Majestic

I went to Alaska. It was incredible. I am still slack-jawed. Here are a few pictures.

More later when it is not so late.

Nothing

I have decided to do nothing this week.

Recent Favorites

My Boys/cool men dudes

Notice Gracie is carrying around Aha's regency Novel.

Sunny Cedar Rest, Headstones and History

I walked around the old cemetary in Almo Idaho and took pictures of the headstones I knew were ancestors of mine. Enough said. I guess I will include all.

On second thought, maybe not all of them. There is a lot of family history here. (Notice the Pioneer plaque on the side of this headstone.)

Almo, I guess It Is Over

Twin Sisters/City of Rocks

Castle Rocks.
My old back yard

My home town is being taken over by the government!! (State parks, National reserves, etc.) and rich outsiders(relatively). My whole being hurts

Does that tell you how cool it is? Kind of a commentary on its unique beauty?

Pioneer at heart

Since I was a little girl in Almo I have played "pioneer". Then it was with Kim, Jackie and Laura in our pretend covered wagon behind the old white house or on the old hay wagon down the barn.(I always wanted to be the "scout"on horseback) More recently it has been with teenagers from our area in a reenactment of the Mormon Pioneer handcart trek. When I was in charge of the Jones family reunion I took it back to Almo and focused on what I could remember of the stories of our family life there.
(I even Lived in Minerva Tiechert's House with her granddaughter when I attended BYU. ) Does all this count to make me an pioneer at heart? I do like to think so.

Pioneering by boat, train, covered wagon, or even forging ahead today is something we do, one step at a time, whether in New York City, Peru, the hot desert, or a mission to Indianapolis, it is all kind of the same- especially from our great grandchilds perspective. Keep on the trail,and don't murmer, (seriously anyway)the destination doesn't seem to matter much-- it is how you stick it out.

I found this that says similar-- only more eloquently


" Understanding Church history helps us understand the importance of what we’re doing by explaining something about the purposes of the Lord at each stage of history. It makes it easier to understand the importance of what we’re doing today. Each decade, each month, and each day is important in building the kingdom, and you get a perspective of that in viewing the months and years already past.
Each day we are confronted with the sensual images of the material side of life. Church history helps us see a more important side, a spiritual side, the eternal values of what goes on in our hearts and minds. It helps us maintain a sense of identity with our roots, with those whose ideas, policies, and suggestions are incorporated in our daily lives. History helps us develop loyalty to our traditional values and institutions, to our families, our leaders, our policies and programs. No individual is complete without history. No family is. And neither is the Church".

Brother L.J.Arrington:

It's July, time to give up Gardening!

Every year about this time I throw down my hoe and give up. yup, I give up my lifeline, gardening!
Theoretically, gardening keeps me sane, so naturallly I am not sane while here -in the desert-where it is- shall I say it one more time?--- HOT!

Funny enough, Cilantro can't grow in this heat either, wouldn't you think that most famous of all Mexican herbs could survive in the Sonoran Desert?
Nope.

I grow Violets on my kitchen window sill so it is not so bad when there are all those dirty dishes pilled up. Here are what my window sill Violets looked like last month.
Not now of course! Not even house plants do well here!
(no picture needed/wanted )
(so much for blooming where you are planted huh Alli?) not really

Evelyn is famous

Every Sunday Keith's Mother cooks for all her Grandkids,Greatgrandkids, and Kids who care to come . Even family members past and future hopefuls come. We somehow got around the big canyon between us to come.

She also makes the best Raisin Filled Cookies on the continent,

Yet Never too Late...

Other Things I hope I Have Taught My Offspring.(O.T.H-H.T.O.)

Use a wet, hot, soapy wash-rag to scrub your body all over when you shower or bathe particularly behind your ears, and your neck and elbows, even in your ears. Consider taking a bath once a week to really get clean not just rinse off.

Use the dish-rag only on dishes and counters- not the floor or noses.

Change your sheets once a week. okay, twice a month.

Idaho at heart Forever!

Grandma's House! Pocatello Idaho!

We took a saturday to build Cres's Shed.

South rim of the Grand Canyon

That is Davey and I. (really,click on it and verify) I am afraid of heights. My youngest child at home is not. Thus our hike to the edge of the big hole.

If you are trying to go north to almost anywhere from where I live there is a big hole in the way. It is called the Grand Canyon. There is a dam and a bridge in the western corner of the state with Lake Mead behind it, and a dam and a bridge with Lake Powell behind it to the east, and all the way in between is a big hole in the ground called the Grand Canyon with the Colorado River running through it.

That's one big hole in the ground!

We stayed in Flagstaff in our friends', the Handy's Cabin and spent the day at the Canyon.

Summer visits

--serious discussion of Bottle dripping techniques

Davey was a hit where ever he went. He likes little kids especially family.

I really wish we would have come home with pics of davey and Kate playing on the blowup mattress. She is a cutie pie! Owen wasn't sure he wanted much to do with us. He would turn his head away and grunt. He is a cutie pie too. Check out Sam's blog" In over My head" http://www.kylemillerfamily.blogspot.com/ to verify for yourself. We will have to visit more often to win him over. Consider yourself warned Samantha. Really was great to be there!

Cali ,Grace and Aha.

I love staying someplace that I am comfortable, someplace I don't have to worry about doing or saying the wrong thing or whether or not they will still be speaking to us next we hear of it. Someplace I feel I can come without much notice and they would still be happy to see us and we wouldn't be a worry or a burden.

Well, having a beloved Grandma along pretty much ensures all those things!

Throw in great food and it doesn't get any better.

Thanks, Ashley.

I quit

Maybe I should give up having animals too. I already gave up horses. Picking up after the dogs in the CITY is not fun. Poor Argo is not a hot climate city dog and he is getting so old. We did finally get him shaved last week thanks to Rae. Dodger has that funny bum that makes him look awful not even cute anymore and has started to bark at everyone, he has alergys i guess-- the vet gave up. Two fish have died. And my house and clothes are covered with gray long cat hair. I hate that.


I have already quit dolls, except i have to start selling off my collection soon.

God Bless America!

These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.
Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly; 'tis dearness only that gives everything its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed, if so celestial an article as freedom should not be highly rated.

Thomas Payne

(Elder Mike shamed me.) I do love this country.

Happy Birthday Rachel.

Love you Rae.
This is more fun for me than anyone else.

The Forth of July in Almo! It always made birthdays kind of a big deal for Rae. Thanks all.

Independence Day

Happy Birthday Rachel "Liberty" Cutler!!