The Beauties of Nature, Family, Friends, Art, Service, and More...

Pete and Julie Carlston invited us for an extended family weekend at the ranch in Weber Canyon. Here are just a few photos 

                         Pete made a dugout canoe from a fallen pine tree. 

Sir Pancakes enjoying the kayak with Ming Lu. 

Pete on his raft, Luke in kayak.

        Hannah, Fernanda and Nick de Schweinitz

                                    Pete and Phoebe Carlston

         Elise, Stephanie and Evie (as well as Cordelia) love the horses

         The magnificent view from the cabin, and fun in the great room where the three dogs were hard to keep in their "pen."

Make way for the horses. Alex Wheatley (in the red shirt) was staying at his family's cabin next door. The evening before we talked to his wife Alexa and Courtney McNaught (all Wheatleys, friends from Palo Alto, CA.)!

We then continued on our hike through the aspens, firs, spruce forests and fields of gorgeous wildflowers.

             Pete sharing his knowledge of nature and local history.

 Cousins Elise, Cordelia, Stephanie and Evie

Julie knows the names of most of the flowers

What's up, John?

Peter taught them to blow through grass to made loud whistles, The girls collected reeds, the kids found dead trees to knock down.

                   We crossed lots of creeks on rocks and logs.

It was hard to leave, but driving back home through the Wasatch-Uinta mountains is beautiful, too!

Sunday I attended the Homecoming service in which President Brad and Sister Ann Taylor shared their experiences, challenges, and joys of their 3 year term as mission leaders in Seoul, Korea. Much of the time was served during the Covid-19 Pandemic, when all but the Koreans were sent back to their home countries. It seemed like 100+ of their missionaries were in attendance. I was so excited to see and talk to so many Taylors (who grew up in Palo Alto near me) that I forgot to take any photos! Provo is a gathering place!

But I did remember on Sunday afternoon to take a photo of my dear friends the Gilmans who had all come to visit their parents Paul and Sara who also bought a home in Provo about the same time as I did.

Former football star Steve Young (also of Palo Alto) owns the land and horses on my street (a block away). And 2 friends, Aaron Skabelund and Quinn Mecham, who lived in our Palo Alto ward while doing graduate work at Stanford University, now BYU professors of History and Political Science respectively, are running for Provo and Orem city councils! Good luck to them both, wise and so generous with their time, energy, and talents.

And my prayers and best wishes to all the many people worldwide who are undergoing trials and challenges. Many are of a magnitude I cannot even imagine. 

The following is from my friend Danielle who is going through breast cancer treatment. She cites a favorite quote: 

"Part of enduring well consists of being meek enough, amid our suffering, to learn from our relevant experiences. Rather than simply passing through these things, they must pass through us and do so in ways which sanctify these experiences for our good."

As members of the Church of Jesus Christ we commemorate the entry of Brigham Young and the first group of pioneers into the Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847. Today I finished reading a book of accounts of the handcart companies who arrived in 1856. Of the 1000 who left Europe and eastern states and traveled by handcarts, freezing, starving, and sick, about 800 survived. Many were orphans, widows, amputees and suffered poor health the rest of their lives. Very few lost their faith, even as they lost family members. I am grateful for their perseverance and legacy. We celebrate the sacrifice of the rescue parties as well. Many had been away serving missions and turned right around to save their fellow men, women and children. May we be inspired, too, who are so blessed in so many ways, to rescue those in need.