JULY--THE END IS NEAR!

It is hard to believe that our mission is coming to a close.  We have loved this wilderness camp...it has been an outdoor temple where we have experienced the ministering of angels and much revelation.  The windows of heaven have opened up and poured out many blessings upon the heads of our children as promised.  The sweetest blessing has been Tony's marriage to Megan!  We feel a large measure of peace....which is a gift from Heaven.

We had Marsha and Dave to dinner since I last wrote.  They are caretakers of the Grace Brethren camp nearby. He is the one that went with Dad to pick up the lost skier and drive him back to White Pass.  They also helped us when the snow was out of control.  We helped them put in a new window in their house.  Anyway, we have been talking about having them to dinner for two years.  It was good to have them.  When we go over to say goodbye we need to take the DVD "The Testaments"....they are not readers.....maybe we should give them our Book of Mormon cassette tapes?

We have been so busy with camps!  First, we had boys from Kennewick Stake here for a "Camp Helaman".....they worked so hard on Eagle Projects and other service around camp....it was quite amazing to watch.  They put in 1,394 hours! 

Our next camp was a Girls Camp from Moses Lake.  We loved them last year, but this year, their camp was disappointing.  Every night between 10:00 and 11:00, they gathered on the stage and around the seating area to dance to loud music.  By the time the leaders broke up the party, they were so wound up that they were running through camp screeching until the wee hours of the morning. Our next group of girls was this last week....they were from Puyallup Stake.  They were a much quieter bunch and thus, seemingly a more spiritual experience for the girls. The girls did service projects, but nothing quite like the boys.

Dad had a nice Fathers’ Day.  Thank you to those that called and/or wrote a letter.  The letters made him cry!  He also appreciated the thoughtful gifts.  I made him jello with fruit and oatmeal cookies with raisins.

One Sunday our home teacher, Vic and his wife Betty Jo invited us and Warnicks to dinner.  It was fun to take a tour of the dog kennels, tomato gardens, and his shop with a huge kiln.  He gave us an unfinished cutting board….Dad is excited to finish it.

Another Sunday, we were invited to dinner after church to Ted and Carole Huls’. They have a son that came home from his mission because of panic attacks.  He has suffered from depression ever since.  They brought him up to Camp “Z” on his birthday….he loved sitting out on the dock with Dad and watching a bald eagle fight with an osprey in the air over a fish. After dinner, he showed us an oil painting that he has been working on for the cover of a fantasy book that he is writing.  His mother teaches art in a local middle school…..we are “kindred spirits”! We went to the worldwide adult missionary training meeting afterward at the stake center.

The Cochrans (missionaries that work in the Bellevue office) came to Camp Zarahemla to experience Girls Camp, to say goodbye, and to do some computer training with Warnicks. They are such good people….he helped to rescue us when we had a big snowstorm this last winter.

We have also had dinner with Warnicks over to Wardell and Patti Larsen’s home. We took homemade bread and a quart of Dad’s apple juice.  Wardell loves to tell stories….he loves horses and has been quite a competitor in the past “cutting cattle”.

I have been very busy packing and cleaning, but this next week, I am going to play with grandkids!  Becca will be arriving Tuesday.  We are so excited to see them.  Melissa’s and David’s families will be here Thursday.  We are hoping that Chris’ family will be able to come Thursday or Friday. We wish Heather, Anna’s family and Tony’s family could come too….then it would be a reunion! The campers have been catching a lot of fish lately, so we are hoping that the grandkids will catch some too.

We woke up at 5:00 one day tto see a big elk outside our bedroom window…as soon as I shook Dad and said, “Look!”, he took off…..elk are a lot more skiddish than deer. Last night when Dad was going to bed, around midnight, he heard some munching outside…we had all of the windows open (it has been hot!)….he got a flashlight and shone it out the laundry room window….and sure enough there were “our” two deer munching away.  One seems to be the mama and one the baby…..they are so sweet! We will this and so much more!!

GOODBYE CAMP ZARAHEMLA!

JUNE--CAMP HELAMAN AND FISHING

Since Warnicks have been living at Camp Z, it has been a whirlwind of craziness trying to get ready for Girls Camp. The night before Warnicks arrived, we had a bus load of Kittitas 6^th graders here overnight. They were extremely well behaved and left the camp clean.  It was fun having laughter ringing through the trees again. The principal of the Middle School wants to bring his family back...he has a lot of “light” and loves Dad…we plan to give him a Book of Mormon.

One thing I forgot to include in the letter about our friends Elaine and Clark Rice is that when they were young parents, they would get a babysitter every week and go to the temple with a group of friends to do sealings for an hour…then they would go out to dinner or dessert. Rices had nine children, and each of the other families were large as well.  Of all their children put together, all of their sons have gone on missions and many of their daughters...all have been sealed in the temple and are living exemplary lives. They attribute it in large degree to their faithful, consistent, and unifying temple work.  Now, they get together with the same group for family home evening (“empty nesters”) to study the scriptures and institute manual. They still have a temple/date night as individual couples.

We had our 39^th anniversary this month.  When we were in Yakima for our P-Day, Wayne and Ellen took us out to dinner to our favorite restaurant.  Our days have been filled with deep cleaning and computer training.

This last Thursday, Friday, and Saturday Brother Brian Fauver volunteered his labor to lay tile in the Caretakers’ House.  He and Dad worked like slaves from sun up to sun down Thursday and Friday.  Saturday, they grouted what they were able to lay and will finish the project in two weeks.  The tile goes into the hall and bathroom...also into the laundry room. It looks amazing! During this project there were days when we were without a toilet! At the Brigham Young home in St. George, he had a beautiful “chamber pot” in the bedroom. I got to experience first hand what that would have been like for them! The Warnicks will have new tile, a new refrigerator, and a deep-cleaned camp when they take over! We feel great about that. 

We had two fathers and sons groups camping and all of the cabins and lodge full recently...it made for some craziness. We had the cutest non-member Hispanic family in Cabin One…they came in place of Rusty Walker’s family.  Rusty is a pediatric dentist in Richland (the Hispanic father works for him).  He is one of our favorite people!...he always brings us fruit from Costco. Well, this time, he out did himself!  He sent (via Rick Hernandez…whose eyes sparkle with the light of Christ!) a box of strawberries, a watermelon, 3 cantaloupe, 2 pineapples, a lattice apple pie, 2 trays of muffins, and last but not least, $30+ of steak for Chuck!…well, he did say he would share with our families that are coming up for the 4^th of July!

Saturday, after Chuck and Brother Fauver finished cleaning up at about noon, Carol decided to throw a bag in the car and drive to Connell to see Eliza’s and Miriam’s ballet recital!  Chuck stayed to care for the camp…there was still a family reunion going on. He is the best man on earth! So, the ballet was a grandmother’s dream!...and Eliza and Miriam were without a doubt the very best in each of their groups!..and I am not prejudiced!  After the ballet, we enjoyed a potluck dinner – Joanna and Andrea came with their children and contributions. It was fun to see how Jocelyn has grown up...she made us all laugh with, “Woa!  Look Mom!” Then, the children swam, and swam and swam, while the moms life-guarded.  It was just what the doctor ordered for me...utterly decompressing! I went to church with Melissa’s family, gathered some greens from the garden, and then I was on the road back to Camp Z.

Camp Helaman was our first group to come...the boys busied themselves serving the Camp! Each evening when things quieted down, Chuck tried to sneak away for a little fishing.

MAY--SPRING CLEANUP AND A VISIT TO CONNELL

May went by in a fast and furious way. Rebecca graduated from the University of Arkansas. Pictured below is when she received her senior athlete recognition. Spring Cleanup with felling trees is always a crazy time! We were so blessed to have the help of good brothers and sisters from Kennewick Stake!

Wayne and Ellen Warnick came up to live in their trailer just before the May cleanup. They parked their trailer on the drive next to the house. They helped us in so many ways to get the Camp organized for transition. I spent hours every day training Ellen on the computer.  They learned quickly, and probably wished we would have gone home early, so they could take over. It was probably hard on them waiting to be the Official Caretakers. 

We took a break after they were trained, and went to Connell for a visit. 

And then it was back to Camp Z for the love of wildlife in the wilderness!

APRIL--WEDDING BELLS!!

We spent many days fasting before our trip to Utah. We arrived very late on Wednesday before General Conference. Thursday morning, Andrea and Carol went to the Temple while Chuck studied the scriptures. When we got back, Chuck and Chris had packed up their golf clubs and were ready to meet David and Tony on the course by David's office for a round. Afterward, they had a three hour meeting...they all came fasting.  Chuck started with prayer and scripture study. They each took a turn bearing their souls...ending with a tearful group hug! We all met at Tuchanos for dinner...it was the Groom's Party on "Wedding Eve"! Chris paid for the party which was a very generous gesture that was much appreciated! 

Friday, we went to an indoor trampoline park to celebrate Cameron's birthday with cousins. Afterward, we went to lunch with Chris and Andrea...at the Vivant complex, with a cafeteria nearly the size of the MTC's...it was impressive! 

We met at the church at about 6:45. While we waited for Megan's brother to get there, we took some pictures of the happy couple, and Rocky, who had no idea what a happy occasion it was in his eternity! Megan's family sat on one side of the Relief Society room...and we sat on the other side. Megan's Bishop (her uncle--mother's brother) married them.

Before that special meeting with Chuck, the picture of our three sons together would not have been possible. When the brothers heard that Tony and Megan had plans to stay that night in Megan's parents' home, Chris got on his I-phone and found a discounted room at the Marriott in Park City.  David picked up the bill. That was so great of Tony's brothers!  Chuck made reservations for Tony and Megan to "honeymoon" in St. George at WorldMark Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights.

After the ceremony, we went into the Cultural Hall for a beautiful pot-luck dinner. Megan's mother had made a roaster full of chicken fettuccine.  Her grandmother made delicious rolls. The Lee women brought fruit, salad, and a veggie tray. The dinner was fun for the cousins too! Tony, Megan and Rocky looked so darling in their coordinating outfits! Megan's mom made a beautiful wedding cake. Best wishes to the happy little family!...We will all be together with them in the Temple next year!

We stayed with David's family for a couple of nights. He and Kira are "into" healthy desserts such as bananas with raw almond butter!...Yum! We took turns signing Alyssa's cast...she fell off the monkey bars a few weeks ago. Jenna was so cute...she was fascinated with the scarf that Carol was knitting.  She wants a pink one! Carol taught Melanie how to knit. She is going to do some chores around the house so she can buy some yarn and needles. She wants to knit a scarf for her Mom for Christmas! 

We attended Saturday Morning Session. Between sessions, Cameron and Jason played a new game. Cameron opened his gifts after the second session of Conference Saturday...before dinner.We loved hearing Jason sing 'Happy Birthday' in Chinese to Cameron! Kira and Carol took the little girls in the stroller while Melanie rode her bike. We walked for a good hour, while the men were attending Priesthood Session. We had cheesecake and ice cream after they got back  to cap off the celebration. Chuck gave a beautiful Father's blessing to David before we left Sunday after the morning session.

We loved our visit with Chris and Andrea! Andrea was so good to take Carol to the Temple, Walmart, Ross', etc...even though she has been feeling nauseous with a new baby due in November! Suzanne and Kathryn Fuluvaka came over Sunday to Chris' to visit...they were in Utah with Fergus visiting his sister Sharon and cousins. We stayed Sunday night with Chris and then headed back to Camp Z.

Soon after we got back to Camp Zarahemla, we had more snow!  Chuck even had to plow! It made our trip to Utah even more miraculous and very much appreciated. Then all of a sudden, it warmed up...Chuck decided to put the plowing blade to rest!...and reinstall the scoop! Yay for Spring! I found some wildflowers to put in a vase! In Naches, on our way to church, the trees were all abloom! 

Soon after the wedding, and before Tony left for Texas to sell security systems for Vivant, his good friend, Java, was baptized. Tony looks like his old missionary self...the "glow" is back!