Breaking Ground

On Friday Abe's Grandma and Aunt made the local news.

His Grandma Helen Parker and his Aunt Erin were interviewed by KSL's Carole Mikita about LDS Church President Thomas S. Monson breaking ground for the Rome, Italy temple. This temple will be Italy's first and Europe's 12th and will be made out of granite. Abe's Grandpa served as a Mission President in the City from 1993 to 1996 with his wife Helen. Erin also served a mission in Italy before her parents did.

Gerald Parker with some of his missionaries in Rome

Watching the news story about the ground breaking brought tears to my eyes. Not only to see Abe's Grandpa (who I only had the pleasure of spending time with on a few occasions before he died) but because I thought about all the members living in that part of Europe who must be overwhelmed with JOY! When the Temple is completed, it will serve over 23,000 Church members living in Italy and in neighboring countries. Abe's Grandpa, Gerald Parker is in Heaven now but i'm sure he is thrilled!

Watch KSL's story here: http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=12928720&autostart=y
Or the story from the Church's newsroom: http://beta-newsroom.lds.org/article/president-monson-breaks-ground-for-rome-italy-temple

The Truth About Pumkin Pie

Sometimes it's better not to know the process...

I got this in an email today. I sure do love pumpkin treats and seeing this just made my day!! I love the pumpkin man's face and how he is sitting on a make shift toilet. So great!

Tis the season

I love this time of the year for one specific reason... UTE FOOTBALL!!
Two days ago as I was driving home from work from downtown just trying to get to the freeway when I saw this lovely pic on the UTA bus. I am a proud UTE and loved seeing that UTA is too.
One thing I miss now that both Abe and I are graduates from the University of Utah is the MUSS section. There is nothing else like it. I love the MUSS.. loved spending time w/ my friends on the 5th row in the MUSS.. and loved going on dates w/ Abe to Ute games and sitting in the MUSS section.
I sure do miss the MUSS and unfortunately am now watching Utah Football games at home via the MTN.

I also have always been a fan of Kenny Chesney's and I am so LOVING that his latest hit to hit the airways is all about football. THE BOYS OF FALL! And Kenny's latest CD just hit store shelves TODAY!

GO UTES!

They're blogging

While I was listening to KSL radio on my way to work I heard that a Mormon apostle was blogging. I thought to myself how exciting that they are using blogging as a way to talk about the LDS church.

So, it all began last week when the blogging website Patheos.com asked the Church to write about the future of Mormonism. It appears Elder Quentin L. Cook took the challenge because his entry was posted.

I loved what Elder cook said, "as the church moves forward, it would work with other like-minded faiths to follow the gospel of Jesus Christ in reaching out to fellow citizens." I think that that is what the LDS Church is all about serving and reaching out to others all over the world!

Read the blog and what the Mormon Times had to say about Elder Cook's entry by clicking on the link:
http://www.mormontimes.com/article/16533/Apostles-blog-may-be-a-first

In case you needed to know...

Baking soda is supposed to help bee stings!

Yeah, wish I had none that Thursday morning.

See I was deadheading some plants and decided to sit on my porch when all of a sudden I felt something on my finger. I then raised my arm and it instantly stung.. i then looked down and there was a bit of blood on my middle finger. Well, a bee got me and two of my fingers started swelling up. I haven't been stung since elementary days so I couldn't remember what to put on the wound. I was texting with a friend at the time of the incident and asked her what I should do and she said mud or ice should help. So a few hours later I iced my finger and it helped a bit. But when I got to work later my co-worker said baking soda is what you are supposed to put on stings. So, in case you get stung like me.. now you know.. baking soda is what the internet and my co-worker says will help.

A Hail storm, body bag and a geyser

Yes, this years cabin trip was very eventful.

The Johnson family (minus Thomas, Melissa and Mae ... who we missed immensely) headed up to Star Valley Wyoming to the family cabin for a little vacation.
Before heading up we made a stop in Ogden to see Abe's grandpa who isn't doing too well.
We visited him in the hospital, then headed to the temple with Grandma Johnson and made a final stop at her favorite eating spot, Chuck-A-Rama.
Look at my bro-in-law indulging himself in some oreo goodness.
As we drove to the cabin was saw the most intense sunset over Henry Lake. So Gorgeous! Love mother nature .. on our trip we saw F I V E rainbows and a handful of gorgeous sunsets.
At the cabin we each had a night to make din din. I was giving Johnny a hand with his reuben sandwich's. He used to work at Gandolfo's and I should say he really learned how to cook up a good sandwich. So good! I have totally been converted to the reuben... rye bread, swiss cheese, sauerkraut, corned beef.. mmm!!
Once we hit the Palisade Reservoir that's when we saw a body bag.
We launched the boat and were waiting for Abe's Dad to get aboard when I asked search and rescue if that was a dead body. They said yep! We read in the paper the next day that the man had died trying to rescue his son who had fallen in the Snake River near Lunch Counter in Jackson Hole. His son survived but he did not. So sad and a bit creepy. We could see the impressions of the guys arms, legs and even nose through the bag!
Now onto a good note.. The palisades reservoir has some of the best water around.. nothing but glass. A little YMCA action near the cabin.
Even though most of the time the water is pure glass we were caught in several rain storms.
Twice on the lake we were attacked by strong waves, wind and one of the days when we pulled the boat off the lake and put the covers back on we got drenched and pounded by hail. It was quite the adventure!! As the cashier at the local market said, "Welcome to the Rocky Mountains."
On our vaca we also traveled nearly an hour from the cabin to Jackson Lake, boated around and stayed the night in a tent cabin in Colter Bay ... then it was off to Yellowstone for a day too!
Abe has always wanted to boat at the bottom of the GRAND TETON'S and he was loving life. Those are some intense mountains!!We all took a turn taking a ride ... we looked everywhere for great water and found it near this island so we made probably a hundred spins around it.
Abe riding
Ooding skiing

Like I said we stayed the night in a tent cabin at Jackson Lake. Well, since we were in bear country we had to put all the food and cosmetics in the bear box.
Since Abe's brothers had never gone to Jellystone we went for the day. I was amazed at how much we saw in such a short length of time. Yellowstone is one of my favorite places to visit for sure. Since i've only gone there in the Summer and Spring I really want to go in the winter and go snowmobiling. I also want to stay in the Old Faithful Lodge at least once in my life.. love that lodge.
Touring around the hot pots

We watched Old Faithful blow!

Yep, she still is as faithful as EVER! And if you want to see her right now then click on the link ... it's a geyser webcam love it! http://www.nps.gov/archive/yell/oldfaithfulcam.htm

i SURE do love my in-laws! I have so much fun with them (even if bickering occurs during acquire games). And since I grew up with all sisters they sure are breaking me into being around BOYS!
Next trip for us ... Abe gets to go on his first Young Family Vacation and the ratio there is mostly girls!

J U L Y

Well it appears that July is nearly over. I thought I would post a bit of what we have been up to this month.
We went to the Stadium of fire to see Carrie Underwood with my my aunt, uncle, cousin, sisters and some of their friends for the fourth of July.
We had a blast singing along with her tunes before, after and during the show! Poor Abe had to put up w/ us girls all night. He is such a trooper!!
Before the show we decided to get a bite to eat and Abe was saying how he loves Rubio's. I had never been there and neither had my sisters. So we made a stop in Provo, ordered and then we saw NieNie and her family. They are such the celebrities! A bunch of people came up to them and said how great she, her family, her blog and the Mormon Message that she is in is! It is so true. They are such great examples of strength, courage, love and compassion. I also had to tell her how great her Dad is too... because he was a State Rep. when I worked up on the hill during this last Legislative Session.
How great are they to take pics with us??!! We were hesitant at first but i'm so glad we asked them because they were so sweet and even talked with us for almost ten minutes.

This past weekend.. being Pioneer Day weekend we had a bbq w/ the neighbors, hung out with the fam and did some home rearranging and updating on the home.. more to come on that.@ the neighbors eating dinner!
Anjuli and me
My contribution to the bbq... fruit pizza
We then went up to Ogden on the 24th. Here's Abe and his Daddy bicycling to his Uncle Ben's house from the hospital where we were visiting Abe's Grandpa. We then swam for a bit at his uncle's house and that night went to Cedar Hills to have one last Pioneer Day party at Abe's Aunt's house, the Hale's home, before they took off to DC to go into the Foreign Services. We sure will miss them!! I can't believe I didn't take one pic :(
And just last night we went to dinner at my parents house and while we there my grandma showed us what came from her garden. Some sort of double cucumber! She needs to enter that into some sort of veggie fair competition!!