Visiting Jeff & Rochelle's Family in Arkansas

We were home from South Dakota just long enough to get ready to fly to Arkansas to visit Jeff and Rochelle's family.

Our pergola area showing some red and yellow colors,

as the temperatures become cooler.

Our visit in Arkansas

back:  Gramma Narene, Jamon, Grampa Sam, 

Zack holding Chance; 

front:  Miles, Kate, and Austin

Near the garage to Jeff and Rochelle's home 

in Gravette, Arkansas.

(Grampa Sam, Jeff, and Chance.)

Chance Ezra Ireland

born: July 11, 2018

parents:  Jeff and Rochelle Ireland

Austin, Jeff holding Chance, and Gramma Narene

Austin on the tree swing.

On a walk through the woods on their property.

Grampa Sam, Austin, Jeff, and Chance

Sam

Taking Miles out to a special restaurant 

for his birthday.

(Austin and Rochelle)

Miles is 7 years old!

Showing Kate his present.  

Miles had surgery on his hand October 26

to remove a vascular malformation, 

but it doesn't seem to be bothering him now

even though it is in a cast.

Having fun with the new automated car 

Miles got for his birthday.

(Austin, Miles, and Kate)

Miles wanted a cake with strawberries and 

whipped cream squirted on from a can.

Kate had hoped for a sister, 

but she loves Chance.

The kids have fun on this rope swing 

that takes them high back and forth.  

(Kate is swinging while Miles watches.)

Kate on a different tree swing. 

(Miles and Kate)

Jamon and Austin playing soccer.

Zack shooting hoops.

Jeff took us on a tour of the Coca-Cola Bottling Co.

in Springdale, AR, where he works.

This is a regional plant that bottles and distributes

numerous Coca-Cola beverages, 

including Coca-Cola, Minute-Maid,

Sprite, Fresco, Frutopia, Mello Yello, 

Nestea, and Powerade, as well as 

distributing Dr. Pepper.

Jeff showed us his office.

He is part of a group involved with sales research.

Interestingly, of those with offices near him,

the majority are Latter-day Saints

and one used to work at Newell-Rubbermaid with Jeff.

Jeff enjoys his work here.

The sign by his office door.

These large heads were what

Miles and Kate picked out when we

went shopping with then.

Rochelle's kitchen is decorated in a Tuscan theme

and is very pretty.

They have a pretty house inside and out.

They have plenty of wood on their property.

They are busy getting logs ready to store in the shed.

(Jeff, Jamon, and Sam; 

Zack is stacking logs inside the shed.)

Zac splitting a log.

Jeff is adding gas to the generator.

Chance is ready to go to church.

Miles is ready to go to church, too; 

only he will be leaving the big head at home.

Loved being with our newest grandchild, Chance.

Picture taken after church.  

back:  Zack Rochelle, Narene, Jamon, Sam, Jeff; 

front: Miles, Kate, Austin, and Chance

A happy time.

Gramma Narene with Chance.

Playing games Sunday evening before 

we had to leave for our return flight home.

(Kate, Austin, Sam, Zack, Jamon)

Ending the family activity with Jeff 

picking chapter and verse to see which one

of the children would be first to recite the scripture.

I was impressed with how good they were at this activity,

even Austin who is not in seminary yet.

We had a closing prayer after the activity;

and then it was time for the goodbyes, 

as we had to leave for the evening flight 

departure to Salt Lake City.

It was after 3:00 in the morning when we got to bed, 

but we had happy thoughts remembering the nice time we had with Jeff and Rochelle,

Zack, Jamon, Austin, Kate, Miles, and Chance.

An Eventful Autumn

I am behind in posting photos, so this will be a catch-up posting with a sample of some of the things we have done since we got home from our Volga Cruise.

It is always good to return home, and it is always fun to be with family.

Scott and Kristine came the first of September to bring

Shannon to enroll at BYU as a freshman.

Joshua set up a stand in front of our home 

with jars of honey  that are part of 

this season's crop from the Graham's beehives.

Rebecca's sign lets buyers know the honey is locally grown.

Scott is their first buyer.

(Rebecca, Joshua, and Scott)

Yet another sunset seen from our front door.

Beginning to see some autumn colors in our yard.

Sarah and Derek with Anna and Paul

at the Smith Family Reunion in Idaho.

Their family was soon to become five.

On the day he was born, 

we went to the hospital to meet our 9th great-grandchild:

Max Benjamin Lontine

 born:  October 8, 2018

parents:  Derek and Sarah Lontine

Sarah with her newborn son who has come to

be a brother to Anna and Paul.

Proud Papa, Derek

Great-Gramma Narene

meeting her 9th great-grandchild.

With Aunt Maren

Look at all that dark hair!

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

BYU Spectacular

October 11

(Narene, Beth, Amanda, and Megan)

Colbie Caillat, Grammy Award winning singer 

and songwriter, 

was joined by David Archuleta

for the evening performance.

Also part of the evening's performance 

were other BYU groups:

BYU Vocal Point, BYU Men's Chorus, 

 BYU Young Ambassadors,

BYU Ballroom Dance Company, 

BYU Contemporary Dance Theatre,

and the BYU Music Dance Theatre Program.

The BYU Lamanite Generation also performed.

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

We went to South Dakota for a visit 

and for Sam to help Brent with the combining,

leaving home on October 20th and returning October 28th.

Marla had been in Spanish Fork enjoying her new grandson,

and we appreciate her returning to South Dakota with us

and helping Sam with the driving 

instead of using her return airline ticket.

Here are some photos I took 

while on my walks at the farm.

Walking down toward the calving shed.

On another day walking west of the house 

with the dog as my companion.

Walking past the silage pit with the grain bins ahead.

Stopping to see the new puppies in the machine shed.

There were eleven.

I didn't see many cattle on my walk, 

so I took a picture of these as I passed by.  

Some of the parked equipment.

One of the trucks returning for more combined corn 

after the previous load was unloaded in the grain bin.

The road leading past where the hired man now lives,

looking toward the shop, machine shed,

 Grampa's former workshop, and the barn.

Going past the tree row toward Brent and Tauna's home.

I went with Tauna over east where 

Brent was combining sunflowers.

The bag is another way to unload without 

having to travel back to the grain bins.

Brent coming to the end of the row

with a full tank of sunflower seeds.

Tauna delivered Brent his lunch. 

Brent ready to continue combining.

Sam combining corn.

I enjoyed going to Martin and having 

a nice visit with my friend, Joyce Wilson.

It is also enjoyable seeing the displays and merchandise 

in the Martin Drug and Mercantile.

Here is Joyce by the fountain with the Coke memorabilia.

Joyce also has added a nice display 

at the front of the Mercantile 

with historical items related to 

Kirk's work as a pharmacist.

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

We stopped in Scottsbluff to see Bill and Karen

on our way back to Spanish Fork.

On our way from Scottsbluff to Denver.

(Photo taking through the window as we drove by.)

Went for a walk through a new shopping area near

Scott and Kristine's in Denver.

A play area near the shopping area.

The next photos were taken after we left Denver:

Approaching the first of two tunnels.

The Eisenhower Tunnel

with a maximum elevation of 11,158 feet above sea level,

is one of the highest vehicle tunnels in the world.

The tunnel is the longest mountain tunnel 

and the highest point in the Interstate Highway. 

It is typical for us to go to South Dakota on Highway 70

 through Denver with a stop for a visit with 

Scott and Kristine in Denver and with 

Bill and Karen in Scottsbluff,

and then to return to Utah through Wyoming.

However, we reversed the route this time so that 

Marla could ride with us back to South Dakota.

This is a more scenic drive than the Wyoming route.  

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

We were home in Utah for just long enough 

to do our shift in the temple, 

wash our clothes, and get ready for our visit in Arkansas 

with Jeff and Rochelle's family.  

That will be my next posting.