Father's Day and Visits and Trips

Hiking the Narrows in Zion National Park with the Cranors ..June 2013

That's Cold....Starting the Hike (which was only 2 hours in and 2 hours back for us.  The Narrows is a total of 18 miles we obviously only went a few miles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 




 

 

 

 




    

 



It got a little deep in spots...kept us cool

Finally 2 hours in.....lunch break before we head back

Bernie enjoying the break too.



Amazing view as the Narrows indeed narrows as you continue up stream...that's where we stopped



Beautiful falls just before the Narrows Hike location





Back safely without any real spills ...It was an amazing hike....simply beautiful weather and incredible scenery.  Thanks Cranors for the experience!!

making our way....very carefully



 



Ben Pratt cutting hay at the Pratt farm up the road from us.  Sweet little team of horses. Special family

Happy Father's Day social



Wives singing a medley of love to their hubbies



with real intent




Happy Dad's day - tie from Dawn & Darin





Happy Dad's Day: watch from the Tokarski's and tool and books from the Kaitz's! Thanks!



a wonderful visit from our long-time friends from Iowa (nowiving in OK) the John's ( Harold and Debbie and their daughter Mary wholives in a little town about 25 mi. from Cove Fort)



 



It was a great reunion

Little windy







Our Directors (the Christensen's) offered the use of their cabin at Fish Lake for our "P"day.  We left after our shift on Wed. and spent the night at the cabin.  The next morning we took two hikes.  One around the cabin area then after lunch we drove up the road 9 miles to Tasha Trail where we saw beautiful wild flowers and beaver dams.  Beautiful day and very relaxing day off.  Thanks Christensen's!!





Arriving at Fish Lake



there are beautiful quaking aspen trees













This is an old cabin that was updated in the 70's and again later with microwave, TV and nice furnishings .  It had everything you could want.






front of the cabin that over looks the Lake




My sweetheart  hiking back to the cabin

Some friends of the Lake (maybe not of the fish)

 

 

 Beaver dams we saw on our hike.  GO BEAVS!

Can't believe it is June 11, 2013....The mission has and is going soooo fast.  Too much time has past...So many wonderful experiences here.  There have been snow storms, few visitors, new missionary couples arriving starting end of Mar., more in April and May and a full summer crew now of 23 couples from 9 couples this winter.  Summer weather has arrived...temps in the high 80's accompanied with our summer winds.  Lots more visitors....Easter and Conference brought a big surge of visitors ( between 350 and 500 a day over Easter weekend and 400 + a day conference weekend.  We have been averaging over 200 to 300 on  Fri, Sat. Mon.  We have many scheduled tours (youth groups, reunions, tour buses) but also experience several unscheduled groups which keeps us hopping.  Love it all....especially the spirit and peace that is here at the Fort.  We have also visited some more beautiful Utah country....Capitol Reef and took a hike to a beautiful falls outside of Marysville.  There is lots to see.  We are hoping to go to the Arches maybe this "P' day.  We have had some friends and family stop by.  It is so good to see them.   We miss our family and friends so much but we also know it is going to be very hard to leave our new found friends here and this beautiful Cove Fort and the spirit it brings.  I feel we have grown so much in the gospel and grateful to have this unique opportunity to share and invite many to come unto Christ.  We see and feel the blessing of serving a mission.  We will be going home in Oct. but hoping to serve another mission soon....where ever the Lord leads us.
The following pictures are a smattering of many days gone by since my last blog.


Winter activity:  Puzzles - this was a puzzle that Aaron & Cami gave us. Elder Rodocker and sister Despain were the puzzle champs!

 

Our winter crew: Rawlingsons, Stees, Despain, Hawkins, Rodockers, Ence, Hale, Directors until Jan. 18, the Dyes

Winter was beautiful and a bit cold with temps sometimes below zero.

 The Dyes - Our first directors until Jan.18, 2013  LaDell and Mary Dye

 Winter crew: from left to right: Despain, Hansen, Rawlingson, Hawkins, Hale, New Directors, Christensen; Ence, Stees, and Rodockers.

 Winter snow would fall 12 to 18" at a time....but would melt before the next storm.

Our sweet cottage...Home Sweet Home! It is cozy and comfortable.

 My sweetheart did a lot of this!

 As spring came so did the over 200o sheep being herded up to the mountains for the summer.

 We had a wonderful visit with long time friends Jerry and Gayle Pence whom we had not seen for probably 20 + years.  They live up by Ogden, Ut.

And a wonderful visit from daughter, Dana which was a birthday gift to her from her wonderful father-in-law, Larry.  It was short but oh, how sweet.

 Dana took the tour...this is in the "Best Room".  The room where Brigham Young would stay on his many trip from S.L. to St. George.

We also stopped at the St. George Temple and Visitor's Center in St. George. It is so beautiful.

 We have had a few of these visitors this summer already....Yikes!  Dan, my hero kept this bull snake or blow snake from crawling up into the bathroom building.

 Same day and same snake resting along the flower bed in front MPR (Missionary prep room) where we wait for our visitors to arrive.

 Our friend, Travis Kesler plaid shirt and ball cap)- who owns the surrounding land and is a rancher. Branding time.  This takes place just across the street from the Fort.

 Random placement.....Valentines greetings.. The hat was compliments from Elder Hale!

These are antelope we came upon on our little side trip west of a little town up the road called Kanosh.

 These are our new Directors, the Christensen's who came Jan. 18, 2013.  We love them!

 

 Scenes from our trip to Capitol Reef.  Buffalo in the foreground and our first look at Capitol Reef.

 The rock formations were amazing and beautiful.

 Elder Yoga man!

 Random picture around Christmas time in the directors quarters.