Saturday, August 1, 2026

Schofield's baptism

 Sam took the kids up to Cache Valley (Hyrum) this morning to attend the baptism of their cousin, Schofield.

Schofield (in the light-colored suit) with his parents (Spencer and Jori), his brothers (Harrison and Kendrick), and his sister (Monroe).
Schofield with his grandparents, Doug and Margaret.
Kendrick, Douglas, Harrison, Schofield and Monroe, Diana, Penny
Sam, baby Layth, Schofield

Thursday, July 30, 2026

Tribal church-goers / Layth buried in the ball pit / our little Rabbi / mustache girls / Layth taking a ride / Layth doing the Superman move / Penny serenading us / Penny making Layth laugh / Soda stand fundraiser / Penny reading to Layth

 

Ready for church!


Our little Rabbi
Mustache girls
Layth is getting a yummy handful of hair.





The kids held a soda/cookie sale for their Service Club this month, to raise funds for the Primary service project next month (assembling "feelings kits" for children). They raised almost 300 dollars!
Grayson, Gentry, Maggie, Diana, Penny, Hope, Emmy, Eliza, Douglas, Oliver
Oliver took all the empty soda bottles back to his home.
Penny reading to Layth

Friday, July 24, 2026

Happy Birthday to me! :)

We drove up to Cache Valley today to spend Pioneer Day with Sam's family.

They had a large blow-up slide set up in Spencer's yard. The kids played on that thing for hours!



Before eating the birthday brownies and ice cream, Grandma (Margaret) gathered everyone to ask questions about me. It was fun, and funny.

Playing games before returning to our home.

This is one of the two shirts I received for my birthday. 😁

Thursday, July 23, 2026

Layth in the bumbo

 








Mom's first birthday in the spirit world

 Today we celebrated Mom's birthday by singing all the "Happy Birthday" songs at her gravesite.

Douglas (holding Layth), Penny, Maxwell, Diana, Denali
With the adults (Dad, Sara, Sam, Daniel)

Penny and Diana brought heart notes for Dad's new wife, Angela.
Angela, Dad, Sara, Sam, Daniel
Mom followed the "Bean Protocol" (eating lots of beans, meat, and veggies, and avoiding sugars) for quite a few years before her death. So, we filled some empty cans of beans with soil and flowers for her. I joked that her spirit would probably kick them off her headstone when we left, because she insisted she would never eat another bean after she left this mortal life.

We love you, Mudda!

Wednesday, July 22, 2026

Don't let Andrew catch up! (Bountiful Food Pantry)

 This evening we had fun serving at the Bountiful Food Pantry.



The kids and I went with Andrew (Stacie's husband) and his two kids, Lydian and Tristan.

Tuesday, July 21, 2026

Wedding and sealing of Dad and Angela

Saturday, July 11th

 

Today we gathered at the home of one of Angela's sons to witness the marriage of Dad and Angela.

Talking to Dad's brothers, Roger and Bruce (Sam is talking to Bruce's wife, Susan).

We were asked to briefly introduce ourselves. Here are Sara and Jared introducing their family.
Introducing our family.
Dad's brothers and their wives, and his sister (Audrie) and her husband, Craig.
A former BYU Jerusalem Center student of Dad's performed the marriage.
The kids had fun swimming and playing before we left.

Lizzie, Sara, Eric, Daniel, Mark, Karl
Eric, Mark, and Karl are Angela's sons.

Tuesday, July 21st

Dad and Angela were sealed in the Orem Temple today.
Left-to-Right: Angela's sons, Eric and Mark, Mark's wife (Shalice), Angela, Dad, Sara, Jared, Daniel

Keeping the sun off us.

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I sent the following email to Dad when he got married:

Dad,

Do you remember this section from President Hinckley's biography?

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From Gordon B. Hinckley’s biography, on his Dad (Bryant Hinckley) remarrying after his Mother (Ada) died:


Perhaps Gordon assumed that life would go on as usual, with him shouldering some of the burden at home and helping shepherd his younger brothers and sisters along. So he wasn’t prepared for the day, early in 1932, when Bryant called his children together and announced that he was going to marry again. His intended was May Green, the office manager at the Salt Lake Clinic. May was a woman of great capacity, a hard worker with an infectious sense of humor. But as far as Gordon was concerned, her virtues were irrelevant. He was determined to preserve his mother’s memory and upset that his father was prepared to replace her.


When Bryant announced his intentions to his children, the resulting silence was deafening. He was so nervous that he shook visibly at the encounter. “In our wildest dreams,” Ramona said, “I don’t think we imagined Father would remarry. We just couldn’t imagine him with anyone but Mother.” A couple of nights later Bryant returned home late to find Gordon in the library studying for finals. Gordon was obviously still troubled, for when Bryant tried to initiate a conversation he made a remark that stirred up the issue again. Their discussion was becoming emotional when Bryant finally asked his son, “Do you want me to grow old alone? Do you want your sisters to feel responsible for taking care of me when I get to be an old man?”


He reassured Gordon that he loved Ada dearly and that his feelings for her would never fade. But he also acknowledged how lonely his existence would be if he were forced to live the rest of his life in solitude. Father and son talked into the night, and Gordon’s heart softened as he saw in a new light how devastating his mother’s death had been for his father.


On February 22, 1932, Bryant married May, who, as a young woman, had been promised in her patriarchal blessing that she would marry and be a mother to many children. At first there were tensions and awkward moments between the children and their new stepmother. May didn’t do things the way Ada had, and it was difficult for the children to see their father show affection to anyone other than their mother. But in time Aunt May—as the children called her—won a place in their hearts. From the outset she made it clear that she had no intention of trying to replace Ada, and that she wanted only to make her own place.


May was sensitive to the fact that her husband had been happily married twice before and that Christine’s and Ada’s children needed the assurance that their mothers had not been forgotten. In time, Gordon and his brothers and sisters grew to love the woman who so eagerly loved them. “We were not little children, but she took hold of [our] family, not in any officious way,” Gordon later said. “I don’t know that it was easy for her to step into our family, but she did it well. We all respected her. We all loved her.”


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Sam shared the above section with me as I wrestle with various feelings related to your upcoming marriage to Angela. I love President Hinckley and it was good for me to read about the tough feelings that he, the future prophet, had to deal with when his father announced his intention to remarry.

In all honesty, when you told us in Angela's studio that you two were planning to marry, I'm glad I had my camera out in front of me to hide some of the shock I felt. it's not that I'm not happy for you. I am, but this is a major change in our family. I love change, but the change in my life often comes on my terms; when I want it. This, obviously, is something I have no control over. As with the beloved prophet of my younger days, Gordon B. Hinckley, I believe I will come to love Angela over time. Not the love I have for my dear Mother, but there are different kinds and levels of love. For now, I already like and respect Angela. I hope that's a good start. 

I love you, Dad. Please know that even though I am wrestling with some feelings related to you remarrying, and I may not be as giddy as you are--I suppose it would be a bit strange if I were "giddy" about it 🙂--I totally support your decision.

- Daniel Bin Daniel

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Dad replied as follows:

Whoa, Daniel! Thanks for sending me this excerpt from the life of one of my all-time favorite prophets. I can definitely relate to many of the feelings swirling around in the family. This is an abrupt change in my life also, but I know it is right. Heaven has confirmed that to me, and I so much appreciate your faithful support. You are a beloved, firstborn son and I believe you will come to love Angela, too. She is a great soul.

Would you please send the Hinckley quote, along with your feelings about this whole situation, to your brother?  He is struggling far more than anyone else over this whole thing, and his only brother can certainly help him see this matter in a whole new light.

Thanks again for your candid, honest feelings, and your noble willingness to adjust to a major but beautiful change in the Ogden family. This past week has been, in a sense, one of the best and most memorable “family reunions“ in our Ogden family history. I LOVE your mother and I LOVE our family!