Family Ties August 13-27, 2006

Family Ties August 13-27, 2006

Dear Family,
We finally got in to write...nutshell version is on "comments".
Two weeks whizzed by since our last journal entry and much has happened. This week proves we are a family of travelers. Ed and Debbie flew to New York to pick up Trent from his mission. Dan & Ann spent the week in visiting Lisa & Trevor in California. Nancy & Jeff and family all arrived safely in their new home in Maine. Susan returned from her visit to Julie's family in Atlanta. Cyndi & Michael spent a business/pleasure week in Bermuda and your parents travelled all the way to Idaho and spent a delightful time with Lily and other
family members. We were pleased at the performance of our recent car purchase and even more pleased to hear of Janie and Skylers wedding date set for September 23rd, our own 59th wedding anniversary. Your father has received permission from the First Presidency to perform the sealing ceremonies for both Jake & Janie.
We are currently working on the best date for a joint shower for Janie and Jarica on the Labor Day weekend since the Madsen family will be here for their annual Labor Day trip to the cabin. We recognize David's family this year will be at Red Fish Lake for their annual family vacation. Steve, Liz, Dan, Jen will be in Las Vegas for their annual Labor Day vacation and Tyson in Bear Lake via special invitation for a "job well done" this past summer which doesn't leave many of us here...hence our dilema.
We were pleased that Mary Jane, Andrew and children desired to spend time with us at the cabin and were only sorry for the need of us to leave for Idaho a day before they needed to return home.
Our trip to Idaho had multiple purpose. Our first night was spent on the shores of Bear Lake Hot Springs where we slept comfortably in our SUV and then enjoyed a leisurly dip in the natural hot waters of Bear Lake Hot Springs. We spent some time in and around Paris where we toured recently restored tabernacle and learned some of the history of our ancestrol home. We also spent time in the museum and cemetaries. For some time we have had concern for the only living sybling of either of our parents, Bessie Stephens. We found the reason she had not responded from our past correspondance is that she and her husband are now in an assisted living center in Montpelior and are not in full control of their faculties. We did visit her and were pleased she remembered us. We also visited your dads cousin Maurene. Sunday morning we attended church in Dingle with Joy & Jean Alleman (your mothers cousin) who had also invited us to dinner. With these visits we learned much about our heritage. We traveled to Twin Falls via Pocatello where we manicured Mom & Dad Hymas's grave. Sunday night was spent with Ed & Melba visiting and then Monday morning prior to heading for Caldwell, Ed took us around the new Twin Falls impressive site for the temple where considerable construction is underway.
While at Caldwell, we were able to tour Nampa which has become the 2nd largest city in Idaho. This was accented by a visit to the old homestead which is now nearly covered with new expensive homes and only the pump house and maple trees remain of the home in which your mother grew up. We were also able to visit and "touch up" the grave stones of our parents, Edwin & Mary O. Cook. On Wednesday we went to Boise and visited with Eileen who helped us map out our anticipated trip with Lily next year to Nauvoo. We also visited with another of our niece's, Linda who is Ed's daughter and as you will remember took an Easter basket to Tyler when he served in Caldwell. On Friday morning we were able to attend the Boise Temple with Lily and that evening Jim & Sherrie's children hosted us to a party at Becky & Steve's home.
Lily's close friend and landlord, Connie Hadlock and her husband, who is also her bishop, show close attention to Lily's needs. We were pleased to know she is in such comfortable circumstances.
Our trip home was uneventful...we stopped first at Dan & Ann's who had not yet returned from their trip and then to Ed & Debbies to greet Trent and even Tyson who has been in Cleveland working the past summer and it was our first time since our mission to see both of them. Trent at 6'2" is now is the tallest of the boys and his added weight looks good on him. We are looking forward to his homecoming September 10th, his countenance shows the maturity missions bring.
Upon our return home we were pleased to find everything in order providing time for Marie's final preperation of her RS lesson which was presented this morning to a very complimentary group of sisters.
Truly another two weeks with many, many "Tender Mercies" evident.