Most of us don’t mind doing

what we ought to do

when it doesn’t interfere with

what we want to do.

But it takes discipline and maturity

to do what we ought to do,

whether we want to or not!!

AM I GETTING OLD????

I remember when I was YOUNG and my dad would try to talk to me about what it was like to live in the " olden days ! "   He loved telling us about when he was a kid, and talking about people that I'd never met, but that were significant in his life!  While he was taking a trip down memory lane, I was thinking..."I really don't even care about those people!  I've never met them.... what do I care about what they did and what trials they went through???   I would be thinking to myself... "This must be an old people thing!"   Well.... I guess I am getting OLD because every since I read Vonnie's book about the history of the Mormon Colonies, I have become fascinated by the history of our pioneer ancestors who came to colonize here in Mexico!

A bunch of us decided to take a drive to visit Pacheco on a Saturday a couple of weeks ago.    They have been working on a highway that goes up that steep grade... you remember the one that we used to bounce along for hours on end in order to go to girl's camp every summer!   Almost always, someone would break down and the trip to Pacheco could be an all day ordeal!   Well now there is pavement part way up and it is said that you can now reach Colonia Pacheco in a hour and ten minutes from Colonia Juarez!   

The Gang.....

L to R:  Tony and Chris, Rick and Lynnette, Russell and Kelly, Frank and Cathy,

Dave and Mary, Bob and Jennifer and Ed and Irene

Our bishop was being "the bishop" and brought along a group of fun teenagers to help liven us old foggies up!

It's always fun to come upon this familiar point of interest!   This means you are not far from Pacheco!

If you look closely, you can see the rutts in the rock where the pioneer wagons traveled on their way to colonize Colonia Pacheco!  Imagine what a rough ride this was and the wear and tear on their wagons!

When we arrived at the Bowman Ranch,  (now owned by the Hatch's) the first thing the men had to do was head straight to the orchard to check them out!   This frustrated me... but then I thougt,  "Asking them to drive through an orchard without stopping to look would be like asking me to walk through a mall without stopping to check things out!"   So... we let them enjoy "window shopping!"

After a yummy lunch, we headed off to see what we could discover about those faithful,determined and OBEDIENT pionners who were sent by Brigham Young to colonize in Mexico back in 1885!

This is the remaining piece of a carved stone that was placed to make the spot of the Chapel/Schoolhouse the pioneers built in Pacheco.  

We had fun snooping around some of the old pioneer homes that were built long ago.   Some of them are deserted and others have families still living in them.  Can you imagine just moving to a place in the moutains.... at least a 3 hour ride in a wagon pulled by horses to the nearest town and store.... beginning by clearing the land, and laying out the town... then sawing down logs and making bricks to build a home??   Right off we could tell that Pacheco was laid out just like the towns in Utah are, with WIDE streets, all going north and south, east and west!

We knew that somewhere on a certain mountain side there was a monument built to mark the sight were a Temple would someday stand in Colonia Pacheco.   I tried to find out the background to this monument and got a couple of different stories.  One person told me that he thought Apostle Teasdale had prophesied a temple on this spot.   Another person told me that one of the explorers that Brigham Young sent out ahead of the pioneers had seen a temple on this hill in a dream/vision.  It may seem a laughing matter to picture a temple here now.   But... with the highway being built up through Pacheco... who knows!   With God, nothing is impossible!

Maybe there will be a temple built here during the milenium and many people will work performing the ordinances for their ancestors!   I wouldn't say it isn't possible!

We visited the Pacheco Cemetary.  I loved this old headstone!  It is so cool!  It is carved to look like a tree trunk!   What a labor of love for someone very special, I am sure!   This person must have joined the church in England...   immigrated to the United States... most likely, New York, then  on to Utah and ending up in Colonia Pacheco in Chihuahua, Mexico!   Imagine what this person was willing to sacrifice and do because of his religion!   (Aunt Lanny says this is her great, great grandfather!)

We all know and LOVE the Lunt family....  Aunt Ora, Aunt Maurine, Aunt Marza, Aunt LaRee and Aunt Chris' dad, LaRue, were all raised in Pacheco!   A few years ago the Lunt Family placed this new heardstone on their family's grave.

If you look closely, behind that strand of bare trees, you can see the old

Lunt Homestead.  We really wanted to go there but it is said to be owned by some drug people now, so we didn't get too close!

On the way home, we stopped to check out these beautiful white,

chalky rock formations!

I wonder what caused these formations???   I felt bad that the teenagers were no longer with us by the time we reached these cool rocks!   They would have loved climbing all around the place!

This is what is left of the old Wilson Homestead!  (Frances Memmott's family!)

You can see the remnants of an old water wheel!   So cool!

 

Tony and Chris brought there bikes along so we took turns coasting down the highway on the way home!    You had to use your brakes a lot and the whole time I was wishing I had a helmet!   It was really fun!

So... there you have an abreviated tour of our trip to Pacheco.   Seeing the place where our pioneer ancestors built a life literally FROM SCRATCH was very humbling!   It made me wonder, "What have I sacrificed for my religion?   If my Stake President came to me today and asked me to go back to Pacheco and start rebuilding the town there, would I have enough faith and determination to do it?   Would I be willing to sacrifice my nice life here in Dublan to follow the directions of my church leaders?  Is my testimony strong enough to see ME THROUGH THE TRIALS AND CHALLENGES THAT LIE AHEAD?   Somedays I have a hard time just being kind to a beggar...  accepting a calling to serve, or following simple directions from our prophet.  It is true that trials and difficulties make strong character and keep us humble!  I am afraid my life has been too easy!   This makes me wonder...

What could be in store for us in the FUTURE???

Will we rise to the challenge the way our pioneer ancestors did???

YEP!   I MUST BE GETTING OLD!  I DON'T KNOW HOW THIS HAPPENED, BUT I HAVE BECOME VERY INTERESTED IN THE GENERATIONS WHO CAME BEFORE ME!  I GUESS IT HAS TO DO WITH REALIZING YOUR OWN MORTALITY AND WONDERING IF WHEN YOU ARE GONE, IF YOUR LIFE WILL HAVE SOME SIGNIFICANCE TO YOUR POSTERITY....   WILL THEY WANT TO KNOW ABOUT ME AND WHAT MY LIFE WAS LIKE??    So, you young people, don't roll your eyes when we want to tell you about life back in our day!  Just be aware that this is part of the process of life, and YES, IT WILL HAPPEN TO YOU TOO SOMEDAY!

I told you we were desperate!!!

The search for wholesome entertainment in

Dublan continues!  

This week we tried a Gall Bladder Cleanse!

This newest form of entertainment took up a whole 8 days of our time!

   The process was a diet of nothing but fruits and vegetables for a whole week!   To start out each morning we had to drink a cup of water with a Tbs. of Colosan mixed in !    During the day we also drank a quart of apple juice with  1/2 a teaspoon a malic acid added, lots of water and piles and piles of yummy (this is doubtful!) fruits and vegetables!

Here we are.... all smiles!   We had no clue what was in store!   We thought this was gonna be one fun girl's party.... a sleep over and all!

On day 7 we met together to support each other through the "funnest"  part of our cleanse.... the production !!!  At 4 p.m., as scheduled, we drank our first does of Epsom Salt water. Now this stuff is like, VERY YUCKY!! Actually, YUCKY is an understatement! I shiver just thinking about it!  The only way to get it down is to plug your nose and chug-a-lug!

As soon as you get the awfull Epsom Salt water down, you rub a lime on your lips and inside your mouth to take away the nasty taste! This helps a lot! Unfortunately this process has to be repeated THREE times at 2 hour intervals!

Finally, at 10:00 p.m when you think the fun can't get any better, the real FUN begins! It's now time for the 1/2 cup of Olive Oil mixed with 1/2 cup of fresh Grapefruit Juice! Down the hatch it goes.... then quickly, as instructed, into bed you go, lying flat on your back..... not to move for at least 1/2 an hour! Hopefully you are now "down for the night" .... dreaming of all those precious stones you will rid your body of in the morning!

Our Gall Bladder Cleanse was a huge success and yes... I actually have pictures of the stones we passed!   But out of respect for those who have a weak stomach, I will not post them!  Let me just say, that it feels GREAT to know that all those little (and a few, not so little)  gems that were hiding inside your gall bladder, just waiting to cause you great pain and anguish have now been eliminated from your life!    You may not believe this... but I FEEL like I am now "the picture of health!"   What... with my foot bath and now my gall bladder cleanse... (not to mention a whole week without any SUGAR, FLOUR or MEAT!) what could possibly be amiss inside my body!!!

WHAT'S NEXT????

Big Bear's FOOT BATH!!!

So.... you all know how desperate we are for entertainment here in the Colonies!!

Well, last week a new form of entertainment came to town!   This latest craze is called a "Foot Bath!"   Now this " Foot Bath " is a very interesting process and during the past two weeks many Dublan citizens..(and even a few from Colonia Juarez) have participated in the excitement!   You start by arriving "muy estiloso"  like Big Bear did... all decked out in his rolled up jeans, socks and flip flops!!!  If you're gonna get a "Foot Bath" you gotta look right!!

The next step is to submerge your bare feet in very hot water...as hot as you can stand!    This opens up the pores in the bottom of your feet and prepares them for what is to come!!  (or should I say, "come out!")  A little electrical aparatus is placed in the water and one is also connected around your wrist.   These two things send electrical impulses through your body and soon amazing things start happening!

Ever so slightly the water begins to change colors

 "What the heck is going on here?" is what Big Bear seems to be thinking! (It looks to me like maybe that thing is sucking urine out through his feet!!)

     The technician tells us that toxins and impurities in your body are being released through the bottom of your feet!  There is some serious competition going on here to see who can produce the dirtiest water!  Who wants to bet that Big Bear's water turns black... from all the cokes he drinks??? 

What'd I tell you???   I think I even see some carbination on the top of the water!

Things are quickly going from bad to worse and Big Bear starts to reqret his decision to participate in this "FUN!| 

Eeeooouuu!!!   YUCK!  What might be lurking below the surfice of this water???? And to think I sleep in the same bed with the person who has all this "gunk" in his body!!!  

   The procedure is over after only 40 minutes of sitting with your feet in the water!   This is humiliating, embarressing and down right gross!

Oh... but it feels, oh, so good to get all that gross stuff out of your system!!!

When the procedure is over, the technician takes the water outside to dump it while she explains to you what all the things in your water are!   The good people here in Dublan have produced cholesterol, gaul stones, parasites, arthritus gunk, toxic metals,  candida and even a few worms!!!       Who's next????

THE BEST MOTHER'S DAY!!!

I was "overnighted" a mysterious little package from Utah on Friday with strict instructions to "not open until Mother's Day!" So...this morning at 4:00 a.m. I couldn't wait any longer and got up and opened my package!!! 

Darron and Shauny are expecting a BABY in December and to say that this Lita is EXCITED

would be a HUGE UNDERSTATEMENT!!!!

This daughter in law of mine... Shauny, was born to be a MOM!   Whenever the family gets together, this is how she can be found.... always holding a baby or a small child or two!!   Her motherly instincts are oozing out of her and her life would never be complete without children!   Darron is EVERYONES FAVORITE UNCLE and makes each little neice or nephew feel special!  

 We are so thrilled with this Mother's Day news!

So....YEP!  MY BABY BOY IS EXPECTING A BABY...

a soon to be DAD!   THREE NEW GRANDBABIES ON THE WAY in 2010!  NUMBER 16 (Angie's baby BOY) #17 (Ashley's baby) and NOW #18... Darron & Shauny's BABY!

(Normaly I would complain about ANOTHER DECEMBER BABY....

BUT NOT THIS TIME!!!)

LIFE IS GREAT AND THIS "LITA" IS ONE VERY HAPPY GIRL!!

The Work of Creation!

Elder Uchtdorf says that "the desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul! No matter our talents, education, backgrounds, or abilities, we each have an inherent wish to create something that did not exist before... after all, we are spirit daughters of the most creative Being in the universe! Creation brings deep satisfaction and fulfillment. We develop ourselves and others when we take unorganized matter into our hands and mold it into something of beauty! As you take the normal opportunities of your daily life and create something of beauty and helpfulness, you improve not only the world around you but also the world WITHIN YOU!" Those of you who know me well, know that I love to create! And NO... I am not some wonderfully talented, artistic, creative person! I just love the feeling of being able to create something beautiful or original that did not exist before! Over the years my family have been recipients of my creations.... tole painted projects, jewelry, purses, photo books and sewing projects are some of them! I love giving the people that I love something that I have created! It's like giving them a little piece of myself! These little Easter outfits are my latest creation! I had so much fun thinking about each of these special little girls while I CREATED their individual outfits... and what a thrill it is for me to have these pictures of them in MY CREATIONS! What joy our Heavenly Father must feel as he shares his creations with us and sometimes even lets us be involved in helping Him create beautiful bodies for His spirit children! I love these little darlings that call me "Lita!" What CREATIVE parents they have and what satisfaction their parents must feel in their creations!

ONE WEEK INTO MY TRAINING!

Today marks one week since I started my training as a Family Search Support Missionary! My sister in law, Carol, warned me that it is HARD and she didn't exagerate! I feel like a kindergardener who has been thrust into a college course! My poor brain does not know how to respond! So much information is being given to me and I just can't remember it all! I have found that everyone in my class (there are 13 of us) is at least 15 years older than me and all have many, many years experience working in genealogy, PAFF, Extraction/Indexing and Family Search! Everyone in my group has served as a Ward Family History Consultant except me!

My experience is VERY limited ! We had online classes 4 nights last week with asignments to do every day! Lots of them! I am no longer bored!!! lol! On the contrary, I have felt overwhelmed all week long! In our very first class we were all told to download a talk from Elder Bednar and read it. Our teacher said that the spiritual thought each night was to be given from our thoughts and ideas about this article. The article is titled "That We May Always Have His Spirit To Be With Us." Sister Myers said that the prayer and spiritual thought asignments would be posted...... who knows where??? That is one bit of information I never figured out! Well, on Thursday night, about 6:40 I was doing some last minute things in order to be ready for the online class that started at 7:00 when into my mind popped the words... "YOU have the Spiritual Thought!" I ran to the computer to try to find where the asignments were listed but couldn't. I quickly grabbed my scriptures and pulled up a talk on my computer that I had given recently in Sacrament Mtg. about recognizing and receiving the promptings of the Holy Ghost. I read through a quote from my talk and found the scripture I was looking for just in time to log into the class just a couple of minutes before 7:00. After the opening prayer, onto the screen of my computer came the words... "Spiritual Thought by Sister Hatch!" I was not even surprised as the Holy Ghost had already told me and I was prepared! Our teacher has given our class of missionaries the name "Let the Holy Spirit Guide." What a tender mercy and special wittness I was given that evening that my Heavenly Father is aware of me, my needs and wants me to be successful as a missionary! I know that the "Holy Spirit will guide me" in my faithful efforts to do all that is required of me to prepare to serve as a missionary in Family Search Worldwide Support!

I AM A MISSIONARY !!!

I have EXCITING news! I am a MISSIONARY! I know this is a surprise, so let me start at the beginning! A couple of weeks ago, I got a SURPRISE email from the Missionary Deparment in Salt Lake City! In this email, I was told that the church is looking for members to serve as Worldwilde Support Missionaries in the Family Search/Church History Department. It asked if I was interested and had the time to serve in this manner. There was a phone number in the Missionary Department to call, if I was! Those of you who know me well know that this email came as a direct answer to prayer! For quite some time now, I have been frustrated with my life because I WASTE too much time! As an empty nester... with lots of time on my hands I have felt that my life was USELESS AND MEANINGLESS! I just wasted away the days... filling my time with some fun PROJECTS and MANY WASTED HOURS, feeling that I should be doing something more meaningful with my time! So, I started praying about this situation! I asked Heavenly Father to help me find something to do that would " satisfy my soul!" Well, HE DID! I received my missionary papers and filled them out and then went to see my Bishop & Stake President for their interviews and signitures! On Saturday my mom came down with the mail from El Paso! DRUM ROLL........

The week has been spent on the telephone with the Family History Department in Salt Lake City! They tested ME and MY COMPUTER! We BOTH had to be ready to serve! I had many phone calls from them as I made lots of adjustments to my computer! I had to upgrade my internet service and install some new programs on my computer.....do some required drills for them so they could see if I know enough about the computer to serve! It took some effort but we both passed!

Yesterday.... EASTER SUNDY I was set apart by my bishopric and my husband as a WORLDWIDE SUPPORT MISSIONARY for Family Search! My 2 months of training (through a classroom on the internet) will begin TODAY! I will be trained in how to use the Family Search Program and then how to access other's computers and help them with their search for their relatives and preparing their temple ready sheets to take to the temple. From what I understand, this will be done through Skype, telephone conversations and email. I am expected to spend a minimum of 15 hours and not more than 30 hours a week. I was set apart yesterday between the morning and afternoon sessions of General Conference! The very first talk in the afternoon, after my setting apart was by Elder Russell M. Nelson! It was about the love we feel for our families and how we can, through the Family Search Program search out our families and have them sealed in the temple! I LOVED his message! The SPIRIT OF ELIJAH is already getting ahold of me!

I am SO EXICITED about his calling! SERIOUSLY! I AM THRILILED! I will be starting my training today and I PRAY the LORD WILL QUALIFY ME for this great work! I am a MORE THAN WILLING SPIRIT and so thankful for such a direct answer to sincere prayer! I love my SAVIOR AND HIS GOSPEL and am EXCITED to be involved in the GREAT WORK of helping families be sealed together for eternity!

HAPPY 83RD BIRTHDAY MERRINER!

My dad LOVES his family and nothing makes him happier than to have all the Jones' he can gather together, around him! Therefore... for his 83rd birthday he planned (with the help of Trisha, who sent out emails for him) a JONES FAMILY TREASURE HUNT up at "The Stairs" which is on the Whetten's Ranch above Colonia Juarez. The purpose of our Treasure Hunt was to hunt for the Colonia Juarez Stake Records that were hidden at the time of the Exodus in about 1912. We all gathered at Trisha and Dana's house in Colonia Juarez! I was right proud of the Jones family that day because we got off only 45 minutes late! That's a record for this huge crowd!

Everyone that was "man enough" rode their four wheelers! The rest of us rode in our trucks and carried everyone else's lunches and stuff!

Dana was the head man and led the way, since he had all the keys to open the gates!

Visa... Tony & Chris' German Shepherd was in "dog heaven" as she was invited along " for the ride!" She rode on the front of the motto... loving every minute of her experience!

Grandpa and great grand son, Jamison were the oldest and youngest people to ride their mottos all the way up... which was about an hour and forty five minute ride! It was a pretty tough ride for such a young little guy... since his motto at times had a hard time making up the steep embankments! At one point his dad asked him if he wanted to put his motto in the back of one of the trucks... but Jamison said, "No, I want to finish!" Good for you, Jamo!! Grandpa "held his own" with the rest of them and never complained but had a big smile on his face the whole day!

Representing the "Thomas Henry Jones" original family were dad, Aunt Lanny, Aunt Christine and Uncle Ron!

Dad had copies of the original pictures taken at the time the records were hidden and written instructions to the place where they could be found!

After we had all eaten he laid out the necessary information! Showing us all the pictures of what the area looked like back then!

Frank read the written instructions for finding the records... adding his own comments and making us all laugh!!

We all then took off in search of the records! Everyone heading in their own perceived direction! We were hopeful of recovering the records but it was not meant to be! Maybe the time isn't right yet and we need to return in FOUR YEARS! (Sound like a familiar story?) Either way, it was fun to be united in the same purpose and enjoying the mountains!

While we were all walking and riding around looking we discovered Big Bear and Stanley taking a little snooze on a nice warm rock!

We were a tired and DIRTY bunch of people as we headed for home! We have decided to return before school starts and hide a treasure of our own for future generations to look for in about 100 years! We will have better pictures and better instructions than our pioneer forefathers did, that's for sure!! Thanks dad, for creating another wonderful memory for those of us who joined you for your Treasure Hunt Birthday Party! I think EVERYONE had a GREAT TIME!