Al's Transformation

The picture above is Al a few days before the birth of little Henry LeRoy. She was ready!

The lower picture was at the baptism of Mary CLare. I did a double take and had to look a little more closely to realize that the baby was now out and not still in. The profile you know. We are waiting anxiously for Mary who is due any minute for her second miracle baby.

All the best... Dad

More Grandchildren

Tuesday, May 27th

Never a dull moment. Last evening I got a call from Suz; she had broken her water and was in the hospital trying to have a baby. They put in an epidural catheter wand were giving her constant analgesic. She called me and reported that not much was going on. An hour later she called and said she had a 6 1/2 lb baby boy and send me a picture over the phone. He had that look on his face like, "Now where am I and what is exactly going on?" Suz said they did not have the contraction monitor on right and she said I do think I feel something and they looked and there was the head. Suz is in good spirits.

Well I think that is # 62 grandchild and # 96 in the family counting the original parents (me and Mom), all the children and the grandchildren... actually he is # 97 in the family because I forgot to count Julie. I have not gotten a certified number from our in house CPA, Becca.

Mary called my family excel file to update the last few grandchildren and come up with a current birthday list. She is the recorder!

It was birthday time again. Mom and Mary Clare were on Saturday. I bought Mom a European game out of wood, a Labyrinth" that requires a bit of dexterity to play. Saturday, we had Mary Clares baptism in our ward and families from Bountiful, Highland and Mapleton were there. It was a great baptism. The grandfathers, me and Jon Huntsman talked on our baptisms and the Omas, Mom and Karen Huntsman spoke on the Holy Ghost. It was great! After there was the party at Cheryl's.

That evening we had Dave and Neal Marriott over for dinner. He was my Elder's Quorum President and she was the Relief Society President when I was the Bishop of the Weston Mass. ward. We went out as mission presidents the same time. They went to Chile. They were gone two weeks when their 21 year old daughter was killed by a truck when she was jogging and we discussed the loss of beloved children. It was fun however to reminisce great old times in Mass.

Sunday, we had Doug and his family over for dinner and had fish on the barbecue grill. We went to the graveyard and put flowers on our grandparents grave. I am always moved when I visit Anna Hirschi Wirthlin's grave as she was the one that started the family in the Gospel joining the church in Geneva, Switzerland, at age 20 and then bringing her boyfriend, Leopold Wirthlin, to church and baptism also in Lake Geneva right after church.

Yesterday was Memorial day and we had a super barbecue at Al's. Paul's parents were there from Bloomfield Hills, MI. Paul did barbecue baby back ribs and brats. It was great. We did not get the plants in because of the rain.

I start back in the temple today.
We love you all, Mom and Dad


(Mary Clare is in the middle)

Busy Weekend

We seem to keep busy even though we are unemployed. This last weekend was great. Friday evening we attended the Huntsman Education Awards for excellence in teaching. Principals, teachers and volunteers are honored with a $10,000. prize. Cheryl and I are judges but we are outnumbered by all the teachers who are also Judges. This is truly a great thing that Jon and Karen do each year. Ten awards are given.

Saturday, Doug and I went to the shooting range with Douglas (whom I sprung from a house jail because he was behind in his reading). We had such a great time...the range was empty and we had the whole thing to ourselves. The weather was perfect and the rifles were shooting very accurately. Doug did three shots into one hole at 100 yards. Douglas was peppering cans and things at 30 yards. It was a lot of fun.

Sunday was busy all day. I had my early meetings in Paul's ward. I then had to arrange a stake ward missionary zone conference at 4:30 in the afternoon to which 50 came and we had to supply the eats as well. Cheryl helped make a chicken salad and Mom put on her usual great spread. The theme of the meeting was planning a spiritual baptismal service.

Then we had to host a fireside right after that in our home. This was one of my original missionary groups from 50 years ago. They called us on Thursday and reminded us we offered our home and by the way when you offer the home you also get the speaker and serve the treats. Mom did a super job of treats and we got Sam Park to speak on Joseph's Tomb (Joseph Smith). We were bushed!

Monday, I attended a Reid school awards luncheon at the Lion House for Madeline and Douglas. Cheryl came after I left and Paul was there. They tried to move me out of my seat and I refused to leave my Grandkids (Paul and Madeline) and while this was going on, Madeline was texting her mother, "Dr Reid is trying to kick Grandpa out of his seat!" After lunch we walked over to the church office building where I spent the afternoon answering the medical hot line phone in the missionary department.

Tuesday morning, I was in A Fib so Doug arranged for me to go to the hospital where I was cardioverted again. Doug as been a real help.

So that was the busy weekend.

Birthday lunch with the Daughters

It is unusual to write so much in my "Blog". Is blogging a little like "blarbing"?

Well today was Cheryl's birthday and the daughters got together for a luncheon. Al, Rebbecca, Cathy, Cheryl and me and Mom. The place was on 9th East and 9th South in a peculiarly granola part of town. There were all these little shops and young people walking around with backpacks.

They picked a Greek restaurant and I had a lamb shish kabob sandwich with politically correct organic vegetables and all these Greek ground up beans etc. It was pretty good but I wondered what I was doing there.. All had recent babies and Becca's is coming soon.

We were going to leave and plans were made I was going with Cheryl, Becca and Cathy to Soups and Spoons and Mom and Al said they were going to the "Lactation Station"

The what?

Lactation Station! What is that a Milking Salon? No and then the discussion went in the direction of everything lactation and I was turning green. Those politically correct organically grown chopped veggies were starting to rise to a new level. I sat there dismayed and listened to the discussion and learned there was another great store for new moms called "Bosom Buddies" and that was about the limit. When I learned there was a business in frozen breast milk I just about lost it. Where were all the guys when I needed them? After raising 17 children I am still learning about the process. Maybe because I was just in emergency rooms, operating rooms and offices all that time.

Well it was colorful but a little much for the old conservative Dad. That is one birthday luncheon I will not eaisilly forget. I must add that Cheryl and all the gals looked great.

Lovc Dad

A visit from Germany

We had a visit from a friend and her family last week. They mentioned they read my blog each week but it has the same picture of the statue in Nauvoo. I did not think anyone in the world read the blog and was surprised that one of them in Germany checks the blog each week so I will tell you a little about these friends.

This is Katje and her family. The Mom, Marita Muench is on the left, then Katje, her husband Daniel and their little girl, Talita.

Katje was my German tutor from the MTC as I was preparing for my mission. They gave me a returned American missionary first but I asked for a native German speaker.

Katje's story is one of those great wonders of the Gospel. sShe came over to Springville Utah as a high school exchange student and stayed with a great family in Springville. The dad was a Bishop. Katje became interested in the church and Restored Gospel and finally became baptized when she was 18.

She came back as a student at BYU and got a job at the MTC training the two mission presidents headed for Germany. She called everyday and we chatted for an hour over various topics in German. ( I had to get another tutor for the Grammar at Andover High School and took an evening German class for adult education.

Katje did a great job. Her mother lived in Howerswerda, East Germany. Katje was anxious that she also learn and accept the gospel and the sisters missionaries in East Germany visited her often. When I was in Munich, I learned that she was considering baptism and I called her and we discussed the baptismal interview and questions. She was baptized and later went through the temple. They came through Munich on a visit after Katje completed her mission in Moscow, Russia.

Katje returned to the Y and met Daniel Davidson who was also a missionary in that mission but they did not know each other then. She brought him by for us to meet and chat and after a little conversation She turned to me and said, "Und?" or Well? I replied, "Sehr gut.. weiter machen!" Or "This is very good, carry on!" Daniel was not so fluent in German then.

They were married in the Salt Lake Temple and now have a cute little daughter, Talita. Katje graduated in German and language studies and Daniel graduated in Slavic language studies. He just received full scholarship and a job to attend Ohio State to get graduate degrees in Slavic languages. We will forgive him the Ohio State as is is such a good deal.

I marveled how blessed Katje was after joining the church and how she has blessed the lives of those around her and her life has taken such a great direction.

Well this is my first blog in a long time and is dedicted to Katje's mother in Howerswerda, Germany... alles Gute