Allen Celebration

The Saturday before the 4th of July each year, the city of Allen has a huge celebration, complete with food, bounce houses, games, music and fireworks...the most amazing fireworks ever! A lot of years we are out of town during the event, but this year we were here. We arrived early with our blankets, chairs, snacks, drinks, football and a "shade house" I bought at Kroger which we never could figure out :)...we are the Clampetts! :) We were prepared for heat. This is Texas and it is June after all. But to our surprise we had a nice breeze and before we knew it, the sun was setting. I was excited to hear The Commodores--minus Lionel Richie, of course. But the sound system was terrible and most of what we heard was bass drum and bass guitar. Plus, they played WAY too long. But, the wait was worth the fireworks...it always is. It was a great way to spend a Texas summer night. We loved being with our long-time friends, Allan and Jana Wright and their kids too. Good times...

Texas Allen Stake Youth Trek 2010

Trek comes around once every 4 years in our stake...the Caspers are NOT fans of this activity, yet we allow our children to choose for themselves if they want to participate. 4 years ago William and Christine didn't have terribly positive experiences...so we were reluctant to have Garrett attend. He was determined and we supported him. He was in excellent hands because he was being "parented" by our dear friends, the Tryons. Also, the Stake had gone to extensive lengths in preparation for the extreme heat. This eased our minds. Garrett did suffer from some heat exhaustion, although he remained hydrated. He is the "water boy" after all. He came home with the best attitude, even after having been pulled from the hike to recuperate. He gained so much from the experience and was supported by wonderful friends. He is a great kid with an amazing heart. Perhaps I am converted to this whole Trek thing after all...I'll let you know in 4 years when it will be Grant's turn.

Garrett with his surrogate parents Kirk and Jana Tryon


Garrett and his buddy Caulin Tanner