Conference

April 4, 2016

Dear Sister Kristina,

Wasn’t conference great. I look forward to it every six months and then it seems to go by so fast. But we recorded a few sessions and I’ll rewatch them slowly. I like reading them, but what I really like is watching them speak. I even watched part of the priesthood session and will watch the rest of it. I loved Elder Uchtdorf’s talks, both at the priesthood session and at general conference. I also loved Elder Kearon and Elder Holland’s talk at the very end, so powerful and exactly what I needed to hear. I’m looking forward to copying down some quotes that mean a lot to me.

What talks touched you? I just got a picture from Sis. Nordfeld with all of you sister missionaries in their family room watching conference. I don’t have a picture of our little group, but it was a room full of little projects that Leah and Nikki were working on-bracelets, coloring, nail painting, embroidery, etc. We of course had some fun food to go along with it all. Yesterday dad made ribs and I made BBC salad and poni popo (Samoan rolls). The day before I found a recipe for some home made brownies which tasted great. During priesthood I took the girls out for ice cream and picked up Leah’s friend Madea to go with us. 

The weather here has been beautiful and so springlike-in the 70’s with flowers and trees all starting to bloom. We’ve been sitting out on the porch a lot. :) 

Yesterday Sean was texting me telling me about their run in with roaches. It doesn’t bother him, but he said Blair was definitely not used to that. He said he tried to teach her the tricks of living in the South, but when she got up in the middle of the night and saw their cat clawing at a roach in the bathroom, she screamed. Sean said he thought someone had died. haha I forget about all the bugs and critters we lived with in the East. At least they don’t have the kind of cockroaches that fly. 

Alex and Savannah spent the weekend in Park City where her parents have a timeshare condo. They watched conference there. Sounded like fun. Kirk and Addie went to grandma and grandpa’s yesterday to watch and have dinner. Sarah stayed at home to catch up on some rest. They will be coming to our house in a week and I can’t wait. It feels like it’s been so long since we’ve spent time with Addie. (I know I shouldn’t complain compared to how long it’s been for you, but I’m the Nana!! :)

Leah tested for her advanced red belt on Saturday and passed. Hopefully you got the video. She’s doing a great job and it’s so great seeing her in Taekwondo again. She isn’t 100% yet, she can’t really jump, but can do all the rest. The jumping part is just in her mind. The doctor said she can jump, but she just doesn’t feel like she can. She’ll need to starting jumping in order to get her higher belts though. The girls feel so good after Taekwondo I wish they would agree to go more often. I’m trying to relax a bit on their food consumption and lack of exercise, but it’s hard. Leah is trying to start a clean eating diet today-fruits and vegetables and proteins. Nikki said she didn’t want to do it. 

Last week dad and I made some strawberry pies and delivered them to our home teaching and visiting teaching people. I also took one to Jean Sorensen. We had a sweet talk. She was crying because she just found out she has breast cancer. Blaine died just a few weeks ago and now she has to go through this. Hopefully they can just remove the lump. She finds out tomorrow. 

And here’s the obituary. Thought you might like to see it. I’m going to go over to her house next week and we’re going to sit together and she’s going to show me pictures of their younger years. 

Also yesterday morning I heard the all familiar sound of the hot air balloons right over our house. I guess there were a bunch of them landing in the field across from the Park Lane building.

Nikki is having her auditions today in choir. I’ve been trying to help her. She has to sing the Star Bangled Banner and it’s hard. Leah has to sing it too, but she doesn’t care about it cuz she’s not taking choir next year. I just can’t talk her into it. Nikki really wants to get into a higher choir and loves singing, so we’ve been working hard on it. I hope she does well. Wish you were here to help her with it. I don’t really know what McMullen does in the auditions so I can’t tell her much.

We got a wedding announcement from Blake Hansen last week. Sienna Casos got her mission call to Wichita Kansas Spanish speaking. We also got an announcement for Precia Purnell. That’s it in the news department. You probably hear way more than me.

Last week I had a sweet experience. After the Women’s Broadcast I was constantly thinking about what had been said especially about helping the refugees. So with that on my mind, I was driving home from the mall and saw a woman struggling to carry all her groceries walking home. I turned around and asked if she wanted a ride. She was very excited to get in the car. Turns out she moved here from Congo a few months ago. Her English was broken but I talked with her all the way to her house which turned out to be a long ways away. I couldn’t believe she was walking that far with so many bags. She even had her purse handle across her forehead to help carry things. She’s here with 3 children and no husband and just got a job part time at Micron. I even had a chance to tell her about the church and she said she met a Mormon woman at work and she is also very nice. I may go back to her house and ask her if she’d like me to come help teach her English. I’m thinking about what I can do. I also gave her some money and she was sooooo excited and said now she has transport money, which I think she means she can take the bus. She kept wanting to talk so we stayed in front of her house. Can’t wait to get back to her. She said her name was Rosemary.

Well, I just see that you’ve already written so I need to get this to you. Have a great week filled with all the words of conference in your heart!!

Love you,

Mom xxoo