California Trip-March 1, 2009

March 1, 2009
Dear Elder Sean,
I just barely got back home from California late tonight. I've been there for the past 4 days and I had a lot of fun and got a lot of things done in a short time. I went out to lunch with Toni and Mom in downtown Old Orange and we walked around a bit in the old shops. Then I went with my dad to his accountant's office for a 2 hour mtg updating and going over his trust, the Trumbo family partnership and the Winn and Doreen. The last paper work they had was very outdated and several things had changed so it was very good that we got in there. It was a time for me to ask questions too and it helped me understand how it all works and what my job as trustee is, etc.

That night grandpa had to go back to work because they had this big project for Toyota that they'd promised to get done by Monday but they were going to have to pull late nights in order to get it done. So I took my mom out to dinner at Marie Callendar's which she loved and we hung out at night til grandpa got home. We also went to the Starrs to visit. On Friday I went next door to visit with Allen and Lisa and their family. They had just driven in the night before. Mom, Toni and I headed up to Jan's next where we went house hunting looking for a one story house for the Lutz's to buy (Jan has a really hard time with stairs now with her rheumatoid arthritis). Then us girls went out to lunch in Brea. Toni took mom home for a rest and Jan and I went shopping til around 7pm when we bought some dinner and took it to the Winn for the workers there. Grandpa had gone home early, but the rest were staying til around midnight again.

Saturday morning I helped my mom get ready to go to the temple and grandpa came home from work. I drove them to the LA temple (with grandpa giving me back seat driving directions the whole way!) We got there with only 1 minute to spare. You can't believe how many different freeways I took to get there trying to take shortcuts whenever there was a traffic jam. The temple sealing of David and Caryn's 2 littlest (Andrew and Lily) was so wonderful. It brought back so many memories of our day seeing all of you in white and how cute the little girls looked when they came in and how angelic they behaved. And you know David's kids, they were very worried about how they'd behave there, but all of them could sense the importance and the reverence of the ordinance and it was just beautiful!! When we got back outside, the kids were running wild all over the place and I went over to Caryn, put my arm around her and said, "Inside you got to see just a little glimpse of eternity, and now we're back down to earth, back to reality and hard work, but at least we got to see that little view of heaven."

After the temple, my dad suggested we stop at Junior's (this Jewish deli down the street where we almost always go after our temple trips). So Allen/Lisa and their family, myself and grandma and grandpa stopped for some good food. Grandpa had to have his favorite, creamed herring. I had my favorite, a Monte Cristo. It brought back good memories.

The drive home was much calmer, but we had to immediately change clothes and get over to David and Caryn's friend's home for a dinner/get-together. It was a beautiful home with a huge backyard. There were probably 70-80 of us there. It was lots of fun. Afterwards I went to Jan's (since she wasn't feeling well enough to go to the dinner). We hung out, went to In-n-Out to get t-shirts for the boys back home. Grandpa was still up waiting for me when I got home-just like the old days.

Sunday morning we all went to David and Caryn's ward where David blessed Andrew and Lily. Since it was fast Sunday, Caryn, David, Lyndee and Ryan all bore their testimonies. Ryan is like a man in a boy's body. His testimony was so sweet and funny at time. He said "the spirit in the temple was so strong and good. And that's a fact!"

I got to see Elder Beagley there in their ward. It was so fun seeing him. He says he's really enjoying his mission and he especially loves going over to the Trumbo's house (David Trumbo's house). He said it's always wild and crazy there and that it makes him laugh. I brought 2 pies from his mom for him since it was his birthday and he sent home a present for his brother Taylor. After church a few of us went over to Toni's house to see the work that Scott and Janet were doing there. I can't remember if I told you but Scott and Janet lost their house to foreclosure and Scott will be filing bankruptcy for his business. So they needed a place to live and will be sharing the Flint house with Toni and her family. Scott and Janet will basically take the downstairs and Toni and the her kids will have the upstairs. I flew home in the afternoon. I had a wonderful time, but sure missed having the family with me.

All the cousins asked about you. Cole is graduating from high school this May and then will be putting in his mission papers since he turns 19 in November. Trevor is still with his girlfriend Kathryn, but he's thinking about applying to BYU for winter semester. Brig is still undecided about things too. McKenna and Joe are still in northern California and it looks like Hannah will be going up there this fall.

How have you been this week? Your mission conference sounded wonderful. Thanks for sharing what you learned from it. How is Marcela coming along with her lessons? So many miracles happen for people who are ready to have the gospel in their lives. The Lord's hand is very evident and new converts can usually look back and see where the Lord was directing their lives and realize what a miracle it was. A woman in David's ward today bore her testimony about the miracles that happened when she was taking the lessons and got baptized and also about the times when she felt the spirit bear witness to her the strongest in her life and she said today while David was blessing his children, she received one of those strong spiritual witnesses and was so grateful for the Trumbo family and their example.

I will also send some pics from my trip. I have to turn my thoughts now to a talk I've been asked to give to the RS senior sisters in the stake this Wednesday for the RS birthday celebration luncheon. They've asked me to be their guest speaker. I've been thinking about it for some time and have written lots of my thoughts down, but now I need to fine tune it and get it prepared for Wednesday. I'm a little nervous and hope I can convey what I've been feeling and thinking into good expression.

My prayers and many others from all the family are always with you. You are part of a wonderful family, a very large wonderful family (with 2 new sealed members) who all care about and love each other very much. Have a great week knowing how much you are loved!

I love you,
momxoxoxooxxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoox