Polly 18 Months!

Here are pictures from Polly's last photo shoot! I had a free sitting and a free 8 x 10 at Sears, so that's about all that I got & might take more myself just for fun. I just scanned them at home, so they aren't the best quality. The giraffe isn't ours, but I find myself wishing I would have taken one of her own stuffed animals so that when we look back at the pictures they aren't just full of props from the studio but something that was actually hers when she was little. Oh well, still the cutest pictures I have ever seen! Thanks to Molly for "buying" the shirt in the picture. "Meaning" that she said she would buy it, but when we got to the check out she stuck it in with my stuff & it ended up on my receipt. I guess it was worth it. :)

Peach Ice Cream - the count down is on for Lotoja

One week from tonight the LOTOJA riders and some of their families will be looking forward to the highlight of the trip for many - home made peach ice cream at the Twin Pines Ranch. Mom and Dad have assured me that the ice cream maker will be ready to go. The big question for the ride is the same as always - what will the weather be like? Sunny and perfect like last year or the rain, snow and cold like 2005? Only John and Mark Facer have shown the willpower and determination (or was it stupidity?) to ride in the rain. This is one time we should not "Pray for Snow".

Got Links?

I spent a few minutes today adding a few links to the list at the bottom of the blog. Any suggestions on other links that should be included? If so, add your suggestion to the comment section and I'll add the link.

Life in Logan

Count the freckles....


It takes at least 2 to stop Emmett #26




A new zip line in our forest (backyard)

Here are the kids on the first day of school....

Many thanks!

Tom brought the digital camera to the house yesterday and after spending a day opening everything and trying to read and understand the directions, I tried a few pictures in the yard today. It works great so I have attached a few of the pictures to show you that it does work and is very much appreciated! Tom had to come and show me how to get the digital pictures into my Photoshop Elements program and I had to spend about an hour finding out where the pictures were after I saved them but I think we are making progress so wish me luck. I have about decided to use my old lens (a Tamron 28-200 mm. zoom) with the digital camera and put the Tamron 28-80 that came with the new camera on the EOS camera that uses film so Norda can use it to take pictures when she want to have prints made. Wish us both luck and thanks again.

House where the new camera will be carefully stored.

Butterfly bush blossom in the back yard.

Trumpet vine blossom with bee in the top one.

The north side of the garden.

Norda's raspberry patch in the north-west corner of the yard.

Take your kid to the pool!

Polly loves to go to the pool. I love it, too & we should be taking better of advantage of it these last couple weeks before it closes. No, today Polly is playing with this particular floatie when I tell her it's time to get in the tub. She proceeds to put the toy in the bathtub while I am out of the room. So whatever, she can play with it in the tub & of course she kisses it just like anything else. She likes it more as a house toy than a pool toy so I guess we are getting out money's worth out of it. I will not be doing this with any other children, she gets away with too much.

End of Summer in Springville

First day of first grade

First day of fourth grade

First pee in the potty

Sarah's 9th birthday party--the gala premier of High School Musical 2

Party guests in boas and sunglasses. The flags are Independence Day banners from Indonesia that will now be flown in front of the Emmett home for all days of celebration.

The guests strike a red carpet pose

And you thought Chad didn't take chances...

Chad returning swamped canoe to shore so Robert Stettler could take his turn at getting a Canoeing merit badge in 1969.

Indonesian adventures

North Sulawesi--Bunaken National Maritime Park. Great scuba diving on the coral reefs surrounding the ancient volcano of Manado Tua.

Sidoarjo East Java. Last year exploratory drillings for natural gas punctured an underground reservoir of hot vocanic mud. That mud has been flowing forth unstopped covering villages and mosques. Now large dikes (at least two stories tall) channel the river of hot mud--with the help of sweeping arms of backhoes--further along into a river and out to sea.

Malang East Java. Sister Etter (part Navajo, Stanford Grad, right) with Sister Kurniawati. Sister DaisyKurniawati is the daugher of Sister Darsi--one of the first two Inodonesian sisters to serve a mission. Darsi was a companion with Mary Ellen Edmunds. Sister Darsi raised Daisy as a single mom. Darsi died of diabetes a few years ago leaving Daisy an orphan. Daisy recieved no mail the first few months of her mission. She then got permission to contact Sister Edmunds who upon learning of Sister Kurniawati's plight decided to act as her surrogate misison mom--sending her weekly e-mails and packages. I got all choked up when I learned of the on-going love between two missionary companions who served together thirty years ago.

Medan North Sumatra. Elders preparing an investigator (in turquoise) for her upcoming baptismal interview. She was orphaned by the earthquake two years ago on the island of Nias and was taken in by this very poor, relatively new member family (the father is blind).

Bandung, West Java. Borther Sijanto and his wife Sisiter Yanti told me their amazing story. One day in 1999 he bought a Book of Mormon (Kitab Mormon) at a used book store. He read it and believed but didn't know what church used the BOM. He never saw the name of the church in the front of the book. He read in 3rd Nephi that the church would be known by the name of Jesus Christ so he looked in the phone book and found four churches in Bandung that have Jesus Christ in their name. He was attracted to the one that said Church of Jesus Christ OSZA (LDS). So he called on Sunday and asked when meetings were. The next Sunday he attended the meetings. As he was walking in through the gate he saw a teenage member carrying her BOM and from that he knew he was in the right place. He was taught and baptized. Later he converted his very devout Muslim girl friend. She joined because in a dream her mother came to her and told her that if she married then her family needed to all follow the same religion and that it was OK for her to follow her future husbands religion. Her family (father and 7 siblings) disowned her for joining. They were married 8 months later--they had known each other for 13 years!. She was 38 at the time and he was 33. They tried to concevie for a few months with no luck so they made in a matter of prayer--within three weeks she conceived. A year after their marraige they welcomed cute little Christine into their home. She is now one years old. She nearly died from a mosquito born fever (dengue) but a preisthood blessing saved here. They both have such strong faith.

Bandung, West Java. Arion Swiss-Belhotel. I was asleep at 12:04 am in room 405 top floor right side when I was awakened to a shaking bed. I got out of bed and took a few steps on a shaking floor and then the earthquake stopped.

Jakarta. Me at the Minsitry of Religion with Pres and Sis Marchant, Elder Subandriyo (right) and Jason Lase (center)--who honored me by giving me a traditional Batak shawl. At the request of Elder Subandriyo, Ross Marchant and I hosted Jason Lase three years ago when he came to the BYU Law and Religion Symposium. We took Jason and a few others to Moab and hiked to delicate arch. Since then he has become the Director General of Christian Affairs. He is a good friend of the church and has stood up for the church on several occassions--including getting the church officially recognized in troublesome Manado--with a Christian majority that is very intollerant of apostate churches (ie the LDS Church)



Jakarta. District Enrichment Activity. Making 300 pillows for future relief kits. Sister Duamlang (right) help me visit many good members in Bogor. She still uses mom's banana bread receipe that I gave her 31 years ago.

Tangerang, West Jakarta Suburb. Newly purchased and reonovated LDS church discreetly located on the back side of a strip mall because the local municipality (under pressure from certain Islamic groups) will not approve regular style Christian churches. The LDS church extends for five entries from the black car. The chapel is behind the five shop openings on the first level and the classes and offices are up stairs. The four letters above the black car are OSZA (the Indonesian abbreviation for LDS). That is the only idenifying mark on the whole church building. Similar restrictions in the East Jakarta suburub of Bekasi have resulted in another LDS church being located in a strip mall.

South Jakarta Chapel with newly renovated steeple and newly added stained glass. Thirty years ago few if any members owned cars.

At least 59 "Thank you's" and more!

From the bottom of our hearts, this old couple, shown here in better days wearing a quilted robe and some patterned pajamas over a cast following knee surgery in 1970, would like to thank you for the thoughtful Anniversary present. We hope we are not too old to learn the intricacies of a digital camera but are fearful of our short-term memory loss. Depending on how it works out, we may have to resort to getting a lap top computer and digital projector for future use. Anyway, thanks again for such a thoughtful gift!

Happy Anniversary, Happy Anniversary, Happy Anniversary, HAAAAAAPY Anniversary

It's been 59 years since this cute couple tied the knot. You are loved and admired by so many. Thanks for your love and guidance to all of the extended John and Norda Emmett family. We all love you a ton. The count down can now begin for next summer's celebration of the 60th Wedding Anniversary.

Rhymes with 'Nifty'

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANNIE!!!! On this day in 1957, Andrea Jean Smith was born to John 'Jack' William and Evelyn Leatham Smith. To celebrate the occasion, yesterday Annie and I took a short trip to Carlsbad, just north of San Diego for a day at the beach with our long time friends, Clark and Kathleen Wardle. That night, The Wardle's treated us to a great dinner at the Fish House in downtown Carlsbad. We stayed at a Hilton just across Pacific Coast Highway from the beach. Access to the beach was a scary hike down the cliffs, but the reward was a pretty empty beach on what was one of the busiest and hottest days of the year. The water was the warmest Annie and I could remember. It felt just like Hawaii. Annie enjoyed her new boogie board that some guy she's been hanging out with for the past 31+ years bought her for her birthday. Brian and Kristin have plans for a small celebration later tonight and even baked a cake for the occasion.

Almost worth the wait - Rip Van Lee comes to Irvine

I know you've all been waiting for these photos. Yesterday the delivery truck arrived with the new chair. It's a pretty close match to dad's chair, but Annie, Kristin, Brian and I, all agree that the feel is a little different. I think the difference is that I don't think the chair is as deep as dad's so I feel like I'm sitting a little higher. The workmanship appears to be first rate. Annie has been second guessing the brick color and wonders if full on red would have been better. Brick is just red with a little pink added so I'm alright with the color and I think Annie is also. Stop by and take a nap some Sunday afternoon. Now..... when do we get our first Indonesia post?

Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Anniversary!

The thought of today being our four year anniversary brought back a memory of a home video...someones anniversary when I was little. Anyway, all the brother's started singing what sounded to me like a made up anniversary song, repeating "happy" about 5 times in a row.

Eventhough Lorin is at Lake Powell enjoying what I can only hope is good weather & all types of water safety, I am still having a great day. I got up & went to the zoo with Polly & one of my friends who has a little boy who will be a year old tomorrow. Lorin has our camera at the lake, so no pictures of the zoo this time. :( Now I am doing some correspondance & then plan on going to a "mod bod" party with a friend. You know, the long undershirts that have been the trend for awhile, allowing you to layer or make immodest tops or low-riding pants live up to LDS dress standards. I am in need of a few & might get myself an anniversary gift there. :) After that I am having some friends over to watch So You Think You Can Dance? Should be a good time.

Hopefully Lorin will be able to call home tonight. He can't charge his call phone at the lake due to the fact that his Grandpa isn't fond of using the generator for...well, anything. So his phone is always off unless he is making a call.

Thanks to Grandma & Grandpa for always remembering birthdays & anniversarys. I save all of my "twin pine original" cards every year. I also got a package from my mom today. What a great family! I love all the friendships & support that we give one another.

It has been a wonderful 4 years of "marital bliss," I couldn't ask for better. One of my YW asked me if I regretted getting married at 19. I told her, really I was almost 20, but no. :) I have loved every minute of married life & even if there were times here & there that I could do without, the good outweigh the bad so much that they're hardly remembered. It was the right choice for me & I won't ever forget the night that I got my answer to marry Lorin & how special it was for us. I couldn't ask for a better husband, I love him so much & I am glad that he is enjoying himself doing what he loves today, we can celebrate together on Friday!

Bill, Lorie, and Katies' Most Excellent Canadian Vacation

We start out with a visit to L.L. Bean to purchase swim trunks to fill in for the ones I left in Smithfield.

It's then on to Quebec. "C'est Magnifique!" This is a night shot of the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac at the top of the hill.

We hit "Quebec Vieux" (Old Quebec), which is really younger than Petit Champlain which is the part of the city where our hotel is located. Katie is pointing to it from the wall around Old Quebec.

We hit Quebec during some sort of festival which included people walking around the city dressed in 18th century attire.

Shot of Quebec at night from the ferry.

On Sunday we attended an all-French speaking testimony meeting. All "old" elders who could translate had been transferred so the newbies left us to "feel the spirit."

Next day, we hoped to watch the changing of the guard at the Citadel but a bit of rain cancelled it. Wimpy French-Canadians.

Next we visited the Acadian Village. Very cool. Actual buildings from the area moved to a village setting. The Acadian experience reminded me in a number of ways of the Mormons - only the Acadians were kicked out by the British.

The obligatory lobster dinner.

Sunset over New Brunswick.

On to Prince Edward Island. Absolutely stunning island. The light house was the first to receive and send out the distress signal from the Titanic.

We went swimming and visited Ann of Green Gables home.

We then hit Nova Scotia. Our favorite spot was Peggy's Cove, complete with lighthouse.

The next day we drove out to Louisbourg, a port city and fort that has been rebuilt to exact replication. Of course, as those students of French-British history know, the city fell to the British and New England militia in 1745 and again to the British in 1778, opening the way for the conquest of Quebec. If Louis XV had been thinking ahead and adequately provisioned his North American cities, we might be eating "Frites Libre" instead of Freedom Fries.

Stopped for wild blueberry pie. Yummy!

Hopewell rocks at the Bay of Fundy. Highest tide in the world. Also very brown water.

The Roosevelt "cottage" on Campobello Island. This was a very pleasant surprise. Neat homes and beautiful grounds.

Acadia National Park from the top of Cadillac Peak with Bar Harbor in the distance. We missed seeing the Bushes.

It was a great trip with lots of driving, but well worth it.