1 June 2014

Why is life so busy all the time?  Why can we never get done what we think we need to or ought to?  Oh well.  Finally a post.

Fear not, I am with thee; oh, be not dismayed,  

For I am thy God and will still give thee aid. 
I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, 

Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.

(a thought for those having a hard time right now.....)

Enjoy the little things in life...for one day you'll look back and realize they were the big things. -Robert Breault

Criticism is poisonous to your family relationships.

May and June Events

20 Dave and Dodie anniversary

21 Connor McKeown 

22 Joanne Farley

23 Isaiah Ricks

26 Linda Smith Giberson

26 Easton Smith

27 Carol Puckett Smith

31 Lissa Smith Nelson

1 Trenton Smith

2 Isabelle and Julianna Timmins
6 McKay and Stephanie anniversary
8 Ryan Smith
9 Rebecca Timmins
10 Davis Smith
10 KAtie McKeown
10 Hyrum Webber
12 Timm Smith
14 Allie Baker

Missionary updates

Carmen in the MTC and ROMANIA!!
Carmen's letters/blog are are always so entertaining and upbeat!  Check out her blog. Roaming in Romania  This picture was from her last days in the MTC.  I just cracked up at the caption.  She had some fun stories also about traveling to and settling in Romania.

Yes...that is me tying Sora Marcheschi shoe.   I steal her Nutella...so it's okay:)

 last night in the MTC, her zone.

 in Romania, in the President's car

She writes about her first Sunday in Romania,

 I want to skip to Sunday.  Sunday:  first day at church!!!!!!!! Church was awesome.  We have amazing members that are so incredibly strong:) But, I was told I was going to lead the music. 

I can't lead 6/8...but that's okay because Elder Davis just played and it was fine.  But the members are still learning the tunes so sometimes I felt like I'm soloing on the melody with the Elders...but oh well. 

Then, we didn't have a speaker show up, so something is said and I see Elder Crane (he's new to the area but has been out a year) bear his testimony and my head whips around to Elder Cobabe (I wasn't sitting by Sora Huffaker because she was sitting by an investigator and I was sitting by a member visiting from Cluj) and he comes and sits by me and whispers what's going on.  So, I went up and just stared at everyone for like a minute...but I basically said I had been here in Romania for 6 days and gave a very simple testimony.  I closed and everyone laughed...still not sure why...but I did it!!!:)

Easton in Canada--I have been really enjoying my studies lately. I like to write a question in my study journal like, "How can I help my investigators who aren't making steps of progress?" or "How can I  recognize the promptings of the Holy Ghost more?" and then just let whatever chapter I am studying answer my question. I have learned a lot and have gained lots of new insight into the things the Book of Mormon teaches. That book is such a blessing. I really can't imagine life without it. If you don't read the Book of Mormon, start. If you read it, start studying. If you study it, start sharing. This book answers questions, heals hearts and changes lives. Take the time to find out for yourself. 

Another Easton letter---MISSIONARY GENERAL'S WARNING: HEART MURMURING CAN CAUSE GRUMPINESS, DISSATISFACTION, MISERABLENESS, CONTENTION, AND SEVERAL OTHER SPIRIT-NUMBING DISEASES. The past few weeks I have been thinking a lot about how I can improve and stay at my best. One night while I was praying, I asked just that. "What can I do to improve?" I got a distinct reply. "Heart murmuring."  As I pondered I recognized that I had a sever case of heart murmuring. Heart murmuring is just what it sounds like, murmuring in our hearts. We all know the dangers of vocal murmuring. If you don't, read 1 Nephi and pay attention to Laman and Lemuel. And I don't think that kind of murmuring is that much of a problem with most of us. For myself, heart murmuring may have been just as bad. When something happens that I don't like, I will replay it over and over in my head. Playing out possible outcomes, planning my response to future incidents and pondering comebacks, quips, and pride-pumping comments. I waste time and energy on heart murmuring. Perhaps we all do it. A frustrating situation, an annoying person, a supposed grievance, whatever it might be but we let it soak and sit and fester until it grows into all those feelings we are trying to avoid. Though it is much better to say nothing than to vocalize these thoughts, I believe we would all be better off leaving them behind. This is probably common knowledge to everyone else but I thought that I would make a public service announcement to all those who might be afflicted with this awful disease. That is my warning to all of you today. Be content with your current situation. Find joy in where you are. Live in and love your current situation. 

NOTE--Easton comes home from his mission in a week or so.  He will be speaking on June 8 at 11:30 or 1:30 (a double feature).  Both talks will be at the same chapel, located at 1160 West  400 South in Orem Utah.  Dave and Carol would love to see you there.

Cameron in California--    He wrote of the fires that are in California--

There were a lot of fires that started, including 9 in my mission that started on the same day. Lots of people were evacuated, but at least in my stake, no members lost homes and I think only about 20 some

odd structures were destroyed. Almost everyone is back now and the current fires are out. Last week was the hottest week(or maybe it is the month not sure) here since 1880 so it was a bit warm, like 100's and high 90's with wind the same temperature. It was okay though and kind of fun living though it.

From another Cameron letter--So this week was a lot of fun. We did glowstick games for our district activity and I have been doing some baking and cooking, and it has been lots of fun.

We also got to take part in a mission conference call and we talked a lot about faith. We also got a crazy referral this week that was pretty fun.

Kieren in Brazil--I have been thinking a lot this week about perspective. I think it was Bishop Munhoz who told the story of how Sherlock and Watson were out camping and woke up in the middle of the night. Sherlock asked Watson "what do you see?" He responded, I see a beautiful starry sky, trees blowing in the wind, and a lake in the distance." After a minute, Watson returned the question. Sherlock responded "I see someone stole our tent." Its amazing how two people can be in the exact same place or circumstance but look at it so differently.

Our differences are what makes the world interesting, but despite are differences, when we are focused on the Lord, we can become one, like the people of Zion in Moses 7:18. In English is talks about "one heart and one mind", but the translation in portuguese is "um coração e uma vontade" which means one heart and one will. I thought that difference was enlightening because the people that make up Zion are not robots who always have the same opinion but rather people who have the same purpose and are one in that way. And the "one will" that they have is the will of God. When a group of people are all focused on bringing about the will of God, they become unified, become one. That is how a church of over 15 million different people with 15 million opinions and life experiences can work as one great whole to bring about the salvation of mankind.

An eternal perspective is the best perspective. Christ lived for us, died for us, and now He lives again. Life does not end with death. Because of the love of God for each one of us, we can live again with Him.

Family news and updates

Hadley went to the Smithfield cemetery on Memorial Day and took this picture.

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Stuart sent this link....a tribute on Youtube to Dakota from her school friends.

Dakota Youtube  And Monta sent this article about a memorial to Dakota. Memorial for Dakota

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Jenna is finishing up her internship in Alaska.  She writes, 

" My supervisor at Covenant House Alaska gave her two weeks notice and is officially gone. Now I'll be focusing more on special events and on my special capstone project for my internship. I'm excited for these new opportunities even though I'm sad that my supervisor is gone."   

For those that didnt know, while in Alaska, she has had some adventures.  The Murphy bed she was sleeping in collapsed on her one night.  After being in pain for weeks (and her mother telling her to toughen up!), we found she had broken three ribs.  (different ones than in the car accident.)  Once again, Karen Timmins took such good care of her and was such a support while her mom was 3000+ miles away!

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I (Carol)  is deep in the throws of recruiting for the new year of Pathway (church service mission.)  This time of year, it becomes close to a full time mission. :)  I am also perfecting the kidney stone passing thing.  In April, I passed a 10 mm stone and a 6 mm stone.  In March, I had a 11mm stone blasted in the kidney.  A little after that, a large stone has lodged itself in the right ureter and wont budge.  My nephrologist is concerned with the swelling, so I am having a lithotripsy done this week.  Meanwhile, I have passed SIX stones and am working on a rather painful one (#7) , all on my left side, and ALL IN MAY!  Yes, this must be the talent I always thought I was lacking!

I also am still quilting up a storm.  I got to attend the Spring Quilt Market since it was in Pittsburgh (just a 5 hour drive).  I saw lots of cool famous quilter folks including Nancy Zieman, Jenny Doan and Edyta Sitar!  I've made some fun quilts lately.  Mostly I make them for friends, neighbors and ward members who are sick, but this one I made for a favorite couple in my ward who are celebrating their 50th anniversary shortly. (the center is a paper pieced Washington DC Temple)  This quilt is HUGE.  

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Natalie, Kenny and kids went camping over Memorial Day weekend with a cousin and her young family.  They had a great time and the kids had a even better time.

The next weekend at a local regional park there was a outdoor showing of the movie Frozen.  They took Addie, (hours after her bedtime.)  Addie was beside herself with JOY!

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Janae finished her posts of her trip.  Three posts, mainland Italy, England, and going home.  All great posts.  I especially loved all the posts from Italy.  So I will include what I can here....

Rome--Rome is absolutely packed, with both people and things to see. We saw the Colosseum (did you know they filled it with water and did naval battles inside??), Roman Forum (to us, this was the #1 thing to do), Pantheon (the architecture blew my mind, no lights, big hole in the ceiling, drain system if it rains, etc.), the Trevi Fountains (plus appx 1 billion people), and Sam’s must do in Rome: Bernini’s David. He prefers it to Michelangelo’s, and I can see why. I didn’t even know half those muscles existed. Plus, he has a loin cloth. I appreciated that.

Vatican City--So the main chapel in Vatican City is St. Peter’s Basilica. Now let me explain. I grew up in strongly Catholic countries. I served a mission in a strongly Catholic country. At this point I had spent a week in Italy, the most Catholic of all Catholic countries. I have seen dozens and dozens and dozens of beautiful Catholic churches. After a while, they can all start to look remarkably similar to each other. And with that established, I want to say that nothing compares to St. Peter’s Basilica in awe-inspiring beauty. NOTHING.

England--

Greenwich--“The whole world takes its time from Greenwich, but Greenwich, they say, takes its time from Admiral Boom.”

Whenever I travel anywhere, one of the first things I like to do is find a vista. I want to get up high and see the landscape. This surely must be related to my love of floor plans and maps. I just like having a big picture. Well, in London that vista happens to be in Greenwich. (Yes, I pronounce it correctly. It is not Green Witch. Thank you NYC for teaching me that. Now, learning how to pronounce Worcestershire is a whole other ballgame. That took me almost the entirety of our trip.) Not only was the vista fabulous, but we also go to straddle the prime meridian (eastern and western hemispheres). This is particularly cool because it was about 23 year earlier that I straddled the equator (northern and southern hemisphere) on a 3rd grade field trip.  Unfortunately, the two intersect each other in the Atlantic Ocean, a few hundred miles off the coasts of Africa. Definitely never going to stand there.

her blog is the SAMAE show

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Katie updated her blog, which is short, easily readable vignettes.  So many are so good!!  Here is one of my favorites..  

Today we were with Connor's parents (Barb/Mimi & Rich/Papa) in Memphis for our last day of a trip.  We were all in the rental car on the way to the airport, and Rich needed to find a gas station to fill up the car before returning it.  Connor was asking Siri on his phone, but she was not being helpful in getting us accurate information.  So after we passed an exit and saw a gas station right off that exit, Rich decided he'd just get off the next exit, figuring a gas station would be nearby.  After getting off the exit, we realized we didn't see any gas stations, but Rich drove down the street a ways.  It was getting to be longer than we wanted, but finally we saw one.  Rich pulled up, but then the gas station had tape over the credit card slots.  Rich went into the store to pay, but after forever, he came back into the car without getting gas (incompetent employee, etc.).  So, then we went back in the direction we had come from and found a gas station on the other side of the highway.  But this time, it was super crowded with cars waiting for all the spots.  Anyway, to make a long story less long, we finally pulled up to one pump.  Rich got out and swiped his card, but then he kept getting an error message when typing in his zip code.  He was getting really frustrated because of this whole fiasco.  But, anyway, it finally worked, and then he got back in the car, and we headed back on our way to the airport.  As we got back in the car, Emmeline said, "Papa? Next time you come to my house, we can go some place, and then my daddy can teach you how to get gas 'cause he's really good at it."  We were laughing so so hard after she said that.

her blog is  mckeownstories

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Lissa wrote more of the "girls" trip to NYC. 

Last summer, my sisters and I got talking about having a "girls trip" with all the women in the family.  The men have a "man hike" every other year and we thought the women should have their own thing too.  So at the beginning of the year, we started talking about it again, thinking it would be fun to get everybody together in NYC next April.  As we talked, we quickly realized that it would be better to do it this year so we set the date and started making plans.  Miraculously (and despite other vacations, final exams, challenges with husband's work schedules, and more), everybody was able to come!  So we had my mom, my two sisters and me, and my three sisters-in-law.  Severin took Hamilton and Powell up to Rochester so we could have the place to ourselves.  [Severin adds: She means, "I banished Severin and our offspring to his homeland aboard an Amtrak train. Seven hours of unassisted train travel with two urchins..." {insert evil laugh}] The seven women crammed into my apartment, and for the next 3 1/2 days we had the time of our lives!

They went EVERYWHERE!  Here are a few highlights by photo....  The photos and captions are from Lissa and Cara

 Radio City Music Hall

  911 Memorial

 Ellis Island

 Lissa's apartment. We knew we were in trouble when this was the picture after day 1.  But it was fun!

 New York Public Library

Ferry to Statue of Liberty

 temple

lunch at Fresh Salt

There were many other pictures as well as Broadway shows, more food and tons of tourist spots.  Check out their blogs. the notorious narratives of the noble nelsons and glimpses

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I hope I haven't missed anything!  Everyone have a good week.  Work hard, study hard, pray hard.

Carol