Gila Valley Cultural Celebration

We enjoyed the Satellite Video of the Gila Valley Cultural Celebration at our Stake Center.It was like a BYU Extravaganza. There were over a thousand youth providing a wonderful song and dance numbers. They told the history of Gila Valley with their songs and dance numbers. The area was settled by the pioneers in the 1800's.They cleared the land for crops of corn and alfalfa and cotton. Then they needed water to make them grow so they brought the water down by gravitity from the nearby mountains.
They dug irrigation channels. They mined for gold and copper and silver in those mountains. The youth portrayed the irrigation time, by using shovels and pretending to dig while singing the gals carried picnic baskets to feed the men. Then they did the cotton picking song ,all were dressed with white knit hats with black t-shirts which said 100% cotton on them, lined up in rows, portraying the cotton fields. Meanwhile several large cotton shaped balls, kids dressed like this bounced throughout the cotton field. Then they dressed in Mining Hats with lights on the hard hats.and sang and danced. They told us about the Honeymoon Trail, which was a dirt road which led from Gila Valley to St. George, Utah. If a young couple wanted to get married in the Temple, they would walk, ride in a wagon or horseback to get to the Temple, 650 miles away. It still is called the Honeymoon Trail. Now they will have an Temple close, to get married in. At the end of the program, they showed the Angel Moroni, lifted up into the night sky, with white streamers cascading down from him. That is why, they had a Cultural Celebration.It was a big deal. President Monson and Pres. Eyring were in attendance.President Spencer W. Kimball grew up in this Valley at Thatcher Arizona he owned a Bank and a lot of the town.Back in the 1800's a lady gave $5.00 to help build a Temple here.Pres. Monson said" A lady had given him $500,00 to put some ordinal masterpieces of art in this Temple. We were glad we went to this there were only 15 people to saw this in our Stake Center.They missed out.

Another Year Older

Grandmas Birthday
Grandmas Birthday
Grandkids
Grandpa turns 72
Grandpa and Andie
Great grand Kids
Grand kids

We celebrated our Birthdays together our daughter and grandkids came over and brought us a NEW 47 inch TV set. Ours had given up the ghost. Then the grandkids came and hooked it for us. They all chipped in to pay for it, plus the ones in Canada. Thanks everyone. We loved it, it was a total surprize for me. Ron was in on picking it out. Sarinah made fresh Strawberry pies, and Tina brought an Apple pie for Ron. We all enjoyed the wonderful pies.

A Newborn's Conversation With God

A baby asked God,"They tell me you are sending me to earth tomorrow,but how am I going to live there, being so small and helpless?"

God said,"Your angel will be waiting for you and will take care of you."

The Child further inquired,"But tell me,here in heaven I don't have to do anything but sing and smile to be happy."

God said,"your angel will sing for you and will also smile for you. And you will feel your angel's love and be very happy."

Again the little child asked," And how am I going to be able to understand when people talk to me,if I don't know the language?

God said,"Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words you will ever hear,and with patience and care, your angel will teach you how to speak."

"And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you?

God,said"Your angel will place your hands together and will teach you how to pray."

"Who will protect me?"

God said,"Your angel will protect you, even if it means risking its life."

"But I will always be sad, because I will not see you anymore."

God said,"Your angel will always talk to you about Me and will teach you the way to come back to Me."

At that moment there was much peace in Heaven, but voices from Earth could be heard and the child hurriedly asked,"God, if I am to leave now, please tell me my angels name.

God said, "You will simply call her, MOM."

Mothers Day

What a special Mothers Day I enjoyed. All my wonderful children remembered to phone their Mother and wish her a Happy Mothers Day and express their love to her. I got a Pedicure and my hair done.Then we enjoyed the Olive Garden's wonderful cuisine,on Saturday night. My daughter, Sarinah sent me a wonderful box of several fruit and nut packages. Which I was thrilled to get. My birthday fell on the same day. We will celebrate it together on my husbands birthday. I went to church for three hours and received a large chocolate bar for Mothers Day with the words " God could not be everywhere so he gave us Mothers." Then an other cute box of chocolate candies in R.S. with a nice card which said " There is no way to be a Perfect Mother, but a million ways to be a GOOD one. "After a light lunch of Yummy Lettuce Wraps, we watched the Hallmark Movies. Our special Channels for only Mothers Day weekend. My visiting teacher brought me some oatmeal cookies she had made. My dear friend I visit teach brought me a fresh apple pie she had just baked. Its nice to have dear friends and family.

Thelin Family Anscestors

John Victor Thelin and Hildegarde Augusta Sophia Eriksson, Fathers Parents
John Franklin Helton and Julia Leavitt Redford, Mothers Parents
Thelin Family Farm, Orton, Alberta, Canada
Thelin Family all dressed up for Stake Conference Lethbridge, Alberta,Canada
Reuben and Myra Thelin
Myra Thelin Won a Basket of Groceries
Myra Thelin when she was young

Quick Trip to the Gila Valley Temple Open House

The Arizona Gila Valley Temple
Joshua Tree Cactus in bloom
Aloe Vera Plant in bloom
Purple Orchid Tree
Yellow Blooms
Yellow Prickly Pear Cactus
Red Cactus Blooms
Jumping Cholla Red Cactus
At the last moment we decided to travel East to see the new Gila Valley Temple opening in Central Arizona. It was a beautiful small Temple decorated in desert sandy colors. It had two Sealing Rooms and two Ordinance Rooms. The Celestial room was spectacular, with its very large crystal bell shaped chandelier. The Sealing Rooms had a mini version of the same chandelier. The Baptismal font was on the backs of twelve oxen which represented the Twelve Tribes of Israel. After we enjoyed refreshments and the wonderful life size portraits of our Savior and his life beautifully arranged in the nearby meetinghouse. Later that day we drove home enjoying the various kinds of cacti in full bloom. It was an enjoyable trip.