1 The mail man

A post by Eliza Challis last Thursday, June 18, concerning two-and-a-half-year-old Peter's clever sense of humor

Peter's got a cute sense of humor and he's rather quite clever at times . . . probably from the Cleverly blood in him.

For instance, today he informed me that he was wearing his mail man outfit. At first I figured he thought that because of the patriotic color scheme of his shirt is the same color scheme on a standard mail truck. And while that may be the main reason he came up with the idea, he then continued on and said with a twinkle in his eyes and while trying to suppress a giggle, "See, I've got letters!" pointing to his chest.

Yep, it's true. He's got letters—USA—he must be a mail man.

2 Quote of the week

"Discipleship is a journey. We need the refining lessons of the journey to craft our character and purify our hearts. By patiently walking in the path of discipleship, we demonstrate to ourselves the measure of our faith and our willingness to accept God's will rather than ours.

"It is not enough merely to speak of Jesus Christ or proclaim that we are His disciples. It is not enough to surround ourselves with symbols of our religion. Discipleship is not a spectator sport. We cannot expect to experience the blessings of faith by standing inactive on the sidelines any more than we can experience the benefits of health by sitting on a sofa watching sporting events on television and giving advice to the athletes. And yet for some, 'spectator discipleship' is a preferred if not a primary way of worshipping.

"Ours is not a secondhand religion. We cannot receive the blessings of the gospel merely by observing the good that others do. We need to get off the sidelines and practice what we preach" (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "The Way of the Disciple," in Ensign, May 2009, 76–77).

3 This week in our family

Mon, June 22: Amber's birthday [Lyle]
Mon, June 22: Steven Riley's birthday [Lyle]
Wed, June 24: Claudia [Kay's wife] born 1941 [Kay]
Wed, June 24: Aaron's birthday [Lyle]
Sat, June 27: Bradley James's birthday [Gail]
Sun, June 28: Keri Card's birthday [Lyle]
Mon, June 29: Bill's birthday [Gail]
Mon, June 29: Next issue of newsletter

4 Bits and tidbits

Lots of news on Gail and Lynda's family
Angie Craine sent the following newsy e-mail this past week with updates on her family: "I was just reading an old issue of the newsletter and was interested in the FVL test. In December 2006, I made my way to work, only to head up to LDS Hospital. I was there 5 days with blood clots. On February 28, I just didn't feel right and went up to McKay Hospital ER where I was admitted. With blood clots. I spent 4 days.

"I am glad that I read the newsletter. I know now to be tested.

"Here are some updates recently from the family in case no one has let you know.

"Debbie's neighbor's house burned down recently. The neighbor was inside with her pets and Jeff. Liz and Debbie tried to get her out. But it took the fire dept. and police to get her out safely. Hoorah for our family heroes helping a neighbor in need. Debbie is doing okay.

"Jeff and Liz are doing well.

"Kris and Craig's daughter Caitlyn made cheerleader for next year at Ogden High School. This will be her second year as a cheerleader.

"Bill and Kelly come up every now and then from St. George. Kelly is a GM at Home Depot down there.

"John and Morgan are expecting in August. They are having a boy.

" Mom in doing well. John and Morgan are living with her while John applies for management positions with Les Scwab. If they hire him he only has the weekend to get moved, so they sold their house, so they could move everything together. They just put in a hardwood kitchen floor for mom. She is gearing up for the farmers market season with Wild Bill's Special Seasonings(yummy stuff). She recently has added a salt free blend to her menu. It is very good as well.

"As for my clan, Michael Duay is just finishing up his kickball season, Melanie is getting bossier every day, and Zander is growing like crazy. You can keep up with them at duaydaily.blogspot.com. Dustin works at Lee's marketplace and Michelle recently started working at WSU as a swim teacher, and also does CPR and first aid certifications so if anyone needs to renew or get certified, call her.

"Ryan Harned will be playing baseball this fall on a competitive team. DJ (Destiny) has had to have the four upper front and four lower fromt teeth pulled this spring. Her mouth is too small, but you'd never know it listening to her. Mandy and Jeremy are doing well. Jeremy works as pouring foundations, and Mandy is a stay at home mom.

"Cliff Rankin has been working hard. He has a little boy named Jacob Robert Rankin who was born December 26, 2007. I have only seen him twice so I don't know him very well.

"Dick is still driving truck everywhere, and right now I am a housewife ( just until I go stir crazy) then I will be back in the rat race.

"Melissa's son Brad recently had to have a pin put in his finger which he broke playing dodge ball, and her baby Erik Lee (15 mos) is growing like a weed. As for the rest of the family, I assume they are all well.

"We all got together for breakfast on Memorial Day and had a good time."

5 Our family 50 years ago

Excerpts from the June 1959 diary of Dorothy Batt Cleverly (1915–1982). The full text of her diary can be found online at Dorothy's Idaho Diaries and is updated daily, exactly 50 years to the day after it was originally written. The family at the time lived on a 40-acre farm in the Deer Flat area south of Nampa, Idaho.

Mon, June 22. Ray went to work at 7: & Kay went at 8: Ivard & Gene put cultivators on & he cultivated beets & Gene & Dean hoed. I changed all the beds & sorted clothes & washed 7 batches. Kay came home at 6: & him & Gene went to church soft ball game, to play.

Tues, June 23. Ray went to work & Kay, Gene & Dean hoed beets then a guy came & got Gene to help in hay so Ivard & little kids hauled hay all afternoon.

Wed, June 24. Kids got up & did beets. Ivard & I got ready & were in Caldwell at 9: met Mr. Bishop & we got all settled up on our old place & got rest of our money, little over $2000 after paying bar & exp. Kay got Claudia a birthday present.

Thurs, June 25. Kids got up at 5:30 & hoed beets. I mixed 6 loaves of bread & made a pan of biscuits, made a cake & cooked liver, beets, greens & potatoes & we ate at 12:30. Kay left at 4:30 & went over to Claudia's (18th birthday) went to Boise to supper & show.

Fri, June 26. Cloudy & cold. At 4:30 Ray left with Max Barlow for overnight scout trip. I made Barbacue & milk shakes for kids supper.

Sat, June 27. got called back to Simplot tonight. Ray got home at 6: & went out & did 2 rows beets. I went to bed until time to go to work.

Sun, June 28. I came home from work & went to bed & Kay, Gene & Ray went to Priesthood & Sunday school. Ivard was too late, checking water. I got up at 12:30 & cooked dinner & we ate & at 2:30 Ivard left for work & I went back to bed but didn't get much sleep the Kids made so much noise.

6 What in the world

Church growth worldwide
A sampling of evidences from a single week's time that the Lord's church is thriving throughout the world:
- The open house of the Oquirrh Mountain Temple, the Church's 130th temple, is currently underway in South Jordan, Utah.
- A newly built Church History Library was dedicated Saturday in downtown Salt Lake City and opens to the public today.
- The first meetinghouse in Croatia was dedicated.
- Missionary work, which recently began in the Turks and Caicos Islands, resulted in the creation of the first branch in that Caribbean nation.
- And the first stake in the central Asian country of Mongolia was created.

7 A final word

On Saturday, June 20, our daughter Rebecca Hoff posted this comment and the accompanying picture: "We have had an unusually wet beginning of June. It has pretty much rained for about two weeks. Some people feel like a duck, some people feel like they need a boat. But I've loved it!"


By the way, I've loved it too. And I'm a summer person. This, to my way of thinking, is what early summer should be like.

The Pacific Northwest, on the other hand, has been unusually dry. I guess their typical weather pattern has shifted down our way, giving Idaho and Utah their cooler-than-normal, wetter-than-normal weather.

The Good Book reminds us, "In every thing give thanks" (1 Thessalonians 5:18). We should be grateful for the moisture, we should be grateful for the moderate temperatures, we should give thanks for all that a kind and merciful Father chooses to send our way. And, if it had been hot and dry instead, we should be thankful for that too.

Heavenly Father, the giver of all good gifts, surely appreciates it when we have an attitude of gratitude. It wears better than the whining, complaining discontent that we childish mortals too often engage in. And it makes us feel better too.