It has been so long since I wrote in this that I can't remember all the events that have happened since I last wrote in here.  Lucielle Plumb and Casey Moritzky, both passed away each having cancer it happened unless than a week from each other.  Lucielle was around 80 and casey was about 26.  He left a young wife Laurie.

Josh has a nice girlfriend, Sheryl Van Deren.

This last weekend was Easter and also General Conference.  We went down to Roosevelt Lake camping and stayed Friday and Saturday nights we came home early Sunday morning.  Mark and Liza and their children went also, Jared, Jason, Cristina, Sara, Loye and I all went.  Roger, Cathy and their girls except Cassie all came down and back on Saturday Amber Whiting came with them.

  Loyelin is expecting again so she wasn't feeling like going.  Shanna lives so far away, her and Jim don't get to come very often.  I love all my family but it is easier to feel close to those who want to be near us.

Mandy is such a little fisty britches and she always has an answer for everything.  As we were looking for a place to camp we teasingly told the kids we were going back to Taylor.  This upset Sara Rikki and Mandy who were riding in the car with us.  "Why?" said Sara, "Oh Brother!" is Rikki's favorite comment.  Then came this disgusted little voice from Mandy "I'm not happy!"  As she was drinking her milk and looked out toward the lake she said "If I would throw this in there it would all turn to milk."  She is a little pouter but she is so full of life and her comments always send out a ray of sunshine.  Little Rikki's is pretty quiet but still enjoys life to the fullest and never bothers anyone.  Candon is all boy and acts accordingly.  Tiffany is so good natured she just played in her playpen until someone picked her up then she was all smiles and happy.  Sara is a pretty little girl, always talking, sometimes enthusiastically, sometimes not so enthusiastic, but always talking.  Cristina is a very pretty girl and always likes to do fun things.  She is also very talented.  I just hope she sets her goals in the right direction.  Jason is my baby and sometimes acts like it, but he is so much company for me and I love him dearly, he also has lots of talents.  He could be a very good athlete, but athletics really doesn't seem to interest him to much.  As long as he is a good boy and does as his Heavenly Father wants him to, everything will be alright for him.

We did have an enjoyable trip the desert was so green and pretty with wild flowers everywhere.  We came home through young (an isolated community in the middle of Pleasant Valley, located under the great Mogollon Rim of Arizona.)  over 58 miles of dirt road.  The people of Young are very back-woodsy because it is so hard for them to associate with the rest of the world because of the bad roads.  They have a branch of the church there that meets in a small, ice little church house.  Young belongs to the Taylor Stake.

Today is Sunday.  We all got up and went to church.  Monte and Kathy were the speakers and they really did a good job.  When we got home Josh was gone to Show Low.  We ate dinner and I sat down and went to sleep.  Sheree and Benda came over about 4 p.m. to visit for awhile.  Liza and her kids were here.

My heart is simply breaking, and I know Loye is getting ulcers worrying about about work.  He hasn't had a steady job since last summer.  It seems that life at this point is certainly gloomy.  If it wasn't for Jared and Jason I don't know what I would do.  Although they do a lot of quarreling  I love all my family and pray that I can bring a little joy and happiness into their lives.

We fasted for the Ethiopians today as they are so badly stricken with famine they are dying.  It is all caused from a drought in that country.  We as Americans have so much to be thankful for and I'm thankful for my membership in the church, for the teachings my good parents gave me.  I love them and my childhood was so happy.  I don't think my children were ever as happy as I was.

This has been a wet, cold month, and today it is cloudy with chances of rain or snow.  Probably neither one, (I hope) its wet enough for now.

Snowflake plays basketball with Show Low tonight so we will probably go down even though Snowflake isn't doing to good at the game, only beating Holbrook so far in conference play.  Eric Ramsey plays and this is his Senior year.  David Lewis is a wrestler and tomorrow night has a match with R.V. so maybe we can go watch him.

Shanna called and said she didn't think I would like the Christmas present she had bought for me, so she hadn't sent it yet.  When I asked her what it was she said it was a set of Farber-Ware cook-wear, (this is really good cook wear) so I told her to go ahead and send it as I could never afford any thing that nice.

Several events have happened that I would like to record since I last wrote.  Shanna and Jim came over just for Thanksgiving day getting here about 11 a.m. and leaving about 6 p.m.  Although it was a short stay we really enjoyed having them here.  From the time in November until the time in December that Idell Solomon and I went R. S. teaching our 3 ladies had tragedy strike.  Thora Pearce's daughter Charlotte was killed in a car wreck.  Aunt Gertie hatch had a stroke and Opal Kartchner passed away.

Randy Hall married Vickie Petersen on Dec. 14.  They had their wedding right after in the Taylor Stake Center.  It was really nice.  Josh was in the wedding line and was the Best looking guy there!!!

Monty Rogers came home from the Boston, Massachusetts mission on Dec 22.  All of Shum's family was there to meet him. (at sky Harbor).

Missions from now on will be for 2 years beginning the 1st of January.  However boys who are out now will have their choice.

We had Christmas breakfast here at our house.  Loye and his boys shot rabbits enough so we could have them for breakfast.  They got about 15 and by giving everyone  one piece there was plenty.  We also had biscuits and deer gravy.  Aunt Kathy brought orange juice, Aunt Sheree brought cocoa mix and Aunt Judy furnished plates and cups.  Aunt Violet bought a quart of Raspberry jelly and it really zinged! up the biscuits.  We figured we served close to 60 people.  This family just keeps growing.

My kids gave us a 50 gal hot water tank for Christmas.  I worry for fear they buy more than they can afford.  But I do appreciate the hot water.  And I love my children for their thoughtfulness.  Roger, Jared, Josh and Liza bought it.  Loyelin made some real nice lacy looking place mats, and gave them to us.  Jason gave us an electric pencil sharpener.  Since Christmas we have spent a lot of time playing Trivial Pursuit (a new game out).  Found out I'm not very smart, as this game is one that asks trivial questions on about 6 different subjects.

One of the highlights of the holidays was watching B.Y.U beat Michigan in the Holiday ball where Brigham Young won and their quarterback (Bosco) got outstanding player of the game.  B.Y.U. hasn't been beat this year but they are having a hard time winning National recognition as the nations #1 team but they are.

Yesterday we watched 3 bowl games and they were all good games.

Loye and I went up to Asian Gardens and ate Chinese food.  We went just to get out.

And that brings us up to today.

School started again, darn it!  This year is just flying by.

After work I got me a permanent from Lorraine Solomon, it cost me $30.  But it was worth it.

Eva Willis went to Mesa with Chan and Linda today to spend about 3 weeks.  They came after her in Ronald's pretty car.  I sure hope she enjoys her stay.

Geneva Horne and her kids came up this weekend so her kids could go skiing.  They don't have to go to school until Monday.

Mandy has learned a new song (for her) "Hush little baby don't say a wowd, Mommies gonna buy you a mocking bowd, if that Mocking-bowd don't sing Mama's gonna buy you a diamond wing." etc.

Loyelin was trying to get after Richard he turned his little head and kissed her right in the mouth, needless to say Little Richard didn't get any more scolding for awhile.

Its been 2 months since I last wrote in my journal and lots of things have happened.  Ladell Hunt died after he and his wife were in a bad car wreck in Mesa.  Fawn was hospitalized for many days.

We decided not to move to the valley.  Loye has been busy working here.

School has started with all the fun and activities that go along with that.

Cassie and Tami are Loboettes they are the cutest ones there I think, but then I never watch anyone else.

Jason is trying to play football at the Jr. High but the coaches aren't really giving him much of an opportunity.

Kay and Mitzi finally got married after going together for years.  Their reception was the big event of the year and I think everyone turned out for it.  It was held in the yard of Howard and Mini Ramsey, grandparents of Mitzi, it was really a nice affair.

Heather was baptized on her birthday Oct. 1 her Dad baptized and confirmed her, Loye and I gave talks.  She is a sweet little girl.

September 30 we all went down to Payson to meet Dahl, Josh, Jacob and Lindsey to celebrate Josh's birthday  We had fun.

We have been busily hauling wood, but we have lots more we need to haul  I really enjoy getting out.  One day Loye, Jason and I were out and we seen a bear.  Jason was walking along hunting squirrels with his BB gun when we hollered at him that there was a bear he come a flying to the pick-up his eyes big as saucers.  But the bear was pretty undisturbed and just sauntered off into the forest  We also seen a deer, it is just beautiful in the forest.

Rick's 26th Oct. 4th
Amanda 3rd Sept. 19th
Cassie's 17th Aug 27
Kris' 13th Aug 30
Tami's 16th Sept 6
Heather's 8 Oct. 1
Josh 19th Oct. 1
Jacob's 5 Oct. 7
Mom's 76th Oct. 6

Here the summer is practically over and tomorrow school starts again, makes you wonder where in the world the time has gone.

I will start working at the school as a cook again, but we are thinking of moving to the valley where we will manage some apartments.  They will give us an apartment to live in and pay our utilities including our phone bill, so it sounds like a pretty good deal they will also give us $500 a month.  Loye will be able to work else-where to earn money so I think it would be good that way and Loye does seem to geel better down there.  But, I can hardley bear to break home ties here in Taylor.  Jared wants to buy our home so we will just be foot-loose and fancy-free with no place to call home.

Mom, Sheree, Cathy and I took Judy to the El Ranch in Snowflake to eat for her 45th birthday.

On the 23rd, Mom, Liza, and I took Loyeline to Pinetop El Rancho to eat for her 32nd birthday.  It is so pretty up in the mountains.  On the way home it had rained right along in front of us or I should say just poured cause there was water running down all the gullies and in one place it was just pouring from over the top of a cut just like a water fall.  I have never seen the water running like that and in a way it was beautiful but it was also pretty destructive.

Last night we went to Scott's reception and it was pretty nice.  Decorations were just right and the refreshments and program was all really nice.

Jason's 12th birthday was on the August 10.

Dahl's birthday August 13.

Lindsey's 3rd August 18.

Well there's one more week of Olympic's and I hope this next week is as good as the last week has been.  U.S.A. has won so many Gold Medals.  Peter Vidmar (a mormon) was on the men's gymnastics team who won gold medals, along with Bart Conners, Mitch Gaylord, Tim Daggett and Scott Johnson.  They were very good sports.  Even though the girls didn't win the Gold they did get the Silver.  They were led by Mary Lou Retton and Julie Anne McNamara.  Joan Benoit won the ladies 26 mile Marathon  The U.S.A. Women's volleyball team hasn't been beat yet.  Our boxers are doing very good in fact this morning on the news it was said we had 92 medals and the closest to that was German with 30 (some odd).

Yesterday was Loye's 56th birthday.  The kids too us up to Asia Garden's to eat.  Roger and Cathy, Loyelin, Mark and Liza, Jared and Dennise, and Jason.  It was real nice and we enjoyed being with the kids.

Today I rode up to Show Low with Katie she had to go to the dentist and I had to go to the bank and to the gas co.  I would like to take a class this winter on money management, if I thought I would pass, but I'm sure no good at figures.  i guess that's why we are always so poor.

Uncle John Ballard says we had better have our years supply of food because after the presidential election this year.  "All hell is going to break loose."  I hope he's wrong, but, the time is getting so close to the coming of the Savior, we must try to be prepared.  And I don't think my kids are prepared at all.

Last Sat. Elbert Lewis was re-baptized into the church.  He was president of the Show Low Stake but was excommunicated because of his mismanagement of church funds this happened about 7 or 8 years ago.  His wife died of cancer so he married his 1st wife's sister.  They are Gerry and Carol Ozment daughters of Lester and Ruth.  Anyway it was a real happy occasion for everyone who knew them.