Traces of Time . . . August 31-September 6, 2026

Traces of 

Time . . . 

Last week: Scroll to end click

 "Older Posts" at bottom right.

It is in very tiny font: Older Posts} 

Week of 

AUGUST 31-

SEPTEMBER 6, 2025

Stay on the Covenant Path

to reach the

Tree of Life

"Time moves slowly, but passes quickly...        

On this blog I share with family and friends my thoughts, doings, what interests me, and--at times--tributes to my eternal sweetheart, Walt, who graduated to heaven on 8-21-2020.

Dedicated to our Posterity of 78: Seven children--Janie, Gary, Steve, David, Julie, Brian, Jen, their spouses, our 39 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, and posterity to come.         

         MONDAY, 

AUGUST 31, 2026

Family is 

Everything...                             

Sunrise: 6:54 a.m. 

Sunset:  8:01 p.m.

Further Update to 

August 31 

for the movie

The Odyessey that

opened July 17:

Release dates	July 6, 2026 (Odeon Luxe Leicester Square) July 17, 2026 (United States and United Kingdom)
Running time	173 minutes[2]
Countries	United States United Kingdom
Language	English
Budget	$250 million
Box office	$1.119 billion

	$250 million[3]
Box office	$1.553 billion[4][5]

*** *** ***

*** *** ***

SEPTEMBER

TUESDAY, 

SEPTEMBER 1, 2026 

Family is Everything..

 Seven

September

01 – Jennifer “Jenn” Sanders Doak Petersen (1976) “50”

04 – R9igdon “Riggy” Jay Peterson (2014) “12”

05 – Josh Taylor – (1991) “35”

09 – Jackson John Peterson (2004) – “22”

15 – Jeffrey Charles Petersen (1957) “69”

15 – Julie Black Petersen (1972) “54”

21 – Kelsey Ellen Williams Petersen Taylor (1991’ “35”

22 – Daniel Ray Fisher (1990) “36”

25 - Connie Phillips – (1945) “81”  

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2026 

Family is Everything

Happy Birthday, Jennifer

in Tennessee...

Jennifer at the Tree of Life 

sculpture

Thanksgiving Point

Jennifer & Brian

Jennifer & Brian 

and Grama had

lunch at Thanksgiving Point

[opened in 1996]

Trellis Cafe...

...Thursday, August 20

...then we went through

Ashton Gardens at...

Thanksgiving Point...

Entrance to the Secret Garden.

Jennifer & Brian

 

...saw part of

The Light of the World...

Created by artist Angela Johnson, these 35 larger-than-life sculptures are arranged across 2.5 acres in the 55-acre Ashton Gardens. This section opened in 2016 at Thanksgiving Point to depict 15 different scenes from the life, teachings, and miracles of Jesus Christ.

The Gardens had partially opened in 1997, and fully openedas a flagship 55-acre experience dedicated to offering the community a reflective and peaceful place.

 in 2000 called "Thanksgiving Gardens".

“The Tree of Life sculpture garden [that opened Oct 15, 2024] serves as a symbolic representation of the hope and redemption found through faith in Jesus Christ,”...                                                                                                                                                         ... said Thanksgiving Point CEO McKay Christensen. 

Jennifer & Brian have a

gazebo moment...

 2016

*** *** *** *** ***

*** *** *** ***

Wednesday evening...

Jennifer, Brian,  Julie

Jennifer

Meanwhile, in Moab, Utah...

Arches National Park...

Brian & Jenn, Steve, Carter, Michael & Darby Jo, Sarah, Ben, -- and Emma who had driven over from Denver with friends...had 2 1/2 days adventures in this arches area of Southeast corner of Utah. 

Arrived Friday afternoon...

        ...took a "hike" on e-bikes

            ...getting back after dark with 

                        NON-WORKING

                flash lights was rather tramatic.                                           

 Emma had driven the 5-hours

from Denver with friends...

 

...and joined her Dad

and the others 

on the bike ride.

AUGUST 22, 2026       

SATURDAY,   

  

                    Family is 

Everything…

  Rendezvousing with...

Brian & Jen 

in Moab with...

Steve, Carter, 

Michael & Darby Jo,

Sarah, Ben, and

part of time

with daughter,

Emma who was

there with friends

from Denver.

Meanwhile, in Moab, Utah...

Arches National Park...

Brian & Jenn, Steve, Carter, Michael & Darby Jo, Sarah, Ben, -- and Emma who had driven over from Denver with friends...had 2 1/2 days adventures in this arches area of Southeast corner of Utah. 

Arrived Friday afternoon...

        ...took a "hike" on e-bikes

            ...getting back after dark with dead

                flash lights was rather tramatic.                                           

 Emma had driven the 5-hours

from Denver with friends...

 

...and joined her Dad

and the others 

on the bike ride.

– August 22, 2026

Sinday – August 22, 2026

Jennifer

      MONDAY, 

AUGUST 24, 2026

 Brian & Jen

came over before

leaving for the

airport...

A Burley neighbor and good friend,

Scott Melling, was on the same flight.

He lives in Georgia now.

BRIAN & JEN – AUG 19-24  IN UTAH

Brian's text:: "Super fun seeing everyone and having the late late discussions. Janie, I hope you made it home

safely. Thank you for that massive drive. So fun to see you.

Home again home again jigging jig…"

{Flight left SLC 1:30 pm…landed in Nashville 5:00 their CDT…with a 45 min to 1 hour drive to Shelbyville, you would have been home about 6:00}

*** *** ***

Jenn and Brian, we all love you and love it when you can come out west to spend time with us.

Jen,nhoe you are having a wonderful "significant" birthday...

And we know Lively loves her Karin!

*** *** *** *** ***

Mini-History of

Alan & Karen Ashton

and how Thanksgiving Point

came to be...

After having her [11th and] last child, Karen suffered from postpartum depression and found nature nurturing and healing. She felt better when she was outside, enjoying her colorful gardens at the end of the day. She pictured the undeveloped land as a garden where people who hurt could come and relieve their suffering.

After WordPerfect’s sale, Alan bought the plot of land Karen identified and gifted it to her. The Ashtons named the property Thanksgiving Point. In 2000, the gardens opened to the public with mature trees, blossoming flowers, manicured lawns, and one of the largest man-made waterfalls in the Western hemisphere.

Each spring, landscape artists import more than 250,000 tulips and 50,000 other floral bulbs from Holland and plant them in playful displays throughout the 55-acre gardens for a Tulip Festival.

…she noticed a plot of farmland in Lehi, Utah, south of Salt Lake City. The empty, undeveloped area along the old Pony Express route spoke to Karen as the right place for a public garden. 

 

 

In 1994, WordPerfect was sold to Utah-based Novell for nearly a billion dollars.  After the sale, Alan purchased farmland in Lehi, Utah and gifted it to his wife Karen as a Valentine's Day gift on February 14, 1995. They planned to build a community garden and farm experience. The name for the project, Thanksgiving Point, was chosen to express gratitude.

The first venue to open to the public in 1996 was Farm Country. Farm Country's exhibits demonstrate the origins of the food supply in a working farm environment.

In 1997 Thanksgiving Gardens (renamed Ashton Gardens in 2016) partially opened to the public for its first season. In 2000, the gardens fully opened as a flagship 55-acre experience dedicated to offering the community a reflective and peaceful place.

In 2000, the Museum of Ancient Life opened with a travel-through-time dinosaur walk through a 30,000-square-foot venue.

The 45,000-square-foot Museum of Natural Curiosity opened in 2014^.  The family science museum offers four indoor galleries and a 3-acre garden gallery.

{The Light of the World opened in 2016, featuring 35 statues depicting the Life of Jesus Christ.}

In 2019, Butterfly Biosphere opened as Utah's first insectarium. A 10,000 square foot USDA certified conservatory has a path through hundreds of exotic butterflies from around the world.

Ashton Gardens

The gardens opened to the public in 1997 as Thanksgiving Gardens. The master plan was developed with Salt Lake City landscape architect Leonard Grassli. The gardens cover approximately 55 acres and include 15 different themed gardens, including a replica of the garden described in Frances Hodgson Burnett's book The Secret Garden. 

Other themed garden rooms include a Monet pond, Rocky Mountain landscapes, and a rose garden growing 60 different varieties.

At the opening of the 2016 season, Thanksgiving Point renamed the gardens "Ashton Gardens" in honor of the contributions and vision of Alan and Karen Ashton and the Ashton Family Foundation.

Community horticulture courses are offered by Utah State University master gardener volunteers. Commonly offered courses include square foot gardening and perennial plant landscape design. Some gardens demonstrate water-wise gardening techniques and the irrigation and water features work as a vast water reclamation system..."

{The Tree of Life opened in 20featuring  55 statues.}

The Tree of Life sculpture garden at Thanksgiving Point features 130 life-sized or larger-than-life bronze statues. [1, 2]

SALT LAKE CITY - Septmber 22, 2016— The newly completed "Light of the World" sculpture garden at Thanksgiving Point opens Saturday. After years of planning and millions in donations, now visitors will see 35 larger-than-life images of Jesus Christ in 15 different settings.

What began as a dream 14 years ago now covers 2.5 acres. The sculptures make a powerful statement.

"From the time I was a very little girl, I have always been deeply, emotionally connected to the life of Jesus Christ," said Angela Johnson, the artist who created the sculptures.

Just two days ago, Johnson and her team at Thanksgiving Point surveyed the nearly completed garden. She was a professional singer who ended that career in 1997 and was inspired, she says, to become an artist. She began creating this project in 2003.

"Being able to really show the way Jesus Christ interacts with people is also to be the mirror image of how he interacts with us," she said."

Eileen's note: I've loved going to Thanksgiving Point and learning how it came to be. It was owned by the Fox Family -- two brothers took it over from their parents when they got too old to run it.  It was a Dairy Farm, and mostly raised alfalfa to feed all the cows. 

The home their...here's their direct quotes...

"...The Foxes have seen the face of the land evolve as hundreds of tons of dirt have been moved to create the 18-hole golf course and prepare for other projects. The red-brick house built by the Fox brothers' parents in 1961 now serves as temporary home to Thanksgiving Point's growing management team [of which the Fox brothers--Kaye and Kenny are a part of].

Thanksgiving Point's first phase, scheduled to be unveiled at an open house in mid-September, includes a 250-seat restaurant and garden emporium with gift shop. A vegetable garden and wholesale nursery already are operating, as are 10 production greenhouses and an animal farm.

Work also is progressing on the second phase, which is slated to open in mid-1997 and consists primarily of the 7,800-yard golf course. The public course, which will be overseen by Johnny Miller Jr., is being sodded now and lined with approximately 500 trees per hole.

The third phase should be completed in 1998 and includes 70 acres of world-class estate gardens, a 5,000-seat amphitheater and what could be the largest man-made waterfall in the world.

With 180 employees and a bevy of contractors, Thanksgiving Point is already home to a flurry of construction activity. Nearly 150 separate construction projects provide plenty of work for builders and the Lehi city engineers and inspectors charged with monitoring the projects.

"The scope of the project consumes my entire operation," said Todd Downing of Downing Design and Build. "I eat, drink and sleep it."

Downing, who oversees nearly all the construction projects at Thanksgiving Point, moved his business from Orem to Lehi so he could be closer to what he calls "the biggest job I've ever done in my life."

*** *** 

   Our Tuesday night movie was going to be

the first half of...

"Nuremburg " 

from November 2025

Budget	$40 million[3]
Box office	$70.5 million[4][5]

Information from Wikipedia

Nuremberg…

“ …is a 2025 American psychological thriller historical drama film written and directed by James Vanderbilt.

Overview & Plot

• Core Premise: The film focuses on a psychological cat-and-mouse showdown rather than just the courtroom proceedings.
• The Psychiatrist & The Prisoner: It follows U.S. Army psychiatrist Dr. Douglas Kelley, who is tasked with monitoring the mental health of imprisoned Nazi leaders. He engages in intense psychological interviews with high-ranking Nazi war criminal Hermann Göring before the trials.
• Source Material: The movie is an adaptation of Jack El-Hai's 2013 non-fiction book The Nazi and the Psychiatrist.
•  
• Key Cast & Crew

• Director/Writer: James Vanderbilt
• Russell Crowe as Hermann Göring
• Rami Malek as Dr. Douglas Kelley “

...but Gary had to work late.

We will watch it next Tuesday.

*** *** ***

 The Earth will

be renewed and receive

its Paradisiacal Glory.

"The Flood was baptism of Earth... One of the reasons why the flood came upon the earth was because the earth had to be baptized. It was immersed in water, just as a person is immersed when he is baptized for the remission of sins." - Joseph Fielding Smith

"Eventually, “the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.” At the Second Coming of the Lord, the earth will be changed once again. It will be returned to its paradisiacal state and be made new. There will be a new heaven and a new earth." - President Nelson

Isaiah 65:17

17 ¶ For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. 

WEDNESDAY,

SEPTEMBER 2, 2026 

Family is 

Everything...

  

 

Lunch Bunch was 

at Magleby's in Springville...

   came...

We went to the Springeville 

Miseum to see the Quilts at

the annual Quilt Competion.

*** *** ***

Bunco at Diane's...

      ...

THURSDAY, 

SEPTEMBER 3, 2026 

                       Family is 

Everything…

                 

           Cleaning gals here today...

 FRIDAY, 

SEPTEMBER 4, 2026 

       Family is 

Everything…

 

LAST YEAR...

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2025

Family is Everything…

Happy Birthday, Riggy '11'

From first day of 5th grade - August 13

Birthday breakfast...

Birthday presents...

Something to do with VR - Virtual Realty

and $11 from Grama for 11 years old.

Birthday breakfast donuts...

Birthday -- Off to school

Birthday ...with neighbor, Bridger

 ...

 

SATURDAY,  

SEPTEMBER 5, 2026 

                  Family is 

Everything…

  Rendezvousing with 

SUNDAY,

SEPTEMBER 6, 2026 

                     

Family is 

Everything

 Saratoga Springs 3rd Ward

Presiding:

Bishop Justin Thompson

Conducting: 

Troy Williams

Organist

Chorister

Cynthia Vaillancourt

Opening Hymn

#

Invocation:

Sacrament Hymn

#

Administration of the

Sacrament

Speakers:

Closing Hymn

#

Benediction:

New Schedule Begins...

Gospel Doctrine

25 minutes...

 Relief Society / Priesthood

25 minutes...

*** *** ***

If you have not seen 

our mini-life-sketch,

it is at the end of 

my testimony below...

Redemption is equal because Christ is infinite...

-- Alma 34:14.

Glory is different because agency is real...

-- Doctrine and Covenants 93:31.

--The Bronze Serpent

 

*** *** ***

*** *** ***

** *I am so thankful for The Plan of Salvation and the Atonement of  Jesus Christ that makes this

 Great Plan operational.

At the end of this 

September 6th, 2026

I pray you have had a                           restful, peaceful, and spiritual     Sabbath Day...

I share these truths as                                my testimony to you...

Heavenly Father lives and knows us each by name. He loves us and wants us to return to Him and Heavenly Mother when we leave this mortal existence.  He loves us just as we are at this very moment.

*** *** ***

*** *** ***

Heavenly Mother...

♪♫♪♪♫ "...Truth is reason;

truth eternal tells me I've a

Mother there..." ♪♫♪♪♫

--Eliza R. Snow

"O, My Father"

President Dallin H.Oaks said...

"For as we have a Father in heaven, so also we have a Mother there, a glorified, exalted, ennobled Mother. That is a startling doctrine, I recognize, to some folk, and yet we ought to be governed by reason in giving consideration to this doctrine which is a revelation from God" (Sermons and Mission Services of Melvin Joseph Ballard, 205).

"For reasons the Lord has not revealed, we do not know much about a Heavenly Mother. But we have been told that the purpose of life on earth is to give us the opportunity to grow toward being like our Heavenly Father. And we know that we are children of Heavenly Parents. So we know that we have a Heavenly Mother or Mothers. But for reasons the Lord has not revealed, we do not know much about our Heavenly Mother. But we know we must have one because both men and women are working for exaltation . . ." - President Oaks

*** *** ***

Jesus Christ came to earth as The Only Begotten of the Father and fulfilled the Atonement. He is the Redeemer of all. 

“An omnicompetent God leaves all mortals free to choose, but how grateful we should be that God chose long, long ago to rescue and to resurrect all His children through the Atonement of His Son. Nevertheless, some reject and many are indifferent to these and other divine beckonings, mostly because they are too caught up in the cares of the world. They are strangers to the Savior, who is far from the thoughts and intents of their hearts.”

Neal A Maxwell

How Choice a Seer!

                                                                     Revelation 19:16: -- "And he hath on his vesture and on

 his thigh a name written, 

KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS".

*** *** ***

*** *** ***

I am thankful for the guidance of the Holy Ghost as the third member of the Godhead. 

Walt said to me once: "I look forward to thanking the Holy Ghost in person when I get to Heaven. I don't think we give Him enough credit for all He does."

***  *** *** *** ***

Joseph Smith was foreordained to be the Prophet of the Restoration.  He is the Restorer of all things.

*** *** ***

President Dallin H. Oaks is the Living Prophet today for all the world. 

*** *** *** 

*** *** ***

The Bible is "the Word of God as far as it is translated correctly" and is a Testament of the Divinity of Jesus Christ.

*** *** ***

The Book of Mormon is the Word of God and is Another Testament of Jesus Christ. It is the most correct book of any book on earth.

*** *** ***

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the True Church on the earth today.  Because of the restored Priesthood Temple Ordinances families can be sealed for eternity.

Priesthood

Aaronic and

Melchizedek

*** *** *** *** ***

 

*** *** ***

Of these truths I testify in the 

Name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Eileen Petersen

September 6, 2026   

  

  "Time moves slowly, but passes quickly...              

Next Week...

Next week during my turn on earth..

SEPTEMBER 7-13, 2026

9-11

xxxxx OLD SEPTEMBER POSTS...

september 1-7, 2025

Stay on the Covenant Path

Stay on the Covenant Path

to reach the

Tree of Life

 

A wise person once said, 

"Every society will be judged by

how it treats the least fortunate."

"Time moves slowly, but passes quickly...                             

TIME...

On this blog I share with family and friends my thoughts, doings, what interests me, my testimony of The Savior, and--at times--tributes to my eternal sweetheart, Walt, who graduated to heaven on 8-21-2020.

*All that I am or ever hope to be,

I not only owe to my 

angel mother and father,

...but to my wonderful husband,

Walter Ray Petersen.

Walt called himself... 

"The last of the old-time country doctors."

September

01 – Jennifer “Jenn” Sanders Doak Petersen (1976) “49”

04 – R9igdon “Riggy” Jay Peterson (2014) “11”

04 – due Baby Anderson – 2025 “0” = K-P

05 – Josh Taylor – (1991) “34”

09 – Jackson John Peterson (2004) – “21”

15 – Jeffrey Charles Petersen (1957) “68”

15 – Julie Black Petersen (1972) “53”

21 – Kelsey Ellen Williams Petersen Taylor (1991’ “34”

22 – Daniel Ray Fisher (1990) “35”

25 - Connie Phillips – (1945) “80”  

Family is Everything

Happy Birthday, Jennifer

in Tennessee

Sunrise:  6:55 a.m.                                           Sunset:  7:59 p.m. 

SEPTEMBER 14-20, 2026

SEPTEMBER 21-27, 2026

SEPTEMBER 28- OCTOBER 4, 2026

OCTOBER 5-11, 2026

OCTOBER 12-18, 2026

OCTOBER 19-25, 2026

OCTOBER 26-NOVEMBER 1, 2026

NOVEMBER 1-8, 2026

NOVEMBER 9-15, 2026

NOVEMBER 16-22, 2026

NOVEMBER 23-29, 2026

NOVEMBER 30-DECEMBER 6, 2026

CHRISTMAS TREE - 2026 DEC - IDAHO

FIR CHOSENAUG 15 FOR WASH DC

DECEMBER 7-13, 2026

DECEMBER 14-20, 2026

DECEMBER 21-27, 2026

DECEMBER 28-JANUARY 3, 2027

Next Week... IN 2027

Next week during my turn on earth...

JANUARY 4-10, 2027

JANUARY 

FEBrUARY

MARCH

APRIL

MAY

JUNE

JULY

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

October

NovembER

December...