MARCH CAME IN LIKE A LION

We are quite tired of snow.

March brought us news that Nancy’s brother Milt Hanks is in the VA Hospital in SLC.  We went to see him as soon as we found out but they don’t know a lot.  He will be home soon.

I lost my temporary crown water picking.  March 2^nd  I went to the dentist to have it reset at 8:30.  Picked up Nixon at 11:30 and then went home to get Dad at 12:00.  We headed to the convention center to watch Ava in her dance competition at 12:30; which she nailed.  She was amazing.  When she gets on the stage she is oblivious  and moves to the music.  Rowan had been there all day and was so happy but tired.  She and Nixon just flow with the punches.  They do it all the time. 

                                               We went to Ava’s team competition again on Saturday.  One of the dances was done to African music and their costumes were beautiful and so modest.  It was a tap number with around 20 dancers in perfect unison.  I love tapping.  They were the only Dance Team that we saw who tapped.

That night we took Clark’s family to Olive Garden for dinner.  It was so much fun to be with the entire family.  It was wonderful that Hailey was home and with us. There were 11 of us.  It took a long time for us to be served but we just had a great time while we waited.  William was so much fun to watch.  He is such a pleasant child and is so happy.  He loves his aunts and uncles.  He calls his grandpa Clark “Gronkey”.

March 5^th we anxiously awaited a couple, Ron and Sherrie Moore, to come.  They were on a 2 week trip from Murphy, North Carolina.  We so loved them when we served there 5 years ago.  He is now the Branch President and they are just golden people.

                                 
  We had so much fun and decided to go to Brick Oven for dinner.  They absolutely loved the place.  They were wishing there was one in another state but there is not.  We ate and talked; drinking homemade root beer.  We finished eating and were having so much fun they stayed the night.  It was just so much fun.  They left the next morning while we went to the temple.  It made us miss the good people in NC so much.

The next day Hailey and Clark came by to let us know she decided not to live in our home while we are on our mission.  What a wise decision.  Her home is filled with the Spirit and is such a fun and loving place.  She has been away long enough and just need to swim in that atmosphere.  Home is home.

March 7th. after our shift at the temple, we went to Dr. McKell's to get our teeth finished.  We were there 31/2 hours while he worked on both of us.  I had my permanent crown finished and dad had one of his molars pulled.  They will replace it when we return. Ugh!  We had tomato soup for dinner. 
 At 6:30 we left for Riley and Parker's choir concert.  We love going to the concerts because Erik and Shanelle save us a place and then we get to sit with both families.  It is always a good concert.  I counted over 400 students involved in different choirs.  They were in a Capella choir.

What a crew.

with friends

Friday, March 10^th Dad had an appointment with Dr. Hwang.  Everything is in great shape and he is doing well.  He just needs to put his monitor under the bed in Palmyra, and if anything looks bad, St. Jude Hospital will contact the doctor so his pacemaker can be adjusted. He really emphasized not lifting more than 30 pounds.

  We went to the UVU Outdoor Exhibit.  The animals were fun.  Dad bought me a electrostem thingy that helps the pain in my joints.  It is wonderful.

Saturday morning we went to watch Ava again.  This time it was a group tapping to African music.  I could have watched that all day.  The dancing was great but I just loved that African music.

Sunday we went to Kamas for Sister Hailey Bayles' mission report. 

  It was one of the best I have ever heard.  She hit the nail on the head.  She let the people know just how firm her testimony of our Savior is.  The Spirit was so strong.  I feel every youth in the congregation was ready to put their papers in.  Her stories of her personal experiences showed that it is hard but so rewarding and so powerful in keeping your faith strong.  She was amazing.  Afterwards, we went to the Goates' home for dinner.  Their was enough food to feed the ward and all of it was so yummy.  Erik and Shanelle had to leave because Asher got sick so we stayed and watched the youth have so much fun just visiting and playing games.  We took Parker, Kolton and Camden back to PG with us.  They loved being able to stay longer.  They are such

fine young men and so well behaved.  We love them so much.

Today was also Molly’s 15^th birthday.  What a special young lady she is.  She can find good in everything.  She has shown what can happen when you put your heart into it.  She has achieved much in basketball but more in the way she strives to follow what she knows to be true.  She loves her family and is so happy that Hailey is home.  She and Riley are quite the team at PG functions.  We are so pleased at the way she has adjusted to a very hard move in leaving Kamas where she has so many good friends.  No moss grows under her feet.  We are so anxious to see what the next few years will bring for her.  We love you Mols.

We stuck these pictures in because we they were sent to us and we like them.

On the way to state competition.  She did very well.

I think this one is planning a trip to Paris.

The next day Dad went back to the dentist and had more cadaver bones put in his mouth.  (bone graft for implant later)  {I asked the dentist what would happen on Resurrection morning when the bone donor wanted his bone back.  I told him I could just visualize my mouth flying across the cemetery to rejoin the bone donor!}
Tuesday we went to the Nelson Mortuary and paid for our funerals.  That may sound morbid but now our children won't have to worry about it.  It made us feel very comforted.  The strange thing was that he was a high school student of my roommate at BYU, DeeAnn Ralphs, who is now a Farr.  He also had friends from Blanding.

Dad and Scott picked up our boat from the shop and returned it to storage.

Wednesday, the Utah families, our boys, met at Golden Corral for a huge dinner.  All they could eat and boy did they eat.  Shanelle couldn’t come because Asher was still ill.  They were so missed.  A group of 22 were there.  It was just so much fun to be with so many of our family.  We did miss the "out of towners," Kristin’s family and Tiffani’s family.

 Must be saying something big.

 the girls

 Granddad's team

 the men

 into coloring

 always smilin'

friends

March 15^th we did our morning 2 mile walk in the mall.  We got to thinking and decided we did not have enough room in our Buick Lacrosse to move across country for a year so we decided to look at some used Buicks at Harmon’s Buick.  It ended up with us buying a brand new Buick Envision.  We asked to drive this one we liked and pointed to a different one.  When we got back we told them we wanted it because they gave us such a discount and so much more than we ever imagined for our present car.  We only had it for 2 and ½ years.  After all the paper work was finished and we had signed the papers and paid for it, they had someone get in to show us what everything was about.  Turned out we had asked for the wrong car.  We bought the one with all the bells and whistles.  We were dumbfounded.  It is so easy to drive and parks itself, slows down if you get too close to the one in front of you, moves back in the lane if you waver, and many things we have not figured out yet.  We are just spending our children’s inheritance.   We are having way too much fun with it. 

Vissy

We started the day by going to the Payson temple for Corey and Whitney’s wedding.  He is our nephew Kelly Bayles’ boy.  How wonderful any temple is and to witness a celestial wedding is so wonderful.  They started dating in high school and both served missions. 

 Sherri, Amy and Stephen

 family (Shawn has been called to the bishopric)

wisdom

The luncheon was at Brick Oven which is one of our favorite places.  We sat with the Bayles clan and so enjoyed the visiting.  We love our time with family.  Mark, George’s brother, and Kay are always great to be with.

That evening we went to PG for Molly and Kolton’s concert. 

We figure there were over 400 students participating.  It was so rewarding to hear such music from the youth.  All was well done.

Molly is the cute on in front of the cello

Sunday is always a great day but we had learned that David Wilcox, Brad’s son, had been hiking in Moab and a rock came loose and he fell 70 feet straight down.  It was a blessing that he landed on a tree which made the fall easier.  They flew him to Grand Junction, Colorado where they found his back was broken so did surgery.  He is walking but is in bad shape.  He will recover. The picture looks like someone really worked his head over.  Our prayers are with him.

Monday the 19^th was Baylie Anne’s birthday. 

TBird

We can’t believe she is 10 already.  She is such a fun girl and an excellent student with straight A’s.  She is going to DC over spring break to sing with her school’s choir.  Kristin is also going.  Baylie loves life and especially her family.  She is a sweet girl and tries hard to do what is right.  We certainly do love her.
That very same day Simon Robert Johns came into the world.  Ashley and Tyler have now given us 2 great grandsons.  Simon had the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck but due to Dianne and her midwife skills, they hurried to a hospital and everything went well.  They were able to bring him home the next day.

                                   

 Happy Mimi and Gronkey  (Grandma and Granddad Wills words)

 That evening we took Erik and Shanelle’s family to Olive Garden for dinner.  Boy, can those boys eat.  It was so much fun and we had a great time with this wonderful family.  Erik and Shanelle have done an incredible job teaching these boys what is important in life.  We love our times together.

The 22nd, Dad ordered our BYU tickets.  We won't be able to go to any games but we don't want to lose our seats.  That afternoon some of the Canyon Crest faculty had a little party for us to give us a sent off for our mission.  They are such great ladies who we love so much and whom I loved teaching with.  We had such a fun time.  It was just fun to be together again.

Back row: Christine Durst, Karen Johansen (can't remember her married name) Linda Flake, Me, Colleen Densley, Marilyn Alexander  Front row: Berrie Olsen, Kathleen Holbrook Stewart, Lynda Westover.  Had to write the names while I can remember them.
We had to put this in because today in Houston, my sister had a new grandson.  While in the womb, months ago, because of spinal Bifida  he had surgery.  They took the baby today and he is doing well. 

Many more operations but he is breathing on his own.  The mother could not be more than 20 minutes from the hospital for months and they live in Idaho, so it was very hard on all.
Saturday, the 24th was Cameron's birthday. 

They were in  California driving on the Highway 1.   What a fun drive.  Of course they went to the Pebble Beach Golf Course in California.  That makes Cameron happy when he see a course.  He is a great kid.  He loves his family and the good friends he has.  He has a sense of humor that makes people laugh.  He goes to an engineering high school and gets straight A's.  Going to the temple to do baptisms is one of his favorite things. We sure do love him.

Ashley was in Pleasant Grove so we hurried over to see the new Simon.  He is absolutely perfect.  He is a very good baby and all is well.  Will never stayed still for us to take a picture of him.  He was outside playing basketball with Jonny.

A few weeks ago an old friend from Dayton visited and I wrote about it.  I called her and she was with another Dayton friend.  I asked them to send a picture which I treasure.                    

Rosemary Muncie and Lori Miller

Sunday, March 25th, we were the sacrament speakers. The boys were there with their families which made it so wonderful.  There's nothing in this world better than the knowledge that we can be as families forever.  Our grandchildren are just the greatest and are such amazing people.  There's no such way we could love them more that we do.  Clint Washburn was also there with Deb and Spencer.  He is like our own son.  We love him too.
Our ward is so wonderful and we were so pleased that they were at church and we could feel their love so very much.  The Spirit that was at church was so very strong and evident.  We love those moments.
March the 29th we were invited by the Steven Coveys to a party honoring the past coaches and administrators of Timpview High School.  It was in their home which is really a castle.  It was amazing and we ate such good food and enjoyed so many old friends and students  The Coveys are such humble and down to earth people.  They kept telling us how they admired Dad and what a great principal he was and how the school was so empty and different without him.  It was just a great evening.  It was an especially rewarding time for Dad. 
I finally got my tulip quilt finished and just need to bind it.  That will have to wait for a year.

 front and back

Saturday finally came and General Conference.  How we love this time.  The first session was the Solemn Assembly where we had the opportunity to sustain our new prophet and his counselors. When we were asked to stand and vote, the Spirit was so strong, we wept.  Each of the priesthood quorums, followed by the sisters,  the youth, and then the entire membership of the church, stood as they were announced and raised their right hand if they supported the callings. What a wonderful and Spiritual blessing this is.

President Russell M. Nelson  our new prophet

What a great feeling to know we belong to the true church of our Savior Jesus Christ.  It was a very emotional time.  We love our new prophet and all who serve with him.

His counselors Dallin H. Oaks and Henry B. Eyring

Two new apostles were sustained:

Ulisses Soares and Gerrit W. Gong

The Spirit was very evident throughout the entire 2 days of conference.

The second session was the sustaining of Church Officers.

One of our favorite sustainings was our mission president's wife, Rebecca Lynn Craven.  She is a marvelous faithful woman who lives the doctrine of Christ.  She is a tiny woman but her spirit is gigantic.  She loves everyone.We love her and her husband so very much.  She will be marvelous in the Young Women program.

She is the one on the right as you look at the picture.

That evening was the priesthood session where our prophet, Russell M. Nelson announced the restructuring of the Melchizedek Priesthood quorums to do the Lord's work more effectively.  Every speaker was so motivating.

 The Sunday sessions were also filled with love, hope and the desire to do better.  It was a great conference.  Our prophet taught that home and visiting teaching will be on a holier level in caring for and ministering to others.  It's all just so exciting and moving us upward in the gathering of Israel.

In closing President Nelson invited us to press on in the work of the Lord.  We so love and will follow his counsel.  We will strive to do as we have been taught for the past 2 days.  He also announced 7 new temples to be built.  The restored gospel of Jesus Christ is so true and is the only way to reach exaltation.  We pray with all our hearts that we can be an eternal family in the eternities.  We love our families so much and pray daily for you individually and together as families.  You are such good people parents and companions that we fear not for your future.  Your children, our grands will be strong in doing what the Lord wants.  We will miss you but a year will go by quickly.  We need your faith and prayers as always.  We love you to infinity and beyond.