Part 2 August and Sept

I forgot a really important event in the last blog.  It was Louise's 50th Birthday and we surprised her with a party in her room.  It was fun for her and for us.

She has won all of our hearts and we are blessed to call her a friend.

We were blessed to have our mission president give us permission to take a few weeks and go to California for all of the wonderful events that were going to take place.  So off we went.  

And yes.....  this is one of the reasons we went.  Miss Amelia Jean Owens. What a sweet bundle of joy and love!!

 She won her Grandpa's heart at once!!  They were buddies for all the time we were there.  And if she was at a point that was very sad.....  Grandpa would take her and she was immediately better.

 I love making quilts for these new blessings.  Using all the colors of her new room was fun!!

 She loves the outside.  So hanging out in the hammock was one of our favorite activities.

 She has such a sweet Mom.   Dani is a wonderful mom and doing really well with a new baby and a house full of people.

 Miss Millie has a wonderful daddy too!!  He is so loving and attentive.  She is a very blessed little girl. 

He also is a SF fan and makes sure that she wears her SF outfit on game days - just like her Dad.

Q was presenting at a conference in the lovely city of San Francisco, so Miss Millie and the rest of us went on her first outing and drove there to see him.  It was fun to get together and he bragged that he got to hold her first before the Aunts and Great Grandma that were coming the next week to see her. 

 It is true...  California is in a drought.  This is what a city park looks like.  Brown and brittle.  Sad.

 It was so hot that even the squirrels were trying to find some shade and cool off.  This one laid in the shade on the grass for almost an hour.

We were very blessed to get to spend some time with our great friends the Flinks.  What great people they are.  They are serving in the Sacramento mission, which is where Dani lives.  We got to go to the temple with them and then saw them a couple more time.  Wow....  We love these guys!!

 There was a bit of police excitement while we were there.  I guess some neighbors decided to take shots at each other with AK47s and the police didn't think that was a very good idea.  So there were oodles of police hovering around for about 4 hours making sure it was safe and the crazies were escorted away.

Then the Aunts and Grandma arrived and the real fun began!!

On Friday Evening J got his Endowments.  That is a series of blessing and covenants that an individual receives the first time they go to the temple. It had been a year since he was baptized and he had been waiting for that day.

 It felt so good to be together!!  

The next morning Dani and J were sealed for all eternity.  Then that sweet Millie was sealed to them.  They are an eternal family and as long as they keep their covenants and promises, they can be together forever.

 There were a lot of people who came to support them besides family.  All of the sister missionaries except one were there who taught him the lessons.  Only one of them is still on her mission - the others all came from Utah and Germany!!  The Mission President and his wife were there and well as lots of other friends.  What a showing of love for this beautiful couple and their new family.

What a beautiful family!!

The next day was Millie's day. Amelia Jean Owens was given her name and a Father's blessing in Sacrament meeting that Sunday morning.  She was so beautiful and her parents again had a lot of family and friends with them for support and a great show of love.

 Even though they are a family of 3, they are also a family of 5.  J's son Jeremy and his sister are living with Dani and J and they make a good team all working together.

We also had the blessing of getting to see my nephew Elder Joseph Speakman.  He also is in the Sacramento mission.  What a wonderful Elder and a sweet man.

And so comes to an end the wonderful trip to California.  We loved being with family and friends and being able to participate in these important events in Dani's family's life.

Things back in Sherbrooke were getting a little emotional.  One of our great friends had a grand baby die.  And Louise had decided that she was worn out and tired of fighting the enemy cancer.  So by the time we got home she was sleeping and never again woke up.  She was and is a wonderful lady that I still count as a great friend.  I know I have posted a lot of pictures of  her in the past, but here are a few from her video that show what a beautiful woman is now living with her earthly and her Heavenly Father.

I sure do miss her.

Our High Priest Group Leader does a Friday night gig at one of the local restaurants.  We went one Friday to listen to him and were pleasantly surprised at how good he was.  He sings old Country.  ie  Johnny Cash, Merl Haggert, etc...  Here is his poster.

 and here is a little clip from that evening....  it isn't long...  but you can get a feel for him.

That same evening we went for a walk on ANOTHER of the many walking/biking paths in this area.  As you can see fall is starting to blossom.  These berries were everywhere. 

 Elder Petersen had to get into the riverbed and see the water.  The granite walls and rocks were beautiful.

 There is not a lack of beauty in this place.  We LOVE it!!

 We went on an adventure with our District on Monday and the Grubbs were here to visit this week.  But I will put pictures of those adventures on the next addition.  So for now...  good night and God Bless.