Canada here we come!

At the end of our ladies trip last year Joie suggested that next year we go to Canada.  Going to Canada meant that I had to renew my passport that I had never even used.  Chandra had always wanted to go to Canada and she had to get a passport.  I received my passport in June and Chandra applied for hers in what she thought was plenty of time.  We started to get a little concerned towards the middle of September when Chandra hadn't received her passport yet.  They also had her birth certificate.  On October 1st, the government shut down so I was without a job.  We talked about cancelling the trip, but decided to go anyway even if we had to go someplace else, if the Canadian Border Patrol wouldn't let us across the border.   We prayed and asked for God's favor and really felt like this opportunity was a faith test.  The Border Patrol accepted Chandra's Post Office ID as proof she was an American citizen.  Yea!!!  Pictures don't do justice to the beauty of the country, but I hope you enjoy them.

 Japanese Gardens in Manito Park in Spokane WA

 Creston Valley BC

 A speak preview of some very tall rugged mountains

 Mountains in Radium Hot Springs pass

 The famous Lake Louise

 On the road to Moraine Lake

 On top of the world in Banff 

 Lake Louise

 Bugs in the tire rims

Random Photos

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Latest Addition to the Family

 We have another granddaughter to add to the family!  Kyrsten was born on Sunday, July 21st.

 Kaylee thinks she is pretty neat

Here is grandpa with the girls.

The latest addition to the farm

We had a cow that aborted its calf a few months early.  John decided to get an embryo from John C. so we could get a calf from her.  We were hoping for a heifer since it would be worth more money than a bull.  We didn't want the mother to have the calf in the ditch, so I have been herding her to a pen every morning and letting her out every night so she can eat at the manger.  We had to take a quick trip to Provo on Friday and  when we got home, mamma had had her baby...babies!  Two identical bulls.  They were both very small and one of them didn't make it.  Here is our little holstein bull.  He is very small and very cute.  :-)

 Momma and baby

Baker buzzing with activity

 We served breakfast and lunch in the community center for the Snake Valley Water

Festival.  I didn't get alot of pictures because I was busy with food, but I did get some of the parade.

 Andy Fergusons jeep (gray one) and Ben Roberts jeep (brown one)

 Caleb Baker driving this hay hauler

 Daisy Gonders truck

 The US Mint is doing an America the Beautiful series.  Great Basin National Park was selected to be

the Nevada park.  Three people from the Mint came out to help with the event.

 Maintenance setting up the platform.

 Debbie and Ron practicing the coin pour

 Kiah Conrad doing a fantastic job of singing "God Bless the USA"

Steve, GRBA Superintendent and Ron, Senior Advisor for the US Mint

doing the actual coin pour.

The First National Bank of Ely was able to be the bank to bring the quarters.  Susan Wetmore was an

assistant teller for the day.  John has turned the management of the bank to his daughter Katie.

Overall, it was a very fun day and I'm glad that I was able to be a part of the activities. 

Flowers

 I dug up these barrel cactus a couple of years ago.  Last year they tried to bloom, but ended up freezing.

 Patches thought that she was a flower too.

 They've opened up all the way today.  Very pretty!