Ward Social

What a fun night we had on Friday! Our ward social's theme was "Family Reunions" and a dear, dear sister in our ward painted this backdrop for us to have pictures taken by.

Do you recognize anyone in these pictues?

Look at those gorgeous blue eyes!

Brynlie and Grandpa Merrell

Awhile ago, Aspen mentioned that she thought Brynlie and Grandpa Merrell looked alot alike. What do you think?

We think she also looks a little like Levi. What do you think?




What a beautiful little girl!

A visit from Mom and Dad

Mom and Dad have been visiting for a few days, so I thought I would let you see what we've been doing.

Sturday afternoon, Grandpa, Mike, Jason and Grandpa Fisher went on a 4-wheeler ride. Oh, and Montana went, too! She loved it! That night, TJ went on a treasure hunt. This is a fun tradition for all of the grandkids. Grandpa Merrell took pictures of various landmarks around the house and we mix up the order of the pictures, making it a "new " treasure hunt each time. The first time Kylie and TJ did this treasure hunt together, Kylie left TJ in the dust. I don't think that's going to happen again, because TJ is getting lots of practice!

Jason is opening the bag of chocolate skittles TJ found at the end of the treasure hunt. Sharing skittles with Great Grandpa Park.

Climbing that hill really did Sasha in!

Monday, we took a drive up to the cabin. We are getting ready to sell it ):

Monday night, we talked Grandma into going on a 4-wheeler ride to see the petroglyphs. For those of you who have been to these particular ones, you can appreciate what Grandma went through to get there, and I'll give details for the rest of you...a rather bumpy ride on a trail full of twists, turns and rocky hills, as well as a scary ride through a creek bed that left Grandma and Grandpa literally flying through the air on the way back up the bank. (Mickala was totally loving this! )

At the end of the trail, we had to hike the rest of the way to the petroglyphs. Grandma was a trooper, even though she was nursing a very sore foot.

Here we are at the petrophyphs!

Annie and Russ have posted a similar picture of themselves in between this ancient "couple", so we wanted to be sure and get this picture with Mom and Dad as well.

Three beautiful people!
If you look closely, you can see a lizzard on this rock. If you look real close, you can see two!

The view of the flag is spectacular from this area.

Mike threatened to delete this picture, so I had to hurry and post it!

Heading back to the 4-wheelers.
Mom had so much fun, it looks like she wants to stay a little longer! Sasha did her hair for her. Isn't it pretty in this picture!

The end of a beautiful day!

Happy Birthday, Aspen!

I started this blog a couple of weeks ago, so that I would be sure and get it posted on time. Now, I have this sinking suspicion that it will be posted back on the April date and I will have to redirect traffic so everyone will be able to find it.
Anyway, I wanted to wish Aspen a very happy birthday today. Yes, she really is 29! The following picture essay is my tribute to her. I had to use the pictures that were already loaded on the computer and they are in a pretty random order; I keep reminding myself that I am the grandmother blogger and I simply can't expect myself to be able to keep up with all you young people who came to earth with the computer gene already programed in you. What you can accomplish in minutes takes me weeks.
P.S. Guess what?! I figured out how to fix the date, I think!
Happy Birthday, Aspen! I love you!


May 6, 2000. The other first-born cousins have also borrowed this date for their weddings, which makes it quite nice for Grandma Park to remember.



What a beautiful family! Three adorable little girls who get their good looks from their beautiful mother. (okay, there's a little bit of Jared's rugged handsomeness in them as well)

I want to pay special tribute to Aspen for traveling to Vernal to attend three wedding receptions last summer, in June, July and August and then giving birth to her third child in September. This, to me, was a huge sacrifice on her part, and she did it so willingly that none of us ever suspected that it might have been enormously difficult for her. I am so greatful to have children who put family first. There is a scripture that hangs on my wall. Seeing this picture reminded me of it. "I have no greater joy than to know that my children walk in truth."

Aspen looks a little annoyed in this picture taken at the ward Halloween party in 1986. Maybe she had a premmonition of what was coming in the future (see picure, 3 or 4 spots down) What a lucky child to have a mother that sews!

This is the year that Aspen was not the oldest sibling. Willie Foster came to live with us, as part of the Indian Placement program sponsored by the Church. I remember him as a sweet little nine-year old boy. Don't you think Annie and Sadie look alike?

The Barker and Merrell cousins. As you can see, Cindy has always enjoyed posing for the camera. Aspen is on her tippy toes, trying to look like she is the oldest.

Aspen, wearing the Merrell (Hunting) family heirloom dress. This original dress has been retired and the next generation of Merrell children now wear a replacement dress.

Aspen and Jake have shared a special closeness through the years.

One of my favorite pictures of my oldest and youngest, taken just before Aspen and Jared were married.

Our first family photo with all six kids. Aspen was only eleven and already a beautiful young woman.

One of the pictures I cherish the most! I had purchased matching outfits for the entire family to wear at Disneyland...they weren't even on sale and each one was a little different than the other. Oh, we looked so grand! The photographer gulped when he saw us coming and quickly announced that the only backdrop that we could all fit in was this one. Not my first choice, but I couldn't not have a picture of this. Years later, the truth started to come out...first from Aspen and confirmed by the others. Apparently, this had been one of the more embarassing moments in their lives! I cherish it all the more, knowing how I made them squirm!

This was such a fun day for us. We were returning from the 2001 Park family reunion in South Dakota and stopped at Flintstone Village (or some or name I can't remember) Vince was on his mission and Jared couldn't come, so it was just Mom, Dad and the five sisters, all of them doing it up good for the camera. The thing I remember best was that this tourist attraction was really pretty lame by today's standards, for teenage girls. But they made it fun! That, too me is what family is all about...ignoring the minor flaws and loving the fact that we are together.

This is the first 4-generation picture we have through my line. Aspen (Mom), Barbara (great-grandmother), Linda (grandmother) and Kylie.

That was fun and it only took about 30 hours to finish! (So far)

THE HINCKLEY CHALLENGE

At Aspen 's suggestion, Mike and I both took the Hinckley Challenge to read the Book of Mormon in 97 days...one day for each year of the prophet's life. I am pleased to say that we both finished, and that it was a great experience. We gained so many insights.
For Mike, it was an increased awareness of the cycles that are repeated again and again...peace, prosperity, pride, contention, wars, destruction, repentance and peace again. (When we don't learn from history's mistakes, we tend to repeat them.) For me, it was an increased desire to be a good mother and grandmother. I realized what a huge influence our parents are too us, in determining if we choose good or evil and I was impressed with the responsibility I have to nurture my family members.

WHAT DO THESE TOWNS HAVE IN COMMON?

What do Lewiston, Idaho; Logan, Utah; and Vernal, Utah have in common? According to Outdoor Life Magazine, they belong to an elite group....The Top 200 Towns for Outdoorsmen!
Lewiston is ranked #2, Logan is #12 and Vernal is #23. The list is the product of 3 1/2 years of research.
Inspired by Vernal's newfound fame, Mike and I went to the McConkie Ranch and took a self-guided tour of the Indian petroglyphs this afternoon. We completed the first part of the hike in about 15 minutes and then noticed a sign that said better petroglyphs could be seen up ahead. I am so glad that we took the extended tour because the view was spectacular and the petroglyphs truly were amazing! I wish we had taken a camera with us. The pictures I posted I took from the Discover Dinosaurland magazine that came in the mail.

"WHAT A DATE THAT WAS!"

In early April, I told Mike that I wanted us to take turns planning a "super date" each month; one that might include an overnight stay to someplace where there was more to do than the regular dinner and a movie that Vernal offers. We decided that the weekend of the 25th would be our first super date.
Unfortunately, at her last check-up with her heart doctor, Mike's mom was told that she needed to go to Salt Lake for an overnight stay at the hospital in order to monitor a prescription change.
So we left Wednesday morning and got Mother checked into the hospital. Shara Dawn had arranged her schedule so she could be at the hospital the whole day. We all stayed for a couple of hours until Shara Dawn shooed us away. (A million thanks, Shara Dawn!) Mike then dropped me off at the Family History Library and he ran several errands before going back to the hospital to spell Shara Dawn for awhile. (I appreciated that he let me have that extra time at the library because it had been months since I was there.)
That night, we were both pretty drained, so we opted to find a nice place to eat dinner, did a little bit of shopping, and then called it a night.
At 2 in the morning, Mike got a call from Jared Dansie, telling us that the Beauty Salon and the Pawn Shop had been broken into and that a fire had been set in the Beauty Salon. He told Mike that he was watching smoke pour out of the roof. Obviously, there would be no more sleeping for Mike, so after calling Shara Dawn to have her pick up Mother in the morning, we took off for Vernal. We arrived shortly after 5 and went straight to the building where we saw most of the parking lot sealed off in yellow tape with the fire truck still there. Mike asked if we could go inside to see the damage and was told no, the fire marshall hadn't arrived from Salt Lake yet. But, then a good friend on the fire department suddenly appeared and let us past the tape and took us on a tour of the building. (It's times like that when we are grateful we live in a small town where everyone knows everyone and "what happens to one happens to all".)
The Beauty Salon definitely got the worst of it. The young man who broke in trashed it, dumping out all the cabinets (I thought of Sasha when I looked at it!) stealing all the cash and then setting the place on fire. He then bypassed Family Dollar (possibly because they always leave lights on) and broke out one of the big front windows at Jiffies, which set off the burglar alarm which ultimately alerted the officers who were able to to catch the guy before he did much damage to that store.
Because there was nothing that could be done until the fire marshall arrived, Mike and I returned home to sleep for a few hours. Mike was busy all morning with the fire marshall, the insurance adjustor, the glass company, the alarm company and various others. I left at 11 to meet Shara Dawn in Heber where I picked up mother and brought her back home.
Pam Sutton, the owner of the beauty salon, was especially heart broken; not so much for herself, but for the 13 women who worked there. When you are a beautician, you must provide all your own supplies...curling irons, brushes, combs, perm rods, aprons, carts, shampoos, hair color, etc. Those girls lost almost everything. Two of them were the sole support to their families. One of those two was Allie Anderson, whose husband Cody died from cancer late last year, leaving her to provide for herself and her two little girls. (On an even sadder note, Cody's mom, Carolyn died of the same cancer just yesterday afternoon. Her funeral is Tuesday, Aspen and I am sorry we forgot to tell you about Cody's passing.)

We have been blessed in this trial. Although the beauty salon was destroyed, it was mainly interior damage. The building's exterior structure received only minor damage. Jiffies was able to open the next day, and Family Dollar will open on Monday. We live in a boom town, where building is going at a frantic pace. And yet, we were able to have the huge front window at Jiffies replaced first thing in the morning. Mike was told by the fire marshall that an electician would have to do some work before any of the clean-up could start. After calling several and being laughed at when he said he needed someone that day, he finally had one electrician return his call...Ryan Peltier who said he would try and rearrange his schedule and come that afternoon. He came, did the work and then refused to charge us anything. (Again, one of the bennefits of living in a small town where we are all friends) While the insurance adjustor was talking to Mike, one of the ladies who worked at the beauty salon said she knew of someone who did reconstruction jobs. Pam's husband vouched for him, he was called, came to look at the job, and was approved on the spot by the insurance adjustor to do the work and said he could start next week! Again, something nearly impossible in this building boom town.
I was also struck by the fact that Mike and I were both exhausted Wednesday night in Salt Lake... quite unusual for us to be too tired to take advantage of being in the city and playing. Instead, we were both sound asleep very early that night, which was a blessing to be rested when we left for Vernal at 2:30 in the morning. It reminded me of the time when we were in St. George, visiting Stevensons for Scott's mission report. The afternoon before, Mike and I fell asleep in our room and slept soundly for a couple of hours, almost missing Nate's Eagle court of honor. But later that night, we got an emergency call which sent us on the road back to Vernal that night. Without that extra sleep, we would have been hard pressed to stay awake for the long drive. And, I don't know if this qualifies as a blessing, but it was exciting to be the lead story on the Channel 5 ten o'clock news Thursday night. We recorded it!
So that brings me to Mike's comment on the way home from Salt Lake. "What a date that was!" Certainly better than dinner and a movie!

TAGGED!

Okay, Aspen, I'm it.


How long have you been together? We will celebrate our 30th anniversary Aug. 1st.

How long did you date? From the first date to the wedding was less than 5 months. To give you an idea of how fast that was...we beat Sasha and Jason by two months! However, to be fair, they did have to wait in line last summer.

How old is he? 50, which, according to Sister Marjorie Pay Hinckley, was "...my favorite age. It takes about that long to learn to quit competing--to be yourself and settle down to living. It is the age I would like to be through all eternity!"

Who said ‘I love you’ first? (I'm going to borrow my answer from Aspen) "Is it bad that I really have no idea? Honestly, if Mickal were here and I asked him, he'd probably know.

Who is taller? Mike, and, like Jared, it is by quite a lot.

Who is smarter? We are both super intelligent beings! I am good at deductive reasoning, while Mike has a tremendous amount of common sense. Mike can think on his feet, but, if given an hour, I can come up with a more eloquent statement. Mike can find any address he's ever been to, and I can find your missing ancestors. Together, we are amazing!

Who does the laundry? Me. That is the one household chore that Mike hates to do.

Who does the dishes? It is shared between Mike and I, with an occasional contribution from Mickala, the spoiled child.

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? If you are sitting in bed, Mike is the one on the right. When we stay in a motel, I get the side that is closest to the bathroom.

Who pays the bills? Mike lets me do this. For years, I have joked that if he were in charge, there would be no money to pay bills with, but that ignores the fact that he has a brilliant head for business and managed to run one so well that he could retire when he was 44. So, to be honest, I have always been grateful that he trusts me with the family finances. (However, if he ever wants to take over health insurance, I know without a doubt in my mind that he could do a better job.)

Who mows the lawn? Mike does. He says I don't mow in straight enough lines, (Again, a borrowed answer from Aspen) but I will add the following... I also do not weed-eat properly or sweep and hose down the cement and patio furniture. Nor do I empty the grass clipings, gas-up and put away the weed eater and mower, or roll up the hose when I am finished.

Who cooks dinner? It is generally my responsibility, but Mike helps out a lot and he is the chief BBQer. Mickala has some wonderful specialities that she whips up now and then, and we rely on her to bake cookies on Sunday, which supplements the popcorn that Mike pops.

Who is more stubborn? Does this refer to stubborn-pride or refuse-to-give-up-on-a-good-cause-stubborn? We both have our fair share of each kind and blessed our kids with plenty of those stubborn genes as well.

Who kissed who first? Mike kissed me first, of course.

Who asked who out? The first time I saw Mike was in September, 1977, at a young adult fireside. I had just walked into the Ashley Stake Center chapel and he was up on the stand, waiting to conduct the meeting. He was so handsome! My first thought was, "Now there is someone I could fall in love with." We were both dating someone else at the time (Apparently I wasn't too serious about my boyfriend!), so nothing came of it. After a particularly unsatisfyingValentine's Day date in 1978, I decided to leave Provo behind me and get on with my life. Painfully shy, I forced myself out of my comfort zone and began to flirt with Mike. He asked me out within a week.

Who proposed? It was 1978, for goodness sake! Who do you think?!

Who is more sensitive? Oh my! Mike is a very sensitive guy! But I think that I have a slight edge over him on this one.

Okay, Sasha, you're it. (I know your computer is down, that's why I'm having you check your e-mail the next time you come up here!)

Happy Birthday, Vince!

This is a little late, but I wanted to wish Vince a happy birthday! I have always thought of him as the perfect son. I was so proud that he was able to put himself through school with scholarships and part time jobs. I'm pretty sure he graduated completely out of debt!

Vince loves to fish. I remember one time when he was about five. Our family was asked to speak in Sacrament meeting. He was too young to read, so I bribed him with a fishing trip if he would memorize his talk. Years later, I came across the talk. It was long! It must have been at least a half of a typed page. But he did it!
When Vince was a yongster, he was the friendliest little kid. Whenever we went to the park, he immediately made friends with anyone he saw.








Vince received his eagle scout award when he was 13. Quite an accomplishment, don't you think?!







Vince was a leader in high school. He was liked and respected by his peers as well as many of his teachers.





Vince served a mission in England. It was a hard mission; in fact, his mission was combined with another mission right after he left, so he was one of the last missionaries to serve in the Bristol, England mission.






Vince has made a great effort to support each of his sisters in the important events of their lives. I think it was hard for him not to have brothers. I am so grateful that Meagan has a lot of them!


HAPPY BIRTHDAY, VINCE!

I finally figured out how to post this!

46 words