August, the month of Pears and travels

 August has been a month filled with family, travels, reunion with friends and lots of yard work.

One of the themes for my life in the past two years has been, "Where Can I turn for Peace."  We started the month with a visit on Sunday, August 2 to The Dallas Texas Temple grounds.  The gates were locked and so we just sat at the entrance and marveled at the beauty and peace that surrounds the building. We look forward to the day we can return to the Temple when it opens again.

We also we able to stop at the Kansas City Temple on Tuesday, August 11.  It was so majestic and beautiful on that hot August day of travel.  It was definitely a refuge from the world and a place to find Peace for a few minutes.

We stopped and ate a snack and walked around all of the grounds.  It is so different to have the parking lots empty and so quiet because of Covid 19 closings.  The Temple grounds are still kept so beautiful and truly bring peace to the soul.

We ended the month in Utah and a night visit to the Mt. Timpanogos Temple.  

We took Logan and Preslee with us to see this beacon in the city.  They live just a few miles from it and often go and park in the parking lot and just talk and enjoy the peace.  It was a beautiful night with the moon peaking through the clouds.

These three Temples all have special meaning to me for different reasons.  Emily was sealed (married) in the Dallas Temple and Brian was married in the Mt. Timpanogos Temple.  Great memories as we visited and enjoyed the memories.

We started the month with a road trip to Wichita Kansas to visit Brian and Beth.  They celebrated their 10 year Anniversary and we stayed with the kids while they celebrated in Colorado for a few days.  The Girls had a few hours together for pedicures.  It was a real treat - first time in two years to have my feet massaged and pampered and it was great, especially with the good company of Beth and Nora.

Next we were off to the Sunflower fields for pictures.  Lots of pictures taken in the sunflower fields. 

William 

Nora 

Brian, William,Nora and Beth

William was a little afraid of ALL of the BEES on the plants.  He was being very cautious about where he was willing to have his picture taken!  Made for a cute photo.

Beautiful picture of the Kansas fields and sky.  It truly is in the middle of the grasslands and prairies.  

Fun baking with Grandma.  Cupcakes baked in ice cream cones.  Oh how I love the internet when I need help with a recipe.  I made these all the time for my kids and it was a trick to get them to stay standing while you bake them.  I found this great idea and it really worked.  So much better and no mess.

It is always fun to visit The Nifty Nut House in Wichita.  It is a store filled with nuts, chocolates and candy.  We managed to spend about $40 on all this healthy!?!? candy.  Let's just say we ended up with a lot of jelly bellies.  

We have really enjoyed re-connecting with our grandchildren since we have been home.  They have grown up so much and we enjoyed our daily walks, lots of UNO and Mario and Minecraft on the tablets.  

 

We combined this visit with continuing North on I-35 and returning to Farmington Minnesota for a work project with Jaime and Andy.  They purchased the home they had been renting for a few years and it was time to clean out the garages.  We spent three days emptying, cleaning and finding many memories.  We filled a dumpster, had a large garage sale and donated two van loads to the local thrift store and night shelter.  Toys were organized, clothes sorted and important papers found.

Abby found these Winter overalls and thought they were the next fashion craze.

Minnesota also has wonderful Sunflower fields so we spent our Sunday afternoon driving about an hour to a beautiful field for family pictures,  Another photo bomb of family pictures:

We had a lot of fun with all of the props and things placed in the fields for photo shoots.  Great family pictures with Adam 20, Eric 18, Abby 17, Zach 14 and Emma 11.  They are growing up and it is nice that they are all still together to have these family outings.  They have two new Rottpoo puppies that came along, but they were not interested in family photos and just wanted to lay in the shade of the sunflowers.  It was their first real road trip and lets just say Adam got a new pair of jeans out of the deal due to car sick puppies!

Abby and Eric are Seniors this year and this was a cute Senior Picture.  2020 is an interesting year to be in school and we wish them the very best as they embark on their final year of High School.

This is their garden and it has provided a generous bounty.  We always get fed so well when we visit and this visit was especially great as we ate from the garden.  The green beans were picked and immediately cleaned and cooked.  They were the best I have every had.  We made homemade pasta sauce by roasting the cherry and roma tomatoes with onions, garlic and peppers in the oven.  We then pureed them and added fresh basil and other herbs for a delicious sauce.  

It is never all work and no play when we visit.  We enjoyed the wonderful food and our daily walks around the lake in their neighborhood.  August is the month it finally gets warm and is warm just long enough before the cold nights of September come in.  

After two weeks being away, it was time to hit the road again and return back to Texas to take care of our own yard.  It is really nice to have a stopping place with Brian and Beth in Wichita.  It makes the 14 hour drive bearable when we can stop and have an amazing Taco dinner and a comfy bed before we finish the last 6 hours home.

We arrived home to our loaded Pear tree that was ready to be picked.  We have 4 Pear trees and this year only one had pears.  We picked about 150 pounds of pears and then gave away as many as we could.  They were the best pears we have had in many years.  There were not as many, but they were very large - the biggest one weighing in at a perfect 1 pound.  It only took a few to make a cobbler or strudel.  

I made 6 Pear Raspberry Strudel and gave them away.  We spent a Sunday afternoon delivering to a few friends.  It is not the same with Covid-19 when you deliver, but I wanted to share and let friends know I was thinking of them.  Oh, they turned out so good - I love adapting the original apple strudel to other fruits in season.  The Pear raspberry and Pear cherry were both really good.  The strudel is so much lighter than a traditional American Pie.

Monday was a special treat as we hit the road again and traveled to Temple, Texas.  We had driven through on the freeway many times, but we had never actually been in the city or around to see the sights.  

There are a few people that come into your life that make a real difference and you just know they are friends for life.  We were so fortunate to serve with Elder and Sister Bretzing on our mission.  We all got sent home the same day, but they still had over 7 months to serve on their mission.  They have not been released and continue to serve via Zoom meetings and other media.  We got to visit with them while they were in Temple visiting family.  We spent the day at Chalk Ridge Falls Park.  It is nestled in a park outside of the city and it was so fun.  We hiked and waded in the water and had such a great time.

It came complete with a swinging suspension bridge.  We even had to navigate down this steep trail to get down to the falls.  It was a short trail with lots of adventure.

It reminded us of the many adventures in Germany we had together.  We love the outdoors and the beauty of nature.  

Claudia is like a sister to me.  We shared so much in the mission and I was so grateful I had someone to talk to and share recipes with.  We both learned from each other and fed and lot of missionaries.  She truly is a forever friend.

We are finding there is a lot of Texas we have not seen in the 40 years we have lived here.  We need a few more road trips and adventures.  We just need Covid to be in control so we can visit other places.  Bandera Texas is next on the list -  deep in the hill country of Texas!

I have always wanted to go to Marfa Texas where my father served during WWII.  I would really like to go at the end of September, but we will have to see how the conditions are at that time.

We have also enjoyed the time we have had with Joshua and his family.  The Twins graduated from High School in the Spring and are starting college.  They have decided to set up an office in our home to come and do their on-line college classes.  At least it helps them have a quiet place and seems like they are going to school.  Treats at Grandma's are an added benefit.

On Tuesday, August 25 we flew to Salt Lake City to visit Emily and her family.  We had planned to stay with her until Ian got food poison from food they ate waiting for us to arrive at the airport.  He was so sick we decided to get a hotel and stay there for a few days.  

Preslee was so excited to have us visit.  She greeted us with a decorated house of streamers and treats.  It was a great Welcome.  

Emily is living in a very small home until their new home is built and it is a true adventure with 6 people and one bathroom, but we make it work.  We decided to get a car rental and always ready for a fun adventure, we rented a 2008 VW convertible bug.  WOW, did we ever have fun and acted like we were back in school at BYU driving around town.  

Preslee loves Grandmas Cinnamon Rolls.  She especially likes to sell them.  So, we spent a day making them and she set up a cute stand on the corner of their house - on a nice busy street, and sold about 50 rolls.  We made Cinnamon, Nutella and lemon.  People asked if next time they could place orders and be able to get more.  She made about $80 and that is going to be for some tumbling equipment she is wanting to get to help her.  We sold all of them with none left for us to eat, so I got up on Saturday morning and made another batch.  We gave some away and managed to eat the rest!

She would like me to be there every weekend for a sale.  It is a pretty good business for her considering it is a glorified lemonade stand.

Saturday afternoon was spent at the football field for 4th grade cheerleading and football.  It was a very hot day!  It was so fun to see Preslee in her element and having a great time.  It brought back so many memories.  

We lasted about and hour and a half and it was time to get out of the heat.  Shopping was calling my name and we had places to go and to see.

We visited my Sister Pam and her husband Mike on Sunday.  It was a wonderful day with family.  I have lived away from family for 40 years and as we get older, we enjoy the times we can be together.  

All good things come to an end and we returned the car on Sunday afternoon.  It was such a fun time and beautiful weather to enjoy the ride.  

We also went to Utah for a mission Gathering with Pres. and Sister Brown.  Because of Covid we could not meet in a formal gathering so we met up Provo Canyon at Canyon Glen Park.

What a gathering of missionaries!  It was such a great reunion to see so many that we had served with.  We realized that most of the missionaries that we directly served with are from Europe.  Of the 60 that were there, we had served with about 15.  We especially were happy to see so many of the Senior Couples.  It was great to catch up on life and to hear about their past several months at home.  These people will always be "family" and we are so grateful that we were able to serve with them and to continue learning from them as they share experiences with us.  We look forward to many more reunions in the future.  

A special Thank you to the Robertson family who came from Idaho and we got to meet.  We served with their son both in Freiburg and in Austria.  WE LOVE Elder Robertson.  We had an immediate bond because of Idaho, but truly came to admire and appreciate this dedicated young man with an amazing testimony and love of Jesus Christ.  

This week in my scripture study, I have been reading in Helaman in The Book of Mormon.  This was a very dark time on the earth with many wars and much bloodshed and turning from Jesus Christ and His teachings.  

Helaman 5:12 - "And now, my sos, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation  . . ."  This was not new to them.  He tells them to Remember what they had been taught.  He goes on to tell them about all of the darkness and "Bad News" of the day.  It is not much different than our day.  Pages and pages are written about the bad news:  Political corruption, Devil having a great hold on the people, Truth rejected, Apathy towards God's power - not recognizing who God even is, lack of repentance, forgetting the blessings from God, and then God chastens His people to help them to Remember.  He teaches about PRIDE and the dangers of it.  He then ends His discourse with the Good News.  What is the Good News that has happened in your life in the past year amid all of the darkness?

Temples have continued to be a place of peace and refuge and many more are scheduled to be built.

Service opportunities have increased as many have sewn masks - our Church contributed 6 million in Utah alone.  We have helped many countries with Humanitarian aid.  I have been able to serve others through our mission and at home.  Service helps keep us close to Jesus Christ.  I have learned to 

LOOK TO GOD AND LIVE.  Helaman 8:15 - "And as many as should look upon that serpent should live, even so as many as should look upon the Son of God with faith, having a contrite spirit, might live, even unto that life which is eternal.?"  

The Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ continues to go out to the world and people are being converted.

The Power of the Priesthood is on the earth today to guide and direct us and to give us the word of God for our time.  I am so grateful for a living Prophet, Pres. Russell M Nelson who guides and directs the Lords Church on the earth today.

One of the things a Prophet does is call people to Repentance.  I am so grateful for the atonement of Jesus Christ and that I can repent and allow His atonement to take place in my heart and bless me with renewed strength every day to carry on and do better today than I did yesterday.  We are not perfect people living in a perfect world.  We are here to learn and grown and become.  Through Repentance I can become what I was sent here to become - no comparisons to others or judgments made.

The Good News is that I know who I am - a daughter of a Heavenly Father who loves me and provided a plan for me to come to this earth and learn and grown and return to Him for Eternal Life.  That gives me hope, happiness and great joy with a purpose to my life.  

It is so much easier to seek the good in life than to be in bondage with the bad news.  Seek for Truth in the coming days and find the Joy!

We ended the month with a visit from Ellie and Michael.  Ellie is a special friend from Freiburg Germany that was baptized two years ago.  She is attending school at BYU-Idaho and  we got to spend a little time with her.  She attended a German speaking activity on campus and met Michael.  He served his mission in Berlin Germany and the best part is that he is the grandson of our dear friends who we served with - The Blanchards!  The family of friends continues to grow,  We are so happy for them and know they were blessed to find each other.  Ellie is part of that Good News and has been blessed by the choices she has made - even leaving Germany and family and finding JOY!  What a great reunion!

We ended the night with other dear friends from the mission, The Homer's.  It is really a small world when you travel half way around the world and find people from your own home town.  My Dad and his uncle were good friends and Russ' parents were good friends with John Homers family.  The Homer's were the backbone of the mission.  They served in the mission office and kept everyone safe and sound in their apartments.  We loved being with them in their home.  We were with them exactly 1 year ago that same day in Vienna showing them the sights.  It was great to share memories and to continue a friendship.  Our lives have been touched by so many wonderful people.  

I think we will need September to rest up for the last three months of the year and all of the holidays.  We are already looking forward to The Nativity Display and all that the coming days will bring.

Until next month,

Viel Liebe,

The Grimmett's

July 2020 Surviving the hot humid days of a Texas Summer

Feeling of Freedom by Josh Grimmett 6th Grade

 Oh, how I love July and all of the celebrations that represent the things that mean so much to me in my life.  America! The Land that I love.  My parents taught me Patriotism from a very young age.  My Dad is a WWII veteran and continued in the Air Force reserves for the next 25 years until the 1970's when they required him to retire to make room for the returning Vietnam Vets.  He retired as a Major in the Air Force.  Because of his love for God, Country and his fellow man, he instilled within me that same love.  Oh, the stories I could share of 4th of July celebrations in Idaho and Colorado with fireworks from Wyoming!

The picture above was painted by my oldest son, Josh, when he was in the 6th Grade, 1988-89 for a PTA Reflections Program.  He represented his elementary school at the District competition.  It has always been a favorite picture of mine.  He followed in his grandfathers footsteps and served 12 years in the military.  He tells a beautiful story in the book he wrote about his experience in Iraq that made a difference for him and for his unit as he embraced the teachings he had been taught in his youth.
"Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them . . .We do not doubt our mothers knew it. . . .Yea, and they did obey and observe to perform every word of command with exactness; yea, and even according to their faith it was done unto them. . .And now, their preservation was astonishing to our whole army, yea, that they should be spared. . .and we do justly ascribe it to the miraculous power of God, because of their exceeding faith in that which they had been taught to believe - that there was a just God, and whosoever did not doubt, that they should be preserved by his marvelous power." Alma 57:47, 48, 21, 26.
My prayer for this time in our lives is that we will remember these same truths and exercise our faith in God and obey and observe to do what we need to do with exactness that we may be blessed to overcome the ills of our day.

We watched the fireworks at Globe Life Park - home of the Texas Rangers - in the parking lot with everyone in their cars or just outside - everyone wearing masks for protection.  We missed the annual parade that we have been a part of for the past 35 years.  It was a year for more quiet reflection on the liberty and freedoms that we have.  We also have a tradition of watching 1776 every year on the 4th of July.  We watched it while we were Europe and this year was no exception.  Our Freedom is not free.  It comes with a great responsibility and accountability.  Agency is the right to make our own choices.  Freedom is the ability to exercise our agency. Grateful for those who have paved the way and to those who continue to work and serve to preserve this great land.
As President of the Constitutional Convention, George Washington said, "Let us raise a standard to which the wise and honest can repair.  The event is in the hand of God."
I took the time this year to go back and read the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, something I had not done in many years.  I would suggest it as a good read.  Just the preamble reminded me of important truths that are worth remembering:  WE THE PEOPLE of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

 What better way to end the day than to serve someone in need.  I had been given an assignment in our Church to minister to 3 sisters.  I had felt all week that I needed to contact one of them and invite her to our home on Sunday.  I kept putting it off and on Saturday as we were watching 1776 I had a prompting that I needed to call her NOW.  So I called and invited her to come.  She was happy to come and then she went silent and I asked if the time was OK or if there was a problem.  She hesitated and then said under her breath, my car.  I asked if she needed a ride or if everything was OK with her new car.  She said she got a flat tire the night before and could not get it fixed until Monday with the 4th of July holiday.  I knew she used her car for her employment with UberEats and that with a flat tire she was not able to work on what would be a very busy day and good income for her.  It was a very hot, humid day and not one we really wanted to go out in, but service is never convenient.  I said, that is something I can do and I will come over.  At this point I was not volunteering my husband because I knew he would not be as willing:)  My grandson, Shannon just started driving and I decided it would be a great experience for him to change a tire and to also help me give service. (Grandmas are good at knowing what is good for family to do.) He was so willing to come with me - I knew I would need some muscle help and moral support.  So, now it was not just me going and Russ did not want to be left out of the fun and so he came along and actually did most of the work.

We had a wonderful visit from our friends, The Bretzings, from Arizona.  They were in Texas visiting their Son and his family and spent a day with us.  It was so fun to catch up on our lives since we were all sent home.  Winter picture to help us feel cooler in this heat.  They are still serving as missionaries and hope to return to Germany.  We were so blessed to serve with these beautiful people who are now mission family.

We ventured out on our first Airplane trip and flew to Salt Lake City.  We spent a week with Emily and her family and so enjoyed the cooler evenings of Utah.  It was hard to return to Texas after the evenings on her front yard and Russ watching the flight pattern into  SLC using an app he found of Air Traffic Control - he was hooked and in his element.
We also got to have a quick drive by - ok, we got out of our car - visit with Cambree Griffiths who we served with in Freiburg and then she ended her mission serving with us in Vienna.  We will be so glad when we can have a reunion with more of the missionaries and our new friends.

I am so grateful for Sherry  who ministers to me and regularly has called or dropped by to check on me.  She brought me these beautiful flowers just because and it truly brightened my day.  I am blessed to have  wonderful friends who continue to reach out even amid Covid-19.
I was invited to Lunch with two friends, Lisa and Lori,  at their home and share mission stories.  It was a special time together and the time went so fast.  Nothing better than girlfriends sharing delicious food, catching up on the last two years and sharing in our love of the gospel of Jesus Christ.




So many memories in July.  It was two years ago on July 16, 2018 that we entered the MTC to begin our mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  We have spent most of the month putting together a Video presentation of our experience that we hope to share when we can gather again.  We have spent countless hours organizing our photos so that we can share them better.  We have also been going through boxes of photos from the past 40 years and organizing them.  It has truly been a walk down memory lane.  It has been fun sharing them with our grandchildren.

July is also the time on the 24th that we commemorate the Pioneers arriving in the Salt Lake Valley in 1847.  Religious freedom has been a part of our Church from its beginning days and continues to be an important issue.  Again, there were no parades or parties this year, but some quiet study and movie watching about the pioneer heritage that is so dear to me.

July is also a month for Birthdays. My Dad's birthday was in July so we usually gathered as a family and celebrated with him and my sister, Brooke who shared his birthday.  The last thing I did before leaving for Germany was gather with family in Bountiful Utah and celebrate his 97th Birthday.  July will never be the same with him gone.

Over the years I have served in our Church as a Young Women President.  I have had the opportunity of catering many of their wedding receptions and being a part of that special day.  There are only a few who have not married and Elise called me in June and asked if I would cater her wedding reception.  I told her I was no longer in the catering business and her mother reminded me that I had just spent the last 20 months cooking for the YSA on my mission.  I thought about it and decided it was something I could do, even amid Covid-19 and most of my catering things  still packed in boxes.  So, no buffets and things having to be done a little differently, we catered the reception.  It turned out really nice and it was a nice evening for her family and the few friends who came.  We wore masks and gloves the whole evening and took all of the precautions that we could.  It was good to see a few friends that we had not seen for a few years.  One more event for the history books!

Every day I ask, am I doing what The Lord needs me to do today and am I learning what I need to learn through these pandemic days.  I have become more focused in my learning and reading on things that truly matter.  I have made family a priority, something that often was taken for granted as I served others and was busy in "other things".
I am reading Christ and The New Covenant by Jeffrey R. Holland and want to end with some of his words:  "the task of the children of God in these concluding days of the world's history is to proceed with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save, to press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men, . .feasting upon the word of Christ, and enduring to the end.  This is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God."

We live in the "best of times", a time that we were given to live on this earth.  We are needed for "such a time as this" to bring hope and peace and comfort to those seeking for truth.  We may never live in the past "normal" again, but we can go on and embrace the new and make it a better world.  I have learned to adapt to new things and to simplify my life. I continue every day to adapt and to see what the new "normal" brings.  It is an adventure and one that I am trying to make the best of.
Enjoy the closing days of Summer!
Viel Liebe,
The Grimmett's

June 2020 - 45 year Anniversary!

William, Beth, Nora & Brian

 We started the month of June with a visit from Brian, Beth and kids. It was so nice to have them and the new carpet had just been installed so the house was ready for visitors.  We had not been to the new Globe Life Park - home of the Texas Ranger Ball Team - so we went and spent a few hours walking around the whole complex.  The kids had a lot of fun in the water fountain area.
The old Ball Park is in the picture on the right and the new ball park is below - you take a look and see which one has more class.  OK, the new one has a retractable roof and air conditioning - we will see if it makes a difference for the fans and the team.  Just announced that the first game will be played on July 24.  It is a beautiful complex and will be a nice venue for Arlington.

Russ and Linda

When we finished walking around the whole park and all of the restaurants (they were not open yet) we had logged 3 1/2 miles of walking.  It was time to head downtown to Rita's for an Italian Ice to cool off.


Brian and Beth left on Monday morning and we kept the kids
so they could spend the week with us.

Josh and Nora

 It is always a fun time to walk down the street to the little goat farm.  We fed the goats and geese and the kids enjoyed it.  Fun times at Uncle Josh's house.  Nora could not wait to ride the little motor cycle.  The boys preferred to sit on the big cycle and play in their world of  adventure.  We have been helping Josh scrape his house getting it

ready to paint.  We worked while the kids played.  It is beginning to get hot and so we only can work in the morning hours.  It is a big project and we might have to wait until Fall to finish it.

The Fort Worth Zoo is open on a limited basis and Wednesday was still half price day.  Normally, you do not want to go on that day because it is so crowded.  With the new rules, only reservations are made and a limited number of people can go.  We decided to take the kids to the Zoo and it was a delightful day.

Flamingos

The flamingos were stunning.  We also got to see the females nesting on their eggs and some of the birds actually coming out of the shell and moving.  They build a large mound and then lay the egg and then sit on it.  

Nora with the String rays

 They loved being with the string rays and the sharks.

Great White Tiger

 Feeding them was not very easy and that was not the favorite thing for any of us!
It was fun for them to get right in the pen with the goats and not be separated by a fence.  The birds were beautiful and a favorite of mine was the Great White Tiger.

  We ended the day with  the giraffes and elephants.  We walked about 3 miles and it was time for lunch.  We ended up at Fuzzy's Tacos - a request of of kids - and it was perfect for take out and relaxing at home.

  On May 30th we also watched the launching of the space ship on TV.  It was another history in the making event and so glad it was a successful launch.  It brought back memories of the very first launch and also memories of man's first walk on the moon July 20, 1969.  Those were childhood events and it was fun to watch with our grandchildren an event that has not happened in many years.



The times are continuing to change and life is not what we are used to.   It is not just one thing like Covid-19 but there are many signs of the times.  I was studying the General Conference talk by Elder Jeffery R. Holland and was touched by some things that he said.  We commemorated the 200th anniversary of the First Vision of Joseph Smith back in April and he was speaking about that time.  "Thus our look back at 200 years of God's goodness to the world.  But what of our look ahead?  ...we are waging an all hands on deck war with Covid-19, a solemn reminder that a virus 1,000 times smaller than a grain of sand can bring entire populations and global economies to their knees.  ...When we have conquered this - and we will- may we be equally committed to freeing the world from the virus of hunger, freeing neighborhoods and nations from the virus of poverty.  May we hope for schools where students are taught - not terrified they will be shot - and for the gift of personal dignity for every child of God, unmarred by any form of racial, ethnic or religious prejudice.  Undergirding all of this is our relentless hope for greater devotion to the two greatest of all commandments:  to love God by keeping His counsel and to love our neighbors by showing kindness and compassion, patience and forgiveness.  These two divine directives are still- and forever will be - the only real hope we have for giving our children a better world than the one they now know."

He went on to say, "we can hope, we should hope, even when facing the most insurmountable odds.  That is what the scripture meant when Abraham was able to hope against hope - that is, he was able to believe in spite of every reason not to believe.  '...Ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men . . .If ye shall, . . .saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life. '  May we press forward with love in our hears, walking in the brightness of hope that lights the path of holy anticipation we have been on now for 200 years.  I testify that the future is going to be as miracle-filled and bountifully blessed as the past has been."


This talk was given in April and two months later, for those of us in the USA, we had another awakening to the fact that we do not regard each other as All Children of God. 

 I marched in my first ever march for justice called, Call of Conscience March.  It was organized by local churches in Arlington that gathered at a Baptist Church and then we marched 1.2 miles to City Hall united in prayer, song, scripture and love to deliver a proclamation to the Mayor and other leaders asking for equality and justice for all in maters with the law.  It was a peaceful march with people united in hope for a better tomorrow.  It was not about a specific group or organization other than people of faith united together.

It was not an environment that I am used to and I did not know most of the people, but it helped me to see what can happen when we unite as neighbors and following the council of God to recognize each other as His Children, each with divine worth.
We go to other countries and marvel at the cultures of the people.  We have many of those cultures here and can learn from all of these people if we allow ourselves to.  I am grateful for my friends and associations with people from all over the world.  I hope I can continue to make a difference one by one.

HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION!

 Finally on June 6, 2020 Arlington High School was able to hold their High School graduation at Cowboy Stadium where social distancing could be done.  It was a terrific venue and a very nice graduation.  It was touching to me to have the Senior Class President stand and conduct the graduation and share his positive experience as a Black young man at Arlington High and thanking his peers for who they are.  He gave a message of hope for a bright future.  The Superintendent of Schools spoke, he is of Hispanic origin and then the Principal who is Indian and then the Salutatorian

and Valedictorian each spoke, both from the Middle East.  One of the girls told her story of her parents coming from Jerusalem to give her and her sister a better education and the sacrifices they made for that to happen.   She said all she ever did was study and had very few friends, but thanked her 2.5 friends for always being there for her.  It was a very diverse group of people  We truly live in a melting pot of cultures. 

 The pictures show how we were distanced in seating and the need for masks.  Just a little part for the history books to be remembered.

We are so proud of Shannon and Kelly for completing their Senior years. We had a wonderful day with them with family and great food.  It is a day they will remember.
Shannon is now driving with his learners permit and will be a great help in the coming months.  

 It was a fun and busy week with Will and Nora visiting and then the graduation and party.  We enjoyed the time with family.  We then got ready to hit the road for a trip to Minnesota to see Jaime and her family.  We left on Tuesday morning and drove to Wichita to drop of Will and Nora and a great meal and good nights rest.  We then drove the 10 hour drive to Minnesota on Wednesday.

 We LOVE Minnesota - Beautiful weather and great hospitality.  It was a week of just hanging out and enjoying the beauty of the neighborhood.  Jaime and Andy were able to buy there home while we were away.  They rented it for several years and then were able to purchase it.  They have been working really hard to make some improvements in the landscaping.  They built a wonderful garden that was a real treat.  I have never seen home grown lettuce and kale look to good and fresh salads every night.  I helped to keep the weeds down and enjoyed literally watching it grow in the week we were there.  It is so worth it to grow a garden when it actually

 grows!  It was Jaime's birthday while we were there and they are grill champs.  We had delicious ribs and pulled pork that they smoked on their grill.  We added beans, and potato salad and it was a feast.  Birthday Cake followed and it was a great family gathering. 

 We enjoyed daily walks around the neighborhood lake.  One morning we came upon a deer on the trail.  I was able to snap a quick picture before it jumped back into the brush.  We really enjoy the neighborhood she lives in and the beautiful walks.
We also had to share a little Austrian culture and made a dinner of Schnitzel and apple strudel.  We are getting pretty good at it.  Just can't eat it very often, but worth it when we do!

We returned from our trip with another stop in at Brian's in Wichita.  It is so nice to have 3 of our kids straight up Highway 35 from Texas to Minnesota.  We returned just in time to celebrate our 45th Wedding Anniversary and Father's Day.
A Blast from the Past:

Engagement Photo

Wedding

We have been going through old photos and getting them organized.  It has been fun and was fun to remember 45 years ago when this adventure began.
It is interesting how our hair defines us.  That seems to be the thing that has changed the most - and the bell bottoms - they would make two pairs of pants today.  We carried around a lot of extra fabric!

Russ got Emily involved and she over- nighted these beautiful flowers.  He knows I love tulips - even if they were not in season.  We kept with the times and ordered pizza and a movie and enjoyed another night at home.

I hope I am learning during this time what I need to in preparation for the future.  We have enjoyed staying in touch with several of the missionaries we served with and hearing of their progress and how the missionary work continues.  Our Mission President Brown and Sis. Brown will complete their 3 year mission on Tuesday. We are so grateful to have served with them.  We learned so much about Christlike service from them.  We will always be a part of their Alpine Mission Family.

As I was doing scripture study this morning I read the following passage that really touched my heart:
"O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people!  Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and come unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth.  But behold, I am a man, and do sin in my wish; for I ought to be content with the things which the Lord hath allotted unto me." Alma 29:1-3
One of my greatest wishes is for us to know and believe and love everyone as a Child of God.  I hope we can accept each other for who we are with our individual identities.  I made a covenant with my Heavenly Father when I was baptized at age 8 to be willing to bear one another's burdens, that they may be light; and be willing to mourn with those that mourn; and comfort those that stand in need of comfort and to stand as a witness of God at all times and in all things and in all places.  I have lived my life to that end and continue to serve to that end.  I hope and pray we will all seek from the one we know truth, even Jesus Christ in the coming days.  I know as we follow Him, the road may be bumpy and detours along the way, but the final destination will be joyous and eternal. 

Stay healthy and happy.  Hoping for new adventures in July - and looking for the day when we can gather and be with friends. 

Much Love,
The Grimmett's