More Race Photos

Lisa just sent me a few more photos from the race.  Here they are:

Lisa, Rex,  Aunt Jeanne
Dylan

Juliet and Uncle Tim
overall winners with their ice cream :-)

Weston

Dylan and Cade

Juliet and Uncle Tim

Cody, Brandon, Juliet, Uncle Tim
Weston

Aunt Jeanne

Juliet, Lisa,  Rex,  Aunt  Jeanne

Aunt Jeanne, Lisa, Juliet, Tammy, Rex, Uncle Tim (and Rose in the middle)
enjoying the post race festivities

It's always fun to get together with family.  I'm glad I started this tradition five years ago to honor Dad's legacy.  I hope it continues for many years to come.

That's my two cents.

Photos from Fifth Annual Myron Hampton Stone Memorial 2 Mile Run

Sorry these photos are in reverse order. 

Aunt Jeanne, Uncle Tim, Lisa, Stephanie, Juliet
Tammy

Rex, Uncle Tim, Aunt Jeanne

edible gold medals Lisa made for the festivities

All in attendance

women participants

men participants

Top three male finishers
1 – Uncle Tim, 2 – Cade, 3 – Cody

top three female finishers
1 – Juliet, 2 – Savannah, 3 – Brynn

Thanks again to all who came from far and wide and to all who participated in the fifth annual Myron Hampton Stone Memorial 2 mile run this year.  It was a great success and fun was had by all.

Next year's race will be held on Saturday, July 26, 2025.  Same place same time.  Hope to see you there!

That's my two cents.

Fifth Annual Myron Hampton Stone Memorial Two Mile – Results

Yesterday we held our annual two mile memorial run for Dad.  Once again we had family come from California and Idaho to come run and honor Dad.  It is always a fun race.  And then we all had a nice visit afterwards.

Here are the results:

Men

1 – Uncle Tim 16:20

2 – Cade 19:44

3 – Cody 23:50

4 – Weston 25:32

5 – Brandon 25:42

6 – Dylan completed four laps

Women

1 – Juliet 15:55

2 – Savannah 21:21

3 – Brynn 21:36

4 – Lila 23:01

5 – Kylee 23:33

6 – Ava 24:54

7 – Stephanie completed six laps

8 – Aunt Jeanne completed three laps

Congratulations to all the runners and everybody who participated.  Everybody did an amazing job!  Also, much thanks to our race officials, Lisa and Rex, who put so much work into putting this race on.  They did an excellent job.

I wanted to get this posted now but I will try to post pictures later this afternoon.

Thanks again to everybody who made an effort to be there at the race to honor Dad.  We especially appreciate all those who came from out of state.  It was fun to see all of you again!

Catch you on the next lap!

That's my two cents.

Five Years – Miss You Dad

Today marks the fifth year anniversary of Dad's graduation from mortality.  I miss him so much every day.

Today also marks 31 years since I came home from my mission.

Love you and miss you so much, Dad!  God be with you till we meet again.

That's my two cents.

I Like Trump

I hear a lot of people say that they don't like Trump as a person, but they like him politically.  They are going to vote for him but they wouldn't want to hang out with him.  I personally really like Trump as a person.  I love his politics but I also really like him.  I would love to have dinner with him.  I know he would be respectful and it would be a very entertaining and educational experience.

To those who don't like President Trump, you misunderstand him.  Yes, he has made mistakes in his life.  Haven't we all?  But I'm sure he has learned from his mistakes and grown as a person through his life experiences.  As that is what this life is about.  We are all here to learn and grow from our mistakes and experiences in life.  And hopefully become better people in the process.

President Trump is a loving and caring man.  He loves his country and all of us fellow citizens.  That is why he is running for President again, even after all he's been through.  And he has been through much persecution because of his politics and love of country.  He only wants to help save our country from being destroyed and help all of us fellow Americans.

Yes, President Trump is a masculine alpha male.  Isn't that the kind of leader we want?  Even after getting shot, he stood up, fist in the air, and called on us to continue the fight.  That's the kind of leader I want.  Fearless.  Determined.  Courageous.  Confident.  Fierce.

People complain about his "mean tweets".  I love his fierceness.  That's one of the things I really like about him.  And by the way, his tweets are not even mean.  He just speaks truth.  People need to put away their pride and quit being so easily offended.

Some people think President Trump is egotistical and narcissistic.  I disagree.  He may come across as egotistical to some, but I see it as confidence.  An egotistical narcissist would not praise God and give Him credit for saving his life.  President Trump has said several times that the only reason he is here is because of the grace of Almighty God.  Divine intervention.  President Trump knows that God saved his life last Saturday and recognized that publicly several times.  That is something only a humble man would say and do.  Yes, President Trump is humble, not prideful and egotistical.

Like his granddaughter said, President Trump has been put through H.  He doesn't need to run for President again.  He could have a much easier life without the persecution that comes with running for President again.  They tried to ruin him financially.  They tried to put him in jail through bogus charges.  They tried to ruin his reputation.  And they tried to take his life!  But he feels compelled to help save our nation.   And he is willing to continue going through the H that the opposition is putting him through to save our country.  That is selflessness.

If you saw President Trump's speech at the RNC, only five days after being shot, you could feel his love and genuine concern for our country and for all of us.  I don't see how anyone watching that speech could not like the guy.  I find him to be very likable.  I have liked him for years.  After hearing that speech, how could you not want a strong leader like that?  How could you not like him? 

President Donald J. Trump is a great leader and a wonderful person.  He is a loving and caring man.  He is genuine.  He fiercely defends truth.  He is fearless and willing to fight for what's right.  He is a deeply patriotic, selfless man who is willing to sacrifice for the good of the country.  He is willing to suffer persecution, and even take a bullet, to save his country from being destroyed by evil, conniving men.  But most importantly he is a humble man who recognizes God's hand in his life.

What's not to like about him?

That's my two cents.

Assassination Attempt on President Trump

President Trump survived an assassination attempt on Saturday, July 13 at a rally in Pennsylvania.  There is no doubt that it was divine intervention that saved his life.  President Trump miraculously turned his head 0.3 seconds before the bullet went through his ear.  A split second and a few millimeters are the difference between President Trump just having a wounded ear or being dead.

I wholeheartedly believe that President Trump is alive today because of the prayers of many Americans.  I am so thankful that his life was spared.  We need him and his fierce leadership to save our country from being destroyed by evil men.

I must say, I wasn't surprised to hear about the assassination attempt on President Trump.  I know how evil the Democrats are in their quest for power.  I don't believe for a second that that 20-year-old kid acted alone.  I guarantee that evil, conspiring men in the upper echelon of the Democrat party are responsible for the assassination attempt on President Trump.

When I heard the news of the assassination attempt on President Trump, I immediately thought of Amalickiah in the Book of Mormon.

Amalickiah was an evil man who wanted to be king and would do anything to become king – including murder.  Amalickiah used flattery to gain the hearts of the people, and get them to follow him.  Then he murdered the king and convinced everyone that the king's servants murdered him.  He pretended to be angry that the king was murdered.  When all along he's the one who murdered him.  Therefore he became king by his fraud and flattering words.

Sound familiar?  Here is a condensed version of the story from The Book of Mormon:

Alma 46

3 Now the leader of those who were wroth against their brethren was a large and a strong man; and his name was Amalickiah.

4 And Amalickiah was desirous to be a king; and those people who were wroth were also desirous that he should be their king; … and they were seeking for power.

5 And they had been led by the flatteries of Amalickiah, that if they would support him and establish him to be their king that he would make them rulers over the people. 

 Alma 47

23 And it came to pass that the king put forth his hand to raise them, as was the custom with the Lamanites, as a token of peace, which custom they had taken from the Nephites.

24 And it came to pass that when he had raised the first from the ground, behold he stabbed the king to the heart; and he fell to the earth.

25 Now the servants of the king fled; and the servants of Amalickiah raised a cry, saying:

26 Behold, the servants of the king have stabbed him to the heart, and he has fallen and they have fled; behold, come and see.

27 And it came to pass that Amalickiah commanded that his armies should march forth and see what had happened to the king; and when they had come to the spot, and found the king lying in his gore, Amalickiah pretended to be wroth, and said: Whosoever loved the king, let him go forth, and pursue his servants that they may be slain.

30 And the army which pursued after them returned, having pursued after them in vain; and thus Amalickiah, by his fraud, gained the hearts of the people.

Sounds just like what just happened to President Trump.  Except President Trump miraculously survived through divine intervention.  Amalickiah epitomizes the Democrats and their evil conspiring thirst for power.  The Democrats already obtained the presidency by fraud in 2020.  And they will do anything to keep that power.  They've already tried using the corrupt judicial system to imprison President Trump.  Now they have advanced to an assassination attempt.  It will be a sheer miracle if President Trump survives through the election and his subsequent presidency.  Democrats are relentless in their evil thirst for power.

But, miracles happen.  God is more powerful than Satan.  He has already preserved President Trump's life through the assassination attempt.  (Which really should have killed him, if you look at the logistics.)  God can continue to protect President Trump and preserve his life, if it be His will.  Please continue to pray for President Trump and for our country and our freedoms.

In the end, good will prevail over evil.  This much we know.

That's my two cents.

Remembering Dallas

Three years ago today we lost my sweet nephew, Dallas.  It was much too soon.  He was only 19.  Life hasn't been the same since that tragic day.  But hopefully with time we are all slowly healing.  So, on this third anniversary of Dallas's graduation from mortality, I would like to honor him.  Here are a few pictures I found of me with my sweet nephew, and some other pictures of him, in happier times.

Dallas has such a big heart and is missed every day.  Love you tons, Dallas!  RIP my sweet nephew.  God be with you till we meet again.

That's my two cents.

Swear Not at All

I happened upon this quote today by one of the Lord's prophets.  I really liked it so wanted to post to my blog.

“Profanity is filthiness. A person is known as much by his language as he is by the company he keeps. … Filthiness in any form is degrading and soul-destroying and should be avoided.” — Joseph Fielding Smith

Those of you who know me very well know that I have a strong aversion to profanity.  I did a blog post about it years ago so I'm not going to elaborate much here.  But I will say that words matter and that the language we use is a reflection of our character and of who we are and of what we stand for and reflects our values. 

"But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne" – Matthew 5:34

Sadly, profanity is now commonplace in our society.  It is a reflection of the degradation of our society.  I will say, if you are not offended by profanity, then you need to change something in your life – because you should be offended by profanity.  I personally cringe every time I hear it.  That should be the normal response.

President Smith is right – profanity is degrading and destroys the soul.

 That's my two cents.

Quote of the Day

“Our behavior is nothing more than a reflection of the depth of our conversion to Jesus Christ.” — Ed J. Pinegar

Happy Independence Day

On this Fourth of July, Independence Day, I would like to express my gratitude for this wonderful nation, and for the freedoms we all enjoy.  I'm so thankful I was blessed to be born in the United States of America – God's promised land.  Even though there are many – including the current presidential administration – doing their all to destroy our freedoms and our great nation, this is still the greatest nation in the world, and God's promised land.

Many men have fought in wars and some have died to preserve our freedoms.  I thank them for their service and sacrifice.  Including my father, grandfathers and other ancestors.

On this day, July 4,  in the year of our Lord 1776, our great nation was born as our founding fathers ratified the Declaration of Independence.  We were free!

Freedom, independence from the rule of monarchs.  This is what our founding fathers, our ancestors so desperately sought.  Freedom and independence – the ability to make our own choices – are central to God's plan of happiness.

I'm so thankful for my freedoms afforded me by this great nation in which I am blessed to live.  I'm thankful for the ability to worship as I please.  I'm thankful for the Constitution of the United States of America and for the rights and freedoms it ensures.

I'm afraid that most people in this country only see the Fourth of July as a day for barbecues and fireworks.  But I wish that we would all reflect on and give thanks for our freedoms and independence. We truly are blessed to live in the promised land with all the freedoms we get to enjoy. Today I'm thankful for inspired founding fathers who signed the Declaration of Independence and for a loving Heavenly Father who has preserved our freedoms in this great nation.

Today I am extra thankful to be free!  What a glorious Independence Day this is!

That's my two cents.

Answered Prayers

I am a fervent believer in the power of prayer.  The scriptures tell us to pray always, and to have a prayer in our hearts continually.  I personally try to take this to heart and pray many times a day.

Sometimes I pray for things that I hope for, but in my myopic view of things can't really see a solution.  But knowing that all things are possible with God and trusting in miracles, I believe that my prayers will be answered.  So I pray anyway, knowing that God always answers prayers.  Granted, sometimes the answer is no.  And sometimes the answer is not yet.  But sometimes the answer is yes.

Sometimes God's timeline is different than ours.  Sometimes what we think is a long wait is not really that long.

"I wonder if we can ever really fathom the immense power of prayer until we encounter an overpowering, urgent problem and realize that we are powerless to resolve it. Then we will turn to our Father in humble recognition of our total dependence on Him."  – Elder Richard G. Scott, "Using the Supernal Gift of Prayer", April 2007

I recently received an answer to prayers, about "an overpowering, urgent problem", where I couldn't see the outcome happening, but I desperately hoped for it.  A miracle happened.  My prayers were answered in the affirmative.  I'm so thankful!

Heavenly Father really is aware of each of us individually and wants what's best for us.  Sometimes what's best for us is to struggle for a while, but He won't let us struggle longer than is absolutely necessary.

I want to thank all of you who have been praying for me.  Your prayers were answered also!

"He will always hear your prayers and will invariably answer them."  – Elder Richard G. Scott, "Using the Supernal Gift of Prayer", April 2007

I'm so thankful for a loving Heavenly Father who hears and answers each and every prayer uttered by His children.  I'm thankful that a specific prayer I've been praying for months has been answered.  I am thankful for the peace I now feel.  I'm thankful for the peace that the gospel of Jesus Christ brings.  I'm so thankful for my Savior, Jesus Christ, and for His atonement for me and for all of us.  I'm thankful that Heavenly Father is aware of little old me and answers my prayers.  I am humbled by His grace and love.

The power of prayer is real.

That's my two cents.