Blooms of the Week - From Temple Square

We often find ourselves in Utah for a BYU graduation on our wedding anniversary. It was our 33rd this April 25th. We took off by ourselves Friday afternoon after Andrew's convocation. We drove to SLC and went to Temple Square. We have often made this couple's trip in April to see the beautiful tulips and flowers. It was also at Temple Square in front of the Christus statue that Glen proposed to me in 1974. We parked under the Joseph Smith Building and while passing through, decided to watch the Joseph Smith movie. We had already purchased tickets for the Emma Smith movie later that evening. We highly recommend both movies. We think it is important to see the Joseph Smith movie first. Emma was sponsored by the Joseph Smith Family Historical Society and it uses many of the scenes not used in the Joseph Smith movie which was sponsored by the church. They very much complement each other and there is a special connection which occurs with the same actors playing Joseph and Emma in each movie.

Ranes Family Graduation Pictures

The plan was for the boys to wear their matching Easter outfits. Too cold, so Janae had to pull out their winter sweaters. Andrew was one of the few receiving a bachelor's degree having his picture taken while holding two children. I guess you could say he had some physiology and developmental biology going on at home, too.

Andrew's Commencement Day

As many of you know, and as we learned at Eric's BYU Commencement eight years ago, if you want a decent seat in the Marriott Center you have to go early. I volunteered for seat saving duty as long as I was dropped off at the MOA first. I very much wanted to view the Minerva Teichert exhibit while in town. The Marriott Center opened at 2 pm for commencement at 4 pm. As I walked to the exit of the MOA at 1:50 I was amazed to see snowflakes falling. This was a first, snow falling for April graduation. It was a memorable walk to the ramp and over to the Marriott. I did get the row of seats I wanted, Portal G just above the wheelchair seating. More room for legs.

The processional started at 3:30 pm. The organ music began and Raymond said, "Church hongs?" He then proceeded to direct the organ for the next half hour. Henry just wanted to eat.

Andrew's mom and husband flew in from Florida that day to celebrate with Andrew.

I know, I know, not such a great picture but Andrew is seated down below us in that sea of black and Elder Bednar was speaking. He talked of the importance of continuing to learn and to always include spiritual learning.

After the ceremony, we went out to the southeast lawn for pictures. Notice that now the sun is shining. The grass was wet from melted snow. That little tree on the left by the girl's elbow is usually in bloom this time of year and our preferred background. The trees in front of the condo are usually in bloom in April as well, but not this April. I had purchased tickets for everyone to go to the Hinckley Building for a dinner and dance and fireworks. The fireworks were canceled due to weather and the band and tables and chairs had been moved indoors as well. It made for less than ideal conditions but we enjoyed one another's company and we enjoyed seeing inside the Hinckley Building for the first time.

Thanksgiving Point

Large billboards advertised a "Tulip Festival" at Thanksgiving Point. Glen and I rounded up Janae and boys to visit this new place and see the color. Utah has been unusually cold, so it wasn't their best tulip season, but the "Garden at Thanksgiving Point" was beautiful.While Grandpa Glen purchased our tickets, Raymond and I wandered the gift shop. Raymond fell in love with the big chair. It took some talking to get him back out. Perhaps he was just resting up for his "long walk."
We will definitely have to visit again during our summer visit when this curving arbor/walkway will be covered with climbing roses.
Henry napped in his wrap around stroller. Thank goodness it wrapped around because it was a windy day. Grandpa insisted on a picture of him and Henry Glen.
Raymond takes a rest near some of the more colorful beds.
That's Janae with her camera. She also added many pictures to her blog. The garden was very big covering a large area of rolling hills, streams, and even man made waterfalls.

I'm sure you have been waiting for "Blooms of the Week"

The 2nd iris has finally bloomed. It is lovely.
The 1st iris continues to bloom in the background. Which color do you like best? 2nd iris is named "Orange Flirt." I was expecting something, well, orangish. Maybe it flirts because it is winking at orange from across the color wheel. Your father brought home these lilies, which look much like my day lilies but bigger, earlier this Spring. One finally bloomed. It is small, but beautifully formed. It also lasted just a day, but there are buds promising more to follow.
I planted some of these autumn sunflowers last Fall because of their coloring. This is a left over volunteer trying to break into Spring and looking very out of place.
Last year's hollyhock also "volunteered" everywhere except where I left room for it. It has worked it way up through the climbing roses after sprouting in a crack between the walkway and the brick planter wall.

Hummingbird Hums

While taking a picture for possible inclusion in "Blooms of the Week," I heard a high pitched chirp. Hummingbirds may make a humming sound with their wings, but their voice is a high pitched chirp.
I moved quietly to the left and caught this blurred wing creature at work.
He moved to the right. So did I most guietly.
He moved further to the right and so did I.
Then he obligingly turned so that I could see his profile. Pretty cool!

Daniel Boone opened the way for the Ricks Family

I just finished this biography of Daniel Boone. Well researched and well written, the book tells the story of the real Daniel Boone as well as the story of the legend written about him during his lifetime and published in the United States as well as Europe. It was even more interesting having traveled over some of the topography during our trip back east a year ago. As I read, I began to better understand the migration of the Ricks family from Virginia and North Carolina to Trigg Co., Kentucky during the presidency of George Washington. Daniel Boone was the trail blazer who opened a way through the Cumberland Gap leading to a migration west into what would become Kentucky. Joel Ricks along with other members of the extended family moved to Donaldson Creek, Trigg County, Kentucky where his son, Thomas E. Ricks was born in 1828. As a toddler, he moved with his family north to Olive, Madison County, Illinois. When 16, his family joined the church and moved to Nauvoo, Illinois.

Interestingly, Daniel Boone and several of his children moved on west of the Mississippi to what would become Missouri before the Louisiana Purchase and about the time the Ricks family was moving to Kentucky (which was made a state in 1792). Kentucky was becoming much too crowded and "civilized" for Daniel's taste. He is known to have hunted and explored as far as the Rocky Mountains before his death in 1820 in his youngest son Nathan's home in Missouri. The Ricks family eventually outdid Daniel migrating to the Salt Lake Valley and then Idaho where Thomas was one of the original founders of Madison County, Idaho.

I always love it when I read historical things and then am able to make connections to our family history providing a frame work to better understand ancestors and their reality.