BELLS

MONDAY, 17 AUGUST 2015

We had a great home evening with our old group, The Bithell's, Hutto's and Mary Newman.  Eric took a picture of us all as we finished our evening discussions.  I think we are definately forever friends.    Mary enjoyed standing up on the fireplace, at a place we went for dinner,..she is finally the tallest. ha!

Here we are in our home.  We hope that we can all enjoy health and strength this year.  We definitely have aged since we first became "empty nesters"!  We miss Mary's husband Gary and his quick whit.  Mary learned well from him and can catch us all if we don't keep our guard up.  We missed him on this special day.   

TUESDAY, 18 AUGUST 2015

I can't swim because of surgery, so I am supposto walk.  This morning I walked about our area.  As I was walking the drive way, the bell at St. Monica Catholic Church began to ring.  It is located through the fields and a couple miles away.  It pealed for about over a minute and I marveled at the wonder and beauty of this sound.  I am thankful for the bell and the person who programs or rings it.  Thank you for making us remember Jesus Christ as we begin our day.

My neighbor has horses and they were patiently waiting for their breakfast as I sondered by.

 I wandered to the rural road where our mailboxes are.  When you look where to turn to get to our home, you must find the mailboxes and turn next to them.

 I passed these beautiful flowers that are also my neighbors.  They were glowing in the sunlight.

I finally came back down the road to the home cave.  We have a huge tree that is next to our driveway.  I think of it as my Mary Ann tree.  

 There is a rock under it....with a rabbit hole!

 Then I have the weather vane at the end of the drive...anyone want to go fishin'?

I know I'm home when the rooster appears!

Grandpa Art and I have an ongoing war with the hose in the front yard.  I use it to water my flowers and Grandpa uses it to supplement watering the front lawn where the automatic sprinklers miss.   The other day I went to water the flowers on the porch and Grandpa had it on the lawn.  I undid it from the sprinkler and did not reconnect it when I finished.  Grandpa Art didn't see the sprinkler when he was mowing the lawn and mowed over it.  This is the result.  I felt bad.  One of the many mistakes I feel bad about in this life time.  Poor sprinkler!

WEDNESDAY, 19 AUGUST 2015

Our Cannon had his 8th birthday today.  Happy Birthday Cannon!

 Yummy cupcakes!

THURSDAY, 20 AUGUST 2015

Today we rang in the school year with 25 students attending our class.  We have been asked to substitute for the teacher of the 11-12th grades also, so many of them were juniors and seniors.  We had 11 students that were 9th grade freshmen....so this is pretty close to the class size for us in September.  They were mostly on time and we closed a bit early so they could indulge in cinnamon rolls and milk.  I found most are not interested in breakfast and one ate a peanut butter sandwich (without sharing with the others) as class began.  Sister Murray brought two bags of candy bars.  We will share those with the class tomorrow...after our lesson of course.  I wish many of you were there with us.  This is going to be a great year as we study The Old Testament...this is a test, I repeat this is only a test. "Ring Out Wild Bells".
This is a picture of two ol' retired teachers that have been recalled into service!

We went to dinner with our son and daughter & her husband...they wanted to share a great restaurant they have discovered in Edmond...it was really good.

 The sour dough on the bottom of the dish is to roll the vegies in...yes, it was so good!

FRIDAY, 21 AUGUST 2015
HAPPY 88TH BIRTHDAY PRESIDENT MONSON!!!
Our Seminary class had 21 students there on our second day.  It rained while we were teaching and it is a nice cool day in Oklahoma today.  This is a picture of some of our class while they were wandering in.  They are the best!  The room was quite full by the time we had the opening pray.  Hurrah to each of you that made it to Seminary this week...we can do this!
I spoke of my days at O. E. BELL Junior High when I began my 8th grade year.  I went to my first Seminary class.   It was taught by Brother Thomas in Idaho Falls, Idaho Seminary building across from Central Junior High.  We had to walk from one junior high to the other to get to class.  We went to five years of Seminary then.  Our fifth year was an extra when we were Seniors...it was not required...but after four years it was a good habit.

SATURDAY, 22 AUGUST 2015
Today was one of those most memorable days of our life.  Today we had two of our most dearly loved grandsons get baptised.  Our youngest son, Ryan, baptised his son Cannon and his nephew Brandt.  We spent the day in celebration.  "Ring out Wild BELLS!"
Ring out false pride in place and blood,
The civic slander and the spite;
Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease,
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Ring in the valiant man and free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.

Ring out, wild BELLS - Christmas Poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Our "Boy's" dressed in snow white suits....clean and crisp.

The program consisted of these two grandson's sisters and Grandma Lorraine.  It was perfectly planed and the granddaughters did the best ever.  Thank you for this lovely memorable day, each of you.  We are blessed to have each of you in our family.  

Later, Sarah, Ryan's wife organized a wonderful lunch for us all...meat balls, mac & cheese, salads, fruit and on and on...yum.  Ryan cleaned up after..We raised him well!

 Yum!

I add this picture just because.  Our grandson Brandt had his arm around his cousin, Leif, and Ryan had his arm around both these nephew's.  It touched our hearts.  This photo will always remind me why family is so important.  We love our family!

Then the Hansen's had us all over so the cousin's could swim, and movies and games.  It was a good family day.  The younger group entertained us with their costumes.

Then just for fun I have some memories of my older son being here this week.  Eric had his teeth cleaned by our son-in-law, Mike!  Love this picture of the both of them.

And last, I ran into these pictures of our Eric when he was just over a year old.  He was on the roof of the Olpin Morturary in Provo, Utah.  We worked there while Grandpa Arthur was getting his master's in Geology.

I feel we traveled full circle this weekend...my how the years move on quickly.  We loved this firstborn babe of ours and still do.  The BELLS rang loudly as he rode these stick horses around the  roof of that morturary...and then when Grandpa Arthur graduated we moved on too!

 Fun days of BELLS AND WHISTLES!

SUNDAY, 23 AUGUST, 2015

This brings us back to another Sabbath Day.  All the company is traveling back home today.  The boys will be sustained as members of their  perspective Ward's this morning.  Thank's for all the family support this weekend.  May all your travels be safe and may you feel loved, whomever you are and where ever you live.

May each of you "Feel My Saviors Love", and remember who you are, "I Am A Child Of God".

Hug's now and always,

Grandpa Arthur & Grandma Gene

Arthur & Gene