31 July 2022

 Hi all,

   Just a quick note; Dad and I are relaxing this Sunday afternoon. It's a hot day, 92 degrees right now, so we're staying inside.

   I know that you three younger ones are aware, but Aimee and Ben, I don't think you two know that Tamra Orr passed away last week. She and Brad have both been in poor health in a care center in Idaho Falls and she was recently sent home on hospice and passed just a few days later. Brad came home when she did, but Dad learned today that Brad is now in ICU at EIRMC. His health has been bad for a long time and I was sure he would go first. Their oldest daughter, Nicole, passed a few years ago; she was just a year or so older than you, Aimee. Brittany has breast cancer; she is Ben's age. The morning before Tamra passed, Dustin and Destry (twins who are Heidi's age) needed to take their dad to dialysis, but Brittany wasn't up to staying with their mom, so their cousin Tiffany sat with her for those few hours. I hate to think that soon the twins might be the only ones left. https://www.flammfh.com/obituary/tamra-orr

   Beth Cannon's dad, Bill Johns, passed away not long ago. I finally got a card written to her today. Beth was Sam's 6th grade teacher. Her daughter, Katie, has been a friend of Dixie's for years. When he and his wife moved to this area to be near the Cannon's, he became a regular at the Merc, and a good friend to Great-Grandpa Humphries. https://www.flammfh.com/obituary/bill-johns   

On to happier things:

 We hear that Anne had a couple of job interviews yesterday and look forward to hearing what your plans are!

 Naomi and Noah got home from their outings, but Ellen and her friend ended up in Meridian at Weaver's when they had car trouble outside Boise. We're so grateful that Kevin and Heidi were able to help. 

   Steve, we'd love to hear from you, but I don't know if where you are you can make that happen. So we'll look forward to hearing from you when you're able.

   James got another patent! I don't know much more than that, but I'm impressed!

  Ellen, please keep us apprised of your travel plans and perhaps you could email us while you're gone?

  Joseph, Luke, Naomi, Brad, Shelby, Noah, Melanie, Maddie, Spencer, Macy, Calvin, Alida, Stella, Leona . . . we would love to hear from any of you, any time! An email or a postcard or text will always be welcome. 

   We've enjoyed our visits with all of you this summer. Those last few days with Hessings, the Minnesota Humphries, and Weavers were so fun! The best part was seeing the cousins becoming friends. And thanks to each of you who took time to visit with Gran. I never knew either of my great-grand-mothers, and only saw my step g-g-ma, Bessie, a few times, and not for any length of time. I wish that I had spent more time visiting with her. I have been fascinated by all I've learned about her life in my family history research. One thing, she was left a widow with a month old baby, when her first husband, Cleveland Ireland, was shot and killed by her older brother, Oby Garnett. I've put a couple of the newspaper articles in the Memories section on FamilySearch under Bessie Lee Garnett L157-KZV; she was Grandmama Templin's step-mother, but the only grandmother Gran ever knew.

   To Ben and Lynsey, we enjoyed following your travels in Europe! Thank you so much for sharing it all with us. 

   There is talk of a special gathering next July which will include a belated 90th birthday party for Gran. I'll be looking forward to helping put this together. 

   Thank you all for your love for, and patience with us. We appreciate all you do with us in mind. What a thoughtful bunch you are! 

Love, Mom/Johanna/Nana

   

Hey Everyone!

Mom, thank you so much for your email! I really, really love getting them! Dad had told me about Tamra and Brad being in such poor health, and I remember when Nicole died, but I didn't realize Brittany had cancer. Man! That poor family!! 

The kids have had all kinds of adventures this summer, but I have to admit it's been a little harder for me to adjust to this phase of life than I thought it would be. Particularly this last week when I realized that all of my kids were in a different location. I don't think we've ever had that happen before till this last week. Spencer was still at home, and Noah was in Moscow but not at home since he was staying on campus all week for FSY. Naomi was in Twin Falls for a yearbook conference since she will be one of the yearbook editors this school year. Ellen went to Orem for training for when she goes to Mexico with ILP. She'll be leaving August 27th or 28th. And, as Mom said, she is now getting to have an impromptu visit in Meridian! As Ellen and her friend, Madeline, were heading home, our little Toyota Corolla died just outside of Boise. Thank you, THANK YOU to Heidi and Kevin for coming to their rescue!!! The car couldn't have picked a much better place to die! We're hoping to find out tomorrow if the car is at all worth fixing. We're guessing not. So, we are starting to look around for a new car and Ellen will probably get to fly home in the next few days. It is super handy that there is a direct flight now between Boise and Moscow/Pullman. And it's often pretty cheap! You all know about Anne, I think. I'm so glad she got to see all of you! Thank you, THANK YOU to Ben and Lynsey for having her!!! And then there's Stephen. He is on the Hog Trough fire in the Bitterroot National Forest in Montana. It is only 9% contained so far. I got to text with him a few days ago and he was doing well. He hadn't actually seen the fire yet. It's in a really steep area without any structures, so he said they are just doing "saw work" for now - cutting and thinning vegetation to create a line around the fire to contain it once it gets there. The fire won't be out yet, but he should be home on Friday. They can only be out for two weeks at a time. 

James did get another patent. He's lost track, but thinks this is number 7 or 8. Half of his patents are all from the same product, just different little parts of that one product. And most of the patents are not just his, he is one of a few people whose names are on the patent. I think he only has one, maybe two, that only have his name on them. It's always exciting to me when I get a text in the middle of the day saying, "I got another patent today." Just a normal day to him though. I don't have a copy of this latest one, but I'll attach a copy of one he got in March. Just so you can see what a patent looks like, if you are interested. 

I guess that's it from me. I love you all!!!

Love,

Aimee