Homer Reunion

Homer Reunion up the American Fork Canyon at Mutual Dell.
Three of the 12 Homer siblings made it to the reunion. My mom Eva, Aunt Clea, and Uncle Bryce.

Kent & Wendy heading out for a little hike (more like a leisurely stroll)

Robert & Jessica's family enjoying an evening around the campfire with Uncle Dave. I got conned into playing a game and missed the smores at the campfire.

The favorite past time at the reunion was making jewelery provided by my Aunt Clea on the left.

Jessica, working on Jewelery, Brother Dave, Sister Kristie, and Uncle Tom.


All the families were supposed to provide a talent. Ours was the only family that provided any. Above Anne sharing a poem. Kara & Robert playing their Clarinets together.

My Brother Dave took most of the pictures at the reunion

Watching Anne, Kara, & Robert provide entertainment.

The Forest service provided some instruction about Bats which are found in the nearby Timpanogos Cave. Kyle (sitting on the front row) knew a lot of the answers about bats.

Mortensen Reunion

I am finally finding some time to update our blog. Its been a busy summer so far. We got back into town July 2nd from two different reunions down in Utah. We had a Mortensen reunion in the park in Harriman, Utah and had a large turnout. Then we went to a Homer reunion (Kent's mom's side of the family) at Mutual Dell church campground up the American Fork Canyon. We only had about 30 people at that reunion. A little short from what we usually have.

Our turn to tell about what everyone is doing in our family.

My Brother Steve's oldest son Andrew & his wife Svetlana and their daughter.

Keith & Eva's family. All our crew less Andrew's family.
From left back Me, my sister Connie, brother Dave, son Robert. 2nd row My mom Eva, sister Kristie, Robert's wife Jessica holding Claire. Front Row, Robert's daugther Victoria, our daughter Kara, Robert's daughter Anne, and son Kyle.

These cabins are being restored in a park next to the cemetery in Harriman. They happen to be cabins in which my ancestors built and lived in. They were some of the first settlers of Harriman.

Don & Lois's Family

Dee & Beths family. They had the most attend the reunion.

Kaye & Paul's family.


This is an old picture. From Left, Don, my dad Keith, Beth, Grandma Mortensen, Dee, & Kaye.
From this Photo only Beth, Dee, & Kaye are still alive.

None of Beth and Boyd's family made it this year.

THOUGHTS ON KENTS DAD ON FATHERS DAY

Last night we had a BBQ with some friends and we talked about what we remembered about our fathers.

A quick history about my Dad, Keith K Mortensen. He was born in Rubert Idaho. Joined the Navy at 17 during WWII, came home and served a mission in Texas. Dad, in is mid 20's married my mom who was 18, Moved to Quincy Washington where his brother Don was starting to farm. He started out working at a Service station and later went to work for the city of Quincy as the Dog Catcher.

That's me sitting on the the "Dog Wagon" with the funny looking hat. The other two are my brothers Dave & Steve.

This is where I start to remember things that happened. He worked his way up through the ranks of the city ended up as the City Superintendent.

Since it was a small community he ran everything, the water, street, sewer, and other various departments. He never made much money but he was the most frugal person I know. "Make do or do without". "Use it up and wear it out" was his practice. We spent many times as a family gleaning the orchards of fruit, especially apples. We had lots of home made apple juice and apple sauce. We even gleaned from behind the potato harvester and collected a years supply of which we buried in a hole that we covered with straw and plywood so we could get access to it. Later he buried an old deep frezzer in the ground and poured a conc slab around it, than build his shed with the buried frezzer under the tool bench. We stored a lot of potatos and apples in the old chest. I hated having to be the one to clean it out in the summer after things began to rot.

Dad would also take on side jobs to help the family budget. We spent several Saturdays doing percilation tests for septic systems for a development next to the Columbia River. He also took on servicing a rural water district reading and installing or repairing water meters. This just happened to be enough income every month to support me on my mission.

He even took up sign painting. I was able to help him on a few buildings that he painted signs on. I probably played around more than helped.

I remember going camping a lot as a family. Dad loved to fish but never got to do it a much as he would like.

Dad was also known as Uncle Mort by my cousins and uncles. Dad would always have a few magic tricks (disapearing coins, etc) to tease all the kids that were around. Dad had a short thumb (he cut it off on a table saw when I was a young kid) that he would show to small kids that he would see sucking their thumbs and tell them to watch out because they might suck it off like he did.

Dad loved photography as well. He had a darkroom in the basement which we did a lot of black and white photos. (color photos were just starting to come around then). I took advantage of the darkroom and got an A in a high school photography class. I still enjoy photography to this day. Dad made me read about photography and understand how the features on the camera worked. He did not want to just give me the camera and point and shoot.

Dad died early in his life at the age of 50 with Luekemia. This picture is one of the last good pictures of him at Wendy & I's wedding before he became ill 3 months later.

I think the part I miss most is not having had the opportunity to have had an adult relationship with him, like I am now enjoying very much with my own sons.

Thanks dad for teaching me to work hard and appreciate what I have and serve others even when I did not want to. It has benifited me through out my life.

FROM GRANDMA CARLSON'S BACK YARD

Grandma Carlsons back yard has gone through some major changes during the last year. Below are some pictures that Carl & I took two years ago this May. I was told the sheds are now gone.


THE OLD CHICKEN COOP. Were the eggs brown or white, or white with brown stuff that needed to be cleaned off?

THE MILKING SHED. The first year Wendy and I were married, there was a week were I got to come out and milk the cow while everyone else was gone somewhere. It had been awhile since I had actually milked a cow and did not get much out of her the first night.

I like this picture. The bailing twine still hanging over the fence post from when there was a steer or a milk cow to be feed and the snow sled leaning up on the shed left over from when the Carlson kids played in the snow. The weeds growing up around, from a time gone by.


I liked the two above pictures because of the light shinning through the boards of the old shed. It created some unigue angles of light.

Lilacs always in bloom for Mothers day.

I am not sure what this flowering bush is called but I thought it looked cool at the time.

An old work horse of a rotatiller when grandpa Carlson would work the garden and keep the kids busy keeping it weeded and enjoying the fruits the garden produced.

A view up into the old tree in the back yard. I also have a picture showing a cable wrapped around the trunk partially buried with bark, from when grandpa Carlson had lights strung on the cable to have light for several wedding receptions that took place over the years in the back yard.


A view through an old fruit tree of the sheds. I am not sure if the tree still produces fruit or not.

I thought this picture looked cool with the three trunks coming up out of the ground. I'll bet that was fun to mow around.


Old stepping stones mostly covered with grass from non use. It must have been a very busy path in past years for grandpa Carlson to put them there.


A well used clothes line that has more than 30 plus years of drying clothes.

The old swing set. I think Wendy told me that it was new when Margo and Tonja lived at home.

A great view of Mount Timpanogus sp? from the back yard. Don't you all wish we had a view like that from our own back yard.

Feel free to add your memories of the Carlson back yard.

NOTE: if you left click on the pictures they will expand to full size, than right click on the picture and you can select the option to save the picture if you want to have your own copy of the picture.

Wendy was down this weekend taking care of her mom and mentioned that Jet was playing in the front ditch that was full of water. I remember our boys and thier cousins having a great time playing in the water. I will have to try and get a picture of that ditch before it gets buried, or find some old pictures that we took when the boys were young playing in the ditch.

Boise Foothills Heritage Fesitval

Last Saturday we spent the day with Robert and Jessica and kids at the Development, Avimor, that the company that Robert works for (SunCor) was hosting a new festival called the "Foothills Heritage Festival. They were doing it to bring people out to see their new development. They have some great model homes. We spent time watching Ballons getting ready to launch, getting a ride in a teathered ballon, watching some trained sheep hearding dogs, heard sheep around. The property that the development in being built on, has had a history of sheep raising. We toured the model homes, had free food at a BBQ, listened to some live music and watched some Basque dancers perform. I skipped the Bouncy house. The grandkids enjoyed it though.


Wendy says we don't get enough pictures of me since I take all the pictures. She caught me coming back from the porta potty.


Waiting in Line for the ballon ride.

Wendy, Kara and Kyle riding the ballon together

They also had some Nature walks, and there was a Mountain Bike company (Trek) letting people try out their mountain bikes. Kara tried one out. It has a composite frame with disk breaks, air adjusted shock obsorbers, etc. We asked how much a new bike like that would cost. It was merely $6,000 bucks, something that could fit anybodys budget. (yea right) This picture of Kara caught to much sun so its a bit washed out, but you can see the bike she tried out.

Fun in the Snow in Jan

Some winters we make a trip to McCall Idaho for their winter carnaval. We went a few days before to miss the crowd. We tubbed on a hill than afterward went to a hot spring to have a good soak before going home. When we left the hotspring the temp was a -20 degrees. It did not take the moisture long to frezze on you when you got out of the pool. The bridge shown is called the Rainbow bridge. The State just refurbishied it and made it look new.

Trip to OK & KY

During Spring Break we made a trip down to Oaklahoma to see Mr & Mrs Big Morty and the Jr Mortys' and spend Easter with them. Then off to Louiville, KY to spend time with Wayne & Sherstine, Livia and our new grandson Gavin. It was good to see them all again. We were in KY to help with the baby blessing on Sunday

Grandma loves to help the grandkids color Easter Eggs.

Grandpa loves to play with the grandkids too. He also loves to tease them.

Wendy & Kara at the park along side the Ohio River with Wayne & Family