We had a quick trip down to San Diego in early March to see Mika and family, stopping in Las Vegas for a night and a visit to the LDS Temple there. Mika took us to the exotic LDS Temple in San Diego. Beautiful, but somewhat a maze inside.
In late March/early April, Caren and I traveled back to Illinois to get my house ready for sale. On the way, we stopped by the South Lineville, MO Cemetery to see Tepa's and my grave stone, then on to Nauvoo. Caren had never been there before, so we did some sightseeing and also attended a session at the LDS Temple. From there to the Carthage Jail where Joseph and Hiram Smith were assassinated in 1845. In Illinois, besides house cleaning, we drove up to Hartford, Wisconsin to see Troy and Sherry, Zach and Charlie. Lots of fun. We were able to get the house ready for sale faster than we thought as we finished in two weeks. We gave most of the stuff away to members, friends, or the Salvation Army /Goodwill. On our way home we stopped in Liberty, Missouri to visit the Jail there as well as attend an Endowment session at the new Kansas City, MO LDS Temple (which is in Liberty).
Drove up to Idaho Falls to see Caren's sister Dina and attend a session at the Temple there. On to Rexberg, where we truly were delighted by the murals in that Temple. Came home via Star Valley, Wyoming, Caren's birthplace.
Summer was hot in June and July and wet in August. After selling the house in Champaign, Caren and I flew to Honolulu to visit a retiring Colonel Kari Mostert and family. Wonderful visit thanks to Gina's planning.
We were inspired by the World War II Memorial at Pearl Harbor/USS Arizona. Tired out by the hike up Diamond Head. Thrilled by our visit to the Lai'e LDS Temple and Hawaii's North Shore, and delighted by the performances at the Polynesian Center. Did you know Hawaii was once a Kingdom? We visited the Royal Palace in downtown Honolulu as well as swam at Waikiki. Kari joined us for a day trip up the west side of Oahu to see the surfing beaches, swim at Waimea Falls, enjoy the pineapple treats at the Dole Plantation, and have a great meal on a Restaurant's Veranda overlooking the Pacific Ocean..
Thanks to Caren's son Val and his wife Ruth getting tickets, we joined them early on the first day of the Open House for the newly remodeled Ogden Temple. Completely different from how it was before.
No longer oval in shape it was more square shaped. Also, the main entrance was moved to the East side. Unusual Celestial Room: Instead of a single large chandelier there were four small ones on the corners with a high domed ceiling. Impressive.
Another of my granddaughters (Kelsey Mostert) got married (to Bradley Lambert) in the Mount Timpanogos Temple in American Fork, UT. on August 14th. Great to have a mini family reunion with Kari, Timo, Mika and Erik and families at the Reception. Kari retired from the Air Force and joined us after flying to Chesapeake Beach, Maryland where they will live while Konnor finishes his last two years of high school.
Kelsey and Brad left almost immediately for her internship in Texas, dropping off a lot of their "STUFF" in our basement. They'll be back for BYU in January. Kylie and Chris and BIG baby Nate will head up to Rexberg so Chris can go to BYU there. Along with Nate, Kylie will nanny two other children.
We're looking forward to having Karson (home from his LDS Mission in California) and Itza (after her high school graduation) visit us often as they live in Provo and attend BYU. It is great having grandchildren near. Kristian graduated BYU this Summer, Kylie last January. Kristian has left for Memphis, Tennessee to become an Optometrist. Three more years of school! Brad's folks live in Brentwood, near Nashville.
Oh yes, and amidst all the other activity, we were able to hire workers to create a second guest bedroom downstairs and totally rebuild our deck. Both turned out beautifully. You're invited to visit us.
No comments:
Post a Comment