Georgie Porgie...No More

Most people know the nursery rhyme, but it is a Bloomers legend.

"Georgie Porgie, Puddin' and Pie,
Kissed the girls and made them cry,
When the boys came out to play
Georgie Porgie ran away."

The name neither derived  nor survived because it's accurate--it's not-- it's ironic, tongue in cheek, inversed. The nickname emerged in 5th grade when my Jordan, who had friend girls from birth and NEVER went through the "cooties" stage, received his first kiss...on the cheek. Because it was the last day of school, and because she was moving, a little blond girl approached him, told him she had a surprise and asked him to close his eyes. He did and she gave him a quick peck and fled to her bus. I'm glad to be able to say that was his one and only kiss until college, but the girls have always crowded round and he has so enjoyed those good friendships. Now he's found the cream of the crop--a girl who is the perfect fit--in his eyes and in a mother's eyes and we are all so happy. It's a HUGE responsibility, this responsibility to "preside" "provide" and "protect"--this clarion call to "nurture", but faith always conquers fear and I have all the confidence in the world that these two returned missionaries know how to work hard and have their eyes set on the big goal. I'm so proud of them both.

It's been said that "a son is a son, 'til he takes a wife, but your daughter's a daughter the rest of her life." I don't believe it! I feel like I'm gaining a daughter for eternity. I love my kids--Katie makes 7!

Jordan and Katie Jo Engaged--September 20, 2013
(A Birthday Eve gift--Jordan always goes for the sentimental edge.) =)

Mikayla and I got to go along on the two week hunt for the perfect ring. FUN TIMES!

On top of their mountain
"On top of the world"

The eyes tell it all!

You can breath now Jorge! We all can. =)

Something Extraordinary

There is a book I love, called "Quiet", It turned on some unexpected lights, for me personally, and embodies much of the heart of my sweet Mikayla. She desires to "suck out all the marrow of life" but, that often entails immersion into extroverted environments. On her own terms, for allotted periods of time, she has been able to adapt successfully to those conditions throughout her entire life, but not without discomfort and even an underlying sense of peculiarity. With the onset of young adulthood has come the eagerly awaited opportunity of college and the unexpected, personal pull, for inclusion in full time missionary service, but living in the socially concentrated climate of higher education and then the more constantly connected structure of the mission field have presented some hurdles that have proved formidable, for the present and so our girl has come home from her mission, for at least 6 months, to focus on balancing all of the physiological and psychological makeup that is the miracle of each of us, and that microscopic focus is stirring me to contemplate and reevaluate my own sense of balance and the frailties that help us each stay tethered to the safety of divine humility. As hard as it is to watch my children struggle, as hard as it is to have life continually altering, out of my control...that binding is a gift.

Mikayla's drive to learn, to serve, to appreciate and contribute to the diversity of people, consistently compels her to blaze her own trails through demonstratively dominated territory, which can be intimidating, even for those of us who are less reserved, and at times overwhelming for her. There is a frustration in balancing what she wants to do, and what she is in fact quite good at doing, with what her body will allow her to do. It is a struggle that we all deal with to some degree--that age old human wrestle between body and spirit--and which we are realizing many people have dealt with or are currently maneuvering through, to the similar degree that our girl is. Even so, coming face to face with limitations is not pleasant and rarely enthusiastically embraced. Circumnavigation is always my initial desire--it's a common, infantile wish, one I'm sure is shared by almost every other person who has ever faced adversity, but it is not the plan--a plan I have absolute conviction that I agreed with and for which my Mikayla most probably celebrated with joy. So, here we are, a family of 8, each trying to do the best we can with the gifts and fragility that we've been equipped with, clumsily attempting to help each other and learn from others. The adversary is cunning, relentless and discouraging. It is easy, ofttimes, to fall victim to his merciless plundering, but though not one of us, linked together with sealing bonds and trying to uphold the Bloomers name, is without deficiencies from his thieving or scars from the imperfections that are mortality, I feel, in quiet times of pondering, that my Heavenly Father is pleased with each of us--our striving and our desiring, as blundering and oafish as they may sometimes be, and is ever patient with my persistent pleadings for his stable anchor in our storm tossed seas of life. He is watching over us, guiding us, lighting our path, and is completely invested in our past, present and future.

A recent experience in the the temple has etched a searing and abiding picture in my mind. Only because of the vulnerable circumstances of my heart was I probably able to extract the lesson that I did, but it has continued to be a curiously comforting force. I had received a phone call from Mikayla's mission president precisely at the time that I should have been traveling to the temple to witness a family sealing. We had been on the phone with him quite a bit over the past two days and the conversation was too important to postpone or condense. By the time we got on the road, we knew we'd be late, but we weren't able to contact anyone to let them know we wouldn't be able to make it, so we went with the intention of at least being there to be a support to the young family as they came out of the sealing. Fred and I got to the temple 10 minutes after the sealing session had started, but in the brief interim between the couple being sealed and the children being brought in, so the temple workers kindly whisked us in ahead of the children, without too much distraction to the calm quiet that was already permeating the room. The atmosphere was calm and quiet, but my heart and mind were not, and into that environment the two young children were escorted. The oldest was awed and reverent, the youngest was frustrated and unruly. A good friend of the couple tried soothing and encouraging the young boy, but the more everyone tried to help the more the little boy fought until he was crying and writhing. It did not look like he was going to regain his composure and so the sealer decided just to proceed with the sealing. The parents did not appear visibly agitated but I am sure it was not the sweet experience that they had envisioned, and it definitely wasn't a pleasant occasion for the young son. It was the first family sealing that I had ever witnessed and it didn't match the ideal stories I had heard, but with my heavy heart, watching the family firmly holding on to the hand of the distressed child, who was fighting to free himself from the restraint, I witnessed some powerful imagery. I saw myself and all of us. The circumstances of this life are not always ideal, sometimes because we can't control all of the factors, sometimes because the spiritual environment is foreign and sometimes because we fight the very things that will save us but which we feel are restricting us because we do not understand what is happening or the end result. That day in the temple a young family was just as tightly sealed as they would have been in more optimally emotional surroundings and that was something vital I needed to remember.

Years ago Elder Wirthlin gave a talk  that grounds me in times of adversity--a state of mind which sometimes feels like ALWAYS. =) One thought he shared, especially gives me strength. and comfort and hope.

"Be of good cheer. The Man of Galilee, the Creator, the Son of the Living God will not forget nor forsake those whose hearts are drawn to Him. I testify that the Man who suffered for mankind, who committed His life to healing the sick and comforting the disconsolate, is mindful of your sufferings, doubts, and heartaches.

“Then,” the world would ask, “why does He sleep when the tempest rages all around me? Why does He not still this storm, or why would He let me suffer?”
Your answer may be found in considering a butterfly. Wrapped tightly in its cocoon, the developing chrysalis must struggle with all its might to break its confinement. The butterfly might think, Why must I suffer so? Why cannot I simply, in the twinkling of an eye, become a butterfly?

"Such thoughts would be contrary to the Creator’s design. The struggle to break out of the cocoon develops the butterfly so it can fly. Without that adversity, the butterfly would never have the strength to achieve its destiny. It would never develop the strength to become something extraordinary."(Finding a Safe Harbor)

Sister Mikayla: Last Missionary Letter Home

---------- Forwarded message ----------

From: Mikayla
Date: Mon, Sep 2, 2013 at 11:46 AM

Well hey yawl,

Sounds like yer weeks has bin real good. We was havin lots of fun this week with the sister trainer leaders. They was goin to the different sisters round in Calarada and doin exchanges 3 times ever week.

Okay sorry I can't do it.

Anyway...

It is hunting season now, and apparently Meeker and Craig are the Elk Hunting Captials of the US so Meeker is slowly doubling in population. A member offered to cook us some bear and lion if they catch any so that should be... different. I sort of want to try some just so I can say I did.

Sister Encarnacion (she and sister Bennet are the sister trainer leaders for west colorado now) came down and we did exchanges with her and sister Bennet on Friday. It was really awesome! They are on fire and are awesome missionaries, Sister Bennet pulls over and talks to anyone, nomatter if they are far away, getting in their car, whatever. We are trying to get better at that, President wants us to talk to everyone we see nomatter what, so yesterday I told myself that I was just going to have to get over myself and do it all the time. We were parked on the side of the road about to leave, when this old guy with a grey pony tail walked by with his dog. I grabbed a Mormon.org card, turned off the car, popped out and by that time he was a ways down the street- but I was determined not to rationalize and just go to our next apointment so I ran down the street and yelled after him, "excuse me! excuse me!" he turned around and gave me a weird look, I caught my breath, told him my name and asked him If we could stop by some time and share a message about Jesus Christ, he said no thank you so I asked him if we could do any thing to help him in anyway. He stood there for a second and said, "well actually ya, I have been looking for someone to help me move all the Junk out of my attik" I gave him our number and told him to call us, he said he would and then he said he remembered me from the 4th of July when we were helping serve the town breakfast and we started talking about the Meeker sheepdog event and some other stuff and he seemed to really loosen up. Conclusion: If you want people to take you seriously, serve them first!

  

 I think we will only be in our tripanionship for 3 more weeks, President called our members and said they would only have 2 missionaries next transfer. I will be really sad to leave sister baker and sister Pearson, but whatever happens will be for the best, I have learned so much about loving and being bold and talking about the gospel naturally with investigators, I love them so much! they are such amazing sisters! Its crazy how close you can get to people when you are talking about the gospel.

Sorry sometimes my sorries aren't so inspirational, but I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Do missionary work, missionaries teach people, members keep them solid

Luv yawl,

Sister Bloomers

Sister Mikayla: "Its amazing what can happen"

---------- Forwarded message ----------

From: Mikayla
Date: Mon, Aug 26, 2013 at 10:45 AM

well- this week was interesting... we were sickly and had to go home and sleep some days so our brains didn't explode because that wouldn't be very efficient for missionary work. Also sister Baker's esophagus is eroding so we had to go to the doctors for that. Gary Zellers thought it had something to do with her sleeping folded in half (yea weird right? haha) She is still alive though, they just had to shove a camera down her throat to figure out what is going on, but she is getting better so its all good.  Poor sister Pearson had to be our mother and she's only been out for 2 weeks now so I'm sure it wasn't super fun for her, but good experience right?

Also sacrament meeting was a little crazy. First off, when I grabbed the hymnbook from the wooden holder the whole holder broke off of the wall and hit the ground and it wasn't all the quiet. Our whole row started giggling in their arms while trying to sing the hymn. When everyone finally stopped giggling this little 6 year old boy came walking down the isle with his pants and everything around his ankles. That's not something you see every Sunday.

Any way, on a more spiritual note,Tony Collins got baptized this week which was awesome! I think he is going to be a strong member for life, he is super golden! We also had some awesome experiences with talking to people on the streets. We haven't really done that in the past because Meeker is half the size of Middleton and not a lot of people are wandering about, but we decided to have some faith and try it. So we parked our car and just started walking around and a crazy thing happened, everyone and their dog decided to come out of their house and walk around town. Pretty awesome. So we are supposed to avoid going up to people and asking to share a message, instead they want us to strike up a conversation with them and then talk about the gospel. So we talked to some girls sitting on the side walk, a lady on her porch, and a group of rough looking guys who I think were trying to blow the bass in their speakers out. We invited them to church  and they didn't seem super enthusiastic, but ya never know! Anyway it was about time for us to head in and then sister Pearson saw this really tall guy with dr dre's on practicing basketball by himself in the quarts. She is a really good athlete and plays ever sport so I think her radar was going off.  He was pretty far and looked occupied so we hesitated and started walking back to our car. Then sister Pearson turned around and said "hey I've got an idea!" And yelled through the fence "hey you! Come here!" He strutted over to the fence and took his dre's off and was like "wha?" then she was like "I'll play you at horse, if you loose you get to come to church." The guy shook his head and said "whoa I don't go to church" so sister Pearson walked into the court and said, well you better not loose then. She took the basketball and started making all the shots he was loosing and shaking his head for the first part. In the end it was tight and he beat her, but I think it was a good experience anyway because all his friends came over to watch and we got to talk to them a little about the gospel! Its amazing what  can happen when you turn your time over to the lord!
...

 Love you bunches!

Mikayla

Untapped Potential

After having a fresh taste of the "yellow" sunshine, we've all been missing "the George" these past few days. Abe has been beating on Fred more than usual and yesterday the little girls were complaining that now they had no one "to throw [them] around". They were pleading for Fred to swing them all over the yard (which he finally did) and I think he was silently pleading for Jordan to come home again to get him off the physical exertion hook. =) I can just smile at it all because no one is begging me for anything to fill the Jordan hole because "fun" doesn't register in my vocabulary. =)

My Mom and Dad came over Friday evening and spent the night because they had a temple shift that day and my Mom had a hearing aid appointment Saturday morning. It was nice to be able to visit with them in our home. While they were here, my Dad was looking out our sliding door and apparently commenting on the plants in our garden. They are big, but nothing compared to the behemoth window climbers inside his mountain home. I was in the other room and didn't hear much of the conversation  but I did hear Fred mention that nothing was growing...and then share an absurd watering method that I was apparently using. I was dumbfounded... almost. =) It's humorous the things we sometimes assume or get confused.  ("We're going to Disneyland?"). =)  I picked a dozen cucumbers and 5 yellow squash, just the past few days, out of that "barren" garden (which we ALL ate at dinner and for snacks) and the green tomatoes are so heavily laden that the plants are weighted down over their garden boxes. I guess that goes to show who is really taking care of the garden! =) I sent my Dad (and my husband) out to take a look for themselves, so even my darling man, who is ever busy providing financially for our family, and so is, unfortunately, a little detached from the gardening, can both be eye witnesses that the garden is bulging with produce, the grapes are hanging in abundant clusters, the peaches are swelling and even the strawberries are preparing to put on another crop =) Harvest time is upon us!

Fred and I were able to go to the temple on Saturday. In our city they are using a new film for instruction and I was so awed by how much I took away from that experience to ponder. Of course the words were still, verbatim, what I have been listening to for the last 23 years but the lessons learned were so much more penetrating, just like it often is when reading the same words, over and over, in the scriptures, and then at a crucial point in our lives it will suddenly become profound or take on a completely different meaning. Because I am drawn to security and consistency, change in anything "routine" in my life puts me on "high alert" and I become more observant, but my experience was an important reminder to me how much can be communicated by any "teacher", in any capacity, with voice inflection or subtle body language, to make meaning so incredibly more poignant and even sometimes completely altered. Like any lesson in our church, or in life, we can sit in our chair and just listen or we can actually hear and ponder and learn--it's up to us, but sometimes change is the catalyst that jogs us out of our methodical mentality and helps us see things with fresh perspective. It is also an important concept to remember in reverse--that our inflections, our body language can impact others so profoundly. because they have a language all their own. It was an enlightening, eye-opening, spiritual experience and Fred and I, both, find ourselves thinking on it still. Such insights are available to each of us at any time, and in any place, because there is so much that the Spirit can teach us, inside a temple or out in the world, about our purpose here, about ourselves, about others if we just have "eyes to see and ears to hear".

I sometimes read articles from the Deseret News online. A brief insert, this month, popped up just mentioning that the church had "updated"  the temple instruction video and that it was being used in select areas. I found it after the fact, so I didn't pay much attention, but what did catch my eye was the long list of comments attached to the article, many by those not of our faith, wanting to know what all the "secretiveness" was about--some "demanding" that the instruction be made public, sure that we were "hiding" something. I guess in this day and age of information overload, people think that everyone has the right to all "knowledge". I guess in a sense we all do, but ironically, there is really very little that we learn in the temple that isn't already "available" to the entire world through the scriptures. There are no secrets, just sacredness, but without being adequately spiritually prepared it would feel to the world akin to what I would feel being thrown into a complex analysis mathematics course (and most math is a snoring and simultaneously overwhelming experience to me). =) There are no secrets in academic courses, but there are mandatory prerequisites  and pure curiosity can not replace that preparatory learning. I barely made it through the most basic math class available, during my college years, and I loathed every moment of it. I had a kind brother-in-law who tried to tutor me, unsuccessfully because I was uninterested and thought the information had no useful application in my life.  I couldn't grasp the concepts because they seemed ridiculous, unimportant and inapplicable. To this day, I still make light of anything remotely connected to anything "higher" than basic math.  That attitude is intellectually damning, I realize, and surely must be frustrating, even offensive to a mathematician because they can see the vast, untapped potential, which I cannot see because I don't understand and am honestly not highly motivated to understand. Those attitudes are exactly why temple instruction is kept sacred, and from the world. There is, however, a stark difference. Because I have not adequately prepared myself, one second in an advanced math class would  instantly make me aware that I was in over my head and completely lost. Whereas, one hour into spiritual instruction inside a temple and "the world", unprepared, would be bored with what they would regard as remedial information--useless and uninteresting. Yet the potential for learning, wisdom and application is just as advanced--much more so, because it is all encompassing...and yes, I know, that includes mathematics.  Just another of my random thoughts.

Speaking of random, I ran across a funny commercial (Mikayla's suggestion) and a beautifully insightful blog post (Jay Hill's suggestion) this week, if anyone is in the mood for humor or grace.

German Coastguard--Sinking
The True Story of a Seven Year Marriage

Quote of the week:(taken from a fantastic talk that Lori suggested I read)
"Our Identity and Our Destiny"

"When Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden, they traded their innocence, meaning a lack of knowledge of good and evil, for the prospect of perfection—that was the deal. Innocence and perfection are not the same." --Tad R. Callister
(I so need to remember this--Sometimes I think the time I spend "sheltering" myself and my family gets off balance with the time I spend helping us progress.)

My lovely little ladies--working on a Faith in God goal on Sunday.

Dear Family (including Katie)

---------- Forwarded message ----------

From: Mikayla Bloomquist
Date: Mon, Aug 19, 2013 at 11:54 AM

Hello!

I bet you are all having a blast! Look we are basically all back together again! Yay! Everyone give Jordan and Katie a huge bear hug for me before you read this. Love you All! Abe sent me a picture today and It freaked me out because he looks so old! And Sophie and Lily are getting braces and Eden is going to be a senior! Wow!

Wow it really feels like its been at least 3 weeks since I last emailed you all because so much has changed! So, the training situation is a little different than they said, so I am follow up training sister Baker, and then me and sister Baker are training sister Pearson- let me say that again in mission lingo- I'm helping my red headed step child raise my granddaughter hahaha. My mission genealogy is pretty fun. My mom was raised by her step mom who's original mother died last transfer. Sister Gampe is my step-grandmother and she has only been out 7ish months and she already has a great-great grandchild.

But besides all that fun stuff this week has been amazing, sister Pearson and Sister Baker are so much fun and we have laughed so much this week, we've been doing a lot of work, and its just been an amazing time! It is possible to love people without liking them, but its more fun when you love and like your companions =). I feel like we've all been friends for a long time!

So we have a new friend living in our apartment, his name is Vern. He is the mushroom growing in our bathroom. I took a picture, but I left my camera cord at home, but it has grown in this weird shape and it kinda looks like an ear growing on the bathroom floor. We thought it was funny so we let it grow for a while, but I think sister baker will throw up if we leave it there much longer, so we will have to have a funeral for him later today. Also a spider fell out of my hair while I was blow drying it this morning... fun times. I guess they just all love me and want to be my friend and I can't blame them. Haha just kidding.

Well mother-- I love your mint and manure analogy! Even in the mission bubble you can encounter those.

Sister Betts is in Denver now, I think she jinxed herself because she said she wanted to go anywhere but there. haha, never say that, you are just asking for trouble.

Tony Collins is getting baptized this week, I don't remember how much we've told you about him (haha, I just realized I wrote "we" in that sentence, but I decided to leave it because its funny and I do that all the time now because as a missionary you are with your companion every second of your life. Anyway, he is awesome and has worked so hard to come to this point in his life and we are super excited for him!

Good news- I haven't felt like I needed alone time at all this week. This is a new experience. weird. Maybe I'm building introvert challises? It may catch up to me, but that's what pdays are for right?

Sister Pearson always quotes this commercial its super funny, you guys should look it up. Its some commercial about getting your communication right... maybe type "Hello this is the German coast guard" in google and see if it comes up.

So we've had a lot of funny experiences while we were tracting this week. We knocked on this guys door this week and I started to say Hello and he was like "oooh no- I'm a preacher. I know who you are and where you come from, so you girls just go along your merry little way." and he then shewed us away with his hands. What do you say in that situation? like "?Oh ya? Well who am I and where do I come from?" No we just said "alright thanks have a nice day!" I think there's an art to handling those awkward situations which I have not learned yet, but soon! I guess the key to most relationships is having real love and praying for the person and usually things work out even if a lot of days are awkward =).

I love you all and would love pictures of your everyday adventures this week! I don't know if you got my letter in time before you left Jordan- if not it is floating around somewhere in NJ!

We had a talk yesterday that was fun to listen to =). Random quote: "we was pickin' up hay up river and them bails was heavy." I may talk funny when I come home, sorry.

All ya'll be havin' a dern dandy week.

Bear and lion hun'in season is commin' so ya'll better gech yer tags... Thems are mean little buggers.

love ya'll

Kayla

This is our Tripanionship!!
Sister Pearson, Sister Baker and me (just in case you didn't recognize me)

Farewell Summer

Jordan came home...for 68 1/2 hours! Then Katie, his girlfriend, took him away again. =( It was 3 days of sister shrieking, brother pummeling, mother hugging, father talking, music playing mayhem and I LOVED IT!!! I was so sad to see him drive away again, but he will be back next week and then he gets to stay for 2 weeks before heading back to school. He has given me a run for my mother money... occasionally he still does, =) but I ADORE THAT BOY! When Mikayla wrote her letter this week and we gathered around the computer to read it, we were finally all together again...in spirit. So sweet.

Speaking of money, =) I took Lily and Sophie in for a routine orthodontic consultation, just to see if they would eventually need braces (so I could "brace" myself =)) I was really hoping for him to just give me the thumbs up that everything was perfect--just once, but no good. They both have inherited my bad jaw alignment in mirror image of one another (one has their lower right jaw off and one has their lower left jaw off. Quirky twin thing, huh! So, another major "investment" I get to gear up for in the near future. Wowsers! This double deal really is going to be double trouble and this is just the beginning. They'll both be in college, possibly missions together. And even receptions could be relatively close. This is going to get financially tricky! Good thing Dave Ramsey's got my back. =) I wish we had become "good friends" much sooner. =) That's alright, we've been trying to listen to prophets and make wise financial decisions all of our marriage, and even though we weren't quite as sure of the process as we are now, someone much more dependable has always had our backs so I know that "it will all work out". 

School started, for my children, on Tuesday and Wednesday and I'm still trying to get accustomed to the idea. I can't believe it's here already, but the weather has suddenly changed,  it seems in order to force me to mentally acclimate. We made the traditional supply and clothes shopping trips, attended open houses, changed our sleeping schedules (though more gradually than usual because of the excitement of having Jordan and Katie here) and started packing nightly lunches, but it all still seems surreal and I'm never really ready. It's been a beauty summer and the weather is still lovely, despite the rain and precursory signs of Autumn. I guess that is a blessing--it will help me make the transition from full to empty house as I can still be outdoors working and listening to children's voices waft over from the elementary school playground. 

These past weeks I have been driving around more than my normal hermitish habits, because of school shopping and preparing the fridge for Jordan's return. =) It is the beginning of harvest time so I have been basking in the farm smells coming from the fields; fresh cut alfalfa, newly ripened corn, and the intoxicating effusion of mint. On a particular trip through the country, I had been breathing it all in deeply, when I turned the corner and suddenly the freshness of mint mixed with the putridness of manure fertilizer. I was surprised by how decidedly worse the smell was combined than just lone fertilizer on it's own. I would have thought that the mint would help to cover up the sewage, but mint has this tantalizing perfume that enticing you to breath deeply, and even after I was aware that the stench was accompanying it, my senses seemed confused and didn't shut off automatically but just kept taking it in, and the full force of the olfactory offense was intense. I am highly scent sensitive. Smells can make or break an encounter. On other trips, where the only thing I could smell was fertilized fields, my nose could  immediately detect the intrusive smell and instantly and instinctively prompt me to hold my breath, or breath shallowly until I was in the aromatic "clear".  I have noticed that Satan uses this similar technique in life. Instead of just unleashing full blown evil on well meaning people, he is ingenious with his mixing.  He gets us breathing deeply, initially, of something that rings true and is satisfying, before letting the filth loose. And when he does, it's more difficult to convince ourselves to hold our breaths because we keep thinking that surely the  sweet will outweigh the noxious. But it never does. In the end it just magnifies the offenses because we are caught off guard, then confused and duped into breathing deeply of things we would have never intentionally inhaled had they been more unambiguous. I'll have to be on high alert for Mint and Manure traps--I think I am more susceptible to that kind

Quotes of the week:

"The Lord works from the inside out. The world works from the outside in. The world would take people out of the slums. Christ takes the slums out of the people, and then they take themselves out of the slums. The world would mold men by changing their environment. Christ changes men, who then change their environment. The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature." –Ezra Taft Benson

"One of the greatest indicators of righteous character is the capacity to recognize and appropriately respond to other people who are experiencing the very challenge or adversity that is most immediately and forcefully pressing upon us." ---David A. Bednar

With Katie--ready to head to the airport to pick-up Jordan--
We've all missed him these last 3 months!

His airplane is here

Waiting in the airport--SOOO Excited!

WE SEE HIM!

Hugs...

...And Kisses

F.H.E. with Jordan--NEVER a dull moment...

And down she goes--Katie in the wrong place, at the wrong time.

A little different night-time routine

First day of school

Wearing all black--Mourning the end of Summer break

Surprise!!! A different view.

 

  

One of our friends just got married while her brother was on his mission. With a little help from a Mitt Romney cardboard figure and some sweet printshop skills she made sure he was at the reception in spirit. It was cute...so are my girls!

Sister Mikayla: Crazy transfer week!

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Mikayla Bloomquist
Date: Mon, Aug 12, 2013 at 12:33 PM

Well its here! And I can't think of a week where I have felt the spectrum of emotions so strongly all at the same time!

So last Monday I think I told you, but the APs called and asked if we had room for another missionary in our apartment and we said we did but they couldn't tell us anything so we were just wondering what was going to happen. Well I'm getting 2 chillin's tomorrow! I'm excited and nervous. I get to train 2 sisters at the same time, one has been out 6 weeks and the other is right out of the MTC. There are just so many sister missionaries coming out that they can't keep up with opening new areas and having enough trainers so some people get to double up =). So sister Betts is getting transferred out, but she doesn't know where yet, I guess they tell her on Tuesday morning! Missionary work is all about planning for the unexpected! Yay!

On Friday we had exchanges with the Spanish Rifle Hermanas again. This time sister Betts went to rifle and the new sister who replaced Hermana encarnacion (sister Stoeltzing) came to Meeker. She is such an amazing sister and she is so spiritual in this extra happy way!

On Saturday morning Sister Betts and Hermana Tew came back to Meeker for Alexis's baptism. It was such a wonderful experience!

On Sunday Alexis came to church to be confirmed and her mom was with her! We were so so excited for her and so glad that her mom actually came to church! Bishop asked me and sister Betts to play "When I am Baptized" in sacrament meeting and I had to play the guitar so I was nervous for that and the person who was supposed to bring the guitar wasn't there when church started, and everyone was saying goodbye to sister Betts and all the emotions were just crazy, but it was amazing because as church started all of these families who we are teaching who are less active started coming in and we were so happy to see all of the people there and all of the anxious sad emotions were kind of overwhelmed in joy for all the happiness!

So on to the next adventure! And It looks like it will be that way for all of us! Dad that will be an exciting calling good luck with all of it! School will start soon and then back to the routine! It goes so fast and slow doesn't it? I don't think time really exists, it's all a conspiracy!

I hope the granddaughter party was awesome! Its such a fun tradition for the granddaughters (and I hope grandma, if she isn't too stressed =)!)

Tell Jordan and Katie that I love them both when they get back home!

Love you all soo much!

Kayla

P.S. I was eating a hamburger at a members house the other day and it smelled sort of funny and I looked down and the meat was bright red and I felt a little weezy afterward haha- I just put it down and pretended I was full =). [Mom] I thought you would appreciate my sacrifices haha

Sis. Betts doing crazy things in a skirt (as usual)

The Hobbes family (Dylan is in front)

The Gardner's last day before moving

Exchanges w/ Hermana Stoeltzing

Me, Sis. Betts, Alexis, Herm. Tew, Herm. Stoeltzing

Alexis's baptism

Today and Tomorrow

This past week was QUIET!!! Eden, Lily and Sophie were gone Mon-Thu to the ranch for the Granddaughter Retreat, Fred was at work during the days and Abe and I just kinda bumped around like balls on a billiard table--still...still...rolling...ricochet...still...still. We both like quiet time (don't everyone gasp in shock and amazement all at once), and did enjoy the peace, but we missed our girls. It's good to have everyone home again, filling up the house with the buzz of activity and closeness. I know my girls enjoyed their time, though they all seemed happy to get home and out of the chaos (much of which I am sure they were accessories to), but I'm not so sure about my Mom.=s My sister-in-law, who lives close and is witness to much more than any of us, said my Mom was amazing and enjoyed the time together, but from my vantage point (only at retreat's end) she looked worn thin and incredibly ready to be done. I can't imagine 19 girls running through my house without a strictly structured agenda and chore list accountability (too much exposure to girls camp). "Not much fun for little harpo", I understand, but much less stress for the hostess, which is why I rarely am one. =) I'm not naive, I'm sure my daughters were party to some of the "aha" moments that have been trickling down and were probably high on the list of those who could have been more disciplined and helpful. I love the idea and potential of the tradition that Mom was so brave and kind to start, but for sanity's sake, it seems that something has to change so it's not so stressful on the front or back end.  If the age were raised to 14, half of the girls attendance (mine included) would be put on hold for a few 'waiting' years,  but my Mom might end up with a manageable, bonding experience, instead of mayhem. Of course I would bet it's the older girls, mine leading the crowd, who are staying up all hours of the night, so maybe she'd prefer just to keep the younger half, who aren't so wiley yet, but then no work gets done. Suggesting that anything change doesn't make me a popular voice with the other families (many of who probably have better behaved children because they are coming from better behaved mothers), but I can imagine that if something isn't tweaked, the tradition will quickly die a grievous death, if it hasn't already.  How close am I on this one my Mother dear? 

The upcoming week is my family's final hurrah, before school starts the next week. I'm thinking the activities will have to include last minute finishes for school clothes and supply shopping and transitioning into a better sleep schedule, which doesn't seem so "hurrah-ish", but it's one of those "in the end" kind of joys. Jordan comes home next Monday and leaves with Katie that Thursday, for a week, before returning back home for two. Then Tessia, Mikayla's best friend and a dear family friend, gets married and Jordan is back off to school. Not much wants to stand still here, except sometimes me. I guess I'm outvoted. =)

Fred was called into the Elders Quorum presidency today. He seems excited about serving in that capacity again, especially with our president, who is such a nut, but has a rock of a testimony. He still hasn't been officially released as a ward missionary and was doing double duty this week, but I don't think he minds that either. I'm not sure how excited I am. That means we will have to start being good little boys and girls and support the activities, which are almost always sport related. What? Do they think we are all young and athletic? When I started whining to Fred about it, his answer was a quote from a member of our stake presidency. "This is not a church of what can I get out of it--it is a church of what can I contribute." Oh sure, bring that up! =) I guess that means I need to be more anxiously engaged in attending my weeknight R.S. meetings too. Ah, nuts! And I was so enjoying my lulling passivity.

We attended a reception this weekend. It was decorated very elegantly, all white lights and gauzy draping and pale pink roses, but neither the bride or groom seemed very enthusiastic. I don't know their personalities very well, so I wouldn't know how they were really feeling, but their behavior was a little different then I'm used to seeing from newlyweds. Maybe it was just a long day, but they seemed more bored than excited. My little girls told me they succumbed to the shoving cake into each others mouth tradition, while we were there. I'm glad I didn't see because that is probably my BIGGEST reception pet peeve--I just can't imagine that mentality on a wedding day, but we're all so different. I will have to remember to remind my children about my expectations of refinement and respect for their day and their spouse so no one has to line up for mother beatings on their wedding night! =) Oh the irony! (How about that mentality?) =)

So, another difficult week for Fred and I, as we learned that a friend, whom we both admired and served with in the past, was arrested, has admitted to some charges, and is now facing possible life in prison, if convicted. Another poor family suffering because of the clutches of the adversary. How do we ensure that we will stay strong and on the path of discipleship? It has me thinking on the "small and simple things" each and every day--the threads that can turn into either flaxen cords or woven tapestries. Fred and I were still mourning the loss today when he said something that I thought was so important. He was talking about how we all struggle and fall short and how helpless if feels when someone chooses pain and then he said, "I guess it doesn't really matter what he's done in the past, all that matters at this point, is what he needs to do now." I guess that's true for all of us. One of my absolutely favorite quotes is from the book Middlemarch, by George Elliot. "It is never too late to be what you might have been." I guess that is the full essence of the atonement. Whether facing an earthly jury or just wrestling with our own tendencies towards the natural man, we all require that saving gift in our lives. Without it we each face a devastating spiritual prison sentence. With it, we each have hope for exaltation, no matter what our past sins or weaknesses, if we can just keep the faith and endure, day by day, being obedient, line upon line. Sometimes that all seems so vast and overwhelming, but I love what Elder Bednar has said, "If today you are a little bit better than you were yesterday, then that's enough. And, if tomorrow you are a little bit better than you were today, then that's enough." That seems achievable, so I guess we each just keep working on today and tomorrow.

Quote of the Week:"The hell to be endured hereafter, of which theology tells, is no worse than the hell we make for ourselves in this world by habitually fashioning our characters in the wrong way. Could the young but realize how soon they will become mere walking bundles of habits, they would give more heed to their conduct while in the plastic state. We are spinning our fates, good or evil, and never to be undone. Every smallest stroke of virtue or of vice leaves its never so little scar. The drunken Rip Van Winkle, in Jefferson's play, excuses himself for every fresh dereliction by saying, "I won't count this time!" Well! He may not count it, and a kind Heaven may not count it; but it is being counted none the less. Down among his nerve-cells and fibers the molecules are counting it, registering and storing it up to be used against him when the next temptation comes. Nothing we ever do is, in strict scientific literalness, wiped out. Of course this has its good side as well as its bad one. As we become permanent drunkards by so many separate drinks, so we become saints in the moral, and authorities and experts in the practical and scientific spheres, by so many separate acts and hours of work. Let no youth have any anxiety about the upshot of his education, whatever the line of it may be. If he keeps faithfully busy each hour of the working-day, he may safely leave the final result to itself. He can with perfect certainty count on waking up some fine morning, to find himself one of the competent ones of his generation, in whatever pursuit he may have singled out" (Ernest L. Wilkinson--from the talk "Flaxen Threads"--by Carlos E. Assay)

Sister Mikayla: I'm Exhausted

---------- Forwarded message ----------

From: Mikayla
Date: Mon, Aug 5, 2013 at 11:47 AM

Hey Fam! I'm Exhausted! This week was crazy! ALEXIS IS GETTING BAPTIZED!!!! YAYAYYY! We are soo excited and its taken a long time to get to this point but she is finally there and we are super excited!

We are also teaching a guy named Tony who is getting baptized on the 24th and another girl who wants to take the lessons so that she can get baptized. We also taught two other investigators this week who accepted the invitation to be baptized but they both moved this week =(.

We are also super excited for transfers because the APs just called and asked us if we had room for another missionary in our house, they aren't allowed to tell us if a new missionary is actually coming until Friday but we are suspecting that we might be in a Trio for a while- sister Betts said she thinks she is getting transferred and that I'm going to have twins (two people to train at the same time) but I think I would pass out and die... but I guess whatever happens happens for a reason so we will just see! We are getting two new sisters in our district who are Spanish speaking this transfer and they may add a set of Spanish speaking sisters to Meeker!

The investigator that we found sleeping on the couch last week ended up moving back to Cali =( but we had some interesting lessons with him before he left! I actually think they were really good and I think when he gets back to Cali he will keep going to church, but we will keep in contact w/ him. Anyway- his family is Hispanic(you know how Hispanic culture is about food)  and one day while we were teaching him his mom brought out this big pizza and asked us if we wanted some, we were about to leave to go to our dinner appointment so we said we were fine but his mom kept telling us to have some and then Tim looked at us and said, "What would Jesus say... 'NOOO!?' " We didn't really know what to do but we made the member who was with us eat pizza and we drank the juice she offered us. Later in the lesson he told sister Betts that she was really cool and she could be the next "bishopette" and looked at me and said, "your pretty good too". Haha- I guess I just have to take those kind of compliments for what they are worth.

We have been so busy teaching Alexis and getting ready for her baptism that I can't remember half of what happened this week, but I think her being baptized is really going to help her mom progress more in the gospel!

Mom, you were talking about how numbers in missionary work are not the important thing. In the scriptures its say Christ sheep are "numbered", but not counted and that's the way I like to look at it, we are numbering his sheep, each person is a number that represents a soul of eternal worth!

Your guyses camping trip sounds like fun! I remember family camping trips to McCall and they are some of my best family memories from childhood! I loved the pictures! Good work on sawing that log Eden, I think that's how I look when I'm trying to crawl to bed at the end of the day . I miss eating fish but its hard to cook with so little time- there was one day this week where we had so many appointments that we were trying to figure out how to get them all and we were running late so Sister Betts suggested skipping dinner then we both had a good laugh and decided we would both die if we didn't stop and grab something so we did. But it looks like a beautiful spot to camp at and you all look like you had fun!

Another funny story that I just remembered. So there is this family in our ward that is super cute the Mom is this cute tiny lady who is always very put together and her 2 kids Ryan(4) and Cameron (6) always look perfect and are very reverent and don't really make any noise in sacrament meeting. Anyway so yesterday was fast Sunday and Ryan jumped up and ran up to the front and got the microphone. He stood there and smiled really big and then started talking about how he loved his family... and his friends... and playing games... and toys... and fun things... as he kept talking his Mom stood up and quickly began walking up to the podium and Ryan pointed at him mom and Shouted "No Mom! I don't need help! Go Sit Down! Go sit down!" She sat down in the front bench and looked a little tense. He kept talking and she stood up and started up the stairs so he quickly said "in the name of Jesus Christ amen". It was really cute but you could hear lots of  muffled giggling and heads stuffed in their arms from the congregation members. =)  

Anyway I hope you all have a great week!

Love ya all a Billion!

Kayla

P.S. I still haven't heard anything about you guys trying frog eye salad!!!

The worlds most narley canker sore

Sister Betts getting caught kissing a deer