Quick trip to Utah, Mom is Recovering Slowly

Mom had hip surgery after falling and breaking her hip, and her recovery is slow.  I guess at 82 things don't heal as fast as when you are younger.  I saw Charlie in Nevada, and Weldon and Connie in Utah.  We saw Dianna at our house for dinner and cake after returning to California.

I was also able to spend time with my sons Mark and Jeremy.

Life in Manteca 20: Park Review, Mistlin Sports Park

Tone, Ona and I visited this park which is in Ripon.  I thought Tony would like the water park, but he stayed away because of the numb er of people, and stuck to the playground, and then he and Ona played rolling down the hill and trying gymnastics.

This park has ball diamonds and soccer fields, in addition to the water park and the playground. 

Ona Farewell

Our exchange student has returned to Spain after being with us a month.  I enjoyed having her, and Tony did as well.  We would explore parks together.  We were treated to a farewell dinner where all the students made different dishes from Spain.  Much of it is similar to Spanish food.  I actually had torta de papa, which actually tasted like that from Argentina.  I have tried to make this dish, and it is never right.  The had breads with oil and tomato juice, Ona and Merce made paella.  It was a vegetarian dish.  Merce pronounced it "vegi tables," which was cute.

Ona actually left at 4 a.m. Monday.  I got up to say goodbye, but everyone else slept through it.  Sheri took her, and actually rode the bus to San Francisco with them.

Ona wanted to talk to the missionaries, and we had a nice conversation on Sunday.  I hope the missionaries in Barcelona find she and her family.  I really liked Ona.  Ona did cart wheels and rolled down the hill with Tony.  She liked to run; up the hill. 

Life in Manteca 19: Murals

Tony wanted to see the dog

On a church across from the library

In the down town area of Manteca there are historical murals depicting Manteca, how it use to look.  There is the city street with people dragging main, farmings throwing pumpkins, and a community dairy.  They are all within a couple blocks of Main and Yosemite.  The detail and artwork is very detailed.  http://www.mantecamurals.org/mmssymposium.html
There is one that also shows Yosemite.  I have also included a display of old furniture found at a barbeque restaurant.  If anyone knows of more murals I may have missed, please let me know.

Life in Manteca 18: Big League Dreams

http://manteca.bigleaguedreams.com/park-information
I knew I was getting home before everyone else, as they had gone to the beech, so I took advantage and visited Big League Dreams.  There is a lot happening there.  There are six fields, and all were busy with softball games.  Some were coed and others were more competitive.  It seemed most of the games had lopsided scores, except for a couple.  In the short time I watched and saw a couple great snags of line drives, one at third base, and the other by the pitcher.  I also noted that the rules for softball had changed, particularly with regards to pitching.  There was a big box he had to be within, but no longer had to be in contact with the rubber, no longer had to make a step forward.  It was interesting. 

There is also indoor soccer.  Young women were playing, and I must admit the games were more intense and exciting.  The game I watched, I caught just before halftime with a goal being scored and putting the yellow team up 3-1.  However the second half, the blue team, with more team skill, mounted a comeback.  I was sitting by the keeper for the yellow team, and it was fascinating to see them work together.  They finally tied the game5-5 on a breakaway, which seemed to come out of no where.  The yellow team mounted an attack, and scored a goal, just one second after the end of game buzzer sounded.  Final score 5-5.  It was entertaining.

I visited all the ball diamonds.  If you are going to play someplace, it might as well be on a replica field as any other.  The replicas are: Fenway, Wrigley, Angel, Polo Grounds, Yankee and Tiger.  One thing I did notice was the fields had artificial surface, the dirt part as well as the grass.  The fences seemed way back, and nobody hit one over the fence home run.  However one person hit the fence, and made an inside-the-park home run.

Admission is $3, and includes a $1 token that can be used at the snack shack (there are two, each surrounded by three diamonds.)  They are a bit pricey.  Not major league prices, but definitely at least minor league prices.  I had to try the fries, in my efforts to find the best fries in town.  They were natural cut fries, and with my token, the price was bearable.  I would rate them about with Wendy's.  They had a ketchup dispenser, and you could get all the ketchup you wanted, not little packets.

I had a fun evening, and since I like ball, I will probably be back.  I was left with the question, is their an old fart league for players not very good, but who want a shot at that in-door soccer field.

Sunday Events: Ona's Birthday, Tony's Haircut

I was upstairs enjoying a Sunday nap, when I was waking by a screaming Tony.  I thought for sure he must have bumped himself, but couldn't understand why no one was comforting him as he cried a good long time.  I finally went down to investigate.

By the time I went down he wasn't crying, but the trauma was Charity giving him a haircut.  His hair had gotten very long, close to the point of getting in his eyes and bothering him.  But int the end he was brave, and grinned and bore it.  He is happy with the result. 

Ona, our exchange student, has her birthday the day after she leaves us.  She is turning 16.  Charity was out this week, so we enlisted her to make a cake.  Charity comes every two weeks, so if we were going to have her make the cake, this was the week to have the birthday party.  Ona invited a few other exchange friends from school, and we sang "happy birthday" American style.  Although, as you see, Charity wrote in Spanish on the cake.  Ona's native language is Catalan, but she is actually bilingual, Catalan and Spanish.  They learn both languages growing up, and she is here learning English.

Ty and Natalia are leaving us tomorrow

Ty and Tali are going home to Rexburg tomorrow.  Ty has a few classes to complete, and Natalia is going to be teaching school soon, first grade this year.  Natalia has been with us the past month, and Ty about three months as he has been doing an internship, which he completed today.

Tony showing his tongue colored by sherbet

We went to Baskin Robins $1 a scoop Tuesday to say goodbye. 

A few items from yesterday's Sunday School lesson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTuiupCmAHk&NR=1
 I wanted to give the link to the video "To This End Was I Born."  It is actually in three parts, but one part should lead to the next.  This version is longer than the version in the video used in class.  It expecially shows more of the interaction between Jesus and Pilot. 
However the part of the lesson, that has left me pondering, is the quotation from President Hinckley.  He was talking about Peter.  Peter, the rock, was not always a rock.  Though earlier that day Peter had verbalized his willingness to stand by Jesus: 

 33Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be ^aoffended.

 34Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.

 35Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples. (Matthew 26)

Yet Peter wavered, and denied the Lord., three times.

75And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt ^adeny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.

It is worth repeating the words of President Gordon B. Hinckley:
“My heart goes out to Peter. So many of us are so much like him. We pledge our loyalty; we affirm our determination to be of good courage; we declare, sometimes even publicly, that come what may we will do the right thing, that we will stand for the right cause, that we will be true to ourselves and to others.
“Then the pressures begin to build. Sometimes these are social pressures. Sometimes they are personal appetites. Sometimes they are false ambitions. There is a weakening of the will. There is a softening of discipline. There is capitulation. And then there is remorse, followed by self-accusation and bitter tears of regret. …
“… If there be those throughout the Church who by word or act have denied the faith, I pray that you may draw comfort and resolution from the example of Peter, who, though he had walked daily with Jesus, in an hour of extremity momentarily denied the Lord and also the testimony which he carried in his own heart. But he rose above this and became a mighty defender and a powerful advocate. So, too, there is a way for any person to turn about and add his or her strength and faith to the strength and faith of others in building the kingdom of God” (“And Peter Went Out and Wept Bitterly,” Ensign, Mar. 1995, 2–4, 6).
I hope we all have the humility to recognize the need and have the strength to pick ourselves up and turn ourselves around, when we do recognize he need.

Zoo with friends and family

Zoo day, July 16 where we met friends and Charity and Anthony.  The weather was great, some San Francisco fog but not too much.  Tony and I had to forgo our park review, but as you can see, he found plenty of playground at he zoo.

Jesse chasing a pigeon

The hardest part was saying goodbye at the end of the day.  Sheri cried saying goodbye to Jesse.