Washington Kennewick Mission

Our newest assignment for the library is the Washington Kennewick Mission.  It might not mean much to you but for me, this is part of my childhood and I am so excited.  For those who don't have a total grasp on my personal history or the geography of Washington state, Kennewick is a part of the Columbia Basin in south eastern Washington known as the Tri-cities.  I grew up in Richland, another one of those cities.

 

We did our first oral history interview with a mission president and his wife who served there a few years ago.  It was amazing as they shared about the places I loved as a child.  We didn't spend time exploring who they knew that I knew--that wasn't the purpose of the interview or our interactions before or afterwards--but the names of the places alone brought back so many memories--Richland, Prosser, Benton, Hermiston, and others.  But this is not the Tri-cities I grew up in--after, all it has been 50 years since I moved from there in 1971.  It was wonderful as they talked about the great people there and the growth of the Church in this special part of the world.  They said that the Columbia River Temple, located in Richland, is the busiest small temple in the world.  That is the type of people that are in the Church in this desert of a place in eastern Washington.  

Of course, I loved that they grew to love this part of the world as well.  It was a sweet experience and I look forward to meeting other mission presidents and their wives who have served there since the mission was created in early 2000s.

Have I mentioned that I love serving this mission??  

Zone Devotional-- "In-Person" And On Zoom

I am not good at taking selfies, but here is Gary (Elder) Hall and I heading to the Church History Library this past week.  We have had a busy week with new missionaries to be trained and assignments to take care of.  Every day is different and it doesn't always go like planned but it is good.

This past week marked the second in-person devotional with our zone.  (I missed the first one as I had a pre-interview meeting right before so I did the devotional by Zoom.)

It was so amazing to be in the same room with many of our zone members whom we only knew through Zoom.  And we sang [with those attending by Zoom on mute. ;) ] !

Sister Audenart, one of our assistants who still lives in Canada, conducted and Sister Fetzer conducted our opening song, "Choose the Right."  President Parker from our mission presidency spoke on liberty and freedom.

A photo to mark the occasion of being together for Devotional. 26 in-person and  12 on Zoom:

Here is Gary showing the Zoom attendees the gathering of the Zone in the Palmyra room in the basement of the Church History Library.

It was so wonderful to be with them and to physically feel of their spirits and love of the Lord. How blessed we are to serve with them in this great mission!

Happy Birthday, Scarlett!

Happy 7th Birthday, Scarlett!

It is hard to believe that our oldest grandchild is now 7 years old!  It doesn't seem that long ago that she was being born.  I would guess that the time moving a bit more slowly for her parents who have the task of raising her.  

She had a great birthday with friends and fun things to do.

Friends and family---the best of the best for a birthday!

Scarlett, we are so glad to have you in our family and love watching you grow up.  We are glad that you like performing, dancing, and singing.....and swimming!  Scarlett loves small little things like toy animal families or other little collectables.  She likes the color pink and unicorns.  She loves dresses that twirl when she spins.  Love you, sweet girl! Happy birthday.

The Temptations

Not the famous ones in the scriptures, but the singing group from the 1960s.  We got tickets for this concert back in late 2019 as part of a Christmas gift for my dad.  At that time, it was going to be held in the Abravanel Hall in Salt Lake City in April of 2020. Then, of course, the pandemic arrived and everything was cancelled.  The concert was reschedule to July 17, 2021 and moved to the Deer Valley Music Festival in the outdoor Snow Park Amphitheater in Park City.  That was too much walking for my dad so Jena took his ticket. 

Gary forgot his hat so used Jena's hoodie to provide some protection

while we waited for the concert to start.

It was warm at first, but about the time the concert was to start the sun headed behind the mountains to the west and cooled the air quickly.  I have enjoyed the other concerts I have attended here and this one was no different....so fun.

The first half were some numbers by the Utah Symphony and then the Temptations arrived in their bright yellow suits and great voices.  Only one of them is an original member of the group--Otis Williams.  They sang their classic songs as well as a couple of new ones.  The audience was more of a mix of young and old than I was expecting and we enjoyed the whole experience--well, except the traffic afterwards but that is the price you pay....and it wasn't as bad a normal as they did not sell as many seats as normal due to the continuing caution due to the pandemic.

Music and mountains are a powerful combination.  We will have to do it again next year!

 

More Losses And "Being A Giberson"

Again in mid-July, there were two more deaths in the circle of my life-- one:  Jana Wangsgard--she was an amazing woman who was 49 years old and was killed in a cycling accident near her home while on an evening ride.  I met her because we both happen to have children with Down syndrome.  Her son is about 14 years old.  She served with me in the leadership of UDSF for awhile--driving 1 1/2 hours to Salt Lake from north Weber county for our meetings each month.  She had great ideas and great passion for advocating for both her son and others with disabilities.  She was one of those people that I was hoping would be involved in the future when we settle back into life in Syracuse and creating a life for Jena there.  She was someone who was everyone's friend and always engaged in doing good for her family and others.  Even though it has been a couple of years since we have talked, we were Facebook friends and I feel her loss.

Second:  Janeen Brink Thompson.  This is a totally different type of connection.  Janeen was the oldest daughter of Walter and Lynelle Brink, long-time family friends from Amarillo, Texas.  Janeen was around the age of my sister, Lynette, and then there were three more daughters, a son, and another daughter.  As we moved to Amarillo when I was 16, the Brinks were one of the families who reached out to us and welcomed us.  Dad said that they were one of the families he was first asked to home teach and through that, the friendships between our families grew.  Bro. Brink was my seminary teacher when I was a senior so I was closer to him that the kids, but Brinks spent many hours at our house or us at theirs despite the differences in ages between our parents.  Although I had recently connected with one of her sisters on Facebook, I didn't realized that Janeen lived near us in Sandy, Utah.  She had a brain aneurysm on a Friday night, a stroke on the next day--her birthday, and passed away on Sunday.  She was 58 years old, a mother, grandmother, and serving as the Stake Primary President.

Because of mission commitments, I didn't attend Jana's funeral but I did have the honor of attending Janeen's on July 15th.  In a weird way, funerals are my one of my favorite worship services.  Heaven feels so close and it causes me to reflect and to remember so many people and moments from the past, but also on myself and am I ready to make this next step.  I reflect on the beauty of God's plan of salvation and the assurances that we will see our loved ones again. None of us know when it might be our turn and sometimes it is useful to be reminded of that fact.

Now the second part:  My dad got back from a trip to Amarillo the day before the funeral, but his health wasn't good enough to actually attend the funeral.  I had already decided that although my connection with the Brinks was more to the whole family than Janeen specifically, it was important that I attend the funeral to not only represent my family but the people of the Amarillo Ward which were so important to Janeen and her family.  I can't remember exactly when but sometime after I left for college, they moved away from Amarillo.  Despite that, they kept in touch over the years despite some of the ups and downs of life.  Janeen's parents eventually divorced and remarried other people and about 18 years ago, Lynelle passed away from breast cancer (I think.)  I hadn't seen any of their family for 40 years in person and the children were still young.

I stood in a long line at the viewing before the service which ended in the Primary room in honor of her service as Stake Primary President.  As an aside, everyone should have a banner on the wall above their coffin saying "I AM A CHILD OF GOD." As I stepped into the room, I was first greeted by her oldest daughter who was asking each guest what their connection to Janeen was.  When I answered, 'I knew your mom's family in Amarillo, Texas when they were little.  I am a Giberson,' her eyes lit up and she said," I have heard about the Gibersons.  Thanks for being here."  At that moment, I was embraced from behind by Jinger Brink Aleman.  With tears in both of our eyes, we hugged as I whispered the typical words we say at such a time.  She then took me around the crowded room and introduced me to her siblings.   Unbelievable to me was the great love and recognition they had showed me--not so much because of who I am, but because of the love that they have for my whole family--for the Gibersons.  I was most surprised by Joy--she was number three (I think) of the sisters.  Before Jinger introduced me, Joy said, "Wait, I know.  This is Judy."  Seriously, she may have last seen me at my wedding in 1978--maybe she was 13 or so.  The power of the connection between our families is quite amazing! 

When I was introduced to Janeen's husband, Rolf--who had no connection to Amarillo or Gibersons, he too immediately embraced me and spoke about the things Janeen had shared with him about the Gibersons.

Joy, Jinger, Julie, Marshall, and Jynelle

Walter Brink, her father, was planning to attend the funeral, but as they were preparing to leave their home in New Mexico, he started experiencing some severe pains.  To be cautious they went to the ER and he was admitted with a number of issues.  In the process of testing they determined that he had a heart problem that needed treatment that they hadn't known about.  So although he wasn't able to attend the funeral and dedicate the grave as he desired, his life was likely extended because of their caution which led them to the ER in the first place.  A tender mercy for the family at this hard time.

At the graveside, I had the opportunity to talk more with Joy and Jinger.  One of the last things Jinger told me was this:  That Friday night, we were all heading to Janeen's house to have dinner and to celebrate her birthday.  She had dinner mostly ready when she collapsed.  Her husband found her as he returned from work and called 911.  By the time we arrived at her house, the ambulance was already gone.  On the counter were her preparations for dinner--Rogo--a Giberson tradition handed down to Brinks.  

That made me cry again.  A little thing but it symbolized years and years of love, laughter, family and friendship--and faith as well as we shared the gospel together. 

I was proud to represent the Giberson and I was proud to BE a Giberson.  The little things that the Brinks commented on to me about our family might have been little at the time and in the moment that they happened but the memories of those things have magnified them over and over again. They have been shared with their families and they have been implemented in their own lives of love and service. Love and kindnesses truly are eternal...and apparently so is Rogo!

A Visit With A Brother

 which included part of his family as well, of course--Sunday, July 11, Todd, Lea and their three youngest children-Ryan, Kayley, and Tillie stopped in over night as part of their summer vacation to California from Austin, Texas.  It was SO great to be with them!

Sunday night we played Herd Mentality (my birthday game) for the first time.  They had played it before but it didn't give them the advantage as it just depends on the questions drawn.  We loved it and there was lots of laughing.

Jena loved having a cousin sleepover in the front room-

Monday morning, Gary and I headed out for some missionary work and then joined everyone for lunch, game playing in our social room--ping pong, pool, and air hockey (Tillie was the air hockey champ!)

We took a quick walk around Temple Square to see the construction around the temple itself and paused for some family pictures.

Kayley, Tillie, Ryan, Lea, Todd, Gary, and Jena

They left way too soon...no time for conversations or more games.......

but all that week their visit left a sweet feeling of family and home---maybe like a favorite smell that lingers in the air (not that I actually know what that is since I can't smell scents, but it is a literary comparison).  I am so grateful that they made a stop with us on their long journey.

I am so blessed with a great family!  I love them all so much.

Thanks, Todd and Lea...until the next time!

Owen Extended Family Reunion

For the second time in a row, the extended Owen Family Reunion was held on Zoom.  This time we had about 25 people plus assorted little kids in attendance. The youngest was 1 week old! It was interesting to get to know these people a little bit better and we are looking forward to the time we can meet in person.  It is great to belong to a family who cherishes their ancestors as much as the Owens do.

I learned that more than a couple of them have published books, stories, or articles--non-fiction, fiction, and memoirs. One of the cousins is a sheriff in eastern Idaho and attended the reunion from his patrol car while on duty--his brother teased him that it would have been better if he had a prisoner in the back of his car.

Look --Jane Curry McClure and Benjamin Franklin Owen-- at what you created!

An Afternoon With the Syracuse Halls

Jena and I got to spend an afternoon with Liam, Zander, Carter, Alex, and Ezri while Jessica and Elessia made the final push to get their house cleaned out (and take advantage of free garbage bins from the city of Magna.)  Their house is now getting some repairs done to get it ready for sell.  One step closer to being done with that part of the process and then they will start the house hunt for their next home in this very crazy market.

The dogs are getting used to living with little kids full-time and these kids LOVE the dogs.  Zander calls them his dogs now!  We are grateful for them watching the dogs while we are serving our mission.

 

Friday Night Out Of The Balcony

Gary heard the rumble of a big 18 wheeler down the street and looked out to see this truck first going down the other side of the street.  In fact, it parked in one of the lanes for awhile and then backed up the hill only to come back down and then attempted to turn into the narrow, downhill driveway for our building----this is a 52' truck and our driveway is narrow--barely room for two cars to pass and a sharp downhill.  We watched the process from our balcony....as he pulled in and started down....

and then heard a very loud scraping sound as the "legs" on the trailer began to scrape on the ground.

When the tires reached the curb, the angle didn't allow them to push the trailer anymore and they simply spun, getting no traction.  It made so much noise that I am sure that we weren't the only one watching the show. Notice the men in the street guiding traffic as the driver of the truck tries to figure things out.  They finally made some adjustments in the trailer and were able to pull the truck and trailer out of there.  They pulled in front and unloaded from the street--taking each item and box down the hill, into the parking garage, into the elevators, and up to the apartment.  That did not look fun!

And while looking out the windows, we noticed this van "on top of a nearby building."

And THAT is how you spend a Friday night in downtown Salt Lake City!
 

Happy Sweet 66th Birthday to Me!

I realized that I had never really thought about turning 66 (or any age past 65, actually!).  All my life I have had goals attached to certain ages or at least period of time in my life---age 8 be baptized; age 12 Young Womens (or attend MIA as it was called when I started); 16  driving and dating; 18 graduate from high school, go to college, and the list goes on.  Once I was married, we targeted going on a mission at 65 which actually happened as planned.  So that age and goal has been a part of my plan for a very long time...but as I mentioned, I haven't set any other age-related goals for myself.

The day of my birthday was great despite starting off with a bad night of sleep and a migraine in the morning--it had been a migraine week :( last week. 

First thing in the morning before the migraine hit, Jena, Gary and I headed over to the Mission office before anyone else arrived and left some flowers, chocolates, and birthday cards on Sister Kathy Randall's desk.  She is the mission president's wife and she and I share the same birthday.  Last year, she called me and wished me happy birthday and I decided then that I would do something for her this year when we are both missionaries.

We were happy to get in and out without being seen.  Afterwards, Gary headed back to the Church History Library and Jena and I headed home.  An hour or so later, Gary called to see how I was feeling and to tell me that the mission president and his wife were headed to the Church History Library to wish me happy birthday.  Of course, I wasn't there which Gary had told them, but they brought this birthday cake and sang Happy Birthday to me on video along with President Parker.  That was so kind.

Next Gary headed home with the cake in hand so that we could do an short oral history interview.

One of the sweet moments of the day was the my morning prayer/plea to be able to do my oral history interview and attend the temple in the afternoon was answered with my migraine and related symptoms abating about 30 minutes before the interview and coming back that evening after we returned home.  A tender mercy on my birthday.

When the Ogden Temple first allowed reservations, I had scheduled a time on June 24 but a couple of hours later, I changed it to July 1st.  I hope my ancestor was okay with another week delay, but I thought it would be a great way to celebrate my birthday and going back to the Temple after the pandemic closings.  I was tearful as I entered the temple and tears were "close" as they say, throughout the entire session.  How sweet it was to be there on my birthday! 

Gary's sister, Vonette, and her husband, Gary, joined us three and then we all headed out to dinner afterwards.

There was a wedding group taking photos of the temple as we exited so we didn't take many pictures of the temple, so I got this one as we drove home.  Glad to be able to be in the temple again.

We made it home in early evening and then I had a phone call with Ben and Facetime with Jessica, Scott and Tosha and their families.  

Scarlett and James in the linen closet

Scott took this screen shot of our call.

I got emails and texts from family and friends wishing me happy birthday.  And Gary and Jena gave me a new game: 

Definitely a game for future Zone and Friend gatherings....

It was a perfect birthday! 

Liam and I figured out that he just turned 6 and I am 66 so we are "twinners"  as well as Scarlett and Niki who are both 6 for a few more weeks.  Also, I thought it was fun that my dad turned 88 this year so we match on having repeated digits for our ages.

But, back to the original topic--What am I going to do when I grow up past 65 years old?  66 is fairly easy I will be serving a mission for most (if not all) of the next 12 months.

After that;  ??????

I know that I want to be found doing what the Lord intends for us to be involved in.  Some possible things which MAY happen are:

a second mission maybe in 2023

family and grandmothering stuff--visits, reunions, etc.....

traveling in no certain order--Montana, Lake Louise in Alberta Canada, the southern Oregon Coast and Redwoods in CA, Yosemite,  Alaska trip,  a river cruise in Germany, an African safari, visiting the US states we haven't been to, New York City, Paris with Jena, Iceland, Israel, cruise around the tip of South America......this list could be endless as the world is an amazing place.  Even in Utah, there are cool spots that we have not yet seen.  Let's see where our travels may take us in the next several years.  I will have to come back to this list in five years and see what matches up.

family history and family research

temple service--doing family names and maybe serving in our own Syracuse Temple  (I see this as part of the work of my 70's)

Community involvement--working both in the area of disabilities to improve services for adults with Down syndrome and their families and community mental health

Take classes on-line and in-person--maybe even get another degree  (in history or religious studies)  For sure, I want to take a Botany class, some history and literature classes, and religion classes.

and read....lots and lots of books of all kinds!

I have lived my life long enough to know that my plans are not always God's plans and I am okay with that.  I only want to be found doing what He wants me to do.  I am also old enough to know that life can change in a moment and I want to manage those changes in the best way possible which requires daily practices to strengthen me for those future events.  I am old enough to understand that how many more days I have or any of us have on this earth is unknown to us, but under God's watchful care.

In my patriarchal blessing, I was promised a "long life."  I tell Gary that one of the reasons I married him was that his blessing indicated something similar.  I think that I always believed I would live until 65 to be able to serve a mission.  Everything ahead are bonus days for me and I hope that I can remember to live them that way---even when I am having a migraine week!

"OH, SO CLOSE" Zone Zoom Social

Because we are about 6 weeks away from the full opening of the Church History Library, we used "Oh, So Close" as the theme for our social last Monday.  We had about 20 members join us and it was fun to be with each other even virtually.  Our two games were:

    1.  Who is "Oh, SO Close" to matching biographic details about the 1st Presidency and the Apostles?  It was a PowerPoint with a random fact about the person.  The person or people closest to matching got a point and the person with the most points won.  We learned a little about each others as we talked about places people served missions, where they got married, and where they were baptized.

Sample:

    2.  "Oh, So Close" Eyeball benders--Many in our zone did not know what eyeball benders even were when we first announced this game in our flyer.  It was fun to teach them a new "skill" as we showed close-up pictures of places in the Church History Library, around Temple Square, and the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.

Some were fairly easy......

...some more difficult---

It was fun as we worked first as individuals and then as teams to try to figure them out.

This was one of my favorite ones that you all might know:

Fun times but looking forward to being able to have more in-activities although we still will have missionaries outside of the area who we will have to figure out ways to include.

Our Senior Mission Plus One

One afternoon this past week while I was working on the computer and Gary was over at the Church History Library working, Jena brought in this note for Gary and I---to tell us thank you for our missionary team work as zone leaders!

How lucky are we to have our own cheerleader!  It is the BEST!
 

Tacos For Lunch

Gary and Jena headed off to have a lunch date last week and decided to take the Trax over to the Gateway.  Unfortunately, the schedule didn't match up well so they ended walking there instead.  They decided to try out the Taco Stand Shop....where all of the tacos are made with ICE CREAM!! How does that count as lunch!

But they loved it as you can see in this picture Gary took at the restaurant.