Sun. March 5, 2017
Hi Kids,
Early letters--aren't we on the ball today! Shane, funny facebook about Calder. Derek, funny Layla. I asked Dad to put them in out "history" project in dropbox under funny things Grandkids say, since life is so busy at your stage of life.
Derek, you might not have stayed long enough at Qualtrics, before moving on, for it to become successful. And sometimes in a company, only the CEO is rich and not the employees. And you wonder if riches have spoiled the owner or his family-----it's a difficult trial (smile).
Chris, I downloaded your friends stuff, so it will help him. Nice of you to help someone move the other day. Glad you enjoyed your mountain experience. Be careful hiking alone--I know you invited Dad, and he loves to go when you do it here, but never wants to make the drive there. Medical terminology would be hard to memorize and learn! Glad Kim is enjoying it and the people she is in school with. Coworkers can make or break an experience, that's for sure. When I volunteered at Cottonwood hospital for 10 years, it was like that--a family--with the nurses and office personnel. Then my year at the new IMC, it just lost that feeling.
We won't be able to host our annual Easter party this year, as we will be arriving home from California that Sat. If one of you wanted to do it........... Though we might be home in time to attend.
Dad and I could never keep up with reading the Ensign through the years, until the past few years when we started listening to it during breakfast preparation and eating. Now we not only keep up, but have been going backwards and are now on 2008! One article in 2008 on Quentin L. Cook, when he was called to be an apostle, was very interesting--a great man. This part struck home, because of Shane:
Remembering an example of love demonstrated, the Cooks’ second son, Joe, recalls that his father was uneasy about Joe’s driving back to San Francisco after finishing his first-semester exams at Brigham Young University. It would be late December, the roads might be snowbound, and he would be tired. At the end of the semester Joe answered a knock on the door of his dormitory to see his father standing there, having flown up from the Bay Area to be his son’s driving companion for the trip home. Joe says that was not only a powerful manifestation of his dad’s love for him but the talk time they had on the trip home—filled with discussions of various gospel principles and repeated testimonies of the Savior—became one of the truly formative moments in young Joe’s vision of what he wanted by way of testimony and for his own future fatherhood.
Shane is flying up to spend a few days with us, helping us in the house and yard with our needs. He is bring Adria for some special father-daughter time and grandparent time with her. Alicia brought Rella in the Fall. He timed his trip also because he knew we were nervous about not knowing what to do and where to go at the airport and what is not legal to pack, like our guns, etc. We planned our trip for when the kids are out of school for spring break. He has made our reservations: below is our schedule:
- Flights are booked!
- Adria and I will take an Uber from the airport to your house, we should be at your house around 8:45 pm on Thurs, Apr 6.
- We four will fly out together on Mon, Apr 10 at 11:17am (we can take an Uber from your house to the airport).
- Then you and Dad will fly back on Sat, Apr 15 at 10:34am (we will of course take you to the airport). I'll arrange to have either Derek or Scott pick you up at the SLC airport and take you back home.
We are very excited!
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How was Rella's week-long campout with the 5th grade? She probably "had a ball" just as Adria did.
Too bad Callahan's team lost Fri.----but they did great to go as far as they did! Kadan said, "I didn't know what a good player he is!"
Kadan slept over at our house Fri. night, on his way to bus driving training in Logan. Family dinner at Blue Lemon by us, and drove on to Logan in the morning. He and I watched several episodes of "Travelers" on Netflix together in the evening.
Wish you could all be with us at Jen and Gray's today for our March Family party and Gray's world-famous barbecue! Thanks for your work in hosting! Dinner at Blackham's tomorrow. We will go to Smith's after my swim. They have green beans on sale, so I will get a bunch for tomorrow. I think I will mostly cook them here and bring them in a pan, just to reheat, which will be quicker. That worked well when I took some that way to Kim's. I will bake some Rhodes Rolls before we come.
I'm upstairs, away from the calendar, but I think our March birthdays are Jared, March 8 and Aaron, the 30th. Correct me if I am remembering wrong or forgot someone. Dad just got home from choir and I'd better get ready for church and get my Rhode's rolls raising!
love you all, Mom
March 7, 2017
Hi Kids,
Wendy and Chris asked where the refugees at Cottonwood High were from and I didn't know the answer until I asked on Sunday. Jane Metcalf said they are from 80 different countries!! A lot from several African countries, and Burma, Syria, Iran, Iraq, etc. Not many states have allowed refugees from Syria. At one point, I read, that Utah was one of 5. I looked on the internet and it showed a few more than that. In RS, they mentioned that pregnant women refugees are often sent to Utah because we are so family-oriented.
Sunday we had a great time eating yummy barbecue and visiting at Jen and Gray's. He sent us all home with his good meat and Danielle brought yummy eclairs! Kim's baked beans were great also. The weather Sunday was 60 degrees---------then it was snowing when we left the party! Quite a change!
The piano guy, Steve Nelson's 6-year old boy Maxwell bore his testimony Sunday. Then his dad did and told this exchange he overheard: Max and his friend Cruz were seated at the kitchen table, coloring, and Max said: "Cruz, I know you don't go to church, and that's okay." He went and got one of his dad's Book of Mormon copies that his dad gives out. He gave it to Cruz and said: "This book is about Jesus. And you can read it anywhere. You can read it at the table. You can read it in your house. You can even read it outside!" There were about 5 young children who bore their testimonies with such ease. It reminded me of when our Home Teachers were here and we had this discussion. Gaylen Zentner's sons Jeff (one year younger than Shane and went to the same mission, and slept on the dirt floor of the same house) and his son Adam (one year younger than Derek) are both attorneys. Jeff is Assistant General Attorney in Tennessee and Adam is Assistant General Attorney in Kansas. I told Gaylen they seemed young to have those jobs. Gaylen said that his boys said they see lots of attorneys in court and that most are not very articulate. He said his boys felt they had moved ahead in their careers because of their upbringing in the church, where they give talks and testimonies from an early age and develop leadership skills, and learn to be articulate and not afraid to be speakers, etc. And serve missions and develop and learn through that.
The Piano Guy's wife Julie is our choir director, so Dad goes to their house each Sunday morning at 9 for choir practice. We're glad they moved it to morning before Church. Julie is into holistic medicine and herbs and is now going into holistic health coaching. She sent out a blurb about it in the neighborhood newsletter.
Dad and I watched the Big Friendly Giant movie, from the library, Sat. night and enjoyed it. I'd heard it was a good kid movie that adults could enjoy also.
Wendy, we are sorry that Janika is hurting over the breakup---those experiences are very painful. Difficult decisions to make with your lot.
I bought something on Amazon today----it was the first time they added taxes. I had ordered several times in 2017. I wondered if it had to pass the legislature first, who recently met.
Jared's 17th birthday tomorrow and Aaron's 17th birthday on March 30.
My short reply ended up long............
love, Mom
Mon. March 20, 2017
Hi Kids,
Happy wedding anniversary to Scott and Amy today! And it is also Nelva's birthday and wedding anniversary today.
I enjoyed reading your fun letters about your very busy lives! Alicia: Reading about Rella's girl scouts reminds me of our girls' years in girl scouts. Their leader was Sue Kelly----which is where we got the idea to name our baby Kellie Sue! The bomb game sounds kind of like a TV show, where if the big bomb explodes, it sprays pudding or different gunk all over the participants (who wear protective clothing).
Shane, for your talk, did you check out my Duty topic on my website: Duty Now that Chris & I are mainly done with the website (except for always adding new content and making the quotes large and printable---and we will put them under the various topics also), let me know if you find errors or problems for me to correct. Dad hasn't proofread everything yet, so we are still correcting some things. I want it to be as helpful and perfect as possible. Let me know of good talks, etc. to add.
Wendy, sorry we missed your call last night. We went to Chris & Kim's for dinner and took a carload of clothes for them to go through--thanks to Jeni. I felt bad that we accidentally left home the big pan of fresh rolls I had just baked! Even though I had a list of stuff to take. I crossed it off thinking LaMar had already loaded them in the car. I mentioned to Kadan to line Janika up to help her get over the breakup----he said, a bunch of boys were already waiting to take her out and were glad she was available again!!!
We might need a new roof before too long---people say about $30,000 in our neighborhood!! Ouch! Wendy, you mentioned having "the talk" with Jenna, and Cayson and Josh going to their "maturation" programs at school. I had been listening to "How to teach your children about sex and intimacy in marriage" (2 cds) by Laura Brotherson and thought it was good. More for parents on how to teach the right attitudes-----not that sex is "bad" and then suddenly good. That it is a beautiful thing saved for marriage. Like driving is not "bad," but you have to wait until you are 16. You just have to wait for some good things and that makes them even better. I think you would like the cds if they are at your library. I remember Laura Brotherson contacted you and Rick to be on her radio show one time or something, speaking on parenting or marriage. Another one (2 cds) is "Higher Ground" by Gary and Joy Lundberg. They are speaking to youth and their parents--it's fairly frank on sex, so not for Jenna's age. I listen to many many Cds, in the car and also to help me sleep at night, so if you know of good ones, pass them on. I run out of ideas. I do a lot of religion ones and self-help and Stephen Covey type, etc. Sometimes good novels. I keep meaning to mention the ones that I have liked, but forget to put them in my letters.
Sat. night we had dinner at Jen's, with Gray's good smoked meats---------and I remembered to take the rolls that night! Then back home to sleep. I often have trouble falling asleep, but lately sometimes my sleepless time is in the middle of the night. Last night I woke up at 2 or so and couldn't go back to sleep. So I took another gabapentin and played Word Streak with Pam for an hour, until we both ran out of tokens! I guess she couldn't sleep either as her games were arriving and we played back and forth in real-time! I got back to sleep about 4 a.m. and slept in late!
We are going to dinner Fri. for Nelva's birthday. Have a good week--we got up to 79 deg. the other day, missing the March record of 80 deg. by 1 degree. Popcorn is popping on our apricot tree---hope no more freezes........................... Love, Mom
Hi Kids,
It was fun to see a big poster in the Church History Bldg. foyer and in the elevators advertising Derek's talk, when we arrived to our mission yesterday. After our shift, we walked over to the Joseph Smith Bldg. (I was glad to be able to sit down) and ate dinner at the Nauvoo Cafe. We had never eaten there before (soup and salad type place). We saw Elder Rasband there.
Then we walked over to the Museum. That was a long enough walk for me again---I wish I could walk further and be on my feet more. We toured the current museum exhibits until 6 when D & D & girls arrived, so Derek could set things up for his presentation. Danielle and the girls came early and visited Derek's new office on a different floor of the Church Office Building.
Danielle's parents came also. We all took the little girls around the fun play area and did the activities. They had a fun time there! Her parents didn't get to hear too much of Derek's talk, having to take the 2 littlest girls out and back to the play area.
Derek's presentation was very very interesting! It would make a great fireside for a ward or stake or one of the big Singles firesides. It lasts about 45 min. It is amazing all that the Church is doing to help the poor in countries around the world--most of which no one even knows about! And how they are partnering with and contributing to many other charitable organizations and churches that are helping also. Then opened it up for questions. I'm so glad we got to hear it!
It would be a good presentation for Ensign Club also. I'm not very good at estimating group size---was the audience about 50-60 maybe, Derek? Mostly missionaries. Then a member of the General RS Presidency spoke also for a few minutes (she has 13 children!)
Dad took the truck in for inspection. It passed, though they said the tires need replacing soon. Dad actually went to Mr. Mac's and bought a new suit (what---Dad shop for clothes!!) Ready for pickup this coming Monday.
Another good CD I listened to lately and put on my website is "Teaching Your Children to Fly: A Guide to Independence" by Merrilee Boyack. I read it years ago and I think gave it to our oldest 4 children. It tells what things to teach at what ages, but with a lot of humor also. At what ages they can learn to do the wash, cook, get gas, write checks, budget, etc., that prepares them for life, marriage, college, and missions---to be able to handle their own lives, pay bills, etc. by the time they are 18. She even has them call and make their own doctor and dentist appointments!
We are meeting my siblings at 4:30 for a birthday dinner for Nelva----a Chinese restaurant we haven't been to before, that Merrill and Lorrie like.
We've had so much rain---the grass will really green up, and the blossoms on all the trees are so pretty---and the flowers on temple square.
love, Mom
Mon. March 27, 2017
Hi Kids, Thanks for your letters.
Wendy, congratulate your kids on their performances, etc.---your life sounds crazy busy!!
We really enjoyed our evening with my siblings. The Chinese restaurant was good, Dragon Isle, and huge portions---wish Dad could eat my leftovers. Then we came back to our house. Arnold slept--he'd been skiing all day, and the other 5 of us played Progressive Rummy. Since Merrill and Lorrie live quite close, we really ought to get together with them more often for games.
Sat. night we were home, but I completely "spaced off" Women's Conf., so will have to listen online.
Sun. Craig and Joan Anderson spoke. When Craig spoke, he said that he had talked a bit to Joan about what he planned to talk about. He said that Joan said, "If I can just give you a bit of advice--don't try to be funny and don't try to sound intelligent--just be yourself." So Craig told the congregation, "So I am just being my not-very-smart and lacking in humor self." It was so funny. I thought she had really said that, but after I got home, I started thinking maybe it was just a joke he had heard somewhere.......... I don't know which.
Just an FYI: Dad has been clearing out a lot of duplicates in dropbox, so don't worry if you get a notification about a lot of files being deleted. He was trying to back up dropbox on an external hard drive, for safety, and would run into files where the name/path was too long---------that's when he found folders full of duplicates and started deleting them if they were elsewhere for sure, so that the backup would be successful.
Dale & Stephanie's 2nd daughter, Courtney, had her first baby on Fri., a baby boy. Little, just 5 lbs. 6 oz.
So much rain.........I'm sure many people are getting flooded. Jeni, how have your window wells been doing? When does Landon start his job at Discover?
Have a good week!
love, Mom
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