Our Granddog Rocky

On his way to the hospital in Salt Lake to recover he did remarkably improve in a weeks time.

Rocky wander up onto the busy highway on Friday evening about 6pm and was hit by a car.  Craig was out on the lawn with all the kids mowing the yard when a lady come walking down the driveway to tell us.  She was crying.  Craig was able to go pick him up off the street.  He thought he was dead.  He was lifeless.  He came in to get me, in a panic, not telling me what was wrong just come hurry to the garage. By the time I got out there Rocky had come conscience and was yelping in pain.  Craig thought he was dead, but he started breathing he called the animal hospital in Montpieller Idaho and found the after hours veterinary to see if he would care for him.  We felt time was the essence to get him medical care a quickly as possible.  The vet there said it would be 8:45 before he could see him.  I called my friend Gwenda in our ward, she raises dogs and thought she could tell us the best place for care.  The Logan after hours care was referred to Sunsets facility which is over a two hour drive.  We made the choice to go to the Montpiller animal hospital and wait there for the Doctor.  We arrive at 7:30 and had an hour and 45 minutes to wait.  While waiting we prayed he would come earlier.  I even called the next town- Soda Springs, Idaho and talked to their vet. With drive time he siad to just wait for the doctor- just as I got off the phone the doctor showed up. We rushed Rocky in- he was in so much pain and yelping so loud.  I felt so bad for him.   Stacy got a hold of Chad, he was golfing at the time.  He gathered up their four children and met us at the hospital.  The exrays looked good so far there appeared no broken bones.  Which was a miracle.  The doctor was able to give him sedation for his pain and a IV.  He was keeping him for 24 hours to monitor his damage and try to keep him alive.  Rocky rested and just slept the 24 hours- last night he did show improvement - starting to sit up a little which is huge.   We were able to determine he was hit in the head and has a brain trama.  His head was swelling which is normal for brain trama.  It can get worse before it get better.  It all takes time for the fluid to drain- praying for a miracle for our Rocky- he is such a sweet dog- the doctor is hopefully.  All day he was not moving or responding, by late evening with him starting to sit up was huge and gives us reason to pray more he is slowly recovering.  This is a note from Stacy late last.night- “ Rocky is sitting up a bit now. He is getting more movement! Yay! He pulled his catheter out. He still is weak and doesn’t have strength to stand up yet. He will get there! I am hopeful he will keep progressing each day.  This is really good news !! He is so lucky to still be alive at this point.  The cars on the highway in front of our place drive 50 miles an hour or faster so we know he was hit hard. It’s a miracle he is still with us.   

October 21st 1994 / Stake Temple Day

I attended our stake temple day.  I met at the church at 7:30 am and went with the youth in in our ward to preform baptism for the dead for family names I have prepared.  Sharlena and I acted as proxy for our Bailes family names.   I just submitted another 60 names for their temple ordinances to be completed.  It takes hours just preparing their names for submission and then several trips to the temple to complete each ordinance, bapstism, initory, endowment and sealings. It was a very special day at the Jordan River temple. I was there until 3:pm- I felt a surrounding love and calming peace while in the temple today.  Sunday was a nice day at church.  I really  enjoyed teaching my Beehive class of  young women ages 12-13.  We talked about the four basic genealogical records, which are the keeping of  journals, personal history, family history and book of remembrance.  A quote by Bruce R McConkie who served as an apostle of the Lord- “ It is Necessary for us to keep an accurate record of our families, a record accurately, dates of births, marriages and deaths and ordinances and everything that is vital.” I drew a window on the chalk board with the four window panes.  A window is an opening that admits light, though which one’s vision is increased, through which things can be more clearly seen.  In some ways genealogical records are like windows through which we can see the past more clearly.  By looking in the past, we can better understand the present and the future.  President Spencer W. Kimball out prophet in our time- explained of the blessings that will come to those who keep such records: “ Each of us is important to those who are near and dear to us and as prosterity read our life’s experience, they too, will come to know and love us.  And in the glorious day when our families are together in the eternities, we will already be acquainted. Writing of personal and family histories has the affect of turning the hearts of the children to the fathers, and the hearts of the fathers to the children, which the Lord has instructed.” D&C 98:16 - “ and also the last recorded Old Testament prophet in Malachi 4:6- genealogical records are like windows in time.  They help us look into the past to know and love our ancestors for the life they lived, into the present to see oursleves as we really are, and unto the future for a glimpse of eternity. As we see more clearly, we develope understanding and love that strengthen family ties among both the living and the dead. I appreciate so much the opportunity to attend the temple. I can see attending the temple is helping us as much as it helps the dead. We cannot be made perfect without them.  I was having a down day and went to the temple to do the work of family names I had recently submitted. After being in the temple for a few hours I felt such peace inside.  I knew that everything was going to be just fine.  The spirit said to love my husband with all my heart, be kind, and have patience with him. I came home feeling renewed and able to face the rest of my day with greater love and strength.  There are so many blessings  that come from attending the holy temple.  I feel greater love and kindness in our home.   When Craig’s grandmother  Oralie Biesinger Roberts died- one of his cousins had contributed a family history of Grandmother Robert’s life.  It’s been done so nicely.  I would really like to put one together for my Grandmother Bailes, Daddy John Wallace and my Mother. This is something I would really like to have for my children and grandchildren.  I would really like to to put the time in to gather the information needed. 

February 6th 1994 / Cousin Clinton Sparks-

Wednesday I serve at our Stake family history library for several hours.  I have worked hard to get my  family history records I have collected organized. I spent three hours Thursday,all afternoon Friday and sometime on Saturday.  It feels good to get things in order.  I’ve collected so much. I had papers everywhere and couldn’t find something when I wanted it.  My mind felt all cluttered and I felt frustrated. It feels great to have my papers in an orderly fashion.  Now I can find quickly what I’m looking for.  I’m making good progress on my family history research.  It’s so exciting to act as proxy for the temple work for my kindred dead.  I feel so much a love in my heart for each of them in building and linking the different family branches.  I just received a letter from Clinton Sparks a cousin on my Grandmother’s side. He is working on the Sparks line.  He is not LDS yet he is very involved in family history.  He has sent me a wealth of information he has collected over thee years.  He has become a fun pen pal.  I look forward to his letters and the information he shares with me about our Sparks ancestors.  The work continues- I have so much temple work to prepare and submit.  I’m the only LDS working on submitting  names for this branch of my family Tree.  So thankful for Cousins that are interesting in this great work too.  The spirit of Elijah has touched their hearts.  

I Have An Older Brother

March 14th, 1977- 

This is a letter I received in the mail - learning that I have an older half brother named Scott Loveall who is 4 years older than me.  He was also born in Cleveland, Ohio, where I was born.  He was raised an only child.  His mother Janet never remarried.  Dearest Debbie, 

Writing this letter is going to be a bit difficult at first. It is not the first one for I have been trying to find you and John for over three years now. This letter is difficult, and for once I know what it feels like to know, it will be received.  Your mom finally got ahold of me here in Ohio, and literally blew me away. It was just the other night that I found myself wondering what you two were doing with your lives? Whether we would ever find each other, what type of women you had become, whether life has been kind to you and if you have found love for yourself and maybe someone else to love and share it with. It was a few years back when I was informed that I had a sister and brother.  I have grown up an only child and have longed many countless times to have a family. To have a sister to fight with, cry with, to love with, to have a brother to look after, play sports with etc. When I found that the two of you existed it didn’t fill the void, but it was enough, because I knew that someday we would find one another and now we have!  As I told your mother tonight, if I had the room here to do cartwheels I would.  The chills still haven’t quite stopped.  Debbie, I know that with the many years that have past for both of us, is to accept the fact that we are strangers, maybe future friends, but most of all that we are brother and sister in name only.   We could never pretend that the closeness, kinship and emotional ties that go with growing up together can just be conjured from a magicians hat.  If we sat across from one another this very moment, you would look across at me and say to yourself wow that’s really my brother?  But as true as that would be we would still be strangers.  Even with that understanding. However, I hope you share my excitement in our meeting. I am anyways I love you very much. Even though you have only been able to be a person of my fantasies, and were given the face that seemed appropriate by my overactive imagination.  I have always felt a fondness for and closeness to you as if your presence or thoughts of me could be sensed.  I have always thought of you as “June” for that is what I was told was your name.  It seems strange to think of you as Debra, so you see in my own way I do know you.  It’s good that we are older now.  Maybe not wiser, but for this to have happened before would have made it difficult seeing as you would have been 15 or 16 at the time.  I am 24 By the way in case you weren’t sure.  Since I can’t really ask very appropriate questions of someone I’ve never met or talked to, I guess your curiosity might just as well be satisfied, so I’ll tell you a little bit of the life and Times of your long lost big brother. wow, where do you start? Well, as you should have assumed by now, I have this problem of being a hopeless, romanticist and a bit of a sentimental slob. I guess you can consider me a bit of a loner and basically a solitary person. I get my share of Kappa Capricornia depression-  my birth date December 25 - Christmas Day -and a lonely premonition that keeps me on my toes. as I understand, you and John are also Capricorns- ( my birthday Jan 1st and John Wesley December 31st) I suppose I should state for the record that I am a professional astrologer here in the Cleveland area.  I am primarily involved in private counseling and teaching of intermediate and advanced classes in mechanics, interpretation and counseling. I also work part time as a respiratory therapist at a nearby hospital and I’m currently involved in a research project in medical astrology and respiratory and cardiac disorders in astrology. Nevertheless, I’m basically poor and I have not been able to return to school. I went for two years 1970 -1972, And hope to go back for my degree this coming spring in psychology and biology,  I’ve done a little bit of writing. I got a couple astrology articles published in a periodical called “astrology now”. And write songs in my spare time.   I guess that is the past five years in a nutshell but rereading, it sounds more exciting and rewarding and productive than it has been. I understand you will be married very soon, many years of happiness to you both. I’m not having much of a family left. I have always wanted to have a lot of kids when I do marry. I told Shelva six would be quite enough. She almost cried when I told her this saying that you want six kids too. Good luck I hope I don’t get too old to start trying. Your mom was a bit caught up emotionally when we talked, but then so was I. If this letter is disjointed and scrambled, please understand. I want to see you so much I want to say it all at once.  Hopefully after I’m finished, I’ll be able to scrounge up an acceptable picture to send you. Shelva tells me that John resembles me some more by description .I am 6’ 2 -1/2 inches tall, weigh 180 lbs . Brown hair and blue eyes. John sounds like a bean pole 155 to 160 pounds. She says he carries it well though. Tell me, Sis art, thou blonde, sexy, fat, brunette, short lanky or what?just kidding, I hear with some lady with the southern Irish brouge that a certain Daughter had the makings of a teenage  America pageant. Impressive. Oh, I forgot about one major ingredient in my personality. I am impulsive almost to my detriment. So if I hop on a Greyhound bus someday, and come knocking, don’t be surprised. I’ve only been west once when I was 15 I hitchhike to Nevada Las Vegas with a friend.But I never saw anything outside of a little desert, a few lizards and some oil fields. It’s not a very good representation.   It’s always amazing how the timing of things seem to alter ones life. It has been a particularly lonely and down winter, which I am sure I don’t have to explain, weatherwise, and with the spring weather finally here I’ve been waiting for the surge for freshness that usually accompanies it.  =Maybe it is more intense   Here in the northern latitudes.  Anyhow, instead of sunshine and spring flowers, I’ve seen rain, fog, and gloomy ends of winter than the beginnnng of spring.  Cabin fever, winter doldrums, call them what you will, knowing that I will see you two soon has just brought the sun out and here it is 4:am,  Although I hope to see you before August.  I will be in Boise, Idaho for an Astrology conference of the Northwest Chapter of the National council of Geacasmic research at the end of the month.  It is just hop, skip and a leap to Utah from there.  I’ll let you know more on that as it progresses.  How is school going for you? Are you almost through, and what are you majoring in?

I’m in the middle of a thrilling course in Anthropology here at a local college I can hardly wait to get back to Kent State to really dig into the books again it seems like it’s been ages since I left there. It would- are you interested to do charts on you and John for my own curiosity if you wouldn’t mind.  If so, I’ll need your birth time, birthdates and the place of birth. I’ve been wanting to do a family tree kind of thing for something but couldn’t find enough sources.  Astrologicall, I can do a similar kind of study within a special kind of branch of astrology called harmonic which is similar in theory to the harmonic principles of music. Such a beautiful night tonight. There’s a fresh breeze coming in off the lake and I haven’t seen the stars this bright since the sub zero temperatures of mid January. It’s about 65° and I’m sitting out on the apartment balcony. Wish we had a week of nights like this to sit and talk drink a little and maybe get high and go out and do some dancing, but for now I might as well dream on. I guess the coming months will tell a lot for the three of us, and with your upcoming marriage even more so for you. This letter didn’t turn out as I would have hope but it’s a start and I hope there will be many opportunities for improvement. Only being a short story writer, and not a novelist. I’ll end it here to continue might be redundant.  All my love and happiness to you Deb, maybe we can share those things in person soon -until then finally yours love Scott.  

This was a very thoughtful letter from my half-brother to someday met.  My head was spinning with these new family members entering my life with my birth father recent phone call and now the news that I have an older brother.  Scott was married October 17th 1977- My brother John and our birth father Nathaniel were able to attend the wedding reception.  I was not able to meet Scott until three years after my marriage.  He was flying thru Salt Lake City and we met for the first time at the  airport between flights.  It was a very quick meeting.  It was over whelming to me and I didn’t know how to process our first encounter.  It all felt so strange to me yet I was willing to work on building a relationship- it would just take time.  

Playing Pickleball

I woke up early this beautiful July summer momring to play Pickelball.  Tuesday mornings is our League community group to play.  We were few in numbers today.  We had a threesome group of players.  I enjoy playing with my hubby Craig.  I have improved a lot the the past few years.  I do need to work on my skills of being more quick in my response and more accurate in placing my shots.  It is a fun game to be playing outside in the summer months.  I love the fresh morning air.  Our Saydee Bug left yesterday to hang out with some of her friends.  She called yesterday so excited about getting a call to start working at a dermatology office. She felt it was a shot in the dark getting the job-they called to say they accept her application.  She is so thrilled to have a job this coming school year.  She is going to be living in Prove housing and attending college while working.  It has been hard for her coming home early from her mission. Something she didnt want to do.  I know she has felt a little lost.  Her stomach issues there are no real answers and she is just learning how to mange it. There is so little she can eat. She had many days with stomach pain.  Bless her heart pray for her to have the strength to endure this challenge in her life right now and pray she can find better health.  I know it can be very frustrating for her.  She is excited for her new job and attending college.  Buck, Trisha and Boston are hanging out with us at the lake.  We had fun playing pickeball Sunday afternoon.  Trisha has fixed us yummy meals to eat the past three nights.  She made yummy barbecue chicken pizza last night.  Trisha is working on their new house plans.  She is really good at designing.  They are going to build another beautiful home in St George.  I will miss having them closer to us.  Boston starts back to school the 15th of August.  They are renting an apartment while they build their new home.  They are planning on staying here for two weeks and then off to St George they go.   Stacy and her family are arriving here at the lake tomorrow- let the fun begin.  Natasha, her family and Sharlena with Jacob are coming up too so the cousins can all play together.  We will have a cabin full by the weekend.  Stacy and her family are staying for an entire week. July is flying by -

Our Saydee Bug

can’t  believe it is already the 25th of the month.  Almost everyday this month we have an afternoon storm roll in and out.  The afternoons cloud up and a fierce wind storm comes through.  We barley got the boat out last night when another storm hit fast.  I want to wash my windows on the north side of our cabin yet it is futal when we have a rain storm every afternoon?  I’m enjoying my time on our upper deck sitting outside blogging.  I have been working on my book Links to Eternity-  I have shared two new chapters the past few days.  Today I’m working on writing how I began my Loveall family history journey- a true miracle in many ways in my life story to tell .  

Talk Given in 1993 - The Great Work of Family History-

The Great Work of Family History -1993-

  From my wonderful family history experiences, I was asked to speak in our ward.  I was serving at the time at the Stake Family History Library one day week.  Below is a copy of the talk given in our sacrament meeting.

     I am grateful for this opportunity to speak to you today about this great and marvelous work of Family History, which has brought great joy to my heart!  A wise Bishop about seven years ago counseled me to search for the records of my kindred dead and perform their work in the Temple. From this experience, I have come to understand and have a great love in attending the temple. Up to this point in my life, I had been going to the temple, but not very regularly, and when I went, there were so many things I didn’t understand.  I had not caught the vision or the joy that comes in acting as a proxy for my ancestor’s ordinances- beyond the veil.  I had followed the council of our leaders by blind faith. I was going through the motions believing this is the path to follow. Yet, I’m really not really feeling or truly comprehending the importance of this work.   In attending the temple, the spirit of Elijah does touch your heart. I can remember shortly after I was married in the temple, feeling a strong impression in my heart to search out my kindred dead. Over the years, I have strived to do this.   My first time to the genealogical library, downtown in Salt Lake City was a very exciting experience and very over whelming at the same time. An experience I will never forget.  I was reading micro film records in Nicholas County, West Virginia, when I came across the marriage record of my great-grandparents George Washington Bailes and Sarah Margaret Johnson, I wrote in my handwritten information of this event Happy Anniversary great-grandpa and grandma.  It was exactly 100 years ago that I was at the Library finding their marriage source on the exact date they were married November 24, 1881- I had been inspired to visit the family history library on November 24^th, 1991.  I was in Awe.  This was not happenstance- I knew in my very heart and soul it was a message from the Heaven they were waiting for their temple work to be completed.

As I read census, birth, death and marriage records this day I felt each Bailes surname I read, a warm, tingling feeling go throughout my entire body. I knew these were my relatives. Yet, I didn’t know how they all fit into the family tree. It’s a huge puzzle, one piece at a time gives a clearer picture. I proceed over the years to write down every Bailes surname I could find in the records of Nicholas County West Virginia.   I did this for over a period of 10 years. All along not knowing who my great-great grandparents were.  I searched for years, trying to figure it out. I had a strong impression for a few years that I needed to go to West Virginia, and visit with my relatives before I can move on with my genealogy.  On our wedding anniversary June 7, 1991 Craig, my dear husband gave me a plane ticket to go to Summersville West Virginia. I couldn’t maintain myself I burst into tears of joy.  This was something I had desired for years yet felt the time wasn’t right to go visit. All along never really saying much to my husband. How did he know?   Well with the help of my Dear mother they both surprised me with this opportunity to continue the work of family history.  I knew it was an answer to my prayers.  I was able to see my Grandmother Bailes, cousins, aunts and uncles that I had not seen for 20 years. It was a great and joyful family reunion. The Lord was giving me a glimpse of what it would be like- this great family reunion beyond the veil with our loved ones. I had such a joyful experience I felt the spirit of Elijah so strongly. While there I was able to visit with the oldest cousin on the Bailes side living- Howard Bailes. He’s this ol’ West Virginian hillbilly, so-called- He appeared to me what a Hillbilly would look like with a full long bread dressed in blue jean overalls.  He was a rugged looking man. As we visited, I grew to love him dearly, he was amazing.  Most of the relatives thought him to be a little odd. I was able to see through and meet heart to heart. He knew all of my relatives. He could tell me a story after story, which brought my relatives alive to me. They were no longer just names to me on a piece of paper. He was a walking and breathing computer disk -I wanted so badly to copy his brain.

He had a strong love for Genealogy and had a fascination since he was a young child- he really paid attention and visited with the old timers that had lived and died in our family tree and remembered every detail. He was able to tell me who my great-great- grandparents were. It was so thrilling to find out - my heart filled with joy. From this wonderful visit, I was able to come home and review the many records I had collected over the past 10 years. The missing key was who were my great-great Bailes-grandparents were?  After finding this out, the whole family tree has just mushroom before my very eyes. Last year was my greatest reward as I was able to submit these family names to the temple for their temple work to be done. I was able to complete 150 ancestors in our Bailes family tree.  Joy has filled my heart and the tears of joy flow uncontrollable. I felt their joy, in knowing that they had accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ, and we’re so grateful to have their temple work done for them for their eternal progression as a family. Since this time, I look forward to every opportunity to go to the temple of the Lord. Temple work has a new meaning to me now. I feel such an unexplainable love for these ancestors by performing these ordinances in the holy temple. There is so much more meaning, worth and joy to my own life now that I understand why I’m doing this great work.  I feel so much love for these ancestors, it will be a glorious reunion when we meet.  This work has become an obsession for me now.  I have a hard time balancing the time.  A joke in our family now is I can spend more time with the dead than the living.  When I find a new name - I light up -my entire body has a glow and my family and friends can see it.  I have been blessed to do this temple work. I now know that this great work is truly of the Lord and my face beams when I have the privilege to contribute.  The prophet Elijah has truly turned my heart.  I can feel and see the many blessings that come to our lives by temple attendance.  I love the quote by Vaughn J Featherstone - “I promise you that all who faithfully attend to temple work will be blessed beyond measure.  Your families will draw closer to the Lord; unseen angels will watch over your loved ones when Satanic forces tempt them.  The veil will be thin and great spiritual experiences will distill upon this people.  Heavenly Father is planning a great family reunion.  We each can help to do our part.  The deep sense of joy accrued from this work transforms from just being a duty into a true pleasure.”  this is my testimony this day in the name of Jesus Christ - Amen.  

 

Our July Sabbath day

It’s a lovely sunny day. Trisha and Buck arrived last night to spend some time with us. We ended up not going to see the fireworks. It got late and I was tired. Stacy and Chad and their little family arrived at our Draper home late last night. So they will be making their way up to the lake by Thursday. We are going to have a cabin full next weekend. I need to get ready for church - enjoy sitting out in the sunshine on our deck. It was baptized July 12, 1968. This is a special time to celebrate my membership in the Church. I am so blessed to have my eyes opened, able to see and hear the gospel message in my mortal life.  

Grandma B

  This holiday is a time to honor our ancestors.  I took the time to review my memories of my Grandmother Bailes who died in 2002.  1998 - Our last night together was a special evening. we talked the evening away she shared stories of her life stories I enjoyed hearing for the first time - I grew to love my grandmother even more. She lived a life of hard-working and enduring to the end. Life is hard living in the mountains of West Virginia. They didn’t have much money in those days, and everything they had came from the hard work of their own hands as the evening came to a close, grandmother and I said an evening prayer together she hugged me for a long time and did not want to let me go. We held each other tenderly for one last evening to share. The tears flowed for both of us saying goodbye is so hard, especially this time I knew that grandmother is aging and not going to be with us much longer. She would be called home to our heavenly father. I knew this would be the last time I would have to share with her. I felt her love and knew she loved me.July 2000 to my mother called to let me know grandmother was not doing well. She had a stroke and had to be put in a nursing care facility. She hung on for almost a month she passed away 28 July 2002- the family wanted to dress her in white clothing, which was hard to find. My mother asked that I look for something here in Utah. I had the privilege to pick out a beautiful white dress to bury my grandmother be in. She looks like an angel and I saw her for the last time she had lived a good life. I was very honored to be able to sing two solos for my dear grandmother at her funeral services. I sang her favorite him. How great thou, Art this song truly expressed feelings of my grandmother oh Lord, my God, when I an awesome wonder, consider all the worksite hands have made, I see the stars I hear the rolling thunder they power throughout the universe displayed, went through the woods in Forest Glade, so I wonder I hear the birds singing sweetly in the trees when I look down from lofty mountains, grander and hear the Brooke and fill the gentle breeze, and when I think that God, his son not sparing, sent him to die. I scares, can take it in there on the cross, my burdens gladly bearing he bled and die to take away my sins my God, how great thou Art. Then sings my soul my savior god to the how great thou, Art, how great thou art the other song I sang, was called-  In the Garden. This is a beautiful old hymns sung for many years in her lifetime. It was a hard song I had not heard before but when I sang this song, I felt grandmother by my side I felt she was very pleased with my tribute as I honored her in song,  there were many other tributes given by others about my grandmother’s life I learned of the service she gave to others,   Her home was always open to family and friends. She was a wonderful cook, and always made sure you went home with a full stomach. She made a beautiful quilts over the years and gave to all her family generously. Thank you dear grandmother for the special times we were able to share I love you your granddaughter, Debra June this article was written in May 2002 and revised in May 2005 by Deborah Symes.

Baby Sitting Cora Rose

We baby sat our little Cora Rose for an entire week July 12th - July19th while her family went to Lake Powell for the week.  She is our darling three-year old granddaughter.  She is our youngest granddaughter to enjoy.  We stayed two days at their home in Sandy enjoying their lovely new home.  They have a fun swimming pool at their new home. Cora loves swimming.  We were in the pool both days there.  We drove up to the lake Friday afternoon to spend our time at the lake. Cora had a great time spending time with us.  We took her for rides on our new wave runner and in the boat- we feed the seagull from the boat and she liked that.  We played the hatchet throw game and freebie.  She has lot of energy.  She was by my side all day long- she wouldn’t let me out her sight.  We dressed matching in our Ivy City dresses on Sunday.  She loves Capi-suns to drink- Fun to wear our matching dresses to church.  We drove down to Sandy late Wednesday night to take our little Cora home-she was excited to see her family.  She did have a great time at the lake - Natasha texted me the next day thanking me for watching Cora - she was talking her head off telling her about all the fun things she did while staying with us.

24 of July weekend

Beautful Rainbow This summer 

The month of July is ticking bye - we are enjoying our summer weather at the lake.  It’s a busy weekend at the lake with people coming in town from all walks of like to enjoy lake boating and thr cooler weather gettibg out of the heat from the Salt Lake valley record high temperatures   Above 100 degress.  It is in the high 80’s at the lake which is perfect weather.  It’s a quite weekend for us.  We only have our Saydee and Boston here for the-    weekend.  We went to put the boat in this morning and it was along line of boaters- so we came back to wait for the line to die down.   It is prim season-  Stacy ans het family are arriving Wednesday for a week at the lake.  So we will have a crowd of family here to visit with the Towner family.  I’m enjoying the down time we have.  I open up my computer this morning to start working on my book again.   I have been on it for over two months.  Got to get back to this project and stick to it little by little I will get it completed.   I have made good progress-  just need to finish it !! I keep having to stop and go-  It feels nice to work on it sitting outside e joying our lovely summer weather today.  Look forward to riding out boat on thr lake tonight to watch fireworks on the lake from our boat-  ideal beach does a great firework show!  

Noriega Family

Shar and her family came to the lake for four days July 8th thur the 11th- it was fun to spend time with their family- we had Fun boating -Enjoying the summer fun 

                                                                                 Austin

                                                                    Jacob 13 years old - 

                                                               Shar, Debbie and Craig

                                                                           Our Jacob

Our Cabin in the background

What is the Time of Refreshening ?

What are “the times of refreshing” and “the times of restitution of all things”?

Peter taught in Acts 3:19–21

 19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:

21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

I learned in my study the difference between refreshing and the restitution of - “The times of refreshing” refers to the Millennium, when Jesus Christ will return to the earth. “The times of restitution of all things” refers to the Restoration of the gospel, which prepares the world for the Millennium.

 The “times of refreshing” Peter talked about are when Jesus Christ comes again. After the Second Coming, “the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory” (Articles of Faith 1:10).

   times of restitution of all things

 The “times of restitution of all things” are when the Restoration of the gospel takes place. That time includes the latter days (our days!) and when Jesus Christ comes again.  Restoration means to bring back or return. The Restoration of the gospel began in the spring of 1820, when Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith. That is when many things began to be brought back to the earth, including Jesus Christ’s pure truths, priesthood authority, and Church.  all his holy prophets since the world began.  Since ancient times, prophets have foretold that the Son of God, Jesus Christ, would come to earth and be our Savior. They also foretold that Jesus Christ would come a second time.

And prophets also foretold that before the Savior comes again, He would restore His gospel and His Church to the earth. The Restoration that the prophets foretold is happening in our day.

Our Sabbath Day

Today is a beautiful sunny day- we have try to enjoy the sunshine we receive- it seems almost every afternoon it clouds up and the sunshine is gone.  It does feel so good to have the warm mornings to enjoy. This is a lovely sabbath day. Sharlena and her family arrived last night.  I had one days to finish cleaning up from the Thomas and Chaudhry family who were here a week and they all left on Thursday late afternoon-  we headed out too.  Craig had an eye doctor appointment Friday morning early.  Landon road back with us.  He had planned to take his drivers learner permit test Friday afternoon.  Well he came down sick throwing up and feeling terrible.  He had to reschedule his test.  He sleep all day Friday. I hurried to the grocery store to pick up a few things.  I knew when Craig got home from his appointment he would be ready to head back to the lake.  It was a quick trip down and back to the lake. Poor Landon his family was going to pick him up after we left. Come to find out the next day at 3pm they had still not picked him up.  He was left at our Draper home hanging out and not feeling well.  He didn’t have a cell phone so no communication with anyone until someone came to pick him up. I will have to follow up with Shannon  today to see how he is doing.  He was king of house for over 24 hours- We had a nice dinner with the Noriega family and had fun playing cards - I learned a new card game called Skull King-  the Noriega family is staying untill Wednesday morning.  It is nice to enjoy their family with some one on one time.  It was a full house in our sacrament today- the summer crowd!   I enjoyed studying our Come follow me lesson this week.  We began studying the book of Acts in the New Testament.   My heart was pricked in knowing the scriptures are true words of our savior to each of us-  Dale G. Renlund: “We may be perfected by repeatedly … exercising faith in [Christ], repenting, partaking of the sacrament to renew the covenants and blessings of baptism, and receiving the Holy Ghost as a constant companion to a greater degree. As we do so, we become more like Christ and are able to endure to the end, with all that that entails” (“Latter-day Saints Keep on Trying,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2015, 56).  Acts 1:1–8, 15–26; 2:1–42; 4:1–13, 31–33

Jesus Christ directs His Church through the Holy Ghost.-  in this verse we are blessed with the gift of the holy ghost-  this message took me back to when I was 11 years old looking for the gift of the Holy Ghost to be apart of my life.  

Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.  -  I’m so grateful to the missionaries that taught me the gospel message and that I can receive the gift of the Holy Ghost as a constant companion as I strive to live worthy- 

4th of July

Annie

                                                                  Jaxon, and Isabelle

we enjoyed having Jaxon here with us bringing his darling girlfriend Isabelle.  They had a great time spending time at Bear Lake-

Ashtyn

Ani- let's begin the glow party-

Bridger and I dance off together- having some good laughs!

Ashtyn and Landon had fun playing the Axe game it has been a fun family game for us all summer long.

Enjoyed having the Chaudhry family spend the 4th of July with us this year we all had a great time

Shannon and Ryan really enjoyed some R&R with the family.

Our Summer Time Cora Rose

We have had an adventurous past few days-Finally feels like summer at the lake but the weather is back and forth we had three rain and windy blast come thru furious and fast today.  Luckily, it didn’t last long. Just as the wind stop, things were calming down and we heard a huge crash, one of the 50- foot cotton trees on Flint’s property come crashing down across our yard. We couldn’t believe the tree had just fallen over right at the base of the tree. So glad no one out on the lawn when it fell.  It would have been deadly if the tree had fallen on any of our grandchildren.  We had a beautiful double rainbow across the lake shine so intensely bright. We attended the community firework show, and it was lots of fun. The weather was raining and not raining so we watched it from our car.  We saw a drone flying across the top of the fireworks and found out later it was Bridger flying his drone.  The city celebrated their firework show on July 3rd Monday night. Yesterday July 4^th we spent half the morning cleaning up the tree that had fallen, everyone worked together and it was cleaned up fairly fast. We had yummy hamburgers, hotdogs for our Fourth of July dinner, and then when it got dark, we got out the glow sticks and had a glow stick dance with the younger grandkids. They had a great time.  Bridger and I had a fun dance off and got some good laughs. Today we put our boat in and the weather is great- enjoying the sunshine.  It is a lovely day. We all slept in till bout 9 AM from late family party last night. I went and had a yummy Bear Lake crêpe with Tasha and Lincoln this morning.  Some of our family, are leaving today so we’re getting in our boating time. The Burbidge family left Monday morning.  We have had less family here this year. Noriega family are coming up this weekend-we can enjoy having them for about four days.  It is nice to have the family come in shifts.  I get to spend more one-on-one time with them.  When their all here at once I have a hard spreading my time equal.  It gets a little over whelming. I made a yummy 4th of July Cake!   Let the glow party begin our little Annie and Ashtyn with their glow sticks.  The cousins had fun shooting off fireworks and dancing in the dark with our glow sticks.  Little Ashtyn, Cora and Annie had a great time.  The boy cousin’s Lincoln, Winston and Landon had fun lighting the fireworks for us. This has been an adventurous 4^th of July Weekend!

                                        I made a fun 4th of July wreath this year for the front door

  

Fast Sunday / Baptism Day

Our July 1st ended with a beautiful full moon shining brightly across the night shadow lake.  In the North with a panoramic view of the lake I was wondered by the awe of an lighting show and thunder with the moon still shining in the south. It was natures wonders to enjoyed.  This morning I’m greeted with a beautiful sunny day.  I love sitting out on our deck in the morning sunshine.  I have taken the time to read our Come follow me lesson material.  I love reading in the  scriptures about the message of our savior- He is Risen !! It makes my heart and soul burn inside knowing this is true. I look so forward to the resurrection day with a Renewed body - growing old is not fun -to have a failing body in this mortal life.  Pray for the strength to endure!  

We have a life of devoted discipleship to give in demonstrating our love of the Lord.- the Savior last words to his apostle was was to feed my sheep if ye love me.  Reviewing Elder Hollands talk - attached to our lesson material- Jeffrey R. Holland, “The First Great Commandment,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2012, 83–85. This is an enspiring talk-  

July is a specail month as I reflect upon my own baptism day - July 12th 1968 -it has been 55 years since I became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint- I cherish my membership.  I shared my testimony in sacrament for my many blessings. 

Cole and Chase New Bed

Opening their wedding gifts

Shar and Dave picked up the bed we have been saving for Cole in our garage from Grandmother LaVon- the last of her things we have pasted on to the kids.  I also gave them some bedding I had bought for a downstairs bedroom and now not using it -so it was a great gift to pass on to them in starting their new marriage. Cole is excited to have a king bed to sleep in.  It looks great !!   We also 

added the Bride and Groom beanie bears!  So sweet and happy beginnings!  

Burbidge Family Moved

They sold their lovely home in Bluffdale- the last day in their home was the day before Cole’s wedding day.  They lived there 4 years.  The same amount of time we have owned our town house in Draper. The years go by all to fast.  Sad they are moving further away.  I will miss having them closer to us.  Their home was only a 10 minute drive from our Draper home. We enjoyed their Pickelball court in their back yard and family gatherings.  I know they will build another lovely home in St George - wish them the best! 

                                    Cute Picture of the girls at the Wedding luncheon for Cole. 

                                Burbidge Family Saying good-by to their lovely home in Bluffdale 

  

It’s July !!

Summer is officially here at the lake !  I have kept busy today getting out my 4th of July decorations- Jaxon and Isabelle have had a nice day.  Today is their 8 months of dating -anniversary.  They are a darling couple. I made a fun 4th of July wreath today- and put out all my flags-  the Hill side are filled with sunflower's so pretty this time of year.  I love watching the wildflowers show their color in the mountains.

Jaxon and Isabelle at Bear Lake