A Quick Trip to Boise

Usually you don't go north for vacation in the winter, but that's what we did last week. Our son invited us to come visit him and his family while they were visiting his wife's family so we headed north. We hadn't seen them in a year so we were excited for a visit. We left right after church on Sunday and drove without stopping to Boise. We had an Airbnb and it worked out nicely. We were able to visit the Larsen family and play lots of games. Some of us went skiing at Bogus Basin while the rest of us took a walk or played around the Larsens' and enjoyed the remarkably pleasant weather. The next day, we took a look at the Anne Frank/Human Rights Memorial in downtown Boise and walked on the Boise River Greenbelt Trail. Unfortunately it was pretty cold and windy so we didn't last long doing that. Despite that, we had a great time visiting with our son and his wife and baby and playing lots of games. We headed back Wednesday morning, making good time, so we could finish up our Christmas preparations. It was a good trip.

Singing happy birthday to Garrett whose birthday was the previous week

Opening a present from his Aunt Susanna who used to babysit him when he was a tiny baby--she recently started crocheting on her mission.

Playing Wii out in the "shop" with some Larsen's

Going on a walk

Skiing at Bogus Basin

Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of Garrett's wife! Next time...

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Visiting Susquehanna: The Priesthood Restoration Site

On our way home from Palmyra, we decided to go a couple of hours out of our way to visit the recently opened Priesthood Restoration Site along the Susquehanna River. This is where we believe that Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery received the keys of the Aaronic Priesthood from John the Baptist which gave them the authority to baptize. This site also has the restored Isaac and Elizabeth Hale home where Joseph and Emma lived for a year as well as the home where Joseph and Emma lived on their own. We spent a couple of hours there and I wouldn't have minded a few more minutes but we had a long way to go that night. It's a beautiful setting, very much in rural Pennsylvania. However, on the day we were there, cars at a racetrack nearby were detracting from the peace and quiet. I'm guessing that's not as big of a problem on weekdays. The Hale Family was quite well-off for their day so their home was probably nicely decorated with wallpaper and carpet. ...

Book Review: Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper

This is a juvenile fiction book about a young girl named Melody with severe cerebral palsy. Her body doesn't allow her to feed herself, speak, or do much at all. She's very intelligent with a photographic memory but she can't really communicate. Finally, in 5th grade, she gets a "Medi-Talker" which is a computer that speaks what she types in. Finally she has a voice. This book explores what it is like to be severely physically disabled but not mentally disabled. It seems like one of the most frustrating of all scenarios. She is completely aware of all the cruelty (subtle and otherwise) that her classmates inflict on her because they don't really want to include her in their activities. One of the saddest moments in the book comes when she realizes that every one of her special ed classmates is kind, where the "normal" ones are not. Who really has the worse disability? The book was a quick read and fairly enjoyable. Wha...

Hansen Family Plot in the Provo Cemetery

On Memorial Day this year, our family went to the Provo Cemetery, as we do almost every year. We spent some time at the Hansen Family plot which contains the grave of my 2nd great-grandparents, Peter and Mary Hansen. They both emigrated from Denmark with their spouses to Utah. My grandfather lost his first wife Ane to cholera on the plains outside of St. Joseph, Missouri, along with three of his little boys within a very short time--about one month. It's a sad story but it's also one of admirable resilience. He brought his one surviving son, Jorgen, to Utah. He married his second wife Maren (Anglicized to Mary) some 9 years later in Utah She had been married before but lost her first husband at an unknown date. I wish I knew more about her but she left very few records, although I could do more research! Peter and Maren had 6 more children together. The youngest two were twins, Enoch and Ephraim. Ephraim is my great-grandfather and is buried in California. He is the father of ...

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