The Week in Pictures

Loved the bow-tie this morning for church

This is only about 20% of all the leaves we'll pick up

Can you spot Sydney and Charlie

On the weekends the kids like to sleep together in Sydney's bunk beds.  It's not uncommon for us to come home after date-night and find all of them together.  This night however, the stuffed animals had taken over and we could barely see the kids.

Letter to Stewart

You're going to get a longer email from me this week since I neglected to get a snail mail out.  First of all before you or I forget, I'd like to know if there are any "needs" you have for Christmas.  I'm pulling your package together as we speak so hopefully you get it before the middle of January like last year.  

I'll just work my way backwards through the calendar, we had a visiting General Authority in our Sacrament meeting this week,  Elder Durham.  He was suppose to come speak to us on Family History, but instead he talked about the church's new policy on children of same-gender marriages.  I'm not sure what you've heard in Spain, but the church updated it's handbook for Bishops and Stake presidents to clarify it's position on children in same-gender marriages and relationships.  It now closely parallels it's position on that of polygamist families.  Anyway, the press in SL got a hold of the updated information before the church could release it properly and they had a hay-day.  It was all over social media and the 10:00 news.  Most members were confused as to why we were hearing the announcement of church policy on the 10:00 news on our Facebook feeds.  The church had to do some quick PR repairs and letters of clarification.  Elder Durham's point today was that he prefers to get his direction in the church from it's leaders and not from Facebook.  It was a simple but poignant reminder of the day and age we live it and how quickly things can become skewed in the media.  A good reminder to get our information about the church for the correct sources.

Carolyn Crawford and I went out today to visit some members that showed up our YW rolls.  I felt like a missionary again as we knocked on doors over at the apartments and listened as people quickly turned off their TVs to pretend they weren't home.  At one apartment the teenage girl actually opened the door and we were having a nice conversation with her until her mother yelled from the back room "Who's that".  We said, we're from the LDS church.  She then showed up at the door in her bathrobe and told us her daughter was grounded and couldn't do anything with us.  I felt terrible for this sweet 15 year-old who seemed genuinely interested in being apart of YWs.

We had a nice date night with Cinda and Doug this weekend.  Saw the new James Bond movie (exactly what you'd expect) and caught up with each other.  They've had a bad month - Doug's brother died of a genetic disease that he's suffered with for years.  It was really sad to watch Doug and his family go through this trial.  They were able to call Jake and talk to him about his uncle dying and Cinda said, although very sad - has been a strengthening experience.  Jake is busy working away as the office secretary and learning an entire new set of skills - paper work in spanish in a 3rd world country.  He sounds really good - his letters come through on Saturdays now.  Cinda has also been released as the RS president and she's been replaced by CeliAnne Coates.

Also this weekend there was a terrorist attack on Paris, killing over 120 people.  It's scary to hear stories like this!  I immediately wanted to know how Jamison was doing.  Jamison's area now includes part of downtown paris, including the Eiffel tower (separate email).  Gratefully all the missionaries were home and no where near these attacks (soccer stadium, bar, concert hall).  But, it sounds like Jamison will be confined to his apartment for a few days.  For a while France closed it's boarders.  The EU is still trying to hunt down some of the people involved in the attack.  Just a nice lesson on being obedient.  I have a huge testimony of obedience - not only does it keep us safe, it has spiritual implications as well - as we show our Heavenly Father we are willing to do his will.  Anyway....just your Mom on her soap box.

We hired Blake to come over and put up our Christmas lights this weekend.  Dad says he's done climbing up scary ladders.  Blake did a great job and his girlfriend came over as well - Morgan (not to be confused with the girl Morgan he brought to Zions).  He's dating a new morgan that finished her mission the same time Blake did - they both reported to the High Council together.

Finally - tonight we had a great dinner at David and CAtherine's home.  David has completely remolded their kitchen and it looks fabulous.  Catherine will be having her baby in the next month and they all seems to be doing great!  They are good parents, grounded in the gospel.  All your family loves and misses you (cousins, aunts, uncles, grandma, grandpa, and especially your siblings and parents).  We pray for you daily and know you are receiving blessings from the collective power of those prayers.  Can't believe we get to talk in another month!!! Crazy!

Love you!

Mom

Letter to Stewart

Dear Stewart;
The week got away from me, now it’s Friday night and everyone is gone – Dad is out of town, Maren is with friends, Charlie and Sydney are at a birthday party, Emma is babysitting, so it’s just me –writing a letter to you. I hope it’s a good day for you. I think of you coming home to your apartment for media-­‐dia and enjoying a surprise letter while you make a Spanish tortilla. It sounds like you’re becoming quite the cook; a good self-­‐reliant skill that your roommates and future wife will enjoy. Hopefully, there are other good skills and habits you’re adding to your skill set of a more eternal nature. We miss you and love you and pray for you in every prayer, morning, meals, night, travel, personal and companionship prayer
We had a good week – Fall has finally hit and today we actually had a sprinkling of snow. It didn’t stick in the valley – but the ski resorts got a couple of inches. I spent Thursday morning at Grandma and Grandpa Frazier’s home helping plan their 50th wedding anniversary for Fall 2016. They want to take all their posterity to Disneyland for a long weekend. Put it on our calendar  I also was given word that I’ll be released from my YW’s calling in a couple of weeks when we finish our last program for the year. It’s a bitter, sweet feeling. I feel like I’ve given it my all the last 3 years, but it’s time for some fresh, new ideas and probably a time for me to be challenged in another way. We’ll see...Church callings are a funny thing, you always feel completed inadequate, then you are blessed, and just when you feel you’ve got it figured out you’re released and given a new challenge. (The mission can be a bit like that too).
The big news of the week is that the Brunken’s sold their home and they’re moving near the UofU. It’s super sad to see them leave. They seem excited about the new adventure, new house, new neighborhood, etc, etc. It’s all happened really fast. Even though their home has been on the market for a long time, when they got their offer, the new owners wanted to move in within a month. The new owner is Kevin Watt’s son – Darren Watt’s brother – that’s Doug’s Taylor’s sister’s brother-­‐in-­‐ law. (got it) They have 2 kids, one in H.S. one in Jr. High.
This past week was end of quarter, Monster Mash, Halloween. I think I told you Maren went stag and said it was the best dance she ever been to. Halloween was fun too – Eric and Suzanne took all the cousins and a couple of friends around trick-­‐or-­‐treating. As always they had a good time and came home and played the New York Stock Exchange with their candy. Emma definitely scored the most candy. And like good kids, they put the good chocolate in the freezer for skiing. I like that tradition, it helps them (and me) not eat too much.
As for end of quarter – I am a proud mama, 4.0s all around. Not sure how I got such good students for children – honestly I was a bit worried about Charlie, but maybe he’s got it in him too.
We had a great testimony meeting last week. Two testimonies inparticular stuck out – one came from Mitt Romney the other from a new guy, Matt McConkie (a

grandson of Bruce R.). But, despite their status, education, family fame, they both just shared the simplicity and truthfulness of the gospel basics – the Divine Mission of the Savior, The prophetic mission of the Joseph Smith, the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. It was great! We have a rock solid ward! I hope that these young wards in Europe will some day see members of the 4th and 5th generations testifying of the gospel. The ability to stay grounded in the gospel is only going to get harder as the final days progress toward the 2nd coming. It is the constant prayer I have for my children.
Love you tons! Have a happy day! Go out and work hard, testify, love, serve..... Until next week –
Mom 

The Week in Pictures - Halloween Edition

Maren and her friends decided to go "stag" to the school Monster Mash dance.  Good thing as I don't know what the boys could have dressed up as to go with these creepy dolls.

Alyssa and Maren

Charlie (Storm Trooper) Sydney (Gone with the Wind girl)

 With Star Wars 7 coming out in December it was only obvious that Charlie would be a character from Star Wars.  As for Sydney - she's never seen Gone With the Wind (neither have I), but the dress sure was cute.

Emma and Kendra Bryson

Emma and several of her Junior High friends were matching "Waldos" and VERY easy to spot as they sprinted around the neighborhood.