Shortly after our arrival back at Ann & Steve's in Linden (Show Low), we were treated to a sunset ride on ATV's to the top of a nearby hill, with Steve, Ann and the kids. The mountain air was so cool and refreshing! It also provided a great view of Linden Valley.

It was our first time to operate one of these popular off-road machines. We really had a nice time!

Monday, June 28, after a short visit with Karlie Burnham, at our home on N. Orange and getting a chance to see her two cute little boys, we took care of some necessary errands and then said goodbye to the Valley one more time. We headed east on US 60 for Show Low, going by way of Globe and the Salt River Canyon, Terry's (not Lnda's) favorite way to travel to the White Mountains.

As we neared Apache Junction, east of Mesa we snapped a picture of the Superstition Mountain, our famous landmark, surrounded by so much story and legend about hidden gold, violent death, mysterious disappearances, Indian depredations, and endless tales of unsuccessful searches for the "Lost Dutchman Mine."

Now it's foothills are filling up with development after development of desert dwellers.

Surely, for us the highlight of this memorable weekend with our family was to be together at our Mesa Vineyard Ward Sacrament meeting on Sunday morning, June 27. Kay Chapman drove up just as we did and we received her warm greeting and welcome home! Then, as we entered the building we were greeted by many of our ward members we hadn't seen in many months, and by members of our family as they entered. My brother Clark and his wife Connie came in. It was so good to see them there. From our place on the stand we saw the overflow fill and the doors being opened into the cultural hall and more chairs being set up. While the meeting go underway the hall filled almost to capacity back to the stage. As Linda said, when she addressed the congregation, it looked like a Stake Conference instead of a ward Sacrament meeting. Several of Linda's brothers and sisters and their families, and her dear mother, Lucille Burnham (88 yrs) were in attendance.

We love our ward family. We love our own dear family and all the members of our extended family, loved ones and friends. Our emotions were running high! It was a blessed meeting and a blessed day! We shall always be grateful how it all came together, like a miracle it seemed to us!

This picture was taken outside the chapel after the meeting. We asked Linda's brother Robert if he would take our tiny camera and take a picture of our family. He told us later that he didn't have his glasses and he wasn't even sure what he was seeing when he took this and one other picture for us. Both of them came out marvelous!

While most of us oldsters were content to sit and visit, the younger set made a beeline for the pool. It was a hot day in the Valley with temperatures in the triple digits, so the pool was the perfect place! They really did enjoy themselves. They could swim a little, come in and eat a bite of food, go back and swim, get out and play games with the adults, go back and swim ... what a perfect place Gary and Amy had made available for us at their housing complex!

During our time together on Saturday and Sunday, June 26-27, we were entertained by spontaneous performances from Jacob and Liz with drama and song, Camilla on guitar, Ross Willis on guitar and song, and these two favorites, Jeff & Kristi, called upon to sing "You Are My Friend."

What fun!

Claudia in the pink dress (John & Rebecca's little girl) playing with the balloon, with her older cousin, Anna (Jeff & Kristi's youngest), while the family were all relaxing during our Saturday afternoon get-together.

Jacob and Liz are in the behind the couch, looking on.

Left to right on the couch, you can see Camilla (Jeff & Kristi's 2nd daughter), Breann (Kelly's oldest), Laura (Jeff & Kristi's 3rd daughter), Avery in her swimming suit, just in from the pool (David & Meredith's oldest daughter), seated on the couch on the right is Amy, then Alexis, Rebecca & Randy's 2nd daughter) Rebecca seated behind her daughter), Emalie (Melissa & Russell's oldest daughter) seated next to Alexis, theBrookelyn (Rebecca & Randy's oldest), on the floor, now married to Ross Willis (not in the picture), and the grandma looking on.

Some of the men and boys of the family, hanging out with all of us at the club house on Saturday, June 26.

Left to right, Scott LeSueur(Melissa's oldest boy), Gary Funk (Amy's husband), Dallin (Gary & Amy's oldest), a friend of Dallin in blue shirt, and Nathan (Dallin's younger brother).