News from Mom

Dear Family,

April was a terrific month. How can you go wrong starting off with a week in Paris? The trip was spectacular. Despite having our tour guide walk out the first morning, I joined with another group leader to take charge until we could convince EF that it actually happened. Once they believed us, they sent out an emergency group leader to fill in. We gathered everyone up and put them on a bus for a city tour where we stopped to take pictures at the Eiffel Tour, Arch de Triomphe and finally Notre Dame. While everyone visited inside the cathedral, our emergency tour guide showed up. He ushered us around for two days until Sunday night when they assigned us our third guide. Fortunately, EF wanted to show us a gesture of apology. They treated us to a special dinner at Josephine's stables, and also lunch at a pita/falafel place. They even paid our way up the Eiffel Tour and the Arch de Triomphe. Their rep was a young Italian named Gino, and he presented us with a bottle of fine French wine. Mary Dominguez was happy to take it home to her husband. The confusion really didn't interfere with our tour. We kept the activities going just fine without a guide to baby-sit us. It actually enhanced the trip by making EF give us some special attention. We had lots of free time to really get to know the streets of Paris, and everyone loved it. The kids were independent and responsible. Some found bargain boutiques to buy matching outfits, and the older girls hit the fashion district to purchase a bit of haute couture. Sunday while the rest of us visited Versailles, Ken took one of the students to church. They had an awesome time, and we still marvel that James Evans made attending an LDS church one of his priorities in Paris. When Ken and I weren't herding kids or taking care of obligations, we just strolled the streets from the Latin Quarter all the way to the home of Victor Hugo. We even got to see Jim Morrison's grave in Pere Lachaise Cemetary and Edith Piaf's cafe in Belleville. We took along whoever cared to join us, sometimes no one. The 2007 trip has already come to life with plans to do Paris and Madrid. That way I can merge with the new Spanish teacher. (It's neither Earl nor Humes.) The rest of the month has just slipped right by. I think we've be so out of it with jet lag recovery that I can't remember anything. In truth, life doesn't get much better.

Love & prayers, Mom

Chris & Summer

April has flown right by. This month has been a ton of fun. We started the month out with the FAIR. What fun, Leslie went with her class on Thursday and got to see all the shows and exhibits. She had a blast. We met her there and spent the rest of the day and night doing the carnival rides. The kids had so much fun. I think the kids could have stayed all night, just on the Tornado. I get sick just thinking about it. Chris and I were soooo glad to go home. The kids had to put us to bed. The fair kicked off our spring break, so on Friday we skipped the last day of school and went to California. The weather was wonderful. We went to Lego Land and played on the beach in Oceanside. On Sunday we spent the day on Catalina Island. We have never been there, and it is a beautiful place. I loved walking through all the shops and galleries. Chris found a friend in a gallery who wanted to take him home. The owner of an art gallery started talking to Chris and even when Chris left the gallery he followed him down the street about two blocks before he finally turned back. Leslie later said to me, "That guy really liked Dad. I think he wanted to be Dad's best friend." Chris couldn't stop laughing. We took a ride in a taxi across the island and almost hit a herd of buffalo on the road. One of the most exciting things was the boat ride to and from the island. It was about an hour and a half ride, and it went about 30 to 40 mph. Bronson made Chris stand outside with him the entire way. His face and hands were frozen. I think he smiled the entire ride over.

We had a nice Easter. Bronson mastered the art of dropping the egg into the cups of egg dye. Leslie and Maddy would tell him where to put the egg, and he would drop it in. The kids spent most of Sunday re-hiding the eggs for each other.

Everything else is now going smoothly. We are all ready for school to be out. I closed the gym this month, so we have been busy getting cleaned out of the building. I am relieved that it is all done. The baby is now sleeping through the night and she is such an angel. She smiles and growls all the time. Maddy is my little mother and Les is the boss. They are both such good helpers. Bronson is just cute all the time!!!!! (just ask his dad)

We hope you are all doing great. We miss you and can't wait to see you at the reunion.

*** Leslie is getting baptized on June 10 **** unless they change it again!!!

Love, Summer, Chris and the rest

Melanie and Andy

Dear Family,

Michael's baptism will be Sat May 6 at 11:00am. (His bday is on Sat the 29th.) I think I will work my way backwards...today was McKayla's Kindergarten program. She was a beautiful bluebird. We are all so excited that she won't be singing about going to the zoo zoo zoo how about you you you You can come too too too. Actually I love her songs but I am tired of protecting her from the other kids (Kambri and Michael) who have banned the songs from every room in our house, the van and yard included. My birthday was Sunday. Andy was home for it and he and the kids made me a birthday cake. We took it up to SLC to visit Andy's grandpa (Dick) at the Cancer Center. He is recovering from a pretty serious throat cancer surgery. It is so hard for the children to see him in his current state, it is so hard for Andy and I to see him this way. Grandma A. liked the cake and company. I didn't like turning 29, this is the first time ever I wasn't happy to be a year older. Oh well I think that I am okay with it now.

We had a nice Easter. We enjoyed an egg hunt at Aunt Beth's house, I was so amazed by her skills!! She can remove silly putty from carpet without any tears. Then we had another egg hunt/brunch in Salem at Grammy Marilyn's house. The week before that the kids did marvelously at their piano/ violin recital. April went by fast but I have to say I am glad it did!

Love and miss everyone, Melanie and family

Martha & Jeremy

Hello Family,

I finally downloaded the pictures from our new camera. There were 281!!! We've had tons of fun snapping pictures. Jeremy commented he feels like a professional snapping away at our cute boys! I took pictures of our new dining room set, Easter and of course, Lyle's birthday. I've had so much fun decorating and re-decorating! The only thing left to do is to put some of those clear marbles from my wedding in the vase on the table. On top of the hutch there is ivy from my wedding in the basket. We decided we will have to decorate with the wedding ivy in each house--for sentimental sake! Look at Rummy's cheeks in the Easter picture. They are full! They were like that the entire morning. As soon as there was room, he'd stuff a few more jelly beans in those cheeks. The boy was in hog heaven!

Lyle's birthday party was a smooth success. There were 7 3-year-olds and little Rummy keeping right up with them. Thanks to Grandma Cindy, all the boys had little capes and wore them proudly. Although he loudly protested, I safety-pinned Rum's cape on. The boys played so well together. They saved the universe a few times by running around the couch at top speeds. They got rid of the bad guy by wrestling with Jeremy for a good 20 minutes. The best part was that there was no casualties! They ate pizza, cake and ice cream and mega candy from the Batman Pinata. My favorite part was seeing Lyle's little face emit pure joy as the little boys sang happy birthday to him. A Mom couldn't have been prouder!

With the dreamy-like spring weather here it's been a wonderful month! We're counting down the days to our trip to the west in May!

The highlight this month was Lyle's birthday. We spent the month talking about his birthday and then the climax was the magical day! There was electricity in the air! Lyle was so happy the entire day! Hyrum knew something was special and ran around just as much as Lyle. I think Hyrum remembered about birthdays though when we brought out the cake! While Lyle carefully ate his own tradition birthday cake, Hyrum DUG into his piece and demanded more in a few seconds! Oh those boys are just too cute!

Take care! Love, The Tanners

Becca & Nick

I remember at the end of March when I got my fabric ad in the mail. There were going to be two pattern sales. One sale was in the 3rd week of April where all patterns would be for $1.99 and the other was in the 4th week where all patterns for $.99. Arggg, I thought because I couldn't possible wait a whole month for the 99¢ sale so I'd have to buy some patterns for $1.99 not to mention the thought of waiting a few weeks was going to be hard enough. Before I knew it I surprisingly missed the first sale and barely remembered in time for the second! I can't believe how fast April has gone by! I thought Nick's last rotation would take all year but it actually has only taken 5 weeks so far and he has only one week left!!! AMAZING! If you think I'm excited you should talk to Nick. . .

I had an ultrasound last week and the doctor said the baby and placenta are perfectly placed now so no more worrying about that! Thank you for the thoughts and prayers. And we are having a girl. Whew! I wonder if the next months will go by as fast as the last few? That would be nice.

Estelle has taken a tremendous step in her development this month, well at least to Jonathan. She now plays trains the right way! No more destructive "Stelli Monster" when it comes to the train table. It has been wonderful for Jonathan to have a real train buddy with him at almost anytime he pleases. She has also been talking more. . . Instead of just saying, "more," (her first word) she says, "Ianmore." (I want more?)

Jonathan has really converted into the big brother mode. He takes Stelli's hand when ever we are in a parking lot, he fills her water cup for her, he pushes her in her stroller, hugs her when she cries and even gets into trouble with her. They play, laugh and cry together. The two of them together melts all hearts. When we talked about possibly moving, the whole ward found out somehow, and kept telling us how much they'd miss Jonathan and Estelle. Sometimes they would realize that all they talked about was our kids and would awkwardly add in, "Oh, we'd miss you and Nick too."

Anyhow to counter the rumor, we are not moving. We are happy, healthy, and anxiously awaiting for Nick's graduation. Just think, as if you wanted to hear more about it, I'll be talking all about how we're done next month! We love and miss you and look forward to seeing you all at the reunion in August!

The Bryces

McKay & Keresa

This month we went to Sedona, AZ for a few days. It was a nice little trip for spring break. We didn’t do anything spectacular. We just swam, hiked, rode 4wheelers, did a Jeep tour, watched a movie and had an Easter Egg hunt. It was fun to just hang around and not worry about work or school. I guess that would be what you call a vacation. Sydney did pretty good at the egg hunt. She liked throwing the plastic eggs on the ground and watching all the treats inside explode onto the sidewalk.

The room we stayed in had a huge spa bathtub. We put Sydney in it and turned on the jets. She wasn’t too sure about that, but she did like the deep water. She walked around and splashed in the shoulder-deep water. Then she made a weird face, and a little log floated to the surface. We had to rush to turn the jets off before it got sucked in and incorporated into the system. That ended bath time prematurely.

KGW is doing well in her pregnancy. She is into the 2nd trimester now so she is feeling great. She just has to find a way to cope with the inescapable heat that will be here before we know it. We will be setting up the pool in the backyard to help with that. If anyone wants to come spend the night here, we run the swamp cooler and you will wake up to a chilly 64 degrees in the morning.

MK is so excited he is sleeping less and less each night. He is counting down the days to the graduation. We have been considering what hobbies he can take up to fill all the spare time we will have, and have decided mostly to take on all the projects around the house, like shelving, putting together a little shed, yard work, etc. It will definitely be a pleasant change to have a husband again!

Sydney scared us with her dental progression. She has 2 teeth in the bottom center, one of the front teeth on top, then a space, then the next tooth. So her smile sometimes looks as bad as her dad’s. But now the gap is bulgy and we think the tooth that belongs there is on its way down.

Also here is a fun website I made for a final in a class this semester: Delamar

Looking forward to seeing everyone in August!

Love, Mk kgw srw

Elder Matt

Querida Familia,

I can't really think of anything super incredibly interesting that would merit an entire newsletter article, but things in general just are pretty interesting. We've been trying hard to find more good families to teach, and lo and behold, we got a few great references and a few great contacts, and we're just ecstatic! We had two baptisms this week, a lady, Maribel, and her 9 year old son. We were going to baptize her sister as well, but her not-married-to-her husband works on a commercial liner that travels from Haiti to Florida and has been gone for 6 months. First, she said she just wanted to be baptized and as soon as her husband came back, they would get married. But then we talked seriously with her about it, she thought about it some more, and the next time her husband called they talked about it, and she decided waiting would be better than risking a break in the law of chastity when her husband comes back from being out at sea.

Here's a sad but exciting bit of news: they've informed me that I'm leaving at transfers (next week) and will be white-washed into an area and will be training. This means I'll be leaving this amazing ward and area after our list is doing absolutely amazing and after only one short transfer (they do seem like they're getting shorter). Also this will mean that I won't be zone leader next transfer. POR FIN! It has been a bit of a stress caring for a 28-man zone. But I was looking forward to ending my mission in this great zone and great area. But now I know that I'll be training instead. Oh, and they told me that the new missionary will be from this country, either the north or the east mission. So that'll take out all the fun of teaching him Spanish, about the food, and the culture. And white-washed means that rather than one of us already knowing the area and the investigators and the ward, we'll be moved into the area together. Yikes! So, I guess I'll really get to dig into a great new challenge. Just when I was getting used to things again...

But that's the best I can do on news this week. Oh, we set up a billiards tournament for Pday that went over really well. We rented a club for the morning (they usually only open at night) that had 6 tables for 1000 pesos and played pool and hung out all morning. It was great fun. Too bad I forgot my camera. Oh well, I've got plenty of fun Pday pictures already.

Thanks so much for all of your everything!

Con Amor, Elder Whitney

Let's start be reading from the Book of Mormon 3 Nephi 27:20. "Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day." Now to verse 27.

27 And know ye that ye shall be judges of this people, according to the judgment which I shall give unto you, which shall be just. Therefore, what manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am.

Repentance is what I'd like to discuss this morning. Turn again in the Book of Mormon, this time to 2 Nephi 27: 25.

25 Forasmuch as this people draw near unto me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their hearts far from me, and their fear towards me is taught by the precepts of men--

26 Therefore, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, yea, a marvelous work and a wonder, for the wisdom of their wise and learned shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent shall be hid.

27 And wo unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord! And their works are in the dark; and they say: Who seeth us, and who knoweth us? And they also say: Surely, your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay. But behold, I will show unto them, saith the Lord of Hosts, that I know all their works...

Now onto 2 Nephi 28: 8.

8 And there shall also be many which shall say: Eat, drink, and be merry; nevertheless, fear God - he will justify in committing a little sin yea, lie a little, take the advantage of one because of his words, dig a pit for thy neighbor; there is no harm in this; and do all these things, for tomorrow we die; and if it so be that we are guilty, God will beat us with a few stripes, and at last we shall be saved in the kingdom of God.

9 Yea, and there shall be many which shall teach after this manner, false and vain and foolish doctrines, and shall be puffed up in their hearts, and shall seek deep to hide their counsels from the Lord; and their works shall be in the dark.

10 And the blood of the saints shall cry from the ground against them.

11 Yea, they have all gone out of the away; they have become corrupted.

Skip to verse 21.

21 And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well--and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.

22 And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none--and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance.

23 Yea, they are grasped with death, and hell; and death, and hell, and the devil, and all that have been seized therewith must stand before the throne of God, and be judged according to their works, from whence they must go into the place prepared for them, even a lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment.

You should be worried. What Nephi is talking about is true now!

See is you can identify with this. There was a girl who got a splinter in her finger. Her dad took his pocketknife, cleaned it, and gently scraped it across her finger to catch the end of the splinter and pull it out. Even though her dad was gentle, it hurt to have the splinter removed! The next time the girl got a splinter, she didn't tell anyone. After a few days, her finger became infected. It hurt so much that she wanted the splinter removed no matter what. Her dad gently removed it. After the splinter was gone, her finger began to heal. When we do something wrong, it always hurts us and it often hurts others. We may think the hurt will go away if we ignore it. But left alone, the wrong will continue to hurt us and make us sad.

Heavenly Father loves us. He wants us to be happy. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to make it possible for us to repent. Through His Atonement, Jesus paid the price for our sins so that we can repent and be forgiven. Repentance is a way of removing and healing from a sin that hurts us spiritually. The first thing we need to do is to realize that we have done something wrong and to feel sorry that we did it. This feeling comes from the Holy Ghost. We must ask Heavenly Father and any people we have wronged to forgive us. We need to do the best we can to correct any problems caused because of our wrong choices. We must also decide not to do the wrong thing again. After we have done all that we can to repent, because of Christ's Atonement, Heavenly Father will forgive us. Repentance makes us happier now and makes it possible for us to live with Heavenly Father and Jesus forever.

What does it say in Mosiah 26:29? Therefore I say unto you, Go; and whosoever transgresseth against me, him shall ye judge according to the sins which he has committed; and if he confess his sins before thee and me, and repenteth in the sincerity of his heart, him shall ye forgive, and I will forgive him also.

Here in the singles branch, most of you are not married, in fact if you are you shouldn't be here. So what's the point? Sisters, the young men here need to go on missions. You have a lot to say about that. Protect the missionaries in waiting from sin, particularly immorality, be chaste, dress modestly and just say no. Young men, get worthy (repent) if you're not. Be chaste, keep the word of wisdom etc. In other words, Keep Matthew 5:48 foremost in your minds.

Time for a break. Let me tell you about two very wealthy brothers. Unfortunately they were the greediest men you might ever meet, and they never gave a penny to help anyone else in the town in which they lived. Worse still, they lied and they cheated without remorse. Finally there came a day when the elder brother died, and the younger brother approached a minister in town to preach the funeral. He said, 'I'll donate $50,000 to the church if you say he was a saint in the eulogy.' Well the pastor thought a minute, and then said, 'I think I can do that.'

At the funeral a couple of days later, the pastor did not hold back; he blasted the elder brother for his lying, his cheating, his hustling, and his greed! After going on like this at length, the pastor ended his eulogy saying, 'But if you think he was bad, compared to his younger brother, he was a saint!'

Ok, is that the way we want to be remembered? Of course not, that's why we are here today. Here's how you can get a little insurance with your forgiveness. Turn to D & C 31: 4-5.

4 You shall declare the things which have been revealed to my servant, Joseph Smith, Jun. You shall begin to preach from this time forth, yea, to reap in the field which is white already to be burned.

5 Therefore, thrust in your sickle with all your soul, and your sins are forgiven you, and you shall be laden with sheaves upon your back, for the laborer is worthy of his hire. Wherefore, your family shall live.

Now go to 18: 9-16.

9 And now, Oliver Cowdery, I speak unto you, and also unto David Whitmer, by the way of commandment; for, behold, I command all men everywhere to repent, and I speak unto you, even as unto Paul mine apostle, for you are called even with that same calling with which he was called.

10 Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God;

11 For, behold, the Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh; wherefore he suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto him.

12 And he hath arisen again from the dead, that he might bring all men unto him, on conditions of repentance.

13 And how great is his joy in the soul that repenteth!

14 Wherefore, you are called to cry repentance unto this people.

15 And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!

16 And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!

So which is more attractive? Joy promised by our Heavenly Father or being cast into hell. One last scripture. Philippians 4:8-9.

8 Finally, brethren(and sisters), whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.