Camp Shalom 2008

NOT REAL!! It's a Tootsie Roll. Kind of a gross prank to do, but it sure was fun!





I just read Brenda's thoughts about girls camp... I too get a bit more tired each year. I have lost track how many years I have gone. I completely understand! I also see changes in many of the young women and how our society is affecting them and their choices. I don't expect it to get any better. We must all stay close to the Lord. It is amazing how one person can affect the entire camp either positively or negatively. A good learning lesson there for us all! I got home Saturday and felt too tired to even shower! I believe I have a cup of dirt in every orifice of my body...

Highlights this year: Spending time with my daughters Ashlee, Kelsie & Abby (Lucky me!), watching Ashlee grow into an incredible Y/W leader, fun leaders & young women, yummy meals, girl time, night time in our cabins talking, giggling and singing, making tootsie roll poopies and putting them in the toilets, stealing camp flags from others wards and mixing them up, time around the campfire, yoga (NOT pretty), shampoos with warm water, stargazing, canoeing on the lake and testimony meeting (which makes all the hard work worthwhile). It was a wonderful time and we all came home very tired and dirty, but with smiles on our faces.


This was Kelsie's last year and Abby has three to go. It was fun to see Cheri Garr up there fixing everyone breakfast on the last morning with the Stake Relief Society. Thanks!!

Time to Retire

You may think by my title and the picture that I am wanting to retire and go to the mountains. Actually I am wanting to retire from the mountains. . .Girls camp that is. I figured out that I have spent at least 23 years at girls camp, could be more, I may have forgotten a few. That is almost 1/2 of my life I have spent one week of summer at Camp Shalom. This year I really felt my age. Not only is it harder to get up and down the mountain, I have less patience with the girls and activities. This year we had everything from girls accusing other girls of Satan worshipping to petty theft. Don't get me wrong, there is a lot of good that goes on up there and there is a lot of really good girls but this year the naughty ones just really got to me so I think it is past time to retire. The beauties of the mountains though, I would really miss and I must say that I had fun with the other old ladies up there and I know that there can really be testimonies strengthened. The difference is, in the past it was kind of like childbirth, I forget from year to year how hard it is, that is no longer the case. Instead of my memory fading with age it has been enhanced! Still I will probably go again if I'm called. . .I'm such a sucker. 

-Brenda Buttars

John Egbert's Wedding

We just wanted to invite everyone to John's wedding reception. We are so excited for them. She is from Brazil and has brought into our family the joy and warmth of Brazil. After the wedding we will have an updated family photo and I will try to add it. I loved seeing all your smiling face at the reunion and hope more will post family photos. It will be fun to see how the kids have grow. Got to run and get ready for this wedding. Take Care!

The Birrell Family

Ransom, Katie & Conrad Bigelow

Paul & Ashlee Ward

Brenda, Ashlee, Lindsey, Katie, Kelsie & Abby

I thought I would put a post up and show you the girls and our new grandson #1 Conrad (Katie & Ransom). He is almost 7 months and I am so in love with being a Grandma... best thing in the world. It is amazing how busy or stressful a day can be and when I see him, life just stands still and all is wonderful! I think boys must be more active? I think my girls would have had me carry them until they were 18 months old. Conrad's little legs are busy all the time... I think he is ready to take off! 

Email me at Brendabirrell@mac.com with your photos and I will be happy to post them or you can upload them yourself to the blog. We want to hear from you!

Take care, Brenda

The Garr family (2007-2008)

***This was posted by Cherie's oldest daughter, Wendi (the blogger of the bunch). :)

I thought it would be fun to post pictures of our family on this new site (since we moved away back in the day and then moved back in 1991). We're all currently living in Orem and Provo, but Randy and Laura will be moving away to attend school this summer.

The majority of these pictures were taken underneath the bell tower at BYU last fall. (The picture of Randy, Laura, and Brogan was taken on Brogan's blessing day--May 25, 2008. And another grandson joined the family on May 4, 2008.)

In fact, Brogan was blessed in a chapel not far away from the one we all used to attend and we saw Glenna Dennett in the foyer. Good times! :)

We hope other families will do this too! :)
Thanks for creating this neat site!

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Garr family - November 20, 2007

Arnie and Cherie

Wendi's family (The Jagersons)
John and Wendi; Heather (12); Lance (9)

Natalie's family (The Petersons)
Randy and Natalie

Their three daughters: Saren (7), Avril (2), and Savannah (5)

Their baby boy, Henry (born May 4, 2008)

Randy's family
Randy, Laura, and Brogan (4 months)

And here's a picture that shows Brogan's happy personality:

Rob and his long-time girlfriend, Eve
(She's practically part of our family)

Cory and his wife, Karissa