June 23, 2013

From Mom: Well, I completed my training and started officially on the floor. I made 3 sales today including a double, which for some is quite a fete. I'm hoping I can exceed the sales I've seen most of the new people put up so that I can earn my commission instead of my hourly pay. I work with some very good people. I really enjoy helping people start to get back into good credit and improve their lives. I'm working my days off this week so I can go the the Simpson Family Reunion next weekend. We're going to leave right after work on Thursday. I already told Grandma that we wanted the loft in the cabin reserved for our family.

Karlene went to Youth Conference this week. I can't tell if she really enjoyed it or not. She met a guy from Georgia who was visiting and made friends with him. They did a 'ropes' course which was like mountain climbing and rock climbing. They had to work with others to accomplish some of the tasks and had belayers, just like when Flent brought the repelling equipment to the family reunion a couple years ago. I'm looking forward to seeing the new barn. They took down the other one, I think. It will also be fun to see the family again.

How are you doing with your language? Better, since I haven't seen you mention it in a while, I would guess. 

Here's a picture of Alex in my lap. I don't think he's growing but I can't tell. He's a pretty solid cat!

From Dad: I guess I have a new calling. I'm the new Ward Assistant Building Coordinator. I think there are 3 assistants and no one in charge. It has to do with cleaning the building, which I did in Marsing.  You may have seen it already, I don't know, but I'm not sure when they will broadcast it in Malaysia, it was a program out of Provo about missionary work, a World Leadership Broadcast. Now, if the church members can keep the excitement going that will be great! Nothing else really new. Michael and I went to the Stake Center to see the broadcast.

From Michael: What do mean you don't envy me the east coast isn't that bad. Anyway, I look forward going into the temple, I don't know which one to get my endounmance though.

From Karlene: I went to Utah State University for the weekend and decided that if I go to colledge it wouldn't be there. I got a wacky sunburn on the first day. My burn was only on half my face so I laugh about it and call myself two face. When I got home it looked like I just got burned around my eye. But I still have that two face burn. I hope you are having fun.

From Faline: I got to go swimming this week. Mom took me. I also helped clean the stake center, our chapel, yesterday. There were a bunch of shows that were fun to watch this week. Yes, she was a pretty girl - she didn't talk to me but she only talked to the teacher. How are you doing? Have you met any interesting people?

June 17, 2013

To Mom: I'm sooooooooooooooooo excited to hear about Michael's call.  This last week I road through water up to right beneath the spokes on my bike and my back pack is still drying, so typical for my mission.  That will be sooo cool if you get in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.  Today we get transfer news. 

To Dad: I help with cleaning our chapel too because it is Stompin's turn to clean.  This week I got soked to the bone and will find out about transfers.

To Michael: September 18th is one year from when I got to Singapore.  I don't envy your mission especialy since I would freeze.

From Karlene: kind of. He sounds like a adult.  He also is squeaker then one would expect tom something his size. So far I only have 3 people who I would call friend the rest are still aquantences. Alex has also been a topic of discussion. This week should be fun. 

To Karlene: You'll have to tell me about it.  For being in a new place and just getting there 3 is a good start.  

To Faline: I know that you love Magic School Bus so that must be a blast.  I bet you were a good friend to them.

No change for me in the transfers.

June 16, 2013

Mom: Howdy!

Michael's call finally came. I'll let him tell you where. I passed off the first perfect call for my training class, yay! I get to work next Sunday so I can have the weekend off for the family reunion the following weekend. Hopefully your card gets to you soon, I mailed it about 2 wks ago with some Solace from doTERRA. It has directions on how to use it on the label.

I'm going to sing next month and they asked us to talk next week but we can't since I'm working so it will have to wait until August, with so many missionary farewells coming up. July 1st is the day Tabernacle Choir applications open so I'll be working on that soon.

Michael's new email address will be michael.ballantyne@myldsmail.com, if you couldn't have guessed. 

Dad: Not much has happened this week. I've been asked to help clean the church again. Michael got his mission call, we'll let you hear it from him. 

Michael: I got my call to the Chesapeake, Virginia mission. I leave September 18 of this year. The call came on Thursday. That is really all that is exciting this week.

Karlene: So are you liking the school you will be going to next year?  Does your cat sound like a kitten?  I hope you're making lots of friends.  Mom said that you had some friends over this last week.

Faline: Well, there's a new and visiting family in my class in Primary today. I've been watching educational movies, Magic School Bus. I got to drink my new shake from Melaleuca with regular hot chocolate - it was good! 

That's it for this week!

June 10, 2013

To Mom & Dad: People are starting to come back from kompon and from Gawai celibrations.  They should be all back this week since school started again today.  With living in Utah you will probably see a lot of general authorities.  Right now I'm in a trio till transfers which we will find out about next week.  Oh, also now we are covering 3 areas but it is only temperary.  If you talk to Schone about what happened on his mission all I can say is he's Schone. 

To Michael: The litter box won't stop smelling till the thing is thrown out.  Can't wait to hear about your call.  Go a head and send the picture anyway, I might have one to trump it. 

To Karlene: So are you liking the school you will be going to next year?  Does your cat sound like a kitten?  I hope you're making lots of friends.  Mom said that you had some friends over this last week. 

To Faline: Glad you liked the pictures I sent you.  Crookshanks doesn't like other cats.  How are you?  Do you like the new place?  I bet you're having a blast in your new ward. 

June 9, 2013

Hi Summer,

I like what I will be doing. I'm going to help people get their credit under control. Dad applied, we'll see how that goes. You might be interested in it when you get back until you start school.

Bishop Parry called last week and said that Michael's call had been issued. We should know next week where he's going. 

Karlene's starting to invite friends of hers over. It's nice to meet some of them. Alyssa and Kate came over last night and went swimming and then played Wii games on the wall. We don't have a tv but the wall works great!

There are some colorful people who live in our apt complex. Some we'd just as soon not associate with. We went to soak in the hot tub and ended up waiting an hour for some inebriated guys to get out and then some gay guys got in. We soaked for only about 5 mins because they were talking about their alternate lifestyle to the point it was nauseating. 

We need to get to church so I better go. If anything amazing happens at church I'll write again.

Dad said to say:

Hi Summer, we went to the temple last night for ward temple night. Although the session was full, I don't know how many of the members of the ward came 'cause I don't know the members of the ward very well. Your mom recognized a couple of people, but there weren't very many. I guess next time we go there's a good chance Michael will be going, too. That's all for this week.

Michael: They will going to Washington. The temple is only big because the is some sort of an optical allusion. If I send a photo it would be leaving you in question why I took it. This week I should get my call, so I'll let you know. I am so looking forward to the day that the smell from the litter- box is gone.

Karlene: no just those ones. all of it ended when we got to Utah. Alex started talking (not like humans) he is finally making noise once and a while. He is not familiar with Utah or the fact that he can't go outside.  I got a hold of my friend here and she took me to her concert for the end of the year. after she sang the band and orchestra played all of the songs for Pirates of the Carabiean. They were awesome compared to Vallivue.

TTFN

Faline: The fan tree is really cool! I can do a backwards somersault now. I went swimming a couple times. The cats are neat too. You know I like cats. Crookshanks got an infection a while ago and he's still acting the same way with Alex, hissing, growling, etc.

Mom: I guess I need to pay more attention to the general presidencies of the church. Today, the 2nd counselor in the general relief society visited our ward for a farewell. She was part of the family of the sister's parents. Sister Anderson is going to be serving in the Missouri Independence Mission, specifically in the visitor's center. There are farewells almost every week for a while.

I think you went to the Draper Temple just before you went into the MTC. Now, that's our temple. We went last night for ward temple night. The Relief Society president who was just released was there with her husband as well as one other brother from the ward. Not too big a turnout but there were two young men getting their endowments for the 1st time in our session, preparing for their missions.

June 3, 2013

To Mom: I'm in Singapore for part of the week because of Zone Confrance and I'm on computer that is reliable. The last picture is Sister Bishop my current companion but at the end of the week I will have an additional companion and will be in a trio.  The other 2 pics are people in the branch on Gawai.  My additional companion's name is Sister Nielson.  I'm at the point in my mission where everything before was forever a go and the end is too soon for comfort. I have eaten more in the last couple days then I have in a months time for Gawai.

To Dad: You think you have been eating too much, try Hari Gawai with Ibans who will feed you till you puck.  Now I see the truck I remember it but for some reason I totally forgot about it.  Grandma's brown again.  This week is Zone Confrence so I'm in Singapore.  I know how you Love cats so here are some pictures of a cat statue and a picture of a silly little girl in my branch.

To Michael: You'll have to tell 2 wards and 1 mission (me).  The picture makes the Brigham City Temple look big.  Are her kids going to Idaho or Utah or Singapore/Malaysia?

To Karlene: Kuching is awesome and I fell off my bike again.  I did it shortly after I emailed you last week.  Sounds like you're going to as many parties as I am.  

To Faline: I promised you a picture of a fan tree and here are some cats to go with it.  Did you have fun with your volcano?  I bet you're being a big help to mom.  

Sister Bishop and Sister Ballantyne with members from Gawai Branch

Gawai Branch members

Silly Sister Bishop

Statue of cats at Kuching City Hall

Summer in front of statue at Kuching City Hall

Silly girl in branch with Summer

Fan tree

June 2, 2013

Mom: Crookshanks is still really grumpy but we got him some soft food and he eats pretty good. He seems to be very skinny and doesn't like to be picked up or held or even hardly touched! He growls at everyone, especially Alex (though that's pretty much been since Alex came to our family). We don't let either cat outside.

Dad and I have jobs. Dad works for Sears, setting appointments for home improvement. I start tomorrow (for me) working for a credit repair company selling plans that help people get their financial lives back in order. Dad also has an interview tomorrow for another team where he would be selling DirecTV. I haven't really done selling for a living like this but I can get behind the product and know it helps people and that they aren't just throwing their money away on a whim.

I played in Sacrament meeting for the first time this week. I got a few compliments. We have a new Relief Society presidency, as of today. We'll see how that goes. They seem like really neat ladies. One of the counselors seems like she's about 70 yrs old. I've never seen someone that age in that position. I made sure the clerk put your information for people to write to you, if they want to, in the bulletin (he does that, too). Michael is singing with the youth next week for a mission farewell. The sister loves the hymn "As Sisters in Zion" so they are doing the same song that Michael did for his senior dinner in the Marsing 2nd ward. The girls sing the favorite hymn and the guys sing "We'll Bring the World His Truth." He's also singing with the young men for Father's Day, on the 16th.

The first picture is Faline and me standing in front of the mustard in the field where they had some pumpkins last year, on Tucker before you get to the dairy, the next one is the siblings in height order, and last is Alex just chillin' during the move.

We love you and will see you in a few months!

Dad: Utah seems to be pretty nice. Still a little hard to get used to it but we do get to go soak in the hot tub every other night if we want to. We're meeting a lot of nice people. I'm still eating too much. All in all things seem to be going pretty good.

The pictures are of Mom near a fishing pond a few miles away from our new place, group picture just before we moved and the pickup you said you didn't remember.

Michael: The stuff about the pictures was written by mom. When I do get my call I'll have to tell two wards were I'm going. You might be able to see Resa's kids. This week I went to look at the Brigram City Tempel.

The 1st picture is me with Cumorah, the next one is the three kids in front of the Brigham City temple (it's really tiny) and the last one is a cool rainbow during a nasty storm here in Utah.

Karlene: Wow these pictures are awesome I'll tell mom.Utah is more cramped then Idaho. I might be learning Chinese next year at school. I just got registered at Corner Canyon.

The 1st picture is me with my farewell poster and bouquet, 2nd is Sid Ballantyne and new wife (again) Renae, last is picture of Mom and her one piece of wedding cake. Alex is getting even bigger then ever. I get to go to another Youth Conference. Almost done packing, just a box and a bag away. Hope you are having a great time on your mission.

Faline: I believe that it's big enough for you. I got to watch some movies today. Can't quite remember the rest I did except for play Ratchet and Clank, the first one, twice. That's it.

This is the final picture of me with my volcano before we threw it away.

Michael and Cumorah

Beautiful rainbow in pretty bad storm in West Jordan

Karen by the River View Fishing Ponds

Family just before we left Idaho

Our pickup that Summer didn't remember

Michael, Karlene and Faline in front of Brigham City Temple. It's a lot smaller than it's design lets on!

Karlene and her farewell poster

Sid Ballantyne with new wife, Renae

Karen with her 'one' piece of wedding cake

Faline with her model of the volcano she made at school just before we threw it away