Missing the Badge

We need a final post then send to the printers for a book of our mission to Texas.  When I see others with their missionary badges I am a little envious, although it is good to be home and able to see kids, hold babies, and mow the lawn and grind wheat and make regular bread, etc. Keith is so busy with water, he wishes for a quiet day in his machine on the thousand hills.
We did leave Texas on Sat. March 28th and went through parts of New Mexico we had never seen, which included two areas where my ancestors are from, then to Arizona to be with Mother.  She had suffered a fall and we felt the need to go spend time there.  In New Mexico, we went to Cloud Croft where my grandmother, Lucy Grace Smith Moody was born and then to Alamogordo where her grandparents spent their later years and are buried.

 

In Arizona, Mother was doing better than we expected.  She did have two fractures in her pelvis and was using a walker.  Kay had been spending each day and night with her, so we stayed a week.  Keith was able to work on some projects in her home.  I mostly visited with Mother and Kay, Hailey and Ruben.  Mother’s Joseph’s Coat was blooming prolifically like it does.  What a breath-taking sight.  We do have plans to get together in July for the the Ed Brown reunion.

We did make it to Mijken’s in time for general conference after an 18 hour drive, then on home for Sunday’s sessions.

 

Bret and Jen hosted us for afternoon session on Sunday.  All the kids were great, didn’t need us at all.  We hurried back to Laramie the next week to attend the temple with Kameron.  Greatest time ever.  So we saw the Jensen boys and then Luke and Sara on the way home.  We also watched Tricia’s boys when she went to get Lexi from Rexburg.  Now we have seen everyone, expect …. the Bagley’s in Florida!

 

       

On April 26 we spoke in church and the girls sang.  Here we are, except for the Florida, Wyoming, and Heber kids.

Final Days

 

We are leaving soon and must post “branding” pictures and description.  The ranch hires local cowboys and some that go on a circuit around to which ever ranch is branding.  We cook for fifteen cowboys, but cook enough for leftovers for their supper too, and ours.  We have learned that there is no need to make any fluffy salads or strawberry jam.  We are sure that if they would try it, they would like it, but they all look and go on down the line.  Only meat and potatoes for these cowboys.  Today we told them that their mother’s called and told them they liked pink-the salad was the yogurt, strawberry one.  Not many takers still, except Coley who came back for seconds.  

I was happy to see that all cowboys don’t wear Wranglers.  Several wore Levis, just like my cowboy daddy.  They are all very kind and a little shy.  “Yes Ma’am” and “No Ma’am” is about all the say, except “Thank you’all”.

 

 

 

The Cooks-Sister Christiansen, Sister Pyper, and Sister me.

 

We didn’t go out and watch the branding.  Been there, done that.  There is at least one more week, possibly two of branding.  Sister Pyper, the white haired lady will be on her own after the 1st.  The secretary and Miguel’s wife will help her.  Miguel’s wife speaks no English.  Hopefully all will go well.

Spring??

 

 

I wish I had pictures of the really bad roads.  We just cannot explain how bad they can get.  The pickup and trailer are the grubber’s transportation and fuel/service trailer.  Keith tries to have the fuel delivery truck fill the tank rather than having to fill it himself out of the big tank here at headquarters.  It takes forever.  The tank will last four days.

We had our last day at school today.  It was a little sad.  The kids are so great.  And, of course, so are the teachers.  One teacher bought us lunch.  We took the kids fruit treats, but need to do something for the teachers. 

The best news though is Kameron’s mission call to Alaska!  Couldn’t be more excited for him.  Kurtis said that is will be a long time before they would see each other again, which it will be.  We are trying to figure out our schedule for leaving here, going to Arizona, then home and then to the temple with Kameron on April 11th, which is Kam’s birthday.  What a great day to be endowed!

We did have a quick visit from Washington friends, Vard and Verdene Jenks.  They were on the way to their daughter’s near Houston and took the time to stop.  I met them at the gate and we went in the 7L where Keith and the other missionaries have been grubbing.  It was fun, except the rains started and we slipped and slid to get back out to the highway.  We appreciated their stopping on their long trip to see us. Wish I had pictures.

There is no way I can resist attaching this picture, agreed?  This is Rett, Mijken’s four year old.  Do you think she still made cookies with Rett’s “dirt”?

And now it is March and another brother’s birthday, and sister too!

 

Happy birthday to a brother, Don and sister, Kay.

We are doing good.  The mud from the melted snow kept the men from grubbing today so two helped with building construction, one grubbed with the new bobcat because he was able to drive it out to a close pasture when pickups couldn’t make it,  and Keith learned how to feed so he can do that while the cowboys are in SLC for annual meeting.  Keith says he will need all day just to find where the cows are.  He feeds half on Wed. and the other half on Thu.

We Sisters did meet and plan food for branding.  When my husband saw the menu, he said that it will never do, not enough meat and potatoes.  Yikes!  Guess we will see, and hopefully the cowboys won’t starve.

We did slip and slide to the temple on Saturday.  We were blessed to make the trip safely.  There were five sister temple workers there because of the bad roads.  We didn’t complete the work we hoped to accomplish, but will go again, maybe to Gila Valley Temple!

This is a picture of a little wild piglet who is freezing in the snow.  His mama ran away, but he stayed, shivering and saying “this little piggy wants to go home”.

February 19th-Brother Bruce’s birthday

 

All is well here with us.  Spring is not sprung yet, the temps go from 70’s to 20’s.  Forecast is for low of 13 on Sunday.  I think the temps are better in Oregon than here, at least more consistant. 

We Sisters went out this morning to take pictures of the men clearing brush-grubbing.  Hope you can see what it looks like.

 

It is my brother Bruce’s birthday today.  He was born when I was a freshman at Ricks which was 1965-that must mean that Bruce is celebrating his 50th!  Yikes, that makes me really old!  We have four grandkid’s birthdays in March; Wyatt turning 16, Ashley turning 14, Ren turning 9, and Erin turning 15.  Kache was the only birthday in February, he turned 11. 

We are trying to go to the temple on Saturday.  There was a convert baptism last Sunday morning, at a hotel swimming pool, since our font/building is under construction.  The branch president asked us to take her to do baptisms.  We will see how that works for Keith, two sister missionaries, their convert, and me to fit in our pickup for the trip.  I’ve been working on family names all week instead of sewing.  We did deliver all our creations last week, to Crowell and Childress nursing homes. 

February 9th-What’s up with us

 

It is a quiet Monday morning after a busy week last week.  The weather is great-has been in the 70’s for several days.  No wind or rain, just very pleasant weather.  We are missing one missionary grubber today.  Pyper’s are in Amarillo for a root canal repair for Sister Pyper.  They stayed last night after Stake Conference Sat. and Sun.  Last week Christiansen’s went home to Utah the funeral of her nephew, but they are back this morning.  Keith thinks that the men are doing well and have learned to grub a little faster.  Their goal is to do a mile and a half each day, per machine, which he used to think was impossible, but they are getting close to the goal.

There is a roadrunner in this picture.  Can you find it?  Keith says that they are really interesting to watch.  He says they play games with him.  I can’t see it.  Hope you can.

The scouts went camping Friday night.  The scout master is new at this and Keith said things were pretty interesting.  The scouts survived, not sure about the men.  Keith was home by noon on Saturday and we left for Stake Conf. in Amarillo.  We had time for a hair cut, pickup wash, and Wendy’s before the Sat. evening meeting, then Walmart after.  Sunday, we were the first ones to leave the parking lot.  Not sure why we were in such a hurry, but were home by 3.

About Stake Conference-it was great.  There was a visiting authority, Elder George M. Keele.  The best part about the Sat. evening meeting was all the missionaries.  The stake has at least 50!  Our branch has four.  The choir was the missionaries.  For their first number they sat in the choir seats, then sat with their investigators or in the audience.  For the second number, they stood where they were sitting and sang. Then at the end, Elder Keele had them stand and hum “As I Have Loved You” while he read several scriptures.  This was very effective and heart rending.  The only speaker was a member of the Stake Presidency who is recovering from cancer.  Of course, we loved all that he taught us.  He did tell about when his parents were called on a mission and he was left with the ranch.  He said he had to spend most of his time in the office, so hired someone to do the work he would normally do.  Each day the hired man came to the office to get his assignments, then after that list was completed, he would come back to the boss and say, “What next, boss?”  After a while, the boss said to the hired man that he had worked there long enough, he should be able to know what was next, but the hired man said, “He only did what he was told.”  Pres. Horn gave this example so we would know to go the extra mile, not just what was expected, as ward council members, regular members, and human beings.  The rest of the Sat. evening program was a panel discussion of new members, re-activated members, and one non-member.  It was real proof of the value and need of our missionaries.  Thanks, Kurtis and Kameron, soon. 

Sunday meeting was the regular speakers, including temple and mission Presidents and wives, and youth speakers.  Elder Keele did get the last half hour and he fed us well.  Keith’s version which he wrote to Kurt:

Just returned from stake conference in Amarillo a 3 hour drive away. What a special meeting Saturday and sunday. We had Elder Keele from the 70. He told of driving with his grandchildren in Nevada and fell asleep at the wheel. The car behind had all the parents and they could see that he was going to hit the truck oncoming and were screaming at him but of course he could not hear them. He said  what he saw in his dream state was the 2 vehicles pass each other at about 2 miles per hour and as he looked out the window the other man was looking at him. The Lord spared their lives for some reason. When they stopped the Parents told what they saw and of course elder keele was a sleep so he did not see what they saw but he saw the other man passing as they looked at each other. They wept and thanked Heavenly father for sparing their lives.

Anyway, we sure enjoyed ourselves.  One prayer included proper prayer language, but we are getting more used to the “mission field” prayers with non prayer language.  Can’t judge, just have to remember that!