too cold to swim ----- Not in Bismarck in November

Here are the Polar Bear triplets swimming in North Dakota when it is 28 degrees outside. They sure had fun at the pool and the water slide was a big hit. see picture below. Here is the picture below with JOY coming down the waterslide. It was NOT a passive waterslide. It shot water down the slide with force that increased your natural flow down. It was enjoyed by all but Sister Johnson who, after her water slide experience at "Sisters" did not venture on another slide.

Kimo enjoyed the pool very much even though he aparently forgot his swim suit. the motel was a HIT!!!!

OUR MISSION VISITORS FOR THANKSGIVING

The Heather and Kimo and Joy and Lilly Wilson arrived Saturday about 3:30 and we have have fun and been on the go ever since. Here we are with the usual Eagle Picture by the WORLD FAMOUS BISMARCK EAGLE. This was after we had walked the Mall together and did some multiferious shopping and still needed a few minutes before the Missionaries would be arriving for lunch at Ground Round. The weather has been beautiful. Notice and Sunny Day and no Coats. Here is JOY in Bismarck in about1950s, a miracle of time travel thanks to Museum magic in Bismarck. We had a ball in this most marvelous of all museums and all for free. ( except for the dinasour eggs we bought for them to eat.)

Here is an example of how really big those old beasts can get. They discovered the entire leg of this baby and then painted the rest of it on the wall so you can compare yourself to it in real size and space. They have in this museum a one of a kind Mummified dinasour. Where the actual SKIN has been preserved through some natural mummification process so they could actual study the outside layer of a dinasour.

Here we are near the end of a busy day in our missionary apartment even with an official Missionary Picture of Jesus on our wall.

Space Aliens again go our family as Alicia and Giulio were sucked into their ship and were forced to eat the best Bar-B-Que around. Martian Munchies, animal ribs, potatoes NOT from Idaho, and then we had to go to Mr. Delicious and have some cheese cake to round out the day -- or is that round US out today. Halloween is always a scarey time... but here we have two unknown missioanries who wandered around a week before Halloween at the YSA Activity in full disguise. The dollar store rules around Halloween time.

Jumping Missionaries are a common sight when you visit Salem Sue. The 40 ton Holstein Cow in New Salem. We took Alicia and Giulio there but failed to get a picture of them jumping to touch her belly. One of the Missionaries is not like the other ones. Can you guess which one was not able to jump up and touch her tummy?

Sturgis was calm and quiet when we visited her on Monday Oct.27th We still got into some stores and gathered a few G rated shirts and such. Then on to Mount Rushmore and the giant faces of democracy and freedom thereon. That is a marvelous place and Spirit of history is felt strongly. (except when a young boy pulls the fire alarm and it blares for 20 minutes until the rangers decide the protocol to turn it off.

Well that is about enough for a while. It is Sunday Morning and we are getting ready to head off for our hour+ drive to Fort Yates. The Weather is friendly and the rodes should be clear and nice. Weather is about 39 and rising.

GENERAL CONFERENCE A ROYAL EXPERIENCE

Saturday October 4th was a Royal Feast of that which perisheth not, yea our souls did delight in Fatness of the Word of God and Spirit of the Holy Ghost did fill us and give us energy and strength. What a Joy to know that the Creator of the Universe remembers and loves the people on this Third Planet, and as a loving Father he loves and directs His Children still today.
I wish I had to time to elaborate and share with those I love. But the Mission calls and I must obey.

THE ALIENS HAVE LANDED AND THEY ARE TASTY

We took the Missionaries to Space aliens restaurant in Bismarck and had great good, and good times , and lasting pictures. If my kids come a visit we will take them here too. Aliens are really pretty good and they love to serve mankind. Here is their sign. Notice the each eye has two pupils..all the better to see you with my dear.
The table may look like an early spread, but it is filled with alien delicacies like Martian Munchies which we always get for an appetizer and sometimes for a main dish. We can end up with the Galatic Sunday which the entire table can sample and eat for an ice cream delight.

As you can see that earthlings are very welcome here. They serve earthlings here with boiled and baked. They are good. As long as it is not an earthling we know.
Here we are after our Alien feed. OUR STOMACK ARE PRECEEDING US OUT THE DOOR BY 5 MINUTES. These are the misionaries in our district, The other older couple are the Shipleys from Rexburg. the Missioanry between elder and sister Shipley is Elder Christiansen and he went on a long journeytwo days after we took this picture... Either to Space or to home (I can't remember). We are happy serving and being served here in the Bismarck North Dakota District.

To day is our preparation day and I thought I would add an entry to our blog. so there you have it.

falling into fall in North Dakota

Fall in North Dakota has come already... Sept 21. These pictures are on our trip for our Sunday Assignment -- which we rejoice in and love -- in Fort Yates Branch. Last Sunday there were 18 people there including Sister Johnson and myself and President and Sister Frakes (the Stake President) and the Pres.Laundreaux, the Branch President). The beautiful trees turning, the rolls of prarie grass each weighing I have been told 700-1,000 lbs. These are stacked along the roadways and in the fields uncovered for years some golden brown (this years patch) and some darker brown (last years not yet needed) and some almost black (food storage not yet needed) from years of plenty of the past. Not quite sure how much good they will be in the future years. Rolls of prarie grass as far as one can see if some fields heading toward Fort Yates.
This Indian house -- Tee Pee was about 1/4 miles off the road coming off of the Standing Rock Reservation. Your can see the flap a flapping in the wind on this windy day Sept. 21st the first day of Fall. 2008
Karen taught Primary today....actually teaching primary in the Fort Yates Branch means she was the music leaders and pianist, sharing time presentor, teacher and assistant teacher all rolled up in one person. She was it in total. She and 10 kids in Primary. A day to remember. The Fort Yates Branch is fun to attend, because if you are an active member or missionary there is always things to do if you go.

I shall close happily and engaged in many good causes.

DAD

here is"White Cloud" -- at one time she was the ONLY Albino Buffalo in the WORLD. But she had a calf that also was albino and just this year another true Albino Buffalo was born in this same herd. That is a strangest thing I have ever Heard !!! They are true Albinos wth pink eyes and no coloring at all (except mud and dirt which they seem to find a lot of.







THIS IS I GOT YOU BABE ! a great song by Sunny & Cher that we thought of when we saw Paul Bunyon and his blue Ox Babe!!

THIS IS SISTER GRANDMA JOHNSON walking across the Mississippi River without a handrail or anything. She just causually strolled across. Good for Her !! I caught the moment on camera for all to see.,

the biginning and the end

THE HEADWATERS OF THE MIGHTY MISSISSIPPI RIVER. starts so small both mom and i walked across it. This is where the longest river in the continent starts and the 4Th longest
River in the WORLD. THIS IS THE BEGINNING.
THIS IS CONFLUENCE OF THE YELLOWSTONE RIVER AND MISSOURI RIVER. The Yellowstone flows into the Missouri and becomes from here on the Missouri River. This is the END.

OK, it took a while, but we have met the beginning and the end in our mission.

the pictures below (if I can find them) represent the head waters of the mighty Mississippi River (I can finally use the word I learned to spell in first grade when I learned how to rhythmically spell M*I*S*S*I*S*S*I*P*P*I)

and then we have visited the end of the Yellowstone River as it flows into the Mighty Missouri River.

POWWOW pictures

OK, we went the United Tribes International Bowwow in Bismarck at the United Tribe College. It is a BIG DEAL!! Tribes from all over the continent and Europe come. The Pow Wow is The 39th Annual United Tribes International Powwow and this year there are 1500 dancers representing over 70 Tribes and drawing over 20,000 spectators. This year they spotlit another indigenous group: The Sami. Samiland, Sapmi covers the northern part of Norway, Sweden, Finland and western Russia. There are about 100,000 Samis. INTERESTING NOTE: Not long ago, the literature says, musicologists proclaimed that the Sami were the only people on earth who could not sing. They are the only indigenous group in Europe. Karen got a Turtle necklace and we had Indian Taco for lunch which we shared and baklava for desert with fresh squeezed lemonade. We have a few pictures of the Powwow and one of a very rare Paddle fish that is found only in North Dakota and the Ukraine near Russia. I can't understand how they got in those two odd places but there you have it.

The School Year Starts our Northern Tours

Here are some pictures from our Last Year's Northern Tour. This picture below is not necessary seminary Teacher, but if he -- or she was she would definitely get the kids interest and probably have a lot to say about "other worlds have I created..." This is not a Seminary building, nor even a house where seminary is taught, but as you can see it is a great example of the blowing wind here in North Dakota. This may be an old empty house, but it definitely LEANS the direction of the blowing wind. There are many buildings like this in the middle of fields, and almost all are "leaners."
Here are the missionaries in the field.... Lo the field is white already to Harvest. They are getting ready to thrust in with all their might and get tot work. We were driving home from a disrict meeting in Dickinson and saw this field and decided it was a good photo opt.
Here is HAIL FROM BISMARCK. Almost every Thunderstorm comes with a warning of possible hail that can cause severe damage and injury. This came earlier this summer.

Well, school has started and we leave today for Dickinson and visit a semianry Teacher and tomorow the early morning seminary in Dickinson,ND. Sister Shelley Obrigeywitch is the Teacher there and she teaches 7 kids in her living room each day. We are excited. This morning also, Karen and I are going to the Temple at 10:00 to do Floors! Actually this is cleaning day, and we invited to come and help vacuum and work in The Temple cleaning it up. An opportunity most don't get very often.

Off to work we go.... Hi HO!

Our Trip to the INTERNATIONAL PEACE GARDENS

Away we go to Minot ND from Bismarck on Saturday Aug. 16, to be there to speak in Church in Minot 1st Ward on Sunday and then take off to Bottineau,ND and the Snow boarding Turtle there. We stayed overnight and took off on Monday for Dunseith and the International Peace Garden which is on the boarder of Canada and the US. The Picture of our feet shows us standing in the two countries with the cement crack the boarder.
We have to bring our passports to get back into the US after our visit. They have the turtle mountains in Dunseith area so they built these two giant turtles in neighboring towns. The REAL turtle is Will Johnson in Bagdad, Arizona watering his Turtle in their back yard.
So that is our last few days in North Dakota. The Gospel if True and the World is filled with wonderful things.

This is an Elk Farm about 5 miles from our Apartment in Bismarck.
Fun to drive by and watch them. Sometimes they are far away, but on this day they were all gathered right against the fence near the road.

JUXTAPOSING FAMILY AND MISSION

WHO IS THE MYSTERY MAN IN RED? as it turns out it is Elder Johnson at the Hill Cumorah pageant way back in 1970 when he was assistant director and also played Wicked KingNoah -- a Book of Mormon evil King.
Sitting next to him is the prophet he burned to death each night during the pageant run.
Here are 5 of our 7 daughters who were at our house in Pocatello as we served our mission here in Bismarck. They all came together for a get-to-gether and for Karver's blessing. We wish had been there, but glad we were here.

After the visit of Ruth and Jeremy and Karver we found that having family around is really a boost and strength for the missionary zeal. Family are forever and important. We are so blessed to have the support of our entire family and their emails and letters and PICTURES are a source of constant reminding us of what is important in life. We really CAN mix a mission with family and feel the power of both.

Sister Johnson and I are back to busy busy busy. We drove over 500 miles last weekend from Bismarck to Jamestown, to Fargo, for a Youth Conference where I spoke on "Back to the Future" and we were able to help serve the 200+ youth from 4 stakes that were involved. They were wonderful and it was a spiritual experience just to be with 200 14 to 18 year olds who were polite, gentle, laughing and bear testimony all at appropriate times. We took of on Saturday at noon for Minot where we stayed overnight and then on Sunday we left at 8:00am for Williston where we attended their Fast and Testmony Meeting and other church meetings and then held an in-service for Alica Anderson and the 2 youth she will be "
teaching" in home study seminary next year. We then had lunch at Bishop Schiessl's home and drove the 4 hours back to Bismarck.

A GREAT MISSIONARY JOURNEY.

Now we begin...

Karver and his parents, Ruth and Jeremy Crozier, are visiting and Ruth set up this Blog for us. So here goes. We will begin with a picture or 2.