Christmas Cards

If I had sent Christmas Cards this year, this is what they would have looked like.

I hope you've all had a Very Wonderful, Fabulous, Merry Christmas!

Our Life

The View From My Front Windows. Can you beat that? If you can, I'd love to see. Gingerbread House Time. I'm not sure where more candy ended up - in the tummies, on the floor, or on the house. It still remains one of my favorite Christmas time traditions. Thanks to the convenient kits, it's easy to do with 4 kids. BTW, the tinkerbell there is a daily thing.

1985 versionLove this picture of Amelia at dance. She's a great little dancer, and follows instructions the best her little body knows how. She LOVES to dance and do gymnastics.

Is it really possible that my boy Sam is old enough to have his own pellet gun? Hunter's Safety starts at age 9! I would love not to be that nervous mom, but I'm not really quite sure how. I know that guns are only as dangerous as the people who carry them, so it is my hope and insistence that Sam be educated and careful. I know Nate will have nothing less than that as well.

9 candles on that cake!?!?!?!?!?! Isn't he getting so handsome? Where does the time go? Just today, while we were playing "Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader," Sam knew that the Andes were the highest mountain range in South America. Are 3rd graders supposed to know that already? He's such a smart, charming, and busy young man.

What I Love About Christmas

The First Presidency Christmas Devotional

Lights on the Christmas Tree

Setting up the Nativities

I got this one this weekend. An early Christmas present because I'm spoiled. It is absolutely breathtaking. The expressiveness of the gestures of protection and love inspire me. It is an amazing work of art.

This one is made from the lava/ash from Mt St Helens. Nate got it when he went to Washington to be with his brother when their baby was born very prematurely.

This one is from Guatemala. Nate got it when he went with Hirsche Smiles a couple years ago.

This is the one I started collecting for the girls to add a touch of Christmas to their room.

And then my very first Nativity is at Nate's office. The Boyd's Bears just fit the theme there.

Buying Presents

Christmas Parties

Getting together with Family

Christmas Cards in the Mail

Holiday Colored M&M's

The Magic and Goodness that Springs from Every Soul all month long

Baby Jesus

Lights Everywhere

Christmas Music

Baking cookies, breads, and other treats

Wrapping presents with pretty bows

The Messiah

Most of all, I love Christmas because I love my Savior. I love to celebrate His Life, His Mission, and the Light, Love, and Happiness available to all of us because of Him.

Snow

OK, I'm back. No excuses.

We've really been waiting for some snow here. When we hadn't had much by Halloween, we were a little concerned, although not too sad. The girls and I have been loving our "recess" out on the tramp, and walks at the state park. But, this good thing (the warm weather) was destined to come to an end. And an end it has with 6 inches of snow overnight. But with every change in the weather there are new adventures waiting. It wasn't even 8:30 am when the kids were all tracking down their snow clothes to go play in the snow. And of course, it took longer to get Emma dressed than she lasted outside. But, a few cute pictures later, and a picture of Nate's unsuccessful attempt at taking the car to go help at the wrestling tournament this weekend (love the truck), Emma and I went inside while Mia and the boys fought over who got what shovel, I mean, worked on a snow fort.Next time we have two truck loads of gravel dumped in our driveway we'll check the forecast :) They didn't quite leave enough room for us to get by.

The Things Kids Say

I am so in love with my kids. Thay say the most innocent, darling, and funny things.

Emma, when she cut her toe at her cousin's house "I have a bloody nose on my toe."

Amelia, when we were playing with her horses on the trampoline, decided that they all had to lie down to take a nap. "Let's sing them a night-night song. How about I Am A Child Of God?"

And then Amelia wanted to take a handfull of dolls to the store the other day, and I told her she needed to leave them home. My usual answer to her why is that we can't take naked babies anywhere, and they are always unclothed. But not that day, so Amelia promptly replied, "but mommy, they're dressed."

And today, we dropped the boys off at school because they missed the bus, and so we were going to run our errands before dance class. Amelia decided to pitch a royal fit when we got to the store, so I buckled the girls back in their seats and said we would just go home, and not come back to town for dance class. Now, little Emma is quite enamored with "dance class," even though she is not a participant, and pretty much every day will dress up in her tinkerbell costume or another little tulle skirt she has because she is going to "dance class." And Emma was not about to let Amelia miss that class. After my threats of "you will stop or you will not go to dance" as we pulled out of the parking lot, Emma, in her little pleading voice, said, "Mia, stop. you have dance class. Mia, stop, you go to dance." And Amelia stopped and said, "I'm done crying." So we went to the store and then to dance class.

Wonderful!

And the boys. Since Sam played flag football this year, they have been playing non-stop. In fact, the other day they came inside for a piece of paper. They had made up about 15 plays and were writing them down on this piece of paper. Then, they created a front and back cover and made a play book by attaching these three pages with brads. (so that they could add pages if they wanted to. if they had used staples, they couldn't have added to the book. according to Sam) Then they found old blue tshirts, and wrote their names and numbers on them. They have practiced these plays tirelessly. I absolutely loved watching them create their "team." Their enthusiasm and excitement were tangible. One night I took the camera out to catch them in their practice.

Pumpkin Princesses & Hunters

Sam, the hunter, with a bear. (Representing the true story of being chased by a bear when he went hunting with Nate last month.)

Clay, the elk hunter, with the HUGE antlers on his backpack. (Because we couldn't figure out how to attach them to his head to be an elk)

Amelia, the pumpkin princess, who really does not look very well in orange, and who couldn't keep the wig on for more than about 5 minutes at a time. But, man, she's cute!!!

Emma, hated the hat, which had to be contrived to make it stay, but loved it that people were just dumping candy into her bucket.

Look at these darling Trick-or-Treaters. We had such a fun day! We started the day at the elementary school parade. We stopped at Rips to see Ron & Kathy, and the girls each got a candy bar. They thought that was pretty cool, and were ready right then to go Trick-or Treating. We had to pass some time before a meeting I had, so I took the girls to a puppet show at the library. Fun Fun Fun. We have fun story time ladies.
We started our evening when I picked the boys up from school. I tried to feed them to fill their bellies with "good" food before the candy excitement kicked in. It was partially successful. We walked to the courthouse, where they are always dressed up awesome, and then we hit the road to make our regular visits. Great-Grandpa, Aunt Sherrie, Uncle Burton and Aunt Evelyn, our old neighbors, and Grandma&Grandpa. I'm still not sure how so few visits translated into two shoe boxes full of candy?!?! (And that's after they've been eating candy for 3 days)

we love halloween

Emma's Birthday

My baby girl Emma turned two today. What a day. She spent half of the day in her "dancing dress" twirling and spinning to Brandenburg Concertos 2,4 and 6 in the living room. (didn't get a picture) She wanted hot dogs or macaroni and cheese for lunch, but we settled on chicken nuggets. She was patient, though, waiting for her cousins to come before she could open her presents. What a girl! What a day!

The Prognosis

We're all pretty tired here in the Lester household. But we're happy and extremely grateful for such great friend, neighbors, and family who have taken such good care of us as Nate recovers much more slowly than he would like to. (Although it's right on track with what the Dr. said!)
So, we have the pathology report. (Confession: it came last week, but I just haven't got around to the blog thing here) The report indicated that Nate has a rare intestinal disorder known as primary pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis. Translation: pockets of gas in the mucosa or intestinal walls. This appears identical to cancer when it begins to ulcerate, so it is clear why the Dr. felt an urgency to remedy the situation. There are complications that can occur with this disorder, and the suggested remedy is to do just as they did with Nate and remove the offending section. It will not recurr, and after recovery, Nate will be as good as new. We're happy! No Cancer! YEAH!!!!!

Recovery

Thank You! The collective prayers and faith of so many family and friends has buoyed us. We have been strengthened and we have seen miracles as Nate has undergone this ordeal. I remain grateful and humbled at the outpouring of love and support.
Surgery went very well. There were no complications, and the surgeon removed about a 10"section of the colon at the splenic flexure. We are still waiting for pathology reports, but are confident that things will turn out well. Nate is (of course) in pain and annoyed at the NG tube and the catheter (who wouldn't be?). The focus now is to manage the pain and get him moving as quickly as possible. If you know Nate well, you know that all he needs to hear is how high to jump and he will jump higher. His desire to be well, combined with his determination, competitive spirit, and faith will help him heal quickly.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Tender Mercies

I had every intention of posting on the blog tonight. I was going to write about our exciting, busy lives, being a soccer mom/coach, and a flag football dad/coach, and making fresh salsa from the tomatoes and peppers that we have grown in our garden. You know, the idyllic country life that we love. But tonight warrants a shout of thanksgiving and a prayer for help.

Nate, having a family history of intestinal polyps, and having a sister-in-law with her stomach removed this summer, and an aunt who recently discovered more of the same, felt impressed to have a colonoscopy done. To me, it was a wellness issue, way to be preventative! Nate's not a big "go to the doctor" kind of person, so I was happy that he was taking charge of his health. Friday, the procedure seemed to take a little longer than I expected, but I still felt no concern. Needless to say, I was pretty shocked when the surgeon came in and told us that he had a cluster of "ugly" polyps that were too attached to the mucosal lining to be able to cut them out without risking perforation of the colon. He suggested that Nate have surgery to remove that portion of his colon pretty soon. 8-10 inches.
"How soon, Doc?"
"How about you come back on Sunday and we will prepare you for surgery Monday?"
UM, excuse me while I cry for a minute.
"You'll be in the hospital for 5 to 7 days, and then there will be a two to three week recovery period after that."
The last couple of days have been a blur of quick decisions and generous gestures from family, friends and neighbors. The support has been amazing. From prayer, meals, child care, and helping us keep Nate's practice running, the love is overwhelming, touching, and incredible to me.
We went to sacrament meeting this morning with Craig and Chris, and left a little early so that we could be at the hospital by the appointed time. Although we felt a little anxious about the unknown, we felt that we had made the right decision to continue with the procedure in our little town with the surgeon here.
The first procedure they did was a scan to make sure that there was no cancer spread to other parts of the body. Because of the advanced stage of the polyps, the doctor is pretty sure that we will find cancerous cells in the biopsies he took from the polyps in the colon. His hope was that it has not spread. When he came back with the news that everything looked clear, we felt incredibly relieved. (although we did discover he has a very large kidney stone that will have to be taken care of after this ordeal: that explains the back pain)
This will not be fun for Nate, who has had next to no solid food to eat since Thursday, when he preped for the initial procedure. Right now he is at the hospital being "cleansed" again. That is difficult. Surgery is tomorrow afternoon. We would appreciate your prayers.
About the tender mercies.
"If you would have waited until next year to have a colonoscopy, we would have been discussing how to live out your last days."
Nate felt impressed to have this procedure done.
It will save his life.
I will live mine in gratitude.
I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow.

Seattle

Awhile back, Adrienne (Darren's wife:sister-in-law) invited me to go with her to Seattle. They had lived there for a couple of years, and she still has some good friends there. So, we made arrangements, and the two of us took off for a girls weekend. It was SOOO FUN! Her friend, Shalene, was a perfect hostess, and she showed us around the area. The weather was absolutely perfect! We went to the Puget Sound, got manicures and pedicures, spent some time shopping in the city, at Pike's Place, and, of course, Target. I LOVE Seattle! The water, the mountains, the trees. It's absolutely gorgeous.

I wished that I lived closer so that I could've taken home a $5.00 boquet of flowers!

LOVED THEM

Seattle, What's with the Pigs?

Mt. Rainier: Next time (yes, we are going back) we're going to do some hiking here.

We had a wonderful time, even though I had to leave Amelia, who had thrown up the night before I left, and, as Nate found out when he took her to the Dr. on Friday, had strep. Then Emma got the runs, and the boys had soccer games in the middle of it all. And, since I wasn't here to tell him not to, Nate thought he would see if he could move our bed (It's huge). Well, he couldn't, and he threw his hip out of place, and he's still not quite right yet. Since the girls were sick, Kathy, our neighbor and friend, took the boys to church on Sunday. They told her that "Our mom is never going to Seattle again."

Well, everyone survived, and perhaps the sweetest part of being gone is coming home because when I got home there was a cake made just for me with the message "Welcome Home, MOM" and a heart and a flower.

(picture coming soon)

And then, the next morning, Clay said"I have something for you." He went downstairs, retrieved his bell, and sang me a song that he had made up for me. It went something like this,"I really missed you mom, I'm so glad that you're home, I really missed you mom, We're so happy to have you back" All to the ringing of the bell. It was soo sweet.

And Sam, in his grown up way, gave me a hug and told me how happy he was to have me home, and then proceeded to tell me about the very exciting football game they had watched, giving me a precise play by play:)

The first thing that Amelia noticed that morning were my painted fingernails. She said, "You have color on your fingers? It's pretty." She was just tickled about it. So, that day we painted her little toes and fingers, and then painted Emma's toes too. It was fun..Amelia sat there so grown up like, and so thrilled to have "color on her fingers" too.

Maybe next time I'll take the family!

Big Sister

Amy & Kristie

1976

Happy Birthday Sis!

Labor Day

We stayed around town this Labor Day Weekend. We had a good deal of fun about it too.

On Saturday, Nate woke up with a bee in his bonnet, and went looking for a trampoline. Well, he found one and four hours later we had it put together, but not before we went to the annual fish catch. Kids gather around this huge pool that they stock with fish, and then they get in and try to catch the fish with bags or their bare hands.

Clay got in and chased the largest fish around the pool. Kids were leaving left and right with fish they had caught, or a "helper" had caught for them. But Clay was still chasing this fish around. Imagine our surprise when he stooped down in the water and came up with a HUGE fish in his arms.

The delight on his face was priceless. What he was wearing was worth a thousand laughs, too.

Sam got to go with the next group of kids. He was a trooper, and even had one in his hands a couple of times. The first one just got away. The second one, well, it "slipped" out into the arms of another child.(see photo: Sam's the one with the baseball cap.) He was a great sport, though, and enjoyed the chase. He came out soaking wet.

On Monday we threw out 824 (give or take a few) toothbrushes at the local parade. That's always fun. And then the Rodeo. Happy Labor Day!

Happy Birthday Grandma & Uncle Dave

Happy Birthday Grandma!!!

We love Great Grandma Gaskell. Every birthday and holiday, the children look forward to her homemade cards. They love it that they each get their own. They all know that 9 times out of 10, if they get a letter in the mail, that it is from Great Grandma Gaskell.

They're all celebrating by crossing the Mackinaw Bridge up in Michigan on Monday, among other things. So Jealous!! Have a great time everyone!

(picture taken 5-30-07 in Albion)

Happy Birthday Uncle Dave!!!

We love you. Being half a continent apart, we don't get to see each other very often. However, we are very aware and grateful of the fact that he takes such very good care of Grandma. You Rock!

Odds and Ends

I hope you haven't given up on me. As much as I would have loved to be posting better, it's had to take a back seat on the priority list, which means it doesn't get done. But, I'm staying up late tonight. The talk went well. It was incredibly difficult. I spoke after our Stake President, who spoke on families, motherhood, and told some very personal and touching experiences. So, I had to get up to give my talk with tears already in my eyes and a lump in my throat. I was happy for the comic relief that my first story provided so that I could "catch my breath" before heading into another emotional spell. If anyone is ambitious enough to read, I've posted the talk as I gave it more or less. It was an awesome experience to speak in such amazing company: Elder Hales and his wife Mary, Elder Murdock of the seventy, the mission president and his wife, and our stake president. It was honestly one of the more humbling things I've ever been asked to do.

So, the other day I was buckling Amelia into her carseat and what I saw just made me laugh.
She had in her hands: a doll, a maraca, a spoon, and a bag of cheese nips. I thought of how she always has a purse, backpack, bag, or even a plastic baggie (today it was a treat bag she found left over from a birthday) filled with the most random things you could ever imagine. And why she thought it was so important to take with her a doll, maraca, spoon, and a bag of cheesenips, I don't think I will ever understand, but I will laugh. In fact, I am sitting here chuckling to myself as I write this. She is such a joy!!

And then there is Clay. He has been bugging me about getting him a SpiderMan costume for several weeks now. (2 months until Halloween) So, when I was at Costco on Tuesday I saw one for significantly less than the ones in the catalogues. I was quick to get it since there was really no question in my mind that that is what he wants to be for Halloween. I thought I could surprise him with it. Well, there was really no surprise to it because that night, Clay started to pester me again about "when are we going to order my costume? Can we do it tonight?" All thoughts of a dramatic presentation and any surprise element just lost itself in my desire to not have to find yet another excuse for not ordering it. SO, I directed him to look where I'd stashed it, and let me tell you, you've never seen a happier boy. Well, just imagine the scenario the next day after school. Mom, can I try on my costume? Yes, but just to see if it fits. He came running out of the house, Emma screamed in terror, I ordered him to remove the mask, and noticed how well it fit and asked him to take it off. So, a couple hours later, after dinner, costume still on, he goes outside with a neighbor that had come over to play football with Sam. I walked outside to call them in and this is what I saw. Again, I laughed out loud.

And then Emma. She thinks she's just as big as the rest of the kids. Really. If you ask her how old she is, she says, "I tree" (3). She dances like crazy to every song on the radio, and even sings along to her favorites. One of my favorite things she does is call Sam "Awsome" or "awsammy." She's pretty much got us all calling him "awesome" now. Not a bad nickname. Did I mention she cries alot in the mornings? It's getting better since we introduced time out for this particular thing, but she's a girl, melt downs are inevitable.Then Sam, the first born. I've mentioned all the rest. He likes to tell jokes and stories. He is such a cowboy. He's curious and active. Last Saturday we went on a "little" horse ride with Ron and Kathy and the boys. Sam had a new saddle whose stirrups were a little long. So, for the first 1/2 hour he kept asking when we were going to stop to fix his stirrups. He had quite the pout going on for awhile. Sad thing, it reminded me of certain times when I should have been having fun, but was so fixated on that ONE thing that was not quite right that I was able to completely spoil it all. Why do we pass these things on? Well, he did get over it and we enjoyed our 15 mile ride over rocky terrain through the Uintas.

Enough for tonight. Maybe I'll be back before the end of September!

The Talk: Peace

Last month our family had an interesting experience that I want to share with you. We were returning from our ward campout at Flaming Gorge when we saw a sign for a camping spot that some friends had told us about. We thought that it would be nice to check it out as a potential spot for a family outing sometime. It was not a short drive, but it was beautiful, and we saw a moose. But, as anyone who has every traveled with children knows, pit stops are inevitable. So, we stopped, backing up a very rocky hill, to be out of the road. Well, business over, we continued on our merry way, now anxious to be back on the road to home. We hadn’t traveled very far before we hear an awful sloshing, hissing sound emanating from the back of the car. Flat tire. Once again, we pulled off the road, this time onto a sandy ATV trail. There was not too much complaining, because this was a new adventure we had not had before. Nonetheless, the children were worried and suggested that we say a prayer. We did, and then Nate got to work on the tire as I tried to keep the children happy. Well, after 2 hours, the jack had been stuck, we’d dug holes using rocks and contrived methods of changing the tire, but the task was finally complete. And all the while Sam wondered over and over to Nate, Dad, how do Nascar Drivers do it so fast? We were happy and still anxious to be back on the road to home. I think we hadn’t even driven 100 yards before that awful sloshing and hissing sound started again, this time from the passenger side of the car. Anyone who drives a car knows that cars only come with one spare tire. This time we really needed some extra help. As we sat there trying to get service on the cell phone, and this time praying much more earnestly than before, a truckload of people stopped and asked if we needed help. We very quickly learned that they were acquainted with Nate’s uncle who is a bishop in the building where they attend church, which immediately put us at ease. They took us to their father’s house where they were able to fix the flat tire. We felt so blessed by their kindness, their service and their willingness to help. We knew that Heavenly Father was watching out for us. We very soon learned that He was watching out for them too. One of the sons who helped us out is a college student with a small family, and he had been experiencing pain in a tooth that needed a root canal, and it was not in their budget to have it fixed right then. Nate, wanting to provide them with thanks for their assistance was able to fix the tooth, free of charge, the next day. With the wife assisting, Nate did a root canal before they had to return to school. The full scope of this miracle came full circle when we recently received a thank you note from the spouse of this young man. It said “I had been praying that we would find a way to fix that tooth.” We were sent to each other through the promptings of the Spirit, although in a rather inconventient way, in order to bless each others lives.

When we allow the spirit to be with us always, in the ways we discussed with Elder Hales last night, we will be blessed, we will be blessed with the opportunities to bless others, and lives will draw closer to the Lord because of it.
In other words, D&C 19:23 aLearn of me, and listen to my words; bwalk in the cmeekness of my Spirit, and you shall have dpeace in me. When we have the Spirit, we have peace.
Any time we allow the Lord’s Spirit into our lives, we will feel peace.
However, we all have challenges and trials that seem to threaten our peace. The reality is that these challenges are given to us so that we may understand the source of the peace we so desperately seek, the Atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ.
Some of that understanding comes from my own experience with Amelia, our gorgeous, spunky, and fun 3 year old. We were told that she would not survive outside the womb. A radiologist, who is a leader in her field, suggested that we terminate what she called “a disaster.” Tears, troubling questions, and fear crept into my heart. I wasn’t prepared to acknowledge that kind of news. But, once I was alone with Nate, we were able to pray, and we felt peace. We did not know if the peace meant that Amelia would develop properly and be born, but we did know that in the Eternal Plan of our Father in Heaven, everything was going to be ok, and He would take care of us. With this peace came a feeling of gratitude and the clarity of mind that we needed. It was very clear to Nate and I that we needed to step it up. I knew that the Lord needed me to continue to serve Him, and I rededicated myself to my calling in the RS in our Mayfield, Ohio ward, and most importantly, to my Father in Heaven.
We need the Atonement. We need our Savior.
“The atoning sacrifice of Christ, and our full acceptance of it, is the spiritual antidote that heals the wounded soul. It is such an antidote that replaces despair with hope, darkness with light, and turmoil with peace.” Tad Callister p. 203

.The Atonement is the vehicle for change, purification, and refreshment, and it is the key to peace in our lives.
When we begin to understand the scope of the Atonement we begin to understand our capacity to feel peace.
There are three ways in which my Savior consistently provides this peace for me.
1. I find great peace in the knowledge that HE KNOWS. Alma7
And he shall go forth, suffering pains and aafflictions and btemptations of every kind;
What pains do we suffer – what things, ideas, or feelings tempt us? With what are we afflicted? What burdens do we carry? He understands
he will ctake upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people…and he will take upon him their infirmities,
what sicknesses of body, mind, or soul have we been given to endure? He understands
that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to csuccor his people
OUR SAVIOR KNOWS!!! That is why he suffered. “TO SUCCOR his people according to their infirmities.” Just as President Matthews said last night, to succor means: to run to the rescue ;give help or assistance; be of service; consolation, solace, comfort, give relief in affliction, alleviate distress; show great kindness toward the distressed.
This knowledge alone gives me great peace. But even greater is the peace that distills upon the troubled soul who seeks out the Lord for relief.
Elder John H. Groberg, a member of the Seventy, said: “I testify
that no one has or ever will experience any set of circumstances, be
they disappointments, betrayal, pain, persecution, suffering, or
whatever, that cannot and is not swallowed up in the Savior! You
can feel no hurt, emotional or physical, that He has not already
felt. There is no combination of human emotions or physical illness
or suffering that cannot find refuge in the Savior’s sacrifice for us.
He knows how to help us. He wants to help us. Please let him”
(“Trust the Lord” [CES fireside for young adults, 1 May 1994], 6).
2. I find great peace in the knowledge that the great mercy of our Lord satisfies the justice of a loving Father in Heaven. Because of the Atonement of the Savior, we can repent. In repentance, there is peace. Spencer W. Kimball, in The Miracle of Forgiveness wrote, “The essence of the miracle of forgiveness is that it brings peace to the previously anxious, restless, frustrated, perhaps tormented soul. In a world of turmoil and contention this is indeed a priceless gift.” (The Miracle of Forgiveness, p.363)
D&C 64:10 I, the Lord, will aforgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to bforgive all men.
I know from a profound personal experience that equal is the peace that comes when we let go of grudges and ill-feelings and forgive, as it is required of us.
3. I find great peace in the knowledge given in
Mosiah 15:20 But behold, the bands of death shall be broken, and the Son reigneth, and hath power over the dead; therefore, he bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead.
After Christ died upon the cross, he was laid in the tomb. After three days, his spirit was reunited with his glorified body. And today HE LIVES. The Primary children ought to recognize this: I Know That My Redeemer Lives. What Comfort this sweet sentence gives. He lives, he lives who once was dead, he lives, my ever living head. Christ stands at the head of our church today. We have a prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley, who bears witness of him. There are Twelve Apostles, as there were in the day of Christ. They have been called as special witnesses of Christ. I know this. Several years ago, as a college student at BYU, I had an amazing experience. I sat in my apartment watching conference. As they read the name of Elder Robert D. Hales to sustain him as an Apostle, they showed him on the television. A warm feeling of peace flooded through me, and into my heart. I know with a certainty that Elder Hales, sitting here today, is a special witness of Jesus Christ. What a privilege to be able to be taught by him today, and to feel his testimony of our Savior, who lives.

I know that when we follow the spirit and work to make the Atonement a part of our lives, we will be blessed with great peace. I know our Savior lives and loves us.

Stake Conference

OK, tomorrow morning I have to speak in Stake Conference. I have about an hour's worth of material and 12 minutes to talk. I think I'll post the talk after it's all over. Elder Hales is here for the conference. So humbling, exciting, and I already have butterflies. Whew!

Lester Family & The Little Buckaroo Rodeo

Amelia & Emma in the stick horse "race"

Clay, Wyatt, Sam & McKayl anxiously waiting their turn.

Wyatt is very serious about this sheep riding business.

Craig & Chris and all their posterity

Like Nate says, we're like a bunch of rabbits.

We all met in Pocatello this past weekend for Kael's blessing. It was fun for all of us to be together. The cousins always have a great time.

One of the highlights of the weekend was the rodeo. I'll post more pictures when I get them, but I did include some of my favorites.

4-H Horse at the County Fair

Brooklyn, McKayl, Amelia, Emma, Kayson, Clay

Two weeks ago, Thursday the 26th, I got up ready to get ready for the 4-H horse show at the fair. We were going to wash the horse and get the truck and trailer positioned so I didn't have to back it anywhere. Then Lara called at about 10:00am and asked if we were coming. I was horrified. I quickly hung up the phone and ran into the bathroom, with the kids hot on my tail, and sat down and just bawled. I could not believe that I had been so irresponsible, disorganized, and out of touch with this whole thing. I had written on my calendar that it was on Friday and Saturday. I felt out of it enough as it was, knowing nothing about horses, patterns, leads, or reining. The least I could have done was to have Sam there at the right time! I was horrified, angry, and terribly sad. So, twenty minutes later I got over it, determined not to let anything else get in the way of Sam performing that day. I tossed Sam his clothes and explained that he had better hurry if he wanted to get there for his events that day. I think we were all ready in record time, the horse semi-groomed, saddled and in the trailer. I just had to back the trailer down our mammoth driveway and around the corner down our "little" section of street and we would be good to go. (The good thing about this all is that I didn't have to hook the trailer up.) I must say that I was quite happy that my anger had worked its way into determination at that point. So, when I got to the fair grounds Nate called my cell phone and asked if I needed him to come home and back the trailer down the driveway :-)

Sam did a nice job for his first year. He broke all the patterns that he had that day, although he insisted that he knew them all perfectly. Sometimes I wonder about the whole left and right thing??? His best event was the trail where you have to open a gate, go over some sticks, back through cones, etc. He did great on the whole thing, except for when he had to turn a circle, he went the wrong way, disqualifying him. He would have placed in that one for sure.

Sam's first event, western something.

Day two were the speed events, and we were among the first people there. Sam did great and we all had a great time watching him ride Thunder. Craig and Chris came over before Craig had to hit the hay field and Darren and Adrienne came up (Darren to help with hay, and Adrienne to hang out with us) Nate even was able to break away from work when Sam was ready to ride. It was a fun day for all.

Goat Tying.
That hat was just in the way, he was on the wrong side of the goat, and not him nor anyone else seemed to be able to tie the goat in less than 30 seconds.

Running Barrels in 29.7 seconds

PS Sam just got a check in the mail today for $16.00. It looks like he placed second and third (red and white ribbons) in just about everything!