An Extraction..Of Valuable Minerals!

Wednesday night, Jamie and I took a couple of the Young Men from church out to where Jamie works- OCI, for a mine tour.Our Wyoming operation has been among the world's leading producers of high quality soda ash.Soda ash is the trade name for sodium carbonate, a chemical refined from the mineral trona or sodium-carbonate-bearing brine's (both referred to as "natural soda ash") or manufactured from one of several chemical processes (referred to as "synthetic soda ash"). It is an essential raw material in glass, chemicals, detergents, and other important industrial products...ANYWAYS.........it was a great experience for all of us! When we first got there, we had a little training session with Dennis Brady. I have always been a bit nervous of the thought of having my most loved one go underground...in such a "potentially" dangerous environment. Having this training made it a bit worse..as we neared the time for us to go underground, my nerves calmed.I asked how Daniel, and Cody were feeling about going 850 feet underground, and beneath the Green River..they said they were calm... Jamie and Dennis brought us our equipment. Hard hat, ear plugs, miner light, belt, carbon monoxide converter. We were good to go. Down the shaft we went....We could see our destination 850 feet below us.Once we got down...I wasn't nervous at all! I felt like I was just in a tunnel. The thought of being that far underground had no effect on me. We walked around until we came upon one of the work trucks. We all hopped in the back, and Dennis drove us around. He first showed us a barricade room. The miners use this as a last resort if there is an incident and there is absolutely no way out. We went in...and he shut the door. The rooms are pretty big, they can hold quite a bit of people. In the room there was a big long dining table..a bunch of bottled water, a place to go to the bathroom. And two telephones. He had us turn off our miner lights- we were able to see what PITCH BLACK really looked like....it was insane! You can only imagine what it would be like..It was so dark it through off my equilibrium! After that we drove around some more,until we came across a few miners. They took us to the "face" where the actual digging was happening..I knew they would take us to the actual place of digging...but I had no idea what was about to happen. They actually MINED right there in front of us!! 30 feet away they were digging into the face...it was amazing! They have this machine..its called a "miner' it can be operated my remote control as well as a human. It is a 2 million dollar piece of equipment. And OCI has six! That is a mad amount of money! One of the men got on the miner, and started it up...There are these absolutely HUGE drills on the front. He raised it up to the top, and pushed it about two feet into the wall of Trona, and pulled it down. It sucks in the Trona, and spits it out the back into a loader, which once is full goes and dumps the Trona and returns for repeated loads. OCI digs about 300 feet a day.OCI takes pride in their safety. They are the safest mine to work in. That is the only thing that has kept me sane about the thought of Jamie working underground. As I was walking the halls in OCI I saw alot of trophies and plaques saying "FIRST PLACE" for safety...it really made me happy! I now feel comfortable and confident if my hubby were to ever go underground. I am glad that we had such an awesome opportunity to be able to see first hand-what goes into mining Trona,I totally recommend everyone to take a tour if ever possible! It's definitely a fun, and exciting time!

A Pirate's Life For Me!

So last Saturday we had a Pirate Party for our nephews- Tyler, Pax,Hunter and Kolter...and who can forget our niece,lil baby Zoe! It was awesome. Eric and Nicole brought the pinata, Sue made a mouthwatering meal consisting of BBQed chicken, Salmon, and such. We all dressed up as pirates, they all looked great. But Sue's costume had to take the cake! :O) Jamie and I's job was to make a treasure map-and setup a treasure hunt. We spent most of our afternoon shopping around with our friend Colby.He helped us find rub on tattoos, swords, and a magnifying glass for our map. We setup a plank outside Hector and Sue's, for the kids to walk across....they enjoyed it thoroughly! We led them outside the house, across the plank....and to a tree where we had the other half of the map stuck into a tree with a knife-the boys thought that-that was "oh so cool" We led them into the old school, where the treasure hunt began to get a bit scary for the younger boys. But they mustered up the courage to venture into "Black Beards Lair" We led them through a tiny crawl space-that most of the adults just went around-Nicole being pregnant...would have made it a wee bit difficult haha. At the end of the crawl space, we checked the map...the map led the kids to some stairs....and up those stairs and far to the back of the tiny musty room- there it was!!! The treasure...it was filled with pirate toys,and jewels,coins, and sports toys. Never have I seen them so excited...Hector however....decided that their were "pirates following us" One thing led to another...and Jamie and Hector lit some firecrackers in the room that we were in. The boys screamed!! And ran as fast as they could out of the room into the safety of their mothers arms!! Poor Ty was so upset that he was crying...and lil baby Zoe as well. So the boys made a decision...since Grandpa Hector scared them so bad...they decided to make him walk the plank!! How cute! The night ended with a pinata-which Kolty wanted to break open....evidently, Hunter ALWAYS busts it open. And he wanted to this time....well things didn't go as planned and Hunter accidentally broke it open before Kolty did....oh boy...was he not a happy camper! He soon settled down, and busted it the rest of the way...which made him once again content. The only thing missing at this Pirate Party was lil baby Carson! :O( We sure did miss having him with the family..as well as Travy and Crystal. Looks like we will just have to throw another party when they visit!!

Every Convert Is Precious.

I am a convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. As well as my brother Jake. My brother was converted January of 2008, and I April of 2004. I always had a feeling we would some how snag him! It amazes me how far he has come in life- it amazes me how well our lives have panned out.. Born and raised in Oregon, we grew up with two older brothers (James, and Jason). Our dad wasn't the best, and our mom wasn't the strongest to be able to leave him. Growing up was was a trial for us, we had to deal with the unimaginable..and it was a struggle, but we had some great neighbors. The Beers. I look back, and I think "What a funny name for an LDS family." Although back then, I had no idea...they were just my best friends, and always made me feel great. We loved going over there, Laurie always baked sweets, while we played games, and felt more at home there than anywhere else. Little did I know, that this family would have such a great impact on me- and my family. Life turned around for us when I was about five. My parents divorced, and eventually my mother remarried- to one of the most amazing men I know. And life was good. The Beer's moved away..to the other side of town...and our best friends weren't seen all that often. The years passed...and my brother was out of high school, and I was a Junior. I met a boy. And this boy was a member. I wanted to know what he knew..so I went to church with him. Never have I felt such warmth...such happiness...never have I felt so comfortable. My boyfriend at the time moved- back to Green River,Wyoming. I stayed in Oregon..continued to go to church..One day, I went to a different Ward...the Ward that I should have gone to according to where I lived(we moved a few years after the divorce-to the other side of town)..So I sat...and I looked around...and who did I see? The Beer's! I was nervous...Sure...my best friends from when I was younger did go to the same high school....and I saw them sometimes...you know how things go after the years...clicks organize...and so on.....After sacrament..I rushed up to them, and said hello. They were so surprised to see me there. They asked me who I was with, and told them I was by myself-and told them the rest of how it came to be that I was there that day. A month later...I decided to start having the discussions with the missionaries. My mom however....wasn't to keen on my actions...and wouldn't allow it. I told the Beer's of my issue...and they told me we could have the discussions at their house. There house was literally across a field from my parents property. I was flabbergasted at the fact that they were so close to me all these last few years. So off I went every week, to meet at the Beer's and have my discussions with the missionaries. Little did I know of all the trouble this was about to start. First off with my mother. She always had negative words to say towards me every night I left the house to go to the Beer's. My brother Jake...couldn't understand my feelings either- he had, had a bad experience with a past girlfriend who's family were members of the church-although they really had no concept of the word of wisdom-everything they did and said just confused my brother. So everything he gathered from his experience-was what he thought I was getting myself into. My friends at school began to despise me, and a few became greatly concerned for my well being-cause after all-they were taught that being LDS meant you were in a cult. So I had loved ones from every hemisphere in my life-going against me. Except my step dad :O) After months of investigating...I converted...it was awesome. But when I got home...apparently there was a new rule in the house- No Mormon's allowed..My mom had kicked me out of the house-because I was now LDS....and I wasn't even 18. Where was I to go??? It didn't last long...my dad talked some sense into her...It took years for her to come to peace with it..and actually be happy. I guess you could say that I made it easier for my brother..He met an incredible woman at work..Tantine..She was LDS. And Jake and her fell in love...and Jake still had struggles, and trials to overcome...We all thought he was lost...But Tantine...has so much patients,and she helped my brother become who is today...Jake turned his life around,and he finally married Tantine in January of 2008- two weeks after he was baptized into the Mormon Faith. I'm so thankful to have had the influence of the Church around me basically my whole life...most of the time without me even knowing it. I piece my life together-and it all just makes sense...how everything fell into place..and it strengthens my testimony to know that this Church is true. I see how much it has just helped my brother alone- and influenced him to be a completely different person, as well as myself. And for that..I am grateful.