Wonderful Meetings

Dear Wonderful Family,
We have had such fun reading the recent posts...all about Amy's and Zach's moving plans and Stacie and Matt's busy schedules and trip...Keep the posts coming - we love them and look forward to having them as a kind of history about our family.
We have had some wonderful meetings lately.  Last weekend we had a priesthood leadership training meeting with Elder Christofferson, Elder Rasband and Elder Bassett, our area authority.  Dad was invited to the priesthood meeting which was held in our Fresno North Stake Center for priesthood leaders in the area - as far south as Porterville and as far north as the two Modesto stakes.  He and I along with our mission president and his wife (President and Sister Gelwix) were then invited to attend a lunch for the general authorities and all the stake presidents.  At night there was a special meeting for all the youth, their parents and leaders that was also held in our North Stake Center, but then was broadcast to all the youth and their parents, etc. throughout our area.  We then went to a dinner with the Gelwix's, Elder and Sister Bassett, Elder Rasband and Elder Christofferson at a local Mexican restaurant here.  What a day! One of Dad's counselors and his wife worked through their shift on Sat. to cover ours except for about the last three hours when we rushed back to the temple after the lunch to work the last little part so they could go home.  But...what a feast we had- both physically and spiritually!  It is truly a privilege and a blessing for us to be able to "rub shoulders" with such amazing and inspiring leaders.  It is a "perk" that comes with our calling that will be so very much missed in the future. (I, Dad, will continue for a minute while Mom starts dinner and then she will add some more)  On Sunday we were invited to attend a special stake conference in Visalia with Elder Christofferson and Elder Bassett which was a treat.  We were not on the program so we thought we would be able to just enjoy the meeting.  That was the case for me but during the intermediate hymn Elder Christofferson walked over and asked Mom to say a few words and bear her testimony, which she did a great job of as usual.  Elder Bassett and Elder Christofferson were wonderful and of course Elder Christofferson spoke for about 40 minutes which was a real treat.  One of the other speakers was a Sister Sanner who is the widow of the bishop who was shot and killed in Oct. of 2010 on a Sunday while he was at the church.  She gave a wonderful talk about facing challenges and following the Savior.  You might recall, but this sister and her parents were our neighbors in our first home in Merced for a couple of years.  Her father is a pharmacist and was working at Long's Pharmacy.  They were there to support their daughter and it was fun to visit with them after the conference.  They live up north in Gridley, CA.  Another interesting thing is that after each of the meetings (Priesthood Leadership, Youth and the Stake Conference) Elder Christofferson invited people to come up and shake hands.  In the Priesthood Leadership meeting the last half was a question and answer session which was special, except when I was asked to respond to a question, and then at the end Pres. Gelwix and I were asked to share our testimonies.  They are all so caring and helpful.  What a treat! This week we received a personal letter from Elder Christofferson thanking us for our service in the Temple and for our participation in the weekend meetings. He makes you feel so comfortable and is so personal.  He came to a stake conference in Hanford last Nov. and he personally phoned me to ask that Mom and I participate and speak at the Sunday session.
On March 4th we drove to Carmel/Monterey for the day and stayed overnight and came back on Tues.  It was fun to get away and see the beautiful area.  We just walked around and went down to the beach and walked along for a while enjoying the ocean.  That night we went to a fun little restaurant in Carmel which was great.  The next day we went to a breakfast place in Monterey and walked again along the path next to the ocean and then took the 17 mile drive which of course is beautiful.  There was this recently remodeled home right on the beach with the golf course just behind it.  There were sales brochures so I picked one up and they are only asking 11.5 million.  A little out of our league.  It was a quick but fun trip.  Not quite like the great cruise Matt and Stacie had but still fun.
This week has been our busy week as we have been on every morning.  Today we attended our own ward and then went to a YSA ward sacrament meeting.  We are looking forward to Amy, Addi and Bella coming this Friday and then the following week Mom and Amy will drive to Utah as the Temple will be closed for the first 2 weeks of April.  I will join them a few days later after I cover the first part of the Temple closure period for the work being done.  (Mom will add some more now) 
I just wanted to add a little bit of the counsel Elder Christofferson, Elder Rasband and Elder Bassett gave.
They talked about "being consistent in the simple things" - prayer, scripture study and family home evening.
They said "being consistent brings the blessings" and "the best principle of preparation is the Book of Mormon."  They talked about the importance of learning how to recognize and follow the spirit.  Also, they mentioned how President Monson always stresses the importance of serving "the one" - how Jesus  ministered and blessed those in the Book of Mormon, "one by one" and that is what we should do.
We always learn so much from these wonderful men....Today we visited a couple of wards - actually, we went to our own ward and to the YSA ward that meets in the same building.  One of the speakers in our sacrament meeting was talking about the importance of putting God first in our lives and talked about how easy it is to "worship false gods".  He made a comment that I thought was so good - "Whatever man puts his heart and his trust in is his God."  I thought a lot about how our heart is the key....
I know I have rambled on too much...but just FYI:  I have reserved units at Newport July 27 - August 2 for summer of 2014.  Please plan ahead so we can have our own family reunion then.  Also, we are planning to go to Hawaii this Nov. from 16 - 23.  We have two units and as of now, we are planning on Scott, Kristin & Greg and Cinda & Dave joining us this year.  If we save Nov. 2014 and then have two units in Nov. of 2015, would the Hansens, Gruwells and Fairbanks be able to go with us then?  Would that be more fun than going separately a year at a time?  Let us know....   Also let us know if another month would be better.  As far as this summer goes, we will be in Utah the night of June 29 - July 8.  We have traded some days with Dad's counselors so that we can have a full week. We look so forward to seeing everyone then.....We love you so much and you are always in our hearts and prayers.  Love, Dad and Mom

Escape

Hello Family! 

We love and miss you! Here's an update on us: It has been a busy couple of months, to be sure! The highlight, of course, being Greg's visit here a couple of weeks ago. :) He stopped through when in the Ohio area for business, and we got to steal him for a night. Thanks for putting up with our running-around routine, Greg! 

We had multiple weekends of travel in February for the girl's activities. Three weekends away at gymnastics meets and friend's baptisms, and another at an ice-skating competition for Ashlan. One of the gymnastics meets was in Philadelphia, and so we decided to make a family trip of it, take a long weekend, and play in the area. Unfortunately, we were ALL hit with the stomach flu throughout the weekend....luckily Elli had it first just before going so she was able to compete. Honestly though, we still had fun! I love cities, and it was just fun to be there. We found a great deal on a hotel right downtown and were able to visit the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall (the old State House), and Betsy Ross's home. The meet was HUGE, it is called PINK, and is one of the largest meets in the country. ALL proceeds go to supporting breast cancer causes. Nastia Liukin came and Elli got to meet her. It was great to be a part of. 

March began with an escape for Matt and I as we left for our cruise. Melinda came to stay with the girls, and we are so thankful to her! They had a fun week....and we had a fabulous one! Our stops were Costa Maya (Mexico), Belize, Honduras (Island of Rhoatan), and Cozumel. We went on three dives (scuba diving) in Mexico and Belize, had fun on a zipline, and explored the jungle and beaches. In Cozumel we arranged for a day at an all-inclusive resort on a private beach. It was beautiful. Most of all, we enjoyed the time away together. Thank you to my sweet husband for surprising me with this anniversary gift (15 this year). 

Now we are back in full swing! Our Stake RS Women's Conference is a week from Saturday and has been consuming, as is expected. I worked hard to have things rolling before leaving on our trip, and now I'm catching up and moving forward with all that has to be done right before. We are excited for the day and I am looking forward to being with the wonderful women of this Stake. Ward Conferences begin this weekend, as well, so I'm preparing lessons and trainings for those. I always love the opportunity to visit the other units at Ward Conference time because there are such great people to brush shoulders with and learn from.

Matt is always busy with research and classes, and his consulting. Exciting things have happened in all areas and he works hard to keep up. The girl's have had art shows, and book fairs, and Ashlan's big Skating Show is coming up, as well as a hockey performance with the skating team. Oh, and somewhere in there we will celebrate Easter! :) 

Sincerely though, Easter is more important than all of it of course, and I'm looking forward to taking the time to study in the scriptures and celebrate with our nightly Easter readings the week before. That and Conference will be such spiritual feasts. Speaking of feasts, I wish we were closer to have Easter dinner together! It looks like we will go to Buffalo and celebrate the holiday with friends there, which will be fun. 

We are looking forward to being together in June/July, and it will come faster than we think! Let us know each of your plans as it draws closer so that we can make the most of our time together. It looks like we will be in Kaysville from June 29th - July 7th.  Let's play!  We love you all!  Stacie and family

On the ship

Stacie on the zipline.  Look at that ocean view!

Suspension bridges in the jungle (Matt's favorite!)

Dressed up at night

The island of Rhoatan, our favorite stop

In the dive shop in Mexico, literally a "hole in the wall"

The beach in Costa Maya, Mexico

Changes

Hi everyone! I meant to post in February and time got away from me. We have had a lot of craziness the last week or so. Most everyone has probably already heard that we are moving to St. George!! Zach met with his bosses last Thursday (Feb 28th) and they told him that they were ready to have him go down there (even though they had told him that the idea was "off the table"). Talk about a surprise! Its just frustrating that it is all on their timetable. But we went down last weekend to look at homes and found a place we really like that is near some friends of ours. Its one of those things we feel is right but don't really want to do. :) But we are getting more excited...Zach has some family down there and we have some friends there as well. The Lord definitely works in mysterious ways. I hope you will come visit us! Its going to be a fast move too....about a month or so. It will be an busy next few weeks thats for sure.

Other than that there isn't a whole lot to report. We had fun going to dinner with Cinda and Dave this past Friday. It was too quick but still fun to get to see them.

Here are a few other pictures that kinda tell whats been goin' on since our last post...

2ND PLACE!!!

        Hey everyone, guess what? YESTERDAY I HAD MY FIRST GYMNASTICS COMPETITION!!!!!!! It was soooooo much fun. I got 2nd place overall! I got a higher score than everyone on floor. I definitely did not do my best on beam. Bars and vault I did good on. I got 2 first place ribbons for floor and bar. I also got 2 second place ribbons for vault and beam. I got a trophy also because I won 2nd place. My best friend in gymnastics, Maddy, got 1st place. She has been doing gymnastics way longer than me so I'm not surprised she got 1st. But, still, since I just started its pretty good that I got 2nd. Here are some pics...

This is me before going in to the competition.

This is me after meeting with my team and waiting to get started!!!

 

This is me, Maddy and our coach, Courtney, after the competition.

My ribbons, trophy and the flower that Cordon bought me.

Happy Valentine's Day - Late!

Dear Family,
Happy Valentine's Day - a little late!  A big "thank-you" to those who sent Valentine's Day wishes...we enjoyed reading them and seeing your pictures.  We love all of you so much and love to hear from you and pictures are a big bonus!  We had a quiet Valentine's Day.  We worked the afternoon shift at the temple (2:00 - 10:00 PM) and so we weren't able to go out to dinner - we went to brunch instead!  There is a really cute breakfast/lunch place down the street from us that has yummy omelets, pancakes, french toast, etc.  Our sessions at the temple were pretty full, so it was a good day.  We had a fast trip to Utah the weekend before...It was fun to see everyone there...We were glad we were able to catch one of Jacob's basketball games and play with Eliza, Bella and Addi.  Dad and some of the guys drove to Provo to see BYU play SF State (too bad they lost right at the end!).  Tomorrow we are driving to Mariposa to visit the ward there.  We have a lot going on the next few weeks....We have been invited to attend some meetings, lunch and dinner along with a special stake conference with Elder Bassett (our area seventy), Elder Rasband and Elder Christopherson who are coming for the meetings.   Our mission president, President Gelwix, and his wife were asked to accompany Elder Rasband to Merced for their stake conference and we are to go with Elder Christopherson to Visalia for the stake conference there.  I'm sure the meetings will be wonderful.  Meantime, I am working on a talk I have to give in a RS meeting in Visalia in a couple of weeks and a presentation I have to give at a Woman's Conference later this spring.  Dad and I have also been asked to speak at an institute meeting this week and at another RS meeting in June.....Thankfully, we can share a lot of the same material wherever we go...
I'm SO grateful for ALL of the help you ALL continually give us...Zach and Amy helped me format a DVD presentation I am presenting; Stacie made a card with a picture of our temple on it with a quote we like to use;   Jenny is always bailing me out of my computer problems; Scott, Greg and Kristin take such good care of our home in Utah, ice and all; Cinda and Kevin are so nice to let us come and stay with them when we can get away for a quick trip; and Kevin made my life much easier by giving me a shot of cortisone in the shoulder and hand!  I can now sleep undisturbed through the night, which is such a blessing!  You are all wonderful!  Just a reminder....February is almost over and we asked for a commitment of at least one entry on the blog from each of you each month....We hope to hear from you this week!!  Love, Mom

Wonderful Weekend

Dear Family,
Last week was a busy week at the temple.  We worked mornings with Dad also working on Monday.  Saturday night we were invited to attend the Saturday night meeting of Stake Conference in Visalia.  We had a visiting member of the First Quorum of the Seventy, Elder Kopischke (pronounced "Kopishka") from Germany, as well as our area authority, Elder Bassett who is from Cinda and Dave's ward.  It was a wonderful meeting - they were reorganizing the Stake Presidency the next day and so all three members of the present Stake Presidency spoke.  They then opened the meeting for questions from the audience.  They  called on different individuals seated on the stand for answers.  One question concerned how we can encourage our members to attend the temple.  That, of course, was directed to Dad.  He gave a great answer and then Elder Kopischke gave some counsel.  He had us open our scriptures to "one of the first General Conferences" - King Benjamin's speech in Mosiah.  He talked about the importance of "turning our tents" (our hearts and minds) toward the temple.  With the world becoming more and more secular in nature and with all the challenges about us, we need the constant reminders the temple offers about why we are really here and how we are to make it "home" to our heavenly home.  The meeting the next morning was a satellite broadcast for all the stakes in northern California.  We met a half hour early for the stake reorganization.  The Conference talks were wonderful.  Elder Paul Johnson spoke about following our leaders even though we might not always understand the reasons behind their counsel.  He said to "seek and follow guidance from the holy ghost"  is key to finding true happiness and success.  Mary Cook, first coun. in the General YW Presidency spoke next and she gave wonderful counsel about "turning off the static" so that we can hear and feel the spirit.  She said that with all the technical gadgets we have, it is sometimes hard to hear and understand what the spirit is telling us. ( I have often been concerned about this...It seems like so many today do not know how to just sit quietly and think and ponder - it makes them uncomfortable to experience "quiet."  They always have to have something to watch, listen to, or something in their hands to
fiddle with).  Elder Anthony Perkins was great also.  He talked about what we need to do "to build up Zion".
He said we cannot build up Zion until we as a people are ready.  He suggested we need to:

1. Become  unified - be "of one heart and one mind".  We need to repent, love and minister to one another.
2. We need to be a holy people - receive and KEEP covenants.  A Zion people will gather to the temple.
3. Care for the poor and the needy 

Elder Tom Perry was the concluding speaker and spoke about the main points in Chapter 3 of "Preach My Gospel" - The Restoration, The Plan of Salvation and The Gospel of Jesus Christ, The Commandmensts and Laws and Ordinances.  After the Conference we drove to Roseville where we were treated to a "49'er Buffet at Kevin and Julie's.  We then spent the night at Cinda and Dave's so that I could visit our favorite Dr.'s office the next day!   It seems the pain I have been experiencing in my right shoulder is "rotator cuff strain" (who would have thought!) and so Kevin gave me a cortisone shot to try to alleviate the pain.  I also had a shot in my left hand for some arthritis.  I highly recommend Kevin...he is great!  It was very fun to see everyone, even tho it was a short, quick trip.  We were back in the temple today, we have a meeting tomorrow, work Thursday morning and then have a weekend off with a quick trip to Utah to check on our home and for a quick visit with everyone there.
Thank you, thank you, to all of you for your contributions to the blog.  We love reading all the posts and love the pictures.  We love all of you so much....Love, Mom

Valentines

Ok, I am a little sad for Katleynne.  She spent probably over an hour trying to compose a cute entry from our family for the website.  I asked her to bring it to me before she posted it and when she brought it in she pushed some random button that deleted her entry.  She was devestated and wouldn't retype it.  I will give her a couple of days and then have her try again.  She was so excited to see the pictures people had posted and to read about what others are doing.  My kids are more tech savvy than I am so they will also enjoy being able to get on and see what the family is up to.  Since Katelynne lost her entry, I told her I would hop on and post a picture of the fun valetnines that I am helping her make for her class.  Dave and I will be out of town on Valentines Day so we are trying to get this project done this week.  I think they are turning out super cute. :)  I hope you are all having a terrific week.  We love you!

Cinda and Family

New Beginnings for who?

Just wanted to share: Ashlan attended "New Beginnings" at Young Women's this past week, as they invited all the incoming beehives and did a spotlight on them. I can't believe she will be in YW, and I feel like it is a "New Beginning" for me too as we enter this next chapter with our children. The emotions and drama are already high in our home, can they get any higher?....Really? :) Sincerely, I am thrilled for Ashlan and am very proud of the wonderful young woman she is becoming and the good choices she makes. She has a strong testimony and a sensitive heart and I am grateful for her desire to follow the gospel standards and share that with others around her. This picture is with her best buddy at church, Abby:

On at lighter note (as long as we are talking about drama), you might enjoy a recurring quote from Kate's recent prayers: "Thank thee that we can go to bed, and not lay on the ground and cry, and not yell at our Mom and Dad....". You can guess what goes on in our house with that wonderful little independent soul! She really can make me smile, laugh, cry and scream (or want to) all in one moment! :) We love you all!

2013!

Hello Everyone!

Is anyone else having a hard time believing it's nearly February of 2013? Yikes! We are so excited to have the new website up and running and would have written much earlier if we hadn't been up in Canada last week. Life is certainly very busy, but we are doing well!

We have been enjoying our winter so far, with a few trips up the road for some sledding, a day trip to a Bovarian village (Leavenworth) for New Years and our week up North. We are excited to get the boys on skis at least once this season! Overall, life is pretty basic these days, as Todd is spending every waking moment either working or studying for boards (March 2) and I am wading my way through my Canadian immigration paperwork. We spent four+ hours today at a doctor's office in downtown Seattle getting the little boys' and my physicals out of the way. The boys did amazingly well (despite Hudson yelling "I. Don't. Want. A. Ketchup!".... ketchup=checkup. Ha ha!) We have a ways to go with the paperwork, but we're making it through slowly but surely. Now i have to figure out a system for cataloging/monetizing everything we own as we pack.

Our trip to Canada went well (despite a snow storm during our drive home). Todd's sisters, Cathy and Angie, both recently had their first babies, and it was so fun cuddling newborns and catching up with everyone. Jackie kept us running (as she always does), and we went swimming, curling, five pin bowling, hit up a junior hockey league game, played in the snow in Waterton, and attended a Christmas tree burning bonfire with friends. Todd and I spent a couple of days up in Edmonton with the practice Todd will be working with initially. We will be living in Edmonton for the first year, at least, and assess our next move as time progresses. We have about four different options down in Southern Alberta, near Todd's family, and the practice in Edmonton is hoping they can convince us to stay. So, I guess time will tell. Right now I'm nervously trying to research schools and neighborhoods so we can prepare Ryder as much as possible for the upcoming changes. The poor little guy doesn't do change well. :/

I am also anxiously reviewing our Pacific Northwest bucket list, as our days here in Issaquah are numbered. Ryder has a mid-winter break in a few weeks, and while Todd studies, I plan to take a few day trips with the boys around the Sound to explore a bit. I'm crossing my fingers for dry skies.

The little boys are happy and well! Hudson is talking up a storm and is such a little man. He imitates his brothers constantly, which usually ends up with me being very amazed at the big boy phrases and play noises coming out of his mouth! He is currently obsessed with superheroes, and as the other two boys skipped this phase, I find it fun and refreshing to play something new with him. :) Cannon just finished soccer and started up t-ball in his sports class, and it's definitely the highlight of his week. He was so giddy this week when he got to take in Indy (the gecko) for sharing time at school!! Ryder is busy, busy with his many passions and endless energy. School is going great, and he's enjoying a basketball league at the moment. He has recently taken it upon himself to read a verse or two from the Book of Mormon to the family every night and explain the verse to Cannon. It's so fun to see his enthusiasm and pride in his ability to read and bear testimony! I'm loving the stage of our family and frequently find myself wanting to freeze time!! (and there are moments where I want to freeze time just so I can have a little breather from the chaos!!!)

We love you all and miss you terribly!! Is there anything we can do to get anyone to visit us before June??? We'd love to have visitors! We plan to attend the Horne family reunion in July, as long as all goes well with the move. We hope to see all of you there!!!

Love you lots!
Jenny and family

Winter Wonderland

Hello Family! Winter has finally come to Erie, and we are in a white winter wonderland! It's beautiful. The girls enjoyed an extra long weekend break with Martin Luther King day on Monday, and school canceled because of the snow on Tuesday. We were quite snowed in! :) Below are a couple of pictures from our holiday fun. We had a quiet Christmas here at home. It was a wonderful day and we joined some friends for dinner. I, of course, am still always homesick for family, and found myself reminiscing of days playing in the snow at the cabin, skiing at Dodge Ridge, sledding at the Strawberry Store. So we rented a little cabin and spent New Years in the mountains....Cooks Forest, Allegheny National Park......the girls ice-skated on a local pond, and we spent hours sledding. Pair that with games, hot chocolate, and movies while curled up in front of the fire, and you've got perfect family time! All we needed was milkshakes from Swensen's on the way home! Christmas Eve:

Christmas Sunday:

Kate the poser:

Sledding queens:

Kate LOVES making snow angels:

Sisters:

We are looking forward to a busy month ahead! Elli has a couple of gymnastics meets, one of which is in Philadelphia. We are going to make it a family trip and visit the sites and explore the city. Ashlan has a figure skating competition coming up as well, and she has been performing half-time shows with the club exhibition line, the "Westminsterettes", for the city and university hockey teams. She loves it! Kate keeps us laughing....always, and will dance anywhere, anytime....in the kitchen, in the the grocery store isles, in the restaurant lobby. She also loves to make up songs. The other day while in Sam's Club she sang at the very top of her lungs, "You're the Mom!! You're the boss!!" (with verbrato)...we got lots of looks and smiles. I can only imagine what they think I drill in her head at home! :) We love you all so much! The Gruwells