OCTOBER
Fall is one of the most beautiful times of the year. It is also is the beginning of the Holiday Season and I love the decorations and the festivities that go along with it. We updated our garage doors this month and love the new Black doors. It was not in the plans but when the Spring breaks and the garage door falls to the floor and bends it is time for an upgrade.
BYU SPORTS
For those of you who know Russ you know he stopped watching live BYU sports years ago - it was just too much stress for him. He became a fair weather fan. If they Win he watches the replay and enjoys it immensely. So, when he gets a chance to see them live in any other event he likes to go and be a part of the hype. So we went to their Marriott Madness where they introduce the Men's and Women’s Basketball teams.
The next week was the annual Blue and White Game where the team plays against each other. The Marriott Center was filled to capacity and it was a great night seeing the new team and of course COSMO. I think we are in for a great season of Basketball.
It has been a year since I visited Jaime and her family in Minnesota and it was time for a visit to see Emma participate in the Color Guard for the Farmington High School Band. It was Senior Night and a Winning Game. Their Band took 1st place in a Wisconsin State Competition the week before and this was their last game of the Season. It brought back so many memories of my boys being in Arlington High's Band and Jaime in Drill Team and all of the Half Time Shows and Competitions. It was especially nice to see Emma perform and to see how much she has matured into a wonderful Young Women.
Jaime and I got a Hotel and spent two days together - something we have not done for a long time. She has a Home Bakery and Fall is their Busy Season. She does Farmers Markets and other events every week and also teaches Cookie classes. I helped her put together 200 S'more Kits for the Pumpkin Farm that she does on weekends. They were having a special event at night with fire pits, mazes, pumpkin Bombs, etc and wanted her to sell the s'more kits. I then got to be with her at the Farm for the morning and it was a great experience.
Her husband Andy does most of the baking and she bags them and runs the markets. They make the most delicious Pumpkin Ginger Cookie as well as many others. October ends the Markets and then they concentrate on Thanksgiving orders for pies, rolls and cinnamon rolls and Andy starts his Santa Clause work. I am happy I got to be there for a few days to experience a little of their life and to see the Grandkids. I even got to see the Northern Lights one night - Amazing!
A NEW ADVENTURE - American Airlines began service out of Provo, UT in October and it worked for me to fly from Minnesota to Dallas and then to Provo. It was so nice to fly in and walk through the airport and to the front door in about 3 min. - Sure beats the 20 minute over a mile walk in the Salt Lake Airport. I hope it continues to be a good place for us to fly out of.
Last February we took the kids to Universal and we bought Season Passes because it was the best value for our money. Our tickets expired on Nov. 1 and we wanted to be able to use them one more time so we fit it in to take them just before their Fall Break at school. We had a nice drive with good weather and arrived Sunday evening in Burbank. We were ready to go Monday morning bright and early to make the most of our day. With Logan we get a special pass to avoid the lines and we were able to walk right on every ride with no wait time until the end of the day and they were short on staff so everyone had to wait about 45 minutes on the last ride.
It's not an experience at Universal without a Frozen Ginger Beer in Harry Potter World. That was the only food (if you can call it that) that I purchased in the Park. Emily and kids made up for it trying all kinds of culinary delights. 
My favorite part of the Park is the Universal Studios Tour. It was different than when we went in February and we got to experience different movies and adventures. It really is amazing what they do on movie sets. The houses look better than in real life. 
Couldn't leave without seeing the HOLLYWOOD Sign. Unfortunately with the fires and morning haze it was hard to see very good. It is a mile hike from the Observatory to actually get close and we did not have the time to do that. The drive to the Observatory is beautiful and with the horrible LA traffic it was nice to be away from it for a little while. We then began our drive back and spent the night in Las Vegas. 
My Sister Pam sold her Town Home and bought a new home with her daughter's family. I went and helped her with the final day of cleaning before her closing. I am so grateful I live close to her and can help and be a part of her life. We were exhausted but she jumped for joy as we finished and she said good-bye to her home. We had a nice lunch together and then unloaded the last load from her car. A new adventure awaits her and I wish her the very best.
The experiences and blessings of our Mission continue to enrich our life in ways we could never have imagined. We served in Vienna Austria with two of the first Persian Speaking Missionaries in our Mission and actually The Church. Because of that, several other missionaries learned from them the Persian language and we helped teach the English class to about 50 refugees and immigrants from Iran, Afghanistan, Turkey, etc.
Another group of people we have come to love is our Cumorah family. It is so rewarding to keep in touch and see what so many of our students are doing in their lives since Cumorah. Two of our students got married this month.
Russ had his third surgery for his Dupuytren's Contracture - a hereditary condition that results from shortening and thickening of connective tissues in the hand. He was hoping he could just get the injections but it was not possible for where it was located on his finger. The Doctor said there is not much left of the nerves in these fingers and probably cannot have further surgeries on these fingers. Let's hope it does not come back.
10 days later he had the stitches removed. Just in time for Halloween to look like Frankenstein. It is not a very pretty sight and we hope it heals soon. The challenge now is therapy to get the fingers moving again.
Last month we did the demo of Emily's master bathroom and this month we got all of the Duro Rock in the areas that will be wet and sheetrock in the other areas. We replaced some of the subfloor that had water damage. We laid the underlayment for the tile and then installed all of the tile and grout. We also helped to texture the walls that will not have tile on them. We used a waterproof cement on the walls and it turned out really nice.
FAMILY
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| Farmington High School Band |
I arrived home Saturday night and was off to California the next morning with Emily and her kids.
UNIVERSAL HERE WE COME!
The Water World Show was really entertaining and WET for many people. Preslee did not get as wet as she wanted during the show so afterwards we went and met the actors and they took a bucket and dumped it over her head. She was having the best time. It was a really nice day with the kids with everyone having a good time - that really makes the trip worth it.
We were North of the City and right across the street from Sam's Club. We thought that was great - we would get up and get gas at Sam's and then go back into Las Vegas for the kids to got to their favorite Coke Store and then head for home. We loaded our bags in the car and then went back into the Hotel for Breakfast. Everything was fine at that time. Logan and I finished first and went to the car and it was DEAD. It would not start and the electric doors would not work. I opened the hood and was grateful we were close to a Sam's Club that I could walk to if I needed to. A kind man asked if I needed help and he pulled his truck around and gave me a jump. It started right up and Emily came out to the car. We were completely out of gas and also knew if we turned off the car it probably would not start. We drove to Sam's and got gas. Sure enough it did not start. I walked over to the Tire Shop and said I needed to buy a battery but that my car was at the gas station. They were so nice and helpful. They walked over to the gas station and were going to push my car over to the store. Emily tried the car one more time and it started - Their Luck Day! She drove over and they dropped everything and installed the battery for us. It took less than 30 minutes and we were on our way. I don't think I have ever had that kind of service at Sam's. It was truly a blessing our Hotel was located where it was. For some reason the drive from Las Vegas to Lindon seemed soooo long. Traffic, accidents, construction all made a long drive. We were all glad to be home.
FRIENDS
Sam Olson, one of the missionaries we served with has volunteered for the past 4 years in the translation department of the Church helping with General Conference translation and the Temple instructions in Persian
invited us to the 50th Reunion of the Iran Tehran Mission. We met the first missionaries who served in Iran 50 years ago. We heard stories of how people were able to leave Iran and come to America and find the Gospel of Jesus Christ in their lives. Miracles in so many of their lives.
Caleb Bryant, another one of our missionaries, came with his wife Grace and when they entered the room there was a big excitement - like he was a celebrity. We then found out that he had started an online English class for Persian speakers and has Thousands of followers and he really is a celebrity to them. They were so excited to meet the person who had been teaching them English. He is making a difference in so many peoples lives. We ate the most delicious Persian food including Kebab, Biryani, Turkish Delight candy, Pistachios and salads. We love experiencing other cultures and people.
Thank you Sam for sharing this wonderful evening with us.
Kent and Linda Mecham from Arizona stopped by for a delightful visit while they were in Utah visiting family and welcoming a new grandchild to their family. They too are mission friends and we loved having them and catching up on our lives and sharing our thoughts and feelings of the blessings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives and how blessed we all are to have had the experiences we have together. They are our special mission family.
One of our longtime Texas friends, Stephen Crawford passed away and his body was laid to rest in Bountiful Utah among his family members. He is buried in the same cemetery as my brother-in-law and special friend Bob Van Drimmelen - 3 great men! We were so grateful to be able to attend the memorial service for him and pay our condolences to Keven and the Crawford family. Stephens life was one of service and friendship to people from all walks of life. He spent years teaching the gospel at the Prison and ministering to the widows and shut-ins. His was a life of quiet, yet profound compassion and love.
Guntars Celmins, a former student from Latvia married his sweetheart, Linda, also from Latvia last week and they came to Utah for their Honeymoon. We were invited to a gathering at Kelly and Stacy Shepherds home with Madara (former staff member from Latvia) and her husband Marshall who live in Idaho Falls.
They also invited Oliver (a former missionary in Latvia) and his wife who knew the others in Latvia. It was a wonderful reunion for all of us. We are so happy for Guntars and Linda. They will live in London, England and begin their life together there. It was amazing to see all of the connections and how our lives intersect even continents away.
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| Kelly and Guntars |
Another one of our students at Cumorah, Cristo Bushi from Albania was called to serve a mission in Australia and left last week for the MTC in Thailand. 
There is so much more to this story. Cristo is standing next to the current Mission Leader for the Albania Tirana Mission, President Auras. President Auras was the Stake President in Munich Germany when we served our mission and his son was in our Ward. We got to know him in Germany, have had him for dinner in our home in Utah and invited him to Cumorah while we were there. We told him about Cristo being in Albania and the struggles of being a young man in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with very few friends who shared his same beliefs. We talked to Cristo about serving a mission but that really did not seem like a possibility for him at the time. With the guidance and direction of Pres. Auras three young men from Albania left the same day to serve missions. Two will serve in Australia and one will be serving in Rome Italy with another friend who is the Mission Leader, Pres. Tim Morris from Texas. It truly is a small world in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
SURGERY ROUND 3
CONSTRUCTION CONTINUES
It has been a very slow process with everything else going on and working with Emily's schedule. Baseboards are next and then we can move the toilet, tub and vanity into the room. Then we will just have the shower to tile. We are hoping to have it completed by next week. Update: Baseboards installed and toilet installed - it's beginning to look like a bathroom again.
Toilet is in the shower
until it gets installed!
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| Tile Layed and walls textured |
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| Floor is Done! |
October is one of my favorite months of the year for many reasons, but especially because we begin the month with General Conference for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. This is a time twice a year to hear from our Prophet and other leaders in The Church. President Nelson turned 100 this year and continues to lead, guide and speak to the World. He announced 17 new Temples that will be built around the World. He also gave an update on current Temples and 15 will be Dedicated before the end of the year. He shared words from Handel's Messiah - "The Glory of the Lord revealed, All flesh shall see together- Government will be on His shoulders - He is King of Kings, Lord of Lords." We need to prepare for His coming by making discipleship our highest priority. If we do that we will FEEL HIS LOVE, PEACE and SPIRITUAL REASSURANCE.
PROMISE: Sincere Seeker will find HIM!
QUESTION: To Whom or To What will I give my life to?
He said the Savior is the Rock he has built his life on. That decision has made a difference in everything else in my life.
It is never too early or too late to be a Disciple of Christ. You do not need to bear life's challenges alone. Rededicate your life to Christ.
He concluded that we need to TALK, TESTIFY, HAVE FAITH, REJOICE IN CHRIST AND OFFER OUR WHOLE SOUL TO HIM.
Those are the things I need to work on in the next 6 months and I invite you to experiment upon his words and find JOY with me in Jesus Christ.
