It has been an amazing & wonderful week, full of many activities.

Dearest Family!   

    It has been an amazing & wonderful week, full of many activities.   I love Visiting Teaching & it was great to go this week & also have visiting teachers come!  Also prepared for the coming week by baking bread & rolls, some of it for our lunch on election day.  I am so glad I was able to work during the elections – it is a privilege which I really enjoy, even tho it is a long day!  This was one of the busiest elections I think I have ever worked at! There were constant people coming during the entire day – great to see people so involved!  While I was there, Dad went fishing at Crooked Creek and told a bunch of new stories in his FS memories acct! I also appreciated several angels who did some house cleaning that day!

    Joy, Dak & the girls arrived that evening also,  So - so good to see them!  On Wednesday morning we attended the funeral for Greg Bennett in Powell & in the afternoon more service projects outside.     Raked some leaves, removed the wind break fence on the corral – another Elm tree is going to go! Art Camarena will cut it next week for the wood to sell. Just enjoyed being outside! All week has been no wind and 60's plus lots of sun!  It was a beautiful day!  Thursday we enjoyed getting back into some family history things first in the morning with the Fike’s & then in the afternoon with our regular appointments!  We finished the day at a 2nd yr Bday party for Quinn at Jamie & Sandi Warnock's home just east of our place! Great Day!

    Friday all of us girls were in Powell for a Bridal Shower for Krystina, and decorating for the wedding  on Saturday.  Dak & Dad had a nice afternoon here. Tchae & Ky also arrived tonight. Also enjoyed visiting with Ryan, Quinn, Ethan & Rob on Saturday morning while some of the Fikes were at Darece's visiting and 4 wheeling!

    And Saturday afternoon was the big event for Josh & Krystina!   It was a great wedding at the Glad Tidings Assembly of God Church & reception at the Elks Club in Powell!  Darece, Joy, & I enjoyed helping with the food during the reception.

    But we were also all ready for the Sabbath Day!  Attended the Lovell 3rd ward, they met at 8:00 a.m. Had a nice dinner, then the Fikes all left for home! Dad & I attended tithing settlement this evening. What a blessing to tithe and give other offerings, then have opportunity to declare a full tithing to the common judge of Israel, our Bishop! We have a very busy week ahead as we get back into normal meeting schedules plus cut up our deer. 

    We testify of the Lord’s hand in all things! We are all so blessed to live in this land & to have the freedoms we have. We feel so blessed to have His protection & guidance each day & see that in each of your lives also!                    Love you all Mom & Dad!

Every week is special – in so many ways!

Dearest Family,

    Happy Birthday to Lindsay on Thursday!   Have a special day!

    Every week is special – in so many ways!   and every week is different!  We love watching birds from our kitchen window & house finches are among our many visitors. Monday a pure white house finch came to visit! So pretty but we have seen him only once!   Went to Powell on Tuesday, visited with Marlene & Gaye.  Gaye is doing much better but it is a slow climb.  After our visit there, we went to the Scholarship Luncheon at Northwest College. A nice lunch is served & everyone got to visit with the students who have received their scholarship. Had  a very enjoyable time there.  At our table was Rob representing Eng Assoc, the college Pres Stefani Hicswa, the Student Body Pres Susanne Sutton, and two other students.

Then on Thursday, we were able to take Marlene to Cody airport to return home. We saw several from Lovell there too.  Was another nice time to visit with her! Amazing she was in SLC before we got back home. We did several Skype FH training sessions this week too . .  . technology is so great.

    Dad has been doing lots of hunting this week!  He has seen deer every day!  Thursday was the day when he connected with a nice whitetail Buck!   We are grateful for the meat!  And grateful that we can hunt right hear close to our home! In a couple weeks he will fill his doe tag then we will be done. With the cooler 30's nights and 60's days the meat will do well in our outside cool room until we process it.

    Had a nice visit with Peggy & Harlow Brimhall.   He came out to get some wood for woodworking on his lathe. 

    Sunday, a wonderful day!  North America Central Area Conference!  So much very special direction from our church leaders;  about FH & temple worship, about serving, helping & remembering the “One”.  The Grants came to visit in the afternoon, another special family time! In the evening Dad and I watched the Teaching in the Saviors Way training for 1 1/2 hrs on LDS.org Chrome cast to our TV. It was wonderful and we recommend you all ck it out on LDS.org. You can do it on your mobile device too. This week will be busy and wonderful with Gen Election and more family around most of the week! We have all our weekends scheduled away now until after Jan 1, 2017 with Cody and Worland stakes.

 Love you all Mom & Dad

 

Saturday & Sunday we enjoyed the Star Valley Temple Celebration/Dedication.

Dearest Family,

    Happy 2nd Birthday, Quinn on Thursday!  

    It has been a nice week here, weather has been a little cooler, but still nice.  Tuesday Darece & I went to the temple, It was good to be in the laundry mostly sewing, shortening slips.  When we were almost finished, the Temple Presidents wife Sister Getz & one of the other matrons, Sister Melin came in.  She had heard that there was this easy program to find names for the temple & was asking about it.  Was wonderful to have an opportunity to tell her about it!  Also had a Sister we had taught in Buffalo stop me in the hall to say how she was enjoying using it!  Dad has been doing some deer hunting on the days he has time.  Plenty of leaves to rake now which need our attention too.

    Wednesday was our Skype day!   One at 9:00 a.m. & one at 7:00 p.m   Helped a sister in her home in the morning after the Skype training. In the afternoon we went up to see Gaye in the hospital.   Last Tuesday she had surgery for a blockage in her digestion system.  Scar tissue had built up around her intestine & shut it off!  On Saturday afternoon she was able to go home from the hospital.  Marlene is here for a few days to help her!  Many prayers were answered! We are so grateful  that she is doing better!

    Thursday was a busy day helping people with Family History & we also attended the funeral of Ruth Murphy.  Bill & Kathy arrived in the afternoon & we had a nice evening with them, then went to the Temple on Friday. The temple is such a beautiful place. We are so blessed to have one so near & be able to spend time there.  As President Ezra Taft Benson said, “It is a place of increased revelation.”

We so enjoy having them come to visit!  Thanks for coming, Bill & Kathy!   Some of you may remember Dorcas Anderson, her funeral was on Saturday with the grdchildren doing most of the service.

    Saturday & Sunday we enjoyed the Star Valley Temple Celebration/Dedication.  What a fun & spiritual evening that was.  Sunday the Dedication was broadcast to Stakes thru out Wyoming, since it is the first temple in Wyoming.  Miracles of Technology are so special,   We were able to attend it this A.M.  Elder Bednar was the apostle who did the dedication.  He also spoke at the Celebration, reminding the youth of the power of protection from the adversary which they receive when they find names of their own ancestors for the temple.   It is true for all of us!

    Then this evening was spent with the Grant Family!  Nathan decided it was time to roast a pig, Tongan style.  He did all the prep on Sat so the roasting was Sun afternoon. They setup in their picnic area by the canal, used charcoal brickets  for fuel and since the pig was about 70 lbs dressed it took over 6 hrs to cook. It was a cloudy, damp 55' temp, no sun day. Quite a learning experience for all involved.  With a smaller pig it would be much easier and quicker.  We had a wonderful time there & it was really yummy! 

Love to all of you!!    CTR    Mom & Dad

Dearest Family

    It has been a wonderful week with beautiful fall weather!  We have had some nice days- we have worked on a juniper tree in the back yard & finished cutting it down. (It was 65 yrs old by the growth rings)  There were several by the back gate, by the garage, that had grown really tall & were covered with vines.  Dad has been working along, getting the vines off.  Finally it was ready to be cut down. We even have all the branches hauled to the burn pile. We have enjoyed seeing the Big Horns & the field behind the house again! Dad has also been watching/hunting for deer morning & evening!

    Wednesday was a busy day for me – back to working with Sister Burnham  & Judy Quarles!  Super day!   AndThursday was also a full day!  Cowley Chapel in the morning, Living Center in the afternoon & another sister doing photos/stories! Also had home teachers & a Skype appt in the evening!

    We picked grapes one day & then later in the week I make Grape Jelly!  Boy does that ever fill the house with an amazing aroma!  The juice was so sweet this year & oh-h-h so yummy & the jelly is even better, so different than what one can buy.

    Had a great day on Saturday!  Allen & Amber went to the temple & all the kids stayed here in Lovell, actually at Darece’s.  Dad picked up the boys at 8 a.m. Kaitlyn did hair & fingernails on Leanne & Camille.   Darece, Whitney & I  and Neil went to a super Saturday at the church!  They worked on projects and Neil & I visited & just enjoyed being there.  Dad and the boys cleaned up a few more branches, looked for deer, did some target shooting with a 22 rifle and ate lunch/talked for an hr at Minchow's food court!  In the afternoon the kids did more things at the Grants.  I had told several people that there were grapes here so Patty Despain & Jacob, his wife & children came over, picked grapes & did a little fishing.  Allen & Amber arrived home about 5:30 & all of  them had dinner here then picked grapes and apples  before they headed back to Worland.   Was a great day!!! Dad and I reviewed our talks some more this evening before bedtime.

    Today we were in the Greybull Ward, both of us spoke in Sacrament Meeting on the blessings and the how to process that allows all to do FH work, then headed for Worland to watch the Croft kids in their Primary program. It was so special to enjoy that with them! Went to Sunday school & Relief Society-Priesthood with them. At 2:00 p.m. we headed for home.   We had time to stop & visit with Leona, Lavon & grandson Colton who stays with them part of the time.  Had a super 1 1/2 hr visit!

    Arrived home just in time to eat & go to Lucy’s 1st birthday party! There are alot of cousins 1 to 2 yrs and babies in the Grant family right now! It was great to visit with so many and watch the children interact together. We were able to setup several appts for the next two months this evening. With all the extra activity such as Star Valley Temple dedication, Regional Conf, Stake conferences and 2 fast Sundays there are not many regular Sundays where we can speak. We will be focusing on the 3 stakes here in the valley for awhile now! The Worland stake has 2 new bishops and 1 new branch pres to trg now.

Love you all Mom & Dad

It is hard to believe that last Tuesday it snowed all day at our house.

Dearest Family   

    Happy 1st Birthday to Lucy on Thursday, October 20!  Also, Congrats to Kenny, Rosie & little Lucy – next April when a new little one will arrive & Lucy will be a big sister!!!! 

Today was a beautiful day!  It is hard to believe that last Tuesday it snowed all day at our house. Dolores & I went VT at 9 a.m. I just wore a lite jacket & when I got home at 10:00 it was just starting!  By evening we had at least 9 inches of snow! The trees were all weighed down, so beautiful & now it is all melted!  Then on Wednesday night it froze for the first time this fall, pretty amazing! I've had a head cold this week but getting better by weeks end, stayed close to home for several days, not wanting to share it!

    This was a skype week – we enjoyed working with 3 Family History Consultants from Gillette and Buffalo wards!  Also did our usual time in Cowley and with other appointments in our local area. Then on Saturday we headed for Sheridan.  The Big Horns had not received the snow that we got in town so it was a sunny dry trip.  There were hunters everywhere from the Causeway on over the mtn. Spent the afternoon with the Elsie & Terry Peters doing photos and general FH things.

  It was so special to watch the Fort Collins Temple Celebration Sat evening which Ky, Symphony & Kenya were a part of!  The blessing of technology is so wonderful!  We are excited for them – they were also able to attend the Temple Dedication today!  They will have some special memories to record.

    Today, we attended the Ranchester Branch!  it was so special to be there – taught the Ward council during SS & then everyone, youth & adults during the last hour, except the ones in Primary! It is a great branch!  When we had finished everything & were putting our things away a young man came up to me & said,  “You're taller than me ”   and I replied     “Yes I am! You're about 8 years old, aren't you.  Do you know what? – you could have an LDS account & record your own stories in your own voice!”   And he said,  “You mean I could tell how I shared my testimony at school?”     Yes!     As we were leaving, he came hurrying down the hall, waving something in his hand.  “See, here is my ticket to the temple dedication !“   Can you imagination how priceless his story of this would be if he told it for his children & grandchildren in Family Search Memories.

    Coming back over the mtn it was dry except for about 5 miles from Hunt Mtn divide to Porcipine where there was 2 inches of slush in spots on the road and temps of 33'. We were home by 3:30pm, had time to unwind a bit,  have supper then head to Powell wards (7th st chapel) to speak at a New converts/ Reactivated fireside at 7pm. There were 3 brethren and a sister who spoke of their conversion and reactivation process. Each story was unique, two came back after being taught the gospel as children. one in his 60’s & the other in his early 30’s, both with many addictions. The other two were converts, one joining after High School.  The other was married to an inactive member- it took about 7 years. It was finally his 7 year old son who actually got him started reading the Book of Mormon for the first time. We were the last speakers and did it standing together at the podium sharing the time. We told of our own love for the temple and our eternal family then shared with them how they can make FH a daily personal worship event so they can have a daily temple experience. Another wonderful weekend together serving the people and the Lord!

 

We send our love to all of you & CTR 

We pray that each one of you have had a great week!

Dearest Family!

    We pray that each one of you have had a great week!   Each day can be a very special day!  It is an opportunity for each of us to find the positive & good in the world around us! There is so much good! 

    This week we did the second Skype training with a ward council – again it was very successful we felt.  Each time we learn something to make it better!  It also helps us to know how to do this with other wards.  There were probably 10 people in this group, meeting in a RS room in the church.   We are so thankful for technology which makes this all possible!   We’re also thankful for the Lord’s blessing that we are able to learn & do it successfully!

    Visited an older single sister this week – parents deceased – but she has so much to share on Family Search.  It will be a fun trip helping her share the lives of her deceased parents thru pictures & stories!  She is excited & we are also excited! She had many stories already typed up & Dad has been able to add them to Family Search already.  Now we will help her link these to people in the tree so others can read them. We have also helped those we index with & several others, both in Cowley & here in town.

    Our weekend has been so very nice!  We traveled to Sheridan Saturday afternoon via Greybull & Shell Canyon. Did some shopping there, had our favorite Arby’s sandwiches, then spent the evening with Rod & Susan Workman, working with them on the apps.  We have so appreciated being able to stay with them during our trips to the Gillette Stake. They were both able to find some names for the temple! Had a very special experience with her.  She found the name of a lady, but the initiatory & endowment had been shared with the temple.  She immediately emailed the person & by 2:30 this afternoon she had gotten an email from the man & he had released it so now she can do  it!  She was so.o.o excited!  She has her own ancestor to do the temple ordinances for!!

    We traveled to Buffalo this morning, it is only 30 miles from Sheridan.  The Bishop is Cade Caturia & one of his counselors is Jake Hatch,  both Lovell area boys!  We taught the ward council at 9 a.m. & during Sunday School we did the hands on training.  It seemed that there were many that were very excited to learn more & realize that they could do it!!! There were also many that we had known from other places & times of our lives!    When we were greeting people before Sacrament meeting, one sister, abt 40, was asking what we were doing there & when I mentioned Family History she was so interested in coming to our SunSchool lesson time. She was totally enthralled by the App & all that could be done using it.  She found several names in that short time.  We continued to visit  after S School & finally she asked, “Do you know Joy Croft?”  Joy, it was Ardie Ruby, President Ruby’s wife & she was very excited to hear about you  and your family!   A Memory she had – Joy taught her how to seal the edge of a pie crust – the way she still does it today! I love it!   The little everyday things we do which create special memories among so many people!   It is just one example of all the good each of you do, without even thinking, as you go about your daily life, serving!

    We ate lunch in the Buffalo ward kitchen then headed for Worland 100 miles west to help with two training classes for FH consultants at 4 and 5 pm. We had a wonderful scenic drive over the mountain on dry roads with some snow in the trees. With all the moisture the dry looking areas are now green again. Our first meeting was with about 20 adult leaders and consultants who all enjoyed using the new technology! We have met with many of these folks before but they needed to get updated on changes to the app. The youth FHC meeting was full of excitement with 10 YM YW - FHC most of which were younger teens. They caught on quickly and were anxious to see the new changes and advanced features available with the app. It was great to have Allen in our adult meeting! Following the meeting we headed to Al & Ambers home to eat supper with their family and visit a bit. Time with family is always special!  We had a safe drive home with no animals on the road and only a few cars, it was 9pm when we arrived. Just 330 miles on the road this weekend. What an awesome weekend to be together with great people sharing the hastening of the Lord's Work! ! !
Our love to all,     Mom & Dad

We have had some special experiences this week

Dearest Family!

    Happy Belated Birthday to Josh, his special day as September 30! Hope it was a good one! 

I am  so thankful for the service of many sisters the past few weeks!  We have been able to complete the quilting on Josh & Krysta’s quilt! They have given so much of their time.  This week we were able to quilt on Monday & Wednesday, then the remainder of the week I worked to finish it on Friday! Now just the binding!

    Tuesday was a great day!  Darece & I went to the temple to work in the laundry, such a nice day.  We had a nice day also doing a little shopping, WalMart & Costco & lunch & supper together, thanks Darece!!!    Dad did a little fishing at Crooked Creek & projects here at home outside. We have had a beautiful long summer with no frost, but it is inevitable!  We are seeing lightening flashing in the distance tonight & the mountains are supposed to get snow the middle of this week.  We enjoyed going to a Rocky football game, & seeing Talon recognized in the Homecoming royalty!

    We have had some special experiences this week – reflecting the Lords hands in all things.   Had a Skype appt with a High councilman over FH, but things didn’t work out for that, but instead the next evening he was giving a presentation at a Stake High Priest Quorum Meeting.  We were able to visit with him about that & share some materials with him.  On another evening, we did training with Family History Consultants in our stake.  Was a special, spiritual evening where we felt guided & that they were open & intent on receiving the message! Great Evening! 

What a wonderful weekend watching General Conference!   We are so blessed to see it in the comforts of our own home & we love it! Another amazing advance of technology is that already, even tonight, we can down load all the talks to our devices, to learn from any time, any place.  We like to play them in the car, thru the radio, as we travel! Can you believe we used to wait 6 weeks to get our Ensign to study them & we thought that was a blessing, (& it was!)

      As I have reviewed a little tonight, this has to be a favorite from President Monson -We are blessed to have the truth. We have a mandate to share the truth. Let us live the truth that we might merit all that the Father has for us. He does nothing save it be for our benefit. He has told us, “This is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” [Moses 1:39]. 

It has been an amazing week – what a wonderful way to end it!   Allen, Amber & family were here this morning to watch conference with us & then Rob, Michelle; Ken, Darece, & family; Bob DeRocher & Ruth Murphy all came for Mexican haystacks!   Was great to see everyone!    Missed those who weren’t here – love you all

 Mom & Dad