Summertime in Saint Johns

This past week has been full of excitement and fun activities.  The last day of school and graduation made me realize that yet another year has gone by and that it is time for SUMMER!!!!!  Summer is one of my favorite times of year for many reasons, but most importantly because I get to be home and spend more time with my family.  I know that many of you share my love for summer so for this blog I decided to do something a little different. I talked with many people and asked them each the following  question; “What is your favorite thing about summer in Saint Johns?” Here are some of the replies that I received:

• I like swimming –Jacey Shurtz

• I like Bonfires with my friends- Alyssa Johnson

• Going Swimming- Kendall Chlarson

• What comes to mind is the big old poplar trees and the cottonwood tress when they bloom-Claryce Crosby

• Driving around town smelling the green chilies roasting at the end of summer- Jim Zieler

• You are talking to the past owners of the greatest snow cone shop in Arizona, so of course making a snow cone run is on the top of our list. Since I was a little girl we loved to lay out on the lawn or the trampoline and look at the stars and talk, wiener roasts in the backyard, riding horses, the July 4^th celebration complete with getting woken up early when the cannon went off, all the 24^th activities, camping at the Heap reunion, fresh garden veggies, watermelons, cool summer mornings, monsoon rains, sleepovers on the trampoline and no school! -Diane LeFevre

• I loved walking to get snow cones or to the pool when we were younger then as we got older going swimming at Patterson’s was always fun but it is even better to watch our boys do some of the same small town things we did. They both can’t wait for the first snow cone or the first day at the pool, there’s always sleeping on the trampoline!-Megan Bryan

• Going to the pool with my kids- Megan Chlarson

• The flowers and the trees- Eve Patterson

• The monsoons, when it rains and smells like rain- Chris Patterson

• I love when summer comes so I can get my garden going. When the weeds start growing I like to go out early when its cool and quiet and work-Larry Chlarson

• The swimming pool-Andrew Pearce

• All the stuff going on and more people in town, fourth of July, 24^th of July celebrations-Jason Doubt

• I like summer traditions now that I have kids, pool time, park time, snow cones, slip and slide, playing at the neighbors house, and of course the lake is #1-Ashley Doubt

• Swimming-Ava Nielsen

• The pool is open and I can do my aerobics and swimming, school is out and I can do the things that I want to do like sewing and visiting my family-Gayla Wahl

• The library hosts cool events-Ren Crosby

• The green fields-Hal Wiltbank

• The cool evenings-April Duggins

• No school-Brady Overson

• St. Johns has a good swimming pool-Tucker Nielsen

• Picnics, eating snow cones, and playing outside with my music and sword-Michelle LeFevre

• Snowcones!!!!!!!- Pacer and Clance Wiltbank

• We love the irrigation and family time, watermelon at the park, and of course the 24^th celebration and swimming-Daryl  Lee

• Ice cream and barbeques-Lupe Mireles

• The wind stops usually, it is pretty in the summertime with all the green fields-Keith Wahl

• Swimming pool!- Joey Wood

• The smells of summer, the rains, the cool weather, the irrigation of the fields and the barbeques, being able to be outside with family and friends-Tyrell Bond

• Water Skiing!- Joe Frazier

• People are outside more and are more friendly so you get more of a chance to talk to your neighbors-Stacy Frazier

• Not the mosquitos I’ll tell you that……I like the pool-Scott Skousen

• All the family activities-Kim Farr

• The rain-Ryan Farr

• The best snow cones!-Travis Duggins

• Vacation time!-Jace Chlarson

• Seeing Mom,Daddy, Allie, Kate, and Haze-Chase Platt

• How everyone is active, when you are out early driving around people are out running, and all the celebrations-Trent Hancock

• The summer monsoons-Miles Crosby

• Snow cone shop, my mom’s flowers, hearing the sounds of the pool, kids playing in the irrigation, hearing the crickets at night, 24^th celebration, 4^th of July races/celebration, warm enough to stay out and see the stars, fresh vegetables from the garden-Jenna Crosby 

• Riding my bike to the pool-Kirsten Baldon

• I enjoy all the trees and fields that are green, and when friends and family come back to visit. While working at the snow cone shack lots of people return with their kids to get a snow cone-Klint Heap

I look forward to another wonderful Summer here in this wonderful town I am fortunate enough to call home.  Lets enjoy this wonderful time of year and make this one of the best Summers ever!

Candice Bond

My Town Of Friendly Neighbors

I've always loved St. Johns, and the people who live here.

They help each other out and fill my soul with cheer.

 Thirty-eight years of life lived here, each year has gotten better,

 So I'm thankful for the chance I have to submit this little letter.

As not to offend the living, I'll focus on some who've gone,

They've touched my life in special ways, such as Verl and Dawn.

I galloped to a football game with Verl (in a dream) on a horse.

And garage sales and jokes without Dawn, just aren't the same of course.

There was Newt and Louise, Ken and Ila, Nanny (Anona) and AnnaVee Brown.

Memories of them can cheer me up and erase away any frown.

Herman and Myrna, Norma and Johnny, and Al of drug store fame,

Wallace Heap and tomato gravy, I loved it yum, yum, yum!.

There was no excuse for being late to school, detention, there they sat.

But one was excused, when he wailed, “I was stuck behind Earl Platt!”

Seen driving around, Virgene and Vinny, out for their daily coke,

Is it any wonder I dearly love this “Town of Friendly Folk!”

Earl Greer, my first garbage man, Loree and Earl Jarvis,

Verdell, Nathel, Clara and Jacque, Lorna and sweet Korlis,

Edward and LaRue, Kelly and Karen, and Ellen Overson,

Bob Cole, the prankster, scared me to death, ornery and so much fun.

Francis and Gloria, Helen Broadbent, Richard Waite and Claudia Goodman,

Lincoln, Thad, Ralph, and Charlie, Rob Roy, and Nick Patterson.

Some were sick, some old and young, some not, and some were ready,

Sure miss Sandy, Jeanne, Sybil, Janis, and Nanette and Eddie.

Leonard and Raymond, the Isaacson boys and Raymonds wife Lorraine,

Arlo, Delbert and Nedra and Otto, and LaVelle Despain.

Gary Welker, Gary Heap, Jessie Chlarson, Gwen and Keith Udall,

Corrine and Frank, and Anna Prentice, oh how I miss them all.

St. Johns is a pretty little town, I hear a spring bird sing,

I love all the people here and the joy they bring.

I'm sorry for the ones I missed, and if your name's not read,

Take comfort in the fact it's just, because, you're not yet dead!

 Ruthie Price

"Let it go...."

Monday morning dawned bright and early because we were in Snowflake and the girls had to be in St. Johns by 8 AM to start school.  It was going to be their first day of school in our new town, living in our new home (that wasn’t ready for us yet).  Emotionally, I was not doing well.  I kept asking myself why we were doing this and what was ONE good thing coming from this?  I couldn’t think of anything.  As we got ready to leave, the girls were in the car and Lehi and I were standing in the kitchen.  I was in tears, hating life.  I asked him, “Can you tell me one good thing that’s coming from this?”  His answer was simply that everything would be okay.  I wasn’t so sure.  I have to admit, though, that as I asked him that question an answer immediately came to mind, “You are closer as a couple; you’re better friends; you understand one another more; and you’re closer as a family.  In the whole scheme of things—those are the things that matter most!”  The most important things were coming from this experience.  But I didn’t want to admit it! 

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland gave a devotional at BYU in 2009 entitled, “Remember Lot’s Wife.  I love Elder Holland because of so many things, and one of those reasons is because he knows how to lovingly correct my imperfections.  In this talk he shares why the Savior cautions, in Luke 17:32: “Remember Lot’s wife.” Apparently, what was wrong with Lot’s wife was not just that she looked back, but that she looked back longingly.  She wanted to go back.  Elder Holland said, “In short, her attachment to the past outweighed her confidence in the future. . . . [F]aith is always pointed toward the future.  Faith always has to do with blessings and truths and events that will yet be efficacious in our lives.”  So, Lot’s wife didn’t have faith.  She doubted the Lord’s ability to give her something better than she already had.  “Apparently she thought . . . that nothing that lay ahead could possibly be as good as those moments she was leaving behind.”

Lehi and I were both overwhelmed. He had to finish loading the trailer, so I kissed him good-bye and got into the car, crying.  My sweet, sweet girls then taught me.  Eliza asked why I was crying.  I told her, “I don’t want to do this!  It’s too hard!”  That was the first time they’d heard my opinion about moving to St. Johns; up until then I’d only said positive things to them even though I didn’t feel them inside.  Eight-year-old Eliza’s response was amazing, “Mom, this is our pioneer experience.  If they could do it so can we.”  Kate picked up on that and said, “It was hard for them, too, but Heavenly Father helped them.”  Then, Eliza said, “Yah, mom, He’ll help us.”  My immediate thought was, “I don’t want to be a pioneer!”  But, the Spirit quickly reminded me that our girls were helping me and that I was to learn from them.  My tears changed from tears of fear and frustration to tears of joy and gratitude for a loving Father in Heaven and two wonderful daughters!”

This concept and fearing the future and not wanting to let go of the past even when the Lord asks us to is very profound for me.  It’s happened more than once in my life, and I don’t seem to ever learn the lesson—that if He’s asking me to do something He’s doing it for my good.  It may not be easy.  It may go against the plans I have for my own life.  It may interfere with the way I want to grow.  But, He sees the whole picture.  He knows who He wants me to be and who I can become.  And, it’s being in St. Johns that will give me the opportunities to become more of that person.  There’s a reason He wants me here. 

That very difficult morning was three years ago this August.  And, to be honest, it’s been a tough three years.  I’m afraid I’ve been much like Lot’s wife, longingly looking back at the things I don’t have anymore, not really seeing the beauties that lie in front of me.  I’ve been afraid of the lessons He would have me learn, but as I slowly let go of my pride and begin to trust Him I can see a little of who He’s helping me become.  Do I want to be that person?  Yes!  Does it scare me? Yes!  But, I trust that He has great things in store for me—and for whatever reason, I have to be in St. Johns for that to happen.  For that reason, I am grateful to be here.

There are days now when I feel a little like Elsa in the movie, “Frozen,” when she sings: “It’s funny how some distance, makes everything seem small.  And the fears that once controlled me can’t get to me at all.  It’s time to see what I can do, to test the limits and break through.  Let it go, let it go. . . . Here I’ll stand, and here I’ll stay.  Let the storm rage on.  My power flurries through the air into the ground.  My soul is spiraling in frozen fractals all around.  And one thought crystallizes like an icy blast—I’m never going back; the past is in the past!  Let it go, let it go.  And I’ll rise like the break of dawn. Let it go, let it go. . . . Here I stand, in the light of day.  Let the storm rage on.  The [wind shouldn’t] bother me anyway.”  With faith in the Lord, and the opportunities that living in St. Johns will continue to bring me, I look forward to the future.

Darce Montierth

Secure Within the Walls

I reread a book recently that I love.  It is The Boxmaker's Son by Donald S. Smurthwaite.  It is a fiction about a boy's feelings growing up in his hometown.  I would like to quote a couple of the paragraphs in the book and then explain why this book touches me so.

"These people who called the building their home ward are as real to me as the edifice itself: family, friends, teachers, leaders.  They are but closed eyes and a good memory away.  They are those who took the time, those who understood the tap, tap, tapping of the Spirit and saw something remarkable in an un-remarkable brown-eyed boy, who felt most secure in the walls of that building.  I remember their names and recall their kindnesses.  .......They would be surprised that, beyond my family, they taught me charity.  From them to me, and in my own way, from me to others who walk the hallways on Sunday, teach lessons, direct music, and place a loving arm around a shoulder.

The old stone chapel looks beautiful on this bright spring day.  I notice how the stones are cut into squares, how the mortar between them holds them into place, gathered together, laid a stone at a time, with a larger plan guiding every step of the way, all joining to join a perfect symmetry to this fine old building".

This is exactly the way I feel about our grand old Downtown building.  When I enter it's doors I feel the love and faith of so many who helped build this church house, who walked the halls, taught the classes, conducted the meetings, and now I get to add my tiny drop to this tradition of helping, guiding, teaching and mostly loving those who enter the doors.   We have been here long enough to have known some of the 'Old Pioneers' and that means so much to me.   They helped me through the years to feel a part of it all.  I think about those who have already gone on and know what a privilege it has been to know them.  I watch the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthood conduct meetings and take care of the sacrament and I am glad I can name each one of them because most of them have been in our Primary classes over the years.  I appreciate the little girls who now are young Moms who were in different classes I have taught and we now get to teach their children.  I am thankful that maybe I have had a little influence on their lives.  In the coming years they may not remember me but that does not matter, I remember them.  They have touched my life in a special way. 

My husband and I have taught Primary now for several years and I would not trade that for anything.  To get a hug from one of our "kids" is the highlight of our week.  We love each one of these precious children.

This windy, wonderful, friendly place is my home.  Each time I go to town I see or remember someone or something that makes it even more home to me.  I appreciate being accepted all those years ago into an elite group of folks and an opportunity to become part of the fabric we call Saint Johns, Arizona.

-Laura Humphreys