Death Valley and Las Vegas

For the Martin Luther King holiday we ventured forth to Las Vegas where both boys played with their Utah Storm soccer teams in the Las Vegas Cup Tournament. Will had a practice and a game on Friday and two games on Saturday. Joel played one game each day on Friday, Saturday and Monday. The boys played well and had fun but their teams did not advance to the play offs. Sunday we explored Death Valley. This was a first visit for all of us. Driving there we had our worship service of listening to conference talks and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir on Sirius satellite radio, the BYU channel.

Friday morning practice in the rain and with new warm ups to wear.

Friday the 13th and a full moon.

Friday night lights for Will. #25. The three night games were very cold.

Friday night lights for Joel (center of photo). #13 is his lucky number, because he was born on a Friday the 13th with a full moon.

At 9:00 sharp the lights went out on half of the fields, mid kick and with 5 minutes left to play in the game.

Saturday afternoon games at Heritage Park in Henderson. Will is at the end of the rainbow in green cleats.

 Joel, far left.

Meg! (FYI: meg is the soccer term for kicking a ball through someone's legs. The name is short for nutmeg). The boys are always trying to meg their dad. They think they are so cool when I am standing unaware and they kick a ball through my legs.


Sunday morning in the sunshine we headed west out of Las Vegas on highway 160 and then the very rural road that followed the Old Spanish Trail to Tecopa California. As we climbed a hill and rounded a curve on the Old Spanish Trail I hoped for a pull out with a good view back to the snow capped mountains and forward to Death Valley. There was no such view from the road, BUT there was a short rocky road climbing up to a hill top that afforded us just such a view. The minute I saw the side road and thought oh good, Marie burst into laughter realizing that she knew exactly what I was planning to do--which is not something she would do.

Looking east towards the snow capped Spring Mountains.

Looking west towards the snow capped Panamint Range of the Sierra Nevada Mountains beyond Death Valley.

Rest stop in Shoshone California--home of Death Valley High School. I did not realize that the Shoshone Indians extended this far southwest.

From Shoshone we descended into the southern end of Death Valley where we then followed Badwater road north to the Furnace Creek Visitor Center.

 Descending into Death Valley

The ranger told us that in the 1860s some Mormons happened through here.

Badwater

 Joel's Snapchat measurements had us further below sea level.

 (photo courtesy of Joel)

 Lemonade bottle football.

Water! Water! (at 72 degrees we were actually doing fine. At 130 degrees in July it would be a different story)

 Sea Level sign-- mid photo.

 Water (salty=bad water) from last week's rains--which closed some of the roads in the park due to rock slides.

The colors (reds, browns, whites, yellows, oranges, greens and purples) and patterns of the rocky and bare Amargosa Range on the east side of the valley were spectacular. Photos do not do it justice.

Salt crystals and salt flats.

 Golden Canyon

Still lots of park to be explored another time.

Back to Vegas via US 95 for Sunday dinner with my Cousin Betsey and her family.

Bluebells for Kaye

Today I attended the memorial service for Kaye Francis Larsen. Kaye was not one of the many notables who have departed this earth in the past few weeks. She was just an unlikely friend. Unlikely in that our lives would probably have never crossed paths except for the fact that her humble apartment and our home happened to be circumscribed within the boundaries of the Spring Creek 18th Ward (LDS congregation). Also unlikely in that had she not left her native England at the age of 18 we would certainly never have met.

I first became aware of Kaye when we moved to Springville and started attending our local ward (then the 12th ward). I really got to know Kaye a few years later when I was called to be bishop of the newly organized 18th Ward. Kaye was divorced and had two grown children. She had recently lost her job and was unable to find new work. I worried about her ability to support herself. Offers of assistance for food or bills were rebuffed. She was not interested in help from the Church even though she had long made contributions to help others.

In our visits I learned that Kaye had a daughter and grandchildren living in Logan--my home town. Knowing this, and knowing that she didn't have a working car, I made frequent offers to have Kaye join us when we drove to Logan to visit my parents. Kaye always expressed interest, but never came along. I thought it strange that she would not take advantage of visiting the grandchildren whose photos and drawings she was always so proud to show me.

In the meantime I did what I could to reach out to this single sister who seemed so alone in the world. One Christmas I invited Kaye and several other elderly single folks in the ward to join our family for a holiday dinner in our home. Kaye did not want to come. Kaye was also not inclined to join in any type of food eating socials. Eventually I found out that she loved fresh produce and so every summer I would drop by home-grown tomatoes and cucumbers (which reminded her of England). At Christmas we would give her a bag of clementines and a box of Walkers Shortbread cookies from Scotland. These simple gifts were always reciprocated. Kaye would come by to drop off bags of rising sour-dough for us to bake, recipes, re-gifted books, a Christmas nativity pattern, and most memorable a Christmas ornament of a tin box replica of Emmett's Toy Shoppe. We were not the only ones who benefited from Kaye's kindness, many others received similar deposits on their porches during her daily walks.

Kaye loved these daily jaunts around town. She often walked passed our home. Some days, if we were outside as she passed, she would stop to talk. Others days she crossed to the other side of the street as if wanting to avoid us. Kaye was an enigma. Some days at church she was friendly and responsive, others days she was silent. Our family never gave up on our up and down relationship with quirky, temperamental Kaye.

One summer Saturday I dropped a bag of tomatoes off at Kaye's apartment. This day she answered the door and was happy to visit. Our family had planned a hike to Stewart Falls (on the back side of Mt. Timpanogos near Sundance Ski Resort) for later that morning and somehow in the midst of our conversation I extended an invitation for Kaye to join us. I was not expecting her to accept, but she surprised me and said she would love to go. We had a delightful time together. It was obvious that she loved nature and being out in the mountains. She also enjoyed being with our three young children.

At one point as bishop I began to worry about what would happen if Kaye's financial or health condition worsened. How would we contact the family? No one in the ward had information about her family and Kaye was not willing to share information. I used Church records to find the names of her daughter in Logan and son in Lehi. I gave them both a call to update them on their mother (whose ups and downs seemed to be worsening) and to see if they would be willing to get more involved in helping their mother. Both very politely indicated that it was best for now that distances be kept. The daughter in particular was wanting to insulate her children from hurtful comments Kaye had made on previous visits. At the time there was no label placed on this strained relationship between mother and children, but I have since come to find out that Kay suffered from schizophrenia--which she most often chose not to medicate.

Two years ago, in May, when our family was visiting Marie's cousin in Oxford England, we were taken on a walk through the bluebell woods near her cousin's home. I had never see such a thing, beautiful woodlands carpeted in blue. When we returned home from our Semester at Sea, I looked forward to talking to Kaye about our two week road trip through the British Isles. We did talk briefly, but by now Kaye was even more distant.

This past summer Kaye's condition finally got to the point that she was placed in a care facility. For the first time in years she took medication for her mental illness. The current bishop, with a tip from a long time Springville friend of Kaye's, was able to track down a sister who also lived in Utah. I had never heard of this sister. The sister and then the son and even the grandchildren from Logan were able to come and visit Kaye. She no longer refused contact with them and they were happy to be reunited with a clear thinking Kaye. Marie, Sarah and I were able to visit Kaye in the hospital a few days before her passing. She recognized us and was happy to see us. We were happy to see her.

Kaye chose to be cremated. Today a few dozen friends and family gathered to remember her life in a memorial service. From the obituary that her sister wrote, I learned of Kaye's love of nature and of exploring the rivers banks and woods of Kent England where she grew up. "She especially loved the  woods in the Springtime when the bluebells would come out in abundance, spreading their sweet fragrance through the woodlands and covering the ground in an expanse of purple/blue hue."

Part of the service included time for memories from the congregation. Kaye's son mentioned that he and his mother had once climbed Mt. Timpanogos, something his mother had long wanted to do. I offered a few memories too. I told of our trip to England and of the bluebells of May. I told how memories of Kaye shared on-line, in the obituary and by other speakers at the funeral had exposed me to a whole new Kaye. A Kaye who was not beset by mental illness. A Kaye who loved nature and hiking and flowers. I decided to tell about that rare day when Kaye joined us for our hike to Stewart Falls. I told her children that that was their real mother. The mother excited to go exploring, to visit and talk, to enjoy nature. Not the mother of another mind who insulted or rebuffed her children and others. Later I told both children that I knew of their hurt and I understood how hard it was to maintain a normal relationship with their mother.

As Marie and I talked to Kaye's son, he mentioned that his mother had not left a will, but she had left a hand written note asking that her ashes be scattered at Stewart Falls. He did not know where Stewart Falls was so we explained that it was on the back side of Mt. Timpanogos--the mountain he had climbed with his mom at a time when he was trying his best to maintain a relationship. The mountain side we had climbed with Kaye on a rare summer day. The mountain, that while devoid of bluebells, may have reminded Kaye of a carefree childhood exploring and enjoying the beauties of the English countryside. A time when her mind was at peace.

December Doings

12th birthday.

Post movie (Back to the Future) entertainment: ping pong, bongo board, player piano and FIFA 17 on the X-Box.

Re-purposing disgarded maps from the BYU map library.

Christmas outings: BYU folk dancers. This year they included an Indonesian Saman dance (above) and a Palestinian Dabka.

Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas concert.

A few days before Christmas, Sarah had her thrice annual scan and check up at Huntsman Cancer Institute (with its nice view of Salt lake Valley)--No new tumors and no significant growth, which is good news. Sarah's doctor said she could put in her mission papers this summer, but with the Doctor's recommendation that Sarah serve somewhere in the US where she can continue her regular check-ups.

Indonesian Independence Day banners re-purposed as Christmas decorations.

After 18 years, Marie finally wore out her treadmill, so guess what she is getting for Christmas. It barely fit in the back of the Subaru. Joel and I hid it under the ping pong table for four days and she never noticed.

Emmett Family Christmas party at my sister Mary's house. Almost all of generation four (the great grandkids of John and Norda Emmett) in the annual Nativity pageant with lots of authentic garb from the Middle East. With Will's turning 12 he was freed from having to perform in the pageant thus making this the first pageant in over 30 years to no have a grandchild performing. Luckily there are others in the next generation happy to perform the role of the donkey.

All but two of generation three. Lots of girls and seven of the 24 (total) are red-heads.

All six of generation two.



For the talent show portion of the evening our family entertained with two carols played on Indonesian angklungs.

On Christmas Eve at Marie's sister Diane's house we were divided into groups to act out Christmas Carol names and then perform some rendition of that carol. It was entertaining and fun.

While enjoying deserts Joel and Will played their piano recital pieces. I have never played a song that used the lowest key (A) on the piano, Will now has. View their recital performances on these links to YouTube:

Joel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94r2xb2iKKA&t=107s

Will
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1HIK4woA3Y

More singing with Aunt Diane at the piano.

Christmas morning selfie (which I discovered a week later) on my phone at church. Will is a brand new deacon and passed the sacrament for his second time.

Christmas morning, after 9:00 Church, waiting to go out and see Santa's presents that he had conveniently covered with blankets.

Last summer Sarah selected the pattern and the fabric and then pieced this quilt--her first. For Christmas we had it machine quilted by a woman I have home taught for over 15 year. Sarah will now bind it and then it will take its place on her dorm room bed.

Will got the four volume complete set of Calvin and Hobbes.

And a new bed from Ikea. Here he is reading a note that came in the wrapped package of bed legs telling him to go look in the spare bedroom in the basement where the box (to be assembled) and rolled up mattress were waiting.

After all the gifts were opened Joel opened the last gift--a beginning Indonesian book and this note.

He was excited and I got a hug of thanks. It will be a fun adventure for the two of us.

Joel and Sarah wrote this guide for their meme-illiterate dad. It was fun to have them go through and explain it all. See the following blog post for the full text.

Fresh snow for Christmas morning.

So far we've had three fun days of skiing at Brighton.

On the Wednesday after Christmas we met one of our Semester at Sea friends for an afternoon of skating at the Gallivan Center and a visit to Temple Square. Nurul is from Sumatra and is currently studying at the University of Florida. It was a fun outing.

Will's first time on skates. He did very well.

Once upon a time, a younger Sarah even took skating lessons.