Mostly about Utah
Derek and Sarah have been back from Texas since June and staying with family. Yesterday it was time for them to move back into their own home. We loaded the truck and trailer with their belongings that were stored with Steven and Adelaide. The photograph of Paul reminds me of a television show I used to watch a few years ago.
Loading the truck and trailer. Steven is the one with the hat.
Loading the piano. Left to right: Derek, Paul, Jake, and Steven.
I wanted to take my grandchildren camping so I made reservations for two campsites. I then invited the parents to go and before the day was out they were ready for the trip. So last weekend we went to Wasatch Mountain State Park. We camped overnight at Little Deer Creek Campground.
Here are a few of the photographs and videos taken by Steven, Jill, and Rick. Click on the images to enlarge. If you cannot see the videos, click here.
We unloaded and pitched the tents. We were only staying overnight but it seemed like we had food for a week. That’s Jill by the picnic table. The campsites were large, had running water, and some had shade. We had quite a view.
I brought plenty of wood for a fire to cook our hot-dogs.
Aurora was ready to eat…
…just about anything.
After we ate Bryson and Aurora put to good use the local materials that were lying around. Aurora used her truck to level the ground.
We had lots of adults to go around when the grandchildren needed to be held. Here is Sarah with Aurora.
Steven with Cassandra. Steven is the one on the right.
Derek with Bryson.
And me.
We retired to our tents while Jake slept out in the open.
In the morning, before breakfast, Derek took Bryson for a walk.
Jake is a handy guy to have around when you are hungry for some ham.
Sarah appears to be enjoying her breakfast.
Any left for me?
Before noon we broke camp and drove a few miles onto federal land to visit Cascade Springs in Uinta National Forest. The trail through Cascade Springs consists primarily of a raised boardwalk which crosses over a series of clear shallow pools. Calcite mineral deposits accumulated and formed terraces over which the water cascades.
Adelaide holds Cassandra, who didn’t really want to see running water just right now.
Jill loves the outdoors…
…while Cassandra has yet to make up her mind.
I do believe we will go camping again. There is no better way to spend the weekend than with family.
The water coming from the springs has made a long journey from limestone caverns deep within the earth. Forced through cracks and fissures, the water emerges here as “travertine”. The deposits have gradually accumulated to make the terraces for the pools at Cascade Springs. Approximately seven and one-half million gallons flow from the springs each day.
This year’s Kaysville South Stake 5K Family Fun Run participation was a little lower than usual, probably because of the weather. With rain, temperatures in the 40’s, and a 12 mph wind only the hearty ventured out. Here’s what the weather looked like from where I stood, nice and dry inside the bowery.
There were plenty of officials on hand. There were official officials — our stake president and one of his counselors.
Then there were race officials like Rachel and Matt, and Lisa Sagers to record the times.
I had family participating — Jake, Jill, and Paul on roller blades. I was asked if I was running. I said, “The Press doesn’t run — only the presses do.”
The bishop of my ward was there ready to run.
A bullhorn was used to get everyone lined up for the race. The athletes listened intently for the starting signal. Then they were off and into the rain, wind and cold. To record the times a laptop is used where the time of a runner is assigned a number which is written on the runners race label when they finish. The label is peeled off and placed on cardboard for the appropriate age group.
Preston Johnson, age 15, with a time of 18:33 was the first runner to finish. Jill was right behind him with a time of 38:12.
Below are thumbnails of a few runners. Click on them for a higher resolution picture (1200 x 900). If you want the original (4000 x 3000) email or call me. Alternatively, leave a comment and I will use your email entered in the form. I didn’t plan to take photographs of the runners, it was an afterthought once the race began.
There are two videos I will post. Check back later after the England v. USA soccer game.
Paul and Jake install the first plywood sheet for the garage shelves
This year Father’s Day came early. No, I’ve not moved to Romania, Tonga, or Germany (they all celebrate Father’s Day in May). It is just that Paul and Jake decided to move up Father’s Day a whole month. I needed help installing shelves in my garage so Paul and Jake decided to give me an early Father’s Day present by helping me all day.
Jake helps to secure the center post
Last week Paul and I had made our 23 foot beam out of nine 2×4’s, glued and screwed together. We also constructed the needed supports at opposite ends of the garage. Today Jake joined us to install a 4×4 center post for support. We went shopping for plywood for the shelves. Home Depot cut the panels for us 3 foot wide.
Rick installing the 2x4 shelf support
While the boys were attaching the first panel, I was installing 2×4’s as supports for the shelves. We are making this up as we go along and we ran into a problem later on. The damaged sheetrock happened when I removed the old shelving.
Jake cuts away some of the beam so the door will open
The idea behind this particular garage shelf is that it is above head height. It is 23 feet long and three feet wide but not quite high enough so that the door will open all the way. Oops. Jake cut away half an inch of one of the 2×4’s in the beam to allow the door to open.
Storing all the Christmas trimmings
The Christmas trimmings had to be relocated to the garage when new attic insulation was installed. I didn’t want a lot of boxes (there really are a lot of boxes) compressing the insulation. Hence the need for new storage. I would like to compress all these trimmings into one small box but that is another story.
The car top carrier fits just right
One thing I did plan for was for the car top carrier. It is not used very often so storing it up out of the way was my plan. I will mention here that building the shelves didn’t take up all of the day. So Paul and Jake continued working by cleaning up the whole garage, which needed it.
One of the new tool holders
Jill contributed to the early Father’s Day by buying me three Rubbermaid FastTrack tool holders. The idea is that the attachments can be moved around as needed. I was planning on building my own but then I would have been in the garage until midnight.
The completed shelf, full already
This is the best Father’s Day present that a Dad could receive. Instead of a gift that I already have or do not really need, I get to be with my boys all day constructing something that I do not have and really want.
Relatives and friend celebrate Paul and Jake's graduation
I was requested to post a few photographs of Paul and Jake’s graduation on Friday. The invitations were sent out and the relatives arrived with varying degrees of gifts. Paul and Jake’s grandpa gave them each a fifty dollar bill. Paul and Jake had present parents, siblings, uncles, aunts, cousins, a grandparent, a niece, and a sister-in-law. If you can handle a full resolution (4700 x 3303) 10.8 MB photograph of the relatives click here.
A meal was waiting for everyone with an Adelaide baked cake for dessert. It was a motherboard decorated with wafers but no chocolate chips. Click on the cake that Paul and Jake are holding and you will see that on one of the CPUs my brother Mike is wished happy birthday as well as congratulations to the graduates.
Click to view the cake
After the meal a goodly number attended the University of Utah College of Engineering Convocation at the Jon M. Huntsman Center. Jill was able to get a photograph of Paul and Jake because they were seated right next to the aisle.
The convocation seemed like it lasted a long time mainly because it did. When the people you have come to see only take up 1/200th of the alloted time, just sitting there can get a little boring. However, one must pay attention because sometimes there are fractional moments that cause amusement. For example, one of the names that was read out was “Charlie Brown.” That caused a few chuckles to ripple around those present.
After the ceremony we went outside and took some more photographs. We were slow getting off the University of Utah campus because of a detour around a TRAX accident. The one piece of education that we got out of the evening was that if you must attend a convocation, make it a two-for-one event.
Family group photo credit: Zaapit
On Friday, May 7th, at the University of Utah 141st commencement, 7,034 graduates from all 50 states and 76 countries will receive degrees. The same day we will be with Paul and Jake at the College of Engineering Convocation at the Jon M. Huntsman Center at 6:45 pm.
With computer scientist parents and an older brother and sister with computer science degrees, perhaps it is not surprising that Paul and Jake chose a similar career path. But why a degree in Computer Engineering? According to U.S. News & World Report:
If there’s an app for something, there’s a software engineer behind it. From video games to missile systems to, yes, your iPhone, almost every big idea in modern business is supported by software. The work of designing, building, maintaining, and integrating those increasingly complex systems continues to be one the fastest-growing corners of the job market.
The job outlook is promising:
Employment of computer software engineers is expected to swell by a whopping 295,200 jobs, or more than 32 percent, between 2008 and 2018. That rate is well above the average for all occupations, as companies continually integrate new technologies and design their own.
Perhaps you are wondering how this is all working out for our recent graduates. Paul is already working full-time in his chosen field for a local employer and Jake joins him May 10.
Credits: Photography and announcement design by Adelaide of Ada Shot Me.
We visited the Reno Nevada Temple on Day Four of our California Temple Trip. In the morning we were at the Oakland Temple and in afternoon we visited the Sacramento Temple. While we were in the temple darkness fell and allowed for a few night shots. We stayed overnight in Reno and traveled home the next day.
Click on the images to enlarge.
The Reno Nevada Temple is the 81st operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The first temple in Nevada was built in Las Vegas in 1989. The Reno Nevada temple was dedicated in 2000. It serves over 25,000 Latter-day Saints in the area.
Over the years, figures of the angel Moroni have become more robust as sculptors have added muscle tone and bulk to the figure. While sculpting his version of Moroni, Karl Quilter used human models to help him accurately shape muscles and correctly depict a body standing atop a ball. (New Era)
The groundbreaking services were held on July 24, 1999. After completion but before it was dedicated, the temple was opened to the public. President Thomas S. Monson, First Counselor in the First Presidency of the Church, dedicated the Reno Nevada Temple on April 23, 2000.
The Reno Nevada Temple has a total floor area of 10,700 sq ft, two ordinance rooms, and two sealing rooms.
Jake and Rick outside the Reno Temple
Photos by Rickety. Text from Wikipedia.
We visited the Sacramento California Temple on Day Four of our California Temple Trip. In the morning we were at the Oakland Temple and late afternoon we traveled to the Reno Temple. The darkening clouds at Sacramento invoked the reassurance of the temple being a refuge from the storm (and made for some fine photographs).
Click on the images to enlarge.
Jake and Rick outside the Sacramento Temple
The First Presidency of the Church announced on April 21, 2001 that a temple would be built in the Sacramento area. This temple is the seventh built by the Church in California, more than any state except Utah. The Sacramento California Temple serves a growing membership which totals approximately 80,000 in the area.
Plans for building the temple were met with little resistance by the surrounding communities and government bodies. Many were glad for the building of the temple in the area because it would improve the land, and bring visitors and money into the area. There was some concern about the height of the temple spire and the Church agreed to lower it twenty feet.
On August 22, 2004 a site dedication and groundbreaking ceremony were held. Church President Gordon B. Hinckley presided at the ceremony and gave the site dedication prayer. Other prominent Church members from the area also attended the groundbreaking and site dedication, including Congressman John Doolittle.
The site for the temple, located in Rancho Cordova, includes 46 acres and overlooks the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The temple grounds were designed to fit in with the surrounding landscape. The temple design is slightly larger than most of the temples currently under construction. The temple has a total of 19,500 square feet, two ordinance rooms, and four sealing rooms.
Note the lightning rod on Moroni's head
At many of the temples we visited Jake took photographs of the flowers. He will probably post the best of them once he gets his homework done.
An open house was held July 29-August 26, 2006, to allow the public to tour the temple prior to its dedication.
The Sacramento California Temple was dedicated on September 3, 2006, by President Hinckley. The dedication was given in four sessions to allow all those who would like to attend the opportunity to participate. The night before the dedication, a cultural celebration was performed at the ARCO Arena.
Photos by Rickety. Text from Wikipedia.
We visited the Los Angeles California Temple on Day Three of our California Temple Trip. It was closed on the day we visited. Later that day we went to the Fresno Temple. After Fresno we journeyed to Oakland to stay overnight, ready to visit the Oakland Temple the next day.
Click on the images to enlarge.
Missionaries working on the temple grounds
The Los Angeles California Temple is the tenth operating and the second-largest temple operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. When it was dedicated in 1956, it was the largest temple of the church, later surpassed by the Salt Lake Temple with its additions and annexations. The grounds includes a visitors’ center open to the public, the Los Angeles Regional Family History Center, also open to the public, and the headquarters for the Los Angeles mission.
The Los Angeles Temple was announced when the church purchased 24.23 acres from the Harold Lloyd Motion Picture Company on March 23, 1937, by president Heber J. Grant. Construction was to begin soon thereafter, but financial difficulties relating to the Great Depression and World War II delayed the groundbreaking until 1951. The temple plans were revised at this time to include a priesthood assembly room, an unusual feature in temples built after the Salt Lake Temple. It was also expanded to accommodate an unprecedented 300 patrons per session.
This was the first temple with an angel Moroni statue since the Salt Lake Temple. When the statue was installed, it faced southeast as the temple does. It was later turned to face due east at the request of then Church President David O. McKay.
This was the last temple designed to use live actors instead of a film to present the endowment. The motion-picture presentation soon replaced the live actor presentation, and the progressive presentation (in which patrons moved from one room to another) was replaced with stationary ordinance rooms (i.e., patrons remained in a single room for the entire ceremony). In 2003, the temple reverted to a progressive-style presentation of the endowment (but still using a movie) and completely renovated the Terrestrial Room.
The Los Angeles California Temple was closed for renovations in late November of 2005, with reopening originally scheduled for May 2006, but eventually delayed until July 11, 2006. The renovation also included a seismic overhaul and a complete redesign and reconstruction of the baptistry, which had long been plagued by mold due to poor ventilation.
The well manicured grounds, open to the public, are filled with a various plants, including Canary Island Pine trees, several varieties of palm trees, Bird of Paradise trees, olive trees, and rare Chinese Ginkgo trees. At the left and right of the temple are two fountains, and at the front is a large reflection pool. Several family-themed statues further beautify the grounds. In December temple grounds are all aglow with thousands of multi-colored lights in celebration of Christmas.
While not as regionally prominent as the temples in Oakland, San Diego, and Washington, the Los Angeles California Temple is still one of the most distinctive features of Los Angeles’ Westside. Thousands of commuters pass it every day on busy Santa Monica Boulevard. The proliferation of high-rise buildings along the Wilshire Boulevard corridor and in nearby Century City has reduced its prominence in the Westside skyline. However, its dramatic night lighting and sheer size still make an imposing sight, particularly for travelers exiting the Santa Monica Freeway northbound on Overland.
Rick and Jake outside the Los Angeles Temple
Numerous Church facilities are on its grounds including a meetinghouse, a baseball field, the headquarters of the Church’s California Los Angeles Mission, and apartments (used by missionaries, temple workers, temple patrons, and visiting church officials). The remaining land, along Manning Avenue, was subdivided for residential lots, the sale of which considerably offset the expense of constructing the temple. Because it was the church’s first temple (save the roughly contemporaneous Bern Switzerland Temple) built outside of an LDS-dominated settlement, the Los Angeles Temple was the first LDS temple explicitly designed for automobile accessibility: its parking facilities were larger than those of any temple built previously, and there is no direct pedestrian connection between the front doors and Santa Monica Boulevard.
The temple’s architecture is generally Modernist, an aesthetic that extends to the choice of exterior cladding: 146,000 square feet of Mo-Sai pre-cast concrete facing, a mixture of crushed quartz and white Portland cement quarried in Utah and Nevada. The very light brown pigmentation of the Mo-Sai blend has the advantage of concealing the thin layer of soot that accumulates on most buildings in Los Angeles.
The temple is 369 feet long, 269 feet wide and has an overall height of 257 feet. Atop the temple stands a 15 foot tall statue of the angel Moroni.
The rooms include a baptistry, celestial room, four ordinance rooms, ten sealing rooms, and an assembly room that stretches the entire length of the temple. The Los Angeles temple features murals on the walls of its progressive-style ordinance rooms including the celestial room. The only other temple with celestial room murals is the Idaho Falls Idaho Temple.
Photos by Rickety. Text from Wikipedia.
