~JULY~RUBY~

The birthstone for July is the gorgeous, valuable ruby. A ruby represents life, love, passion, mystery, danger... Jack Ruby, Ruby Keeler, Ruby don't take your love to town.  It is usually a ruby that has been stolen from the Egyptian idol in adventure stories, or a ruby necklace that catches the eye of the gentleman cat burglar.  Most of all, it is the birthstone of my favorite person in all the world, and six more of my very favorite people...all gorgeous and valuable...and maybe a little mysterious.

Dad turned 76 on the 16th...still looking good!

Jonathan turned 15 on the 22nd

Jeremy's birthday was the 23rd

Taylor's birthday was the 27th

Devynne's birthday was the 30th

Maya turned 7 on the 31st

Henry turned 5 on the 31st

~OUR JULY~

July is my favorite summer month.  It often has a wonderful cloud cover to relieve the unrelenting heat of June, has occasional rain and exciting thunderstorms, and even raging gully washers.  If you like weather, July is your month.  We've had a lovely monsoon season with drizzles, and even storms at least 2 or 3 times a week.  Once in a while, down in the Salt River Valley, there are even dramatic dust storms which we don't see very often here where we are surrounded by mountains.

Our July has been eventful with an engagement, a wedding, celebration of freedom for our nation and honoring our pioneer ancestors.  On the happy side, we've also had vacations, reunions and parties and new callings and visits from some of our kids.  On the not-so-happy side, we've had a broken toe, surgeries, a cut leg and flooding.  In other words, "it was the best of times; it was the worst of times..."just like every other month of the  year, I guess.

The garden has really been loving the rain.  But all that gorgeous corn has produced no ears!😕

The fire on Mt. Graham is finally out.  I'm afraid this picture is pretty accurate for how much of our beautiful mountain looks now.

On the very first day of July, a Saturday, Daniel came to bring Parker back after having had some surgery in Colorado.  We went to EC to eat lunch after our Temple service that day.

While they were here, they helped Thomas build a huge picnic table.  Thomas designed and built it all in one day.

The next day, Sunday, the 3rd, after Daniel had left to go home, Thomas and Jenn invited us over to initiate their new table with Sunday dinner.

That night, when Thomas and Mary came over for a Sunday evening visit, their kids all got a picture at the table...oldest to youngest.

On the 4th of July, Dad and Thomas hung a flag for me, so that we can proudly fly the Star Spangled Banner on Independence Day.

Brynlie and Camille bought some decorations so they could spruce up the porch for our 4th of July cookout.  Brianna helped them put things up when she got there.

Then all the kids went swimming.  It was still so hot at the first of the month.  Swimming felt good.  Actually, July is the most moderate of all our summer months, with wonderful clouds and thunderstorms cooling us down. This July, from the middle of the month on, the temperatures were in the 90's, sometimes even in the low 90's for the highs.  Lows were often in the high 70's and 80's.  Downright pleasant, I'd say. But on the 4th, it was still very hot.  Normal temperatures that week were between 105-115 degrees.

Tyson doing the cooking while Parker offers advice.😄

The girls did a photo shoot.  Camille wasn't interested.

Joel and Stephanie and the boys came for a couple of days the next week and went to El Charro with us when we took the missionaries.  I had drowned my phone in the pool, so I wasn't able to take pictures for several days.  I missed a lot of things.  I'm sorry.  We had such a good visit with them and they were probably all relieved that I couldn't take pictures. 😏

The next weekend was Hannah's wedding and I still didn't have a phone.  I took some with Dad's phone, but it's just not the same as having my own.  I got some nice ones of the wedding party, however.  I'm glad about that, and I have taken some from Facebook.

Dad sealed Hannah Noelani Biggs and Seth Timothy Hackleman in the Winter Quarters Temple on Saturday, July 15. We opened at our temple on Friday, and then left as soon as the Herringtons got there, drove straight to the airport and flew to Omaha, arriving at midnight.  We went to the wedding the next morning, then to a luncheon at the Trail Center (a church pioneer site) and then to dinner at Nathan and Shauna's that night to celebrate Dad's birthday.  We left the next morning and flew to Mesa, getting there about 4:30 or so.  Erika was on the plane with us.  We all drove to Joel and Stephanie's where we were invited to dinner to celebrate Dad's 76th birthday, which really was that very day.

I love pictures of Dads and babies.  Palmer and Jovie, Porter and Aila, Brock and Theo, outside the Winter Quarters temple, waiting our turn for pictures.

Parents, grandparents, bride and groom...everybody kiss!😘

It was hotter in Omaha than Safford that day, I think.

The bottom picture is of all the Biggs clan who were at the wedding except for Brock and Theo who had to go back to the hotel because Theo was getting so overheated.  Daniel and Connie's whole family were there, as were Jeremy and Erika's whole family.  It made for a really nice crowd.  I don't know where Alonzo is or Albert.  They were there, but not in the picture.  L-R back: Analynn, Dad, Mom, Hayden, Daynen, Palmer, Jeremy, Joshua, Tayte, Porter holding Aila, Daniel Connie, Reygan.  L-R front: Ellie, Shannyn, Emma, Syrina Bethany holding Jovie, Erika, Hannah, Seth, Shauna, Nathan, Raymond, Devynn, Alta, Jonathan.

At lunch at the Trail Center.

At the Trail Center and then afterwards at Nathan and Shauna's.  Theo came back for that party.  That's him, trying to eat my necklace.

At Joel and Stephanie's on Sunday night.  Esther and her family were there as was Erika.  Her family were driving home from Omaha, but she had to go to work the next day and couldn't take time for a leisurely drive.  We had a delicious roast dinner that Stephanie prepared and birthday cakes that Harrison made from scratch.  Yummy on both counts!

Esther and Shad and their family came for the 24h of July.  Whenever they come, it's a party.  They came while I was at the Temple.  Dad did our regular shift, but I needed to sub for Sister Allred, so I didn't get home until after 6:30.  This is what I saw when I got home 😀 They made masa.

The next day, I burned the cinnamon toast...of course...but Dad's beans were delicious!

Everyone loved the beans...and the pool.

Fun with the babies

At the Pioneer Day parade.

After church, we hung out and ate peach ice cream made with peaches Thomas and Jenn gave us from Angle's Orchard. Fortunately, the fire spared Angle's.

Treasure Box time

My friend, Bobbi Layton had all her teeth pulled and couldn't eat, so I took her a medicinal milkshake, thanks to Rachel who came and took me to the DQ and pitched in 38 cents when I only had $3.

The Hiatt reunion in Pine was the 29th-30th.  Dad and I went, of course, and Rachel and Isabel and Brynlie and Camille went.  Polly also went with Rachel.  Esther and Harrison and Soren came up for Saturday,  and Mary and her family came for Sunday.  It was so good to have them all there.  I totally get it that the other kids don't feel a responsibility to a family 2 generations away and that they are all so busy with their own family vacations and weddings and church responsibilities, etc.  I don't know what the answer is.  In the future, we'll just go and whichever kids can make it will, and whichever kids can't we just won't feel bad about.  (I'll try anyway) I just hope that they will still feel a pull from our family and will want to go to Biggs family reunions for a little while longer.  Maybe could do every other year so it's not such a burden.  And at every other year, there won't be so many to go to before  Dad and I are gone.😏  I know some of you are going to be so mad, thinking I'm writing this to make you feel guilty.  I'm really not.  I'm just thinking through the keyboard, and since this is my journal, I'm expressing my real thoughts.  What do you really think about an every-other-year-reunion for us?

I think Rebecca posted this definition of the Hiatt name.

Nancy and her family were in charge of the reunion this year.  The theme was "Family  Ties."  Emily made the darling banner.  It was quite an undertaking to put it up.  With duct tape and push pins and a couple of tall guys on chairs, they finally accomplished it.  See everyone standing back and admiring their handiwork? 

We got there on Friday night and felt a little lost and alone without any of our peeps.  But Rachel came the next morning, bringing Isabel, Polly, Brynlie and Camille.  Then Esther came and brought Harrison and Soren.  We felt so much more connected and not so alone. Notice the butterfly on my knee.

Brynlie, Camille and Soren picked blackberries. I think the baby Rachel is holding is Betsy's.

I always enjoy listening to Karl expound on the latest thing he has been thinking about.  He's fun to listen to. This time he was telling about the physical evidences of the Book of Mormon but how the only way to really receive a testimony that it is true is by the Spirit.  Very interesting.

Everyone pitched in and helped when it was our turn to cook.

They played a fun game of hit the pretzel tied to each other's waists.  It was a free-for-all...everyone hitting everyone else.  Guess who won. No surprise😏

Everyone was supposed to wear a white shirt and tie for the family picture.  Polly wanted Dad to teach her how to tie a tie, so she went around and helped everyone else.  I don't know if you can see mine or not, but I tied it myself 😄.  Years of tying my sons ties until they learned to tie them.

One of the activities was an auction.  People brought crafts and mementos, etc.  I took an afghan that Jan bought and I bought a pillow made from one of Grandpa's shirts.  I also bought a Hiatt family joke book by Kent.  You can see Isabel and Polly enjoying the auction from on high.

On Sunday, Mary and Tyson and their family came.  Esther had to go home on Saturday night, but Soren stayed and went home with Rachel, who was going to the condo.  So on Sunday, we had two families, plus Soren,  with us for church.  

The boy standing by Polly, who is holding Ethan, is Charlie Naegle's nephew.  Lisa asked me to see if Polly and Isabel would be nice to him because he is shy.  They were and I think he appreciated it.  He didn't feel so left out of everything because he had friends.

Karen's family was all there, so they took family pictures.  This one is of Mike and Karen with their grandchildren.  I was jealous.  Isabel, and Dad and me holding Ethan.

Rebecca and Lillian came to the temple on the last day of the month and helped us iron curtains.  Tyson and Thomas and Parker also came.  They are so wonderful and we appreciate them more than we can ever say.  There's a better picture in Rebecca's section.

That afternoon, I took Maya to Walmart to find a dress for her birthday.  The 31st is Maya's and Henry's birthdays.  Then they invited us over for birthday Roman Holiday and ice cream cake that evening.

~NEWS FROM AROUND THE FAMILY~

~NATHAN AND SHAUNA~

Hannah and Seth saying goodbye to the Singles Ward in Omaha.

Josh went shopping with Erika and kids when they came for the wedding festivities.  I guess this is a good place to shop in Omaha.

At Hannah and Seth's "presception" on Friday night.  It was held at their country club and that made it very nice for Nathan and Shauna not to have to decorate or clean up.  Daniel's family and Jeremy's family were both there in time for it.  We missed the whole thing!  We opened at the temple that morning, and our flight didn't get there until midnight and it was all over by then...of course.

Seth and Hannah greeting friends...Nathan...Daniel, Jonathan and Nathan...Erika with Jovie and Shauna's parents and Palmer.

Shannyn and Aila, Connie and Daniel...Ellie, Aila and Shannyn...then Reygan and Bethany and Palmer on the bottom.

Porter and Alonzo...Palmer, Reygan, Tayte, Hayden, Bethany...Josh and Shauna...Shauna and Erika with Jovie.

Aila and Shanynn...Hayden...Bethany and Reygan...Palmer glad handing old friends.

Devynne and Daniel...Brock, Theo, Jonathan, Albert...Palmer and Jovie...Bethany and friend.

Hayden, Analynn and Ellie...then joined by Erika.

Daynen took some wonderful pictures of the happy couple that day.  It looks so "Nebraska-ish" doesn't it? Beautiful scenery.  Beautiful couple.

Bethany and Jovie in their wedding finery, with flower crowns.  Hannah's is reminiscent of Hawaii.

Saturday morning, coming out of the temple.

Loving, appreciative family.  We waited around while the photographer was taking pictures of Seth's family with the couple.

Proud parents. They all look young and beautiful...even the parents.  Then the grandparents...old and beautiful, I guess...if there even is such a thing.

Hayden and Tayte went on a Sonic run when everyone was just so hot and thirsty.  Being gorgeous for pictures is just plain hard work.

No I didn't take these pictures.  Hannah posted them and I copied them.

At the Trail Center for the luncheon.  Bethany gave a darling little speech for Hannah and she even rapped on her Sonic cup for attention.

At the Biggs home that evening.  Lots of food, visiting and bonding going on.

Before they left Omaha to go back to Arizona for school, Bethany and Palmer and Jovie sampled some of Nebraska's attractions.  The city's amazing zoo and a ride on a tractor.

Dad would totally love this ancient antique John Deere.

Ahlin, who had something to do with making arrangements for the "Days of 47" parade, asked Josh to drive a car in the parade.  He drove Sister Jones, the General Primary President and her daughter and granddaughters.  This is what he had to say about the experience. 😀

Bethany celebrated Harry Potter's birthday on the 30th.  She said "Any excuse to make a cake!"

~JOEL AND STEPHANIE~

I think this is Lindsay's family reunion.

Stetson and Lindsay are moving back to Arizona to attend the Sandra Day O'Connor Law school at ASU, so they are going to have to say "goodbye" to the beach.  Too bad, so sad.  But glad that we get to have them back where they belong 😀

A birthday party for Dad at their house.

Everyone came out on the porch to tell us "goodbye" as were leaving Joel and Stephanie's on Dad's birthday.

The Joel and Stephanie Biggs family took their vacation in San Diego at the Del.  They stayed in the historic section, it looks like.  I can almost imagine Ronald Coleman and Marlene Dietrich staying there.  They went to San Diego to help Stetson and Lindsay move back to Mesa and just stayed to enjoy the atmosphere.  When we went there several years ago, we had an earthquake!  My very first one...only one.  It was so exciting!

It looks as if the beach was cloudy and cool, but nice for a fire. 

They are renting this house in Cooley Station, in Gilbert, while they attend ASU.

~DANIEL AND CONNIE~

Helping Thomas make his picnic table.

Aila

Theo

Creatures on their farm.

Girls' Camp for Shannyn and Analynn

A picture of Brock's family.

At Hannah and Seth's reception in Omaha.

Waiting for pictures.

At Nathan and Shauna's house later that night.

After the wedding, they went to St. Louis to spend some time with Devynne and Brock and Theo.  On the way they stopped at Haun's Mill and Far West.

They had a good time in St. Louis, visiting Devynne's family, and the St. Louis zoo, among other things.

Jonathan's birthday is the 22nd.  His amazing Connie Cake.  Can you tell what it is?

~REBECCA AND SCOTT~

This is it! He popped the question and she said "yes!" Lillian is going to marry Kelin Bleazard (pronounced Blazzard) on August 15 in the Gila Valley Temple.

So now it's time to go dress shopping...(None of these are the chosen one...I'm saving that for next month when we take wedding pictures.😀)...

...And picture taking...

...And announcement designing.

And here is the finished product.  Beautiful, happy children.

They went to  Snowflake for a rodeo so Lillian could get back into her Arizona groove for a little while before moving to Utah.

4th of July

They put a fence around their pool, now that they have grandchildren.

Parley

The happy Atkinson family

DeWitt and Deanna came for Pioneer Day.

The winner!  It was so nice to have Polly in Pine with us for the Hiatt reunion.  

We sure appreciated their help with the curtains and veils at the temple on the 31st.

~JEREMY AND ERIKA~

Digging a hole for the trampoline.

Diamondback fans

Hayden and his theater group...Catch Me If You Can.

On the way to Omaha...Kansas really is as flat as...well Kansas.

Shopping with their Mom, the ultimate shopper.  Read the sign behind Tayte to understand his expression.

Hannah's shower and chillin' with the girls.

At Hannah and Seth's reception.

Then waiting for pictures after the wedding.

During and after the wedding.  Reygan had Jovie duty during the wedding.

Beautiful bridesmaids

At Nathan and Shauna's house...Jeremy the baby whisperer.

On their way home...the Mighty Mississippi and flying a drone in St. Johns

At the SAC museum in Lincoln NE.  The bottom picture is at Dillards in Omaha.  The sign says "For your convenience, an elevator is located in China."  Go figure.

Jeremy and his friend drove to South Dakota and Wyoming where they saw some pretty amazing things...Mt. Rushmore...

...Devil's Tower, which you might recognize from the movie, 2001.

...And a motorcycle gathering

They went by the Vernal Temple on their way home.  This looks like either sunrise or sunset.

When I saw this on Instagram, I was horrified.  I thought Reygan had scribbled on it herself, in frustration or something.  But not so.  She was babysitting and the child decided, I think, that he liked the picture so much and wanted to add to it.  

~RACHEL AND TONY~

Swimming at the condo with their new emoji floatie.

Decorating Grandma and Grandpa's for the 4th of July cookout.

Cookout fun. Isabel's guy friend, Tevin Broadhead.  He's Lyle Broadhead's son.

At Grant's pond

Rylie broke her toe while lifting weights.  She dropped a huge weight on her foot.  Dr. Kartchner took an X-ray and saw that it really was broken, so she hobbled around on a cane...for about 30 minutes...long enough to get a medicinal milkshake anyway.

Back at work the next day.

Two sweet little girls who still like pretty bows.  They really are going to grow up, Rachel.  You can't keep them your little companions for very much longer.  I'm sorry.  I went through it too.  You grew up.

At the 24th parade

At the bar-b-que.  The big guy is Rylie's guy friend, Brandon.

We had some good rain that weekend.  Esther's family was here and Luke and Bridger got their gator stuck in the mud by Rachel's house.

These eggs are right by Rachel's front door.

The Alder family had a reunion at the cabin in Pine.  I think they all really enjoyed it.

It was at this very spot...the next day...when the flash flood swept away an entire family enjoying the river.

Deon and Lisa came to visit from Wimpy's

Then the next week, they Rachel and Isabel and Brynlie and Camille...and Polly...joined all the Hiatts back at the cabin.

Isabel and the twins were our contribution to the Saturday night talent show.  They were so darling.  They sang a song about "water...water"

~ESTHER AND SHAD

Poor Harrison had an eardrum transplant.  They actually took skin from behind his ear and stretched it to make an ear drum.  Amazing!  

I made him a card with a huge ear, for a joke...but it almost wasn't a joke at all.  His poor ear was so swollen.

In Eagar for the 4th of July.  

Harrison's cakes for Dad's birthday.  Yumm! One is German chocolate and the other is S'mores

Bridger's Scout troop went to California for a super activity.

He had fun in spite of his cut leg.

Then the whole family went to California for Shad's Continuing Education Seminar thing.  

They even took time to go to the San Diego Temple where the kids did baptisms and Esther and Shad went on a sessison.

How fun!  I'd pay to hear them play...they should have passed the hat.

They always see the Hiatt lawyers, Charlie, Brad, David, Mike and whoever is lucky enough to go with them.  They usually have a big dinner together.

They came to Safford for the 24th celebration and got stuck in the mud at Luke's house.  It took both of them and Rylie's friend to get out of the mud.

At the parade in Thatcher.

I loved Harrison's socks and had to get a picture.  He and Thomas played piano and he had to do pump-up duty since he couldn't swim because of his ear.

Her eyebrows look great!

At the reunion...poor Esther didn't really have a chance against Polly, but she was a good sport to even play.

When it sprinkled, Harrison had to protect his ear.

So...the 30th was evidently Harry Potter's birthday (see Bethany's identical cake).  Harrison hosted an all-day marathon celebrating the big day...complete with cake and homemade English muffins and other appropriate food.  Maybe even butter beer?

Rachel, Joel and Jeremy's families joined in the fun.

~THOMAS AND JENN~

One Saturday, Thomas decided to build a picnic table.  He designed and built it all in one day and had us over for dinner the next day to break it in.  It's really nice.

Thomas Wyatt holding the flag in the 4th of July parade in Safford.

Thomas and Jenn helping us get ready for our 4th of July cookout.

At Safford Stake's Zion's Camp.  Thomas went as the Ward YM president.  He has since been sustained as the stake YM president.

While Mary and Tyson were on their super trip, Jenn took care of their kids for part of the time.  The first picture is when Lillian went over there to work on her announcements.

They went up to Angle's Orchard when the fire danger was past and were glad to see that it hadn't been damaged.  They brought us some peaches...with which we made ice cream 😋 It was while they were keeping Mary's kids, so they got to go too.

To earn money this summer, Kirtlyn held a Princess Boot camp.  The girls really loved it, I'm sure.

At the Pioneer Day parade.

Happy last day of July Birthday, Maya and Henry! The dress she is wearing on my lap is the one she got from us.  The other one, and Henry's outfit, are from their parents.

~MARY AND TYSON~

Lindsay found a whole, burned leaf at her house while the fire was still raging.

Ethan is starting to pull himself up and is feeling so proud!  He may be small, but he's doing the things he should be doing for his age.

Mary was taking a picture of him climbing the stairs, and of course, Alex, the camera hog, had to run over and get in the picture!

Rotary Club had a "Nickel Picnic" on the 4th of July, and Mary's kids helped serve.  I think everything was 5 cents? There must have been a goal other than making money.😏

The Richins kids in the Thatcher 4th of July parade.

4th of July water fun.

At our 4th of July cookout.

Mary and Tyson took a cruise of a lifetime!  They first flew to NYC where they did a walking tour for the day they were there,

They flew to Barcelona, Spain, and boarded their cruise ship to sail the Mediterranean where they stopped in France, Rome, Pisa, and even Pompeii.  The first pictures show the Chateau d'If where the Count of Monte Cristo was imprisoned, and a different Notre Dame cathedral.

Then Marseilles and Pisa, where they saw the leaning tower and even climbed up to the bell tower.  They also saw, in Rome, the Pieta by Michelangelo.

St. Peter's Basilica and Vatican Square.

The Colosseum in Rome and a drinking fountain, the likes of which were all around the streets.

They met a couple on the tour who introduced them to another couple from Australia, so in spite of Mary's tendency to avoid society, she had to make nice and be friends.  I think she actually enjoyed them.

The ruins of Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast The kids were so happy to see them when they got home, and not, I'm sure, just because of the gifts they brought.  

We finally got some rain in the Gila Valley toward the middle of the month.  We were all so glad to see it, but Mary's basement got flooded because the drain in her outside basement steps was covered with a slip-n-slide.  Rachel and Rebecca hurried over to help, but it took days to get the water all out. Then, when Mary was outside mopping up, it rained again and she was wet from the top as well as the bottom.

After they got their house semi-dried out, and before the reunion, they went to Mesa to give their kids a vacation. 

Sunsplash

Children's museum

Science museum

They even saw DeWitt and Deanna in Walmart, I think.

Urban Jungle? Mary traded her baby for Esther's babies.

Then Pine.

~OUR MISSIONARY~

I know New Jersey is the Garden State, but I think California is where we get most of our fruits and veggies.  Aren't these the most beautiful strawberries and cherries?  And isn't this also such a beautiful missionary?

Shadrach made up these pass-along cards.

~SOMETHING TO SMILE ABOUT~

I told Esther to let me know when Harrison was ready for a medicinal milkshake and she didn't let me know soon enough.  When I finally inquired again, this is what I got:

Esther posted this picture while they were in California.  Mary had just told us all about seeing the Sistine Chapel and Esther said, "Mary sees the Sistine Chapel but we see shell art in someone's front yard."   This actually pretty amazing.

Isabel and her boyfriend Tevin with Thomas and Jenn's dogs.  Isabel has Kevin and Tevin has Bella.  I thought that was funny.

Sara always cracks me up with her Facebook posts.

So does Kent.

But this one is so true for me...all except the cigarette, of course.

Now, I think handsome Jeremy and Tayte might make me rethink the above.  For good looking guys, they sure know how to make ugly faces.

Talk about beautiful people with silly faces!

And I wonder why Esther calls him Stinky Bean???

I loved this picture of Alex reading to Ethan.  It was just so nice to see him not biting his brother...and not being a stinky bean.

~LAST WORDS~

My favorite assignment in the temple is to stand in the Celestial Room after a session.  I love to see the faces of those who come through the doors, searching the room for their companions.  When they see each other, they beam and grin from ear to ear.  They usually hug or kiss or sit together holding hands.  It's as if they haven't just seen each other for a long time, not just a few minutes before.  Seeing each other in the  Celestial Room adds a dimension to their relationship that obviously brings joy.  Young, old and in between, it doesn't matter.  They all glow with the joy of being in the Celestial Room together.  I'm sure that is how we will feel when we meet each other in the Celestial Kingdom.  Better even than seeing a loved one, unexpectedly in a far away place that you just happen to be visiting.  I even get excited when I bump into one of my kids or grandkids in Walmart 😀

I have a strong testimony that going to the Temple together, frequently, helps you remember your covenants with each other and with the Lord and strengthens your loving feelings toward each other.  Just being together in the Celestial Room prepares you for the love and joy you will feel for eternity.