Wonderful BIrthday Gifts from Family

There was an ongoing birthday party for number 80.  It started on Friday April 21st at the cabin when family members started to arrive, and was extended to all of the next week in a way, with get-to-gethers for various occasions, especially for college graduations.  Quite a few people came to the cabin on Friday, some stayed over night, and others came on Saturday.  I counted 49 persons who were present at some point.

Other gatherings through the week that followed: Sunday dinner with David and boys and Valerie, McKay, Ryan and his friend Rachel; then after Matthew and family came and with Valerie and Mackay, we visited the Payson temple for pictures; Monday dinner with Mullennax’s and then a Monday family home evening gathering at Matthew’s with their whole family including Alyssa and Tanner and Megan and Ben, Valerie and McKay; sister Bess and kids; Temple trip to Manti with Valerie Tuesday; on Thursday, at dinner at Magleby’s for graduates with Alison and Quin, Daniel and Rachel, Matthew and Kimberly; Alyssa and Tanner, Megan and Ben, Ben’s parents, Valerie and Greg, Ryan and Rachel; Sunday we hosted a birthday dinner for Emilie with all her family and with David and friend April;  We had Valerie here for overnight most of the week, with McKay part of the time, and Greg two nights.

The family prepared two sweet birthday gifts that are pictured.  First was a large framed representative of a tree with individual pictures of each of the entire family and the statement “Helping us be Rooted, Grounded, Established, and Settled, since 1937."  Second was a book with a picture of 53 family member and their individual statements of appreciation. Additionally, Alison presented a decade-by-decade history summary with pictures.

It was all so wonderful, a little embarrassing to be the focus of so much attention, but very humbling and gratifying.  I guess I was sort of overwhelmed by all the love that was expressed, but sure count myself fortunate and blessed beyond measure to have the association of all of these wonderful people who are in my family.  Thank you again for making my life rich and full and special.

Lots of Snow Yet, in the High Country by Strawberry

Bottle Hollow, Where Michael Caught the Big Trout

On our way home from Vernal, we stopped for a moment at  Bottle Hollow Reservoir, which has some special meaning.

The story is, in 1988, in the early summer in year when Michael died, I was serving in some kind of capacity with the Utah Division of Family Services that required me to visit some of the outlying District offices occasionally.  I was friendly with the man who was the director of our programs in the 3-county Uintah Basin area and had earlier talked with him about my son Michael’s love of fishing and about fishing prospects in his area.  He had told me about how good the fishing was at the Bottle Hollow reservoir.  This was a little private lake owned by the Ute Indian tribe that was especially stocked with big trout, and that he had his own boat and often fished there.  I had a visit coming up to his office which was in Roosevelt, and he agreed to take Michael and me fishing on Bottle Hollow after we finished our work.  The reservoir was just a few miles east of where the office was located and right by the headquarters of the Ute tribe.  I brought Michael with me on this visit, and in the late afternoon we stopped at tribe headquarters, bought a one day tribal fishing license, and got out on the lake.

Fishing was good and we caught several nice-sized fish, including one or two that Michael caught that were well over 12 inches.  He was happy with our success. We drive back home with the fish and I remember having fish for dinner and didn’t think anything more about our trip.  A couple of months later Michael’s heart condition worsened and he passed away on August 28th.

A couple of years went by.  One day JoAnn decided that it was time to clean the freezer.  She took various items out and found way at the back of the freezer a wrapped package.  When she opened it, there was the largest fish that Michael had caught at Bottle Hollow, a rainbow trout over 15 inches long.  We guessed that he was so proud of that fish that he had decided on his own to preserve it.  JoAnn took the fish to a taxidermist and gave it to me as a surprise birthday present.   I still have it hanging on the little wall space in our basement, along with some other memorabilia for Michael.

Vernal Temple trip, 18 April 2017

While at the cabin in Midway last week, we took the 2 hour drive and attended the Vernal Temple.  We enjoyed the spirit there and afterwards visited with the Officiator for our session--he did an expert job--and other workers.  We enjoy hearing how much these saints in out-of-the way places love their  little temples.  What a blessing it is to the saints in Reno and Fresno and Snowflake and the Gila Valley and Albuquerque and Monticello to have their own temple close at hand as place to be refreshed and strengthened to face their unique local challenges.

On our return, we paused near Roosevelt to see the Bottle Hollow reservoir and I remembered Michael and having him with me on a fishing adventure there.  We also were impressed with the large snowfields still present on the plateau around Strawberry reservoir (at about 8000 feet elevation).  And the Uinta Mountain to the north were just solid white.  We wondered about how all that snow could came safely down as water in the next couple of months.

Adam achieves the impossible

I need to amend my blog of Saturday, February 14, 2015 “Preparing for the Temple” in which I reported that, different from young women,  it was nearly impossible for a young man to perform baptisms for the dead on his 12th birthday because the requirement that boys must to go through the process to receive the Aaronic Priesthood before they can receive a temple recommend. 

Well, Adam achieved the impossible.  His ward leaders have figured out how to make this happen for boys.  He was interviewed by member of the Bishopric a week or so prior to his birthday and sustained to receive the priesthood in the Sacrament meeting that followed.  On the morning of his birthday, at about 7 am, in his home, his dad performed the ordination.  Ordinarily, a member of the ward Bishopric would be present to oversee the ordination.  In this case, since Scott is in the Bishopric, he did duel duty and oversaw himself doing the ordination.  Then Adam and his parents drove to the Payson temple where Adam performed some baptisms for the dead on his very 12th birthday.

I think the metaphor suggesting some differences in the training of young men still applies, but not as dramatically.