Down in June

Many of the details of June, especially the first few days, are lost to me. Roger and I both came down with either a severe virus or the new form of Covid, which included extreme nausea and all the nasties which go with that for the stomach and G.I. tract, and I was told that I even babbled incoherently for a couple of days. Per usual, Roger recovered in a few days, then he became my caregiver extraordinaire, slowly nursing me with sips of Pedialyte and juices through a straw and helping me navigate to accomplish the necessities of life in the bathroom (showering, etc.) Then, when I could eat, he brought me Kneader's chicken noodle soup, and I sipped the broth, which tasted like elixir of the gods, and he made me fruit juice ( I especially liked apricot and mango) and ginger ale icees. I had several kind neighbors and friends bring in food through the days, whom I will appreciate eternally. The very worst part of that sickness is the weakness it left me with. I am still not 100%, but I am steadily improving with a renewed gratitude for good health and a heightened sense of love and appreciation for the mate I fell in love with 56 years ago. 

With some of the Christmas gift money Roger received from the kids, he decided to take some weekly golf lessons from a PGA pro, Rob Krieger. He is part of a Veterans' program called PGA Hope, which instructs Vets how to play better golf. Roger's lessons culminated in a free day of golf at Sunbrook with other PGA Hope Vets on June 8. Roger says he has learned a tremendous lot from Rob on how to improve his golf game and it is some of the best money he has ever spent. He really took his lessons seriously and would go out and practice behind our house when Sunbrook's last golfers went by every week.

PGA Hope Vets free day of golf together

We managed to have a delicious Father's Day meal of grilled steak, though Roger did most of the work. He is an excellent outdoor griller!

One of the most disappointing casualties of my getting sick is having to miss the aunt's bridal shower for Kenna at Jodie's house in SLC. Jared and McKenna are such a happy couple and I am so grateful that we were able to go to their open house in Boise in May and be around Kenna and her parents, who are darling.

Jodie is always a super hostess of whatever the occasion, going the extra mile to make it wonderful!

After the shower in SLC, Missy and Claire came for a short visit to St. George, I think mainly to check up on me, and I loved their company! We enjoyed great chats and ate take-out. Missy and Claire went hiking and swimming one day; Claire is a little sprite delight to be around. They really lifted my spirits.

Roger has served on the HOA Board for over 8 years and he was presented with this plaque when he "retired".

I have to say I was kind of glad to see June go this year and I looked forward to better health and fun to be back on the menu for July!

 

Adventures: About Africa and At Sand Hollow

Recently, our friends in the Branch, Patty and John Abraham, returned from a mission to Botswana and South Africa. Seven African converts traveled from their countries to General Conference, 

met up with the Abrahams in SLC, then came to St. George for a couple of days. 

We had the privilege of hearing them each speak and hear about the Abraham's mission in a special fireside.

Me, Patty and her granddaughter

Patty and John Abraham

This beautiful young woman, Tapiwa Nakale, bore her sweet testimony.

She is a sprinter and a track star and used to compete bare-footed. 

She was awarded five gold medals in Botswana. 

 She plans to go on a mission when she turns 19 and wants to be an engineer.

Tapiwa with her medals

This is Jeffrey Mosweswe, his wife, Duduestsang, and their son, Kaene. President Mosweswe is currently serving as a counselor to the mission president and he has previously served as Bishop in Botswana, as well as Branch President and group leader, when there were very few members of the LDS Church in Francistown.  They would walk miles to meetings and lived on very meager incomes. Their oldest son just recently returned from a mission in Ghana. This is their son, Kaene, who is preparing to go on a mission after one more year of school. He is studying to become an attorney, is self-taught on the piano and plays with his school orchestra.

There were three other equally-impressive Africans, including a Relief Society President from Mafikeng, South Africa, who bore their testimonies and enlightened our understanding.

The Abrahams' experiences were fascinating and they did much good on their mission. John was a rocket scientist and an engineer before he retired, and he brought about many techie changes for the people. Patty's big, warm and loving heart reached and touched countless Africans and both of their testimonies and their efforts left the mission areas where they served changed for the good.

Mike and Kathy Cranny, who bought a second home down the street from us, have been friends since our college days at USU.  Mike is a potato farmer from Oakley, Idaho, is retired, but two of their kids' families live in Oakley, so they just come to St. George occasionally. 
When they do, they are ready to play! 
Off-road adventures on their Razor All-Terrain Vehicles is their favorite sport, 
and they have invited us to go with them a few times in the past, which we haven't been able to do.
Yikes! 
My past experiences in jeeping and 4-wheeling over giant rocks and down cliffs have been a bit harrowing (for this whimp), but I knew Roger loved it, so I psyched myself up for it, 
and last Saturday morning, away we went!
Sand Hollow Reservoir and the sand dunes were our destination, and it was a glorious day, 
with blue skies and perfect temperatures in the 70s.

Mike and Roger unloaded the Razor All Terrain Vehicles in a spot the Crannys had come to before.

Kathy and I are ready for an adventure!

Off we go!

We stopped to have our picnic near some pretty rock formations.

The condition of the sand was very dry, more like it is in July and August, and it was very deep. We weaved and whirled, dipped and dived along, up and down and around and through the hills, and it was glorious! Roger got stuck a couple of times, but Mike had a rope and knew how to pull him out.

We loaded up and thought our adventure was over, but,

not so much! 

On the way out of where we had parked,

Mike took the wrong road, which turned into a deep sand road, and, you guessed it, we got stuck! 

So the boys unloaded the ATVs, detached the truck from the trailer, drove the ATVs back to the paved road, drove the truck out, then backed up (forever) until they could attach it back to the manually turned-around trailer and pull it out to the paved road, then load the ATVs back on. 

PHEW!
I loved watching two farm boys figure out how to get many pounds of metal unstuck 
out of that deep, red sand. 
It was no easy feat and I was proud of them.

It took an extra hour, but no one was hurt, nothing was damaged (except maybe a little pride) and all's well that ends well, right?

We stopped at Outback for a nice dinner when we got back to town, and, I'd say, 

we shared a day of great adventure together.  

Who says when you turn 70, you have to just sit and watch the fun?

The Ogden Temple, From Old to New; Roger, Not 70 Years Old, but Young

Roger and I tended four of Rick and Jodie's kids 

the final four days while they were on their trip to Spain with Josh.

We rose at 6:30 for scripture study, breakfast 

and making lunches, then each kid left 
in different carpools or school bus.

Blake is in the first grade and is recovering 

from hip surgery, but he gets in his stroller at school 

and seems to be getting along just fine.

He walks around, holding on to things now,

but I don't think it will be long 

until he is walking and running again.

We took advantage of being Up North to attend the

Ogden LDS Temple Open House.

They literally renovated from the foundation up 

to build a gorgeous temple, inside and out.

Below is the Before and After.

The interiors were lovely, with beautiful stained glass everywhere.

Grandma Stratford watched Blake; Mindy, Jeff and kids met us 

at her home, and we drove to the temple.

Many people were there, 

but they accommodated the crowds very efficiently.

Mindy and Jeff wanted Jack, Addie and Charlie 

to see inside a temple so they could talk about it.

On Wednesday, our last day at Rick and Jodie's, August 27, 

Roger turned 70!

Of course, we had to celebrate the changing decade 

of this amazing guy's life!

Stacy was in Provo, having driven with Sydney 

to help her move in at BYU. 

I invited them, Mindy, Jeff and kids, and, 

Rick, Jodie and Josh got home that evening, 

 for a celebration dinner.

Roger wanted Sloppy Joes

(he said he really likes them 

and kind of missed my making them, 

like I did when all of the kids were home).

70 years young!

His mom told me weeks ago that she was going to make him 

a German chocolate cake. Just like old times!

The Stratford kids we tended (Sadie was at a tennis match),

before Roger picked up the rest of their family at the airport 

and the rest of the company came

It has been a fun and wild ride with this good man!

We had Sloppy Joes, shrimp and macaroni salad, 

cut up watermelon and cantaloupe and 

Grandma's yummy cake and ice cream.

We lit the candles, Stacy took the pic . . .

. . . then I took one with Stacy in it.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU,  . . ."

Grandpa blew all of the candles out in one try!

He said he wished that 
all of his kids and grandkids could have been there, 

but that there is nowhere he would rather be 

on his birthday than with his family.

The two new BYU cousin coeds had their heads together,

planning their upcoming exciting year on campus.

Roger and I drove back to St. George the next day, 
arriving a day before Mindy, Jeff and kids came 
to spend the Labor Day Weekend with us.  
Such it is with Life in the Fast Lane.  
I guess that is what keeps you young when you turn 70!

Heroes

Our little grandson, Blake, recently had surgery on his hip.

As is sometimes a condition with Downs, 

his hip sockets are loose, 

and his left hip needed to be tightened up.

His leg was sometimes pulling out from the socket.

This requires six weeks in a body cast,

then another surgery to remove that cast

and then put him in another one. 

Blake has been walking and running around,

indoors and out, for sometime now, 

so his family looked forward to all of this 

with fearful apprehension.

Would he freak out with the confinement, 

not being able to get down and play/walk/run,

and not understand why?

The great news is, 

Blake is taking it like a champ!

His Primary class sent over this signed banner - 

Rick and Jodie's ward love Blakey!

Each member of Blake's family spends hours 

playing hand games with Blake, 

playing catch with different balls, 

and singing and reading to him.

But the real truth be told,

his VERY FAVORITE THING 

is the iPad!

He knows how to navigate games and sites,

and his favorites are Mickey's Clubhouse and Daniel Tiger.

A hero is a man/woman who is 

admired for his/her courage and noble qualities.

This woman (Blake's mom) is hero personified.

She lifts and carries this little guy (50 lbs. worth)

constantly, cares for him in every way

and does it all with a big smile on her face 

and in her voice.

She, along with everyone in the family,

adores Blake!

And, speaking of heroes, here is another one, in my book.

My husband came down with shingles 

on the day before we left for Mesa 

for Syd's high school graduation.

On the 7 1/2 hour drive from St. George,

he kept grabbing his right ear, 

each time he had a shooting pain in his head.

He had a large, swollen gland behind his ear,

and the right side of his head was very sore to the touch.

Our doctor son and doctor son-in-law 

diagnosed him a couple of days after we got to Mesa, 

when he started breaking out with painful sores.

He took ibuprofen and Tylenol

and just kept going, not missing one thing,

including going golfing 

with his son, son-in-law and grandsons.

His stamina and mind-over-matter never fail to astound me!

He still has pain, and we hope it will eventually go away,

but he has not missed any scheduled event

or a day of work yet!

There are other reasons why I consider my husband a hero,

but this is just the latest one!

And here is another hero - our son, Rick.

He also spends countless time with Blake,

who absolutely adores him!

And, he is a wonderful father of his children

and the father of his ward as their bishop.

Roger and I had fun selecting some gourmet cheeses, 

meats, Tony Caputo pepper shooters and pickly goodies 

and making a basket for him for his birthday.

I think, the older we get,

the more we fully appreciate the heroic qualities of those we love,

and there are others I love who have heroic qualities, 
but these are the latest.

 I just wanted to share.