October 21st through October 27th

October 21^st through October 27^th:  Monday I finished hanging the 5 sets of bi-fold doors and installed the last few pieces of base board.  Chris spent the day at work being a therapist. In the evening, we drove down to American Fork to go to dinner and celebrate Campbell’s birthday a few days early.  We then went to a pumpkin patch/farm with James and Kirstin’s family.  The kids really enjoyed it.  

 Nana helping Campbell ride a horse.

Rigby being cool on the slide.

Emme wasn't sure she wanted to be with the goats.

James even did the slide with his munchkins.

Tuesday Chris went to work and I got a ride up to Deseret Mills in Kaysville with another ward member.  We had volunteered to fill our assignment at the mill.  When we got there, we were told that it was closed for maintenance and that they were sorry that the word did not get to us before we made the drive.   We figured we would be blessed just for showing up.  Wednesday we did our shift at the temple and then packed the car and drove to Kaysville to our good friends, Paul and Liz Belnap’s home.   We put all our bags into their car and we headed to Rawlins, Wyoming.  We have had this little trip to Wyoming and South Dakota planned for a few months.  We got to Rawlins in time to check into our motel and then go to dinner.  Thursday morning we left early so as to arrive at Martin’s Cove when the visitor’s center opens up at 9:00am.  The church owns the property where the Martin Handcart Company was camping when the rescuers arrived to save them from starving and the early winter blizzard.  Between the Willie and Martin handcart companies and two wagon train companies that were with the Martin Company, more than 250 died along the trail.  That is about 20% of the 4 companies.  You really get a sense of the sacrifice that these early saints made to come to Zion, Utah.  The 250 made the ultimate sacrifice, but all of them were willing to sacrifice everything to join the saints in Salt Lake.  

The 4 of us at the visitor's center at Martin's cove.

Martin's cove is up near the base of these hills.

This is Devil's Gate which is really close to the visitor's center.

This was taken from the parking lot at Martin's cove. You can see how close Devil's gate is.

We next drove to Guernsey, Wyoming to see the wagon and handcart wheel tracks that were carved into the stone by so many wheels rolling over the same track.  This was a place where the Oregon Trail and the Mormon Pioneer Trail were the same.  

The wagons were not all that wide

You can see how deep the wagon and handcart wheels cut into the rock.

We next visited “Register Rock”, where many of the early pioneers carved their names and dates into the soft rock.  Then we went to Fort Laramie, where the Willie and Martin companies tried to buy supplies, but it being so late in the season there wasn’t really anything for them to purchase.  We then drove to Casper where we found our motel and went to dinner at a nice steak house.  

Mom points out a name from 1872.

At Fort Laramie in front of the surgeon's home.

Friday we got on the road at 7:00am and drove to the monument of Crazy Horse, one of the Native American chiefs. It is an amazing project that will take another 50 years to complete.  

The Crazy Horse Monument from the visitors center.

This is what the monument will look like when it is finished.

The visitor's center at the Crazy Horse monument is dedicated to telling the story of the Native Americans.

They still have a lot of carving to do.

We then drove to Mount Rushmore.  This was what all four of us wanted to see and the real reason for our trip.  It did not disappoint.  We all thought it was incredible.  

Mount Rushmore from the visitor's center.

Mount Rushmore.

We then took the scenic drive through the Bad Lands National Park.  It was very interesting and impressive.  We ended up at Wall Drug in Wall, South Dakota.  It is really famous, but not all that interesting, just a real tourist trap.  We then drove to Spearfish, South Dakota where we had hotel reservations.  

The Bad Lands in South Dakota.

This guy was right next to the road.

Looking down on the Bad Lands from the road above.

It was truly a beautiful day.

This guy was just outside the gate as we left the Bad Lands.

Proof we went to Wall Drug.

Saturday we decided to drive straight home because there was a snow storm on the way and we did not want to be driving across Wyoming in a snow storm.  We made it home after a 9 ½ hour drive.  Thanks, Paul for doing all the driving.  Sunday we had a nice day at church and at home resting up from our trip.  It was a great trip and really nice to be with Paul and Liz who are dear friends. I went to high school with both of them.  We had a great time and saw some amazing, beautiful and sacred places. 

October 14th through October 20th

October 14^th through October 20^th:  Monday mom and I both went to work.  I went to Amy's and finished installing moldings around the windows upstairs and installing a walnut shelf over the couch and 2 walnut shelves by the fireplace in the front room.  

Walnut shelf over the couch.

Walnut shelves in the front room.

Tuesday I hung the doors and installed the moldings on the doors.  Mom went to work for her 8 hour shift in the afternoon and evening.  

Molding in Bedroom #1.

Molding in Bedroom #2.

Molding around the doors in the study room.

Wednesday we went to our temple shift.  In the afternoon, I got all the baseboard cut and ready to be nailed off and Chris got the last of the ceiling panels painted for our patio. We then took Miles and Luke, Alex and Charlotte's boys and Kimball and Stan,  Bryce and Kate's boys, to Rush, a game park.  They had won passes from school.  They had a great time and we closed the place down at 10:00 pm.  There was no school the next day because of  fall break.

They tried roller skating.  Stan was the best. 

Luke was the best at bowling.

They really enjoyed the go-carts.

Luke made it to the top.

Miles said that the climbing wall was one of his favorite things.

Kimball was a natural.

Stanford also liked the climbing wall.

Thursday mom went to work and I got the baseboards nailed into place and started hanging the bi-fold doors.  At noon, I came home and got cleaned up.  When Chris got home from work, we loaded up the car and drove to Manti where we met Craig and Pam Cornwall, Chris’ brother and sister-in-law.   We went to an endowment session at the temple.  Their grandson was to be married the next day and they had never been to the Manti temple. We all enjoyed being in this beautiful pioneer temple.  We then drove to Mike and Merlene Ellington’s home in Mount Pleasant.  They were kind enough to let us spend the night at their house.  Friday we got up and drove back to Manti for the wedding.  The bride is from Wales, which is on the west side of the Sanpete Valley.  

Mom with some of her  grand-nieces and a grand-nephew, siblings of the groom.

The sealing room was packed.

After the wedding, we drove back to Mount Pleasant and took Merlene to lunch.  Mike was in Yellowstone with their son and grandson.  We decided to drive to Spring City for lunch.  We were sitting in the overflow room of the restaurant waiting for our food, when a man walked in from the main dining room and Merlene said “I think that is our neighbor that lives across the street from us.”   He did not see us and walked back into the dining room.   Merlene followed him and brought him back to introduce him because we love the little house that they have restored.  She introduced him as her neighbor, Mark Clark.  I asked if he was from Bountiful and he said yes.  I stuck out my hand and introduced myself, John Norman.  He was so surprised!  We were best friends at Bountiful High.  He got married shortly after High School and we had lost track of each other.  We had a nice chat and he brought his wife and one of his daughters back to meet us also.  He is the executive secretary in their ward, but they split their time between Salt Lake and Mount Pleasant. I was blown away at the chance meeting in the only restaurant in Spring City of one of my good friends for high school, who now is Merlene's neighbor.  It was so good to see him.  What a tender mercy.  Later we drove over the mountain to Nephi for the wedding reception and then drove home.  Saturday John B. and I finished installing all the ceiling on the bottom of the deck and then we cleaned the garage so that Jill can start parking her car in the garage.  We still have a little more work to do so that there is room for mom to also park her car.  

We stated early and had to use head lamps.

The ceiling is finally done.

Sunday after church I had a Temple and Family History meeting with 3 of the ward consultants.  Later we had a family dinner with our four children and their families who live here in Utah.  It is always so much fun to be together. 

Sunday morning we woke up to snow.

Yes that is snow on our car.

Sunday dinner.  L. to R.  James and Kirstin, John and Jill, Charlotte and Alex, Bryce and Kate, and Mom.

October 7th through October 13th

October 7^th through October 13^th: Monday they started finishing and taping the sheetrock on the 5 basement rooms.  I worked on building a cabinet under the window in the upstairs laundry room and installing a pantry cabinet.  Mom went to work.  After work, I had to drive up to Kaysville to buy some more roofing to finish the bottom of the deck over our entryway.  Paul and Liz Belnap came to dinner.  I smoked 3 racks of ribs and after dinner we finalized the plans for our trip to Mount Rushmore the last weekend of this month.  

Dinner was delicious.

Cabinet under the window in the laundry room.

Tuesday I worked on installing some walnut shelves that Amy had purchased on KSL above the washer and dryer in the laundry room and putting molding around the windows and closet doors in two of the upstairs bedrooms.  Mom went to work.

New pantry cabinet and walnut shelves.

New moldings around the window.

Wednesday mom went to her temple shift and I worked at Kory and Amy’s installing bi-fold doors in two of the upstairs bedrooms and installing more moldings around some of the other windows. I didn’t go to the temple because one of the other sealers asked me to switch with him so I will be taking his shift on Saturday evening.  I got Amy and Jill to help me move the table saw over to Amy’s house so that I could cut down the bi-fold doors and cut moldings.  

New bifold and moldings.

The other new bi-fold and moldings.

Moving the table saw.  I had to ride in the back and keep it from tipping over.

Kory and Amy's garage turned into my shop.

You can't see it in the picture but it snowed a little bit Wednesday.

Thursday I worked on more moldings around the windows and mom went to work.  

New molding in the bath.

New moldings around the window in the boys's bedroom.

Friday I finished the cabinet at Kate’s house and then in the afternoon mom and I went to the movies and saw “The Peanut Butter Falcon”.  

New cabinet in Kate's bathroom.

Tilda and Charlotte at Tilda's school.  We were there too.

Saturday John B. and I installed the new back door going into the garage.  I got the metal roofing cut and mom painted some of the panels.  We installed 4 more rows of roofing and then I had to get ready and go to the temple.  Mom, John B. and Jill, and Alex and Charlotte all came up and did a session with me as the sealer.  Mom, Jill, and Charlotte were the witnesses for some of the sealings.  It was a nice experience.  

John B.'s new back door.

Mom painting the metal roofing.

We still have about 16' of ceiling panels to put up.

Sunday was fast meeting and Chris and I both bore our testimonies.  Mom spoke about the new temple that was announced in Coban, Guatemala and I spoke about the changes about who can act as witnesses in the baptistery and for sealings.  We shared are feelings and bore witness of the love that our Father in Heaven has for his children here on earth.  It was a good week and we feel so blessed.