"Lilykins" Birthday Visit

Lily in my glasses. Look at that adorable little heart-shaped face!I think Brigham and Cannon look so much alike in this picture!

Adorable! And their mom is darn cute, isn't she? And speaking of look-alikes!

Stanton with Brigs

Lily has an obsession with makeup! This is her birthday
make-up mirror!

Brigham giving Grandpa Rose a lesson on John Deere tractors!

Putting eye shadow on Mom!

It's amazing what a little lip gloss and blush can do for a girl's self-esteem!

Beautiful Chloe!

Grandma, you draw with me, okay?

Grandpa playing with Cannon and little miss Lily!

"I feel so pretty!" (And you are, Chloe!)
Such a happy baby!Here are a few cute pics of all of the Allen family. We took them when we traveled to visit the day before Lily's birthday. Can't believe Lily is four years old! We had such a good time and each of their children is just delightful! It was so fun to see how excited Lily was with her little box of make-up! The girl just loves to be "girly"! It was cute to see how well she shared with Chloe and how beautiful they both felt after applicaton of just a little "war paint!" Make-up is definitely a girl's best friend! We really look forward to these visits! Thanks, Julie and Stanton, for such a good time. Happy Birthday, Lilykins!

Branding at the Ranch

Greg took this picture of my brother Craig with Janet and me! Brent and Craig

Greg and "Bert" ready to load

Craig in on the action giving vaccinations

The crew at work! 160 branded in about 3 hours!

My dear sister-in-law Janet and me! How I love her!

Our nieces, Lisa and Amy

Greg roping

Everyone has a particular job once the steer or heifer is caught!
Mothering-up after branding. I love to watch the nurturing instinct as mothers and babies find each other again!

Chow time!

Craig and Greg

Driving the herd back after branding

Riders in the dust in the background/storm clouds roiling overhead

Coming back with a heavy wind blowing!

Randy Munns and Greg

The end of a busy day!Branding has started at the ranch! We love this time of the year. Greg misses the gathering and moving of the cattle that spring and fall bring on the ranch. So it is a wonderful thing that he has a good horse and is able to be of help these times of the year! I can see how much he loves it all and it makes me smile watching him! We headed to Park Valley later Friday afternoon and spent the evening visiting with Greg's mom and dad and Bill. Bill's wife Amber was in Carey with their girls so Bill came up and had dinner with us. He is a great guy and I really enjoyed listening to the men discuss the ranch. Of course, it is always a treat to spend some time with Mom and Dad Rose! They are wonderful!

Saturday morning, we were up and going early. The guys were doing chores and I was getting ready for my brother Craig to arrive around 8:00 a.m. Greg invited him to come out and help us brand. I have never quite figured it out, but my sweet brother who has never been around a cow or a horse in his life has an absolute affinity to anything "western". I think for people who have never actually lived it, there is something very glamorous and intriguing about ranch life! They often don't realize what is actually involved in the all-year around scheme of things! Winters can be absolutely brutal and the work is NEVER done! But I certainly loved our 16 years there and must agree that in spite of it all the worry and work, there is something very wonderful about this robust, outdoor, "get back to the land" way of life! I am so thankful our four children had that experience for they all learned to work, and work hard along side their Dad. In the process, they became each other's best friends.

Craig loves to sing and play western music, too, and was absolutely thrilled to just be able to come out and experience even a taste of what he has such an interest in. Thank you, Greg, for inviting him. I wonder why we didn't think of it earlier! As you can see from the pictures, he was having the time of his life! We made him a CD of the 64 pictures I took that day and sent them to him. All in all, it was a great day! Janet, Grandma, and I have such a good time preparing the food for the crew. Janet has the process down to a fine science so I just get to pitch in and help put some of it together. I love the family I married into so much! How blessed I am!

Thoughts on General Conference

How we love General Conference! I have so many thoughts and impressions running around in my head that I need to get some of them down for my own benefit.

1. I loved Elder Robert D. Hales talk on Provident Living. I agree that the lessons we have the opportunity to learn in these economic times can be a great blessing to us. Greg and I have already experienced some of those blessings. Learning to sort out wants from needs and asking the questions " Is this temporary or of eternal value?" and "Even if we can afford this, do we need it?" can be very helpful to put ourselves in a better financial (and spiritual) situation.
2. The thought that reverence invites revelation from Sister Lifferth.
3. Testimony is to know and to feel; conviction is to DO, to act on that testimony. (Elder Alan Packer)
4. Elder D. Todd Christopherson's thoughts that by keeping temple covenants, we receive strength in adversity. (An oft-repeated theme of conference).
5. Even the smallest of choices result in spiritual consequences for ourselves and our posterity.
6. Elder Richard G. Scott's counsel to set a goal for temple attendance. Don't be hurried, rotate ordinances, remove our watches, and listen with our heart and mind. Don't complain in adversity but ask what the Lord wants us to learn from it. We need never complain about what happens to us when we are trying to live righteously. Temple covenants bind us together forever and give us the ability to endure afflictions and even death of loved ones.
7. Elder Russell M. Nelson: "Pray for the Kingdom of Heaven to come"! (Lessons from the Lord's prayers). Pray for His will to be done in our lives. Also, we can pray as long as we want in our personal prayers, but public prayers should be short supplications.
8. Pres. Dieter F. Uchdorf's message on the week of Palm Sunday through Easter morning as an opportunity for us to really turn our hearts to Christ. And again, the message that the gospel is a way of discipleship even in times of peril and adversity. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the ultimate formula for happiness and success...but certainly not an "overnight fix". We must nourish the seed of faith. Discipleship is not a spectator sport!
9. Elder Neil L. Anderson, our newly announced apostle replacing Elder Joseph Wirthlin who died last December, is such a welcome addition to the quorum. He was the Seventy over the Idaho Area before Elder Claudio Costa. Upon finding out that my husband was in the LDS hospital in Salt Lake a couple of years ago, he came there and gave him a beautiful priesthood blessing. How touched and very grateful we were for that act of unselfishness and kindness on his part. And Greg once again recovered much faster than the doctors told us he would. He will always hold a special place in our hearts. I remember him saying in this conference talk that keeping our covenants will be a badge of honor and that we need to remember who we are at all times!
10. Elder Jeffery R. Holland's talk was one that I will never forget. As my mom said, we should be grateful we were able to see him give this talk and not just read it at a later date. The deep emotion and testimony with which he spoke on Christ's Atonement drove the message deep into my heart. I am so grateful Christ determined to be faithful to the end and complete what He promised He would do. Because He walked alone, we will never have to. And now we must never leave Him alone in this great work! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpFhS0dAduc
11. President Monson counseling us again not to be discouraged but to have joy despite all we must endure. The joy we experience in this life is a matter of the faith we possess. He gave three beautiful examples which I am anxious to read and review.
12. Elder Dallin H. Oaks' counsel not to be worldly, (a message I got over and over from this Conference). I loved this quote: "You can't be a lifesaver if you look like all the other swimmers on the beach." Refrain from being a part of the "me" generation. Sacrifice is not out of fashion. We need to be unique and a light to the world by forgetting ourselves and defending what is right and true.
13. Elder David A. Bednar's message on worthiness to receive and honor temple covenants and ordinances. There is a tremendous protection available in temple covenants. The "fire of the covenant" will burn within us as we serve in the temple. Greg and I both had the same impression after this conference that we need to set a goal for weekly temple attendance.
14. L. Tom Perry's counsel to be a part of this great missionary effort; that we should not be MIA (missing in action). We have a responsibility to be the finders and fellowshippers so that the full-time missionaries can be the teachers.
15. President Monson's closing remarks were brief but very thought-provoking. He spoke out once again against the evils of pornography and the responsibility we have to use the Internet the way the Lord intended. He also counseled us to attend the temple more often...I see a theme here! We need to make our homes a place of love and peace, nourish our testimonies, pray for him and our other general authorities, and study these conference talks when they are published in the Ensign. Great counsel from a Prophet of God!

These are impressions which came to me and that I made note of. What a glorious and spiritual two-day feast! I am grateful for the opportunity to study these messages as they are printed in the Ensign and again in our Sacrament and Relief Society meetings over the next 6 months. I am so revitalized and uplifted! My prayer is that I will keep these feelings by my actions in the days to come. The Holy Spirit has born witness to me that what I have heard is from a loving Heavenly Father through his prophets and apostles on the earth today.

General Conference With Our Sweet Little Regan

Waiting for Conference to begin!

On the mezzanine at the Joseph Smith Building!

At JB's. Can I really eat all this cheesecake? (Yes, she did...in two sittings!)

With Grandpa by the Joseph Smith Statue

In our room at the Hilton...organizing everything in her own little space! With Grandma!

With Grandpa!

One of the many pieces of member artwork on display in the Conference Center.

See? I'm really here at Conference!

Regan took the following three pictures of things she loves in the Joseph Smith Building:

The Mezzanine and Chandeliers

The Joseph Smith Statue

Close-up of one of the carpets!

The flowers were ALMOST (but not quite) as beautiful as Regan!

A cool late afternoon by the Salt Lake Temple!

On the stairway in the Joseph Smith Building
The hot tub (I preferred it to the pool, but Regs was a die hard in the very cool water!) Regan and Grandma swimming in the Hilton pool!

Jumping in the COOOOLD pool! Love Trax!

In the Visitors' Center with the Christus!

Regan's very loved and used conference booklet and notebook!

One of the many blessings that is a part of Greg's calling is receiving tickets to General Conference for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints held in Salt Lake City, UT, every April and October. We are so grateful for this blessing and will take advantage of it until his service as Stake President comes to an end. We feel it is a wonderful opportunity for our grandchildren to be able to actually be in the presence of the prophets and apostles of God on the earth today. As you must be 8 years old to attend in the Conference Center we have, thus far, only been able to take Regan and Todd. This was Regan's second time and Todd will attend this fall for his second time. Next April, Kate will be eight and then by the the following October, Morgan will also be eight. We hope to take as many of them as possible in the next approximately 5-6 years. We only wish Matt's family were closer so we could take their children as well, but perhaps at some point, they can make their yearly trip at Conference time. Can't believe how much we miss them!

We stayed at the Hilton Hotel on Saturday night as Greg was able to get a swingin' deal via hotwire.com. It was within walking distance of Conference and such a nice place to stay considering our schedule. We arrived in Salt Lake Saturday morning about 9:45 hoping against hope that we could get into our room in time to watch the morning session from there. And as luck would have it, we were able to check in just in time to get settled and enjoy that session from the comfort of our reserved room. (Comments regarding conference itself to follow in the next post.) We then walked up to JB's for lunch and then over to the Conference Center for the afternoon session. It was raining/snowing as we made the trek so were so grateful Regan had reminded us to pack umbrellas. She enjoyed working in the conference packet her mom sent with her while we waited for the session to begin. Cindy said someone emailed this booklet to her. Wherever it came from, it was a wonderful tool to help keep a 10-year-old mind focused on the prophets, apostles and topics of their talks. It had coloring activities, word searches, places to write who conducted, what hymns the choirs sang, and thoughts from the talks. As you can see from the last picture, she was able to color the tie that the apostles were wearing as they gave their messages. There was a picture of each of the Quorum of the Twelve and the First Presidency and a matching activity of their first names to last names. We were thrilled to see that Regan could identify each of them by seeing their picture. The ones she was a little unsure of at the start were solidly cemented in her brain by the time Conference was over. She worked on it before and during sessions as well as drawing in her notebook Julie helped her make. She wrote thoughts that are special to her (some from conference messages) and then decorated each of them.

After the afternoon session, Grandpa and I walked with her around the Joseph Smith building and on Temple Square. We were hoping to take our traditional picture from the 10th floor of the JS building but it was so crowded up there we couldn't make our way through the masses. Greg then left for the evening Priesthood Session and Regan and I stopped at JB's for cheesecake, then walked back to the hotel for swimming. I am telling you, that girl is an endless bundle of energy! After 1 1/2 hours I was exhausted! I think she would have stayed for another hour but acquiesced to her old grandma, bless her heart! We had fun going between the hot tub and the very cool water of the pool (a little too cool for my liking!) We then headed back to our room for showers. Grandpa came back shortly after that and we had scriptures and prayer and headed for bed pretty early. Sunday morning, we were able to have breakfast in the hotel restaurant where they served a beautiful and very delicious buffet! Greg ate conservatively but Regan and I wanted to taste a little of everything! It was fabulous!!!! We then again watched the morning session from the comfort of our room. After the meeting, we checked out, drove up to the Triad parking lot and hopped on Trax to Temple Square. We had some time to go in the Visitors Center before heading to the Conference Center for the afternoon session. Honestly, you can't believe how beautiful the flowers were all over the temple square plaza and surrounding areas for this time of year! That always amazes and never disappoints me! Regan loved the flowers, too! The afternoon session was completely enjoyable as were all of the others. We had seats in the center of the Terrace (2nd level). Excellent seats! It is always fun to see other members of our stake as we all get tickets in the same general area!

A funny side note...Greg kept introducing Regan as his daughter instead of his granddaughter. We kept laughing about it but decided it was because she reminds us so much of our own daughter! She is Cindy reincarnated! She has many of the same mannerisms and the same bright beautiful smile. She is also very neat and tidy and enjoys organizing her surroundings! Wow, that was and continues to be her mom! Though I remember Cindy being a bit of a tease, she definitely gets some of that from her Dad! She teased us all weekend!

After the last session, we met my brother, Craig, his wife Lenora, and their 2 sons Quinn and Troy and picked up my dear mom to ride home with us. She had ridden the Salt Lake Express bus from Blackfoot on Wednesday afternoon so she could attend two Brazilian mission reunions on Thursday and Friday evenings. She stayed with Craig and Lenora for Conference and then we enjoyed a delightful ride home with her. Regan finally hit "the wall" and slept a good part of the way home. But when she awoke, she was happy and cute as ever keeping my mom company on the drive to Idaho Falls where her folks picked her up. She called and teased me by telling me that Grandma J let her drive in Idaho Falls and that they raced some guys in a car next to them. (Like I believed her! Regan I am on to you!)

Might I just say Regan is a delightful girl who is just as beautiful on the inside as outside! Some things we love about her:

1. Her desire to please.
2. Her ability to put everyone else's needs above her own.
3. Her gratitude for even the smallest things. She must have said "thank-you" a hundred times!
4. Her love for her family.
5. Her love of the gospel at such a young age.
6. Her growing testimony.
7. Her sense of humor.
8. Her desire for tidiness.
9. Her willingness to help.
10. Her keen sense of right and wrong.

Regan, we love you very much and thank you for going with us this weekend!