Dear Family and Friends,This week’s picture is of our “Older Olson” with his bald head. Sister Cody asked if anyone was willing to shave their head, “Older Olson” needed no more of a prompt. Christmas Eve he goes into the bathroom to get ready for the Senior gathering and comes out with no hair. I was shocked, maybe horrified would describe my first reaction, but have been able to get past that fortunately and hair does grow out, even on old guys.
The other picture is of the bulls who still come in for their nightly buffet, leaving small presents as they enter, roam, and then exit. We have had the cattle guards cleaned and put large rocks on the side, but they just smile at our puny distractions and walk neatly over as if they were trained to do so. I am glad we have the fencing around the garden and hope that the bulls are taken far away in the spring to greener pastures.
This afternoon we walked over to the large park where they have playground equipment for the kids, a full sized basketball court and a “Skidboard Park” Older Olson could not remember Skateboard, so it is now the “Skidboard Park” Maybe Carter comes by his language creativity from his Grandfather. He is the one who asked his dad why anyone would give their true love 5 onion rings for Christmas. ;o}
Back to the park. We are watching all these young men using their skateboards and bikes to ride the amazing cement maze. I asked if the walls were 30 feet high and Older Olson they were probably close to 8 ft, although I am thoroughly convinced they were closer to 30. It is like a giant swimming pool without the water and all these ramps with curved walls. I know there was a slight angle to the walls, but they seem to go straight up and down with a few curves.
The boys on the bikes are zooming around the walls perpendicular to the bottom, I don’t know how they did that, but they did, then they would eventually zoom straight up the side, do a little trick of some sort and ride quietly off waiting for the next competitor to zoom around.
Sailing around the top of this concrete are other “Skidboard” competitors, doing things that really aren’t possible for humans to do on a piece of board with a roller skate that someone cut in two on the bottom. All the tricks seemed impossible, but they did them with grace and speed, quite amazing to watch actually.
You have to know that the areas of the park are separated by fences, which keep wandering dogs from going in. Well the fences don’t keep tiny two legged boys from going in and so here runs in Pee Wee. He could not have been more than 3, very short and very daring. First he walks close to the edge and peers over at all the zooming bikes, then he crawls out on one of the dividing walls and continues to watch all the activity. Now we are talking bikes and skidboards zooming up and down then flying over the top edge for a landing.
Well Pee Wee sees his chance and slides down the middle divider and begins to do what he has been watching, only he is using his tennis shoes to slip and slide like the bikers. Not one big boy yelled or screamed or even asked him to leave, so for about 5-6 mins he is living his dream. Slipping and sliding every where he can. But alas, now comes his time to exit. It should be easy enough right? Just run up a wall like the bikes did, well when you aren’t very tall that becomes a challenge.
The big boys are now tired also and want to do some more tricks, but they are kind and stay on the far side of the bowl. Now Pee Wee is pretty smart, so he decides he will do what the big boys do and get a running start from the far wall. That helps, but he does not have enough to make it up all the way and slides back to the bottom. He is also watching us watch him and certainly doesn’t want to spend the night in there.
Being the smart kid that he is, he yells for help. One of the big boys leans over the side and sticks out his hand. Pee Wee backs up and runs again, but he misses the kids by inches. The big boy being so nice slides down the side on his feet and picks up Pee Wee. Now they both need to get out. With Pee Wee under his arm he runs up the side, but alas with the extra weight he also cannot make it out. Now the watching crowd smiles and cheers him on. No one wants Pee Wee to get hurt. With another running start and leaning forward he goes far enough to set Pee Wee in a safe spot. Then goes back and runs again to get himself out.
Older Olson and I silently cheer the hero and Pee Wee who marches over to get a better look at us. He wants outside the fence now. I ask, “Where is your Mom?”
He answers, “At the store!” I would not have picked him up and set him on the outside knowing that in there he was caged and had some “Big Boys” watching out for him. He smiles and runs back to the edge which is too much for me. We walk to the far side of the park and a woman is walking determinedly in the direction of the “Skidboard Park” His hero hands him over to mom and he smiles as he climbs into the stroller. What a way to start the New Year. We did hear his mom call him Junior, but to me he will always be Pee Wee.
For those of you who are aware the root canal was painless, the worst part was the anticipation. ;o} With the fourth antibiotic the infection is finally going away.
Our two wards switched times today and 1st Ward actually meets first. The 1st counselor was the only one there. The Bishop had not told him who was speaking, so Older Olson suggested he ask over the pulpit if anyone had been asked to speak. No one raised a hand, so Brother Nocidenah said Elder and Sister Olson would be speaking. :o}
I decided to speak about the “Lord’s tender mercies” and the scriptures and finding answers to our prayers. Elder Olson spoke first and told about his mission here as the Young Elder Olson. I think I have seen him cry more here than in our entire marriage. He loves the people so much and loves what he get to do “work” He thinks he is being punished when he can’t play in the dirt with the roto tiller or shovel manure.
We are getting to know more about the “Ammon Way” every day. We love each of you and hope you are doing well.
"Older" & Sister Olson
yhDear Famil
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