Saturday, June 26, was my birthday. I was totally surprised when Linda asked if we could go for some lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant, El Charro, at 1st Street and Country Club Drive in Mesa. As we entered the restaurant we were greeted with singing, shouting, laughter and every happy emotion you can describe as our children and their spouses were awaiting us! Also, present was our newly married granddaughter Brookelyn and her husband Ross Willis, and one of our older, unmarried granddaughters, Caitelyn Perkins, 18, (Kelly). The only one of our children not present, was, of course, Jeffery and his wife Kristi, who we would be joining in Rexburg, Idaho in a few days as they prepare for the return of their oldest daughter from a mission and their oldest son's marriage. But, low and behold, to everyone's surprise, not just mine, in walks Jeffery, Kristi and their son Jacob and his fiancee, Liz Whitaker! We were just blown away by their appearance -- coming near 1,000 miles to be part of our homecoming!! What an unbelievable experience!!

On Friday morning, June 25, we received a surprise call from our daughter Rebecca telling us that her oldest son Rathan, 18, was headed for California with some friends and was wanting to stop by the hotel and see us before they traveled on to their holiday.

We were so happy to see this fine young man! He is a premier high school football player, leading his Show Low Cougars to another great winning season! He is also a fine example to his peers in many other ways.

This picture is clear evidence that Rathan has been growing since we saw him last, 18 months ago!

After checking in to our hotel in downtown Mesa (this is the view of our old home town, looking south from our hotel room), we made contact with our Stake President, President Lewis and met with him at his home. We had the choice experience of reporting on our missionary experience in Virginia and receiving our official release from full-time missionary service. It was an emotional but very inspiring meeting with the priesthood leader who had set us apart for our missionary duties in January of 2009.

We were about a half hour out of Mesa, coming down the Beeline highway from the rim country, when we noticed a spiral of smoke a few miles ahead. We had no idea what it represented. But a few minutes later we were in a road blockage. We would later learn that a motorist had an unexplainable fire start in luggage atop his vehicle. He stopped and managed to get it pulled off onto the ground, but it caught the surrounding vegetation afire and quickly developed into a fire that would require the highway to be blocked until it could be brought under control. We had to be re-routed back toward a detour that would take us by the shores of Roosevelt Lake and on to Globe, Arizona before we were able to get into Mesa and finally get a hotel room for the night.

This is the south shore of Roosevelt Lake, taken while traveling on the highway that passes through the community of Punkin Center, the Tonto Basin area, then across the bridge at Roosevelt Dam and on to Globe/Miami and US 60 heading to Mesa/Phoenix. The last time I saw this, the largest lake on the Salt River water shed, it was so, so low. Now, because better moisture levels in recent years, it is at an all-time high!

As we said our goodbyes to Ann and the family on Thursday morning, June 24, heading to the Valley by way of Heber and Payson, we drove past the new chapel where the Linden Ward members attend their church services. The meetinghouse is new and it is only a very short distance down the highway from where Ann and Steve and their family reside, making getting to meetings and activities so much more convenient.

The picture is topsy turvy because of the photographer.

Here is Bishop Steve, rounding up all the 'little doggies' as nightfall comes on the it is time to put the put the horses and cattle in the barn and put the kids to bed.

This quad is actually for the children. What is a grown man doing with it, anyway?

We have three of our daughters and their families residing now in the Show Low area. Later in the evening of our arrival, Wednesday, after supper Steve built a fire in a fire pit out back and we all enjoyed a good visit as he prepared dutch oven blackberry and peach cobbler. It was delicious! He is getting to be the real White Mountain man, learning all these keen out-door skills!

Pictured here around the camp fire, left to right is our newly married granddaughter Brookelyn Ricedorff Willis with Gracie (Ann's daughter) on her hip. Seated is our oldest daughter Kelly, next to her husband Brock Bevell. Brookelyn's youngest brogther, Rhett, is standing on the wooden plank.

How very good it was to have these moments of reunion with our dear family members.

On that same Wednesday, June 23, after our short stop in Bluewater, we made our way on past Gallup, New Mexico where we both had possibly encountered each othe as infants when Linda's parents and my parents attended church meetings together at different times. We didn't stop, but traveled on, arriving in Linden Valley, outside Show Low, Arizona in the afternoon. We were warmly greeted by our dear daughter Ann, and these 3 precious grandchildren you see here, seated with her and their grandmother on the front porch of their lovely home.

Ann's husband Steve Williams is a young, busy Bishop of the Linden Ward. His time is split between Church leadership responsibilities, his law practice as a criminal defense lawyer which takes him all over the vastness of Navaho and Apache counties and beyond, and Ann and the children here at the home on Burton Rd.

Despite their busy lives, they always make us feel wanted and welcome, especially on this day as we finally were reunited after so many months of being on our mission in Virginia.

Here on the west side of Elm Street on the extreme soutwest boundary of Bluewater Village, is what remains of the home where Stan Burnham and his wife of one year, Lucille Rogers temporarily resided. They had living space at the back of this home, later converted to a wash room. At that time the home seen here was occupied by her Uncle Kenneth and Aunt Evelyn McNeill, being next door to the original Thomas McNeill home (still standing, but not seen in this picture). This is where Linda was born, delivered by her great grandmother Mary McNeill on January 12, 1941.

This is the old stone bakery in Bluewater where my grandparents lived, and where grandmother Edna Tietjen Chapman once helped the family income by preparing a variety of breads and pastry for sale to the passer-bys on historic route 66, which in those days went directly past the store.

The structure is now a private residence and has been altered with a stucco exterior.

On the extreme south end of Elm Street in Bluewater the McNeill family have expended considerable time, money and effort to preserve and beautify the gravesite of their pioneer ancesters who were prominent in the life of this little Mormon community since its earliest founding .

These are Linda's direct progeniters through her paternal great grandparents, Thomas and Mary George McNeill.

Linda was delivered by grandmother McNeill, the mid-wife for so many births in those early days, in the tiny dwelling place of her parents at the McNeill homestead just a stones throw to the north of this grave site.

The two headstones in the foreground mark the graves of my paternal great great grandparents, Rhoda Ann Fullmer and her husband Hyrum Chapman.

The fenced area contains the graves of my maternal great grandparents, Earnest Albert Tietjen and Emma O. Erickson, as well as other members of the Tietjen family, who played such decisive rolls in the establishment of Bluewater and neighboring Mormon settlements in this area of New Mexico.

We did partake of some authentic mexican food later Tuesday evening when we stopped for the night in the vicinity of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Because of a huge soccer tournament being hosted in Albuquerque we had to drive 13 miles out of our way, up the I-25 before we found a hotel vacancy.

Wednesday, June 23, we continued on down the I-41 from Albuquerque, stopping for a short visit to Linda's place of birth, Bluewater, situated just off the Interstate about 60 miles east of Gallup. This tiny little town is mostly dust blown and deteriorated now, but it has great meaning for both of us and our families because, 1) it was established by great, great grandfather Earnest Albert Tietjen, called by President Brigham Young to begin Mormon settlements in the New Mexico/Arizona territory, 2) It is the birthplace of my father, Oliver Glenn Chapman, and 3) Linda's parents, Stan and Lucille Rogers Burnham began their courtship in Bluewater, later married and lived in Bluewater for a time, where, 4) they gave birth their first child, a daughter, naming her, Linda.

While Linda did some shopping at the local trading post, I drove to several spots in the community and took pictures. This is a picture of the entrance to the Bluewater cemetary where several of my ancesters are buried.

We did partake of some authentic mexican food later Tuesday evening when we stopped for the night in the vicinity of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Because of a huge soccer tournament being hosted in Albuquerque we had to drive 13 miles out of our way, up the I-25 before we found a hotel vacancy.

Wednesday, June 23, we continued on down the I-41 from Albuquerque, stopping for a short visit to Linda's place of birth, Bluewater, situated just off the Interstate about 60 miles east of Gallup. This tiny little town is mostly dust blown and deteriorated now, but it has great meaning for both of us and our families because, 1) it was established by great, great grandfather Earnest Albert Tietjen, called by President Brigham Young to begin Mormon settlements in the New Mexico/Arizona territory, 2) It is the birthplace of my father, Oliver Glenn Chapman, and 3) Linda's parents, Stan and Lucille Rogers Burnham began their courtship in Bluewater, later married and lived in Bluewater for a time, where, 4) they gave birth their first child, a daughter, naming her, Linda.

While Linda did some shopping at the local trading post, I drove to several spots in the community and took pictures. This is a picture of the entrance to the Bluewater cemetary where several of my ancesters are buried.

So, it was that upon arrival in the dusty New Mexico town of Tucomcari that we left the Interstate and found ourselves looking for that authenic Mexican food restaurant ... and would you believe, we found it! Right, there as I had promised, on a stretch of Historic Route 66! The Ranch House Cafe!! Yummm, good!

Appears, we arrived after closing hours, however.