Explosion of Color

I have really been impressed and amazed with the colors of autumn I have seen in the past week. I don't remember the leaves ever having been as vibrant or bright as they have been this year. I think it is because we have not had a lot of rain, which means the leaves are not crumpled up and withering on the ground, and the skies have provided a bright blue background. I choose not to believe it is because I am just getting older and appreciating the autumn colors more.

Wright Park-built in 1886

I love the contrast of the leaves and the tree bark

Wright Park--27 acres of heaven

Wapato Park--opened to the public in 1889. Named after small potato-like vegetables which grew there

Railroad tracks near the T.O.A. not far from Titlow

Looks like New England, but it's our beautiful Tacoma

Bridge to the Tacoma Outboard Association

Joy and Pumpkins in Spokane!

This weekend we took the opportunity to go to Spokane, where Matt, Gina, Reagan, Kelsey, & Gwyn live. It just so happened that Devin, Dacia, Tanner, Anson, & Ella were there, after having visiting Utah. It's not frequent that we are able to get together with all the grandkids any more. And this was the first time that they were all in Spokane. All six of them love each other so much! There are major tears when they have to say their goodbyes at the end. OK...so maybe the tears are mostly grandpa and grandma's.

While we were there, Matt took us to a place called Sieman's Pumpkin Farm to take part in all the fall activities there. It was the perfect place for kids to run around and have fun. And their parents. And their grandparents. There was a hay loft, a corn maze, a castle, a boat to play on, pretend animals in cages, two tractor-powered "trains" (Big Toot & Little Toot), and even some pumpkins.

Ship of Grandkids

Playing in the hay loft

Ella enjoys the excitement


Entering the maze


Tanner & Anson aboard Little Toot

After that, we all went out to Wingers for dinner. I hope everybody in the restaurant had as much fun as we did.

Tanner & Kelsey have always been cousins & best friends

The End!

Fireside talk and General Conference

Today I gave a talk at the Single Adult fireside. I tried to get about six others to do it, but when they couldn't for various reasons, I knew the Lord decided it was my turn. As I was watching the Relief Society broadcast last Saturday, I realized my topic was supposed to be revelation. Interesting that it was revealed to me that the topic of my talk should be revelation. It was not because I am excellent, or even good, at receiving revelation, so I guess it was something I needed to learn more about. As I sat in sacrament meeting last Sunday, I had dozen of thoughts come to me, which I immediately wrote on my church bulletin. One of the things I learned is that when revelation comes, it needs to be written down and acted upon immediately. So I did. I spent all week studying and reading and pondering the topic of revelation. Then during all the sessions of conference, I heard so many general authorities mention revelation, that I knew they were talking to me. I spent all the time in between sessions of conference trying to organize my thoughts into something coherent and that made sense. In my calling as a high councilor, I give a talk every month in an assigned ward on an assigned topic. When I prepare for a talk, I prepare enough for a fireside talk. So when I prepared for this fireside talk, I prepared enough for....I don't know, maybe a book or something.

As I was finishing up my talk after the last session of conference and before dinner, all of a sudden I became frantic and frazzled. I couldn't remember any of the things I had read, or where I had read them. So I did the best I could, took my talk with me, and trusted in the Lord. I think it turned out very good, but I don't take credit for it. I know that when I do my part in preparing a talk, or fireside, that the spirit will help those who have prepared, to hear what the Lord would have them hear. As the speaker and hearer are prepared, their spirits communicate with each other through the Holy Ghost and give the inspiration and revelation which is needed. I also realized that it is all right to over-prepare. As people made comments, I was able to use parts of the talk which I was not planning to use.

I learned from my preparations, that the Lord reveals things to us on his time frame. Many is the time I prepare a talk for the next day, only to awake in the morning and realize that it's not right, and then while I am taking a shower, all these thoughts come to me. Amazing how it works. I also realized that many is the time we receive revelation without even knowing it. I think about my father taking a couple of years to write his life story, only to finish it just a few years before dementia set it. I'm sure he was inspired to do it when he did it without even knowing it.

Conference was also wonderful. It was enjoyable to have Travis & Jaqui come over to watch conference with us. I am always reminded of how, when King Benjamin gathered everyone together to listen to him speak (I imagine it was a general conference of sorts) they gathered as families in their tents to listen to his words. Not as wards, but as families.

When I was younger, I used to enjoy talks about tithing and the Word of Wisdom...things that I can say I do 100%, but that really does me no good. Now I enjoy hearing talks about all the things I am lacking in, which inspires me to improve myself and be a better person. I think when I hear talks like that, the spirit speaks to me, which is a comforting feeling. Hopefully I will be able to realize some changes in my personal life because of this conference. If you don't notice them...maybe they're deep inward changes.