Spiritually fed weekend!

This weekend has been a very special one for our family. Yesterday was a family reunion on Ross' mom's side of the family. So it was the Ashby Reunion that fell on the 4th of July. What a special day to have it on. I am sure his mom will email me pictures she took from it soon. She is so good about that! We started the reunion off by setting up tables inside the downtown building in Middleton. The tables were to display talents of those who had talents to share. I don't have really any talents that I can think of other than I appreciated all the ones that were so beautifully displayed! Then we all sat out on the Church lawn to watch the parade go right in front of us. It was a good parade, but was so different than the ones in Cascade. Every year almost since I have been married to my sweetheart, we (mostly Ross's family) has participated in the parade in Cascade for the 4th of July. Ross has always ridden one of Dad's horses, along with Dad and some of Ross' siblings and nieces or nephews. Then the family has had a float in the parade most of the years. This is a tradition that has been carried on in their family for many, many years. Then afterwards we go back to his parents house for a bbq and then Ross and I and his dad and a few others will go Salmon fishing at the South Fork.

This year was quite different. This was the first parade that Ross and his Dad and some of the siblings have watched a parade in.. well... a very long time! I take that back, Ross' dad watched it last year in Cascade due to technical difficulties with one of the horses. Anyway, the parade was good, just not the same. Not many floats or horses but lots of candy was thrown out in the streets and water was sprayed towards the end, which everyone loved! It was fun to watch the children especially Brayden for this was his first time watching a parade. It took him a while to figure out the whole candy thing but he caught on and had fun opening each piece of candy after he caught it!

Then we set up for lunch and enjoyed a wonderful meal with the family. Afterwards, they had a talent show and each family got 10 min to do a talent. Oh, before that, while some were practicing for the show, Ross' mom put on a presentation for the adults in the R.S. room and gave a slideshow on the Geneology she had done for the Simpson and Lake side. Ross's sister Sondra read out loud what Mom had put together and Christine (Ross' sister) put the pictures on the projector. It was so touching and amazing to me to listen to the stories and history of those families. They were and are so much more than just names and dates on paper. There is so much history there for us to learn and to pass down. It strengthened my testimony on the importance of journaling for we wouldn't know anything about our ancestors and have anything to pass down to our children with out the journals. I guess that is why i blog so much...We are so grateful for all the hard work and years that Mom has been putting into the family history for her posterity to have and pass down and to come to know our ancestors better and know where we come from! And I know she is just in the beginning of it. Thank you Mom!

Then came time for the talent show. Oh how that family has talents!! There were music and comedy and then I got asked by my dear niece and daughter to be the director in their talent show. Oh sure, I love to be on stage and have everyone watching me... not! But I guess it went well, of course they did a great job!!

We ended up leaving the reunion early to attend the baptism of one of our friends' sons baptism in Meridian. It was a beautiful experience for Kenneth. He will long remember being baptized on the 4th of July. We then had a bbq at their house and then came home and watched a beautiful show of fireworks here in Emmett. It has been about 9 years since Emmett has had fireworks. A guy went around and got donations to have one this year and he was able to raise $30,000 for it! It was the 3rd largest in the State! It was absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!! Tried taking pictures with our camera but it didn't work very well.

Then today we had the blessing of bringing our neighbor Patty with us to Church. She works on Sundays and it has been years since she has been able to attend. I bore my testimony today and then Patty got up for the first time to bear hers. It was beautiful. She said she felt a push to get up there. She bore a beautiful testimony, on how just last week she tried to take her life. She felt unworthy, lonely, unloved.. but she was given a second chance. WE love them dearly. The testimony meeting was very spiritual. It was a privilage to be there.

I love my Heavenly Father and my Saviour with all my heart. I love my family so much and am so blessed by them.