10/3/26 Conference, Marathon, Birthday

 Mike didn't really get a proper birthday celebration. He turned 74 on October 3. SEVENTY FOUR???!!! Yikes. We are getting on up there in age.

We spent Saturday the 3rd watching general conference at home. It was a nice treat that Braeden came down from Provo and BYU. His parents are here because

1) Damian ran the St..George Marathon Saturday, and 

2) Tandy came to support and watch him with Braeden. A first for both of them. I think that was Damian 3rd time to run in St. George. 

Tandy was a sweetheart and made the most delicious cinnamon rolls for our Conference Sunday, and even brought berries. Mmm. So yummy. 

October 4th Mike made delicious steaks for our Sunday after General Conference Dinner/ his belated birthday dinner with family. Unfortunately, my Mom has shingles and didn't feel well enough to join us that evening. Poor Mommy. But it was fun to have B and his parents and grandparents all together. Caroline came, too, as she was on her way home to St. George after meeting her folks in Joseph. We had  creamy Raspberry delight for dessert, too! 

Tandy and Damian gave Mike a Red Lobster gift card for a birthday gift so Mike and I used that when we went to St George on Thursday October 8 to attend the temple. Cedar City's temple is closed for cleaning for two weeks. We went to Red Cliffs. It is so big! It was nice. We did initiatory, an endowment session, and a sealing session. Mike was actually able to kneel at the altar on his new knees and, after a quiet prayer, he was able to do so without difficulty -- a first. He usually needs to sit on a chair next to the altar. New knees work for lots of things, but not usually kneeling ON them.

We ate at Red Lobster after the temple, met Caroline at her GNC workplace to pick up Costco toilet paper she'd picked up for us, and then headed home. Straight into a NAP for me!!! 

Zzzzz. It was a fun day, though.

Our Marathon Man. Age 49.

A Temple Open House-- Ephraim

 September 11, 2026.

Mike and I took a little two day trip to Manti and Ephraim, Utah, to enjoy yet another beautiful Temple open house together . 

Ephraim was built right near the Manti, Utah temple because the Manti Utah was renovated a few years ago and did NOT become ADA compliant. It restrained it's mostly inaccessible stairs throughout the building, and thus it's historical authenticity. So Ephraim was built! 

It is VERY accessible. And VERY beautiful. 

Mike even commented that it was the prettiest he's ever seen. The marble floor work was so pretty.  Colors throughout were so pretty in the many, many stained glass windows. One particular  large sealing room had had three lovely large windows facing the morning light that were so bright and beautiful. The grand staircase was curved and stunning.  

The flower motif throughout was so simple, but significant. I had to ask one of the guides what it was. I thought it looked like a simple five- petal design an elementary school child could draw. But she told me it was a forget me not flower. They are white. And every where in the decor and design. The only place in the world that forget-me-not flowers are white ( normally they are blue) is is Scandinavia. It's a shout out to the Scandinavian settlers of that valley who came with the Mormon pioneers and developed the area, built the Manti Temple, and stayed to strengthen the farming communities.

After our tour of this lovely new temple in Ephraim, we headed back to Manti, Utah, to visit with our friends, Dave and Carol Kunzler. I hired Carol to work nights and weekends in the Sherratt Library. She stayed there, working her way into a faculty position, and eventually they moved to Sanpete County about 5-7 years ago. She works for Snow College Library now. David is a retired Seminary teacher. Mike remodeled their Cedar City home years ago and got to be good close friends with Dave then. 

We spent the night in their guest room, then left early the next day in order to be home in Cedar City for our Second Saturday Temple office shift. Except not Mike. He traded that shift ages ago because ( to him) staying home and watching BYU play football is way more important than working in the temple office! But I had a great time working with Marty Larkin. 

It was a fun little excursion for us.

9/29/2026 Missouri Ladies Lunch

 On Tuesday I drove Mom over to Jennifer Smith's house here in Cedar City. She and her husband Dave live in a lovely home in "Ashdown Forest" subdivision and have been here a few years. Jennifer's Mom is Joan Wooley, who recently passed away. 

Jennifer hosted a luncheon for ladies who all used to live in the Lebanon Ward in Missouri and have since moved to Utah. Five other ladies drove down from Mona, Herriman, Riverton and ? all to have lunch together, visit, reminisce, etc. 

Now, I never lived in Missouri and have only visited a very few times. I met Paula and Loyce when they came to Mom's 90th birthday party.  But what a delightful group of sisters! I so enjoyed meeting and visiting and eating with them all, and a couple of husbands who came and went as well. 

I don't remember all the names, Mom can fill me in later. But we have one fun connection. Pulsiphers recently returned from serving a mission in Kirtland with some friends from here in Cedar ( Howard and Becky Jones). 

Left to right, Jennifer, our hostess, Paula Richens, Loyce, Mom, Vickie Pulsipher, two other sisters whose names I don't recall.

Vickie and Jennifer.

Mom with Paula, relaxing and chatting.