From Jordan

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From: Jordan
Date: Mon, Jun 25, 2012 at 9:30 AM

Der Fumly ...,
             The time groweth short till we shall once again embrace... and pummel and squish.  But we do not focus in those things very much.  This week has been fantastic,  and everyday I fall more and more in love with Chile.  I would concider myself an Idahilean.  Half de Idaho the other de Chile.  This week has rained and then the next day was a sunny day with 70 degree weather. 
    Yesterday we had a sector slam up here in the Cajón.  So there were about 20 missionaries walking around this little pueblo, we got a lot of references and so we now have a whole bunch more work to do. 
  I don´t know if I already told you but sometimes we hitch hike up here, just because our sector is so huge and the buses pass only every once in a while.  The people here are so trusting and amable.  The other day we hitch hicked with this guy, and he stopped real quick to buy a drink and left us in the car with it running.  In what other part would you leave your car running with two strangers sitting in there that you picked up off the side of the road. 
  President Laycock leaves next week, and tomorrow we are going to have a big noche de hogar with the whole mission.  It´s going to be hard because I just can´t picture the mission with out him.  I know that the next president has been called of God so everything I think will turn out fine.
   Also this past week I had the oportunidad to go the the sealing of one of my friends here.  He was a missionary and finnished about 6 months ago, started dating and married to a girl from here.  It was such a cool experience, but I was so nervous the whole time and I wasn´t even the one getting married.  I think I will have to buy some crutched for when it is my turn so I can support myself when my knees give way.  It seemed kind of crazy the grandness of what was taking place.  Dad were you nervous that day? 
  I liked the pictures of the smores, I cooked some marshmellows on our stove the other day.  YUmmmmmmmm. 
Les Amo más que los porotos son chilenos, Tu hijo y hermano
Elder ...

Los fotos

My friend comming out of the temple

The view from my back porch

My dog lisa, she is a stray but follows us EVERYWHERE

Walking to a cita, visit

The sun rise in the morning

My Girls Having Fun

The shortest glimpse of Mikayla's friend Nathan

Eden Having a Blast on a Blind Date (his first) Doesn't it look like an old Norman Rockwell=)

From Jordan

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From: Jordan
Date: Mon, Jun 18, 2012 at 5:10 PM


My dear bloomsters,  

    I love the photos of you guys,  I couldn´t stop smiling the whole time you are so special in every form of the meaning.

   This week has been very wet,  I thought that maybe this is what England is like not stop rain or sprinkle but it is very green right now.  The snow is so close to us I can almost touch it on the hills.  I´m going to give it 2 more week and we will be sleding everywhere instead of walking.   

   It has been a good week, a week more of planting seeds than anything else.  Sometimes it seems impossible to say the right things, or people just don´t take in what we are saying or doing.  But then later it all pays off. President always tells us Iré y Haré y no me quejaré.  Which means I will go, and I will do and I won´t complain.  In Sunday school yesterday we learned how salvation is a personal thing.  You don´t gain it if everyone else is happy.  You gain it if you are doing what is right and you are happy.   Although you definantly can´t get it alone.  Sorry I can´t send fotos, i will send more the next time.  

  I love you bunches of oats,

Elder ...

P.S.

Mikayla say hi to Nathan for me.

Oh So Glorious!

We sure loved celebrating Mom and Dad's birthdays and Fathers Day here with Lori and her children and Liz. We're sorry that you had to come down because of a funeral but it sure made things more convenient for the rest of us!=) It was a nice, cozy gathering and lots of fun. It was great to see Dad in one of his silly moods and watch Mom enjoying it as much as the rest of us. We sure do love both of you--so incredibly much!

Last Friday Fred and I had our date night in Eden's room, cleaning and organizing. It was a bit daunting at first, but we whipped it into shape in a couple of hours. Eden came back from camp happy and fulfilled but looking like you do when you stay up until 2 or 4 AM every night for four days in a row. She crashed during the party and barely stirred when Grandpa sat on her and kissed her goodbye. She's a CRAZY and we missed her! She spent an hour last night rubbing my back and just talking about her Light Leader experiences (while Abe made sound effects and pounded on her=) He never wants to go to bed whenever anyone else is up--he's very social and I am sure will bask in having Jordan back in his room for a few months!

Abe, Lily and Sophie started swimming lessons this morning. Sophie has my disposition and is terrified to stick her head under the water. I even tried to get her to do it in the bathtub afterwards, but she just looks at me with these scared, sad eyes. The teacher is pretty gentle and not demanding which will be good for Sophie's comfort level, but may not necessarily help her advance her skills. In hindsight, it probably would have been better to invest that money into a swimming day at the pool with Fred, but we'll see how it goes.

I was just noticing, out in the yard, that we have 9 separate seating pieces and they are all tied to Fred. Two were gifts to him, one is a gift from him and all of the rest he has purchased. Three are in the process of restoration. He has a thing about having places to sit. The irony is he is rarely in any of them--I spend more time than he ever does just sitting and enjoying the great (WARM) outdoors. Maybe if he were ever home before he was exhausted he would get more use time. I know he'd be overjoyed to have more time to just sit and relax--maybe if one of them was an actual bed instead of just a hammock.=) He does enjoy his Sunday naps.

Somehow Jordan had his e-mail set up to send Fred a Father's Day  letter on Sunday, even though it wasn't his P-Day. The letter said it had been mailed 6 days previous but it just came into his mailbox on Sunday. That meant he got letters from both Jordan and Mikayla which made the day special for him. Those darling kids of ours just keep being good to us!

Life is complex and oh so glorious!

Quote of the Day: 

"You will come to know that what appears today to be a sacrifice will prove instead to be the greatest investment that you will ever make.

--Gordon B. Hinckley

Our Family Easter Puzzle (500+ crazy pieces and 9 weeks later! We can't bear to take it apart.)

Eden's-room-in-need-of-Rescue Project --Pre Girls Camp

Room Rescued--Post Girls Camp

Father's Day Climbing on knees, patting cheeks and great big kisses!

Letters

Gifts

Warm Apple Pie and Weirdness

A LITTLE less weirdness

Oh yes! He is definitely mine!

68th Birthday Mom--71st Birthday Dad--and Father's Day Celebration!

Having Fun (Dad blowing "hot air" and Mom snuffing with raspberries)

Being Silly Behind Mom's Flowers--I'm so glad they're ours!

From Mikayla

From Jordan

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From: Jordan
Date: Mon, Jun 11, 2012 at 4:15 PM

Dear Fams

    How be the summer,  it looks like yall are haveing a blast.  I laugh every time I see pictures of you, I just think yup thats my family and I am so proud of that.  

   This week was great,  instead of finding and teaching many people this week we have tried to focus more on those investigators that are really progressing.  I am so happy 4 weeks ago we knocked on a ladies door, she said she had talked with the misionaries awhile ago, but that it was really late and if you could not come back some other day.  We thought that is normal,... kind but rejection.  We passed by igual, and she has actually been progressing much.  Yesterday we watched part of the restoration with her and I could just feel the spirit throbing in the room.  She asked us afterward if she could come to church on Sunday and who,  baptises and how it works.  Needless to say, when we left and were far enough away from her house that she couldn´t see us we did a little jiggy.  I still have a permagrin just thinking about it.

  I also had an observation while we were walking to an investigators house,  here it gets dark around 6 so we are always walking in the forest in the dark.  So we invested in some flashlights.  The thing I notice is that when I shined the flashlight right at my feet, I could see where I was in the very moment but I had no idea what was about to happen next.  Verces shining it far ahead of me I could see everything around me.  It was the same amount of light but the difference was the direction in which it was pointed.  I feel like it is the same in life.  The Atonement of Christ is made availible to every person to ever live, he is the light of the world.  but the way you appy it in you life makes all the difference.  I feel so privaleded to be out here learning about it more and more everyday and help others as well have the same opportunitiy I am experiencing.

Les amo mas que los porotos son Chilenos.

Elder ...

Challenges Aboard

It has been a rewarding and eventful week. Eden has been looking around for a job and got a little more serious after Syngenta called asking if she wanted to come back and do field work this year.=) She applied at "Little Leggs" (the daycare downtown) but they said they wouldn't be hiring in the summer. She has also been wanting to do one of her 10 Hour Projects babysitting. Together, we came up with the idea to volunteer at the daycare. After a few days of that they hired her on the spot, with no promise of lots of summer hours, since they didn't really need another employee, but they wanted to snag a good thing while they could. She'll get a few hours and probably still work a little at Syngenta, but during the school year and until she graduates, she is "in" at Little Legg's and very excited about it.  She heads off to girls camp Tuesday morning and is ecstatic with anticipation. It will give me a week to deep clean and organize her room, which is turning into a fun tradition for me. I always loved coming home to a pristine clean house as Fred's gift to me, all those years that I attended girls camp, so I'm trying to pass on that gift. The poor little room needs it and I think Eden will appreciate it.

Monday night was the YSA Welcome FHE, which our family attended, because of me and Fred's calling. It was dinner and games and my kids had a blast playing games with the older "kids". Many of my favorite youth were there--my trek sons,Cody and Justin--Jordan's good friend Luke, My Mikayla introduced friend Kyle...(why is it that my favorite people--outside of my family are always guys?) so it was an enjoyable night. 

In celebration of Marg and Liz's birthdays Lori, Renee, Liz, Marg and I met at a little restaurant last Tuesday and had a delightful sisters luncheon. (Thanks for organizing Lulu!) We spent most of the time laughing at Lori's Braden stories, which are many and varied. It brought back a lot of "young motherhood" memories--the amazing things we learn from our children and life's challenges!=)

Abrahm has now joined the "my little piece of land in his mouth" club--he has braces. I'm sad that we never had the money, as young parents, to fix Jordan's teeth perfectly, but the rest of these kids, who so far have all needed metal in their mouths, will keep the orthodontist on his Caribbean cruises and us in the subdivision for years longer. But, it is a choice we make (probably because of my own regrets), so I will try to stop whining about it...much.

Mikayla is still working like crazy on her grades. She says she doesn't think she can quite squeak out straight A's, so that will negate her possibility for a half tuition scholarship this time, which she is, I'm sure, disappointed about, but we are so proud of her. She has incredible grades and is working so hard. She got a letter from her missionary friend and asked out by a boy she is interested in on the same day last week and called home giddy. She had fun on her date Saturday and the young man showed up with dinner for her on Sunday and serenaded her with some serious classical piano. I'm glad she is being appreciated. She seems a little homesick (she can't come home for the 4th or her birthday because school is only out for a day), but she is growing so much. 

My mom has hooked me on indexing. It is addicting and I have to pace myself. She has challenged all of her grandchildren to get started as well and It has been fun to watch the niece/nephew numbers roll in. I think we mothers/fathers need to take them on! It is fun and uplifting to have an extended family challenge that we can accomplish together.

Quote of the Week:"You can be excellent in every way. You can be first class. There is no need for you to be a scrub. Respect yourself. Do not feel sorry for yourself. Do not dwell on unkind things others may say about you. Polish and refine whatever talents the Lord has given you. Go forward in life with a twinkle in your eye and a smile on your face, but with great and strong purpose in your heart. Love life and look for its opportunities." ~ Gordon B. Hinckley

Siblings--The best summer friends

Taking an awkward break

Tree Climbing--A favorite Bloomquist sport

Monkey see-monkey do

Sisters Birthday Luncheon--We missed the rest of you lovelies!

Abe--quirky in or out of braces!

From Mikayla

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From: Mikayla
Date: Sun, Jun 10, 2012 at 1:06 PM

Hello friends.

This week has been a little quieter than before. There has been a lot of time to think. I've been listening to NPR in the mornings for about a 1/2 hour. Its kinda nice to wake up to. 

I've come to realize that I am not going to get an A in Spanish, but I will still pull through with a B.

Its been pretty cold up here lately. It was like 90 one day and then it dropped and hailed yesterday when I was on my date. It was okay though, because we had a fire going and a thick blanket that we were holding over our heads while we were roasting starbursts, so it kinda felt like we were in the wild finding shelter in a cave.

I am about half way through Leven thumps Abe. I've just been reading it late instead of listening to music or something. Its entertaining haha- but ABE! I'm surprised of you! 

NOBODY ELSE IN THE FAMILY READ THIS LINE IT'S JUST FOR ABE geez Abe there is really some romance going on here between Leven and Winter! I see why you said if I liked Jane Eyre I would have to read it! 

okay now you guys can start reading again.

 anyway I wrote a little paper about Spain and the Euro the other day, I really like economics I realized!

mom-I will go start on my batch and send you the numbers so you can give them to grandma. Is it just how many names or batches?

Love you all bunchie munchies.

Mikayla

Here are some great quotes from Lewis Carroll's stories about words.

'Then you should say what you mean,' the March Hare went on. 'I do,' Alice hastily replied; 'at least, — at least I mean what I say — that's the same thing, you know.' 'Not the same thing a bit!' said the Hatter. 'Why, you might just as well say that "I see what I eat" is the same thing as "I eat what I see!"' 

"When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, in a rather scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less."

   "The question is," said Alice, "whether you can make words mean so many different things."

   "The question is," said Humpty Dumpty, "which is to be master—that's all." 

From Elder Jordan

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From: Jordan
Date: Mon, Jun 4, 2012 at 5:10 PM

Dear Bloomers,

     It has been another wonderful week here up in San José.  I want to thank you for the quotes you all sent.  I love quotes.  In fact I was reading in my journal this morning.  And I found a cool one that I forgot about.  "The lord does not care about your ability or your inability, he cares about your avalibility, and when you prove your dependability, he will bless you with capability." - Neil A. Maxwell  I have noticed that, that is a very true statement.  Every night we plan for what we are going to do the next day,  then we pray to know if what we planned was what we are supposed to do.  If we recieve a confirmation then we follow through with the plan.  Lately those for who we have planned are not in there houses and I feel confused on why we recieved the confirmation then.  But everytime that happens we make sure to knock all the doors around that house and talk with everybody in the near vicinity,  and every time we have found someone to teach or someone to help, or someone that was waiting for us to pass by.  My testimony grows greater everyday in the knowledge of an all powerful being that loves us imensly.  He knows exactly where he wants us to be and always has a plan for us.  If we follow the spirit we can never go wrong.

   It is getting cold up here again, it froze last night and everything was covered in white.  It was beautiful.  The last couple evenings we have had intencely majestic sun sets, the most beautiful that I have ever seen in my life.

  Yesterday we went to visit a lady that is sick in our branch, up at the hospital.  Let me tell you, it is a blessing and a privaledge to live where we live.  The hospital here is just a big long cordor, it is dim and the walls are scratched and pilling there are about three or four patients in each room.  The cabnents are broken and there are all kinds of things stuffed inside, from broken glasses to old bread.  It was neat to visit the hermana and talk to her for just a bit.  We gave her a Book of Mormon to read for all the time that she is there.

   On friday, we held a Talent night that we have been planning for 3 weeks now.  It was wonderful,  there were dancers, singers,  story tellers, a play, I played the guitar, my companion played the piano.  When we started almost everyone that said they would be there and share a talent, wasn´t there so we had to improvise a little bit and ask everyone that was there to think of something to share and we pulled it all together.

  The days keep getting better.  And I am perfectly happy and content.

I love you so so much

Elder...

Chilling

I was delivering YSA invitations to all of the Bishops last Sunday and discovered 10 minutes before another ward's meeting started that it was the missionary homecoming of one of our Trek sons...so I went flying over to our ward building, grabbed my family and slipped in right as the meeting started. Our "son" just returned on Tuesday and had a strong Spanish accent and couldn't remember Joseph Smith's name in English (which was pretty cute). He looked great, and sounded fantastic and I got a huge bear hug from him afterward, which was fun. Trek was such an incredible experience in our life that I think those bonds will last forever.

Mikayla thinks she can pull off straight A's this semester which will get her a half tuition scholarship and if she keeps it up next semester she can get full tuition. She says all she does is homework--barely sleeps. I'm so amazed with her determination. I sure never had that kind of committment at her age and I have regretted it for the last 22 years. She is really encouraging me to start online classes with her this summer.

She surprised us and came down for a Memorial Day visit last weekend. Her roommate/ best friend from Middleton called at around 10:00 on Friday and asked if she could drop some things off at our house that Mikayla had sent home with her. She rang our doorbell right before 11:00 and the twins answered it and invited her in, but she said the suitcase was really heavy, so I went to the door and Mikayla popped out of the suitcase. They are crazies, but it was such a fun surprise. I screamed and Fred, Eden and Abe (who had just gone to sleep) jumped out of bed and came running downstairs worried. We've just been basking in having her home.

Last Monday was Shelby's 16th birthday and a few families gathered for a fun pool party (in 70 degree weather). Because Robbie wasn't in town, Eden was invited to replace him as Shelby's birthday shopping partner. Eden would have pleased as punch just to be Shelby's "personal shopper" but Marg was very generous and made the trip extra fun. Eden came home with her first professional manicure/pedicure and fond cousin memories. She LOVED it! The girls have had such a strong bond since birth and I'm so grateful for those relationships. All of my girls adore Shelby--we all do. She is such a kind, good girl. She called Lily and Sophie Monday night, after finding cards from them, just to thank them personally. It made their day. We'll miss her this summer.

In Relief Society last week, as I was sitting with Mikayla a visiting mom mistook me for one of the sister missionaries. I think it is just the long hair that throws people off--I don't think they look very long at my face, but it's always fun to be 21 again--even for a moment.=) I still feel young inside, but my body doesn't always agree anymore.=)

It sounds like Jordan is experiencing a diverse and unique mission environment right now--the perfect recipe for even more personal growth. He is having great opportunities to serve and lead in his tiny branch. We sure do take our numbers for granted in the spacious land of Middleton, Idaho sometimes...at least I do.

Our previous Bishop's family was visiting our ward from Oklahoma today--on their way to take a son to the MTC. The young elder stood up and just shared a brief testimony in sacrament meeting , but he had already been set apart and the mantle was surely distinguishable. Of course my emotions were fragile because everything somehow ties back to Jordan--young men in general=), missionaries, mantles, this particular Bishop--all of it. And when all of those things are present along with the incredible power of the Spirit I can just give up on any semblance of emotional will power. Sometimes it give me a headache.=)

Yesterday afternoon, because of Fast Sunday, it was quiet and gloriously ponderous here at home. I was sitting in our back yard, listening to a Jon Schmidt "Hymns" CD mixed with all of our chirping songbirds and is was a lovely ensemble. Fred was sitting with me chatting with Mikayla online, Eden was at a stake camp meeting, Abe was passed out on his bed (we're still working on that whole "purpose of the fast with him =), and Sophie and Lily were quietly moving between art projects in their bedroom to visiting with us. I love those peaceful Sunday times. As soon as fasting is complete the quiet usually dissipates. I often struggle with a little guilt during these moments thinking I should really be helping the kids set goals and teaching them how to better fill their time on the Sabbath, instead of just basking in the peace. I fight with those same feeling when I get up early on weekday morning and am enjoying those quiet hours but thinking that I should probably be waking up my children and helping them establish good habits. The selfishness of not wanting to give up the serenity of the morning, usually wins--especially since we're not very good about going to bed early during the summer. I'm bad about throwing out schedules completely for the kids, but maintaining them for me, which I think they enjoy to a certain extent but which probably isn't the most progressive way to help them grow. I'm still working on the whole balance thing.

It is now 6AM Monday morning. I have trouble sleeping lately. I think it has a lot to do with our bed, which is 18 years old, but at 4AM I figured I should probably just get up and study my scriptures. At 5:00 I finished writing Jordan and Mikayla and moved on to the blog--so here we are. Last night, one of our high councilors came over and extended a call to Eden to be on the stake youth committee. He spent a good 30 minutes or more discussing the importance of the calling, the responsibilities and committing her to daily scripture study, personal prayer, no steady dating etc. It was extremely personal and inspired and I feel so grateful that she will have this same opportunity that Jordan and Mikayla experienced. I am positive it will help strengthen her testimony and her resolve to live within the standards of the gospel. I am excited that she will get to work with the stake YW presidency, whom I love. What a blessing living in Middleton has been in our lives.

Tonight is our stake YSA Senior Welcome FHE. Because of our calling our entire family is invited. The weather is supposed to drop 20-30 degrees today (it has been in the 90's) and hopefully won't push us indoors, but I am excited to hang with the youth. Eden is a little nervous about filling out of place, but I think everyone will enjoy it--it is such an energetic and positive environment to be with the branch.

Eden will be spending the week accomplishing one of her 10 hour Personal Progress projects at a local Daycare, volunteering every day. She's good with little kids (who aren't her own siblings=) and she is excited. Abe has a scouting jamboree this weekend and Fred has a Stevens-Henager graduation. The twins and I will be piecing together a humanitarian quilt top and just chilling. With the weather predictions, I hope that doesn't become literal.

Quotes of the week:
"The most beautiful people we have know are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen."  (Elisabeth Kubler-Ross)

"The scriptures tell us there must be opposition in all things, for without it we could not discern the sweet from the bitter. Would the marathon runner feel the triumph of finishing the race had she not felt the pain of the hours of pushing against her limits? Would the pianist feel the joy of mastering an intricate sonata without the painstaking hours of practice?

"In stories, as in life, adversity teaches us things we cannot learn otherwise. Adversity helps to develop a depth of character that comes in no other way. Our loving Heavenly Father has set us in a world filled with challenges and trials so that we, through opposition, can learn wisdom, become stronger, and experience joy." (Elder Dieter F.
Uchtdorf)

Abe in "Princely" form, presenting Shelby with her 16th B-day gift

Posed--My children's sense of humor as I walked into the room

Abe's last day of school--it rained all day

The sun came out just in time...

...For a perfect picture

From Elder Jordan

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Jordan
Date: Mon, May 28, 2012 at 5:46 PM

My dear family,

   I´m sorry my entry was short last time, I only had 30 minutes,  thank you for writing me every week,  It´s so wonderful to hear how you grow and what you are up to. I grow to understand the value of the family.  Today was changes but me and my companion are staying here still.  I am so glad we have a lot of people who are progressing and I feel that they will be baptised this next change if we keep working with them.  It is very much different working up here, we have to plan well and use our time wisely, or else we end up spending  a bunch of money and waisting time, so far we havn´t had to many troubles, we have been planning things pretty well.  Many of our investigators live miles away so we take buses to get to them, which gives us an oportunidad to do contactos on the bus.

    I am loving every moment up here it is beautiful.  The last couple days it has rained with out stop and so once again there have been rivers in the street.  It got so bad at one point, that in order not to trudge through water that was up to our knees we had to walk in the middle of the road into oncomming traffic, good thing people are kind here and understood our problem.  It make things fun.

   The other day we went to the temple for an investigator of my companion.  Normaly San Jose elders (which is us) get permission to head into the city and sleep in an appartment close to the temple the night before, but us being new here didn´t think about that until 10:00 at night.  We imediatly called and asked but they said no due to the rain and curvy roads.  The session of the convert started at 7:30 the next morning and we had to be there at  7:00 and we live a little more than two hours away.  My companion was a little bit depressed because the buses heading down there didn´t start until 7:00.  He tried calling a taxi but they didn´t answer.  We decided that we would wake up and go out to the road and wait hoping for a chance that a random taxi would pass by or a person with a kind heart would let us hitch a ride.  Seeing that we would have to get up at 4:30 and it was already 11:30, I slept in my coat and suit with my shoes on so we could hop out of bed and go.  4:30 rolled around and I could barley open my eyes.  We got up and before we headed out my companion offered a prayed that taught me a great lesson.  He said Heavenly Father please help us to find some way to get Santiago.  We know we should have prepared before but now we have done everything we know how to do.  He ended and we headed out to the road.  Less than a minute on arriving a bus that decided to leave early came down the road and picked us up. We arrived at the temple a little bit before 7:00.  I believe it was a miracle.  I can testify that there is a God and he does love his children, and he knows even the smallest of our problems.  His greatest desire is that we are happy, not just temporal though, but FOREVER.

Les Quiero Caleta,

Elder ...

Up the canyon by the river

Graffiti Wall

CHILE

Me and Elder Palmer at an old castle.

Elder Weaver and I at the top of the castle.

I know it looks fake but that is just what happens when you work out.

My back yard

From Elder Jordan

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Jordan
Date: Mon, May 21, 2012 at 3:46 PM

My dear family,

      It has been a wonderful week here.  It is such a different feel from the rest of my mission because of where I am at right now.  It is great though, everyone is nice here whether they reject or accept us and that is pleasant.  On sunday when sacrament meeting started there were 14 people including me and my companion.  I blessed the sacrament with the first counceler while my companion played the hymns.  We are being blessed with so many investigators though and I just feel happy.  It is so wonderful.

I love you alll so so so so so much.

Elder ...

Illusions and Things That Matter Most

It is such an incredible experience to read Jordan and Mikayla's letters every week. Just when you think it isn't possible to love your children anymore--you do! I love watching who they are becoming all on their own. I love watching the talents and opportunities emerging. I hold my breath and just pray and pray when they are experiencing trials, but continually obedience brings blessing and I am so grateful to know that no matter how far away, they are never alone. Mikayla doesn't have a phone, but I love that I get to talk to her almost every day on the computer and that Jordan has been commanded=) to write home every week. Those communications bring us such joy.

May Day was last Tuesday. I bought some flowers and ding-dong-ditched my family. It was fun. I'm glad I haven't gotten around to planting them yet because it froze hard, twice, last week. Of course, Fred couldn't be restrained and planted his beloved watermelon already, but it seems to be alright so far. Crazy Idaho weather.=) 

One of Jordan's friends stopped by on Thursday, just to visit. He stayed for a couple of hours reading us his "lists" out of his little notebooks while we gave him a hard time. He's a funny kid and it was completely enjoyable. We talked him into staying for dinner--which I hadn't really gotten around to making because he was visiting--so I pulled some Chimichangas out of the freezer and then burned some rice because I kept getting distracted by our conversations, but he was a good sport and ate it all anyway. He was always a picky eater before his mission, but he's come a long way with food.=)

This weekend Mikayla received a letter from a good friend in the mission field. The young man, who has always been a favorite of Mikayla's (and mine=) surprised her with the confession that he had always liked her and was only brave enough to tell her now that he was far away and gone for two years. What a cute and crazy boy! I'm not sure that is quite the way he is supposed to be "focusing on his mission"--maybe he's just hoping for a little insurance=)--but he's a good kid and it did make Mikayla's day in a big way.

Last Sunday, in Sacrament meeting, a sister bore her testimony and shared an analogy for the atonement that I thought was insightful. She said her family went bike riding on the green belt but had to ride quite slowly because of their 5 year old daughter who tired quickly. She said at one point her daughter decided to get off her bike and carry it because she thought it would be easier than pedaling. Of course she quickly realized that wasn't the case, but this sister related that to how we sometimes have that same mentality when we don't take advantage of the Atonement in our lives. It is like getting off the bike and carrying it instead. I love symbolism and imagery! It just seems to make life lessons seem so obvious and compelling.

Seven more days and Eden, Lily and Sophie are out of school, then we have to wait another 9 until Abe joins the "summer vacation ranks". Those  are always a hard couple of weeks trying to keep up a schedule for one kid without the others feeling restricted and without him feeling left out. I am ready for them all to be home! I was talking to a sister in our ward today and mentioning how excited I was to have school out soon and have my kids home full time and she mentioned that she wasn't looking forward to the constant complaining of her kids being bored. I don't think my kids would dare be bored!=) That's a sure fire way to get Mom to find something constructive for them to do and it usually involves that dreaded four letter word...W-O-R-K. Fred is trying to carefully talk me into buying another pool for the kids. That's not exactly in the budget and they are so expensive, but our other pool sure was a great summertime experience.  We'll have to see if there is something else we want to give up.

I started writing this on Sunday, while sitting on the couch with Freddy as he worked on his genealogy, having just written Jordan and while chatting with Mikayla online. I was facing our family picture wall, where I have put a portrait of Christ directly in the center. It felt so peaceful and I was so contented looking at my family all surrounding him and for that brief moment all seemed right with the world. A few days have passed and I now have a horrific cold, which makes our busy lives and our ever accumulating home feel chaotic at the moment, but it is stabilizing to remember that this is the illusion and Sundays peace was the reality of things that matter most and that I will feel that way again--hopefully soon.=)

Quote of the week:"If pain and sorrow and total punishment immediately followed the doing of evil, no soul would repeat a misdeed. If joy and peace and rewards were instantaneously given the doer of good, there could be no evil--all would do good and not because of the rightness of doing good. There would be no test of strength, no development of character, no growth of powers, no free agency. . . . There would also be an absence of joy, success, resurrection, eternal life, and godhood."--Spencer W. Kimball

From Mikayla

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Mikayla
Date: Sun, May 6, 2012 at 12:41 PM

Hello all,

Today we had Stake Conference, it was really good. President Packer spoke I just love him! It was broadcast from the I-center and the center was pretty filled up, there was a ton of people there. At one point in President Packer's talk he began speaking about a senator in Idaho from a long time ago that worked all of his life to try and keep the Mormon people from getting stronger, and how he had this great influence and was a powerful senator and all of this stuff and then President Packer kinda stopped the story and there was this pause and then he was like "... well... I guess... all I can say is that he's dead and the church is not" The whole BYUI center erupted into laughter, it was loud, not just a quiet conference joke laughter. I mean it was a good point that he made but really un-expected especially coming from President Packer. 

Me and Kelsey and Bailey played just dance for like an hour on Friday, it was so fun, but I was so tired afterward! So fun though! One day we should invest. 

So I saw your prom pics Eden! Gorgeous! What a beautiful gurl! 

Philosophy is such a great class by the way, It's just all about learning why you believe what you do so you don't just catch beliefs like the cold, according to your culture.

Speaking of Culture that reminds me, we learned something kinda funny the other day in Spanish, that they don't say "I forgot my keys" or "I lost my homework" or "I dropped the egg" they say "the keys forgot themselves on me" or "the homework lost its self on me" or "the eggs dropped it'self on me"  haha kinda funny to me, thats one way of absolving yourself of any responsibility!

anyway, 

ya'll enjoy the weather

Love ya,

Mikayla

From Elder Jordan

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Jordan 
Date: Mon, May 7, 2012 at 4:21 PM

Dear Mommi, Paps, Kayla, Eeeds, Locito, Lulu and Foff,
   Sorry about the confusion about the phone call last week, but I am super excited to talk to you this week.  Woot Woot what fun.  So in my email today I got my travel plans,  I leave here oct. 1 and arrive in bosie Idaho oct. 2,  whhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaatttt.  That made my heart skip a couple hundred beats, in fact...wait... yep it is still stopped.  This week has been super sweet though.  Yesterday we went on divisions with the jovenes del barrio, and we found some new investigators,  who are super cool, Segundo has been working a lot so we haven´t gotten around to see him very much.  We got a reference to a lady that´s daughter has cancer.  When we went to visit her,  and I think that if I went over there as just a regular kid, I would have felt very inadequate and helpless.  But as a member of the church and a missionary we were able to share our message of peace and truth.  I don´t know how much longer her daughter will live but I know that God loves his children, so we have to have faith in him.  It is such a wonderful blessing to be a missionary there are so many opportunities that open up. It is unlike any other.   Today we went to a Ferria and an old castle fort thing, I spent some of my birthday money, thank you again for that.  At 12:00 everyday they fire a cannon off the top of the castle, and we had no idea what was going on until after it happend,  needless to say I jumped right out of my socks,  oh it was so loud.  But it´s always nice to mix things up a little bit right.  I hope you all have a wonderful week, I will see you litterally in a few days.
Love you bunches
Elder...

From Elder Jordan

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Jordan
Date: Mon, Apr 30, 2012 at 1:48 PM

Dear Fams, 

  How is everyone doing, I am so super excited to see you all next week.  I will be calling at 7 my time which I think is 5 your time, and we will try to work out the three way call, see how everything goes down.  This week was good, it rained the first good rain of the winter, and the streets turned into rivers.  In fact we were waiting at a cross walk, and were a little too close to the street, then for a little bit of fun a car appeared out of no wear and we got drenched with a wave of water.  Sometimes I think it is safer to walk with the umbrella to the side rather then over me, I tend to get less wet.  The shoes you sent me are doing wonders, thank you again for that.  On Saturday we were knocking doors and the 3rd door we came to a guy came out and we started talking, we stood there for three hours talking to him.  We gave him a book of mormon, talked to him a little bit about the plan of salvation and touched on a couple other things,  but he is like gold, his name is Segundo and he said he doesn´t want to join any religion because he doesn´t beleive in the doctrine they teach but,  he had so many questions as we talked to him.  He is very inteligent and said he was excited to read the book of mormon, and to learn more.  As we left his house a guy on the corner that was standing close asked us if we wanted a sopapilla and led us to his house where his family was having a party, we introduced ourselves as missionaries and talked a little bit, and asked if we could come back to share a message with them the were very welcoming to the idea.  I have found that many opportunities to share the gosple come in everyday life, as we are doing what the lord asks, he gives us those small little opportunities to talk about his son.  Mom I really liked the example that you had of the ocean and the sail boat, it made me think for a little bit.  Tonight we have 3 Family Home Evenings with different families.  I am excited I love this ward so much.

I love you all as well,  I always think about you and you are always in my prayers.

Love

Elder ...