8/19/18 - Family Letter to Emma

hi Emma

  i cut my hair again . i got my own strainer and curler .

GROWING UP IS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

school starts on Wednesday !!!

Copa starts on Tuesday !!!

I reallised that I really like running!!!

                         l.Y.l         love you lots

                                                                 mari

Hello Emma!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

we won our first game!

i blocked 2-3 guys at a time!8guys on the line!

yeah. Schools about to start.

I'm an SBO again so i have to go in early for orientation.

Love you lots

Hyrum

M,

We hope you received your package.  Mom says that out package for you is still in customs.  We are hoping someone decided to force it through without scanning it.  We are crossing our fingers.  Congrats on your baptism.  I would definitely count it.  For the record, it does not matter if the child is from a member family or not.  It depends on her age.  If the child is 8 she counts as a member of record baptism.  Is she is older she is technically a convert baptism.  If she is 8 the Bishop should control the baptism.  If she is older you missionaries are supposed to control it.  She would require either an interview from the Bishop or a Missionary before baptism.  I would count it either way.  You put forth the effort and worked with the family.  Count it.

We had a Fidelity family night at the Bees Game this week.   This year Fidelity decided to not have the family BBQ and tried to do something different.  We sat in a far corner of the park.  I was concerned we would be too far away and in the sun the whole game but it turned out perfect.  We had a row that was only 5 seats and fit us perfectly.  The weather was great.  Fidelity gave us some vouchers for the food.  We went to Moochies for some sandwiches and then went to the ballpark.  We left early and by the time we got home we found out that the Bees won in dramatic fashion.  We lasted longer than we normally would.  It was a good relaxing evening. 

Rachel got home.  It was interesting to have her walk off the plane with her family.  We tried to make it special for her.  Andy got home on the same day.  They had their homecoming talks today.  We smoked 8 pork shoulders for them.  I think it turned out ok.

I took the day off and we had a last family day of the Summer.  I was not happy with our Original Pancake House breakfast so I took everyone to Penny Ann's.  It was exactly what we were hoping for.  We then went to Riverton Park and played tennis, baseball (with a whiffleball), we played flys up with a football, and ended with Bocce ball.  We then went home and got our swimming gear on and floated Provo River.  Your Mom has always wanted to do that.   It was a challenge to navigate the tubes.  Mari and I got a 2 person tube and had a better time navigating it.  Everyone else just kept spinning in spinning in circles and crashing into the brush on the side of the river.  We tried to help your mom a bit but we could not figure out how to steer with to floats put together.  I ended up putting us into the brush a few times and we got a few scratches.  It was fun and when we were done we were all tired.  We got Popeye's on the way home.  Hyrum got to  football practice and was beat.  We all went home and rested.

Hyrum had his first football game yesterday.  We had a Preseason game against Grantsville.  We had to go to Magna for the game.  Hyrum did well.  He had the best game I think he has had yet.  ever.  He is on the Offensive Line and they kept trying to blitz players right were he was.  We was always blocking 2 players.  He had a few times he was blocking 3 players.  He held his own.  They won.  We should have a good year as we have a good team.  Grandpa Barlow came which was a surprise.  We didn't think he would travel out that far.  Overall it was a good start to the season.  I still need to secure a way to watch football this year.  We dropped our Dish to try a Summer without it.  We have not missed it much but football season is starting.  I think I have waited to late to get it in place before the BYU season begins.  

I'm glad to hear you are getting along with your new companion.  The pictures are great.  Have you found a way out of your funk?  We have been praying that you will find a way to get your mojo back.  Keep working hard.  We hope you will get the package.  We are trying to find another way to get something down to you.  If needed we will add some more money into your account and you can get yourself something.  That is not the same thing but we can try it if needed.  The kids start school this week and only Mari is excited about it.  Mari went to a COPA openhouse with mom and is very excited.  I'm sure Mom will fill you in.  We will  do back to school blessings tomorrow.  We are sending all the love we can possibly send down your way.  Keep working, Keep your Faith up, success will come.

Love

Dad

Sweet Emma,

I'm sorry you've been sick.  I've heard from many missionary moms that their kids were sick for a few months as they were getting used to living in South America.  After they were use to the food/water etc, they were mostly healthy the rest of their mission.  As far as gaining weight...I'm sure it's not as bad as you think (you look great in your pictures)...but if you are concerned you could try eating slowly (so the members don't have time to refill your plate) or don't finish everything on your plate so they can see that you are full.  I don't know what the customs are, but you are still in control of what you eat.  Try not to feel pressured to eat what you don't want to. 

Congrats on your baptism (Melena).  She looks like a really cute girl.  I'm glad you are getting use out of your ukulele.  I'm sure people love to hear you play and sing!  I'm excited to hear about your experiences in following every prompting.  I'm sure you've had some really great stories because of it.  I'm proud of you.  You have always been super friendly,  loving, and courageous.  I"m glad you like your new companion.  She looks like she would be fun.  How is your Portuguese coming?

Rachel and Andy's homecoming was today.  Rachel has changed a lot.  She is very kind and friendly to everyone now.  I think you two will have alot to talk about as you share your mission experiences with each other.  In Rachel's talk she spoke about the people she met in Spain and how she thought of everyone as a traveler on the road of life.  Some were searching, some were not.  Some didn't know they needed to be searching until the missionaries showed them a better way.  She said that as she met these people and taught them about repentance, she realized that she had just as much need to repent as they did.  She said they were all there to help each other on their journey through life.  It's a nice thought.  Andy's talk was about how he learned to ask good questions, especially to Heavenly Father.  He said that he learned that Heavenly Father is willing to answer us, but we have to ask first.  He said that through this he learned to rely completely on Heavenly Father.  It was a good meeting.

I took Mari to the COPA open house yesterday.  I wish we knew about this place when you were younger.  I think you would've loved it too.  Mari has specific things expected of her:  practicing vocal exercises, memorizing monologues, learning songs and dances.  We were sent a link to all her songs, monologues etc.  The faster she learns these things, the more likely she is to get a good part in the end of year show.  Mari downloaded all these things onto your old ipod.  Some of her songs to learn are:  A Change in Me, Broadway Baby, Fabulous, Goodnight My Someone, Happy Working Song, Home-Beauty and the Beast, I Enjoy Being a Girl, I Have a Dream, I Have Confidence, I Know it's Today, I know things Now, I See the Light, I Want it Now, I'm Gonna Wash that Man, Love Story, My New Philosophy, My Strongest Suit, POPULAR, Shy, Thank You For the Music, The Girl I Mean to Be, Tomorrow.   (I highlighted the ones she is familiar with). She is familiar with many of these because of YOU!  Thank you!!!!  Mari also started her tap class.  She said that she has never thought about her feet this much before!  She is smiling all the time!  (If talking about this stuff makes you lose focus, please let me know and we will stop 😊)

Dad told you about our Provo River Float.  It was great!  We will do it again with you later.  It was funny because our family made friends on the river because:

One girl ahead of us lost her sandal (it floated away from her as she mounted her tube).  Hyrum paddled after it and got it.  We were able to return it to her about a mile after he saved it.  She was so grateful that her family got it all on video (go-pro).  There was also a family of with kayaks.  The mom and little girl got flipped over in some rapids.  They were okay but they lost their brand new paddle.  I tried to get it for them but my tube just kept spinning.  Dad jumped out of his tube and was able to catch it about 50 yards away from their spill.  Their dad jumped in someone's canoe that was floating by and came and got it from him.  Needless to say, we made some  friends on the river because we were HELPFUL!

I think we have decided on a grand piano.  It's  a 5foot Wm. Knabe baby grand.  It has a beautiful sound and feel.  I will send you a picture.  The best part of the picture is Dad....look at his face....MOST of us enjoyed piano shopping.  Our salesman was a piano tuner who LOVED his job.  He wanted to tell us about everything inside the piano and how it worked.  He took it apart and we got the whole science of it (engineer Hyrum LOVED it but Dad was SO DONE!)

I'm also sending a picture of Mari's haircut.  Shanel cut it and thinned it out.  It looks really cute (but I miss her long hair).  Since she will be in 5th grade, we thought that this would be a good year for her to get use to actually DOING her hair (with straightener, curling iron etc) so that when she turns 12 and wears makeup, she won't have so many new things to learn.  How old were you when you learned how to French Braid your own hair?

I'm glad you got a package (I hope it was the one we sent to you!)  If the one we send is still in customs, we will send some of the same stuff again.  Do you have enough money?  Grandpa Dean is still hanging in there.  He is fighting death.  I went over there to play violin to help him relax and feel the spirit.  I think it mostly benefited Grandma Charlene.  I'm glad she could enjoy it.  I'm so proud of my mom.  She is truly enduring to the end with him.  She is to the point of having to change his urine bag and poops.  She said it makes her feel like vomiting every time.  BLAH!

Your friend news:  Brooklyn has been dating Delle's son, Marshall, but now Brooklyn has moved to college so I don't know what will be.  Emma Tolman is engaged to that old guy (sorry I don't know his name...dance teacher?) Harrison Sligting comes home at the end of August (Isaac Slighting will be leaving 1 month after he returns.) Other than that, not much has changed.

Keep up the good work!  Thanks for praying for us.  Your service and prayers are such a blessing!  We continue to pray and fast for you.  This is THE most important work you can be doing right now!  I love you my Emma!

💜 Mom

 Hi sweet Emma, 

I forgot to tell you something that we learned as we have been doing family history. I came across a story about 5th Great Grandma Mary Ann Hoopes Yearsley:  

Meeting La Fayette

In 1824 General Marquis La Fayette was invited by President James Monroe and Congress to visit the United States. La Fayette was a French aristocrat who joined the Revolutionary War at this own request and became one of the most successful leaders in combat and General George Washington’s most loyal companion. It so happened that he and his party stopped for dinner at a hotel where Mary Ann was visiting and as there were many guests to be cared for, Mary Ann was asked to assist in waiting on the guests which she cheerfully consented to do. She was assigned to wait upon the table of La Fayette. Though she was only in her early teens (15), the occasion was so impressed upon her memory that she frequently referred to it as one of the pleasing and important occasions of her life.

I thought you would appreciate this! Who would’ve known that this many years later people would be rapping  about the really cool Frenchman in Hamilton!

Love you!

Mom