Happy Graduation Kristen!

Our Ward only has one girl graduating from High School this year but what a girl she is! As you can easily see she is absolutely beautiful! She and her date were the Prom Queen and King this year.

Her external beauty is only a part of her. She treats everyone, old and young, with kindness and concern. Everyone is her friend because she is just so nice! And she is crazy fun too!

Her music talents are amazing. She has perfect pitch so she sings like an angel. We don't get to hear her sing as often as we'd like to because she is usually playing the piano accompanying a soloist or the ward choir. She also plays the guitar beautifully. Her Mom bought her a plaque that says, "Music isn't what I do, it's who I am". Very appropriate!

Other words I could use to describe Kristen are sensitive and spiritual and adventurous and daring and full of life. A few times when I've been feeling kind of 'down' she has noticed and asked me if I were ok. Her comments in class and the lessons and talks she gives show a spiritual maturity beyond her years. She is a also a wild and crazy snowboarder. I'd give her an award for 'most versatile' or 'best all around'!

We'll miss her very much. Her new Ward will be lucky to have her!

Love you Kristen!

Changes

Since there is no paid ministry in our church we each have responsibilities or callings to help with the work. In my life in the church I have been called to do lots of different things - from typing a monthly newsletter to teaching Sunday School to running the nursery to being the president of the women's organization to being a cub scout leader. In Spain I taught music to the children, which is amazing since I don't really speak Spanish or sing very well. For the past 2+ years I have had the most fun calling of all as I've been President of the Young Women's organization. This program is for the teenage girls ages 12 until High School graduation. We have weekly Wednesday night activities and Sunday lessons.

Let me show you some of the things I've done to prove that this is the best calling ever!

I've been bowling with some 'sassy ladies'!

I've learned to cook Mexican food!

I've been on several 'snipe hunts'!

I've hiked to beautiful mountain lakes!

I've had an invigorating early morning swim in a very cold river!

I've learned that you never know what what new personalities might show up at camp!

I've watched girls cheerfully give service! Here they are making birthday bags for homeless children.

I've learned to make duck lips!

I've watched several thousand youth 'dance like nobodies watching"!

I've felt loved when I returned from my mother's funeral to find a 'heart attack' on my front door!

And I don't have pictures of the most important, faith promoting, testimony building activities & lessons. I've taught these girls and I've been taught by them.

Aren't my girls beautiful?

Sadly, no calling lasts forever and this last Sunday I was released and a new YW President was called. She'll be a wonderful blessing in these girls lives. I'll miss them but they are in good hands!

Each Sunday in our Young Women Opening Exercises we 'stand for truth and righteousness' and recite the YW theme which is:

We are daughters of our Heavenly Father

who loves us and we love him.

We will stand as witness of God

at all times, and in all things, and in all places

as we strive to live the Young Women values which are:

Faith

Divine Nature

Individual Worth

Knowledge

Choice and Accountability

Good Works

Integrity

and Virtue.

We believe as we come to accept and act upon these values

we will be prepared to strengthen home and family,

make and keep sacred covenants

receive the ordinances of the temple

and enjoy the blessings of exaltation.

I have been blessed by my association with these wonderful young women. They are great examples to me and to all with whom they come in contact. I am thankful for them and for all the experiences of these last 2 years and 10 months.

Chuck E. Cheese

Our family has enjoyed many a fun birthday party and family night at Chucky Cheese Pizza or, as it used to be called, Showbiz Pizza. Last Monday was another fun time there when Mary and I took the family from Somalia that I have been tutoring for an 'end of tutoring' celebration. They live about a block from the place but had never been. At first they were a bit unsure what to do but as soon as they figured out that the games gave you tickets that could be redeemed for prizes they were hooked!

Halima specialized in the basketball game!

The two little girls enjoyed the rides and baby Obama just liked looking around! He really liked Mary! Actually all the kids liked Mary. Children have always liked her. She is like my Daddy in that respect.

Baby Obama was only six weeks old when I started working with them. Now he is a cuddly little chunk who loves pizza! So cute!

I walked them home and we took one final picture on their steps.

Then the Mom, Bahati, said something to me in her language and Halima translated. She said for me 'not to ever forget their family and to come and visit them sometime." Not to worry! I'll never forget them. Getting to know them was a sweet experience and one I'll always treasure.

Families Can Be Together Forever

I have a family here on earth.

They are so good to me.

I want to share my life with them

Through all eternity.

Families can be together forever

Through Heavenly Father's plan.

I always want to be with my own family,

And the Lord has shown me how I can!

Here I am with a part of my own eternal family at the Salt Lake Temple! George, Mary, my Aunt Dawn Boyle, Cousin Doug Boyle and his wife Annette, and cousin Bill Boyle. It was a beautiful day!

Young Women Mother Daughter Party

Mary came back to Boise to visit us for a week. That was wonderful. One of the fun things was that I got to take my daughter to our Young Women Mother-Daugher Party! Mary knows a lot about me. Her only Mom trivia answer that I wonder about was to the question, "How old was your Mom when she got her first kiss?" and her response, "25"!!! I explained that she was born before I was 25!!!! She had misunderstood the question and thought it was "How old was your mom when she had her first 'kid'? I guess that explains the 25 answer!

Jazz vs Lakers

One of the things we did in Salt Lake City as part of our graduation celebration was go to the Lakers/Jazz playoff game. We saw the really exciting game that the Jazz ALMOST won. All three of the boys cheered for the Lakers and they managed to avoid getting into any fights with the Jazz fans! Those Jazz fans are pretty crazy & had some choice t-shirts! Mary was there too but the boys didn't take her picture! I wasn't worried about Mary getting into a fight!

I'll have to admit that although I cheered for the Jazz I was really excited to see Pau Gasol, (he's from Barcelona), Derek Fisher (he's from Arkansas & was one of my Mother's favorite players), Kobe Bryant (who doesn't want to see Kobe) and even Phil Jackson (coach of 10 championship teams - 6 with the Bulls and 4 with the Lakers).

It was a memorable night!

The Graduate

John graduated from the University of Utah with a Bachelors of Art in International Studies with a Spanish minor. We are so proud of him.

Mary flew out from West Virginia and George from Portland. Matt, Scott and I drove down from Boise. It was wonderful to have the whole family together for a few days.

George's sister Tammy joined us for the celebrations.

It was a day to make a parent's heart rejoice!

Jan

My friend Jan picked me up at the airport in Salt Lake and entertained me for the afternoon. We had lunch and shopped and talked and walked quickly around Temple Square...it was COLD but the flowers were beautiful! I'm glad to have Jan as a friend....and not just because of the coat she loaned me for the wedding! Thanks Jan. I would have frozen without it!

Who knew?

John got in touch with his feminine side and helped decorate one of the cakes for Laura's wedding. I didn't know he had this talent. The bride must have approved of his choices as it was the cake they chose to cut! He has discovered a new talent!

Weddings!

Two week-ends ago I went to Phoenix for the wedding of our niece Andrea. Perfect weather and a beautiful wedding and reception!

I also got to see the new home of our nephew David and his wife, Melissa who got married in January. They have a great home and they are the neatest, most organized newlyweds I've ever seen! Plus they have a fun new addition to their family - a German Shepherd puppy named, Duke!

Then last weekend I went to Provo for the wedding of another niece, Laura. She is one of my 'new nieces' from sister in law Tammy's marriage to Richard. Another beautiful wedding and reception even with the snow and sleet and cold! Tammy made a beautiful 'mother of the bride'. I'm sure Laura's mother, Annette, was there and approved of everything!

I've loved spending time with my three wonderful sister in laws - Katherine, Tammy, and Karen. They are fun to be around! I'm lucky to have 'sisters' after my years as an only child!

Here are my four 'new nieces' - Julianne, Laura, Alysia & Natalie. I love that they are part of our family now. What super young women!