August 2025

 August 1st and 2nd, we closed so Lon golfed in the early mornings.  We will not be on the Saturday PM Shift again in this calling in the Temple Presidency.  Hard to believe that three years are almost over.  

Sunday morning, we helped Joy Matthews with her Sunday School class.  She teaches the oldest kids in the ward.  I spoke about women and the priesthood authority and Lon talked about his priesthood lineage.  It was a great class.  Joy is an amazing teacher who can really get the kids involved.

We golfed Monday morning then spent the day preparing for our PM service this week.  Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday were a little slow at the temple.  We did our usual 3 1/2-hour presidency meeting on Wednesday and attended the 11:30 endowment session on Thursday before our shift began.
Lon and LaRon went to Anderson Dam Reservoir to fish for kokanee salmon on Friday.  A beautiful reservoir but tons of people.  They only caught 3 kokanees.

With the announcement of the Burley Temple Dedication, the Burley Temple Presidency have been released from our shifts and also Kjel Neilson, our recorder.  We will miss having them here.  Our new recorder is Robert Wallace.  He has learned so much from Kjel and is an amazing man to serve with.  He is also a Stake President and former Institute director and teacher for the church.  Very knowledgeable and so pleasant to be with.  

The Thompsons, Harris's, Allens and Brother Wallace

Our final Shift Coordinators meeting was on Sunday the 10th.  We had to be there by 4 and the meeting began at 5.  President and Sister Allen met with Elder Hirst, a General Authority Seventy, who set them apart as the new Temple President and Matron of the Twin Falls Temple starting on September 1st. We started our meeting and when Elder Hirst was finished with the Allens, they all three came into the meeting and Elder Hirst took the next 30 minutes to talk to us and answer any questions anyone had.  It was great to sit at the feet of one of our General Authorities and be taught.  Our meeting was a little longer than we had expected because of this, but no one was disappointed that we had been so richly blessed. 

Elder Hirst is from England, so his accent was adorable.   

Gideon came to spend the night and to go fishing with Lon tomorrow.   They took off about 5:30 and headed to Magic.  The water is way low so they couldn't launch the boat, so they went to Salmon Falls instead.  They got on the water by 10:00.  They had a great time and brought home 12 walleye.  I got them into the freezer so Gideon can take them to Shayla tomorrow. 

On Tuesday morning we met Gideon and Aydan at 93 to do a round of golf.  It was a slow round as the boys have not been golfing much this summer, but we had a great time with them.  When we got done, we headed to IHOP for breakfast. 

Gideon, Aydan, Grandpa and Grandma

What a special day for us!  Love these two young men. 

Friday August the 15, our last Friday AM shift.  It was a very busy day.  I had 4 Own Endowments, so Lon had to do all the training for the morning by himself. I hadn't slept well the night before, so it was good that I was so busy and didn't have time to think.  I got home totaled, and Lon golfed 18 holes with Randy Welch.  I just can't keep up with the energy that he has 😜!

We opened on Saturday and came home to prepare for my class reunion.

55th Class Reunion for the Class of 1970

Dave Randall, Barbara Fuller Chester, Nancy Larson Reddick and I have been planning a class picnic for the last month.  We have been arranging it over texts and Barb and I have been shopping and getting the main dish and serving items ready.  I fixed up the Pulled Pork and Pulled Chicken with Hawaiian buns for sliders and Barb made a big pot of baked beans.  The classmates who came brought salads or desserts to share. We had no idea how many to expect.  We advertised on our class Facebook page and sent some emails to ones that we knew were not on the Facebook page.  We met at the park across from the Catholic Church, where the swimming pool was when we were kids.  We set up and waited to see what happened and who showed up.  

Donna Spencer/husband, Kathy Blake

Janie Fife, Kathy Thomason(Church)

Glenda Guerrera and her little sister Lily

Jackie Howell, Janice Bentzinger

Debbie Bragg, Sharon Davis

David Randall, Charlene Bragg

 Johnny Ridgeway/wife, Russell Howell

Ted Klass, Jeff Williams, Mike Capps

 

Our photographer, Diana Davis, Jackie Howell and Janice Bentzinger

Sue Wooley/daughter and granddaughter, Nancy Reid/husband

Karla Hyder/husband, Kerry Randall (David's wife)

Barbara Fuller, Launa Dixon

We didn't get photos of everyone, but we ended up with feeding about 40.  We had a wonderful evening visiting and eating (had plenty of food!)  We had a donation box to cover the meal, asking for $5.00 per person and ended up paying all expenses and have $210.00 in the kitty for the next picnic in a few years, if we can still function enough to plan it😜.  I'm glad that we did it.  We found out a day later that another class member died, Rocky Jackson.  That makes about 25 that I am aware of so far.  We are getting old!!

We opened the temple on the 19th, our last Tuesday AM shift in this calling.  We made sure to thank our temple workers for their love and prayers and support for us these past three years.  Wednesday morning the 20th, our last Wednesday AM shift.  We will not miss the early morning shifts but will miss these amazing people.  Thursday morning, we again opened the temple, had our final Presidency Meeting and attended a session before going home.  Our Presidency meetings always lasted from 2-3 hours.  We have so loved being taught by President and Sister Harris, the Taylors and the Allens.  We have all served together with love, friendship, unity and loyalty.  It has been an amazing 3 years.

We had Friday off and got our corn in the freezer.  We didn't do as much as in years past, but by the time you husk it, cook it, cut it off the cobb and get it into bags and into the freezer, you have spent most of your day.  We went to George Orr's and had birthday cake with him and his family.  He just turned 73.  Had a nice visit and came home to get to bed early, we open the temple on Saturday morning for our last time.  We took a nap when we got home.  We headed to the Spanbauer Barn for the wedding and reception for Riley and Josh.

Josh with his son's Braxton and Adam

Bridesmaid and Groomsman with attitude

Ryanne

Big sister Kyleigh expecting baby #2 in 3 weeks

Ring bearer Hendryx

The Bride Riley

Dillon, Mason, Riley and Aydan.  It was so cute that she had her brothers escort her to the alter.

It was a very warm day!

Josh's brother married them. 

Mr. and Mrs. Joshua Nunes

Challis, Ryanne, Shayla and Justin

Challis, Ryanne, Shayla, Justin and Gideon

Ryanne, Shayla, Justin and Gideon

We had a Tri-tip dinner

The wind cooperated.  It was a beautiful evening in Southern Idaho.

Challis, Dillon, Jasman, Nancy and Gideon

We didn't stay for all the festivities but got to visit with all the kids.  The dancing started so we snuck out and came home for some much needed sleep. 

Sunday morning, we headed to the Kimberly Stake to speak. (our last speaking assignment in this calling).  Elder David Pickett was the visiting Area Seventy.  Elder Pickett served with us in the temple before this call to the Area Seventy.  He and his wife are amazing people.  It was a great conference. Our talks went well.  We met many who come to the temple regularly and many who serve there with us.  

Monday morning, we woke up to rain.  Wow, we haven't had rain forever.  We had to change our tee time to 12, after the rain stopped.  Tonight, we had a Potluck Dinner for the Sealers and their wives.  All the sealers serving in the Twin Falls Idaho Temple and those called to serve in the Burley Idaho Temple were invited.  There are currently 17 sealers called to serve in Burley and 19 who will stay in Twin Falls.  We had a great turnout, with only four not in attendance:  Kenneth Stewart (TF), Phil Jones (TF), David Brown (TF), and Ned Bjorn (TF).

Front Row:

Lon Thompson (TF), Reed Harris (TF), Terry McCurdy (TF), Kent Searle (B), Brad Hobbs (TF), Paul Young (B), Kent Allen (TF), Steven Tuft (B), Chad Jones (B), Karl Nelson (TF), Jack Hunsaker (B), Alvino Molina (B), Mike Phillips (TF).

Back Row:

Leanard Beck (B), Guy Redder (B), Derlin Taylor (B), Paul Tateoka (B), Kevin Stanger (TF), Gary Babbel (TF), Larry Adams (TF), Allen Anderson (B), Ron Hendrickson (TF), Paul Morgan (TF), Charles Clark (B), Jared Johnson (B), Rich Bateman (TF), Tim Eames (B), Steven Bodily (B), Terry Miller (B), David Miller (TF), Michael Kelsey (TF), Neil Harper (B).

Sister Harris, Sister Taylor, Sister Allen and I planned the event and our dear husbands were all there to help decorate the gym and get everything ready.  We made pulled pork and pulled chicken with the buns for sliders and the sealer's wives provided salads and desserts.  We had way too much to eat and had a wonderful evening visiting and simply enjoying each other.  Our three Temple Presidents spoke, President Allen, President Tateoka and President Harris.  

Temple Presidents and their wives, our dear Matrons

Pres. Tateoka (B), Pres. Allen (TF) the 7th, Pres. Harris (TF) 6th, Pres. McCurdie (5th), Pres. Young (4th), Pres. Hobbs (3rd), Pres. Nelson (2), Pres. Gerritt (1st) was not able to attend, and his wife has passed.  We have been privileged to serve under each of these amazing people.

Presidents Allen, Tateoka, Harris, McCurdy, Young, Hobbs, Nelson

The tables looked wonderful

We just love these people and have been loved and taught by all.  It was a wonderful evening.  Lon and I have been so blessed!

Our last week in the Temple Presidency!

Tuesday through Friday we closed the temple.  

Our new Temple Presidency had video training each day and we helped with a meal for them.  It seemed a bit strange to not have a presidency meeting, but we don't have any training to prepare for for next week.  Each day brings our final day closer.  It is definitely a bittersweet experience.  We've received many cards, hugs, thanks and just love from so many of our temple workers.  Jeff and Nancy Sauer stopped to see us just before the temple closed and we told them about our special sealing taking place tomorrow.  

August 30th, our final day in the Temple Presidency!

This morning we went to the temple so Lon could perform a very special sealing.  Jeff and Nancy Sauer came to be the witnesses as they have known the Weigle Family their whole lives.

Kay and her husband Ed Cornforth, Chris and his son and his daughter-in-law came from Utah and Boise.

Barbara and Leroy Weigle and their first son, Jeff are all deceased.  We grew up with this family.  Barbara was always active, but Leroy was not.  We promised Barbara that their work would be done.  She didn't get healthy enough to do it herself in the end.  Lon was able to seal Leroy to his parents, Barbara and Leroy together, and then to seal the three children, Jeff, Kay and Chris to their parents.  Chris and Kay were so surprised when they found out that Lon would be the sealer.  The Sauer's and I were thrilled to be a part of joining this family together forever, finally.  Many tears of joy were shed by all.  Then that evening we attended a session with Tracy and went to dinner at Janitzio's and picked up the truck, finally finished after 2 months in the shop.  What a great day. 

Just a few of our cards and notes from our Temple Family and others:

President Kent Allen

President Reed Harris

Kathy Harris, Temple Matron

Renee Allen New Temple Matron

Three years have come and gone.  I think we are a little tired, a little awe struck, a little sad, and a little happy all at once.  We have learned a lot, loved a lot, and have grown a lot.  We love the temple and look forward to our new shift, the Wednesday PM Shift (Spanish).  We testify that we were able to accomplish this calling only through prayers in our behalf.  Our family and friends have supported and sustained us as we served our Heavenly Father.  We love you and thank you.  Another chapter in our lives has come to an end and we look forward to many more to come.  Life is good.  We plan to enjoy every minute of it.