JUNE IS BUSTING OUT ALL OVER

Just so you know I didn't find Scott's Iron Man medal until today.  You can find it in May's blog.  It say copyright so I hope it's okay.  Let me know if I can't do that.

BEING HOME MEANS LOTS OF GARDENING

June 1^st, Bethany came at noon with Rowan, who was great help, and pulled weeds for 2 hours.

Rowan worked so hard

Clark and family came to help later. Clark & Scott helped Dad put up the new posts for the fence that was leaning. 

 leaning wall removed

                                                                Scott & Clark hanging the new stringers

 The kids helped in the garden.  The girls planted potatoes, corn, and helped with the beans and carrots. 

The dates that are not included we just weeded those days all day long. Sorry if we forgot something important.

 Ava and Nixon planted flowers all around the garden.

Ava helped with me a bit.

She loved pretending she was a deer.

Somewhere in here while I was blowing my hair and reading Third Nephi, I burned my hair.  Don't read and curl at the same time.

Dianne and Jonny weeded and cleared a place for a new burning bush plant.  Jonny trimmed the lilacs on the Richards’ side of our yard.  He is a warrior with those pruners. 

They made life so much easier for us.  We still have so much to do but it is getting better every day.

June 3^rd (fird) Parker turned 18. 

He is such a fine young man and tries and accomplishes so many good things.  He is always smiling and helping in any way he can.  He will be a great missionary.  Even on his birthday he mowed our lawns. He follows our Savior’s plan and is just good.  He loves his family and they are a great team in living as they should.

June 4^th we went to the Draper Temple with the Seamons.  Many missionaries from Palmyra were there.  It was so special to be in the temple together again.  Afterwards we all met at the Gregory’s for a wonderful time and good food.  There must have been 30-40 missionaries there.  It was so good to be with everyone and just talk about everything. 

This mission has changed our lives and we loved every minute of it. 

We weeded some more in the cool of the evening and Dad got ready to go fishing with Cliff.

Well they went fishing but Cliff’s boat would not work so it was a bust.  We feel so sorry for Cliff because he gets all ready and then something goes wrong with his boat.

We have been working on the yard every day but on Saturday evening we were able to pick up Cameron at the SLC airport so he could go to EFY at BYU. 

His buddy from Vegas

We love it when he comes for a visit.  He is excited for the next week. (no parents or siblings, not even grands)

The next morning the Seamons came and we headed for Syracuse for Rae Anne and Mike’s homecoming service.  It was so good and is always good to be with our missionaries. The Baretts gave very good reports and after the meeting we went to their daughter’s home for a tasty meal.  Their yard was amazing with a huge garden waterfall and all.
Parker picked up Cameron and they went to Parker’s ward for church.  (Erik was in Florida,  Shanelle and Asher and Camden were in Washington and Kolton was in Prague.) 

We got back in time to go to Clark’s for Lily’s birthday dinner.  What a wonderful Sabbath.  Parker and Cameron were there too.  We could eat at Dianne’s every day and not get a repeat and it would all be good.  She is an incredible cook.  It was just a fun and relaxing evening to be in their home with family.

 Dianne's parents, Dianne, Simon and Ashley

 cousins Lily and Parker

us with the birthday girl

The next day, June 10^th, was Lily’s real birthday.  She is now 14 and such a beautiful young woman both inside and out.  (in the last 2 pictures) She loves to tease her Granddad and he loves giving it back.  She has many talents and loves her nephews.  She is always fun to be around.  We think she finally likes living in PG.  Lily loves her family and enjoys being with them.  We love her and enjoy when she comes here.  She planted some beautiful flowers in the front of our home.

June 13^th, Erik came and helped dad with the last pieces of the fence.  We weeded of course.  So good to have the fence finished.  Now we just need to get it painted.

Jonny pulling the screws out of the old fence.

Somewhere in here we had the stump from the tree ground out.

Saturday, June 15, we picked Cameron and a friend from Vegas, Shelby Nebeker, up at 7:00 AM at EFY and took them to breakfast at Magelbys.  Cameron was delighted.  We had such a good time with them.  The Nebekers are friends by way of Tiffani.  When we got home both of them fell on a couch or chair and slept until Shelby's uncle came for her.  Cameron didn't even wake up.  We took him to the airport for his 8:30 flight.  What a wonderful time we had with him.

The next morning, we spoke in the 21st Ward sacrament meeting.  We think it went well.  We hurried after that meeting and went to be with Parker receiving the Melchizedek Priesthood.  Erik did such a humble and powerful blessing and ordaining.  We are so blessed with our family.  The Lord knew he had to give us good ones because we got the best.

 cousins and a friend, George

brothers

Kolton is next

Tuesday the 18th  I had some blood work done to see if my calcium had lowered but it has not.  Clark Jonny, Lily and their Goats twin cousins came to do yard work.  They worked very hard.  The girls thinned the nectarine tree, Jonny  stacked wood and Clark tilled around our fruit trees because the weeds were just too hard to do and helped put down a black weed deterrent on the white fence side..

It was a fun but working time and we loved all the help.  We just cannot do it alone any more.
That evening we treated ourselves to a Fathers Day dinner at Outback.  We even shared the chocolate volcano.  I'm married to a great man and love him so much.
The next day we went to the Payson Temple with the Seamons and then to  Philly Steak for lunch. 

We love our trips to the temples with the Seamons.  We feel such a strong Spirit and gift of the priesthood when we are there.  It is always a place of peace and meditation.  It helps cleanse the soul.

The 21st was our favorite Strawberry Days Rodeo.  There is fun for everyone, especially eating the strawberries.  It's a tradition in Scott's family to go to JCW's for dinner before the rodeo so Tiff's group and we joined in.

great seats

Clark and Dianne

us

Good to the very last drop.

Sorry but no pictures of the  stock.  The kids did jump the fence and try to get the money off the cows.

The next day was our favorite Pleasant Grove parade.  This is such a fun family time for us.  The parade goes right in front of Erik and Shanelle's home. They serve a huge breakfast of pancakes and all the trimmings for the ward and friends. We have the best time with seats under shade.  The kids line the street with bags to pick up all the candy they can.  Everyone was there but Kristin's family and Elder Riley Bayles.  We missed Kristin's family but knew Riley was where he was needed by the Lord.

Rowan, Asher, Nixon, Lauryn, Ava, Clara

Lauryn, Ava, Clara

Camden loves his cousins and they love him

 Scot, Clark and Tiff

Molly, Di. Clark and Lily

friends

Jonny rode with his bike club.

That afternoon Erik's boys came and mowed the lawn. The kids built a Yurt in the back yard.  They have such great imaginations.

That evening we went to Scott's with Tiff's kids to see "The Greatest Showman" on their outdoor movie screen.  The girls and Nixon danced and sang the whole movie.  What fun!  It was a bit chilly and the dogs joined us.

The next day, Sunday, we spoke in church.  We had 5 of our missionary couples there and our family except the above mentioned and Dianne.  There was not an empty seat.  It was so thrilling to see them as they filed in.  Of course I had tears, especially when Rowan got settled, stood up and waved saying, "Hi Grammy" We must say that Dianne planned and cooked for over 50 people after the meeting.  She is an amazing cook and she had everything ready for a Cafe Rio meal when she was called in to help deliver 3 babies at the same time in the Birthing Center.  She had been all night in SLC giving her assistance, which she so loves. (not the hours)  She crashed and had Ashley and Tyler take her home to finally sleep.  We felt so badly that she didn't get to see her efforts.  Clark and his family just stepped right in and did as instructed. There were 7 crock pots lined on our counter so our guests could make whatever they wanted.  No one went home hungry.  We are still eating Shanell's treats. Shanelle brought enough yummy homemade bars to fill our entire dining room table.  Ashley made chocolate chip cookies.  Bethany and Tiffani just joined in helping in any way they could..  The cleanup was by all.  Clark was exceptional in getting everything put together and in his car.   How we love this family the Lord let us rear.  We could not have been more blessed.  They are such a gift to us.  We thank Him in every prayer we utter.  We are especially blessed to know they are ours for all eternity.  The "outlaws" as we call them are just the frosting on the cake.  We love them too.  The best part is all the grands.  We love each and every one of them.  Of course through all of this I did not take one picture.  Go figure.  I did take one of rowan and our great grandson, Simon.  (Rowan thinks she is his big sister)

Every year Dad puts up flags in our front yard representing the missionaries from our family.  Hopefully it will get much larger.

The next day Dad brought the boat home.  After being in storage for so long, it was a mess.  Dianne and Jonny came over and picked a huge bucket of cherries from the Martin's yard.

  They were delicious Bing cherries.  Jonny loved Dad's Man Cave.

That evening Scott came and painted our fence.  It looks so good now.  The kids came too.  That always makes it more fun.
Sometime while Erik and family were on their trip to Oregon, they ran into my niece, Rachael at a beach.  She is my brother Milton's daughter.  Wonderful girl.

Wednesday we went to the Provo Temple with the Seamons and of course Charley's after.  We love going with them every week to a different temple.  We are slowly getting more names done.

The 27th we found tons of mold in our boat and the cover.  It's a mess.  It had been closed up for over a year.  Dad did a lot to remove it but the floor is also rotting.  We had to buy a new battery and it still won't run so we are going to take it to the shop after the summer rush.  These boats!!!
The next day Clark and dad worked on the boat so at least the floor won't cave in and we can use it.  The shop, Matt. will get it to run.  I can't remember the name of the place. (Germaine Marine) Jonny mowed both lawns in the hot sun.  Clark helped us put down mulch along the roses in the back yard.
That evening Deb and Gary Bayles came to Provo for a doctor's appointment and we visited and went to dinner at The Olive Garden.  We love them so much and it was so good to be with them.  We need to get together more often.

Sunday the 30th, was Judy Sandstrom's meeting.  She is going to Los Angeles to help women in the church.  She will be great.  After the meeting we went to Benji Hanks' home to look at some of Milt's paintings and visit.  It was good to be with them and I bought one of my favorite paintings Milt did

and a framed pair of my Dad's gloves he had made by at Aleut woman while we lived in  Alaska.

I cherish both.  Benji also gave me a framed picture of Ephraim Hanks and a framed picture of my siblings and me.  That evening we had been invited to Clark's home for dinner.  We love going there, not just for the delicious food but we love to be in their home.  Dianne made a meal that we had never tasted and it was not only good but so colorful.

It is a fun place to be.
We have accomplished a lot these last few months and feel good about our efforts.  The front yard is how we want it.

Again, the Lord has blessed us so much and we are so grateful to have the plan of salvation in our lives.  We love having a forever family and pray that we can live worthy of them so we can be a together family forever.