CHERYL AND PAUL SPEAK IN CHURCH

Dear Family,

Today we went to the Holladay ward to hear Cheryl and Paul speak in their service. We went and sat on a row with their eight kids and it kinda remined me of sitting on an entire row with 14 of our kids in the old days in Michigan.

Here is Paul Jr. and Anabelle with her five sisters on the row. Mom had to take little Jonathan out for a change.

Maybe this is a local thing but I notice that the kids come to Sacrament meeting pretty well sugared up from Primary. Several of the girls had sacks of Carmel pop corn; Emily Eva was given a container of M&M's and then the girls got into Johnny's supply of mini waffles. Before the meeting started, there was this intense feeding frenzy for a minute and Cheryl could hear cellophane wrappers opening even from the stand. I am sure one of these days we will hear a talk in conference about this. But I must say after a very brief sugar intake, the kids were quiet for the whole meeting.

Cheryl gave a very good talk on making your home more like the Temple and went through some of the steps to increase spirituality and simply a good feeling associated with a home where love is found. She called the night before and we discussed some points. It was one of her best talks and she discussed some of the day to day difficulties of keeping a home like the temple. I liked what I heard President Kimball say in a training meeting that the only time you raise your voice in a home is when the house is burning! I think a good home has a special spirit or a good feeling that one can sense simply by walking in.

Paul gave a fine talk on preparing to visit the temple. The steps we need to apply are well known. He discussed the inertia that has to be overcome to simply go. He encouraged everyone to try to go at least once a month.

We went over to their home after and had wheat waffles and sourdough bread. It was a fun visit. Sundays are so great and we love visiting with family.

We go to Michigan over the Labor Day holiday. Mom and I will stay at the farm. John is coming up from Florida and Paul and Cheryl and all their kids are coming as well. It is Cheryl's 20th High School reunion. Big barbecue at the farm on Saturday with Bryan and his family and Mary and her family too...like old times. I plan to cut the hayfield for total relaxation.

Alles Gute and love, Dad

DEDICATION OF THE OQUIRRH MOUNTAIN TEMPLE

Dear Family,

Sunday we attended the televised dedication of the Oquirrh Mountain Temple. The Oquirrh mountains are the chain of mountains west of the Salt Lake Valley and before the west side was so totally built up, our family used to live in Bennion, Utah, part of the Oquirrh stake. Now there are several stakes just in Bennion alone. The temple lies in the western part of the Salt Lake valley.

We had not been to a temple dedication since the dedication of the Detroit Temple located in Bloomfield Hills, MI just three mile from where we used to live. Rebeca and Paul were married in that temple and I used to work there as well.

The dedication was the ninth session and the final one that was broadcast to the stake centers. You had to have a Temple Recommend or a slip from the Bishop to get in. Ours was held in our stake center (also our ward house where we have had several missionary reunions). Two stakes were there and it was packed. Cheryl, Madeline and Paul Jr. went with us. There had been flooding in the basement so all the furniture was stacked in the cultural hall until the repairs were made. Cheryl spotted the large soft chairs used in the High Council room and she made a bee line for them. It was very comfortable!

It was a very moving and impressive service. Elder Zwick and Ballard among others spoke. Elder Zwick's construction firm had worked on the construction of our house in the past and he had paved the cement patio. Elder Ballard had lived in our ward as well.

President Monson gave a great address and all mentioned the sacredness of the Temple and the work done there. He was moved when he talked about the miracle of the Freiberg Temple in East Germany behind the Iron Curtain which he dedicated in 1985.

I remembered my own experience as a young missionary in Switzerland in 1955. The Swiss Temple had been dedicated and my companion and I were the first missionaries in Zolikofen, the little Dorf where the Swiss Temple , the first in Europe, was located. As Missionaries, we worked in the Temple on Saturdays as Ordinance Workers for the English and German sessions. I remember the great sacrifice of the European members who made the trip to the Temple. Those from East Germany had to leave one member of the family at home (as a hostage to the government so the entire family would not defect to the west). My companion had an uncle and his family come from Saxony in East Germany, for their Temple blessing but the oldest son had to remain at home. The faith of those members making their first trip to the Swiss Temple made a great and lasting impression.

So it was a very moving event and we were all grateful again for the blessings of the Temple. We are back working again in the Salt Lake Temple. Hope you all will have more of a chance to go.

Alles Gute and Love, Dad

STAYING POWER

Dear Family.

We have this great little place on Bear Lake. It is not exactly on the lake but very close. It is a rural home built in the 20's and is loaded with rural Idaho charm. We have not changed the house; it is great as it is.

The house does take a beating during some winters. Last year, the strong southern winds blew most of the asphalt shingles from the roof. We had to replace this with a steel roof. The winds were hard on the paint and the south side was almost stripped to the wood. Two of the boys decided they would paint the house for this years project. Roy and Alissa and their family were there for two seeks.

Douglas and his boys went up for a quick weekend and power sprayed the house in the rain and 45 degree weather. He could not start the priming. It became warm again and Roy an his boys put on a thick coat of primer. We drove up there and Roy decided he would paint the house further. The paint sprayer was called into action. Mom taped the windows and Roy sprayed on another coat of primer and then a coat of white paint. Her is Lexie helping by moving the ladder. The house will look great.

The kids maintain that the house has a certain "staying power". That is it weathers the storms and even as it might require a touch up here and there, there is something sturdy and lasting. We also weather storms in our lives and we constantly seek "staying power" and stability. This place has proven character! Try to follow its example.

Alles Gute, Dad

WATERING THE LAWN IN ST. CHARLES, ID

The neighbors on Bear Lake are a bit far apart. We decided to have an innovative way of watering some dry spots on the back lawn. This technique does not work in Salt Lake. I guess you could just use a sprinkler but this is more fun. The kids love Bear Lake!

Alles Gute, Dad

BABYSITTING

We seem to be doing a little babysitting lately. Our kids go on vacation and they often leave the littlest one with us. This time Alison had to go back to Michigan to look at property and Paul had to work so Mom did the honors.

They always leave detailed instructions as to what to do with little children, what to wear, what to eat and not eat and when to sleep. I chuckle... didn't we have a little experience raising children. Maybe they forgot but then again maybe they remembered and thus the detailed instructions.

When Cheryl left Jonathan, I found he ate whatever I was eating and was the best little guy.

This time we had the six kids and Mom picked me up at the Church headquarters following my stint in the medical part of the missionary office. We had to go to Sam's Club to pick up eyeglasses. While walking around there, a random lady come up to me and asked if my name was Wirthlin. I said, "Yes, how did you know?" "We saw you on television doing the Joseph Smith surgery presentation!" They showed that segment quite a few times.

Well anyway, as I was leaving, I noticed that there was a hot dog and a soft drink combo for $1.50 so I called Mom and she brought in the six kids. They all got a big Italian sausage and drink and when finished, they had that imploring puppy dog look in their eyes. "Does anyone want another hot dog?" All hands went up so we had a second round of huge hot dogs and we forgot whether that was on some sort of Verboten list.

They were full and tired so Mary put them all in a cart and wheeled them to the car. In the top part, there was little Henry, Clara and Mary Mu Mu. Crawling into the bottom shelf was Peter and William with James keeping it all stable.

So after doing this for years we find ourselves still pushing little kids in shopping carts.

>Alles Gute, love, Dad

NINE LIVES

Dear Family,

The girls have always said I had nine lives but I think I have well exceeded than number. They used to joke about it. Once Mary Elizabeth, Paul and Cheryl and I took a short trip to Switzerland and we had two cars. Paul and Cheryl lagged behind on the Autobahn and Mary asked why they kept back. Cheryl said because they did not have as many "autobahn nine lives" as we did. Having been under the weather this past week made me think of this again.

Sometimes we go through life thinking we dodge bullets, getting past those unforeseen things not under our control that come at us. This last week was such an occasion.

It started out as a bad summer flu or cold. I was grounded and then on Thursday night something happened that was different and serious. I called Doug who called ahead and made arrangements in the Emergency room at 2 in the morning. We were met there and went through some complicated diagnostic tests. There was an "intervention team" there just in case. At the end of the tests it was felt that the intervention might be too dangerous and we would wait and see if things did not get better "by themselves".

There was steady improvement. There were more tests, consultations, blood draws at 4 AM (I hate hospitals) and things got better. (Swine Flu negative). After two days I was 95% improved and that without a single treatment or medication to change the course. We went on some medication to hopefully prevent a future occurrence but it was remarkable how much better I became. Some of the grand kids did not like seeing me in the hospital... you really do not look your best in one of those hospital gowns.

When I was discharged after two days, I felt I had dodged another bullet. As I thought about this, I decided that was not quite accurate. I had taken a direct bullseye hit and walked away with scratches. I have long since given up ascribing turns of good fortune as random acts of nature. I felt thankful again for what I felt was Heavenly intervention. I was grateful for Doug, the staff at the hospital, and all those who helped. I was grateful again for the Blessings of Heaven.

I am taking it easy for two weeks. When I got home, Alison made the best pot of Matzoh Ball soup using a recipe that Karen Koenig's mother used. It was good to be home. I went to church on Sunday.

Alles Gute, love, Dad