Happy in Hyde Park

Happy Father's Day to all of the wonderful dads in our family!! What a blessing it is to have devoted, righteous, faithful fathers raising our grandchildren.  Thank you for your efforts to be good fathers and wonderful examples.  Here are a couple of my favorite "dad" videos for you to view:
https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2013-01-002-earthly-father-heavenly-father?category=topics/fathers&lang=eng
https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2009-04-023-home-repair?category=topics/fathers&lang=eng
https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/all-the-reasons-we-love-dad?category=topics/fathers&lang=eng

It was so nice to visit so many family members in the last couple of weeks!  My trip to Arizona to see Becca and Darin and Jenn and Scott was pleasant.  Warm but not too uncomfortable.  There were several missed roads, a few detours and road closures, but I got where I was going with the help of Jenn and Becca.  I enjoyed a few days in Casa Grande, then a few in Snowflake, visiting, attending the temple, doing some projects and relaxing.  It was well worth the drive.  I wanted to bring Jenn home with me, but she is too valuable where she is!  On the way home I was glad to spend the night with Grandpa and Christi and to find things going well with them.  Little Jake was in the hospital with croup when I got to Springville, but he got home late that night.  He was a sick little guy for a few days, but smiled in spite of it all!  It was fun to read books with those delightful Belliston grandchildren and to attend church with Joe, Grace and Grant.

I tried to catch up on a few things at home, then two days after returning from Arizona, Emma and I drove to Idaho for a surprise visit to help get the latest sleeper house ready for renters.  What a job!!  It was fun to work with the Harts and Ruth's family on a big project - just like the old days :)  Emma was a knock out worker and helped Alex paint into the wee morning hours.  I felt like a traitor when I had to leave in the middle of it all, but I'm sure there will be more work to do in the future and I hope to be there again.

When Elise and the boys brought Emma home, Thomas came to see Emma in the Nibley parade and then we spent the afternoon at the Summerfest in Logan with Lauren and Nick.  It was very satisfying to see all of our children and grandchildren this month!  I wish that could happen every month!  What a wonderful family we have.  I'm so grateful that you all support and help each other whenever possible and I truly can't wait for us all to be together on Labor Day!  It can't get here fast enough!

Our driveway will be torn up and not accessible for the next few weeks.  But it will be very nice when it's finished.  Becca will be coming this week to visit Uncle Burl who is now on hospice and likely won't live much longer.  That generation will be gone too soon.  It's strange to realize that when Uncle Burl is no longer living there, my connection to Manila will be pretty much gone.  I will still have memories and gravesites to visit, but there won't be anyone to visit in Manila any more that I am related to.  It's a strange feeling to have these folks who are such an important part of my life just suddenly be gone.  I suppose that's why Jeremy and Jamie have both moved their families back to Evanston - to be closer to their dad and spend time with him and help him if they can.  It's a lesson in treasuring the relationships we have while we can.

On to catching up on weeding the garden and rearranging the house.....