Day 1 -- Dale and I started out the month by packing our bags, catching a ride with Floyd and Alison Griffiths to the Salt Lake City Airport where we boarded for our flight, and landed in Denver. We had a 2 hour layover in Denver, CO so we grabbed a bit to eat and got in some reading and visiting, before we boarded the plane again and landed in Branson, MO for a week of fun. The Branson Airport is smaller and such a quaint and inviting step into the feeling of the backwoods of the Ozarks.
We got our rental car, loaded up our bags, and headed into Branson while enjoying the beautiful scenery and sights along the way to our home away from home.
We got settled in and then went to get a bite to eat and get some groceries to last us for the week. To wind down the day, we played some card Monopoly.
Day 2 – After Floyd made us a tasty breakfast at the condo we headed out to check out the area and get a feel for our surroundings. We also went to turn in our ticket vouchers for the shows we’d bought tickets for online. Well, 3 hours later we got back to the condo with our tickets and two free days for all of us to go to Silver Dollar City. I said 3 hours because we got roped into listening to a sales pitch to buy into a condo timeshare program. We never caved in and that’s why it took so long, they kept sending different guys to us to get us to sign up. I have to say I will NEVER get pulled into one of these deals again!!
After a bite to eat we went to see the Shanghi Acrobats of China Show. We had third row seats and thoroughly enjoyed the show. Those kids are sure flexible and have some good balance. They got quite a few oohs, and awws from the crowd.
We got back to the condo and had sherbet floats and popcorn, and played card Monopoly as well as Outburst until 1:30 am!! I’m glad Floyd and Alison like to play games.
Day 3 – We slept in some and then Dale and I cooked up some French Toast and bacon and set out some fruit for breakfast. We decided to go check out Silver Dollar City. It’s kind of like a mini amusement park with roller coasters and other rides, has a cave, shops, places to eat, they have different live craftmanship events going on throughout the place, and they put on a big performance and show nightly with fireworks. The atmosphere is fun and it’s beautifully landscaped.
We decided to go on the Marvel Cave tour first. It was pretty cool. The cave is a National Natural Landmark. It was originally called Marble Cave because early explorers thought marble was on the cave’s ceiling, but that wasn’t the case. It’s one of the largest caves in Missouri, with one of the largest cave entry rooms in any cave in North America, and for being one of the longest running tourist attractions in the Ozarks, thanks to the Herschends family who opened the theme park, Silver Dollar City, on the surface above the cave.
We also rode on the Flooded Mine ride, the Lost River of the Ozarks, The Riverblast, and the American Plunge Ride. We got pretty wet on some of the rides, but it was a hot day so it felt good and we dried off pretty fast. We also cleaned up pretty well, don't you think?
We walked around, had a Buffet lunch at Miss Molly’s Mill and saw the Championship Cloggers preform as well as watched the Variety Show, “Hits from the Hallow” and saw the fireworks show. It was a fun, full day.
To end the evening we ate popcorn, visited, and played card games till late.
Day 4 – We went and checked out this place called Branson Landing that has water fountains that spray up and down to music kind of like The Bellagio in Las Vegas. Alison and I went and checked out some of the shops and the guys went and checked out areas to see about going fishing. The guys came back realizing that it would cost more than they wanted to go fishing, and we really didn’t see anything to buy to bring home. Bummer for all of us, huh.
We grabbed a bite to eat and went to see the show Samson in the famous Sight and Sound Theater. That place was incredible!! It was beautiful, it was HUGE, and could do about anything!! Props moved around and changed effortlessly and were real like. They had animals, flying birds, fire, smoke, what looked like waterfalls, great costumes, and portrayed a great Bible story. Each new show they produce is a 3 ½ year process.
We grabbed a bite to eat and then headed to The Haygoods show. They’re a family of five brothers and a sister, that plays guitars, banjos, the harp, sings, dances, and adds all the lights, and props to make it very entertaining. We had a good time and a full day.
As would have it we pulled out the cards and played a couple of games before going to bed. However, we did go to bed a bit earlier this time. We’re learning.
Day 5 – We grabbed a bowl of cereal and put on our Sunday duds and headed over to Church St. (how fitting) and went to Sacrament Meeting with the Branson 2nd Ward. It was a ward with a good mix of older couples and younger families, and where it was Fast Sunday we heard some heartfelt testimonies. It sounds like the ward has a close bond.
We got back to the condo and changed and then head out to go on Table Rock Lake for a Showboat cruise on the Branson Belle. We had a tasty meal and were entertained by a magician and a variety song and dance troupe. Very entertaining and again we had great seats.
Funny thing though, we didn’t even realize we had started to move until we got a glimpse through an open door. It was a smooth ride. After dinner we got to go walk around on the boat and take in the scenery before the show started.
Before heading back to the condo we decided to use our second day of our 2-Day pass at Silver Dollar City. We walked around, check out some of the shops, and then we decided that we’d had enough and headed back to the condo for games and a movie.
Day 6 -- We had the guys plan the day, so we went and checked out the Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery, located just below Table Rock Dam. They produce more than one million trout each year. That's a lot of fish!! Both rainbow and brown trout are raised at the hatchery with most of these fish going into Lake Taneycomo. All the trout raised are released for public fishing. None of the trout are sold.
You can bet Floyd and Dale were dreaming of landing a fish like one of these while fishing. However, they lost their chance fishing in Missouri by their own choice.
We went and checked out this Resort and Marina area called Lilley’s Landing. It had cabins and was along the Lake Taneycomo outlet. What a beautiful area too, Dale and Floyd were really drooling now!! There was a house for sale along the river that they checked out for when they retire. Dream big guys!
After grabbing a late lunch/early dinner we went on a hike in the Ruth and Paul Henning Conservation Area in the White River Hills of western Taney County in the Ozarks. It was hot, but it was green and pretty and felt good to get out and spend some time enjoying the beauty of the outdoors in their “mountains”.
We cooled off by finishing off the sherbet and 7-up and having floats. Alison and I hit the swimming pool to cool off and the guys watched a show.
We kicked back and relaxed, watched another movie and played games.
Day 7 – Dale and I got up early and got ready to head out to Clarksville, MO where Andrew’s working, trimming trees along the train tracks in the helicopter. Floyd and Alison had told us they were going to stay at the condo and hang out,
but as we were going to the car Alison came out in curlers and said, “Wait! We want to go with you!” So, we all took the 2 ½ hour trek to Clarksville along winding roads with beautiful scenery and good company. We saw deer and some pretty interesting “Redneck” areas as well.
We were able to find where Andrew was working and met up with his ground guy, Rob. What a nice guy Rob is too. Our timing couldn’t of been better, we didn’t have to wait long before Andrew flew in and landed to get the helicopter gassed up.
We visited with Andrew and Rob a bit and then Andrew had to go back on the job, so we hopped in the truck with Rob and he took us to where Andrew was working the line. Wow, what an eye-opener seeing him work the saw in real life. He gets it closer to the ground than I thought he did. It’s pretty slick too because he goes forward and backward to get the trees totally cleared away and it doesn’t take very long to do a stretch.
Rob was great to explain everything to us and get us in good positions so we could see the work in progress. When it was time to refuel we drove back to the base site and while they were doing that we took off and went and got some lunch. We brought back some Frosty’s for them and again the timing was perfect because he was getting ready to go up again.
Before After-Nice job Andrew!
The railroad had Andrew land and stay grounded for a while because they were letting a train come through on the tracks, so while Andrew was waiting to go back up he took each of us on a ride in the helicopter. The helicopter has more of a glass front so you really get to see all around you really well. It’s a beautiful area he’s working in. He did a few little tricks with Dale and I to give us a thrill. His flying has improved quite a bit since the last time we were in the helicopter with him. We all had a fun time.
We had to get back to Branson for a show so when he left to go back on the line, we left for our journey back. It was great seeing Andrew in action and getting to
know Rob. I can see why they make a great team. Thanks Andrew for the ride, see you and being in the helicopter was a highlight of our trip. I’m so glad we were able to make it work.
We got back to Branson in time to get cleaned up and then head out for our last show, The Duttons. This is another family group that has been together for a long time. They were on the TV show America’s Got Talent and ended up being a finalist. They have two brothers, a sister, a sister-in-law, and a niece that are the main entertainers. They play the fiddle, violin, banjo, guitar, drums, and piano. They also had their mom and dad help with some of the numbers as well as some of the grandkids. It was very entertaining and inspiring.
One thing that we all noticed about Branson is that it’s a very patriotic place. All of the shows paid tribute to the veterans and did some type of patriotic section on their shows. The area has a couple of areas dedicated to veterans with memorials or statues. Also, there are a lot of Christian people in the area that aren’t afraid to show it. People were friendly and I never felt threatened walking down the streets. The Branson area thrives on the tourists. That’s where the people make their money. We were talking to our waitress at dinner and she said that the town is pretty quiet in January and February and then picks ups again, so people just save for the down time.
Day 8 – We got our bags packed and picked up in the condo and then headed out to see the College of the Ozarks. When Alison and I were swimming the other day, a lady in the pool with us told us about this and it sounded interesting, so we decided to check it out.
What a cool campus and philosophy that goes along with it. The total enrollment is 1,500 students. It’s a four-year college, and is unique among other colleges and universities, because students work, rather than pay for their education. Not one student pays a penny for tuition; instead, each works 15 hours a week at a campus job. So they graduate debt free. They call it Hard Work U.
We ate lunch in The Ketter Center in the William R. Dobyns Dining Room. It’s a beautiful building with a lot of wood and fine design. All of the food prep, cooking, hostess tasks, serving, table decorations, menus etc. are made by or done with students. The food was awesome and the price was pretty reasonable, but the service was outstanding.
The Keeter Center was designed to reflect Dobyns Hall, a rustic Main Lodge displayed at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis. The lodge was subsequently relocated to The School of the Ozarks, where it stood until 1930. One hundred years later, that lodge has been re-created. There’s 15 suites with fireplaces, and balconies overlooking the campus. I was literally in awe at the beauty of the architecture and the way it was so tastefully decorated.
They had shops that sold ice cream, cookies, and treats and one that had syrup, jams, milled flour, pancake, muffin, and scone mixes. All items being made on campus.
We toured the campus and also saw the Williams Memorial Chapel that had beautiful stained glass windows and a 80-foot vaulted ceiling (which was built by the students), the Fruitcake and Jelly Kitchen, (which makes 25,000 fruitcakes and 30,000 jellies, preserves, and apple butters a year), Edwards Mill,9 a replica of an 1800’s era, water powered grist mill), there is also a weaving studio there where students weave baskets by hand and use old-fashioned looms to create textiles. We saw the Stained Glass and Candle Shop (and watched the students make attained glass pictures), and the Missouri Gold Star Families Memorial.
We were all amazed at the beauty of the grounds, the skills the students had developed, and the fact that they work to pay for their tuition. All they pay for is their room and board and living expenses.
The campus also paid tribute to those that had served in the military and had a monument honoring those that were killed in the 9-11 Attack in New York. It was a beautiful campus.
The campus also paid tribute to those that had served in the military and had a monument honoring those that were killed in the 9-11 Attack in New York. It was a beautiful campus.
Our time was well spent on our last day in Missouri. I’m so glad we were able to see all that we did while we were here. We stopped into a little shop in town and a big windstorm and downpour came in. We tried to wait it out in the store, but we had to get to the airport, so we dashed out and got soaked just going to the car. Poor Dale was the driver and it was kind of hard to see to drive, but by the time we got to the airport it wasn’t raining as bad, so all went well.
We got to Salt Lake late and still had to drive home, but we made it and are glad we went. Thanks Griffiths for joining us!!
We got to Salt Lake late and still had to drive home, but we made it and are glad we went. Thanks Griffiths for joining us!!
My cousin, Brent Darrell Petersen passed away the end of July and they had a graveside service for him at the Logan, UT Cemetery. He was cremated and my brother Danny, built a beautiful wood box for the ashes to go into. Brent’s ashes
were buried in the same spot as his dad, my uncle, Darrell Petersen. Darrell is my dad’s brother.
It was good to see cousins as well as my dad’s only living sister, EdnaMae Thomson. She, along with her daughter, Leslie, and son-in-law Dan Rivers, who live in California, had been vacationing in Yellowstone, and were able to come to the graveside service on their way home. It was a smaller group with cousins and family. Brent only has one sister, Lori, that is my age, that is still living. Sad deal, but we those that were there had some great catching up and visiting going on. Out of our family, we had Larry and Glee, and Danny and Terry and myself there.
Two weeks later I got news that my cousin, Bob Watts, who was serving a mission in Australia, passed away from an infection he had gotten. He’s the son of my Aunt Norma (dad’s sister) and Uncle Ferry who have both passed away. He was quite a bit older than me, so I didn’t know him as well. They had a graveside service for him at the Richmond, UT Cemetery. Wow!! We’ve had three deaths that have affected out family in the past two months.
May all of those that have lost a spouse, dad, brother, uncle, cousin, friend, find peace in the knowledge that we will have the opportunity to be with them again.
My cousins & Aunt -- LeiMomi Gardner, Bob Watts, Aunt Norma (who passed away a couple of months ago) and Marsha Ahmu
Grandpa and Grandma Hansen invited us to a Pool/Water Party that Maple Springs was hosting for the families of those that lived there. There had different water activities and served cookies and slushies. I think everyone had a good time.
I joined up with Andrew and Lindsay and the kids and we hooked up with the Mallory’s and went to Hogle Zoo to celebrate Kennlyn’s birthday a little early.
Grandpa and Grandma Hansen invited us to a Pool/Water Party that Maple Springs was hosting for the families of those that lived there. There had different water activities and served cookies and slushies. I think everyone had a good time.
I joined up with Andrew and Lindsay and the kids and we hooked up with the Mallory’s and went to Hogle Zoo to celebrate Kennlyn’s birthday a little early.
How fun it was!!
All the kids were great and loved seeing the animals..
We also went to a Bird Show and Kennlyn got to feed an eagle, and at the Seal show she was picked to learn some of the commands they use for the seals. She thought that was pretty exciting.
I went to the Josh Turner Concert at Cherry Peak with my childhood friend, Kathy Fishburn. The place was packed, but it was a beautiful evening and the concert made it even better. Good times.
Dale got in the limelight by having his picture in the local newspaper. They did up a nice article about the new District Office Building and they quoted him in the article. It is a nice building and so much more space and light for the employees. Money well spent.
Dale got in the limelight by having his picture in the local newspaper. They did up a nice article about the new District Office Building and they quoted him in the article. It is a nice building and so much more space and light for the employees. Money well spent.
Danica texted all of those living in the area and asked if we wanted to go to Eden’s Balloon Festival. None of us had any big thing going on, se we hooked up the boat and pulled it over the Pineview Reservoir and went to the Balloon Festival.
We missed seeing all of the balloons take off, but we did get to see a balloon and walked around and saw the booths.
Then we went to put the boat in so we could have some fun in the water, but they wouldn’t let us launch the boat because the lake was at capacity!! So we just unloaded the kayaks and found some beach and played spike ball and in the water. Pineview is a pretty area so we’ll have to try there again sometime.
Dale and I hitched up the trailer and headed over the mountain to Blue Water for a couple of days. Garrett and Zandra joined us for a day and we went fishing, 4-wheeling and Razor Riding, played in the lake and did some kayaking and went to dinner at a new restaurant, Cody’s for dinner. It was a fun, full packed day. We were glad they were able to join us.
Jorie and did some fishing and loved it. She almost caught a fish, but lost it when it was close to shore. Luke and Zandra got a hold of a pole for a bit as well. A success in my eyes.
Jorie and did some fishing and loved it. She almost caught a fish, but lost it when it was close to shore. Luke and Zandra got a hold of a pole for a bit as well. A success in my eyes.
The trails were real dusty due to a very dry summer, so it was real dusty, hence, we all looked real dusty, but we had fun on the ride.
School started and so that means that my DIBELS testing started. Things will be slowing down for us a bit now I think.
To celebrate Nate's 37th birthday he climbed the Tatoosh Traverse in a mountain range below Mt. Rainer with his buddy, Brody Hatch, to get in his outdoors in the mountains fix. They did it in 12 hours and 36 minutes. The fastest known time so far. Way to go guys!! Looks so pretty!
Nate and Kim love where they live and he likes to take their dog, Rue, out on the paddleboard on the Puget Sound, where they live. Rue’s a good sport and companion.
Happy Birthday Nate!
This picture was taken 10 years ago. Has he changed much?
Nate was blessed in a bad way, but still blessed. The was coming home from work, and his Passat started sputtering on him, he ended up being able to get home ok, but his Passat wagon, after 270K’s died on him. That car had put on the miles and has been on a lot of trips with him. It’s a good thing he has the camper/van and Kim has a car or he’d be getting in shape for a bike race by riding to work or doing some hitch hiking maybe?
The Mallory’s headed into the true wilderness and hooked up with Matt’s side of the family and went to Yellowstone for the Mallory Family Reunion.
They made some great memories and saw a lot of elk and bison, but no bear.
To see the bear, they stopped at Bear World and saw plenty. They had the bears coming right up to their van. They saw an albino elk, bison, and rode the rides. The kids loved Bear World!!
To see the bear, they stopped at Bear World and saw plenty. They had the bears coming right up to their van. They saw an albino elk, bison, and rode the rides. The kids loved Bear World!!
Kennlyn celebrated her real birthday by having Grandpa and Grandma Mallory and Dale and I over for dinner and then Jason and Danica and Andrew and Lindsay went to their house for cake and ice cream and games. She’s 10 years old!! Such a sweetie and full of fun. Happy Birthday Kennlyn!!
The whole Mallory gang has been busy with soccer. Amie's helping coach Kennnlyn and Jaxson's teams. Both teams are doing well with the help of having a Mallory out on the field. Keenlyn's team got donuts as a reward for a win. Now that's motivation.
The whole Mallory gang has been busy with soccer. Amie's helping coach Kennnlyn and Jaxson's teams. Both teams are doing well with the help of having a Mallory out on the field. Keenlyn's team got donuts as a reward for a win. Now that's motivation.
School’s on for the kids and it’s a big year for Jaxson because he changed schools and is now in 7th grade at Spring Creek Middle School.
Kennlyn’s still representing the family at Providence Elementary in the 4th grade.
Langston started morning Kindergarten. He was so excited to get to ride the bus and he came home saying he loves school and loves his teacher. Looks like he's off to a good start.
Langston started morning Kindergarten. He was so excited to get to ride the bus and he came home saying he loves school and loves his teacher. Looks like he's off to a good start.
Andrew and Lindsay have had a busy month. They didn’t quite get moved into their new house in time for Titan and Eloise to start at their new school so they had to be driven to and from school for a week, but after they got moved in, they found out that a bus stop is just across the street so they’re happy about that.
Their house became official after they closed on their loan with Garrett there to make sure all the paperwork got done right. They moved into their new home and are making Richmond, UT be their place of residence.
Titan’s in 2nd grade and Eloise started morning Kindergarten at White Pine Elementary. Lindsay and the girls will be wondering why the house seems so quiet with Titan and El gone. Looks like some fun times ;)
They were able to have enough help from family, friends, and some awesome neighbors, that they were able to stay in their house with the beds put up the first night.
Andrew can’t get over how much they’ve acquired over the three years they lived in Smithfield, UT but that’s what happens when you have a house and kids.
Their new home is beautiful and in a great area with good neighbors. They’ll fit right in.
Garrett and Zandra are fitting into their new area just fine. They joined up with Jason and Danica and ran in the South Weber 5K Fun Run. Jorie and Luke rode along in the stroller. All had a good time for a good cause.
Zandra joined up with one of her friends and took Jorie and Luke to Hogle Zoo. They all enjoyed the animals and the day and some fun in the outdoors.
I headed south and went and tended Jorie and Luke while Garrett and Zandra went to see Sam Smith, an awesome musician, put on a concert.
Danica came and watched Luke for me while I took Jorie shopping for her new potty undies (Thanks Danica, it was great visiting with you), and a treat because she’s fully potty trained. It was so cute seeing her shop and choose what she wanted. She was so cute and so happy that when we got home she wanted to put on her new panties.
I stayed the night with them and left the next morning. We were able to catch up and visit and it was a fun little trip for me.
Garrett and Zandra closed the sale on their old house in Syracuse, UT and got what they wanted out of it, so it was a great feeling to sign those papers. Now, they’ll be focusing on doing the painting and fix ups they want to do with their new house. I’m sure it will look wonderful when they get it all done.
Jorie started taking ballet lessons and loves it. I’m looking forward to going to some dance recitals in the future.
Zandra quit her job with Jet Blue and is now working with , teaching, and coaching gals that will be competing in pagents. She's definitely in her element with this new adventure.We wish her the best.
Danica and Jason headed South and spent some time in St. George with family. Her love for the red rock keeps her life balanced. They hit the pool, and the golf course to get some sun.
They also joined in on the celebration of Jason's grandma's 80th birthday by going to the Aquarium with his family.
Both Jason and Danica are working a lot and working towards some of the goals they’ve set for themselves and as a couple. Life is good for them.
We've had a dry summer and because of this we've had a lot of fires around us. The air quality has been pretty bad. You can see the haze hanging over the valley and even in the neighborhood at times. Not good. I hope it rains sometime soon.
Both Jason and Danica are working a lot and working towards some of the goals they’ve set for themselves and as a couple. Life is good for them.
We've had a dry summer and because of this we've had a lot of fires around us. The air quality has been pretty bad. You can see the haze hanging over the valley and even in the neighborhood at times. Not good. I hope it rains sometime soon.
So there it is, Ambitious August----enough said.
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