The McKees

The Nashville, Tennessee Mission President and his wife, Bill & RaNae McKee have been very special to this mission for the past 2 years. They are remarkable people, and have worked so hard to build the church in this area. The missionaries and everyone who meet them just love them, including me! My office is just upstairs from the Mission office, so I got to see them all the time, and in my callings with the Stake had several occasions to interact with them. As well as having her play for me to sing a few times!

They have TEN children, FIVE of whom are on their mission with them. They are an awesome family!

 

 

Long story short, last Thanksgiving weekend (2012), Sister McKee suffered two strokes, and a heart attack, and had three surgeries for all of those within FOUR DAYS. Everyone was surprised that she could even go through surgery, after such severity! Every day she survived was a miracle.

 



Dr. Webber, (Area) Elder Hymas, and Russell M. Nelson with Sister McKee in December 2012.



 

There is a long story of faith and miracles that tells of her recovery, and she is now doing very well. She can walk, talk, play piano, speak, travel around the mission to train missionaries, etc. Prior to her sickness, she was an extreeeemely accomplished pianist (when she played for me, and I was amazed at her talent!), and she is still building back up to that skill level, but she is playing very well! She is a little unsteady on her feet still, and her left eye is struggling to stay straight, but improving with therapy.

 

 

You can read more about their experience, and see lots of photos featured in the Deseret News when you click HERE .

 

Although she is doing miraculously well, she and Brother McKee were released and sent home at the end of June, a year early. They have been through so much here, and I'm grateful she will be able to focus on her health and recovery. But they were very sad and surprised to be leaving when she seemed to be doing so well, and it was very difficult for them to leave all the work and missionaries behind and to go home!

 

They held an open house/fireside for them in Nashville the end of June, and I was pleased to go and listen to their talks and testimonies one last time. Although I know the Lord will send another awesome mission president and wife, we will really miss them! Some people just touch your lives and hearts in a way that is very special. The McKees are two of those people.

 

Sister RaNae McKee and Me

 

They have been incredible examples of faith, love, service, gratitude and latter-day miracles! I hope to keep up with them on their blog (click it): The McKees in Tennessee 

 

 

Waymore's Outlaws

My dear friend, Jerry Bridges, played and sang with Waylon Jennings for 23 years, and he was his band manager and producer on several projects. Waylon passed away in February of 2002, but his band continues to play, now going by "Waymore's Outlaws," and with a new lead singer named Tommy Townsend. Tommy was mentored by Waylon as a young teenager and sang with the band off and on over the years.

 

 

They were playing at Puckett's in Leiper's Fork on July 5th, so we got a group together and went to see them. It was me, Christine & Katie Parris, Susie Kartchner and Cassie Peach.

Clockwise: Me & Susan Bridges & Christine, Puckett's Sign,
Tommy's "leather" guitar, and blurry me with Jerry!

I think it's so cool that when Jerry's wife, Susan, was diagnosed with breast cancer a couple of years ago, Jerry had a breast cancer ribbon painted on his guitar. She completed chemo/radiation in January and has been a warrior through it all! She's now a survivor, and doing very well!

 

We were total groupies -- we sat right on the front row, sang along, danced in our seats, and had a great time! And we were probably the only ones there who did it without drinking! LOL



Christine, Me, Susie, Cassie & Katie -- and some random 'photo bomber' in the background.

US with Waymore's Outlaws!

Workin' Man

We are all very happy that Grayson has finally found his first real JOB! He's done some lawn mowing and other things like that, but hasn't had a steady commitment or paycheck before. He has applied at several places, and it has been difficult to find openings for someone under 18 years old within walking distance, since it's difficult for us to get him there most days.

But we are glad he has been working at ARBY'S now for about a month! It would be great if he got a FAMILY discount, because we love Arby's food! But alas, he just gets a 50% employee discount, but we'll take it!

 

 

He's gotten his first couple of paychecks, and now he's wondering why he didn't do this "work" thing sooner! 

Corizon Happenings

Lots of FUN stuff going on at Corizon lately...

In June we had fundraisers for the Big Brother Big Sister AMACHI program, which helps kids of incarcerated parents. Between the corporate and operations offices, we contributed over $5000!

 

 

 

Marketing Peeps: Jaime Starkey, Jennie Latimer, Melanie Taylor, JoRita (Jaime's partner),
Briana Lutes, Holly & Bill Rawnsley, George & Kim Parsons.

 

On July 1st, we celebrated the award and startup of the new Tulare County, CA contract by having a big "County Fair" party:

 

This poster was hilarious!! Jon Walker (Chief Development Officer) and Carla Cesario (Vice President Operations) -- who were responsible for this win. We put it on the door as you entered the celebration.

 

 

Also, July 1st we launched a new episode of CorizonTV, which is done against the "green screen" and then edited in the studio to give it the high tech background we wanted.

Filming Terri Minton, our host, against the green screen.

The green screen ends up looking like this:

 

 

This episode was all about our Communications initiatives, including SOCIAL MEDIA (my area), so for the first time since we've been doing this project (18 months), I was also interviewed for the segment.

 

 

 

 

 

Have I mentioned lately that I love my job?!

Stone Mountain

As sort of a last-minute thing, we decided to go to Stone Mountain near Atlanta, GA over Memorial Day weekend. It's very cool! The largest high relief sculpture in the world, the Confederate Memorial Carving, depicts three Confederate heroes of the Civil War, President Jefferson Davis and Generals Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson. The entire carved surface measures three-acres(!), larger than a football field and Mount Rushmore.

 They have cable car rides that take you to the top of the mountain and let you get out and walk around the surface.

 

 

It was QUITE THE VIEW!

 

The ride back down seemed to go faster, but it didn't. It's on a pulley, so it brings another car up at the same time, and always at the same speed.

 

 

They had mini-golf, a train that takes you all around the park, lunch in the 'cafeteria,' 3D show called "Journey to the Center of the Earth" where you feel the wind blow, water sprays on you, etc., and general fun stuff like that.

Grayson and Sam were totally annoyed by the kids sitting in front of them
on the train (hence Sam's face in the photo above)

 

This is the view of the mountain from the ground. It is HUGE! And they were getting ready for the concert, laser show, and fireworks that night for Memorial Day.

 

There's an activity there (don't remember what it's called) where all these tubes and funnel things and containers are holding and shooting out these little balls. It's BRILLIANT, because the object is for the kids to run around picking up the balls (heh, heh) and putting them in their bags, and then running to a shooting area and shooting them out at each other.

Grayson and Sam didn't pick up too many balls, but they found a shooting area and stood there and shot out hundreds of balls like a big bazooka or something. They got a kick out of that...

THE BEST PART  about the whole place was the fireworks and laser show that night. There were a bunch of up'n coming music acts, then the Charlie Daniels band (they were pretty cool to see, and very patriotic!) -- and then an A-M-A-Z-I-N-G laser and fireworks show with the big mountain as a background. It's hard to even explain it, but it was set to music, and was incredibly patriotic, and every one of us had tears in our eyes at one point or another. It went on for like 45 minutes, too! The BEST FIREWORKS I've ever seen, and ended with Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA."

 

 

It was AWESOME!!

No More Tin Grin!

After THREE and a HALF YEARS, Grayson got his braces off on June 27th. He looks very DASHING! Because of his work schedule, my evening meeting schedule and his 'spending the night with a friend' schedule, he got them off on a Thursday, and I didn't see him until Saturday. I was flashed with that brilliant smile and -- WOW! SOOOO glad this period of his life is over...he will get to start his SENIOR year with a beautiful new smile. And, he might even get a date now! :O)

 

 

And now, on to getting SAM, our last orthodontal investment, in and out of braces!
(orthodontal, is that even a word?)

My BFF

July 2nd is Dalynda's birthday. There are very few people I've known as long as I've known Dalynda. She and I met in the fall of 1978, when our family moved to Utah from Arizona. She and her family had moved to American Fork the previous fall from California. I've known her longer than Steve, or Jeff Sermon, or many friends who I have met over my life. I am privileged to call her my dear friend.

Last summer we got together in Las Vegas to celebrate our "BIG 50" birthdays together. Click HERE to see more on that fun trip!

As a tribute for our "35 YEARS" of friendship, I made her this collage, and posted on her Facebook page for her birthday.

 

Hope we get to see each other again soon!

Grayson Goes on TREK

Every four years, the Franklin Stake sponsors a youth TREK, where the Young Men and Young Women go for a 3-day 'trek' across rough terrain pulling covered wagons, sleeping in tents, eating food rations, etc. in commemoration of the pioneers coming across the plains. I was so glad Grayson got to go this year!

I usually do lots of collages, but because of the nature of these photos, I think you have to see them all at full size to appreciate them! 

 

Andrew, Cielo & Bryson 'helping' Grayson get ready to go...

Grayson was the "big brother" in his family. The "big sister" was Amy Grayson, on his left. they were basically
IN CHARGE of running the show. Ma and Pa Sherwood were just there for supervision.
 L to R: Brigham Tiffany, Reagan Cram, Lareesa Sherwood, Bailey Allen, Bishop Chris Sherwood, Brooke Kubricky, Caden Williams, Tessa Scharman, Grayson, Amy, Blake Scott, Tristan Lonergan and Logan Palmer.

 

 

 

Activity where they were told to "look & feel the environment" while blindfolded, likened it to walking in the dark with faith, hoping that the way will be made clear, etc.

Grayson, Joe Critchlow, Caden Williams

 

 

 

 

 

Family Time, Scripture Study, Journaling, Singing Hymns, etc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grayson was originally sort of "whatever" about going on the TREK, but afterwards, said it was one of the best experiences of his life. He said he learned so much, and really enjoyed working hard and doing all the things they did during the event. We are so glad he had such a great experience, and grateful to the youth leaders who made it happen!