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Joseph Smith and "Music Man" have much in common.  June, 30, 2019 Dear Family, Some friends and I went to see "Music Man" a few weeks ago at Heritage Theater in Perry.  It was an unbelievable production that everyone got fully involved in the story and the actors super energetic performance.  I did too, but the most interesting thing that I came away with was the director's note about the play: " Meredith Wilson may not be a household name like Rogers and Hammerstein or Andrew Lloyd Webber, but his classic musical "The Music Man" has become one of the most legendary pieces in the history of the Broadway Stage.   Long before the lyrics of "Hamilton" Hill was doing the same thing for the mothers of River City with the immortal "patter" song "Trouble." Based on his childhood experiences in Mason City, Iowa, "The Music Man" holds distinctions of winning the first Grammy Award presented for Best Musical Theat...

CLIPS FROM OUR HOME FRONT - June 21, 2019 The pictures tell the story. We are having the house shingled.  You can see one man on the roof working.  They finished it  late Wednesday.  They still have the trim all around the house and the under part of the porch to do.   They will start in about 2 days. This is looking up through the garage ceiling where they have removed the roof. By the end of the day the whole ceiling was like this. Wendell likes to sleep a lot these days.  He tries hard to feed himself, but still needs help.  He has to be lifted into bed from his wheelchair and out of bed into his wheelchair.  He doesn't walk at all.  He knows me sometimes and Peggy too now that she has visited him several times in a row.  Wendy has ordered a recliner chair that tilts to lift him up.  That will be here in a couple or three weeks.  Everyone at The Gables is cheering! The last of our Spring flowers: ...

THE JOYS OF LIVING AS RECORDED JUNE 10TH 2019 MEETING YOUR ETERNAL COMPANION: Wendell and I were on our way home from school that snowy day, Wendell on his trusty bike in the road carrying his trombone and Rosalie walking along the sidewalk with her girl friends. Something told Rosalie to make a snowball and throw it at Wendell just for fun since she had never met him. And the story goes on through the generations like a legend in their family. THE HIGH SCHOOL DANCES: How we loved those dances. After Wendell graduated from Provo High School and was going to college at BYU he showed up for the first dance of the year at the high school. The principle was taking tickets (activity cards). When he looked at Wendell's he said, You have graduated, what are you doing with an activity card from Provo High School?” “I want to go to the dances with Rosalie.” Came Wendell's happy, honest reply. “That is not against any rules I know of. Come on in,” smiled the princip...

SURPRISES, DISCOVERIES, and ANSWERS TO PRAYERS. June 2, 2019 Dear Family, This week has been full of surprises, discoveries, and answers to prayers. Most of them have to do with family things. And some of them contain all three ingredients. Peggy & Wendell - today before church.  I will start with my Eternal Sweetheart, Wendell. When the Simbi Nurse, Tiffiny came a little over a week ago and checked Wendell she found that he may have a urinary infection which could cause a disease which could be minor or cause death if not treated violently. This WAS A BIG SURPRISE to say the least. So now we are waiting for the results to come back from the tests. Wendell likes to play with his toy.  Rosalie likes him to like it. Add caption As we wait Wendell has made some pretty noticeable changes. His physical strength has diminished a lot so that he is unable to move himself from the bed to the wheelchair or back into bed; his motor skills have shrun...

TEMPLE TIME – My refuge in the storm of life – May 26 2019 Dear Family, The temple has been a symbol of an eternal family since I was very young watching my mother iron their temple clothes each time she and daddy went to the temple. I had lots of questions about the temple and she would share with me how only by marring in the temple can we be married for time and all eternity. Then when I had my patriarchal blessing the Lord told me to be very careful who I chose for my eternal companion. I did not know then I would find that person when I threw a snowball at Wendell that snowy day coming home from school that December day so long ago. But because Wendell and I eventually began dating and shared the same goals of serving The Lord he accepted a call to serve a mission. We were already engaged, but I promised to wait for him. I was already feeling the importance of what I was told in my Patriarchal blessing. I learned that the Lord would help me while Wendell was away...

THE EYE OF A NEEDLE – May 21, 2019 Dear Family, Grandpa and I see so many challenges in our family and so much good too as we catch glimpses of the ways you help each other in kind and loving ways. We get most of this information in the form of communication via email, phone calls, MarcoPollo and an occasional reply to our family letter. Today I am communicating via email & Family letter to share with you what I learned studying “Come Follow Me” from the May 13 – 19 assignment: “What Lack I Yet?” I will only comment on one part of the whole lesson. That is from Mark 10:17- 27 (I continued for 5 more verses.) “It is harder for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God than for a camel to go through “THE EYE OF A NEEDLE.” Then qualifies it, “but not with God, for with God all things are possible.” The story does not tell whether he followed Jesus or not. If he did he was blessed even though he did not give ALL his riches to the poor. (Actually today many of our churc...

TOO SMALL – March 17, 2019 Dear Family, “If you think you are too small to make a difference – consider the bite of a tiny mosquito.” That is a quote from something I read or heard and I just jotted it down without a reference. But it has come to mean a lot to me. Today, reading this week's Church news I was so impressed with the article titled, “Events in Rome are a 'hinge point' for the world. It quotes Pres. Nelson, “The church is going to have an unprecedented future, unparalleled. We're just building up to what's ahead now.” It brought to my mind that the world has been preparing for this since Adam (Michael the archangel) and Eve were placed on the earth. Joseph Smith brought The Book of Mormon, The D&C, & The Pearl of Great Price. Our Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Presidents each have added revelations for building the Kingdom of God. The thousands of missionaries have taken “The Word” to tens of thousands of people ...