The Temple

Yesterday, November 13th 2012 Benjamin received his own Endowment

in preparation for serving a full time mission

for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

He chose the Oquirrh Mountain Temple

because of it's resemblance to the London Temple.

We attended the 8:00 pm. session 

which is the last session held.

It was very small.

Mostly just our family and about 5 others.

It was a wonderful night.

I can't believe I am attending the Temple with one of my own children.

It is a wonderful experience,

One I will cherish forever.

The proud parents and their boy

 Ben and Kenny, who is like an uncle to him.

My parents, my brother Marty and his wife Kisty, my Sister Melanie and Kenny were all there.

But due to the lateness of the session, and Benjamin wanting to take his time

 they left before we were able to get pictures.

We are so grateful to family and the support they showed Ben.

Family is what its all about.

Congratulations Benjamin!!

Today Benjamin also had his missionary portrait taken
by Amy Bennion Photography.
They turned out amazing!
She fit us in on short notice and did a great job.
Thanks Amy!!

Doesn't he look handsome...
Of course I am not biased in any way.

Sunday we finally get a new Stake President

so the hope is that his call will be submitted before Thanksgiving.

P.S. I have been playing catch-up, so if your interested in our past few months you'll have to scroll through about 10 posts.  But I'm current now and the hope is to stay current...;)

Inspirations

Brooklyn entered our School's Inspirations program.

This is the Charter School version of Reflections.

The theme:  Beautiful is...

She entered in two types.

Photography:  This can be any picture taken that is not digitally enhanced in any way.

Digital Art:  Photography that is changed in some way digitally.

She received an Award of Excellence for grade level 6-8.

This will make her entry move on to Region Competition.

She was so happy.

Her entry was taken on our Conference Weekend walk through the mountains.

She took it and enhanced it.

Her title...

Beautiful is the path that lights the way.

She was so excited.

Good Job Brooklyn!!

Love you.

Boo from Brooklyn to You

As usual Brooklyn started looking at ideas for a Halloween costume about two months before Halloween.  And as usual, I told her I would have no discussion about Halloween until a few weeks before, being the Hater that I am.  But, being in Middle School now and wanting a minimalist type costume Brooklyn started scouring Pinterest and found this face painting.  I was worried about her being able to do it herself.  I couldn't help because I can't do fine stuff like that with my shaking.

But...Here she is and it looks great.

My favorite kind of costume.  Low maintenance.

A little face make-up, an old T-shirt of Ben's cut up.

This is what you get...

She was happy with the way it turned out.

Then when it came to carving pumpkins, she wanted to avoid the original Jack O Lantern, so back to Pinterest she went.  And found a way to do something else.  You just take cookie cutters and pound them into the pumpkin in whatever design you want.  Hers was a design of stars.  Really cute idea and really easy.

She spent the night at home handing out Halloween candy to the trick or treaters.

It was a fun night.

The Big Announcement and Fall Leaves

Conference Weekend brought a big announcement from the Church.

The age for young men to be eligible to serve full time missions

was reduced from 19 to 18.

For sisters from 21 to 19.

WOW!!!

For Benjamin this didn't change his plans.

You can turn your papers in 120 days before your birthday.

Benjamin was already at this mark for his 19th birthday.

But for Bailee...

The options were endless.

She has been contemplating serving a mission for about 6 months now.

She has also been considering auditioning to serve a performance mission in 

Navoo.

Another choice open to her is to audition to return to the Playmill 

in Montana and participate in their 50th anniversary.

So many many choices.

We have told her we will financially and emotionally support her in whichever decision she makes.

I know she will let the spirit guide her.

She already has. But that's not my story to tell.

Conference Weekend also brought a drive to the mountains to see the fall leaves.

What a fun time with the family.

I find myself really cherishing all the small family moments even more

knowing that soon, for a time we will be separated.

Here are a few pictures to capture the afternoon.

My joy, my kids

 A gentlemen even to his sister...

 "Daddy...stop teasing me"

The Mission Papers and Patience

Since he was a little boy, or for almost 19 years Benjamin has had a goal.
To serve a full time mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Finally the time has arrived.

Taking the steps to become a missionary is a big process.
For Ben it started with a meeting with the Bishop.
Then a log in and beginning the process of filling out those papers.
Doctors visits to get a clean bill of health
Wisdom Teeth Extraction

Meeting with the Stake Presidency to become an Elder.
Then the patience part comes into play.
Our dear Stake President passed away.
So Ben's papers must wait until we receive a new Stake President.
The counselors cannot submit mission papers.
We found out we wouldn't get a new Stake President until November 18th.
That would be almost 8 weeks.
8 weeks to test a young man's patience.
8 weeks filled with friends receiving their calls
8 weeks of waiting
But we made good use of the time.
We were able to listen to Benjamin bear his testimony in front of the High Counsel
He talked about learning young, through his trials, that relying on the faith of his parents wasn't enough.
He had to have his own faith.
Ben was ordained an Elder on Sunday October 21st by his dad
with family, grandparents and good friends present.

I am so proud of the man Benjamin is becoming.
He has such a desire to serve the lord.
I know the waiting has been hard.
But we/he also know it's in the Lord's time.
Benjamin will serve when and where the Lord wants him to serve.
Benjamin and a friend of his recently called upon their Melchizedek Priesthood
to give a blessing to a woman at the facility where Ben works.
She felt she needed a blessing and couldn't get a hold of anyone to come give her one.
So Ben and Aaron, his friend who is leaving on a mission in a few months had the privilege.
It is amazing to me to see the growth from boy to man I am already seeing.

Next on the list while we wait patiently
The Temple.

The End of Summer

The end of summer brought a lot of changes.
Ben started his first semester of College.  He is taking a few General Ed classes at SLCC and working.  He works at a place called Rocky Mountain Care as a CNA.  For the most part he enjoys helping others and making a difference.  I think it helps him to know that it's a stepping stone for where he wants to be.

Brooklyn went back to school.  She is in Middle School now and loves it so much.  She still attends North Star Academy.

I went back to work to help alleviate the costs of having two college students and soon a missionary.  I work in the lunchroom at Brooklyn's school for two hours a day.  I am the lady who sits at the computer and takes the lunch numbers.  I actually really enjoy it.

We took a trip to Southern Utah to see Linc's mom.  It will be Ben's last trip south before his mission.  We had a great time with family.  The guys hiked Angels Landing in Zion National Park and had a great time.  The girls shopped and enjoyed girl time.

On our way home we went to a place called the Parowan Gap.  It is a place with a lot of hieroglyphics.

Here are a few pictures.

The Housing Crisis and Answered Prayers

Summer had come to an end and it was finally time for Bailee to re-join us in this great state of Utah.
Before the summer began she made arrangements to live with a friend from High School.
They looked around Ogden and Weber State and chose a great apartment.
But, a few weeks before Bailee was to return to live in Ogden the previously arranged place fell through.
The girls she was going to live with looked around and found another place for them all to live.
I went and looked at the outside of it, as Bailee was in Montana and couldn't look for herself.  It was not optimum.  It was farther away from campus than she usually lives and in a very wooded area.  After a lot of discussion, Bailee decided she would live there anyway to avoid having to live with strangers.  She really felt living with some girls she knew would outweigh the location.

The plan was for the dad and I to move her belongings in and buy her some groceries on the Friday before school started.  That Sunday she would drive down from Montana attend three days of school, sign her housing contract then Thursday return to Montana to finish out her contract.  Sunday she would move back to Ogden for the school year.  So Linc and I loaded up our two vehicles with all of Bailee's hud and drove to Ogden to meet her roommates and move her in.

The first major warning that our Bailee should not live here were the woods surrounding the apartment complex and parking area.  Bailee often travels to and from her house very late at night.  Due to her major and Folk Dance she is involved in a lot of late night rehearsals and shows.  Her dad felt very concerned about her walking through this very wooded area to get from her car to her apartment.
The second warning, the elevator was broken.  The apartment was on the third floor. Not good at all when you have to move in a butt load of furniture.  The third warning signal, the air conditioning was not working.  Really!!  They are moving in and something is already broken.  The stairways were very dark. The final straw for the dad had to be the type of housing it was.  It really wasn't college housing.  It was apartments that were occupied by a variety of people.  Some a little sketchy.  But, to avoid a scene we moved her in and felt wrong about it the whole time.  It just didn't seem like the place for her.  As we drove home the feeling just got stronger and stronger.  We just felt like she needed time to make a choice that was right for her.

I called and cried and begged to my sister who lives not far from Weber State Campus to allow Bailee to live with her temporarily while she finds another place to live.  Of course they were happy to have her.  So I broke the news to Bailee.  Daddy and I just don't feel like this apartment is the right place for you.  She had also been feeling very uneasy about the decision to live there.  Thank goodness she had not signed a contract.  So Sunday back up to Ogden our family drove and packed up Bailee's belongings and moved them into the garage of my sister.  Bailee arrived in Ogden feeling homeless.  All of her stuff was boxed and stacked and school was starting the next day.

For the next three days I drove to Ogden every day and we looked and looked at apartments and houses.  Nothing was working out.  We all just prayed that she would find a place to live that was safe close to campus and with sweet girls for room mates. A place available soon.  She really wanted to settle in somewhere with her stuff.  She went to classes and I scoured the Internet.  No luck.  So she hopped in her car and headed back to Montana thinking she might be living with my sister for the semester.

Then a folk dance friend told her about a house with a space available.  She gave Linc and I instructions to go look at it as soon as possible and if it looked good, sign the contract.  It was perfect.  A cute house about 2 miles from campus with three great girls living there.  We signed the contract and moved her in.  Sunday she came home to a new house and all her belongings there and ready.  It has been the perfect place for her. She loves it and her dad can rest easy at night knowing she is safe.  It really was an answer to her prayers having the other housing fall through and finding this house.  It's where she is meant to be.

Home away from Home at Heber Valley Camp

This year as part of my calling as the Young Women's President I had the privilege of attending some events at Heber Valley Camp. I am going to refer to it as HVC for the rest of this post.

I don't think I have ever spent so many nights on a wooden bunk.  Thank goodness for air mattresses.  I first went HVC this year for Youth Conference.  It was just a two day conference on July 20, so only one night on the bunks.  Just one sleepless night listening to my 3 young women laugh and laugh.  The boys were in other cabins and sound asleep early.

About two weeks later, August 6-10th, back up to HVC for a week of Girls Camp!  What a blast!  If you want details see my Walk Tall blog...after I update. :)  But let me tell you, I have the best young women EVER!!  There was no arguing, everyone gets along and strengthens each other.  It was four long nights.  Man, those girls don't need much sleep.  So much laughter.  There were so many great events that happened at girls camp this year.  Times when the spirit really testified to us what an inspired place this camp really is.  It truly is the Lord's camp, the Lord's mountain really.  I feel blessed to have been able to participate in camp.

 The road entering the camp is lined by flags in all the Value Colors. 

 You know your at Young Women's camp.

 This picture of the bunks is before the cabins are totally finished.  

There are blinds on the windows and tables in the center of the room

Friday camp ended.  Our girls loaded up on buses and headed home.  Me and my leaders...not so much.
It was now time for Relief Society Retreat, also at HVC.  I love Relief Society Retreat, it is an event I NEVER miss!  It has always been a time of building friendships and love.  But, after five days I knew I could not, no way, no how sleep on that wooden bunk for even one more night.  So the other young women leaders and I spent the day with the sisters and after dinner headed home.

A long hot shower, a real bed and hours of uninterrupted sleep.