HAILEY IS 12--UNBELIEVABLE

Even though Hailey wears contacts now she is still The Princess Who Wears Glasses.  I've heard she wears a little make-up and is looking really grown up.  Turning 12 is a big deal.  She is a beautiful young woman now.  Heavenly Father blessed our family with a great example as the oldest grandchild.  She is a good girl and sweet to everyone--she is also a great reader, student, athlete, and babysitter.  She makes up good dances for videos too.  Happy Birthday Princess.  Hope you have a fun day at Disneyland with your Mama.  We are so glad you were born into our family 12 years ago.  We love you tons and we miss you like crazy.  I thought this picture of the two April birthday girls was cute.  My kiddies are growing up too fast.

Hugs & Kisses

MeMa and PaPa 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET PEA

We saw this in Segovia, Spain when we were there on a visa trip.  It was the name of a hotel right on the old town square.

Today is Isabelle's birthday.  My Sweet Pea is 10 years old.  What a blessing she has been to our family for the past 10 years.  She does great in school, soccer, and will be on the swim team soon.  She has lots of friends.  There were something like 18 girls at her birthday party.  She loves babies and  is a good babysitter.  She is my adorable Sweetsie girl.  I'm so glad she was born into our family.  Happy Birthday.  I hope your birthday is the best one yet.  We love you tons and we miss you like crazy.

Hugs & Kisses

MeMa and PaPa

TRANSFER WEEK

We picked up Elder Yeremeyev on Wednesday.  He is standing next to me.  Dad assigned him to be trained in one of our branches in Nizhny.  We found out after he arrived that he is a concert pianist.  Isn't it interesting that the branch he is serving in didn't have anyone to play the piano--until now?  That President Collins truly is inspired.

The Monson's finished their remarkable service as missionaries and left for their home in UT.

We didn't get a Sr. couple to take their place.  Bummer for us.  Sr. Couples are wonderful.  We need some.

Elder Terrill went back "out into the field" for his last transfer before he goes home.  He was a great AP.  He is excited to be a full-time missionary again. 

Thursday night we had a farewell dinner and testimony meeting with our missionaries that left for their homes on Friday.  Elders:  Russell (new AP), Wheeler, Ficklin, Mitchell, and Cannon (AP) and Sister Zonova.   As you can see in the photo below that Sister Zonova is beautiful.  She is as sweet as she is beautiful and she has dimples that are to die for.  I love dimples. She spent the night with us.  Everyone of these people were amazing missionaries and I miss them already.  

IT'S BOOGIN'S BIRTHDAY-- YIPPEE SKIPPY!

Celebrate big time today because it's the day that our Angel girl was born.  It's hard to believe that it was 32 years ago.  She be lookin' gorgeous as ever.  Being her Mom is a joy--always has been.  She made me feel loved from the start.  I called her my siamese twin because she was attached to my body pretty much for the first several years of her life.  She hung on to me so tight that I had my hands free to do other stuff---my little Minky.  What a talented lady she is.  The Lord was generous when he blessed her with gifts.  Her sensitivity to others is just one of them.  Happiest of Birthdays to you Brooke.  We love you tons.  We are so glad you were born to us.  We are the lucky duckies!  Have a great time in Hawaii!  Safe travels.

Hugs & Kisses

Dad and Mom

HAPPY EASTER

I love this---John outrunning Peter to the empty tomb.  Can you imagine the feelings they were having at that moment?  I often wonder what it would have been like.  

What a glorious time of the year--Easter!  I would like to share with you one of my favorite Easter scriptures.  Alma 26:16

"Therefore, let us glory, yea, we will glory in the Lord; yea, we will rejoice, for our joy is full; yea, we will praise our God forever.  Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord?  Yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy, and of his long-suffering towards the children of men?  Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel."

I too share Ammon's feelings about our Savior and Redeemer.  I cannot say the smallest part which I feel.  He lives--this I am sure of.  I pray with all my heart that you, my beloved children, and my precious grandchildren,  know it too.

I love you tons

ox

ASHLY IS ANOTHER YEAR OLDER TODAY

                                                  My Sissey Susie is having another birthday today.  

It's hard to believe that my baby--the perfect ending to these perfect kids--is 26 years old.  She asked me if her being 26 made me feel old.  It does.

She is not only beautiful (inside & out), but is one talented lady and generously shares her gifts and talents with others.  What a blessing she is to all who know her.  

 
                        I am so glad you were born into our family.  You are a delightful, loving daughter.  I'm still a little bitter about you leaving home and making me an empty nester :(

BUT----- now you are an amazing Mama to your own adorable babies (how in the world did that happen in .2 seconds?) and that makes me so proud and so joyful.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY GIRL!

We love you tons sweetheart

Hugs & Kisses

MOM & DAD

OH, SPRING, WHERE ART THOU?

Since our treadmill broke yesterday, Dad and I were forced to get our exercise outdoors in the form of a long walk.  Yes, kids that is snow falling in the air.  We thought for sure it would stop before our walk was over with, but no--it is still snowing.   BUT....

Dad bought me these beautiful tulips during the walk so at least it feels like Spring in the kitchen---that is if you don't look out the window at the snow that is still all over in the courtyard behind us.  Oh  how I long to smell those orange blossoms in Mesa.  I miss them.

ZONE CONFERENCE IN NIZHNI

Elders:  Traasdahl, Baxter, Michaelis, Rosenhan, Malanin, Russell, Westbroek, Krugylak, Terrill, Cannon, and the Monsons.  The Monsons bore their farewell testimony.  They go home to Pleasant Grove, UT in April.  We don't have a senior couple to replace them.  Can't say enough about the good the senior couples do.  We need more.  So this was the last of our ZC this transfer.  Now it's time to start preparing for our next round.  We've done 25 rounds of ZC so far.  

ZONE CONFERENCE IN KAZAKHSTAN

While we were in Almaty for ZC we arranged to be there on P-Day too so that we could hang out with our missionaries.  Here are Sisters: Jenson, Smith and Zonova at the Uzbeki resturant with their slices of horse sausages on their forks.  Sister Smith is new to Kazakhstan so this was her first time to try the horse meat.  The other two Sisters had already eaten it the time before so they really didn't eat it.  Once was enough for them.  The Elders ate all that was left over.

We had read on the internet that it was warm in Almaty and it was the day we got there, but we woke up to snow the next morning and it snowed about 10 inches.  I didn't have a hat with me so Dad bought me this Kazak hat. Me with sweet, beautiful Sister Jenson.

This is the Uzbeki bread.  They put several of the circles of dough on the inside of this oven stuck all over the sides of it.  It is yummy.

A picture of my adorable companion outside the Almaty airport--we are headed back to Moscow.  I didn't get a picture of all of us at zone conference because Elder Brandenburg was throwing up all day so his companion, Elder McKay stayed home with him.  The first time we have had missionaries miss a ZC since we arrived.  Next time I'll get them.