Memorial Day Barbeque 5/25/15

We decided to just hang around home on Memorial Day.  Our traditional spot, 

Maple Canyon, was not a good choice for the Wilkins this year.

The Wilkins arrived around lunch time, played trains, and rested.

We had thunder, lightening and rain most of the day, but it cleared 

just in time for our back yard barbeque.  (Katie and Gabriel)

Tyler W. put his hammock up and spent some time meditating in it.  

It is kind of like a cocoon inside.

Here's a glance of the gang: 

Neldon, Joe, Grandpa and Leia with Katie, Gabe, and Tyler in back.

Richard and Joyce Johnson joined us as well. 

Even Neldon couldn't believe all of Joe's stories!
 (Have you ever seen BIG FISH?)

Katie and Gabe, Brenda and her smart phone. 

Ty M. brought guns and ammo to give Hayden some 

prep lessons before he starts the Hunter's Safety course.

Tyler M. Notice the "gun shot" wounds on his knee. 

(Warts burned off with dehorning paste.)

 Leia and Haylie came to see what the boys were doing.

They talked Grandpa into getting the pony out.

Haylie Nadine  and Leia Nadine

Finally the boys got a turn on the pony.  I'm not certain who is in the cocoon.

Kaleb and Luke

Dallin

Hayden!  (Eclipse is wondering when that BIG yellow bus will disappear.)

Visiting the cemeteries 5/24/15

In keeping with family tradition, we visited the cemeteries on Sunday, May 24, 2015.

Our first stop was Salem Cemetery.

A large group gathered at Grandma Marvin's grave in Salem.  That was our first stop. 

 Mary, Grandpa Marvin and Karen (me)

 The Loveless kids: MaKell, Zac, Meagen, Hagen, Courtney (Hagen's girl friend) and Jed

 Being together always feels good!  We had to take another picture because
Kent's family joined us. (Dad is missing because he was the camera man.)

 The current Kent Marvin Family...minus Craig and Kylie's family.

 Grandpa Marvin

 Annette and Katie with their new baby boys.

Kent and Kieth

Our 2nd stop was Payson Cemetery.

We ran into Uncle Blaine and Aunt Laurel at Great-Grandpa Kenison
and Micheal's graves. David Kenison's parents are also buried
there as well as Matt and Kim Peterson's infant son. 

 The Wilkins and Mellors caught up with us here.  

We visited Colleen, Kurt, Penny and Sterling's graves.

We then headed back to Salem Cemetery, 

  (Katie had never visited Grandma Marvin's grave.)

Can you tell it had started to sprinkle by then? 

These are Grandma Marvin's namesakes: Katie Nadine, Leia Nadine, and Haylie Nadine. 

 These are the handsome boys that were there-----
Dallin, Hayden, Luke, Tyler and Kaleb.

 Grandpa K and Neldon

 Cousins are one of life's greatest gifts.

Next week stop was Spanish Fork Cemetery where 

Great Grandpa and Grandma Marvin are buried.
Great Grandpa Marvin was killed on my 3rd birthday and their wedding anniversary. :(

 Uncle Kent is telling family history stories about our Hicks ancestors also buried in SF.

Family History notes: George Barton Hicks and his wife Martha Ann Wilson (my great-great-great grandparents) were each born in Ireland.  They came to Canada during the potato famine and were converted to the LDS church there.  They gathered with the saints in Illinois and were one of the few couples to receive their endowment and be sealed in the original Nauvoo Temple. Thy eventually crossed the plains and settled in Utah. Their son George Armstrong Hicks (my great, great grandfather) was a poet and a writer.  He and his wife Elizabeth Jolley were called to settle St. George. He wrote a poem about their life there that was not appreciated by Brigham Young. Following the Mountain Meadow Massacre (which was near Saint George) George Armstrong Hicks thought John D. Lee was being used as a "fall man" in the incident and spoke out strongly against President Young's decisions in the  matter.  He was excommunicated from the church at that time.

 Every one was mesmerized by the stories.

 Aunt Annette and Uncle Kieth

Our final stop was at the Springville  Cemetery.

 We are gathered around W. Bird Allan and DeEstie Weight Allan's graves. 

We found Joseph William Allan, who was our grandpa who had his leg shot off 

trying to apprehend some robbers who robbed the Springville Bank.

His leg was buried here long before he was buried here.  

 His wife was Fanny Kindred. They had 12 children, one of which was my great
grandpa, Wilbur Bird Allan, who was my Grandma Davis (Verda Allan's ) father.

 The kids made a cool pine cone house.

 On the way home the temple lights were on.  

This was taken on our way to check on Grandma Anna.

This was what it looked like when we left for home.

Our 39th Wedding Aniversary

May 20, 2015 was our 39th wedding anniversary.  I had a bus run to "This Is 

The Place Pioneer Park."  Dad took the day off and came along to chaperone me.

When we were kids, this is all there was of the park.

This Monument depicts the common vision of the 

Salt Lake valley shared by Brigham and Joseph.

A lovely gift shop and visitors center now welcome all who come.

This is one wall in a mural room inside the visitor's center.

We had to gather with the Red Cliff's Elementary 

4th grade group to enter the Pioneer Park.

 We entered the pioneer park section through a replica of the Golden Gate Archway.

 The first structure was a huge pavilion where
school children and families gather for picnics.

Since it was our anniversary, we thought we should have a couple picture but...

...there was no one to take one, so we took a couple of selfies! 

First we visited the old Deseret Hospital.  Brigham thought women and children 

should be treated by female doctors, so many LDS women went back east to 

become doctors.  This hospital was completely run by the women. 

Dad in front of the medical supplies.

 A lace and quilt show occupy the 2nd floor.  Each kind of lace was hand done. 

There was some gorgeous lace work. Lace was once a status symbol.

 Here I am in the corner of the quilt exhibit area. 

There is a complete pioneer settlement now.

Complete with a Canadian Goose family and...

 ...pioneer families.

 Visitor's can try washing laundry on a wash board and then hang it out to dry.

 They can also make a round or two with the hand furrow.  (It looks hard!)

This is a replica of a pioneer settlement church. Each structure
was designed after an original found in a pioneer town in Utah. 
There were building from many familiar towns.

 This is the Relief Society Hall.

 Often it served as a school room for the children.  Notice the Deseret 

alphabet that everyone was taught.  It is a form of short hand and 

was meant to unify the saints arriving from many different countries.

Today is houses this quilt featuring each of the past General R.S. Presidents 

down to  Elaine Jack.  It was done for the sesquicentennial R.S. celebration.

 This is a fun play area for the children.  It is actually a miniature town.

This is one very LARGE, LAZY OX! 

 Here's Dad at the entrance of the Black Smith Shop. 

 A Blacksmith and his apprentice were hard at work inside. 

 The kids can ride ponies.  This chicken was the photo bomb!

 This is an old pioneer school house complete with a bell. 

 This is the irrigation center.  In the summer it is a splash pad.

 This cabin was brought in piece, by piece from Nephi, Utah.

Mary Goble Pay's story is one of tragedy and triumph!

This old ZCMI store was one of four in the state.  

This one was brought in from Manti.

This quaint little pond has a tiny train that goes around it. 

 The rides are free with admission.

 This will be the new "treasure house" when complete.

 Guests are welcome to prospect for gold in this stream.

 This is a monument to Mary Fielding Smith.  A replica of her home stands 

behind it.  She was Hyrum Smith's wife at the time of his death and brought 

ALL of his children across the plains.  She has always been one of my heroes.

The Utah Huntsmen have helped fund this project.  They still run a restaurant on site.

Guests can pull a hand cart up the hill if they want to.  There are dozens of them.

A few little trains give guests a riding tour of the perimeter.

This is the view we had from that train. 

We passed by the cabinet and boot shops. 

 We passed the Cedar City tithing office.

The school children were happy to see the train.

This was one of Brigham Young's homes. (With a wagon in front.)

Yes!  This is the original color.

 This is a memorial to all the different religions the converts had come from.

Outside the park we found this memorial to...

 ....Bodel Mortensen. (She was a handcart pioneer.)

This honors ALL the faithful handcart pioneers.

 There are new monuments honoring the Mormon Battalion.

This is a tribute to the families who carried on while their 

husbands and fathers served at Brigham's request. 

This is a monument to the Pony Express. 

When we returned to Nephi, I had a sub for my afternoon run, 

so we went out for Chinese dinner and then attended a 

session in the Manti Temple: a pioneer temple!

That was especially meaningful-- as we had seen first 

hand how those who built the temple were living. 

We were humbled. It was a lovely day!