HOMECOMING AND BAYLES REUNION

July 21^st was when we spoke in sacrament meeting.  It was a great day.  Our meeting is not until 1:00 and sacrament meeting is last so it didn’t start until 2:45.  There were so many new people in our ward that it will take us forever to learn their names.  We had such a large group of our friends there.  Many were from Timpview.  We had a wonderful showing from our family; even Mark and Kay were there. The only relative I had there was Brent Jones and his wife.  He is Aunt Mariah’s son.  I need to visit her.  We felt our talks went well.  Brent Murray was there.  His parents are special people we have been visiting in Murphy.  He is here on a BYU swim scholarship and was baptized just a month ago.  We are praying for his parents to join.  President and Sister Thomas were also there.  It was so good to see them.  We love them so much.  They were great leaders and friends in the mission field.

After the meeting the kids had an open house for us.  Brent Murray came which made us happy. 

 Our home was full and it was very hot with doors always open so it was extremely hot.  No one seemed to mind.  The refreshments were so tasty and Elder Bayles even made up a pot of boiled peanuts.  I was just so good to be surrounded by friends and family.  When most of the people left and  family had cleaned up we just went out on the patio and visited.  It lasted until 10:00 when we fell into bed.  Tiffani took Dave to the airport in SLC so he could get to Las Vegas and work.

Monday the family went to Seven Peaks all day. 

 We enjoyed the peace and quiet and got so much done.  The family was exhausted when they got home.  The next day they went to SLC and the Aviary.  They said it was so good. 

 We enjoyed another day of quiet and getting things done.  The kids have so much fun together.

making guitars

little Sherlocks

The guitar performance for Granddad.

Pioneer Day we went to Scott and Beth’s for dinner and fireworks.  The kids had o much fun. 

 It was good to be in someone else’s home.

The next day Granddad got the trailer ready and we loaded it and at noon headed for Moab.  Tiffani had made reservations at a KOA there.  It was just Tiff and kids, Krstin’s family and us.  We went to Arches National Park before checking in.  The beauty of that place never ceases to amaze us.  It was hot but so beautiful and magnificent.

the windows

Delicate Arch in the background

Delicate Arch

  The KOA was a nice place to stay for the night.  Kristin’s family stayed in our trailer with us and Tiff’s had a very cute air conditioned cabin.  Snowball, the Cockatiel, was very happy.

  I can’t believe how Tiff travels with that bird.  Actually we fully enjoy him. The girls had a great time with all the lizards and rabbits.

We stopped in Monticello to see the temple.  We always love to go to temples.  It’s very small but so beautiful and the grounds are so filled with flowers.  We also enjoyed the Horse Head on the Blue Mountain.

Can you see the horse's head?

Dad wanted to visit with Aunt Maid so we went to Blanding.  She wasn’t there but we still enjoyed old memories.  The girls loved going to the Patio for lunch and remembering old times.

We then headed back to Monticello and then on to Colorado and the ranch.  We stopped in Cortez to get some groceries and ice.  It was very hot.  Julie’s family was in charge of the dinner and we had a great haystack dinner in a sack.  So fun.  After dinner everyone sat around the trailer and visited.  It’s always good to be with Granddad’s family.  All of his brothers and sisters and spouses are still alive.  They are a wonderful family and I am so proud to be a part of them.  At dark the kids went crawdadding.  This is a Bayles family tradition; even the twins went.  They all went in the back of a few trucks and got back at 11:00, very tired. 

 Lauryn fell in so she was also cold but happy.

Our family was in charge of breakfast.  It was just the few of us to help.  Cathy Cosby came and volunteered which was much appreciated.  We had pancakes, sausage, eggs, orange juice and watermelon.  Everyone seemed to like it.

Kristin’s and Tiffani’s family went to Mesa Verde National Park, which Is across the road and we stayed in camp. 

the mesa viewed from the ranch

the dwellings 

 Uncle Eric came and so the stories flew.  I just love to hear all the tales they tell.  I don’t know how Granny survived in that cowboy family.  One day I will remember to take a tape player and record the stories.  They would make a great book. 

calling the horses

 Mark and Kay’s family had a superb Dutch oven dinner. 

Shucking corn for dinner

 After dinner we had the evening program where each family told a Bayles real life story.

We did the pg riding story .

 Aunt Mikki presented us with a quilt she had made just for us.  I was stunned.  She spent 100 hour in the sewing and 50 hours in the quilting.  It is so beautiful.  We absolutely love it.

After  the program, crawdad cooking began.  We can’t believe how those kids and adults chow down on those ugly things.  This Is their favorite part of the reunion.

fresh

cooking

anyone for crawdads

Clara's catch

I love crawdads

yum

We have decided to finish the reunion on this blog.  We will go ‘till we leave the ranch and then start a new blog.

We had breakfast and testimony meeting at Uncle Lyman’s in that it had rained all night.  Tiffani stayed perfectly dry in her tent with the kids.  The testimony meeting Is always the highlight of the reunion.  This family is so strong in the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.

We still love each other but are still missing our mission.

Thurs. Sept. 20th  We stayed on Lovin's all forenoon reading, etc.  At 2 o'clock P.M. we walked 4 1/2 miles to Stoneville to get our mail but I got disappointed by not getting any.  We got back to Lovin's at 6 0'clock P.M.  We held a meeting and had quite a nice crowd out.

HOME

So fun to get together and work on projecs

July 14 we were sadly released from our mission.  Boy were the tears shed.  It is very hard coming home; harder than leaving.  You know you are coming back when you leave but you just don’t know if you’ll ever see the wonderful people you met again.  It is so hard.  Reporting to the High Council was so filled with mixed emotions.

We went to Scott’s ward at 11:00 to hear him speak.  Wow, we were not prepared for what we heard.  It was so good and right from the scriptures.  He really did a good job.

We then went to our ward but it just wasn’t right not having our name badges on.  We felt very missing something.  It was just a very hard day.

When Tiffani and family got there we had dinner for all--Erik and Scott’s families.  It was a fun evening. Scott put together a car we had forgotten we bought and all the kids built many creative things, especially cars, out of cardboard.  

Bayles Drive-In

The kids all do so well together.  They stayed until after 10:00 and we fell into bed.  We love having family around.

Monday we kept unpacking.  We visited with Dr. Olsen and our eyes have changed very little.  Good news.  We had all the Utah families and Tiff’s over for dinner.  Isn’t that what summer is for?

 When everyone left but Tiff’s family I laid down on the couch with Snowball.  I couldn’t rest because my back hurt.  It finally got so bad I decided to go to bed.  After a short time I asked if dad and Dave would administer to me because I thought I was passing a kidney stone.  It was so painful but the blessing made me relax a bit.  Dad gave me some of his leftover pills and I made it through the night.  I just couldn’t go to the hospital.  I was way too tired and had too much to do.

We saw Dr. Nelson and Dr. Cragun this week.  We are both doing well and dad’s aneurysm hasn’t grown a bit so that is a relief.  He will have a cat scan and I will have an MRI on my shoulder.

We also saw Dr. McKell this week.   We haven’t seen a dentist in 18 months and our teeth are just fine.  Dad needs a crown so we’re good.

The Danny Ouzts family came to visit on the 18^th.  We were so excited to see them.  What a great family and we so enjoyed their home while in Caswell.  We spent the entire day with them and had such an wonderful time.  We showed them Provo, the MTC, the temple, the tabernacle that is going to be a temple, BYU sports areas and student center, and Bridal Veil Falls.  We ate at In-N-Out and Brick Oven.  It was just plain ole fun.

Friday Dad went to the airport to get Kristin and the kids.

July 20^th was our 47^th wedding anniversary.  It seems like we just got married and yet so much has happened.  We have been so blessed with the great family our Father has given us.  We love every one of them so dearly.  The restored Gospel of Jesus Christ is so true and our lives have been completely involved in returning to our Father.  What a wonderful life.  To celebrate we went to Outback for dinner.  We love each other so much.

Thurs.Sept 13th At 9 A.M. Elder Wightman and myself started for Bro. Hall's leaving the other elders asleep.  After getting about half way we went to a "darkey's" and ask the road & she put us on the wrong road and in trying to find the road we met the other Elders.  After wandering thru cow fields & woods for about an hour we succeeded in finding the right  road & we got to Bro. Hall's at 11 A.M.  We stayed there the remainder of the day.  At night we held a meeting & had five darkies out besides the family.