June was Bustin' out all over!

I remember that in May I said that I hope June wouldn't be so full because I was embarrassed to do such a long blog. Well...famous last words. June was truly "bustin out all over!" There were busy things, important things, funny things and special things. We celebrated Fathers' Day and enjoyed visits from Reygan and Esther's family. We celebrated two wedding anniversaries in June: Nathan and Shauna on the 3rd, and Dad and me on the 19th. We also had a bunch of birthdays in June. Hayden (8) on the 4th, Porter (14) on the 5th, Stephanie on the 6th, Grandpa Hiatt (85) on the 9th, Nathan on the 17th, Stetson (18) on the 17th, and Joshua (20) on the 18th.








One of the most important things to happen in June, of course, was Hayden's baptism. He was baptized a member of the church on June 12th, by his father. His father confirmed him on that day, as well, assisted by his Grandpa Tom, Brother Brent Beals, Uncles Joel and Shad and the Bishop. I can't remember if anyone else participated, but it was memorable, anyway. Hayden was handsome and solemn and I could tell he was taking this seriously. After the baptism, Erika and Jeremy hosted a terrific luncheon at their lovely home for family and friends who had attended the baptism. Dad and I went to Mesa the day before, so we could take him to buy his CTR ring.






Reygan came home from the baptism with us to spend a week with her cousins and Grandparents, too, of course. She had a great time and I know her cousins enjoyed having her here. She spent time at Lillian's house and at Rylie's house, doing fun things with them. I don't have pictures of those things, but maybe that's good because this blog is already super long.

These are pictures of everyone dancing to Rebecca's dance video game.




The girls on the mountain

On Monday, the 14th, Mary had her diagnostic dose of radioactive iodine. It was to determine if she still had any cancerous thyroid in her body. While she was waiting for the radioactivity to dissipate, she stayed with us, away from her kids, who were in the loving care of aunts and cousins. Since she was only minimally radioactive, she came upstairs for FHE with Dad and me and sat on a sheet. She put gloves on her hands to handle the scriptures! The good news is that she is clear! There was no more thyroid in her body at all. We are all so thankful for that great blessing. Now she can get on with her life without having a cancer threat hanging over it.

Hannah had a great experience, this month, when she got to participate in a handcart trek. Living, as she does, in the middle of Church history, it was very meaningful to her. She was exhausted when she finished, and newly appreciative of what her pioneer ancestors had to endure.

Kirtlyn called us this week to tell us that her mom had cut her hair! She has been trying to grow it for such a long time that we were surprised that she did it. According to Jenn, Kirtlyn is the one who insisted. They braided her hair and cut off the braid.

I also stole a picture, from Thomas and Jenn's blog, of Thomas Wyatt at his Kindergarten graduation. He looks so cute up there with his blonde hair and blue eyes among all his Mexican friends.


On the 16th, Allison went to Maine to be a tennis coach at a very exclusive resort/camp for rich kids from all over the world. She will be there for two months. This picture is with the other staff members. Her students arrived this Monday, and she says they really are from all over the world...France, Spain, Belgium. Netherlands, etc. They are 10-12 years old.

On Friday, the 18th, Joshua's birthday, by the way, the day before our 46th anniversary, and 2 days before Fathers' Day, Dad and Joel and Jeremy and Shad and Tony all took their boys (most of them, anyway) to Roosevelt Lake for a campout/boating excursion. I think they had a great time. Everyone came home totally sunburned, anyway. They took Joel's boat and jet skis and they took tents or slept in the boat or back of a truck or just under the stars (Dad).

When we met them in Globe, we heard all about how Jeremy and Shad got to know a totally different side of Dad. He drove the boat, pulling them behind on a rubber raft. They thought they would have a sedate ride, but boy were they wrong! They were amazed at his hot rodding (hot boating?) expertise and at his dedication to whipping them around.

When I said before that they had all had a great time, I should have qualified it a little. Shad was awakened several times in the night, feeling something cuddling up to him, but every time he got up and shone his flashlight, there was nothing there. Finally, he went to sleep with flashlight in hand, so that when his bedmate got cozy again he could flash it right away. Sure enough, you guessed it...a big snake was making friends with Shad! Luckily, it was a king snake and not a rattler. He yelled for Tony, in the next tent, and Tony just said, "throw rocks at it, it will go away" and went back to sleep. Tony is used to snakes. He has them at his house all the time. Rachel kills them about as often as Tony does. The last one was right outside their bedroom door curled up on the porch. Of course, he took a picture of it before he chopped off its head with a shovel.
Tony's snake with its detached head...notice the mouth open and ready to strike!


While the boys were boating/camping, the girls, Reygan, Lillian, Rylie, Isabel and Polly and I, had a slumber party. We watched an old movie, made ice cream, played games and they tied their hair up in rags. It was fun and they were so cute. It was Reygan's last night in Safford, so it was a goodbye party for her. Not for long, though, we made plans to see each other at the reunion in a couple of weeks.

Rylie and Isabel and Reygan went with us to meet the boys in Globe. We transferred Reygan back to the care of her dad and brothers, and heard all about their adventure. They were mostly too tired to talk about it much, however.





While Reygan was with us in Safford, Daynen had gone with his Grandma Kay to Colorado to spend time with Daniel's family. He loved the good times, especially the fishing...right, Daynen? He looks a little disgusted about the size of his fish, doesn't he? Daniel also has entered the pig business, after being so impressed with Rebecca & Scott's pig.

While Dad and I were in Globe, Rachel and Mary prepared a beautiful, romantic anniversary dinner for us. They went all out, using our wedding china and crystal, and fixing a delicious dinner worthy of a 5-star chef. We were so surprised! What thoughtful girls. Forty-six isn't even a milestone year, but it meant a lot to us.




Fathers' Day was relatively quiet, after such a busy weekend, but Dad enjoyed the peace. We had leftovers of the delicious meal Mary and Rachel prepared the night before, and he loved seeing the Safford kids and grandkids and hearing from all the rest of you. He feels so blessed to be the father of such wonderful children...and that includes, of course, children-in-law...and grandchildren.

On Fathers' Day evening, the kids were playing with Rachel's phone and dancing to the ring tone! I thought, "what a comment on today's society...kids dancing to a ring tone!" The video is at the bottom of the blog.

Esther and her kids came to spend the week with us on the day after Fathers' Day, leaving Shad home to earn a living. We missed Shad and his sense of humor, but we enjoyed having the rest of his family with us. The night they got here we had a joint FHE with Rachel's and Mary's families. Rebecca and Scott had gone on a Church History trip with DeWitt and Lillian and Stetson and Levi, but we had Dallin and Polly with us for our FHE. We cooked out, had a lesson by Rachel, and then made S'mores.



All the kids enjoyed the pool this week, showing off their tricks and newly acquired swimming abilities. It was fun just to watch, and it was fun to join them once in a while.




On Esther's last day here, she and Rachel took the kids to Gila Box to play in the Gila River. Why the kids would find swimming in a dirty river more exciting than swimming in a clean pool, I don't know. But they did, and they had a great time.






Rebecca and Scott, DeWitt, Lillian, Stetson and Levi, all went on a marvelous Church History trip, experiencing the sites where their ancestors participated in helping to establish the Church. They felt inspired and blessed and loved every minute of the trip.


Here, Tom is enjoying his Fathers' Day gift from Joel & Steph, with all the Alder and Richins kids. It's a good thing the hammock is very strong!

On the very last day of June, Mary had to undergo a somewhat complicated surgery to reduce the size of the opening of her esophagus. Because it was larger than normal, she has always been plagued with terrible acid reflux. The doctor found, via a scope, that she had bleeding ulcers on her esophagus, so he recommended that she have a new procedure called "TIF." It closes the opening a little and hopefully will let her lead a more normal life with heartburn just once in a while instead of constantly. She is excited about that possibility, but is a little nervous about the 13 weeks of healing during which she will have to exist on a liquid diet.

Her loving sisters rallied around her in her time of need, rubbing her back, her legs, her feet...maybe the surgery was worth all the attention! Mary's had more than her share, lately, though.