Summer 2008 - Lots of Traveling

This summer has been full of traveling. Between my extra job at the University of Kansas, obligations to professional groups and vacation, I feel like I have been doing nothing but traveling - and fixing our medical practice.

WORK
We have grown so large at work that we have been in need of a major overhaul. I have learned one important thing - I do not like being an owner and having to manage a small business that has grown into a large business. So as of a few weeks ago we have partnered with IntegraMed, a company that manages IVF practices nationwide. This should take a lot of the load off of me eventually, but the 6 months of negotiations have about wiped me out. Now I just have to get through all of the transitions. All in all, it will be good for us.

This is my last year on the SART Executive Board. It has been a big responsibility as SART is the member organization of 90% of IVF practices. I have had to work with helping to design new database entries for embryo quality, a controversial ethical guideline for PGD and a modification of our advertising policy for member clinics. I have also served on the web site committee and the quality control committee. I will be glad when November comes and I can step down. I intended to then relax with no more voluntary positions, but I was talked into being next year's President of the College of Reproductive Biology. I was promised it would be fairly easy with mainly putting together an embryology program for next year.

VACATIONS
Now to the family! We had a couple of great vacations. Most of us went to a time share in Sedona and spent time hiking and playing. Shane, Gina, Colton and Hunter were there for a few days. And Rachon, Max, Hayley and I were there for the whole time. Then one of Gina's friends, Carrie, came up from Barstow to spend a few days in Sedona with us. We had a blast with the highlights being a hike to Devil's Bridge, swimming at Slide Rock, and a hike into West Fork.

Later, we all went to Dad's time share at Snowbird. Shane, Hayley and I went first to a photography class at the Grand Canyon. Then we went fly fishing on the Colorado at Lee's Ferry. (Not to be confused with Lee's Fairy.) We had an awesome time with Dad and Ann. We spent time on the zip line there, the alpine slide and we saw lots of deer and even a moose and her baby. One of the highlights was going to the 24th of July Parade in SLC and seeing the Prophet. Colton, Shane and I also went to Temple Square one day.

We just returned yesterday from a quick 3 day trip (Gina and Kim) to Aaron Gardner's home to attend his daughter's wedding reception. It was great seeing all of the Gardner Family, the Smith Family (Aaron's wife), several old friends from BYU and Max, Jared, Rachon, Shane, Brett and Hayley. Why did I say Shane? Well, he has moved to Torrance and is living with Kelly while going to school. We have missed him so much, but we know that he wanted to just experience a different place and spend some more time with his mother.

HAYLEY TO PA
Another piece of news is that Hayley will be moving to Pennsylvania in a few weeks. She got a job as a nanny with a family in PA and she is very excited about the year or more she will spend there until she gets accepted into graduate school.

OTHER
Colton and Hunter have started school already with Hunter at Jr High and Colton at Mt View High. They are enjoying their new classes - so far. Gina begins her classes next week. She hopes to apply to the deaf interpreter's program next year. Oh yes, I almost forgot, Gina really did a lot of traveling while the boys were at their dad's in Idaho. She went to visit her sister in Montana, visit her best friend in Spokane and spent 1 week at a deaf immersion camp where she sould not speak!! (She made up for the week in the first day back.)

Gina and I also went to see White Star. It is a musical with the first part being Saturday's Warrior and the last part being what happened to the main character Jimmy Flinders. We loved it.

Scott and I went to Mom's grave site on the anniversary of her passing. We had a great time there with our wives - reminiscing about mother and then we went to one of her favorite places to eat, the old Rosa's.