And here we have Idaho

We had a great time visiting Janet and Dave last weekend! We appreciated their hospitality and kindness in hosting us. We picked up Mom in Brigham City on Friday afternoon and headed to Rupert. We got there in time for a great BBQ in the back yard. Jan gave us some good tips on seasoning hamburgers and Dave cooked them up just right. We visited for hours and watched the video - 7 Pounds (very interesting movie.) The next day Rick went running around the four miles (trying to avoid all the dogs) and he also ran past the old house. Mom and I drove past the next day very slowly - talking about the changes and "remembering when." It was such a great home in which to grow up.
Nick and his boys came over for a little visit and it was great to see them. Jan, Mom and I went walking in Rupert and enjoyed going around the town square, LDS stake center and just generally enjoying reminiscing and chatting. We then picked up Dave and headed to Twin Falls. We went down to Shoshone falls and checked out all the water that is going over the falls at this time of year. Rick hadn't been there for about 30 years and he really enjoyed seeing the falls again (listen carefully for his comments on the video clip, oh my!) We shopped around some, eating hot dogs at Costco and then headed to the new Twin Falls LDS temple. It was beautiful and it was great to add another temple to our list and to participate in the work that is done there. How great that our family members now have a temple within a closer driving distance for them! After eating a delicious dinner at Outback, we headed back to Rupert and stopped by the grocery store where earlier in the day Rick had discovered these wonderful sweatshirts. Of course he knew I would want one, so he bought me one. Mom saw mine and wanted one for herself and other family members. How great is it to have a Rupert, Idaho hoodie? Love it! We went through the Wilson theater for a little tour (while Jan and Dave attended a wedding reception there) and checked out the renovations that have been going on. They have posted some historical information about Rupert outside the Wilson theater and it was interesting to read where the name "Rupert" came from. Dustin and McKynlee came over for a visit and we enjoyed chatting with Dust and seeing his darling little girl. The next day we attended the singles ward where Janet and Dave serve. Dave was made the new 1st counselor in the branch presidency and it was nice to be there for that. Mom and I ditched out after sacrament meeting and drove around the area some, which is always a favorite of mine. Jan made us a lovely dinner and we enjoyed visiting some more with Dustin and McKynlee who came to eat. We then headed home, dropping Mom off in Brigham and then stopping by Dave and Courtney's home on the way back to ours. We stopped in just in time to sample some of their dinner and to have dessert. It was fun to chat with them. It was a wonderful Idaho weekend. I love to visit Rupert in the summertime and Rick is totally amazed that I can still identify every single crop of plants and tell him what is being grown in the good 'ole Idaho soil. I also noticed that all the crops had very few (if any) weeds. They must be using some sort of chemical that kills the weeds and nourishes the plants because those potato and beet crops looked great! It just does my heart good to stand outside and soak up the ambiance of Idaho.

Patriotic thoughts

In 1776, 56 men signed a document that put at risk their “Lives, [their] Fortunes, and [their] sacred Honor.” This document, the Declaration of Independence, boldly proposed a remarkable idea: that the king was made for the people, not the people for the king.
This was, indeed, a revolutionary document, for, throughout most of recorded history, it had been the king who decided who would prosper and who would not. And because people needed the bread, shelter, and security that the king provided, they often accepted a life of servitude and surrendered their freedom in exchange for these necessities.
But then something happened. The common man began to stir and awaken from his slumber. He began asking questions that had before seemed impossible, too dangerous even to consider: “Why should we forever be children, dependent upon another for our bread? Aren’t all men created equal? Can we truly choose our own destiny? Can we live free?”
From that day to this, the spark of liberty has grown into a bright flame that shines in the souls of millions of men and women throughout the world, inspiring them to create for themselves a life and future of their own choosing.
It is fitting that we remember those brave souls who planted the seeds of liberty. We who enjoy the fruits of freedom have a responsibility to future generations to uphold, protect, and preserve those self-evident truths that gave birth to a new era. Though separated by the centuries, we can stand with those who boldly declared that all people everywhere are “endowed by their Creator with [the] unalienable Rights [of] Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Music and the Spoken Word, July 5, 2009

Since hearing this broadcast I've been thinking about the message it contains -

In my opinion, this thought, this idea is what sets our country apart from all others. The idea that WE create for ourselves a life and future of our own choosing. Our great land affords us many choices and opportunities. Because I have grown up with this freedom, I don't often think about all the blessings that it affords me. Choice. What greater blessing is there than having choices and the agency to pursue those choices?

• I choose to travel around freely and go and do whatever I want to do (within the confines of the law of the land.)
• I choose the course my life will take and I have the freedom to pursue that course
• I create the life for myself and my family (with my husband) that I want to achieve. Within reasonable perimeters, I can become or do whatever I want to do.
• I have opportunities for education and self improvement. If I work hard enough, I can achieve my dreams and goals. No one stops me but me.
• I'm not denied opportunities because of my gender or race. I have the same chances to succeed as everyone else. Because I was raised in a great home, I have even more chances because I was shown a great example.
• I have religious freedom. I can follow my conscience and show my faith in God according to my beliefs. I allow all others the same opportunity.
• I truly have a life with many liberties and the opportunity to pursue happiness. How many countries in the world even care if the people in them are happy? My country cares and encourages happiness!
• My happiness is based on my liberties, my opportunities and my freedom to be me.

Creepy and funny!

Who thinks of this stuff?

Elder Evans

Our nephew Elder Evans is serving his LDS mission in the Philadelphia PA mission. He is a great young man and he was grown so much since he was been gone. We get some of his emails. He and Andy are just a couple of months apart in age and they have been serving their missions at the same time. E. Evans shares some very interesting experiences. Here are two, one touching and one funny. Great kid that Elder Evans. He has a wonderful spirit and a great sense of humor.

We've had two baptisms this week. One was a woman whose life was in a downward tailspin. For her entire life, she was abused by everyone around her. She has simply taken the criticism from every individual, and as a result, has no self esteem whatsoever. She has accepted everything that her children, ex-husband, and parents have said about her. She felt like she was nothing, but for the first time in her entire life, she is something. She is now surrounded by people who love and care for her. She is involved in a positive life. She is not surrounded by pessimism but is embraced by a gospel and people of optimism. She has been given the gift of the Holy Ghost. She finally feels as though she is worth something.

P.S. I heard that Michael Jackson died of a heart attack. That came as a shock to me. I never would have guessed that he would lose his life to a heart attack and be gone too soon; I thought he would just Beat It.I don't have much to say about him as a man but I heard that his funeral was a Thriller.I wonder how Billy Jean is doing with all of this. After all she is just a girl, and the girl is mine. I wonder if she still says that he is the one.You know I think it’s terrible when people make fun of Michael Jackson, and me, I guess they just don't care about us. I've been listening to Michael Jackson since I was about five. I remember putting his CD in my first boom box and then learning my ABC's. Man operating that boom box was easy as 123.

Utah!

We live in an incredible state. Seriously, there is so much to do and so many amazing things to see. Recently this article came out in the DNews describing ALL there is to do in Utah. It is entitled "Utah's top 10: For little or no cost, Utahns can enjoy wealth of recreation." There are some links at the end to find out more specifics about locations. Here are a few highlights:

• More than 400 miles of raftable rivers.
• About 23 percent of the state is high-elevation country, roughly 9 million acres, featuring some of the most majestic mountains anywhere, and probably twice that amount of country in rugged, rocky desertlike areas, along with 17 designated wilderness areas.
• Areas designated as scenic byways and backways, all spotlighting some of the best landscapes the state has to offer.
• More than 30 museums, showcasing everything from the state's pioneer history to its earliest residents — dinosaurs.
• Forty-three state parks, five national parks, seven national monuments, two national recreation areas, one national historical site and one of the most spectacular lakes found anywhere in the world — Lake Powell.
• More than 400 public and private campgrounds.
• More than 1,000 fishable lakes and a similar number of streams and rivers.
• A spider web of trails covering the state for biking and hiking, ranging from the very easiest to the extreme.

The best part? Most of these places can be visited for a small fee and, in some cases, no cost.

The 10 ten things the article highlights are biking, hiking, history, animals, swimming and boating, fishing, city parks, state parks, drives, national forests and national parks. Check it out! My sister Lee and her family have been in our area the past few days enjoying some of the local activities and they have been having a great time.

Over the years we've taken our family to explore the great state of Utah. We've had an amazing time seeing all sorts of natural beauty and enjoying all the state has to offer. The National parks are fabulous including Zion, Bryce, Arches, Capitol Reef, & Canyonlands and we've enjoyed seeing each of them. Timpanogos Cave and Cedar Breaks are spectacular national monuments and we've hiked to/around both. We've been to dinosaur land in Vernal and visited the dinosaur national monument. We've enjoyed Dead Horse Point state park, camped and gone 4-wheeling in Goblin Valley state park with our friends the Philipps, and some of us have enjoyed the sand dunes of Little Sahara recreation area. We've been to the Bingham Copper Mines and Andy and I went deep into the earth in Park City with a school field trip to explore mining in our state when he was in grade school. We've been canoeing/camping (again with the Philipps) on Payson lakes. We've been to Bear Lake countless times with Rick's family and enjoyed all there is to do at that beautiful lake. We've floated down the Colorado river with a group of friends and their families near Moab and had the time of our lives. We've hiked and camped in the area near Fairview canyon countless times with church groups of Young Women. Rick has gone on river runs down the Green river with scout groups and he has climbed the tallest peak in Utah (King's Peak) at least two times. He and the boys have climbed Mt. Timpanogos about a half dozen times. Hoogle Zoo is a fun place to visit and we've been there many times, including school field trips. We went camping/fishing with my extended family in the Wasatch-Cache National forest area a couple of times. Four corners area was a dreary place, but it was cool for the kids to stand in four states all at one time. Between us all we've skied or snowboarded almost all of the major resorts in the state. We've gone snowmobiling (again with the Philipps!) through some beautiful country near their cabin and behind Mt. Timpanogos. We've been out on Pineview reservoir on jet skis and enjoyed that adventure. Rick and I went to the Golden Spike National historic site last summer and learned more about the important events that transpired there. We've been to lots of museums in Cedar City, Salt Lake City, Hill Air Force Base, the Beehive House, and all the sites of church history including the Salt Lake City cemetery. Rick and I went to see the Mountain Meadows massacre site in the spring (more on that later) and we've enjoyed seeing all the church history sites near St. George.

There are a few places I've never visited that are left on my list:

Lake Powell. I've driven by the lake on the way to AZ, but I've never been out on a house boat and I really want to go spend a week on the lake!

Antelope Island. I want to see the buffalo and tour the island.

Flaming Gorge. I've driven past it but never explored it.

Havasupai. I'd love to see it. Major hiking is involved, however. I might be too _ _ _.

This is the Place State Park. Yeah, I know, I haven't been there since it was renovated. Hopefully this summer!

Are there other places you've visited that you would recommend?