Re: Letter 34 of 3
Dear Riley:
Just a few more weeks of Summer. It's hard to believe school will be starting again. We just enjoyed our Pioneer Day celebration and watched the parade from the comfort of our home. It was all pretty low key, but we did have a barbeque and a fireworks adventure. I can't remember ever getting into fireworks as a family, but we bought a large variety pack with some giant aerials for the grand finale. (Quite fun!) The T kids came over and we made an event of it. Saturday, our kids went over to the T home and watched their fireworks. They're enjoying eachother while and seem to spend a lot of time together. Good family!
Scout camp was last week. I went up to Maple Dell on Wednesday and spent the afternoon and evening with them. (A lot of good memories there.) It wasn't long ago that you were a Scout up there and enjoying the experience. I couldn't help but look at the nine scouts from our troop and wonder what was in store for them over the next six to seven years. We had a lot of support from the fathers of the boys this year. I think throughout the course of the week we had eight of the fathers who spent at least one night. Good leader support as well made for a successful event.
Things have been quite busy in the circle of life. Elaine Smythe passed away as well as Virginia Fielding. Both were residing outside of the Ward boundaries but spent many years in our Ward. Elaine was an only child, as was her husband, and they weren't able to have or adopt any children. You might think such a situation would dictate a sparsely attended funeral service, but Elaine filled the Chapel. This was a testament to the type of life she lived and the caliber of person she was. Countless acts of service, and involvement in the lives of close friends for many years built ties and fostered love every bit as deep as immediate family. It was touching to see the fruits of a life well lived. Virginia Fielding's funeral is tomorrow and I've been asked to conduct it. The T had a baby girl, the S had a baby boy, J and Br had a baby boy, and WM got married. Life continues on at a furious pace.
I'm sure your mother mentioned that Grandpa K is within a few days of passing. The family gathered over the past few days and nearly everyone from California came out to see him. Grandma P came out a couple days ago, and Grandpa really perked up. He can't keep food or drink down and he's bedridden, but frequently grinning ear to ear and loving all the posterity around him all the way out to his great great grandchild. We gathered around his bed and sang his favorite hymns until our voices gave out. It was touching to see the fruits of yet another life well lived. There's just no substitute for the Spirit that was present in the home. The veil is thin and he has seen through it from time to time.
Well, the day has been pretty crazy with demands. We're leaving in a few minutes to go to Great Grandpa B's birthday celebration in Layton. We sure do love you and are so grateful for the experiences you're having in Thailand. Stay the course and keep the faith. We can see that Heavenly Father is guiding the work and that you are an instrument in his hands.
Love,
Dad
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