Life Goes On - Part 6 of Ann Phillips' Mission Journal

This series shares excerpts from the missionary journal of my great, great grandmother Ann Elizabeth Rasband Phillips who served in Laie, Hawaii 1900-1902. Click to read previous posts:  Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

I can't imagine what it must have been like for Grandma Phillips (who was nothing like a grandma at age 22!) to lose her husband during their mission. Although her journal doesn't mention it, family tradition says that she chose to stay and continue serving as a missionary rather than taking the next boat home. I imagine that their mission calls were for three years as was common back then. She certainly didn't stay that long, but I admire her for continuing to work and serve even though her her heart must have been broken.

Dec 25th – Sister Madsen and I cooked Christmas dinner. Leisle got a rattle in her stocking. Received $10 from the Sunday School for Christmas.

1902

Jan 15th – Made some oyster soup for Bro Davis.  He had his teeth pulled and he was sick from the effects.

Jan 16 - Bro Davis’ teeth are no better.  Put warm cloths on his face and rubbed it with linement.

Jan 19 - Did what I could for Bro. Davis and after my work was done at the house Bros. Smedley and Miner took Sister Madson and I to see “Kaliu-waa” the water fall.  We had a fine ride for about three miles and then started to walk up a gulch.  It was very rocky and wet to it was hard climbing but the beautiful scenery was beyond description. We got some lovely ferns and saw the waterfall. We started back home [illegible] carried Leisle all the time. We got some nice guavas.  Sister Madson fell off a floom and bruised her hip and shoulder. When we hitched up the horse she would not go. She balked and so we had to walk for a long way to the road. Bro. Minor, Sister Madson and I got in the Kaa and Bro. Smedley took Leisle on the hoke with him.  After we went a short distance the horse quieted down and we came home safe and sound.  After supper I put hot flannels on Bro. Davises face and then went to bed.

Jan 18 - Went to meeting. Sister Madson and I sang a hymn and bore our testimony in native.  Made a bunch of guava jelly.

Jan 19th -  Went to Sunday School meeting and wore my black holoku for the first time.

Jan 20th – Bro. Bush started back to his field of labor on Hawaii where he was laboring before Bro. Phillips took sick.

Feb 2nd – It is fast day. Have been to three meetings. Sister Madson, Lahela and Miliama and I sang a song in Mutual. Bro. Read played the organ for us.

Feb 3rd - Went to Primary.  Sister Sears and Bro. Spilsberry went and spoke to the children a short time.  Came back and talked to Bro.Musser.

Feb 5th - The chinamen of Pufat’s plantation gave us a fine dinner at our mission home.  They furnished every thing and sent a cook to cook it. It was enjoyed by all.

Feb 8th – Held officers meeting in the meetinghouse. I had to read an essay.  After meeting we all went down to a chinaman’s house for supper.  It was China New Year.  We had a good time.

Feb 9th - The natives had a fine entertainment here for the Samoan missionaries that were visiting here.  I did not go downstairs to hear it.

Feb 22nd - Leisle starting to cough with hooping cough.

Mar 4th – LeIsle is one year old to-day. Bro. Musser gave her a silk bonnet.  Ethel Woolley five cents, Sister Woolley a little dress and a silk handkerchief.

Mar 10  - Released from house duties so I can sew and prepare to go home.

Annie and Walter - Part 2 of Ann Phillips' Mission Journal

This series shares excerpts from the missionary journal of my great, great grandmother Ann Elizabeth Rasband Phillips who served in Laie, Hawaii 1900-1902. Click to read previous posts:  Part 1

The last post ended on a sad note with the death of Annie's father.  In contrast, this entry begins with the happiest day of her life and ends with an exciting announcement.  In between, there is illness, thievery and even a foreshadowing of tragedy.

According to Annie's journal, she wasn't just accompanying her husband on his mission. She too was called and set apart as a missionary. This wasn't common practice at the turn of the century, but the Hawaiian mission seemed to be ahead of the times.  In the mid to late 1800's sisters were called and set apart with and without husbands to serve in Laie.  See this article and this one for more information about sister missionaries in Hawaii.

Now that you have a little background, let's get started with the first official entries in Annie's journal.

On June 9, 1900 my sweetheart [Walter Freeman Phillips] and I received a letter from box B.  We were called on a mission to the Sandwich Islands.

June 11, we went to Salt Lake City and on the 13^th we were married.  My name is now Anna Phillips.  The day we were made husband and wife was the happiest day of my life.

Annie and Walter around the time of their marriage.

July 5^th, left home in company with Mamma, Sister Phillips and Bro Allen, for Salt Lake to be set apart for our missions.  Were set apart on July 6^th by Pres. Kimbell and Wells.

July 9^th – Left Salt Lake for San Francisco

July 11^th – Arrived in San Francisco.  Should have taken the boat on the 12^th for Honolulu but thru some mistake could not. Stayed in San Francisco two weeks. Walter was very sick while in S.F.

July 25^th – Boarded the steam ship Australia for Honolulu.  Sea sick all the way over.

August 1^st – Arrived in Honolulu.  Received at the Mission house by Br. William Waddoups.

Aug 11^th – Left Honolulu for Laie.  Met all the sisters and a number of the elders all well.

August 26^th – Walter left for his field of labour.  Was called to labour on the Island of Qahwat Kaalaiia and Kahana.

Sept. 8^th – Sister Pendleton made some current pies to send to Bros Phillips and Pendeton.  In the evening we put up a lunch to send to them and when they got it the pies had been taken out by some one but we don’t know who.

Sept. 27^th – Washed and ironed.  My dear husband helped me. Got letters and good news from home.  Was so happy had a good cry. Throat very sore.

Oct 8^th – Had a lovely meeting in the Pule room for the Releaf Society Sisters.  Walt went to Goat Island with the other bros. Had a very bad dream about Walt.

Oct 17^th – Started to make baby clothes.

Introducing Annie - Part 1 of Ann Phillips' Mission Journal

Have you seen this video? I love it!  It introduces the history of some of the first sister missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

When I watched the video for the first time, my mind was flooded with thoughts of my Grandma Phillips who served as a young sister missionary at the turn of the century. Ann Elizabeth Rasband Phillips is my maternal great, great grandmother. I blogged about her several years ago in this post. She died nearly 40 years before I was born, so I never had the chance to meet her. Yet I feel very close to her, almost like I know her.  Why?  I have a copy of her missionary journal!

It is just a little photocopy with a cardboard cover and it details less than two years of her life, but it is a treasure to me!  I read it for the first time many years ago and I've looked at it occasionally. I have shared a few quotes from it during lessons and talks. A couple of months ago, I even helped Marianne find some excerpts to share in her religion class. Now something is different. I keep feeling an insistent prodding that I need to do more. So here's what I have planned:   A short series of posts with excerpts from her journal.  I think you'll find them interesting even if you're not a relative!

To get us started, here is the little life history she wrote at the beginning of her journal.  It's pretty short because she was just 20 years old at the time.

My name is Annie.  I was born in a log house owned by my Grandpa, John M Murdock, in Heber City, Utah Oct 20, 1879. My fathers name is Heber Rasband, my mothers Sarah J Murdock Rasband.  I ha­­­­­­­ve one brother and two sisters.  Ray, Embell and Jennie.  

Annie at 3 years old

When I was eight years of age our family moved to Park City. My father was in the butcher business with his two brothers Jim and Fred.  We lived about a mile from town on a ranch.  Our nearest neighbors were China man, a family on each side.  My father was the butcher and many times I have seen him lie flat down to keep from being gored to death by wild hog he was about to kill.

The butcher shop in Park City Utah

Lily Duke lived with us for a long time.  She and I went to Heber with my uncle Fred Rasband and family to visit her mother, aunt Mary Duke on the 7^th of Sept 1889.  I was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Later-Day Saints, Sept 8, 1889 by H.L. McMullin and Alax Forti. That evening we started home. On our way we lost our valise containing many clothes of Lily’s and a few of mine.  We never heard from it nor found it.

In 1896 we moved up town.  My father was one of the policemen.  We rented a house for a year in the meantime built one of our own and moved into it in June 1897. In August 1898 I went to Provo to attend school.  Ray, Ma and aunt Net were with me. I met my old chum Minnie Brown from American Fork.  She was going to school too.  We boarded at Mrs. Hoydes. Had a grand time and liked school very much.

Annie at age sixteen

On July 2, 1899 I was called to mourn the loss of my darling father.  He fell down a shaft in a mine and was killed. He was 40 years old. That was the greatest sorrow of my life.

At her father's funeral

A New To Do List

Elder Aaron emailing from the church in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario

Elder Aaron emails us each week. I almost always get a fairly long email and he often sends an email to the immediate family.  This week John and I both got very short emails of a couple of sentences, but Marianne and Evan both received long emails.  Evan asked his big brother for advice about what to do in his spare time.  Aaron replied with a long list of ideas.

I thought I would share it with you in hopes it might spark an idea for you or for a family member. Sometimes we just need a little inspiration to get started on a project!

1. Learn how to operate ham radio and talk to people over the radio. 
2. Write in your journal about meaningful experiences in your life. Write about your goals, what you want to accomplish, and who you want to become. Take a video logs of yourself answering these questions. 
3. Play the piano. 3.5 Take voice lessons 
4. Find a service that lets you video chat with deaf people and practice ASL with a native speaker. Or find deaf people in Poway and practice with them. There has to be a deaf group somewhere in Poway. They would probably be impressed that you're striving to learn their language. [Marianne & Evan are taking an ASL class at the community college.] Don't worry if you can't communicate very well just practice. 
5. Interview Grandpa about his life and record the interview by video and/or audio. Have him record stories from his life. How did he join the church? How did he meet grandma? What were his pastimes as a teenager? What are his memories of his parents? 
6. Learn about computer hardware and build a computer. 
7. Work out at Brother Killen's house. [A friend with weights and equipment we can use for free.]
8. Seriously research universities. Why would you want to go there? What do you want to study there? What do you want to do when you graduate? Will you go to graduate school? 
9. Start taking a picture of yourself every day. By the time you're 25 you'll have a photographic history of growing up. That would be awesome! 
10. Have Dad teach you about financial stuff and develop a financial plan for your life. 
11. Play with Lavender or plant a garden with Evan. 
12. Build a password scheme for your different accounts. 
13. Make your passwords stronger than they are now. 
14. Check out the original papyrus for facsimile no.1 in the Book of Abraham on josephsmithpapers.org. 
15. Plan a Family home evening and carry it out. 
16. Work on your Eagle Scout project. (This one doesn't apply to Marianne directly. Maybe it can be "Help Evan with his Eagle project")
17. Convince Mom and Dad to take the family to a Jewish worship service on a Saturday. Find a good synagogue that would be happy to have you. Study a little about Judaism before you go. It would be a good cultural experience. 
18. Take principles from chapter 3 in Preach My Gospel and learn what other faiths believe about those principles. If possible, ask a real person. Write a paper about it. Do Roman Catholics believe in a premortal life? What do orthodox Jews think about baptism? How does the Islamic perception of God differ from your beliefs? 
19. Take pictures.

Did you know Elder Aaron will be home in 15 days?!  The kids told him we can visit a Jewish synagogue together after he gets home.

Can't wait to see him in two weeks!

This and that

Elder Aaron and his companion found an apartment, so he doesn't have to sleep on the couch anymore! They had to move in with other elders at the last minute to make room for all the new sisters serving in Toronto.

I had a date with my sweetie to the symphony.  It was one of the best performances ever.  We enjoyed Bach, Schumann and a Concerto for two pianos by a modern composer, Poulenc.

Brianne started ballet lessons. She is the cutest little ballerina ever.

I went wheat-free this week after reading this book recommended by a dear friend. I had been praying about my health and wondering what to do.  Just a few hours later we were finishing a conversation when she said, "Wait, I have to tell you about this book."  The results have amazed me.  I have much more energy and none of the cravings for snacks and sweets.  We shall see how the weight loss goes.

Lavender took her very first steps just a month ago and now she is running around everywhere.

Marianne and Evan dissected a sheep brain with their cousins as part of their biology class. Their Uncle Brian is a great lab instructor.

I got to go the temple this week!

Three Things Today

#1  I tried adding organic dandelion greens to my morning smoothie.  The flavor was too strong for me, even when I kept reminding myself how healthy it was.  I gave the leftovers to Lavender and she loved it!

#2  Marianne and Evan were able to spend time in the temple this morning.  I am grateful they were able to go and serve in such a beautiful and peaceful place.  

Photo from 2010 on Ryan and Molly's special day at the temple!

  While Marianne and Evan were gone, I asked Cammi to come and play with Lavender so I could get some laundry and cleaning done.  Lavender was thrilled to have a playmate and Cammi was a great little babysitter.

#3 We received both an email and a letter in the mail from Elder Aaron! Yeah!! Inside the envelope was a very thick pass along card.  Actually it was a few cards taped together.

I had to get out my scissors to cut them apart.  This is what I found inside:

It was his clever way of packaging his memory cards to send to us.  We will upload the photos to our computer and then send them back to him.  I am not so clever and will use a small padded envelope when I return them!  Here is my favorite photo from the memory cards:

Three happy things today!  I sure love my kiddos.  Even when they're all grown up!

Worse Than the January Blues!

We were hit by the plague earlier this month and it has taken us more than two weeks to recover.  Now that we are no longer zombies, here is our family update:

Lavender now has four teeth.  Teething was very painful for her and she is much happier now that they are in. She is very aware of them and alternately grinds her teeth and smacks her lips. We try to distract her because it drives us crazy! She is also standing by herself.  She usually does it when she is busy playing and needs her hands to grab or shake a toy.  Although she does it often, I have yet to get a picture of her standing.  Her hair is also growing longer and getting lighter.  She is into everything, but we are grateful she usually sleeps all night.  I can't believe she will be a year old in less than a month!

Smacking her lips

Evan spends as much time as possible unicycling and slacklining.  He must have excellent balance because he is very good at both! He and John recently went to Torrey Pines to watch the pro golfers in the Farmers Insurance Open.  He especially enjoyed watching Tiger Woods.  He was surprised at some of the spectators.  One man brought a step stool to stand on.  Another used a periscope to get a better view. Despite the wind and cool weather, one mother and grandma brought a nine week old baby on the course.

On his slack line

Marianne was hardest hit with illness and has been busy getting caught up on everything.  She is preparing for a flute solo in church and her driver's test to get her license.  She has spent lot of time studying as she finishes up a challenging three semester scholar project called "Thomas Jefferson Youth Certification." She spent the last week doing a Facebook fast and is currently lamenting the fact that she STILL hasn't seen Les Mis!  She also refuses to let me post a picture of her, so here is a bonus shot of Lavender:

Elder Aaron has been transferred back to Toronto and to Korean work.  The Korean branch has been dissolved and there are only two Korean language missionaries in the whole mission--Elder Aaron and his companion! The ward he is serving in is very large and about 90% of the members are converts.  It must be huge, because the ward has 8 missionaries--4 English, 2 Farsi & 2 Korean!  I've never heard of a ward having 8 missionaries.  In fact our ward usually shares 2 missionaries with another ward. Aaron is excited to be back in Korean work, but he was sad to leave Timmins.  He loved the ward members there and he will miss the beautiful scenery since Timmins is surrounded by forests and lakes.

Ryan, Molly and the girls got to take a fun trip to San Francisco this month.  I once took Evan a toddler  to SF and it nearly killed me.  Fortunately, Ryan and Molly are much more patient parents!  We missed spending time with them when we were sick.  Our granddaughters are incredibly gorgeous and exceedingly smart.  Lavender loves being with them and they are starting to play together.  Brianne recently locked Marianne out of the house when Marianne was babysitting her.  I tried really hard not to laugh when she told us about it.  Here are the girls with their favorite movie:

John and I get to deal with fun things like plumbing repairs and finances.  We did go to the symphony this month, but I was so exhausted that John took me home during intermission!  My highlight of the month was getting my first blog book in the mail.  I have wanted to do this for years and I even tried a few times on Blurb, but I got so frustrated that I gave up.  My friend Tawnya recommended blog2print and it is so easy!  It is a bit on the expensive side so I just did my first year of blogging--2008.  By the end of this year, I want to print a book for each of the other years 2009-2012.  I was very impressed by my sweet husband who read every page of the book and congratulated me on recording our family history.

Christmas Cleaning

My mom was the queen of Christmas decorating.  I've never matched her level, but I do have lots of nativities and other decorations.  This year I haven't gotten out even half of our Christmas stuff.  Mainly, this is because I feel like I need to do some serious cleaning first.  A couple of weeks ago I felt a prompting that we needed to clean out the hall closet under the stairs.  We discovered that one of our water storage containers had leaked.  The leak must have happened quite awhile ago because there was some mold.  Our wooden train board was ruined and one of the baseboards was moldy and had to be thrown out, but fortunately it hadn't gotten into the drywall!  We cleaned everything with bleach just to be sure and now things are as good as new.

This experience reminded me of some cleaning Elder Aaron has done recently.  I'll let you read about it in his own words:

October 22nd in Leamington. Ontario :  When we cleaned out the baptismal font a few weeks ago there were a lot of dead crickets and spiders in the font (Leamington hasn't had a baptism in over six months). But it was clean for John's baptism.

December 10th in Timmins. Ontario:   We had cleaned the font on Saturday and assumed everything would be fine. The first time we filled up the font, the water was a murky dark green color. So we had to drain it and fill it up again ( and we didn't have a lot of time before the service was supposed to start). Apparently the same water had been sitting in the water heater for ten months and acquired a green color. But in the end, all was well. The water was nice and clear. 

This got me thinking.   What really needs cleaning this Christmas is probably my heart.  What spiders and green gunk do I have lurking there?  Are there things I need to let go of?  People I need to forgive? Fears I need to release?  

Isn't that really what Christmas is all about?  Coming before our Savior with clean hands and a pure heart.

October Update

I have several summertime posts in the works, but since it is now October, I think I will forge ahead and worry about catching up later!  Here is what our kiddos have been up to:

Thankfully, Ryan and Molly are close by!  John and Evan head over to their place for a game of tennis once or twice a week.  We love to spend time with them.  Can you blame us?  We have the world's cutest, sweetest granddaughters. Ryan is still working hard to keep customers happy with the latest and greatest phone.  Molly has a new jewelry business. Perfect since she is a pro at accessorizing!  Check out her blog HERE and her website HERE.  Brianne has an ever expanding vocabulary, lovely curls and a zest for life that is contagious.  Leighton is a little beauty who loves to snuggle until she decides it's time to get down and go.  The two girls are best friends and Lavender loves to watch their every move!

Elder Aaron has transferred to a new town called Leamington on the shores of Lake Erie.  The mission president combined the north and south Korean areas and moved 3 of the elders into English work.  So there are only two Korean speaking missionaries now, both of them are native speakers. Aaron seems to be adjusting to the change of pace.  He is out of the city now and surrounded by people (including many migrant workers) speaking Spanish, Portuguese, Vietnamese and even German!  They grow a lot of tomatoes in the area and there is a big Heinz manufacturing plant in town.  Aaron says it smells like tomato soup in the afternoons!

Marianne has been going nonstop since she came home from Ecuador in August.  She loved her time there and is grateful for Facebook so she can keep up with the kids there. It also motivated her to study Spanish, although she has decided it would be easier (and more fun) to go live in Ecuador for a year than having to do her Spanish homework!  She is student mentoring a Shakespeare class at our commonwealth school this year.  It takes a lot of time and effort, but she is doing a great job! She won't like me writing about this, but she also recently had her first date!  She is still our resident photographer and probably takes more pictures on my phone than I do.  Many of them look something like this:

Evan had a tragedy occur when his unicycle broke recently. Apparently you need a higher-end cycle for the jumps, tricks and spins he did. Unfortunately the one he wants is around $700.  I think that's even beyond Santa's budget!  Evan is really enjoying his first year of seminary and is serving as class president.  On the homeschool front, Evan has some demanding classes this year and spends many hours studying.  Fortunately, his geometry program includes some great hands-on projects that feel like playing!

Lavender is growing so quickly and we are all trying to soak up every minute with her.  Sometimes it is hard to get anything done because we just want to play with her!  Her latest trick is waving hi. She gets so excited that she starts waving with both arms and eventually her whole body.  She can scoot to the side and backwards, but is still working on moving forward. She is good at sitting and rolling, so she can usually get to whatever she wants. She is such a happy girl who brings such joy to our home.  We can't imagine what we did without her!

Emma knitted this adorable pumpkin hat for her!

So Far Away

Did you know that John and I have never had our whole family together?  Aaron left on his mission while I was pregnant with Lavender, so of course they've never met.  I am really looking forward to our 2013 family Christmas photo!

During the past week while Marianne has been in Ecuador, it has been strange to think that two of our children are so far away from home.  It makes me feel a bit scattered, but I am grateful for the opportunities that both of them have to serve and grow.

I got an email from Marianne this morning.  She said they are planning to de-flea their bedroom this afternoon.  Those are words I never expected to hear from my daughter--at least not without wailing and gnashing of teeth!

She has worked several shifts in the orphanage and also at a rural daycare facility.  She has also gotten to shop, go to church, feel homesick, travel to the beach, zipline and see the sights!  She fed a bottle to a baby girl with lots of dark hair just about Lavender's age.  She couldn't imagine her own little sister being placed in an orphanage.

Here are a couple of photos.  Sorry there are none of her with the children, but they are not allowed to take any pictures in the orphanage.

Aaron has been in Canada for seven months now.  He is still in Toronto, still in the same branch, still with his MTC companion.  Good thing he is content with constancy!  The work is slow among the Korean people.  They have had one baptism since he has been there.  Aaron was able to confirm "Rocky."  They talk to many North Koreans and meet people from all over the world.  He and his companion have been surviving the summer heat by fixing their leaking air conditioning unit and eating cold cereal for dinner.

Here are a couple of photos of Elder Aaron.

It is exciting to see my children travel to places I have never been and do things I have never done. Yes, there are challenges, illnesses and difficulties.  Hopefully these will prepare them well for the journey of life that lies ahead .  I know the Lord has great things in store for each of them.

Our Elder Aaron

On Sunday we left church 15 minutes early.  We wanted to be home in time to receive a call from Elder Aaron.  Yes, it was Mother's Day, but it was also his 20th birthday.  We were excited to talk to him.  I told him I wished he could see Lavender and he said, "Well we are allowed to skype, but we couldn't find anyone in the branch who had a computer we could use."  That made me kind of sad.

Then we asked him about the Korean branch.  We knew they were struggling with less than 20 members attending and the stake leaders were considering disbanding it.  Elder Aaron told us that they finally had a branch activity.  He and his companions (yes they are still a threesome) were excited because they hadn't had any activities since they've been there.  Then the branch president told them the activity would be a health seminar presented by a doctor in the branch.  The missionaries didn't think that sounded very appealing and suggested adding a potluck or something, but the plan was already set.  So the elders forged ahead and invited all their investigators and less active members.

So how did it turn out?  Well, the branch president and his wife came.  So did the doctor and his wife.  With the three missionaries, they had a grand total of 7 in attendance.  Finally, about 30 minutes into the seminar, one of the less active members arrived.  He has since told them he isn't interested in the church.  Sigh!

Elder Aaron is enjoying the opportunity to meet people from all over the world.  They have taught several people from North Korea.  Most likely they had to leave illegally, so I'm sure they have some exciting stories.  There are immigrants from all over the world in Toronto, so there are 6 or 7 different languages spoken in the mission.  In fact, they are the only mission with Farsi speaking elders.  It isn't a language taught in the MTC, but the mission president assigns English speaking elders to learn Farsi and work with the Iranians in the area.

Today Elder Aaron got a new companion, a native Korean speaking elder who has been serving as an English speaking elder for the past few months.  They will be moving downtown and will work in the southern part of the city while his former companions work in the north.

We hope this will be a good change for all of the elders and give Elder Aaron the chance to improve his Korean and find new teaching opportunities.  We know that Lavender is proud of her big brother because when we were reading his latest email, she said something that sounded remarkably like "Aaron."  All four of us heard it, so no one can accuse me of being a crazy mom.  But if they did, it wouldn't be the first time.

In Other News

Whew! That was a whole lot of birth stories.  I tried to keep out anything even remotely graphic to please some of my readers, but for Rachel or anyone else who wants to know about that sign that let me know I was  heading into labor, click  HERE.   I think we'll take a little break from that subject while I tell you what everyone has been up to in the past week.

John spent most of the week in Orlando.  Sounds like fun, but he was in meetings the whole time. He did get to go to Sea World one evening, but everything was closed. It was okay though, because everyone got to help with a service project.  They worked in teams to build prosthetic hands.  These were not life-like prosthetics, rather they were basic open and close models that could grasp and pick up items.  I believe they were donated to those in need.  John really enjoyed that experience.  We missed him and were glad to have him back home!

My excitement for the week was getting my hair done.  It had been too long!  I also had my weekly doctor's appointment and found out that I now get to go in for non-stress tests twice a week.  I had my first two and it is pretty simple--just monitoring and everything looks good.  I went ahead and scheduled them for the rest of the month.  I figured I had better plan ahead since I now have 3 appointments a week.

Molly got her wisdom teeth out last week.  Not a fun time, but everything went well and now it's over!  We got to help out with the girls while Ryan was at work and Molly was getting a little rest and recovering.  The girls were really good and cute as ever.  Leighton loved the baby swing at the park and laughed every time Evan gave her a gentle push.  Brianne, on the other hand was a little nervous about the swings.  She did like it when Evan pushed her really fast in the stroller though.  Go figure!

Brianne smelling a flower before our walk

Later that day, Marianne was sitting on the piano bench talking to me.  Brianne came over and insisted that Marianne move.  Her vocabulary is still growing, but she made it very clear than she wanted Marianne to get off the piano bench.  As soon as Marianne got up, Brianne carefully set her little Duplo lego guy on the bench and went on happily playing.  Apparently that was HIS seat that Marianne was sitting in!

Aaron sends us emails once a week on his p-day.  We all look forward to Mondays!  Last week he told us that at the end of Sacrament Meeting in the Korean branch, his companion mentioned that the whole meeting had been about missionary work.  Aaron was surprised and had no idea that had been the topic!  He asked me to order a Korean dictionary and grammar book for him.  Ha!  I emailed him his birth story from my blog and he responded today saying he had no idea there was so much involved.  He just thought he happened to be the "good, easy baby."


Marianne's highlight of the week was getting her braces off!  When I picked her up at the orthodontist, it looked like her birthday.  She had balloons, a Target gift card, movie passes, a frozen yogurt gift card and a gift certificate for a professional photo shoot.  All I remember getting was a retainer!

Before

After

Doesn't she look great?!

Evan got to go to Knott's Berry Farm for completing all the work in his Pyramid Project class.  He loved all the rollercoasters and especially the "Windseeker" ride which is like a giant swing ride.  He saw a fellow rider lose his phone in the water below the ride.  He said it was funny, but not if it's your phone. He has also been playing basketball with the YM in the stake and our ward's team made it to the championship game.    They lost by just one point!  He has been riding his bike to the games, which makes his mom very nervous because it is often dark outside.  He does wear a reflective vest to appease me and stays on the sidewalks on the major streets.  He assures me this is necessary since he is training for a triathalon. His father agrees, so I have been outvoted.

He's There!

Since Monday I've been relying on the philosophy of "no news is good news."  Thankfully we now have some actual good news!  We got an email from Elder Aaron's mission president.  He arrived and is doing well and will be serving in the North York area of Toronto.  He has two companions right now.  His trainer is Elder Lee and his other companion is none other than Elder Snarr who has been his MTC companion for the last 12 weeks.

We can't wait until next week when we'll get an email from Aaron himself.  We are happy to have a few pictures to tide us over until then.

With President & Sister Scott

With his "new" companions

And He's Off!

Today was a big day that started very early!  Elder Aaron got up at 2:45 AM to prepare for his departure to Toronto.  They left the Missionary Training Center around 4:00 AM and at 5:15 we got a phone call from a pay phone at the SLC airport.  Elder Aaron had just a few minutes before boarding his flight, but it was wonderful to hear his voice.  It has been three months since we've spoken to him.  He sounded good and seemed to have everything under control, although he did confess that he has lost about 10 pounds while at the MTC.  (I'm sure he didn't mention it earlier because he didn't want me to worry . . . or nag him . . . or send huge care packages full of food.)  Many missionaries gain weight while at the MTC due to the many hours spent sitting and studying.  Oh and the desserts every night might have something to do with it too!  Elder Aaron explained that after a year of cafeteria food at BYU plus 3 more months of it at the MTC, he just can't take it any more.  He is looking forward to cooking for himself and learning how to make some Korean dishes while he is in Toronto.  Hopefully he will gain back the weight he lost because that boy doesn't have any extra pounds to lose!

Elder Aaron should be in Toronto by now. We know that many wonderful experiences await him!  Now I have to brag about my missionary a little.  I promise it won't be like this post.

A few weeks ago I got a Christmas card from a family friend.  She received our Christmas newsletter and was excited to see that Elder Aaron was in the Korean branch at the MTC.  She and her husband serve in the Mandarin branch there.  She immediately talked to the Korean branch president's wife and gave me the report that Elder Aaron is  "kind, humble and good at the Korean language."  That's my boy!

On Christmas Day with one of the Korean Elders

A Gift

It has been a week since I posted, a good week filled with happy things.   Here is a sampling of some of the goodness:

*Thanksgiving at my brother's house.  It was wonderful to have the whole family together for a day filled with delicious food, laughter and a walk to the park for pictures.  I am so grateful to my sister-in-law for hosting.  I know it was a lot of work for her, but it was wonderfully stress-free for me.  Best of all, the sadness of missing my mom didn't really hit until the next day, which was fine because I could be alone and process my feelings.

*My family surprised me in a wonderful way.  While I was on a walk they got out all the boxes of Christmas decorations and even set up the tree.  This may not seem like much, but it is a major project to get everything down from our tiny garage.  It is not something I can do by myself.  Right now it isn't something I can do at all!  I was so excited when I came home to find the tree all ready for us to decorate.

*We spent Saturday afternoon at LaJolla Cove.  The tide was really low, so we had a great view of the tide pools and deep green sea grass.  We played frisbee on the lawn and even watched a bride and groom with their photographer.  We drove up to Mt. Soledad just in time to watch the sunset.  It was a perfect way to end the day!

Our "soft" frisbee which was perfect for a crowded day at the beach.

*Christmas cards make me happy!  We received our first card and newsletter (yes I love those newsy letters too) yesterday.  Our own cards are addressed and almost ready to go.  The letter is ready too, but I am holding off on printing it until after my doctor's appointment tomorrow in case I have any news to share.  Keep your fingers crossed.

*Molly and the girls came to church with us on Sunday since Ryan had to work.  We love spending time with them and it was fun to be with Brianne in the nursery.  Brianne was disappointed we hadn't brought the dog to church.  She asked for "woof woof" several times.

*Tuesday is my new favorite day since it is Aaron's pday.  He has been writing us a fairly long email plus a handwritten letter every week.  This is a wonderful surprise since Aaron is known for his brevity.  He sounds very busy and happy.  He loves learning Korean.  On Thanksgiving they got to hear from Elder Nelson and later they got to watch 17 Miracles which includes the story of one of our ancestors, which he recognized.  This proves he actually was listening during some of those family home evenings!

*Today should be another good day.  I get to see a dear friend who moved away last year and tonight I am going to the temple.  I am grateful for the the gift of happy days!

Fill in the blanks

My Mom taught my brother Scott and I to say "I'm sorry" and "I forgive you" at a very young age.  These statements had to be made sincerely and followed with a hug.  Later my Dad taught us how to deal with stress and pain by forgiving others.  He told us to follow this formula:  say "I forgive  [name of person] for [whatever happened],"  Sometimes this was a process that started with "I forgive Joe for being a total jerk and stupid idiot" and progressed to "I forgive Joe for hurting my feelings when he teased me about my new haircut."  Even better was when you could finally add, "I'm grateful to Joe for being my friend."  (For the record, no one named Joe ever teased me about my hair.)

So the pattern is:  I am grateful to _______________  for _______________.
Today I want to fill in the blanks by sharing a few of the people I am thankful for and why.

I am grateful to:

Brooks for making the most comfortable shoe on earth (even if it is ugly).
My mom for being steadfast and immovable in her testimony of Jesus Christ..
Bryn for her great faith.
John for holding my hand and walking beside me for almost 25 years.
My body for allowing my worst pregnancy complications to be only heartburn and aches and pains.
Evan for his enthusiasm and energy in playing the piano.
Heather for her endurance and sense of humor.
Muff (and her family) for caring for grandma as she approaches 90.
Molly for starting the family tradition of walking lots of miles while pregnant.
Aaron for giving up solitude and the great outdoors in order to serve the Lord.
Carolyn for lifting my Dad from the pit of loneliness.
Amazon for making the Kindle so I can carry my library with me at all times.
Marianne for getting up for seminary day after day even when she hasn't slept well.
Cows for making milk that becomes cottage cheese.  (I'm still craving it!)
Mormon for abridging and organizing the Book of Mormon.
Moroni for not making Ether the last book in the Book of Mormon.
Ryan for being my guinea pig and letting me practice my momskills on him.
Brianne for looking like her daddy, but improving on it with her curly hair.
My Dad for always believing in me.
Costco for selling beautiful flower bouquets at a great price.
Sheree for being my example and showing me what is possible.
The calendar for telling me that Christmas is almost here!
Leighton Anne for sharing her sweet smiles with me.
Jenny for walking thousands of miles with me over the past 15 years.
Everyone who actually reads my blog!
My Heavenly Father and my Savior Jesus Christ for all of the above and for many more blessings I didn't mention.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Braggity Brag Blog

I'm sure I have already told you about my fantastically amazing missionary son who is studying incredibly hard at the MTC.  He has already written us volumes in Korean and I must say his language skills are phenomenal.  He speaks better Korean than anyone else in the whole family!  Now he and his companion have been recognized for their stellar leadership capabilities and have been made the zone leaders.  And in just two short weeks Elder Aaron will be the district leader as well.  I think he must be GA material to be the zone leader and the district leader at the same time.  Best of all, as a sign of his brilliance, one of the counselors in his branch presidency is Ken Jennings' dad!  And you know how smart Ken Jennings is!


PS No one in our family speaks or reads any Korean at all.
PPS As of Monday, Elder Aaron and his companion will be the only elders in a zone full of sister missionaries.  Not a whole lot of choices for ZLs.
PPPS Aaron's district has 4 sisters and 2 elders.  His companion is the DL for the first 6 weeks and then Elder Aaron will be the DL for the final 6 weeks at the MTC.  Again, a shortage of options.
PPPPS  Br. Jennings really is in the branch presidency.  Apparently he lived and practiced law in Korea for 14 years.
PPPPPS We do watch Jeopardy from time to time.

No news

. . . is good news? 

Today was supposed to be the big reveal.  I did have my ultrasound and everything looks good, but the baby refused to give us a clear view.  Those little legs were held tightly together.  I am disappointed, but not too upset.  I will try to focus on the positive.

• I got to see my sweet baby's face and watch him or her move.
• All the measurements were spot on.
• The placenta is in a perfect position.
• All organs seems to be working well.
• I have only gained 9 pounds in 5 months (although I did come home and drown my sorrows in leftover Halloween candy).
• My doctor gave me the go ahead for the 3-Day for the Cure walk.
• We got a letter and pictures from Elder Aaron today.

As soon as I got home from the doctor, the baby started moving around like crazy.  Sigh!  I was hoping to post a picture of baby #5 today, but instead you get pictures of baby #2.  He's not a baby any more, but at least we definitely know he's male.

Drop off at the MTC

Outside the Provo temple with his companion