General Update

Blake is doing well.  He has had some really cool experience's.  We look forward to when he has enough data and time to call us.  He does most weeks.  He is currently training, his comp is from the DRC, he is zone leader and his a councilor in the branch presidency.  A while back he had fun finding his own ride to Freetown.  It is about a 3 hour drive.  He goes every few weeks for MLC. The MP was in Makeni visiting and asked if he wanted to have the mission bus sent for him.  Blake thought it would be fun to travel Salone style.  They got to a road crossroads and there are lots of people and cars shouting out where they are going.  Then you pack into a car, way over what we would be allowed to have here. and off they go.  Once he got to Freetown, the got a keke and make it to the mission home.  He said it was a blast.  On the way home they paid extra to have back seat to themselves.  He has done this a few times now and thinks it is great.  He really gets along with the other zone leader.  I think they will be good friends for life.  It is rainy season and it is flooding most of the time. He got malaria, but is recovered now.  Had horrible headaches but it didn't stop him from working.  He said he was there to work and not stay inside.  He put on sunglasses and a big hat and went to work. They have a rat kill count going in the apartment.  Up to 22 now.  They just beat them with a stick until they are dead.  It is the same stick that they prepare food with.  Just labeled it rat bat on one side and pepe pounder on the other. Oh my!  His zone had the highest find rate in the mission last transfer, he was pretty proud of that.  We love to hear his experiences.  It is a different world and he is just taking it all in.

I love this picture, so much about it.  The inviting hand held out, the elders under umbrella in the rain, the font outside, so much in this picture.

All African service project.  He was excited to get to work with a machete.

Surviving malaria.

Cute kid holding hand.

These next are all out of order.  

As I was helping Cora pack we found Sunpuppy, her childhood toy, and Black Bear, Ammon's childhood toy.  Cute picture with her parents toys. 

  Dave, Cora, Jane and I hiked Wall lake end of July.  It was a hot day.  With all the trees burnt down there was no shade and hotter than I remembered.  But it was fun and glad we got one hike in this summer. 

Shakespeare in the park was fun as always.  We meet the girls and Natalia there.  This year they did Twelfth Night. 

Canada day we spent with Leah.  Everyone else was gone, we met in town and went to a car show, food truck, had lunch, walked around the lake, watched a movie and then had some treats.  It was a different Canada Day but still fun. 

End of July was Magrath Day.  We went and spent it with the girls and Ammon.  Parade, Pancake breakfast, Wally's beach, some cool BMX tricks and dinner and ice cream I finally got to try at Blue Goose.  Was worth the hype. 

 Baling has been slow this year.  Lots of equipment break downs.  It was been nice having fewer cows as we haul water.  Don't have to do it as often.  I have got to be MOA a lot this summer.  Even a couple days all on my own.  I like doing MOA.  It has been a fun fast summer.  Fit in what we could and just enjoyed being with the kids.  

 

Blessed and Watched Over

 Ammon is in charge of building the new chapel up north.  Even though Toronto temple is still being worked on he came home to do this project.  As usual Cora didn't have a lot of notice to get all packed up and loaded up as she will be going with him.  We have really loved these last few months when the girls would just drop in and stay undetermined days.  It was great for the girls to be so close to each other as well as their husbands were away.  They spent days at the beach and lots of time at each others houses, movies and dinner,  and we had lots of picnic lunches.  It has been a fabulous few months.  Braydon has come home to work about the same time as Cora is moving, which I feel is also a blessing.  As much as we will miss Cora and Jane, we are so excited for them to be back with Ammon again on a regular basis.  It will be great to have him home in the evenings and weekends.  Cora got everything pretty much packed up.  Ammon flew home and then they made a few loads into a storage unit and loaded up what they were taking with them and made it to our house later Saturday.  Sunday we had dinner with everyone for the reunion then Ammon took off.  Cora was going to follow him that day, but thought Jane needed a day to just be in one spot after all the travelling the last few days.  Monday she got up and I packed her some snacks and off she took on the 6.5 hr drive, with no air conditioning on a hot day.  She had taken a spray bottle of water to spritz them both with if needed.  Four hours into the trip there was a truck that had wood come out and it was so close, Cora couldn't swerve around it.  She almost got hit, but drove over all the wood.  She immediately knew she had a flat tire.  A nice man stopped and asked if she was ok.  Cora changed the tire and got back on the road, but then realized that the other tire was flat also.  At this point she was not sure what to do.  She had already used the spare.  Ammon and Dave were both in meetings at work and she couldn't get a hold of them.  Nathan was trying to help her use AMA, but they wouldn't let her.  Some nice men stopped and overed to take her tire into the nearest town and get a new one.  Another man had her sit in his truck with air conditioning, a tow truck kept calling her and asking if she was ok.  He had a couple of assignments in front of hers.  I think in all she said that 10 people stopped to offer help.  She was on the side of the road for 3.5 hours.  Jane did so good.  The guys came back with a loaner tire that didn't exactly fit but would work and the man with a/c said he knew a good mechanic 30km away.  The car had also mot been running well after the hit and had died once already.  She put her blinkers on and the man followed her as she slowly crept along.  As she got to the town, the car was still going and at this point she had gotten ahold of Ammon.  He was lining up a trailer to come haul the car.  So she kept driving.  It started driving slower and slower and after crossing a double lane highway and almost having it stop, Cora decided that it was time to stop and wait.  At this point she should have been long home.  Another hour and Ammon got to her.  They barely got the  car loaded on the trailer and made it home.  This is a very condensed version. A 6.5 hour trip turned into 13, but there were so many blessing along the way.  They made it safe in the end.  There were so many kind people that stopped to help.  I have listened to way to much Dateline and was a little stressed, but she called us often and kept her phone charged.  The wood coming off could have hit her and been so much worse.  Kind people, Jane was good, and so much more.  Prayers were answered.  They were definitely watched over on that trip.  We are so thankful.

Reunions

August was the month of family reunions this year.   We had so much fun.  Smith reunion was first weekend in August. As usual everyone had a meal they were in charge of.  Nicole took most of the pictures, cause the rest of us didn't. :) She is always good at that.  Kita and Nicole did t-shirts for us again.  Steve did an awesome design. We packed in as much as we could in 2 days.  Thursdays started with dinner at Cannon and Nicole's.  Dave and I got there really late as we had to work and haul water for cows before we could leave.  It was nice and we stayed a bit.  We slept at Leah's each night so we didn't have to travel so far.  Friday we all met back in Cardston and traveled to Waterton.  Some hiked bears hump and other walked around the town.  We all met back for lunch and then went to HillSpring.  Levi and Cannon had blown up all our tubes and Levi met us at the canal for a float.  It was the coldest day, but we had one chance so we got in anyways. There was bridge jumping and then a trailer ride into the little store and a drive around the village.  And of course a stop at Pioneer Parlor for ice cream.  Natalie had dinner ready for us when we got back. Saturday mom and dad did breakfast and we watched the parade.  We ended up just hanging out at the Airbnb that Jones' had rented the rest of the day.  I was in charge of lunch and Kita did dinner.  Some went to the mud bogging and rodeo, but it was just relaxing and whatever you felt like.  When it was all done we wished we had another day.  I love when my family is able to all get together.  It is always just easy and low key.  Talks, laughs, serious, special, fun, and always lots of memories are made. 

Most chaotic family picture :)

Cora always has to give a tuddle when she is near water.

Cora was pleased that everyone loved Jane and just took her everywhere they went.  It was kinda funny.  I think some were surprised at how Cora just takes her along, hikes, trailer rides, mud bog.  Where Cora goes Jane goes and it isn't slowing her down.

Just hanging out. 

Games.

Trailer ride

Cool people with same great taste.

Tubing.

Nicole got lots of pictures, but I don't love the update on this site and pictures were a pain to upload.  Used to be a breeze.  So just a sneak it is. 

Puzey reunion was the next weekend.  The girls went to Cardston to see a play Thursday.  As always they did a great job.  Friday we went to Myrna's for dinner and hung out for a bit.  It was nice to see everyone that was able to make it.  Saturday afternoon we all went to the lake.  We had a fun floating on the lake and being chill enjoying the sun.  Had dinner at the lake that Jared bbqed.  We had planned on staying and chatting for a bit, but Cora's SIL was coming to stay with us on her way up north.  Leah and Braydon also came in Saturday night.  Sunday we all got to go to church together.  It is fun to have so much family back in the ward, we took up 3 benches and it was awesome.  Dave and I wanted to dinner at our house so Leah and Braydon could eat with us.   We just kept is simple, but the house stayed cool and not to hot.  I had a game that I had planned on playing, but was just enjoying talking with everyone.  It was a nice, fun weekend.  It is nice to have everyone close so we are able to get together often.   Again I took no pictures. :(