S & J The Mound Edition 8 Oct 2005

We wish to begin by telling each of you how much we love and appreciate you. We have come to realize more than ever over the past few months how much our family means to us. We were very saddened by the loss of Grandma H, and especially the unexpected loss of K. Our hearts go out to L, N and K and our prayers are with you every day. Through this difficult time, we have been strengthened by the love of family and friends, comforted by the healing power of our Savior, and calmed by the influence of the Holy Ghost. We are grateful for a clear and unwavering knowledge and testimony of the plan of Salvation, that Christ did indeed atone for our sins, that he rose from the tomb on the third day, and that through him we can overcome both physical and spiritual death. What a great comfort in a time otherwise filled with difficulty and pain. We are thankful for the sweet peace the gospel brings to our lives. S was recently released from his calling in the Bishopric. He will miss the association of the brethren with whom he served, but is also looking forward to more time at home, especially on Sundays. He has been given a new calling, but not sustained yet. You’ll have to wait to find out what it is, but he is expecting it to be a fun calling filled with challenges. He is busy working on many half-completed projects around the house. J is enjoying her calling as A’s Primary teacher. She finds it difficult to care for another child during Sacrament meeting (S), but otherwise enjoys spending more time with her husband now. Her job as a full-time mom would be overwhelming for most, but she excels at it every day. A recently learned how to crochet from her dad (who read the book so he could teach her). We aren’t sure if we really know what we are doing, but the end result looks OK, so we can’t be too wrong! She attended two birthday parties, one at a bowling alley and the other at a skating rink, so she now counts these activities among her favorites as well. She is now in the third grade, with the same teacher as last year. She still loves to read. L is learning a lot of new things. She can now read a few words (I, the, and), and enjoys identifying those words in the scriptures and other places. She amazes us with her wisdom and understanding (occasionally, at least). She has been singing Primary songs around our house, which brings us much joy and happiness in our home. She also gave her first “talk” in church during our recent Primary program. She still gives great hugs. J has recently enjoyed digging in the dirt outside, especially when his Dad is out trying to work. He’s a great helper (ba-dum-chee). He loves to tell everyone when he’s either “happy” or “grumpy.” When it’s time for bed or a nap, he always says (with great enthusiasm), “I’m Happy!” with the hope it will save him from his fate. It’s very cute, so sometimes it works (at least for a short time). He’s very good about keeping his arms folded during prayers, which means he’s learned to eat, drink, stand up, fall over, and do somersaults all with his arms folded. Our family recently enjoyed a short trip to Seattle. We visited the space needle and went up to the top, where we looked at airplanes, boats, cars, buildings, and other fun things from way up high. We also went to a science center, which included a huge live walk-in butterfly exhibit, an IMAX theatre, and many fun exhibits and experiments. We only had time for half the fun stuff in there. We are looking forward to two trips in October, one to Idaho for J’s grandma’s 80th birthday party, and another to central Oregon for some golf and to visit L, N, and K.