Last week before school (YAY for grandma)

I'm almost ready for summer to be over so I can rest.  It seems like I have been busy every minute. This past week was another FUN week spent with loved ones.  Adrienne and the boys and I drove up to Logan on Wednesday to visit Crista and Ruby.  We went to a little zoo (just the right size for an hour walk to see birds and small animals), then we drove over to Gosner's Dairy and bought some milk.  Then we made dinner at Crista's and enjoyed time with the Vances.  We ended the day with Aggie ice cream then made the somewhat long drive home.  At least Ollie thought it was long.

Friday I received this letter from Renatas and Yolanta:

Dear Catharine and Roy

We have finally reached Lithuania, and met our lovely children....
I wrote you a letter about the camera, I dont know if you received the
letters, we have received the camera already. Once again thank you for
the care and help.
We only got the camera because you called the hotel, as to us the
hotel reception told there is no camera.
Zion park was very interesting and left us with many impressions.
Grand Canyon unfortunately we didnt see, because of rain and the
clouds covered all the beauty.
In Las vegas we were very short time,and Chicago was very interesting,
we had a guided tour, and lived close to the center, not fare from
lake Michigan.
We would like to thank you for your hospitality, for your kindness and
many moments spend together. From America we bring back many new
experience. And living at your house was most memorable for us.
I would like to remind you that you have friends in Lithuania and we
would like to see you and show you our country.

Please send our best wishes to Caitlyn and Jennie.
To Crista, Mark and beautiful Ruby.
To Nick, Sara and Ori, also Daniel his wife and 3 daughters.
Also Adrienne, her husband and 3 boys.

We wish your family all the best

Jolanta, Renatas, Saule, Mykolas

She did pretty well on all of your names!  Matt became Mark but other than that...

The weekend was busy and fun.  Friday night dad went to the baseball game with AJ and Adrienne and the boys.  I stayed home and tried to relax, but my sewing project was a little frustrating.  

The boys love ball games!  However, I don't think they really like to watch the game much.

(Gunnar is the one in the striped shirt :)

Caitlyn is a really good friend!  She planned Annika a surprise birthday party (which included us).  Four of Caitlyn's friends met us at our home on Saturday morning at 8:45.  We then loaded up and drove over to Annika's house.  They all went up to her door and when it was answered, called out "Surprise"  We went boating up to Willard Bay.  It all almost flopped when the lady at the fee booth told us that the water was really low and boats were getting stuck.  (We had planned to go to Bear Lake but when we saw that the high would only be 75 degrees at 6:00 pm, we decided to stay closer). We decided to check it out as other boats were turning around and heading out.  Roy talked to a few of the boaters who were staying, and with a look at the water and some comments from others, we figured it was really okay.  It turned out to be a fabulous day as the lake was pretty empty of boats.  We had no problems with depth and the temperature was perfect.  The only problem that I saw was the smoggy air from all the fires in neighboring states.  

We ended the day by treating all the kids to pizza.  I told Caitlyn it was a pretty nice party we put on for someone else's child.  She said, Well, put it this way...you were in Antarctica on my birthday.  She was right.  I told her I would just pretend it was her birthday party.

Crista and Matt also met us at the lake.  It was even closer to them than Bear Lake would have been.  Ruby was a good little trooper.

I have to mention a funny story here (the picture of dad driving the boat reminded me).  Every year dad takes the boat to a youth boating activity.  Lloyd Allen always takes his boat, too.  Every year Lloyd insists on asking the kids, "Who's the better driver?  Me, or Brother Rasband?  Every year the kids say, "Brother Rasband."  (I think Lloyd sets himself up).  The kids say that Brother Rasband gives the best rides!

Elise sent me a couple of pictures from earlier in the week.  She and Max spent the week at "Grandma Camp"  No--don't get any ideas!  I doubt I will ever have "Grandma Camp."

Nan sent me a note this week with a paragraph from Grandpa's autobiography.

Father had just bought a new 1937 Studebaker and I wanted to test its speed capability.  I drove from Tremonton 
to Brigham City in twelve minutes.  Another time I was taking the hot springs road (Hwy. 38) through Honeyville, intending to go to Brigham City.  I was almost to Honeyville, moving at about 80 miles an hour, and there were two cops sitting in their squad car by the side of the road.  They immediately sounded their siren and started after me. I had a little bit of a lead on them and I turned into the first street in Honeyville and pulled into a big open garage, a type of barn garage. I turned off the lights and just sat there.  The cop car went by with its siren screaming, and going at a lickety-split speed.  The barn didn’t have a door and I waited there about ten minutes, thinking they might come back.  They never found me. After a few minutes we pulled out and headed at nominal velocity back in the direction we had come, feeling a combination of elation and guilt.   Upon reflection, I thought that was really dumb for, if caught, I could have made the police blotter; how can you explain that?

My dad had a great sense of humor.

And from Phil's letter--Phil is talking about the son of a man in Phil's ward who had recently passed away.  (The son was in my dad's ward).

"Today he told me that he thinks my [Phil'] Dad was a genius. I thought that was overstating it but his

daughter Jessica said Craig wouldn’t say any such thing if he didn’t believe it. After telling me he

was a genius he mentioned how impressive Dad was in his gospel knowledge, in his careers, in

taking care of mom when she had Alzheimer’s, how kind and considerate he was of members of

his ward, and how well he took care of Mary."

I agree with this assessment of my dad.  I am so grateful that he was my dad and that he lived such a long life so I could benefit from all of his wonderful qualities.

Nan also sent me a couple of stories about Phineas.

Phineas was well acquainted with the Bible when his sister joined the "Mormon" Church.  He thought she had lost her mind, but agreed to attend a meeting with her.  He took a pencil and paper determined to write down everything he disagreed with so he could put them in their place once and for all.  However, during the meeting, others reported that he dropped his pencil and sat as if in a trance.  When the meeting concluded, all eyes turned to Phineas waiting for his rebuttal.  Phineas recorded something like, "But they looked in vain.  They had spoken the truth and I had nothing to say."  Phineas and his wife, Ann Eliza were baptized.

The young married couple, Phineas and Ann Eliza, lived with Phineas' parents.  HIs father was against him joining the church and put as many obstacles in his path as he could.  Phineas was frustrated and went into the woods and prayed that if Heavenly Father wanted Phineas to live the Gospel, he would have to remove this obstacle.  He went back to the house and learned that his father was suddenly seriously ill and was not expected to live.  Phineas immediately returned to the woods and prayed and asked for forgiveness and asked God to restore his father to good health.  When he returned, his father had made miraculous improvements and was out of danger.

After awhile some missionaries came through and told them they were to meet up with the rest of the saints in Nauvoo.  They began to make preparations to go, but Phineas parents did everything they could to stop them.  They obtained a wagon, but lacked oxen.  They received a late wedding present from an uncle that lived in Canada--two oxen.  They had their wagon loaded with wheat ready to go and Phineas' father removed the wheat and took it to the mill for grinding. They left anyway.  Their trek was long and difficult, but they finally met up with some saints who told them that they saints had left Nauvoo and they should go directly to Winter Quarters.  They did meet up with the Saints in Winter Quarters, but life there was very difficult and they were very poor.  When building his home, he cut open his foot with an ax and was laid up for six weeks.  He lost two children (Charlotte, about 8, who got sick and died quickly) and a baby, Harriett, who died because Ann Eliza got Scurvy and lost her milk.  They tried to dig up roots and boil them to feed the baby, but it wasn't enough nourishment and Harriett died. Ann Eliza was given up for dead with scurvy.  Phineas was so upset that his wife was going to died, he walked out into the rain.  Soaking wet and depressed he had a distinct impression that he should return to his home and give Ann Eliza another blessing.  He did and within an hour Ann Eliza was sitting up and asking for Harriett.  

While at Winter Quarters, Phineas had a dream.  He was in the middle of a frozen lake with numerous other men.  The ice was thin and no one seemed to know what to do.  One man said that they had to go to the south.  Many followed him and fell through the ice and were lost. Another man said they had to go to the east and many follow him and fell through the ice and died.  Phineas look at his feet and realized he had ice skates on and felt inspired to go West.  He began skating as fast as he could over the thin ice and finally reached the shore.  When he woke up, he felt this dream had great significance.  He realized that the ice skates were his testimony--something the other men lacked.  Going West was the direction the prophet wanted him to go.  He continued in faithfulness and eventually reached Salt Lake.

Some of the above I may have already shared with you.

We enjoyed having everyone over last night (Sunday night). Everyone except Elise and Crista and their families.  We had a fabulous dinner.  Dad always tries to cover everyone's likes and dislikes, so we had hamburgers, hotdogs, and chicken.  Plus corn on the cob and green beans, and spinach salad and watermelon.  Yum. 

These two little girls haven't quite made it to the best friends stage.  They still like to fight.
\

 After dinner we went over to Mueller Park and dad fired off his rocket 5 or 6 times to the grandkid's delight--especially Gunnar's.  

I have to admit there were a few tears.  Hyeji didn't get a chance to catch the rocket, and Doyeon missed her 2nd opportunity to set it off, but all in all it was a great evening.

The day ended with a beautiful sunset. (The fires make for some pretty nighttime skies)

Nan made the comment that it takes a long time to do these letters.  It really does.  I thought I'd have time to clean my house this morning, but it's already time for me to get ready for ice skating.  I'm back to mornings and almost empty ice rinks (Yay!!!)  

Love you all.