Gone but not forgotten...

One of the best aspects about serving up to BYU-I is the many friends we made. Each semester many moved away from Rexburg, but our friendship never ended. They are eternal. We have made trips to Utah, California, Texas and even Boise just to check on them. This week some former 67th Warders Jared and Cait (he was in the bishopric) were visiting parents in Boise. We couldn't resist after all we had yet to meet their newest little one. We had a wonderful time. It was so nice to visit with them.

Bishop, Jace, Sister Beazer, Cait, Cole

Almost got the bishop to smile for this one.

Jared and Cole

We also visited with the Brysons. We took a group picture but not with our camera so you will have to wait until they email it to us so it can be posted.

Don't be surprised it sometime you get a phone call with a pending visit from us.

Just like old times

Tonight there was a baby shower for Lise and I was invited. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to hang with some of the sisters from the ward. Of course, the camera came with me. I was only able to take a few pictures before the power went out all over Rexburg. Jenna and Abbie
Katie and Rachel

Audra, Allie(trying to look nonchalant), and Krista

Lise, the star of the night

FYI: Lise's mother and I were roommates a few many years ago up at Ricks College. Small world.

The Bishop was so excited to see the pictures, he could hardly wait for me to down load them. We so miss everyone. There is something special about serving up to BYU-I. We feel so blessed to have had this privilege.

Now to go through withdrawal symptoms again.

'We'll have a blue Christmas without you"

We got adventurous this year, and used all LED lights on the tree. Let's just say it's BLUE.
It makes a statement for sure. We are the talk of the neighborhood. Next year we will tone it down with some white mixed in. It's blue for sure but I love it, (except for needing to wear shades to protect the eyes when in the room).

This weekend our son had drill (Air Force Reserves). We didn't want him to drive down and back by himself and since we are without callings still, we tagged along. Some of the things we did were to attend the Primary Children's Festival of Trees, participate in a session at the Draper temple, hangout with computer geeks (not on the agenda, last minute pick up of a computer for someone, an adventure in itself), attend the Mormon Tabernacle Choir 'Spoken Word' broadcast and enjoy the lights on temple square.

Believe it or not we actually posed for a picture. It was bitter cold, but we toughed it out Idaho style, lots of layers.

We will miss sharing the Christmas season with our BYU-I 67th friends and hope it is a wonderful one for each of you.

Have a MERRY MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Thanksgiving 2009

It was a wonderful Thanksgiving. We had so many blessings to be thankful for. One of those blessings is the opportunity we had to work with and serve the members of the BYU-I 67th Ward. Even though we are sad to not be up there anymore, we are so thankful for the time we were able to spend up there. We loved every minute of it and feel as if so many of you are our eternal friends. Thank-you for your kindness, your patience and especially your love.
Thought I should let you know how the bishop spent his Thanksgiving, after we had eaten and done the dishes. Yup, he turned the counter into a work bench. So amidst the cheers of game playing (sorry no football, haven't learned to appreciate it yet) and laughing he did homework. No he's not going to school, he just brought his work home. That's just the way he is .

Hope your Thanksgiving was great, because ours was.

I love to see the temple

Tonight we went to the Idaho Falls Temple to do sealings with our home ward. One of the perks of the IF Temple is the cafeteria and Friday night Prime Rib. It's not as good as at 'The Pines' in Island Park but the price is right and usually there is tasty pie to go with it. We try to take advantage of it when we can and tonight was no different. The only problem or two was that it just wasn't the same as going with the 67th Ward. We went with the high priests, yes the old fogeys in the ward. We never felt that way up to the college. You kept us young. Part of being an old fogey is your eyesight goes and with it your taste in clothes. Not really, it just seemed that way. The bishop dashed home from work with just enough time to take a quick shower and shave and dress. He can do it in 15 minutes, only because he has low maintenance hair. When we arrived at the temple, who was standing their but Brother (now Bishop of the 79th ward) Stallings. We chatted briefly and then turned to head downstairs to enjoy our dinner when I noticed (and hoped Bro. Stallings hadn't noticed) what the Bishop was wearing. He had thoughtfully picked out socks, shoes and a belt, then hurriedly donned the first pair of suit pants, grabbing a coat as he went out the door. Blue pin stripped pants and a charcoal jacket, hmmmm, a bit nerdy. We immediately decided to change into our white clothes before anyone noticed. Dinner was tasty as usual. Later, as we sat waiting to start the sealings a wave of homesickness for the 67th ward hit. What were doing in a room with so much gray hair and wrinkles? It just didn't seem right. Interestingly most of the priesthood there had also been bishops of student wards. They could feel our pain and just encouraged us that it gets better with time. We luckily have a great home ward, but it just isn't the BYU-I 67th Ward. You are embedded deep in our hearts and are greatly missed. The church is still true, even in Rigby and the IF Temple is a place of great peace and love.

Halloween at our house

Halloween is a big thing at our house, not because we are in love with it but because we get so many trick or treaters. One year we got over 600. Tonight was typical of most, about 400. That's a lot of Candy. The little ones are so cute we love it. Even the dog likes it. It's hard to tell from this picture but you've seen the shows on TV that have mobs walking the street. That's our street.

I grow my own pumpkins and they always turn out unusually shaped. It makes them more original to carve. This year we decided to try something new. Cookie cutter to make most of the cut outs. It was super easy, fast and they turned out very unique. We will do it again next year.

Hope your Halloween was as nice as ours.

What to do with all the spare time?

So what does one do with all their spare time now that they have Tuesday nights free. After 7 1/2 years of wearing a white shirt and tie (he only wore one this week)and being in Rexburg it's time to find out what goes on our house. This week was rather nice. We had a cooler full of apples to take care of. What else could he do, the bishop helped out. He peeled enough apples to make 10 quarts of apple pie filling and a dehydrator full of slices. He even cleaned up. He's an alright kind of guy, and I think I will hang on to him.

The next night he tackled sewing, yes sewing. Each year he does the set for the Bar J Wranglers. It takes some real thought, and work. We have used scrims in to past and he wanted to extend them out. I ironed and he sewed and did a great job. A real Suzy Homemaker. Who knows what else he will take up. Maybe now instead of just looking up recipes on the Internet he will actually start cooking them. He tried making rice krispie treats the other day. Don't ask, they didn't turn out.

Hopefully you will all have a great Halloween. We will be open for Trick or Treaters until we run out of candy.

Too much time on our hands

We (the bishop and I) went to the home ward to church, and it was awful, well maybe not that bad. It's just we felt so out of place and our hearts and minds were somewhere north of here. Sunday morning was strange, we weren't quite sure what to do with all the extra time. The home ward meets at 1 and the bishop was use to leaving about 9 to be there for his first meeting. What does one do with all that time. We read the newspaper, he finished a book he'd started, (the first one he's made it all the way through since being called up there), I indexed, We started dinner, just ordinary stuff that we haven't done together for the last 7 years.
The bishop has commented several times through the last 3 years that he didn't know what he thought about before because the ward was always on his mind, whether it was a calling to be filled or someone to be helped or just the general welfare of everyone. I guess we will find out. He hasn't stopped thinking about you. We'll just keep thinking of you for the next eternity or two.

And the new bishop is.......

It was inevitable, we've known for over 3 years that this day would come. Did we want it too, NO! We (the Bishop and I) have felt like the luckiest people in the church because of the opportunity we have had in serving at BYU-I and especially in the 67th ward. I know that we are better people because of this. It has truly strengthened our testimonies in the love of our Heavenly Father for us. So many of you have touched us in one way or another and always for the better. We have loved every minute of this service. Thank you for your love and support and help in making the ward function and succeed like it did. Every person was valuable. You will all be greatly missed.

The last thing we did was have a bishopric social. I wish we could have had the whole ward but our house is only so large. We fed them and talked and reminisced and laughed for old times sake.

(Note: I am in the picture, not willingly that is for sure)

After dinner some of the guys took on the dishes. Thanks it was a great help, (I don't let many load the dish washer, one of my hang-ups). They should be on the activities committee they did such a good job.

After all this they began the practice for the song that we requested. "Brightly Beams our Father's Mercy". It was a well known fact that we had the most musically talented Counselors and Clerks in the stake. They sounded wonderful and I can't thank them enough.

The wives as they enjoyed the practice.

Oh and last but not least the new bishop is Jay Kohler, with counselors Golden Tawzer and Tyler Peterson.

A frequent familiar memory

This is/was a familiar site, so often seen around the complex, especially at the end of a semester, whether moving in or out. The moving van. Of course a move needs a little help and it wasn't unusual to see several men step up to the task. It didn't matter if it was the first or third floor they showed up.

It also wasn't unusual to see them rewarded with goodies or even pizza.

A pizza sandwich.

Moving will always be a big part of the school scene.

Memories, Memories, Memories

I realized that I had forgotten to post memories the last two weeks, OOPS!
This coming week is going to be a long one and yet too fast. So many thoughts and memories will be going through our minds, I doubt sleep will be big on the list. We have loved every minute of serving at BYU-I and especially in the 67th Ward. We have made some of our dearest friends and feel we are better because we have known so many of you. Thank-you for your love and friendship.

Today I am doing a brief review of the past bishoprics, Zach, Bishop, Spence

Aug, 2006-July 2007

HMMM, can't find the Spence, Bishop, Tom picture so you have to settle for this one.
Christi, Tom, Asher, Michelle, Amber, Spence, Bishop

July 2007-Dec 2007

Tom, Bishop, Jared
December 2007-July 2008

Jared, Bishop, Marc

July 2008-Dec 2009

Jake, Bishop, Marc,

Dec 2008 - TBA

All Aboard

On a perfect fall day the play group/kids loaded up and headed to Beazerville, (found just south of the Lorenzo Bridge)where they boarded the Beazer Short Line and headed off on the adventure of a little ones lifetime.

The train holds all ages, you just have to pretend you are a kid at heart.

The cameras flashed nonstop and so many adorable pictures were taken (check out the various blogs and facebook for more).

I am including a few of my favs that I took.

First Cooper showing off his teeth. The are a great reward for weeks of drooling and crankiness.

Arianne really did have fun, she just wasn't sure about a few things.

Cooper taking his girl friends for a spin.
(Brionne tells Molly that she's Cooper favorite girl)

Brionne knows what she wants .

Molly hanging out waiting for someone to push her.

Everyone played and played

No girls allowed (it's a guy thing)

Bodily's had a lot of fun

Audra finds a new friend

Cooper helps Brionne (no wonder she thinks she's no. 1)

Around and around

Amie and Molly played and played

Let's get this train going

Even Baby Elaina rode.

Porter was one cool dude

Kaden checking out the buttons that make the train go

Mr. Handsome

Kent, when is this train making it's next run

Molly practicing her model pose.

Evan, the engineer

All right mom, let's go

Kaylee loved the swings

Katie and Kaden are ready to have fun

Evan riding the rails

Bishop helping out

rocking, rocking rocking

Mr. Fix-it Man

Can anyone ride

Everyone buckle up

I'm driving

Don't you wish you had been there.