Hugs and Kisses to My Grandchildren.........

Just wanted to send a kiss off to my grandchildren....................I'm standing out by the tree in our front yard...................Love you all!!!!

Nova Ashley................silver jewelry artist

This woman has a son who has been in our employment office so many times getting job interviews set up, faxing resumes................he is an ironworker - finally he got a job in Mississippi in a shipyard..........he was so excited.............he needed some final things faxed, so his mother came in the office to have us help her........she was such a sweet lady (in the course of the time she told me she was an inactive member of our church)..........she just fell apart and hugged me and talked.......she wants so much for her son Elden to do well there...........his wife left him and he has 4 children which Grandma is taking care of..............then she told me about her jewelry (her hands were dark from working with silver)..............so I told her to bring some things over and we'd buy some to help her get money for things she needed................the picture is of her.

We find that we are giving money or things often.................but then how can we refuse people who need so much...............we took a bag of things today to the Kaaloa family - they take their baby tomorrow to Flagstaff for his first surgery on his cleft palate........what a darling baby and what a neat family.............they appreciated so much the things we took - just made a care package of things to tide them over while they were there in the hospital (the whole family is going)..........a case of water and then some gas money.............they were so thrilled! Life is good anbd it is good to be able to share............

Victor & Roberta Etsitty Baptism 7-25-2009

Baptism this morning of Victor and Roberta..............what wonderful people - they keep bringing us gifts - she does beading and Victor is making us a hogan jewelry box - he is so excited about us getting that..........they are dear and humble people and have brightened our lives - a friendship and love that will endure forever...........Quite a few of their family came for the baptism and lunch........his mother is a member of our church, but all of Roberta's is not............

More of Canyon de Chelly

Even stopped to pick up some jewelry from a woman there - it was fun to look at all their things......beautiful pottery and things............

07-25-2009

Worked in the office until 11:30 and then made our trek to the North Rim of Canyon de Chelly.....what beautiful country. As we drive through the country to get there, we are so very thankful that we live in Window Rock and not in Chinle or the area around there.....it is so much more dry and desolate.

The Canyon is beautiful.............Antelope Canyon, Two Fell Off, Mummy Cave and Massacre Cave......We will come here often - Elder Hafen loves this area..............Had a good get-away just together today. There were some cattle bellowing in the canyon below and the echo coming off the canyon was so neat!! People still farm and live in the canyon floor.....

Some Grandma Handouts........

These little girls were going to take their brother to Provo, Utah to the MTC and they came and wondered if they could have some little bags of treats - because their parents only stop at rest stops along the drive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is There a Pot of Gold???????????

We feel that we have found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow here in St. Michaels..........after a rain one afternoon the rainbow was spectacular - of course we didn't get the best picture, except in our hearts.................it was stunning............

Our 2nd Career Workshop...........07-21-09

Our second Career Workshop was a great success again.............these are so fun to do. We are getting better all the time. We had 10 people this month and it was a ball............they progress so much in their expressing themselves and their job skills...............we were proud fo them.

Navajo Cake............

Now -- this was an experience for you..............this is the Navajo Cake they use for ceremonies....they use it for the Puberty Ceremony...........it is mostly corn, flour, raisens and water.. It is made by the young girl for all of the people at the ceremony..........they dig a big pit and put the wood in until it is coals.......then cover it with corn husks.............they have to grind all of the corn, mix the dough and then put it into the ground over the corn husks.........(some of thenm have about 5 five gallon buckets of dough......) then they cover it with more husks and more coals and let it bake in the ground...............I am sorry.............but I would have to be pretty hungry to eat this..... Our friends brought us some and we shared it around as much as we could.....it is a very "heavy" cake!!! I'm sure it would really stick to the ribs....................

Oh Where, Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone?????

This sweet little dog just adopted our home...............I knew fully well that I should not feed it (which I didn't) nor pet it (which I didn't) but that didn't mean that I just didn't fall in love with her..........don't ask me why??????? If we walked, she followed us like a shadow. Not many dogs on the reservation wag their tails ............BUT she did when she walked with us!!!!!! And even if the rain poured, she would be out by our porch in front or back..............

Well...............Elder Hafen asked the 4 young Elders who serve here to take her for a ride so she wouldn't get too attached to us................(I'm sure I'd have to have fed her soon)..........and they took her to a wooded area where there were lots of houses and way off the road...........but I do miss her!!! I was just about ready to give her a name..................

They are having the delegate convention this week - all the delegates rode their horses in from their Chapter Houses all over the reservation - some taking 2 1/2 days to come...........they have this 4 times a year, but only ride horses and some in buggy's in the summer months. This was up from our house and quite far away, but we watched the procession for a while before it dawned on me that I should have been taking pictures......

We are Blessed........

Once again we have been blessed with a busy and happy week..........We have a builder coming to Navajo (which is close by) to build 45 new homes, so we will be able to find employment for quite a few of our people.......we are SO excited............we had an incredible Addiction Recovery Meeting last Thursday with 5 non member people and 2 members - it was SO good..........and we feel the program will be able to bless many people while we are here............

We have a leaking air conditioning unit on top of the house, we hope to get it fixed this week, sand in our eyes, dirt on our shoes and love and faith in our hearts as we continue to live among and love these wonder Navajo people................Heavenly Father DID know where to send US!!

Brandon and Heidi.............maybe you could just consider a "dirt pile" for the reception!!!

Wedding Reception...........

The reception was held under a HUGE tent................they had butchered a beef for the wedding, served mutton stew, fry bread, rolls, chili, mashed potatoes, corn, tossed salad, pink fruit salad, bottled water from huge tubs, and beef................and then wedding cake!

Once again, we were the ones who got to serve - (we had a stake youth conference going on in Chinle, so it took all the young girls from the ward)........so the Elders, Daniel, Elder & Sister Brown and ELDER AND SISTER HAFEN................served the wedding dinner............it was so fun.

Pictures are of the guests and reception. At this time the groom changed into Navajo dress for the reception..............

We are so thankful we got to witness all of this - we felt a warm spirit of love and happiness for the whole day.