5/19/26 Hayden HS Graduation

 

How many people does it take to get him ready?

We got to meet Hayden:s girlfriend, Brianna from Pueblo, CO. She graduates later this week. Hayden will attend hers, too. 

This is the map Hayden was given with instructions as to where HE would be sitting and where his guests should be. They held it outdoors even though it was 39 degrees F!!!!!!

Katie supplied us with outwear and blankets. We did not die. 

Graduates marching in.

Hayden, marching out. He's wearing a gold stole, but something is on the field in the background, making him look like he is wearing a cassock hat

 He's not. Cap with mortar board. Gown with hoodie under. Those poor freezing kids,! 

Yes, Mike and I are dressed in many layers. Hats. Coats, I'm wearing 2 pair of pants! 

That was one of the best programs ever, though! We were SO impressed by those kids. 

You can see what the seating layout is like from the photo I posted above. So with the stage in the center of the football field and students around them at angles, and podiums on both sides facing both sides of the field, where would the speakers be? Well, they were nearly all student speakers there were three sets of two speakers. Their talks or speeches were given at the same time, like they were intermingled and wrote them together or something. Each graduate had a microphone and paced around and faced different areas of students and audience while they gave their portion of the speech. And then when the other speaker was talking, they stood still so we could see a little more clearly just who was talking. But they were so articulate! The girls were walking around on this stage in high heeled shoes with ease. Nobody had any notes. They talked back and forth in a conversational way, almost like they were MC the entire production. Which they did. They also had a faculty speaker that was chosen to address them, and the principal addressed the audience briefly. But those kids were amazing. The talks were great. So well prepared. And memorized! Every one of them. It was really amazing.

The first young man who got up and introduced himself told us what organizations and clubs he had been involved in, and then he announced that he was serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day saints and then would attend school at Brigham Young University in provo, utah. He was the only one who mentioned that. The other student leaders and speakers also said where they were going to attend school and what they were going to be when they grew up. There were very specific things like a pediatric psychologist. Kinesiology and sports medicine. And very specific life tracks. That was a bunch of good kids. There was about 370ish graduates. The way that they handled the floor, though, was very impressive. 

Then of course, after all of the speechifying came the reading out the names and marching across to get your diploma. They alternated sides, and Hayden's family was instructed wisely to sit where we did so we could see him get his diploma. That was a lot of names to wait through, but it could have been worse. We were done in one hour and 45 minutes, which was pretty darn good. There was just one good strong gust of wind at the end, and it snagged a big umbrella and a few mortarboard caps, but for the most part it wasn't horribly windy. It drizzled off and on, but not enough to soak our clothing or require an umbrella. Of course we were wearing lots of clothing, so it would have taken quite a downpour to soak through all of the blankets and coats and hats that we were covered in. 😆

We all Gathered in the parking lot to wait for Hayden, took photos. Drove to Olive Garden. Ate a lot of food.

 

The glowing of phones in their faces while awaiting good. 

Drove home to Katie's. Mike and I crashed out and took a 30 minute nap before leaving to go meet Gayela and Troy for dinner at their house in Aurora. Gayela's still not able to climb up into a truck after hip replacement surgery 3 weeks ago, so we brought take out dinner to them rather than taking them out. Plus it was so cold. Mike and I were still kind of chilled, in spite of a warming nap under blankies and driving across town with the heat on. We had a good visit there for a couple of hours. And Mike and I just had a soda and WATCHED them eat. Ha. We were still quite stuffed from our late-ish lunch at Olive Garden.

This was a ladder leaning up against the wall in a back room at the food place. What do you suppose those rounded platforms are for on the top of that tool. . . Hmmm. I know what it looks like to me!

Back at Katie's that evening, She helped twins with a much-procrastinated school project of "Bottle Buddies." I learned about them on our way TO Missouri. That's why we watched the  Night at the Museum films-- both the kids' chosen historical characters are in those films. They were due the next morning after graduation for the Twins classes.  . . It was a rather busy day after HS graduation, then lunch, then the twins had a baseball game. Then arts and crafts. It was a bit of a late bedtime! But they got done, and Katie did a marvelous job helping the kids. She sewed an aviator cap out of vinyl fabric. Amazing. 

See if you can tell who their characters are🙂

Hailey, above, with_____________.

Quintin with________________.

 Are we done yet?

Yep, we were all four of us quite tuckered out!

Sunday in Adam Ondi Ahman

 We have LOVED this time in Missouri.

Boyd and Carol Fife are wonderful, accommodating hosts. We have a comfy apartment they've provided, they've fed us generously, driven miles and miles over country roads, shared sacred sites and histories. And we've seen fun things, too! 

Sunday before church we took a drive and walk through the beautiful Tower Hill area of Adam Ondi Ahman. It's lovely. It's Sacred. It's really old. The improvements are appreciated. There has been much hard work done in recent decades to make it a place to feel the Spirit. 

Some photos from Tower Hill area.

T-Bird Alumni, together in red😀

They found a copperhead snake in this flower bed. Yikes. The lovely flower bed are a lot a work since they compete with bunnies and deer --and snakes, apparently!

"Preacher Rock". The pecan orchard below it was planted recently. The acoustics from that spot are said to be phenomenal. However, that new pecan or hard might affect that aspect. 

A pecan grove in the distance. 

It's very park-like everywhere.

We attended the Gallatin Ward with them  on Sunday more. Their Ward is large and four wards meet in their building. There are lots of youth; two well-prepared young men gave talks in Sacrament Meeting, and the Sunday School teacher was phenomenal. Mike met a brother and sister Crookston -- who are relatives, of course!

We went home to our place to change clothes after church, and Mike had a cat nap. I sorted and edited photos on my phone. Boyd and Carol fixed what she SAID would be a quick light lunch. But it was really a feast. So we ate! 

And then we went on more drives and walks to historical sights. They drove us to Breckenridge.

They have a millstone from Hauns Mill in their city park.

Then we drove to the Hauns Mill site. Or the area that it probably was. There's nothing left of the mill, the settlement, or anything.

Now, THAT'S a burl!

It's so fun to hang out with people who also love and appreciate big beautiful trees. And there are lots of them! We love it. Boyd's measuring, not hugging. He sees the lumber potential in big monsters like this.

Next stop, Far West

Then back to the Fife's for a quick " little bite". Pancakes, plus. 

We made arrangements for loading up the truck in the morning with bins and lumber we will bring home for them.

And time to say goodbye.

Friday, May 15, Nauvoo, Saturday in MO

 We got all our stuff packed up and loaded up into the truck and drive into the town to wash said truck. So dusty, so very dirty! Then we went into the historic district and toured the Wilford and Phoebe Woodruff home. That was one we wanted to see for sure because there was a sister who "play-acted" the role of Phoebe. It was a very touching tour. They had to sacrifice so much in those days. Theirs were different sacrifices than ours. Some were the same, though. Her house was never finished while they lived there that brief time because her husband was always gone, serving missions, etc. 

We also enjoyed a wagon ride through Nauvoo town, and we went with about 12 school kids and leaders through the Browning Home and gunsmith shop.

Our final stop was the Family History Center where we could find who if our relatives ever lived or owned land in Nauvoo. All my relatives in that list of 60 were Bird family members ( no surprise there!). Mike found an error to submit to Family Search about Jacob Micah Truman. He was listed in the roster of the Seventies, but didn't show up in his other Nauvoo search. 

After that was when we said said goodbye to Nauvoo and headed down toward the road to take us to Adam Ondi Ahman, MO. 

We met Boyd and Carol Fife and the Lovells in Chillicothe for dinner. First, though, before they got there, we enjoyed their town's murals, looked at possible eating establishments, and purchased fuel. 

Lots more green rolling countryside! Lots of baby corn coming up in the fields. We did stop somewhere in Missouri on our way to Chillicothe in one place for lunch in the truck and a cat nap before getting to our meeting place.

We completed listening to " Three Queens", an historical fiction audio book about Abigail Adams, Queen Charlotte of England, and Marie Antoinette.  Thought-provoking, and a bit sad.

We six ate dinner at a buffet. Good stuff to choose from.  We chatted quite a while afterward and it was dark and rainy by the time they led us to our apartment near Jameson. Basement of a missionary house.

 It was a wee bit chilly. But we slept comfortably. 

Pictures aren't necessarily in order...sorry.

A pink-leafed tree in Nauvoo.

What our wagon looked like. Our horses wore diapers! ( Poop-catchers under their butt)

Final.goodbye to Nauvoo as we wide the wagon around.

A library mutual in Chillicothe. At the library, of course!

Other murals.

Following are photos from our tours around and through AOA and surrounding areas on Saturday with the Fife's. They are serving an 18 month "Work" mission there for the church. 

One of Boyd's favorite places-- an old railroad path through the woods.

The Grand River surrounds Adam Ondi Ahman.

It was very low on Saturday, but it was starting to drizzle.

They called this area "The Beach" . Lots of sand in the river bed.

This was the side by side he drove us around in through the property.

After the outside drive ON property, we came to their work center for an inside tour. While Boyde cleaned the SXS in preparation for the next user.

Pictures from our morning drive around AOA. Wood working shop. There was also a mechanical shop, storage, study/office areas. A very productive area for the missionaries. Very clean, neat and organized. 

We went out to have lunch with Boyd and Carol at a little "Corner Cafe" in Gallatin, MO. Good teriaki chicken, but the macaroni salad was not so great. I'd thought to take Mike's leftover Mac salad and dress it up with more mayonnaise, maybe some carrots.  . . But I never did. The Fife's both enjoyed some some great-looking salads, and we should have followed their lead. 

Carol and I also wandered through Hamilton, Missouri, home of the Missouri Star Quilt Company. Those folks have certainly revitalized THAT small little town! It's really beautifully done. I did find some green and gold fabric. I hope it will work for our basement bedroom bedspread. Green and gold.

Boyd and Carol also took us on a tour of the South Property, a new Church acquisition. We enjoyed touring through a very large and impressive Lodge that was built rather excessively. Like an onyx bathroom sink. Huge commercial kitchens. Gigantic fireplaces. Hidden doors behind heavy bookcases. It was an adventure! Plus a beautiful lake I didn't take a picture of.

Onyx wash basin.

Saturday-- rainy drive in side by side around property, then lunch. South property. Amish Country and some really yummy ice cream for me and Mike, but not Fife's. They, instead, fixed a lovely meal that we watched them eat while we just visited. Then some games. It was a fun, full day. 

Oooh, on our way out of Boy and Carol's apartment, the lightening show we encountered on the way to OUR place was something else! We had NEVER seen anything like that before. It was SHEET LIGHTENING and it was 360 degrees-- all directions surrounding us. We had to just stop and look and admire. No big crashing thunder booms. Just flashing, bright, Constant lighting up of clouds-- everywhere. Except maybe straight over head. It was amazing to see. Pictures, of course, do not do it justice.

Here are two Osage Trees growing together.

We should have turned off the headlights! 

Lightening 

Lightening 

Lightening 

THIS is what the storm looked like as it was moving in on Saturday evening. There were many severe wind, hail, rain, storm alerts being pushed out to the surrounding counties.

A beautiful Walnut wood picnic napkin holder.