MAY DAY AND THE VIRUS

We love that our grandchildren read the old newsletters as well as the current ones.  Baylie reads them before she goes to bed at night.  Try it.

May started off with making Dutch Oven potatoes in our cast iron porcelain pot.  We had never used it and were nervous but the result was so good.  They were not as good as over a fire but we gobbled them down.  We will do that more often.
We are handling the virus as well as can be expected but so miss being able to be with family more. We feel blessed to be healthy and safe.  We have cancelled 4 doctor appointments and will get them later.  We are blessed to have the family we do and know that we are led by a prophet of God.  We will follow him.  We love tht every Sunday we do church on ZOOM  with the family and get to hear their ideas and learn of Him.
Monday, the 4th, Clark's family including Ashley and the boys helped in planting the garden.  Clark, Jonny and Dad loaded all the branches from the snowball tree (bush) into Clark's trailer.  It filled the trailer.  The girls went home and the boys and I went to the dump to unload.(N0 Pictures)
Wednesday I was able to have my check-up on the phone with Dr. Nizam concerning my thyroid.  I'm doing great.  What a way to see the doctor.  That afternoon we had every carpet in the house cleaned.  Looks like new.
The next day we changed our phone and TV service to save some money.  Not sure that was a good idea but we will get used to Dish.
Friday we had a wonderful visit with a friend my family helped teach the restored gospel.  He was greatly influenced by my father and went to Ricks for school.  We traveled together from Dayton by train to BYU and then my brother, Del took him on to Ricks.  I gave him the pamphlet "Meet the Mormons" and talked about it all the way.  When he got to Ricks and went to a Stake Conference, he told the missionaries he didn't want more.  That didn't last long; good missionaries.  He is from a little town, Piqua in Ohio.  He worked at the Scout Camp in Camden, Woodland Trails.  I spent many good summers here when in high school and while at BYU.

 My dad designed this chapel so it would be good for any religion.

 The camp had a man-made lake for the Scouts to learn water skills.

Order of the arrow were incredible along the lake.

 The camp even had a horse ranch where the Scouts could ride.

Sorry for this addition but it has brought so many wonderful memories to me.

Mothers' Day, May 10th was as always wonderful.  Kristin had all the families on a computer express their feelings about me.  Of course I bawled, as usual.  It was something I will play often when I am not feeling so good in my roll, and when I am happy to have been involved in their lives.  I love each one of them so much I can't even express it.

                                                

 Dad's flowers

girls flowers

mixed them together after a week

Scott and Bethany's flowers

I am so spoiled but I do love flowers.  Erik, Shanelle and boys came by and gave us a yummy pudding tht I had never tasted and it was so good.  We loved seeing them.  We learned that Parker will continue his mission in the Oregon, Eugene, mission on June 2nd.  We are so excited for him.  He is a great young man and so yearning to continue his service as a missionary.

Wednesday we tried to figure out how to get back to Direct TV.  We did it but it cost a great deal of cash.  We just couldn't enjoy Dish.  The mall was empty when we went to choose covers for our phone.  People are being careful.  We always wear masks.

People are stopping to enjoy our berm which we did not plant but this spring has taken over with Poppys and Johnny Jump-ups.  They want seeds and we have plenty.  The Snowball bush is so beautiful.

Friday the 15th I had a stress test done on my heart.  It took 4 hours but the results were so good.  I am just old and tired but healthy and can be very active.  Life is great.
Clark  and the kids came by to give us milk and lettuce.  They are so good and help us so much.
Saturday we bought 2 new folding 6' tables for Pine Valley.  Our old one will not fit in Dad's new truck.
Sunday we tried to watch church on Zoom but we could see the families but for some reason had no sound.  We figured it out when it was just about over.  We got all the fun things after the service so it was OK.
Wednesday the 20th.  We cannot camp or take the trailer anyplace without Scott to do all the lifting and packing.  That is a very hard thing to admit but it's just true.  We are so glad his family is going too.  Scott went with Dad to hook up the trailer because the hitch is just too heavy.  The 2 generators we use are really heavy.  It was nice because Scott was able to put a lot of his stuff in the truck and then in the trailer.  It is so nice to have so much room.  We took Camden his birthday card and Parker a card with a little money in case he needs it to settle in his new assignment.
Friday Scott and Beth left when they got up and ready.  Dad had a cardiologist appointment with Dr. Hwang at 8 and we planned to leave around 8:30.  Dr. Hwang doesn't mess around and is very thorough and fast.  After waiting for an hour and a half I called Dad.  The doctor was called in an emergency and was an hour late.  He found something he didn't like on the recording of Dad's pace maker.  He was worried tht some wires had come loose so he had an Xray ordered.  They found some unusual happenings yesterday morning at 9.  He studied it and Dad left.  We were then on our way.  After awhile Dad informed me he didn't tell the doctor he was going camping.  Shocker!
We finally got away at 11:00 and stopped in Beaver for ice cream, the best ever.  A big sign on the door said tht people must wear a mask.  We found 2 other people with masks on and the place was loaded.  No one was on the 6' markers.  We did get cheese and ice cream.  Sorry.

We made it to Pine Valley in time for home-made chicken noodle soup and Navajo Tacos.  So good.

After we pulled in we found that the electricity and water did not work.  Our wonderful camp host came over and gave us a new fuse for the electricity and showed us a broken line for the water pump.  Dad figured a way to join the hoses and we had a pump and everything worked great.

Richard our camp host even got in the trailer and under the sink.  He and his wife were great.

Rowan, Ava, Nixon, Cameron, Lauryn  Ava and Nix thought it was to be a crazy one

the 3

tiny lizards  not fast enough for these kids

This was the girls' find  UGH

close-up
Nixon and one of the Nebeker cousins mad a fort along a stream.

 Saturday, May 23rd, Scott turned 41.  He is a great husband to Bethany and a a wonderful dad for three very fun children.  He loves to do anything that lets him be with his family and extended family.  He is a great painter and always there to help us.  We loved that he joined us camping.

 We had so much fun all day; fishing, climbing, riding bikes on very safe trails, eating, visiting, eating junk, and just having fun.

I was busy every minute.

That afternoon we went to a little hole in the road called Veyo.  It is not far from St. George.  We have never in our lives tasted better pie.  People come from everywhere to get some.  We did our best to get lots.

Our favorites are banana cream, caramel apple and mountain berry.  Yummm!!!
That night we had yummy hamburgers with of course, Dutch Oven Spuds.  Scott and Bethany did the meat and Tiff did the spuds.  It's why we come.  When it started getting dark, Scott put up their portable movie screen and Bethany, a surprise, put up all kinds of Star Wars Decor.  She gave everyone a Star Wars mask to wear

and had an amazing Star Wars cake she had someone bake, topped with Yoda, on the table.  Scott was so happy.  When it got dark people from the Jennings' ward brought chairs and we watched A Star Wars Movie.  It was loud, cold and wonderful.  What a treat.

Camden John Bayles turned 15 Sunday.  We missed that he wasn't camping with us but we know he had a great day.  Shanelle makes sure of that.  He is someone who notices when help is needed and no matter how tired he is he will come to the rescue.  He is very kind and loves about everything.  We love that he and Kolton mow our lawns every week.  They do such a good job.  He is a young man who loves being involved in things at his school and the girls think he is very cute. We agree.  He lives a clean and honest life and we love him so much.
Monday we packed and headed home. 

That is always a hard day because we have to leave everyone.  We had such a great time and did absolutely nothing we didn't want to.  Everyone did all the work and we just enjoyed the beauty of our surroundings.  We could never be with the family like this if everyone, especially Scott, didn't do all the hard lifting and carrying.  We just love being together and hope we can do this with more of our children.  Families are forever and we love each and every one, even the in-laws.
Tuesday was cleaning the trailer, washing clothes, tending the garden and all those things you do when you get home.  Scott came and helped dad dump the lovely bathroom and kitchen lines, put all our heavy things away, and unhook the trailer and park it.  No longer can we do those things but love all the help we get.

Thursday, the 28th Dad did family history most of the day.  He is finding such amazing things.  He found a little girl who had not been sealed to her family but all the other children had.  We can't wait to return to the temple so we can do this work.  Kristin asked him to look for Bayles cemeteries and he is finding names but they have mostly been done.  He loves it when he finds one who was left out and he can reserve the name.  The restored gospel of Jesus Christ is so true and such a blessing in our lives.  We love that we are forever as families.
Friday we got a surprise visit from The Gulls.

Kelsey was a young woman in our Caswell ward on our first mission.  She found a good man in the military in North Carolina (he is from Parowan)and they married in the St. George Temple.  They now have 2 beautiful daughters and we loved having them here for a few hours.  They live in Caswell next to the church building and across the road from her parents.  Her parents live on a huge country side with horses, cows, chickens and whatever.  their home is like a Hallmark movie.  They are such gracious and giving people.
Saturday Clark's family came to put 15 bags of bark around the roses and fruit trees.  There was already some down from last year but it just need a little sprucing up.

They helped in planting all of it.

closest they'll get to a man with the pandemic

A real team of farmers.

We just can't do without the help from our valley families.

                 The end of my Mother's Day flowers, just added a few roses from the yard.
The last day of the month was a perfect Sunday.  We love these family times. Scott conducted and Jalen gave a beautiful testimony after which Dianne gave a wonderful talk.  We were so happy to see her mom and dad with us in that they are staying at Clark's home until David is ready to be home.  His brain surgery went well  and he is healing under the guidance of Dianne and her mother, Patsy.

Again, we are thrilled to have the true restored gospel in our lives.  This pandemic ha been hard but our prophet prepared us for it with his inspiration on every day living.  If we follow the prophet we cannot fail.  We are so grateful to have President Russell M. Nelson in our lives to guide and direct us in everything we do.  We are so grateful for the plan of salvation and that families are forever.  We are so blessed to have these beautiful families forever and to know that we are also sealed to those who came before.  We can endure anything as long as we have our families forever.  We love you all.