Letter from Josh 30 Aug 2010

Dear Family,

The rest of the mission tour went good. Elder Watson is actually still here, he will fly out tomorrow morning, but he is in Chyulu at the district conference they are having and we didn't go to that. we got to stay here and look after the office in case there was some emergency. there wasn't any emergency. Church was good yesterday. there was a fireside on the book of Mormon after church because most members don't really know what the book of Mormon is all about. they will tell you they believe its true, but when they are asked what it talks about they cant really reply. It was pretty simple and mostly testimonies and some of the stories from the book of Mormon, but i think it was pretty beneficial to the members.
There isn't a whole lot to say about the weekend though. after the mission tour we just did a bunch of rounding up all the extra mattresses and blankets and things that we keep at our flat for the transfer week and a few other little clean up type things from the mission tour.
I am very excited for you guys to come!!! and mom, you will love it.
Sam, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!! and i have to say, when you wake up you look like me when i wake up. I'm glad we have that in common. now i don't have to be the only zombie in the mornings. i knew it was only a matter of time before someone joined me.
I cant send pictures this week because i lent elder thornton my camera for the week because his broke some time ago and they were having a baptism in his area. 27 baptisms actually. all on saturday and then the confirmations on sunday. pretty amazing. i am jealous that he got to go there and i am here. but both have their perks i guess.
anyways, i love you! and i hope you have a wonderful week.
Love,
Elder Harris

p.s. i got the package today. thank you very much for the candy and insoles and everything. it was perfect

LoveBugs....

K Guys...we LOVE YOU!!! Michael...we are counting the hours till you hit the front door!!! Josh, Dad has some more questions for you about the trip, he'll put them in his email.
Sam has had a glorious birthday. Now he just wants his Driver's Ed teacher to get him in on the roading schedule so he can drive WITHOUT ME. He has another golf tournament on Tuesday and leaves for Lake Powell with Jackson and Skylar Olsen and their family on Friday for Labor Day.
Spencer is still hitting the working world looking for a job....and golfing in between. Meg has settled into teaching and schooling. Dad is so excited about Africa he can't keep off the net for planning it. Crazy how opposites marry. I am just working like crazy while the work is here. The pumpkins are orange and I am ticked. I know I mentioned it before...but WHAT does one do with about 40 pumpkins that will be rotted by Halloween??? The tomatoes are in the prime. I just love LOOKING at them even...that deep red on the massive green. My tomatoes always make me think of GrandDad Steadwell and all his plants. He planted a boat load of onions this Spring, so I hope someone is harvesting them and enjoying them. Maybe the skunks??
Its been a busy Sunday with lots of Sam's friends dropping in. Dad is at the church for some Stake YW meeting. I am getting ready to snug myself into deep sheets of my lovely bed. I'll be dreaming about you. Josh...I may not be excited to GO to Africa...but you KNOW I am excited out of my head to SEE and BE with YOU!!!!!
Make me proud youngins'!
Your Momma

Offically going to AFRICA

It's written is PERMANENT Sharpie marker, the tickets are bought, those being left behind (Megan Michael and Sam) are sad (someone has to stay at home and get all the celebrating stuff ready right?)...and yes, I AM GOING. Thank you Don for not pressuring me too much and allowing me to decide for myself. If Josh had not been the reward at the other end there is NO WAY in heck I would have gone. But lets just say this is a testimony to HOW MUCH I MISS HIM and how much I might have been tormented knowing that his DAD and Spencer were with him while I was at home "WAITING". Nope couldn't do it. I would have wondered about exactly what it was like for him...I know I'll NEVER know that, but this will give me a better understanding of his 2 years of sacrifice. Surprising what a mother's longing will get her to do. May Africa send its grace and love into my heart as I go seeking. Just thinking I probably shouldn't have read a few of the books I read....
Also I keep thinking of my 5th great grandfather Frances Moran who likes to visit me in my dreams...who owned a fleet of ships and thought NOTHING of sailing to the West Indies and Brazil again and again from his NY home....and his immigration to the states from Ireland. That was around 1817...I am awe struck at how much I have been able to travel internationally in my life, and how much he did in his....life is so interesting. Africa, here I come.

Happy SWEET 16 Sam!!!

Dating, driving....driving, DATING...16 is such a LOVELY LOVELY marker to pass!!! All of Sam's friend's have been 16 awhile now so he is VERY happy to join them in their privileges! This is his traditional breakfast in bed--Pizza Hut Pepperoni stuffed crust! He loves this Tiger game because it has the Whistling Straights course that they just visited on it. He also racked up with a new set of golf clubs...Cleveland something or others....HAPPY BOY at our house:) HAPPY PARENTS to have such an amazing boy-MAN in our house!!! (top pic is his favorite brownie trifle...lets see if we make it to the HAPPY BIRHTDAY song at 3 before it's partaken of...)

Perfect Day

Yesterday I slept in till 6:30 and didn't run with Marcii until 7! We had a glorious visit/run with t a soft sweet smelling rain falling on us the last mile. I came home to Haven, ELle and Graham all ready to get in the pool! We swan in the pool and popped in and out of the hot tub until 2 when Jeremy and Kori came home and took them off to their Grandmom's...I never even went inside...I just stayed on my glider rocker out by the pool rocking and reading and having the soft breeze wash over me until 6-- when I finished off MOCKINGJAY. :)
Then we went and bought this Dodge Ram truck to help out the whole car/school/work situation. I LOVE ME A TRUCK!!! Sam is SLIGHTLY pleased as well--and Spencer too! I have so missed not having a truck! I am making mental lists of all the "stuff" I want to haul out of here! Don took me and Meg to Zuppas for dinner where I had the MILO panni and the Wisconsin Cauliflower soup mixed with their tomatoe basil...SO YUM...then home to a DVD THE BACK UP PLAN...and off to bed "imagining" in true NEVILLE GODDARD form....only to awake to a marker day....16 years ago today I had my last baby.

10 weeks 10 weeks 10 weeks 10 weeks!!!!!!

10 weeks till I HOLD Josh!!!!!!!!!!! You can count 10 people....10 I can COUNT!!!!!!!

Letter from Josh 25 Aug 2010

(Old pictures I know, but sometimes I just want to look at him)
Dear Family!!!

This week was good. We traveled up to Eldoret for part of the mission tour on Friday and then Saturday we picked up President Broadbent and Elder Watson from the Eldoret airport and drove them around all weekend. I was scared because President Broadbent kept talking about Elder Watson like he was this super strict guy that would just blast you for small things, but he wasnt, and it turned out to be kinda cool. but i did have to drive really slow, he wouldn't let me get out of third gear unless we were on the highway and then i still couldn't get in to fifth. I guess the cool part of it was actually getting to know him before he gave his training, because it made the training seem so much more real and you could see that it was part of who he was and not just some speech that he wrote because it would sound good to a group of missionaries.
We have another conference for the mission tour here in Nairobi tomorrow. hopefully everything will turn out well. there are still a few things out of place that we cant do anything about until tomorrow, which makes me a bit nervous because in Eldoret those things didn't go so smoothly, but i its also stuff that doesn't really matter in the end, so we will see what happens. so thats tomorrow and then friday we will be trying to get everybody back to their areas and then Saturday will be p-day. today isnt p-day for us we are still busy doing stuff for the mission tour tomorrow but we are taking a short time to e-mail. i don't even know what the rest of the transfer had in store because we haven't planned past the mission tour but i am sure we will still be busy and running around everywhere.
Everybody has started to give me marital advice lately, which i find kind of funny since i am not getting married anytime soon. I guess its because i am going home somewhat soon, but going home and getting married are two completely different things.
Dad, i also got your postcard from Argentina, quite literally just now. the mail guy just came in. he also had the slip for me to go pick up my package with. but tomorrow is the mission tour thing and Friday is a national holiday so i wont get the package till Monday or Tuesday probably. Thanks for the mail!!!!!
when we went to drop off president broadbent at the airport the other night so he could fly to Dar for the mission tour there he gave me hug and said "goodbye friend, we will see you in few days." and as we were driving back i was thinking about that and what it must have been like when we left the pre-mortal life to come here to earth. and i am sure there was something similar said. it may have been with years instead of days and i imagine it as a hug instead of a handshake, but i would imagine that the Savior sent each of us off in a similar way.
Dad, everything should be ok with that flight schedule, at least as far as the mission president and the secretary here are concerned. but i gave them your e-mail address because the secretary here has to go through some lady in salt lake so if there is anything different with that then they should e-mail you. i will tell you of any up-dates if i hear of them just in case.
I love you guys!!!!! and i hope you all have a great week!!

Love,
Elder Harris

Lovies ....XXOOXX

NEXT WEEK MICHAEL WILL BE HOME!!!!!!!!!!! Yee Haw!!! Josh has been out 94 weeks today. NINETY FOUR WEEKS...that is just too much for a Mom. There. It is written. TRUTH. That is just TOO long and TOO much for a mom. THIS MOM anyway.

I thought of you both as I ran 12 miles down the canyon from South Fork this morning with Marci.(She went on to run 18)! There is something deeply spiritual and soul awakening about starting your day running into the sunrise through one of the most beautiful places on earth. Your heart just fills with love...so of course you both were leaking out all over the place. It was freezing...more like late September weather-42 degrees...we were thinking that YOU could POSSIBLY be HOME before the first snowfall JOSH!!!!!!! That made me smile:)

We stayed with Johnson's in Boise. It's always good to be SO LOVED by their kids. Ali's MS is progressing and its hard for her to walk now. She tires easily. I was sad to be staying there at first because I didn't want her OR PAUL to feel the work of it, but they both stayed to their word and just let us do our thing without much output in our direction. I was so grateful.

I bought another Idaho Powerball ticket. Geez. I don't care WHAT people say about buying them and the "people" who do. I DO. I DID!!! And let me just say that yes I " paid a price" for some HOPE...but the anticipation is SO SWEET I WILL DO IT AGAIN. I am loving the head time each day before the drawing just imagining the things I could participate in creating if I were to win :) I'm gonna win:) I've already won! The JOY of the imaging that it would possibly be me is worth every cent...and then, if I'm not the one...there will be somebody...and whoever that somebody is, I gladly give them my few dollars to add to everyone else's so that THEY can create that hoped for reality.

I got a tooth filled. Sometimes I am a big girl and do hard things. I love the Jones Brothers. They gave me laughing gas and for a few minutes it really did make me laugh. I didn't think I was going to be able to stop and then the girl turned it down ...and I was able to sit still and open my mouth...it made me feel heavy then, and a bit tired. I listened to Wayne Dyer on my IPOD throughtout and we truly "communed". I wonder if daily laughing gas is hurtful?

We've had a few BIG storms and they have left the pool a MESS. It is ASTONISHING how much water comes down in those downpours!!! I am sure the day will come when you will be able to see first hand by helping me bail the water off the cover. Such a small price to pay for such JOY. I was so thrilled for the cover when I saw all the mess on top of it...made me wonder how we ever managed in FLorida without one and with SO MANY STORMS (maybe that is why I had to vacuum it everyday? Funny that I can't remember that....)

Sam starts school tomorrow. His birthday is Sunday..FINALLY 16...FINALLY able to DATE, DRIVE...It will be weird to have him gone all day again...especially with golf. He played a tournament on Monday that I got to walk...SUCH a gorgeous day...I didn't mind the cool spurt so much then. He's playing well, but always wants to play better. He loves his coach and his team mates.

Spencer just got back tonight from a weekend with Cooper's at Bear Lake. Yeah, we're all jealous. And it was just as wonderful as we all imagined. Megan starts teaching tomorrow as well. She's been busy with her MBA classes and homework. Dad is home for awhile now.

I love you both. Deep down and around the world and BACK kind of love. I am so proud of all the good you are up to...and all the lives you are touching. Love hard...love quick...and hurry home to me!!!!

OUT TODAY!!!

And I am crying BIG TEARS that I don't have a copy yet!!! We have an appraiser coming tomorrow to appraise the house (We'd like to get a lower interest rate with the rates so low) Even though I AM declaring to the UNIVERSE that I am going to get it paid off!!! AnYwAy...I've been cleaning -tossing- straighening-gardening all day to get ready for it. I'm dang glad to give the house an overhaul with school starting tomorrow...but I REALLY wish I had just taken an hour and gone to get a copy. Pretty sure I'll have to wait another few days now for the next orders to come in.

Such a surprise and so sad....

Shauna has been our neighbor for 13 years...our heart goes out to Ken and the whole family.

Shauna Beck Walker

May 5, 1954 ~ August 23, 2010

Hometown: Lindon, UT

Shauna Beck Walker, 56, of Lindon passed away peacefully on Monday, August 23, 2010 after an extended illness.

Shauna was born May 5, 1954 in Payson to James D. and Wilma Stewart Beck.

She married Craig James Memmott and together had a son. They were later divorced. She married Kenneth David Walker on June 6, 1981.

Shauna grew up in Spanish Fork and graduated from Spanish Fork High School in 1972. Shauna worked for Albertson’s Grocery Stores as a meat wrapper in both the Orem and Provo locations. She later worked for the State of Utah in the Office of Recovery Services. Shauna loved to be in the outdoors and will be remembered as a true animal lover. She was an example of true compassion and was willing to help anyone no matter what the need. She will be truly missed by family and friends.

She is survived by her husband Ken of Lindon; two sons, Ryan (Sally) Memmott, Surprise, AZ; Brayden Walker, Pleasant Grove; step-children: Kurt Walker, American Fork; Keri (Robert) Carter, Spanish Fork; and Keith (Dawnie) Walker, Lehi; 11 grandchildren, a great-grandson, three sisters: Verna Baylog, Vivian Lambert, and Sheila Carter.

Funeral services will be held Thursday, August 26, 2010 at 11:00 a.m. in the Lindon Stake Center, 56 East 600 North, Lindon.

Friends may call for a viewing Wednesday evening from 6-8 p.m. at Olpin Family Mortuary, 494 South 300 East, Pleasant Grove and at the church on Thursday one hour prior to services.

Interment will be in the Lindon City Cemetery.

GrandDad Harris turns 80

It was great to have so many come...about 80 people showed up for his party at the Twins in Boise. Uncle Ted even flew in! Uncle Kelly turned 47 the night before the party so we were able to celebrate with him too! Cake by Tina (Ellen's daughter) It was a fun, relaxed night of visitng and eating yum food...and my favorite...LIVE music by Uncle Ronnie and his friend Tim! A storm rolled in just before the party started, keeping it NICE and cool...but it never rained!!

THE ONLY PICTURE of their Wisconsin PGA trip!!!!

I thought I was rotten at taking pics...but at least I TAKE some...you both will have to get the download from the "brothers". They had a GLORIOUS time and were super impressed with the players....Sam got to fist butt Phil Mickelson (he's still on a high from that one!)

Living the DREAM

No Farting in the pool

Preston came up with this caption and we all about died laughing. Poor Drew's suit just died after about 48 hours of straight pool time:) It was a sweet weekend...I was so busy relaxing I didn't get pics of Jeremy and Kori and their crew!!!

6 PACK Jeremi!!!

We LOVED having everyone come last weekend!!! And I am totally inspired with Jeremi's new 6 pack!!!! She's been doing this CROSSFIT training and even teaches children classes each morning.

Letter from Josh 14 August 2010

Hey Dad!

first off, do not come saturday night. you will be to tired from all the traveling in the first place to enjoy church in any way on sunday and also because my mission isn't even done until at least midnight on sunday. and since you will be coming right at transfer week, i might have to help a bit on monday until whoever my replacement is gets here. i was thinking that could be more of an adjustment day and do a few small things like show you the mission office. if you really wanted two sundays here it would be better to come later in the week (Wednesday or thursday maybe) and then leave that second Sunday night. One Sunday in Arusha sounds good to me. Mombasa could be good, there is a family there that we could go visit, and it has by far the cheapest souvenirs (or wood carving souvenirs at least). and we could also stop by chyulu on the way there or the way back to show you what it is like (it is very rural and would probably be cool to see). the downside is that it is an 8 hour drive one way, so it is almost a full day of traveling just one way. and we would probably only want to spend one day there, so it would be two days of travel (or most of two days) for one day of showing you the place. I would like to do the safari out of Arusha, Ngoro Ngoro crater is suppose to be the best safari drive there is, and that's a couple hours southish of Arusha i believe, but there is a lot around there even if we dont go to Ngoro Ngoro.
my proposed itinerary would be:

sunday night: you arrive
monday: in nairobi, slower day so you can adjust, but we will still do something.
tuesday: in nairobi, i have a game drive with my mtc group that afternoon and the testimony meeting is that night. i dont know what you would do that day, sorry. (you might need to get re-entry stamps on your visas for when we come back from Arusha, I could arrange for a guy in the office to take you to do that in the afternoon while i am at the game drive thing.)
Wednesday: travel to Arusha and show you around (the bus to Arusha gets there around one, so we will have time to go around town)
thursday: safari
Friday: safari
Saturday safari
sunday: church in Arusha and show you the town and we will most likely be able to visit one or two people from arusha.
monday: back to Nairobi, go around a bit.
Tuesday: show you around my areas in nairobi and possibly visit a few people. fly home tuesday night or wednesday morning

or if we do go to mombasa then we would leave for mombasa on tuesday and then come back and fly out thrusday night. (if we rent a car we could leave a bit earlier and have part of Tuesday in mombasa and part of thursday in nairobi as well)

the other question i have is- will we be renting a car? i didn't think about it till now, but it would be nice to have one while we are in kenya. in arusha we can take local stuff (gives you the experience and it is a pain to take a car across the border here. we did it for that zone conference we went to in arusha and it was a major pain) and on safari i am assuming we will have a driver. i can ask if we can use one of the mission cars while we are here, but i dont know if that will work due to insurance stuff.

Mombasa would be fun and i would enjoy it but it is a few more days and i dont know how long you want to spend here. especially with that much travel time. i wish it could be less travel time but the roads here aren't very good.

and in reality it would probably make more sense for you to come on monday night and then adjust Tuesday while i am out with my group on the game drive. but that is up to you aswell.

i can check my mail a bit throughout the week and respond so that we can get this planned and what not as soon as possible. i also have to let the church know what date to buy my ticket for so the secretary here is pushing me as well.

anyways, i love you!!!!!!
have a great week!
Elder Harris

Lovies...

Preston and Jeremy and their families are here having a pool party with me while Dad and the boys are in Wisconsin at the Golf Tournament. All reports back are that they are in HEAVEN...they followed Tiger yesterday...they will update from there.
We had GrandDad's belated birthday dinner tonight...I bought Tri tip and Preston grilled it...OH SO YUM!!! Chris came and the kids swam until just now so they are all prunes.For being such a busy week, there's not alot to report.
I LOVE YOU!!! Miss me...can't wait until morning to hear from you!
Love you BIG!!!
Mom

Pavillion

The Pavillion we are going to build at the end of the pool is going to look very similar to this:)

JaLee turns 50!!!!

It's even weird to WRITE that she turned 50. It wasn't weird for me when Don did...but somehow weird when JaLee does. I remember when we were in our 30's forcasting to now--and believe me, it is NOTHING like I thought it would be! I still feel EXACTLY the same. Other than my darn kids growing up and LEAVING and feeling GREAT about it.
We met Shayne and Jalee up Brighton Canyon for dinner at the Silver Fork Lodge (totally YUM) and these Moose just strolled into the back of the restaurant. One of the workers who has worked there 3 1/2 years said he had NEVER seen that happen before--HAPPY BIRTHDAY JALEE!!! We went to Shayne's folks cabin for the night and LOVED just being "us". There are times when there is nothing sweeter than a 30 year + history with someone...WE ARE SO GLAD YOU ARE OUR FRIENDS CLARKE'S!!!! We went to church at the tiny Brighton Chapel. The speakers were the girls that had been working up there all summer at the Church's Beehive Camp (I never knew it existed---makes you wonder WHY they get one and we don't?)...anyway...the girls were so dang impressive I wanted ALL of their numbers for you boys...they were BEAUTIFUL too!!! One of my favorite parts was that they sang two songs with the guitar:) Yep, IN SACRAMENT mtg!!! Gotta LOVE THAT!!!
I brought up some simple lunch. The Wood's who have been General Authorities came to join us. Just as we sat down, ADORABLE Sister Wood raises her glass and says...lets make a toast (my love for her was sealed right then) then she goes on to say that that very day was their 55th wedding anniversary!! We asked her for advice and she was tickled to give it. She said "FORGIVE each other. Alot of "Stuff" just happens. Forgive each other". It has given me pause ever since. It was a sweet and never to be forgotten afternoon...and I got to sleep all the way home:)

THANK YOU GALAN'S!!!!

Dad came home from his Argentina/Chile trip with FETE chocolate for me from the Galan's!!! AND a CD of Josefa singing songs from Mass...I AM A HAPPY GIRL!!! I LOVE YOU GALAN's!!!! Thank you for always thinking of ME!!!

Letter from Josh 7 August 2010

Dear Family,

This week was pretty good. it was nice to be in one place and not living out of a suitcase for the week. there isn't a whole lot to say about the week. we did a lot of catching up in the office and also finished off this transfers zone conferences. in general they went pretty well. its funny how you can see who will follow what is being said and who wont, but i guess that also means we know who to watch for and who to help more. we started transfers. it took us forever but we finally got our first plan finished, so now we will go back over everything and pray about it and then start again on Monday or Tuesday fixing anything that doesn't feel right. President and sister broadbent took us out to dinner last night. it was very nice of them and i got to have a real hamburger. i haven't had that in a long time. it was delicious. but mostly i am telling you that because i know mom wants to hear i am eating good. i am. its just generally not hamburgers.
every time i see pics of the house on moms blog i think "that just looks weird now. that's not the home i left." but its ok, i think a swimming pool and a hot-tub and are things i can get used too. the thing that will be the weirdest to get use to is how old everybody is. not mom of coarse, mid twenties is still pretty young. i mean its older than me, but she is my mom, they are suppose to be older. but everybody else is different, and that's going to be weird. but whenever you guys know which day you are coming and for how long you are staying then let me know so i can try to plan or give you options or whatever. also, the couple in mombasa offered for us to stay with them if we go to mombasa, but i would rather show you guys arusha then mombasa so it really depends on how long you are coming for.
We will have Elder Watson from the area presidency coming on Aug 20 and then we will do a mission tour with him. because of that we wont be having zone conferences next transfer, so i will actually have time to go out and to do some proselyting. i am excited for that. we will still have to do exchanges which will take up a bit of time. but not nearly as much as before. and we had a bit of time this week to go and see some of the investigators that were ours but we had to give to some other elders so that they could be taught while we were running everywhere. it was good to see them again, but it was also kind of funny because they had built kind of a loyalty to the other missionaries, which is fine, that means the other elders did their job well, but it was just funny to see the change from not wanting them to being a bit hesitant to have us again. i am excited to get to do more work though.
anyways, i love you guys!!! i hope you all have a great week!
Love,
Elder Harris

p.s. dad, just get my priesthood line of authority to me when you can, i wont need it until the 20th when elder Watson gets here.

Hello Loves XXXOOOXXX

Another week down! A good week. With your Dad gone I haven't done much cooking:). I think I've eaten a whole watermelon. I've watched a few DVD's from Blockbuster staying up as late as I want watching and sometimes reading, and had complete control of the remote and the entire bed...I LIKE sleeping in the middle:)

I am sure the Allphins are going to move and I don't think they will ask me to be their Realtor. Since the pool has been finished it has been a bit more "ACTIVE " over here. I was SO RELIEVED the first time she called to say that someone had poured gasoline at the end of the street and lit it on fire...relieved because Sam was sitting WITH ME in the hot tub and SPencer was gone at a golf tournament in Evanston. The "picture" the fire burned in the road will live there forever, and you will be able to view it upon arriving home. As one friend put it, they sometimes just have to drive by the new "ART" to believe it is really in Lindon on a Lindon Street. I'd post a picture but obviously it is not appropriate.
For those of you who don't know my neighbor...she is an ANGEL...TRULY, and just the fact that she would even CALL meant that that fire was humongo...and she was just trying to make sure MY BOYS weren't in trouble or going to GET in trouble...we have a policeman who lives just around the corner(also a great guy...but WHAT IS HE GOING TO DO WHEN HE SEES A BURNING 10 foot fire in the road????
But since then...the kids just STAY too late and the girls can't seem to quit screaming all the time. One in particular. I may have to ban her after 10 pm.I laugh really, kind of reminds me of a few 3 year olds I've known who go through that screaming and screaming stage.
Last night Brady left his car here in front of the house while he left with some other friends...and while he was gone, some kids-- no one knows who-- trashed alot of the cars of the kids swimming here parked in front of our house with toliet paper, and other crud. Sam and friends went out to clean up the cars before the friends were going to leave and Brady's car alarm went off and they couldn't get it to stop...this is like at 11:30....and of course Marci and Joe probably thought OUR kids were the ones MAKING the mess and farting around making the car alarm go off....when Marci came out to tell Sam that his friends should be heading home, does SAM tell her what was up??? NOOOOOOoooooo!!!!! He just says "OK". They finally undo something from the battery and the alarm stops, then Brady comes back an hour or so later and sets it off AGAIN!!!!
I'd move.I would so move. Please don't let them move. OR EVEN WANT TO MOVE. So what does a GOOD neighbor do to try to make that better?????? WHen I send the kids home they congregate on the steet still making a ruckusl. Did I mention the Allphins have PERFECT children? Russel just graduated with Spencer. He's perfect. And talented. And funny. Hysterical really. AND NEVER MAKES A SOUND. And would NEVER be caught congregating after 11. I am glad they love us, and we really love them....but love can only take so much. And I'm pretty sure they are at MUCH.
And as I type...I just had to go look out the window...I think they have built the largest FIRE yet in the firepit. And yes, whats her face is screaming and its almost midnight. Sam came running towards the house saying "Don't worry Mom, it's ok..." I have come calmly back to bed to finish my letter to you guys and will wait for a knock or a call. I pray they are asleep. Please, please, let them miss this. I am so glad your Dad is on an airplane. It's 12:01 so Sam will be herding them home now.

See what you miss when you are gone?

I sent your package today Josh. Let me know when you get it. Will you send us YOUR ideas about how we should structure our stay when we come to get you...how long, what cities to visit, etc...???? 12 weeks brother bear. I am smiling . And Michael will be home in just a few weeks!!!! Josh, do you want your own room again, or do you want to share with Spencer? Meg moved home for this semester so we are rearranging...but you are KING and get exactly what you want...so let me know.

Greg is moving to Logan tomorrow, he got a job there...ARGH!!!! He just got back...and already off to work out life.

I have been in the pool everyday. I am so enamored with it. I'v gotten too much sun and am gong to have to be more careful. I actually have tan lines....and from long sleeve white shirt, hat and 60 suncreen that is a big change for me. It's heaven out there. I am hoping my latent skin cancer will give me just this one little moment without any mess!!!

I LOVE YOU BOTH!!! And MISS YOU of course. I'm excited to get caught up on YOUR week.
I love you more than cherry mango Popsicles. I love you more than floating on the float in the pool. I love you more than my alone hot tub sessions after my runs each day. I love you MORE AND MORE AND MORE!!!!!
Your Momma.
XXXOOOXXXOOOXXXOOOXXXOOOXXXOOOXXOOOXOOOXOXOO

True Confession

As much as I LOVE having all our friends here...I really LOVE IT ALOT when its just ONLY ME. I really really like the sound of the water coming off the diving board. I like to blast my IPOD too---especially with Rascal Flatts or Bach for relaxation. And I love not wearing very much clothes. I LOVE feeling the sun sink in all over me. I LOVE that blue raft...or the green one. I love that rubber ducky thermometer. I LOVE MY LIFE today. THANK YOU SUN for ending the storm and coming out to play with me. Thank you clients for no one wanting anything or needing me today. Thank you for golf courses that keep the boys away for some of the time with all their friends. YOU KNOW I LOVE THEM...but I ALSO love me some ALONE pool time. Now if I could just move the neighbors so I could do it completely in the nude. Think I could get them to take vacations at the same time, and have them take my family with them?

Malorie and Janey marry this Saturday

Just thought you boys would want to see...those are some LUCKY INLAWS!!!!!!! What GREAT girls/women!!!

Swollen Spencer

This is Spencer the handsome just AFTER his wisdom teeth were taken out and just BEFORE I tried to get him to the car. He is amazing. He is Mr. Control. No smiling, no wierd comments like his other siblings...just Mr. Serious..."they gave me too many shots, my WHOLE mouth is numb and I hate it"...now this he said at least 8-10 times, then off he went to sleep. Loritab is a lovely drug sometimes. Another life nasty over.

Letter from Josh 2 August 2010

Hey Family!!

The week was pretty good. its good to be back, and to know that we will get to stay here for a little while and not have to pack my bags again. Chyulu and Mombasa were fun though. We went to a different branch in Mombasa then the one i was serving in so i didn't get to see anyone i knew really, but i will be back there again sometime next transfer so maybe i will see them then. in chyulu though they ride bikes and i have gone on exchanges there before and we always come back sore but this time my back tire got a flat and the closest place to buy the patch was a 45 min walk. the problem with that was that it was almost night time and we dont have lights on our bikes so riding at night is kind of like a death wish. so we had to get back super fast and it was mostly uphill and it was a ten kilometer ride. my legs were burning for about an hour after we got home and i was more sore then i have ever been before going on exchanges there. but it was a fun day for the most part.
So i was with elder Clark (the cousin to Jeff Harris) this last week while i was in Chyulu, he was actually the one i went on exchanges with. and i know you told me they have a lot of kids, but i didn't realize that he was the fourteenth of nineteen children. that is crazy, that is absolutely insane. i dont know why you would ever have that many children. i dont know how anybody could have that many children. and none of them are adopted. and the is only one set of twins. that means 18 pregnancies and births. it just doesn't make sense to me. i know mom would love for one of us to have that many grand children for her, but i dont think even mom would want 19 kids. anyways, he ways pretty cool, but that is way too many children.
Mom wantd to know what i am doing this week. so, this week we have two more zone conferences on tuesday and thursday. and then towards the end of the week, probably friday, we will start to try and figure transfers out. wednesday i have to do what is called the president report which is a big spreadsheet and some statistics stuff and also the reasons for why we baptized minors that dont have parents in the church. and then saturday will be p-day, and we will actually be here for our p-day so i will get to write on saturday this week.
I miss you guys, i wish i could have been there for your little party in sams bed the other night, but we will have plenty of fun when i get home. I am still very happy here though, november seems too soon. but for mom i know its not soon enough. oh, about how long will you guys be coming for? i just want to be able to think of about how long to spend in each place and we will do on those days.
anyways, i love you!!!!! i hope you all have wonderfull weeks!
Love,
Elder Harris





P.S. if you haven't sent the package yet if you could put some chocolate chips in there. they dont have them here and i am not wanting to take the time to cut up a chocolate bar just to make cookies. i prefer milk chocolate, but anything will do.

Sam belly bounce like Josh

Josh & Michael- this is meg. We had a blast tonight- Sam's really into laying in his bed and just listening to music. Me and Spencer helped him listen tonight :) Can't wait for you to get back and join the party. Spencer is in the kitchen making cookies as we speak. Mom went to bed so she can run in the morning... she is missing out! Nothing is better then hanging with the siblings. Come home guys, come home!

Missing you Michael and Josh...

Waiting for the REAL REUNION PARTY November 2010...it's Sunday night, its late, I hear this "MOM! MOM! MOM! MOM! Come join us!!!"...my offspring are "breaking out" missing their siblings...ok, AND DAD...but Dad wouldn't love this party so much....