Bear Lake

As most know, we went camping at Bear Lake this past weekend. We had fun. Lyssa isn't a big camper yet (Emma and Jimmy really love camping) and kept saying she wanted to go home, but I think she had a good time most of the time. She's still pointing out all of her mosquito bites though. Anyway, I thought I'd post some pictures from the trip.
Molly and Lyssa sitting at one of the tables in the pavillion area.
Rebecca and Lyssa playing with the sand toys they gave to Lyssa for her birthday.
This time Molly joined them.
Jimmy, Sadie, Maddy, and Emma playing on a sandbar.
The group hanging out on the beach. Not quite sure where Russ and Dave were.

Emma on the sandbar
Jimmy and Sadie making their "island."
I think Lyssa was getting sleepy....

Oh, Russ went yesterday to be an extra in a movie called "Emma: Songs of the Heart." I didn't think to send him with the camera to get a picture of him in costume. Wish I had. He said a lady took his picture and told him she would email it to him, but then he never gave her his email. Unfortunately, the director cancelled the scene he was to be an extra in so he didn't get to do anything other than get dressed up and get stuff put in his hair to make it look greasy. He did say he got to meet the guy who plays Joseph. I think he had fun even though he didn't get to do anything.

Yet another Russ update

Russ gave Contempo his two week's notice today. Phil, the manager, had been away on vacation and didn't get back until today. Russ came home early from work yesterday because he's sick and probably would have stayed home today if it weren't for needing to give his notice. He told me he was trying to decide if he should take Phil out to lunch and give him his notice then, or just pull Phil aside and talk to him. Turns out that Phil pretty much made the decision for him.

Phil pulled Russ aside to talk to him about the whole raise thing and said he heard he was thinking about quitting. Russ told him that he had been meaning to talk to him earlier in the day, but Phil had been busy in the back, so he hadn't had the chance. He gave him his notice and talked to him for a little bit. I got the impression that Phil feels bad about it, especially since his getting the manager position is one thing that has led to this. Russ assured him that he isn't upset with him, but he's just had it.

Phil was heading down to the main Contempo building right after that anyway, so he told Rich and the others. He told Russ that Rich will be calling him soon and he will have to have an exit interview before he leaves. Which Russ didn't seem thrilled about. But it's done.

Now I'm just hoping that everyone will be well so we can all go camping this weekend. Jimmy has been sick today. Poor kid seems pretty miserable with it. Emma and Molly have already had it. Just Lyssa and me left to get it. And I think Lyssa is starting to get it. I really, really don't want to get it.

Oh, and if you haven't noticed it, don't forget to check out my poll!

And I just found out another thing. Russ will be an extra for a film called "Emma: Songs of the Heart" that is being made by the people who made the Joseph Smith Prophet of the Restoration film on Monday. The email Mike forwarded Russ about it said that it is being made for the decendants of Joseph and Emma, but they will give each of the extras a copy of the dvd.

Latest on Russ and job stuff...

Russ just called me as he was leaving work. He said he called the guy at Dal and told him that he can start working for them on the 5th of Sept. Wants his last day at Contempo to be the day after the holiday so he doesn't lose the holiday pay. He hasn't given his notice yet because his manager is on vacation until Wednesday. He will tell his manager when he gets back. He did tell the guy at Dal that if Contempo says not to bother with giving notice, he'll be starting sooner. And he said either way is fine.

So there you have it. Guess we all know what he decided to do now, huh?

Musings that I still question posting, so I won't feel bad if you don't read....

Seeing as Stacey teaches the Gospel Doctrine class in her ward, she mentioned to me yesterday that the lesson she was working on for today talked about Haywood Valley. (I have since discovered that my ward is two weeks behind hers for the lessons.) Now, you may be wondering why she knew I would find it interesting. Or you may not, since I'm sure most already know why. At any rate, Haywood Valley is located near Rome, Georgia and was part of my area when I served in Rome as a missionary, so I am quite familiar with the story the lesson mentioned. I even used the story as part of my homecoming talk.

I asked Stacey what the lesson said about Haywood Valley. She told me that I could look up the lesson on lds.org, and so I did. I read it and told her that I liked the version of the story I have better. Of course, the version in the manual was a shorter version (and misspelled Haywood Valley-it spelled it the same as Sister Heywood, who was mentioned in the story), which probably works better given the time limit in Sunday School. I did email Stacey a copy of the version I have (which was take from the book The Life and Times of John Morgan), in case she decided she wanted to use some of the longer story.

Since then I have been thinking about the story and my time in that area. I only made it to Haywood Valley once in the time I served in that area. And the sun had gone down, so there wasn't a lot of light. But I can still remember the feeling I had as I rode through the valley. Besides thinking that the valley was very pretty in the dusk, my entire body tingled the whole time we were there. It was a strange sensation, actually. Part of that was probably brought about by my knowing the miracle that had taken place there, probably close to 100 years earlier. I still wish I had been able to get back to Haywood Valley in the light so I could take a picture of the valley. Perhaps I can someday.

I do remember thinking when I was there as a missionary that if they ever build a temple in Rome, that they should build it in Haywood Valley. I still think that.

I also find it interesting that there I met people who were decendants of some involved in the story, and later, when I was serving in the Young Women presidency in the Camelot ward, the Young Women President was a decendant of Sister Heywood. Her maiden name, in fact, was Heywood. It seems that the story of the miracle of Haywood Valley keeps creeping back into view for me. But that's okay. I've always liked that story.

By the way, if anyone is interested in a copy of the story that I have, let me know and I can email it to you.

Again, Yay!

Russ was playing on the computer last night and discovered that the pictures we had on our old computer (seeing as the hard drive from that computer is now in my new computer) were still on the hard drive. Which means we didn't lose all of our pictures. Just all of the pictures we've taken since December. I'm just happy that we still have some of the pictures. Now if I can only get it to actually burn them onto a cd...

On a sadder note, I'm sorry to hear about your dog, De. I got a little teary when Mom forwarded your email about Gracie. Going to be strange for you to not have a German Shepherd. Should bring you out a white cake from Dick's for sympathy.

Yay!

Steve and Mike worked together and managed to bring our computer back to life. Unfortunately, we lost everything. I had previously tried to burn all of my pictures onto a cd, but for some strange reason it didn't work. Ah, well. They're only pictures. At least I put some here on the blog.

We are now starting the process of going through and putting things back on the computer. May take a while, especially seeing as I can't find all of the disks for things we had on it. Luckily, they are easy enough to get.

So thanks Steve and Mike! Nice having a computer back again. Yes, I admit it. I'm addicted to the stupid thing.

Update on job front

Thought since I am at Mom's and her computer works, I would update on the latest I know about Russ and the whole job thing. And that comes from what Russ said to me yesterday (which really wasn't a whole lot...he doesn't usually offer information).

Dal Tile has received the results of both the drug test and the background check. Called Russ yesterday and told him to let them know which day he wants to start. Pretty straight-forward, doncha think? Well, at least you'd think it would be simple and that the matter would be over, but no.

Yesterday Aaron (the guy at Contempo who made the decision about the manager position) pulled Russ aside and explained why he did what he did and told Russ that he doesn't want to see him go. My impression was that it was all talk, but I wasn't there to know. So Russ is once again questioning leaving Contempo.

Makes me wonder if he needs someone to call him and talk with him about the whole thing who isn't directly involved. I told Russ that I don't want him to not take the job with Dal and later regret it. I also told him I think he should go to the temple, but I'm not sure when he could do that with the things that are going on. Last night he had mutual, we have a neighborhood party tonight, tomorrow night our stake is having a father/daughter campout (which I'm not sure if he's going to or not seeing as he is scheduled to work Saturday but had told E that he probably needs it off...really should remember to ask him about it).

Anyway, that's about all I know at this point. Hopefully I'll know more soon.