Camping in Glamis!

The day after Christmas Jeff and I took my quad and his motorcycle out to Glamis with The Fisher Family--Derek, Gwen, Andrew, Brendan and Cole. We had a great time riding on the sand dunes and shooting guns. It was super-cold at night (in the 30's) and we were happy that our camping equipment was up to the task. We had a great time!

I've Been Elfed!

One of my seminary students thought it was high time to show off my dancing skills. Also starring Cody Tuma, David Livingston, Katie and Shannon McCormick. Good stuff.

Understanding Cats

We rarely see our cat Rory. Sometimes the only proof she is still among us is that food disappears from her bowl. She is completely anti-social and will not come near any of us. We all imagine that she is so skitterish because she has many tales to tell about near-death experiences with coyotes that roam our neighborhood, but we'll never know for sure.

So imagine what a mystery, and almost an insult it is that whenever Lauren comes home from college we can find the cat curled up with her when she is in bed. The same Lauren who teases her relentlessly, never buys any of the cat food, doesn't pour it in the bowl, doesn't put the flea medication on her, or any of the other mundane chores of pet ownership. Go figure....

A Most Exciting Sabbath Day

Nothing like a bit of good old fashioned religious persecution to bring a feeling of peace and contentment to my heart. Where could this happen but in the Lord's true church? Our church had much of the credit heaped onto us for the success of Proposition 8, and I couldn't be prouder! So yesterday a temple protest was held on the corner next to the stake center and temple.

Like President Kimball said, Because this is the Lord's true church, the day we stop facing opposition is the day we need to start worrying!

Ward Camping Trip

The singles ward went out to Joshua Tree National Park for some rock-climbing and camping. Over 50 people attended, and we all had so much fun that we are planning it again asap!

The Cradle of the Restoration

Jeff and I are just back from a vacation to beautiful Palmyra, New York to see the sites where the church was restored. It was so much fun!

Joseph Smith Cabin

This is my favorite--if you stand looking at the Joseph Smith Cabin, and then turn around, you can see the Palmyra Temple at the top of the hill where the trees are cleared. Could Joseph ever have imagined the day?

The path to the sacred grove.

Our sweet missionary guide, Sister Porter.

The Sacred Grove

The Peter Whitmer Farmhouse, where the restored church was organized with 6 members on April 6, 1830. Over 13,000,000 members today and growing fast!

The Palmyra Stake Center, where we went to church on Sunday.

Palmyra is about 90 miles from our airport in Buffalo. We spent the final night of our trip in Niagara Falls, which is just across the border in Canada from Buffalo. We had a spectacular view of both Horseshoe and American Falls from our room.

The Future of the Church is in Good Hands

Remember the image of Noah standing there on the log with the ark half-built behind him, imploring the people to listen to the voice of the Lord? I feel like we have just come through a similar battle with the success of Proposition 8 in California, where the voice of the people declared that they would like marriage to be legal and recognized only between a man and a woman. It was hard fought, and the singles ward jumped faithfully into the trenches. Jeff and I were so proud.

“There are times and places in the life of every nation when great spiritual heights are reached, when courage becomes a living thing, when faith in God stands as the granite mountain wall, firm and immovable…..”

Heber J. Grant

What more can I say--I love the courage and faith displayed by our young singles during the battle to promote and pass Prop 8. Other people aren't so happy....

Is there not a Cause?

This is a picture of a few of the great young adults from our ward, spending another day in the sun on a street corner to get the word out about Prop 8. There were probably about 50 kids there---we were so proud of them! Thousands of cars passed by honking and giving smiles and thumbs up. Later on we had a pizza and a phone-calling party at the Packer's house. What a great day.......

Major Endorsement for Prop 8

Nationally Acclaimed Pastor Rick Warren Announces Support for Proposition 8
October 24, 2008
Contact: Meg Waters, 949-461-9700
Lake Forest—Rick Warren, nationally acclaimed pastor and author of the New York Times bestselling “The Purpose Driven Life,” announced today his support in favor of Proposition 8, California’s Protect Marriage Act.
Warren, founder and senior pastor of Saddleback Church, affirmed his support of the proposition, which would restore the definition of marriage as between a man and a woman, in his News and Views email which is distributed to church members.
“For 5,000 years, every culture and every religion - not just Christianity - has defined marriage as a contract between men and women,” Warren wrote. “There is no reason to change the universal, historical definition of marriage to appease 2% of our population.”
A link to a video on the Saddleback Church was included, where Warren further discussed his support of Proposition 8. (http://saddlebackfamily.com/blogs/newsandviews/index.html?contentid=1502)

Jarvie/Foy Laugh of the Week

The appearance of Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live gave us a big laugh during an otherwise depressing presidential campaign...

Block it Like Brody!

I have the cutest son-in-law----just try to get it past him!