Kali

A very sad night for dad, Aubrie and I.

Our little furry friend, Kali, has passed away.

She lived a happy life with an owner, Aubrie that loved her more than she could express, and to mom, dad and myself, she was appreciated and loved as well. I'm sure to those others in the family she was well-liked and created happiness with her carefree and silly ways... As Austin would say, "Oh- KAli."

She will remain a happy memory, and we anticipate the time when we can see her again.

Easter time with Briana and the kids...

Good times were had by all this weekend!!! We didnʻt have any baskets handy, but since I have lots of fun bags, that worked just as well. :)

Carter is Eight!

Our once-little Carter has just turned eight. His baptism date is set for February 6th at 10:00 in the morning. This is a stake baptism, held at 275 East 500 South, Pleasant Grove, UT‎, our stake center. We will have a brunch/lunch at our house afterward.

Please come!

Paul Herbert Beatty's Funeral 9/19/09

Bishop Robinson conducted the funeral services at 9am at the Gateway building, amidst an array of beautiful flower arrangements. The casket was a baby blue, adorned with light blue flowers and ribbons.

The first speaker was Sandra Beatty, a daughter in-law. She said a lot is contained in the dash between one's birth and death dates. (She referred to Herb as Grandpa throughout her eulogy).

Grandpa's dash was a fine example to us all.

He was born the 7th of 13 children to parents who joined the church 3 years before his birth. When he was 10, his father died in the line of duty: as a firefighter. The strength of his mother was another amazing example as she raised all those children alone. on June 11, 1944 he was baptized into the church and it became his lifetime commitment.

Between 1944 to 1946 he served in World War II, after which he did odd jobs requiring various skills. He could do anything from plumbing to siding to roofs to car repairs. He married and they

Uncle Ray Barton's Funeral

With the passing of my great-uncle Ray, (for those who don't know who this is, he's grandma Child's sister Helen's husband) I was honored to have been in attendance at his funeral. He was a man beloved of all who knew him and I, having not known him well in life, hope to take an example from the things I've learned of him today. I wanted to share a few of those things here.

Some quotes from his life (as well as I could jot them down):

"Why do you chase yesterday's light? Don't look into the darkness but turn around and face east."

"Choose success rather than time debilitating habits." Or "time vampires" as he called them.

"You are a miracle. Look at your finger. There is no one else with your DNA sequence, no one else with your fingerprint match."

"Children are our hope for the future."

"1) Pay tithing first, then pay yourself savings. 2) Get your extended family together as often as possible...howl a little bit. 3) Read the Book of Mormon every day, then go out and do battle! 4) Take command of your time. Carry an appointment book. Be at meetings and appointments at least 5 minutes early. 5) Freely express gratitude. Write little thank-yous. 6) Pray always."

"I'm proud of you."

Among the thoughts and memories shared about the life and legacy of this great man were these:

Uncle Ray always had three things with him each morning: two bowls, one for his cereal and one to prop open his scriptures. This was to remind him every day of the need for both proper physical and spiritual nourishment. And third, a picture of his wife. He kept pictures of her everywhere.

Uncle Ray played the violin beautifully. He kept a picture of his wife in his violin case. They met playing together! He was also a physician for 40 years, delivering some 2,000 babies and caring for untold thousands more.

The stake president gave his remarks and among them he shared, "I will miss hearing weekly that someone was proud of me." Uncle Ray was always complimenting and praising others. Always saying, "I'm proud of you."

And, Uncle Ray always made everything fun. In everything he did it always seemed he was having the time of his life.

"The spirits of the just are exalted to a greater and more glorious work...They are not far from us." -Joseph Smith

Zion's National Park

I have more info on my blog too if'n you wanna check it out!

The Amazing Adventures of Flat Stanley!

My first adventure once I arrived in Utah was going on a trip with Uncle Jeff in his new car.

Had I known I was taking my life into my hands, I may have stayed in my envelope!

First, we checked out a video.

Next, I was acquainted with some of the local culture...whooooooo-hoo!

Yee-haw!

The next day, Elaina and Carter took me on a very special adventure: the Museum of Ancient Life at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, Utah. This is the biggest dinosaur museum in the world!






Can you find me in the massive teeth of this prehistoric Great White shark?


Surprise! I thought I'd help dig for some dinosaur bones, too!

Well, I had a great time in Utah! Now, it's off to Japan. I can hardly wait to tell you all about my next adventure!