More serious thoughts

Okay, now that I successfully posted the last idea, I have a new thought.

Terri was telling me that Sean totaled his truck on the road to their house by losing control on the turns. As Don went to see who had wrecked, they had heard it, and what he could do to help, Sean was walking up the street toward home. He was totally unhurt and fine; the truck was totaled. Sean was not even sore the next day.
Terri said she really believed the Lord was blessing him, possibly for something that he will accomplish in his future. As I thought about it, I thought it is more likely that the Lord was blessing Terri. She is the one who is righteous, prays, works in the temple. My feeling is that it is her blessing to not have to suffer the injury or death of one of her children at this time.
As we discussed it, both could be possibilities. I was discussing it with people in our ward who have inactive adult children. They said why think the Lord was involved? If we assign Him the blessing, would we also have assigned him the problem if Sean had been hurt?
I feel like the Lord has a lot to do with our lives in large and very small ways. We will be surprised to see what He had His hand in when we know everything. I still feel like it was Terri's blessing. Not that she doesn't have to suffer, nor that any of us do, but that this was not her trial at this time.
What do you think?

I was reading this months Ensign. Two things stood out. On page 16 it refers to Prayer in the Bible Dictionary. It says that "the object of prayer is not to change the will of God, but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is willing to grant, but that are made conditional on our asking for them." I thought that was great. He is just waiting to help.
I also thought the article by Elder Bruce Hafen on page 25 was one of the best on marraige that I have ever read. Probably because I relate to the story in the first three paragraphs.
I feel like Dad with this serious post. I must be learning from him. At least I am not telling you which comics to read. I appreciate being able to share my thoughts with you.

From Mom

I loved reading the blogs about our camping trip! Thank you for posting them. I love camping and loved that trip with everyone. I was not nervous at all, probably because my baby is 15 and I have been to that park a lot of times before. It is great to know that everyone had a good time. I was trying to figure out when we could go again with Tawna, but it will be October before we can go so it may be cooling off.
Yesterday in RS we had a lesson on Fasting. Natalie Buck taught it. She asked how to keep the spirit with you when you have small children. I remembered when Teresa asked a similar question. After an answer of, "Wait ten years." and another of, "To everything there is a season." Kathy Thompson gave a real good answer. We were discussing fasting with a purpose rather than just skipping two meals. She said she would tell her kids what they could fast about so that they would have a purpose. I thought, for those that don't have their own idea, that was a great answer. A family could fast for the same thing, or everyone that wanted could suggest something and all fast for a number of things. The strength of numbers could be explained.
Each fast Saturday could start with a discussion of the needs of those that we know, and children could be part of a family fast. It was also suggested that those too young to fast could be included so that they would feel part of the fast, though they would be praying only.
It was also suggested that fast offering be discussed, so that the kids could feel like their fast contributed to the welfare of someone.
I thought they were great ideas to teach children. Even little kids can give up dessert or something to feel like they are included. Happy child rearing, I love what you are each doing with your children.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MOM AND DAD!!!

I just wanted to send a shout out to Mom and Dad for falling in love and getting married and starting such a wonderful eternal family and sub-shout outs to all those who made it happen. Including, but not limited to Dad's B.O.M. teacher for making him fill out a referral card, Aunt Terri and Mike for taking the discussion and getting baptized, the guy who mistook Mom for Terri and offered more info, Mom's grandma for dying, Mom's ecclesiastical leader for giving insuficient answers, the missionaries for being prepared and averting their eyes when Mom pranced around in her mini skirt, Grandpa Allred for being a good ward mission leader and fellowshipping etc. etc. etc.

Thank you Mom and Dad! Ya done good!!

Poetry Night

Last night for Family Home Evening we had a very enjoyable and insightful poetry reading. Each person chose a poem and then had to stand on a chair as he or she read it. For all of you that weren't able to make it, I thought I would post the various poems chosen and read by those in attendance. It was a wonderful evening, complete with snapping at the end of each poem.

Landon: Sound and Sense

True ease in writing comes from art, not chance,
As those move easiest who have learned to dance.
'Tis not enough no harshness gives offense,
The sound must seem an echo to the sense:
Soft is the strain when Zephyr gently blows,
And the smooth stream in smoother numbers flows;
But when loud surges lash the sounding shore,
The hoarse, rough verse should like the torrent roar;
When Ajax strives some rock's vast weight to throw,
The line too labors, and the words move slow;
Not so, when swift Camilla scours the plain,
Flies o'er the unbending corn, and skims along the main.
Hear how Timotheus' varied lays surprise,
And bid alternate passions fall and rise

Bryce:

Bryce read a Russian poem... in russian. It went a little something like this:

Ей давно не спалось в дому деревянном.
Подходила старуха, как тень, к фортепьянам,
Напевала романс о мгновенье чудном
Голоском еле слышным, дыханьем трудным.
А по чести сказать, о мгновенье чудном
Не осталось грусти в быту ее скудном,
Потому что барыня в глухой деревеньке
Проживала как нищенка, на медные деньги.

Да и, господи боже, когда это было!
Да и вправду ли было, старуха забыла,
Как по лунной дорожке, в сверканье снега
Приезжала к нему - вся томленье и нега.
Как в объятиях жарких, в молчанье ночи
Он ее заклинал, целовал ей очи,
Как уснул на груди и дышал неровно,
Позабыла голубушка Анна Петровна.
А потом пришел ее час последний.
И всесветная слава и светские сплетни
Отступили, потупясь, пред мирной кончиной.
Возгласил с волнением сам благочинный:
"Во блаженном успении вечный покой ей!"
Что в сравненье с этим счастье мирское!
Ничего не слыша, спала, бездыханна,
Раскрасавица Керн, боярыня Анна.

(Bryce: I have absolutely NO idea what this says, I just found something in Russian and pasted it in. If it's inappropriate I apologize.)

Carli: (Sarah's sister who is here visiting)

To The Virgins, To Make Much Of Time

Robert Herrick.

Gather ye rose-buds while ye may,
Old Time is still a flying:
And this same flower that smiles today,
Tomorrow will be dying.

The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun,
The higher he's a getting;
The sooner will his race be run,
And nearer he's to setting.

That age is best, which is the first,
When youth and blood are warmer;
But being spent, the worse, and worst
Times, still succeed the former.

Then be not coy, but use your time;
And while ye may, go marry:
For having lost but once your prime,
You may forever tarry.

Sarah:

Curiosity- Alastaire Reid

may have killed the cat; more likely
the cat was just unlucky, or else curious
to see what death was like, having no cause
to go on licking paws, or fathering
litter on litter of kittens, predictably.

Nevertheless, to be curious
is dangerous enough. To distrust
what is always said, what seems
to ask odd questions, interfere in dreams,
leave home, smell rats, have hunches
do not endear cats to those doggy circles
where well-smelt baskets, suitable wives, good lunches
are the order of things, and where prevails
much wagging of incurious heads and tails.

Face it. Curiosity
will not cause us to die--
only lack of it will.
Never to want to see
the other side of the hill
or that improbable country
where living is an idyll
(although a probable hell)
would kill us all.

Only the curious have, if they live, a tale
worth telling at all.

Dogs say cats love too much, are irresponsible,
are changeable, marry too many wives,
desert their children, chill all dinner tables
with tales of their nine lives.
Well, they are lucky. Let them be
nine-lived and contradictory,
curious enough to change, prepared to pay
the cat price, which is to die
and die again and again,
each time with no less pain.
A cat minority of one
is all that can be counted on
to tell the truth. And what cats have to tell
on each return from hell
is this: that dying is what the living do,
that dying is what the loving do,
and that dead dogs are those who do not know
that dying is what, to live, each has to do.

Roger:

Is There for Honest Poverty

By Robert Burns

Is there for honest poverty

That hings his head, an a' that?

The coward slave, we pass him by -

We dare be poor for a that!

For a' that, an a' that!

Our toils obscure, an a' that,

The rank is but the guinea's stamp,

The man's the gowd for a' that.

What though on hamely fare we dine,

Wear hodden grey, an a' that?

Gie fools their silks, and knaves their wine -

A man's a man for a' that.

For a' that, an a' that,

Their tinsel show, an a' that,

The honest man, tho e'er sae poor,

Is king o men for a' that.

Sue:

Know This That Every Soul is Free

Know this, that ev'ry soul is free
To choose his life and what he'll be;
For this eternal truth is giv'n:
That God will force no man to heav'n.

He'll call, persuade, direct aright,
And bless with wisdom, love, and light,
In nameless ways be good and kind,
But never force the human mind.

Freedom and reason make us men;
Take these away, what are we then?
Mere animals, and just as well
The beasts may think of heav'n or hell.

May we no more our pow'rs abuse,
But ways of truth and goodness choose;
Our God is pleased when we improve
His grace and seek his perfect love.

The Others (who refused to participate)

One last picture. Landon loves the new camera.

Our Trip to Switzerland

Sue and I went to Switzerland for my CPA continuing education classes. Since everyone likes a contest (Refer to the Cutest Baby Contest), please find the Swiss flag.On the hilltop?
On the Alp horn?
At the lodge?

Find Billy Goat Gruff

This contest is for the grandkids to find Billy Goat Gruff. This is a challenge to Steven, Davin, Nathan, Jacob, Kea, Brie, Aiden & Blake.
There are many goats in this picture...look carefully.
Didn't Billy Goat Gruff hang out under the bridge?
Is Billy Goat Gruff laying down or licking salt?

Beautiful Montana

Please choose the most beautifulRoad to the Sun
Avalance Lake
The Goat Lick
A waterfall that has a name that can not be remembered by Two Medicine

Artistic Montana

Please choose your favorite
Shades and Color by SKA

Avalance Falls in light and dark by RCA
Falls with Depth of Field and Framing by RCA

Happy Birthday to Krista... on Friday

Happy Birthday To...
The best aunt(okay, ONE of the best aunts) in the world
The girl who is fluent in Ghettology
The perfect baby of nine.
The computer whiz. Let me be more specific- the Myspace whiz.
The girl who remembers and can find anything. Tawna is lucky to have you.
The human with THE thickest hair.
The one who got that great dark skin.

Have a great day and an amazing time in Paris(you lucky son of a gun).
We Love you and Miss you.

Baby Contest

Please choose the cutest baby and post your choice on this blog. Please do not be intimidated by any particular mother. Just vote your conscience.

Tawna's Graduation

Sue shows off her beautiful new smile, Tawna can't believe the she really did it and Roger proudly displays his fanny pack or the other name that Laura and Jessica like. Please notice Sue's necklace which is a memento of our family reunion.
Krista was happy with Tawna too
Tawna makes her triumphal and dignified entrance.

Happy Birthday to Steven

Uncle Bryce

Playing Pick- We decided to take a one week break from Settlers

Krista helped the kids make Rice Krispie Treats. The rest of us had Mom's delicious apple crisp.

Tawna's failed attempt at dressing Blake in something presentable.


For Steven's birthday, we all got together at my house and had a break-the-fast dinner. It is SO nice having so many people home right now. As you all know, the Landon Allred family has been here for a couple weeks now. My kids are LOVING Aiden, and he thinks they are pretty great too( except when Kea throws boxes at his head. Sorry Aiden). It is so fun having them here. We've been swimming, to the temple and had some fabulous meals. I'll be sad when the summer ends. But, there's always Dallas...
And this weekend we got a bonus Allred in town. Bryce surprised us all yesterday afternoon. He is only 3 hours away and we've been wondering when he would make his way down. AFter seeing my kids with Bryce today, I want him to move here also. He has just the right amount of energy to wrestle with Davin and throw balls at Kea. Davin follows him around and went to Mom and Dad's to sleep tonight because he wanted to be with Bryce.
It's been a great day- great year really. So, when are the rest of you coming for a visit????

The Seminary Graduates

Both Tawna and Kory Petersen were happy to receive their Seminary Graduation diplomas. It was a good day for the parents also.
I have no pictorial proof yet, but Landon, Sarah and Aiden are with us. We are having a great time!

Spring in the Sequoias

As is our pattern, Dad and I chose inclement weather for our trip to Sequoia. Some of the walks reminded me of when we went to see Sequoias during Thanksgiving 18 months ago, but we had a warm place to stay and no small children to worry about. When we arrived, it was snowing slightly, so we hurried to our hotel in case they started requiring chains. We were at 7,000 feet and it was great. The hotel is nice and was full (102 rooms). Most of the people didn't have children with them. I liked thinking they were all anxious to get back to the mountains. We saw waterfalls and moss that we have never seen in the summer in Sequoia. The high was predicted to be 50 and sunny, it was about 37 and foggy and wet.
We walked over 3 miles on this, the Congress Trail. Dad was able to go up the steps so we were very happy. These steps are on the way to the General Sherman tree.
I like Dad in this picture of him surrounded by a fallen Sequoia. To me, they both look very strong. Because the tree has turned grey with age, it looks petrified, so it appears that it will last forever.

Dad relaxing by Tharp's log house. Can you imagine spending 30 summers here? It would be beautiful.
We had a wonderful, relaxing weekend together. We enjoyed being together with the cell phones not working. We are greatful for T and K making good decisions and Laura and Brian being there for back-up.

Read the post below before this one.

Sue welcomes you to Mr. Tharp's log. He is dead now so it's OK.The sign says "Cresent Meadow The Gem of the Sierras John Muir." Cresent Meadow was beautiful but the gem of the Sierras on this day was my sweet and thoughtful wife.