Thompson Pony Express

We are cleaning out the closets and decided to make a quick trip west to deliver several boxes of things to our kids. First stop, with 3 boxes, was the newly weds in Houston.

Then we visited the horse lovers in Loveland Colorado to deliver presents and pick up baby things to deliver to newborn Oliver.

Of course, grandma had to get a ride in.

We delivered our presents and had a birthday party for Cassie.

The next stop to deliver baby things was in Provo with new two week old grandson Oliver.

Does grandma look happy?

Daddy Eric has a special way to hold Oliver so he sleeps soundly.

Debbie entered me in the ward chili cook off. My Hawaiian Chicken Chili won the grand prize.

Then the Pony Express headed off to San Diego to deliver four boxes to Robert. It looks like we went by wagon train...

shot some cannons...

pumped water for the horses...

and panned for gold to pay our way.

Actually, that was a visit at the Mormon Battalion visitors center.

The main reason we were there was for Ella's baptism...

to tell stories to the grandchildren...

to help 9 month old Sarah get ready for her first Halloween...

to see their new house...

to admire their new grass in the backyard...

and to watch the sun set over the Pacific.

Does it look like we took a wrong turn and ended up in New York City and Paris, France?

Actually, those are just sights in Las Vegas. We drove through on the way back to Provo. We've seen the real thing and didn't feel a need to stop. Now we're back in Provo helping our pumpkin man Oliver get ready for his first Halloween and be blessed on Sunday before we head back to Florida.

Spider invasion?

Why are there giant spiders everywhere?

And headless horsemen?

Halloween must be getting near!

Look at the Thompson Lodge to be.

Last Thursday we made a quick trip to Rocky Mount, North Carolina to see a model of the Camp Thompson Lodge we'll be building soon.Here is what it looks like from the outside without the porches and the windows for the bedrooms upstairs.

Here is an inside view looking out the windows of the great room.

We also took a look at samples of chainsaw art.

We now have the preliminary plans and are working on the final layout. Hopefully by January we can start getting the logs ready.

"Then it looked at me!"

Kids say the funniest things. At the Kunz cabin at Bear Lake, Gwen's great grandson Drew excitedly told everyone: "I was looking at a branch in the tree and suddenly the branch looked at me." It was an owl. Can you see the reflection of the flash in his eyes?

It stayed in the tree all day keeping an eye on us.

Uncle Gene's passing

Uncle Gene and Aunt Gwen have served as substitute grandparents for our children and the children of my brothers when they attended BYU. They especially enjoyed spending time at their Bear Lake cabin. Gene recently passed away.

The Thompson brothers made it out to be pall bearers.

Lots of cousins, some of whom we haven't seen in 50 or 60 years, were there: McConkies

Nichols

and Lallatins.

We were surprised to find out that Gene's family raised sheep when he was a boy in Soda Springs, Idaho. Here is the model of a sheep camp wagon that was in one of the bouquets. The prelude for the funeral in Salt Lake was all cowboy songs such as "Home on the Range" and "Red River Valley."

Here is Aunt Gwen with her kids Kris and Rand in front of the hearse with a special Y on the back window to honor ardent BYU football fan Gene.

Here are all the Thompsons who made it to the cemetery in Soda Springs surrounding Gwen..

and here are the Kunzes.

Of course we had to have our traditional Hooper water. Watch out so you don't get splashed with the traditional tossing of the water to get the fresh stuff underneath!

The slag pouring at Monsanto looks like an erupting volcano.

No trip to Soda is complete without a look at the geyser.

New house number

We have been assigned a house number for our 30 acres.

Next on the list is mending the fence, adding cows, and building the house.

Visit to Wendy

Last weekend we headed off to Houston to visit Wendy and Daniel and help them paint some of the rooms in their new house.

But of course, since we are retired, we took the scenic route for two days and enjoyed the beaches of Biloxi Mississippi rather than drive straight through in one day and be stuck in rush hour traffic in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, or Houston.

Eating oysters, shrimp, and catfish in the open air at Biloxi Beach to the sounds of Jimmy Buffett was wonderful.

We were inspired by the chainsaw art along the beach made from the remains of trees damaged by Hurricane Katrina seven years ago. Here are some dolphins...

a pelican...

and some birds. I'll have to try my hand on some of our own trees at our new country place.

Of course, mom had to get a picture of the horse made of pieces of driftwood that was displayed at the Mississippi welcome station. Mom has another art project for me.

We had to cut our stay at Wendy's short because Hurricane Isaac was expected to close off the interstate to Florida on Tuesday for several days. So in one day, our painting crew of six (grandma, grandpa, Wendy, Daniel, Lucy, and Ruben) finished five rooms--the living room, entryway, study, master bedroom and master bath. Everyone had their own special task from taping and trimming to rolling. Sunday we met the wonderful people in their ward and Monday we drove straight through to Florida, just missing the hurricane before it closed off our scenic route.