jackson Hole with a good ol’ cowboy shootout. Rachel was particularly interested in the exact definition of an “outlaw,” and could NOT understand why those guys kept taking everybody’s things. We rode a gondola to the mountain-top near Teton Village which had incredibly inspiring views, the kids rode horses at a nearby corral, and of course threw rocks in the stream. We headed onto Yellowstone National Park and saw wildlife galore. Many of the buffalo and elk herds had their new offspring and it was tender to watch the massive animals nurture and care for their young. We observed that the bull buffalo and elk were always off by themselves a few hundred yards from the herd, not really doing much, just off for a bit of peace and quiet we figured: ) My eyes started to blur as I scoured the landscape for bears which is what I REALLY wanted to see. And finally on the third day we were just 5 miles from the park exit and we saw both a brown bear with her cub, and about a mile away a HUGE grizzly. Both Darren and I had to shiver at the sight of one those guys in the wild. It was hundreds of yards away and you still had the urge to run to your car. Park rangers were following its path, and they made us “move along” as soon as we captured the moment on film. During those three days, the temperature would change 20-30 degrees in the blink of an eye. One day it was sunny and in the upper 60’s, the next day it was snowing with a high of 36 degrees. Rachel and Jared didn’t notice this of course, and wandered through hiking paths viewing hot springs, bubbling sulfur pots, and chasing myriads of birds, squirrels, and chipmunks. They loved exploring rock formations - climbing them when possible, and the cutest thing was their insistence on using binoculars and/or magnifying glasses for anything and everything. We continued north to Billings, MT to visit my sister Louise and her family. Montana was everything you hear it to be – Big Sky country, fly-fishing and all. Even the people at the grocery store had that “home-town” feel and it was so great. We spent some time exploring Indian caves, visiting Don’s scout day camps, chasing cottontail rabbits, riding Don’s bullet-bike, BBQ-ing, eating popsicles, visiting Little Bighorn (Custer’s last stand), and just relaxing. We determined the only thing that did not make it a perfect 10 vacation was the fact that our kids NEVER slept at night! We played musical beds nightly with no success. Then of course they catch up on their sleep in the car, while the rest of us put on game faces for the duration. But as a parent you figure its just part of the deal and crash when you get home from your vacation. It was all worth it...

Motherhood: The Bittersweet

Picture 1 - The Cheet-o trail Rachel set up for Jared to come find her. In the other room it continues and winds around a fabric princess castle where she waited. (And yes, many cheetos were crushed and embedded into the carpet and blown hither and thither across the wood floor. And yes, I consciously let it happen despite the orange I found all over the walls and doors for days:)

Picture 2 - Rachel doesn't like her little bike with the training wheels because she "can't go as fast as Daddy," so here is the latest addition to the Berry-family-outing arsenal. She actually has learned great balance on this "trail-a-bike" because although she can't fully crash, she has to lean and correct to stay upright. Jared is just fine in the wagon (where Rachel got bored). The only thing we have to watch is that he likes to take his seatbelt off and stand up with the wind blowing wildly in his face - much like a chariot racer! When we ride as a family Darren and I each trail a child behind us, but this is our mid-week configuration for around the neighborhood and short errand runs.

Story 1 - We had a great weekend (this last one). On Saturday we spent the day a few hours south in Fairview (where the Berrys purchased some investment land) with about 1/2 of the immediate Berrys that live in UT. It was a gorgeous day and so fun to be out in the wide open spaces. The kids chased and caught butterflies & grasshoppers, followed animal tracks, went on walks, shoo-ed away pests, flew airplanes, and tried to use the bushes when nature called. It was so funny, in many ways we are still New Yorkers, as Mike kindly pointed out when he noticed that we had a pop-up toilet seat in the back of the truck, but it DID come in handy with the little ones: ) We chatted for hours and hiked the terrain, built a fire pit and had lots of good food to eat. Sarah pulled out her guitar and strummed while we watched the sun set over Mt. Nebo, and the kids sang a few songs. It was truly "being at one with nature" and we loved it.

Story 2 -I woke up the next morning to the bounces of Rachel and Jared and found that they (and Darren) had brought me breakfast in bed at 7:30am! It was the works too with eggs, sausage, oj, toast, yogurt w/ strawberries, and a protein drink. Rachel pronouced that "Today is Mother's Day so since you always do everything for us, we are going to do everything for you. So eat your breakfast, then after that I am going to give you a bath and help you get dressed!" Was a nice offer, but I passed: ) Darren then hurriedly took the kids out of the room so that I could actually have one meal to eat in peace. The first minute or two was divine, but do you want to know the rub? As the clock ticked on I started missing everybody so decided to go downstairs! Crazy, I know. We have morning church so had to rush around to get ready. During sacrament meeting I look over at Darren who is looking kind of pale and light-headed. He leans over and said, "I don't think I had breakfast." Can you believe that? What a guy. We had a great rest of the day doing the bare minimum, and it was kind of nice to not care about the unmade beds or toys strewn far and wide. I just didn't care because of all the hugs and loves from the day. So mucho gracias to Darren, Rachel, and Jared for their kindness and thoughtfulness.

So cheers to all the great people in our lives!

Spring - ahhh its a good time! The weather FINALLY is above 60 degrees and we are loving it. Darren's been out of town this week in NY for business meetings and then to the Munich American High School reunion in DC. He's having a great time and said he got a sore throat last night from talking so much. Guess the vocal chords are a little rusty: ) The kids and I have been staying extra busy (to lessen the pain of missing him) with trips to the Bean museum, the Zoo, the Aviary, various parks, Jungle Jim's playland, visiting friends and neighbors, and of course a hike in the mountains (picture at left). They are avid climbers and very independent, we have them take turns being the trail leaders for containment purposes. They wanted to climb this huge rock (there is still a couple feet of rock at the bottom of the picture that was cut off) and if I reached up to stabilize their leg, I was met with protest. You know kids, I tried to explain to them that I am just helping "in case" they fall. A bewildered look follows, and then, "but we DIDN'T, so you don't need to do that!" Fearless and a little cause/effect-reasoning-challenged I am afraid. I love their adventuresome spirit however. A couple bullet points my means of update:

• Darren's bank is still doing well. They periodically have hurdles that come up due to accounting policies and procedures, but have been successful in resolving them. They are also very progressive in the things they are doing and have exceeded the standards of other banks in the area. So of course, I am very proud of my man, and he loves his work - long though the hours may be.
  
• Rachel sings her days through, is a second mom to Jared, & reads every waking moment. Even her teachers at school have commented on her love for books. She is a little negotiater though when it comes to the to-dos of home life - she'll be great on a debate team later on in life. We also purchased a "trail-a-bike" that goes on the back of Darren's. It hooks to his seat stem, yet has her own handle bars & pedals. Its great because no training wheels so she has to balance herself. So she loves it better than her little bike becuase she can go faster speeds and definitely gives Darren a work-out. Maybe a picture next time.
  
• Jared's new phrase is "just kidding" and says it when he knows he's said something he shouldn't, then beams a charismatic smile to soften the heart. He's pretty good at charming, that's for sure. He is, always has been, and always will be a kid with a zest for life. He's game for anything and his favorite day of the week is when he goes to his gym-class. He also loves to go biking as a family because he doesn't have to work a bit (sits in a wagon behind my bike) and loves the wind hitting his face. At times he takes off his seatbelt to stand even higher in the wind. He also takes his seatbelt off in the car, which drives me nuts because I am so worried about safety. Last week when this occurred, I decided "desparate times called for desparate measures," so when I asked him to put his seatbelt on and he declined, I said, "Jared, do you want me to spank your bum?" His response: "Yes!" So while driving 45 miles per hour on Highland drive he walks up to me in the driver's seat and turns around. I spanked his little diaper-padded bottom and told him to sit back in his seat. Do you want to know what happened? He and Rachel burst out into un-controllable laughter. Screeech! I pull over and decide we have to have a chat! So much for corporal punishment: )


• My life if pretty much enveloped in the lives of the above, and though there are many moments of frustration or fatigue, I feel so much happiness and validation from my daily lists, to do's, activities, and the people I do them for. When my mind wanders to things I think I would MUCH rather be doing, I look at Darren, Rachel, & Jared and remember that life is short, and where-else would my energies be better spent? (yes, its a mantra I repeat to myself regularly: )

Love to all - The Berrys

p.s. Last Sunday afternoon in the hammock.....

We haven't updated our blog since Halloween, so I thought I'd catch up with the mere highlights of our lives. The big event in November was Thanksgiving of course. The weather was beautiful and most of the extended Berrys made it over to our house in the course of two days. There was the main feast on Thursday and then the "left overs" party on Friday. The food was great, but the company superb! My nephew, Preston, was my HERO because Darren came down with a severe case of the flu. He injected the turkey the night before for full flavor marination (despite an injection explosion causing him and his babe Linsday to hit about 5 grocery stores to find a replacement), then carved the "roast beast" as the man of the house while Darren was down and out. It was a delicious pot luck feast with good family bonding: )

December came quickly with both Rachel and Jared's birthdays Dec 2nd and 4th respectively. Mom & Dad Voss and cousin Aspen were wonderful participants in both celebrations which tickled our kids pink. Singing, fun, cake, and presents - what more could a child want? Well, I'll tell you........SNOW! And we've had lots of it! Storm after storm of cold and beautiful snow. So we've had a great time playing in it -what else can you do? We've sledded many times in little Cottonwood Canyon, and Darren and I have skiied a few times at Alta in deep powder and gorgeous, sparkling views. Then our favorite feat is the snow fort (pictured below) that has a slide and a 2-person cave in back. It has snowed many times since the picture and it's just growing and growing: )

We spent Christmas day here at home watching Rachel and Jared experience the wonders of the day. We never tire of the pure excitement and magic of Christmas morning, and felt so very happy and blessed by all that sent us cards, letters, emails, and packages. Thank you for your thoughtfulness. Then that evening was an amazing dinner at Steve & Michelle house in Orem, the frosting on the cake for a perfect day. For New Years we went to the Matthews Family cabin in Flagstaff which was a flood of memories for me. The place was packed to the hilt with kids and adults - I think we hit a record! Despite the stomach flu that plagued the masses, it was good times for sure. Mounds of delicious food and activities by day, and big screen movies by night in the middle of the forest. By some miracle it snowed JUST ENOUGH for a run of tobogganing - thanks Marshall for the special run you took my family on. We probably won't every have the opportunity again and it meant the world to me:) While in Flagstaff, my Mom and the DKB's took a side trip to the Grand Canyon. But the kids hardly looked at it - just ran around climbing on the slippery rocks till we yanked them away. So much for showing your kids the wonders of the world...so here is MY MAIN MAN to document the "E" for effort on that venture.



In February Mom Matthews came from AZ for a family missionary farewell in Kaysville and to work on a family history project. I was very impressed on how quickly she learned Powerpoint and we ALMOST got everything done, but we struggled to work when we would have rather played: ) See below when she tried to teach the kids how to pull taffy. Let's just say, it's a good thing they have machines to do that now. The latest cooking venture was when Rachel saw this teapot and saucer cupcake idea in a cookbook. She served it at my Primary Presidency meeting last week and wow'd the ladies. The final shot is just a cute picture of Rachel and Jared. Nothing makes us happier than to see the friendship and love (and sometimes competition) between these two. They learn in leaps and bounds and its fun to challenge them. They are our pride and joy and basically just make life worth living. Spring is in the air and we are looking forward to that!

Love - Darren, Nicole, Rachel & Jared Berry

Happy Halloween from the Berry Bandits! We had several different events, so of course the kids wanted a to be different things. Here's a bit of our Halloween fun!

A couple fun things recently. We had a great day Saturday with Preston and Lindsay. It began with BYU's Homecoming win, then a mean game of doubles tennis (You should have seen Darren and Preston with the mock intimidating faces, swings and body language - it was hilarious). We had a big steak dinner, then D & I attended the adult session of our stake conference while they watched the kids. As you cans see Rachel exhausted them with about 50 books they had to read and various other games they had to play. They were great sports about it and so dang cute with the kids! Earlier in the week Darren, Steve, & Mike were doing other "manly" things in the hills of east Heber in the middle of the night! They were actually trying to plot some land for a possible family cabin investment, and didn't make it there till after work. They had headlamps on, were packing some heat, myriads of GPS's, and wandered through the wilderness shouting every now and then to scare the mtn lions away. I wish I could have been witness to this scene, the stories alone still make me laugh. Anyway, here is a picture of Darren with some bones pondering which animal they belong to. The Berrys also had a nice dinner & birthday cake for Darren on Sunday to celebrate his big 42. But the highlight was stake conference. Elder Holland was our visiting GA (one of my top 3 fav, cuz you just can't have one) and he blew me away. We were changing our stake presidency, so I thought it would be mostly "business" kind of stuff, but on both saturday night and Sunday he said he just wanted to "chat." He talks to you like you are just a great friend and is so animated. He talks with his hands more than the best of the Matthews! I sang in the choir - mostly so I count sit close and meet him afterwards. Darren took the kids to our ward building (it was live at the stake center and then broadcast in two different chapels just to house our stake population - another reminder we are in Utah). Holland was so cute, when he stood up to speak his first words were "wow, such a great turn out! I can't believe you all came to watch the slide show of my mission!" He had us laughing and crying the whole time. Of course nothing will equal the WAY he says things or his exact wording - he is so eloquent, but I thought I'd share my take home messages. Oh also our visiting area authority is Jon Huntsman Sr., can you believe this town? You move to Sandy and you get the big ones!

Hunstman: #1. Talked about how in all his business travels - Asia, Middle East, India, Russia, Africa, whatever, he has studied and watched other religions. Common denominator? Every religion Judaim, Buddism, Muslim, and various Christian sects, etc, ALL share one thing - the growth and betterment of the one. Personal improvement, on whatever scale, is the bottom line. #2. When Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher came to Utah to visit (I remember this years ago because she spoke at a BYU devotional while I was there. She was one of the greatest speakers I had ever listened to), she came to Huntsmans office and noticed the Family Proclamation framed and hanging on the wall. When she was done reading she said to him, "These are the most true words I have ever seen written. Who wrote this? I want a copy." He of course talked with her more about the church and basically his testimony of the inspiration of the prophet and his apostles. So now I have to re-read the family proclamation as if read by Margarat Thatcher.

Holland: Mentioned what a beautiful autumn day it was outside - 62 and sunny. Crisp, clear and mountain-y. I had noticed it earlier myself, because we've had so much cold and rain/snow. He commented though, that there were many in attendance that because of challenges, heavy burdens, depressions, life's demands etc, that just won't be able to look outside and "see" the day's beauty. Then he respectfully shared a moment when days before President Hunter's death, Holland heard him cry out in pain and anguish because of his cancers, and how it broke him apart to see this. He continued to share that he had witnessed President Hinckley beg and plead with the Lord to take his wife Marjorie and himself together - that's he didn't want to live in this world without her. The stories were much more detailed but he tearfully shared that nobody is exempt from pain, heartache, and challenge - not even the prophets. And that if we didn't "see" the beauty of the day it was okay because you know what? The Lord loves broken people. He loves broken people. The audience was weeping because everyone in attendence has been broken at one time or another. But to have Holland say that the Lord loves you for ALL that, was just so sweet. His remedy however was given in an anology. Paraphrased he said, "Let's say we are sailing on a boat and a storm approaches. In general we prepare to weather the storm, and mentally, physically, emotionally buck up for it. But sometimes in the middle of the storm, when we think we have given SO MUCH, and it's still not over, we feel like we can't do it any longer, and want to jump out of the boat. DON'T JUMP OUT OF THE BOAT! It is the safest place you can be! Even if it has tipped over and you are hanging on to an oar in high waves, you have a better chance of surviving, than if you were to give up and jump to an almost sure demise." After this analogy he spoke so powerfully with a shaking voice, "When you think you cannot bear another burden, make that tough decision, weather yet another challenge, deal with painful emotions, etc... you really have only one option: pick up that burden and put it on your back, make that decision, face that challenge and do what you must do, because I promise you this - when you do this, when you reach down inside farther than you ever have before, you will find deep within your soul all that the Lord sees in you. All that is there, will get you through. And know that the Lord loves you." Ah man, Holland is just so amazing, I wish you could have heard how he said it. Anyway, there is so much more, but that should be enough to tell you that it was a good weekend for the Berrys:)

For Family Night tonight we did our very first pumpkin carvings! We never did it in NY because where do you put them - outside your window on the 28th floor? And last year, we weren't sure Rachel and Jared could appreciate it. So this was our inaugural run at the pumpkin carving and we didn't do too badly: ) My brother Marshall still holds the blue ribbon however for the carvings done on his mission! Any competition lately? What are all the kids are going to be for Halloween - xo Nicole P.S. The reflection is just our countertop in the kitchen.

As Blake so eloquently expresses, October is a GREAT month! Its Darren's birthday and our anniversary too - plus the weather is just to die for here. It's crisp and cool, the mountains are covered with wildfire colors, and the apples you can get make your taste buds swirl. We've already made are first batch of carameled apples and hot chocolate. We are doing well as a family, so we are always happy about that. Nothing BIG going on and that's the way we like it. As of late, here are some highlights:

• Our primary program was on Sunday (the one I had to write and produce). I wasn't scared until Sunday morning and my gut wrenched. But all the practices and re-writes came off without a hitch. Rachel had a speaking part AND a solo - the first verse Follow the Prophets. She exuded such bravery and I was really proud of her as she stood at the microphone in front of a huge ward. Jared had to sit on Darren's lap up on the stand since Darren teaches the Valiant 9 class (remember the 10 body-slamming, karate-kicking boys) so he had to keep them under control while dealing with Jared - he's quite the man and I am continually amazed by my babe! I sat on the floor by the main mic and it was quite the adventure, but the best part was the children. Their faces, their testimonies, and their spirit always make it the favorite Sunday of the year. And our ward is no different than any, we had the Sunbeams on the front row shouting the songs on the same note, and some older boys in the back singing opera to give the program some entertainment. Quite the show actually.
• Mom has been here for RS workshops downtown and stayed through Conference weekend and Colter's doctor's appt at Primary Children's hospital. It was really nice. We did many great projects - (family geneology, sewed my last two pillows for our basement, and she worked on Dad's missionary journal, etc). But the pinnacle event was attending the Saturday afternoon session of Conference with Preston and Lindsay. As we battled the traffic & the hords of people at city center, you wish you were back home in your pj's on your couch. But then, when you get into that room, and the prophet walks it - it hits you. You always know that the prophet is God's voice, and you hear him on TV, and read his words through various medias, but when you are in that room you FEEL him. I had parked the car and was looking for Mom and Preston, so just stopped in an aisle when the prophet walked in, and it hit me like a Mack truck. I got a huge lump in my throat, and it was my own witness as to FEELING the spirit of God through him. Wow. We had a nice dinner afterward and we really had a great time getting to know Lindsay and laughing and catching up with Preston. He is quite THE MAN these days: )
• Shannon blew in for less that 24 hours, but it was really nice. Man, I never knew you could see so much family if you just lived in Utah! That is the key ingredient I am thinking - in NY we were in Timbucktoo though I wouldn't have traded those years and those experiences for anything.

Well, that's about it - Karlyn, Marshall, Louise, and Blake and families - I have loved talking on the phone with you this last month, which is just a great as a visit in person. So know that I love you and love hearing from you! Till next time.

Darren, Nicole, Rachel & Jared

Hello Everybody! I figured we'd better get "with it" and do a family blog. So here goes...We had quite the adventure last weekend at the Oktoberfest at Snowbird ski resort. It had snowed earlier that day, so all of the activities and booths were closed. There was one big tent that everybody was gathered in for food and entertainment. It was great actually, we had the wienersnitzels, kraut, pretzels, etc while people were yodeling in their leiderhosen! Afterward we went on a short family hike to a place where we have see a cow moose twice. The kids loved it and it was a very memorable day.