June Jubilee

June has actually been more relaxed and gentle...at least for us...if not for Rebecca and Scott's family with Dallin coming home, or Jeremy and Erika's family or Joel and Stephanie's family because he and Jeremy went to France this month and Erika started school this month.  Well, maybe not for Nathan Shauna's family either, as they did some traveling for business and anniversary this month, and Daniel and Connie's family had Parker's graduation. Rachel and Tony were busy with having to feed the Little Philmont crew this month, (a young women's assignment, not a High Council assignment, so Rebecca was involved too.)  Esther and Shad had camp, plus his bi-monthly trips to Safford, Thomas and Jenn had new career plans to work on and Mary and Tyson were...well maybe they were more relaxed this month too..if that's even possible when they have four little kids...especially Jared!

    Ok. June weather.  HOT.  I've read that June is Arizona's hottest and driest month, but whenever I say that, I get arguments that it is really July.  Not so.  July is usually monsoon month.  If we can keep alive, and our plants and animals alive through June, July brings relief.  So, with that, let me just say that I've actually thought June was a little more pleasant than usual...until the last week, that is.  No rain, of course, but the temperatures were bearable until now.  I stole this picture from Esther's Instagram.

That was in Gilbert on Friday the 28th.  So I took a picture of our car's temperature gauge on Sunday.

I've never seen it so hot here.  I mean, we're not Phoenix, for goodness sake! So I asked Esther what the temp was in Gilbert and she said her car's gauge said 126!!! Crazy. 

Frying eggs!

 We've also had a lot of dust and smoke from fires around the mountains.  Isabel posted this picture that she took this week from our house.  You can't even see Mt. Graham. The air looks as bad as California.

In spite of the dry weather, Dad has kept his garden going.  In fact, it has been quite prolific.  

Thank goodness the kids use some of the vegetables.  We could never eat all it produces, not even with Thomas and Jenn's family's help.

Rachel's Sunday dinner, featuring squash and okra.

The Slow Easy Days of June

I remember last May, I could hardly wait

For the slow, easy days of June;

With time to relax in the summer sun

And dream by the summer moon.

My family would surely grow closer this summer,

By spending more time together.

We would picnic, play ping pong, make popcorn and punch

And enjoy the bright summer weather.

We’d read to each other instead of watching TV,

We’d each try to learn a new skill.

We’d clean out the storeroom, and as a reward,

We’d cook hamburgers out on the grill.

You’d think that I’d learn that it’s never that way,

My children have plans of their own;

Some go to camp, and others to work,

And some spend their time on the phone.

I drive the little ones to learn to swim,

The middle ones to classes.

The older ones run off to jobs

Mowing other people’s grasses.

My summer’s more hectic than last winter or fall;

At least, from what I remember.

While I drive my kids here and pick them up there,

How I long for the days of September!

June is a super birthday month.  I remember always having to save up for June just as I did for Christmas.  First of all, Fathers' Day, then our anniversary is in June, Grandpa Hiatt's birthday is in June, Dad's dad, Ellis' birthday is in June, his sister, Raelene's birthday is in June, and then we started having children, with our very first child being born in June!  Then, of course, the grandchildren and children-in-law came along, many of the most special ones with birthdays in June. Hayden, Porter, Stephanie, Grandpa Hiatt, Nathan, Stetson, Joshua are our June birthdays.  June really is "bustin' out all over!"

Hayden turned 11 on June 4th

Porter turned 17 on June 5th

Stephanie's birthday was June 6th...D Day

Grandpa Hiatt turned 88 on June 9th

Nathan's birthday was June 17th

Stetson's birthday was also June 17th.  He turned 21

Joshua turned 23 on June 18th

Our anniversary...49th...is on June 19th

Here we are, so cute and young and in love.

Here we are now, almost a half-century later, and we're finally cute again (you know how you see old couples together and say "oh, how cute!") and still in love.

We drove to Colorado for Parker's graduation on the 1st of June.  It was so hot when we left Mesa and so I really appreciated seeing the snow-covered mountains from Daniel's house. 

When we got there, we were just in time to watch them clean up after the graduation party they had for Parker and one of his friends.  And it was cold. I was actually glad we were a little late because I didn't have to stand around in the cold for very long. And look how light it is.  It was almost 9:00 p.m.!

Emma, running to greet Dad.

This is a picture board that Connie and her mom made to display at the party, all about Parker.

The next day, Saturday, we took the girls swimming at the pool in the hotel.  Devynne was there; she took the picture.  I was actually sitting at a poolside table coloring pictures for a school project for Devynne.

While the girls were swimming, the boys went shooting.  Some of the boys, anyway. Dad brought up his rifle and Daniel had some bullets, so they shot at targets in the desert.

That morning, before swimming and shooting, we attended Parker's graduation.  As a member of the school board, Daniel was able to give Parker his diploma.  As next year's student body president, Porter got to lead the graduates onto the field.

He was part of a group that sang The National Anthem.  That's Parker on the right end.

Proud grandparents.

The beautiful Daniel and Connie Biggs family

That evening, we went to a local Mexican Food restaurant.  They had to put us at two tables.

Another of the big events this month was the honorable release and return home of our missionary, Dallin.  All the Mesa families, plus the Mesa Evans families gathered at the airport in Phoenix to welcome him home.

Marlie, Polly, Harrison and Soren, with Jeremy and Tayte in the background.

Here he comes! Of course, one of the last off the plane!

His parents were the first to greet him.  I can hardly look at this picture without weeping.  I can just feel the love, all the missing, the relief, the joy of having him home and the gratitude for his righteous service.  I can see it even though I can't see their faces. It's totally obvious, isn't it? It makes me remember how we felt when each of our own sons came home.

This isn't even everyone!  Just the ones they could get together for a quick picture.  What a joy!

They went right over to see Grandpa and Grandma.  I'm not sure how much Grandpa knew, but Grandma did, and of course, she gave Rebecca a hard time for not visiting more often, but she was very happy that they came.  It was the week of Grandpa's birthday, so this was their birthday visit too.

Grandpa turned 88 on the 9th of June, so there was an open house in his honor.  He had lots of visitors.  You can see Erika and their kids, I don't know why Jeremy wasn't in the picture...he was there.  Esther and Shad went the day before.  They were going to Safford the next day, but they wanted to wish him a "Happy Birthday." They just didn't take a picture...go figure.

In the meantime, we, in Safford, were preparing to greet Dallin.

Here we are, frantically waving and whistling, just in case he didn't notice us as they drove up.

Of course, the little girls were the first to run to the car to greet him.  And the little boys, too.  They all were impressed to see the one they had spent two years praying for.

There is a little boy, and a little girl, who belong to Nicole Evans Lunt, in the pictures.  I just have to mention that so that in future years when we are trying to figure out who everyone is we won't have to wonder about those two.

         Lindsay, Kirtlyn, Camille, Maya, Brianna, Brynlie    Carson, Thomas, Luke, Hyrum, 

Love the shoes! Scott said they were the third pair he wore out!

The next day was a Mexican potluck/swim party in the Evans' pavilion in his honor.

Tyson, Dad, Rachel with Dallin

Lillian (she's feeling better), Rylie and Grandma Sherry.

Polly and Isabel.

Tony, Dad and I just watching the fun.

The little mermaids, posing on the rocks.

And the cool dudes.

The Browns came the next day, to visit us, of course, and to put on a cookout for potential clients of Shad's law firm.

Marlie, lovin' on her little cousins.

And not so little ones too.

I loved having help to water my plants.

They enjoyed the pool.

They slept a few nights at our house, then one night at Mary's and one night at Rachel's.  It was a constant slumber party.

At the cookout.

Dad and Mayor Gibbs of Safford

Tyson invited some of his clients.

OH WHAT DO YOU DO IN THE SUMMERTIME TO KEEP FROM BEING BORED?

Do you swim?

Throw someone in the pool?

It took six kids to throw Rylie in the pool...she really resisted!

Have snowcones?

Go to the movies?

Plant seeds?

Go to the college world series games in Omaha?

Go canoeing?

Do arts and crafts?

Paint your faces?

Grill fish that your littlest sister caught?

Stomp around on water jugs?

Get ready for school?

Help your mom fold clothes?

Take funny pictures of yourself for Instagram?

 Play video games with your cousins?

 Or old fashioned-non-electronic games with your sister?

FATHERS' DAY
On Fathers' Day, I had to teach Relief Society.  I had taught on Mothers' Day the month before, and my Lorenzo Snow lesson was on "Sacred Family Relationships" which I was uncomfortable giving on Mothers' Day.  There are so many whose family relationships are painful and they already felt inadequate just because it was Mothers' Day. I mentioned to them that it would be easier to give any other lesson, even one as boring as "Tithing." So, the next month, what happened? You guessed it.  I taught "Tithing" on Fathers' Day!  You would think I would learn to be careful what I ask for...I just might get it!
Fathers' Day was a happy day for Dad.  Besides getting a gun-cleaning kit he had asked for, he got a whole bunch of bullets.  He wanted those, too, and I never was able to find them at Walmart...they were always out of them.  So finally, I gathered up my courage and went to the gun/pawn shop in town and ignored the looks from the tattooed, bearded customers and asked for the rifle shells he wanted.  The owner was very nice and I was able to get quite a few.
He loved having kids over Sunday afternoon and chose Swiss steak for his Fathers' Day dinner. The other fathers, Thomas, Tony, Tyson, (all our "T" fathers were there) enjoyed it, too, I think.

With the Alder kids

With the Richins kids

With the Biggs kids

With the Evans family

Here he is, talking on the phone to either Nathan or Joel or Daniel or Jeremy or Esther.  He loved hearing from all of you.

Our 49th anniversary was on the 19th, a Wednesday, so we were working at the Temple.  A great way to spend a wedding anniversary.  Thomas drove all the way to the Temple with us just to take this picture.

Later in the month, we went to El Charro, to enjoy good Southwestern Mexican food, of course, but also to scope out El Charro!

On Saturday, it was so hot, so most of us spent the day in the pool, until early evening when it started blowing dust and leaves everywhere.  We closed up the pool and waited for a few minutes on the porch, hoping against hope that we would get some rain.  We didn't want to miss that.  Soon, however, the blowing began to get more than blustery.  It was absolutely wild and tornado-like...to us, who have never seen a real tornado.  Anyway, it whipped around our house, tearing up plants, throwing dust in our eyes, so we went inside and watched from the house.  It tore off all our baby apples, upended our porch furniture, threw over our potted plants, broke our family-tree-chalkboard, and dumped our damp towels in the middle of everything. It was exciting!  Our very own haboob, or at least microburst.  As soon as it wreaked its havoc, it left and the air was clear and peace reigned.  You would never know it had been there.

Then  on Sunday, a beautiful day, we attended Safford 3rd Ward to be there when Scott was sustained as the first counselor in the new bishopric.  Jeremy's good friend, Craig Smith, is the new Bishop.  We stayed afterward to participate in the settings apart.  It was an honor and a privilege for Dad to stand in the circle with those other good men.

We went to their house Sunday night to see some of Dallin's mission pictures.  He has been well trained.  He took lots of pictures.  He'll always be glad to have them.

NEWS FROM AROUND THE FAMILY
I know this event took place in May, but I got the picture in June and I couldn't not put it in.  They are all such beautiful young women.

Nathan and Shauna celebrated their 25th anniversary in New York City.

At the 911 memorial.

At a Broadway show

Hannah had a stake youth conference luau.  It looks as if they're having a great time.

Joel and Stephanie's family with Dallin...getting excited for Stetson's homecoming.

They spent one day at Saguaro Lake.  I don't know if they took this picture and Docker doctored it up, or if this is a professional Saguaro Lake picture.  I got it off of Instagram from Docker.  

Joel and Jeremy are in France right now.  In fact, as I write, they are in Paris.  The picture on the left is of Joel talking to the mayor of one of the cities he is trying to enlist for his DDay 70th anniversary commemoration next year.  The picture on the right is self-explanatory!

This is the door of the church where Joel and Jeremy attended on the 30th.  It is near the Louvre in Paris.  I wonder how the weather is there?

While their dad has been gone, Stephanie and the boys have been doing some fun things and some not so fun things.  They've been going to some of their favorite places to eat out.  Also, Docker and Crew had to go get shots for school.  It was very traumatic for Crew and he was sick about it for a week before he went.  After it was over, Stephanie treated him to chicken and waffles.  Docker wasn't even fazed by it.  Old hat to him!

Daniel's Fathers' Day card from his kids.

His gift was a canoe.  They have really been making good use of it.

This is Porter on  his and Shadrach's lawnmower/go cart.  Shadrach sent me a video of Porter racing all around their yard, but it was too big to fit on the blog.  He makes it go by pulling on the rope tied to the hand accelerator.

The girls have been participating in Glenwood Springs' Community Children's Theater this summer.

You may recognize the scarecrow and Dorothy costumes.

Analynn was Cinderella's dog.

Rebecca and Scott (and Dad) tracked Dallin all the way home from Argentina.

With his two younger sisters.  He said he was amazed at how grown up they were. They were just little girls, especially Polly, when he left!

All the Evans kids together in Las Vegas, where they went to see DeWitt.  His mission president gave them permission, not only to see him, but to spend the afternoon with him.  They went to lunch, saw his apartment, then Dallin went to appointments with DeWitt and his companion.  I can just feel the joy in Rebecca's and Scott's hearts as they saw their children all together again.

The whole reunited Evans family.

The stake young women were in charge of feeding the Little Philmont leaders.  They had a lot of help from their families as you can see.

Jeremy and Erika took their family to wish Grandpa Hiatt a happy birthday.

Their family with Dallin.

Jeremy at Pont du Hoc in France.  He and Joel are there setting up a D Day commemoration for next June.  I guess this is a place specific to that event.

I am putting this in Jeremy's section because he took it in France.  He saw a picture on a bus and realized how much it looked like Kirtlyn.  I am so impressed that he even recognized that.

Rachel took this picture because this was their routine whenever Brynlie wanted a drink at church.  It won't be long before his girls may be learning to dance by standing on their father's feet...if they still even do that these days. Anyway, I loved this picture for Fathers' Day.

Some of the perks of living in the desert.  Isabel looked out the window of their house and saw this little herd of goats.  The dust devil actually attacked Tony and then blew past him.  He had the presence of mind to whip out his phone and snap a picture as it blew by.  I've taught him well...what can I say?

For Fathers' Day, the Alders took us to see "Man of Steel."

They spent a few days in Mesa/Phoenix. This is the view from Camelback Mountain.

Esther and Shad's family with Dallin.

As president of her ward's Young Women, Esther got to have a few fun-filled days at girls' camp in Pine.

Thomas' family treated him well for Fathers' Day.

Kirtlyn and the other kids drew on the driveway with sidewalk chalk.  One of the things they drew was a picture of Grandpa, saying, "We love you Grandpa." 

Tyson took Brianna on a daddy-daughter date.  She felt so grown up and special.  Another special attention from another special father.

Trying to entertain her kids one hot day, Mary told them all to make funny faces.

OUR COLLEGE STUDENTS

Erika has started PA school.  She's in it for the duration, now, with just a very few breaks, for the next two years. 

A comfortable chair for studying.

Josh is loving showing Nebraska to Nicole.  They have been going all around Omaha seeing his favorite things.

They both got jobs working at Red Robin, she as a hostess and he as a cook.

They have a darling, little, old house in downtown Omaha.  Josh has made it a project to restore the antique door knobs. 

Nicole made this afghan all by herself. I am impressed.  It took a lot of time and patience to do it.

Josh with his mission trainee who just got home to Omaha.

Allison got to come to Arizona to welcome Dallin home and then was able to go to Las Vegas to see DeWitt.  What a treat for her.

We were happy to see her as well as Dallin.

Devynne drove to Colorado from BYU to be at Parker's graduation.  While she was there, we worked on a elementary school poster that was due when she got back.

At the graduation.

She and Brock Bennion went to the strawberry festival in Provo.

This is the only picture I have of Bethany and Palmer's honeymoon.  It looks like they are having fun.  I assume they are doing well.  No news is good news, right? Especially with newlyweds!

OUR MISSIONARIES

Dallin with DeWitt, eating Chinese food.  Can you imagine two years with no Chinese food?

They were so happy to see each other. It had been two years and would be another two years before they see each other again.

Elder Evans and Elder Evans

Stetson is finishing up his last transfer in Argentina.  He really is working hard as a zone leader and not getting trunky, in spite of the Arizona book he is reading.

Argentine hoagies?

He went to the Mission office to pick up his new companion and saw DeWitt. No, regretfully, DeWitt is not his new companion.

Can you imagine how DeWitt felt, seeing his family after he thought he wouldn't see them again for another two years?

DeWitt took his brother to appointments with him.  They just happened to have another bike, so they were able to be a threesome.

He finally got his visa and went to Argentina last week.  Here he is with all the new arrivals

And with his new companion.

Levi is still patiently waiting for his visa.  He is faithfully serving in SLC and although he wishes he could be in Argentina, he is having a good experience where he is.  He gets to speak Spanish and has had baptisms.  This family's parakeet took a liking to our Levi. 

His Gilbert Bishop and his wife and daughter visited Levi while they were in Utah.

SOMETHING TO SMILE ABOUT

You boys don't remember, but you were all just like this at one time.  I could easily cut out your faces and put them on Jared's and it would be true.  He has figured out that he can hold one train in each hand, under each arm against his tummy, and one in his mouth.

I appreciate all of you who sent me pictures.  And I even appreciate all who said they would but didn't because I figure you will for next month.  I love being able to pirate them from Instagram and Facebook.  As I look back on each month I am so overwhelmed with how loved and blessed we are of the Lord.  I hope that you all realize how much He loves you and that your hearts are filled with gratitude.  Dad and I are forever grateful for each of you and we love you very much.  See you in July.