First Visit

 We had a very normal week with school and work.

On Saturday, Deb and I went to the Pocatello Temple to do initiatory work. It had been years--probably before we were married--since I had done initiatory. It has changed dramatically. It is much easier and quicker. The church has streamlined temple work. We have an appointment to do an endowment session in a couple of weeks.

After the temple visit, we went to Texas Roadhouse for dinner. It was delicious. We had a wonderful date.

BYU sports is really doing well. The women's soccer team plays for the national championship on Monday; women's volleyball beat Utah to advance to the Sweet Sixteen in the national tournament; women's basketball is undefeated after beating Utah; after a loss to Utah Valley the men's basketball team defeated a good Missouri State team in Missouri.

Thanksgiving

On Monday, November 22, a new member of the Gambles family arrived. Jordan and Casmin Wisner welcomed Samuel Roscoe Wisner into the world. (Yeah Roscoe!)

Amanda Wisner came up from BYU on Wednesday to be with Mom for the weekend. She came to our house with Mom when they brought Lilli home. Lilli had gone to Grandma's to help her clean the house for Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving day was family, food, and football. It was a wonderful day. We had us, of course, at the dinner along with Mom, Todd, Amanda, Jackie, Brad and Lorie, Brayden and Shantae and family, Nate and Abby and Nixon, Scott and Shauna. Dinner was so delicious. I sure wish I could put away more food like I could when I was younger. About three hours after dinner, I was still stuffed to the gills!

On Friday, we again went to Mom's. Games were played and movies watched. It was a fun day.

Saturday, some of the gang went to Preston to see the Festival of Lights. It started out with a fireworks display followed by a parade. It was fun. The weather was VERY mild for late November. Jessie showed on Saturday to join our gang.

BYU had a great sports day on Saturday. First off, the women's soccer team defeated South Carolina to move into the final four. Two more wins, and BYU is national champions. The men's basketball team whipped Utah in Salt Lake City, 75-64. Then to top off the day, the football team defeated USC 35-31. It was a good November for BYU--no team lost a game during the month. That includes women's volleyball, women's basketball, football, men's and women's basketball.

Today, we attended church here in Downey then went to Mom's for dinner. It was a nice way to wind up such a special weekend.

Chugging Along

Not much exciting happened this past week. We are just chugging along until we get to Thanksgiving!

Veterans Day

We had a normal week. On Thursday, we honored the Veterans. At Deb's school, she posted a picture of her dad who served in the Army Air Corps during World War II.

Angie had a Sadie Hawkins date. She went with a boy from McCammon, Kaden Bullock. Part of the date, with another couple, was spent here watching a movie. Lilli, Deb, and I hid in our bedrooms during the date.

The House of the Lord

These last two weeks culminated in the dedication of the Pocatello Idaho Temple. It was a wonderful experience to watch the dedication in the stake center. Elder M. Russell Ballard dedicated the temple. Elder Gary Anderson, Elder Gifford Nielsen, and Elder Gary Sabin were the general authorities in attendance.

Last night, Deb and I helped take the youth to the devotional featuring the general authorities. It was a very good devotional. I am glad the bishop asked us to help transport the kids.

We celebrated Halloween on October 30 rather than October 31 since that was a Sunday. We started the day (this is Deb and I) with the ISU-Weber State football game. ISU looked awful and was whipped 40-17. Then Deb and I took Lilli and her friend to the park for the trunk-or-treat in Downey. We then went to Mom's then to Connie and Bill's. After dropping off Teresa at Hawkins Road, we came home and watched BYU beat Virginia 66-49. It was an old-fashioned shootout. Virginia is now coached by Bronco Mendenhall. It was good to beat the old coach even though he did wonderful things at BYU.

Angie performed at two choir concerts last week. She did a great job. She also cheered at the state playoff game between Marsh Valley and Sugar-Salem. Unfortunately, the Eagles lost 22-16 to end their season.

Recovering

Deb spent most of the week in bed sick. She started to get sick on Tuesday. In fact, she spent two days in bed. She is doing so much better.

Since Deb was sick, I had to go to Marianne Howe's viewing by myself. The legacy she has left is one unparalleled. She will be deeply missed.

BYU got back onto the winning way beating Washington State in Pullman, Washington on Saturday. The final score was 21-19.

First Snow

On Monday, we woke up to about six inches of snow on the ground. I really thought that school would be called off, but as we drove further north, the snow was not as bad.

The rest of the week was pretty normal.

Today, at Sacrament Meeting, we got some shocking news. Marianne Howe died. Last week, I found out that she had cancer. That is the way to go if you have cancer. Cancer can be so painful and long at times.

Up and Down (Mostly Up) Week

We had some downs this week: Angie is getting sick when she eats; Lilli still faces breakdowns that she needs to get control of. I will leave the biggest downer for later.

The week was a big upper, though. On Saturday, our family went to the Pocatello Temple to help with the Open House. Deb and I led tours and Angie and Lilli helped with booties. It was a wonderful time at the temple. Deb and I did the very first tour and the day, and we did the very last tour for our shift. We did a total of seven tours. We saw Mom coming to the temple to do her part of the open house. I found out today that she was stationed in the endowment room. She came to the temple with Brad and Lorie, but we did not see them.

After the open house, we went to Sonic as a family to get some food.

Another upper for the week was Marsh Valley dominating Snake River in football. MV won 26-7. It rained most of the game, and Angie cheered. Lucky for her, they had a raincoat for her to wear, otherwise she would have been soaked.

The big downer was BYU getting beat by Boise State, 27-16. BYU played the exact opposite of how they have been playing--turning the ball over and getting drive killing penalties. Lucky for me I was still on such a high for working in the temple, I did not feel as bad as would normally have done.

Today was a good Sabbath Day. With General Conference last week, we had Fast and Testimony Meeting. 

Catching Up

I did not realize that I had not posted here for so long! I need to make sure I keep up to date. A lot has happened over the last few weeks.

Angie participated in Powder Puff game on Monday, September 13. Unfortunately, her team (the juniors and sophomores) lost. On our way home, Lilli called from the hospital.

On the 14th, Deb and I spoke with Lilli's therapist via phone. Lilli was also there. After the meeting, we then went to the school to discuss Lilli's schooling.

Angie got sick during the week of homecoming so she stayed home for a couple of days. She felt well enough to cheer at the game, which Marsh Valley lost, 28-14.

We had stake conference on the weekend of September 18 and 19. The stake Relief Society president, Sister Barbara Johnson, brought Sister Kim Ames to our home. It was a wonderful visit. She brought such a sweet spirit into our home. Her husband, Elder Rodney Ames, presented a wonderful conference. It was such a joy to attend the meetings.

On September 21, we brought Lilli home. It seems to me that she is allowing herself to get better. She has been in a dark place, and it was my feeling that she did not want to get out of the dark place. It seems to me she is working to get out now. In any event, it is wonderful to have her home.

Uncle Harry passed away on September 10. The funeral was on September 25. It was a beautiful service. Uncle Harry was such a great man. He will be dearly missed. He was buried in Swan Lake so after the graveside service, we had a meal at the Swan Lake church with relatives and friends of Uncle Harry.

Our family went to the Pocatello Temple House. It is a beautiful temple. We went to the open house on Wednesday, September 29. Then we worked as temple ushers on Friday, October 1, except Angie who had to go cheer at the Marsh Valley and South Fremont game in St. Anthony. Deb and I were tour guides, and Lilli took booties off at the end of the tour. She had her friend, Sarah, go with her.

When I woke up on Friday morning, my back was killing me. As I got ready to go to work, it did not get better. I realized that I may not be able to usher in the temple. I went to work but did not get much better. I still got ready to go. While walking into the stake center to receive instructions on what has to do, I felt a twinge in my back. After getting to our area (we were assigned to be tour guides), when I did the first tour, my back did not bother me at all. When I returned to the area to sit and wait for the next tour, my back hurt a little. At each tour, my back did not bother me. I was truly blessed!

BYU is 5-0 having defeated Arizona State, South Florida, and Utah State. They are ranked tenth in the nation. Next up is Boise State in Provo.

Labor Day and Beyond

It has been an eventful two weeks. First off, it seemed that something was happening at school with the girls. Lilli was not doing her schoolwork. Angie was pushing the boundaries of modest dress at school. I am incredibly busy at work. It was finally nice to have the Labor Day weekend roll around.

The Browers had their campout up Webb Canyon. We did not campout but went up everyday. It was nice to relax, visit, and play games.

Football season started in earnest as ISU hosted North Dakota and BYU played Arizona in Las Vegas. Deb and I went to the ISU game. It was a little frustrating as ISU would get close but could not score. They eventually lost 35-14. BYU played a pretty good game and defeated Arizona 24-16. There were some opening game jitters, and the Cougars should have beaten the Wildcats by a bigger margin. A win is a win, though.

This past weekend, ISU played Nevada in Reno losing 49-10. BYU ended the long nightmare of 12 years and whipped Utah, 26-17. It was so good to finally get that monkey off of the back. And what irritated me more than anything, was Utah was so lucky in several of the games that could have been BYU victories. Unfortunately, the Utes and Cougars do not play again until 2024, but at least the Utes will stew in the loss for two years!

This last week was no less eventful. On our way home from the Browers campout, we returned Kristi's phone call. She said that Jacob has come out gay and has left the church. It was sad. I could her the sadness in Kristi's voice.

Tuesday, the youth went to the Temple Open House. Angie chose to go to her work party over going to the Open House. Deb brought in Lilli, and we took her there. She was mad to go, but when she came out of the temple, she seemed happy. I cannot wait until we can go through the temple as a family.

Thursday was another bout with Lilli. She was marked absent in her second hour class so Deb called to see where she was. Some time later, the school called to tell us they had found Lilli, and she had cut herself. I left work to go get her. When I got to the school, Lilli was leaving with the school resource officer to go to the Portneuf Medical Center. I went and got Deb then we went to PMC to see what needed to be done for Lilli. Although the cuts on her arms did draw blood, they were superficial and nothing serious. However, we talked with the social worker at the hospital to see what we should do. He recommended getting her admitted into a behavioral hospital, but we did not want her to go to Idaho Falls. I had heard about Provo Canyon so we asked to send her there. They accepted and we took her down that night.

We spoke with the doctor treating Lilli, and he suggested that we not talk with her over the weekend. He felt it would be good for her to see what she is missing. She tried calling today, but we told them that the doctor asked us not to talk with her. It was hard to not talk with Lilli. I miss her.

Work - Not Much Else

For me, it has been a busy week. I have not done much but work--even at home.

I still have issues with my back. I am sleeping in the recliner. I miss being in my bed--especially since I am not near Deb. Saturday, a new pain started under my ribs on the right side of my body. Will it ever end? Will I ever get back into my bed?

Deb's cousin, Mark Bennett, passed away from COVID. He is younger than Deb. It is sad.

Back to School

The week was a busy week as school started for the girls and Deb. School actually started on Wednesday except Deb had to be to work on Monday and Tuesday. For me, it was a busy week getting ready for the fall sports to start.

On Saturday, we went to Inkom with Mom to attend the Gilbert reunion. The DeMar and Harriet Gilbert family always hold a reunion. This year, the two sons of Earl Gilbert, DeMar's brother, said they would be in town for the reunion so Dee invited Mom and our family. It was nice to see cousins. In fact, I saw two cousins that I had never seen before--Earl's sons. It was really great to be with family.

On our way home, we stopped at the church in Downey. An open house was being held for Nola Fallows. She turned 100 years old this week. What  a life she has experienced.

Bannock County Fair

The week started off with the fair. It is such a great time in Downey when the fair comes around. I have memories of the fair from my early childhood to now.

On Monday, Layne Benson performed. It was really good. He has worked with several renowned musicians. He came back home to perform as he grew up in Downey. Also, the county commissioners put on a free potato bar. It was a nice supper.

Wednesday was parade day. Mom, Todd, and Jackie came and sat with us at the parade. It was a really nice parade. The parade is synonymous with the fair as far as memories go. After the parade, Mom treated us to supper. I had a cheese burger and fries, while Deb got a Philly steak sandwich. Deb stayed with Jackie for the entertainment while I came home. I have a hard time getting around with my back.

Friday we saw some first class entertainment. Charley Jenkins provided an opening act for Sawyer Brown. It was really great. I think Downey had more people in it then they have ever had. It was awesome to see such great entertainment.

The following week was pretty normal stuff. School for Deb and the girls start next week.

I have been to the chiropractor several times over the past two weeks. I still have a lot of pain in my back. It just does not seem to be getting better. In other medical news, Deb had an abscessed tooth pulled and bridged.

Family

This week focused on family.

It started off getting ready for the Brower Family Reunion around work hours. On Tuesday, we left home for Logan Canyon and the Spring Hollow Campground. We did not get there until after dark so we had a hard time finding it. We finally got there--late--then went to sleep.

On Wednesday, we were in charge of breakfast so we put it on for the rest of the family that was there. After breakfast, I set up our trailer. Later in the day, we left for home to get ready for Paige Jons' viewing in Arimo.

It was a very bittersweet moment as we visited with Brad and Kim next to the casket of Paige. She looked so beautiful. She had such a hard life, but she fought for her life. She will forever be a hero in my eyes.

On Thursday, we attended the funeral. It was a beautiful service. I was very emotional as I thought of Kim and Brad having to deal with the death of their child. After the service, we went to the church for a meal. It was delicious as we visited with other family members. That evening, we returned to Logan Canyon.

Friday we also had breakfast so we put it on for the rest of the family. We had some help though as some of the Jons came to reunion after the funeral. For the rest of the day, we played some games. As it turned out, every game I played that day, I won.

Saturday morning, I could not move my back was hurting so bad. I had Deb get Lynn and Matt to give me a blessing. Within an hour, I was able to move and help get ready to go home. It was good to get home.

Sunday morning, I could not move again. I stayed home from church since I did not want to be in pain. The rest of the family attended services.

Pioneer Day

On Tuesday, Deb and I said good-bye to an incredible woman. Bette Lusk, Deb's father's cousin and a mainstay at every Brower reunion, passed away on July 13 and her viewing was held on Tuesday, July 20. She will always be fondly remembered by me. She was always so welcoming to me, and always greeted me by name. She was a wonderful woman.

Then, on Thursday, July 22, we got the news that has been coming since the beginning of the year, Paige Jons passed away from cancer. She was such a fighter. Her parents were told that she would not live much past February, but she kept going. Her will to live was SO strong. There were many times when Connie and Bill told us that they said good-bye to their granddaughter only to have her rally. Her courage in the face of what she had to endure is such an inspiration. She will be sorely missed. However, she is now completely free of pain. It is such a bitter-sweet emotion.

The Olympics opened in Tokyo, Japan, on Friday, July 23. No fans are allowed in the stands so the atmosphere is not there. The games were postponed from last year. I do not have much enthusiasm to watch much although I have watched some swimming and water polo.

We did not celebrate Pioneer Day in our usual way. Angie was in the Lava Founders Day parade so we went there to see her. At the same time of the parade, our ward along with the Downey 1st Ward had Breakfast in the Evening to celebrate Pioneer Day.

Today is Connie's birthday. We went to celebrate with her. It was a lot of fun.

Girls Camp

The week started off getting back to work. As I returned, I expected to be exhausted, but I was able to get back into the swing of things quite quickly.

The girls went to Girls Camp for the end of the week. Angie went up a day early as a junior leader. The reports from the girls was that they had a better time than expected. In fact, I asked Lilli what the most surprising thing was about Girls Camp. She said how much fun it was. Angie said that she was able to poop each day!

We had a visitor in our yard yesterday. While doing some yardwork, a raccoon went across our backyard. It went under the trailer. Cosmo went nuts when he saw the coon. The coon climbed up into the trailer chassis. It stayed there for a long time. I am sure it did not leave until it was dark.

Back to the Living

What a couple of weeks this has been!

It started off with our kitchen sink leaking. Come to find out that the disposal (which has not worked for years) is leaking and had to be replaced. Fortunately, when it went out we bought a replacement, but since I LOVE plumbing (sarcasm there), it was sitting in the storage shed. So, I had to get it replaced, but I needed some things from the hardware store so it took a couple of days to get it done.

Meanwhile, I got sick. Boy, did I get sick. On Friday, July 2 I woke up with a cough. It was really irritating, but I did not feel too sick other than a slightly sore throat. By the time evening came, I was feeling pretty miserable. I then spent the next two days in bed. Thus, I spent the holiday weekend in bed. Deb spent a little time with Connie and Bill, but for the most part she stayed home with me. Besides, Angie had to work every day over the weekend. Lilli stayed home with me but spent all of her time on the computer.

Since Independence Day was on Sunday, it was observed on Monday so I had the day off, but that also meant doctor offices were closed. I did feel a little better on Monday and got the new disposal installed, but it wiped me out.

Tuesday, I went to the Health West Clinic in Downey. I was told that I had onset pneumonia, given some pills to help fight it, and told to get bed rest. So, I took the rest of the week off. I am glad I did although I will have a TON of things that will need immediate attention when I get back to work.

While I was struggling with illness, Mom was really struggling with it. She had her gall bladder removed in Preston, but then the doctor got concerned about the blood readings from her liver. She was transferred to McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden where they cleaned out her liver. She eventually got home, but she is still tired. She is getting stronger each day.

Deb and I helped get the ward youth to an event in Pocatello celebrating the Pocatello temple. It was pretty good, but we sat so far back (on the grassy area) that it was hard to hear at times--especially when others around us would talk.

I went to church today. I will go back to work tomorrow. After four hours of church, I was exhausted. Hopefully, it will help me handle the eight hour day tomorrow!

Hot Water

On Tuesday, we woke up with no hot water. I checked the circuit breaker, and it was still on. That meant the heating elements in the hot water heater were out. It took five days to get the hot water heater to finally get us hot water. If it has to do with plumbing, it takes me forever to get it done since I HATE PLUMBING!

Mom is having gall bladder issues. When I called her on Wednesday, she sounded horrible. She finally got the OK to have surgery, but she will not have the surgery until next Wednesday.

Family

It has been two weeks since my last posting. Last Sunday, we were still in Oxford at the Phil Gambles Family Reunion.

First, I will review the week before going to the reunion. Then I will look at the reunion then follow up with this week.

I woke up on Tuesday, the 8th, sick. I stayed home and relaxed all day. In fact, I slept a lot. I think I may have gotten a bug. The rest of the week was busy as we prepared for the reunion.

On Friday, we went to Moose Spring Lodge at the base of Oxford Peak. All of my siblings were there. We all got settled into our rooms. Sid, Kristi, and families provided sloppy joes for supper. It was delicious.

Saturday was really fun. We had the George Gambles Family Reunion in Swan Lake. There were a lot of people there since we did not have the reunion last year. All of Dad's living siblings were there: Uncle Harry and Aunt Hazel, Aunt Barbara and Uncle Hal, and Aunt Lois and Uncle Bob. It was so good to see each of them. It was also a lot of fun to visit with my cousins.

When we returned to the lodge, we had a wienie roast then Mom had her grandchildren to a trivia test about their Grandpa Phil. It was a lot of fun reliving some wonderful memories.

On Sunday, we went to church in Swan Lake. It was the first time in a long, long time where all six of us children attended Sacrament in Swan Lake. After church, Brad and Lorie and family provided us a brunch of pancakes, French toast, eggs, and sausage and bacon. It was really good. Then, Shauna, Scott, Deb, and I got supper ready. We did the typical Sunday meal of pot roast, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, and green salad. It was really good, even if I do say so myself. After the meal, Mom had us each give memories of Dad. It was a fun, emotional time as we reflected on those tender moments that Dad gave to each of us.

On Monday, we packed up and cleaned up the lodge. We then went to Mom's for the rest of the day to visit and say good bye. It was a really great reunion.

The week after the reunion was filled with busy days. We had our semiannual dentist appointment the day after getting back from the reunion.

I had Friday off. President Biden signed into law a new national holiday to be celebrated every June 19. Governor Little then proclaimed Juneteenth as a state holiday. Since June 19 is on Saturday, state employees had Friday off. I got the message late Thursday so it was a nice holiday. Angie had two appointments in Pocatello so we all went into town. After her appointments we went to Perkins and had a late breakfast.

Remembering Loved Ones

Monday was a very nice day. It was Memorial Day so we went to Swan Lake. My cousins, Jeannie (Staley) and Becky (Whitworth) along with Becky's husband Kelly, came to visit. It was so good to see them. It has been several years since I have seen Jeannie. Many reminiscences of loved ones that have passed were talked about.

Angie had to work so she missed out on all of the family fun.

We had barbecued hamburgers and hot dogs for lunch. I did the grilling. It was really good even if I do say so myself.

The rest of the week was dedicated to work. It was really busy for me. I had a huge project to do. I was ready for the week to end even though I worked for only four days.

On Friday, Deb and I celebrated our 19th wedding anniversary. It has been a very joyful and exciting ride. I cannot wait for another 19 years (I will be 80!).

The lawn was finally mowed. I think this may have been the latest I have ever been in mowing the lawn for the first time.

Memorial Day Weekend

 

The week was full of ups and downs. I helped Lilli with her homework to get her grades in line to pass middle school. It was a struggle, but we got it done. However, she will need to take a math class during the summer to get her prepared for high school math.

Angie ran for Junior class president but did not win. She had a cute video made but could not show it since the Junior class met in the old high school gym and had not way to show it. They did post it on Instagram.

Deb has an abscessed tooth. She will need a root canal or possibly remove the tooth since it is so infected. We will see what happens there.

We visited some grave sites over the past two days. On Saturday, we went with Mom, Shauna, Scott, and Jackie to Lewiston, Fairview, and Preston. While in Preston, Mom treated us to a meal at the Golden City Restaurant. It was delicious.

Today we visited graves in Inkom, Lava, Clifton, and Swan Lake.

We also got to visit with relatives. On Friday, Bob and Lois Hess and Kelly and Connie Kent stopped in. On Sunday, Dee Gilbert stopped in for a visit. It is always good to visit with family.

Cousins

It has been an interesting week. We worked on getting Lilli finished with her schoolwork, and Angie is on the homestretch for school.

Deb had her Kindergarten graduation. It was a really cute program and the kids were fun to watch. She now has two work days but does not have any days with kids, so essentially, she is finished with school.

Deb had a cousin reunion in Brigham City at Maddox Ranch House. The first cousins of her dad all met with younger cousins attending. There are nine first cousins still living and all nine attended. There were several second cousins also attending. Of course, we attended. Connie and Bill also were there.

It was wonderful to have a delicious meal from there. I had the salmon while Deb had the shrimp steak. After dinner, we spent some time visiting with family. Deb was looking forward the most to seeing Ray. She spent a lot of time with him and his wife Gloria while she lived in Las Vegas. They lived in California, and Deb would get cheap airline tickets to visit them when she had three-day weekends.

Spring Has Sprung

 

The week was pretty simple and uninspiring.

Lilli did a presentation at the middle school for one of her classes. She did a good job. They presented the experiment they did with color dye in the water changing the color of white flowers. She did it with her classmate Sarah.

The Young Women held a fundraiser of a potato bar. It was at Woodland Park. They seemed to have a lot of people come, so hopefully it was a good source of funds for their upcoming Girls Camp.

The weather has decidedly turned into spring. Plants seem to be growing right before our eyes. It is amazing to watch the change that occurs each spring.

Mother's Day

Not much happened during the week. Each of us are doing what needs to be done. Lilli is still struggling. Hopefully, she will find her true self.

Eastern Idaho experienced what has not happened here. A shooting at Rigby Middle School occurred on Thursday. A twelve year old girl shot at her classmates, and a custodian and teacher stopped her. Fortunately, none of the injuries were life threatening. It has me really thinking about all of the pressure that young people now face with the intense pressure of social media.

Mother's Day was not the best for Deb. I got her only a bouquet and some candy bars. The girls did not get her anything. I then burnt dinner. Overall, it was a crappy holiday for someone who does holidays to the max.

We visited with Mom tonight. During Sacrament Meeting, the speakers spoke of how they wish they had hugged their Mom more, so I made sure I gave her a big hug when we left. I love Mom.

May Begins

The week started out very depressing. I took the car to Honda to see why the check engine light was coming on. It was a sensor that needed to be replaced. That was not all though. Honda gave me a list of things that should be repaired amounting to $4,000 worth. UGH! I opted to repair only the sensor; it set us back almost $500. We will have to see if the other things get fixed, or if we try to get by without getting them fixed. Unfortunately, I am afraid we will HAVE to get them fixed sometime down the road (no pun intended).

We brought Lilli home on Wednesday. Originally, she was going to be released on Tuesday, but the doctor decided to change the dosage on her medicine and wanted to see how she would react to it for a day. So, on Wednesday, we got her. She said that she was no longer suicidal, but she still has some major issues that she needs to fix. We are praying and hoping that Lilli will be that sweet girl she once was--not the one that has depressed her and made her into a different person.

Angie went to her first prom. She went with Carter Hall, a classmate from Inkom. Two other couples were together with them, Katanya Higbee was with Porter Sutton, and Sarah Sutton was with Carter's cousin from Utah, Brock. Three sets of cousins were in the group--Angie and Katanya, Porter and Sarah, and Carter and Brock.

Angie left late morning to go on her date. They did some eating and other fun things in the afternoon. Deb and I then went to Carter's house where pictures were going to be taken, and the couples would have dinner served by the Halls. After pictures, we went to Inkom Elementary to drop off the refrigerator that Deb wanted in her classroom. We then headed over to the Inkom City Park to watch the promenade. The prom was held at The Place in Inkom since it was held out of doors and not at the school. Angie looked beautiful. She and Carter made a cute couple.

We had dinner with Mom, Todd, Brad, and Lorie and Mom's today. After dinner, Angie showed everyone some pictures and videos from prom.

Round Two

 

We are doing round two with Lilli. She is back into the behavioral center in Idaho Falls. This time, hopefully, she will get the help that she really needs. She is struggling big time with life and its challenges. It is SO heartbreaking to see her struggle and not know what to do. Thankfully, we spoke with the doctor treating her, and she seems to understand her situation better than anyone that we have so far met with.

On the other hand, Angie is really excited. She was asked to Prom by a classmate, Carter Hall. We do not know him, but we have had many reports of how great of a kid he is. Angie and Deb have been working on getting her ready for the date. I just sit back and watch.

We have a car back, but it has cost a lot of money to get it going. The alternator quit working and $1,200 later we have the car working. Unfortunately, the "check engine" light comes on. We have to get that figured out.

If It's Not One Thing, It's Another

The week was going on with no problems. It seemed all was back to normal. Then, the car went down!

On Friday, the girls had various appointments. I drove the pickup so Deb and the girls could go to Pocatello for their various appointments. Angie had a chiropractor appointment since she tweaked her knee at cheer practice. Then Lilli was to meet with her counselor and Angie had a dermatology appointment. We were then going to take Lilli to Preston for a doctor's appointment. Between Lilli's counselor appointment and Angie's dermatologist appointment, we decided to get some ice cream from Coldstone Creamery. On the way there (Angie was driving), the "Check Charge System" light flashed. When she mentioned that, I knew that the car would not start if we shut it off, but I ignored the prompting (I seem to be really good ignoring promptings!). After ice cream, the car would not start. After some time trying to figure out what to do, we called Alisa Jons to get Deb to go to the pickup (we had left it at the dermatology office), and I called Bill and Mike's. We got the pickup; by that time, though, Angie's appointment time had come, and we needed to get Lilli to her appointment. So Angie's appointment was canceled. We then went to Preston to meet with Amy Pabawena, formerly of Health West. I think that is a better fit than Dr. Roslyn especially since Amy knows where we are coming from.

We left the car in the Coldstone parking lot with Bill and Mike's supposedly towing it to their shop. So, we are now back down to one vehicle. I do not think we have had access to two vehicles for more than two weeks over the last six months. Can we never get ahead?

Back to Normal?

On Tuesday, I got a phone call from Lilli. She said she was ready to go home. I told her that we had made arrangements to get her on Wednesday, but she wanted to come home. We went and got her.

At first, she was not ready to come home. She had made some good friends while in the hospital. She could not take their names and addresses since it was not allowed. She wanted to keep in touch with them, but the reality sunk it that would not be done.

Lilli is doing much better. She still has some moments, but she is much happier. She will return to school next week with a big chore in front of her to get ready to pass 8th grade. We met with her teachers and the principal on Wednesday to help make a game plan for her return to school.

Mom had cataract surgery on Wednesday. When I talked about it to her, she said that she can now see the wrinkles in her face. She did not like that part of it! But, she is seeing better and feeling much more comfortable driving.

Angie made the varsity cheer squad. She was pretty happy about that.

We returned to the the second hour of Sunday meetings today. We met as an Elders Quorum for the first time in 13 months. It felt good to mingle with the other brethren.

I am so thankful for the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is such a blessing to have the knowledge of God and his love for us, his children. I know that my Redeemer lives, and that he has atoned for us if we keep his commandments.

What a Week!

The week started awful. It ended on a positive note.

Lilli went through a major crisis on Monday. Even though she had a good spring break, she went through a mental crisis that sent her to the hospital and then to an inpatient unit in Idaho Falls to deal with her depression. It was HARD to get her the help she needed. She was very upset with us for doing what we did, but in the end, it is for the better.

We went and visited her today in the Behavior Health Center in Idaho Falls. She was a happy, talkative girl. One that I had not seen for months. She is on an upward track to getting better. We are so thankful for the medical community and their expertise to get people better.

While in the emergency room, Abby Gambles came in. She was working that evening and saw that we were there. She told Lilli that what she was doing was the right thing since she has gone through it herself. That helped a lot.

The rest of the week seems trivial for what happened, but time chugged on. General Conference was a boon to the spirit although it was hard to concentrate at times since my thoughts would often return to Lilli. It also made me realize what I should have done to make life better for Lilli. I shudder to think that it may have been everlastingly too late if we had not acted when we did.

Temples were announced--20 in fact. One was announced in Smithfield, Utah, and another in Burley, Idaho. I thought of Aunt Barbara and Uncle Hal when I heard the announcement.

Family Vacation

Spring Break was this past week. Since the girls and Deb were out of school, I took Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday off so that we could do a family vacation.

Before we left, though, Deb took Lilli to the dentist. The day before, Lilli complained that her tooth hurt, so Deb got an appointment. When she got there, she had an abscessed tooth that needed a root canal. Fortunately, they were able to do it then. It made the trip much more tolerable for Lilli.

Our vacation was in Provo. We got a room at the Residence Inn for the two nights. While there, we ate at the Brick Oven and Legends Grille. We also visited the BYU Creamery on Ninth for some ice cream. On our way home, we stopped at Paradise Buffet in Salt Lake. We did some good eatin'!

On our way down, we stopped at the Layton Hills Mall. Lilli wanted to stop at a shop in the mall. She got some earrings and a necklace. Angie also got some clothes from another shop.

We had our supper at the Brick Oven then came back to the hotel to go swimming. Due to the pandemic, swimming is by appointment only. We could not get into the swimming pool until 10:30. The pool was cold. Lilli did not even dress to swim. I went into the pool but got out since it was so cold. Angie and Deb swam to get warmed up, but Deb claimed never to get warm.

On Wednesday, we spent the day at BYU. We visited the bookstore; each of us got something from there. We then went to Legends Grille for lunch. It was all-you-can-eat buffet, so we all got stuffed! After eating, we we into Legacy Hall next door. We got to see a lot of BYU sports history. We also saw several BYU football players. Afterwards, we were exhausted so we went back to the hotel to rest. While there, I watched BYU women's basketball team play in the second round of the NCAA tournament. BYU played well enough to win, but went ice cold over the last few minutes and lost to Arizona. We got ice cream then came back to the room and watched Pursuit of Happyness.

We checked out of the hotel and drove to west Provo. A storage unit has dozens and dozens of old gas station signs. Angie had found it on the internet and wanted to see it. It was interesting to see all of the old signs. We then headed north. On the way, we detoured to Herriman to see the replica of the house from Up. Afterwards, we stopped in Salt Lake to eat then headed home. It was nice to get back into our bed.

Friday, I went to work, and Lilli had a counseling appointment. Jordan and Casmin along with their toddler son, Walter, had come to Mom's so I took the afternoon off. We headed to Mom's after Lilli's appointment. It was great to see Jordan and Casmin. Their boy looks like both of them! He has Jordan's curly hair like Jordan had when he was that age. Kristi had flown out also, and Jacob and Amanda was there also. Shauna also came a little later. Brad and Lorie cam between other things that they had to do. Sid, Tracy, and Jayden were also there. It was nice to see the family.

It was an eventful week. It was great to have the time with family!

Sprinting Like a Turtle

 

Not much happened this week. We spent the week doing normal things on normal days. It seems as though we are sprinting on the back of a turtle at times!

One bright spot--we finally have our van back. The rental car, a Toyota Camry, was a nice car and had some bells and whistles that would be convenient to have, but I still like driving the van. The lesson learned in all of this is I will never own another car again. It will be a minivan or an SUV.

We are looking forward to this week. Deb and the girls have spring break so we are going to take family vacation. We need some time together as a family.

A Rental

We dropped of the minivan at J&J Auto Body to get fixed. As a result, we have a car rental from Enterprise that we are using. It is a 2021 Toyota Camry. It is a nice car, but I still like our minivan much better although it does not have all the bells and whistles that the Camry has. I will be glad when we get our car back.

Bill Jons was replaced as bishop in the Arimo Ward. His replacement is Cliff Kent. He will be a really good bishop for that ward. Bill is really happy with it knowing that Cliff will guide the ward as he did--with the Spirit.

Angie continues to improve from her surgery. She returns to school on Monday.

Lilli is a wonderful girl who is going through the typical childhood-to-adolescence transition. She is lost on who she really is and trying to get it figured out. We are trying to help her, but it will require her to make the decision that she can do what is hard.

On March 13, Mom and Dad celebrated their 62nd wedding anniversary. That marriage has done so much good in the world. I am so glad that I can say that I am the son of Phil and Betty Gambles.

Tonsils Gone!

Angie had her tonsils removed (along with her adenoids and turbinates in the nasal cavity). She had it done Wednesday morning at the Skyline Surgery Center in Pocatello. Due to COVID, only one parent is allowed with a minor patient so Deb went with her. I used Facetime and phone calls to keep up with what was going on. Angie was a hurting girl. She is still hurting although she seems to get better each day. 

Marsh Valley won the boys' basketball state championship on Saturday. They defeated McCall-Donnelly 58-51 to claim the crown. I find it interesting that Marsh Valley defeated McCall-Donnelly for the state football championship some eighteen years ago. The boy's team also won the academic championship for boys' basketball. The team has the best GPA in the state for 3A. The wrestling team also won the state academic championship.

We learned today that the stake will return to having the second hour of church meetings in April. It will be over a year since Sunday School, Relief Society, Young Women, Primary, and Priesthood meetings have been held. In fact, it will be a year ago this coming weekend when the church cancelled meetings due to the COVID pandemic.

Another Week Another Birthday

The week was not as eventful as last week, but brought us a sweet-16 birthday.

On Tuesday, Marsh Valley claimed the Fifth District Boy's Basketball championship. They defeated Snake River on Monday and Tuesday to claim it. They open up the state tournament against Kimberly.

Deb and I met with Marsh Valley High School principal Mr. Lords and Angie's English teacher, Mr. Black. Deb's coworker's husband is Jim Robinson from the NAACP who also came. Lynn came in also, so it was quite the crowd. We discussed the situation Angie faced when Mr. Black's class got out of control. I felt it went unresolved. I also felt that Mr. Black was setting Angie up for failure. We are going to get her out of Mr. Black's classes next week. Yes, it is plural. She is signed up not only for English but Spanish.

On Friday, Angie turned 16 years old. It does not seem possible. She is fast becoming a young adult. Soon, we will be sending her off on her own.

Our family finished reading the Book of Mormon. We have been reading a chapter a week. It seems like we have been reading it for five years. I do know that both were quite young when we started reading it. We have decided to start over. Angie mentioned that she will probably be out of the house when we finish reading it the second time.

An Eventful Week

The week started out with the family celebrating Presidents' Day. I had the day off as well as the girls and Deb. We celebrated by doing nothing much.

On Tuesday, the girls weekend was extended as Marsh Valley cancelled classes due to the weather. I still had work, and it was a scary commute. I was very thankful I got to work OK.

Wednesday I celebrated turning 61 years old. I went to work then came home to get ready for Bishopric Meeting. Right after getting home, Mom and Todd showed up. She had a card for me and gave us some chocolate as a Valentine's gift. We visited for awhile. We then had supper just before going to Bishopric Meeting.

On Thursday, Deb used the pickup to get some things done. Just as she pulled into Downey on her way home, the pickup acted up. She struggled to get it home. When I came home, I looked under the hood to see that the belt was missing. I am not sure how long she drove it with no belt, but it did overheat. I hope no serious damage was done to the pickup.

Friday, Deb had in-service meetings at McCammon. So, Angie went with Deb and me to Pocatello. They dropped me off at work then Angie dropped Deb off at her meeting in McCammon. Later, Angie and Lilli came into Pocatello after picking up Deb to get our car serviced and then take Lilli to her doctor's appointment. It was a really busy week.

Saturday was spent relaxing then attending Stake Conference. I went to the leadership session at the stake center. Then I came home, and Deb and I watched the adult session over the Internet. We could not get it to cast onto the TV so we watched it with the laptop. It was really good.

Sunday, the girls went to the stake center for the youth session. They then came home and we watched conference over the web. This time, we got it to cast to the TV, but it was very glitchy. We did not get to see much of Bill McNabb's talk.

It was a very eventful week. We now have next week to look forward to.

Valentines Day

 

It was back to normal for me. At least, as normal as it could be with my back bothering me. Thankfully, just sitting does not hurt. I spend most of my day sitting so it is not too bad.

On Wednesday, February 10, I reflected on the birth of Grandpa George Gambles. He was born 119 years ago. Catherine Luke Garner posted on Facebook about Grandpa, and I had to chip in my two bits. Two things always come to mind when I think of Grandpa. Whenever I saw him coming up our lane, I knew he was coming after me to go help him. Almost always, it was to help him fix fence. The other thing was sitting in the grain truck during harvest season. When I was not on the combine with Dad, I would sit in the truck with Grandpa. He would tell me tales of being with Indians and would speak to me in Indian. It was not until I was an adult that I found out that Grandpa really did not speak Indian. I was sure convinced that he could!

Angie finished her cheer competition for the year. On Friday, her team performed at halftime of the boys basketball game. Then on Saturday, Marsh Valley competed with American Falls and Snake River for the Fifth District Cheer Championship. Although I thought they did great, the judges did not think so. They took third place. It was fun to watch Angie cheer.

Today was not only the Sabbath Day but also Valentine's Day. Deb bought some things for the girls after the cheer competition. I bought her a dozen roses.

BYU started the week off not too great. They lost to Gonzaga in Provo, 82-71. The games for the weekend were cancelled due to the other teams having COVID issues. The game we attended for Angie's halftime performance was the regular season championship for the boy's Fifth District. In a very exciting game, Marsh Valley won to claim the outright championship by the score of 57-54.

What a Week!

The week started off the way it should start off. Monday, Mom and Todd came to Pocatello to go to the Farm Service Agency offices to re-sign up for the SAFE program. The 40 acres by the Oxford Reservoir have been in that program the last 10 years so now it is time to renew it. However, the amount of money we will receive will be way less that what has been given to us. If, and that is a big if, we are accepted into the program, Mom will only get a little over $900 a year. Currently, she is getting about $2,300 a year. I am not sure it is worth getting back into.

Tuesday was an unsettling day for our family. Angie's English class devolved into a class on racism which upset Angie greatly. She was so upset, she wanted to come home. Later that evening, we spoke with her teacher, Mr. Black. Naturally, he defended his actions, but it seems to me he did not have control over his class. Many things that Angie said happened, Mr. Black denied hearing them. It was not good. It was very upsetting to us.

Wednesday was another awful day. I was getting ready to take Angie to her early morning cheer practice when I slipped and fell on the stairs outside. I slipped off the top step and landed on the sidewalk with the brunt of the force on my lower back from the bottom step. It was so incredibly painful. I limped to the car then took Angie to her practice. When I got home, I could hardly move and called in sick for work. I then spent the next three days home. It got more painful as the week wore on then Saturday morning, Deb took me to the clinic in Preston. I had not slept much the night before because of the pain. I had not had much pain the other nights, so I decided I had better see the doctor. He prescribed some muscle relaxers for me.

Friday, Lilli went to the cross country skiing and snowshoeing activity the school sponsored. On the way back to the school from the activity, a boy asked her to send her nude pictures. He then said that he was going to rape her. Naturally, it was very upsetting to her. She reported it to the principal, and later that evening, the principal called us to let us know that they were investigating it.

It was an eventful week that was not that good. Hopefully, next week will be much better.

Tennis Elbow

On Monday, I finally decided to see why my arm hurts so much, especially in the mornings or whenever I try to grip something. I went to see Logan Higbee at Health West. Yes the same Logan Higbee that is Lynn and Leisha Brower's son-in-law. He told me that I had tennis elbow. I have had since I cut the limbs off of the tree in the backyard. He ordered a brace for me to use to help it get better.

On Tuesday, Angie and I went to Soda Springs to watch Marsh Valley and Soda Springs play a boys basketball game. It was a pretty good game that went into overtime, but MV lost by three. Angie wanted to go to visit with her friend Marta and to see her cousin Braxton Gambles play. Braxton played well scoring a three pointer in the second quarter.

On Wednesday, Angie and her cheer team performed at halftime of the girls basketball game. She did well, and it was a lot of fun to see her perform after all of the early morning practices that she went to. As a side note, the girls lost to American Falls which really cost them. A victory would have meant the district championship, but that loss and a loss to Snake River meant that all three teams tied for the championship with identical 2-2 records. Through the luck of the draw, MV is the third seed. They went from a first seed to the last seed with the two losses.

On Thursday, Angie and her cheer team performed again. It was a different routine. Again, she did wonderfully, This time the game was a much better outcome for Marsh Valley. At one point, MV had a 50 point lead. They easily won. They defeated American Falls who is now coached by MV's old coach (and Deb's relative) Jason Brower.

I took Friday off so I could watch Angie at her cheer competition. I thought they did really well, but they took third place--out of three teams that were competing. They will have some more competitions. Hopefully, we will be able to go to them also.

BYU lost to Pepperdine as they struggled to the loss then almost lost to Pacific. They are not playing very well.
 

Celebrating MLK

 

The week started with Martin Luther King Day. I had the day off, but Deb and the girls had school. I spent the day relaxing. First off, I put some things away in the kitchen then I spent the rest of the day watching Last Chance U on Netflix.

The country got a new president on Wednesday. I am fearful of what this administration may do to our freedoms, but I will pray and work to make sure our freedoms remain. My faith that it will happen, though, is very weak.

Angie's cheer team performed at halftime of the girls basketball game on Thursday. We were unable to go due to COVID-19 restrictions although Governor Little that day did change them. The next time she performs we will be able to go.

BYU went 2-0 this past week defeating Portland and Pepperdine. The Cougars struggled in the first half of the Portland game and then struggled in the second half of the Pepperdine game. At least they are in second place in the conference standings now.

Nothing New

 

It was a very boring week. We did not do much as a family, and we just trudged along with life.

The one really bright spot was BYU winning both games in California. The first win was against BYU's nemesis of St. Mary's. It was a really good win. Then they defeated San Francisco.

Back to the Grind

We went back to our normal stuff. Girls and Deb went to school; I went to work. The Christmas break was way too short!

It was nice to be able to see Kristi and Mike. Mom had a farewell party for them on Friday. It was a lot of fun being with them. While she was here, we celebrated Kristi's birthday which is January 9. She is 52 years old.

On Thursday, we got a devastating call. Connie called Deb to tell her that Paige's cancer has returned. Since they had to stop the last cancer treatment because it was so harmful to her, she will not be able to receive any treatment. The doctors told Brad and Kim that she has one to three months left. It is at times like these that I wonder about the pain that we sometimes have to endure. She is such an angel, apparently heaven needs her more than we do.

The "party of unity" is trying to shove the wedge in deeper. The modern-day Gadianton robbers in Washington, DC, are completely unhinged and are pushing this country further and further away from Christ. We are headed down a path of destruction that will bring a lot of misery and heartache for everyone. Unfortunately, it was prophesied so I am pretty pessimistic that it will get better. We will need to focus more and more on Christ and keep his commandments to be happy in such tumultuous times.

Happy New Year!

The week started with a visit to the dermatologist. I had developed a painful lump in my right armpit. I had had one before, and the last time I had MRSA. So, off to the doctor we went. Later in the week if I have read the lab results right, this too is MRSA. I suspect the dermatologist will call Monday to get me a new prescription for the infection.

We went to Connie and Bill's to have some fun playing games. David and Laura with their children were there. They had asked to specifically have Lilli come to be with the kids since they have enjoyed being with Lilli. While they played, we played--games that is. We played Phase 10 with David, Laura, and Connie. Bill was doing his bishop duties. Connie then went with Bill to visit a family in Arimo who had just lost their husband and father. I did not know the family, but Bill said that the gentleman had struggled with serious health issues over the last few months (not COVID). While they were away, Deb and I played against David and Laura a game of Pinochle. On the last hand, I drew a round of aces and double pinochle. It helped us win the game. When Connie and Bill got back, we then all played Cover Your Aces. David won that game.

Kristi, Mike, and Amanda arrived from Georgia on the 30th. On New Year's Eve we went to Mom's to bring in the new year and visit with the Wisners. It was a fun time. On New Year's Day, we returned to Mom's for some fun and games.

On Saturday January 2, we went to the Anderson Christmas Party. We went to Lava Hot Springs to swim then to Arimo for dinner--about a dozen different soups. It was really good. The afternoon, we spent napping and relaxing.

We started the new year with a new schedule for church. We now go to Sacrament Meeting at 9 am. Deb bore her testimony in Fast and Testimony Meeting. After church, we went to Mom's to have dinner and more visiting. While there we celebrated Kristi's and Shauna's upcoming birthdays. It was a lot of fun.