Wednesday, June 30, 2010

The FUN NEVER ENDS...

Tonight is the midnight premiere of AVATAR THE LAST AIRBENDER....the guys have all come over to get their ARROW especially applied by SPENCER...how do like that TAPE method??? Terrence is so manly he even LIKES the Butterfly towel :) Want an arrow? BYOBHP ( Bring your own BLUE hair paint) and Spencer will fix you right up!!!
I missed the premiere of this latest Twilight movie last night cuz Meg is out of town with her FFA Peeps doing the Convention thing in Cedar City...and she is always my hook up. Pretty sure we'll get it taken care of this weekend. HELLO HOLIDAY!!!




Declaring to the UNIVERSE


I'v pretty much taken to heart this whole declaring and then believing thing with all the miracles and LOVE that have come into my life as of late, so I decided I want to get clear and declare some more so no one is confused...particularly ME. So, here goes...

I AM LOVE embodied :) (That's a GOOD ONE huh??)
IAM thin and fit and eat what I want and weigh the PERFECT weight for me.
I AM an outrageously successful Real Estate Agent who works with the most incredible people sent to this planet at this time!
I AM one of the owners of our home.
I AM showered with the Abundance of this world and am able to help provide education and opportunities to those seeking.
I AM awake, aware and ever increasing the levels of my consciousness.
I AM LOVE embodied :) (I really really like this one!)

OK UNIVERSE...let's GIT R' DONE!!!!!
XXXOOOXXXOOOXXXOOOXXXOOOXXXOOOXXXOOOXXX

CAMP

Geez...this is one of those entries where I should post hundreds of pictures or NONE!!!! Of all the 15+ girls camps I've been to over the years, this year was by FAR the best...and all because of the AMAZING women I was able to work with. These are REAL Women. Women who love the girls and leave all their judgments at home. Kalani, Jana, Polly, Merilee, Sally, Carol, Jill and Marcia...I honor you. It is rare that I find myself in company of people where I think "I WANT TO BE LIKE YOU!!!!" It's true. I want to be like you. I can't slurp your love and laughter up fast enough. I hope I don't have to go so long before I have so many "almost" all nighters!!! My stomach still aches on the sides from laughing so hard from the stories told in the "circle of honor" :)
And then there were the girls...I LOVE YOU !!!! Words just can't express the kind of love you share when you are in that kind of a setting and letting your heart break open. I wish I had been WHO you are at YOUR AGE!!!!
The Bear was passed from camp to camp for miscellaneous reasons (not showing for Flag ceremony, arriving on time, having racoons slash and trash the food tent....) I thought it was funny that this ward hung him up on the "cup line".

Note to Josh...I am still in the Primary Presidentcy, but this was just a "side" calling :)[ I think THEY think I have capacity?]...Jana Adamson was the Stake Camp Director and I was her assistant....we had 42- 6th year girls to help us in the planning. Having Jana around is like having Shayne Clarke around...you just can't get enough and you spend the whole day laughing. Jana is the one who turned us all on to the YOUTUBE I referred to earlier...and then spent the whole camp mocking it. Merilee Scoffield is exactly the same way and to see them play off of each other was just hysterical...I make the good ED McMANN who just keeps laughing and laughing. I hope one life I get to be the funny witty clever one....just the WAY their brains work!!!



True LOVE

Well, you know how I've been complaining to anyone that would LISTEN about how I DID NOT WANT TO GO TO PHILMONT (the Boy Scout Camp) with Don for a WEEK in ARIZONA in JULY starting this Friday???
DON LISTENED!!!!! IT MUST BE TRUE LOVE, CUZ...

He is letting me stay home and promising not to be grumpy about it. And he has kept his word. I LOVE HIM FOR IT. I know I am 47. BUT, I have waited a LONG time for this pool dream to come to fruition and I DID NOT WANT TO MISS the winding up of filling it from the fire hydrant, having the first swim, documenting it with pictures, seeing the slide installed, etc.... and now I won't. I WILL BE HERE!!!! THANK YOU DON! AND I won't have to go to some boy scout camp and pretend I am OK being there, in July, in Arizona, for a WEEK...when I could be at my house, with my kids and the whole neighborhood, by/IN our pool living the dream. Don't worry. I can SEE Myself. I CAN! I get the whole selfishness slant to my NOT wanting to go...and I'm OK with that too. Some parts of 47 are GREAT!!!!!

POOL PROGRESS

NOTHING has happend while I was at camp or SINCE I'VE BEEN HOME!!!! It has just been 'SITTING", waiting while other people building their pools have a turn...but the PROMISE is that we WILL BE SWIMMING by July 9th!!! So, I am telling myself that there is always a reason for everything and I don't KNOW yet WHAT good reason will surface for it NOT BEING DONE BY THE 4th!!!!
I left for camp as they started pouring the deck...Don was a sweetie and wrote "DREAMS COME TRUE"in the cement for me since I wasn't going to be there...and as you see at the end of these pics he also added his own "love"....but what I think it really translates into is "I am going to profess my love for this woman even if she DOES just go ahead and build a pool even though I think it is NOT wise and that we should be paying off the house".
Even with all this cement and this huge hole, it still feels unreal. I like to sit out by it and imagine the whole body submerged thing....it's going to be lovely. And check out how COOL that butterfly is!!!! Especially after having the LIVE Butterfly RELEASE at camp!!!! I knew it belonged to me when I saw it.



Do yourself a FAVOR

I know I've been gone awhile, so I've got some catching up to do...but first...please just give yourself a roll on the floor laugh by going to YOUTUBE and type in the PUSH UP BRA...and let Tracy just make your day. This is not reverent. It may not be child appropriate. But you WILL thank me....

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Letter from Josh 26 June 2010

Hey Everybody!

this week was crazy. some of the sisters got into a fight because one wanted to wait till p-day to wash a pillow case that she had borrowed from her companion, but the companion that owns the pillow case wanted it washed right then. So, as you can see, we have very logical, kind, and loving sisters that only don't get along when pillow cases are involved. It was just about the stupidest thing i have ever heard of. and then some of the other sisters got into a stolen matatu on thursday and were taken far into the forest. So we had a fun week with the sisters.
Anyways, on Thursday we had a baptismal interview scheduled for our investigators and so we had to go pick up the district leader so that he could do the interview. We were suppose to meet the district leader at a bus stage to bring him to the investigators house. well i guess he was down some route (route 118) that doesn't have many bus's coming by and had been waiting for a half hour for one but nothing was there yet (and here there is no schedule for the bus's in any way, they just kind of do what they want) so he asked us to come and get him along that route 118. the problem was that we didn't know route 118and he didn't know the road names. so it took us a long time to figure it all out and it was pretty annoying, but we eventually got him. then that night as we are getting the call in reports they told us that they couldn't get a-hold of some of the sisters but that they thought it was just problems with the phone. We went to their house and they were not there. so we were busy trying to find where they were but none of the members new and we had no idea where to even start looking. then around 10:00 PM we got a call from the police saying that they had a set of sister missionaries with them. We talked to the sisters and they told us about how they were being chased by some street guys so they jumped into a matatu (like a small bus, it is the public transport here, but they are all privately owned, not run by the govt). well it turned out that this matatu had been hi-jacked about a half hour earlier and now they thieves were driving it around picking up a bunch of women that they thought would have money on them. when the matatu was full they headed off to the forest and took everybody's valuables (money, phones,jewelry, etc.) and then dropped them all off in the middle of the forest. the group of them started walking toward the main road after the thieves drove off again and ran into some police men who took them to the station. The problem at this point was that the police here don't have cars, and this police station was out in the middle of nowhere, we didn't know how to get there and there was no way for them to come to us. we tried talking to the police for directions for about a half hour but they don't know any of the street names because they just walk everywhere and don't need to know the street names for how to get there. in the end the officer told us just to forget our car and to take a bus down route 118. Well, even though we just thought it was annoying at the time, i guess our having to figure out where route 118 earlier that day was a blessing in disguise. We knew that route, and we were able to go and find the police station (we still had a few difficulties, but it would have been impossible before) and pick up the sisters. Who had contacted everybody while they were trying to find the main road, and when we showed up and told our end of the story and how we were miraculously able to find them, all of them wanted to be visited by the missionaries. God works in mysterious ways, but for those of us that are faithful, he will protect us. and for those that are ready, he will find a way to lead them to Him. It was a weird and stressful experience for me, and a bit of a traumatizing one for the sisters, but it was a miracle. both that we found them, and that these peoples hearts were softened to let the missionaries visit them.
The rest of the week was pretty good to, but this was by far the most interesting event.
Dad, there are about 84 missionaries in the mission, i don't know the average per month but i know that in may we had 68 baptisms, so hopefully that is close to average to give you an idea.
I am still confused as to why mom when to the young womens camp, i thought she was still in the primary. but i hope that you had fun.
sorry about the crappy rodeo clown and the lame trained buffalo, but i am glad the bad year was when i wasn't there. its selfish of me, but true.
i love you all! i hope you have a great week!
love,
elder Harris

Saturday, June 19, 2010

News from Niarobi Josh 19 June 2010


Hey Family!

This week was a bit slower then the other weeks since we were in the office the whole week but it was still pretty busy. we had to furnish a new flat for a new area here in nairobi. We also had to pick somebody up from the airport that came home early because his father died and he is the oldest and in his culture he becomes the legal owner of everything so if he didn't come home the govt would take everything and his mom would be left with nothing. its kinda bogus. but he is hoping to be able to go back and finish his mission after two weeks or so when he can claim the fathers stuff and then leave it to his mom to "look after." sometimes the cultures here make no sense, and sometimes it makes even less sense for the govt to honor each and every culture (about 40 main ones and the 120 total with the subdivisions of those main ones) when they are so different. you could probably get away with murder if you claim to be from the right tribe.
The rest of our week we spent creating statical reports and putting baptismal records into the computer and running errands for President Taylor and having long meetings with President about things we will need to let the new mission president know. those meetings are long. like 2-3 hours long on average. and most of it is President Taylor talking so it gets kinda boring. the only bad part about it is that we will probably have to have all of the meetings again but this time we will be talking and explaining the history as to why we do things the way we do things.
I miss the rodeo. i had forgotten about it till i read the blog today, but that made me miss it. and Spencer, sweet haircut!!! im thinking of asking president Taylor if i can do mine that way.the pool has come super far. I'm surprised at how fast it is coming. when mom told me on mothers day they were going to build a pool i thought it wasnt going to be ready till next year or maybe end of summer at the soonest, but i was wrong. and i am glad i was wrong.
we got the conference ensigns finally and as much as i miss watching conference like normal, i do feel that i get a lot more out of reading conference. Most of the talks are excellent. however some of the talks that the women give, and also the one about the new duty to god program, not my favorite. the duty to god one i will admit that i just didn't care because i felt it didn't apply to me, but these women need to learn how to talk to a general audience better cause i always feel like they are talking to little girls. I have only read through the sunday morning and part of priesthood sessions so far though and the lady's talk was titled something something handmaids something, so maybe i should have expected it to be geared toward women. Our path of Duty was an especially good one i thought. I especially like where it qouted Eccl. 12:13 "fear God, and keep his comandments for this is the WHOLE duty of man." i think we often complicate our duty to our heavenly father. but we shouldnt. and we just have to keep the comandmens and to respect and be gratefull to (fear) Him.
anyways, i have to go. but i love you all and i hope you have a great week!
Love
Elder Harris

Friday, June 18, 2010

Hey Loves....
Busy week with camp prep, work and life. Greg has been here to help along with the boys. Tonight is the Strawberry Days Rodeo. Greg is taking Anna Spencer...Megan and Sam left together and Spencer was on his way to meet up with friends. Dad is up at camp Helaman.

It got WARM today...all the way to 85 degrees. You can see the cotton wood fluff everywhere in the air...my allergies are raging. I felt like a rock in bed when the alarm went off this morning, my allergies make me feel so tired. I am so glad you are not here for this Michael...you'd be living on your inhaler. Hopefully the heat will settle things down.

I leave for YW Camp Monday. I am awed at the work that goes into one week. I am a simpleton I know, but there are moments when I think surely it would be at least JUST AS GOOD if not BETTER if we didn't plan so much for them and just let them BE ....with each other, with the great woman who go....just have the TIME in such a beautiful setting to BE and enjoy. I wonder if I am maturing with age or if I am tiring with age...but either way it would truly be my preference to plan and DO less while we are there.

The Salas' are here getting ready to go into the MTC (they will be mission presidents in Cordoba) and their 14 year old David is with us...what a sweet sweet boy. His English is great and I am appreciative!!!

I am laying on the bed typing and looking out the window at the almost done pool. Dreams come true. I love a plaque Debbie King gave me a few years ago....Dreams can't come true if you don't have any. HAVING YOU was one of my first dreams to come true... I don't know who got to PICK who.....but thank you for coming to me. I get excited thinking about what other dreams are still to come. I hope you BOTH are dreaming....

We're BBQing for Father's Day. We got Dad a new grill. I'm sorry you can't call Josh...maybe by the time YOUR kids serve missions the church will let boys call their DAD's too.....

I love you guys. I miss you. I'm so ready to have EVERYONE HOME. 19 weeks and counting....

Mom XXXOOOOXXXXOOOXXOOXOOXOXOOXOXOXOXOOXOXO

Frontgate.com



You cannot tell how stinkin cute and sturdy these rafts are from the picture here...BUT THEY ARE!!! I ordered 3...two kiwi lime and one aqua blue...tried to get Megan a PINK one (Hibiscus) but they were already sold out of that color for the season.
And look how CUTE that "lounger" /5 piece sitting set is!!!! Relaxation can be taken to a whole new level. Don't get me wrong. I am ECSTATIC for the POOL and the RAFTS!!! Just happend to cross that page in the catalog and couldn't help but share.

Another day in Pool Progress

Today they put the metal track along the top of the wall, brought in sand for evening out the edges and pouring the decking, and the pool equipment. This Robin is hurt and can't fly...he has been hopping around here for a few days now...I was surprised at how close he got to me trying to get this cherry.


Thursday, June 17, 2010

Spencer's new DO

The boy/man is getting ready for the release of AVATAR on July 1st...Mike Cooper helped him...I think it is HYSTERICAL that Mike left this heart there without Spencer knowing it:) CLASSIC. Spencer only has 9 months before his mission....ALL the boys--his friends, are counting down and getting in every last thing they can before they GO.
Spencer and Sam are playing in the UJGA Golf Amatuer Match this week...Spencer was one of the top three yesterday.

NOW we're MOVIN'!!!!!!

Josh Platt from down the street is every bit as excited as I am about the whole PROCESS...I called down this morning to tell him the cement truck was here and his NICE Mom brought him right up. He's pretty "serious Joe". He doesn't jump up and down like I do, but he gets this very satisfied grin on his face that says it all. Greg is here helping us with the sprinklers. It's a mixed blessing. I am SO GLAD HE IS HOME ...and HERE...but it also reminds me that JOSH ISN'T!
Just hearing him laugh makes me smile.
My allergies are killing me. Just a personal side note...look at my Plumbago ground cover going into the steps!!! All that rain has made us look like Seattle! I'll take green anyday, but the allergies...go away!!!
Sergio is in the next picture down spraying in all the concrete. Danny, Juan and Alex are in the next few...we have THE nicest men working on our build!!! They brought the pool equipment today!!! It's hard to sleep at night thinking of all the parties and friends that will be coming over.




Monday, June 14, 2010

Letter from JOSH 14 June 2010

Hey Family!

Well this week was good. it was crazy and i am sleep deprived and tired, but it was good. We had two more zone conferences. one in Buru-Buru and the other in Mombasa. it was fun to go back to mombasa again. Dad asked if we drive or fly to Mombasa. We drive, it takes 7-8 hours depending on traffic. but that is also if you are going straight there. we had to stop in Kilungu to drop off some furniture and then in Chyulu to drop of some furniture for them as well. so we were on the road from 8 in the morning until 7:30 that night. and then coming back today we had to stop in Chyulu again to drop off some other stuff so it was a 9 hour drive today. it wasn't so much fun. but driving a stick is a lot easier on the highway then in the city. its easier to shift in the higher gears and you don't have to do it as often. at home you probably don't have to do it at all on the highway, but here the highway is only one lane so you have to slow down behind the big trucks and then get back up to speed to pass when there are no oncoming vehicles. but stick shifts really arent hard, it was just wierd at first, but i do prefer automatics.
In Mombasa i got to see a lot of my old investigators at the church on Sunday so that was way cool. It made me happy that they were still there too. and the exchanges we did there was in my old area, so i got to show the elder i was with a few members places he didn't know about and also some people they could try to start teaching again. but the day was mostly full with appointments, and teaching is the best so i was happy with that too.
The zone conferences this week were good too, but it gets old when you hear the same training 4 times. Those were the last Zone conferences for the transfer because we don't go to Tanzania for those ones. and i am glad we don't cause i don't know how we know how i would stay awake through another two. The next few weeks we will be here in Nairobi and hopefully we will be able to find time to go out and work in our area. i know we have to do some stuff in the office so i don't know how much time we will have in the field but some is better than none. we will see how things turn out.
I cant believe you will have a pool in 3 weeks. There is actually a pool in the flat complex we stay in but unfortunately we cant use it. I told President i just wanted to swim laps for exercise, but it was a no go. maybe with the new mission president though??? cross your fingers for it. mom, i didnt know you were in the young women, i thought you were in primary, and if you are not in young women then why are you going to girls camp? and what is Philmont Camp? anyways, i am glad everyone is doing good. sounds like you are all having fun. i hope you have a great week!
Elder Harris

Friday, June 11, 2010

Hey LOVES!!!

HOW ARE MY MEN CHILDREN????
I miss you.
Josh, Greg has been around helping and maybe it makes the waiting worse. I am SO HAPPY to have him home, but it just doesn't seem RIGHT without YOU here. He is working for us doing odds and ends until he finds a job.
Spencer is in Lake Powell with friends...it has begun...his slight panic that "this will be the last time I get to _______ before my mission". And I am FEELING it with him. Sam's still baseball king. Megan's been doing quite a bit of real estate. Dad's international conference is over but now he is on to Camp Helaman for next weekend. I leave for girls camp a week from Monday--the 21st, and then have Philmont Camp the 2nd through the 9th (and you KNOW how much I LOVE Camp???) I am just now realizing how NUTS it will be for me to miss that much work all together. Pretty sure next year my NO will be working better.
The pool guys are saying they are trying to beat the record and have ours done 3 weeks from dig. That would mean it would be finished JUST BEFORE I am suppose to go to Philmont...might break my heart to have to leave a day or so after it opens. So I can't decide if I WANT Them to hurry or not. Either way it would be fun for the kids to have it going for the 4th even if Dad and I can't be here.... I am so impressed with all the craftsman on the build. I am still shocked every day when I see the hole...this IS REAL, it is REALLY happening to ME/US!!!!!! Can't wait until we are all in it together.
Not much news...Ashley Johnson is getting married.
I love you both. Mind your manners. God is Real. Be kind. Help others, especially if they need a friend. If you can't say something nice....Smile alot. Say your prayers. Visualize who and what you want to be. Love yourselves. MISS ME!!!!!
Mom XXXOOOXXOOOXXOOXXOXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Crazy week.

The first two pictures are me at Michele's (favorite friend) BUNCO group... I had a BLAST!!! I had forgotten what an adrenalin junkie I am!!!! Megan came too and we brought Michelle C with us...definitely a FUN FUN night. Think I am going to have to start my own group. I get so excited I can't add up my score as I roll! Everyone got a door prize and Megan won the lowest score. It's making me itch to start card parties again!!! With this rain and more rain...you HAVE to stay inside! Can you believe this 60 degree high on the 10th of June??? The pool workers must not work in the rain. THat's okay. I wouldn't want to either.
I don't ususally put my client pics on here...but these guys went through ALOT to get their house (many "hic ups") and they aren't even getting married until Aug 14th...we were all relieved to see this close AND fund!!! Congratulations Cheryl and Walter (and ME)!!!
I had just dropped off my last clients for the day on Thursday when Annie called and said they were in town, so I went and picked them up. THey came to Sam's baseball game with me, we got pizza, and I just tried to adjust to how OLD and Mature they are. It's weird the things that help me feel old. I got to have Sam and Molly this morning...Hey BFF...we FORGOT TO TAKE A PICTURE!!!
Aunt Pam and Cherie came and I barely even saw them...I had a WILD foreclosure bidding day and night on an incredible Lindon property and didn't get home until after 11 and then had a close at 9 so I was out the door before they were even up...I was sad to have missed them. Cherie is still as beautiful as ever. Hope THIS modeling agency hires her.


Monday, June 7, 2010

Day 2 :) Lookin' More REAL!!!


HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHERI!!!!


My BEAUTIFUL little sister is the big 40 today...I remember her being born and how sad I was that she wasn't a boy...but then she was so sweet and would let me do about anything with her so it was a quick turn to love. I'll never forget the first time she held her arms out for ME instead of Mom!!!! The bond was sealed for eternity in that moment! I pretty much knew right then I wanted a gazillion kids. I remember her 3rd birthday and all those curls...I remember ALOT of her birthdays (Sweet 16 at OUR house:))!!! Anyway...I LOVE YOU Sheri...thank you for being my sister, for coming to our family...warts and all.....it has made my journey so the sweeter!!!!

Letter from Josh 7 June 2010

dear family,

this week was really good. we had 2 zone conferences, one in Nairobi and one in Eldoret (western Kenya). both of them went really well. this is President Taylor's last round of zone conferences. He is sad to be going, for the most part anyways. Sis Taylor seems pretty excited to go home. but both of them are working very hard. i have been very impressed by the way that they both make plans and schedule and take long hours discussing with branch leaders and so on about things that they wont even be here for, about things they will be long gone for. things in December and next year a bit. it would be much easier to just say "well the new mission president is going to have to have this same talk with you later and will probably change some things so you can just wait and talk to him." they are a great example of finishing strong and working their hardest to the end.
I am sure Greg was much the same during his last weeks. i cant believe he is home now. it was weird to see the pictures of him in his house and in the back yard. and it was also weird to see a big hole in the back yard. things have changed sooooo much!!!
Eldoret was a really cool place. it was my first time to western Kenya and it is a lot more green there. it was also a lot cooler. it got down to the 50's, and while they may not be too low for you, i havent been that cold since i came. so it was a bit of a shock. but it was fun. the missionaries that side are awesome. i wish we could have stayed longer and got to know them better. the zone conference in eldoret was more powerfull then the one in nairobi. there were a lot of young missionaries there. it made it much easier to train because they would listen and ask good questions. but the spirit was also much stronger. My companion and i have been training on effective study and specifically the importance of their investigators having effective studies. its something that all Kenyans struggle with. the attitude here is that you do the assignments given as if it were school or something but no more than that. which is partially because the schools go for 12 hours and then give large amounts of homework so they dont really have time for much else. its also a bit of a pride thing because they all want to be the smart one and the better grade you get without studying the smarter you are. and then its also because of laziness. but the biggest problem throughout the mission is people going less active after a short amount of time. but if they have effective studies then their desires to come for the right reasons in the first place as well as remaining after-wards will greatly increase. and i know that effective studies will greatly increase our (all of you back at home and myself) desires and motivations to be obedient and to come closer to Jesus Christ as well.
this week will be busy again. we have another zone conference here in Nairobi tomorrow and then Thursday we head to Mombasa for the zone conference there on Friday and then saturday and sunday we will do exchanges there and then we will come back on monday again. it should be a good week but it will definitely be a busy one. we also have to stop by the kilungu hills to deliver some wardrobes and other things they have been going without and then in chyulu as well to take care of some stuff so it will be packed.
i love you guys!!! have fun at home. i hope you are all doing great.
love,
Elder Harris

Saturday, June 5, 2010

your mom's diggin me a pool!!!!!

Getting home rocks, Sis. Harris (your mom) will give you anything I want. I suggested that I might like a pool and the day after I get home there's this gigantic pit in your back yard!! It pays to be popular with the Harris family!!!

Just kidding Josh, So don't lose your focus. The news and the media were right the rumors are true, Elder Otterstrom is just Greg now- I'm home. Let me tell you something though, it's really weird to be back, it's going to take a few days or weeks to adjust to life outside the regiment of a mission. It meant the world to me, I learned lessons and gained perspectives that I wouldn't have had I never gone. Your mission, I'm sure, is perfectly tailored and suited to meet your needs and help you grow as was mine for me. I can't wait to hear about yours but, speaking so honestly and sincerely, don't be in a hurry to get home. I miss the mission already. Relish the last months Sue!!!! I'll hear from you soon.

Greg, plain old Greg

IT's REAL it's REAL it's REALLY HAPPENING!!!

No more dinners under the Willow tree...no more Willow Tree! Greg came over and surprised us...Dad's first time seeing him. I can FEEL the WATER people!!!!