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| Colorado Monument, located close to Grand Junction and visited by Elaine and me. |
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| Brynn Jansan and new husband Roy Long |
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| Buddy Elaine Conlon in front of part of Gateway Canyons, a get-away near Grand Junction. |
below is actually dated
SEPTEMBER 18, 2011
Sometimes life is too full to be captures by a few words. I've been gone for 2 1/2 weeks. It has given me a special appreciation for home. Colorado was my home for those few weeks. I spent some time with Colorado friend, Elaine Conlon. We had tons of fun together, driving around the show spots of Grand Junction and watching a movie each night before going to bed, early. The early to bed thing was necessary, as Elaine is a very early riser and walker. So, for a couple of weeks, was I. The Colorado stay ended in Cedaredge, where I helped my sister Maryanne and hub Bob clean out Mom's home and hold a two-day garage sale. We got rid of lots of stuff. Bob and Mar stayed on another week to finish the clearing out, making Mom's home rather a sterile place, with most signs of her life there removed. The result left with it a sadness, particularly felt by Bob and Maryanne as they pulled away and headed for their home. I won't return there now until, possibly, spring. We can take our time sorting the remaining of Mom's possessions. The renters move in October first. It is hard to say how our relationship with the Ranch will go. I'm not sure how I feel about being there with Mom and Dad removed from it. Perhaps it will not call to me; or perhaps it still will. Time will tell.
I came home a week ago tomorrow. How sweet it is to be home! How wonderful everything looks. Being gone from Layne for such a long time gave me a longing for him. I was especially happy to see him and feel his arms around me once again. I believe that absence is often a good thing. It makes me appreciate the people in my life even more. It's nice to find friends in family.
Just a couple of days after my return, Layne and I headed to Arizona, where our Mongolian daughter Brynn Jansan, got married to a man named Roy Long. We went with some reservations. Roy is a very nice man, but much older than Brynn and not a member of the Church. They seem to have nothing in common. But the wedding was lovely. Roy made arrangements for us to stay at a vintage hotel in Tucon, where they were also married. It was a beautiful place, full of interesting history. We met and enjoyed Roy's family, who all love Brynn and were very supportive of the wedding. So I feel a bit better about their chances for happiness. All that family support can only be good.
Son Ben's second daughter, Alexis, was baptized on Saturday. All the local family gathered for the occasion. It was a lovely time seeing the excitement in Alexis' eyes and then enjoying Ben's chicken, cooked with his special vinegar and tomato recipe. Yum. Ben's Jessica is very pregnant with their 6th child. It is scheduled to be a boy. That will give us 21 grandchildren! I'm thinking that is all we may get.
Here's the special news: Layne was ordained to be a patriarch today! Can you imagine it! It still cannot. Never in my wildest thoughts could I have anticipated that he would do this. His ordination was pronounced by the Stake President, Kendall Cooper. He covered just about everything imaginable in his comments and blessing. I was set apart to assist. So there you have it; our lives are forever changed, or soon will be. How is a patriarch supposed to live? Behave? I guess we'll soon find out. In the meantime, Layne has decided not to watch his favorite TV program, NCIS, anymore. Yep, he's cleaning up his act. Here's hoping that all will work as it should and he will feel the Lord's inspiration as he blesses members of the stake. As the stake president said, he is now a prophet, seer and revelator to those who come to him for blessings. But no pressure.
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| Son Ben and daughter Alexis on her baptism day. |
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| Layne's ordination to Patriarch, with family members present: James, Layne, me Cliff, Reed, Scott, Rayne, Allegra, & Audrey |
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