Celebrating Heather's Return 2011

Blaine is still proud of his lemon tree, which is still growing, that we bought when we went down to Arizona two years ago.  We keep it in our bathroom, in the sunny spot on the south facing window.  When Heather came home for Christmas, from BYU-Provo, Blaine decided it was time to celebrate.  He picked the lemons off his tree, sliced them up and put them in goblets of juice for us all to drink.

Derek's Teton Redskins Basketball 2012

Here is a sampling of some photos of Derek with his Teton Redskins Basketball Team in 2012.

These are at Ririe.

The six seniors have played together since they were in the third grade.

Now, Derek really has some "hops".  He can really jump.

2012 Heather and Mom Teaching Ski Lessons

Heather talked me into volunteering to teach ski lessons to beginner skiers from Driggs Elementary School this year, while she is home, waiting to go on her mission.  I have done it in past years, one good thing about it is that I get one free ski pass for every two days I teach, plus the free day for the five days you are there teaching.  We have free time the last hour or so.  This is when we went up Dream Catcher, and skied down the "Cat Track".  She wanted to make memories.  I also got to see a spot behind us that she and a male friend had packed her skis to and then skied down the very steep "cliff" together!  She amazes me.

Jan. 28, 2012 Carl Ripplinger becomes a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Carl is our last child to make the important choice to be baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Here, he is with his father, Blaine Carl Ripplinger, in the baptismal font at the Driggs, Idaho Stake Center on Saturday, January 28, 2012.

Here is a picture of Carl, the day of his baptism, standing in front of  a map we have in our office.  It has little picture of places one of our family members has been in the world.  Our ward Primary Leaders gave Carl a future missionary badge, you can kind of see it on the right side of his suit coat.  Here, he dreams about where he might be called on a mission someday.

Blaine and Carl in front of a beautiful painting of the Idaho Falls temple, that hangs on the wall of our Relief Society Room, where the baptismal font is connected.

Sweet Carl, 8, with his Dad, Blaine, the day of his baptism.

Our family:  Heather, just before her mission, Blaine, Nikki, Derek, a Senior in high school, Nikole, an eighth grader at Teton Middle School, and Carl, 8 in second grade, and Elizabeth, 11 in sixth grade at Teton Middle School,  in front.  Grandpa and Grandma Ripplinger, Grandpa and Grandma White, Christian and Jennifer and their family - Caden, Jace and Maecie were our other family members that were there.  Brother Matt Berry conducted.  Sister Hollie Kunz of the Primary, gave Carl a hymn book.  Carl was excited to get his own set of scriptures from his family.

Visiting Disneyland for Christmas 2011

Heather put her mission papers in over Thanksgiving week-end, when she was home from BYU-Provo.  We had known she was going to do this, and we had planned to take a family vacation together, before her mission.  Over Christmas would be our only time when all of us would be together, so we had planned months ahead to head back down to California for our visit to Disneyland.  Here is the spot in Disneyland, where you can sit and eat your lunches or rest.  My sweet friend, Stephanie, made our lunches in the morning, and then we'd put them in our locker, and get them out at noon.  It saved us a lot of money.

Derek and Carl in a race car, with Blaine and Elizabeth behind them.

We liked exploring Tarzan's Treehouse.

One of The Chipmunks.  All the characters wanted to put their paws over Carl.

This is the gorgeous beach of Newport.  Remember, in Driggs, where we live, there's a foot of snow, and it's very cold.  Here, in California, it's gorgeous, and we enjoy the beach, even though it's about 70 and the Californians think we're crazy.

Blaine and I in front of the entrance to Disneyland.

Derek, 18; Heather, 20; Elizabeth, 11; Mom, 43; and Nikole, 13, with Winney the Pooh.

All of us in front of the famous Disneyland entrance.  Maybe the last time we'll be on a vacation, with just our seven.

All seven of us went down Splash Mountain.

Of course, Heather made Derek pose with the wedding Mickey Mouse attire.

Waiting in a line.

Space Mountain

We had a magical vacation in the Magical Kingdom.

Christmas morning, a Sunday, we were at our sweet friend's, Kevin and Stephanie Petersen,s, home in Brea, California.  We didn't bring much for Christmas, since our Chrimstmas was our vacation, but Stephanie took care to give us a few gifts that were precious.  The book I'm holding up is from Heather.  She spent hours and hours putting my collector's stamps, which I had bought years ago at DI, into a book to display.  It was beautiful, but more importantly, the time and effort Heather put into it made it one of those special presents, that is truly a gift from the heart.  I will always treasure it.

Later, after Church, we went to Newport Beach, and by the temple there.  It was warm and wonderful.

This was a cool thing to see.  These homes were set up in little roads around a lake.  Each "neighborhood" had a light theme.  Like one group all had angels on their yard somewhere.  The next would all have candy canes.  This part you see is on their front sides, on the lake.  But around the back sides, their garage sides, is where the themes were, and where we drove our car through to see.  Stephanie said it was in a rich part of town.

We stopped at Kelley and Rhonda Tolberts, on our way down, in St. George.  Tolberts had lived in our Driggs ward for years, and had recently moved to St. George.  They were good to us, and let us stay overnight.  Carl liked their twins.

Yes, we thought this looked like a terrifying experience.

The Rabbit off Alices in Wonderland likes Carl's head, too.

Love this picture at the Beach.

Here we are, at Grandpa and Grandma White's, in Blackfoot, when we first started our trip.

Here we are, on Christmas morning, with our dear friends, Kevin and Stephanie and their three sons.

Heather took this picture of me, peking over the car at Disneyland.

We loved this huge Christmas tree at Disneyland. Everything was decorated in Christmas.  We loved the fact that Disneyland isn't afraid to say "Christ" in all they do.

Here's a close up of the book Heather made of my stamp collection.

This was one of the gifts Stephanie gave our family.  We're studying the Book of Mormon in Church this year.  This book shows you how to go along and have children color their scriptures.

This gift from Stephanie, was something so special, I really can't explain my joy.  Stephanie knew, from our last visit two years ago, that I love music boxes and also snow globes.  You'll remember last time, she and Kevin gave me a musical snow globe that had Disney princesses all over a rock.  It was expensive, and I wouldn't buy it at Disneyland, but I had mentioned it to Stephanie.  And she went back, without me, to the store and bought it!  I was stunned then, and again now.  This globe, I'll keep at my home, has the Christmas scene in it.  It has baby Jesus, Mary and the regular scene, but displayed in such a wonderful way, and around the bottom is a carousel of more Bethlehem scenes, that rotates and plays music!  Oh, it is just wonderful!  I love it.

This shows the inside of the stamp collection Heather organized and made for me.  I had wondered where I had misplaced the big sack of stamps, and even told Heather I thought I was crazy, because I thought I had placed it in a certain spot, but it wasn't there.  The whole vacation was just marvelous.  We couldn't have asked for better weather, better family and friends to stay with, or better times to spend together.  Merry Christmas!