Monday, June 30, 2014

ROB'S BIRTHDAY


Rob invited me to his birthday dinner at "The Black Bear."
There was me, Renae, Rob, Nancy, and Howard.

 Had to send this pic to Mikey

 Birthday Boy

Went to their house to wrap things up.
Lovely selfie of me and Whitley

STRAWBERRY DAYS


Ever since Reid married Laurel, we have been involved with
Strawberry Days!
(I marched 4 years with the AF Band)
Chris was 3 weeks old for my first official Strawberry Days,
and we had sooo much fun taking him to the parade.
I used to go to the rodeo, but haven't been since the kids were little.
We've always enjoyed going to the parade, carnival, and the 
"Whiteley Lunch."
My lunch assignment was always popsicle/ice cream bars.

I went to the carnival with Laurel, Katie, Ashley and kids, and Heidi's family.
The entire family, except Chris...who was racing horses,
went to the parade and lunch.



 












 Yes, Addie wants everyone to know that she's #1!!!









 And now...for some fabulous pictures from Katie's FB page.
She was on the Merry-Go-Round

 Ally's first Merry-Go-Round ride

 Brooklyn's first Merry-Go-Round ride
 No one takes better selfies than Addie and Katie

 Mikey and Ally

 Oakley



 The Schmutz's

 Only in Utah!!!

 What was that scripture?  Train up a child the way they should go?
Teaching them right...right from the start!!!

 Hahahaha...Brooklyn and Auntie Ann's first selfie!!!




 Sandals


 At Aunt Shyrleen's


Saturday, June 28, 2014

PRIESTHOOD


Priesthood blessings equally available to all, LDS leaders say in new statement

Published: Saturday, June 28 2014 10:10 a.m. MDT





Tom Smart, Deseret News
SALT LAKE CITY — The Council of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released a statement Saturday about priesthood in the church, church service, questioning and apostasy.
The three-paragraph statement, posted Saturday morning on LDS.org, said:
"In God’s plan for the happiness and eternal progression of his children, the blessings of his priesthood are equally available to men and women. Only men are ordained to serve in priesthood offices. All service in the church has equal merit in the eyes of God. We express profound gratitude for the millions of Latter-day Saint women and men who willingly and effectively serve God and his children. Because of their faith and service, they have discovered that the church is a place of spiritual nourishment and growth.
"We understand from time to time church members will have questions about church doctrine, history or practice. Members are always free to ask such questions and earnestly seek greater understanding. We feel special concern, however, for members who distance themselves from church doctrine or practice and, by advocacy, encourage others to follow them.
"Simply asking questions has never constituted apostasy. Apostasy is repeatedly acting in clear, open and deliberate public opposition to the church or its faithful leaders, or persisting, after receiving counsel, in teaching false doctrine."
The First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles are the two presiding quorums of the LDS Church. They meet as a council once a week in the faith's Salt Lake Temple.
The statement comes at the end of a week in which media attention focused on the decision of an LDS bishop in Virginia to excommunicate Kate Kelly for action he said “has threatened to erode the faith of others.”
Kelly — the founder of an activist organization known as Ordain Women, which advocates the ordination of women to the LDS priesthood — learned she was excommunicated on Monday following a disciplinary council convened by the bishop.
Saturday's statement is consistent with recent teachings from LDS General Authorities regarding the role of questioning, doubt and priesthood authority within the LDS faith.
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, second counselor in the church's First Presidency, spoke at a recent LDS general conference about the honest search for truth through questioning.
"In this church that honors personal agency so strongly, that was restored by a young man who asked questions and sought answers, we respect those who honestly search for truth," he said. "It may break our hearts when their journey takes them away from the church we love and the truth we have found, but we honor their right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own conscience, just as we claim that privilege for ourselves.”
In the church's most recent general priesthood meeting, Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the church’s Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, noted the doctrinal bounds LDS leaders act under with regard to sharing priesthood ordination and authority.
"But even though these presiding authorities hold and exercise all of the keys delegated to men in this dispensation, they are not free to alter the divinely decreed pattern that only men will hold offices in the priesthood,” he said.
Elder Oaks said that although they are not ordained to the priesthood, LDS women already act with the authority of the priesthood in their church callings.
"We are not accustomed to speaking of women having the authority of the priesthood in their church callings," he said, "but what other authority can it be? … Whoever functions in an office or calling received from one who holds priesthood keys exercises priesthood authority in performing her or his assigned duties.”
Elder Oaks made those remarks during a meeting that was the subject of a direct action protest by Kelly and the Ordain Women group.
A national survey of Mormons found that 90 percent of Mormon women oppose the ordination of women. The percentage rises to 95 percent among LDS women with a high religious commitment.
Saturday's statement by the First President and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles contributes to public understanding of apostasy in the LDS Church.

ONE OF MY SADDEST DAYS EVER!



THIS IS DR. GARY RIDGE. 
 HE IS "FOOT DOCTOR TO THE STARS!"
WELL, MY MOM AND I.
I HAVE BEEN GOING TO HIM SINCE 2000.
MY MOM, ABOUT 25 YEARS.
I HAVE GONE TO HIM EVERY 9 WEEKS FOR 14 YEARS.
HE IS THE ONE THAT DIAGNOSED ME WITH DIABETES
BY LOOKING AT A SORE ON MY FOOT.
I HAD SURGERY IN 2007 ON MY TENDONS.
WHEN HE CAME TO SEE ME BEFORE THE SURGERY, HE
SAID HE HAD PRAYED FOR ME, AND HIM!
BOY, CAN HE MAKE A STRAIGHT SCAR!!!
 I HAD BLISTERS FROM NYC.
HE'S GIVEN MY SHOTS IN MY TOES, THAT YOU CAN'T FEEL!
MY NEUROPATHY DIAGNOSIS WAS ALSO HARD, BUT
HE HAS REALLY HELPED ME WITH IT!!!
WHEN MY TOES ON MY RIGHT FOOT BLISTERED DOWN
TO THE TISSUE FROM THE ROSE PARADE TRIP, I HAD
TO GO IN ONCE A WEEK FOR SKIN GRAFTS FOR 14 WEEKS!
(TAKEN FROM BABY BOY'S FORESKIN AFTER CIRCUMCISION.)
AND THEN OF COURSE, THE CHARCOT FOOT!
WHEN YOUR DOCTOR HAS TEARS RUNNING DOWN HIS CHEEKS
AS HE TELLS YOU ABOUT THE DIAGNOSIS, YOU KNOW HE
REALLY LOVES AND CARES ABOUT HIS PATIENTS!
HE ALSO WROTE THE WONDERFUL LETTER FOR ME,
LEADING TO MY RETIREMENT!!!
DR. RIDGE IS 68.  HE SAID HE HAS MISSED EVERYTHING
IN HIS KIDS AND GRANDKIDS LIVES BECAUSE OF
WORK AND CHURCH CALLINGS.
HE WAS A BISHOP, COUNSELOR IN STAKE PRESIDENCY
AND STAKE PRESIDENT.
THEY WANT TO SERVE A MISSION, BUT FOR NOW,
HE'S JUST HAPPY TO BE A 
"STAY AT HOME GRANDPA!"


 DR. RIDGE LOVES GOLF AND LOVES BYU.
WHAT MORE FITTING GIFT FOR HIM THAN
BYU GOLFBALLS?!

BRODY


One of my former students, Brody Pack, was in
town for his sister's wedding.
He invited Adonna and I to go to lunch with his family.
He lives in Oregon.
It was soooo fun catching up!!!



GOLF



GOLF?
THAT'S AN UNUSUAL POST FOR ME!

THE FREEDOMS FOUNDATION AT VALLEY FORGE
HELD THEIR ANNUAL GOLF TOURNAMENT 
JUNE 11 AT THE LINKS AT OVERLAKE IN TOOELE.

THIS IS A MAJOR FUNDRAISER, AND ONE OF THE
BOARD MEMBERS OWNS THE GOLF COURSE.











  MANY PRIZES WERE DRAWN, AND AN AUCTION FOLLOWED.
WE RAISED OVER $15,000!

AND, A FULL SERVICE CAR WASH FOR THE
VOLUNTEERS AT SUPERSONIC!