Russian food and Company

 On November 21st we invited two Russian Mission couples to a Russian dinner.  Here is the stove as I boiled potatoes, eggs, carrotts and peas for Russian Olivier Salad.  I also made Russian Borscht soup - and bought rolls.  I did make puddiing and Russian Tea cookies for dessert.

Zachery and Masha Creer,  Patricia MacCabe - from VA - Em and Ben's old ward!  Her fiance could not come but we had a nice time tegether!  loved serving with all these wonderful people!  Masha is from Moscow and married Zac last year after her mission. 

BYU Honor Dinner

 On November 19, 2019, the BYU Therapeutic Recreatin held an Honor Banquet - the TR program is not going to be offered any longer in Provo - but at BYU-Idaho.  Harold was one of 8 former faculty members to be honored and given a nice plaque recogniziing his contributions to the program.  At the left is Mark Widmer, Neil Lundberg, Ashley Bowen, Trish Jensen Obo, Clark Thorestsen, Harold Smith, Raymond Zabriskie, and Keith Barney. 

 Each of those being honored gave short remarks - most along the lines of Therapeutic Recreation is divinely inspired - helping others to have a better life.  Dr. Thorestsen began the BYU program in 1971 ... He told a story illustrating the quality of TR students .  One young lady was serving her TR internship at a nursing home.  One of the older men told her he was needing some help - - his hair needed shampooing, he needed a clean shirt, he needed a bath.  She cheerfully did all those things for him. After that he climbed into his bed and laid down and said.  Thank you so much, now I can go home....and he died!  Harold was going to speak briefly about something else but when Dr. Thorestsen was there he felt more inclined to honor him and the long life of serving others.  Dr. T said with his cane that in the temple he tells them he is a 'cannanite'!

 It was really nice to be in the Alumni House - not the one my Dad worked in for years, but nice anyway. 

 Some of the faculty and staff and students who were in attendence - last group to graduate from BYU in TR - the new name of the department is Experience Design and Managment - EXDM - sounds like a medicine to me!!  They are housed in the Marriott School of Managment, sigh.

Dr. T. had a stroke about 5 years ago, his wife Colleen asked about my brother Craig said he was a special person to her - me too!  Trish Jensen Obo told us about her Baptist Bible she read as a child in NC - the words of the Savior were printed in red.  They all told us how to 'treat' each other!  That was the impact of TR in her life.  Some of the others told about how they didn't 'find' TR - it found them! Lovely evening, delicious food and wonderful surroundings.

Gramps car, Puppies and Planting in Pleasant Grove

 Craig was selling Gramps old car - still runs great - so we bought it!  I like driving it and knowing my Daddy did 10 years ago!

 Puppies saying goodbye to their old kennel house - Chris has a big new insulated one for them ... but they took the blankets out of it and slept on the concrete!  They will get a dog bed and when it gets colder, they will like the house!!

 Grandpa enjoying the puppies.  He was digging holes for the new plants - so the gloves!

 The forsythia bush - it will have pretty yellow flowers in the spring - we hope!

Baby blue spruce tree - it will be nice to watch it grow and get taller.

Wood Family Cemeteries

 November 10th, after the Primary Program Lindsey and I took the kids to the two Wood family Cemeteries in Bountiful.  This is a picture of my Grandma and Grandpa Poole's gravesite in the Bountiful City Cemetery.  The large monument in the background is to Jospeh Cotton Wood, Grandma Poole's father...many family members are buried nearb.

 This is Aunt Afton and Uncle Croft's gravesite - Olivia was born while Dan and Lindsey lived at her house, so she wanted a picture of her by their grave...Sadie was being silly and also wanted a picture!

Below is a picture of the Daniel Wood family plot - right in downtown on a busy street.  It is older and kind of run down - we picked up a baggie full of trash in a quick service project!  There is a plaque telling that Joseph Cotton Wood, one of Daniels' sons and my gread grandfather designed and built and installed the iron fence that surrounds the family cemetery.  There are buried here three Native American children that Daniel's family adopted.  

Selfie Lindsey took of us!  The boys were asleep! 

Polly's Birthday, Band and snake!

 This is the happy scene at Polly's birthday party at our house!  Such wonderful people and yummy food and delightful conversation!

 Georgia and Tait wanted me to take their pictures in their pajama's - the Fairbanks spent the night at our house so they could have Aunt Heather take their family pictures the nexr morning.

 Eli's last band competition -at American Fork High School - such a pretty setting.

 Go Timpview!  They did well and had fun and looked great - no trophies.

Dad stopped when he thought this was a rattle snake - a pick up truck had run over it just in front of us - it was a big bull snake and was dying.

Sadie's Baptism

 Saturday, October 12, was Sadie's baptism Day - also Dan's birthday!!  Here are the Smith family members who came to help celebrate!! 

 We sure love the Fairbanks family - had to put two pictures because Reid was facing out in the second one!

 The weather was so nice the kids ate outside - of course Sadie wanted noodles!  Tait ate some and wore some!!

 Dan blowing out the candles on his birthday pumpkin pie!

All the men who helped confirm this beautiful 8 year old!!

Eli's Band, my quilt and Joel's football game

 On October 8th we went to the BYU Intermountain Band Competition - here is Pleasant Grove's band - the Vikings!  These competitions are really something - props, dancers, music, costumes!

 Here is Timpview's Band - they earned third place, I think!  fun to watch and fun to be in the BYU stadium again.

 My tee shirt quilt - fun to make and warm and soft to snuggle under!  I had several flannel quilt scraps, including Polly's and Sam's to add to the trim around the front, and the back!

On October 10th we drove to Hyrum and watched Mountain Crest JV team win!!!  Yay Joel!!  It was pretty cold as you can see!

Pretty Autumn Leaves

 These pictures aren't nearly as beautiful as the leave on the mountains - but you get the idea!

 Fairbanks came down for a visit - Girls had birthdays parties and play dates and we loved having them...anytime!

Cute Reid,  he smiles so darling and I can never get a picture of him doing it!

Polly and Chris have new puppies!

 We drove to Pleasant Grove to meet the new puppies - so cute and fun!

Fishing in the River

 Stan told us to drive to the Sevier River South Fork and fish for a while - he said you will know it is the right place when you see all the lures and flies hooked on the wires above the water!  He was right!

Kacey and I read books and Dad fished - enjoyed the beautiful day and let the fish to stay in the River until next June when we come back!!

Rockin R Ranch

 On Tuesday, October 1st we drove to Rockin R Ranch to see how long it took and to check out the place for our family reunion June 29 - July 2 - 2020!  We were impressed - this is the dining area.  Breakfast and lunch are buffet - but dinner they bring plates to your table.

 It was clean and orderly - Dad and Kacey talking with Hannah who was showing us around.

 Buffet bar and kitchen... we really liked their arrangement of having families eat all in the same area.

 Main lodge fireplace.

 Soda fountain part of the Ranch Store.

 More of the store - lots for sale, prices pretty high.

Happy Campers!!!