Hammond Visit

My sister's family came to visit the day after Christmas.  They stayed with us for a few days and then headed in to NYC for a show and other fun stuff.  The cousins always love to just hang out and be together.  Here are a few random pictures.

We also went skiing on Saturday at Blue Mountain.  It had been really warm, but they had plenty of fake snow.  All the younger kids did great and we were able to take the quad up and come down the easy runs many times.  I was impressed!  Taylor got taken out by a snowboarder (you snowboarders are a menace to society... except maybe uncle Tom) and I ended up with blisters on my ankles from ill-fitting rentals, but other than that were good.  I'm glad we got to spend the day together!

 

MTC Week 1

We lucked out with our visitor yesterday: Elder Bednar! He was fantastic. He said, "We're going to go ahead and do something historic here, so bear with me." Then, he distributed 200 cell phones to the 1600 missionaries in the gym, and put a phone number on the screen. Then he said, "Any question you've ever wanted to ask an Apostle of the Lord, go right ahead and text it in to that number. I'll pick the best questions and answer them for all of the missionaries here." It was so cool. Then he just spent like 2 hours answering questions for us all. It was awesome. I wrote them all in my journal, but I'll highlight a few of my favorites:

The first question was, "Why do I feel so inadequate?" He said that this was an example of an excellent and inspired question, voicing something that every missionary was surely feeling right now. He then went on to say that the reason we sometimes feel like that is because we are beginning to understand the scope of our call as missionaries with a responsibility to save those we teach. He said that if we don't sometimes feel inadequate, then we're crazy. He continued on to say that feelings of inadequacy are good things inasmuch as they lead us to rely on the Savior. He told us that he knew he didn't have the qualifications to be an Apostle, but that the Lord had called him and, the Lord would qualify him. It was a really great opening question, and it really set the tone. He was completely open and honest and it was so interesting to see him in an unscripted light as more of a person than anything else. Very fun. My other favorite question was one about his favorite scripture. He said that he had no specific favorite scripture, rather, favorite themes. He told us his most favorite theme was the phrase one-by-one, used in reference to how thew Savior taught people. Extending it out, he told us that we need to teach like the Savior did, and help bring individual souls unto Christ. Even if you're teaching a family of 7, we should eb teaching 7 individuals. It was a new perspective. He told us that the phrase one-by-one appears six times in the Book of Mormon, and he challenged us to find the six instances. He also said that you're disqualified if you use LDS.org. I found one already in 3 Nephi. But he told us it's a mission-long challenge to read through the whole Book of Mormon cover to cover and find and mark those six instances of the phrase. So I think that's something I'll be looking for. 

Read the entire post on Dallin's Mission Blog, here.

Christmas Day

We had a relaxing Christmas Day.  We slept in before opening presents and then had our traditional breakfast.  The Turkey filled the house with great smells all day while we worked a little on the puzzle and re-organized our closets to make room for a few new clothes.  The sister missionaries came over in the evening to play our new game - 5 second rule.  We had lots of laughs.  There is a large fork in some of the pictures.  Ed and the girls got it for me as a joke and for some reason it makes them all laugh hysterically.  I don't really get it, but it makes them happy.

Most fun of all we got to hear from Dallin!  It was our first email since he went to the MTC and we were thrilled to read it.  If you haven't seen it you can go to his blog here.

We are so grateful for this time of year to reflect on all the many blessings we enjoy.  We are especially thankful to understand our Heavenly Father's plan of happiness for all His children.  Celebrating the birth of our Savior brings such joy and light into the world each year.  We received the most beautiful needlepoint of Christ from a family in our ward.  Holly makes a few of these every year to give to unsuspecting friends.  Ed was so touched and immediately called dibs for his Bishop's office at church.  That gift set a perfect tone for the rest of the day.  It is so beautiful.  Merry Christmas!

Christmas Email from Dallin

I love you all! Life is going very well here. I'm adjusting to the schedule and I'm not dead tired anymore. I'm also not drowning in the language anymore, I'm picking it up. In fact, our teacher didn't let us use notes the last time we taught our investigator, just a dictionary. It was lots of fun. The spiritual highlights have definitely come from teaching Taonakira (our investigator)...

Our zone is all of the elders going to Kiritbati, the Marshall Islands, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, Phillippines, etc. We have like 12 different languages going on all at once in our residence hall, at varying levels of competency. It's so funny. We're also definitely the most chill/intimidating zone in the whole MTC. Our district of 4 American kids is the only white kids in the whole zone, everyone else is Polynesian, Australian, or a Kiwi (from New Zealand). It's a fun atmosphere. Everyone gets treated like family, and it's been so nice...

Elder Evans then spoke about the huge power letters from Dads have, discussing specifically Mormon and Moroni's correspondences in the Book of Mormon. It made me proud of my dad for being such a good example, and following the spirit like those prophets...

Read the full letter on Dallin's Mission Blog here.

Christmas Eve

We were so grateful that the Hawkins family invited us and the missionaries over for Christmas Eve.  We knew it was going to be a little different with out Dallin, so it was nice to do different things!  They are missing TWO missionaries, so they were glad to have a full house as well.  Delicious dinner, yummy desserts, fun sugar cube castles, and music filled the evening.  We headed home after to open our PJs and jump in bed.

 

Missionary Cousins

My sister-in-law, Shawna, posted the nicest thoughts about Dallin and Ben serving missions at the same time.  They are 6 months apart and spent almost every day together from age 2 to 10.  We are so grateful for our cousins and extended family.  Look at these adorable boys and link to Ben's mission blog here.

Christmas at the MTC

Here is an article that Dallin's girlfriend, Kalani, sent to me.  It made me cry and smile at the same time.  I'm so happy he gets to have this experience.

"PROVO -- Imagine celebrating Christmas Day with your mind and heart focused on Jesus Christ. Orem resident Stephanie Palmer said that's what her daughter will be doing Wednesday at the Missionary Training Center.

Sister Kayla Palmer entered the MTC Dec. 18. She will be serving in the Ohio Cincinnati Mission. Before she leaves, she will get to experience what few missionaries or even general membership of the church will experience -- spending Christmas with LDS Church General Authorities.

Palmer will be one of just less than 2,000 missionaries that will join together on Christmas, according to Cody Craynor, church spokesman. Missionaries who live and study at the west campus will come to the main campus for the day.

"Though not with their families, missionaries in the Missionary Training Center have many opportunities to reflect upon the Savior including his birth, perfect life and infinite atonement on Christmas," Craynor said. "On Christmas day, missionaries will join together for several gatherings including video presentations, a talent show, a special Christmas dinner and a devotional with a general authority of the Church."

If there is one downside to spending Christmas in the MTC, it would be that missionaries will not be able to phone home.

"Missionaries at the Provo Missionary Training Center do not call home on Christmas. However, they are given an opportunity to email their families," Craynor said.

While Stephanie Palmer said she is a little sad she won't be able to get a phone call from her MTC missionary, it's ok because of what she will get in return.

"I think it will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, a Christmas to remember," Stephanie Palmer said. "I've heard Christmas in the MTC is wonderful. A day spent with general authorities and a day spent focused on Christ."

Returned missionary Thomas Larsen, of Lindon, said, "I was in the MTC for Christmas and it was my best Christmas yet. It was one of the most amazingly spiritual experiences of my life."

Elijah Batemon remembers his MTC Christmas.

"It was a great experience. Two of our Christmas presents were Elder Holland and Elder Bednar. The best part of being there for Christmas was they kept us pretty busy, so most people didn't have time to get homesick," Batemon said.

If tradition continues, all the Elders will receive a tie. Gifts for sisters have varied. The ties are donated by an unnamed international businessman."

Genelle Pugmire - Daily Herald, Provo

Dallin's Blog

I have Dallin's mission blog up and running now.  Feel free to click over:

http://elderdallinseguine.blogspot.com/

After he leaves the MTC, I will convert his blog to private status.  If you want to continue to follow it just send me and email and I will send you an invite!

I will occasionally duplicate posts here.  This blog is our family "scrapbook" and I want some posts from his mission here as well.  Sorry if that is annoying :)

Amazing Friends and Family

I am a very blessed person.  I have so many people who love and support me.  My mom came for a whole week to stay with the girls so Ed and I could be with Dallin.  Numerous people texted and emailed me to offer encouraging words as we dropped him off at the MTC.  Sienna even mentioned that Dallin was OK in her weekly email from the MTC.  She knows how moms like to hear ANYTHING about their missionaries!  And... these were waiting for me when I returned home from the airport.  They smell amazing! Thanks Beth and Dalene.  And thanks to everyone else who made me smile through a few tears.  Love you all.

MTC

Dallin reported to the Missionary Training Center Wednesday, Dec. 18th.  We were pretty sad the 24 hours leading up to dropping him off, but the actual drop off wasn't too bad.  Everyone had warned us about how difficult is was going to be (of course) and I was prepared for the worst.  I guess it's good to have those sort of expectations, because when we drove away and I was wiping tears I felt OK.  Dallin was all smiles.

It was hard not to be excited by the atmosphere.  Twice as many missionaries as usual were checking in due to Christmas falling on the next Wednesday.  People were EVERYWHERE taking pictures, hugging, crying (mostly just moms), directing traffic, smiling, and wishing well.  We had wandered around the temple waiting for our drop-off time and had been laughing and taking pictures.   I think Dallin was so tired of saying goodbyes to everyone that he was anxious to just get out of the car.  He asked me to keep it together until he was gone and I mostly made it (a tear or two may have slipped out while he was watching).

Ed and I both had a good cry in the car, but mostly we just felt so grateful that he was choosing to serve a mission.  Grateful that he was where he needed to be.  Grateful that he has so many friends and family supporting him.  Grateful for the awesome experiences we will get to hear about from him.  Grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

... and grateful that instead of counting down until the day he leaves we now can begin counting the days until we get his first letter, or our first Mother's Day call, or maybe even his first tropical Christmas next year.  I'm not quite ready to start counting the days until he is coming home... but I am looking forward to sharing this experience through his letters and pictures.

As I promised, here are the standard pictures in front of the Provo temple and with his suitcases heading off with Elder English.

Orchestra Concert

Taylor played beautifully in her orchestra concert.  My camera was apparently too full and wouldn't let me take videos.  I got a few short ones, but will have to post them later.

This year Taylor is in the front row and is first chair for second violin.  She also played the piano to accompany them for one song.  As usual, I am so proud of all her hard work.  She is a truly talented young lady and we love seeing her perform.