January 2025

 Happy New Year!  2025!

This is our prayer for each of our loved ones.

We were hoping to be able to visit Frank on Monday, our day off, but the reports we are getting from Luke and Kara are not good, so we decided to spend our New Years Day going to Shelly to visit with Frank.  We are praying that he will know that we are there.  

We arrived at Frank and Paulene's home about 11AM.  The weather was good and the roads clear, but a storm is coming in, so we only stayed for about an hour and a half when it started to snow so we got on the road again.  We had a good visit with all the kids and Pauline.  Pauline is really struggling.  Kara has pretty much taken over and that is good.  Frank woke up

and Lon felt like he knew who he was.  Frank won't last much longer.  We are thrilled to know that he will soon be with Chele again, but his family and friends will sure miss this amazing man.  He has been part of our lives since he and Lon met in the mission field in Colombia.  Frank passed away on January 2nd, Thursday afternoon.  So thankful we were able to visit and tell him of our love yesterday. 

Frank loved to fish and hunt

Jeff, Kara, Luke and Amy

When they moved from Jerome to Idaho Falls, Frank had a camera repair business

Amy, Frank and Luke

Kara, Amy and Luke.  

Some of my favorite pictures that the kids have been posting of their father and family.  Frank and Chele were as close as any brother and sister to us.  We will miss them.  So thankful that they are together again.  Pauline is struggling.  It's not easy being the 2nd wife and Frank had no will or anything to help her now.  Hopefully she and his kids can work together to settle everything.  So hard.

We had a very special day on Friday the 3rd.  Kenya Thompson (Brett's oldest daughter) asked Lon to seal her and Parker Suorsa.  It was a very special day.  The sealing went perfectly, all of Kurt's children were in attendance. 

It was a very windy, cold day in Twin Falls Idaho

No one stayed outside for long.

Parker, Kenya, Vibecke, Brett, Page, Gavin and his wife, and Keith and his wife.

After the sealing, we joined the party at the Mountain View Barn.

The old Spanbauer Barn, now called the Mountain View Barn

It was decorated to the hilt (but I didn't get a foto) it is a very nice venue for a reception

We had a delicious meal and a delightful program.

Kenya, what a beautiful bride 

We stayed for the reception and were able to visit with Craig and Robbie and Ken and Lynn. 

January the 4th Larry Thompson's memorial service today at Wilks Funeral Home in Twin Falls.  Larry passed away in September 2024.  The services were well attended.  Farrell and AnnaVee and Wade came from Utah, Kurt and Linda, Craig and Robbie, Ken and Lynn and Lon and Nancy and Tracy and Sarah.  Cousins, Laron and Paula, Nolan and Bruce came.  All of Larry's children and all of Blanca's children and most of Blanca's grandchildren were in attendance.  The service was a nice tribute to Larry from the time he met Blanca till his death.  Nothing was said about him ever having 5 brothers and a sister still living.  No stories of his childhood or growing up days.  That was sad for the Thompson side of the family, even his children were sad to not hear stories of their dad's early years.   The military tribute at the Jerome Cemetary was very nice.  Kevin (Larry's son) participated in this and dedicated the grave. 

Lon, Blanca and Nancy at the cemetery

Darin, Charlyn, Blanca, Evone, Tiffiny, Kevin, Evette (Von left before we got the photo taken)

None of Lon's family wanted to return to Twin and have a lunch at Tiffany's house.  They were afraid they might say something about Larry that would cause problems with Blanca, so they all came to our house for lunch.  We fed 9.  Luckily, I had home-made noodles in the freezer from Thanksgiving to feed them.  It was nice to sit around and visit about life with Larry and remember special times with him.  This was the closure that these brothers and sister needed.  Craig and Robbie left about 4.  Lon, Farrell, Wade and Ken and Lynn took a drive to the old homestead while AnnaVee took a much-needed nap.  This trip has been hard on her.  I stayed with her. 

Farrell, Lynn and Lon

They ended up at the Appleton School where they attended grade school

So many wonderful memories were shared

They were actually able to get inside to revisit classrooms.  Wade heard some great memories.

The school had shrunk over the years😂

Farrell and AnnaVee and Wade spent the night with us then headed home Sunday Morning.  

With the uncertainty of the weather, we decided to head to Idaho Falls on Monday afternoon.  Amy's employer at the motel where she works gave a nice discount for people coming to her dad's funeral. Mindi came up from Utah, so we met up with her and Isaac and Claire for supper.  We had a nice meal at Stockman's Steak House.  Our rooms were very nice at the Candlewood Suits.  Tuesday morning, Mindi, Lon and I ate breakfast at Smitty's Pancake House then headed to the funeral for Frank.  It was a huge group who came to say good-bye to this special man.  Chele's brother Loren gave a great tribute to Frank and then Rick Owen paid tribute to a friend and neighbor.  We saw people who we hadn't seen for years, some since Chele died and Frank married Pauline and moved to Shelly.  Lon was asked to dedicate the grave.

Frank had moved baby Seth's remains and put them beside Chele a few years ago

It was a cold windy day in Idaho Falls

Lon dedicated the grave

The meal at the church in Shelly was very nice and we visit with everyone we knew.  We were disappointed that Chele's mother wasn't able to come, she wasn't feeling well.  We would have liked to have seen her.  Mindi made it home without any bad roads and so did we.  I still can't believe that Frank is really gone. 😢

We had our TLC meeting on Wednesday this week.  The Taylor's are still with us for now.  We were blessed to be off this first week of January with the wedding and 2 funerals to attend.  We will start on the AM shift on Friday the 10th.  We received a phone call from Elder Steven Bangerter, counselor to our Area Presidency.  Looks like we are going to get our new counselor on Sunday.  We are to meet with him on Sunday morning for a zoom conference.

Sunday the 12th of January - We met via zoom with Elder Steven Bangerter this morning at 9am.  He released Lon as 2nd counselor in the Twin Falls Idaho Temple Presidency and called him to be the 1st counselor.  I was released as an assistant to the Matron and recalled to be an assistant to the Matron.  We had a nice visit with him.  He showed us our folder, about 2 inches thick, that the First Presidency has on us, our lives and service.  Kind of humbling!  The Taylors were released via a zoom call.  We met at the temple at 2pm and President Harris set us apart and then set apart our new 2nd counselor and assistant to the Matron, Kent and Renee Allen.  President Allen is currently a sealer, and Sister Allen serves as a trainer on their Friday mid shift.  They are an amazing couple, and it will be a joy to get to know them better as we serve side by side.  We will miss the Taylor's and pray that Derlin can regain his health so that they can serve in the Burley Temple when it opens.

The new Twin Falls Idaho Temple Presidency

Nancy and Lon Thompson, Kathy and Reed Harris, Renee and Kent Allen

The Twin Falls Idaho Temple Presidency and Temple Recorder

Kjel Neilson, Lon Thompson, Reed Harris, Kent Allen

Luckily the Taylors had Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday off so the Allens will begin on Friday with the AM shift.  Their life has just been turned up-side-down.  

Lon and Laron went ice fishing on Monday.  They had a great day, but Lon hopes that he doesn't have to climb up out of the reservoir pulling his sled again.  It was just too hard.  Lon had a very spiritual experience as they were coming out of the reservoir that you should read in his journal, from being prompted months ago to buy chains, a tow strap, speaking Spanish and following promptings of the spirit.  It is a testimony that we are being watched over and guided in our lives.

We had our big week at the temple, 3 early morning shifts and 2 pm shifts.  The temple was busy so that was good, it kept us awake! 😁

Monday the 20th, Lon and Laron took Laron's mini truck to Magic Reservoir to ice fish.  They loaded it onto our trailer and drove it out onto the ice with all their fishing gear.  Much easier than pulling the sled in and out of the reservoir.

The mini truck and LaRon setting up their fishing holes

LaRon at the fishing holes.  Very cold but no wind.  The ice is very thick, thank goodness.  This makes me nervous!  They caught 4 trout and 2 perch, had a little trouble loading the mini truck so will have to make some adjustments to the trailer ramp before they try it again.

Saturday January 25th, we arranged with the Allens that we would open the temple, they came in at 8:30 and worked the mid shift and we returned by 2:45 and closed the temple.  We wanted to attend the funeral of Lon's cousin Troy Thompson in Burley this morning.  (Harris' were out of town) Troy was Kurt's age.  All of Troy's brothers participated in the funeral services, Bruce, Nolan and Ned.  It was great to see so many cousins that Lon hadn't seen for years, especially Ned who is his age.  It was a beautiful service with full military rites after at the cemetery.  Kurt was not feeling well so couldn't come but Farrell and AnnaVee drove up and stayed in a motel in Burley, so AnnaVee didn't have to travel as far.  

AnnaVee and Farrell headed for home right after the dinner, a storm is expected this evening, so they wanted to get home before it hit.

Ned and his wife, Nolan. David and Jerry 

Cousins who were able to attend, Ned, Lon, Nolan, Bruce, Jerry, Farrell, David, Connie, Lea

LaRon also attended but didn't come to the dinner.

It was a very long day but so thankful we were able to arrange our schedule to attend.

January has come to an end.  We were blessed to have good roads all month.  It's been cold and windy, but the snow has been in the mountains where we need it.  Time just keeps marching on!