Tony Arrives In Oklahoma

No pictures, but here's the latest:



Tony left the MTC on July 20 and he got to call from the airport. I actually didn't get to talk to him much, maybe 15 minutes max, but he did talk to Victor for a few minutes, but then V's ride showed up. I had him call back on my cell phone and he talked to Jared while I drove him to EFY, but then T's phone card died out before I could talk to him, so he ended up going to buy another phone card and getting some breakfast, called me back until it was time for the plane to board, which wasn't long, but it was great to talk to him. He's happy, excited, loved the MTC.



I did receive a letter, short, in the mail this past Monday. It was written the day he arrived. he had met with the mission president and also had instruction from the assistants.



"When I got off the plane, WOW! Hot! But inside is very comfortable." Welcome to humidity land my son. I keep an eye on the weather station on the desktop and it's always humid. Yesterday it said Riverton, Utah, 88 degrees, feels like 82 degrees; Oklahoma City, OK, 88 degrees, feels like 95 degrees, and this was noon before it even had a chance to really heat up. Poor guy. I'm glad he took some short-sleeved shirts.



Anyway, he would meet his new comp/trainer the next day.



I've been watching the email all week, but nothing. I've heard that P-day for this mission is Tuesday, so hopefully next Tuesday?? I'd better hear something next Tuesday!!



I did send off last Saturday a "greenie" package, but haven't written, so hope to get that done this weekend and a letter off. I did promise R that I would not send another package until T's b-day, which is coming up here soon, and then nothing for a couple months. He thinks I'm totally over the top. I think that if I were a missionary I'd be happy to receive a "greenie" package with lots of useful and practical green things, like a green marker, green sticky notes, green gum, etc., etc.

It's the Big Reveal

Yessiree, yesterday Jared got his braces off!!!!

Before and well...

Here's the smiling kid w/Dr. Justin Parker who has done all my boys. He's quite the fun guy, lots of jokes. When it becomes reveal time, he turns off the lights, jacks up some music and turns on disco balls. It's party time!!

After.

Annual Bees' Game With Fireworks

Every year in July I take the family to the Bees' game, it's a minor league here in Salt Lake, the farm team of the Major League Angels. We had two extra tickets and so ended up taking Victor's friend, Austin, and Brian Hume, Loke's son who was visiting for a few days.

I love going to the game, nothing like a warm summer (actually it was hot and there was no breeze that night) with a snow cone, plus I like being around the boys, whether or not they like being around me.

Brian had a great time, really got pumped when the music came on.

And who can resist an oversized stuffed animal?

Plus the fireworks at the end? And the best part, it was a fun game. The Bees won 16-1 over Colorado Springs.

Jared's Eyes Don't Work So Well

When doing J's Scout physical last month, it became obvious that his vision isn't what it should be (and he had been complaining of vision problems), so the solution was a visit to the ophthalmologist, hence contacts. Jared was excited until...

he discovered that it's the eye's natural sense to close when an object comes toward it. After much time trying, I finally held his eyes open and popped in the contacts myself. That was a week ago, almost, and he still has not worn his contacts since, although he did make one attempt. I really need to work w/him before school starts.

Jared Goes to EFY

Last week, from July 19 through the 23, Jared attended his first EFY. This was a stay-at-home EFY which is where they do the same activities as regular EFY, but go home to sleep and have breakfast. Jared was a little nervous and didn't want to attend a full-spectrum EFY, and quite honestly I was happy to have the significantly reduced rate. Here is a picture of the guys in his group on the last day.

BTW: Jared is wearing a blue shirt and is at the far left.

And here is the picture of the girls in his group.

And here is Jared as we left him the first morning. He was a bit nervous, was all by himself, but he loved it and definitely wants to attend next year. I'm glad that I went ahead and enrolled him, even against his protests, because he's been a bit bored this summer, doesn't extend himself too much to spending time w/friends, I have to push him out the door, so actually he was glad to have something to do. He got autographs from John Bytheway, one of the instructors and a very popular youth speaker.

MoTab's Pioneer Concert

On Friday, July 16, the MoTab held it's annual Pioneer Day Concert, but this year was a bit different, as it was the 100th year celebration of the choir, and so it was a great concert, lots of video clips on the big screen explaining the history of the choir and recording history (very interesting), plus lots of great music from the various eras. Had to snap a quick picture of my dad visiting w/thee Lavell Edwards seated in front of him. For those who do not know, Lavell Edwards is a former BYU football coach, a legend, for whom the stadium is currently named, and a very nice and gracious man.

And here is our party, my aunt DoraDean Snow, my father's older sister; my aunt Val Moffitt, my mother's older sister, me (ya, the giant with the baggy eyes--some day when I have money I'm going to get an eye job); my mom and my dad. Jared was on a backpacking trip in the Uintas that night and Rafael and Victor were on an overnight camp trip at Utah Lake w/the Priests. Helen Wilberg, Mack Wilberg's mother (you know, the MoTab director) was at my parents' house the week before visiting as neighbors/friends and when my parents mentioned that they would be in Salt Lake, she said, "hey, I'll call Mack and see if he can get your some tickets", which he did and mailed to my house, so we had a great time.

President Monson spoke at the end, and it was just a wonderful evening for me to spend w/my parents and aunts.

This is the Place State Park

Mid July my parents were in town and so the three of us went to visit This Is The Place State Park at the mouth of Emigration Canyon, where the pioneers first came into the valley. It's like stepping back in time and the first time that my parents had actually been there. They definitely want to go back and see more, as there was more than they could see in the few hours we were there. They were tired, slept like babies on the drive back to the house.

This the Emery cabin (from Emery, Emery County) on cabin row. It was built way back when? (pre 1869) and then abandoned when the father built a larger home for his family, owned by another family for a while, and eventually became the post office for the little town of Emery, but now has its place in history at the park. Interestingly, a lot of these buildings come from places I've never heard of, probably because those "unknown" places have died up or been swallowed by newer towns.

There are docents on site who go about their daily living. I've wanted to be a docent at this park since Tony was a babe in arms. It used to be a 4-hour shift and so I checked into it a couple years ago thinking that now I could find the time, but it's now a minimum 6-hour commitment once a week, plus w/travel time...anyway, am thinking maybe when I'm released as RS president??? Hope so.

Picture from the monument dedicated to the early pioneers, explorers, Indians in front of the entrance to the park.

A Tony Update

From T's last email: "How lucky I've been to be here during the seminars." (It was new mission president training at the MTC)

There was a devotional: "Presiding was Elder Nelson" (then goes on to name another 7 of the 12 apostles), plus add'l 70s, presiding Bishopric, "ya power line up, but only Oaks spoke." "ONLY 5 ROWS FROM THE SIDE and spitwad range from Holland, which was crazy." Then goes on to say that Friday was one of the best days of his life because in addition to this powerful devotional he and the two elders also going to OK got to meet w/President and Sister Taylor, the new mission president also going to OK. He said he'd tell me all about it in the letter he was to have mailed Wednesday, so I'll keep my eyes open for that letter here soon.

America's Birthday

So yesterday, the 3rd, was when Utah really celebrated the 4th (since the 4th fell on a Sunday). R and J (and don't forget me, the picture taker) went to the chuckwagon breakfast that Riverton hosts every year. We went down about 9, stood in line for a while, but had a really good breakfast. These two found a table in the sun (as this weekend a cool front went through and we were running about 20 degrees cooler than normal, which for me was a wonderful weekend, cool enough not to turn on the AC). We watched an ATV rodeo for a while and also some men's softball. Victor went down in the evening w/some friends to hang out, ride a few rides.

Oh yes, we all four went to the afternoon showing of Toy Story 3---really fun, really good.



and that evening my explosive-loving boys struck the matches and put on a show.

Lots of sparkles, plenty of booms.

My guys.

Abuelo Comes to Visit

My father-in-law, Rafael (or affectionately known as abuelo), came to town last weekend as my Rafael aka Alex was ordained to the office of High Priest and wanted his dad to come perform the ordination. It was way cool, performed in Spanish. I am kicking myself for not getting a picture of my guys, my father and my father-in-law while they were all dressed up after stake conference so handsome in their suits, but at least I got a picture of Rafael at the airport on his way back home. He arrived carrying a jacket, but fortunately did not have to wear it since it was a hot weekend.

Because it was his birthday in the upcoming week, we were lucky enough to host cake and ice cream. A win-win situation for all. Rafael gave his father a new Spanish Bible complete w/the LDS footnotes, etc., and a missionary picture of Tony. We had homemade strawberry ice cream. I LOVE homemade ice cream, so having his birthday celebration was just a little bonus to the weekend.