Tea for Two

On the first Sunday in August, Jonathan and I were able to go to the McMillan family reunion in Rexburg. We went to Sacrament Meeting with Chris's family before going up to the reunion. Ruby stood with her head on Jonathan's leg for about five minutes. She is the sweetest little girl! Our next stop was the Burton Cemetery to find where more of my Machen relatives are buried. The first Machen's I found were ones that I knew. My great-great grandparents! I feel so blessed to know more about them than just their names. Then we finally made it up to the reunion. It was great to meet more of my Machen and McMillan cousins. I love this picture of 11 of the 16 McMillan children. My great-grandma is Evalyn, their youngest child. I am grateful to be part of such a wonderful family. Before we went back to Utah, Jonathan made paper airplanes with the kids. They made it clear that we were had been gone long enough. I hope that we can go to the reunion ...

Earlier this summer my grandpa came out to Utah for a visit. We went to my uncle's house to spend the evening with grandpa. I got to see a couple of old family pictures. I love old pictures because they add depth to my ancestors. They are more than a name on a pedigree chart. The man in the hat and dark coat is my great-great grandpa Elmer Patterson. If I remember correctly, these are Elmer's parent James and Maria Patterson. I love my grandpa so much. He is one of my biggest supporters and he can't wait for me to be a smart scientist.

Here's a glimpse of what we've been up to this fall. We were able to go to the ISU volleyball game to watch the amazing Abby play! Jonathan and I went to the funeral for my dad's mission president Reed Benson. I loved seeing all of the flags around the building. One of his sons shared a common phrase President used to say, "May the Lord bless you and the devil miss you." I have a better understanding of why and how President impacted my dad's life. He lived what he preached. Jonathan and I went for a hike up Big Cottonwood Canyon so I could see where William McMillan spent most of his time hauling lumber for fuel for his family. We went for a drive up Provo Canyon to see the fall colors. I am not looking forward to winter, but Jonathan kindly reminds me that this is our last Utah winter. I have a feeling that will be my daily mantra as I scrape the windshield in the mornings. Jonathan and I went the Pioneer Museum in Salt Lake Cit...