I think it's Fall!!!

I never have been known for my speed. I was always at the end of the race. I always finished the dress 10 minutes before the dance... But, to this point at least, I always finish!

When our kids were little, I blamed them... If I was late to church it was because of the kids... Well, they have all been out of the house for something like 8-9 years now and still I am late...

So the fact that I didn't do anything with this during the summer should not be a shock to those who know me well...

And now summer is over... The leaves on Mt Nebo are starting to change colors. I am finally cool again! (That is a plus!!!) I spent the summer hating the heat. (I also figured out a few ways to blame it for my lateness ;)

I have to agree with Debbie. I ought to be glad it is warm enough to grow crops. That I have air conditioning in my car! That Orv is starting to get too hot too so I didn't have to tolerate it quite as much as other years.

I AM glad!!!

We had a wonderful experience this summer that made me step back and realize how blessed I am.

The last week of July, Orv and Chelsie and Raegan (Chelsie's 4-year-old) and I took off on a road trip to New York... Everyone told us we were nuts! Driving 2200 miles one way. It turned out to be great!

Raegan probably did better than all the rest of us. She entertained us as we went. I remember as kids mom and dad (probably mostly mom) would have us play games in the car as we drove to South Dakota. "Next car's mine" Was one of our favorites. We each got a turn to "have" the next car that passed us in the opposite direction. Soooooo, I thought we could play that one... Raegan said "Why are we doing this?" Hummmmmm. I didn't really have an answer. She thought it was pretty silly to "have" one car and then 4 cars later "have" another one... Guess she 's right. Raegan liked her mama's car! (Which we were riding in.) I guess we should be happy with what we've got???

Next game... You 2 take one side of the road and we will take the other... cows, horses, sheep, and we had to add llamas, were each one point. If there was a herd then it was 10 points. White horses are 10 points each. If we pass a church your points double but if we pass a cemetary you loose them all and have to start over... Raegan found it much more fun to see what the other team was getting on their side of the road. We soon were cheering for both sides and I guess we were all on the same team!!!

She could not imagine what a "donkey" was in Wyoming until she saw one. Then she said, "That's not a donkey! It's not even a horse!" Good point! She wasn't impressed and most of the "donkeys" have been replaced with little pumps and solar panels...

Our purpose in going to New York was to see Jenn and her family be in the "Hill Cumorah Pageant". It took us 4 days to get there and, yes, I do think Super 8 has been bought by the Indians from India!!! It was strange to be in the midwest and not be able to communicate with the hotel people with their small children running all around the place.

Now, my main point of this post.... We got to see the pageant 2 nights in a row. It was fantastic. The Spirit was laying like a cloud over the entire area. The cast and crew stay in trailers or tents in "Zion's Camp" (I thought that was a great name for it! Kind of like a KOA or something). Everyone was so nice. Everyone believed what you did only probably more. Everyone, including the kids who did baptisms for the dead, had been to the temple in Palmyra during the past week.
The Spirit was very thick! When we got in the car to go to town it was like driving out of the clouds and falling to the ground. After awhile you could learn to drift some and not fall clear down...

Going to Joseph Smith's house and barn and blacksmith shop was a new area in the clouds, not as thick but definitely Heavenly. We heard stories from the couple missionaries that were wonderful, we walked in the Sacred Grove and listened... It is so quiet and so...... comfortable. I have lots of pictures... when I figure out how I will post some of them...

When we came home, the cloud kind of followed us... It was great!

Then, on the 22nd of August, Jenn and Jqared had their new little daughter, Victoria, sealed to them. I walked into the sealing room and there was the cloud! Thick and beautiful! I don't have to go back to the pageant! It is right here in Provo! What a wonderful realization!

I knew all of this but I think I was in such a hurry to not be late that sometimes I forget to stop and look at the clouds...

I may be late again but I WILL stop to see those clouds...