Father's Day, Youth Conference, Stampede Game, etc.

As usual, there is always so much going on that it's hard to stop and record some of it. I took a business trip to St. Louis, MO mid-June. The following Sunday was Father's Day. We had a nice meal in our back, added-on room, with the Patriarch and Matriarch attending.

Dad and Mom on Father's Day.

The next week I took off Friday to participate in our stake Youth Conference. Our stake youth and adult leaders, with contractors supervising, were divided into work groups and converged on 23 homes in our stake area, including non-member (non-LDS) homes, to do some major projects. This is a shot of the first home the group I was assigned to worked on. Our team did landscaping and changed weed-filled flower beds to manicured beds covered with chips. We next painted the porch and railing (two coats). Meanwhile, another team re-roofed the house. The lady who lives here is single and has medical problems. She is Baptist and was overcome with emotion at the work done for her. By the way, the LDS church donated $30,000 to the projects and Logan City donated another $20,000.

Here I am with a couple of youth from another ward in front of a home not far from my house, but over the walking bridge that spans Logan River. Several crews did some serious landscaping here. Note that we all wore those Mormon Helping Hands yellow T-shirts. In this home resides another single lady. Our projects involved full days Friday and Saturday, with various activities for the youth in the evenings. Sunday we held a special Sacrament meeting in the Logan tabernacle, and then a fireside that night at the stake center. Leisa and Camber Firth put together an amazing slide show set to music as a summary of the many projects done. A well known youth speaker, Brad Wilcox, gave the keynote address about service focused on "lifting up the hands that hang down."

Our ward was in charge of breakfast on Saturday for the 450 or so people involved. We started the set-up at 5:00 a.m. It was a serious operation. Gayle was in charge of getting and delivering the juice and then stayed on to help serve the workers. I also assisted.

(L to R) Jeff King, our neighbor, whose wife was in charge of food, watches the pancake flippers. Marlin Grant, our previous bishop gets ready to flip, while our current bishop, Mark Firth, pours some new pancakes.

Kent Millecam cooks up a big one for a member of the stake presidency.

They even managed to flip it.

Here's a shot of a big happy pancake. One of the stake leaders got it.

That same Saturday we saw the undefeated Logan Stampede (AA Rocky Mountain League) win the championship game played at Logan High. Here's Avril, Alicia, and Jesse, with the MVP trophy, which he was awarded after the game.

Pop and daughter.

MVP and league trophies.

Nancy and Brandon Muncy came with several of the clan to see Stephanie off on her mission to Birmingham, AL. Before dropping her off in Provo, they came to Logan. We were able to get a lunch in with them and the grandparents at the Golden Corral. Here we are waiting for some of the family. Of course Gayle is behind the camera.

Stephanie is in the blue. The rest are Muncies or Parkinsons.

Avril had a good time too. Here she is trying to talk. This consists of blowing bubbles and squeeling.

Alicia and Jesse packing away some much needed caloric content at the Golden Corral while Brandon looks on. Avril puts on the weight as Alicia seems to lose it.