November 19, 2016

1. Spending the weekend with Grandma and Grandpa

are Robert, Matthew, and Alaina.

 The twins stayed with their dad and mom.

We had a great time in the new kitchen.

2. Watching the Cubs World Series while carving pumpkins

at Ryan's house. This is Jeffrey, then Kaden & Dusty, and Kaden
and his pumpkin.

3. Colleen, Zander, and Mia trick or treating.

4. Mallory and Caleb with friends.

5. Watching Cubs game with Ryan's family.

6.  Our wonderful neighbors brought in Gravel to begin 

making a driveway to Pete's house.

Caleb and Zander.

7. The Tanner family we've been working with.

The parents are starting to come to church with their family.

We have learned so much from them.

8.We went to Arizona for Dad's 50 year class reunion.
 Paul and Dad looking at his yearbook.

Dad & I had a great time at the reunion. He hasn't seen

some of his classmates for 50 years.

9.The first day we got to Arizona, I helped Lacey

finish a quilt she had started for Chloe.

10. It was so nice and warm. We did some work in the backyard.
Levi relaxing in the swing.

11. We all went for a hike only 10 minutes away.

Levi did the whole hike by himself without being 

carried at all. Paul and Nikki & Sammi took a longer

route, but we finished at the same time.

12. Sunday morning & ready for church.

Grandpa shares his badge with Levi

13. The house where Dad lived. It looked better this time.
He went to the Mesa 2nd Ward when he lived in AZ.

14. We had lunch on Monday with a friend, Don McCleve,
that he ran cross country with who was a year younger.

15. We celebrated Chloe's birthday a little early so we could 

be with her.

 16. Nikki making bread. Paul got a wheat grinder

and we made fresh whole wheat bread.

It was soooo good.

17. The flight home was beautiful.

18.Home to Mallory and Jeffrey's band concert.

They really sounded good. Jeffrey on the symbols
and Mallory on the flute in the center.

19. Wade Walton conducting. You can't see it very well,

but he had shaved a turkey on the back of his head.

We have had a wonderful few weeks. We have been spending

long hours on our mission, and then we take off for time with

the family. It's great.

I've been putting together A. Ellen's life history and publishing

it through Create Space like Daddy's book.

It is now done. It ended up being 96 pages. I sent a proof copy to

A. Ellen and she said she sat down and cried when she saw it.

It did turn out nice. I'm so glad I did it for her and my brother Paul.

I love you all very much. Here is a quote from A. Ellen's book by Paul.

It is at the end of a short history he wrote about our mother:

"She had met the challenges, learned and endured. We are after all,

judged not by our mistakes but rather by the refinement of our spirit

and the intentions of our heart."

I love you all. I'm looking forward to having so many at Thanksgiving

and then flying out to see Joe & Tesha and the kids.

We'll be back on December 2nd.