Random Thoughts

Hi Kids, 

While we were traveling around and seeing the sites of Canada and the USA we talked about future vacation trips Dad and I would like to take.  We also talked about how fortunate many of our children have been to visit various places in the world.  It occurred to me that at the same time that Mindy with in the northernmost place anyone in our family has been (St Petersburg, Russia) Trina was the farthest south (Sydney, Australia).   Eric has been to China and Jared and Tawnia to Germany.  Emily spent 4 months in Florida, but most of the rest of us haven't traveled nearly so much.  (I'm not sure where all of our "kids-in-law" have been)  So...I thought it would be fun if you could be our travel agents and tell us of the wonders of the world and what we absolutely must see when we become world travelers. 

I'm not sure who I've told about my latest genealogy success so I'll tell it here for everyone.  While we were in Canada I wanted to find where my Dad was born.  I talked to my 90 year-old cousin Bill and got directions to the homestead, but they were rather vague.  We decided to drive up there anyway and see what we could find.  We pulled into the town of Rimbey, which is about the size of Lafayette, and went into the City Administration/Library building.  First we asked at the city desk and showed them Bill's directions, one lady there was very familiar with the area and drew a map to where she thought it was.  Then, at Dad's suggestion, we went into the library to see if they had any further information.  We found a book that gave the coordinates of Uncle Elry's and Grandpa's homesteads, which were right next to each other and also told who the subsequent owners were.  It also had a picture of some of Dad's siblings with their school class in 1913.  We showed the directions to the lady who worked for the city and she said that the homestead was where she had marked on the map.  We drove another 8 to 10 miles and found the place very easily.  I don't think there are any buildings on Grandpa's portion but there was a log cabin on Uncle Elry's and another building that he may have built.  The names on the mailboxes, even matched those in the book.  I'll post the pictures when I get them back.  It was very exciting to be there.

I also had the privilege of attending the Cardston Temple within a week of the 45th anniversary of my sealing to my parents.  It was wonderful to finally attend a session in the first temple I'd ever seen.  A counselor in the temple presidency showed us a couple of the sealing rooms.  I'm not sure which one we were sealed in.  I wish I could go there with Max, he'd probably remember. 

I told the kids how much I remembered Glacier National Park from our drive through it 45 years ago.  We decided it's best to see it east to west (which we did) because that way you're on the inside, next to the mountain most of the time, instead of feeling like you're falling off the cliff.  I remembered that cliff from my childhood and when the girls saw it they could see why it made such an impression on me.  The weather started off a little cloudy but by the time we reached the top we could see the gorgeous scenery.  I think next time, maybe we'll take the tour bus so Dad can see it all, instead of just the road.

I guess that's enough for now.  I'll have lots of pictures of our adventures.  Dad shot another 7 rolls of film on vacation. 

Love ya,
MOM