A step at a time . . .

It's been a slow process . . .

SLOWLY, SLOWLY, SLOWLY, SAID THE SLOTH . . .

NOW, SUDDENLY . . .

MOVING RIGHT ALONG!

ANNIVERSARY WEEKEND 38 AND COUNTING!

It's been 38 years and we are still having the time of our lives!

Last weekend we planned to go to St. George to attend Grandpa Truman's family reunion (next year the Jacob Mica reunion in SLC) but we had a sad change of plans and travelled via Caliente, Nevada. My cousin Francis Lytle passed away and his viewing was in Caliente. He is my double cousin, my dad and his mother are siblings and his dad and my mother are too. I didn't know Francis too well, I just knew he was a cowboy, and he was till the end.

Dad and I discussed world affairs on the way to Caliente and decided to subscribe to "The Economist" Mike's handbook of the world. Dad has always been more interested in world affairs and I love the local news. The COLLAPSE book is changing that.

We drove to Gunlock via Panaca, Enterprise, and St. George. Gunlock has been flooded out again. Check out Uncle Ed on the KSL web site. He was interviewed on the news.

On Saturday morning we drove out of Gunlock and stopped to talk with Kip and most of the stake at the Rodeo Arena end of town cleaning up after the flood. Kip says the problem is they took away the grazing right from the cattle ranchers, the grass grew providing good fuel, the fires came and burned everything and when it rains there is nothing to hold on to and flooding takes everything down the washes.

We drove to Veyo and attended the Albert Henry Truman/Florence Bowler reunion (yes, that is how you are all related to your dad, so am I. My grandfather's sister married your father's great grandfather)

One of Phyllis Bracken's (Jacob Mica Truman's granddaughter) daughters showed us a medallion:

http://www.dupinternational.org/jubilee/exhibit.htm (Read all about the Jubilee party at the web site)

These medallions were presented to all the surviving pioneers at the Jubilee in Salt Lake City in July of 1897.

Elizabeth Boyce Spencer Truman

(Wife of Jacob Mica Truman)

received a medallion and it is still in its original leather box.

The family will donate it to the Daughter's of Utah Pioneer museum in Salt Lake.

Next year let's plan our family vacation and go to the 24th of July parade in SLC!

It has been an short eventful 38 years and we are loving our life, our family and we are so grateful for our faith.

this isn't the "good" photo, I just can't tell which one is. . . better one next posting

SOPHIE, SOPHIE, SO FUN, SOPHIE!

SOPHIE
SOPHIE
WE LOVE YOU!
YOUR PRESENT WILL BE LATE
BUT WE WISH YOU A HAPPY BIRTHDAY EARLY!
LOVE GRANDMA LU AND GRANDPA TOO!

Gunlock Girls

Gunlock invaded by the girls!



Thanks Laurie for planning the trip and making it happen.
We had such a good time, notice the table decorations thanks to Laurie too!
Done in a moment, would have taken me hours just to imagine it!
Suzy planned the food and we all loved it!
Such fun to get to know all the "little" girls!
All of you are "little girls" to me!
Especially loved the favorite gifts and the time spent talking,
looking at pictures and taking pictures! Ashlee you are a pro!
Look at Brooke's beatuiful dessert! Yum!
Lori you get the award for the bravest of all! We love you!
Can't wait for next year!
Then, after church, Ed and Toni and Ashlee invited Suzy & I
down to "Grandma's house" to have tomatoe sandwiches and fresh corn for lunch.
The tastes of my childhood.
Thank you!

COLLAPSE

Thanks for the book suggestion, Wes.

Just finished reading Part One Modern Montana, and couldn't help but relate it to St. George and what is happening in southern Utah. Stewardship of the earth is a responsiblity we all share, and I was so curious to see what BYU professors are assigning and what "liberal" authors are writing that they would consider relevant. Am in the process of reevaluating my opinion of Mr. Diamond and pushing myself to read his really challenging book. You have to understand that most of my reading is children's fiction. There is quite a difference between children's fiction and this nonfiction writing.

The thing most surprising about his writing is that he consistantly balances different points of view and increases our understanding and sympathy for all of them: the rich city dweller who wants to move to Montana for it's pristine environment, the local land developer who is trying to make a living for his family by purchasing and developing farmland, and the farmer who wants to farm and make a living but cannot do it without working three other jobs. All three have goals that are nearly unachievable because of the others and other factors like mining, water usage (can you imagine how precarious Las Vegas is. . .) and forestry.

Have to plow through the other 450 plus pages before I write anymore, but we are promised that "the earth is full and there is enough and to spare." That surely depends on wise stewardship.

Reading about the Montana farmers reminded me so much of my father and his work on the water board. Wonder who is doing that for St. George/Gunlock now? Ed? Must be, Toni tells me he is going to a water meeting in California soon. Ashlee tells me Gunlock will never change if Ed has anything to say about it.

Final quote from the book (p. 59), Montana farmer's joke: "Question: 'What would you do if you were given a million dollars?' Answer: "I love farming, and I would stay here on my money-losing farm until I had used up the million dollars!"

The girls (Phoebe and Laurie) told me one of our cousins sold their desert farm land for 26 million dollars. Hummm

Truman Family Reunion

We had such fun!

We love you!

Grandma lu and Grandpa too!

THANK YOU ALL. . . .

for such a great week! Talk about party time! Thank you all for all your planning and effort and Wes and Lori for the location, too! Can't beat it! It was perfect! We love you all and can't wait until next year...
Now I just have to go explain to Truman why he can't go see his cousins first thing in the morning! :) It was such a great week!
Love,
the Wirth Trumans