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| New Plymouth, Idaho |
June has had unusual weather patterns that have given us beautiful sunsets; hot, cold, windy, calm days; rain, snow and so many fires with rain of ash, poor air quality and red sunsets. We end the month with fresh snow on Mount Timpanogos, 70 degree days and firework bans for the 4th of July weekend because of severe drought conditions and fires all around. THIS IS CRAZY!
HISTORIC PROVO HOME TOUR
We toured the Church and 8 Historic Homes mostly from 1920's
This Craftsman was one of my favorites. They recently added on the back of the house and kept to the original design and historic beauty inside the house.
Living Room - loved the ceiling.
The owners recently added this guest bath and a bedroom in the original screened in back porch. There was an original English Phone Booth left on the property from the previous owners and they decided to turn it into a bathroom. It was amazing. They used the original door of the phone booth as the door frame for the bathroom and then incorporated fun phone booth things inside.
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| Dining Room |
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| Guest Bathroom |
The front door was boarded over and they had taken where a window was and made a new doorway. The front window with a beautiful stained glass upper window was covered over with wood.
This fireplace had been enclosed with sheetrock and covered up. Beautiful double pocket doors separating the living room from the kitchen dining area had been enclosed with a wall. They were so beautiful.
Small eating area in the kitchen for daily eating. Dining room was off of the living room. The lighting was magnificent in every room.
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| UPDATED KITCHEN |
This home was so elegant and so well done.
Right next door a completely different style of home. Very dark colors with a unique design. They also had interesting lighting and lots of color.
This home was the most plain on the outside and a complete surprise on the inside. A Professional artist owns this home and we really enjoyed visiting with his wife and learning more about their home. She said it is all him and that she never knows what she will come home to next with all of his designs and collections.
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| Kitchen Dining area |
Look of all of the details in each room. So many different styles.
One of the unique features in a few of the rooms was his paper ceilings. I don't know how long he keeps them up, but they would not clean well!
The bedrooms were my favorite. So many styles and beautiful furniture.
They really used the space well for this small bathroom. Only two bathrooms in the house as they raised 5 children in the home. They are planning an addition off the back with another bathroom added.
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| Warrior Room |
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| More masculine room |
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| Sitting Room/Art Room |
This home was not open to see inside but just let us walk around the property and see their gardens. It was built for Reed and Allie Eldredge Smoot in 1892. Smoot was born in Salt Lake City in 1862, served as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the LDS church from 1900 until his death in 1941. Senator Smoot represented Utah in the United States Senate from 1902 until 1933 and became a national leader of the Republican Party. He was the son of Abraham O. Smoot, Pioneer, civic, business and LDS Church Leader.
All of these homes are on the same block in Provo and so diverse in style and architecture. It was a delightful evening walking the block and seeing these homes.
UTAH PREMIER BRASS BAND
They had a great line-up of music this year:
Broadway Brass - musical theater showstoppers
Comicon in the Park - fan favorites from movies and video games
Choose Your Own Adventure - storytelling with a musical adventure
The American Frontier - A Patriotic and Western soundscape
It was a fun night with her storytelling but we missed the more interactive music from the Brass Band.
We loved the American Frontier last Sunday - so many memories of movies with my Dad - westerns were his favorite.
Every Friday evening 7:30 pm is the Summer Concert Series at historic Brigham Young Park in Salt Lake. The Concert series on Temple Square features free, hour-long concerts in June, July and August. We will have to try these out for a Friday night date. Let us know if you would like to join us.
FAMILY
I have spent the past several years working on my family genealogy. It has been a very long tedious process trying to find the family on my father's side. I have had miracles and so many blessings as I have searched records from Germany, Sweden, and Ireland. In the past 6 years the records from Germany have become available and it has opened up information that helped me put the puzzle pieces together. I finally found my great great grandparents and their children. So many people have the same names and a lot of information had been added to the records hoping they were a match. I found a newspaper legal listing from an Insurance Company stating the death of my great grandfather and all of his heirs from the 1890's. It verified some of the information I had been trying to finalize. That started a chain reaction for more information.
After 100's of hours of searching I was able to put 10 families together.
I still have the Sweden and Ireland relatives to find and have received help with a genealogist in my neighborhood and hope I will find the deep hole and work my way through it.
I had 24 people to be Sealed to their spouses or parents and so Russ and I and my sister, Pam went on a road trip to Manti, Utah and completed the sealings for 16 of our family members who have died. It was a really special afternoon in the second Temple built in Utah back in the 1800's. It is so elegant and historical. They were not busy and so they let us do extra names and it was the culmination of so many hours of work for me I felt like I knew these people personally as I had researched 40 years of Census Reports, Birth records, Marriage records and any other items I could find.
We have one cousin on our Dad's side of the family. My Dad had one brother and he had one son. We hadn't seen Terry Haney in years and he lives just outside of Manti so we made arrangements to go visit him. He had married a new wife about 20 years ago and none of us had met her. Diane is a lovely lady and so good for Terry. They built a new home together and operated an Air B and B for 14 years in Fountain Green, UT. Terry contracted polio when he was 4 years old. It surfaced again when he was 9. He lived a "normal" life until the past 10 years and he is now in a wheelchair and on oxygen. He gets out a little but is most comfortable at home. I took him photos from his childhood and of our grandparents. His wife had never seen pictures of Terry's parents or any of his family. We had such a nice visit sharing stories of our family and building bridges. We left with such a warm feeling of family and how we were connecting on both sides of the veil that day.
FORT SILL - LAWTON OKLAHOMA
What an amazing night as we drove from Dallas/Fort Worth to Lawton, Oklahoma as the waxing crescent Moon formed a stunning, low-horizon alignment with Venus, Jupiter and Mercury in the western evening sky.
Jaime and Andy and their family met us in Lawton, Oklahoma so we could all attend the graduation of Zach from Boot Camp at Fort Sill. It was also Jaime's birthday so we celebrated at Texas Roadhouse. Such a fun evening with their family and getting to spend time with the grandkids.
We arrived two days early to spend time together and to help Jaime make special treats for Zach's platoon. She went to so much work to make it a special time for the soldiers and their families.
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| Birthday girl on the horse saddle |
We made fresh apple fritters - oh my goodness - they were so good and it was so fun working with Jaime as she mixed up the batter and Emma cut up all of the apples. I frosted them as they came out of the hot oil. We let them cool and then I bagged all of them so we could take them the next morning to the graduation. Jaime made it look so easy and she just has the baker's touch.
Pvt. Ritter requested them and so they became known as Ritter's Fritters!
Zach had talked about his Mom's Bakery and how he missed her cookies that the soldiers started asking if she could bring cookies when they came for graduation. They each placed their order of favorite cookie and Jaime and Andy made up these MRE bags as a gift to each soldier in the Punishers Platoon.
They are so nice and made for each individual person.
MRE: Morale Restoration Edition
They each received two cookies of their choice and 1 bag of dill pickle snack mix.
The back of the bag said:
WARNING
May cause smiling.
May improve Morale.
May remind Soldier that somebody is proud of them.
Consume before battle buddies steal contents
It was so nice to talk with the individual soldiers and their relationship with Zach. He is so quiet and shy and he really grew up the past 3 months. He made friends and respect from the group.
It is always touching to me to witness a military ceremony. I am grateful for all of those who dedicate their lives to the military and to protecting our Country. "March along, sing our song, with the Army of the the free. Count the brave, count the true, who have fought to victory. We're the Army and proud of our name!"
We spent the afternoon visiting sites around Lawton. The Wichita Mountains are filled with buffalo, Texas longhorns, mines, aquarium and nature center, visitors center and Holy City of the Wichitas. We visited a few of the sites.
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| Zuis family |
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| Zach and Adam |
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| Eric and Zach |
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| Jaime, Zach and Andy |
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| Zach with Grandma |
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| Zach and Grandpa |
A Highlight was the Holy City. Out in the middle of nowhere is this Chapel and other buildings that they hold their annual Passion Play.
"God Was Here. First.
The Spirit Is in these Old Wichita Mountains
A place of Refuge For Refuge, For Nature And Man's Spirit
The Terrain and Horizon so Similar to The Land where Christ Lived, Walked, was Crucified and Arose Here in the Burst of Dawn Began
The Easter Sunrise Services
Now named The Holy City of The Wichitas
The Infinite Variety of Nature's Moods seems Close.
A Pilgrimage May Bless You.
Seek It"
This is inside the church - Not like a cathedral in Europe but unique and beautiful in its own right. I love seeing the devotion to God out in the middle of nowhere - its own oasis on the plains.
Russ and I left Lawton and returned to DFW to spend the night with our friends, Chuck and Karen. It was a special treat to be with them for real Tex Mex food, our favorite ice cream and being able to catch up on life and our families. We are so grateful for their friendship and hospitality.
I can't go to Texas without a stop at Tiffany's Hair salon for a haircut and style. Perfect way to end a wonderful week with family and friends. Tiffany brightens my day and makes me feel like a queen while I am there.
SALT LAKE CITY - TEMPLE SQUARE
We love seeing Salt Lake from his way of life on Public Transportation. We parked at 9th and 9th - a fun upscale remake of the area, had brunch and then took the bus to downtown. We spent a few hours in Temple Square at the new visitor centers. For those from outside of Utah, The Salt Lake Temple will be open to the public from Aprill 2027 through October 2027. It will be worth your time and effort to Come and See.
The new Visitor Centers are centered around the Temples of the world. This beautiful model of the newly renovated Salt Lake Temple was stunning. Josh loved seeing the design and layout in such detail. There is the main building and then the auxiliary building that has the Baptistry, men and women's dressing rooms and some sealing rooms. It is massive and beautiful.
Notice the stain glass windows on the buildings. They are all representations of Jesus Christ.
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| Auxiliary Building |
Downstairs in the Visitor Center is a tour that is a continual Temple Open House with actual rooms you would see in a Temple. From the recommend desk to the Baptistry to an Instruction Room, Celestial Room and then the Sealing Room.
We had a delightful afternoon together and met Art from Chicago as we were standing in line. He travels the World and has visited every National Park in North American except three. He had been to Great Basin National Park and decided to visit Temple Square before his flight back to Chicago. We loved his stories and shared our love of the great outdoors. He showed us pictures of the night sky. Great Basin is designated as an International Dark Sky Park. The pictures were fantastic - more stars than you can imagine. Our visit with Art made our experience even better. I love meeting new people and sharing stories of our adventures.
The final room in the Visitor Center is the Christus Statue. He stands with hands open wide inviting all to Come Unto Him.
Friday afternoon we took our first long road trip in our new Tesla and followed Josh part way to Oregon. He was a tremendous help as we learned the ropes of charging, driving tips and Russ being able to trade off riding in each car. We drove to Ontario, Oregon and stayed with my Sister, Brooke. Josh got up really early and continued on to Portland. We stayed the weekend with Brooke and Kirt and had a great time together.
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| Kirt & Brooke Bledsoe |
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| Yarrow |
We each got two bundles of fresh Lavender - smells so good. Lavender Lemonade, Lemon bundt cake with Lavender frosting drizzle, lemon lavender sugar cookies, lavender bath salts and lavender sugar for strawberries.
This farm was set up perfectly for photo shoots. I took pictures for a group of girls and they turned out so cute. Below are the areas for the photo shoots.
We then went to several vintage and antique shops. We love finding unusual and hand crafted items.
After shopping it was time for a delicious lunch at the Black Cow in Fruitland, Idaho. Their sandwiches with homemade bread and focaccia bread did not disappoint. So big and delicious.
It is always a food extravaganza when we are with Brooke & Kirt.
Back to their home for games and a Hallmark movie. It is therapy for my soul to be with them to laugh, relax and enjoy their company.
ANNIVERSARY - 51 YEARS
This is the third time we have celebrated our Anniversary at Ruth's Diner. It is in a beautiful setting along the river in the canyon made from a restored railroad car. We chose to eat inside and enjoy the beauty of the train car and the quiet away from the crowds.
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| Linda & Russ |
SKY'S OF JUNE
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| sunset |
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| Fire sunset |
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| June 28, 2026 Snow on Timpanogos |
A little bit of Texas with a Texas Longhorn being ridden in the parade.
Orem Days Drone Show
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| Texas Long Horn and Ridder |
It was a beautiful night to watch a festive drone show celebrating the USA and all things America.
Lindon City wanted banners to honor America 250 and our Bishop offered to provide the banners and use it as a Young Men Activity. When the banners arrived they only had a pocket on the top for hanging and not on the bottom to keep it in place. He asked for 3 volunteers to sew the pocket and the young men from Church would unpick the bottom seem so we could sew a new one. I volunteered (or was volunteered by Emily) and we had about 8 young men. I sewed about 15 of the banners and it was a fun night with everyone working together to get it done. The city had them installed last week and they look really nice. Makes me feel a little proud as I drive down the street.
HAPPY 15TH BIRTHDAY TO PRESLEE
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| Drone formations |
We celebrated Preslee's Birthday on June 30 with all things PINK.
She is all things girl- hair, make-up, nails, eyelashes, facial masks, etc. She is heading into High School and growing up so fast.
The Linden tree is how our city got its name. This tree is in our neighbors front yard. It is also the inspiration for all of the stain glass windows in the Lindon Temple. It only blooms for a short time and then drops the flowers like snow. This week with all of the wind it has created a lot of "snow". It is a pretty tree when it is in full bloom.
June has been a busy month filled with family. We wouldn't want it any other way. Summer has had a hard time wanting to be here - our garden and flowers don't really know what to do and so we will see what July brings.
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| Linden Blossoms |
David was a keeper of sheep. He wasn't as physically impressive as his seven older brothers. On the day Samuel came to choose a new king for Israel, it didn;t seem worthwhile to include David among the possible candidates, so he was left out in the fields with the sheep. Looking a David, yo might not have guessed that he would have the faith and courage to defeat a giant and become Israel's most successful king.
Goliath of Gath was a Champion of the camp of the Philistines. He was 6 cubits and a span or 9 ft. 9 inches tall. The average man at that time was 5 feet. He wore 250 pounds of armor
We face Goliath-size challenges in our lives that we need to overcome and exercise faith in the Lord. When forces of evil are "gathered together to battle" against the forces of good, we might wonder how our individual efforts could possibly make a difference. Sister Andrea M. Spannaus taught that the five stones of David carried into his battle with Goliath could represent things we need to win our own spiritual battles.
1. My Love for GOD
2. Faith in Jesus Christ
3. Knowledge of our true identity - I am a child of Heavenly Father
4. Daily Repentance
5. Access to God's power - Prayer
The Lord sees past our labels, our physical appearance, our insecurities. He looks, instead, "on the heart". And even when our heart isn't quite right, if we're willing to, He will give us 'another heart'.
On that day, it wasn't king Saul who saved Israel but a humble shepherd boy named David, who was wearing no armor but was clothed with impenetrable faith in the Lord. This battle proved to Israel and to anyone who has spiritual battles to fight, that "the Lord saveth not with sword and spear" and that "the battle is the Lord's". (1 Samuel 17:47)
As we prepare to celebrate 250 years of America I am grateful for the principles taught in this story of David and Goliath. With the history of this country and all that has been given and sacrificed for us to continue to have the freedoms we enjoy I find strength in knowing that regardless of what is happening in this country and the world it is more important for me to remember and draw upon the principles in the 5 stones and know the battles are truly the Lords. I have faith to know that by following Jesus Christ, loving and serving all of God's children regardless of what happens I will have peace and spiritual safety in Him.
GOD BLESS AMERICA
