30 Sept 2012

 Sam is having PLENTY of FUN....they go DISCO skating once a week....

 I saw this on Face book and nabbed it...Joe looks so GREAT huh?

 USU had a chalk dance :)

 Nabbed these off of FaceBook  cuz I knew you'd love em!

Please update me on how you are feeling...??? Was it strep? Are you TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF???

We got a new Bishop today...Mike Lloyd. I love the counselors...Mike Barrett and Damon Hulsey. If I could campaign though I would SHOUT OUT for Joe Allphin...maybe next time :)
Work is busy. Fall is here. I LOVED picking pumpkins today. The canyon has faded but is still pretty. Ate at Sundance Tree Room with the girlies last night to celebrate Kim and Kim's birthdays...I swear the Pepper Steak is one of MY FAVORITE things ever!!!! It cuts with a butter knife. We rode the ski lift in the FULL MOON and it was SO AMAZING. Sara and Kim P were on the lift with me...it didn't take long for them to have me laughing so hard I was able to relax up that high. I really LOVED seeing where you guys go and how FAR up there it goes when you ski.If it hadn't been a bunch of married women it would have been super romantic.
The boys come home this next weekend and I can't wait!!! I am DYING to see your pics on the SD card Sam has!!! He will be bringing it home with him. Michael will be home in the middle of the night tonight from Seattle and Portland with Andy. They left Wednesday and made a quick trip. Michael will leave the 15th of Oct for Europe for 6 weeks...he won't be home until Dec. 6th. He will fly in and out of Berlin....I am excited for him...wish I could meet him in Ireland and Scotland...
Josh is studying hard. Meg will be in LA for work next weekend and then in New York the weekend after that. This is a traveling family! I'm excited because Olive is taking a bus tour that will bring her through Salt Lake for 2 nights so I'll get to her the end of October. Galan's will be here the 29th and 30th.
Laura has been such a delight to have living here. Tonight she made authentic mexican fish tacos that were so yummy. I only lost one pound last week so I've got to STOP making exceptions for her yum!
I sent Stephen's letter on ...I LOVE YOU. I LOVE YOU!!!! Love hard. Listen hard. Speak soft. You be the bestest boy. You be MINE. Make it a GREAT week! As always, I'll be thinking of you!
Mom
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Email from Spencer

hey fam this week was awesome

we got two of our investigators interviewed for baptism and are getting baptized this saturday, carmen mora and giovani tranquilino. and were pumped we should continue to baptize next month after conference every week , the difference has really been just getting the branch involved and just as excited as us to baptize!

we had 6 investigators at church and our attendance was great we were able to get alot more less actives to church this wek as well.

ive been ridiculously sick this week but have not been able to take a rest cuz weve been slammed with apointments plus i just like teaching more then i like sleep so today im gonna take a big nice long sleep and hopefull my sore throat and cough will go away , i hope its not strep, but with me it usually is.

we had a lesson over at the familia mora house this week which was awesome, we got a returning member family were teaching, los gonzalez cruz to come and they all bore there testimonies and lets just say there nothing that will stop hermana mora from getting baptized now, these last two weeks she has come to every activity of the reliefe societ and church and so shes looking to be a really solid member and future member missionary, her children are not baptized and shes already started praying that her daughters will accept the gospel, carmen is 65 and her daughters are in there high thirtys and are very catholic but you cant ever underestimate the power of a mother.

she should get a calling really soon after her baptism. giovani is 9 so as you know all little children are elect, it was way awesome to see him explain the restoration to our zone leader haha for a 9 year old hes a boss.

im so glad he found the sd card i knew i sent it and almost freaked when i thopught it was lost.

thanks so much mom for inviting my buds over i miss them so much and they need you in there life still, you need them too, there basically fam anyways.

tell everyone of the love i have for them and that they are in my prayers, i truly do pray for you all by name. not just fam, but friends too.

paz fuera

con mucho amor y carino

elder harris

More Kauai

 Here's the sea turtle!!

 Nothing's changed Spencer!

 Wierd cave up past Princeville!

 Sam's killing me in those shorts!

 Hiking to the waterfall...

 I feel HORRIBLE! I put the spray sunscreen and Josh and didn't know I had to rub it in and all over and he was our stripped tiger for the trip...what was funny was to see the OTHER people who had done the same!!!

 See Sam about to do his back flip? And me about to have a coronary!

 I opted out...aren't you suprised?? I was NOT going to try to crawl back up those slick rocks! Double click on this picture to see Sam's rocking weight lifting BACK :)

 The hike to the Falls was GORGEOUS....there were leaves the size of a giant pizza!

WHAT??? SKYDIVING and the MAMA is THERE???

 Yep. And here are the pics to prove it. I have LONG had a "rule' that if any of my kids were going to do something crazy like this that they couldn't tell me until AFTER when they were safe and in MY ARMS.  They all wanted to do it so bad. I have been taking this POWER 90 Class and doing some DEEP self evalutaion and was able to look at it "another" way...I DON'T want my kids to have the fears I do. I am sure you will have enough all on your own without my putting MINE on you too.  Not sure who was most surprised by my saying LET'S DO IT!!
They  (SKY DIVE KAUAI) are brillant in their prep for the jump. They have you arrive 45 minutes early so you can see a few jumpers come in bursting with life and gladdness as they come down....EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM THRILLED out of their minds...AND SAFE...so by the time you have signed all the waivers and they were ready to jump...I actually felt excited with them. NOT excited enough to go myself mind you...but hey...baby steps...and really this was a HUMONGO step for me...just ask these boys!!! Spencer...you can go when you get home if you want...they ALL want to go again XXOOXX

Look at these smiles!! I grew up a little more as a mom this day. LOVE THESE CRAZIES!!!!

Kauai and HOME

 

 Mike King had a birthday so we got cake and ice cream and the crew came over...it was SO GOOD to have them here! Austin came too---but missed being in the pics :(

 McKenzie is due between the 19th and 25th of November...It's a BOY!!! They are thinking to name him Cooper Todd--Mike totally digs on that of course :) Shane's birthday is the 19th so he is mandating that as official BIRTH DAY :)

 Kauai!!!! We really had such a fabulous time...I was so excited to have all the kids together to OURSELVES...but didn't realize what a HUGE HOLE it was going to feel like without Spencer. Didn't matter WHAT we did...popped popcorn, got ice cream, golfing...we ALL MISSED YOU SPENCER!!!

 There is a paddle surfer down on the river. This was on the way to a water fall we DIDN"T Get pics of that made me MORE nervous than the sky diving...the boys were jumping off rock cliffs with no idea what rocks or how deep the water. I just prayed and hoped it would end SOON. It did. THANK HEAVENS!!!

 Sam back at the first course he ever golfed at ...the one with YOU Spencer!! We all went. Got 3 carts and had a blast! SO STINKIN PURDY!!! And unbelievably only $9 a player!!

 Megs liked the parrots at the Grand Hyatt. Our Poi Pou Villas where right in between the Grand Hyatt and the Marriott Wiaohi...just TOO AMAZING how incredibly NICE we had it. Our Villa was nicer than any place I have ever stayed...a huge galley kitchen with granite counter tops and 3 bedrooms all with their own bathrooms and double headed showers :) The glass doors across the main kitchen, family eating room were those Nanny doors that open the whole way so you felt like the outside was in! The pools and work out rooms and the FOOD and the walks and the snorkeling so ROCKED my world. I am still waiting on Meg to get me the pics of the Sea Turtle that was in the water with us. TOO COOL.

 These are MEGAN's Toes, but she is in MY SPOT at the Grand Hyatt...I read the EMYTH, Healthy Aging and most of the CHINA report sitting right there :) I LOVE ME SOME OCEAN view with the sounds of the waves coming in. I am excited to report that I lost 1.8 lbs while there even with eating the nachos at Kala paki Joe's and the Chile Verde Rosottio at the Casa de Amici....a place where I WILL eat again...and NEXT time it will be AFTER my 10k wager and I'm gonna have the garlic bread that OOZED with fresh sautee'd garlic and globs of cheese. Literally the kids where closing there eyes as they chewed...when Sam opened his and looked at me he said quickly...THIS IS HORRIBLE MOM!!!! :) My favoritest favoritest part of all was just having my kids with me for whole days and nights.....

 This was my Sabbath worship today... there are no words. My Gods POURED their love all over me. I tried to breathe it all in and hold it inside....I didn't want to leave and was sad I hadn't brought a blanket somehow. Wish you were here. These colors aren't going to last long. I'm going to try to make it up here every day till they are. Dad went to the Temple Dedication this morning. I kept thinking my whole ride how truly I WAS REDEDICATING MY OWN TEMPLE :) Dad took the pics on his phone.  I was listening to Don Miguel Ruiz's THE VOICE OF KNOWLEDGE coming back down and he said "We are here to create HEAVEN on EARTH" Amen. I am SO WORKING ON THAT!!!

 Bridal Veil Falls!!! The weather has been in the 80's so so SO Beautiful! Geoff starting closing the pool while we were in Kauai, but when it was so warm he reopened it for us for this weekend. HEAVEN I TELL YOU!!! MY LIFE IS HEAVEN!!! I quit working about 3:30 yesterday and Tammy (Perkins Mom) came and we just lounged and talked  in the pool until 6 :)  Meg, Laura, Kylee, Amorous, and Michael and Dad came in and out too. I really love my life. And then to end the day with all your Besties Spencer was the PERFECT topping :)

The cats were tended by the whole neighborhood while we were gone. Herman looks like he gained a few pounds..he actually looks pregnant! If Marta hadn't confirmed that he is FOR SURE a boy I would have serious wonder at this moment. I hate that I am allergic to them. You know I hold them all the time anyway. I get the goosebumps sometimes the way Herman looks at me and starts purring before I even pick him up. Got to get there heating pad and "house" set up for winter.

Spencer...Laura was here by herself right? One night REALLY late she is here and already nervous in here room when the light goes on...she dials 911 in her phone and then hears...don't worry...we are just Spencer's friends coming to hot tub:) After the inital shock she was happy to have the company---anyone in the house and was able to sleep. But they all had a good laugh. SO GLAD she didn't call the police! Then Sam's friends did the same thing to her :)

Speaking of Sam...he and Josh will come home the 5th for the Utah State vs. BYU Game and that is also Tanner Marsh's Farewell. There is going to be another bunch of boobin boys around here before long...and some mom's too!!!! Both Sam and Josh are a bit panicked trying to catch up with school from the trip. I am trying not to text them and bug them so much this week.

Meg and Laura and the whole crew are planning another Masquerade for Halloween. They are all having dinner together tonight to pull the details together. Galan's are coming to visit for 2 days the END of October...we are excited. Just wish the WHOLE family were coming and for longer. Only Solita and Candelaria are coming of the kids.

I am crazy busy with work with "re-entry" and grateful. The market is still hopping :) Good thing since we are taking the trips next year :)

There was a story on the morning news while in Hawaii about a golfer named Mike Allen who played the pro tour several times when younger and never won a tournament. And how he quit golf....then had a group of friends offer to financially support him for a year so he could go back and try again on the Senior tour....he has been whoopin butt....and he carries around a book called the Mind Gym with him all the time. I ordered you one for when you get home...it's next on my list. The news blip was inspiring. AND OF COURSE I thought of YOU...and YOU INSPIRE ME.

I love you BIG sweet boy. So relieved and so comforted that you are SO HAPPY!
I am also trying to download the skydiving pics for you....
XXOOXX   MOM