01/25/15 Things change but stay the same

1/25/2015

Lauren, Holly, Kenzie and Katie at the St. George temple

 How are things in Spokane? Is it super cold there? Marlee's mom called saying she was concerned that you were freezing up there and might need a better coat.  She says she has a size Large one from her son that served and would be happy to lend it to you.  I asked her to take a picture and have Marlee send it to you so you can see if it looks any better than the one you have.  I don't want to sd it up to you and then have you need to cart it around for 18 months and carry it home if it isn't going to be helpful!  So let me know.  If you think it will work we will arrange pickup and mailing.  It only takes 2 days to ship if I can fit it in a prepaid box.  

Katie and her basketball team

Which might present another problem.  I am kind of anticipating a transfer for you this week.  So I'm not sure if I should ship to mission home, your address, or just wait until you supply me with a new address.  Or maybe you'll stay and then it won't even matter!

Your 6 week BOM challenge seems pretty hard but I have an app that will read to me the BOM so I am going to try to listen and read and see if I can accomplish the whole things in 6 weeks.  I am on page 100 now so I have a slight jump start but still lots to go!  I figure if you can give up your whole life for 2 years surely I can try a little harder here too!  Thank you for being an inspiration to me.

Things have continued to be the same here.  We have a structure and rhythm to life and I think it's good!  The girls are busy with basketball and young women's, activity days and piano.  Holly is going to be in the talent show this week dancing with the Riley girls.  They are happy and doing the things they should.

Katie had a great week at basketball.  Her city rec game was tied with 10 seconds left.  Score 13-13.  She got fouled.  She gets to shoot 2.  She swishes both of them!!!!  The other team got the ball and ran down but missed their basket and the game ended!  She said she was so scared she was shaking!!  But she did it.  Yeah Katie!  Pretty cool!  

Defense!

The visitor's center is now playing the movie Meet the Mormons.  So this Friday Katie went to the temple (gma and pa were there) and me and Holly and the Riley twins went and watched the movie.  Worked out perfect timing wise.  Katie was just finishing up the same time we did.  It was an inspiring movie.  Made me want to be a better person and I was proud of my fellow Mormons!

Dad has been working like crazy with work (games Tues - Fri night and then wrestling match Saturday) and with his church job. He is the executive secretary again (so he totally knows what he is doing!! ) BUT he is going to have to call a LOT of people since our bishop has to call EVERYBODY in the ward to positions!  So far they have started extending the calls for all the presidents and I imagine this week they will call all the presidency's and then hopefully by next Sunday they'll have enough people in place for us to have a ward.

Our ward will meet on Sunday at 1 p.m. and the YM/YW will be Wednesday night at 7 p.m.  So maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to help out with YW again sometime.  I've been enjoying my calling in primary as pianist so maybe I'll stay there.  Who knows?!  Holly has one more year of primary so I'm hoping to either stay with her one more year or go with Katie.  I'd like to be where at least one of my kids is!! I don't feel like I get to see them enough when I work all the time and then have a calling that takes me away from them too.

No basket getting past Katie!

Anyway, things are changing but they are staying the same!  The church is true and the changes should help us to all learn and grow and maybe have to work harder and be better as there are less of us to do all the jobs that need done. I hope things will help us all to continue to want to grow and progress in church. I hope there are enough kids that the girls still enjoy their activities too. We'll see!  (next week)

Today is stake conference so we get 10-12 at the Stake Center.  It's good that we have this week to continue to organize our new ward!

A lil quote for you this week...

“Serve every day of your mission in such a way that when you get out of bed every morning, Satan says, ‘Oh no…HE’S AWAKE!’” Elder Keel—one of our Boston missionaries

Well I love you lots and am anxious to hear about how your week has been and what changes might be coming your way etc.  (Of course you may not know yet on Monday?!)  Well whatever happens know that we are praying for you, loving you, wishing you the best and happiest time of your life, so far.  And you are a great example to your brothers and sisters.  

Love you!!!

Raise your hands if you're sure.

mom

01/18/15 Official - 9th ward; Wendy's birthday and Zion's

1/18/2015

Well it's been a long busy Sunday.  But it's official.  We are now in the 9th ward.  Our ward only includes cotton meadows, hobble creek, the olsen's the long's the cloves.  That's about the boundaries of our ward.  Seems like it's gonna be kinda tiny really.  Sounds like we still have some YM and YW but in the case of the YW they are mostly Laurels.

Our new Bishop is Bishop Carnivale.  1st counselor Brother Harrison (Max's dad).  2nd counselor Jerry Clark (Chauntel's dad) and executive secretary Dad.  Clerk Quinn Allgood.  

The other ward has Bishop Black, Barry Blake as 1st counselor.  Can't remember who else.

Brother Betenson is the new Bishop of the 8th ward.

There is a new 7th ward too.  They pretty much took our ward and split it up 3 or 4 ways.  

I think the 7th Ward Bishop is Bishop Spriggs.

Yup, changes EVERYWHERE!

Otherwise a pretty usual week for us.  

THe girls did the PVHS basketball camp this week.  Three days of playing 1.5 hours per day.  They also did all their other activities.  Katie loved it.  Holly was luke warm with it.  She is actually really good at blocking and seems to really help out her team but she seems like she'd rather not be bothered.  Funny girl.  

Monday night last week Dickie's and Gma and Pa and Eldon came over for Wendy's birthday celebration.  We had pizza before everyone came and then had ice cream cake.  There was a championship game on so the guys watched football and the kids played in Holly's room and we all just hung out.

Tomorrow we are planning a hike to Zion because of the holiday.  Gma and pa came down with a bad cold so hopefully they'll feel better and go too but not sure.  They cancelled dinner tonight because they didn't want to get us all sick.  Poor grandparents!!!  

I hope everything is going good in Spokane.  We love you and miss you!!!  

Little spiritual thought from Amanda Whitney...

My parents are wonderful! In this post I want to share one of the life lessons my dad taught me, that he probably didn't know he taught me.

As a teenager, I would go hunting with my dad. I had my own tag and Dad was my guide. He would occasionally select a location to drop me off, on my own, and instruct me to hike in a specific direction, with the plan to meet at another location. Although I was becoming more familiar with the regions we were hunting, my sense of direction didn't quite match my sense of confidence. There were times that I ended up in a completely different area than planned. Thankfully though, I was never lost because of one specific instruction I received from Dad. He taught that if I ever came to a road, NEVER CROSS IT. Dad knew the region well enough to know what roads I would be between and where he could look for me if needed. If I had ever crossed a road, it would have been much more difficult for him to find me.

Not only was this great advice during our time hunting together, but it has been a spiritual blessing for me as well. By following our Heavenly Father’s plan and never crossing the road of temptation, we are within reach of His protection, comfort and guidance.

Have you ever experienced the blessings that come from choosing not to cross the road of temptation?

 

Great happiness follows the choice to obey the commandments of Heavenly Father. I know it does!

-Amanda

Well I'm sure there will be lots more changes in the coming days for you and for us.  We'll keep you posted!  Love you lots! mom.

01/11/15 Uncle Marv dies, New ward boundries

1/11/2015

Another busy week behind us.  Piano lessons and basketball practice and games have started up again for the girls.  

Dad's been super busy working girls and boys games about 4 nights of the week.

Uncle Marvin (mom's little brother) died this week from colon cancer.  He's the second sibling to die and the second to die of colon cancer.  (Uncle Lee died about 10 years ago).  Sad.  He was just 66 years old.  He is the one from Wyoming that we only see at reunions.  

Grandma and Grandpa traveled all the way up to Wyoming in January.  The temperature was like 3 degrees with a windchill of -11.  They were fortunate that no storms came during their quick weekend up there.  All of Grandm'a bro and sis' made it and quite a lot of their kids too.  We didn't.  Dad was working until far too late to make the 10 hour trip up there. They will be home tonight or tomorrow as they make their way back.  They flew up to SLC and then drove with Uncle Don but they may drive back with Aunt Wendy because the flight was a major hassle (delays or something, haven't heard the whole story yet).

Dallas is a couple weeks in on his new job and seems to be enjoying it so far.  They diagnose what is wrong with the vehicle and then tell him to fix it.  He says he sometimes takes longer than he should and asks stupid questions (his words, not mine) but he is trying and he seems to be liking it and excited about it.

Holly is getting ready for some talent show coming up soon.  Her and the twins will sing a song together.  I haven't heard it yet. They have been practicing at the Riley's.  

Katie had some friends over this week.  Was supposed to be 2 or 3.  Ended up being 5.  And with Katie and Holly there were 7 giggly loud girls from 6 - 9 p.m. Friday night.  Dallas said there was too much estrogen in the house and took off (he was working with dad anyway but he was really GLAD to be working with Dad!)

Yesterday Holly's team won by double the score of the other team in basketball...the 1st victory of the year for her!!! And Katie's team LOST about the same way.  But they've won a few so not sure why they were so bad yesterday.

Heading out to church right now.  I'll try to finish this a little later and add some photos.  

Love you!!!! Mom

So the very first thing the bishop did today at church was read a letter from the stake presidency announcing that we will have a special meeting next week to discuss our new ward boundaries.  Word on the street is that every ward in the stake is changing at least a little bit and there will be at least 1 new ward formed.  We'll know more next Sunday night.  Bishop Nelson and Bishop Stout are on their way out.  Changes, changes. Bishop Nelson told dad that one of the wards will have 52 new callings to make upon startup.  WOW!  He also said that if we haven't heard from the stake yet we are probably not on the hot seat for the first round (new bishop's already know who they are).  But the next couple of weeks there will be lots of changes taking place probably.

Gma and pa are stopping for dinner tonight.  They are coming from SL with Wendy (Wendy dropped Maddie up at Utah State University to go to school this weekend).  Today is Wendy's birthday and after dinner (Wendy is eating at Dickey's house) we'll have cake together for her birthday.

SO there you have it.  Things are good and busy here and who knows what we'll be doing in our new ward!  (I have it pretty good right now ... primary piano player and camp director)  With any luck I'll get to keep my jobs!  I doubt it though.  Doesn't usually work that way!

I hope things are going well for you there.  Looks like things are coming together for the change you are having this summer with your new mission president.  

Love you lots.  Have another great week! Love you!!!!! Mom