Since you've been gone... February 22, 2015

...things have been pretty groovy.  Dad chose this theme (and found the sweet van!)

Elise's brithday 2015

From Dad February 22, 2015

Sunday, February 22, 2015

Re:  Letter 12 of 3

Dear Riley:

I woke up to 25 degrees, a rime of ice on my truck, and a stiff arctic wind blowing out of the canyon.  Yesterday morning dawned bright and beautiful with highs in the mid 60’s.  This cold snap was a huge contrast to the beautiful spring-like weather we’ve been having for a couple weeks now.  I’m not sure if it did my crocuses in, but it seemed sufficient to freeze them solid.  We’ll see…  I haven’t had time to focus on the trees and garden yet, so this actually makes me feel like I have some extra time.

I took advantage of a full day yesterday to bake sourdough for Elise’s birthday fondue dinner and finish the shelves in the garage.  It sure feels nice to have a place to store things, though we now have the significant task ahead of putting everything in its place.  They look great and could probably hold a small car.  (You might have expected they would be over engineered.)  Eventually I’ll be putting in some lockers for the Kid’s things, though this doesn’t seem nearly as pressing as the shelves.  It should be both attractive and highly functional when completed.

We made some changes in the Young Men’s Presidency today.  MR was released as Young Men’s President  Bro. K was sustained as President with DS as 1^st Counselor and JY as 2^nd Counselor.  M has been such an indispensable part of the Young Men’s organization that it’s difficult to imagine it without him.  16 years of service in one capacity or another!  I imagine he will still be involved with youth on some level or another even if he’s simply volunteering for certain responsibilities.  What a good man and dedicated servant. 

GP seems to be on the mend.  Not surprisingly this also seems to correlate with his adherence to doctor prescribed regiments. He has stubbornly resisted even this!  I suppose one tender mercy to be found in all of this is the fact that G has been driving G everywhere.  She’s enjoyed this element of control over her safety to such a degree that I’m not sure how she’ll feel about handing over the keys once G feels well enough to take the wheel again.

Josie gave her first talk in Primary today.  I went over 10 minutes early, left to attend part of priesthood and forgot to go back in time to hear her.  I arrived just a few minutes late but only because Bro. C came to remind me.  I felt terrible, but she gave me her talk when I got home.  SO ADORABLE!  Her personality is as large as her vocabulary and that’s saying a lot.  It’s amazing how a little person can have such an impact on a family in just a few years.  I consider all my children, see the happiness that parenthood can bring, and it’s no surprise that the traditional family and all of its supporting institutions are under such attack by Satan.  I feel to do those things which will afford protection against the philosophies of the world and build testimony and Spirit within the home.

This weekly picture project, conceived by your mother, has been a lot of fun and helps make the weeks fly by.  We’ve attracted a rather substantial following of individuals who check to see the latest.  People have offered suggestions and props.  Tomorrow is my theme and I’m looking forward to it.  It should be pretty funny.  I Hope you enjoy it.  We really look forward to your letters.  They’re the highlights of my Sunday evenings or the first thing I look forward to Monday morning.  The food sounds a little frightening and the work a little frustrating.  However, occasional experiences like the one you shared about bearing your testimony and having the Spirit testify to both you and that woman make the work all worthwhile.  Keep up the good work.  We love you so much and can already detect a change in your maturity and growth in your testimony.  Hold fast to the rod.  Chin up and shoulders back!  It’s an exciting time to be involved in such an important work.

All My Love,

Dad

From Mom February 22, 2015

February 22, 2015

Dear Riley,

We knew winter couldn’t really be over.  But it came back yesterday and we even have the tiniest skiff of snow on the ground.  And the wind blew like crazy last night.  But the sun is out and we know that what’s left of winter can be weathered.

I loved your letter last week.  It’s good to know 1) that you survived your eating experiment and 2) that you are willing to testify as you were called to do.  Even in a foreign tongue, the Spirit carries your words to a willing heart.  What a miracle.  I post your blog on facebook where I also post the family pictures.  I had a couple comments on your last letter.  E said the locals will love you for your willingness to eat their food.  And a friend of Dad’s from high school, who also served a mission, commented “Just read and was inspired by those same verses in Alma 5 this morning. It is sweet to be reminded how others have felt what I feel and know what I know.” 

I do have to correct one thing: Josie is three.  A very precocious three who can pose herself with the rest of us behind her and only a camera on a tripod in front of her.  We’ll say things like don’t smile or look bossy.  She is the star and rest of us supporting cast.  But I wanted you to see her grow up a week at a time.

So let’s start with Josie this week.  She gave a talk in primary and she has been so excited for a couple weeks for her turn to do this.  Her topic was that through the atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved.  So she took some jewels and explained that they are precious to her.  She told what she loved about them.  Then she told that she feels sad when she loses them.  She likened us to precious jewels to Heavenly Father.  She said that we were sent to earth to learn to make choices and that we sometimes make bad choices.  Since we do, we can’t be with Heavenly Father again.  So He sent Jesus Christ to earth as a baby to teach us.  Then Jesus suffered and died so we could repent and not be lost anymore.  She did such a good job, speaking up so clearly and confidently.  She just amazes me.

One cute thing that Dad and Josie say is when he goes to leave, he’ll say, “Hug and kiss.”  And then he’ll ask, “’Cause what happens if you don’t get a hug and a kiss?” and she answers, “You feel sad and I feel sad.”  It’s so cute.  I’m not sure how it started, but I like to hear it.

Aleah celebrated Chinese New Year all week.  She asked the family to go up to Lehi High School for their activities Monday night.  Since I had the flu, Dad took just Elise and Aleah.  Then Thursday Cascade was invited to UVU to put on a show.  It was actually really neat to hear the kids speaking and singing, acting out plays and reciting poetry, all in Chinese.  Then very kindly, UVU fed the families dinner.  It was a nice event.  Friday they performed for the school and hosted parents for activities.  I didn’t go because Dad couldn’t come stay with Josie and I didn’t want her to miss her nap.  Aleah was disappointed.  But they got dumplings at that celebration.  She just loves her Chinese program.

Elise turned 13 yesterday.  Isn’t she just the sweetest thing?  She actually wasn’t with us most of the day yesterday as the young women went on a retreat up to the W’s cabin.  It wasn’t automatic for Elise, she wanted to be home for her birthday.  But we planned out how we could accomplish everything with her going.  They sang her happy birthday and put candles in her French toast.  And they decorated her room in the night.  She probably got more special treatment than she would have if she’d stayed home.  Elise asked for cheese fondue for her dinner with Dad’s sourdough bread, broccoli, and asparagus.  She wanted chocolate cake with chocolate mousse filling, raspberries, and fluffy raspberry frosting.  It was a delicious meal.

Then Elise asked to watch a movie so we went to Redbox and she chose Night at the Museum.  Do remember how that movie made our museum trips?  Elise!  She would FREAK and have a panic attack at the Bean Museum, paralyzed, petrified.  I’m laughing that she chose THAT movie.  It was fun.

Elise is the one who requested a family fast laste week.  Doesn’t that just bring tears to your eyes?  What a sweet, sweet girl.

Parker is doing really well.  He sent a text Friday afternoon to see if he and Matt could watch a movie at our house Friday night and I said they could as long as he preserved my pride.  So he cleaned up, he even scrubbed the ring of grime under the toilet rim.  Cambry did not know that he had this planned and she got a movie at Redbox on the way home.  So to accommodate them both, we started her movie early, hoping to finish before M came over.  But we had 30 minutes left of it when he arrived.  We asked if they would be willing to watch the last 30 minutes with us, but they were ready to jet M's house, so of course we turned it over to them.  I made them kettle corn and Cambry had made gingersnaps.

Parker hiked the Y yesterday morning with Cambry as her other hiking buddies backed out on her.  He loved it.  Cambry said that she couldn’t have done the hike without Parker.  She said the first couple turns are really long and steep and she was discouraged and the optimist in Parker assured her along.  Now doesn’t that make you smile?  Parker is hometeaching at the care center with Grandma this afternoon as Grandpa still isn’t well enough (though he is improving and the doctors don’t think it’s anything serious).  It will take about 2 hours to see all 11 people. 

Cambry has decided picky is better than remorseful when it comes to suitors.

I had the flu this week.  It started coming on Sunday night and intensified Monday.  Though I was fasting, I decided my body needed hydration to fight the infection, so I still drank water.  I was in bed Tuesday and some of Wednesday, a little of Thursday and I sat still finishing my book Friday.  I read All the Light we Cannot See.  It is a historical fiction, which is probably my favorite genre.  The story is of a girl who goes blind in WWII times Paris and also about a German boy in an orphanage in a mining town.  Their stories are told separately until they collide at the climax of the story.  I enjoyed the book.  Probably my favorite passage was an interchange between the girl, Marie-Laure who is 14 and blind and in the charge of her great uncle and his faithful servant since her father has been imprisoned.  She is speaking to Madame Manec, the servant, about faith.  Madame perceives that she is asking really about her father and says, “You must never stop believing; that is the most important thing.”  Then we hear Marie’s thoughts and she wishes that life were like a Jules Verne novel (Around the World in 80 Days and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea) and you could page ahead when you most needed.

We are not meant to see perfectly in this life.  And we are called to believe and sacrifice in this life for eternity.  But here’s the paradox: living in faith and sacrifice for eternity grant more rich and full living in THIS life.  Go figure.  God designs seem to work best.

Dad finished the last shelf in the garage last night just before the movie last night.  Tadah!  Now for moving in…  I’m so excited.  They are super sturdy.  In fact I went out to get something from the fridge and I didn’t see him out there, but a noise made me look around, perhaps for a scurrying rodent.  He was probably seven feet up on the second from the top shelf, screwing the shelf to the supports.

Well, son.  We love you.  We love knowing about your adventures.  We love sending you pictures.  When do you get the paper ones?  I mail them on Wednesdays and I think you’re getting them two weeks from that point?  I’m mailing them so you can look at them anytime, not only during computer time.  I’ll send some way to clasp the photo sheets when I send your birthday package.  It looks like it needs to be in the office by what I think is the transfer meeting April 15.  So I need to mail it in month or so.  So start sharing your wishlist so I can be collecting.

Take care and have another great week!

Love,

Mom

Paper Post from Mom February 18, 2015

February 18, 2015

Dear Riley,

Much will have happened in both of our lives in the two weeks it takes this letter to reach you.  I am writing days after receiving a declaration someone I love no longer believes the Church to be true or even that God exists.  Since reeling with this, other people who are connected with us and who have left recently as well, have come to our attention.  One father, confused how this could make sense to his struggling child got this answer:  We are a different generation; we want answers. GP quantifies this with, we want answers immediately.  That statement brought me back to the subject line of the declaration which started it all, within which I saw irony:  “I Have Something Important to Share with You: My Journey of Faith.”

I know you’re a good missionary who just left the MTC, so if the scriptural definition of faith doesn’t pop into your head, I’m shocked: faith is things which are hoped for and not seen, Ether 12:6.  There will be things we’d maybe like to tie up into a tidy little bundle, but we just can’t in this life.  Yet we still hope that our faith will be rewarded and we will one day see things in their proper place with proper perspective and call it beautiful and good.

My thoughts were tender as I read the Book of Mormon Sunday, Alma 12: 10: And therefore, he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full. 

President Uchtdorf rings in my ears: Doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith (Oct 2013).  There are ample doubts on this side of the veil.  And I don’t know at what point our vision will be full, but I know enough to hold to the things I do know, even when I don’t know enough to answer all the questions.  Another great conference talk comes to my ears (Niel L. Anderson, Oct 2008)You Know Enough.

There is another frailty in man, one I think is connected to the loss of faith, in that we tend to rewrite our past according to our current lense.  For example, a couple going through a divorce will say they never really loved the other.  Come on, really?  You just took that leap for fun? Or you’re tired and hurt and can’t remember how this decision that is making you miserable now ever made sense.  So the only way to really stay honest in life is to record frequently as we’re going through things.

I found in my writings some of that honesty recently.  It was recorded while Eric was in the hospital in 2006/2007 and the doctors told us his death was imminent.  I had written emails to the family updating them daily.  I still wanted to believe that Eric could posses the miracle GB and then most recently Dad had blessed him with.  But I can see now that my faith was weak.  And then when he did die last year, I really expected him to leap off of the hospital bed and chastise us for giving up so easily.  It wasn’t so, but one day he will rise, completely healed by the miracle of resurrection, and he will embrace us and we will see with our eyes what we have seen with the eye of faith.

I hope my writings will always be honest in the truth that I have been given.  I delight in my God.  I praise my Savior.  I have tasted living waters and I know the power of the atonement of Christ to heal broken hearts and cleanse sin.  I love the temple.  I know the Spirit works through me, in my weakness, and that I am able to bless others that way.

Nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.

I will live in faith in a sphere of doubt.

“I will not doubt, I will not fear;

God’s love and strength are always near,

His promised gift helps me to find

An inner strength and peace of mind.

I give the Father willingly

My trust, my prayers, humility,

His Spirit guides; His love assures

That fear departs when faith endures.”   Hymn 128

I love you,

Mom

Since you've been gone... February 16, 2015

...we've had to face life with a twist of humor.  Josie choose the theme.

From Dad: February 15, 2015

Sunday, February 15, 2015

Re:  Letter 11 of 3

Dear Riley:

The day is beautiful!  The sun is shining, the temperature is in the 60’s, a March-like wind is blowing and insects are flying around.  The Crocuses are in full bloom and it feels like early spring is in full swing.  We just celebrated Valentine’s Day, which happened to fall on Stake Conference.  In spite of the additional demands on our schedule, we managed to commemorate the occasion appropriately.  We had a delicious steak lunch at Texas Roadhouse and attended a sealing session at the Provo Temple.  I got home just 10 minutes before a leadership training meeting and had a little over an hour between my training meeting and the adult evening session.  G P sat with us and came for ice cream at Baskin Robins afterwards.  We had an enjoyable time and visited until they turned the lights out on us. 

I’ve been feeling for awhile that I need to be closer to the youth of our Ward, so fixed breakfast for those who attended the temple on Thursday.  We had five extra for breakfast and had a lot of food left over.  They all seemed to enjoy it and the general consensus was that we should do it more often.  Friday, I opted to go on the Scout winter campout up at Heber Valley Camp.  It was a good turnout with 9 boys attending.  It was a relatively quick trip and a little raucous (thank goodness for earplugs), but a good experience.  Parker came along and the boys seemed to appreciate his company. 

While up at Heber Valley Camp, we had a short devotional in which we discussed Lehi’s dream of the Tree of Life.  This is something which has become very meaningful to me over the past year, and I see aspects of it played out in vivid Technicolor almost daily.  There is a movement sweeping through the Church which is claiming young and old alike.  Though there are diverse ways in which individuals are lost, every single individual swept away by it lets go of the word.  They stop doing those small and simple things that build faith and testimony and venture off onto forbidden paths.  Not necessarily in this order, but Church attendance wanes, tithing isn’t paid, scripture study is neglected, personal and family prayer is forsaken, the power of fasting is ignored, FHE & regular temple attendance are replaced with other pursuits… Not surprisingly, they start to have a faith crisis. 

Tuesday there was an LDS excommunication which was widely publicized and garnered national attention.  Naturally, the Church declines to comment on such matters, so the only voice is the detractor who lost his membership over a blog specifically designed to help members transition out of the Church, and for being baptized into another church, becoming a minister, and performing same sex marriages for his friends.  At any rate, he told his Bishop over a year ago to not consider him a member of the congregation, but specifically asked that his name remain on the records of the Church.  Why do this?  Because there is no story if you just leave and have your name removed.  He wanted to force the Church’s hand to excommunication, and invite the media to be present when he was.

We are unshaken in our testimonies and resolve. 

People leave the Church for many reasons, but they can almost always be condensed down to one of two categories.  They want to stop doing certain things which the Church would have them do, or they want to start doing something the Church would counsel against.  I say “almost always” because I don’t want to over-generalize, but I have yet to see the exception to this.  Riley, the fruits of true discipleship are real.  I see God’s hand in my life daily; I experience prophecy and revelation at least weekly; I feel the power of prayer and scripture study and sense a loss of spirit when I falter in my attention to these things.  There IS absolute truth and the Spirit is the channel through which it is comprehended and confirmed.  If we get it wrong from time to time, the issue always lies with us and not the Spirit.  “For the Spirit speaketh the truth and lieth not…”  

Stay true, remember the small and simple things, be obedient, see the miracles and record them so that your faith in Christ becomes unshakable.  The fruits of the gospel speak for themselves and they are delicious and most precious above all things.

Love,

Dad

From Mom: February 15, 2015

Sunday, February 15, 2015

Dear Riley,

How are you doing?  I think about you all the time.  I put 14 hours in front of our time occasionally to consider if you’re awake or sleeping and what you may be doing.  You’ve been in Thailand almost a month already.  Don’t forget to send us pictures!  We love to see your smiling face.

Me – I conducted my second to last PTA meeting this week:  Hurray!  I went to P/T conferences for both the High School and the Junior High.  I went right as they were starting to avoid the crowds.  I have a big confession to make here, and there is some guilt to be purged.  I first saw Mr. Knappenburger for Parker and he was all kindness and compliment and confidence Parker will do wonderfully in AP chemistry.  Then I went to Mr. Logan, who loves Parker (one of his chow hounds – Parker’s group regularly brings in food from some establishment or another).  From there to Mr. Rep who loves having Parker and hoped he’d get him for something next year.  At this point I was smiling to myself.  On to Math, his teacher loves him and knows he’ll be well-suited for AP Calc next year.  And on and on.  By the time I went to the seminary building, I was laughing out loud.  Here’s the guilt-purge:  I didn’t realize that I walked into P/T conferences with a stance of “don’t judge me by my kid” until nothing met me but adoration and I almost fell over for lack of resistance.  That was such funny mommy moment.  Elise is also well-loved, but I would have been surprised if I got any other reaction.

My mom came unexpectedly Tuesday after struggling on her way home from Manti, GK isn’t doing so great.  So I had her nebulize the glutathione and G when he came to pick her up.  It calmed her shakiness down and helped her, I believe.  I fed them and it was good to see them for a while.

I bought a new bedspread.  It’s been a long search.  That feels like I accomplished something significant.  And I discovered that my blue vacuum is broken, but covered under warranty, so I feel accomplished getting that resolved.

I had fun the end of the week.  M came over for a girl’s night Friday while Dad and Parker were on a campout.  And Dad and I celebrated Valentine’s Day by going to the temple for a sealing session and to lunch.

The sun is shining and the sky is blue and I am so grateful to have a missionary son and all the blessings that come to us because you are serving.

Dad – put in another shelf in the garage and has only two left.  Whoot!  Dad made buttermilk pancakes Thursday morning for the temple kids because we weren’t sure they would like sourdough. Dad took Grandma and me out for ice cream last night after the adult session of stake conference.  Dad has my heart.  And I’m glad of it.

Cambry –  and I took a walk Thursday night to Baskin Robbins where we ran into M and J B.  Cambry got her passport pictures and I bought her ticket to London.  Exciting times!  She’s been given a raise at doTERRA and it will make it easier for her to afford London.  

Parker – came home very sad Friday.  He went on the campout with Dad unexpectedly and had fun.  He has been pretty faithful attending the temple with the youth and it helps him.

Elise – is sweet.  You know. She used Cambry’s curlers yesterday and she looks so pretty with soft curls in her hair.  She made cute sucker bouquets for her friends Valentines and snuck them into their lockers.  She is just doing so well.  When I complained recently that the milk is going so quickly, Elise got a guilty smile and said, “I’m growing again.”

Aleah – She found out that her teacher is expecting and is soooo excited.  Aleah did really well at her piano lessons and almost got a perfect score on her practicing.  She used her shoe box from her new boots for her Valentine box this week because it already had hearts all over the box.

Josie – has a cough this afternoon.  She is a fireball all the sudden.  I didn’t keep track of the funny things she said this week.  But she hit a growth spurt and was eating everything she was given.  So she ate an entire chicken drumstick for dinner Thursday night, I had to tell her there was nothing left as she was gnawing on the bone.  Then I got her a hot dog at Costco while we were getting Cambry’s passport photo Friday night.  She rarely eats even a bite.  But she ate almost the entire hot dog, no toppings, maybe just three bites were left uneaten.  I was really surprised.

Extended family – G P is getting worse and the trouble is they don’t really know what he’s fighting.  

As a tender mercy, our family read 2 Nephi 9 this morning.  Verse 28: O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and the foolishness of men!  When they are learned, they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. 

I love you with all I have in me, Riley.  I find great joy in your missionary service.  I love the gospel and my heart rejoices in my Savior Jesus Christ.  The Book of Mormon is the word of God.  The Spirit teaches us truth and directs us.  Be faithful.  

I love you,

Mom

I forgot this gem from this week:  I took the girls shopping with me and on the way home, Aleah wiggled a molar and it ripped the roots and there was blood.  Hysteria followed soon after.  I had to get dinner on for a tight deadline so I didn't take time to fix her tooth, all the drool and blood and emotion was truly above the rim.  So what do you think happened? PARKER went up and spoke with her calmly, allayed her fears, and pulled her tooth.  Tell me you saw that coming and I'll call you a liar!

Since you've been gone... February 9, 2015

... some things haven't changed.

Aleah chose this theme.

From Dad February 8, 2015

Letter 10 of 3 part B

Ok, so here's a story I think you'll appreciate.  You know how G is a hypervigilent  half-demigod with nerves of steel, next to impossible to scare and even less likely to show it even if you succeed?  Well, J was going into the shipping area at work with G on his heels.  G suddenly remembered something he had forgotten back in the warehouse and went back.  J saw an opportunity and slipped into the closet under the stairs, kept the light off, but left the door open assuming that G would pass by and close the door.  A minute later G passed through, saw the open door and went to close it.  J pounced on the moment and gave a shout.  He startled G pretty well.  Neither of them realized just how good of a scare it was until a couple minutes later when G started rubbing his hand as a pain got worse and worse. G' reflexes were so fast that he didn't realize his hand had shot out, smacked the door knob pretty hard, and returned to his side.  We laughed and laughed.  

Love,

Dad

From Elise February 8, 2015

Riley, 

     I miss you so much. Every Thursday I go with the youth to the temple. I miss you waking me up and instead I have to wake up to an alarm clock... or worse, Parker!  

     I started back on the Rubick's Cube by force of Parker. He wanted me to do it more than I wanted to.

    Love ya,

      Elise 

P.S. There will be more next week. Sorry it is taking so long.

From Dad February 8, 2015

Dear Riley:

I got home at around 3:00 on a Sunday afternoon and knew I'd be writing you, but Leadelle encouraged me to eat something first since I hadn't eaten anything since Saturday evening.  I guess I just make things look and smell good.  Just as soon as I started sauteing onions for an omelet, the kids started hovering.  So, I added two more onions, and things just snow balled from there.  An hour and a half (and four omelets) later I'm finally sitting down to my own omelet stuffed with sauteed onions, sauteed mushrooms, and fresh tomatoes with a hint of balsamic vinegar.  Truly delicious!  But now I'm racing to get a letter out before going over to Grandma Parish's house for the birthday bash.  Can't remember the last time I was able to do something like this on a Sunday.  The kids just loved it, and I enjoyed the family time.  Amazing what happens when you turn your ringer off for a few hours. 

The weather has been incredibly warm, more like late march or April.  A week or two of this and I may be growing apricots and rhubarb.  Crocus are already on their way and I'm feeling driven by the gardening and pruning.  First things first though.  I'm nearly done with the garage shelves and they look great.  I took advantage of good weather and no pressing Bishop's demands yesterday to really make some significant progress.  Then, on to the storage room, craft room, bedrooms, window mill work, interior doors, painting, closet organizers...

I've had some great experiences as Bishop this past week.  There is such a difference between those who offer lip service about making life changes and those who are truly penitent and filled with Godly sorrow.  One thing that impressed me was the love God has for the repentant soul.  I know you'll see examples of both while in the field and It can be difficult to know a course of action until you are able to contrast the two.  One, the individual is filled with testimony, resolve, and spirit.  The other, feels lifeless and void of depth or feeling.  I don't know if this comes across in the way I wish to convey.  It's just gratifying to see the atonement truly work in someone's life and to feel God's love for an individual returning to the path they left.  Well, got to run.  I'll try to write more later this evening, but if I don't make it, know I love you so much and am so pleased you're serving.  Till next time!

Love, 

Dad

From Mom February 8, 2015

The cogs in Josie's head

Dear Riley,

I should just write every day the things Josie says.  But we have to eat too and I could be busy constantly transcribing.

She's been singing One Republic's "All the Right Moves" but this is how it goes:  "All the right friends in all the right spaceships... yeah, we're going down."

She's been kind of worried about dying lately.  So while we were talking about how pretty much everyone dies, she thought about it for a second.  Then she came to a conclusion.  "Well, I'm pretty special.  So.  I'm probably not going to die."  She's told a couple different people that in the last day or two.

Josie's new word is selfish.  She'll be playing with a character and say, "I'm a princess and I'm being SELFISH."  And then her character will say, "Guys, come play with me; I'm not being SELFISH anymore."  Then when you ask her what selfish is, you get all kinds of zany definitions.

While Josie plays with her characters, she inserts theme music.  It goes something like this, "Prince, save me!"  Duh-ni-duh-na, duh-ni-duh-na, duh-ni---duh----naaa.  Or sometimes, there's percussion in it.  Donchhhh, Di-donchhhh, chhhhh.  Aleah said she actually found herself singing one of Josie's theme songs the other day.

Saturday - Josie has been sick with a cold this week.  But last night I put her in a lavendar bath and did hot socks/cold socks and she woke up feeling much better.  She tried to crawl up into Elise's bed this morning saying, "Elise, I need a love and a snuggle because I feel better."

Josie couldn't wait to tell us about her dream this morning.  Apparantly I left her and Aleah at the store and a worker found them and the had blue things there and they had a car seat in their car and drove them home.  And when they got home, I asked them where they had been.

So in my bigger letter, I will tell you about fixing the reciever set up.  But I was playing music off the hub with Josie yesterday.  It's been so inconvenient to listen to the music that we haven't listened much.  But I turned on Adele's Rollin' in the Deep.  As the first drum beats fell, I could see instant recognition of the song and Josie sat transfixed for a second as the song unfolded.  I don't know if you remember, but she LOVED that song when she was just little, couldn't contain the urge to move to it.

It's a fun life having her around.  She misses you fiercely.  The other day she had a peice of paper from the mail that she was convinced you had mailed her and she was possessive of it for a minute.

OK, more family stuff in your big letter.  

Love ya!  Mom

Spring in February?

Dear Riley,

It’s already February!  But the weather has us all in Spring Fever!  It’s been high 60’s and low 70’s and sunshine and mild and wonderful this week. It gives me weather survival guilt because the northeast is slammed.

Today in church, the C’s reported from their mission in the Northwest.  They were advisers to 13 mission presidents and their wives, advising them on health issues as he is a doctor.  They told us that mission presidents are very busy.  They have something major every week.  But they assured us that they really love their missionaries and are concerned to make each mission as successful as can be.  In one of the mission postings from your mission, there was a video from the transfer meeting in December.  As a sister was sharing something touching with the group, Sis S was in the background wiping a tear.  I knew at that moment that she loves her missionaries like a mother.  It made me feel safe sending you to them.

This week has been really busy for me.   I was at the school probably every day for something PTA related.  But even so, yesterday was the first Saturday in weeks that I didn’t start the day with five times more to do than I could get done.  So I went to exercise and wanted to watch a show.  We got a new receiver back in December because the video inputs on the old one weren’t working on all the settings.  But it’s been sitting on the hearth for weeks not installed.  Since I wasn’t super busy yesterday, I decided to install it and watch a show while I exercised.

It has all HDMI inputs which makes set-up easier… if there isn’t a problem with the HDMI inputs… which ours has.  Grrr.  So after a couple hours passed and it was confirmed by the support people that I had a defective new receiver, I had to put everything back together with the old one.  I used a different configuration and we can now play music over the hub (cell phones work again) and watch tv, and play playstation without changing any plugs.  Maybe I just saved myself $300.  Not a bad day’s work.

We got a box from S yesterday.  She had asked us what we wanted from India upon P’s return to the States.  I had only asked for ayruvedic medicine for my neuroma.  But she was a mind-reader.  Elise said as I was opening the box, “I hope she sent her homemade chivda.”  And she had.  She also sent this wonderful tamarind candy that is the sour tamarind paste, sweetened with sugar, rolled into little balls and coated in coarse sugar.  We love the stuff.

It was a great idea to send that.  This week I made massaman curry for the first time.   So when I went to the Oriental Market, I picked up more sweet tamarind pods.  The curry uses the sour tamarind paste and the kids were mixing sour and sweet tamarind.  So we love the candy S sent.  Aleah pretty much only ate that for lunch.  The massaman curry wasn’t a big hit in our family.  But Eric loved the stuff, so I enjoyed it for his sake.

We have the Parish family birthday bash tonight.   I took the dessert assignment again since two of the birthdays are ours.  Since it’s been so warm, I feel like pudding and cream.  At 10 last night Parker went with me to the store to get the ingredients for mock eau claire dessert as I didn’t have any of them.  It takes graham crackers, pudding mixes and Cool Whip, which I haven’t bought in probably a decade.   It took me way too long to make what I thought would be a simple dessert.  I hope it turned out.  I’ve never made it.  But I do like it so much.

I may be going through menopause.  I started having hot flashes and night sweats which were making me miserable and interrupting my sleep all night.  So I went and got an herbal remedy and it has significantly reduced the severity and the frequency so that I sleep much more each night.  You can do anything when you get enough sleep and good food.

Parker had to register for his senior classes this week.  I was at the school while it was time for him to register, but the computer was unlocked and he had his little sticky note arrows on the screen.  He’d enlisted Elise’s help and had run through a mock registration.  But you know how it works, Skyward froze up on him midway through.  He did get AP Chem and lab, and AP English Lit, but he didn’t get precalc.  He meets with a counselor this week.  I hope they can straighten it out.  He had to put English where his precalc was supposed to be because while he was frozen out, the earlier class filled up.  He said he missed you during that moment.

We had a large fire here in Orem at a construction site for a new high apartment building over by the Good Earth.  This is the second fire like it in the past little while and they say we have a serial arsonist on the loose.  The power was out for a chunk of Orem for a few hours.  There was a plume of smoke this afternoon as well.  Crazy.

Dad has all the uprights in place in the garage and most of the shelves in place.  I am so excited to recapture this space.  I dream about what will go where.  Whoot!

When Dad and I went to the temple this week, we saw Bro Cooper’s son.  We didn’t speak to him, but it felt good to have a friend there.  It made me remember all the love I felt for Bro Cooper as he prophesied in your patriarchal blessing.

Cambry took Brittney to see “Into the Woods” yesterday afternoon. Cambry is doing well generally.

Elise is such a sweet and easy person to have around.  She is helpful and pleasant.  She’s had friend drama as a "sevey" is prone to.  But she is kind where others are not.

Aleah is much the same.  She gets excited easily about many things.  She took all the leftover scraps from the hair flowers at her birthday party and made a slew of new hair accessories.  They are really cute.  She’s got a great eye.  She works hard at piano.  I had parent teacher conferences this week and her Chinese teacher said she is tops in Chinese.  That immersion program is such a blessing to Aleah!  Her brain just works well with it.

Ugh, the front room is a crazy mess and I Bro B just stopped by to have Dad sign some checks.  Ahh.  Such is our life.

So how are things there?  Do you have diarrhea?  When have you felt the Spirit?  What has been challenging for you?  Do you have people you want us to remember in our prayers?  Do you get the Ensign?  The February First Presidency Message mentioned missionaries and I smiled a new, knowing smile.  I’m so glad to hear about your wonderful trainer.  And it was so gratifying to know that I was impressed what to pray for and that you had already served your companion.  The Spirit is great!

May you have it with you always!

Love you,
Mom

Party funnies

Tonight we were at Grandma's and E fell outside.  She exlpained to us that she slipped running in her flip flops.  Dad said, "I think you flipped in your slip-slops."

Q was sitting on Dad's lap and Dad dipped his pinky in his water and gave Q a Wet Willey.  Q was ready to get down and as he was leaving, I told him to give it right back to Dad.  He was all over that, dipping his pinky in the water and then into Dad's ears.  Then he left for a little while.  He came back after a few minutes for another round.  

Q also told Cambry tonight that she's a really good tickler.

Grandpa still feels (and looks) pretty bad.  They have him on his third round of antibiotic.  He's pretty worn down.  Rather than birthday money, they have been giving dates with them for birthdays.  Aleah had hers this weekend and went to their house for dinner and then they went to the movies and saw Paddington.  They all had a nice time.

Love you,

Mom

Paper post from Mom February 4, 2015

Dear Riley,

Feet are very much on my mind.  Last night Cambry came home from school with agony in her eyes.   She’s been working in bulk at the will call office lately and she’s the manliest woman on her shift.  So she’s been lifting and standing and on her feet her entire shift.  Then she drives down to BYU where she walks from the parking lot by the Marriot Center down to campus.  Her feet have been bothering her for the last little bit, but yesterday the pain reached a fever pitch.  She needs shoes that can support her feet.  Her scary, sturdy, meaty, high-instep, double-wide feet needed better shoes.  She and I were able to find two pair of shoes last night.  She was so hopeful, if not bouncy, this morning that she would find relief.

The week you left Provo for Thailand, I was reading in Mosiah 12 where Abinadi is being questioned by the wicked priests of King Noah.  They ask him, quoting Isaiah 52:7, in verse 20 “What meaneth the words which are written, and which have been taught by our fathers, saying:  How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings; that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good; that publisheth salvation;”.   Then the next day I read in Mosiah 15, Abinadi’s answer to the priests.  And in verse 13, he explains that this verse referred to the prophets who preach of Christ.  Then in verse 16 it expands to those who are/will preach Christ.  Immediately the Spirit touched my heart, whispering to me that your feet are beautiful right now; publishing salvation is all you are doing in your missionary work.

Then in case I hadn’t captured the need to ponder this truth, the next morning the family was reading 1 Nephi 13 and verse 37 jumped out at me:  And blessed are they who shall seek to bring forth my Zion at that day, for they shall have the gift and the power of the Holy Ghost; and if they endure unto the end they shall be lifted up at the last day, and shall be saved in the everlasting kingdom of the Lamb; and whoso shall publish peace, yea, tidings of great joy, how beautiful upon the mountains shall they be. 

While feet are not mentioned in 1 Nephi 13, the verse very much harkens back to the previous Isaiah reference.  So why the image of beautiful feet on the mountains?  I did a little research and the simple answer seems to be that messages in Isaiah’s time were delivered by the feet of messengers.  No cars, airplanes, bicycles, tv’s or internet waves.  Simple feet.

So while this was on my mind, Josie asked me to read the Jesus book.  It’s from when I was little and I don’t know that you’d recognize it.  The cover is the pencil sketch of children around Jesus and He has one child’s face in His hands.  Each page of that book tells a different chapter of Jesus’ life.  One of the chapters is about Jesus washing the feet of His disciples.  I looked at the sketch and considered the love and lowliness of heart that service would take.  Aleah and Parker have feet aversion: they do not want to massage someone else’s feet.  And that’s in a day were we walk paved parking lots in shoes and socks to and from our car.  And our feet are washed daily in fresh, clean water.  I’m thinking the disciple’s feet must have been much more repulsive.

Riley, your feet are going to get dirty.  They are going to show wear.  Your feet will largely get you where you want to go.  And because of what you’re doing right now, your feet are beautiful upon the mountains.  This thought is beautiful to your mother.

I love you, son.

Love,

Mom

Since you've been gone... February 1, 2015

.... our chemistry has been a little unpredictable.  Elise choose the theme this week.

From Dad February 1, 2015

February 1, 2015

Re: Letter 9 of 3

Dear Riley,

Wow! can you believe it!  February already.  It's difficult to express what it's like having a missionary of your own.  For me, at least, I can hardly wait for any news.  I find myself going back and reading your weekly letter several times.  Throughout the day I occasionally find myself adding 14 hours to the time and trying to envision what you might be doing.  I don't worry about your safety, but pray for it several times every day.  We pray for you to adjust well and be blessed with the gift of tongues.  We felt a little bad that the video put together by your mission showing the arrival of the new missionaries as well as the transfers, only featured our Riley for a fraction of a second.  How pleased we were when they put out a second video featuring the new arrivals where we could watch you on your first day in Thailand under a number of different circumstances.  You looked so good, and I think I could tell what you were thinking..."I got this." (With all appropriate humility of course.)  I wonder if the diarrhea hit you yet.  I spoke with someone who was in Thailand when he was in the Air Force.  He said that even the American food prepared by the natives, gave you diarrhea you simply couldn't get rid of.  I'll let you hypothesize on the reason, but I suspect it has something to do with personal hygiene.  Who knows?  That Pepto Bismol may come in awfully handy.    

You may remember the Gs.  They had a boy leave on his mission around the same time you did.  Well, last week someone stole all his whites while they were at the laundromat.  Even with some extraordinary events which allowed his Mother to get new clothing on the way quickly, by the time he receives it, he will have been wearing some of the same clothing for 5 days.  Sister G shared a sweet testimony today about how things all came together to witness that God was mindful of both His missionaries and their families.    

On the domestic scene, I'm making progress on the garage shelves.  It will be wonderful when completed, and long overdue.  While working in the garage, I came across signs of termite damage.  I pulled down a couple sections of dry wall and was able to determine the extent of the damage.  Those insidious creatures!!  Right now is a good time to go after them because they're all in the ground.  Another project!  Just what I needed!  It's nearly time to be gardening and pruning, so I'm racing to finishing some of the inside projects that always take a back seat when driven by seasonal time constraints of outdoor projects.  Business is going well, and we're making progress on the large equipment installation.  I think it will look and work great.  SOOO close to being able to use it for production related activities.  I can taste it. 

As far as the Ward news goes, Clyde Christensen passed away last Friday morning.  He is an extraordinary man and will be missed by many.  Happily, he is reunited with his dear wife.  It's funny, I was just commenting to Leadelle the other day that I could feel mortal tension building to the snapping point.  The day Clyde passed I was feeling that a funeral was soon forthcoming, though I had no one particular in mind.  FB's cancer is back.  They found a tumor in his pelvis and vertebra.  They will just try to slow the growth and help him to live with it.  GP has been quite sick for a number of weeks.  Truly, he hasn't been very well since his several bouts with shingles last summer.  He went in for an MRI of his lungs and there are nodules on both sides.  They're waiting for test results to come in.  Currently they're focused on Desert Valley fever.  If this comes up negative, they will be looking at cancer.   Just keep him and G in your prayers.

Well, time to sign off so this will be waiting for you on P day.  Can't wait to hear how you're doing.  The Gospel's true and I continue to see its miracles work slowly but surly in the lives of all those who embrace it.  It seems to me that God is truly gathering his people.  I see individuals who have fallen away for a season drawn back,  feeling that divine tentacles and the Spirit are working on them to put their lives in order so they can enjoy the fullness of the blessings God has to offer.  I suspect you will see much the same in Thailand, only many will be hearing it for the first time and it will be as a familiar voice crying from the dust.  What a great time to be a missionary!  Thank you for your faithful service.  Shoulders back, chin up!

Love, 

Dad

From Mom February 1, 2015

February 1, 2015

Dear Riley,

How are things this week?

I was wondering how meals are accomplished.  Do you eat with members or at restaurants or are you doing some cooking?  You mentioned that you often had no idea WHAT you were eating, though it tastes good.

How is your language coming?  Are you able to understand more?  What do you say to people when you street contact?  Do you speak English in the apartment?  How many are in your apartment?

Tell me about church.  How many members are there, how far away is your building, how do you get around?  Since you gave a lesson in Burmese with a member translating, I know you have some member support.

They took down the mission facebook this week.  But like I said earlier, they posted a long video on the LDS Thai page.  And I found a button I could press on facebook which translates the page.  That was handy!

And am I right that all the missionaries come to the mission home every transfer?  Someone thought I must be mistaken.  But that’s what I assumed from the videos.  Of course that could change when the President changes too.

We are missing you just now.  Cambry has a pain in the soul of her foot and Aleah and Parker have the foot-rubbing stamina of a three year old.  I’m typing and Dad’s gone. 

I’m completely spent.  I’m so spent that I’m not even cooking a dinner to break our fast.  Has that EVER happened?  We have so much food, really good food, in the house that it will actually be a leftover night!  Cambry had eggs Benedict for breakfast and shrimp scampi for dinner.  We haven’t had that in a long time.  Plus she wanted cheesecake, the one with the oreo crust that I made one time.  Really yummy.

Aleah’s party was fun.  We made hair flowers and they made bracelets with foam beads.  We ate pasta with alfredo, marinara (normal spaghetti sauce), or cheese sauce.   I made lemon cupcakes with the lemon whipped frosting that is so yummy.  Her friends are cute girls.

For Cambry's birthday, she asked for time with me.  We went up to the outlets shopping.  She got some new clothes which haven't been worn/washed by anyone else before.  That's new.  She looks so cute in them too.  Cambry says this is the best birthday ever! B came last night for Cambry’s birthday along with S and H.  B was the first to come and she ate dinner with us.  We were so happy to have her here again.  When we sang happy birthday to Cambry, Cambry actually cried because she was so happy to have her friends with her again. The girls visited and finally watched “The Book Thief”.  Cambry was the only one who had seen it and they sniffled/balled.  B was wearing B's rings on her left ring finger and it appears a diamond may soon occupy their spot.

I got the books closed and our accountant picked them up this week.  That was a load off my mind.  And at some point I want to share with you some things I learned from Merrill J. Bateman about the temple at a stake RS fireside this last week.  

Clyde Christensen passed away, I don’t know if you remember him, tall and handsome with a lot of white hair and blue eyes, first to volunteer for many things.  But he had to move out to a care center a couple years back. 

I started nebulizing glutathione this week to help heal my nerve damage and to reduce the inflammation in my sinuses.  It works really well.  The cheese sauce for the macaroni and cheese has red pepper in it.  As I was snapping the lid down, a puff of pepper went up my nose and I started sneezing and sneezing.  That’s not really happened to me but maybe one other time.  Careful what you smell, that’s what my balloon sinuplasty doctor advised.

Well son, we’re doing well here at home.  It’s been so crazy busy.  But we are well.  It’s been a year since I started into Ramsay Hunt.  When people ask me about it, I can hardly believe how severe, yet how temporary that trial was/is.  What an unlikely blessing it has been to me.

We’re so happy that you’re on a mission, Riley.  We love to hear how things are going and look forward to your letters.  I felt to pray in my fast for you that you would have a good companionship and that you would serve your companion.  It’s true, Riley.  The gospel of Jesus Christ really is the power of God unto salvation and striving with everything you’ve got for two years to share that message will always be a blessing to you.  It is already a blessing to us as a family.

We love you,

Mom