Halloween is always fun, but not when there's no witch... Thanks to Ann,

witches have been part of our Halloween celebration for decades

~Bradley with our beautiful witch Mya~ ~Jamison June making a witchy face~~The witch sisters, Katherine & Sarah ~Witch Katherine is ready to ride~

Everyone was NOT a witch...

Pirate Owen

Pirate Marshall, Indiana Jones Coulson, and Walle Bradley

WallE Bradley

Here's Josh, the best Disneyland tour guide EVER Our group of 22 had such a great time at the happiest place on earth. Thanks SO much to Josh and Sara! We needed a leader, and Josh was the man!!! He had us "park hopping", using Fastpasses, and riding with "child swap" tickets. Waiting in lines just did not happen. His timing was impeccable. And Sara, oh my goodness, what a great helper! Opting out of the Tower of Terror, or California Screamin' was not an option for me, not with Debbie there, telling me to me to get on and scream and then laugh. So I did! I'm glad I did. I rode California Screamin' with Skyler. Before the ride started, I asked her if I'd be OK and she assured me I would. When the ride ended, Skyler looked at me and asked: "Well, how'd you do?"

I've lost my cookies...
Another sign of the times.

Happy Birthday

to my beautiful sister

Valerie I bet good ol' Ter' would call this girl today,

to wish her a happy birthday, if only he could.

Two of the nicest women I have ever known...

Here (left) is Aunt Billie (Rolla Irene Bishop Beedles), and (below)is Aunt Millie (Mildred Lorraine Bobbitt Bishop). These are two of the nicest women I have ever known. Of these two, it could be said: "They never spoke ill of anyone." Aunt Billie did so many nice things for my sister Debra and me. Each summer we'd take turns staying a few days at her house. She lived less than ten miles from us, but it was fun to go stay at her home. When my dad was suffering, and in the last stages of bone cancer, Aunt Billie just moved in, so that she could help my mom take care of Dad. One night, when Dad was fading in and out of consciousness, he told Aunt Billie that he could see his deceased mother in the room with them.

Aunt Millie, was a person without guile. Every year, without fail, I received a birthday card from Aunt Millie. Aunt Millie could play the piano by ear. I thought that was so amazing. The smile on her face in this photo says it all. She was just plain NICE. These two Christlike women, were not members of the Church. On August 30, 2008, at the Bountiful Temple, Sarah did the baptism for Aunt Millie. On September 9, 2008 Debra was able to be baptized for Aunt Billie, in the Los Angeles Temple. So...I hope they now have joined the fold. I do love them.

Side note: In 1957 Aunt Millie's sister, Leda Essick, traveled with her family from Kansas to California, for a vacation. Tragically, when within one mile of Leda's mother-in-law's home, in Riverside, California, their car was hit by a train. Everyone in the car died, except Leda. Leda, who was just 34 years old, lost her husband, her 14-year-old daughter, her 12-year-old daughter, and her 9-year-old son. I did not know Leda. Aunt Millie was married to my dad's brother Howard, so Leda was not my aunt. I only met her once, at Aunt Millie's, when she was recovering from the tragic accident. I vividly remember her shaved head, with what seemed like tons of stitches. When I was preparing Aunt Millie's name for the Temple, this thought occurred to me: "Aunt Millie was such a nice person, don't you think her sister was probably a nice person too?" So, when Sarah was baptized for Aunt Millie, Ann was baptized for Leda, and her daughters, and Tyler was baptized for Leda's husband and their son.

Totally Spaced it...

Baptism font in the old cathedral of Barcelona, Spain.

Indians brought back by Columbus were baptized here.

My debit card has been used by someone other than me three times, in as many months. Yesterday, I drove over to the bank to get yet another debit card. The door was locked, and the bank was closed. The sign in the window said: "Closed in observance of Columbus Day". Sadly, I don't think I would have remember Columbus today, had I not gone to the closed bank.

In the Book of Mormon, Nephi records: "And I looked and beheld a man among the Gentiles, who was separated from the seed of my brethren by the many waters: and I beheld the Spirit of God, that it came down and wrought upon the man; and he went forth upon the many waters, even unto the seed of my brethren, who were in the promised land" (1 Ne. 13:12). That man, was Christopher Columbus. Columbus recorded: “With a hand that could be felt, the Lord opened my mind to the fact that it would be possible to sail and he opened my will to desire to accomplish the project. … This was the fire that burned within me. … Who can doubt that this fire was not merely mine, but also of the Holy Spirit … urging me to press forward?”

So...Family Home Evening could have been about Christopher. Could have had (round) pizza for dinner. Could have...

Because Columbus was led, we are here in this choice land today. I'm thankful for Columbus.

General Conference

I have loved attending, watching or listening to General Conference since I can remember. I am thankful that we can have direction from our modern day Prophets. I have participated through many different venues over the years. I have attended in the old Tabernacle. I've attended in the Assembly Hall on Temple Square. I have attended in the new Conference Center. I've listened to Conference on a transistor radio. I've listen to conference on the car radio, as we've been driving. I've watch Conference at home, or in the homes of some of my children. I've watch Conference at many church buildings. There are many years, I can remember exactly where I was listening. For example, Terry, Tad and I listened to Conference while relaxing outside in the backyard of the Stake Patriarch's home, on April 7, 1974. The Patriarch and his wife were on a mission, and we lived in their home while they were gone. Later that evening, Tyson was born. This year I watched all the sessions of Conference with Loren and Sonya, and Noah, as we looked forward to little Lyla joining the family.
This past Conference was wonderful. There was so much guidance given. Sarah and Ann have share some nice thoughts about General Conference. To their posts, I shout out: "Ditto!"

So, why the photo of my dad? Well, Dad was not a member of the Church, but he would always join us when we watched General Conference from the living room of my childhood home. In a private conversation with Dad, when he was riddled with bone cancer, and he knew his days were numbered, he told me that he knew the Church was true. Dad lost his battle with cancer on April 4, 1982. On October 18, 1984, in the Los Angeles Temple, by proxy baptism, Dad became a member of the true Church. The Church he knew was true!

Six years and six days later...

I remember when Aunt Elizabeth was a blonde, & baby Mya was brand new.

Sometimes time goes SO fast.

Oh, Mya Nicole Pants Tree Marshall, you are my favorite six-year-old in the entire universe.