Chili and Corn Bread with Turkey

It is always nice to visit with family and Saturday, was no different. We went to Yakima to visit Ronnie, Adrienne and the kids. The kids were excited to see Grandpa and Grandma.


Ronnie was showing us his new Turkey decoy he got for the spring hunt.




The boys were having fun parading in the living room holding and posing with the decoy.

The decoy looked very real. Ron even wants to add/get a decoy for his turkey hunting gear. The Turkey hunt starts in mid-April to the end of May.

We cooked a batch of chili to share for lunch. They liked it and chowed down with us. We also had some fresh "Cowboy" salsa and tortilla chips.

Field of Dreams. . .

Today I was surprised to see Ron wear a red shirt this morning. He likes blue denim or mostly blue colored long sleeve shirts. I teased him at breakfast that today was casual Friday. I rather liked the change of pace.

Then he told me to put his picture on Facebook this morning after I took his picture. I will now post his comment and can see that he set me up.

Well, if the truth be known, this shirt was one of 3 or 4 that Anna had in her "hope chest". Her dowry? The first day I visited her she takes me down to her closet and pulls out this beautiful light denim shirt with the tag still on it. It fit perfectly, so she said it was for me. Later when we were packing her stuff we came across this red shirt and another beautiful one. They were all new and a perfect fit. So, I started figuring something was fishy. She finally confessed that she had this idea that "build it and "he" will come" (field of dreams). She said that the shirts would fit "the man of her dreams" and that she had had them for several years. Well, looks like I didn't have a chance. Glad her other guys weren't "my size".... Part of our wonderful story.

Ron Buzzing the Raspberries

Ron in the backyard trimming the raspberry bushes. It was a good day to do some yard clean up so he decided to tackle the berry bushes. This is the first attempt this year to do some Spring clean up.

A working Vacation Mixed With Fun

We were able to go to a short "getaway" overnight with Ron's work. He needed to help train his replacement for when we leave for our mission in October. His co-worker, Travis went along to take soil samples with Ron know where some of the mint growers' fields were in Oregon, near the upper Oregon border. Madras, OR was our destination.



We stayed at a nice hotel, and had Chinese food for dinner. WE were so tired we thought we'd go to the pool and hot tub but fell asleep instead! So before breakfast when we woke up this morning we went to the pool inside, which was open 24/7. The main pool was warm, so we swam a little and went a couple of lengths before going into the hot tub.

It was so warm and nice. We sat on the edge inside and let the water jets massage our feet, back and legs. It was wonderful. Ron had not experienced the hot tub before like that and loved it. We were glad to have remembered our bathing suits.

Leave them Alone and They'll Come Home

Wagging their tails behind them . . .

It was unusual to see cattle along the highway that we were going to Madras, Oregon. There was a rancher going along on his four-wheeler trying to 'herd' his cows to an upper pasture. We came along this black angus herd of fine beef on the road as we made our way around them.

The owner was trying to get them over a ridge and into another pasture as we saw the mother cows followed by their young calves. It was as we saw a mother walking on the roadside with their babies trailing behind them where they knew they would be safe if they kept their eyes ahead of them.

We noticed that as the mother cows edged their way over to the other side of the road next to where we were slowed down the young calves followed suit and got out of the way also. It must be natural instinct for them to know where to go and what to do and trust that their mothers knew where to guide them to safety.

Just like we "Moms" do to care for our young too.

By Relation

This is a picture of Hank with some friends he knows through Utah Army National Guard. How he knows the former Miss America I don't know. Nevertheless, there is some familial relationship even so by the coats tails.

I discovered a few months ago that my husband, Ron is distantly related to Sharlene Wells Hawkes. Her mother, is Helen Walser Wells who is his Dad's first cousin. So he is really second cousins to Helen, and second cousin, once removed to Sharlene Wells Hawkes.

That is what the coat tails cousin means for Hank, to be remotely related to the former Miss America!

"Seize the Day"

Several weeks ago our bishop stopped us in the foyer at church to ask Ron and me if we would be interested to be temple ordinance workers. We answered in the affirmative with no hesitation. I know he was inspired to ask and were enthusiastic about the possibility to work in the Columbia River Temple, which is actually in Kennewick.

We received the official call yesterday when went to visit with a counselor in the temple presidency, President Noef, pronounced as "Neff." We had a nice chat. He became very interested in us after he found out Ron has an unmarried son, 28 years old. He has a daughter, 30 who is also single. I thought is was kind of humorous to be interviewed by this leader and try to match his daughter with Johnny. President Noef was serious about lining them up when he comes into town for a future visit. Incredible.

We did have a great visit and worked out the time and day we will be serving until we leave in October for our mission.

President Noef set us both apart and gave us each a short, but sweet blessing at the same time. The beginning of Ron's setting apart was unique. He blessed him with the authority and power to perform the ordinances in the temple by the authority given to him by President Monson through the temple president, President Dale Moody, and from him (President Noef) to Ron. It was as if a portal was opened for that power to manifest itself to us at the same time. That feeling was so uplifting for those words to be said in that way. We also both felt a presence enter the room very strongly when he said those words. We talked about that special feeling later about those words regarding the authority and power which were felt when also given to me.

He blessed Ron with wisdom in managing our resources and to be able to do the temple work, help the family as patriarch, and blessed him with good health. Mine was very similar except for being patriarch. It is a comfort to know I will be blessed with my health too as he was specific about that and what I needed (health wise) to serve in the temple.

I am grateful that we will both be workers in the temple. It will be a new experience for us as well. I often wondered how nice it would be to have a husband working with me in the temple. What a blessing even if it is for six months.

It is a testimony to me, to "seize the opportunity when it presented itself before it (opportunity) leaves us (you) behind." by Unknown.