Gavin on Mormon Channel

Hi All, 

Many of you know that Gavin has been in recording sessions this summer for the Mormon Channel as part of a group of children discussing scripture stories.  The first episode is out and online now here: 

http://mormonchannel.org/programs/scripture-stories-doctrine-and-covenants-episode-1?lang=eng#d

There are a couple of talkative girls so he doesn't get much air time but go  listen to minute 11:04-11:23 to hear one of his responses  (he's a pretty bright boy!).  

Attached are the studio photos and also the audio segment above if your computer will play it.

Great job Gavin!!!! 

Re: Pumpkin Party Declared Wild Success!!!

Great Write Up on a Great Event, Peter!!! Thanks One and All for making it a Great Day! Special Thanks to Jessica (in Texas) who made all the invites, addressed and posted them but couldn't make it. It was the beginning of a Fun, Fun Day!...

Pumpkin Party Declared Wild Success!!!

The 20th anniversary of Paula's Pumpkin Party was declared a wild success by all of those that attended yesterday in Raft River.  It was a beautiful fall day with abundant sunshine and mild to moderate breezes.  The vast open spaces, association of family, continuous flow of delectable food punctuated with football, naps and a hayride made it an event to enjoy and to remember.  

Here's a link to all of the hot dog modeling photos: http://www.techmarketingink.com/photos/111022_pumkin_party/

Cami, Taylor and I buzzed the house in the Mooney as we had picked the the plane in Logan early in the morning.  It was so fun to fly over a solitary building on the first pass and return on the second to see the house had spilled out a whole yard full of occupants waiving to us!  We flew back to American Falls and started making calls to hitch a ride.  First one was to Kent who just happened to be driving past.  

Food was wonderful and started with a breakfast potato casserole.  Catching up, exploring, watching the little ones like Francie and Ryan and touring the Bro Brat mobile kitchen.  Lunch was a "Bro Brat" extravaganza - gourmet hot dogs and brats with homemade buns and everything possible to put on them--including peach-mango salsa and guacamole! Kids played football, jumped on the tramp and Howard slept.  The hayride toured the dairy with pools of organic waste, sheds of feed, corrals of milk cows and rows of baby calf pens.  We passed loads of sugar beets, a potato piler loading out a semi and then toured the new Webb Basin greenhouse of which we were all envious.  Looking forward to fresh tomatoes in February! 

Great to have so many able to attend and missed those that couldn't be there--especially Grandpa and Grandma, plus David and Jordan; Kendrick, Megan and Jenny; Jessica and Clayton, Elder Larson and soon to be Mrs. Webb Madeline; Brandon, Ashley & boys, Jamie of Zagreb; Nick & Kelly, Elders Josh & Joe, Melissa & Erica; and The Ben & Janet fam.  

The finale for send off was Paula's maple bars--freshly made scones smothered in maple frosting.  Those left us all hankering for more and anticipating next year! 

Weekend Update...

A wonderful Indian Summer weekend! I hope you all were able to enjoy some of it.  I was in Idaho on Friday and Saturday and what was thought to have been a rather dull fall for color came alive with not red but orange.  Yellow stubble fields, dried mountain grasses and whatever the trees with orange leaves gave a warming glow to the mountains and canyons.  Blue skies and some really delicate clouds.  

Family path crossings this weekend included having a wonderful evening with Jessica and the Merkley's tonight.  Dinner was delicious artwork and fun to catch up.  Jessica had just been messaging with Clayton and getting an update on whether troops were coming home from Iraq in December or not.  Sounds like the press may have hyped the story and the withdrawal is not to be as large or rapid as we were lead to believe. 

Steve, Shannon, Jord and Ty were in St. George for a few days.  We had them scouting real estate deals we've been watching from afar but in real life--not as good as the pictures! 

Dan was in Idaho looking at a Simplot job and also working on a job for Don at Monsanto.  Mom said he looked pretty professional!

Kent's minus a dog--I ran over it accidentally with my truck.  The night before, I swerved to scare them as the two pups and Deogee (D-O-G) were chasing intently but yesterday, just driving straight and one of the pups went for the back wheel, missed and died instantly.  Sad but not unexpected!  Listened to Kiana playing Fur Elise--very good! Kent & MIgnon are making plans to add on to their existing casa and we walked around imagining roof lines, entries and windows.  

Amy dropped by her juicer--fixed in Dad-style.  The refuse container and the plunger were missing so she had fashioned a new container out of an ice cream bucket and a bungee cord with a thermos cup for a plunger.  Pretty ingenious! 

Stopped by and visited Ben at the new world headquarters of whatever is the name of the company he's working for (it's not Rocket Engineering).  Lots of shop space and plenty of room for family boats! It's the old Peterson Equipment facility just north of the road where you turn to go out to the airport in Logan.  Nice little office space and good shop.

Michael called enroute to Florida for the SoftServe conference.  SoftServe is the company that we both use for development in the Ukraine and they host a conference in Orlando each year for their customers.  I was thinking of going but cancelled but didn't know Michael was also going. 

Stopped by to get hugs from Macie and see Greshen and Grant for a few minutes while Dad and I were in Soda shopping.  Don was at a game with Abby and Emily was at work.  Grant's finished football for the year.  

Had lunch with Frank and we stopped by Sam Hunter's Vent Racing shop in the same complex that Frank works.  Sam builds custom parts for 4-wheelers and he, Dave and friends are going to race 4 of them in the Baja 1000 in Mexico.  Also got to visit with Frank & Melissa on Saturday night for a while and they are doing good...will find out this week whether child #5 will be a boy or a girl! Gavin's scripture stories will be on the Mormon channel starting on Saturday--at the Pumpkin party! 

A few shots... cantaloupe from my garden; a bowl of corned beef and cabbage soup made from the cabbage I grew in my Orem garden; the magic spot from the bottom of the lane; some clouds and little Jenny in autumn wheelbarrow. 

An update on my back--I've been wearing the brace, going to physical therapy three times a week and stretching at least twice a day.  Tonight it feels MUCH better.  I actually have feeling in the side of my foot for the first time in weeks.  I think I'm going to avoid surgery if I can.  Thanks for everyone that has had me in their prayers and as they attend the temple. Really hoping for good things and a complete recovery without the knife! 

Love you all and looking forward to seeing most of you this weekend at the world famous PUMPKIN PARTY!

Love,

Peter 

Conference update

Hi All.... it feels like I'm "losing" something if I don't mark time with a post every couple of weeks or so.  It's important that we all keep synched and linked to each other in some way so here's what I know of who lately! 

First...me.  :-)  Finally got some insight into what has been happening with my back.  The attached photo with the dark, marble like thing at the bottom left of the cursor is a herniated disc in my lower back.  Doc said normally straight to surgery but because it was lighter color, it possibly could be reabsorbed so now stretching, going to physical therapy and had an injection of steroids to shrink the nerve and hernia.  Hoping for the best! Happened to run into my neighbor at the Dr. office who sells back braces--he hooked me up with one that night that seems to be helping stretch things out.

Wonderful conference weekend in Idaho! Loved seeing everyone and spending time with family.  I got the barn cleaned out and did some tractor work plus ate cucumbers, tomatoes and squash from Mom's gardens as well as artisian bread and bowels of soup from the wonderful cooks there.  Plums are ready for eating and thick enough to break branches.  Also had the chimney shroud replaced as the old one was made of stucco and falling apart.  With all the rain last night, comforting to know it was fixed and not leaking!

Dad and Mom are doing well.  They picked me up in Logan (flew the plane up for annual) and we drove home to find the basement with water all over the floor.  A sewer snake and some buckets took care of the problem.

Webbs all came to visit--we ate at least 5 full loaves of bread over the space of a conference session!  Paula sent Larsen a watermelon (one he planted in the garden) at the MTC! No dumb cookies from a girlfriend.... Boston legally drives at night!

Jamie's updated photos on Facebook of her trip from Rome to Zagreb, Croatia via Venice--pretty cool!!!  My roomies told me that a "nephew with a cute girl" stopped by to say hi over the weekend--Spencer, was that you?

Dan, Kent, Kai and Joe have been the great hunters....out at Grays Lake with bow and arrow on the prowl for bucks.

Shane's headed to Tuscon this week for more mission president training.  Sounds like he's booked with travel until Christmas!  Rest of the family's doing well.

Ben's battling a freak acid spill in one of his units that melted the mother boards but I think it's under control.

Hunters have their painted cupboard doors on with new cool handles! Paisley enjoyed her birthday!  Michael was in Las Vegas at a car park convention--hoping for good things.

Don's been managing multiple shut downs at Monsanto--calling in Great Basin Industrial (Dan) to help with a project! 

Frank and Melissa are celebrating their 10th Anniversary this week!!! (10/5/01)  Congratulations!!!!!