There are Signs of Spring

It seems like it has been a long time coming, but we do see some miniscule buds on the trees around our place. The crows have returned and we have even seen a robin. Although it was below freezing when we got up yesterday it did warm up to 45 before the day was over.

I spoke at the baptism of these two girls. One was a child of record baptism the other a convert baptism. It was a priviledge to get to do that. I gave the talk on baptism. It was a great experience and fun to see the kingdom grow by two more.

Right now we have over 20 people scheduled for baptism. We are praying that they will all make it. We do seem to have a lot of people cancel their baptisms. I guess it is no different from other places, but it seems like here they have such a difficult time choosing to live the commandments. I know seeds are being planted and these young people are being trained to be leaders of the Church. We see changes in the lives of the missionaries and the investigators daily.
There is a lot of adversity here as I am sure there is everywhere. But we have had some very choice people join the Church and they are becoming the stalwarts of this area.

We had a big get together at the mission home for lunch on the last transfers day. It was a big transfer, the biggest we have had so far. Many missionaries changing positions and areas, four missionaries going home. Some came off of Newfoundland and new ones went on to Newfoundland. We are having to sell eight mission cars so that makes some areas walking areas or car share areas.

We took a drive out to Eastern Passage again, it was quite cold, but fun to see the ocean again. This time we just walked along the boardwalk, most of the shops were closed. I look forward to spring when they will all open again.

ON THE BOARDWALK

I can hardly wait until it gets warm enough to get out and see some of this beautiful place. We do keep venturing out a little once in a while. This was a great outing. Nova Scotia is so diverse and there is so much to see. From the metropolitan area of Halifax to the quaint fishing villages. Many parts of the area look and feel like San Francisco. Of course we have the sea air all the time. There are so many trees (if they are leafed out) that sometimes you can't even see the houses or the city from the freeway.

This is one of the many (I mean many) frozen lakes. It just looks like a lake, but that is a frozen lake. All the swirls and what looks likes ripples are solid ice. It is one that we pass everyday going to and from the office. There are lots of peddle boats, canoes, jet skis and other boats including power boats on these lakes in the summer. We saw several boats of race teams practicing the other day. You know the kind that you see in the Olympics. This picture was taken a couple months ago and it has warmed up some since then so the ice has melted now. This mission is turning out not only to be an adventure in service, but in learning so much and experiencing so many different things. We have seen things that we had not seen before. Just walking through the stores is an experience in itself. The gospel is true.

Tulip Time

After spending three years on a mission on Temple Square, tulips became part of our lives. Just as soon as they started coming up in the spring we would walk through the plaza at the Church Office Building just to watch their progress every morning and then take strolls through the tulips on our lunch break. I always liked tulips, never grew them, didn't know much about them. Now I grow them, love them and can hardly wait for them to make their appearance in early spring. I didn't know before how many kinds there are, now I am noticing that it is a LOT. I am not studying them, just enjoying them. They have become one of life's simple pleasures to me. They make me smile. They make me happy. One fun thing that we have done is to go to Thanksgiving Point after the season is over and buy the bulbs that they have taken out of the ground. You have no idea what kind of tulip they are and it is so fun to watch when they come up which ones you ended up with. We have ended up with some really pretty ones, heck they are all pretty ones.

Lois on a beautiful mission

Tulips in the snow

Michael with the tulips on Temple Square

The rest of these are our very own tulips, growing in our front yard. I am so excited that so many came up this year and are doing so good. I stand at the window first thing in the morning and watch the sun come up over the mountains and shine on my tulips. I just love my tulips and hope to add more this fall when bulb planting time comes around.

Yes, this is a tulip too,------------------- Purple tulips by the front porch

I had no idea we had these

I love these pink ones

This lone yellow one is so pretty


Brilliant orange too

The inside of a tulip

I knew spring would come

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

Although our official release date doesn't come until the 17th of October, the Temple Department gave us a wonderful farewell luncheon yesterday. It was so nice, a special event to top off our three years of serving in the Temple Department, a dream come true. Donny and Christi surprised us by showing up to take part in the celebration. It was so neat to have them there. We were so thankful for their support. It was difficult saying good bye to all the great people we have met and served with. We have learned so much and are so thankful for the safety we have had. Rarely does a day go by that there aren't several accidents on the freeway and we have had some really close calls. It is not easy getting up at 5:00am and commuting in the snow and rain. Then walking from the Conference Center to the Church Office Building. It is a breeze and beautiful in the spring, but winter is another story, but we would not trade it for the world.

These two pictures of us are with our companion couple. Joyce and Chris Layton, what a wonderful couple to serve with and spend three years with, in close quarters.

Some dear friends we have met and served with

And with an angel to lend her support and a big thank you to all of you for your support.

Since our official release date is the 17th we have decided to have an Open House that evening. We have never really retired, we went from running the business and working in the Fresno Temple to serving a three year mission, so now we are going to celebrate with our neighbors in Stone Hollow and some from the ward.

I could never begin to tell you how much this mission has meant to us, so I guess I won't even try. I know we were prepared for this for a long time. I know that the Fresno Temple was a big part of that. My gratitude is just so overwhelming sometimes. It will be exciting to see what happens from here. We still have a two year mission in our future, I am just sure. It will be a little while before we do that, but we are excited and eager for the opportunity. We love you all, thank you for your encouragement. Time to take a little time for ourselves.
Well, if you can call going to the temple more often, doing our genealogy and digitizing our journals, working on our pictures, home and visiting teaching, serving in our ward, working out at the fitness center, serving at the Humanitarian Center, etc. as taking some time. You know what I mean, you all have full lives. We send our love to one and all.

Camping II

Here I am back with camping again. I guess I just have to do it, because we loved it so much and it brings back so many happy memories.
I forgot in my previous camping blog to mention the clock. Yes, a clock was always hung on one of the trees. I didn’t like to wear a watch camping, but I always wanted to know what time it was. In some of the following pictures you will see the ever present “clock on a tree”.
Most of the pictures in this part were taken on a special camping trip to take Lisa and Jared camping one more time before Jared left for his mission. We had a beautiful camp site in Dorabella campground at Shaver Lake in California. Of course we set up everything to make it truly our own. Dorabella is where we camped most while the kids grew up. It was only about 45 minutes from home.
This time we rented a wave runner, played many games, talked a lot, hiked, had lots of great food. There was always a lot of laughter while camping. We often did camp crafts. Seems like everyone has a better attitude at camp. Even the "chores" don't seem so unpleasant. Gathering firewood, hauling water, doing the dishes, sweeping the ground cloths, straightening the tent, cooking, all of those things just were part of the camping experience. Didn't seem like work at all. We went for quiet night walks and could see all the campers preparing for the night or sitting by their campfires. And oh those stars, so many and so bright up there in the mountains. We would often see shooting stars, what a thrill. I still long for it now and then.

Michael - Lisa _ Jared

Notice the "clock on a tree"
Dorabella Campground site

Lois and Michael, this time a woman driver

Biking in Yosemite

Girl's Camp, this time a "clock on a shed"

Me & some of my Laurels

I just had to add this last picture. This was the last year that I went to Girl's Camp in California. These are the cooks, joined by our Priesthood Leader doing our skit, danced to the words. "Get out in that kitchen and rattle those pots and pans" It was great fun and a wonderful topper for all my Girl's Camp years there. Well, maybe not so wonderful when a group of last year laurel's "brigade" attacked us with water hoses almost in the middle of the night and in the kitchen of the lodge. And not so wonderful when we found a rattle snake in camp right by the lodge where we slept. The snake was on a rock right by the head of one of my Laurel's (Krista Gage). It was wonderful that Lisa was at this year of camp with me. Not so wonderful that she was part of the water brigade and we won't mention that I was the one who started it all with a can of whipping cream. Well, maybe just a couple more pictures.

1982

Abt 1995
Frances Ashcraft, Sharon Holden (my niece), Margo Loftus, Lois Tanner, Becky Jackson


As the sun sets and we get snuggled in our beds, the camp cooks will say good night.

Camping

Camping has been an important part of my life. I love everything about it. I have been told that the first time I really camped out I was about 18 months old. We have taken some grandkids younger than that. I have so many fond memories of all the camping experiences since then. From camping with my family as a child, to Girl Scout camp, to camping with my own family, with friends, and with extended family. After I joined the Church and became a camp cook and a camp counselor, my camping experiences only multiplied, many times over. The camp fires, sleeping outside under the stars or in a tent it is all good. I can smell the campfire as I type this. Climbing rocks, climbing trees (in my younger days), playing games, having “treasure hunts”, renting wave runners. Camping in the mountains and on the beach. Camping by a river or by a stream. Swimming in the lake or floating around in a rubber boat. Water skiing for years. Making S’mores, foil dinners, hot chocolate, Jiffy Pop that always burned, baked potatoes and roasted corn in the coals. And oh those breakfasts, what could be better than eggs and bacon on an open campfire. Baking biscuits in a Dutch oven. Orange crates hanging on the trees for kitchen “cabinets”, an orange crate hung on a tree with a mirror above it for our “medicine” cabinet, and another crate sitting on the ground with a wash basin on top of it for our sink, a roll of paper towels with a stick through the hole and some twine tied to it to hang from the tree or one of the crates. A first aid kit nailed to a tree hanging close by. A hammock strung between two trees. A ground cloth for the door of the tent, sewn out of old Levi’s. A huge bandana quilt the backing made with fabric I got at an auction was what they made ponchos out of during the Viet Nam war and the quilt top was made from many brightly colored bandanas. Another very big ground cloth made from fabric sample books that I got from a store that was getting rid of them. Heavy drapery material samples, carpet samples, etc. It was heavy, but we used it for years to cover the dusty area of the camp site. No wonder I have won some of the ward campouts “Best Camp Site” awards. No trailers or RV’s for us. It was us and nature. Wood gathering hikes, and pine cone gathering were part of the very fun experience. No refrigerators, just ice chests under the trees or in the dome tent “kitchen”. Long restful evenings spent talking by the camp fire. Playing Pit one night so loud that the neighboring camp came over to quiet down the kids that were keeping the rest of the campers within hearing range awake, only to find out it was the “grown ups” more than the kids. The table always had to have an “oil cloth” table cloth and fresh wild flowers. A fast food restaurant type napkin holder (so they wouldn’t blow away). Early in the morning listening to the squirrels getting into our “stuff” that we had neglected to put away the night before. And I could never forget to mention the camouflage parachute that I pulled out of the neighbor’s trash can one time (with permission). We used it for years after that to build “walls” around our camp site. Surprising how big a parachute is and how cozy and private your camp becomes. With the other side being a clothes line, with swim suits and towels hanging, always at the ready. I don’t think this blog has enough space to tell of all our wonderful special memories of camping. Except there might be a couple of our kids that didn’t think the bugs were such a wonderful experience, but so many other things made up for that. Would I like to go and sleep on the ground now? I think I just might.

Cooking - important--------------- More cooking

Yes, bikes sometimes---- Family Camp cooks- Me & Mom

Nap time

More food - Girl's Camp

Manti

The California Coast

Girl's Camp cooks

Girl's Camp - hand in candy jar

Now, this is the way to camp

Where there's smoke there's fire, right?

Illness, What a Pain!

The past couple months (actually many months) have really been a pain, literally. To spare everybody all the ugly details I will just say we have not been to our mission in a while and I have missed many Church meetings, plus other activities and simply not leaving the house. The diagnosis is Chronic colitis. I have never known much about that before. Now I know more than I want to. I still have a couple doctors appointments to go. It evidently takes quite some time to recover, if at all. We are doing everything we can to try and get this under control. It has been a long, painful drawn out experience. I have thus far avoided surgery. I finally was able to go to Salt Lake City yesterday and spend about a half day in the Temple Department. We even stopped to see Mom on the way home. I am grateful for the progress. Shows you what a blessing, fasting and much prayer can do. Not to mention the probiotics, proper diet and a lot of loving care from Michael and phone calls of encouragment from the kids. I am happy to say I am at least taking the first steps on the road to recovery. Thank you family for your support.

Father's Day

It turned out to be such a nice day. I was not able to attend Church because of this strange illness of mine. More about that later. Sunday evening Donny and Christi and the kids brought dinner for Michael and Donny for Father's Day. It was great and we had such a nice evening. The weather was perfect and we sat outside on the deck just at dusk. I felt such peace and love and comfort. This has been an especially tough couple months for me. With busy schedules and such active grandkids we don't get to spend as much time as we would like just being together. So it makes it so special when we can just slow down and enjoy each other. I don't think it should have to take a special appointed day to recognize our father's and husbands, but I guess it is good that we have one, so that we will take that time to reflect on our love for them and their sacrifices for the family. We have a group of mighty fine men in this family and I am so thankful for all of them.

Christi & Lois

Donny & Michael

Looking Back

Just a quick look back.
High School graduation and Wedding Day