Family News

 Finn fell off his bed this week and hit his mouth.  Adrienne had to take him to the dentist to have him checked out since there was blood involved.  He had severed the little muscle under the top lip and his gums were sore, but everything else was fine.  Since Adrienne hasn't had enough stress this year, a little more was added when, right before they were to leave for a weekend trip to Sun Valley, some electrical stuff was stolen from their construction site.  This is the 4th incident and it happened during the lunch hour.  I told her we never had anything stolen from our lot.  I had been worried, too, because we didn't have locks on our doors until the very end--evenafter appliances were being delivered.  She said that they think it could be the neighbor. 

Roy spent a couple of days in Fontana, MI just outside of Milwaukee, WI at a NATSAP convention.  This national group is associated with providing care for Troubled Youth.  He set up a booth and worked on getting organizations lined up for subsequent demos, which was very successful.  The first night around 110 people from the association went on two paddle boats for a dinner cruise on Lake Geneva.  

View from the hotel

 Roy has been diagnosed with sleep apnea.  The doctor gave him 2 choices--a C-Pap machine, or lose 30 lbs.  He's working on the latter.  He's been biking all summer, but he has added 2-3 mornings a week at the same "Fit, Boot Camp" that Jennie attends.  He's determined.  Saturday he joined some of the Stake Presidency and High Council members of the YSA stake on a 45 mile bike ride that had been planned by President King (Michelle King's husband).  I think he's the 2nd counselor.  Roy said that the wind made the ride particularly difficult, plus the hills in North Salt Lake were "kick butt."  But he stayed the course.  Today his voice was pretty raspy from all the smoke pollution he breathed in yesterday. 

 Speaking of the smoke pollution.  Nan Theobald's family has really been affected by fires this year.  In a previous newsletter I wrote about Luke and Tara's cows (which they are now trying to sale as they have no place for them to graze).  Nan has been on pre-evacuation notice and Tyler and Liz were evacuated from their homes.  Their stake fasted and prayed today, and tonight it is raining down there.  No rain was in the forecast.  Sara said that we should also have Toby and his family (Anderton) in our prayers.  They have also been evacuated from their home in North Carolina because of the hurricane, as have Annie and Chris Acree.  We think we have control, and then we find that we actually have very little control.  We need our Heavenly Father. 

Spaghetti Sauce.  While Roy was biking
I bottled and cleaned.  I have enough tomatoes to
do another batch in the next couple of days--I'm just not
sure I have enough energy :)

Andy graduates from medical school the middle of May.  Roy and I will most likely get tickets for a trip to Texas for this.

This morning (Sunday), Roy spoke in one of the single's wards, then he picked me  up and took me to an "appointment."  I got a new calling.  Roy said I shouldn't tell anyone yet because word gets around.  I am pretty sure no one in my family would tell anyone in my ward or stake, so, if you want to know you can call me.  The word went around pretty well at Nan's Farewell dinner today, though, so a lot of my extended family already knows. :)  Let's just say that it's WAY out of my comfort zone.  It's my fault, though, because I've been praying to know what the Lord wants me to do with my time.  

Nan and Bruce did a great job with their talks.  Nan talked about the blessings available to senior couples who serve missions.  She told about how Dave started praying about a mission and received many miracles that made it possible for him to go.  He had had headaches every day for 14 years due to ahead injury.  About this time Becky found a new doctor and made an appointment for him.  Within a few weeks of treatment, Dave's headaches began to go away.  Becky, who was on 16 different medications for Rheumatoid arthritis, decided she'd give this doctor a try, also.  The doctor examined her and said, I don't think you have Rheumatoid, and he gradually took her off all the medicines.  She got better quickly.  They were healthy enough to spend 2 years in Russia together.  

Also, Tiffany called them right before they left and asked if they would come to her Temple Sealing.  The Lord really does bless us for our service.  Nan also said that she didn't know exactly why she wanted to serve a mission, but the Lord had put the desire into her heart.  

Bruce spoke a little about the Republic of Congo.  He read from a blog he found on the internet of a couple that served in another mission there.  The writer said that she had learned to put the emphasis on the things that matter most--she said in Africa they are happy, and they don't have many of the things that we put so much energy into.  They put their energy into the things that matter most.  She said that she learned that the most happiness comes from worshiping the Savior (I hope I got that right, Bruce).  Bruce said that he had given Nan an article about the need for senior couples to serve in Africa about 5 years ago.  It took them about that long to get their minds set to fill out their papers.  Africa was not their first choice, but it was where they felt they were meant to serve.

It was fun to see Glenn and Rosilene, Jed and Patti, and Emily, Taylor and  Ila. Christine and Steve and many of their kids came.  Dave and Becky, Tiffany and Troy and Kim and Chris and their kids were there.  Of course, many of Nan's family were in attendance  but only the Utah families.  Nick, Effie and Ori came and it was fun to have them with us.  We missed everyone else.  I had made 2 salads (instead of one large one).  For one I put in fresh tomatoes and cucumbers from our garden as well as walnuts and feta.  I put lime juice and olive oil on that one.  For the other I used pears from our pear tree (a small sacrifice since we only have a few this year), raisins from our previous garden, and sugared walnuts and feta.  I made one of Charlotte's salad dressing recipes.  Both salads were delicious.  Christine had made a beautiful salad, too.  Nan served spaghetti with her homemade sauce.  Everything was wonderful as it usually is when we have these family get togethers.