8/5/18 - Family Letter to Emma

hey Emma
 you are awesome
i made my own desk!!!  I cant wait  for 5th grade . also  the new girl that i told you about
is going to  Rivertion Ele.
love you miss you
Mari



Hello Sis.
Football has been great so far!
I'm on both Defense and Offense!
I love it so far. really miss you lots.


YooHoo Emma!
Its Jacob,
I miss you so much and hope you are doing wonderful!
Know that what you're doing an awesome job and an awesome work.
This should say somthing about how much i love you,
but i have now written you more than i have written Kade.
Yo da bes
love you
Jacob

Sweet Emma,
Fest Junina sounds fun!  I've heard that Brazilians really know how to party....that's the perfect mission for you!  I was talking to Lane Gneiting today after church.  He was asking about you and how you are liking your mission.  He said he is glad you are using your awesome personality to help teach the Word.  He said that while he was in Africa, he learned that teaching is so much more than just sitting down with someone to 'teach' a lesson.  He said that teaching comes in all kinds of ways...so good job Emma!

We have a new roof!  I'll send you a picture, but I don't think it looks very different than the last one.  Whew!  It looks good!  A few things this week:   Hyrum School Shopping/Lunch....as you know, he HATES shopping so all he would allow us to do was go to Costco for socks and undies...and samples then Jamba Juice for a smoothie.  It took exactly 1 1/2 hours!  It was fun to be with him but that was the fastest school shopping event EVER!

Eve was at EFY all week so things were pretty quiet (and clean!)  Mari got some new tap shoes for her theater class.  She is excited!  Hyrum is loving his football team, especially playing on the team with Logan.  Dad's new calling as the Elder's Quorum Ministering Secretary is on the Ward level.  I'm sure he'll tell you more about it.  It sounds like it is quite involved and will require a lot of organization.  Dad will be perfect for this!  It will also help him build relationships with men in the ward.  He already has a lot of friends, but this will add more.  I'm excited for him. 

Our ward BBQ is this week.  I've invited a friend from our neighborhood who I met through Jazzercise.  She is Jewish (lives in the Koceja's circle).  She hasn't responded to my text inviting her, so I will have to call her.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed.  This week I am hosting a baby shower for Kara Larson's baby boy.  We will do a baby quilt and visit.  It should be fun!  Lilli, Jill, Vanessa, Jillian, and Tonya Hales are helping.  Melissa wanted to help but will be out of town. 

Have you heard that Adam and Blaikley are having a baby boy?  They announced 'It's a boy!' at Barlow Family Night tonight.  He is due in December.  Christie is so excited to be a grandma!  She says she'll have to start thinking about her 'grandma name' and pick one soon.  Dad's family night lesson about the Armor of God was awesome!  We had it outside and everyone loved the swords and the props.  Everyone colored/decorated a shield to represent what their family does to prepare to get through trials as they come.  Even John and Angie stayed to listen.  On their shield, Max drew a fire engine coming to the rescue of a boy with his bike on fire.  OKAY!  Ormsby's dog, Maizie, passed away a few days ago.  Carrie and Lauren are taking it hard.  We got Lauren a little black and white stuffed dog to remember her sweet puppy.  Lauren also turned 16 this week.  She has been telling everyone that she is 'Lauren the Laurel'! 

Eve had a hard day today when she found out about her friend, James Choun, who committed suicide.  She learned about it through their HOPE Squad group text.   I'm sure she'll tell you all about it.  It's so hard to watch her suffer with sadness. I'm glad she has a good group of friends and a loving family to support her through this.  She is also having so much fun with her Brazilian friends (I guess they started school this week?) 

Otherwise, we are all well!  We love you so much!  I am so proud of you, your courage, compassion, and commitments!  YOU ARE AWESOME!!!!

💜Mom


M,

I hope you are doing well and having success.  We pray you will find people who are ready and get them to church.  The changes at work have not happen yet and I not sure how they will impact me.  I feel I am getting Missionary blessings and things just keep going my way.  I have officially been released from my Stake Sports calling but I will stay until after the Triathlon this Saturday.  Hyrum was planning on participating but can't due to football weigh ins.  Mom plans to help me and Eve will be running the Tri.  I will be released over the pulpit the next day.  I had my first meeting with the Elder's Quorum Presidency.  It is a Ward calling.  I handle all things to do with Ministering.  Any changes to the companionships I record.  I call and set appointment for all the Priesthood holders to have PPIs with the EQP.  They are required to have a PPI each quarter and I make sure they get their schedules full.  They are hoping I can use my personality and aggressively attempt to get these appointments scheduled.  It is a lot of busy work.  Keith is the Elders Quorum President in his Ward and each member of the Presidency has a Secretary to get these appointments scheduled.  It is a new calling that I get to define as I go.  It will be good .  A new change and a new challenge.  I envision a bunch of spreadsheets.

We had the lesson for family night.  I was finally able to do my Armour of God lesson.  This is the reason I made the swords the foam swords years ago.  We were trying to impress the need to prepare for trails or tragedy before they happen.  I put Jaron in front of everyone as an example of us all and we names trails that we face and we need to prepare for.  We names small trails or bad habits and had Max, Ava and Rocky stand in front of Jaron and look intimidating representing the small trials.  We gave Jaron a small shield (Faith) and a small sword (Word of God) and asked if he could beat these kids in a fight.  We then gave the kids swords and asked how he felt.  We then asked for personality flaws or small transgressions and switch the kids for Hyrum, Jacob and AJ.  We gave them swords as they represent larger problems or concerns we might face.  We asked Jaron if he wished for a bigger Shield ( greater Faith).  We then gave him a helmet (Salvation) and asked if was better prepared.     We then asked for bigger concern, Large transgressions or Tragedy we might face and swapped the boys out for Matt, John and Alex.  These are large problems that could create a Trial of our Faith.  We gave Jaron a breastplate (Righteousness) and asked how he felt.  We was not comfortable.  His armour is not big enough.  His shield (Faith) and Sword (Testimony) are not as big as he hoped.  When is the time to increase your Faith and work on your testimony? Not during your tail but long before.  You dig a well before you are thirsty.  After our attempt for a visual lesson Mom handed out shield cut outs and asked everyone to write down or draw what they are doing as a family to prep for potential trails.  We all shared one thing we are doing.  After the lesson the kids broke out into a massive sword battle.  It overall went well.

We got a new roof.  It looks good.  Mom picked  good color.  They were very noisy and were done in three days.  I tried to work from home one of those days but I had to go into the basement due to the noise.  the insurance company paid for most of the roof.  Apparently the roof was in bad shape.  Mom is thinking of using the money we saved to buy a grand piano.  We are struggling with where to put it.  I want to keep the computer is a very public place.  Mom is concerned that the computer will not work with the piano in the same room.  I thought she was concerned with the room for everything.  She is concerned with a computer next to a beautiful instrument.  We are still considering our options.

Do well and try your best kid.  We pray for you daily. 

Love

Dad

Eph  6: 11-12

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