A Peak into Eternity

On July 9, we shared a wonderful day with the Vern Fellon family as they attended the Idaho Falls Temple. We witnessed their family sealing. It was such a treat to be a part of their special day. The phrase is true - " a picture is worth a thousand words"...

Mackay Reunion 2011

The Walter Mackay family reunion for 2011 was held in the Rupert, Idaho area. We gathered Friday and many adults enjoyed a Mexican lunch at Penny's Cafe in Norland. Layne and Barbara served Dutch oven chicken, potatoes for dinner that night and later, S'mores around the campfire. Friday evening campfire

Saturday was spent at Steadman's Slide at Raft River. Everyone enjoyed a relaxing day on the slide, zip line and visiting.

Brian and Joan enjoyed the thrill of a ride down the slide, along with...

Allen....

and Brayden and Mason.

Wes on the zip line.

Later we had the kid's party, family basketball game, volleyball game and dance and pizza and homemade root beer.

The traditional family basketball game.

For church we attended Rupert Fifth Ward and saw many friends from the years past. A grocery shower was given for Cliff and Julie, a talent show and we learned from Dad and Mamo as they answered questions about their past, giving us a glimpse into their lives.

Monday was the Fourth of July and we started our celebration at he Rupert parade. Afterwards we enjoyed a BBQ at the Layne and Barbara's along with snow cones and homemade ice cream. A lot of four wheeler and dune buggy rides were given. The traditional Alka-Seltzer water gun fight expanded as a few cups of water were tossed by Cliff. Heather and Jenny teamed up to get him back with buckets! He then became the target of water balloons thrown by the younger generation.

Enjoying the Fourth of July parade in Rupert.

Weston and MacKenzie shared their piano skills during the talent show.

The 'gunmen' after a target shooting session in Lemhi.

Enjoy more highlights with this slide show

The Most Water in Flint Creek We've Ever Seen

The above average snow pack is melting and we have had a very rainy spring which has created quite a dilemma here in the Drummond area - flooding. A neighbor that grew up here commented that this was the most water that he had ever seen in the Flint Creek. I took a moment to take a few pictures today. (Sorry about the spots - they are rain drops on the camera lens!)

This is looking south up the Flint Creek at the bridge.



Looking south west towards Spencers.

At the first bridge, looking south.

On the south side, at the first bridge, looking back towards Flint Creek. l

On the North side of the bridge looking down Flint Creek.

Just passed the first bunch of trees in Parke's pasture on the north side of Flint Creek .

At the first bridge, looking back at Flint Creek.

North side at the first bridge.

At the first bridge, looking back at Flint Creek.

Spring Break

We have been hoping for some time to make a trip to visit Allen and Jenny and family in Flagstaff and finally made it during towards the latter part of April. It was great to spend time in their home. They took such good care of us. Ethan, Allen, Alaine and Scott outside of Allen's work

When we decided to make the trip, Allen figured that it would be a perfect time to renovate the chicken coop that was on their property. Their family had decided to start raising chickens. So with his dad there as a building project partner, they set of to work.

Ethan, Spencer and Allen - working on the sides of the nesting boxes.

Ethan and Grandpa Scott attaching the sides to the top.

The nesting boxes from the inside of the chicken coop.

The eggs will collect in this tray on the outside of the chicken coop.

Ethan and Spencer put their hands through the nesting boxes to the outside.

The finished view of the nesting boxes, inside of the chicken coop.

On Monday, we traveled to the Walnut Canyon National Park and toured the

cliff dwellings of the Sinagua Native American tribe that are about 800 years old. It was interesting to see how they made their surroundings work for them.

Ethan, Jenny, Allen, Spencer, Alaine, and Scott inside of one of the rooms.

Allen and Spencer inside a cliff dwelling.

Ethan, wondered if it was door behind him, connected the rooms of a house for one family.

As we came to the end of our hike we were discussing the shapes and dimension of the rocks. Ethan told us that this was a 'rumple rock' because it had rumples in it.

A lizard!! Ethan wanted to catch it!

I love to look for peculiar images in nature and found these shapes in the knots of a dead cedar tree.

On the way back to Phoenix Ethan and I posed for a picture by a Saguaro Cactus. Allen kept encouraging us to step back and get a little closer!

Margaret Bodily Woodward

My mother, Margaret Bodily Woodward passed away on April 10. She was six weeks shy of being 95 years old. I was happy for her as she can now see, be with dad and have all of her faculties returned to her use.

Sibling: Lyle, Alaine, Joyce, Wayne, Rodger, Arlen, Dell, and Ellis

One of the blessings of a funeral is the connection that takes place with family members who come to pay their respect. It was a great reunion. During the funeral, my brother Ellis shared a message of faith. He quoted a story given by Dieter F. Uchtdorf in April 2008 General Conference.

"In 1979 a large passenger jet with 257 people on board left New Zealand for a sightseeing flight to Antarctica and back. Unknown to the pilots, however, someone had modified the flight coordinates by a mere two degrees. This error placed the aircraft 28 miles (45 km) to the east of where the pilots assumed they were. As they approached Antarctica, the pilots descended to a lower altitude to give the passengers a better look at the landscape. Although both were experienced pilots, neither had made this particular flight before, and they had no way of knowing that the incorrect coordinates had placed them directly in the path of Mount Erebus, an active volcano that rises from the frozen landscape to a height of more than 12,000 feet (3,700 m).
As the pilots flew onward, the white of the snow and ice covering the volcano blended with the white of the clouds above, making it appear as though they were flying over flat ground. By the time the instruments sounded the warning that the ground was rising fast toward them, it was too late. The airplane crashed into the side of the volcano, killing everyone on board.
It was a terrible tragedy brought on by a minor error—a matter of only a few degrees.
... the difference between happiness and misery in individuals, in marriages, and families often comes down to an error of only a few degrees."

I was touched by this account and it made me pledge to correct my course so that it will get me to where I want to be in the eternities.

Brett (front left) was a casket bearer.

Visiting with Aunt Ruth Jemison, Dad's sister who recently turned 97.

Happy 1st Birthday Mason!!

We are not always able to celebrate birthdays with our grandchildren and when we can it is a special treat. Mason shared his birthday with his mother, Allison's college graduation. So it was quite the celebration!

Mason blowing out the candle - or looking at it!

The happy birthday boy...

with birthday gifts.

Trying birthday cake...

A refreshing bath in the sink to clean up all of the crumbs.