May 2008

May 2008

The Monsons

Dear Family,"Hola" and "happy cinco de Mayo!!!" Since you last heard from us life has been exciting and full of traveling for our family! First of all I (Marilyn) enjoyed a wonderful and eventful trip to Utah at the end of March and celebrated birthdays with Dad, Mom, Jay, Katie, and Andrew!! Katie turned 1 and Andrew turned 5, and it was so much fun to be with them again...sickness and all! (I won't mention the ages of the others as that just wouldn't be polite!) Ang and I had a great time shopping, getting the kids pictures taken, crafting, etc. Scott survived another tax season at the accounting firm where he works and is back in full swing with the regular visits, audits, and etc. Justin & Elise returned from a fun trip to Florida/Disneyworld with the Petersons while I was there, and when Derek & Melanie came up to Logan for the weekend we all had a mini Monson reunion together...minus Bruce and Brian! It was great to see so many of the family while I was there and catch up a little! That trip was followed by Derek coming to WA for a job conference in Seattle and then coming to visit for a couple of days. We had fun playing games and found a "fortune" in sand dollars on the beach while he was here! Unfortunately Melanie had finals that next week and wasn't able to come with him. That trip was followed by Bruce & I taking a trip with Area CES co-workers and spouses to Mt. Vernon (not Virginia!) to see the annual Tulip Festival. It was amazing to see fields and fields of various colors and varieties of tulips!! We also drove to the top of Mt. Eerie to see an unbelievable view of the Skagit Bay! It was breathtaking! Our trip ended at Deception Pass, which is a narrow water passage connecting 2 islands and one where the currents are extremely strong and pretty much impossible to boat against. It was amazing! That trip was followed by Elise making a trip up to attend the sealing of a good friend in the Seattle Temple and visiting for a few days! She took me out to lunch for Mother's Day and we had a fun time being with her! Justin was also busy preparing for finals (and enjoying his motorcycle!) so he couldn't come up this time. And last but not least, Brian will be making a trip from AZ to Utah and will be there for several weeks while he works as an EFY counselor, which he is pretty excited about. He also wins the "biggest trip" award with plans to go to Sweden in August to do some research for his dissertation! If everything works out he'll be there for approx. 3 months! So that concludes our family travelogue! We've kept the "friendly skies" busy and have enjoyed it all!! Of course those planes/cars have routes that come to WA as well...so come on up!! Love to all...Bruce, Marilyn, and family


Heidi
Here's Heidi's first email from Brazil!! She sounds great!!
hey everybody!!!! HERE I AM!!!! i love it here!!! its amazing!!! well we just got back from the temple and it was AMAZING!!! we went to the campina temple that is like 1 and a half hours from sao paulo. it was really nice. i think we go to the sao paulo temple next time. i´ll let you know. the food here is really good. it took me a couple days to get used to it, but now i LOVE it!!! i put beans and this fresh salsa stuff on my rice and it tastes soooo good. we are supposed to go out proselyting soon... well like i said, i love it here. its amazing. it took a few days to get used to, but it is so awesome here. the language is coming really really fast. its really fun to talk to the brazillians and to teach eachother. ha ha i miss you all SOOOO much, but i love it here. i know its gonna be amazing and that Heavenly Father has a plan here for me. you all should go through preach my gospel. it is an amazing book. i remember the first week when i opened it up in provo i could just feel the spirit so strong. i know its an inspired book and it will bless your lives. I LOVE YOU!!! Eu amo voce muito!!! i will try and do my testimony a little bit...what i know at least...hee hee...Eu sei que Cristo vive e o Livro de Mormon e a palavra de Deus. Eu sei que Joseph Smith foi um profeta chamau para Deus a restoruar a Igreja verdadeira de Cristo. Eu sei que nos podemos vive com nossas familias eternidade. Em nome de Jesus Cristo, Amem.well thats as good as i could do. its kinda frustrating to have your testimony grow so much and you want to say so much more and you cant because of the language barrier. i know it will come though. i love you all. i miss you so much, but its going by fast and i will be home soon! i love you, big hugs and kisses to you all. tchau!!!!love,Sister Quist

Scott and Tiff and family

From Scott and Tiff: We are surviving!!! Details to come in following issues!

Hey from the Quist's-
Well, we can all breath a little better for now, as Heidi was finally able to get her visa and get to Brazil. We were able to talk to her for quite awhile as she had a 3 hr. layover in Dallas. She sounded so good & happy!! We could even hear a hint of an accent in some of her words too. She had a great experience in the Provo MTC. She & Warren were able to see a lot of each other, which we know was a real blessing for both of them. She made it safe & sound to Brazil. She is doing so good, and loves it there. The language is coming very good for her, and she has been out teaching already. We will keep you updated on her as she continues in the CTM - in Brazil its Center for Training Missionaries.

Warren is leaving the MTC on Monday the 5th, so we'll be able to talk to him when he leaves. He is very anxious to get out and start teaching. He sent some pictures home, and from the looks of things, he has had a great time at the MTC. He smashed his finger a couple of weeks ago, (yes, he sent pictures of that too - lovely) We knew not to worry too much, since nurse Quist was there to take care of it for him. He is so happy, and excited to get out and get doing the Lord's work. We'll keep in touch with his adventures.

Ian is busy with school, soccer, track, young mens, scouts, etc. (not necessarily in that order). He's doing great in track running the sprints of course. He is also starting on his Eagle project which is going to be great. He keeps very busy with his social life, and is taking being the oldest now at home very nicely. He enjoys the perks that come with that.

Jakob is starting baseball, and is so excited. This is his first experience with baseball, and so far he really loves it. His team are the Cardinals, which he's pretty stoked about. He's also playing soccer, and loves his position as being goalie most of the time, and a dang good one at that!!

Kaijsa is just busy with her social life, playing at friends houses, and barbies, butterflies, and princesses. She is also having fun with soccer, and loves keeping us enterained with her singing.

Paul & I are just trying to keep our heads above water, and keep up with the kids, work, church, etc. This is a great time for us, and we are so blessed to have these two out on their missions. It really puts things into perspective for us alot of the time. We really appreciate all of your support and prayers in their behalf.
Well, that is about it in a nutshell for us for now. We'll see you all next week for mother's day!
And as Sister Quist says:
Tchau!!
The Quists

Mom and Dad
Greetings to all,
First of all, thanks to all of you for making our birthdaze special. Thank you for you love, thoughts, cards, and gifts. We won't go into the amount of them that we have had.
Also thanks to you for the time,effort, and money that you are putting into Nathan's fundraising activity. George bore his testimony last week and thanked all of the members of the ward, for their thoughts, prayers, and work and then said that he needed to mention by name some who have really gone the extra mile. You know who you are.
Enjoyed having Marilyn here for altogether too short of a time. Thanks for the evening at "The Cheesecake Factory". The company and the food were both outstanding. Also enjoyed having Angela and Andrew and Katie here for a short time. (The enjoyment was having them here, not the short time.)
General Conference was special, especially the Solemn Assembly.It seems impossible that President Hinckley is gone, but the work moves on. And we didn't have to wait until the white smoke came from the chimney to tell that a new Pope had been voted in like a certain other church that we know of. Thanks Marci and Rob for the traditional Saturday evening get together, and thanks Shawn, for the tickets to the Conference Center for Priesthood meeting.
Congratulations, Ben, on your baptism. For a minute there, you were the youngest member of our Heavenly Father's Church.
Good to have Scott and Tiffany and the kids for a few days while they worked on Nate's program. A lot of work involved.
If you have not already done so, you need to see the show, "Emma Smith, My Story". It is extremely well done and gives a little different perspective. Also, a 'must read' is Go Forward With Faith, President Hinckley's biography by Sherri Dew. Little do we know how much work he put into the Church.
Enjoyed having Melanie and Lexi here for a few days. Again, not nearly not long enough. Thank you for the enjoyable dinner and evening at The Cheesecake Factory. Sorry that we didn't get to spend more time together. And thanks for the birthday cakes and all of the effort that you put in to make them look so professional. Also thanks for the evening at Madi's dance program. And congratulations to you, Madi, for a job well done. You did a great job!!
And thanks to Jay for the tickets for "Celtic Woman" at Kingsbury Hall. It was a great program. The four singers were outstanding, the accompaniment was great, and the solo violinist was unbelieveable. It was a most enjoyable evening.
We spent Joan's birthday in Ephraim. Stacey and Amy had a belated birthday party for Bonnie and invited the family down to celebrate her's and Joan's birthdays. It was fun to get with the family. Had a barbeque at Stacey and Brian's. Had a good time.
And speaking of Stacey and Brian, they have adopted another baby. She is an Oklahoman, weighed 6 pounds, 6 ounces, is bi-racial, and will be named Amelia. Congratulations to them.
We continue to enjoy our Temple calling very much. It is a humbling experince and we enjoy the people that we work with and associate with, especially the patrons who come. You don't know how much you are appreciated and loved when you go to the Temple.
In closing, you may have this, but in case that you haven't:
"As you have heard, the Bush Administration said each of us would get a rebate check to stimulate the economy. Now if we spend that money at Wal-Mart, all of the money will go to China. If we spend it on gasoline, it will go to the Arabs. If we purchase a computer, it will go to India. If we purchase fruit and vegetables, it will go to Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala. If we purchase a good car it will go to Japan. If we purchase useless stuff it will go to Taiwan. Therefore, none of the above will help the American economy.
"We need to keep that money here in America, and the only way to do that is to spend it at yard sales...since those are the only true American businesses remaining."---- Or by sending your parents on another mission.

Love, Mom and Dad

The Peacocks
Hello from the Peacocks. To say that May has been a whirlwind month would be the understatement of the century! Our biggest event was the Benefit Concert for Nate Pemberton and his family. What started out as a "little carnival" and possibly a few performers, turned into a HUGE event which included Peter Breinholt in concert, a huge silent auction, raffle, vendors, Smith’s Tix, Carnival, bounce houses, train rides, food vendors, advertising, banners, news stories, etc. It has pretty much consumed our lives for the past month. To put it into perspective, about a week before the event, McKell said to me, "Mom, I am SO excited for this Saturday!" to which I replied, "Oh, because of the carnival?" to which she answered, "No, because after Saturday, you won’t be on the phone all the time." Wow, from the mouth of babes...! It did turn out great and we had a great turnout. Tiffany and I were over the Silent auction/raffle/carnival and we broke that up so Tiff oversaw more of the Carnival and I oversaw the other parts with help from Jay. Tiffany did an amazing job! I know that isn’t surprising if you have ever attending one of Tiff’s birthday parties, but that Carnival rocked! She did such a good job and it turned out great from what I could see and from what I have heard. Jay and I had a great time doing the silent auction and even managed to calm the controversy of the great Marie Osmond Doll debacle. We raised a lot of money for Nate and I was so happy to also get a swing set from Rainbow Play donated for his kids that they will be getting soon. Nate really was so happy and overwhelmed and it was nice to see him happy again. We really appreciate everyone who helped. Shawn and Heather were awesome at their post of wristband sales and we appreciate Mom and Dad and all their help as well. It was one of the most exhausting things I have ever done and unfortunately, life doesn’t stop just because I need it to, so we are just moving right along. Other than that big event, we are staying busy trying to get our backyard landscaped. We are hopefully going to really get working on that this spring/summer. We bought a lot of trees from Costco and will get working on that soon. The kids are adamant about planting a garden this year so we’ll see how that goes. Apparently "visiting" Grandpa’s garden isn’t going to do it again this year. Rob is enjoying work and was a big help to me with this event. He was the brains behind getting credit card access which was HUGE. He has definitely been a trooper through all of it. I have been doing well with my business. It has been on hold for the past few weeks, but I look forward to getting back to that soon. I have missed it a lot. I am excited to get working on our yard as well. I am currently recovering from a horrible sunburn from being out in the sun for 2 days straight. My feet look like lobsters. I also tweaked my foot running somewhere on Saturday, so I am still limping along. Primary is going well. We had ward conference this past week (a day after the benefit concert...THAT was fun!). It went really well and was the most entertaining thing I have ever seen in primary when the whole Stake Presidency got up and tried to do sharing time in Jr Primary. To say that they had audience participation would be an understatement. At some point they had all completely lost their composure and couldn’t stop laughing due to some of the comments from the kids. It was hilarious. Cayden is plugging along in soccer, scouts, and piano. He just had his first piano recital this past week and did great! He takes piano from our bishop’s wife and our bishop commented after that he couldn’t believe that Cayden was playing that well after only a month of taking lessons. Cayden wasn’t nervous at all and did a great job. He is also doing really well in soccer and is becoming quite a good player. He is loving scouts and is close to earning his Wolf. He is earning belt loops like crazy which he is excited about. He is doing well with his spacer and will be getting braces on possibly this week. Unfortunately, he does have to have a tooth extracted which sounds awful to me, but they assure me it is no big deal. We shall see. He is excited for summer break coming soon. Ashlee had a great time at the carnival, especially because she basically had "VIP" access to everything (or so she thought). She is doing well in school and learning a lot. She was excited to turn 6 this past month and she and McKell had a fun "Ladybug" party. We had 26 kids in attendance! They had a fun time and loved having all of their friends here. Ashlee is still getting used to the idea of turning 6. For some reason, she is really concerned with different ages. This morning she asked me if she was getting older and I told her yes. She asked me if you get really really old if you die, and I said yes. She then said, "Then I definitely don’t want to turn 7!" She is doing a good job making her bed and cleaning her room so the "clean up fairy" will come. McKell’s big news is that she can now ride a two-wheeler with no training wheels. Just like Cayden, she just made her mind up one day to do it, and she did. She is very proud of herself. She had a great birthday and loves being six. She recently was concerned that she might not know everything she needs to in order to go to the first grade next year. I assured her she would do fine. She is our little peacemaker and always makes sure that everyone is happy. She is always looking out for others and when Cayden and Ashlee don’t clean their room, she tries to help them so they can all get a treat from the clean up fairy. She is our little helper and is doing great with reading and writing and we love her little notes that she leaves us. Little Miss Sadie is growing like a weed. She is so much fun and is a joy and light in our home. Everyone rushes to get her when she wakes up and no one but Sadie can get Cayden awake in the morning with a big smile. She is getting very close to crawling and we now have to be very careful where we put her to sit and what is around her. She took a topple off the bed already but luckily had some padding on the ground so she was fine. She is incredibly loud and loves to babble on and on. She gives the best loves and also claps when we say "yeah!". She is a little sweetheart. Well, that it is from the Peacocks. Love ya!