HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Carson-m'-man!

The BIG 18 years old TODAY! ! ! 

Just A Thought

11 Things You Need to Say 
Before It's Too LATE!

1. I LOVE you
2. Do you NEED something
3. I CAN do this
4. You INSPIRE me
5. My life is GOOD
6. I TRUST you
7. How can I HELP you
8. I'm SORRY
9. I BELIEVE in YOU
10. I FORGIVE you
11. Thank you

What I Remember About the Teton Dam Flood by Robert E Boice

June 5, 1976 started out like any other Saturday at work in St. Anthony at the (Delinquent Center) Youth Services Center. It was a warm, sunny day and there were no cell phones when I got a call from Roberta that the Teton Dam had broken and if I wanted to get home I better leave immediately and head home. I took off immediately and like usual I might not have driven the speed limit to beat the water. I think I was one of the last cars to get through.

Growing up in California we had what we thought were floods and we would get sandbags and block the water from doing damage so I raced home to protect our new home (1 year old) from damage. I found straw bales and put them in the window wells to help keep the water out. That was all the time I had and I drove to the Rexburg East Stake Center to meet Roberta. At that time the flood waters had hit and it was devastating to watch the destruction. We knew we were in trouble for a place to live. We were invited to eat with Clair Thueson and family. Then they offered for us to stay in their house. We had Shawn, Cameron and Heather was 2 years old and Roberta was pregnant with Cortney. The main lesson that was learned was that things didn't matter the main thing was we were all safe and the Lord had blessed us again. After a night with them we went and stayed at Jim Smiths home till we were back in our home.When we were able to get to our home it was unbelievable the mess that we found. Our new neighborhood had been wasted. Logs had come through and hit most of the homes. Our house was hit on all sides by houses that came floating by. Many of the Boise Cascade homes just floated off their foundation. We started trying to get the water out of the basement and it was painful. Many people came from all around to help. Finally we got a pump and had a lot of water out when the sewer started to back up and come in the basement. We had water four or five feet up on the walls upstairs. I didn't go to my job for quite a while all I did was work in the house. We lost many valuable items like an old Bible I brought back from my mission and things that we had saved for years. We had an old Monarch cook stove that was in the basement that we put out to clean out and someone took it. It was very heavy but it was gone.

As time went on I found Ted Dye to help repair the house. We put a two car garage and a fireplace in and rock on the front. When it was finished it was beautiful again. We also put a fence up that looked real nice. After living there a couple of years we sold it. We paid $26,400 for the house and lot and sold it for $50,000. We moved up on the hill and paid $68,000 for the house with no grass or trees.

BLAST From the Past

May 25, 2013 . . . just look at these youngin's!

40 YEARS AGO AS IF IT WERE YESTERDAY / Teton Dam Disaster by Roberta Boice

Today is a SPECIAL day, June 5, 2016.  Forty years ago today changed our lives forever!  The Teton Dam disaster happened to us, our family.  We were impacted in a BIG way.  Our home lay in the path of a huge wall of water that carried everything from logs, dead animals, toxic chemicals, pontoons and topsoil from farms 15+ miles away.  It was a disaster of epic proportions that only happens to ‘someone else’!

It was a ‘normal day’, a beautiful summer afternoon - skies were baby blue with fluffy clouds dotting the sky here and there.  Being summer, our windows were all open - lawn mowers were humming in the background punctuated by the sounds of sprinklers ticking away and kids playing in the streets.  I had just said my “goodbyes” to my Saturday guitar class as they packed their guitars down the stairs to awaiting cars that would whisk them away to their Saturday activities.  I turned my attention to three energy-packed children and breakfast dishes sitting in the sink and flipped the radio on to KRXK - our local AM radio station - not much FM in those days!  Normal programming was interrupted by something I had never heard before - a NEWS FLASH!  Our normally calm and collected DJ had a very seriously stern voice as he said, “This is an emergency - EVERYONE leave your homes NOW - the Teton Dam has broken and flood waters are heading your way.  Get to high ground immediately - LEAVE NOW, you do not have time to collect anything - LEAVE YOUR HOMES NOW!”

Bob left for work early that Saturday morning as he was employed in St. Anthony at the Youth Services Center. I knew I had to call Bob and warn him what had happened and was lucky enough to find him in the office!  “The Teton Dam has broken!  Tell everyone, spread the word - let everyone know!  If you want to make it home, you'd better come NOW and FAST!   We are leaving now and heading to the top of the hill by the Stake Center.”  I now had to do this alone with our three adorable children and our extremely big St. Bernard, Heidi!  

• Shawn - 5 years old
• Cameron - 4 years old
• Heather - 2 years old
• I was 2 months pregnant with Cortney AND feeling very sick!

 I knew I had to leave but had no idea how long we would be gone.  Lunch was approaching so I grabbed (3) bananas and out the door we went with only the clothes on our backs!   Traffic was heavy as everyone was getting the message from the radio and from neighbors what had happened.  There was no panic from the community only obedience!  I was impressed by how orderly people were evacuating and heading to higher ground.  How high did we need to be - how much water would actually come?  We did not know.  In my mind’s eye, I could see a little extra water running down the gutters of our streets - yet, I also wondered how long Bob would be separated from us?  None-the-less, we headed for higher ground.

Streets were beginning to be blocked off and highways shut down by police.  Travelers coming through our town were now being diverted to “the hill” and the streets were lined with cars, trucks and campers of all sorts and people were lingering in groups talking about what was going to happen.  We headed directly for Rexburg Stake Center where I told Bob we would try and meet up with him.  So many people, so many cars - how would we ever find each other?  I decided to walk, with the kids, to a neighboring home across the street from the church and use someone's telephone to call my parents - Bob and Alice Ward in California to let them know we were safe.  I had a ‘feeling’ we would be without phone service for sometime and if this amounted to something more than a little extra water running down our street gutters - they would be hearing about it on the national news!  A sweet family (Jean and Jack Rynwand) allowed me to use their telephone and I was successful in contacting my mother.  I don’t think she had a clue as what was about to happen and did not take me too seriously when delivered the information - but at least they knew we were okay and out of danger. I asked her to contact Bob's parents that we were safe.

THEN IT HIT . . .by the time I got back to our car at the church, the water started arriving!  A WALL OF WATER descended on the valley like a big brown plague - as far as the eye could see, the lush green valley was turning brown.  Not only was it turning brown but houses were floating down the valley and everything in it’s path was being destroyed.  I immediately thought of all the livestock being effected and the people who were caught off guard in their homes, cars and fishing in streams and rivers.  This became “real” - this was frightening.  Where was Bob?  Where was he?  Was he okay or did he get swept away in the flood waters?  Was I going to be a widow at such a tender age?  What was our future?  What were we going to do - what was an entire community going to do next?  Who knew!

As the events unfolded before us, I saw Bob out of the corner of my eye!  He was here - he was well - he was alive!  I was so happy, I cried!  We were together as a family as a major disaster unfolded before our very eyes.  Smoke and fire arose from the valley below us as the flood waters inundated electrical substations which caused all electricity to shut down and all communication to the area to cease.  No cell phones existed at this time- only landlines. There was an erie feeling in the air - apocalyptic would best describe it.  As far as we could tell, our home was probably gone - but we would not find out for sure until the next day!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKOVQDJEq5E
(More in weeks to come)

GETTING TO KNOW YOU . . . Bob Boice

Today I had a Stake Primary meeting to attend.  When I left dad/grandpa was sitting at the computer trying to figure out a new 'online' journal program called "JRNL" (I highly recommend this program).  I took a 'second' to help him with it and off I went to my meeting.  When I returned home 1.5 hours later, he was still sitting at the computer!  The following are the fruits of his labors.  I was tempted to edit his composition but decided to leave it as it is - raw and hot off the press (sizzle!!!):

I was born in St. Anthony, Idaho on October 23, 1944. The hospital was right on the Snake River where a Maverick gas station is now. I don't remember much about my birth but I am sure I put my Mom through a lot of pain. My parents were Elwin and Elda Hanks Boice. They decided to give me an "E" as a middle initial from the e in both of their names. I was their second child. Lawrence Fay was their first child and following me came Gwendolyn and Lenard. Of course I was the most beautiful child that they conceived. They were in Idaho because the war was on and Dad was 4F due to a shoulder injury and could not serve in the military. Mom had family in Idaho and as soon as I was born I went to a small home in Parker, Idaho. Dad had work in the potato industry but after six months they decided to move to sunny California.

The first home I remember was in East Los Angeles I think off of Olympic Blvd. We were in Belvedere Ward. I don't have many memories of my life from birth to five years old. I think we moved to Montebello then but I am not sure when exactly. We moved into a new home across from an orange orchard. It was probably 900 sq. ft. at he most. It had 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, kitchen and living room. I remember when it rained hard we had to put sandbags around to prevent flooding. This house was located at 1111 So. Montebello Blvd. , Montebello, California. I can remember Dad had three jobs while I was growing up. He managed a Shell gas station and had a battle with the corporation to not stay open on Sundays. The next job I remember was with Jones & Laughlin Steel. I am not even sure what he did with them. The last job he had was with Montebello School district as a bus driver. He really loved that job. Dad really loved his parents and we would go to Pasadena very often to visit his Mom and sister Melba Kunz. Larry and I would go out and mess around with Uncle Fays trucks that he used in his business. He was very successful and had a beautiful home. I think he helped Mom and Dad with money from time to time. We would visit other members of Dads family from time to time usually on Sundays. Mom had Uncle Had the banker and Sid a brother in Monrovia. Unlike today we visited relatives quite a bit and enjoyed it. Mom worked as a teachers aide for some special education students.

 I can remember we didn't have much money for anything. The only money I can remember was Mom crying in the kitchen one day and saying Dad only made $400 a month. I can remember one Christmas getting a pair of pants and a t shirt and that was it. I remember Mom having horrible asthma and having a puffer but gasping for air to the point I thought she would die. Mom was a great budgeter. She was faithful at keeping a budget and stretching a dollar. She always made sure the tithing got paid first. She sure helped me learn to budget my money. Dad fought a smoking addiction. He would quit for a while but then we would catch him by our house at a cafe that had pinball machines. Mom would get mad because we didn't have money and he was blowing it on those machines and smokes. Dad never smoked where we could see him and that created problems because he was always nervous hiding his habit. He worked very hard but as I look back on it I am not sure what skills he had. I enjoyed elementary school and had a very good neighborhood friend Ben Richardson. He was like a brother and we did have fun growing up together. I remember we raised rabbits and would slaughter them for Sunday dinner. We thought they were chicken. We had avocado trees and would hit the rabbits behind the head and then tie them up in the tree to butcher them. We never went without anything but I can never remember going out to eat or going on vacation other than to Barton Flats and camping with friends. I can remember camping and Dad would come up later because he had to work. We always had a great time at Barton Flats. My friend was Rick Gerber and Leon Hill.

We went to Greenwood Elementary school. We lived close enough that we could walk to school. We crossed Washington blvd. and it was a major highway. I can remember getting sent to the principal once but can't remember for what. I can remember having fun at recess playing different sports. I then went to Montebello Jr. High. Mr Collins was principal. Why I can remember his name I will never know. I was never in trouble because I didn't want to go home and tell Mom what happened. I can only remember one time that my Dad spanked me with a belt. I can never remember my Mom spanking me. She was a very positive influence in the home. We always went to church and were raised in a God fearing home. I just remember Dad being tired from work and can not remember him doing many activities with me. Mom taught us the gospel in the home not with books but by example.

I remember working at an early age. I had a job fixing the baseball diamonds at Greenwood and can remember getting in trouble tearing a kids shirt because he was scuffing up my field after I had it in perfect shape. I remember playing church softball with teams and doing quite well. I remember playing little league baseball on the Dodgers but would not play on Sunday and didn't do real good because I kept getting hit with the pitch. I also worked in a furniture refinishing plant when I was 14. I had to ride my bike to work and I think it was about 5 miles one way. I also had a paper route when I was very young and did quite well. One day I was collecting my money and a Mexican kid pulled a knife and took my money and made me give him a ride on my bike. We lived by some gang areas and we rarely even drove into them in a car. I kept the paper route into High school. I went to Montebello Hi school. I remember I looked good in Sunday clothes because we would get hand me downs from my cousins the Fullers that lived in Glendale. Paul and Ruby that had the house in Parker also. We never had too good of clothes and I remember one kid in Jr Hi (Lawrence) telling me I stink. I was a good sized kid and can't remember getting bullied in school and for the most part had a good experience. I had very good attendance always only missing if I was deathly ill and that didn't happen very often. I remember in Jr.Hi working hard on spelling and to this day it has helped.

I think entries like this really help you to know a person a little more and what makes them who they are!  Hope you enjoyed this and there will more to come.

Love you all . . . Mom

A THOUGHT FROM DAD/GRANDPA BOB

GRANDPA wanted to share this with everyone especially all the GRANDKIDOS:

LET'S DO THIS!

Hi F. A.M.I.L.Y. . . . 

THIS HAS BEEN ON MY "TO DO LIST" FOR SOME TIME NOW . . . no more excuses . . . "LET'S DO THIS!"

Who's with me . . . let's get this MY FAMILY CHRONICLES going again.  I know MOST of you have about all you can handle in the day-to-day happenings but let's give it a try anyway.  

I, MomBoice will take on most of the work in updating you on what's happening in our family but will hope, from time to time, you each can submit something about your family and what's going on with them.  Our family is growing and moving further and further away with work and school - let's make the "world" a little smaller by having a place to gather and read what's going on.

Let me know your thoughts but, I was thinking I could share:

• Instagram posts
• Facebook posts
• Select text messages
• Select email messages
• Phone conversations
• Pictures
• (((all with permission)))

THEN, at the end of each year, we will print the blog into a book that each family can purchase.

I hope you're all on board with this and hope to hear some of your comments (below).