Special Sunday - Weston's Baptism

Yesterday was a special Sunday. Our grandson Weston was baptized and confirmed by his father. Tauna, Weston's mom, gave the talk on baptism; and Brent gave a talk about the gift of the Holy Ghost. I led the singing, and Sam was a witness. Following the baptism, Tauna served Mexican tacos and a decorated cake. Saturday, I had made chocolate chip cookies for the occasion.

Weston and Brent

It was snowing lightly as we drove to Rosebud to church, and we had a smaller attendance than we have been having. Only Weston and the two youngest Allen boys (Jayce and T.J.) were in my class. Sam taught the Priesthood/Relief Society lesson.

Brent & Tauna's family came over for supper with us and stayed to watch the Christmas Devotional broadcast from the Conference Center in Salt Lake City.

Later that evening, Doug called and we enjoyed our weekly Sunday Skype visit. We also called several friends to plan visits with them on our trip to Idaho and Utah next week. We are looking forward to seeing these friends as well as having a visit with my brother and his wife and Harold in St. George.

We are making this trip at this time, because our granddaughter, Sarah Smith, is getting married December 19 in the Mt. Timpanogos Temple. We will spend some time in Provo and Salt Lake with the families of our children and then return home after the wedding. Doug & Shannon and children will be traveling with us to spend Christmas in South Dakota, and Jeff & Rochelle's family will be coming from Arkansas. We are excited to be spending Christmas with them and with Curtis & Marla's family and Brent & Tauna's family.

I am having fun decorating the house for Christmas with things I haven't seen for two years and finding places to display the decorations we got in Russia.

I like my Russian nativity carved and painted
by a man in Moscow.


These pieces are also carved and
hand painted by local artists in Moscow.
For the Christmas season, I have moved them
from other locations to display them on the
organ near the Christmas tree.

My next project is to write our annual Christmas letter. We always enjoy receiving cards and letters from friends and family at Christmas time; and, of course, if you are in the neighborhood, please know we would love to see you.

I love this time of the year.


Merry Christmas!

Fall Work on the Farm

Crops were later maturing than normal this year due to wet weather delaying the planting in the spring and then cooler days in late summer. Normally we harvest in October, but this year both the corn and sunflowers were too wet to store. When they freeze before maturity, it takes a long time to dry down.

Air Seeder - used for planting the winter
wheat this fall.


Sunflowers are not ready to harvest until
they have dried and the heads turned down.

The sunflowers in this photo are ready
to harvest as soon as they are dry.
The wind, blackbirds, and deer
are hard on the sunflowers.

They always keep a tank of water handy during sunflower harvest because of the concern for fires starting in the combine from the dust created during the harvest. This fall, in addition to several small fires in the combine, they had one larger fire that also burned a hole in the fuel tank of the combine and 20 acres in the field.

The sunflower harvest was finally completed just before Thanksgiving. For the first time, this fall they are storing the sunflowers using a new bagging machine which leaves the long bags on the ground until ready to truck the sunflower seeds to market.

Seed bagger - new this year


Bags storing sunflower seeds

Now that the sunflowers are harvested,
the heads on the combines have been changed
for harvesting corn.


This is a grain cart, but not the one currently
in the field where the corn is being combined.


The grain is transferred to the trucks.
It may then be taken
directly to market or stored first
in the grain bins or in bags.


An auger is used to put the grain in the bin.


Some more grain bins.


The newer bins are very large.

Another fall activity is weaning the calves from the mother cows and giving them shots to help them stay healthy. The first batch of calves were weaned in September, and the rest were weaned the last week of October.

Weaning calves on a wet, snowy day.

The hired men rounded up the calves
and gave them their shots.

The calves were kept in the corrals for a
couple of days after weaning them,
and then they were moved to the pasture.


Hay bales are stacked ready to feed the
cattle if pastures become snow covered.

Typically, the harvest is completed by November; but at least we're hopeful it will be done before we leave to go to Utah for our granddaughter Sarah's wedding. She is getting married December 19.

Turkeys Visit Farm After Thanksgiving

I looked out the kitchen window this morning when I heard Brent's dog barking and was surprised to see five wild turkeys walking by our tree swing. I had just called to have a phone visit with my sister in California, so I told her I was going to get my camera to take pictures of the turkeys and would call her back.

I thought the dog's barking might frighten the turkeys away, but only one turned and went toward the trees while the other four kept walking toward the garden. I took this next picture through the kitchen window.

When the dog came running, the turkeys flew into the trees in our yard; so I went outside for more pictures.

How about these turkeys bravely showing up so soon after "turkey day!" We have wild turkeys down by the river, but I had not seen any near the house for many years.