Well here it is five weeks since we have left Silver City. It has seemed like we had stepped sideways in time then stepped back in. Yet so many things had changed. Sherry's mom had died, my mom had gotten older, many of the local kids had started driving, my old nursery class had gone on to primary and didn't even remember me.
While we had been gone we had had the opportunity to grow spiritually, by just the need to learn what we needed to teach we gained greater insights to ourselves, religion , each other, and the desire to help others. We found so many good people of all walks of life, and religions that we have felt so blessed with the chance we had to serve a mission.
Our children grew so much, they took care of each other spent time together, and made it a point to include each other their lives.
We so much feel such a deep emotion of gratefulness for the love our children showed for us by taking care of the house, mow the lawn and just wanting to spend a little time at "home" to perhaps feel of our spirits.
Our kids, you children, told us that it wasn't so fun to come to Avon cause we weren't there, I have thought how that's kind of like when we die, the House was there, the yard, our "things" but the heart wasn't there, the spirit, while we came home things have changed. We have changed. I hope that in all of our changing as each of us grow older that the change's are for the good. That we would grow kinder, love each other more, have less time to do useless things, more time to serve, to be wise as a serpent and harmless as a dove.
Love Dad

take a hike

One can often find many sorts of new places if we are just willing to get lost,(thinking we are not lost), many new fun thing's like how to climb out of a narrow almost box canyon, finding plant life of many sorts, and by looking at scat, know we are not alone on the mountain.
Of course we have walked may time around our yard and taken great care not to mess with those sharp needled plant life, with the wet weather this last winter we were waiting for the cactus to bring forth their flowers, I have seen the desert bloom before and wanted Sis Lowery to experience this.
She had also wanted me to see the Century plants that she had seen last year on a hike. My idea was less taxing and not likely to get us hurt.
Our yard is full of "Paddle " cactus and have yellow blooms, we have a couple of small round cactus that have a reddish blossom, while the century plants have large stems, big white blossom's are are very lovely, they were not so easy to get to.
Monday we went to a camp ground that had a hiking trail which we started up, so far so good.
Part way up my guide gave instructions that we were on the wrong path and needed to go over land where no man, or women had ever traveled before.
It was great we found a multitude of different canyons with steep sides, loose rocks, and debris in the bottom. Well never let it be said we would have made good pioneers cause we just went ahead and said have feet will travel.
We climbed and climbed knowing just around the bend and up that litttttle rise would be the top. Finally getting to the top we discovered that Sis Lowery had picked the only canyon that had an out let on top that we could have climbed. At least we came to that conclusion based on the fact we were not going back down that way nor try any of the other canyon's.
The view from the top would have been just as nice if we would have followed, yes you guessed it, the trail that we were on earlier. We are such intrepid explorer's.
It is fun to know that we can still get around in the mountain's without calling search and rescue.
See you soon if we don't get lost
Love Larry

road trips

Road trips often start around our house as unplanned, where are we going affairs, with many a surprise along the way. Last Saturday was one of those times. We had been wanting to go to the large array, where the movie "contact" took place, to see the what was there. We drove four hundred miles which is half way home and saw the large dish's while they were impressive and the visitor center informative we found much more along the way.
There is a small town called Reserve New Mexico that sits on the road to the VLA. and we arrived around Noon and of course wanted to eat. This place had two cafe's and as the saying goes the choice made all the difference in the world. We found the best Hamburger in the world a swiss Mushroom 1/2lb Hickory Smoked toasted bun that was good enough to go back for dinner to our delight.
We have been invited to go fishing a few times here, while we didn't take anybody up on the invite we had been to the "lakes" that everyone went to. While not to make lite of the water they have here those wet area's they were not "lakes" as known to the fishing world. We did in our journey a lake that was long enough and wide enough to be counted as a lake that would bring joy to any ones heart.
What surprise's we have had mountains, desert flowers, "lakes" , Cholla cactus, Yucca's and their flower's, but most of all have been the people. Those that we have met walking early morning at the track, the students and faculty at the campus during the hot dogs and More each Thursday
We will be missing these things.
See ya'll in a minute

May 2010

This last winter has been a very wet one with snow, rain, snow, rain, and always wind. It was kind of miserable for us northern Utah folks that have turned Southern New Mexico folks at least for another month.
The great thing about all the moisture is the fact that the world blooms the cactus, the Yucca's, and all kinds of desert flowers find the effort of making blossoms worth while. The trouble is the deer also like the flowers as they come up. We had forty blossoms growing on a yucca type plant though we don't know for sure what it is. We were so excited to be seeing new things, and so upset that the deer would eat them just before they would bloom, I took to chasing them around the yard, I bet that looked wild from the neighbors back yard as the deer would just run around me. Oh for a paint ball gun.
We have had our last hot dogs, and more for the college, I think we have done almost eight hundred pounds of dutch oven potato's. I think I know how to cook them how. I did enjoy the association of the different churches, the college people, and the students, that came.
We got the chance to serve at the NEW temple in Gila Valley. I have heard that 91,000 people went through on tour's that is just a wild amount considering how out of the way this place is.
This Sunday the temple will be dedicated.
The chicken is cooking and the aroma is getting serious so I better go and check. See ya'll next month.
Larry

Well It seems that I take pictures and when I look at them they seem so boring as we have taken pictures of these things before, except for the people and family that come to visit. I have started to take video's now even though the eye piece broke and we just use the view finder. We will make some dvd's when we get home.
This last week angie came to visit, 13 hours of driving both ways and only a day and a half here.
Course the wind would kick up and the Friday before the interstate was closed down because of blowing dust clouds.
We have had some wonderful weather otherwise, with the trees blooming and the temp being just right.
Some fun things are coming up like Tombstone Sat. The tour de Gilia happens at the end of the month, last week was the dutch oven cook off in Glenwood, humming birds should be here soon and I am not going to grow a garden, I'm tired of giving the squirrels a ride and having them beat me back to eat a tomato before I can.
we are still going to the track to work out Sis Lowery gets in three laps almost four running while I just walk, course I walk almost as fast some people, well sis Lowery run's.
Hope all is well
Larry

memories

Time is? Time is the memories that we make. For the young time drags on for the older time fly's by. Looking ahead when we were young it seemed that Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentines Day, Summer Vacation would never come. As we neared the middle part of our lives. It was Opening Day of what ever, kids graduation, their marriage, the arrival of grandkids, and all the things we were excited about. Then time came we had to say goodbye to friends, relatives, and those that we hold most dear. Time contracts as we review those memories that we have and wonder where did the time go, for we were only young yesterday.
Take time, Make memories, for the times we sit by the camp fire and share our "time" with others, for the memories will fade and soon be forgotten.

Life in the fast lane

Silver City is built for the fast life morning traffic lasts for a couple hours, with very polite drivers, and very seldom do we hear a car honk their horn. Noon comes with lots of people out getting lunch and doing some shopping. while the afternoon creates most of the congestion around five to six pm. after that travel is very easy and by eight pm most everyone is home. It is my kind of place.
When we have to go on the interstate I get reminded the speed limit is above forty five so get going!
Last Sat. we had the opportunity to go to the Snowflake Temple. It is a beautiful building and has a very special spirit about it. It is located on a hill with a golf course right next to it. The town of Snowflake is I think about 6000 feet in elevation. The High desert it is, and with all the snow and rain we have received we are being told that the wild flowers and cactus will be in full bloom this spring. We are looking forward to that.
We were grateful for all the kind letters and thoughts people write to us and we are looking forward to seeing you all soon.
Larry

almost a year

Here it is Jan. of 2010 what a ride it has been. We have been here almost a year and we have had an interesting time. We have seen older students leave and new ones come, we have some getting married and some dating. Activities are interesting, from camping in a place so dark you can see tomorrow coming two hours before time.
Learning to cook here, or eat here has been fun and a challenge. I think we have gotten a good dutch oven potato dish down, the kids at the college seem to like them. The peppers and chili's are a different story, red or green chili, mexibell peppers, green, red, orange bell peppers, and a host of others I don't know how to spell. Bean's, rice and bean's, true corn bread, brisket of beef, and some make real pecan pie just like my grandma did.
Oh and the fresh home made salsa, hang on to your hat if your from the north with those bland taste buds, it is a real kick. Learning what to have served on the side and what you can take in full dose is a trick when I don't even know what the menu list on it.
Learning that rock squirrel's love tomato's, deer will leave your corn alone, and potato's don't grow well here, chili's do.
We have meet some of the most wonderful people here, people on the track where we walk, in the stores, streets, college suppers, at church, and on hikes in the mountains.
We would have missed it all if we wouldn't have walked out the door with a faith that it could be done.
We have truly been blessed. We have love all the letter's we have received, phone calls, and visit's by family.
We will be home in a minute.
Love Larry

Christmas

We thought that we would also like to share a little bit of Christmas with you so here is to the wonderful children we have and to the great extended family that we call ours.

Here it is 2010. We have been gone eleven months now and only seven more to go it hardly seems like it has been that long. Marsha and Brian came down for Christmas hopping to have some warmer weather, It snowed the Tuesday before and was not warm while they were here. Today it is going to the forty's and so far a lite wind.
Yesterday we went exploring and took a dirt road just out of town to the west and headed up the mountain. Wow you would not believe the houses that were up there. It is kind of like that in this area one only knows that there are house's over the hill by the mail box's that are out by the road.
We did have fun with Marsha and Brian taking them to the old down town area and a taste of the local ambiance, art stores, antique shops, door fronts, and the inhabitants of the down town area. We also got to show them the deer that have been around the yard all year. The deer came with in a few feet of the back door and browsed on some of the bushes that were there. I don't mind that as long as they leave the garden alone in the summer.
It was great to talk to so many of you over the Christmas holidays and to receive so many cards and letters. We missed each of you but know this is where we should be for the time being.
We talked to Josh and it was great to hear his voice he will be home soon, if we could just find out the date of his release.
We will seen you soon
Love Dad.