Baby time!

One week after Sophie is born Toni is back at school. Her schedule wasn't that hard. One class each day but 2 of them were 2-3 hours long. She is so close to graduating that there is no getting around it. So Trevor and I balance life with baby. Toni prepared milk for us to use in case Sophie would get upset and hungry. Most of the time we didn't need to use it because she would stay asleep. Toni was able to cut some classes short and other times her professors canceled class. She kept her work up and all went very well. Sophie grew and ate and slept and did everything newborns do. Her clothes were too big because she was so small. And we continued to hold her all the time. She loved the shower so she usually took one with mom or dad. We took small outings to the store and the weekly street fair. We had a good time. I was also able to attend the temple several times either working or serving.

First outing to Grand Tetons

The fun begins in Rexburg! I like this little town. The weather is extreme. We go from calm in the morning, wind in the afternoon and thunderstorms by late afternoon. Sometimes it will reverse order but there is always something changing in the atmosphere. Sophie and Toni came home the next day. She is keeping all of us very busy. Toni was able to take a week off from school which was wonderful for her to get use to her role as mom. Trevor just adores his daughter and learned baby talk quite quickly. If one is not holding her the other is. And they have already discovered that baby is a bed hog. I am so glad they are keeping her close. When Sophie was 3 weeks old we took a little trip ti the Grand Tetons. It was her first adventure. We hiked along the river for about a mile and then back. We had sun and light rain. It was a very relaxing trip. We went thru Jackson Hole, very yuppie, and ate dinner in Briggs at a nice little pizza restaurant. I have my own room and spend lots of time doing family history research, cooking and cleaning and going to the temple. I could get use to this but I have a mission waiting for me.

Heeerrree'sss BABY!!!!

So the plan was to look at more homes on the 11th of June and then make a decision, sign lease agreements and then I would start to make my way to Rexburg. HaHa! Someone had other plans for me. I was awaken at 4:34AM on June 11th. It was Toni. Her water had broken and her labor pains were 5 minutes apart. Well, this was it. The baby was coming and I was 12 hours away. I was sure I wouldn't make it in time so I got in the shower, packed my things and less than an hour later I was on my way from Las Vegas to Rexburg. Where the speed limit was 70 I did 75. Where it was 80 I did 85. The slowest part of my trip was going thru SLC cause the speed limit was only 65. I was still sure I wasn't going to make it. When I reached SLC Trevor texted me to say Toni was pushing. I told him I would see them when I got there sure I was not going to make it in time. But no word came about baby's birth.??? What was going on. I told the baby not to wait for me to get there but to go ahead and be born. Texted him again. Toni was still pushing. This is taking way too long. I was almost to the Rexburg turnoff from I-15 but a truck came up alongside me and I missed the turn off. OK I'll just go down to the next off ramp and turn around. There was no turnoff after 2 miles so I just turned around in the median, the one the Highway Patrol uses, and headed back. I parked in the hospital parking lot and ran into the labor/delivery section up the elevator and wait by the door for them to admit me. I raced in and the baby's head had just crowned. I made it!!!! Toni had pushed for 3 hours. I assisted Toni the best I knew how and within 10 minutes Sophie Elaine Mangelson was born. She was small and skinny and a few weeks early. As her head was born I looked into her face and told Toni, "She looks just like Trevor." But then I thought, why am I seeing her face. She should be facing down. Sophie was sunny side up! That's what took so long. What a blessing Toni was able to birth her with no drugs or pain meds. She was strong and brave and now the mother of a beautiful baby!! And I made it in 10 hours.

House hunting

On Tuesday I hooked up with a Realtor, Larry Call, that had been Trevor's Young Mens President when he lived in Las Vegas. We looked at half a dozen rentals but each one I sent to Toni and Trevor they turned down except the last 2. There were things they liked about each but both had stairs and they really wanted a 1 story. There wasn't that much to look at since so many people were moving to Nevada to get away from California taxes and the dysfunctional government there. This one was had everything, was close to both freeways, the 95 and 215, and lots of shopping. The ward building was within 2 miles. I really liked it but had to sell it to Toni and Trevor. The plan was to do more looking the next day.

8424 Sequioa Grove Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89149

Best part of Las Vegas for now

So What does one do in Las Vegas? Not the strip! Wow, all the casinos and glitz and worldliness is overwhelming. Thanks but no thanks. After settling into my flea bag motel, UG!, I spent my time traveling around the nicer areas of Las Vegas and went to the temple.

Las Vegas here I come!

June 5th, 2014. Now it's time to start my great adventure. My first stop was Las Vegas. Toni and Trevor decided to move there so Trevor could finish his BS in engineering at UNLV and so they could be close to family. But Toni had to finish her BS first. Her scheduled graduation date was July 23rd. But she was expecting their first baby who was due on June 17th. They couldn't leave Rexburg, Idaho to go to Las Vegas to look for a new home to rent so I was heading there to look for them. I love to drive so that was fun for me. But the drive from Bakersfield to Las Vegas was pretty boring. Not much to look at except the dust devil in the desert.

Lasting memories

I know this blog is suppose to be about my mission but there were some many incredible things that led up to it. I must mention the road to my mission because it was filled with so many miracles and good memories. On Memorial Day weekend I moved out of my home of 17 years that I had helped build. There were many wonderful memories my family and friends enjoyed there but it was time to move on and I will take all these things with me.
So where did I move for 2 weeks? I moved to Kevin's house. He probably wasn't that thrilled but I know his kids were happy to have me. Kevin doesn't like change and having me there was a big interruption for him. But we all did well. I spent much of my time while my grandkids were at school cleaning my old house. My Dad always taught me to leave things as I found them and all those years of Boy Scouts taught me to leave no trace so I spent a week cleaning. I continued to pick up Lena and Gabe from school but now we went to their house and did things there. The last week of school was awards so I went to those to cheer them on. The FFA Banquet was also that last week to I went to support the FFA program which I loved serving in and to support Samantha. Ashley was a Freshman at River City High School so it was just a relief to her to have that 1st year done. Gabe and Lena both received several awards. It's hard to see them in the pictures below but I did my best. Samantha received outstanding student for floral from Mrs. Spears. that was a big deal because she was chosen out of all the the FFA students.

 Gabe's Kindergarten Graduation from Southport School

 Lena Rose and Gabe with their awards

 Samantha with her Outstanding Floral Award.