April Arrivals

 April started out with the arrival of what felt like winter again. We had a cold snap that brought rain and even enough snow to keep some of the ski resorts farther south open a bit longer. 

We desperately need the moisture though, so it came as a blessing for our area. 

The cold cleared up for a great conference weekend though. We were able to watch General Conference as it was broadcast in the Conference Center with the whole Tabernacle choir in

attendance. There were also members attending the live sessions. They only allowed so many in, but it was nice to feel like things are getting more back to normal. 

Before conference we got a notice that masks were no longer required to be worn in the temples, but those wanting to, were welcome to do so.

All of the speakers were great, and uplifting. The music from the choirs was beautiful, and there was a good feeling.  During the end of conference our prophet Russell M. Nelson, who turned 97 last Sept. and is currently (as of Apr. 14, 2022) 97 yr., 7 mo. & six days old, one day older than the prophet Gordon B. Hinckley was when he passed away. Pres. Nelson is the second prophet -1st being Joseph Fielding Smith - to be called as Pres. of the Church while over the age of 90. He was 92 when he was set apart as the 17th Pres. and Prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, shared these words:

"As the Church grows, we strive to keep pace by building more temples. Forty-four new temples are presently under construction. More are being renewed. I pray for the skilled people who work on those projects across the world.

In the spirit of prayerful gratitude, I am pleased to announce our plans to build a new temple in each of the following locations: Wellington, New Zealand; Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo; Barcelona, Spain; Birmingham, United Kingdom; Cusco, Peru; Maceió, Brazil; Santos, Brazil; San Luis Potosí, Mexico; Mexico City Benemérito, Mexico; Tampa, Florida; Knoxville, Tennessee; Cleveland, Ohio; Wichita, Kansas; Austin, Texas; Missoula, Montana; Montpelier, Idaho; and Modesto, California.

These 17 temples will bless countless lives on both sides of the veil. I love you, my dear brothers and sisters. More important, the Lord loves you. He is your Savior and your Redeemer. He leads and guides His Church. May we be a people worthy of the Lord, who said, “Ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.”⁴

While we're on the topic of temples...the Washington D.C. temple has been under renovation and was opened again after 50 years for a Temple Open House. Some of the Apostles were in attendance at the Open House and took dignitaries through the temple. There has been so much interest in the temple that they extended the Open House to go through the second week of June. One interesting thing about this temple is that there are very few outside windows, but the way they've built it the building reflects a natural light.  

For members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the temple is the most sacred place of worship on earth—it is the house of the Lord. It is a place set apart from the rest of the world where members seek to draw closer to God. Temples are designated by the Lord and dedicated to His purposes. Temples are the only places where some religious ceremonies, called ordinances, are authorized to be performed. These ordinances lift and inspire participants as they promise to follow the teachings and example of Jesus Christ. Learn more about how each person is truly a son or daughter of God, how families can live together forever, and how we all can be united with Jesus Christ. (Taken from different news articles) 

I was able to serve in the Temples Youth Center as well as to do Initiatory for the dead. What a blessing it is to have a temple nearby so that we can serve and feel His love and peace. 

Dale got busy and sanded down our wooden picnic table and then refinished it. It took a lot of patience and muscle, but it was worth it. It looks SO nice!! We're also getting our garage and covered porch sealed with an epoxy sealant that will make it come alive again. 

Our area has really been growing quite fast. New homes are going up where fields once were. It's almost like a new city is being built around us. We got word today in our Sacrament Meeting that the Hyde Park Stake is being divided. The Hyde Park Stake that we are still in has 8 wards, all within the Hyde Park boundaries, there was one area from Hyde Park that joined in with residents of North Logan to make the Green Canyon ward. The Hyde Park Utah North Park Stake was organized from a division of the Hyde Park Utah Stake and the North Logan Utah Stake. The new stake includes the following seven wards and one branch: the Aspen Meadows, Green Canyon, Greenville, Hyde Park 3rd, Hyde Park 9th, Hyde Park 10th, and Meadow View Wards and the Pioneer Branch (Retirement). 

I ushered at the Eccles for the Center for the Arts program Collision of Rhythm, as well as for the Cache Theater where they performed the Musical, Sponge Bob Square Pants. Both shows were well done and fun to usher for.

The Mallory's came over and helped me with food prep for our annual Easter Picnic and Hunt that we do. They also colored their eggs while they were here. Dale and Matt were the supervisors while Amie and I did up the deviled eggs.

 

Then the next day we had those that could come from the family here for the festivities. The kids found eggs with symbols of Easter in them as well as candy and numbers in them to take to the prize area to see what they got. Baby June even got into the Easter Hunt!! The weather was a bit chilly, so we didn't eat outside, but we did do the hunt outside. Just after the hunt it got quite windy and cold, so we just played games inside. We were all fed well and had a good time.

Easter was a bit quieter, but still good. We went to Church, and I had to teach the lesson in Sunday School. Reflecting on the life of Christ, his crucifixion and resurrection always play with my emotions. How grateful I am for the knowledge I have of knowing I'll see my loved ones again after death.

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Easter also fell on Dale's dad's birthday. Happy heavenly Birthday Dad & Grandpa Hansen!! We love and miss you.

Dale and I picked up Amie and Mazin and met Garrett, Zandra, and their kids, and Danica, Jason, and June at Maddox for a birthday lunch. It was a nice way to pull those that could come together to celebrate our birthdays. Happy Birthday Dale & Deb! We are blessed.

               

For our birthday gifts to each other Dale and I packed up our bags and headed to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for some fun in the sun. We'll be meeting up with Andrew, Lindsay and their kids for a few days as well.

Day 1: Pretty much spent the day at the airport, on the plane or in a car. We had a couple of layovers. We got in our condo close to midnight. Our Uber driver was great in helping us find our condo in the dark. He made sure we were safe before he left too. 

Day 2 in Myrtle Beach: We slept in because our flight got in quite late and because of the time change. We checked out the beach first by taking a mid-morning stroll. The sand is awesome, no rocks and it's not packed with people. Those we saw were cordial and the weather was perfect, in fact it warmed up throughout the day to be quite warm especially considering the colder temps we left at home.

We cleaned up and walked to a recommended breakfast spot by one of the locals for breakfast and then went miniature golfing. I got 2 holes in ones, and Dale got one. I ended up beating him by 1 point. Not bad for me, usually I lose, and he kills me! The course was really nice and clean. On our way back we stopped and got some breakfast foods and drinks. Then we took advantage of our beach access and spent time on the beach. We love the beach, the sand is soft, but the water is still a bit chilly for me. 

  

Day 3: We got our time moved up for a Dolphin cruise we had bought so after breakfast we caught an Uber for Carlsbad, SC, and after an hour car ride, we went out for a boat ride! We got there plenty early so we walked around the area a bit before getting on the boat. We didn't see much on the water until we were about to head back. Then we saw 6-8 dolphins swimming in the water about 150-200 yds. away from the boat. That's what we came for!! We got back on land and ate at a seafood place. The food was pretty tasty too. 

We got back and decided to hit the beach again, but it was a bit cooler, so we just took a long walk along the beach. So pretty. We saw a lot of birds and dead jelly fish.

Day 4: We hit the beach and after getting cleaned up we went to go see a show at the Carolina Opray. We ate dinner at a nice Italian restaurant (my meal was SO good, probably the best pasta dish I've ever had) and then walked 2 1/2 miles to the Opray. Little did we know that the sidewalk ended leaving us to walk about a mile along the side of the highway. The show was VERY entertaining, and we thoroughly enjoyed it, but we got an Uber to take us back to our place. It was another nice day.

Day 5: We grabbed a quick breakfast and got ready for Church. The Uber that picked us up was a newer white Tesla with white interior and it smelled really nice inside. The best one we rode in our whole time in South Carolina. Not a bad way to start the day, right? The talks in Sacrament Meeting were good and the lesson I had in Relief Society was good too, with a lot of participation in the discussion. I was surprised at how many in the ward had ties to Utah or were visiting from Utah. Dale and I both felt very welcome there. When we got back to our place via Uber (not in the Tesla though) we took a walk on the beach and then found out that Andrew & Lindsay had made it to Mrytle Beach, had their trailer set up, and were settled in. They invited us to go to dinner with them so we called an uber and sent to find their trailer park. We then rode with them and ate at The Mushroom Pizza to celebrate Arwyn's 5th birthday. It was tasty pizza, not the basic kind, more specialty pizzas. Happy Birthday Arwyn!! Andrew and Lindsay broke their new trailer in by taking it out on the open road. They all went to Georgia and stayed with Andrew during his work tour. Lindsay pulled the kids out of school and had them do it online. After Andrew got done with his tour, they pulled the trailer to Myrtle Beach to spend some time there. They invited us to join up with them, so we took them up on the offer. Our place is about a 15 min. drive from where they are, but it worked.

Day 6: We had a lazy fun day today. Andrew came and picked us up and we went to the beach with them and went swimming in the pool there. They have a fun water area for the kids and a Lazy River, as well as an indoor pool. The place also has a big pond that has turtles and fish in it. Andrew had to do a flight test for work, so we were with Lindsay and the kids and also the wife and kids of Andrew's groundman, Tom. Cute family. We got cleaned up and when Andrew got back to the trailer, we headed out for another birthday celebration for Arwyn and joined with another pilot's wife. They were staying at an Airbnb that was way nice and we met the rest of the crew that Andrew works with and had pizza and salad and played ping pong and visited. After dropping Lindsay and the kids off at the trailer to get ready for bed, Andrew was extra kind and took us back to our place. He works with some pretty neat guys. I can see why he likes his job. 

Day 7:   After breakfast we headed out on foot and went to Alligator World and saw a LOT of alligators and reptiles. It was pretty cool though. It was a bit warm, but we cooled off when we got a bite to eat.  

Andrew wanted to show us where his work's headquarters are in Tabor, Georgia, so again he came and got us, but this time he picked us up at the place we had lunch. We jumped in with them and went to Georgia to see Aerial Solutions main base. We met his boss, who is pretty young (just a couple of years older than Nate) and the office staff. We saw the base's "Man Cave" where the guys can hang out if needed. It's full of airplanes and guitars and pictures and had a couch area with a TV. Pretty cool. 

Andrew was hoping to take us out for a ride in the helicopter, but the weather went bad so that didn't happen. It was pretty neat seeing and meeting the people he works with, and hearing his boss say how much he appreciates Andrew's work ethic and skill. Made my momma heart smile. 

Day 8: We tagged along with Andrew & Lindsay again and went to the Ripley's Aquarium and the Boardwalk. We started out by watching the penguin parade, and then saw everything that lives in water, including sharks!! We also got a close up look at the penguins. It was a fun place for all., and a full day. 

We ended up going back to Andrew & Lindsay's trailer and the boy's played basketball under the lights while I walked their dog Toby along the beach. Lindsay got the girls ready for bed and then we ended up taking Andrew's truck back to our place so we can pick him and Titan  up that next morning.

Day 9: We got up early and went and picked up Andrew and Titan in Andrew's truck and headed to Calabash, NC to go fishing in the ocean. We went with one of the groundmen that Andrew works with (Rob) and we all had a fun time out on ocean. The weather was perfect too! It did get a little windy, but those that wanted could go inside the dining area to warm up or just visit.

Titan caught the first fish and then we all had our turn at catching them. I ended up catching two at one time and ended up getting the biggest fish in our group. That put a smile on my face, being the only gal in the group. 

When we got back on land we went and ate a fresh seafood lunch and visited, then headed back and we hung out with Lindsay and the girls for a bit and went to dinner with them and them Andrew dropped us off at our place. 

Dale and I walked the beach one last time and packed up our bags for our early flight out the next day. It was a fun, full day.

Day 10: We caught an early morning Uber (bless his heart for picking us up at 5:30am), and to our surprise the security lines weren't way long so we just pretty much flew through security and were at our gate plenty early! For the flight home we had a lay-over in Texas, so we grabbed some lunch and got home around 2:00 and found that our garage and back covered porch had been resurfaced and it looks way nice! Can't wait to get the outdoor furniture and pots on it. It is nice to get away, but there's just no place like home even if it wasn't as warm as Myrtle Beach. 

 

Nate's been keeping busy with the opening of his new office. Every week they get new patients and things are going well for him. Diana is still working two jobs since taking upon her new role as the office manager for Hansen Foot & Ankle.

They did make time to get away for a weekend at an Airbnb where they got in some running and got some oysters up near Bellingham. They called it a working remotely weekend, because they were doing books for his office, but being in the great outdoors helped their spirits. I can see why because it was SO pretty!!!

The Malloy's invited us to join them for a picnic at Willow Park and then to go fishing at Skylar Pond near there when we had a warmer sunny day to enjoy. There were a lot of bites, but out of the kids, Kennlyn ended up catching the only fish! (They turned it back because it was still a young in' though) Way to go Kennlyn!!

We have our oldest grandson, that's officially behind the wheel this month! Jaxson got his license to drive!! It was a bittersweet experience seeing him drive off to soccer practice alone for the first time for mom, but what parent doesn't feel that way with their first driver out on the road alone? Driver beware and buckle up!!

With another driver in the family, they added another car to their garage.  One more for running around in. Now, they have a red, white, and blue car in their garage. Maybe they're showing their patriotism to our free country.

All of the kids' spring soccer seasons are going strong. Maybe some of that can be attributed to having either Mom or Dad as their coach for the younger kids. 

Jaxson went on his first official date where he asked the girl. He took Abby to Sr. Prom; they had a fun group to hang out with and had a fun time. 

Langston went around his neighborhood with his Activity Days group and helped clean up tree limbs. From the smiles on these faces, I'd say they all enjoyed the activity and those they helped were very appreciative.

With Andrew, Lindsay & their kids living in Georgia for most of the month in their trailer, they took advantage of their days to spend time together as a family. They checked out the Tallulah Falls, and Andrew and Titan got their haircut at a Barber Shop, loved the town of Helen, GA, and checked out other areas nearby. They were also able to do some things with Tom's family and he also gave all the family a ride in the helicopter. 

While they were gone, they got their new house all sheet rocked and most of the windows installed. It's coming along!

Garrett and Zandra took their kids to Las Vegas and Bryce Canyon for a family trip over Spring Break. Looks like the weather was perfect and they all had a good time seeing the sights.

Garrett and Jorie went on a Daddy Daughter date that was sponsored by her school's PTA. What a fun activity and I'm sure all in-attendance had a rocking fun time!

With the Hassell's adding Baby June to their family last month. They've been pretty obsessed with her. She's a cutie alright, and I think she has dad and mom wrapped around her little finger. Those little ones grow so fast you definitely need to savor all the little moments you can with them. They're fitting into parenthood just fine......June was beginning to sleep through the night by the end of the month!! 

Jason and Danica were able to sneak away for an evening to go see a Jazz play-off game. Grandma Jan gladly watched June while they were away. Danica posted this on her Facebook post---Date night for mom and dad!!!

Tears might have been shed thinking about leaving my little June Bug behind… but what better first outing away than to cheer on the Jazz in the Playoffs? GO JAZZ!

Sadly the Jazz didn't get to move on in the play-offs. The March Madness play-offs ended with Kansas State defeating South Carolina in Over-time.

Danica posted this about June on Facebook: S I X W E E K S!!!

Our little bug is growing and growing! She has melted our hearts with her sweet smile and we love hearing her blabber and squeal on and on! Love you little June Bug!

I'm feeling blessed knowing we live in a country where our grandkids can be safe and free from the pangs of some of the crazy that is happening around the world right now.

The war between Russia and Ukraine is still going on.....people are leaving the area and being welcomed by their neighboring countries. Many innocent life's are still being lost over this senseless war. The U.S. is helping by sending money and our Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, is working with other agencies to help with needed items to ease the pain of those having to leave their country.

I have been impressed with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who's been in office since Jan. of 2019. He has been right in the action wearing fatigues and serving alongside his comrades. He has been an inspiration for many of his fellowmen. 

There is a saying that keeps coming to my mind when I think of war that goes--"No God, No Peace---Know God, Know Peace" I hope that these two countries can find peace as well as those that are being affected by it is my daily prayer. God Bless America! God Bless the World! 

On local news: LOGAN – Logan is among the best-performing cities, according to the “Charting Economic Resilience and Opportunity” report issues by the Milken Institute.

“Among small cities,” said Logan Mayor Holly Daines, “Logan was just ranked as # 1 as the top performing economy in the country.

“We’re ranked on … one-year job growth, five-year job growth and one- and five-year wage growth. We’re also ranked for diversity in high-tech industries, because the kind of jobs we’re adding are high-paying jobs.”

Jumping one-place since last year, Logan is judged as a metro-area that includes all of Cache and Franklin counties.

“The Logan metro is home to a host of high-tech medical manufacturing industries,” according the Milken Institute report, “That includes pharmaceuticals and medical equipment.

“Logan’s biggest industrial sectors, however, lie in education services; manufacturing; health care; professional, scientific and technical services; and retail trade.”

The Milken Institute is a non-profit, non-partisan think tank. Its website boasts that it leverages the expertise and insight gained through research and convening of top experts, innovators and influencers from different backgrounds and competing viewpoints to construct programs and policy initiatives.

“Cities continue to drive economic growth across the nation,” the institute says. “They are primary locations where businesses create new jobs and workers earn higher wages, keeping the United States competitive in the global economy."

This year’s index continues a trend noted in last year’s edition – a shift in high-tech jobs away from the largest coastal cities toward comparatively affordable inland cities with thriving local economies.”

Major employers include Utah State University, Conservice, Logan Regional Hospital, Gossner Foods and Icon.

Most recently, however, Electric Power System settled to expand in Logan, attracted by access to its engineering talent pool and proximity to Logan’s research universities.

The Logan metro area scored high in all categories except Housing Affordability.

Like other high-ranking Utah metros in the 2022 index, Logan has comparatively low housing when compared to cities with similar economic and demographic profiles.

In that regard, Logan rated 178th on the index.

Pretty cool, isn't it? I love where I live.

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