Week 57

February 25, 2018

 

Dear Loved Ones,

This week has been the calm before the storm. Aside from the Elders that keep coming in with phone issues, things have been rather slow.  Next week we say goodbye to some of my favorite missionaries. That is going to be hard. We get about 10 new missionaries on Wednesday and Thursday is Transfer day. The following week we will be back to zone conferences. The mission cycle continues.

 

Saturday, was a fun day. We had a Relief Society Brunch to celebrate the birthday of Relief Society. Again, this Ward did an outstanding event. Ahead of time, the 2^nd counselor asked us all to email her stories of services that we have received from our Sisters in the Ward. The Theme of the event was Angels Among Us. I will include pictures of the tables with gold and white balloons and gold almond kisses.  Each place had a Thank You card and our silverware was wrapped in a white napkin with gold ribbon. The brunch table had optional Tortillas or Gluten-free tortillas and we filled them with regular egg casserole-like stuff with cheese and bread, gluten free, or dairy free. Plenty of fresh fruit and a delicious Cinnamon bun cake. After we ate, we were each told to read the good deed that was imprinted on a card by our place. This kept us from knowing who the angels were, but we were able to learn all the good things going on around us.  It gave us all new ways to serve our neighbors. We were then shown a video that our Ward got from somewhere else. It began with Joseph Smith announcing that Emma would be the head of the newly formed Relief Society and Emma stands and tells the Sister “We will do amazing things.” A sign then appears “We will do amazing things” Next we see Relief Society Sisters working on Humanitarian project etc. and the sign “We will do amazing things” next was a portion of a talk President Monson gave on the charitable works of Relief Society, then, the sign We will do amazing things” next a portion of that wonderful talk President Uchtdorf gave on women’s creativity, and the video ended with the sign “We will do amazing things”. My idea of a perfect Relief Society Birthday celebration.

 

The Sister missionaries that live in my apartment complex rode with me to the Brunch. Afterward, we came back to my apartment and worked on the bags for the Cancer center that we had previously begun to cut out. We finished cutting out the bags and began sewing them.  We should have a dozen when we finish. The Sisters had a meeting at 2:00 so we weren’t able to finish them all.  Sister John will be one of the missionaries that leaves.  I will miss her!! She is going home to San Tan Arizona, so maybe I can see her when I visit Amy.

 

Saturday night, I attended the baptism of an 11- year-old from an inactive family that the Sisters have been teaching.  I was happy for Sister John to go home on a high.  The baptism was wonderful with a powerful spirit there.

 

Today was our Ward conference, outstanding messages from my Bishop and Stake President and an interesting Sunday School lesson and Relief Society that I got to go to because the stake leaders were doing Primary.  I wonder how that turned out!!

 

After church, my friend Daisy and her two cute kids came over to dinner and we played a fun game afterward.  It’s been a great weekend!!

 

 

Love to all,

 

Grammie/Sister Shill

 

Week 56

February 19, 2018

 

Dear Family,

 

Thanks for the good job you did of wishing Dad a happy birthday! When my alarm went off this morning I got up, remembered it was Dad’s birthday and went back to bed and pulled the covers over my head. Valentine’s Day was hard enough – I didn’t want another day of wishing I wasn’t left behind. After about 45 minutes of running away, I got up and hurried to the office, but I was about 10 minutes late.

The day got better when the Elders brought in two baptisms to record. Sister Rasmussen baked cinnamon buns in the downstairs oven. They smelled so good and tasted delicious while they were still hot. We had lots of Elders coming in to get their phones operational.  At the end of the day I went over to the Institute to watch some of the elders try to beat President Hancock at Ping-Pong. I got some great pictures also of the gym with one half playing basketball and the other half playing soccer. The rowdiest game seemed to be something called Scrum played around a pool table without any sticks.

I was glad to see when I got home that some of you had gone to the cemetery, cleared off Dad’s headstone, and enjoyed his favorite treats. I can’t believe how much snow had fallen in such a short time in Wellsville.  I feel badly that Taylor, Sarah and the baby had to drive home in a snowstorm. It didn’t snow here in Pocatello.  We need snow for the farmers.

I was so happy to see baby Cora.  It was so nice of Taylor and Sarah to come up even after their plans to go to Lava Hot Springs fell through.  They came up in time to come to my Primary class.  The lesson was on the Shepherds going to see Baby Jesus. It suggested have a pregnant women or new mother talk to the kids about what preparations are made for new babies.  It was so perfect to have Sarah there with baby Cora. I was so happy to get my hands on her, hold her in my arms – new babies bring heaven closer. The Primary manual this year is all from the New Testament – that’s why we are still talking about the birth of the Savior.

It was a super weekend for me, because Friday and Saturday Talmage and Braden stayed here because Lila and Collin were participating in the Simplot Track Meet.  Friday, I got to see them participate.  Not only did Collin do the pole vault, but he also ran his first race  for a relay race.  We were blown away by how fast he could run.  Lila did well in her race, she paced herself, slowly in the beginning and then we got to watch her move up and overtake several other runners.  It was so fun to watch.  Saturday, the kids wanted to watch others perform so Talmage went with them to the meet.  Braden stayed at the apt. with me to do homework and I was still working on my talk for Sacrament Meeting.  We had a good time talking about the similarities and differences in our missions.  Liz and Glen came by on their way to Rexburg to have a mini-reunion with the former San Jose missionaries going to BYU-Idaho. It was wonderful to sit and visit with them.

I love you all and am looking forward to summer when I can catch up on all the fun things you have been doing.

Love and hugs,

Grammie

 

Week 55

Dear Loved Ones,

This has been a fun week. Monday night was our “Empty Nester” fireside. Instead of having a speaker the hostess divided us into two teams. If the person whose turn it was could answer the question by themselves their team got 5 points.  If they could answer correctly after consulting their teammates they got 3 points.  If they couldn’t answer it, the opposing team got to try.  If they were correct they got one point. The questions were all scripture quotations and we had to say who said them.  We did pretty well until we had to decide if it was Alma or Amulek. It was a fun game and could be used in your Family Home Evening.

Wednesday night, President and Sister Hancock, plus some of the office staff when to a local theater that puts on plays with members of the community.  Like the Hale theaters in Utah. They did a British Comedy called “Cash on Delivery”.  Elder Rasmussen purchased tickets for us several months ago. When I turned to my February calendar and saw “Cash on Delivery” I worried I had ordered something that was coming COD.  I was so relieved to find it was the show we were going to. It was a rather silly comedy, but I did laugh my head off.

Saturday, I invited the Sister Missionaries that live in my apartment complex to come to lunch and then we would work on making canvas bags for the Cancer center. It is a project posted on the Just Serve site. Women coming for chemotherapy like some place to put their wigs or they bring reading material and it is nice to have a bag to keep it all together.  I took a bag that had been sent to me by some commercial group out of China and showed the Cancer Center and they said that was just what they wanted.

I was glad I had made a big pot of taco soup for the Sisters because I had something to feed Jon, Adam, and Alex when they flew up. Jon brought me an Alexa and set it up.  He also added new pictures to my Nixplay frame[NS1] . I have had a great time asking Alexa to play Mozart or today I asked for Handel which was a nice blend of his orchestral music and parts of Messiah.

February 15, 2018

Sorry, I forgot I didn’t finish this letter.  When this side thing came up I couldn’t figure out how to get rid of it and gave up on finishing the letter.  I will send it despite the editing thing on the side.  I hope everyone had a fun Valentine’s Day.  I did! Cherie sent flowers on Monday.  Sunday, one of the little girls in my Primary class gave me three tickets to a Valentine tea at her Montessori School.  Sister Rasmussen and I went.   It was so cute. The students had been making little cupcakes and cookies and they served us with great care. It was a delight. Sister Bailey, the woman in my Ward that spearheaded the giant Sub for Santa project was there and she had her little girl give me six beautiful roses. They had planned to come by the office and give them to me, but since I was there she gave them to me at the school. What an amazing woman – she is so aware of the needs of others. She has 5 children from ages 13 to 3.  At that stage of life, I was entirely overwhelmed by my own needs and thought very little about how to help others. I stand in awe at the good she does.

I’m going to be late for work if I don’t just send this off!  I love you all and I am looking forward to having more time with you when my mission is over.

 

Love and hugs, Grammie

Week 54

February 4, 2018

Dear Loved ones,

It has been an interesting week. Tuesday the office was closed in order to have the carpet cleaned.

It gave me the opportunity to visit the Cancer center here that has been requesting (on the Just Serve site) cloth bags that patient can use while they are receiving chemotherapy. Some need a place to put their wigs, others bring reading material etc. I thought that would be a good project for some Sister missionaries. There is a companionship here in my apartment complex that is eager for a project like this. Hobby Lobby was having a great sale on canvas fabric, so I purchased some.

 

I also visited the quilt store for fabric to make a square for my quilt group in Wellsville.  Every year we do a service quilt for someone who has had a difficult year. I love the quilt they made for me the year that Tam passed away. This year the daughter-in-law of one of our members who often comes to quilt with us, lost her sister to cancer. Whenever she does a square for a quilt she always puts in a little piece that has a flamingo on it. That is like a signature for her. Some of you may remember seeing it in the piece she did for my quilt.  We are going to do a quilt of flamingos for her. I am hoping that I can get my square done in time. It took me hours to just cut out the material for the background.

 

Things were a little chaotic in the office this week. The President was doing interviews and Elder Rasmussen was trying to get the companion not being interview set up with his new smartphone.

Radom Elders also showed up with problems related to their new phones.  I can foresee this being an ongoing trial.  Even President has set the goal to be up and running a long way off by April 1^st.

 

I have been working to get my notes on last week’s Zone Conference finished.  I am a little more than 2/3 finished.  I will still have pictures to label and mount. Friday was my day to work in the office. I love being able to eat with the missionaries that come to MLC.

 

I hurried home from the office to have a hang out call with Peter our guide for our England Trip. He is going to give us ideas for hotels.  Where we are going. Sally is hoping for things that look old and traditional and not like a Las Vegas motel. We will see what we can find.

 

The best part of the week was having Talmage’s children come to Pocatello for a Track Meet. Lila ran the 800-meter race.  She had two good friends also participating in the Meet.  Collin did Pole Vaulting.  I was so thrilled to see him clear 12ft 6 inches. Wow! My stomach did flips watching him go so high.

Braden came up to watch the meet.  I was so happy to see him for the first time in over two years!! It was wonderful.  The girls stayed with me and Talmage took the boys to a motel. It was so fun Saturday morning to have breakfast together and just sit around and talk.  Family time is the best and I am looking forward to our Family Meeting in March and the Dyer reunion this summer.

 

After Church, a member of the bishopric told me his wife was wanting someone to come to dinner because his parents were coming, but they couldn’t think of who would not be watching the Super Bowl.  When he saw me, he said, “you are just who we are looking for, I’m sure you aren’t planning on watching the Super Bowl”.  I had a great time visiting with their family and the white chili with chicken was delicious

 

Love and hugs to all,

Grammie/Sister Shill