Letter from Josh 29 June 2009

Hey Everybody, So we got transfer news on monday, elder molotsi and i are staying, but elder bangani is leaving arusha. it is wierd to not have him here. since my first day on mission he has been around. When i was in Rongai, he was in my district, so i saw him a few times a week. then we bothcame to arusha at the same time, and we see the other elders everyday here because of english class, ddm, church, and coralation meetings. So i knew him pretty well. He goes home in 2 transfers though so i he wouldnt be around for too much longer anyways. We had a baptism yesterday though. fredrick buhati budabya. if there is one thing i hate here it is trying to find out peoples full names and their parents full names, and peoples birth dates. we need all of that to fill in the baptismal record, but it is almost impossible to get. even when you try to get legal documents to see their name and birth date it is confusing. you will look at their passport and it says one thing, then their birth certificat says another, and their drivers liscence is once again completely different. and the way you get your last name is different in every tribe, which adds to the mess because there are 120 different tribes in tanzania and then a seperate 40 in kenya. its rediculous. i honestly dont think the temple work will every be finished for Africa because you will never be able to get the information you need for the ead people, i mean, it is hard enough to get it for the ones that are alive and in front of you. the baptism went well though, he is a great kid and wants to serve a mission and will be a great addition to the branch.this week should be really good. our weeks just get more and more full since elder molotsi came, i dont know how it is even possible to be more full here. maybe if we had bikes and could get to peoples places faster we could fit one more apointment in each day, but even that is stretching it because of the slow life style these people live and how forty five minutes late is right on time to them.so i guess michael jackson died this week, i am sure you all know that, especially after seeing moms blog, i just thought it wasfunny how big of a deal it was even way out here in africa. front page of the newspaper, on all the radio stations, and most of the tv channels devoted a day to just playing his mucsic videos. and people are more mad cause i guess he was working on a new album. Then at church our branch president was giving a lesson on the word of wisdom and included the part of section 88 that talks about the whole early to bed early to rise thing. he turned the whole lesson into a michael jackson theme with all of the crazy stuff he has done. during part of the lesson he said that one of the contributing factors to his death was that he was working so hard on his up-coming tour that he wasnt getting enough rest. then he gave us some of the best advice ever, he said "dont be like michael jackson, dont work to hard or dance to much or take bad things into your body, or add bad things on to your body, like all the plastic michael had." all of us missionarys started laughing, which was quickly stopped as everybody stared at us because they thought it was an excelent point and that we should not laugh at michael jackson. that justmade us laugh harder when we were talking aout it later. anyways, i hope you are all doing well, i love you all! have a great week.Love,Elder Harris

Richard is home from South Africa XXOOXX

Okay...so Richard arrived at the airport last night at 10pm, was released and spoke to High Council at 8am this morning and then spoke at our 9am Sacrament meeting!!! Pooooooor BOY! We had our welcome home lunch at Bean's right after and you can tell he feels overwhelmed...I would have wished him another week home before all the hoopla...but no going back now. He has a bit of an accent and we love to hear him talk. It made me miss you like crazy Josh. You will have been gone 34 weeks Tuesday. I swore I wasn't going to count this time but I can't help it...I just DO and I just KNOW...
You can see that it's been a full week...and this week will be as well with Jeremy's move to Logan and the 4th of July coming up.
Spencer and Sam both play in a golf tournament tomorrow at Cascade. Dad will be home all week. Megan is officially back at her condo and being social with OTHERS. ;) Michael is working and playing full time. He still thinks he need more of a social life. Today at Richards welcome home lunch Dad looked around at all the great girls there and said "well, this is a target rich event for Michael." I laughed.
Sister Nauman gave a GREAT lesson in sharing time today. She had the kids sit at her feet ---she said that if they would be very still she would make raisins dance all by themselves in this glass without her touching it. They go quiet FAST. She first poured water in the cup, then baking soda, then the raisins, then the vinegar....and the vinegar reacted with the other stuff and made the raisins go to the top of the glass and then the air bubbles would pop and they would fall back down making it looked like they were dancing. Then she talked about Alma 32 and experimenting on the WORD of GOD . And that if you wanted to have faith you had to do your OWN experiment...but first, you had to get quiet in your mind and heart, then you had to WANT
to have faith, then you needed to read your scriptures so you could come to know him, then finally the experiment ends when you pray and you can FEEL the raisins/faith dancing in your heart. SO GOOD. SHORT and SWEET... a good reminder to us all. I especially liked the getting quiet part...
I have 2 new clients and I am excited to get going with them this week. I also want to finish up some unfinished quilts and read my new book and lay in the sun for a bit and watch the boys golf....and I can't WAIT to get my e-mail from you. You oK?
Diana told me at church today that she LOVED getting her note from you...you are such a GOOD thoughtful son...THANK YOU!!!
I love you. I love you more than sunshine after a weeks rain, I love you more than losing 10 pounds in a week, I love you more than hot krispy kremes when I haven't had them for months....I love you MORE and MORE and MORE....
Mom XXXOOOOXXXOOOOOXXXOOOOXXXX

Jeremy Graduates...official DOCTOR now...

It 's been such a LONG road...it's hard to believe that he is REALLY DONE!!! But he IS!!! We went to the graduation of DOCTOR JEREMY Broadhurst Friday night at the Garden Room at Thanksgiving Point. It was beautiful!!! With yummy food and not so bad speakers. I loved going because I LOVE HIM but also because I KNEW my mom would be there and that she wouldn't miss it for the world...

I decided to go ahead and put in this 2nd photo since it reeks of Jeremy's humor...they made all the graduating residents get together and take a formal picture of their group and then they each brough something that represented them and their naked truth:) Gotta love it! The female Doctor is pregnant here!

Graham and Daddy had matchinig "hawk" hair do's...SO AMAZING just to have Graham with us...to everyone there especially since they lived through the pain and worry of the unknown in there profession first hand through this little guy they all love.

Now the sad part...they are off to Logan...2 hours away from me this Wednesday....argh!!!

Whitney OFFICIAL update

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Whitney Merrifield, Miss Utah County, has been crowned Miss Utah 2009. Merrifield's platform is "Be the Change Utah - Creating Unity and Breaking Stereotypes." She also will serve as the official spokeswoman for the state Child Protection Registry, which is designed to protect families from adult-oriented material. Merrifield is a Brigham Young University student working toward a degree in communications. She hopes to become a broadcast journalist. Merrifield was crowned on Saturday and wins a $10,000 scholarship. She now goes on to the Miss America Pageant.

Sapphire Sistas Reunite in Lindon

Paul --Father of the year--brought Annie and Katie down for 2 days to hang with Tessa and Savannah...they are still singing and yep...still wearing the Tiarra's!! They took this picture special just for you Josh.

And then there's Sam who is pulling "JOSH" and London ---one of his best friends who I would adopt as mine own if I could..but he's SO adorable his mom would never go for that....

Cherries Cherries and more Cherries!!!!

I tried to get a picture of how heavily cherried our tree is this year...the birds are in heaven and making a racket as they gorge themselves. I am sad I didn't spray...some of them have worms...more protein right?

Sam the Super Scout

Jim Peters, Ben Platt and Don Harline are helping the boys build their own Kayaks for their Scout Summer River Trip...pretty darn impressive!! What great men! And as always Ron Torgerson--Mr. Generous, donated the wood so it is only costing them $50 a piece! I will take a picture of the final project...but this is Sam SO excited to get the first part of the fiberglass on. (Also eating his new fav--99cent crispy bean burrito from Taco Time)I think they are making 8 total.

Wierd day in the Universe

All 3 died yesterday...and Kori's Dad--Sterling was operated on to figure out what was causing his internal bleeding when they discovered he was FILLED with Cancer and just sewed him back up...he doesn't have very long... ugh... pretty strange, I woke "feeling" SOMETHING amiss and then the news kept filtering in through the day. Just this last year Micael Jackson's greatest hits have become one of my favorite running CD's. And Farrah was the Goddess NO ONE could ever compare to...I had her haircut in 9th grade....and ED...I have thought of him often as he would always laugh so hard at Johnny's jokes--just like Don with Shayne. I am getting to the age where more and more people I know are leaving....and life just keeps going on....

My Sister ---The BEAUTIFUL...

The pictures say it all...this is my sister Sheri and her husband...Taken by my sister in law Jeremi who is a BRILLANT photographer!!!

TOP of UTAH

Finally decided for sure which Marathon I will run this year...got the calendar circled--SEPTEMBER 19 2009-- started the eating smarts yesterday, mapped my runs on the calendar...Megan and Don have decided to do it with me, but they will walk it. Jeremy and Kori will be all nice and settled in Logan --with Preston and Jeremi there too! --so there should be some pretty decent celebrating when it's all over. 12 weeks and counting...

Bustin' our Buttons!!!

Jeremy was featured in the Logan paper to anounce his "arrival"....SO PROUD of that boy!!!!
I can't STAND the thought of them being that far away...but so happy for their happiness and good works. It was a LONG HARD ROAD. You made it through buddy!!! (AND Kori! XXOOXX)
His official graduation is Friday at Thanksgiving Point. Mom will be there for sure. So will I.

Letter FROM Josh 22 June 2009

Hey Family! Happy Fathers day Dad! to be honest i didnt even know that it was fathers day until our last apointment last night when somebody asked us if we had talked to our dads at all. we said no and asked why, and then they told us it was fathers day. But, that means that i have known probably since the time you were all in church and i was able to think about you for all of your day time hours. I love you dad.Anyways, the week went super quick, i am honestly trying to figure out how it is monday again. We get transfer news tonight, they changed it, we used to get it on saturday night so that we could say goodbye to everybody on sunday. but i guess president feels that it somehow made the work inefective when we got the news on saturday. i honestly dont see how it would make the work more inefective when monday is p-day anyways and so sunday is the only day that it could possibly mess up and about 3/4 of sunday is spent either at church or in church type meetings with the branch mission leadeer and etc. And this way we dont have time to say goodbye to anybody, but whatever he says goes so theres not a whole lot i can do about it. i dont think i am going anywhere or that i will get a new companion because pres doesnt normally transfer the "trainer" until "training" is finished, which isnt till the end of the transfer that starts today, but if i do go, and i dont get to say goodbye to people i will be pist.Mom, i dont know why you are so scared to come to Africa, and i would like for you to come pick me up or for us to come back sometime after i am home like we did with michael, and my current mission pres is ok with it, but i will have a new on by the end of my time here, so i dont know about him. i promise you will like it, and i think it will help you to realize that i am not living like a cave-man or anything, the cow blood was a one time thing, and you wont have to go through that either, however i could arrange it for anyone that wanted to try.We re-drew the boundaries for our area this week, and within one day of tracting in one of the places we "inherited" we have 6 new people to teach. i dont know why the other elders werent working there before, but it is good for us now i guess. i am excited to meet with them this week and see if they really are interested or if they were just being nice.I love you all! hope Zach Hulsey feels better, and that everybody at home stays well. have a great week!Love,Josh

Father's Day

Okay...so GrandDad B got sick and didn't come. Jeremy, Kori and kiddies came. We put that new raspberry chipolte sauce from Costco on top of the grilled chops and chicken and it was YUMMIFUL!!! Go get some if you haven't tried it!!! Just the right sweet and zing with the pepper on the meat....ummmm. After dinner we just dinked around until the boys decided to teach me how to play Poker...I realize that we will not be winning the most SPIRITUAL family in the state...but I wasn't going for that award anyway :). It was GREAT FUN and I did not post pictures 3, 4 and 5 of me taking the kiddie because I am vain and didn't like the way they looked...I could barely stand this one...but I wanted at least ONE to prove I was winning!!!! Spencer is pretty serious about his Texas Hold em'. Michael missed out because he went to his Single's ward prayer (by the way...SO GOOD to have him HOME--he already has another job!) and then Michael brought home many friends to have a fire out at the swings which kind of ruined my getting in the hot tub---cuz I don't really want to go out there with all those 20 year olds watching from up top....

Josh--Sam tried to smile SPECIAL for you.

Dad leaves to Peru for the week in the morning. Spencer gets to go to Lake Powell with John Bennett and 3 other friends on their house boat time share--yep-we are jealous. Megan has offically moved back into her apartment. Michael is trying to tolerate us while he figures out WHERE he is moving to...lots of changes. Jeremy will head to Logan on the 1st :( .

Josh...Eloise Fugal, Jamie Sanders,--lots of people ask about you every Sunday. We aren't the only ones who miss you! Richard Bean comes home this Saturday...we will have "lunch" at Bean's next Sunday and I'll get some pictures. I'll also get you some pictures of the Kayak Sam is building in Scouts for their scout trip...they are working on the fiberglass part now--makes me think how much you and Greg would have liked that! They are building them in Ben Platt's shed.

How has your week been? How badly do you REALLY want me to come pick you up? You know me and traveling. I want to see you BAD..but I think I could miss out on the whole Africian experience...but you also know DAD and he thinks you will be SAD if I don't come...and he has wanted to go the second you got your call!!! Let me know your REAL TRUE thoughts!

Still raining! So bizarre for Utah! You wouldn't believe how GREEN everyting is...looks like ireland somewhat. I'm afraid for the fires that could go nuts with all the added fuel once we get back to normal and then are left with all that dead grass!

Did you cook anything great this week? How is your tummy? Any more problems with parasites?

i LOVE YOU...I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU!!!

I hope you can feel the energy of this hug there...and lots of neck kisses too! Just a few more hours until morning and your letter!!!

GrandDad Report

Just got off the Father's Day call with GrandDad...FINALLY he has given up the chain saw! He accidentally burned up the motor by putting in the wrong gas. I truly believe Grandmom or Mom did that FOR me!! So now he is going to try to find someone to help him cut it up and stack it in the garage. I tried to talk to him about just forgetting it and moving into town for winter but he's relentless. He DID say he is really hoping to sell the house and just be free of it. (yeah, right!)The grass cutting is getting more than he wants. He says it is taking him a few days to get it all done. Again, I told him to PAY someone.
The cute gal that sits outside his bathroom while he showers has convined him of the virtue of wearing that electronic device that lets others know if he is in trouble or fallen. That alone will be a HUGE relief to me. It should come this week.
He is still having loose bowel problems...he was messing his underware when he was here at christmas alot and denied it (But I was the one doing the wash---until I asked him and then he must have just thrown them out because he DID keep buying more) ANyway...tomorrow at the Doctor he is going to ask him if his Iron is causing it...Jeremy says its not...it's his 89 years that's causing it. So glad Dr. Donald gets to field that one. Keep praying for him...now you have a few more specifics. He really wants me to visit in July. Anyone wanna go to Canada? I am thinking September would be a better time just for the weather...

BODY TALK

This is my Body Talk Class!!! Such GREAT WOMEN!!! I LOVED learning/training with them! We all hope to certify before the end of the year. I'm going to try to give a SHORT explaination of WHAT Body Talk is: it is an energy healing modality with the premise that the body has an innate, inborn ability to heal itself on all levels. Poor health denotes an inbalance, or lack of synchronization. The practitioner consults the body's innate wisdon by means of biofeedback and helps determine which aspects of the body are poorly linked or undercommunicating...then helps it to resynchronize. Short but sweet...amazing things happen in these sessions.

Should have had Jeremi take pics of the slip n slide...but at least you can get an idea of the fun it was! That's Miss Audry coming down! Jeremi took some FANTASTIC pictures of Sheri and crew...how lucky are we to have our OWN personal photographer in the family!

Whitney Merrifield crowned Miss Utah 2009!!!!

Hey Lovey!! Look how GREAT!! (For those not in our family...Whitney and Josh were in Spanish Immersion 1st-6th grades together and great friends through High School). I tried to get a picture of her getting crowned and couldn't find one on the net...but everyone said she did just amazing on her piano talent number, and interview AND swimsuit...just makes me smile---couldn't have happend to a nicer girl!

Dave Chester has his mission papers in...we saw Shannon Kokerhans at Los Hermanos and she said to say Hi. (Darling Girl--I felt embarressed that I had no idea who she was but that SHE knew who I was!!!) It has rained for 2 weeks...they couldn't even have the 1/2 time show at the Rodeo last night because the mud was so thick!! Zach Hulsey got the swine flu at EFY(the swine flu has been a BIG deal here...you might not have heard of it there...they declared it a pandemic last week...not a big deal so much unless you are OLD or a baby...except for feeling sicker than a dying dog).

Letter FROM Josh 15 June 2009

Hello family! i hope you are all still having fun with each other, and i hope mike gets home safe. say hi to all of the little ones for me, especially Sheris kids, i havent seen them in forever, but i hope you all are having a great time.My week was pretty good. We set a baptismal date for one of our investigators (Freddy) for the 28. we are very excited for him. he actually voluntered to pass the sacrament the first week he came to church and we had to explain that he needed the priesthood first, he was a bit heartbroke at the time, but then when we met with him later that week we explained more and since then all he has wanted is to hold the priesthood and to be baptized. He is a really cool kid, his family isnt interested though. his grandpa is a pastor for a pentacostal church and his dad is one for a lutherin church. most of his family is fairly open religously and they dont have a problem with him joining us, but they "know Christ is their savior and dont need any one new to help them know that." We tried to teach the restoration to them but the dad and grandpa kept inturupting with all of these bogus questions that they didnt even agree on and then would argue between themselves for a bit, so we just said thanks for listening and excused ourselves since it was getting nowhere. mom wanted to know what else i cook. i tried empenadas one day but i made the dough recipe up myself, not bad, but i am going to get an empenada dough recipe before i make them again. but most nights we have a beef or vegetable stew with either rice, ugali (the boiled corn meal stuff), or chapaties (home made pita bread stuff). and about once a week we have spinich with ugali. and towards the end of the month we eat pap and milk (pap is the south african name for ugali but when you cook it for milk you leave it all crumbly and let it cool first). i am almost always the one that cooks. i would try more of the stuff from home but most nights there isnt time unless we want dinner at like ten or so, but i cant wait that long, and i dont have the patience to be cooking for that long.dad wanted to know what a typical day was like. so every tuesday and thursday we teach english from 11 to 12:30, wednesday we have district meeting from 10:30 to 12:30 and friday we have our weekly planning sessions. then have lunch (normally fruit and other food sold on the street). then have between 3 and four apointments. the only time we do tracting is if we get bounced, which is probably 1 or 2 of our apointments each day. then we get home between 6:30 and 7 (nobody likes to be visited after then, cause its dark and they dont like people coming over past dark, we have apointments then sometimes, but its not likely, and its almost always with recent converts or people that we have been teaching for a long time or that feel very close to us for whatever reason) and plan for the next day. then we cook and do whatever for the rest of the night, normally the cooking takes up most of that time because everything has to be made from scratch, they wouldnt even know what a "pre-mix" item was, and i dont think have seen microwave food here at all, but even if i do see it, we dont have a microwave, so it wouldnt help.as far as what it looks and sounds like and etc, youll just have to come and see for yourself sometime, cause i dont know how to describe it. but to help maybe think of arusha as a mini salt lake city. in the main town there are big buildings and paved roads, but not many people live there. once you get outside of the main city then its all residential. the residential is where it gets different from home, dirt roads tons of little side shops and etc. But you really just need to be here to actually know what its like.anyways, i love you guys, have a great time with everybody at the house! Love,Elder Harris

letter TO Josh 14 June 2009

Hey Joshy...I LOVE YOU!!! Pretty sure Dad already told you about the woman from Kenya we met at Temple Square today. She was sweet ---it helped me to be even more okay about you being there.
This will be short...the house is full and I love it. Michael is coming home tomorrow and I can't hide my excitement!!! I just want to remind ALL of my "60 minute to Momma" rule...I have now added a clause that states it starts as soon as your mission is over and not when married as previously written. So maybe the whole Utah State thing will have to be rethought... :) .
How is it being Senior Companion? I'v thought of you and how you hate to be in charge of others
Yes we knew about Stephanie the week before but NOT on the Mother's Day call...we thought it best to let her tell you...I just LOVE knowing that you will pick someone just as darling as her!!!
And I'll get another DAUGHTER !!! let it be known that yes Megan you will always remain supreme...but there will be close seconds I am sure...FOUR of them I hope!!!
Last week we were in Boise and this week at Temple Square so it feels wierd to have missed our ward for 2 Sunday's!!!
So impressed that you made Kori's french toast!!!! What else are you cooking for yourself?
Let us know when you get your package and if your cable works. I included another 2 gig card for your camera.
I love you. I love you more than milk loves cereal. I love you more than the sky loves it's stars...I love you more than a worm loves its dirt, I love you more than a teenager loves his texting...I just love you. Can't wait for morning!!! We will ALL get to read your letter together...(say something to the kids OK?) Dreaming of you until then....
Mom xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxooooooooooooooooxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
PS..forgot to upload the tooth incident...so here it is...unbelieveable...Isaac tying dental floss to his tooth and slamming the door and presto mundo...OUT!!!! STill can't believe he did it!!! Watch the second one first and then the top one...I just realized that we didn't get him actually DOING it...it must have gone longer than my camera would allow...but he did!!! I think you'll get a kick out of his door pushing....

Sheri and Gang are HERE!!!

FINALLY...after what seemed FOREVER in waiting...THEY ARRIVE!!! They had a great flight, and not long after they came Jeremy and Kori and angels showed up...and Dad...Preston and crew couldn't come until Saturday because Drew had the flu and we were heart broke...but they are here NOW and it has been a party!!! Now we just need Mom and Kelly and boys...There are just so many things I LIKE about "us" (meaning me and my siblings)...we have the same sense of humor, when we are together you can speak your real mind and they GET IT...we don't have to havc ANY plans (other than FOOD :) ) we LIKE to just talk and be together...everyone just LOVES each other...

Thursday we had a "wacky Wednesday" of days past...I missed MY little kids quite a bit....Josh...THANK YOU for making me the wheel!!! We used it to spin to choose what activity we were going to do next. The girls had as much fun helping me get it all together and get the stuff written on the wheel as they did participating I think. We did water bottle rocket launchers, sand castle contests, EGG Hunt, dollar store, bubble wands, side walk chalk, Slip in Slide (I stole the idea from Sam's baseball party SO MUCH FUN!!!!! Got a huge piece of plastic from Home Depot) cookie eating contest, parachute, my BIG Twister game I made out of 2 King sized sheets, paper airplane contest, sponge wars, ..and we never fit in the water balloon volley ball or musical chairs...they were so tired by 5:30 we just quit at dinner and NEEDED to hot tub and go to bed...I am LOVING having them all here!!! Molly and Sam Johnson got to come for the day as well as a friend of Austin's (Jordan)from Cininatti whose mother moved out here to be at Hill Air Force Base. It's been too cold and wet to go swimming...

Travis and his little brother Caleb came for dinner tonight too...Brennan is still at boot camp.

Here we are at Temple Square today on top of the Conference Center ALL LOVING and MISSING YOU JOSH!!! (and Michael...24 hours and Michael will FINALLY be home!!!) Spencer is missing because you know what you taught him Josh....NO PICTURES!

I have gobs of hot tub pics...the hot tub has been a savior with all the rain and cool...ALWAYS a good time to get in the hot tub!!!

William and Elle are officially BEST FRIENDS cause ELLE says so...they are pretty much inseparable and play together non stop...they are SO ADORABLE and SWEET to each other!!! Great sharers. So GOOD to have a cousin friend!!! We can't get enough of watching them.

Today is William's birthday and he is "free" (three) years old...we started celebrating by going to Salt Lake to Temple Square to watch the live Mormon Tabernacle choir concert...we toured the Conference Center too. Sheri's kids have never been. Gene and Sheri went home to his folks for lunch while everyone else came back here. They were back in time for SPAGHETTI and Meatballs (Williams favortie)! We played indoor bowling, the velcro ball toss, hide the stuffed animal and then broke his DINOSAUR Pinata...he had a chocolate Blue's Clue's Cake. I think he had a pretty great day...in addition to being in and out of the hot tub 3 or 4 times:)

Letter from Josh 8 June 2009

Whats up? so i think i had the best breakfast ever today!!! the only downside was that i had to make it myself, but it was worth it cause it was absolutly delicious. i made Korys syrup and french toast. i know it may not sound all that glorious to you muzungus (white people) back at home, but this was my first time to have anything with that much sugar and fat in seven months. i am pretty sure i ate more calories this morning than i normally do in a day (i was liking the syrup off of the plate and out of the pot) but boy was i happy. too bad it had to come to an end. This week was good though. Helen went to Dar so we couldnt meet with her this week, which kinda sucked, but it was probably good too because they had a patrol car outside the army housing waiting for us this week. good news is that the car wasnt there yesterday or today when we past by the place so i think it will be safe to go there again this week. Although if the general sees us in there again we might end up in jail, but that would just be another cool story so we will try our luck. Plus they gave us copies of our visas now too so its not just our passport copies, which should help a bit, i dont know, we will have to see.i dont really know what to say. this week was just normal. nothing too new or exciting besides the french toast. i think i am going to make pancakes next week, and our oven is working again so that means peanut butter bars are coming soon as well. Life is going to be good! i still havent been able to see or hear general conference, its making me pretty mad cause the next time the couples come will be July 4 so i will have to wait till then before i can get conference, or mail. sometimes being 6 hours away from the people in charge sucks, most of the time its nice cause you dont have them breathing down your neck all the time, but for this kind of stuff its horrible.anyways, sorry i dont have more to say. i guess its a good thing cause it means nothing is going wrong, right? but have a great week, i will write more then.
Love you all more than a hippo loves water, Elder Harris

Trip to Boise

Joshy LOVEY...I am miserable tired for whatever reason. We've only been home for less than an hour and I'v got to get these eyeballs to bed...SO I've uploaded the pics and am going to give you a SHORT blurb on the trip to Boise.

Shayne and JaLee went with us and we stayed at Paul Johnson's folks home in Boise(can't remember if you knew that Shayne and Paul are cousins)...I think you were there when you were little...they have a pool and a zipline?? Paul and Ali had her folks at their home last minute. It was still fun, but what we really want is to steal them away with no distractions...give Paul a break...but how fair is that when Dad and I were constantly leaving to go do family stuff as well...Dad mowed Grandmom's lawn and it started POURING rain on him about 1/2 way through. GrandDad Harris is adding on to their home out the back...a BIG room off the kitchen with another covered deck off of that---will be the perfect gathering place for the Christmas parties. All the family was good and on their way to camp. Kayla is getting married September 12. I will try to scan her engagement picture for next week's letter.

The Park Dedication to Uncle Gordon was sweet ---SO MUCH family there!! Afterwards we went to Gordon's home for visiting and food. You can see that the rest of the time we just hung out around Boise...Dad and Molly fished, I kissed all over the little ones. We blew bubbles, played games, rode in the paddle boat, and ate yummy stuff. You can see how wickedly BIG Bandaid has gotten. That darn pig charged me when I went in the pen with him...???Scared me!

Dad and Shayne went down memory lane...you can see them in front of their High School and Dad in front of the home he lived in growing up with 7 kids(9 all together)--1000sf and ONE Bathroom!!! Makes me feel squished just thinking about it! We took Shayne by his sister's grave site..she drowned when she was 11 at a family party with 2 other families up the canyon--Shayne was 5. Then Dad's FAVORITE was driving by Doc Johnson's home and he was out in the graden tilling...we went in and had to take a picture of Dad in the room he had the discussions in....so I think he had a nice weekend.

The Nacho uspholstery thing was just so BIzzARE I had to take a picture! WHY NACHO??? No marketing magic there!

Buddy, I LOVE you...I hope you are happy and taking care of yourself and being so nice to yourself. Your package is on its way. I need you to make a list of what kind of pics you want for your picture board....then i will send you them. But I sent you all the other stuff...

Really...I love ya...really really miss you. Can't wait for morning!