Dear Elder Alex,
I am totally enjoying the fall colors right now. Everywhere I drive has beautiful sights. I hope you are enjoying the same.
We just got back from a high priest fireside for the stake where the McCauley's spoke about their mission. A very hard, but rewarding mission. Every missionary in their humungous mission had to leave Russia every 90 days to go get a new visa. It took about 24 hours to even travel outside the mission to Finland where they would do a temple session, get their new visa, then turn around and head back home which took another 24 hours. When they would get back home, they would get a couple hours sleep, then wake up just in time to get to church. Their mission comprised 11 time zones, so traveling within it would wipe you out. They said the mission president was constantly traveling. After 3 years, he must drop from exhaustion. Then Pres. Stafford spoke to all of us asking us to prepare now for our missions. They even had 3 senior couples talk to us through Skype during the first part of the meeting. It was pretty fun.
So I hope you've heard-I guess I just assume that you read things on Facebook-that Dakota got her mission call to Croatia! Very unexpected and Steve's not so calm about her going to a war torn country, but Dakota is ready to get on her mission. She doesn't leave until Jan. 11.
So your week last letter sounded crazy and full. I hope last week was great for you. Grandma and Grandpa Thompson were proud of the fact that they had Panda Express also last week. Charmaine brought it for them for dinner since they were both laid up not feeling well.
I had a pretty full week myself. I was busy with planning Kristina's 16th birthday bash at the Moss's and also making sure that her actual birthday at home was lots of fun. I've spent the last couple months putting together her 16th photo album. This time I did the whole thing online with Shutterfly. I'm really not a good scrapbooker, so this was more my speed and I enjoyed it although it was a lot of work. The book came about a week before her birthday and it turned out great. Kristina loved it, in fact she cried a little as she was looking through it. I knew she liked it cuz she showed every one of her friends. We also rented an upright bass for her for 6 months. She starts taking jazz lessons with it this week. It is a monster. I knew it would be big, but it's also heavy and I sure wish she'd take up harmonica, but so far she loves plucking out songs she knows. So we'll see how this goes and if she still loves it when she has to practice every day. But she has a dream of being in a small group and McMullin wants her to play it for Premium Blend next year.
Speaking of McMullin, they had their first concert last week. Every group sounded great. We'll probably send you a program. The men's quartet sounded awesome this year. Tanner Myler is the lead tenor and I think he now has a little following of freshman girls because of it. The girls didn't want to be outdone this year, so they also have a quartet that performed. Rebecca Soelberg is their main vocalist and she has a fantastic voice and is very fun with it. You can tell she loves singing.
FYI-Vocal Point from BYU is really doing well on the show The Sing Off. They are now in the final 8. Everyone loves them.
I was in charge of our Stake Humanitarian Work Day this past Thursday, because our leader is out of the country. But everything went smoothly and we got many projects done and had fun chatting and visiting while doing so. I am now working hard on a training meeting I'm having this week for all the ward presidencies. We also serve them dinner. Figuring out what to serve them, etc is almost harder than working on what I'm talking to them about. I have great counselors though and we have so much fun when we work together-sometimes too much fun.
Saturday was Kristina, Mallory and Courtney's big day. On Facebook they had invited 120 kids, so we had no idea how many were actually going to show. We ended up having around 80 which was a good group. The DJ did a great job and the dance floor aka tennis courts looked great with lights and disco balls. In the middle of the dance a group of guys-Tanner Myler, Spencer Madsen, Blake Billings, Sean Pinder performed a song they had written for the girls. I wish I had recorded it, because it was great. That was a big hit with the girls. Each girl had her own cake, so we all sang happy birthday and had cake after that. Then they showed Elf on a big blow up outdoor screen in their backyard on the grass. We got huge containers of popcorn and passed some out to everyone in bags. Dad served hot chocolate all night too. When it was time for it to be over, a lot of kids didn't want to leave and I heard a lot of them saying it was the best party every.
When we took Kristina and Courtney home, that's exactly what they said too. So I was very happy that they thought it was the best. Earlier in the day, I took all 3 girls to the mall and had the ladies at Clinique do a makeover on them. Total pampering for their Sweet 16th!
Needless to say, we all had a hard time waking up this morning for church, but we made it. Forgot to mention that Kristina got asked out on her birthday and had a day date also yesterday in between the makeover and the big party. She went out with Cardston Payne and had a triple date where they played games at Zach Harris's house. She said it was a lot of fun.
Kirk is excited for this coming weekend. Sarah is coming down for a quick trip.I'm pretty sure Kirk has something special planned for her, if you get my drift... We'll keep you posted.
Let's see, other news. Holly Campbell announced this week that she's engaged and getting married in January.
Leah is now counting the days until her birthday and it's a big one for her too-12! She's ready to be in Young Women and when the Primary asked her if she wanted to be in the program which is a few days after her birthday, she told them no. She's ready to move on.
How is your zone doing? I'm glad you are still working with Elder Wheatley. Sounds like you two work well together. How is it having just 2 in a companionship now? Which way do you like better?
Also, how is Ricky coming along with his smoking habit? The sister in our ward, Trish, is still struggling with that but she is so awesome when it comes to anything else with the church.
Well, that's about it on our end. I had a wonderful Sabbath. Sue Thompson gave a great talk in church, our Sunday School lesson about Paul in the Acts. I love reading his account in Acts 26 when he bears testimony and tells King Agrippa about the appearance of Jesus to him and how King Agrippa says, "Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian." I've heard that before with friends who have said, "You almost make me want to be a Mormon."
Then in RS we had an awesome lesson about the gathering of the tribes. Our teacher put up a timeline from Abraham when he was given his covenant all the way to April 3, 1836 when Christ appeared at the Kirtland Temple and also Moses and Elias and Elijah(D&C 110). I learned something interesting that on that same day, April 3, 1836 in Israel, it was the first day of Passover which is also the day when they traditionally set out a plate for Elijah at their tables. Little did they know that across the ocean in Kirtland, Elijah, Moses and Elias were all handing over the very keys that they are waiting for.
I hope you have a successful and joy filled week.
love you,
Mom xxoo
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