Dad lays out all his shoes on Monday. He was so very excited and he tried out his first pair that morning. There was no trek for us as leaders this week, since we'd asked for the week off back when we thought we'd be in Japan with Brittany's family. We did, however, work like mad on the house in preparation for the Lehtinens who would be coming in the afternoon and would stay for a few days.
But the Crumps did a family trek on Sunday and Monday. I asked LaVern to share some pictures of their adventure. It looks so lovely, and I know they had a great time.
Here's one of her kids with their family.
and another.
Here's one of her daughters sharing a vignette with the family.
LaVern being carried across the river by her husband and oldest son. Such a lovely memory.
LaVern messaged me with the news that the new Payson puzzle, which was done by Eric Dowdle, had our house in it. Can you spot it? Its fun, there are only 3 houses in the puzzle, ours, the old antique store house that was once a hotel, and the last is the one that was redone by the Old Home Love people. that I know as customers from work. Can you pick them all out?
So its still Monday, and Dad had run up to the city building to buy a puzzle, and they were closed for Juneteenth, so he didn't get it until Tuesday, as you will see. I did do some tidying up around and in the garden house. The rose we pulled out to put Alice in the well, has come back, and I think it looks rather pretty with her.
As I was cleaning out the garden house, I realized that this arbor was falling over toward the north. Dad did a quick fix, until we can get back to it.
Then the Lehtinens arrived along with their chauffeur, Steve Harris one of Juha's companions in his youth. We showed them all the house, then we headed out to Brick Oven Pizza, as Ulla remembered delicious pizza when she went for one term to BYU.
On Tuesday we took them out to see what we do at Mosida.
They had fun visiting with Elder Marvin who is quite a character, and who just happened to be working with this trek, that was definitely a tender mercy. Mark Marvin served at the same time as Juha, but was mainly in the north, while Juha was in the south of the country.
They had a great conversation.
Juha and Ulla pulling a hand cart.
When we arrived at the first venue, the tarps were down. Fortunately. The guys knew beforehand so that they could bring out a ladder. Elder Marvin did most of the quick fixes.
Dad helped as well.
Loved this picture of the Lehtinens at the CABIN facade at Fort Seminoe.
Then we stopped off, on the way home, at the Payson City Center to get the puzzles. Of course this cabin which was built in the 1860's in Benjamin and moved to the city center, seemed prime for a picture to go into the blog.
Ulla showed me how she, as a girl, played with these seed pods making unicorn noses.
Don't we make adorable unicorns, I think it gives us some character, don't you,
Then we headed to Springville for dinner. My book club had planned a dinner to commemorate the 25 years it has been in operation. I was going to take Ulla with me, while Dad and Juha went to dinner somewhere else. Then the Jamsas called and wanted to go to dinner with us and the Lehtinens, so I figured we should all just go to La Casita, where the organization of the first book club 25 years ago occurred.
Our book club group was placed very near the Finnish Connection group (Actually both of the Jamsas are half Finnish) We had all come in character, so we could guess which book each was representing. This is Lillian, her bunny ears represent the book Watership Down, which we read in November of 2000.
Heather is dressed as The Prize Winner of Defiance Ohio, a book we will be reading in October of 23. What a character this woman was. I can't wait to read the book.
Carolyn, one of the three founders who were there, is dressed as Scout from To Kill a Mocking Bird, from May of 2000. Please note Dad in the background. That is how close our tables were. After the girls had all paid and left I went over and visited with them for another half an hour.
Sandy is representing the daughter who found her father's plans, and invested in the San Fransico Bridge, in The Other Side of the Bridge in February of 2019.
KD is the Dressmakers of Auschwitz, from November of 22.
Here's Ann as Anne Shirley by LM Mongomery. Strangely we have not read it, as a book club, probably because we had all read it on our own, but we have read two others by LM Mongomery, Emily of New Moon in 2002, and the Blue Castle in 2003.
Suzanne was the Peabody, who is a real character, and who appears in the Crocodile on the Sandbank in October of 2014. I went as a pioneer, because that was what I was already wearing as a nod to O Pioneers which we read in September of 1998, before I even joined the book club in August of 2000.
Ann won the prize for guessing the most characters. For her prize she got the book that drove one of our members from the group, The Home Sick Restaurant. She also got a bag of animal crackers to represent the book West with Giraffes, which we all loved.
Carolyn, KD, Lillie, Ann, Heather, Suzanne, me and Sandy all dressed as characters from books we've read.
So I headed into work on Wednesday morning, and Dad took the Lehtinens to the MTC.
They later found the other Finnish Missionaries for this photo Op. How fun for these missionaries to meet their extraordinary Mission parents? Dad later posted the picture on the Missionary Mom's Page he administers. How fun for the new parents?
After Dad took them to the MTC he headed further north, so that he could finish up some things at Darby's, like putting the skins on the ends of her CABINets.
and grouting her tile in the kitchen ...
and the bathroom on Friday.
It was fun to steal these pictures from Alex' page on Instagram. Alex is quite the character.
Sister Lehtinen took this and the following pictures to post on FB,
and was kind enough to send me copies. I've always thought this house had real character, and its hard to believe that the people who built it, were living in a cabin, when their only child was born. The story is that it was winter time, and there was snow drifting across the child bed, as she delivered.
The garden house has a different character.
This wall shows a lot of characters in our family history.
It was fun to see what scenes she found interesting.
So this week I finished up a Biography of Ephraim Hanks. It is super interesting; he was quite a character. He was bored with traditional work, and loved action and danger. He spent his life as a scout, Indian Liaison, homesteader, Overland Mail Carrier, from Salt Lake to Missouri. He never feared anything, but more than action and danger, he loved the Lord, and the Lord's servants. He was close to Brigham Young and always did whatever was asked of him by the Prophet. He even left a prosperous situation after setting up the Park City mining area, and moved to an area of Southern Utah, where he at least twice, spent the winter without any meat on his table, due to his humble circumstances.
This is one of the CABINS that he lived in during his life time.
Then I started reading a biography of Minerva Teichert, She also lived in a log cabin in her early marriage and she was just as much a character as Ephraim Hanks. It wasn't until the nearby river was dammed that she had to leave this beloved cabin home. She was so sad at leaving it, she asked her family to wait while she painted a painting of it, on the back of her apron, as that was all that was available. The waters were rising, and she had to hurry. She always dreamed that one day the 'bottoms' where they had had their ranch, would one day be dry again. Perhaps it will in the eternities.
This is a picture of roses that she painted early in her career, not because she loved painting roses, but because she could, and these painting sold, allowing her to support first her family of origin, and later a family of her own. She saw her self first and foremost as a servant of God, in spreading the work of Gospel. She actually painted all of her Book of Mormon paintings for herself, she had no commission, but hoped someday that they would be used in illustrating a special B of M, she was heartbroken when the church printed the B of M with the Arnold Freiburg illustrations. When she finished the B of M illustrations, she donated them all to BYU knowing that this was the only way to preserve them as a group. And the Book of Mormon was finally published in 2001, but not until more than 20 years after her death. After reading her bio, I am pretty sure she's been pestering church leaders for years to make this happen. I just love her feisty spirit. It's interesting to me how different she is from Eph, in fact I doubt that they could be more different. Yet the Lord had a work for both of them. They both helped immeasurably in the building up of the Lord's Kingdom on the Earth.
but the one thing they did have in common is that they both lived in log CABINS!
and speaking of Roses, if we were, Amanita Kouvella sent me this name day card on Thursday June 22. I had forgotten about name days, but I hurried and found pictures of the name day I celebrated in Finland ...
With Sister Paula Aura, when we shared our name day, and posted them on her FB page. Fun memories.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch .... er Antique store, on Thursday Keith showed me his new display that he had made from a small old door. He is so very clever, and talented.
and in Japan, other clever and talented and beautiful people are seen cavorting. I love this portrait.
And here is another wonderful family portrait ...
On Friday I got this picture of a midsummer bonfire being reflected in a lake from our Friend Stina's parents' FB page, as they celebrated Midsummer. I miss this wonderful tradition.
And here I am that same day, also at the lake as well, but in Salem, and I am all ready to go Kayaking with Ann. At the town historic site there is a CABIN on the other side of the lake, not surprisingly. The water was smooth and calm.
Here we are with our Kayaks. We had a wonderful hour on Salem Pond.
Then I headed into work at The Grove. It was fun to see my friend Denise of The Vintage Pelican, when she came in to restock her booth. Dad had dropped me off and headed to do more of the final details at Darby's.
On Saturday after a few garage sales, Dad and I headed to two funerals, both the woman were exceptional people who had come through many trials, and both were fun and quirky, and definitely characters. First it was to Annette's funeral, she is a friend of my friend Mary, in fact really, she was Mary's 'family'. So, we were there for Mary's sake. We were delighted to find that Kathy Horning lives in the same ward with Annette, along with her daughter Mindy's family. Mary is not a member, so she doesn't know them, and it was fun to introduce her to them.
Then we headed up to Nancy Petersen's funeral in Cottonwood Heights, she is a character of exceptional depth, where we ran into this couple to whom we looked familiar. As it turns out, they are Bryce and Sheri Anderson, who are coming on trek next month. They are the trail bosses and had recognized us from the Hoedown we did at their stake. The fun thing is that his father is Finnish. We always love those connections and look forward to seeing them out at Mosida.
We visited with David and Brett. It was David and his brother John who came with Rick and Jeff Larabee and welcomed us into the neighborhood back in 1977. We've never forgotten these kind young men, who made us feel so welcome, and were forever our friends there, until they left on missions and eventually moved on entirely.
We just love Nancy and Jay. They have 11 children, though three of them preceded Nancy back to heaven. We know that she is having a wonderful reunion with them, as well as with her bosom buddy, Karen Larrabee who passed away last year.
It was fun to see old friends and ward members ... This is Geri Essen, the Bishop's wife, and their daughter, Rachel, who was Ashley's friend when we lived there.
That night, while Dad foraged for himself, I met my friend Aubrey for dinner at Zupas Cafe ...
Here we are all ready to dig in.
Andrea Draudt Gariety blessed her baby at church today, and it was fun to see many of her family members including Chris and his family. I love seeing Karen, what a wonderful faithful soul she is.
Today, I also had the opportunity to speak about spiritual preparedness in Sacrament meeting. I told them about how our first mission and the spiritual growth we gained though the struggles we had with my PMR, prepared us for Ben's death just months after we came home.
We will be forever grateful for the knowledge that the Lord looks over us, if we try to follow him, and he will not only comfort us in our sorrows, but he will prepare us to have the strength to come through them, with our faith in tact.
We hope you all had a lovely week and made some fine memories as well.
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