Letter to Stewart

How’s it going?  I’m really impressed with all the cooking you’re doing as a missionary.  I didn’t realize I had taught you so well – or maybe it was the foods classes you took in JrH and HS.  Too bad your companion doesn’t appreciate a good home-cooked meal.  You’ll be the best roommate at college; while others are gaining wait and spending money on eating out, you’ll avoid both of those negatives by cooking.  I really enjoyed cooking in Italy and I love how Mediterranean Europe .  It has such a strong food culture.  That’s something missing in America.

            Last Sunday we had Emily’s homecoming.  She did such a good job.  She stood up and said “I loved my mission”, and then she started to cry.  She talked about her best companion – the Holy Ghost and then told a bunch of stories on what the Holy Ghost did to guide, direct, and comfort her while being a missionary.  Her last area was a Spanish speaking branch in Tokyo.  Isn’t that funny and she taught a girl from Argentina.  Boy, those Latinos find the gospel all over the world!  I guess you’ll have to see how much Spanish she actually learned in her last area.  Last weekend Blake lined her up with one of his buddies and they did a double date.  Emily said it was really awkward.  Then Blake brought a girl to Emily’s homecoming – someone who just finisher her mission to Guatemala and reported to the High Council on the same day Blake did.  They looked like they were enjoying each other company. 

            In other, less spiritual news, OHS beat Skyline in OT by 3 points.  It was a very exciting game, or so I hear since I wasn’t there.  Dad and I saw a good over the weekend – The Martian with Matt Damon (He still looks like my brother Jason).  You can put that on the good movie list.  Dad took the Scouts camping up to the Coates property in Heber.  They bought a huge piece of land and are going to build a cabin up there that is totally off the grid so they can live up there when the apocalypse comes.  Dad continues to work on the side yard.  It’s looking really nice!  It’ll be fun to plant a garden in the grow boxes.  I took the kids to see OHS’ production of Mary Poppins.  As usual, they did a really good job!  Maren is going to Monster Mash tomorrow night, stag.  Her girl friends decided they didn’t want to get dates, but wanted to go anyway.  I think they’re missing out.  This year Charlie will be s clone trooper (big surprise), Sydney will be a Southern bell, and Emma is dressed like Where’s Waldo with all her friends.  Maren and her friends are dressing like zombie dolls for the dance.

            OK – This is an example of getting side-tracked and getting back to your letter 2 days later; sorry.  I’m printing and sending as tomorrow is Saturday AND Halloween and I’m certain to get nothing done.

Love you,

MOM

The week in pictures

Fall is my favorite time of year in my yard.  The weeds have finally stopped growing, the colors are intense, and my lawn looks beautiful.  I mowed it this week, so I was particularly proud of how it looked.

Posing for Family Pictures at Market Street (missing Stewart)

While I was busy mowing the lawn, Eric continues to build the garden boxes that will decorate our side yard.  Hopefully there will be an actually garden in them some day.

Just after this pictures was taken, Emma pulled out all the Zinnias and planted pansies.  I was sad to see these beautiful flowers leave our yard - but fall is here.

So glad these kids still enjoy doing this!

Letter to Stewart

Dear Elder Stew:
It seems I have all these great things to tell you during the week, and then when I sit down to write a letter, I’ve forgotten them all. Thank heavens for my desk calendar to remind me what I’ve done  It sounds like you’ve had some challenges as a new Zone Leader and with a new companion – nothing you can’t overcome – just things to help you dig deep and grow. Dad tells me you’ve been seeking his advice – he’s got great advice to give, I appreciate the way he looks at problems and looks for peaceful solutions. That’s bit ironic coming from a “litigator”. Grandma Maxfield also tells me you’ve enlisted her to be a pen pal to one of the Elders from Peru that needs some love and support. She’s so happy you’ve asked her to help, I’m sure it’s nice when you’re in your 80s to be asked to do things. Also, she has a talent for sharing her talents with others. Of course, everyone likes to feel needed and that their talents matter to others. I think that’s a wonderful aspect of service in the gospel, you enlist the people around you to work together to solve problems. In the process you help everyone involved from those who are being served to those that are serving.
Last night the YW watched a “Face2Face” webinar the church did for the Youth with the Piano Guys as their guests. This is the group of LDS musicians that takes their piano to places like the Great Wall of China, or the cliffs in southern Utah, and then films a YouTube video. They are a YouTube video sensation. Last night they had their grand piano on top of the conference center with a small, selective group of youth, along with 2 youth moderators that fielded questions. The questions came live via twitter and facebook, they were also pre-­‐submitted on the lds.org website and the audience even contributed a few. We had all the YW over here for dinner and then sat down to watch the live “fireside”. It was spectcular to think of kids all over the country and world participating. The views were amazing – they managed to get some sunset shots over the great Salt Lake as well as some shots with the temple in the background. The music they play is inspiring – last night they did a mash-­‐up of I Need Thee Every Hour and Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing (our families favorite song since Maren sang it at Charlie’s baptism and Robby’s farewell and ROCKED it).
Well – the biggest news of the week was our trip to Snow Canyon and Irene announcing her pregnancy disguised in a scary campfire story. She’s due in May. That makes 3 babies this coming year. Catherine (boy), due end of December, Michelle (?) due April (I think) and Irene. Yeah!!! Love all these cute kids we have in our family. As for Snow Canyon – it was awesome, as usual. I don’t know if you remember much from that trip – the canyon is really small so it’s easy to get around and all the hikes are kid friendly, short and sweet. We first did a slot canyon just outside of St. George – it wasn’t a real slot canyon, more of a crack in a rock. It was so small that Dad’s belly didn’t fit and he had to turn around. At one point I couldn’t even turn my head from side to side. It was very short, thank heavens, because it gave me a bit of anxiety – Charlie did it like 4 times. Our campground was perfect! Away from all the other campers with a place for the kids to explore that led up a

secluded canyon. We even had a covered pavilion with lights and electricity which was helpful when it rained Sunday morning as we were trying to pack up and leave. We took some great hikes – do you remember the lava caves? We did all 3 of them this time (last time we only did 1). It was a bit scary a few times as we passed young children down deep holes and over deep crevasses. It’s an excellent exercise in team building and trust. At the very end of the tunnel it opened up into a cave and we all turned off our flashlights and marveled in the COMPLETE darkness – freaky. It was so dark, that we all noticed a faint glow off in the corner and realized in was an abandoned, very old glow stick, but it still gave off enough light to penetrate the darkness. I’m sure there’s a good FHE lesson for that  The kids rock scrambled until their heart’s content. We climbed petrified sand dunes, rock canyon, rock overlooks. We played in two different sand dune areas – one with red sand, the other with white. The white sand was particularly fine; imagine the sand in an hourglass. We all took off our shoes and ran around and rolled down the hill. At one exciting point the children (while playing around the campground) found a TARANTULLA. All the adults heard was screaming girls, we thought someone was mortally injured. When Jared went running to investigate – the girls were running back to campground almost hyperventilating and the boys were pocking the poor spider with a stick. It was the biggest spider I’ve every seen outside of the zoo.
It was such good family time! Everyone was there except Blake (he just got a new job at Zion’s bank and couldn’t leave, Kelsey and her family, Brett and Brandon. Of course the cooking was amazing too. We had dutch oven enchiladas and BBQ chicken. We also did a beef brisket on the coals. Dad, Will, David, Jared, and Dave H. whipped up awesome pancake breakfasts every morning and Sydney only ate 8 pancakes because Brett wasn’t around for her to have an eating contest.
We love you and miss you. We include you in our prayers EVERY time we pray. We pray for your companion, your investigators, that you’ll be safe and listen to the Holy Ghost, and even that you’ll have fun! Have a GREAT week.
Love, Mom 

Letter to Stewart

Ciao Elder Maxfield;

            We love the Duo Lingo app here – All of us, (except Maren and Dad), including me, use it to learn and practice Spanish.  How did the Mangos cut and taste?  There’s nothing better than a ripe, in season mango.  It’s tomato season here – so when we are lucky enough to score some fresh tomatoes (& corn on the cob), we have BLT’s, corn on the cob – and them sometimes I make me a peach cobbler.  The ultimate fall meal for me.

            We are now in the heat of the school year routine.  Mid-terms have come and gone.  Parent Teacher conferences.  Test. ACT test is in a couple of weeks for Maren.  Do you miss it at all?  I still do sometimes.  Everyone is doing great in school – I’m a lucky Mama for that reason alone.

            Conference, as usual, was great.  It’s like Zone Conference for the members of the church.  A good boost to keep us moving in the right direction for the next 6 months.  I was super worried about President Monson though, he looked fragile and tired.  We asked all the kids what were there favorite talks.  Maren like President Nelsen’s talk on the strength of women in the church.  Charlie liked the talk from the Sister who couldn’t get her grandchild to stay in her car seat.  Emma liked the talk about the kids who got so dirty their grandma wouldn’t let them back in the house (she and Charlie like the stories with a moral).  I liked President Uchtdorf’s talk on keeping things simple.  I also like Elder Bednar’s tribute to all the leaders of the church who have died while he’s been an Apostle.  My favorite, new apostle talk, was from Elder Rendlund (?).  I’m going to have to practice up on the names of the apostles now that the familiar ones have passed away.  What was your favorite talk?

            We enjoyed our traditional walk between conference and ran into Mitt Romney and his wife – it was the longest conversation I’ve ever had with them.  We discussed her new book she’s promoting and how to open all the gates in the neighborhood so we could enjoy our walks.  It’s still weird seeing a celebrity like that in the neighborhood.  Sunday night we had our Maxfield Fall family birthday parties.  Grandma Maxfield gave everyone gifts, as usual, even if it wasn’t your birthday.

            How did your first Zone Conference go?  I’ll bet you’re a great leader.  I’m sure the newness of it all is very stressful – but that’s a good time to dig deep and seek help from the Holy Ghost.  It’s how the Atonement can make up where your abilities stop.  (I’ve had many church callings like that).

            I sent you the pictures of Emily coming home from her mission.  It was such a tender sight.  Caitlin was crying before we could even see her – and then when we saw here all the Bryson girls screamed and cried simultaneously.  Then they broke through the barrier at the airport and rushed to her.  I wonder what all the other passengers thought (and the SL airport employees – they’re probably use to it now).  Her sisters couldn’t stop hugging her.  I don’t remember my siblings missing me that much when I came home.  I’m excited to hear all about her mission when she reports at the end of the month.

            

Letter to Stewart

Dear Elder Stew;

            How ya’ doing?  From your letters it feels/seems that you are doing good.  I hope so – by now you’ve settle into Spanish Missionary life and probably can’t think of any other way of living.  That’s great.  Regular people life just keeps moving along.  Emily gets home Saturday night from her mission.  I just can’t believe it.  Brett and Suzanne are in Japan right now picking her up and having a great time seeing the country and visiting the people she served with.  I’m excited to see her Saturday night J 

            This past 2 weeks has been full of babysitting other people’s kids for me.  First it was Irene’s kids while she and Dave were in Mexico.  Then Bonnie’s Max while Bonnie went to NYC with Brandon.  Then I had Suzanne’s kids for the weekend while they are in Japan.  And this weekend I have 2 of Andrea’s kids while she goes to Chicago.  I guess this makes up for all the people who watched my kids while Dad and I went to Italy last fall.  Good thing all the kids were really good!  Even the baby Henry (He’s about 18 months now).

            Last night the YM/YW had a combined fireside with the Holladay South Stake by Brad Wilcox (He’s a religion professor at BYU, amongst other things).  In fact, he said he gave a fireside at the Madrid MTC this past year – and what was interesting is that he went through all the 12 tribes of Israel and had them raise their hands – every tribe was represented by the missionaries.  When he did that in SLC – he only got Ephraim and Manasseh.   He gave a great talk on our responsibility as “Youth of the noble Birthright” and what that means for us and our membership in the church.  It was a great fireside and a good reminder of the responsibility we have as member – where much is given, much is expected.  He also said something interesting about the  responsibilities of the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh that I didn’t know.  He said the tribe of Ephraim is responsible for the physical growth of the church (keep paying your tithing!)  and the tribe of Manasseh is responsible for the spiritual growth of the church.  I love getting new insight into doctrine.

            I’m super excited for Conference – of course, Conference will have happened by the time you get this – but I’d love your feedback.  Favorite talk?  Personal Insights?  New Apostles.  In the paper today (Ya, it’s SLC), they had paragraphs from each of the current apostles describing how it was when they were called.  Most of them didn’t get called until the day BEFORE conference.  Wow!!! Can you believe that.  What stress that would be – how humbling.  Anyway, I’m excited to her all the news.  We have 2 soccer games on Saturday so we’ll be listing in the car a bit – thank heavens for the internet.

            There’s really nothing new of note – Jimmie is getting married  - he’s the boy Cynthia and Gary have been raising.  He’s marring a nice LDS girl in the temple, which is so exciting for Cynthia and Gary since they never new which direction his life might take.  This is a step in the right direction.  We continue to move along on the side yard – very slowly!  Dad is getting ready to build the pergola and garden boxes.  I think Saturday we’ll just go out and pull all the weeds and then cover the area with weed fabric for a while since we won’t be planting any time soon J  Love you tons!  Sorry my snail mail letters and getting fewer and further apart.  Let me know if you need me to send you anything.

Love,

MOM