The Musings of a Mother

I can't believe it. Richard turns 30 today! He was born about 8:00 pm on a Wednesday night. I had toxemia for the second time and wasn't dilating even with the PIT going. (Oh that is wicked stuff!) His heart rate started going down and my kidneys had quit functioning (I could tell because they insert a catheter to monitor my urine after administering the magnesium sulfate which they gave to prevent seizures.) My B/P was also going up higher. So they decided to take him C-Section. Since I had had toxemia with Kim eight years before, the doctor explained that I would probably have it with the next one too and that we needed to think about a tubal ligation to prevent anymore pregnancies. I had had a stroke when Kim was almost three weeks old secondary to the toxemia that I had had while carrying him. Hence the eight years between Kim and Richard. My sweetheart had told me that he'd rather have me to help raise the four we had than to have five to raise alone. But I had always felt that our family wasn't complete. I remember Kim saying he felt the same way and he remembered setting the table for seven instead of six and we weren't expecting company. As soon as I held Richard in my arms I felt that our family was complete. I would be very surprised when I get on the other side if I found out that I was to have had more. I just know that I had agreed to have these five children. My first three were so close (Bryan lacked seven weeks of being three, Michael was only 20 months old when Karen was born [he would have been 21 months in three days].) Then Kim came along 2 1/2 years later. So Bryan was 13, Michael 12, Karen 10 and Kim 8 when Richard was born. We all enjoyed him so much. Bryan and Richard were very close until Bryan left on his mission. He went to BYU for nine months before then too. It was neat to watch Bryan and his little brother and how they interacted. I remember Michael saying to me before Richard was born, "I suppose we are going to have to change his diapers too." I explained that it was entirely up to him whether or not he changed the baby's diapers but he must remember that that was when one played with the baby and got to know him and he know you was when you changed him. I don't remember Michael ever changing Richard when he was little. But I do remember Bryan doing it often. Thus they were very close. Michael and Richard didn't get close until Richard graduated from high school. They are still very close. However, with Richard living in Phoenix it is hard for him to be close to any of his siblings at this time. =) The year Richard was born Bryan was on split sessions because of the building of the new Bonneville high school. RS was on Wednesday morning then. I would leave Richard home with Bryan and be home by 11:30 so Bryan could catch the bus at noon for school. This one day, it was spring and fairly warm so Richard would have been five months old or so, I had gone to RS and came back and the back door was open but no Bryan. Richard was in his crib lying there cooing and perfectly happy. I went down stairs and still no Bryan. I was really puzzled. Then the phone rang. It was Bryan. He said that Richard had been asleep so he was outside on the driveway shooting baskets and his math teacher drove up and wanted to know if he wanted to go early to practice for the upcoming math meet that was on Friday. He said, "I didn't even think about Richard. I just tossed the basketball down stairs and left." He apologized. I could tell he felt really bad. I told him that Richard was okay and I determined that it had been only about ten minutes or so until I had arrived home since he had left. It was an adjustment for all of us to get used to a little baby again. But he brought so much joy into our lives that it wasn't hard to adjust. By the time he was in fourth grade he was the only child at home. So I got to know him a little better in some ways. I had a special relationship with each of my children but I had more time with just Richard. I didn't have much one on one time with each of the others (which I wish I had realized how important it was to make that one on one time with each one of them.) I was so close to Richard while he was the only one home that when he was a sopohmore in high school I would think about his only having two years left at home and then it would just be my sweetheart and me there. It actually frightened me as well as saddened me. But with his being active in debate and going on over night trips to debate tournaments etc. his junior and senior year he weaned himself away gradually and I was okay once he graduated. After Karl became a custodian and was gone every Friday afternoon, during his sophomore year those Fridays were our special time together. We would order in Pizza or go to Wendy's to eat supper and watch something special on TV or play games. I really enjoyed those times with him. During his last two years I was just home alone on Friday nights. But that did help me to get used to not having him around (when he moved out to live with Michael & Tanya for a while) after he graduated from high school. Some people have asked if Richard were an "after thought" since there were so many years between him and Kim. I'd say, "No, the first one and last one were planned." I remember making him a t-shirt with "My Friend" stamped on it advertizing The Children's Friend. I think that was when it went from The Children's Friend to just The Friend. I remember someone asking him who his friend was and he replied, "My mom". That made me feel so good. I enjoyed making many shirts for him. I remember feeling like we were on the same "wave lenght" often. One Christmas, I think his junior year, after opening our gifts and Karl going back to rest (he had doubled back the afternoon before after getting off work about 7:30 am he had to be back by 4:00 pm). Richard and I were playing the game Mastermind. He had just put his colors in his slots and and the phone rang. He went to answer it. It was one of his friends (Chad I think) and while he talked I tried to guess which colors he had put in. When he came back he accused me of peeking. I hadn't but it was the first time on those colors and I had them all right and in the right order! I later found out that I couldn't be a successful Mr. X when he was playing because I couldn't "hide" from him. He knew how I tho't! Needless to say I am very thankful that he was born and is a member of our forever family. I love him very much as well as his wife and children. My life wouldn't be as rich as it is without them in it. (Needless to say that I feel the same way about all of my children and their sweethearts and their children.)

This is another cute family picture of the Richard W. Robinson family. Emma, 5, Téa, Elena,4, Richard, Ephraim, 15 months, Duncan, 9 and Cheanna, 7.

Everyone but me at the Mesa Temple Grounds with decorated trees in the background. Karl, Téa, Richard, Elena, Emma, Duncan, Cheanna & Ephraim

Some or the decorations at Mesa Temple Grounds

Decorating Christmas Cookies
Cheanna, Richard, Emma, GrandmaR, Duncan, Ephraim, Elena

The Rest of our Trip

Now to finish telling about our trip to Phoenix and our visit with Richard, Téa and children. On Saturday I played Mouse Trap with the children. Since there were only four game pieces to move, Duncan used one of his little Star Wars characters. When Cheanna saw that she, had to use one too, so we actually had one left over. It is like shoots and ladders in that there are some squares that can make you start over and start over and start over. They both can last forever! We all played shoots and ladders the day before. In the Mouse Trap game you build a mouse trap as you move along the board. It is an ingenious game. The “funnest” part was building the trap. It has stop signs, a rubber band, a bath tub, a diver, two steel balls and a chrank…. It would be really neat if it worked after it was assembled. As you move around the board you eventually get to the cheese wheel. There you have to keep going around and around until you are caught. The last one caught wins the game. In this cheese wheel there is a square that says, “turn the crank”. That is the only time that the crank can be turned. Emma was really upset when she had to move to a “safe” spot. It took me a little bit to realize that she wanted to be the first one caught. We finally all got under the trap and turned the wheel (like I said, it could go on forever and lunch was ready) and turned the crank. It didn’t work. The shoe couldn’t kick hard enough to do what it was supposed to do and the ramps weren’t lined up right so we helped it along. It was fun while it lasted. I enjoyed playing the games with the children. Duncan at first didn’t want to play Friday with the shoots and ladders game but I’d like to think that he wanted to play because I was playing. If it were just his sisters, I don’t think he would have succumbed. It was really more fun when all of us were playing. That night Richard and Téa took us to an ice cream parlor where every day they make all of their ice cream (31 flavors, I think,…many of them anyway) and treated us to a dish ice cream of our choice. I had the mint (green mint) with a Heath bar chopped up in it. I only had a child’s portion and it was plenty for me. Karl also had the child’s portion of Pecan Praline. Each of us had a different one. Then we left to go see the temple lights in Mesa. As I said before, we had to use two vans. It’s a good thing Richard and Téa had their cell phones. As we were merrily traveling along, Richard called and said that Ephraim was really upset and he couldn’t get him to stop crying. He’d drunk his milk in his sippy cup and would pull over and see if he could get him settled down. So we pulled off the freeway and started circling down town waiting for the verdict. Richard called back after about five minutes or so and said that Ephraim just wouldn’t settle down. So we bagged our trip and headed home. We were glad we hadn’t gotten any further than we did. They gave Ephraim some children’s Tylenol and some symethicone drops in case he has gas bothering him. His cry was like he was in pain. He soon went to sleep beside Richard on the couch. Shortly after we arrived home, their friends the Roberts called and said they had found some Christmas lights that Téa wanted to get for the outside trees. They had been at Sears and they were on special, buy one get one free so they got some for them. They said to come on over. So we visited with them for and hour and a half or two. They are Kurt, Adriene, David who is 9, Samantha, who is 6 and Alison who is 4. They and Richard and Téa’s children are best friends. After they left, Richard and Téa got their Christmas stuff out and started to set it up. Many of their lights didn’t work and after messing around with them for quite a while Richard just left and went to Wal-Mart to get some more lights. The tree remained bare all thro’ Sunday. But that’s OK. Sunday was plenty busy as it was. Their meetings don’t start until 1:30 which is even later than ours! I had time to get my shower and get all ready and curl my hair and Cheanna’s hair, and Emma’s hair and Elena’s hair. They all looked so pretty with their hair all curled. They seemed to feel pretty too. Cheanna especially seemed to feel beautiful. She acted like she felt beautiful. We enjoyed church with them. Sacrament meeting was a couple who apparently hasn’t lived in the ward that long spoke to us. Sunday School and Relief Society were also interesting. I didn’t realize that Daniel was the only book in the Old Testament that wasn’t written in Hebrew until Brother Stucki told us. I couldn’t help but wonder if he had relatives up here. Stucki is a very local name. The sister who gave the lesson in RS was also very good. She had been on a mission and had such a sweet spirit about her. We went home had delicious leftovers from Thanksgiving for dinner. Then we went to Mesa to see the Christmas lights. Ephraim was OK that night. The Temple grounds were just beautiful all lit up with many different colored lights. Even lights in the palm trees. They had the Nativity scene and the scene with the shepherds and the sheep a quarter of a block away or so. In another part of the grounds they had Isaiah, the prophet and had a recording telling of his prophecies of the Saviors birth. A little ways further they had a figure of Mary on a donkey and Joseph leading her as they traveled to Bethlehem. Almost all of the trees were lit with lights, the trunks as well as the branches. I hadn’t seen trees decorated that way before. We also visited the Visitors Center and went thro’ the room that had Nativity scenes from all over the world. There was some very beautiful ones. We went to the presentation where two sister missionaries spoke of our Savior, Jesus Christ and His mission on earth and His love for each of us. One sister, Sister Millburn, said she was from Centerville, UT. I wondered if she knew Sharon & Ralph Cutler, my cousin and her husband, and their children. When I asked her she got so excited. “They’re in my ward!” she said. She told us that she knew all of them. The other sister, Sister Hayes was from Kuna, ID over by Boise. It was neat speaking with each of them afterwards. We then went to a film of the Savior’s birth. The people in the film were speaking Hebrew. As we went in a sister sitting on the same row as Cheanna, Ephraim and I were asked what part of Idaho we were from. When I told her, she said her parents lived in Rigby. These are indications that it really is a small world after all. I’m so thankful that Richard and Téa took us there. It was a wonderful experience.

On Monday we knew that Roberts were coming over that night for supper and to play games. So we pitched in and helped clean up. Richard and Karl worked outside and cleaned up the patio and cleaned out the black widow spiders so Ephraim could play out there again. I helped by helping to pick up the family room and washing the French door windows and putting the sticky plastic of the Nativity scene on it. Cheanna helped me too. It was fun working together. I had to admire Téa the way she has her children organized in helping her clean. It was her job to supervise and advise as Cheanna, Emma and Elena did the vacuuming. And supervising Duncan in cleaning up his bedroom. It was a full time job just doing the supervison. She has one upright vacuum and two small canister vacuums. Cheanna used the upright and Emma and Elena used the two small ones to go around the edges, the walls and couches etc. It was very effective that way. Téa worked on the living room while Cheanna and I did the French door and Nativity scene there. Earlier in the day Téa helped the children put together a cardboard version of the Nativity scene while Richard put their large Nativity set on top of the piano. It is a perfect place for it and looks perfect there. They even have a star for it. I told them they’d have to move the piano bench somewhere else so Ephraim wasn’t tempted to climb up on the piano. I think he would attempt to climb anything anywhere. And he’s fearless. Then we got the food ready. That took a while too. The Roberts got there between 7:00 and 7:30 PM. We ate then played The Great Dalmuti (the six adults) while the children had fun playing together. It was a lot of fun. We all enjoyed it. It was 11:00 by the time the Roberts left. After which I pulled out the Reader’s Digest Christmas Book that Richard requested that we bring. We spent about 30 minutes or so singing songs from there. Duncan, Cheanna, Karl and Richard sang while I played. I was able to sit there that long. The longest yet for many years. We all enjoyed it. We found Bonatali that Richard remembered from his childhood. We did it two or three times. It was a song that we had on a tape by Nat King Cole. After we were thro’ there Richard said that if we weren’t too tired that he wanted to show us their Karioke game that Téa’s mother had given them when they updated theirs. We enjoyed listening to each of the children sing and Richard sang a couple of songs too. He really does have a very nice voice. I think each of the children will be singers too. It was after 1:00 before we headed for bed that last night. I woke up at 5:10 the next morning and lay in until 7:00 or so When I got up and got my shower and we finished packing. I had time to fix my protein drink and drink it before we left. The Super shuttle was to pick us up at 10:25. He was right on time. We were able to tell Richard good bye before he left for work. Téa was also up and Duncan and Ephraim. Elena woke up shortly before we left. Duncan said, “I want to spend time with you and do something with you before you leave but I don’t know what to do.” I told him I didn’t either. So I asked him about his Cub Scouts. He told me about the boat regalia that they had. I found it very interesting. My boys didn’t do that particular thing. It was fun talking to him. He is working on his Bear now and seems to be doing quite well in Cub Scouts. He said he had just received his Wolf with the arrow points and beads last month. It sounded like he had quite a few arrow points. We had told Emma and Cheanna goodbye before we went to bed the night before. It took only 30 minutes to get to the airport that day. We checked our luggage at the curb which went very smoothly. Our plane was to be 15 minutes late. It actually was closer to 1:00 when we finally took off. We still got to SLC about 2:10. We were supposed to land at 2:04 so we still had plenty of time to catch our 3:00 Salt Lake Express Shuttle to IF. While we were waiting for our plane, we had overheard a woman from Pocatello talking on her cell phone and learned that Pockey had gotten 4” of snow the night before. I didn’t look forward to the cold. While waiting for the shuttle, I met a young woman who had been on the same plane and was riding the shuttle to Rexburg. I visited with quite a few young people both going and coming who went to BYU-Idaho. I enjoyed visiting with them. We arrived in IF at 7:00. I had called Michele and told her that we were late getting in as we were leaving Pocatello because I didn’t want Brian to have to sit there and wait. (A young woman across the isle from me graciously let me use her cell phone. It turned out she was also on the same plane and going up to BYU-I.) He was there by 7:15. I waited inside the Fairfield Inn…the wind was sooo cold. I just had my blue jacket which is good for 40 degrees but with the wind chill I’m sure it was in the teens. It has been hard this past week to even go outside but I’ve put on my cuddleduds (long underwear) and my winter coat and have gone. It was good to be home.

I’m thankful to Richard and Téa for putting us up (and putting up with us) for a week and for the good time they showed us. I so enjoyed being with them and the children. I’m thankful that my health is so improved that I can and could do the things that I did. nd going up to BYU-I.) He was there by 7:15. I waited inside the Fairfield Inn…the wind was sooo cold. I just had my blue jacket which is good for 40 degrees but with the wind chill I’m sure it was in the teens. It has been hard this past week to even go outside but I’ve put on my cudleduds (long underwear) and my winter coat and have gone. It was good to be home.

Our Phoenix Trip

We left home November 21 by 8:00 AM; our neighbor, Brian Hatch took us and our luggage over to Fairfield Inn to meet the Salt Lake Express Shuttle to ride to the SLC Airport. We were there by 12:30. We waited about an hour for the plane after getting thro' security and checking our luggage and everything. We used the kiosk this time and just typed in our ticket numbers and it printed our boarding passes and it took no time at all. It was great! My sweetheart had to go back and check my "carryon" bag because it had my shampoo, toothpaste (he put his tooth past in mine too.) and hair spray in it. Those things can no longer be in the carry on luggage. It was actually much easier for me to get around the airport and on board that way. I'll have to think about that for next time. The advantage of having the carry on luggage is you have what you need with you. Otherwise it might get sidetracked or lost as it did when we flew down to Santa Maria, CA when Chris was baptized. The plane took off on time, at around 2:50 PM. We arrived in Phoenix on time at around 4:30 PM. We had to wait about 15 minutes for the Super Shuttle to take us to Richard & Téa's. Our driver, Al was very helpful to everyone. It took us about an hour to leave the airport because he had to stop at all the other terminals and helped two different batches of people to find out where they were going. At first I resented all the time he was taking but then I decided, I'd rather have a nice, helpful guy driving me (which he really was) rather than someone who didn't care about anyone but himself. We got to Richard's and Téa's at around 6:30 PM. It was very dark by the time we got there. Richard was even home from Flagstaff (had been for about 40 minutes or so.) by the time we got there. It took almost an hour from the time we left the airport to get there because the traffic was so bad. (On the contrary it took 30 minutes to get back to the airport the next Tuesday morning.) It was so good to see everyone. We got a warm welcome and hugs from everyone. Ephraim was asleep tho' so we didn't get to greet him until later. He didn't take to me as readily as he did last April but he did to Karl. That was OK. After a couple of days he came to me tho' and let me play my games with him. He liked "mousey, mousey" better than "This little piggy...." this time. It was the other way around in April. I got him to laugh a few times and of course I enjoyed that. On Wednesday afternoon they took us to the Science Center Museum that Téa has featured on her blog a few times. It really is very interesting even for adults (they can learn things too) but especially for the children. We stayed there from 1:30 or so until it closed at 5:00 PM. I'm glad I got to see the things in person. It really was interesting. Téa made pies and I made the cranberry apple salad and Richard was doing something for the dinner the next day too, but I can't remember what. We then watched Peter Pan, the one with the people, not animated. The children really enjoyed it. Richard fell asleep after about 20 minutes. He said he enjoyed what he saw. He must have needed the rest tho'. Because we weren't quiet nor the show quiet while we were watching it. I helped Richard fix the Creme Burlée French toast for the next morning before going to bed. They are night owls around there....children and all. Most of the nights Karl and I were the first to go to bed. And it was late for us. They read to their children before they go to bed...They have different books for Duncan, and Cheanna and Emma and Elena. Karl and I read to them quite a bit too. They love books and I enjoyed reading to them. Richard handed me a book by Suzanne Collins called Gregor the Overlander that he had read to Duncan. I was able to finish it while we were there. I also read Christmas Jars by Jason Wright. They were both good. I think Nathaniel and Collin both would enjoy the Gregor books. She has three or four others about Gregor out now too but I got to only read the one. Richard was home all of the days we were there. It was really fun and enjoyable doing things with him and his family. Richard and Duncan taught Karl and me to play Magic that first night.

Téa wasn’t feeling too well Thanksgiving Day morning so took it easy. I’m thankful that I felt well enough to help Richard fix dinner. I actually stayed standing longer than I have done for a long time. With some walking around some too. We had turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy (Cheanna, Emma and I peeled them), sweet potatoes, (Karl peeled them and cut them up), cranberry, apple and marshmallow salad, dressing, butternut squash, and a veggie plate. It was all delicious. We had pie later on that evening…pumpkin, pear and a pumpkin and cheese cake pie. They were all delicious. Richard, Téa, Duncan, Karl and I played the Great Dalmudi that evening too. It was a lot of fun.

On Friday afternoon Richard, Karl, Duncan and Emma went to the Stake Center to help take down the set for the Christmas production that the stake did the week before. Richard participated in it. Téa, Cheanna, Elena, Ephraim and I stayed home. We started to bake cookies so they could be decorated. We had done the first batch when one of Téa’s friends called and wanted to know if she could go out on a “girls’ night out” with two of her friends. She called Richard and talked with him then asked me if I would feel comfortable with the children till Richard and the others got back home. I told her that would be fine. I continued baking the cookies with Cheanna and Elena. I wondered if Ephraim would be OK but he was. I just played with him for a few minutes then we worked on the cookies again. By the time Richard and the others got home we had one batch decorated and the next batch in the oven. Duncan, Richard andEmma helped Cheanna, Elena and me to decorate the second batch. We had fun doing that. After we were thro’ and had some supper, we watched Man from Snowy River with Kirk Douglas. Richard and the children really seemed to enjoy it. Téa came home while we were watching it. She looked much better and rejuvenated. I’m glad she has Tamara and Adriene for her friends with whom she can go out and get away. Where she home teaches her children, she needs to be able to “escape” sometimes and have some “me” time. Richard is very understand with that also.
That is the first four days of our trip. I’ll finish the rest tomorrow.

The Richard W. Robinson Family November 26, 2006

Gift From the Sea

Ward Relief Society meet to discuss some of the books we have read. Last Thursday we discussed Gift of the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. She is the wife of Charles A. Lindbergh. It is a commentary on the feelings of women. She explained in the forward that at first she tho’t she was the only one who felt this way but in discussing it with other women, she found that many, maybe even most, women feel this way. I’m a little better than half way thro’ it right now. So far my favorite chapter is called Moon Shell. She talks of walking along the beach and finding sea shells and she compares the different chambers in them to her life or our lives. She explained in the Moon Shell chapter how giving a woman is. She gives to her husband, her children, her friends and how she needs to be to be alone sometimes to replenish herself. She didn’t mention how when having toddlers it is difficult to even go to the bathroom alone not to mention having some “space” to her self but she gave the same idea in a different way. She mentioned how much easier it is to give of oneself when one has been replenished by reading, writing, or meditating, being alone for even a short time, and how difficult it is to continue to give when one can’t do those things. I really identify with her and her feelings. All of us there could. They mentioned those feelings there but I couldn’t really identify with them at that time because I hadn’t read it yet. As I read it, I tho’t, “Wow! She really explained the way I remember feeling.” Now that my sweet husband has retired and we now spend a lot of time together, he can’t seem to understand why I like to go to my nail appointment or haircut appointment by myself or somewhere else I may need or want to go without him. He calls it our “independent time”. Only he does it with disdain almost, not really understanding. Maybe I’ll encourage him to read that chapter because Anne explains it so much better than I ever could. The chapter I’m reading now is about marriage and togetherness and the love that evolves or matures in a marriage after the “romantic” love has gone. It is very good also. She has much insight. This book was published in 1955 when a woman was still an extension of her husband more or less and not really an individual as we have come to look upon ourselves now days. I wasn’t really anyone but Karl’s wife and my children’s mother until I got my nursing degree. Now I’m not saying that a woman must have a career in order to be an individual instead of and extension of someone else. That is just what it took for me. I was so shy as a child (still am sometimes in certain circumstances) and had such an inferiority complex that it took doing something like that….getting my nursing degree with having four small children and a husband to take care of too….to really find myself and be able to say, “I can do that….” I am really glad I am reading this book. I will finish it today.

Historical Day

Today we attended our first Regional conference via satellite. It was even on the KIDK news last night. It stated that 66 stakes would meet with the Regional conference, each in its own Stake Center. Today, however Elder Anderson stated that 76 stakes were meeting in Southeast Idaho. Later President Faust mentioned the 76 stakes in Southeast Idaho and Western Wyoming. So my guess is 66 stakes in SE Idaho and 10 stakes from Western Wyoming. I don't think I am off more than a stake or two each way. It was a delightful conference. Elder Neil L. Anderson is one of the seven Presidents of the Seventy and is over the Stakes in SE Idaho and Western Wyoming too I guess. He spoke, then Sister Bonnie D. Parken spoke, then Elder Dallen H. Oaks spoke. Then President James E. Faust spoke. We adjourned at 11:40 so it was a little shorter than most conferences but still very good. Each of the speakers told of their tie to Idaho. Elder Anderson was reared in the Cubbuck area and graduated from Highland High School in Pocatello. Sister Parkins grandparents lived in Coltman in our stake and helped settle that area. I guess her mother grew up there. I couldn't help but wonder if she were a cousin once or twice reoved to Susan Butikofer (Sister Parkin's mother's maiden name) who went to nursing school with me. She said her mother would always break into song And Here We Have Idaho winning her way to fame.... as they crossed the boarder of Idaho and Utah on their way to visit their grandparents. Elder Oaks stated that he grew up in the Twin Falls area until 1940 when his father died and his mother moved back to Utah to be near her family. He said that his mother always broke into song And Here We Have Idaho as they were traveling up here also to visit family. President Faust stated that he felt left out because he had never lived in Idaho. But had come up to Island Park to visit and Uncle and Aunt who had a home there. But he had eaten many many lovely Idaho potatoes. Elder Anderson told of his experiences in Brazil as an area authority down there and of one time when he met with one of the mission presidents there in Brazil how excited this mission president was because they were getting five new missionaries that week and three of them were from Idaho. He said that Idaho young men and young women have a reputation of knowing how to work and work hard. Elder Oaks stated he liked to claim his Idaho routes especailly when the work ethic of the Idaho missionaries was discussed. He was more light hearted and we saw him smile more than I ever have seen him before. He had some very good counsel but he was so relaxed and at ease as he gave it. He stated that there were four short things that a man should tell his wife every day: 1. I love you. 2. I'm sorry. 3. Yes, Dear and 4. We can't afford it. Both he and Elder Anderson as well as Pres. Faust spoke on unnecessary debt and to be watchful and don't go there. He said it isn't right to pay for February's food with July's paycheck. Pres. Faust said that the brethren have always stated that we shouldn't go into debt for anything but a home or education and maybe a car. "And," he said, "I haven't heard any of the prophets say anything different." Elder Oakes also stated that more and more young men and young women are arriving at the MTC with tatttoos. He said,
"Leave the tattoos alone!" Sister Parkin talked about her time with her husband as mission presidents in England. She stated what she always told the missionaries at General Conference time and then later challenged us to do the same four things: 1. Listen to or read intently the messages of the brethren and sisters who speak to us. 2. With the help of the Holy Ghost pick out an area that you can improve upon that was spoken of. 3. Live that principal for the next six months. and 4. Report how living that principal has changed our lives.

They all bore their testimonies of the Divinity of the Savior and His love for us. It was such a good conference and left me with such a good feeling. We were sitting on the front row on the west side of the chapel. We got there about 9:20 to get a good seat in the chapel. As President Batt, our stake president, came down off the stand he came over and shook hands with each of us. He looked at my sweetheart and asked how we were doing. Karl said, "I'm doing OK and she's doing better all the time." Then President Batt asked if we had tho't of going on one of those stay at home missions at the Family History Center. Karl said, "Or the Temple Visitor's Center?" And President Batt replied, No the Family History Center." Karl said, "I don't know how to do that." And President Batt said, "They will teach you and you can work on your own ancestors when there isn't someone else there to be helping." My heart sang! I have been thinking and praying that maybe we could do something like that and would the Lord please let us know if we could serve and where He would want us to serve." I, after I collected my tho'ts caught up to President Batt and told him that what he said was an answer to my prayers. And he said, "The tho'ts just came to me and to ask you." I am even more sure that that was an answer to my prayers. So now I am praying when the Lord wants us to speak to the bishop and turn in our papers etc. I had been praying that we could do it around tithing settlement time. That isn't really that far away. Probably less than a month. I'm being released from being the building scheduler next week and so neither will have any callings other than as visiting and home teachers. And with a home mission, altho' I don't know for sure, we could still continue doing those things. My heart is singing right now and I am happy!

A Correction

I just checked again on the IGI and Rebecca Ellis sealing to her parents has been done in 1995 in the IFalls Temple. But the other two were not listed, so we will take care of them. I'm trying to get a hold of Lois Anderson, Karl's cousin who lives in Springfield to see if she wants me to send her the card for the sealing of her mother to her parents or if she wants us to do it. I've been trying for a week now and she hasn't returned my call. I will try again right now.

What Else I've Been Up to Doing

Over the past month I have discovered the Family History Center. Let me tell what led to this. In 1999 Bryan & Sandy lived in Albequrque and while they lived there Sandy's ward calling was working in the Family History Center. They sent our daughter Karen some pink and blue cards for people that needed their temple work done. Some of them it turned out were duplicates of ones my sister Mildred had sent to me and that my husband and I did. Anyway, Karen set them aside and a couple of years ago gave them to me. At that time I went thro' them and went onto the IGI and found out that all the work had been done except for the work for Johanes Rufener, my 3rd or 4th great grandfather on my father's side. It had been cleared. I set them aside and didn't think any more about it until about a month ago. Since my health has improved greatly, I have been thinking that I need to go to the family history center and get some work done there and see what needs to be done. My sweetheart has been tutoring first graders and helping them read. He has done it other years but didn't last year because he was never called. They had been calling him every year since he first volunteered. Well, he saw Mrs. Sherry Marineau at the DI one day last summer (she was volunteering there) and she asked why he hadn't come back to Tiebreaker Elementary School to help her with her students. He explained that he waited for the call and since it hadn't come he found other things to do. They exchanged phone numbers and she said she would call him if she needed him. She called when school had been in session for only two or three weeks. He has been going every Monday and Wednesday morning for approx. an hour each time. He is working with three first grade boys right now. Deigo, Julio and Nathan. Deigo is a delight. Julio and Nathan have to be reminded to keep on track. So it can be challenging and sometimes stressful for him. But he enjoys it on the most part. Anyway, four weeks ago as I just before I fell sound asleep (I am more susceptable with the Spirit when I'm in what I call the "twight zone") the tho't came to me that I could go to the FHC after he left for Tiebreaker. The reason I have to wait for him to leave is: he parks his car behind mine in the driveway. I cannot drive his '79 Buick because it has a bench seat and is very difficult to move and my legs aren't long enough to reach the pedals. It is very difficult for me to even back it out of the driveway. This way it would already be moved and I wouldn't have to ask him to move it. So I went the next morning after Karl left. That day I relearned how to get on the IGI on my home computer. (It had been so long since I had done it that I forgot that it could be accessed at home.) So that week I spent time going back and forth between the IGI and my own PAF and getting more names and data. I soon found out that Johanes Rufener's work was still only CEARED. That it had never been done. I remember thinking, "I wonder why it hasn't been done yet. It has been years since it was cleared. The next morning when I was in the "twightlight zone" the Spirit whispered to me, "The reason why Johanes Rufener's work has only been cleared on not done is because you are holding the card." Wow! That woke me up. I had written cleared on the card in each of the squares and also his wife's name, Anna. I wondered if we could still use the card with it written on. I asked one of the officiators at the temple the next time we were there and he said yes, to bring it in and they have both blue and pink "whiteout" that they can use or they could just issue a new card. I told him the situation about my experience and he said, "Sister, he is probably the one who has been prompting you to get his work done." To which I replied, "I wouldn't be a bit surprised to find that was the case."

Anyway, I have gone to the FHC each week except for the weekend we went to Utah to see our chidren and grandchildren and my mother. (Incidently, that was a most enjoyable experience. I am sooo glad we went.) I have gone thro' by PAF and "cleaned" it up, took out abbreviations to states and approximated birth dates or marriage dates where it was needed. It turns out that if you have a birthdate and no marriage date but a spouses name, you can add 21 years to the birthdate and put abt before it. For the birth date if you have a marriage date you can subtract 21 years and put abt before it. I spent my spare time for four nights doing that. The next time I went to the FHC I was able to put my PAF with both my side and my husband's side of the family (I may eventually put them in separate files when I get to working more on them.)thro' temple ready. I found 119 individuals who need ordinances done. With Johanes Rufener that is 120 individuals. Some of them need baptisms, confirmation, initiatory and endowments, others need sealing to spouses and still others need only sealed to parents. I found a 4th great grandmother on my mother's side that hasn't been sealed to her parents. All other work and her siblings were sealed but she wasn't. I also found that my mother-in-law's grandfather wasn't sealed to his parents altho' his other work had been done and his siblings had been done and all the work had been done vicariously. Also a sister of my father-in-law was not sealed to her parents. That was a unique situation where their father was a member of the RLDS church and his work wasn't done until after his death. None of his chidren were baptized until after his death. My father-in-law was 22 years old when he was baptized. Anyway, Aunt Fern was already married at that time and she wasn't active in the church at that time. I checked on the IGI for those things and they weren't there.

Anyway, Karen is YMMIA president in her ward and she asked if they could do the baptisms on the 29th of this month. Then Karl and I and others, my mother and brother have volunteered to help with the work too as well as Karen and Kent and Shani and Jon. All of our children live close to a temple so they could all help with it. I have found this very exciting and rewarding. I think I have caught the bug and will go to the FHC often. I'll have to start on research from now on. I am back in the 1700's and some of them the 1600's even on the Wendel side. The people there at the FHC have told me that the church only lets us go back to the 1600's for right now. That is good enough.

My New Favorite Hymn

I mentioned right after General Conference that I have a new favorite hymn. It is Come unto Him # 114 in the hymn book. I was touched by both the words and the melody when the Tabernacle Choir sang it in general conference, then our ward chorister chose it to sing the very next Sunday. I was so touched by it I couldn't even sing all of the words.....just read them and listen to them as the rest sang it.

Here are the words:

I wander through the still of night,
When solitude is ev'rywhere--
Alone beneath the starrylight,
And yet I know that God is there.

I kneel upon the grass and pray;
An answer comes without a voice.
It takes my burden all away A
And makes my aching heart rejoice.

When I am filled with strong desire
And ask a boon of him, I see
No miracle of living fire,
But what I ask flows into me.

And when the tempest rages high
I feel no arm around me thrust,
But ev'ry strom goes rolling by
When I repose in Him my trust.

It matters not what may befall,
What thrat'ning hand hangs over me;
He is my rampart through it all,
My refuge from mine enenmy.

Come unto him all ye depressed,
Ye erring souls whose eyes are dim,
Ye weary ones who long for rest.
Come unto Him! Come unto Him!

The words touch my soul even as I type them now. I can feel His loving arms around me as I type them. (And as far as I know, I am not in crises here now.) It feels so comforting.

Hello again!

It has been a long time since I have added to this blog; since I've been able to add to it. All right I could have done it a week ago....but....Anyway, it all started about a month ago when I started having trouble with my Outlook e-mail. I would see messages come in and then immediately leave and not be able to read them. I called my "computer tech" son and had him help me defragment my computer (it hadn't been done since I got it in June). But first I called DELL and tried to see if they could help me. Each time I call DELL I get India. Sometimes I get someone who can speak English well but most of the time I have to listen very hard to understand the person on the other end. Anyway, I was told I had to buy a service for $239 before they could do anything at all to help me. I told them that I had just purchased my computer and that it was still under warrenty. The woman said that that didn't make any difference that I would have to purchase that agreement for the stated price before she could do anything at all to help me. (What I should have done is just hung up and called Kim.) I then gave her permission to control my computer by remote and she went thro' everything. She couldn't really find anything wrong. I don't know if that is why I couldn't get into this sight or the defragmenting part. Anyway, after those two things I was no longer able to get on. It was very frustrating to say the least. So I called my two computer savvy daughters-in-law and set up a gmail account. I think I will really enjoy that. When I was in the process of doing that, I had trouble getting online because of Teton Wireless, my server. Kim finally said, "Why don't you just go Qwest and be done with it. You've had nothing but trouble with Teton Wireless and you have not got the service you have been paying for!" That was true. I would have gone Qwest went I first left dial-up except my phone lines were too noisy." When Karen went Qwest broadband, I tho't, "If Karen can get Qwest out where she is, I should be able to also!" So I called and I could. So I've been toying with the idea for a few months. Anyway, I called Qwest on October 30. They said they could have the modem to me by Thursday, November 2. It was here when we got back from the temple. I started Friday morning to set it up. My first problem became evident when I found out that I need to plug my computer directly into the phone jack. Since the phone jack is across a 19 ft. long room, I needed to go get a longer ethernet cord. We first went to Wal-mart and all they had was a 50 ft. cord. We figured that a 25 ft. cord would be ample. So we then went to Circuit City and got a 25 ft. cord for almost as much as it would have cost to get the 50 ft. at Wal-Mart. When we got home and got it strung out, it wasn't long enough!. I hadn't tho't about the fact that it takes more length when you have to go around and behind things. So we went back to Circuit City and found out that they did have a 50 ft. cord but it would have cost over $40 and we could get it at Wal-Mart for $24. Just a dollar more than what we had paid for the 24 ft. one there. So we got our money back and went back to Wal-Mart and got the 50 ft. cord they had. We got home and got it finally strung and put together and It wouldn't work. The little screen said that it wasn't hooked up right. I was soooo frustrated. The literature that came with the modem said that it would be easy!! So I called Karen and explained that she'd have to e-mail everyone and explain that I wouldn't be able to be on the family chat Sunday. I had called Qwest twice for additional help. One techI tho't told me I didn't need filters on my other phones. (It turned out that I needed filters on all the phones except for the one plugged into the modem since it already had a filter.) Another one told me that I would need the filters but I would need an additional phone line set up. Anyway, Karen explained that she only had one phone line and everything worked out for her. She said, "Call Jon (her son-in-law) and see if he could come and help; he put mine in." That was the answer. I had momentarily forgotten that Shani and Jon and Macie had moved into their new house and now lived here in IF and that he also had a degree in computers. Since he had helped me transfer all my stuff from my old computer to my new one, I tho't it strange I hadn't tho't of that before. (I had more than once wished that Kim lived here so I could ask him to come over to help.) So I did call Jon. They came over Saturday evening and got it all set up for me. After I talked to Karen that Friday evening, I was totally exhausted. I hadn't stopped to go to my exercise class or work out or anything. I felt like I had walked at least two miles or more tho'. So I was finally set. I had my g-mail set up thanks to Tanya and Téa and had my broadband thanks to Jon. And I was able to participate on the family chat. We were all six of us on for a short time for a change. It was sooo good to be able to chat with everyone and learn what all has been going on in their lives. I am content. (For the moment anyway.)

It's Now October!

I just loved General Conference! it was so nice to be able to sit in my own home in my recliner chair and listen to conference. And I did stay awake. Thro' all of the sessions. The messages were all so timely. It was so nice to see our prophet President Gordon B. Hinckley and see him looking so good. I love to hear him talk and my heart within me burns as I listen to his messages. The Spirit bore witness to me that these men are prophets of God and what they were saying was truth as I listened to them. I literally felt spiritually fed. Elder Shane Bowen's talk was interesting in that we had walked around that Freeman Park just this past summer. It was close to a two mile walk from where we parked. It is truely a beautiful park. However, I did not know that it was built on a landfill. I didn't know that the airport was either. I enjoyed Elder Dallin H. Oaks talk as well as his brother's. I also enjoyed Elder Holland's talk. I tho't it was very fitting as the last major talk of the conference. I really enjoyed all of the given talks. They all had something to say to me. They strethened my testimony and made me want to become a better person. Now that my health is improving and has improved I'm looking for ways to serve others more instead of being served. I'm praying the Lord will let me know just what he wants me to do. We do go to the temple weekly. And we could go to the Family History Center but we haven't gotten there yet. I'm coming down with a cold today so will take it easy but I hope to find something soon.

I wish you enough

My grandson, Bryce, sent me a story awhile ago about a mother and grown daughter saying goodbye at an airport and they said to each other, "I wish you enough." The tho'ts were different than these but I really liked these too. I found them as I was cleaning off my desk at one time a while ago.

May you have
Enough happiness to keep you sweet
Enough sorrow to keep you strong
Enough hope to keep yo happy
Enough failure to keep you humble
Enough success to keep you eager
Enough friends to give you comfort
Enough wealth to meet your needs
Enough enthusiasm to look forward
Enough faith to banish depression
Enough determination to make each day better than yesterday.


I tho't this had some good tho'ts so wanted to post it.

The one after this (it will appear after this one since I blogged it first) I tho't I'd add what my sweetheart wrote for his mother for her 90th birthday last Saturday. That's why I posted it.

What Karl wrote in honor of his mother

MY MOTHER FROM AN ADULT SON’S VIEW POINT


I’ve always felt I was blessed to be born to the best mother and father I could have had on this earth. My mother has been and is dedicated to be supportive and understanding, showing or feeling empathy whether things are gong difficultly or well. She helped out like a good farmer’s wife and was appreciative of Daddy’s hard work and desire to please her and make her laugh. She was able to instill or encourage her sons to do their best to help Daddy and achieve their personal goals. She was seldom critical, but supportive in her children’s and Daddy’s choices. I remember when Daddy broke up the ground south of the ranch house and we and Mom gathered up the sagebrush in piles to burn. That was team work.

My work ethic was inspired by my father, who loved horses and was appreciative of nature and enjoyed growing crops and of course battled against weeds and varmints (squirrels, badgers, mice, certain birds). And in so many ways enjoyed being who he was--- never afraid to fix things and to make use of machinery. He grew up depending on physical strength, taking good care of horses and being friendly and helpful. Only three or four men got on his bad side…stinkers…Don Clegg and Ben Comish to name two. He enjoyed teaching his boys how to do things and seldom criticized except to say “one boy is a boy, two boys is half a boy and three boys is no boy at all.” He believed in Scouting, “Be prepared” “Do it well” in so many ways. My mother worried a lot and also was able to laugh and see the lighter side of things and always had good advice when asked for her opinion.

From my own experience of being a husband and father I know I am blessed with the best woman and daughter of God I’ve ever met. We make a good team and I admire the loving nature of her as mother and she is appreciative and patient as well---most of the time--- and able to tolerate my idiosyncrasies. She appreciates my talents and efforts to please and serve and visa versa---much like my own mother and father did. Music has been a good common ground and source of peace of mind, inspiration and a way to enjoy and get past hard times.

I have enjoyed my relationship with Mom and Renée both in the sense---that they can tolerate my teasing nature to a point. I am so impressed with the enduring and patient nature of mothers for that is one of the best ways I know to gain insight into how much Our Father in Heaven loves us and wants us to feel good about ourselves. It helps a man realize the importance of serving and appreciating life….and the children we are blessed with because of their endowment and desire to be mothers. My concept of self-worth as a spirit child is enhanced through being husband and father as well as son and brother. I know God loves me because of the parents, my wife and children---with whom I am blessed---their love and example.

Afton Robinson's 90th

AFTON RING CHRISTENSEN ROBINSON

Afton Ring Christensen was born September 25, 1916 at her parents home in Central, Idaho. She was the oldest daughter, second child of John Erastus and Helga (whom her husband called Connie) Ring Christensen. Her older brother Lyman was 13 months old at the time. She eventually had two sisters and three other brothers making a total of seven children. During her childhood years she lived there in Central, then they moved to Banida, ID, then Provo, then Ogden, UT, then back to Central for high school. She went at least two years high school right there in Central. The last two years of high school she lived the school year with two different families during the school year since there were no buses and it was too far to walk in the winter. She did graduate from Grace High School in 1934. She met Frederick Roland Robinson at a dance in Grace. They were married January 6, 1937. They moved a two room house down in front of the location of their present home from Central. Dad built onto the house adding the kitchen and bedroom and a room for the indoor bathroom and back utility porch. But they lived in just the two rooms until after Gene was born. Gene was born in the “bedroom” which is now the living room where the piano and TV now are. After that he built a basement behind the house and then he and others moved the whole house over the basement. Mom states it was done in February and it didn’t storm and it was a miracle they were able to move the whole thing without it breaking in two. Mom said that when they finally got their indoor bathroom, the very first night all four boys were so excited that they took a bath all four of them together. (Imagine how big it must have looked after using a galvanized tub for baths.) Karl was 10, Gene 8, Stan 4 and Paul a year old at that time. Their first baby was born, September 30, the same year they were married. The only baby to come early. He was what is called a “honeymoon baby”. His name was Karl Frederick Robinson. Gene Roland Robinson was born June 13, 1939. Their third son Stanley John Robinson was born June 11, 1943. Their fourth son Paul was their first baby to have been born in a hospital. He was born July 7, 1946. Their only daughter Jewel was born January 24, 1950. Then their two “cabooses” as they called them, Kent Joseph Lee Robinson and Fred David Robinson were born May 2, 1955 and November 24, 1956 respectively. Mom was a stay-at-home mom. She stayed at home out helping in the fields. She always had a large garden that Dad made sure was plowed and ready for planting but then she planted it and weeded it and harvested and canned the harvest herself with the help of some of her sons. During the years she worked in all of the auxiliaries of the Church. She was Relief Society Secretary for five years, Stake Primary Secretary for nine years. (I first met her the first of April 1962 when she was in SLC for the General Primary meeting before General Conference. Karl and I went up from Provo where we were attending BYU to meet her.) She also worked as Sunday School Secretary and teacher as well as teaching in the YWMIA. I remember her going to the temple with Dad after he retired from farm work at least twice a week and they would do three sessions each time they went. I remember her telling me that at one time the Stake President when he shook her hand told her that she and Dad had done more temple work than any one else in the stake that year. She still goes at least once a week (except when it’s closed) and does three sessions each time. She has worked in the extraction center since 1980…for 26 years.. She is still a faithful Relief Society Visiting Teacher. . Many of us have received yarn doilies that she has crochet for us and everyone of her great-grand children have received a towel made by here. Her great-great grand daughter received one too. She has 35 grandchildren and 86 great-grandchildren and one great-great granddaughter.

I was at first writing this to go into the Caribou Sun in honor of Grandma Robinson's 90th birthday. I read it to Paul and he tho't it sounded too much like an obiturary and was too long and asked if I could shorten it. So I shortened it to the following:

The children and as many grandchildren as can be there will meet in Logan at Golden Corral on September 23rd to celebrate Afton Ring Christensen Robinson’s 90th birthday. She was born in Central, Idaho on September 25, 1916 and spent most of her young life there. She married Frederick Roland Robinson on January 6, 1937 in the Salt Lake Temple. She had six sons, Karl (Renee) of Idaho Falls, ID; Gene (Dot) of Sandy, UT; Stan (Kathy)of Roy, UT; Paul (ElDene) of Soda Springs; ID, Kent of Salt Lake City, UT and Fred (Debbie) of Medford, OR; and one daughter, Jewel (Gary) of Ogden, UT. She has 35 grandchildren and 86 great grandchildren and one great-great-granddaughter.

The funny thing about it was when Grandma saw it in the paper she mentioned to my husband..."it was kind of short wasn't it?" So he and I both told her why it was so short and I read the above to her and those who could hear or listen at the gathering last Saturday.

Karl and I left about 10:40 Saturday morning to drive to Karen's and Kent's in Blackfoot. They and Kylie and Shandel and Macie and we left about 11:20 to go to Logan to meet others at the Golden Corral there to help Mom celebrate her 90th birthday. It was Karl's brother, Paul's idea to have everyone sign a paper and parents to sign for those who were to young to sign for themselves. There were 85 or so names on that paper. That was quite a turnout. Out of seven children, six and their sweethearts were there. There were also numberous grandhcildren. She was so pleased that so many came to honor her. She said that she was very glad we did it that way instead of an open house. I told her that if we'd had an open house for her that she wouldn't have been able to visit with those who where there as much as she was able to there. Stan & Kathy and their children made a picture book of all of there children with a small write up about their families and presented it to her. Stan thanked me for the inspiration. He said that the letter I sent out was the inspriation for the idea for doing that. It was very nice. I wished I'd tho't of that for my own children. But I still could put together something like that for her and for my mother too. I saw many neices and nephews and their children whom I haven't seen for a long time. Three of our five children were there with nine of our 20 grandchildren and our great grand daughter too. It was good to see all of them also.

We got back to Blackfoot by 5:20pm and back to IF at 6:45. I was able to watch and listen to the women's conference on KBYU at 8:00. I figure I had the best of both worlds. I was so glad that I was able to hear their messages. And the music was beautiful. The second song that was sung was just beautiful. It was about the Savior's love and how we can be instruments in his hands in serving others. I had never heard it before but it really touched me. The general presidency of the Relief Society gave very good talks. Sister Hughes has the same maiden name as my mother's maiden name (Hurst) but they are not related. Mama said that her brother who lived in England for five years said that Hurst was as common over there as Smith is here. Anne C. Pingree my mother told me just a few months ago is her aunt's, my Grandma Hurst's sister's granddaughter. Cleo Clark was the sister's name. So we are related. A couple of times removed but still related. Our grandmothers were sisters. They all got emotional as they talked. Sister Pingree stated that they were called four years ago. They all gave such good and touching talks. My mother said that she wondered if they were so emotional because they were going to be released this coming weekend. That is certainly possible. Time will tell. And President Hinckley's talk was superb. He does such a good job all the time. His talks are all so personal and special. He makes me thankful to be a woman and a mother in Zion. He just has a way with words. He did look much more tired than I've seen him. He is 96 years old so I imagine with his age and reposibilities that he is tired. I was so thankful that I was able to listen to the conference; I feel that it will help me become a better person.

Our Labor Day Weekend and week

Labor Day Weekend
The first thing we did Saturday was go to Raelynn Johnson’s funeral. She was only 53 years old but had suffered with Multiple Sclerosis for twenty years. She was one sweet lady. All of our children knew her except maybe Richard but he may have known her too because Scott asked after Richard. She had two sons and eight grandchildren. We were glad we went.

Since my birthday was on Sunday this year, my sweet husband took me to see Lake House and then to Sizzler for dinner afterwards the day before on Saturday. The show was recommended by Michael & Tanya. I really enjoyed it. Karl had trouble keeping track of which time it was since it went between 2004 and 2006 all the time. The only part that confused me was at the end. I’m still not sure if it was later 2006 or 2008 then. She told him to wait two years so if he did then it was 2008. Anyway, I’m glad we saw it. We had the Senior Malibu Chicken there at Sizzler with a salad bar added for $1.00. They told me that since I was ordering that I could NOT share my salad bar with him. So I had the salad bar and a little of the chicken and baked potato. When I’d eaten all of the salad bar that I could then he finished it. I only took the one trip to the salad bar. We might be splitting hairs here but they did too. And Karl didn’t have ANY of it until after I’d eaten all I wanted to eat of it. Since it would have been thrown away if I’d just left it we decided it was the same difference if he finished it off.

After church Sunday we came home and ate dinner then left for Grace. Since Apple wasn’t open on Monday because of the holiday and we hadn’t been down there since Memorial Day, we decided it would be good to go and stay until Tuesday. At first Mom said that she would be going to the temple that day leaving at 7:30 am I told her that we could either leave then or lock the door as we left. She then contacted the ladies she goes with and since it didn’t make any difference to them, they decided to wait and go Wednesday instead. So we didn’t leave her place until 1:15 or so. But that’s getting ahead of myself. We arrived there after sundown. About 8:15 or so. (The sun is down before 8:00 now. The days are definitely getting shorter.) Monday morning after breakfast around 10:30 or so Karl went outside to do weeds I assumed. I had bought Ever After with Drew Barrymore at Wal-Mart for $7.50 so Mom and I started watching it. It wasn’t really too far into it that I noticed she had gone to sleep. I went on watching the movie and working on Abbie’s “I’m a Child of God” plaque. I tho’t I heard a knock on the door but wasn’t sure. After a moment I decided I’d better check it out. By the time I got to the door no one was there. But I saw a fire truck going by on the other side of the garage. I looked on the other side of the house and saw another one on the other side of the fence in the track and that the grass was black and smoldering. I tho’t, “Oh, they must be doing a controlled burn.” (Karl really laughed at that later.) I just went in and watched the movie some more. I had noticed a pickup and an ATV in front of the garage but didn’t see any people anywhere. After another 45 minutes or so Karl came in and Mom woke up. We soon learned that Karl had decided to burn a pile of weeds that he had put by the incinerator last May when we were there and to which some dead tree branches had been added by both him and Gene when he was there. He was pulling some weeds near by to add to it and noticed it creeped under the fence into the grass there. He grabbed the shovel and started digging and throwing dirt on it trying to keep it from spreading too far. He had jumped over the fence to try to contain it until he noticed the fire was on both sides of him and knew he didn’t want to be trapped with fire on both sides of him. So he jumped back over the fence and fought it on Mom’s property. Bishop Crae Williams was driving by and stopped to help him. And a young man driving a blue pickup also stopped and helped. The three of them fought it for a while. Bishop Williams asked twice if they should call the fire department. The third time he just took out his cell phone and called them. They had to come from Soda Springs. They were there until 2:30 or 3:00. They said they were having a slow day so they didn’t mind being called out. Karl said that they were very nice about it. Just suggested that he get a burning permit the next time he was planning on doing some burning so they would be aware of it. He would have had to get the burning permit by Friday. We didn’t even think of gong down until Saturday. Later on Karl took me up the hill to see just how far it had burned. It had gone up to the stubble field where Simonsons had planted some wheat and harvested it. They had leased the ground from Mom and paid her a third of the crop. The fire burned right up to the edge of the stubble and just quit. Karl said that he was standing there and watched it stop. I said, “you were blessed. Some one was watching over you.” I asked Karl about much area acre wise was burned and he said about three acres. It was all crab grass, very thick. We walked up the track the next morning and took some pictures.

Wednesday, we celebrated our 44th anniversary. Karl took me to TGI Friday’s. Karen had told us that Shani and Kylie really liked their Jack Daniels Chicken. So we ordered that. I wondered if “Jack Daniels” meant whisky because that is the only thing “Jack Daniels” I had heard of. We asked the waitress and she said she didn’t know what was in it but she really liked it too so we ordered it. After it arrived and we tasted it (the sauce reminded me of Karen’s teriyaki sauce that she put on the left-over chicken the day after our reunion last June) and really liked it we asked the waitress what was in it. She said she would find out for us. Well, low and behold, it has soy sauce, sugar and whiskey in it. (And some spices too because it was quite spicy but she didn’t tell us those) “but the alcohol cooks out” she assured us. We did like it tho’. So I guess the Jack Daniels did mean whiskey. It couldn’t have had very much tho’ because the sauce actually tasted good and whiskey smells terrible and tastes worse. I know because when I was 4 ½ I got the red measles and had a high fever for days and wouldn’t break out. Our neighbor. Mr. Westering, told Mama to give me a shot of whiskey and I’d break out. He went home and got some and I was obedient and drank it. It was the most awful tasting stuff I have ever tasted. I don’t really remember what it tastes like but I do remember that it tasted very bad and that sauce was really good so it couldn’t have had much in it.

Today was Carol Cleverly’s funeral. She died on Labor Day. She and I were visiting teaching companions for at least 12 years maybe more. We saw her first cousin come into activity together. We were her visiting teachers. It was a neat experience. Carol was a very neat and talented lady. She had ARDS---adult respiratory syndrome. That is what eventually killed her. Her lung capacity was less than 10% when she died. I guess she was literally gasping for breath. I was so glad to see her in her temple robes. She hadn’t been thro’ the temple yet for her own endowments when they were divided away from us 6-8 years ago. President Robert Fulks was the speaker. He had been her family’s home teacher for years before we were split up. (He’s now in our ward and is the 2nd counselor in the Stake Presidency.) He read some excerpts that she had written. And her daughter Michelle did too. Michelle read one that she wrote when she stubbed her big toe and really bruised her foot up because she wasn’t wearing shoes. (I can identify with that—only it was my little toe.) President Fulks read excerpts that she had written regarding her testimony of the gospel and the Savior and the plan of salvation. It was so gratifying for me to know that altho’ she hadn’t been well for a few years she had studied the gospel and gotten a stronger testimony of these things. I was very glad to find these things out. I talked to Valene Erickson afterwards and she told me that Carol and Francis hadn’t been sealed yet because Francis is still struggling with cigarettes. But it was her greatest desire to be sealed to Francis. I hope that he can find the strength to be able to quit and be sealed to her for time and all eternity. We have had quite a week.

Two good eyes!

I now have two good eyes! My second cataract surgery went very well. Last Thursday, when I was back to the doctor I found out that the vision in my left eye was 20/25. That was just the day after surgery! The vision in my right eye was still 20/40 or was that again. It was painful, very red and swollen. Dr. Affleck said that I was having a rebound. From the prednisone type drops that I had been putting in my eye for a week and hadn’t put any in since Tuesday night per his order. He told me to use the drops four times a day again thro’ the weekend. I put them in just three times yesterday, two times today and will do it just once tomorrow. I think I will taper off the same way with the left eye too. I’m still getting used to seeing when I first open my eyes in the morning. I still can read without my glasses as long as the sun is up. If it’s cloudy that complicates things but that’s OK.

Last week in church we were told that we would be getting a new bishopric this week. Of course all week, we have been wondering who it would be etc. We found out yesterday. Lamar John is the bishop, Paul Chugg is his first counselor and Todd Havens is his second counselor and Troy Lastle is the executive secretary. Ed Harper was released as executive secretary to Bishop Coombs and immediately put in as a high counselman. He will make a good one.

I had a neat experience yesterday. A couple of them really. As I was curling my hair yesterday morning, the name of Lamar John popped into my mind. My next tho’t was, his health isn’t the best and this particular calling really takes a toll on a man’s health. Then the Spirit whispered to me. But the Lord will sustain him and support him and help him thro’ this. Then the verse in I Nephi 3:7 came to my mind: I will go and do the thing which the Lord has commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.

After we got to church we noticed that all of Lamar and Vernarae’s children were there except for their daughter who lives in Washington. Sherrie had been here visiting for a couple of weeks about a month ago. Two of them had come up from Utah and the other two live around here. I knew then for sure that he would be in the bishopric and would probably be the bishop. He is very humble about it and will make a very good bishop.

After our block of meetings, we had our interviews with the Stake Presidency for our temple recommends. Karl had written my name down when he wrote his so I didn’t have to wait very long to go in. He was thro’ with his before he came and told me that. President Batt is the one who interviewed me. I told him of my experience while curling my hair. He said, “ I’m glad to hear that you have received that reaffirmation from the spirit.” He said that Bishop John would have been called four or five months ago except for the “natural man in me.” He said that he knew of Lamar’s poor health and that he tires very easily and that’s why he was reluctant. But “I went to the Lord and told him I was sorry and would do what he wanted.” He said that as soon as they discussed it as a Stake Presidency that they knew it was right. He also said that Lamar has the same attitude about it: that the Lord will sustain him and help him do it. I also told Bishop John this experience too and he told me he appreciated my telling him. I know he will make a good bishop. It feels good to know that I'm still in tune and worthy of the promptings of the Spirit even in things like this.
I find that having a temple recommend interview is very humbling. When they ask me if I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and that He is the Savior and Redeemer of the World my heart literally burns within me as I answer. The same with the ones about loving the Lord and our Heavenly Father and sustaining President Hinckley as the Prophet of the church and the only one who receives revelation for the world. Our Stake Presidency, all three members have the questions all memorized so that they look you right in the eye as they ask you. I’m sure they could tell if someone were lying. I feel that they are men of God and know that they are called by him. I’m glad to have this experience. I’m also glad that it is only every two years instead of every year.

A Full & Interesting Week

We had quite an interesting week this passed week. Sunday, Téa and the children went to church with us and then we met at the shelter by Falls Valley School for dinner. We took crockpot roast beef with potatoes and carrots, a Jell-o salad, lemonade and butter & apricot jam for rolls that Téa brought. She also brought the cookies for dessert and the plates, cups, utensils and napkins. The children played on the toys there at the school for a while. It was very enjoyable being there with them. Jennifer Baisden, Duncan’s primary teacher, came up to Téa after RS and told her that she really enjoyed having Duncan in her and her husband’s primary class. He asked how old their baby was and told them all about Ephraim. It turns out that their baby will be a year old a week before Duncan’s 9th birthday. He didn’t mention that. Just told them when Ephraim would be a year old on August 26th. I started putting antibiotic drops in my right eye this day in anticipation of my surgery on Wednesday. I wore my contact to church but left it out the rest of the day because I need to put them in four times each day.

On Monday I went to Pilates and then my water class. I told Yvonne that I wouldn’t be there Wednesday or Friday because of the my cataract surgery on Wednesday and a Funeral on Friday. She told me that she would call and put my name on the prayer roll of the temple for me. She is very sweet. She is a very little lady who wouldn’t weigh 90 lbs. soaking wet and has difficulty getting up the steps of the warm pool and Apple Athletic Club so I help her. That’s why I wanted her to know that I wouldn’t be there those two days.

Tuesday we went to our walking class. We were to walk the track at IF High School but they had just resurfaced it in anticipation of school starting tomorrow. So we walked around the outside fence around the track which was a little bigger than the track itself. I went around seven times. I figure I went at least two miles that day. The rest of the day was just laid back. I worked on Abbie’s I’m a Child of God plaque. I’m making good headway on it. I should be able to have it done by her 1st birthday.

Wednesday, I was going to go to the 10:00 water aerobics class but I didn’t wake up soon enough. I had been awake earlier in the wee hours of the morning and then read for 45 minutes or so then went back to sleep. I was to be at the surgery center by 2:00pm for my cataract surgery on my right eye. The surgery went very smoothly. Like Dr. Affleck said my vision was kind of milky until Thursday morning. Then things are so much brighter with my right eye! I need to wear sunglasses now because things are so bright now. I just took it easy the rest of th day. I couldn’t see to embroidery nor read so I just watched TV. The dialation of my right eye didn’t really leave completely until Friday morning.

We went back to see Dr. Affleck Thursday morning so he could look at my eye and see how I was healing. He said I was doing great. My vision was already 20/40 without correction. He said that that would improve as the swelling went down. He said I would be 20/20 for distance easily but would most probably need to wear reading glasses in order to read or see anything up close. I was to have a massage Thursday afternoon but Shelley called that morning to change it because they are doing things and getting ready to move into their new home. So we went to the temple. We’ve been going once a week since it reopened in July. I noticed on the way to the temple that I was able to read the street signs! I haven’t been able to until we were practically on top of them. It’s great!

Friday we went to Virgean Frederickson’s funeral. She had had back surgery in April while we were in Phoenix for Easter. She arrested either on the table or shortly after and was never quite the same since. She had to learn to talk and walk again and do everything else too. She was in intensive care for a month or six weeks initially and eventually went to a rehab center in Bountiful. She was just about ready to walk again when she had a bad turn for the worse and ended up in intensive care again and died there on August 11. She was one special lady. A lot of fun to be around. She would have been 61 this coming Tuesday. A relative young age for this day and age. It was the largest funeral that I have attended. There were five or six rows back into the cultural hall after the rows in the over flow area. I’m glad that we went.

Afterwards we met Téa and the children at Arctic Circle for lunch at 2:00. we treated. It was fun watching the children play. I enjoy watching Ephraim do his raspberries. I got a kick out of Elena as she came down the slide. The slide is plastic and due to static electricity her hair was sticking out all over her head. I got a couple of pictures of it that shows it when they are enlarged. We left at 4:00 to go to the temple Visitor’s Center and see the Joseph Smith Film, Prophet of the Restoration. None of us had seen it yet. It was very well done. The characters were very well cast. It reaffirmed to me that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God and that he did restore the true church of Jesus Christ. It was a tear jerker as they say. I held Ephraim most of the time thro’ it. He went to sleep right after the “first vision”. Janice Harrop and her husband were two of the missionaries there. She taught one of my nursing classes my first year in nursing. It was good to see her again. We took some pictures there on the temple grounds in front of the beautiful flowers. We told them good bye because they were leaving the next day for Utah and then Denver and then home. I have very much enjoyed our interaction with them. They are growing so quickly. They are all very loving.

Yesterday was kind of laid back again. I called my sister-in-law Jewel and talked to her about my surgery. She is having her first eye done this Tuesday and the other one done next week. I tho’t it might help her to talk to someone first hand who had just gone thro’ it. I told her that she would love it. It was good talking to her. We talked about 1 ½ hours.

Today we learned that we will be getting a new bishopric next week. As I looked around to see who it may be, I tho’t or James Baisdon and Greg Johnson. Of course the Lord may have other ideas. Whom ever it is they will be called of God and I will sustain them. Paul Chugg may also be in the new bishopric too. He has only been in the present bishopric for a few months. Time will tell. I’ll report next week who it is.

No more Contacts!

Ever since I was nine years old I have had annual eye exams to see how much my eyes have changed. Three or so years ago I was told that I had a slow growing cataract on my right eye. I've noticed since about the first of the year that my vision has been a little blurry. The last three months have especially been bad. I knew I had an appointment for an eye exam the end of July so I just waited until then. It was postponed until the 3rd of August since the doctor was going to be out of his office. Last Thursday I found out that the cataract in my right eye has really blossomed and that my vision in my right eye, which has always been better than my left, is actually worse. I went to see Dr. Aaron Affleck yesterday. He said that both eyes are eligble for cataract surgery. They do them a week apart. And with my bad eyes -9.25 in my left eye and a -7.25 in my right eye that it is greatly to my advantage to have both eyes done. That way I can have close to 20/20 vision when they are thro' with me. They will replace my natural lenses with a man-made lens that has power enough to get my vision up to 20/20. I won't have to wear a patch at all or have stitches in my eyes. He will make a 3mm slit in the lens cover of each eye and break up my natural lens and vacuum it out with an ultra sound machine. Then he will fold a flexible tiny lens and slip it into the slit and the cover will hold it in place. The lens has a fine little hook on each side that helps hold it in place. He said that my vision will be blurry the first day but when I wake up the next morning I should be able to see just fine without glasses or contacts. I will have to wear glasses for reading and close hand work etc. but hey, I'm almost 63 years old and I've been very blessed that I haven't had to been doing that for 20 years already. Some people would have. He said that the whole procedure takes about 20 minutes is all and they have it set up in the waiting room so Karl will be able to watch the whole procedure there. Then he turned to me and said I'd be able to watch when he did Karl's eyes when the time came. Boy, technology has come such a long way in less than 30 years. When I graduated from nursing school in 1975, the patient had to sleep with sand bags on both sides of his head and keep the bed at a 45 degree angle, wear a patch for at least two weeks and have coke-bottle thick eye glasses which the patient could only distinguish light and dark without them. With eyes as bad as mine, it is actually advantageous to have cataracts. Interesting, huh?

My surgery will be: Right eye August 16th, left eye August 23rd. It won't slow my life down much at all. I may have to miss my Thursday walk class both weeks but that's about it.

Pioneer Day

Today is Pioneer Day. If we lived in Utah instead of Idaho, we would be having a state holiday. As it is we will go to the St. Leon chapel yard and have a special dinner and program tomorrow evening. It should be fun and not as hot as it was last week. Saturday it hit 100 degrees here. It was hot!

Yesterday was a special day. We went to Sacrament meeting in the Groveland II Ward. Our mission there was two fold. Shani, our granddaughter and her husband, Jon were the main speakers and we wanted to see Karen, Kent and Kylie and hear about their three day trek in Wyoming. That is in trek as in handcart trek. Mercedes Howell and Sam Cannon two of the youth who went on the trek told of some of their experiences and tho'ts and feelings while they were doing it. It was very touching. Shani and Jon did a very good job and I was sooo glad that I was there to hear it. They were asked to speak about one of their ancestors. Shani spoke about Anson Call, my great-great grandfather and her 4th great grandfather. He was an early convert to the church and a body guard of Joseph Smith, the prophet. His whole family had joined the church, his parents and all of his siblings but he didn't want to be known as a "Mormon" and set out to prove that the Book of Mormon was false and so was the church. He studied the Book of Mormon hand in hand with the Bible for six months and found that The Book of Mormon was true. But because of his aversion of being a Mormon, he held off for three years when he was in such agony that he told the Lord that if He would remove that agony from him that he would be baptized. And He did and he was. She also told of how Anson and his wife woke up one morning and found their six-month old son had died in his sleep. And then later when they were preparing to cross the Missouri River their six year old son died. (I can't rememeber how.) Shani said, "Since I'm a mom now, I can hardy imagine how difficult it would be to bury your child in the ground, cover it in dirt, and leave it knowing that you would never return there again nor whether or not wolves or some other wild animal would dig up the body and ravage it." It was all very touching. Jon talked about his Grandpa Anderson who had died when his mother, Marie, was only nine years old. He said that he had no idea that he was of pioneer stock, the people who had crossed the plains to the Great Salt Lake Valley like other people were until he read it in his grandpa's history the day before. He said he could really see the importance of journal keeping because his grandpa hadn't kept a journal and he would really like to have known him better and his tho'ts and feelings that a journal would have helped him do. He mentioned that Macie is so young that if something happened to him or Shani or Karen or Kent that she isn't old enough that she would be able to remember them. And if they kept a journal that would help her to know them. He said he wasn't a journal keeper but he can really see the importance of it and was going to do better.

After sacrament meeting we went out into the foyer and listened to Karen and a mom from her ward who had children go on the trek and a high councilman from their stake who also went on the trek along with his wife discuss the different aspects of it. Karen, Kent and Kylie, all three, said that it was hard, it was the hardest thing they have ever done but it was well worth it and so rewarding that they would gladly do it again. Karen said that they really bonded with their "children" in their family. Kylie was in a different family. I was amazed how quickly they bonded and how strongly they bonded. She, in her wisdom, made the statement that altho' 23 youth from the ward (the largest group in the stake there, I think) that they would have to work extra hard with the youth who didn't go so they wouldn't feel left out because of this shared experience. She said it rained one day there and Kent told me that the dirt is clay so it clung to their shoes they had to keep kicking it off and they had to scrape it off the wheels of the handcart so they could turn. I could really identify with that because of my experience when the summer before I was a senior in hight school and we went hiking in Bryce's Canyon and it started to rain and all I had was thongs [flip-flops] on and the clay would weigh them down so that I couldn't move. It was very difficult because not only did it hurt my feet, we were trying to hurry because of the danger of a flash flood.) He said that it was very hard going but they were glad they had that experience because they knew that the real pioneers had to go thro' it too and more than just that much. It made me think of the way across Iowa when the Saints first left Nauvoo. It took them as long to go that far as it did the rest of the way to the Salt Lake Valley the next year because of the rain and the clay soil. The part that really touched me and it did so all day long was when Karen told of after they came and took all of the men away for the "Mormon Battalion" and she and her four "daughters" were struggling to get their handcart up the steepest hill on the trek. She said, "My chest was burning, my lungs were burning and I couldn't breathe. I had just tho't, 'how can I do this when I can't even breathe. I'll never make it up this hill and if I don't make it what will happen to my "daughters".' Then I looked up the hill to where Kylie had just completed struggling to take her 'family's' handcart up and saw Kylie running down the hill to help me. She didn't just walk, she ran! My heart was so full at that time and I so grateful for her. I tho't, 'Kylie really is a good kid and she really does love me.'" I was so touched as she told us this (and she did get emotional as she told us) that I couldn't have spoken then if my life had depended on it. (I can't talk and cry at the same time.) Sue, Kylie's Ma on the trek told Karen, "Kylie is a really good kid. She is so strong and capable." Karen said I knew that but it's so nice when other people recognize it too. Karen said that out of 150 youth Kylie was the first to stand and bare her testimony the night of the testimony meeting. She also said I know she is stubborn but...and I tho't "yes she is but she needs to be to be strong. She is one who will not waver and give in to peer pressure. She will do very well in this life." I am so glad that we went down for their meeting and stayed and talked to them. It helped us to share in some of their great experiences. I hope they all take the time to write them down so they will be able to remember all of them and share them too.

We had to come back to our sacrament meeting because I had told the Hatch family that I would accompany them on the piano as they sang. They sang "Our Savior's Love". It went very well. Then Seth Jenkins reported his mission. He went to Managua, Nicaragua. It was very good also. He has really matured both physically and especially spiritually. He gave us much to think about and be grateful for. All in all it was a very good day.

The Big Robinson Reunion

Now about July 15. I meant to finish this yesterday, but worked on Eprhaim’s “I’m a Child of God” plaque. (I don’t have much time left to finish it and get it framed befor his first birthday.) We went to Soda Springs to the what we call the BIG Robinson Reunion. It is the gathering of the descendants of Fred David & Ethel Sophie Kesler Robinson. There were probably 100 people there. We were the only ones from our family. All of Grandma Robinson's children were there except for Fred. However, none of her grandchildren were there. I hadn't seen Gene & Dot for about three years I think. Not Dot anyway. It had been at least two since I'd seen Gene. I hadn't seen Jewel for more than a year either. It had been a year since we'd seen Stan and Kathy too and Kent too. Grandma R didn't know what time it started and we were never told. We were figuring it started around noon. We found out later that it wasn't to start until 1:00 so our getting there at 12:45 was just right. It was good to see everyone.

Eric Frazier told us about a Website at Grandpatellme.com where families can post family information, family history etc. One must be invited in so when I get the invite for it I will invite each of my children. It sounds like a good thing to aid in family history searches, general info about the family etc. I’ll have to investigate and see about setting up something for my side of the family too. It also enables you to keep track of all the decendants of e.g. Fred & Ethel Robinson or to whomever the family belongs. I’m excited about it. As I sat there Saturday, I tho’t how much imput can I have; I’m only a Robinson by marriage then I tho’t again: I’m sealed to these people so I DO belong. So I interrupted them just before they went out to play the children’s games. I asked them if they remembered who John and Priscilla Mullin Alden were…no one seemed to know. So I told them the story of how they came over on the Mayflower, Miles Standish was their leader and he had a fancy for Priscilla but I guess must have been kind of shy or something. He asked John to ask for Priscilla’s hand in marriage for him. When John did in Miles Standish’s behalf, Priscilla stated, “Why don’t you ask for yourself John?” Which he did and they were married and had 11 children. I said to the people there, “Everyone of you here who are decendants of Fred and Ethel Robinson are also descendants of John and Priscilla Alden.” As I related their story I could tell that many of them were familiar to their story but had no idea that they were their descendants. It was fun telling them that. I told them that I was matching and merging on my PAF program a year or so ago and decided to start up at the A’s for a change instead of the W’s where I usually started. I noticed the name of John Alden and tho’t, “Could this be the John Alden?” So I found his sheet and sure enough it was. I noticed that he and Priscilla had been sealed in the Manti Temple in 1889. I followed back and found out that they were on my husband’s side. (Initially I wasn’t sure if it was my side or his) and that Maria Wood, the first wife of Joseph Lee Robinson, was also their descendant. When I told my mother-in-law this after finding it, she asked if I were related to John & Priscilla Alden. I replied, “No but my husband and children are and you can say the same thing!”

We also discussed with Eric and a couple of other people at the reunion about Frederick Kesler, Ethel’s father and grandfather. Jr. is her father, Sr. is her grandfather. Bryan had sent us some information via e-mail just the night before and I printed it off and took it with. In this information Bryan stated that Fredrick Kesler Sr. ..Here is the info on Frederick Kesler that I spoke of. His three wives are not listed in this article, but I have them in another document which we copied: He married Emeline Parker May 20, 1836 in Augusta, Iowa and had 11 children with her; married Jane Elizabeth Pratt (daughter of Orson Pratt) March 20, 1854 in Salt Lake City and had 13 children with her (Frederick Kesler Jr was #5); and married Abigail D. Snow April 21, 1857 in SLC and had 6 children with her.

Notice that his info states that Frederick Kesler Jr. was the child of Frederick Kesler Sr. and Elizabeth Pratt, daughter of Orson Pratt. That was news to me. I checked it out yesterday on my PAF and my information has Emeline Parker as Frederick Kesler Jr.’s mother. So we need to do some investigating and make sure he is with the right mother. So my husband and children may not be a descendant of Orson Pratt after all. That would be a neat distinction. But we need to have it right.

I don’t know where I got the information on either John Alden or Frederick Kesler for sure. My guess on the John Alden part that Bryan sent it to me after finding it when Sandy worked in the family history center when they lived in Albuquerque. That’s the only thing I can think of because even Uncle Eben had no idea that he was a descendant of John and Priscilla Alden.

The last two weekends

It will be five weeks next weekend since we have had a regular stay at home weekend. It has been fun but I'm looking forward to just a "regular" weekend at home. Of course by the time next weekend comes that could change too. On the 24th of June we had our family reunion at Karen & Kent's, on July 1st Kim & Kimberly and children came and stayed with us and last weekend July 8th we went to Utah to be there for Nathaniel's being ordained a deacon in the Aaronic priesthood. We left Friday right afternoon. We were glad we were there altho' my sweetheart felt like he was going under duress. He very much hates to drive in the SLC freeway traffic. Idaho has spoiled us that way. Altho' sometimes 17th street here can be almost as bad at 5:00 on a weekday. Grandma & Grandpa Bush were there as well as Grandma Wendel too. We had dinner afterwards and I took my poppy seed cake and a jello salad that has cherry pie filling in it (I used the light along with sugar free jello.) and 1 1/4 cups sprite or 7-up. Since I'm not supposed to have carbonated beverages, I got some Kroger Light Lemonade and used that instead. Then you put whipped topping on top. It tasted really good. We spent Saturday morning with Mama in American Fork (we stayed with her this time.) and Roy Clifford, my nephew, and his wife Dean stopped by to tell GrandmaW goodbye before heading back to California. Then a hour or so later, my brother Roy and his wife, Cindy came over with their three grandsons from CA who were going to be with them for the week. I hadn't seen Roy and Cindy for a couple of years. Then Rebekah, my neice stopped by to pick Mama up to take her to SLC to see the new Joseph Smith movie at the Joseph Smith memorial. We went over and spent the afternoon with Michael and Tanya and Natasha, Collin, Kendra and Abbie. We even got a game of Pinochole in. Karl and Natasha won by 60-80 points is all. Michael and I led most of the game but they took the last bid and that's what made the difference. We had lunch and supper with them then went back to American Fork. We had a quiet evening. Sunday evening after we got back from Orem Julie, my sister-in-law came over. I hadn't seen her since my brother, John, died four years ago. It was so good to see her. And then my neice Rachel, her husband, Tim and son Wyatt came over at about the same time and we had a very nice visit with all of them. It had been quite a while since we had seen some of these people so I'm thankful we were able to this time. We left about 9:00 Monday morning to come back to IF. Karl had a 3:15pm doctor's appointment with Doctor Baird to check on a lump Karl noticed on his back about a month ago that was kind of tender. It turned out it was an inclusion cyst or a plugged sabicious gland or "large zit" as Dr. Baird said. He had it removed this last Wednesday and had three sutures put in it. Monday night was just taking it easy. We went to the temple for the first time for three weeks since it just opened on this past Tuesday. We went Thursday. It was good to get back there again. Now I can tolerate it so much better we will go every week at least once. I'll write about this weekend (yesterday) in the next entry.