Jared's Visit

             Last Sunday, I was sitting in the MPR (Missionary Preparation Room) when I noticed some people outside the window.  I looked a little closer and realized that it was Robin and Brooke Shepherd.  I went out and pirated them away from their assigned tour guide and got to share the fort with them as well as find out what has been going on with them and the ward.  It was hard to believe that Brooke is already a senior in college.

            Our lesson for Sunday School was the martyrdom and I’d been asked to tell the group what most impressed me about Joseph Smith.  After I stood up there, I thought that I should mention about his willingness to advocate for what was right and persevere no matter what trials were placed in his way.  Since I thought that I could only choose one, I spoke about the little things that he did – his tenderness with his wife and little children, his enthusiasm for life, and his compassion for others.  It was a good choice since I was able to tie in the fact that Joseph would not have judged me poorly because I showed up at church in my tennis shoes but would probably gone to Emma’s closet and brought me something more appropriate.  (I’d walked that morning and forgot to throw in a change of shoes – not a problem usually but having to go up front to present made it a little more difficult). 

            We were pleased to be able to have Jared and Clara spend a couple of days with us this week.  It was great to finally get to meet our newest grandchild, Andrew Hyrum Nimer.  He and Elise are fourteen months apart so they demand a lot of attention from their parents.  It is nice to see Jared stepping up and being the kind of father that I always knew he could be – changing diapers, feeding Elise, and even cleaning up after his daughter when she is sick.  They had some interesting travels and got to visit two emergency rooms in just over a week’s time – that is a record for our family. 

"But I don't want to walk."

            While they were here with us, we were able to take them on the obligatory tour of the fort.  They had a lot of good questions which hopefully we did a good job answering.  We tried to give them the speed tour since we didn’t know how long the kids would be agreeable to go along with all of the talking and walking.  The original plan was to go hiking in the afternoon, but with time constraints and shopping necessities we only got to two of our three planned stops.  I’ve included some pictures of Elise at the Fremont Indian State Park do some lab work and trying to get a feel for the people. The picture with her and Jared shows her disdain to walk on the sidewalk.

            I was able this week to do some more research on the internet in regards to Cove Fort and the Hinckley family.  I actually was bold enough to contact Virginia Pearce, one of Gordon B. Hinckley’s daughters, to see if she might have pictures of Cove Fort.  The amazing thing is that I got a response from her.  She is too busy to help but forwarded my email to her brother, Clark.  It will be interesting to see if they have anything available in their family.  A week ago, Stephen took another Hinckley descendant on tour, and she emailed back to say that her mother is looking for pictures and information for us as well.  Things would be so much easier if Ira Hinckley had just been a journal keeper and amateur photographer.  Oh well – it is what it is.

Sister Field playing her phone

Sister C as Henry

The Taylors - Eliza from Bucket

            Friday was Cove Fort’s “Untalent Night”.  It was nice to go to a “talent” night that didn’t just showcase people’s musical abilities although we did have some people play the trumpet, accordion, and harmonica.  Our facilities maintenance (FM) missionaries did a song about all the things that they have found in the gardens here and had one of the men in the loft of the barn throwing down plastic bugs, spiders, and snakes on the audience.  Our director’s wife, played the part of Henry in the “There’s a Hole in the Bucket” song throwing candy out into the audience at the end.  Then we had an elder recite/act out “Casey at the Bat” and another do “The Cremation of Sam McGee”.  My favorite act was when one of the sisters played a song by blowing on her iPhone -- very impressive.  As for our talent, Stephen passed out plastic bags and I taught them all how to juggle scarves – it was definitely an untalent night.  I’m sending the link to a YouTube video that you might enjoy called “Count Your Wrinkles” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYHae9joeV8). 

            We had a surprise card in our mailbox this week.  Thanks for the card Charlene.  Hope you all had a great time at dinner at the Great Wall.

Love at the Demoliton Derby

The end of the week found us, with the Taylors, at the Beaver County Fair.  We got there in time to watch the

Elder Taylor helping the magician

magician, the hot dog eating contest and the green jello eating contest (where else but in Utah).  It was nice to go to a real county fair – rather than the commercial madness that we have in Fresno.  They only had one exhibit hall that was the size of a cultural hall where all their crafts and handiwork was displayed.  The big draw for the evening was the Demolition

Derby, which was the main reason for us going since we had

Burrito eating contest $100

never been to one before.  Before they started we had a surprise wedding proposal by one of the drivers.  It was like watching grown-up Bumper Cars – the object, for the uninitiated, is to be the last person able to move.  Very

interesting and noisy.  Then as an added bonus they had a

“mini” derby with smaller cars that drove around two huge 
tires in a figure eight pattern trying to be the first one to do twelve laps without crashing into the other cars.  Then there were the two eating contests between rounds which added to the entertainment.I’m glad that we went but don’t know that I would go out of my way to go again. 

            One of the things that I liked best about the week was the discussion at Family Home Evening about showing gratitude for what we have.  It gave me time to think about the many blessings that I’ve been given over the years.  One of the things that crossed my mind was that I had never thought about the blessing of being born with a strong body and all my senses operating.  Have you ever thought of that?  It is hard to imagine what life would be like with a handicap.  We really lead blessed lives.