A Day With the Aoyagis Part 2

Sister Aoyagi and her daughter prepared a beautiful New Year's lunch for us. There were the traditional foods eaten at this time of year in beautiful lacquered boxes.
The little girl is their granddaughter.

It was delicious!

After lunch, we began the ritualistic tea ceremony. There was a certain way that the bowls had to face, a precise way to wipe the place on the cup after you took a sip, etc.

You had to enter the little room on your knees through a small entrance.

There was a certain way to prepare the tea, place the ladle, place the plate full of sweets, and many other correct ways to do things.

The Watabes did a great job of following all the directions. Rulon and I mostly watched as my knee didn't allow me to sit on my heels for long.

Always the ham!

Sister Watabe tries her hand at making the tea.

Rulon with a wooden sword - again, having fun.

After the tea ceremony, Sister Aoyagi whispered to me that she wanted to dress me in her funeral kimono. She was unable to wear this when her own mother died because it was summer and it wasn't suitable for that season. Apparently when a girl is married, she needs to have a black kimono to wear to funerals.

It was such an privilege to wear this in honor of both our mothers. My mother's funeral was to be the next day and I was overwhelmed at the kindness shown me by this dear woman.

Sweet Sister Aoyagi - what a lot of energy she has! It was a busy day for her. Just getting us dressed took a lot of effort and then there was the meal and the tea ceremony.

This is dark, but I wanted a picture of the Relief Society president who spent her day with us helping Sister Aoyagi with the dressing, tea ceremony, and meal.

Elder Aoyagi and Sister Aoyagi and the Gibsons.

The gift of time and love that was given to us will never be forgotten. How could we ever have had such an experience like this anywhere else?

Mom's Obituary

Martha Ellen Ashby Tanner
1916 ~ 2012
A valiant daughter of God, Martha Ellen Ashby Tanner, 95, passed away after a short illness on Monday, January 16, 2012, in Bountiful,Utah, just five months after the death of her eternal sweetheart,Merlynn. She was born on July 16, 1916, in Spanish Fork, Utah to Thomas Merrill Ashby and Edna Patience Holt. She was always a "Spanish Fork girl," attending school there and then graduating from Brigham Young University with a degree in education. She married Merlynn M. Tanner of Payson, Utah on August 6, 1941, in the Logan Temple and they built their home and their life in Payson, where they raised six children.
Martha taught hundreds of Payson's children in the First Grade, a grade most crucial for later success in school and in life. During her long career, she served in both the Taylor and Peteetneet Elementary Schools. She was known for her great ability in teaching children to read and she received Nebo School District and Freedom Foundation's Outstanding Teacher Awards. She had a beautiful singing voice, which enhanced many community, church, and family gatherings. Martha found great joy in daily acts of service. The produce from Martha and Merlynn's fruitful garden was shared with family, friends, and neighbors. Their fruit room and overflowing freezer were amazing to her grandchildren and Martha's bread was always the most treasured treat of a visit to Grandma's.
Martha was born a writer and was a poet extraordinaire. In her prolific verse, she rejoiced in the simple joys of life and pondered the deepest truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She was the poet laureate of the family and the Park Ward, composing for special occasions, programs, and to honor those she knew and loved. Her poems were filled with insight, inspiration, and gratitude for all the blessings of the Lord in her life:
CONTENTMENT
Oh, the feeling of contentment
If we can truly say,
"My life is full of happiness.
I did His work today."
In addition to her poetry, Martha wrote and published several family histories, including her own personal history as a legacy for her posterity. She loved music and the fine arts, as well as the art of rodeo and the joy of being in Payson Canyon with Merlynn. Among the greatest gifts she gave her children was a home filled with music, laughter, fun, and culture. At an age when others would have thought themselves too old to try, she tackled and conquered the formidable and frustrating task of learning to use the computer. A life-long learner, Martha loved to read and, up to the end, she found joy in expanding her view of the world, enriching her life, and sharing her insights and discoveries with others. She was a consummate teacher and example of the Gospel, in word and deed, and she leaves a legacy of hard work and service in all areas of her life.
Martha served an LDS mission with her husband in Seattle, Washington. She served for nearly 20 years as an ordinance worker in the Provo LDS Temple. She always loved traveling and enjoyed seeing the world with her husband. In 2002, Merlynn and Martha served as Grand Marshals of the Payson Homecoming Days parade. She was preceded in death by her husband of 70 years, Merlynn M. Tanner, her parents, a sister, Grace Bradford, and a brother, Merrill Ashby. She is survived by her sister, Lois Ellsworth, six children, Barbara (Rulon) Gibson, serving a mission in Tokyo, Japan; David (Jan), Bountiful; Glen (Kay), Sandy; Marilyn (Michael) Hunt, Springville; Don (Kris), Bountiful; and Gary (Edu), Orem; 20 grandchildren and 51 great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, January 21st at 12:00 p.m. at the Park Ward LDS Chapel, 110 South 300 West, Payson. A viewing will be held prior to the services from 10:00-11:30 a.m. at the church. She will be buried in the Payson Cemetery under the direction of Walker Mortuary in Payson.
Martha's family would like to express their deep gratitude to neighbors and friends of Martha and the Park Ward in Payson; in Bountiful, to the staff of Welcome Home Assisted Living and its Branch and Relief Society Presidencies; and to Inspiration Hospice for the tender and loving care of our mother. Your love and service was heartfelt and extraordinary and is a treasured memory.
Condolences may be sent to the family at: www.walkerfamilymortuary.com.
Copyright 2012 Daily Herald. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Posted in Obituaries on Thursday, January 19, 2012 12:50 am

Martha Ellen Ashby Tanner - July 16, 1916 to January 16, 2012 - My Mother! Married 70 years to Merlynn M. Tanner - August 6, 1941 to August 13, 2011 on earth - and for all eternity.

Here is what I wrote for Chris to read at the funeral which will be January 20, 2012. Chris will represent me and our family and also the grandchildren as he is the oldest.


As I contemplated what I could say about my mother that would encapsulate her qualities, the thought came that she has qualities like the Holy Ghost whose mission it is to comfort, guide and testify.
Throughout my life, Mom was able to comfort me in my sorrows both large and small. Her kind words and gentle touch calmed my fears and hushed the nagging worries of my life. The touch of her hand on my feverish head was cooling and brought great comfort and relief. A pat on my arm told me that she was proud of me and loved me unconditionally.
Just as the Holy Ghost can guide us in our decisions and protect us from physical and spiritual danger, so my mother guided and protected me. The blessings she gave me of a good family life and consistent church attendance gave me a template for my own family. Because of her teachings and example, I knew right from wrong. We were taught to be moral and live clean lives.
The Holy Ghost testifies of Christ. So did my mother. Her certainty of the resurrection was reassuring and certain. I knew that she believed that the Savior had come to show us how to live and to atone for our sins. She let us know that there was a way to happiness and she wanted it for us. I was blessed to have a "mother who knew".
The verses of the hymn, "I Know That My Redeemer Lives" contain some beautiful sentiments that apply not only to my Savior and can also apply to my mother.
She lived to comfort me, to hear my soul’s complaint, to silence all my fears, to wipe away my tears, to calm my troubled heart, and to impart all blessings.
I feel very blessed to have had such a mother. She wanted me to go on a mission even though she knew that she might not be here when I returned. I will always feel her loving comfort, guidance and testimony and I am so thankful to be her daughter.

Barbara Tanner Gibson January 21, 2012

Guam Trip Jan. '12

On the bus to the airport, we found this article in the magazine in the pocket. This is a man (Allan West - hence the name of the article) in our branch who is an artist. I have been to his studio. He does huge screens on commission along with other work. He has really become Japanese with a Japanese wife and a son. It was about a 3 1/2 hour flight from Tokyo - of course, it took us 1 1/2 hours to get to the airport in Japan!

The Marriott driver was waiting for us after we got through customs.

Here are some views from out 16th floor window.

So good to see the American flag flying again!

Waiting to be picked up by the Mechams, the mission parents for this huge mission. It covers 3 time zones! We only presented to the Guam and Saipan zones. It is too hard to get all the missionaries together and too expensive.

The sweet sisters at lunch. Can you spot the sister from Australia?

Loved this scripture case!

Even though there were chairs available at the tables, the missionaries preferred to sit on the floor to eat. I guess this is what they do in members' homes.

Subway sandwiches!

Brownies!

Chips!

This is the name of the ward and the STAKE that was created December 2010!

Elders (and Sisters) wear Crocs when they are out and about. They are supposed to wear good shoes when at church or meetings. This elder from Saipan forgot his other shoes!

The sisters and Sister Mecham.

Too far away but these are the sisters in two zones.

The church building - there are three in Guam.

These sisters dressed alike. The skinny one just got there from Fiji a couple of days before.

Sisters singing a beautiful musical number.

Ready for a baptism. This was an added bonus of our trip!

This is the sun sinking into the Pacific as we were waiting for the baptism to take place. The font is outdoors!

After the baptism.

This is the font.

These beautiful flowers were everywhere on the trees and laying on the ground. The sisters would gather them and put them in their hair. These are the type that they make leis from.

I think Sister Smibert wasn't quite ready for this picture! Her companion, Sister Aaron, strung beads to sell to earn money for her mission. We have some great souls who are serving!

The Mechams and Gibsons.

Kids are kids no matter where they are. These couldn't resist climbing the rock walls after the baptism.

The Donahoes by the Harley that was in the hotel lobby.

And the Gibsons!

Waiting is not pleasant for Rulon so he carries sudoko puzzles to work on while he passes the time! This is in KMart - see the pizza poster. We were at the food court waiting for the Donahoes to finish shopping.

Driving past a wall that was brightly painted.

We went to two different malls that were just wonderful. Here is the food court in one of them - we had a Burer King hamburger!

And my sourveir of the trip! I have been looking for a dragonfly like this all over Japan. And I found just what I wanted in Guam! Dad tells me it is locust and Dan will probably confirm that, but I like it just the same!

Another wonderful trip! We have just one more in February up to Sapporo where it will be extremely cold and snowy. We are going to see the world famous ice festival with huge sculptures. What a change from the hot, humid weather of Guam!