September Already

Timpanogos Storytelling Festival

Orem, Utah - September 5, 2015 

We appreciated the invitation from David and Kayleen (my nephew and his wife) to attend this storytelling event Saturday morning when their son, Jarrett, gave his presentation as one of the ten National Torchbearers.  We enjoyed Jarrett's storytelling talent as well as stories told by the professional presenters we listened to that morning. 

Jarrett Nelson, one of 10 National Torchbearers,

presenting his story at the

Timpanogos Storytelling Festival,

September 5, 2015.

Jarrett's story presentation

was prior to these two professional storytellers:

Eth-Noh-Tec

and

Bill Harley (in the middle).

We also enjoyed Carmen Agra Deedy,

another featured storyteller.

My brother came from Saint George to

watch his grandson participate in the

Storytelling Festival.

(K. LeRoi, Narene, and Sam)

We didn't stay for the afternoon presenters because Sam wanted to get home to watch the BYU-Nebraska football game on TV.  We would have enjoyed hearing more of the talented storytellers, but Sam would have hated to miss the big ending of the game when BYU's replacement quarterback threw a Hail-Mary pass to win the game with one second left on the clock.

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Diamond Fork Canyon

with Todd and Beth's family

Labor Day - September 7, 2015

                                         Enjoying a tin foil dinner with the Graham family.

(Joshua, Beth, Jared, Todd, Rebecca,

Sam, Amanda, Megan, and Ethan)

Joshua splitting wood with a hatchet.

Sam taking a turn with the saw.

Rebecca had fun finding snail shells.

Megan and Amanda

on the other end of the camera,

but had a good time wandering around

looking for photo ops.

Ethan trying out the swing he made.

 Rebecca liked Ethan's swing, too.

Jared took time out from his whittling

to show Beth and me the path to the stream.

Sparkles on the water from the sunshine.

It was a relaxing afternoon in nature.

Leaving the canyon road, we entered in the slow-moving stream of campers

returning to Spanish Fork at the end of the Labor Day weekend.

* * * * * * * * * * * * 

Changes on Slant Road

  We watched this huge machine

grind up the pavement so the irrigation ditch

by Slant Road near our property can be buried.

They had this machine parked in front of our house

for several days until they loaded it up this evening.

Another Sunset Seen from our Front Yard

   

Stages of Life

We said our "goodbyes" to Mari, Yachiyo, and Haruwa on Monday evening (August 17th) at Doug and Shannon's where they stayed overnight before their flight the next morning.  The next day, we were back in the Payson Temple serving our regular shift from 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

We attended the last half of Education Week at BYU on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday (August 19, 20, and 21) with the week's theme of Hope, an Anchor of the Soul.  Our favorite presenters were in the Marriott Center in the mornings:  S. Michael Wilcox, Brad R. Wilcox, Scott I. Anderson, and Jack S. Marshall.  After that, we selected other classes in other parts of the campus.  Sam actually missed Friday morning classes, as he substituted in the temple before joining me mid-afternoon on campus.

We were among the nearly 20,000 who attended

Education Week at BYU

from 48 states and a dozen other countries.

 Photo of North Campus at BYU

(photo from the web)

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Celebrating with Trevor at his White Coat Ceremony

University of Utah - August 28, 2015

President Uchtdorf,

2nd Counselor in the First Presidency of the LDS Church,

was the featured speaker at

the White Coat Ceremony

where we watched our grandson, Trevor Smith,

receive his white coat as he begins medical school at the U of U.

President Uchtdorf has two grandsons also attending 

medical school at the University of Utah.

Trevor is in the second row from the back

looking toward the camera 

(positioned below the first two pillars).

Trevor and Megan

Trevor with part of his family:

Marla (mom), Sarah with Paul (sister and nephew), 

Trevor holding Anna (niece), and Haley (sister).

Proud grandparents!

Pleased to be with Trevor on this special occasion.

(Sam, Narene, Marla, Sarah, Paul Trevor, Anna, Haley, and Megan)

This week was an important one for Haley, too,

as she and Marla came from South Dakota to

move Haley into her dorm as she begins her life 

at BYU as a freshman.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Funeral for Ria Hatch, Tauna's Mother

Ria passed away peacefully at home on August 23, 2015,

due to complications from congestive heart failure.

 Tauna's dad surrounded by his 12 children

at the Provo cemetery following the services for Ria.

August 29, 2015

(children:  Matt, Laura, Phil, Tauna, Michael, Neal, Richard, 

Paula, Greg, Josie, Audrey, and Alice)

 

The 35 grandchildren of Ria and Ron,
which includes Tauna and Brent's
Seth, Sam, Rachel, and Weston.
(Seth and Weston - left, back row;
Rachel and Sam - right, back row)

Placing a flower in honor of their grandma:

Sam (Weston waiting behind)

 

Weston

Rachel

 Seth

The chapel was filled with those who came for the funeral service.
Sam and I were joined by four of Brent's siblings.
(Marla, Doug, Ryan, Brent, and Beth)

Ria will be missed by her family and friends, 

but comfort was offered from the loving tributes 

and memories shared at the funeral.

Mari's Visit from Japan

We loved having a visit from Mari, our former exchange student from Japan, along with her mother (Yachiyo) and daughter (Haruwa).  Mari lived with us during the school year of 1988-1989.  

Sightseeing with Mari on a drive through Payson Canyon

to show her the mountain scenery near where we live.

(Mari and me)

 Fiesta Days in Spanish Fork

Mari flew into Salt Lake City on  August 13th

with her mother, Yachiyo, and daughter, Haruwa.

They were good sports and were willing to go to the

Spanish Fork rodeo that evening for a new experience.

(front:  Yachiyo, Haruwa, and Mari;

back:  Beth, Rebecca, Amanda, Joshua, Megan, and Ethan)

 Saddle Bronc Riding

Bull Riding

 The next day, we went back to the fairgrounds

to see more of the exhibits and attractions

at Fiesta Days.

(Rebecca, Beth, Yachiyo, Haruwa, Mari, 

Amanda, Megan, and Ethan)

Yachiyo likes horses.

(Yachiyo, Haruwa, and Mari)

4-H sheep ready to show at the fair.

(Yachiyo, Mari, and Haruwa)

  

The albino python didn't seem to mind being the 

center of attention following the nature show.

It was lethargic, very long, and not scary; 

and all of the kids wanted to touch it.

I didn't care to, however.

(Amanda and Megan)

Enjoying Our Time Together

 Lucky Rebecca!  Mari gave her the first kimono

Mari had when she was a little girl.

 

Ready for the photo.

 Ethan modeling the Happi Coat

Mari gave the boys.

Yachiyo and Haruwa folding origami creations.

                                  Yachiyo is teaching Ethan how to make an origami figure.

   

 Mari getting ready to do Kanji writing.

She created a poster for us with characters meaning Love.

Mari had other gifts for us and Beth's family.

Ethan and Mari are trying out one of the gifts.

 Yachiyo entertained us with songs played on her flute.

(Haruwa, Mari, Rebecca, Beth, and Yachiyo)

 We also shared some of our culture,

as we watched a preseason BYU scrimmage game.

However, it was a hot afternoon,

so we left early and appreciated getting

ice cream cones at the BYU Creamery.

 Mari and her mother made a Japanese meal.  

We appreciated eating once again 

Mari's Korakke, a favorite from the time she lived with us.

"Sisters" enjoying a reunion.

Photo taken in Todd and Beth's backyard

by one of their fruit trees.

(Beth and Mari) 

 Mari by the Payson Temple

where Sam and I serve each Tuesday.

Flowers by the temple.

(Mari)

We also went to Salt Lake City and toured Temple Square.

This is a view of the Salt Lake Temple taken

from the Conference Center.

Sam and I were married in this temple.

  A fun photo taken in the LDS Family History Center

(Narene, Megan, Ethan, Amanda, Haruwa, Joshua,

Mari, Beth, Sam, Yachiyo, and Rebecca)

From Salt Lake City, we went to Doug and Shannon's home in Layton.  

 Shannon prepared a nice spaghetti and meatball meal 

ending with a yummy peach cobbler dessert.

(Brynlee, Haruwa, Beth, Rebecca Ethan, Doug, Shannon, and Mason)

  That evening (August 17), accompanied with some tears, 

we said our goodbyes to Mari, Yachiyo, and Haruwa; 

and they stayed overnight at Doug and Shannon's.  

Shannon took them to the airport the next morning for their return flight to Japan 

via a stopover visit with another friend in Vancouver, Canada.

We appreciate Mari's visit and have enjoyed keeping in touch with her through the years since her senior year at Bennett County High School.  

* * * * * * * * * * * *

We also have happy memories of the other exchange students we hosted:

Jordi de las Moras Maso (1987-88) - Spain

Mari Shimizu [Hanatsumi] (1988-89) - Japan

Nicole Sepp (1989-90) - Germany

Nigel Parkin (1990-91) - England

Vuk Andrejevic (1991-92) - Yugoslavia, now Serbia

Jairo Fraile Lopez (1992-93) - Spain

Masanobu Yamada (1994-95) - Japan

Rene Roth (1997-98) - Germany

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Can You Tell I Like Sunsets!

Another one as seen from our front door.