31 Dec 2009 Package from Josh with PICTURES!!!!

TODAY was Christmas for me! We got a great package from Josh with a new Picture CARD!!! Here is just a tease of what is to come! Love you Buddy!!!!

Late letter from Josh 31 Dec 2009

hey family!

so we we just got back from chyulu. the internet there isnt good so i couldnt write till today. getting there and back was a joke though. its the holidays and so all of the busses were packed! we had to get some crappy half broken bus there where the shove three people on a seat that is really only big enough to shove two and only one and a half comfortably. the guy next to me was sleeping on me the whole time and the girl on my other side smelt bad, really bad. so after four hours of that i wasnt in the best mood. then we tried to come back yesterday but all of the buses were completely full, we couldnt even get another crappy one like on the way down. but we spent the whole day trying to get one. then at around six when the last buses for the day had gone through the town we went back to the chyulu elders flat and had to sleep with them another night. the good news is that one of the couple missionarys was going to mombasa today and so they were very kind and picked us up and gave us a ride. if they hadnt i am sure we would be there till next week sometime, we couldnt even book tickets till the 3 cause everything was full. but we are back now so it all worked out in the end.
Chyulu was fun. it was gorgeous down there this week. normally it is all dry and full of dirt and dust and nothing. but it has been raining like mad down there and so everything was green and blooming. i couldnt believe how many butterflies there were, they were all over the place. the bad news of the rain was that the normally dirt roads were mud roads and it really wasnt fun to ride the bikes in that. and there were parts where it would be like a two foot deep puddle for like 30 or 40 foot stretches so it was impossible not to get your feet wet. i decided that is the most uncomfortable thing in the world is to have constantly wet wet shoes and socks on. i didnt get it too bad though. the elder i went on splits with fell in one of the puddles because he hit a rock that was under the water and couldnt be seen, and that was on our way out to the area, so he was soaked all day. as uncomfortable as it was though, it was mostly just funny to laugh at each other and to see the peoples reactions, especially the ones that didnt think twice of it.
You were all concerned about my happiness after the call though. talking to you guys was awesome by the way, i wish i had more to tell you, i just really dont know what to say. My comp and i got along ok for the first transfer. but when i said he was crazy, i ment it. i am pretty sure he has a severe case of adhd and is always bouncing off the walls and is rarely serious. he cant focus on anything, including a lesson for more than 10 minutes and thats pushing it. and he is pretty stuborn, and when he wants to do something you might as well just give in because he will make you miserable until he gets to do whatever he wanted to do. so is hard to actually work with him. i am glad that he doesnt want to be super apostate, but he rarely wants to go out and work. the first transfer things worked out because we spent the first few weeks showing the other guys their area and he were busy finding a flat and organizing zone conference and going on exchanges. so we were doing enough different things that he was satisfied. but now that it is mostly just teaching and finding like normal, its hard to get him out the door, and once we are out the door it is like i am babysitting all day long. i am just getting tired of it. i need to be more loving and patient, its just hard sometimes. i think i have finally got him to see that he is less happy the days that we dont work as much so i hope that helps for these last few weeks. but if not, there are only a few more weeks till the end of the transfer, and since this is my second with him it is likely that one of us will go, and since i have been here for 6 months, its likely that i will be the one going. it would be nice to get a change of weather. since we were on the roof so that i could get reception he could hear everything that i was saying and i didnt feel it apropriate to rant about my comp when he was right there, not that it is really apropriate to do so now, but at least this way you can be informed and he doesnt get hurt feelings. and dont get me wrong either. i love the kid, i would be more than happy to serve around him, and i am even glad that i got to serve with him, but one transfer was enough.
anyways, i have to go. i will write on monday. have a great day and have fun on new years for me!!!
Love,
josh

p.s. thank you guys so much for the christmas package. my favorites were the teddy bear and the pig that poos candy and oinks jingle bells. all of the candy choices wee excellent too. i love you guys!!

Sunday Night Christmas Break

I made ham with this honey mustard sauce Rachel Ray had going on a show--it was yum...made the southern sweet potatoes and green bean casserole, rolls, deviled eggs and all the other stuff...Bean's came and ate with us. We played PASSWORD and it was FUN...I'm not usually the one to like those parlor games...but password was fun. We thought lots about you Josh. Next year you will be with us.
Writing this is a bit of a let down after HEARING you. Not much has happened Friday. Lots of cleaning up after partying brothers and lots of cooking. Thinking I'm not cooking tomorrow.
We are hoping to go to Sherlock Holmes after my close--oh yeah! I am finally going to get to close on the Sorenson's home...funny, I'm still questioning if it could really FINALLY be happening. Guess we'll see tomorrow.
It's freezing outside...I wish I could send a breeze your way to make sleeping better. Even if it were just for one night. I've got my electric blanket all plugged in and warming up, waiting for me as I type.
I love you Buddy. Wish I really could will myself to meet you in my dreams.
What will you do for New Year's Eve? We forgot to ask the other day....Love you love you love you....
XXXOOOXXX MOM OOOXXXOOOXXX

GrandDad Update

GrandDad went to Marion Fischer's family Christmas Dinner yesterday--she is his nearest neighbor in the Trailer house to the East(?) (headed back towards Wingham.) Anyway. He was ticked at Olive for not coming back to be with him. Of course Olive invited him to go with her to her family but he just keeps telling her how he doesn't want anything to do with her family because they are a bunch of alcoholics who married DP's (still not sure WHAT a DP is...but guessing its better we don't know.) It would be best if people who live in glass houses didn't throw rocks--but when you are almost 90 and not thinking so straight I guess we just look the other way. Olive is STILL our angel and I'm just so dang proud of her that she went to her family for Christmas anyway and left him to figure it out. Pretty thankful for Marion as well.
His Vegas plans fell through since he can't make the arrangements his self...a true relief. I will be going up in March to give him a surprise birthday party for his 90th...anybody want to go with me?

CHRISTMAS DAY 2009

We woke at 7 so we could call Josh at 8. I think everyone was happy with Santa's deliveries. Especially Sole! She was thrilled her folks had sent her a WII. Megan had my blog printed into book form and I LOVE IT! I gave Don the Minerva Tiechert Picture with the scripture and a Nano(he asked for it so it was easy this year!) Megan got a camera, Michael got ski passes, cologne and mostly car payments, Spencer got an I Touch, Sam got his I Touch replaced and an I Home to help it feel better, Josh got a teddy bear :( with as much candy and treats as I could squish in two boxes --and a phone call, but that was really MY PRESENT. Calling Josh was an adventure as always with the phone connection being so poor. We had to call back a few times. He sounded tired and busy. It made my day...but will need to last for MONTHS...until Mother's Day.
Michael had us take his picture before he shaved his "beard." Best beard yet :) You can see the puzzle is almost done! Hot tub had its fair share of takers. To eat so gluttonously is just my favorite thing.

Christmas EVE 2009

We went to AVATAR in 3-D (my first 3 -d movie) and it was amazing. I was expecting to "endure" --but ended up being amazed at the story line AND the graphics. Spencer and Sam are still horrified that Dad took their picture in the Theatre with their glasses with their friends on dates sitting behind them. :) By request, we ditched the whole turkey dinner thing and I made Chicken Fried Steak, mashed potatoes, Pioneer Woman's shoestring onion rings, mega salad, rolls, banana cream pie, spinach dip.....it was SO RELAXED to be just US. Sole liked the whole getting new jammies and a book on Christmas Eve, but was disappointed that we wait until Christmas Day to open the rest. We started another puzzle. I am such a sucker for a puzzle. I have a hard time leaving them alone. The best part of the holidays is that I DON'T HAVE TO...I can just sit at my leisure and put that puppy together!!! And this is such a cute one! Megan gave the family the old SURVIVOR ALL STAR seaso with Rob and Amber and we LOVED watching it episode after episode.....until we all gave in and went to bed so we could be awake for talking to JOSH!!!

Savior of the World

Don got tickets to SAVIOR OF THE WORLD wanting the family to experience a Christ Centered Activity together at Christmastime. He loves us. He loves the church. He just forgot how much they/I didn't love it the last time we went. I think he was hoping we had all matured. When talking to JOSH( ---YEAH!!!!) even he said..."not sad I missed out on that". To be fair, this is a theatrical production and my boys have NEVER been in to those, and it is about an hour too long. Poor Sole had little chance of understanding the English with all the singing. BUT PF CHANG's was LOVELY...except Sole hates chinese food so she just downed a few Sprite's and had cereal when she got home. It WAS GOOD to be together. As you can see, Braden tagged along. He is heading back to Cali Christmas Day.

Tuesday the 22nd

Solita sang great with her whole 5th grade class at their Christmas Program. I was tickled that she had learned the words. I did most of my Christmas shopping just before the program started :) We got Pizza for the BYU game. Had a lovely night wrapping presents.

Letter from Josh 21 December 2009

hey family!

so before i forget, the number is **********. or if you are calling from in kenya *********, but youre not, so use the first one. mom, even if you said it would be ok not to call if it would be too hard to get back into the missionary mind set, i would still call, and talk at least until i was satisfied and probably until you were satisfied. which in all reality isnt too big of a time gap. as far as what time, we are having a district meeting in the morning and then lunch at the couples and then we are going caroling somewhere, but by the time you guys wake up i should be free. so whenever is fine for me, but no later than nine my time cause other wise i will be in bed late. oh, and the mission president hasnt said anything about talking time so i asume its like the other times anyways where there is no set time limit "just dont make yourself or your parents broke" was what he said last time i heard.
about the skype thing. there is a cyber with web cams here but i dont know how much it costs, or if it even streams fast enugh to be worth it. i will check it out and when you call i can let you know. but i wouldnt count on it. internet here isnt exactly like the fiber optic lines, or even the high speed stuff we have at home.
the week was decent. it went by really slowly. the good news is that Geofrey was baptised on sunday. we have the baptisms at this swimming pool and normally there is two or three people there tops but yesterday it was filled since its the holidays. and not only was it filled but it was filled with muslims and hindus that werent exactly happy to have a baptism at the pool while they were there. it was probably the strangest baptism i have ever been too. geofrey and i were in one corner of the pool and the rest of the people were playing and splashing all around us. but there was nothing we could do about it.
i found out last night that i will be getting your packages before christmas, or on christmas really. the couples are having a "conference" (which means a party/vacation, last year they had a week long "conference" during the wildebeest migration and the conference just happened to be at Masai Mara. the most famous safari park in kenya for the migration) and will be picking up our packages and then when we go to their place on christmas day for lunch we will pick them up. i am excited.
this week i learned a lot about patience. i dont like learning about patience (at least not by practical experience) because it takes a long time. thats why the week seemed so long. it just seemed like everyday we would have to wait for an investigator for an hour or wait for the landlord for three hours or wait for a matatu for a long time or something. i dont know why it bothered me more than normal this week, it just did. but i also saw how at the end it was almost always worth it. there was always some reward on the other side. i need to be more patient, and the only thing i found that helps me is to think of the reward on the other end. that may be selfish, but it keeps me in good spirits.
anyways, i love you guys!!!! cant wait till friday! have a good week.
Elder Harris

Merry Christmas JOSHY!!!!!

FIVE DAYS, only FIVE DAYS and we get to talk to you!!! I realize that this is a stretch...but do think you could find a video SKYPE place? We have a web cam now and you could see us and then WE COULD SEE YOU!!!! (eleven fast Sunday's and I will HOLD you!!) Just so you know my heart is not set on the SKYPE thing...pretty sure it might be impossible...but IF...oh lovely day!!! I'm so excited to get instructions from you on what time and what numbers...
We had a conversation at study group dinner last night about how long you talk to your missionary in light of how many different "guidelines" are given--as many as there are mission presidents. I said I talk until MAMMA FEELS HAPPY. One mom said she gave her missionaries the option to NOT talk to her if it would be too hard to get back into the mission frame of mind. (None of them took the option- they all called). At first I thought, "it's not EVEN in me to be that considerate--WHEN will I learn to love like that?"I've thought ALOT about that knowing that I am self absorbed and selfish. I was going to ask forgiveness for not being that kind of mom. But I'm still thinking. And right now, dead center REAL in my heart, I don't WANT to be that kind of a mom. It's okay with me if our talking until I FEEL GOOD about how you are makes you homesick. Isn't HOMESICK good? Doesn't homesick mean you LOVE us and MISS us? That we are worth the LOVE and MISSING?Doesn't my heart ACHE for you because I LOVE YOU? I want my God to ache for me the way I ache for you. I think life is learning to deal with the aches when we have other things we need to be about instead of the ones we WANT to be about. A few times in my life I have been WASHED in what I think is God's love...and it has been hard to want to stay on the planet when the feeling has left. But it has been that very feeling that has filled me with hope of what can be one day. It's THAT feeling that I remember when loving you. Loving you has washed me with that same kind of GOTTA GET ME MORE love. I think that is the very feeling you are out trying to teach people about...that THAT is the feeling that brings our lives the happiness we are seeking for. I also know I don't get MOST things right. I know there are greater levels of loving. I'm pretty sure I'm not ever going to even be able to "see" or "understand" that kind of good. But I can FEEL my kind of love and its all I know so far. And it's deep. It makes my heart ache for you. And IF the President gives you some kind of guidelines this time, you may want to prepare him for your Mother. That it would not be YOU who was disobedient to HIS rule...but your MOTHER who believes God's rules reign...and her God would let her love all over her boy with as many minutes and words as needed for her heart to endure another 5 months without it.
Thank you for loving me in all my imperfection.
FIVE DAYS!!!!!!
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO mom XXXXXXXXXXXOOOOOO

Kudo's to Ali

Ali's fourth book in her BELIEVE and YOU'RE THERE series has come out just in time for Christmas and we're proud of her!

Just ONE of the reason's Jamie is a best friend...

Jamie LOVE...the caramels are to DIE FOR(when are you going to teach me how?)...and you already know the love affair I have with your sugar cookies...it's 9:37 Sunday morning and I still haven't shared with the family and well,....not much is left...I might NOT be able to bring the few pretzels and m and m cookies OUT to the kitchen without a riot. But THANK YOU. YOU of all people on the planet understand my food "thang". And YES...this is SO what I wanted to stuff my self with before returning to real life middle aged eating. People, I LOVE most of you, but this is serious, I just can't share.

Study Group Reunion

Johnson's being down here from Boise gave us the chance to have a study group dinner reunion...THANK YOU KATIE!!! I LOVE these people. They have all been in our lives for at least 25 years...amazing. Richard and Rachel are home for the Christmas break and stopped in to say hello to us all before Rachel had to leave on her date...we are getting old. Mark stopped in too, but I somehow forgot to get a picture! He's handsome...take my word for it. Clarke's have FOUR grand kids...Bean's are almost empty nester's...and we aren't far behind. Never forecast-ed to this time of my life. Strange. GOOD, but strange. I don't FEEL old. I think we all LOOK pretty good...if I'm going to get through this with grace I'm going to have to start envisioning some future life plans that don't revolve around my children...scratch that. I refuse to imagine life not revolving around my children. Stubborn, but honest.

ANGEL Katie Johnson

Several weeks ago I got a call from Katie in Boise asking what I was doing the night of Dec. 18th. Katie had saved up her allowance for almost the WHOLE year and was planning (to the tee!!!) a BIG Family surprise ...she was going to have them wake up...tell them to pack a bag for 3 days and all pile in the car and come to Utah! She found the best deal on a hotel right downtown Salt Lake, she arranged for tickets for her family to Savior of the World (this we where I come in), she planned it on the weekend of their old ward party...and made it possible for me to have a reunion dinner of our old study group!!! Mollie isn't old enough to go into the Theatre, so Katie asked if I could meet them at Temple Square and take Mollie for the 2 hours during the show. Mollie was pretty sad she couldn't go in, but within a minute she forgot her sadness and we had FUN eating at JB's and seeing all the lights with Sole. Sole hates driving in the car long distances so was a good sport (poor thing..WE are going to the show this Wednesday so she'll have to make the drive again!) Mollie was pretty captivated by Sole speaking Spanish.
I just think for an eleven year old---well for ANYONE to take most of the money they have earned all year to give their family a true gift of love is darn impressive. Katie is the one in the top picture with the blue shirt... see the ANGEL in her face???!!!!

Letter from Josh 14 Dec 2009

hey family!

this week has been good. the transfers didnt really affect me. there are some new people in the zone, but me and my comp stay the same. so other than having to help the missionarys that wre going and coming to and from mombasa this week there is not a whole lot different.
we went to move into the new house the ther day but the electricity wasnt connected yet. so we moved some stuff in but we still have to wait till we have electricity. hopefully sometime this week but i know that i have said that for like the past onth now so we will see.
i finished the general conference issue of theliahona this week and it was really good. i would say amazing, but then we watched some of general conference at the church on sunday and even though i had already read the tlks, it was soooo much cooler to watch them. so that was amzing.
Dad, i am very happy for you and your sister Cheryll (spelling?). i cant waitto go back to the temple again. plus i know how happy you must be to have a famly member that has prepared and madeherself worth to enter the temple and be able to join all of us in the celestial kingdm.
on sunday we should be having the baptism of a boy named geoffrey. he is th son of a member named pamelaand he is a way cool ki. the only probem is that we have to meet with him 3 times this week for that to happen. and this week is the testing for his school, so it might be difficult. but i trust tht everything will work out for the best.
i got a christmas package from the otterstroms this week! i was so excited! thank you sooo much for that diana mom and katy and anyone else tha contributed. i miss you and i love you! (i did open it already, i couldnt wait till christmas. but i decided afterwards that it was a good move cause now i can actully display the nativity for a bit)
i totally agree with what greg and jake said about cringing in sacrament meeting with what people say, along with the other meetings as well. last fast sunday (the one in november) we had a less active stand up and bash the branch president for a while then end saying if anybody wanted to now his story for being angry at the branch president they could talk to him after the meeting. luckily we were able to rush the investigators to the next class without talking to him and then he left before the second class had finished. but it still wasnt good.
anyways, i have to run. but you gys have a great day! i love you all!!!
Elder Harris

I'm OKAY

I had to laugh this morning when Jamie called to ask me if I was OK since I hadn't posted in almost a week...the answer is YES...but it's been CRAZY!!!!
Don got home late Friday and we got up early Saturday to head to Boise to be there when his Sister Cheryl received her Temple Endownment. We awoke to wicked snow and an unplowed freeway. By the time we got to Ogden I was SO NOT GOING ANY FURTHER!I could really drag this whole event out....a personal hell for me for 7 and a half hours and a near divorce...but I will just calmly declare that I will NEVER get in a vehicle with my husband on snowy roads for any significant distance again in my life. Yes, he loves his sister. I love her too...I just believe God doesn't do STUPID, and just because she was going to the Temple for the first time did not insure me against roll overs, crashes, slides and the like.( I will never forget Merilee's cousins--mom, dad and 5 kids all packed into the van to head to Denver to be sealed in the Temple and they crashed and ALL OF THEM DIED). Call me OCD, call me whatever. I have Grandkids I haven't seen yet. We TEACH our kids that when they get in stupid dangerous situations to do what they need to to get OUT OF IT. You may be thinking poor Don, wonder what 7 1/2 hours with her was like. Well, it was QUIET. VERY QUIET. About a 1/2 hour out of Boise I did pipe up and say please don't kill me a half hour away...he was going 70-80 miles an hour passing Semi's on snow covered roads. We made it. When I got out of the Sequoia I was pretty sure I was NEVER going ANYWHERE with him again.
We went to the Temple. I didn't get a picture. We went to his family party and I didn't get a picture. We got to see Stacy's new house and I didn't get a picture(I think I was traumatized). We spent the night at the Comfort Suites and awoke to MORE snow. You guessed it...NO WAY was I going back in that. Don had pitty, had regained his sanity, or must like being married to me,...SOMETHING.. but we waited it out and stayed another night.
We took his Mom and Leonard to breakfast. We were able to see Ali's Ward Christmas Choir Program (she's the choir leader) which was truly amazing. I think all the beautiful and talented Mormon's live in the Eagle Idaho ? Ward. It was more than talent and beauty--it was Spirit filled. And I just so happened to be short on Spirit going in.(Go figure)Afterwards Paul had made the whole shabang Christmas turkey dinner for us (on like 2 hours notice no less). Annie and I went home to put it in the oven. I had to laugh because first she had me stop by her Dad's truck to get the Kitten out that had tagged along and no one noticed until they were in the church parking lot!! Annie gave me my favorite Christmas present so far...a pedicure with hot pink polish and sparkily glitter on top! But it was the foot rub that was SO SUPERB!!! Molly and Sam charmed us with a PROGRAM they had prepared special for us. And it WAS special. The bell throwing and stripping down to christmas PJ's made it unforgettable!

Meanwhile, Megan is at home playing with Sole. She did her hair, she took her and her friends Emma and Maren to the Charlie Jenkins concert (Meg knows the drummer so they got to tour the bus). Sole slept over at Megan's and they had a girl's weekend! Megan saved us by helping to get everyone out the door on Monday when we weren't coming home.

Sam and Patrick Clarke snowboarded at Sundance for the first time this season on Saturday. Michael brought his posse over to hot tub and take over the house while we were gone. Spencer swears he just slept through it all :)..oh, and worked out alot :)

Tuesday I played catch up with work and got to end the day with some of my FAVORITE "Peeps" at our Book Club Book Exchange...most of them are Raw Foodists so its kind of a joke that I am in the mix, but I LOVE them so much because they DON'T CARE That I'm not "one of them" in the food arena.

Today I've been working on an exciting project for work. Maybe tomorrow I'll do Christmas? Taxes?

THANK YOU Jamie for calling and asking. YES. I LIVE and I'm OKAY.

The TOOTH MOUSE

Yesterday Sole lost a tooth...if you look close you can see the hole on her right hand bottom side. I asked what the tooth fairy usually brings and she NO...NO TOOTH FAIRY, ---Tooth MOUSE...and she said he brings little candies. SOooo...amazingly the tooth mouse made his way here in the night all the way from Chile! I bet he and the tooth fairy are friends :)

SERIOUSLY

Seriously!!! How could I have LIVED this LONG without AN ELECTRIC Blanket???? I feel a bit MAD about it even....but am masking those MAD feelings with deep deep gratitude that I now own one. I love to warm up my bed before I crawl in....heaven.

Snow Day 2 Sledding Day 1

Sole was so EXCITED to go sledding with the girls in the neighborhood...about45 minutes later as I was on my way to go get pictures she comes tearing up the walk saying NO NO NO NO COLD COLD COLD COLD!!!!!! She threw off her boots and gloves and ran to the sink to put her hands under hot water...still not sure if she liked it or not...she is BUSY drinking her HOT CHOCOLATE!!!!!

Letter FROM Josh 7 Dec 2009

(these are Solita's older brother and sisters when they lived in the US for a few years...Solita wasn't even thought of then!) Josh...this picture speaks volumes about who you are and how you have ALWAYS been so easy going and willing to share! I miss those snug in the chair days with picture books!!!!

Hey family!

This week was pretty good. it was the last week of the transfer, so we will be getting transfer news tonight. but i dont think i will be going anywhere. we had some baptisms on sunday which was really good. there were two for my area but technicaly only one because the second was a girl that was taught by other missionarys and came here to be baptised because her family stays here and her records will be in the ward of the people that taught her. then the other missionarys in the branch (the ones that i had to show around at the beggining of the transfer) also had two. one of them was a lady i had been teaching and then handed ovr to them, so that was good to see. and then the other was somebody that they found on their own and that is totally commited and awesome so bada-bing one month later and she is baptised. Its funny how some areas can have so many baptisms and others have so few when missionarys are doing their best in both areas. my first 3 months i had 1 baptism then in arusha i had 6 in 6 months and i have been here for 4 1/2 and have had 15. these people are just ready here. which is funny because mombasa is like 80% muslim and 5% hindu. but the ones that are christian are coming fast. its a major blessing.
The rest of the week was kinda just normal. We had to go do some shopping for the new flat. or pricing anyway. we still have to send a list of all the stuff we need with the prices to one of the couples so that they can send us the money to go and buy the beds and couch and stove and etc. We should move in sometime this week. but that will also depend on when we get the money and when the electricity is connected.
We finally got the general conference ensign! i know its like two months later than you all got to hear them but it makes me excited since we dont get to see it here. i havent finished it yet, i am jus starting the sunday morning sesion, but it has all been good so far. i am excited to finish it because most people tell me that their favorites have been from the sunday sesions.
i love you guys. if i get transer news and anything is changing for me (once again i dont think it will but you never know) ill try to come back to send that message to you but i cant promise anything.
Love your guts! you are all my favorite!
Elder Harris

P.S. my mom was right. i dont mind that she is a bit obsesive of me and that she freaks out if i e-mail a day late. i thinks its funny, plus its because she loves me. what could be better than that

Love you Josh

Well Lovebug...
Week number 57 down and on to 58.
These old Christmas pictures are 1995...those were the days-- when Breakfast with Santa was the highlight of the month! So easy to be a fun Mom then.

It snowed today, and is snowing tonight...not much stayed,but maybe by morning we'll have a few inches. It is COLD..suppose to be 11 degrees in the morning. That probably sounds pretty nice to you right now. You are so going to love the hot tub in the snow!
How is the ankle? The companion? The country? The uprisings :) ? Your sweet and tolerant feelings for your ridiculous Mother?
Michelle and boys came for Michelle and Robert's birthday dinner tonight. I wish for once I could remember to take their picture! Robert has really put his man on. I guess it's time since this is his 18th birthday...but it still surprises me.
Sole is our resident celebrity. Kelly Harline came by to interview her for her BYU Spanish 106 class. There was a lot of giggling so I think it went well.
I saw Alyssa Chischille with her family the other day and she said to say hi. She is hoping for Med School. She has been working for Sis. Savage and realized what a great profession it can be after you pay the price. I was impressed with how sweet and good she is...her family has moved to Paige, Arizona and she is living in the house and renting out rooms. Tyson joined the Army and is trying for special forces. I just don't know how all those mom's do it.
We had tithing settlement today. Brindy and Ryan Slade blessed their new baby girl ELLA. The new Sunbeams for next year came into Primary to "try" sitting in Sharing Time...they did GREAT!I love those little guys...they just want to know when snack time is...no wonder I love them! We had the kids make the angels for the angel tree and Kim Peterson brought glitter and they were SOOOOOO happy and made a pretty good mess. Somehow I just know that that building is happier now with the floors more sparkily. Megan took Sole home to her apartment for a sleepover after dinnertonight, she'll bring her back in time for school tomorrow. Michael came and left, had 2 dates with different girls this weekend and I guess neither of them struck his fancy. Sam is working on another paper. He has Honors English and History ---both classes require way more than I would have expected but he is brilliant and doing well. Just likes to moan before actually getting around to it....he also picked up a habit from I DON'T KNOW WHO where he doesn't start till like 10 or 10:30. Spencer needs a job and is looking. Dad heads out tomorrow and I don't have a project lined up. Might just not do one.
Tiger Woods had an affair and the media is taking him to the cleaners. Spencer seems pretty indifferent about it. I am just sad for him and all he has to go through so publicly.
NINETEEN DAYS till we get to TALK...let us know what will be best this time.
Sorry not much new.
I love you. I love you more than my new electric blanket that I thank God someone was smart enough to invent and wish I had tried it YEARS ago. I love you more than my first meal after the 9 day cleanse/fast...and believe me...that was euphoric. I love you more than sitting in the hot tub in the snow. I love you more and more and more and more....
XXXOOOXXXOOOXXXOOO MOM OOOXXXOOOXXXOOOXXXOOOXXX