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.