August Heat

August brought us lots of rain. The bad news is Tiffani found out she has breast cancer. What a blow for the entire family. It hit us pretty hard, but Tiffani has such faith. She will win this and be even better. We are all praying for her.

Thursday Dad interviewed with our new Orem Temple Presidency. This is our new temple to attend. Right after that we went up the canyon for a First Purpose picnic dinner. It is always so good and we like the spirit that is always there.                            

This is our Fall décor. We all love Mickey Mouse.

Troy Hulse came bringing fish fossils for Jalen. They are amazing, but we are afraid to mail them because they are so fragile. We will work on that.

Sunday, August 5th, we had a family fast for our Tiffani to give her our love with her news of cancer. Tiffani mentioned that she felt so much love because she had never had people fast specifically for her.  We know that God is with her. We are so humbled to be in a family where everyone is on the same page and praying together for blessings. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is so true and wonderful. We can always pray to Him for guidance.

    

Ashley worked with their little ones to make cards for Tiffani. Tears were shed by many. She is so thoughtful.

Our garden is growing so beautifully. Blessings from above.

Wednesday was a very hard day. I didn't get up until 10:00, watered some flowers, and napped until noon. I am so blessed that I can just rest when this happens.

Thursday we gathered many cucumbers and gave them all away. We love doing that.

On August 13th, Cameron flew to Vegas to be with Tiffani. She needed to have the family together.

The 14th George got up at 2:00 a.m. to water our garden because he didn’t want anything in the garden to wilt or die. He got it finished in time to load the car, wait for the Seamons, and head for Idaho to attend all six temples there. We were so excited. We left at 9:30 and remembered that a temple in Burley, Idaho was being built. It was so fun to see the work being done on a new temple. It is going to be beautiful. 

Next we drove to Boise where my only sister lives. First we checked into our hotel (because we didn’t want to bother her with us). She has had a bad fall and a concussion so she must be careful. Her home is amazing. It is on a private drive and every home has a pond or a river. She has an acre and a huge home with everything you could wish for. She deserves it. She has been a blessing to me my entire life. She helped and treated me like she was my mother. I love her so much. She insisted on taking us to dinner.  She made us feel so at home and we loved the atmosphere in her home. We went to Olive Garden and had such a fun time. She treated Ruth and Max as if they were part of our family. Before she left, she handed me a beautiful, handmade bag with a gift certificate and a $100 dollar bill in it. She has always been a special sister.

                                                              river by the yard on the left

    

                                                                    frog pond  

                                                               pond in the back yard

                                                     

We got up the next morning, the 15th, ate breakfast and drove to the Boise Temple. It is so beautiful. We did the 9:00 a.m. session. Every temple is so different and has such beautiful art work and people. 

When we were finished, we realized we had time to go to the Meridian Temple earlier than we had planned. We changed our appointment and drove the short distance. It was so different from the others, but with the same healing spirit. It had architecture with a feeling of Egypt. So different. We loved it. We made it to the 12:00 session. We are so blessed to be able to travel with these wonderful friends and experience this time together.

This also gave us time to drive to the motel in Twin Falls and check in at the Best Western  We were not hungry so we had delicious pie and ice cream for dinner. My brother, Delbert, and sister, Karen, were born here. Albion Normal School was where my parents went to college. Many of the towns were familiar to me because my parents talked about them and we visited them when we traveled. 

Again, we were  able to get an earlier session - this time in the Pocatello Temple. Like the others, this temple was so beautiful and filled with the spirit of our Savior. Each temple was so different and yet so special with everything just perfect. This temple was no exception. 

The next temple is one of my favorites because when I was a student at BYU, my roommate was Dee Ann Ralphs and we were very close. She taught me so much about life, work, school, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. After we were gone, she married in the Idaho Falls Temple. I was able to go to her wedding. It was my favorite because people always asked me to sing the music "Temple By the River" and it meant so much to me. I was excited to be there again. We got to Idaho Falls with time to check in and take a walk along the river. It is so beautiful and the falls go a long way along the walkway. It is beautiful. We stayed at the Best Western Driftwood Inn. We walked along the falls.

We sat and rested on this horse.

It was beautiful to see the temple across the river

The next morning we got up and went to the temple.  It was just like it was like many years ago.  We started in the chapel and moved to all the rooms which we don't see any more. Every room was so beautiful and painted beautifully with such art. It again was perfect.

It was only 30 minutes to the Rexburg Temple and I also love that place because that is where Tiffani, our daughter, was on a basketball scholarship. Clark, Erik, and Scott also went there. That is where Clark and Erik found their wives. It is a special place for us. There was not a temple there when they were there. (I need to explain that Clark met and married his first wife Teresia) here, but she died five months later, losing their first child.)

Again, we realized we could catch an earlier session. Tiffani later graduated when it had become BYU Idaho, after she had three children. She did this because she wanted her children to know how important it was to have a degree. We stayed at the America Inn by Wyndham.

On the 18th, after having gone to all the temples in Idaho, Ruth, Max, and George found an antique store in Idaho Falls on the way home. Shocker!! It was three stories high and huge. They love antiquing. We absolutely love doing anything with them. We laugh way too much. George bought some LP records and we don’t even have a record player.

It was a marvelous five days and we have so many good memories especially in those different temples. We got home at 6:00 p.m., so tired and filled with such special memories. The temples are very sacred and we are so blessed to be able to share this experience together.

Aug. 19, Dad picked so much food from our garden. We were surprised. After that, he worked on his talk for Sunday.  He was asked to speak with our high councilman. 

I did the laundry and a little hummingbird came to visit with me. He flew right in front of my face. It was exhilarating. We have become quite the friends.  

At 4:00 the Seamons came to ride with us to Clearfield, Utah, for the 80th birthday of Mike Barrett. We served with him and his wife in the Palmyra Temple a few years ago. He was so surprised. It was a great party and his son-in-law showed us his 1925 Roadster, in perfect shape. He even invited us to sit in it while he took pictures. He drives it around town all the time honking and waving. He is amazing. It is used often and he shares it with friends.  

The next day, Dad gave a wonderful talk on tithes and offerings. He focused on offerings and how every thing we do for the building of the Kingdom of God is an offering and acceptable to our Heavenly Father.

Monday, he again picked tomatoes from this beautiful garden.

These are jut a few of the hundreds of nectarines we gave to neighbors.

We love these Hibiscus flowers in our yard.

Tuesday, we were asked if we would share our sealing session with the missionaries. It was amazing. The Brethren want the missionaries to feel what the temple ordinances are about. The Spirit is so strong in these sessions. Some of the elders and sisters are fully clothed in their temple robes. They serve as proxy for sons and daughters. Others are just in white. They are the witnesses. Now when they teach investigators, they can teach about the "final ordinance" of the temple sealing.

That afternoon, we went to visit Nixon for his 12th birthday. He is such a loving young man and excels in everything he does. He has certainly grown taller and is so loving and fun. He gets great support from his family and is so loved. He won the trophy for most improved player at the championship game.                                          

Wednesday the 23rd, we had so many huge tomatoes, we delivered to 15 homes. The families get so excited over the fresh tomatoes that are so juicy and full of flavor. This time, I just rang the bell and left them on the porch.  

At 11:15 a.m., we finally had an appointment with our dermatologist. He said the marks on our legs are not cancerous and he wants to see them get smaller so he doesn’t have to dig in our legs. I have had these marks since June and George since July. We think they are spider bites, but we'll see.

August 26th, Lily, Clark, and Dianne came by so Lily could say goodbye on her way to Southern Utah University in Cedar City. She is so ready and so scared. She will be just fine and have a wonderful experience. She is an amazing girl and a friend to everyone. She loves our Savior and her family. She has been taught by loving parents and extended families.

Proud Grammy and Granddad

Granddad is having a hard time with this one

 Loving Parents

New Digs

At the same time, Tiffani and the girls were headed here for the weekend. They may have passed each other as they passed on the highway. Tiff and the girls were coming to celebrate the wedding of a dear, lifelong friend. The girls grew up with her in Vegas and have many fond memories. They went back the following day. Cameron was happy to see them and his friends at the reception.

The next day they went to church with us. Elder Darley was the speaker because he just returned from his mission in Guatemala. After church, they took quick naps, ate dinner, and then headed home, taking their dog, Titan with them. Cameron came to enjoy dinner with us. It was so good to have the Jennings with us. We always enjoy them. They left with a huge box of tomatoes and other things from our garden plus a huge bag of nectarines.

The 28th was Erik Durham’s 48th birthday. He is such a magnet with the youth. He loves them and they and their parents love him also. We are always running into people who ask if we know him. We are proud to say, “Yes, he is our son.” He is a good father and husband, and together he and Shanelle have raised some fine young men who love the Lord and their family.

We have spent several days taking people nectarines. The girls even helped us when they were here. We just put a bag on the door, ring the doorbell, and go back to the car for the next house. It is so much fun. The twins call it "ding dong dash"We also take them tomatoes, zucchini, and other things. We are so blessed to have such a beautiful, large garden in our backyard.

The 30th was a hard day because neither of us could sleep the night before so we were very tired. George worked all morning on putting nectarines in the blender and making pucks out of them. He washes, cuts, and then blends them in our blender. He then pours the sauce into tiny rubber round or square things and puts them on trays in our freezer. After they harden, he puts them in baggies. In the winter, he uses them to make a healthy drink. What a man!

The last day of this month we spent the morning in the Payson Temple. It was wonderful and filled with the spirit. When we got home, Clark was there wanting Dad to help him hook up our trailer so they could go to Cedar City for Jonny’s race. We love that we can help him.

This has been another busy month filled with wonderful times and adventures. We continue to love our missionaries. They are serving so diligently and with such love for the people. It is amazing to watch their growth and love for our Savior. They will be such a help to others when they return. We love the letters they send telling of their love for this work.

Dinner

 I just fell in love with this little girl.