Week of August 18th

Sunday
Last Spring I received an email stating the need for altar cloths for the temples, especially the Tokyo, Japan temple. I was on their email list because I had gotten instructions for alter cloths for Iva Godfrey because she wanted to make one for the Brigham City temple.  We told her about this new email and she said she would make one.  It is so beautiful. Iva is Max and Alan Godfrey's mother and she lives across the street from Doris Roche. She turned 90 years old in May. She estimated it took about 400 hours to make. I wish I could capture the beauty of it, but it just doesn't seem to be the same as actually looking at it.
Iva holding the cloth for the large alter cloth in the sealing room for the Tokyo Japan temple.

After we got home Ryan's family stopped by. It was so good to see them and
we had a really nice visit. 

Kaden, Suzie, and Dusty watching the pictures from the family reunion.

 Ryan & Val thought they had a buyer for their house but the finances didn't go through. They had an offer on a house in Garland they all really liked. They were going to move this weekend, but now they have to wait. Hopefully it won't take too long to sell.

Suzie is getting so big.

We had a Family History session with Ellen, Mike and Josh. I received some good information from the Canada cousins and we needed to check the research and enter the names. We were working on the children of William Henry Capener and Caroline King. I had entered their children and now they each took some of the children and did spouses and children. We cleared the names so we can do the baptisms this week and then take them through the rest of the temple work.
Mike wants to go to Salt Lake Temple

Later in the evening we had our own personal showing of Noelle, Mallory,and Sarah Gentry's sheep!

The girls have done such a good job in caring for them and working them every day. It really is a lot of work.

Mike, Ellen, and Josh in Zander's hat

I guess it is a 'sheep party'

The consumption of ice cream around here will come to an abrupt stop when Ellen and Mike leave

Monday - Tuesday

On Monday we had therapy and then came home and cleaned the fruit room. It's good to have the extra help. I guess it's worth the ice cream. It's good to have Mike here. Things sure get lively with both of them.We ended up having a 'Read a-thon' for most of the day. We got treats and read the book Dad is writing about his Dad. It was really good to get the input from Mike and Ellen.
Tuesday morning we irrigated the garden and Dad and I then went to the 'Silver Sneakers' class in Tremonton. He gets a free membership and it's only $20 for me for the month. It was a Yoga class. We both enjoyed it. See picture of Dad showing Mike what he did that morning.

We needed to go to Logan to check on financial aid for Mike and clear something up for Ellen. Mike had a date at noon and then we were going to the temple after to do the baptisms. However, the car broke down and we ended up going early and getting that taken care of. Long story, but while we were there we went to the D.I. Here is Ellen's prized lucky find for the day: Don Quixote and Sancho from Man of LaMoncha 

Tuesday Joe & Tesha got the internet so we Skyped in the morning! It was so good see them, but Ben was sad because he wanted to come to Grandma and Grandpa's house. Before he left I would call him over to give him a big hug and tell him I would miss him when he was in New Hampshire. He always said, "It's ok, I will talk to you on the computer from New Hampshire." I think he is realizing it's not the same.

They are all moved in, have a car, Joe had a day with his professor before the official beginning day, and the ward has taken them right in under their wings. They are getting off to a good start of quite and adventure.

Ben, Tesha, and Zach on Skype

Ben looks a little sad.

This may seem a strange picture to have here, but we were supposed to pick Mike up at his apartment and get ready for the temple about 2:00. When we got there, he and his date were on the porch visiting, saying goodbye. We didn't want to interrupt them, so we went for a drive around the block. 

Here we are at the temple. We didn't go out afterwards, so we went home and made pizza.

Mike wanted to see if we could get a picture of all of us, so he took it. Poor Josh.

Wednesday
Our first stop was to deliver the alter cloth at the Church Office Building

Once upon a time we hoped to go to Singapore & Taiwan for a summer vacation, but that more of a dream than something we could ever afford. Then we were going to help take Joe out to New Hampshire and that sounded like a really cook trip. Then we thought we would go to California and help Tom & his family move, but that didn't happen either. So, our summer vacation this year was a day in Salt Lake. We really did have a fun day as long as your don't compare it to a trip to Singapore or New Hampshire, or California.
In front of the Church Office Building

The flowers were so beautiful, but I like people in my picture also.

A reenactment of the time when Mike and I were the 'Mother and Son' statue in the Nauvoo Pageant, only this time the roles are reversed. He is just too tall.  

Since we didn't make it to Singapore, we asked if there were any missionaries from there. They called them over and Mike had a wonderful visit with the sister missionary from Singapore. Then 2 more sisters came to change posts in the South Visitor's center and one was from Taiwan. 

So that took the place of our Singapore trip.

Ellen and Mike at the Family History library looking at the big Chinese books of Family Histories. It really was cool to see what they had.

We had a wonderful day at the temple. It was really neat to take the names all the way to the sealing of two of the children to their parents. We have lots of names if anyone wants to continue getting this family done. They had 10 children.  On the way home we stopped and visited with Sue for a few minutes and then over to visit Marion and the boys. They were at the Farmington Station having ice cream. It is really a fun place to just sit and relax. Of course, even though we had already eaten at the temple, there is always room for ice cream. It really was top of the line ice cream.

Thursday
While we were at therapy, Noelle called to tell us she had won 2nd place in showing her sheep. On the way home we checked with her at the fair grounds. They were both so excited to be there with their sheep. Noelle would show again about noon she thought

I thought it would be fun to go and get Marri, Sophie, and Cecily to go and support Noelle. It turned out to be a really good thing because she didn't show her sheep until more like 3. We went and got the girls and took them to the fair.  It gave us all a good chance to see the exhibit buildings and see the other things the kids had entered in the fair. It was fun to spend the afternoon with all the kids and that helped pass the time.

Mallory, Noelle, Mike, Cecily, Sohpie and Marri 

The girls loved the little models built by kids in the craft division.

Noelle showing her sheep.

Audience in the balcony (a different time, so some had come up here): Mallory, Cecily, Marri, A. Ellen, U. Mike, Grandpa, and Sophie with her back to us.

Good job Noelle!

Friday

Another move. Ellen is gathering her things so she will be ready to move on Saturday. We also were on call in case Rob needed us to help them get beds and things up, but we never heard from them so I guess things went well. I'm so glad they have their home and in time for school. The girls sure seemed excited to move and be so close to cousins.

Ellen's pile

David's family came up to spend the afternoon and sleep over. Then they headed to the zoo early the next morning. We are playing Dragon just before bed. David is the dragon of course.

Run, Alaina, run!

Saturday
Off to Hogle Zoo. It ended up that Robert was picked to go up and have a bird land on him and eat out of his hand. I haven't been to Hogle Zoo for a long time. I think we will go with them some time. They have a family pass.
Matthew, Robert, and Alaina

After they got off we finished loading up Ellen (Dad had nearly everything packed in.) and headed out so we could watch Marion come across the finish line in the Top of Utah half Marathon. Mike, who had stayed in Logan, was already up to welcome him. I was afraid we wouldn't be in time, but we made it.  It was so much fun to watch him come in and he was surprised because he didn't know we were coming. We gave him some big cheering from Dad & I and Ellen & Mike.
Congratulations son, that is quite a run.
Mike and Marion

Dad and Marion

I noticed Mike's shirt walking back to the car. He got it free from the USU Institute last semester

Yeah for Elder's Quorems this month. They have really moved our family! Ellen's new Bishopric were also there. I made one trip up to her apartment and she was all moved in by the time I got back down to the car. Mike was there helping also.

Ellen and Ashley Gentry. I'm so excited they are going to room together.

We are now officially 'Empty Nesters.' It's really ok. After all, we are 62 and 65 years old. It's probably about time. We decided to go to Richmond to get the taco meat for Saturday,
but they were closed. 

Here are some good quotes for the week:

"ALWAYS REMEMBER YOU CAN LIVE ON LESS WHEN YOU HAVE
MORE TO LIVE FOR."

"TO BE WELL YOU MUST BE HAPPY."

"ANYTHING IS HARD IF YOU WORK AT IT EASY,
BUT EASY IF YOU WORK AT IT HARD."

"LIFE MOVES FAST SO TAKE TIME TO ENJOY IT."

And where did we get these quotes? Off the wall at Casper's Ice Cream where just Dad and I went. 

Retirement is good!

But then we got home and Dad worked to clean the Genealogy Room

and I worked to clean the Library. They are looking better, 

but we have a ways to go to get our house in order.

I was Visiting Teaching when David came on Friday. Amanda began organizing the books in the top 

Thank you Amanda! It looks great. I'm posting it here so you grandkids can see how nice it looks.  It will be easy for you to pick out a book to keep when you come to see Grandma. However, I would like it to look like this when you are done. So let's try and keep it looking nice so it will be easy for the next person to find a book. I really am happy to give them to you.

Our Dear Grandchildren:



1828 Dictionary Word for the Week:

Return-“To come again; to revisit; to give back; the act or process of coming back to a former state; to return to God, to return from wickedness, to repent of sin or wandering from duty;” (3^rd Nephi 24:7 “Return unto me and I will return unto you,”)

We are all so full of human nature and we all drift. Life truly is a battle against the drawing force of Satan as he tries to discourage us, fill us with fear, make us feel incompetent in what we do, prideful, and the list goes on and on. Those are some of my battles this summer. I think that is why I loved this verse so much.

We just need to remember our rock, and 'return to Him' with more full purpose of heart.

I love you all. Instead of what you used to say, "Are we there yet?" 
I ask you, "Are we all moved yet?"