WEEK 26 - A MILESTONE

Total Exposures Filmed  104,496 to date, BUT WHO IS COUNTING?

We are going to post a running total of the number of exposures that we have taken. It will help us and you understand the progress that we are making.

This chart was not generated by the Church.  It is our own record to help us
achieve higher productivity. 

Dear Nielsons,

I am going over how last week looked with Chuck right now and noticed how you had your best week ever. Nicely done. Thanks for your hard work and dedication. Your efforts do not go unnoticed.
Michael Leroy Benson
Manager Imaging Services Canada/USA,  Family History Department

 

 

 

THE LAST TWO WEEKS IN SUMMARY
WOW,  100k and only 200k to go.  It took us 7 months to complete the first 100k exposures.  We think that we will be able to do twice that amount in half the time. Remember the video we post on the blog earlier?  It showed us filming on video fast forward speed.  Well that is about the speed that we are at now in real time.   

We had a meeting with Craig County Officials on Friday afternoon to determine our new filming environment when we move there this summer.  We also wanted to inspect the records to allow us to prepare for and to know what to expect.  The county officials were very cordial and welcoming to us.  We have some challenges to overcome, but we have plenty of time to get things worked out. 

We will be moving 125 miles to the north eastern corner of Oklahoma.  We will then be in the Tulsa Mission where
we were originally called.

We also talked to our original mission President this week, Pres. Richard Merkley to let them know that we would be coming back to the Tulsa Mission.  They were genuinely happy to welcome us back, except they will be gone by the first of July.  A new mission president will be coming to replace them.  We will likely not be able to meet the Merkleys unless we are able to speed up our work here in Lincoln County.  We have talked to them on the phone may times and looked forward to meeting them.  But we will be happy to work with a new mission president. 

Tomorrow, we will be attending a senior couples mission conference in Oklahoma City.  It will be held in the chapel next to the Temple.   There are about twenty couples now in this mission.  We will do some sealings at the Temple in the early morning, then spend the remainder of the day being instructed by President Taylor.  I am sure that we will be actively participating in multiple ways.  We look forward to this.  We have only met a few of the other couples. 

Grandpa is teaching the Gospel Doctrine class in our Ward every other week.  This has been good.  On the Sundays when we are not teaching we attend the Gospel Principles class which is normally attended by the newer members of the ward and investigators that are attending.  Normally there are 8-10 in the class.  Last Sunday we had a great lesson on " Jesus, our Chosen Savior" where we dicussed how we made a decision to follow Jesus Christ in the Preexistence.  We also discussed the marvelous events of that occurred in the Sacred Grove.  One of the new members, who studied to be a preacher in his younger life, was struck by the reality that believers in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints have many of the answers to lifes questions that no other church on the earth can claim.  Grandpa and Grandma were able to bare testimony  and details about the importance of the events that occurred in the Sacred Grove.  Our time together strenthened all who attended. 


Trip to Grand Lake
Our friends, Dee and Lori Bithel, who are also missionaries working in the mission office, were going to their condo on Monkey Island in the middle of Grand Lake for the weekend.  They invited us to join them so we stayed with them Friday night.  Then spent most of Saturday bumping around the resort with them.  They also helped us look into renting a place for Thanksgiving if some of the family visit us then.  We had a great time with them.  They have offerred their condo to us for Thanksgiving, if we want to use it.

Living room of their condo

Grandma and Lori Bithel

The condo from across the golf course

View of Grand Lake from the condo

View from the living room

self portrait of Grandma and Grandpa
as we rode Dee's golf cart around
the resort

We were checking out the marina at the resort

Congradulations to Doug and Jodie Palmer



Doug Palmer and new son, Benjamin.
Ben was born March 14, 2012 in Salt Lake City.
Mother: Jodie Sister: Maggie, Brother: Jack Alma & Sister: Mary



 

BATTLE OF THE GKIDS
Ground Rules: Just for your reference, the same as before
Some emphasis is important: All of these solutions can be found on the internet. Work together to find the answers. Do not go to the Web. This little bit of family fun will deteriorate quickly if you do. You are on your own honor.

The Grandchildren will compete within two age groups; those that are now younger than eight (the BRANIACs) and those that are now eight and older (the MINDBENDERs). Grandchildren will remain in their respective groups throughout our mission. The winner within each group will be the first grandchild to send the correct answer by text to Grandma's iphone (435-757-8561). Do not text Grandpa because the winner will be determined by the time the text is sent to Grandma. There will be separate contests for both age groups based on what we judge to be appropriately difficult for the age. The prize for the week, for the winner of each age group, will be $10.00 deposited into the grandchild's savings account that Grandma opened for you when you were born. At the end of Grandma and Grandpa's mission the winner of the most blog contests, in each group, will receive a Grand Prize when we return home. We will give reports on your progress as a winner. The ground rules will be that you cannot use the internet to find your answers. Parents should use your own judgement about the age of the child, the level of help that you provide, and family fairness. If grandchildren want to work together, their winnings will be split based on the number of participants on the team.

______________________________________________________
BRAINIACS

Previous winners:
Won By Brainiacs: Ali and Mylee Myers

WHAT GETS SMALLER WHEN IDEAS GROW?  answer: "A Pencil"

_____________________________________________
The Next Brainiac Challenge:

How long did it take Great Grandpa Palmer to cross the ocean on a ship when he was traveling to his Mission in England?

If you are quessing,  the winner will be the closest to the actual time.  However, you have been given the answer before.  Remember to text your answer to Grandma. 




______________________________________
MINDBENDERS

Previous Winners:
Won By Mindbenders:  Bryn and Brooklyn
Bulbs
There are three switches downstairs. Each corresponds to one of the three light bulbs in the attic. You can turn the switches on and off and leave them in any position.
How would you identify which switch corresponds to which light bulb, if you are only allowed one trip upstairs? 

Answer: "Turn one switch on for a few minutes, then turn it off.    Turn another switch on and go to the attic.  When in the attic make note of the warm bulb, the bulb that is on, and the bulb that is off"

_________________________________________________
The Next Mindbender Challenge:

Using the previous blog, estimate the gallons of oil stored at the Cushing Oil Reserve shown in the aerial photograph.  Then calculate the number of oil tankers that could be filled with the oil at the Cushing Oil Reserve.  The grandchild(ren) that comes closest to Grandpa's calculation will be the winner.  Text Grandma with your estimate of the number of OIL TANKERS.

This contest will remain open until someone gets the exact answer.  If no one gets the exact answer, the grandchild with the closest answer will be annouced on the next blog.

This is the largest Oil tanker in the World
It is 5 football fields long, as wide as one
football field is long, and is higher than the Statue
of Liberty. That would be as tall as stacking
6 homes, like yours, on top of each other.
 This tanker holds 4 million gallons of oil.

________________________________________

ONLY IN OKLAHOMA

Speaks for itself.

You know you are from Utah if the opening day of hunting season is a school holiday. 

You know you are from Oklahoma if you learned how to shoot a gun before you learned how to multiply.

Along the road on our way back from church.  These magenta colored
 blossoms are Oklahoma Redbud trees that grow naturally. 
They have heart shaped leaves.  This is, appropriately, the
Oklahoma State Tree

Sunset over Grand Lake where we stayed on Friday night.

HAPPY TRAILS TO YOU. UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN.

GRANDMA AND GRANDPA