Fireman Gary

Gary could hardly pack fast enough after receiving a call that the St. Johns fire crew needed to report to a fire in Payson, AZ. When he got there he said fires were breaking out all over and they were re-assigned to another post. He will be on duty for the next 2 weeks. What a crazy summer this has been. Jaron and Sharla came for the week-end. We worked on the wedding plans and hopefully now we in the home stretch.

What is it about August and plane crashes in St.Johns???

Wednesday August 5, 2009 was a windy rainy day. This pilot took off and hit a strong cross-wind, tipping the plane and causing him to lose control. He took out 2 signs and 300 feet of fence. As you can see, he was very lucky to walk away from this accident without so much as a scratch. It will be a year on August 15th that the Nielson's went down in the Heap's back yard. This accident means our 3 are done. From last August to this, the Neilson's went down, one landed in the dirt and now this one. I hope we are done for awhile.

On the road again...this time to Kentuckiy

I was asked by the Apache County Drug Free Alliance to be a Youth Leader. Last year I worked with 5 girls on many different projects. We had a ball. Then I was asked if I would accompany 3 of the girls to Kentucky to a Youth Leadership Conference. It didn't take me long to say yes. Two girls from Round Valley, 3 from St. Johns and 6 adults are headed for Kentucky. At the last minute one of the leaders was not able to go so Gary volunteered to go with us. He served his mission in Indiana and wanted to be back on that soil again. On July 27th we left our kids, who had been here for the 24th, (yeah that was weird) at 3 am and headed for Phoenix to board Southwest Airlines flight 1339 direct to Louisville Kentucky. The flight was 3 1/2 hours. I was so nervous about flying but it was a great flight. We landed in Kentucky at 4:30 pm their time, 1:30 our time,. We checked into our motel in Clarksville, Indiana and jumped right into meetings. The time change was pretty weird. Jet lag set in big time. We are here for 7 days. It is going to be a blast!

Sight Seeing

There were so many interesting sights to see. Everywhere you looked there was an amazing building or some history to learn about. Along with that there were some great chooses for food. We ate very well at great restarants. One night we went to Texas Roadhouse and then found out that it was the first one ever built and had been visited by many famous people like Willy Nelson. The architucture was amazing. I loved the old buildings. I was sad that some of the new hugh rise buildings over powered the older ones. We visited a cathedral that held an orphanage during World War II. It was undescribable. Because of the Kentucky Derby, there were horses on almost every corner. Each one painted to depict something in the city. Gary was so excited to see one with an EMS theme. We were walking by the visitors center one day and spotted Colonel Sanders. He was a wax figure but he seemed to real. The center was closed but we came back the next day to get our picture taken with him and read about how he started Kentucky Fried Chicken. The girls said that they could not leave Kentucky without trying the chicken. It turned out that it didn't taste any different that it does at home.

Next stop: Louisville Slugger Museum

The Louisville Slugger museum was right around the corner from the conference center. In fact a lot of what we saw was within walking distance. The museum was very interactive. Gary got in a batting cage and hit some balls and then we watched some bats being polished up. The museum is where bats are made for the famous baseball players. We got our picture taken with Babe Ruth, that was just plain cool. Kentucky is so full of history. We could stay here for weeks and never see everything.

National Youth Conference is concluded!!

Thursday was the last day of classes. The girls did such a good job with their presentations. It was then time for some fun. We headed for the Mohammed Ali Museum. It was a very large 3 story building. We rode the largest escalator in the state. The girls were able to box in the ring and actually fight with Ali. Even though it was on a screen, it was pretty cool. We went in the basement to see his Rolls Royce. He was given a medal of honor from President Obama and it was displayed there. It was an awesome museum. As we left it began to rain. We went to Joe's Crab Shack on the Ohio River. We no sooner entered the door than it began to pour. Part of the group was still walking and ended up hiding in a window sill. About 6:30 the boat's whistles began to blow. It was the sweetest sound. We were off for another wonderful adventure.

Cruising on the Ohio River

The whistle was calling us to board the Belle of Louisville. It was a 2 hour cruise down the Ohio River. We were treated to a wonderful BBQ dinner and then it was "all hands on deck" to enjoy the view. It started raining and was foggy but it was still a wonderful trip. Kentucky is so beautiful. We saw a barge hauling it's load down river and passed other boats. The ship is 94 years old and has had many other names. In the 90's it was purchased for $36,000 and brought back to Kentucky and renamed the Belle of Louisville. Today it takes visitor's down the Ohio river to enjoy a little taste of the good ole days. It was such a relaxing and fun trip. We didn't want the trip to end so soon.

Six Flags Here We Come

The last day of the trip the crew was treated to a day at Six Flags in Kentucky as a reward for all of the hard work that was done during the week. Believe me we all worked very hard. We were greeted at the park entrance by Granny and Sylvester. They were a hoot. The kids headed off for the water park and Gary and Don headed for the roller coasters. I was happy to ride in the cars and keep my feet firmly planted on solid ground, thank you very much. If you click on the roller coaster picture, Gary is on the outside of the second row. He looks like he is having a lot of fun. He couldn't resist having his picture taken under a fire hat. What a time we had. Someday I hope we will be able to return to this enchanting place, Kentucky I mean, not the park. We will always have great memories of this trip and great people that we went with.

Fun in Kentucky

Our seven days in Kentucky went by way to fast. We had such a great time. We left Kentucky at 10:00 am and flew t 45 minutes to St. Louis Missouri. We arrived at 10:20. We went back through the time zones. I hope to be able to come back one day. I have never seen a more genuine people anywhere on earth. They were kind and helpful no matter the color, creed or race. We felt at home there. We arrived in Phoenix at 1:30. The girls wanted to go to the mall so we took them there and met up with Jaron, Sharla, Kelsey and friends for a brief visit and then headed home. It was great to be home. This will be a wonderful memory for us. We had a wonderful time!!

Bridal Shower

Sharla's wedding is getting so close. Grandma Shreeve and Aunt Carleen held a bridal shower after the parade. Lots of Sharla's friends were home so it made it nice. She got some very nice things and a few racy ones also but I guess that is to be expected. She is getting very excited to start her new life as a wife. It is still hard for me to believe that my little girls are all grown up!!

The 24th of July Parade

This year's 24th Parade was one of the best we've ever had. There was a lot of floats, 2 bands and we were priviledged to see one of the last code talkers from World War IIm marching in the parade. That was so neat to see. We sat in our usual place under the tree at Hansen's house. The kids got to ride in the fire truck with Grandpa. They thought that was the coolest thing ever. I am not sure if they were excited about being in the fire truck or just being with their Grandpa. It seemed weired for us not to be chasing candy for them. Trevyn decideded it was a good time to take a nap. After the parade we just chilled and later that evening we made taquitoes which is another of our new traditions. It seemed so good to have so much family here and to just get caught up with everyone. The older I get the more I cherish the times we get to spend together.

The Camporama

I have always loved this time of year. When I was a kid it was toss up between this and Christmas. I love the Ice Cream Social, the Camporama and the Parade. We have started a new tradition with Dallas cooking dutch oven potatoes and peach cobbler and watching the camp circle from our house. So yummy! Thank you Dallas. Charles and Nikki brought some fun glasses and we all had to have our picture taken with them. We tried to sneak one in on Dallas and he caught it to fast and tossed the glasses. They went on the roof so Westyn was brave going up to get them. He was a little scared having to come back down, but Charles caught him. Emilee and Sharla decided to take a ride on the scooter and check out the circle to see if they could spot any friends. What a good time we had hanging out with the family.

Trevyn's Special Day

Is there anything more precious than a baby in a tuxedo. I don't think so. Trevyn was blessed on Sunday July 18, 2009 by his daddy. Dallas gave him a wonderfull name and blessing. Trevyn was so good, he never made a sound. The bouncing of the men kept him very happy.

After the blessing,there was a luncheon at the church. Both sides of the family and friends came. It was fun to visit with everyone. The next morning Emilee and the kids came home with us for a week. We had so much fun and enjoyed the kiddos while they were here. It was the week of the 24th so there was a lot going on but we just lazed around and enjoyed being together. No greater joy on earth than being with family. We have gotten to spend quite a bit of time with everyone this summer and we have loved it.

Happy Birthday Carson

I can't believe that Carson turned 5 this year. He is so grown up. Gary and I were able to attend his birthday party. It was held at the LaVerkin City Park. Carson invited his neigborhood friends and cousins. They played on the playground, climbed trees, had a water ballon fight and ate yummy cake. Carson had a great time and loved the great presents he got. The helmet he is wearing changed his voice to make him sound like Darth Vader. It was so funny. We got him some walkie talkies. We went shopping at the mall and Carson would hide in the clothes and talk to me. We had a great time. It keep him entertained for hours. Oh how we love spending time with our precious grandkids. It was fun and amazing to see all the work Jen and Tyler had done on their yard and house. It really looks like home now. Carson starts kindergarten this year. It will be interesting to see how he likes the new adventure. Have fun being 5 Carson. 10-4 good buddy. Over and out! Love you tons!!