Best of the Rez Week 72

Best of the Rez     Week 72     May 22^nd to May 27^th

There are words and there are rides that would explain this past week.  I am just not sure which words or which rides I should use.  We had a wonderful experience indeed; we also had some very upsetting experiences.  EP keeps saying nothing will ever shock him again, and then we are shocked.

#4 Play! It will be fun to do those things we so enjoyed. EP can't wait to get the mountains on his 4 wheeler, hit the roads on his motorcycle and even do some hiking and biking. I can't wait for tennis and racquetball and walking and hiking and just plan care free laughing. Anyone game?

And now for the week:

1)      Monday was definitely a Ferris Wheel day.  We started the day with a small walk, then the missionaries did their blog thing while we got the house in control.  We cleaned up and went to Roxanna’s for literacy.  She is so sweet and tries so very hard.  Then we went on to Round Rock for temple prep but she was too busy this whole week.
We headed to Rock Point to help the children before their recital.  I walked in on a dress rehearsal and almost fainted.  What I had left on Thursday and what was happening today were two completely different worlds.  They were doing great and so very professional about it all.  The girl’s parents brought dresses and Wesahne’s mother brought him a new shirt and tie right at the beginning so we gave him time to change.  They looked beautiful.  One by one they came up and introduced their piece, played their song, placed their hands in their laps, stood up and bowed.  It was the cutest thing ever.  Their parents were thrilled – as was I.  Oh, and Del, you were the guest artist.  After the children played, we showed them the Hungarian Rhapsody.  They were delighted.  Sister Davis had cake and juice for all.  It was a wonderful day.
We zoomed back to temple prep and made all the final preparations for our temple trip this week.  OH, and we found out why we were the 5^th wheel at the party – members of the family were planning a ceremony as we drove up.  Timing is everything.
Then we went over to read and let us just say that was a complete bomb.  There was nothing but excuses and why everyone else was wrong.  I said the church was true but the members were not perfect including all those in the room.  That made her mad and my high was over.

2)      Tuesday we took another small walk which was very nice.  Now this was a very nice start to the day – ARP called and wanted to come early because he was going out of town.  We met with him and that was great.  He is doing a great job. 
Then we got ready and headed to Chinle to help Sister Yoe with Bubbleology.  Oh, was that ever cute.  We had a lot of fun there.  We had some Chinese food and headed home.  EP cleaned the church while I blogged.  Piano started at 4 where I had 3 out of 6 show up.  The rest of the night was calm.

3)      Wahoo!  We picked up Sister Alfreda Tsosie at 6:50 AM and her sister, Sister Gene at 7:00 AM and we were off to the temple.  The day went wonderfully.  I think she was very pleased with the temple experience.  We had some Mexican food afterwards and headed home.  It really was a wonderful day that of course had to have some sadness added to it but that story is not for the blog.  The wind greeted us on our trip home and boy was it a mess. 
We had made a counseling appointment for one of our couples and Roberts showed up right one time, but the couple never came.  I am sure they had an excuse.  We visited with Roberts until they had to rush to another meeting.

We didn’t think YM-YW was happening but we looked out and they had a nice crowd.  They were no YM leaders but they played BB with the missionaries.
Sister Yoe and Selena came over afterwards and we sure had fun with them.

4)      Ahhh, a bit of nice weather.  Selena came in for a piano lesson and then the rest of the day was calm.  We tried to find someone to go out GPSing with us but everyone was buzy.  We were at home for our 4 PM no show, then our 5 PM no shows and our 6 PM no shows.  It was not our favorite day.  Finally we had a nice lesson with the Logan’s.

5)      Can anyone say wind?  It started to blow in the night and blew all day and all night long.  Buzz came over for a piano lesson in the morning.  We were supposed to go to lunch with Vogel’s but they called and said the wind was too bad.  We taught Sister Tso a lesson but that is as far as we will travel in the wind.  Kelsey and Tivona came for lessons that night.  Then Kaylana (who had missed Tuesday) showed up and wanted her little piano recital since she was leaving.  We pulled that together and EP baked a cake for it.  The Curley’s came and played, Tivona stayed and Kaylana did a wonderful job.  Before the recital we asked Jimmie when they were leaving and they said in the morning.  Afterwards we asked them about leaving and they said they were not leaving before we did.  I have no idea for sure why we had to do this special recital but it was fun – so I guess all is well.

Oh and a side note – our Relief Society president and our Elder’s Quorum president both drove out and have moved off the Rez.  That should make life interesting.

6)      Can you say more wind?  It was just terrible.  EP had a meeting with Brother Logan to explain how to do Priesthood ordinances and that went great.  No one showed up for piano. 

The elders had a family baptism of 4 and somehow they made it.  A mother and 3 children were baptized and it was a very nice service.

The wind blew till you could hardly breathe.  There was nothing you could do so we did nothing.  Again, we were supposed to go to Chinle for supper, but that was canceled as well.  Around 7 it finally ended.  We jumped in the car and headed to Rough Rock – success.  The White’s are here.  They are truly the most amazing couple in the world.  This ward will change with them and it makes our hearts ache that they didn’t come sooner so we could have watched it happen.  Oh well, the next missionary couple should be happy.  We sat in their little camper trailer and talked with them and then headed home to get ready for Sunday.
We got news that night they are transferring Elder Openshaw Tuesday.  We expected that but we will miss him.

7)      The church was covered in sand and dust but EP said we were not cleaning.  Funny, when I went over there, he had at least vacuumed and dusted the main things.  I hope you are sitting down for this one, but the bishop and his family did not show up.  Our 1^st Counselor is also excused so Brother Draper was the lone man.  I think it was very interesting that the bishop’s son Tyler showed up.  The entire Logan family made it and that made our day.  We had 58 to church so we are only 30 short for next week.  We had 6 in primary and I was very proud that both classes were held.  Also, Sister Toledo taught RS so I was proud of her. 
After church we fixed a bite to eat and headed to Albuquerque to visit EP’s Uncle Max.  Max is EP’s mother’s youngest brother so he is a mere 84 years old.  We had no idea how far it was to Albuquerque and was pleasantly surprised to find it was only 3 & ½ hours away.  We had a great visit with them and then headed to the Air Force base to meet Eric.  He had rented a 3 bedroom home for the night—great perk.  Oh, the girls were cute.  We all got our hair done and had lots of fun watching them play and jabber. 

And there you have week 72.  We were just delighted with our temple trip.  I think Sister Alfreda Tsosie will be a wonderful asset to the ward.  The Holtsoi baptisms were very nice.  I do hope we can keep that family coming as well.  Albuquerque is just beautiful – the city has done a wonderful job with their landscaping and the businesses and homes were lovely.  And we are with family – life is very, very good.

The Church is True,

            This is the week,

                        Our love,

                                    Elder and Sister Parkinson

One more pix of whale rock.

SP, Tamika Begay, Weshane Henry, Celestia Luke,

Monique Hunter, and Sharon Woody (teacher).

I still have no clue of what I am doing.

A health/PE teacher turned piano missionary.

Tamika Begay - so pretty.

Introducing 'The Waltzing Elephants.'

Monique Hunter - such a delight.

With a smile and a bow.

Celestia Luke- the true Indian.

EP just loved her eyes and was she ever focused.

Weshane was a wonderful student.

And doesn't he look handsome in his new shirt and tie.

Sharon Woody was the teacher in training.

Bubbleology with Sister Yoe's class.

This one comes from a homemade pipe cleaner circle.

How about this one?

We saw this bus in Bashes parking lot and had to investigate.

It sleeps 26 and has a full kitchen set up.

Want to sign up for a 3 week tour?

Temple Trip May 23, 2012.

SP, Sister Gene and Sister Alfreda Tsosie (her 1st time).

Kayla Brwon finally can perform at a piano recital.

Kaylana's family.

Back from L-R: Rita/Jimmie Tsosie, her mother, uncle,

and sister - Tinisha. Front: Taylor Price, cousin, Kaylana,

and Kyleigh Price.

The Holtsoi Baptism.

Elder Guevara, (can only name one's in white)

Brandon Fulton, Chelsea Holtsoi, Rayne Burbank,

Ashton Tsosie and Elder Openshaw.

Best of the Rez Week 71

Best of the Rez     Week 71     May 14^th to May 21^st

Something has definitely happened to my gear shift.  I am slowing way down, accomplishing less, and still seem to be as tired as I can be.  This past week ended our early morning seminary and we just hope we will have the ability to make the last month joyous without our favorite part of every day.

#5 – Restaurants! We love Garcia’s but I cannot wait to eat out at all out at all our favorite places. We are stopping at Little America and Maddox on the way home. I am headed for the Taco Bus in Rexburg and then on to Chiz’s. We have a date with the McMurtery's for the Sweet Surrender in Ririe. (I wonder what it will be like to eat an Indian Taco there?) Then we better head off to Jackson and Thayne and Afton to round us out.

And now for the week:

1)      Monday had a slow start.  Seminary was really interesting and then since we hadn’t slept well we took an early morning nap while the elders were on the computer.  Sister Curley stopped with flowers and candy for Mother’s Day.  She is so cute; she waits till the day after and then buys them when they are on sale.
We taught Roxanna literacy and then went to Round Rock to teach Sister Arthur temple prep.  Piano was switched so we had a little break.  Temple prep went great.  Sister Martinez came an hour early and made up a couple of lessons.  Then Sister Tsosie came also and we had a great lesson.  Both dates are set.
We ended the day with a call to repentance that we have no idea if it was received or not.  At least we feel like we did our part.

2)      Today was a bit confused.  We taught our seminary that was just great—we finished the Old Testament today.  There was a video clip about temple marriage that featured Brady Howell’s wife.  I was teaching Brady when they got married so that was very special to us.  Then we headed to Chinle to help Sister Yoe with her elementary class on their field trip and we were a week early.  We had a wonderful sit in the park for 2 hours waiting for them.  We grabbed a bite and headed home.  Four of the piano lessons showed up and that was great fun.  The rest of the night was calm.

3)      Seminary went to finish their Old Testament timeline.  We really had fun.  We tried to GPS but our guide was BUZY.  We taught a literacy lesson with Dale Mitchell.  We did find a recent convert and taught her a lesson and got 2 more GPS people that are local.  Only 2 piano students showed up and then we had 3 YM show up.  We didn’t have any leaders so we just had them come over and play Wii golf.  They had a great time so I guess it was a success.

4)      Thursday was our last day of seminary.  We fixed French Toast and then colored our timeline.  We told the girls we were going home early and Kelsey was rather angry that we were leaving on her birthday.  We went up to Round Rock to teach temple prep and then got stood up by a new literacy student.  Oh well!  Then we headed to Rock Point for piano.  It was our last practice before the recital and it was really cute, but I was there way longer than we had expected.  We really rushed home for another no show for piano and literacy.  JOY!  Then I had 3 more piano no shows, 2 piano/baptism lesson no shows, and then 1 more piano no show.  I did go over and get Tivona and we made up a Friday lesson so that was great.  The Curley’s came over about 8 and we frosted sugar cookies for the meeting tomorrow.  They had a wreck that day but what could have been very scary ended up really funny because President Curley asked about the ride before he asked about them and she was ticked. 

5)      Up early, pack the car, dropped off brownies to a ward member that was graduating from HS, and we were off to Polacca to Senior Zone Conference.  I was in charge of the meal and having it so far away had me a nervous wreck.  We stopped at Chinle for last minute items and made it to Polacca at just about 8 AM their time.  Crazy, but Arizona does not go on daylight savings time, but the Rez does, but the Hope Rez does not.  Got that?  So Polacca (in the middle of the Hopi Nation) is an hour ahead of us.  We got there and got everything set up and the dinner organized and in our seats for the meeting.  The meeting went very well, except that it was our turn to say our final good-bye testimony.  I must say that I had a bit of fun with mine basing it on a statement that I was told at our first senior district meeting about ‘if you came in Depends-then wear them right on out with you.’ After the meeting the meal went as well as it could have.  We had one funny experience.  We were trying to break up some ice to put around the drinks and this sister was whacking at the ice with a big knife and hit a 6-pack of Ginger Ale.  It exploded all over Sister Droddy and EP.  Sister Droddy (Jimmer Fredette’s aunt) was just covered and was a sticky mess the rest of the day.
Then we headed home.  We wondered about going into Gallup and staying overnight, but just headed home instead.  Guess what greeted us as we drove into Chinle—yepper – wind, wind wind.  We collapsed at home till finally I said I was starving since I was too busy to eat at the luncheon so EP took me out to Garcia’s.  It was great.  A very long and very busy day that is now over.

6)      Today is just gorgeous.  I knew that the most of the piano was not coming because of graduation so we just had a very calm morning.  I made a cake for another graduation party but fell asleep and baked it way too long.  L  We went out to the party at the bishop’s house and ate with them.  That was fun.  We stopped at Yoe’s but she wasn’t home so we just came on back.  We are having a big dinner tomorrow so I started cooking for that.  Finally to bed.

7)      Another Sunday!  I got up early and got the rest of the dinner ready.  I had totally forgotten that the new children playing the piano had not come to lessons for 2 weeks so I was in a rush to try to get them.  Luckily, they came early to rush their little brother to the hospital with a huge bump on his head, so I rushed over to help them.  Oh my!  They had practiced the wrong songs so we really had an experience getting them ready.  And they did it!  I was very proud of them.  The sacrament song didn’t show so I found a fill in for that and the rest hymn didn’t show so another fill in but they did great.  Then during the speaker, the Sacrament hymn showed up with her non-member father.  The counselor conducting had everyone stay and listen to her play her song.  That was very sweet.  After 85 + at church last week we had a booming 38 this week.  So sad.
Primary went great and Aaronic Priesthood did not have any leaders show up and only one boy so EP had a cute lesson with him. 
After church EP tried to help a sister that had her oil explode all over her car because the man that changed it forgot to put the cover back on. 
Since Sister Davis was leaving, we were having a going away dinner.  We also invited Vogel’s and Robert’s and our new ward member – Sky Holinger.  Vogel’s came way late with the potatoes and corn, so it was a mixed up meal but still it was a lot of fun.  Afterwards we went to a birthday party extremely late and talk about coming in like a 5^th wheel.  Something was very wrong ????? and we left early.  We went over next door to a ward member that had just got out of the hospital and he spent his Sunday fixing his car instead of going to church.  When EP took Tivona home her family said they wanted to meet with us so we went to talk with them.  It was an okay meeting.
We met with Curley’s and explained the summer school seminary program we came up for Kelsey.  That took a little longer than we expected. 
After doing a lot of dishes finally Sunday was over. 

Which also means another week was over.  There are no words to sum it up – it just kind of happened.  “Tomorrow I will try again.”

The Church is True,

            May the sunshine warm your heart,

                        Peace, love and happiness,

                                    Elder and Sister Parkinson

Elder and Sister Long serving in Sawmill.

Elder and Sister Freestone serving in Tothiakai.

This is the crazy Elder and Sister Vogel serving in Chinle.

This is Elder and Sister Hall serving in Lupton.

This is Sister and Elder Grimmet serving in Window Rock.

They are from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

This is Elder and Siter Droddy serving inTuba City.

She is Jimmer's aunt and is also covered in Ginger Ale.

This is Sister and Elder Jensen serving in Indian Wells.

This is Sister and Elder Lybbert serving in Pinon.

This is Sister and Elder Haney serving in Window Rock.

This is Sister and Elder Steadman serving in Cameron.

This is Elder and Sister Wright serving in Tsalie/Lukachukai.

They are from Jerome, Idaho.

Elder and Sister Bouhius serving in Window Rock.

This is Sister and Elder McBride serving in Shiprock.

This is embarrassing but the only pix of

Elder and Sister Brown serving in Sheep Springs is the

couple you can see towards us at the table.

This is Sister and Elder McNeill serving in Ganado.

He is our Zone Leader and this is their 5th mission.

This is so not fair-

This is Sister and Elder MeNeill, the 1st MeNeill's

younger brother serving in Pueblo Pintado.  (Weekends)

This is Elder and Sister Booth serving in Tuba City. 

This is Elder and Sister Hunsaker serving in Inscription House.

Sister Mitchell is at the left and they are serving in

Polacca and the sister in green in the back is Sister Wilson

serving in Polacca. (She saved my life on the luncheon -- did so much.)

This is Elder and Sister Chapman serving in Dennehotso. 

To the right is Sister McMurtrey serving in Tuba City.

McMurtery's are from Ririe and coming home 2 weeks befroe us.

The is Sister and Elder Rice serving in Steamboat. 

This is Sister and Elder Gardner serving in Bitter Srpings.

They have been here 2 days.

Sister and Elder Mitchell on about their 3rd day

serving in Polacca. 

Sister Ballinger is in the purple.  She is trying to start a

RN program in Chinle.  Elder Reid is accross from her

and Sister Reid is behind Sister Ballinger.

My Funny Vogel's with Elder and Sister Christiansen's

serving in Farmington from Arimo. 

Sister Roberts is on the fly helping me. 

This is President Nielson, 1st Counselor in the

mission presidency.  He lives in Holbrook.

A pix with Sister Jones.  We taught PE together at Provo High.

And now we add President Jones.

Senior missionaries missing pictures:

E/S Redmond serving in Crown Point.

And 7 Garden Missionary Couples.

And since we didn't get a shot of both Roberts

I pulled up an old one of them -- our dear friends!!

Jessica graduated from 8th grade, Tyler graduated from HS> 

The graduation cakes. 

We have been driving to Rough Rock trying to find our new

ward members.  We have adopted this horse.  We call him

John Wayne.