2nd Quarter 2013

Here I am, linking up again with the year end review. It has truly been an eventful year for our family!

In April the girls were part of the Cinderella ballet. Dancing is just so important to them, and I love watching them perform!  Princess got her driver's license and the kids had breakfast with the mayor, but I think my favorite post is the one about Baby Doll and how big she is getting.

We played a lot of baseball and softball in May. Curly, Scout, Sport, Taco, and Burrito were all on various teams and that kept me at the ballpark nearly every night! My gall bladder decided it was time to part company, so I had surgery the same day as preschool graduation for Curly and that kept me down for half the month. Bossy and Gamer had their truck stolen, and my sweetie and I attended my 30th high school reunion. But I think my favorite post was cashing in our prize and spending the day with Thomas the Tank Engine in Heber City. Curly and Baby Doll just loved it! Good times.

June was full of swimming lessons, the dance recital, and various scout activities including the Cubmobile race, the cookie party, and jewelry boxes. My favorite post was about Scout's softball team. Her coach was an awful lot like me. I sure hope she chooses Scout again next year!

I just love these link ups, but I have to tell you these trips down memory lane take me a LONG time!! Is it prideful to want to reread everything I have written?

I'm so grateful for blogs! There are so many of these stories and just little things that happen every day that would have been erased from my memory by now.

Thanks for sticking with me. You all are the reason I try to post regularly, one of the main reasons I remember to grab the camera when I go somewhere.

Thank you for helping me keep these memories of my family alive.

The Answer from Texas

Remember yesterday when I wrote a letter to Teach telling her all about Gamer's baptism? Well she responded today in an email and I thought you would like to hear what she had to say.

Teach's Charlie Brown Thanksgiving in Texas - Love this one!

We were planning a couple of weeks ago and we go through a 13 step process over the course of a three hour period on Thursday mornings to plan for all of our investigators, less active members, referrals etc. This is where we set our weekly goals and numbers to achieve for the week. This was probably mid-November and I remember looking at our list of investigators and the calendar as we were trying to set a goal for baptisms and baptism dates. I had this intense impression that December 14th was the day for a baptism. We set a goal to invite someone to be baptized. Shortly after that they dropped us and said they weren't interested. (THIS IS THE MOST COMMON FRUSTRATING THING FOR US RIGHT NOW) anyway... The day you told me that Gamer would be baptized that Saturday I was amazed that it corresponded so well! (: I also remember a couple of years ago on Dec 14th where I said to myself "this day will be significant..." and every year I wait for Dec 14th to be significant and each year it passed without event. This year. It brought a family together. Next year. It will be a sealed family. (: I am so excited for this. I am sad that I missed it but I am simply amazed that such a change could occur. (: 

And this is what she told her mission president:

I never anticipated such an amazing blessing for my family. I have often said things like, "I left my family for 18 months to help others families come together for eternity." But the Lord blessed my family to come together for eternity. This is a true game-changer for my family. I am so happy that I will be able to attend their temple sealing next year. This is why we do missionary work, President. This is why. It changes hearts and it changes lives. I know that only the Gospel of Jesus Christ could have softened the heart of (Gamer). This is a gospel of change. I wish I were there to witness, but I am so glad that I am where the Lord wants me to be. I know that this blessing came as an effect of my family's sacrifice in letting me serve a mission. I know this to be true. 

I am going to work harder in my area, because you never know who is out there. Who finally has reached the point to hear the gospel that has been restored to the earth by our loving Heavenly Father. Never give up on anyone. No is never the right answer.

 

Don't you think she is an amazing missionary?

The Most Incredible Weekend

Dear Teach,

I know you are on your LDS mission in Texas, far away from our home and family here in cold and snowy Utah, but I want to tell you about the incredible weekend we had! Not that you can read my blog, I know that's against the rules, but when I am finished with this letter I will copy it over to your email so you can read it first thing in the morning when the library opens.

It's happened, Teach, the thing we have been praying for all through the last 9 almost 10 years... Gamer was finally baptized into our church!!! I have to admit to being on pins and needles right up to the moment Grandpa ducked him into the water (twice! his elbow came up the first time). There were so many people at the church! The chapel was mostly filled. Bossy and Gamer have so many friends and other people who care about them.

Our Home Teacher, Bob, Taco, and Gamer on his Baptism Day

Gamer had many of the kids participate in the program. Fajita was the chorister, Crafty said the opening prayer. Princess and Prima Donna did talks as did Taco and Burrito. All the girls formed their own little ensemble and played Nearer My God to Thee. There was a little confusion on the closing song...the guys up on the stand got off a verse and started singing verse 4 of How Great Thou Art while the rest of the congregation was singing the third verse. I guess they figured it out when we started the 4th verse.

The Dog Walker said the closing prayer and Dad was a witness. After chowing down on lots of treats and goodies (many made by Princess), we cleaned up and left for Sport's basketball game. After that Dad took me to The Forgotten Carols. It was our own Christmas date that started with dinner at the Japanese place, then the performance, and ice cream at Culver's afterward.

Sunday was the confirmation and we attended our sacrament meeting first, then headed to Bossy and Gamer's church. Dad confirmed Gamer a member of the church and then gave him a beautiful blessing! He said it was the family history work and his ancestors in heaven. Oh Teach, I never really believed this day would come! We are all so happy for them!

Then after the sacrament, you'll never believe this one, they called Gamer up to bare his testimony! He walked right up there and I heard the most beautiful things fall from his lips, things like "I just felt so calm and peaceful," and "I have a strong testimony of Thomas S. Monson!" "I know the gospel is true!" It was so amazing. He got all choked up and Bossy was sitting next to me and her tears were flowing... I wish you could have been there.

I can see now how it feels for you when you love someone into the church. Just watching him accept baptism and embrace the concept of eternal families has changed him, Teach. He is so calm and happy.

I miss you! Be safe and work hard,

Love,
Mom

The Snow Village

Have I ever told you about my Snow Village? I haven't had it up for a couple of years because Baby Doll was so little, but she is a big girl now, so Bossy spent a couple of hours today setting it up for me. We got the first pieces when we were selling Tupperware 25 years ago. It was our first Christmas with the company as managers and we attended the Christmas rally.

As Top New Manager in Recruiting and #4 in Sales, we were pretty excited for such a great year! They handed me a large wrapped gift which I immediately dropped on the floor. A collective gasp rose from the crowd. I picked up the box and tore open the paper. It was the first Snow Village I had ever seen. I was so grateful that they were packed so well because it did not break.

We received two that year and two small cars. That was the beginning.

Over the next few years, we earned at least one new piece every year. To build our collection, my sweetie would take me to Modern Display over the Thanksgiving weekend and buy me another house and a small piece. That tradition continued even after we were no longer selling Tupperware. Then about 7 or 8 years ago I told my sweetie that we weren't going to add any more pieces to our collection. Our village is big enough. It already takes up a huge amount of space.

But my friends, Robert and Marti, had a collection you would not believe! They had risers and ramps and pretty much a whole room dedicated to just their Snow Villages at Christmas time.

I think I would rather have wall-to-wall kids...