Totally “Fort Worth” It!

Hermana Kelsey 18:2 -email-
Dearest family,
How are y’all doing? Okay so the big news of the week. We got transfer calls this morning…and Sister M. is getting transferred to W.! What, crazy! So she is going to be companions with Sister A., who I was companions with for a minute in A. (well, more than a minute, but it felt like just a minute). And her greenie, Sister P. is coming up here to D. to be my companion! 🙂 And she’s going to “kill” me! Pobrecita! Sister M. thought for sure that she was going to kill me (send me home), but I guess not. It’s okay though, I am ready for some change. Sometimes I get bored in areas with companions, so change is good every once in a while.
So some other things that happened this week…
Monday: I already told you a little about this day.
Tuesday: Also this one.
Wednesday: We taught a less active girl, L., how to study the scriptures. It was so cool, because she and her whole family have been less active for like 7 years (basically since she got baptized), and they are now just starting to come back to church. But during their inactive period, she studied a lot with other religions, and now she is confused. We showed her how to look up topics (in the index and topical guide and stuff), of questions she has to help her find answers to her own questions. She loved it! We studied with her about the Word of Wisdom, and a lot of her questions about that were answered. Super cool! 🙂 We also visited whis really cool couple in our ward. They are white, but they both served missions spanish speaking, so they come to our ward. They just had a baby like a week and a half ago, and he is the cutest little tiny thing! I wanted to hold him so bad, but I resisted. 🙂 We stopped by to visit them, because the bishop wanted us to see if they needed any help with anything, but they told us no, and then we just talked about mission stuff with them. It was a pretty cool visit though.
Thursday: We had a crazy day, that felt really really busy, but when we looked back at it, we didn’t really do all that much. It was just really rushed.
Friday: We taught L., who is like the sweetest, coolest lady ever! She wants to get baptized really bad, but her husband is kind of not really interested in the church. But anyway, we taught her the gospel of Jesus Christ, and she just got everything really well, which is one of the small pleasures you get as missionaries. Some of my favorite small pleasures are:
-When someone prays for the first time ever
-When an investigator keeps their commitment (i.e. they read from the Book of Mormon, they pray as a family, they start living the Word of Wisdom, etc)
-When an inactive family comes to church for the first time in a long time
-When someones just “gets” what we teach them
There are also a lot more, but those are the ones I can think of right now.
Saturday: We had a MOTR (missionaries on the run), which is where us, as sisters, because we can’t go on exchange with the district leader, have companionship study with them, so they can help us in areas we are struggling. So we went to that in the morning, and our district leader is super ADD, and couldn’t focus to save his life, so it was kind of all over the place. Then immediately after we went to a clothing exchange where people donate clothes they don’t need/want and then other people come in and they get to take what they want for free. Anyway, we went because we were looking for some church clothes for some investigators we have, and also we were trying to find new investigators. We did get some potentials so that was cool. I also got a super cute new dress…for FREE! 🙂 Also, we drove all the way to G., which is like 60 miles round trip! That is a ton of miles for us, especially because we are limited on our miles, but we got a media referral from the MTC, so we decided to drive up there. It was a fun little road trip, even though they weren’t home when we went by.
Sunday: Y’all know what happened!
Mom and Dad!
Happy Early Anniversary!!
Mom: Ha ha. Yeah I did have some visitors yesterday. It was so weird. The Hales kids are so big and grown up. I remember when they were just little sprouts. It’s so weird. Everything is going to be so different when I get home. But anyway, that was super cool they came and saw me. I don’t think it was super inappropriate. It didn’t make me trunky either though, and I think that is the main reason that they don’t want people to do that is because it’s hard for the missionary to refocus themselves after someone visits them.
Anyway things are just trucking along here. It’s all good. 🙂
Wow, Bob is 80!? Wow! Man, I love that guy! He is just such a sweet little old man. He reminds me of an apostle. 🙂 I’m super stoked that I will get to see them after I come home. 🙂
Dad:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! You’re old!! 🙂

Ha ha, yeah I almost didn’t recognize the Hales at all. I was super surprised they were there too. It was so unexpected. But I really enjoyed it. It was a nice little visit. 🙂
That’s awesome you played football. We will definetely have to do some of that soon. 🙂
That is cool you are still sharing stuff with Adam too. I really love Henry B. Eyring. He is just such a great speaker.
Flexy: Yeah things are good here. Ha ha. You would be checking out all the cute girls in the singles ward. 🙂 Just make sure you don’t try to get youself hitched with one of them before I come home and approve! 🙂 Jk jk. But really! 🙂 Anyway, cool beans you are working on the can line. That was the first thing I did when I worked there. And also that is where I broke my toe, and sctrached my back open ducking under the conveyor belt. Good times! 🙂 Do you have any battle wounds? Ha ha.
Emerny: Don’t you worry your pretty little face, you will get to see me soon enough. 🙂 Ha ha, but yeah I’ve been trying really hard to get my hair to grow out. I really haven’t cut it for a really long time, so it’s getting a little bit bad on the ends, but usually I just cut off the split ends. Ha ha. So for my prize…I would like a big hug! 🙂 Jk jk. Maybe I’ll think of something closer to then. Ha ha.
Man, that is crazy you were having tummy troubles. Sometimes I have stomach aches and stuff, but when I want to complain about my tummy issues I think of this spanish sister in my mission who is allergic to basically every food except some fruits some vegetables, and fish. If she eats anything else, she gets really sick. And she has to eat what people feed her, so she is sick a lot. So anytime I feel a little bit picked on I think of her. 🙂
Riley: Hey buddy! Man you really do need to write me! Ha ha. But that is good you have a lot of work. There are some people around here that are struggling to find work, and make ends meet. So that is really good you are working. 🙂
Well, I love you all sooooooo much! Be good! 🙂
Love,
Kelsey
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Sunday Best!

“The attributes by which we shall be judged one day are all spiritual. These include love, virtue, integrity, compassion, and service to others. Your spirit, coupled with and housed in your body, is able to develop and manifest these attributes in ways that are vital to your eternal progression. Spiritual progress is attained through the steps of faith, repentance, baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end, including the endowment and sealing ordinances of the holy temple.”

—Elder Russell M. Nelson

Hope your Sunday was the Best! Love, Joy

Two Cents: Raisins!

I gave the daycare kids, S and D, trail mix for snack. They did pretty good except for the raisins.

I kept telling the kids, “Just try them, you will like them! Do you know what they are? They’re just grapes that are dried!”

D say’s, “I don’t like these. I only like the wet ones!”

Notice the raisins off to the side, in rows! Cute kids!

Family History Friday: Paper or Electronic?

“Think twice before converting your files or family history research from paper copies to electronic versions. Although the quality of a CD has supposedly improved enough to last forever under proper storage conditions will your descendents 100 or more years from now have a computer that can read them? Good, quality paper can last 500 years, and all that’s needed to read it is sun or candle light. Go ahead and use your computer, but make periodic printouts for posterity.” Family Tree Magazine

Something to think about.

I like having paper, and electronic copies of my Family History.

Happy Family History Friday! Love, Joy

“Fourteen Towel Woman?”

I love the book by Emily Watts, Confessions of an Unbalanced Woman. She tells the story of a washing machine, one of her children had loaded with 14 towels. The machine was capable of washing ten towels with no problem, but 14 made the machine out of balance. Then she compares this to her life and calls herself a “fourteen-towel woman in a ten-towel-capacity life.”

I have felt that way lately, too much to do, not enough time to do it.

As a family we are having wonderful, yet stressful times. Recently our darling missionary Alex came home from his mission to Durban, South Africa. We are so proud of him. Having a missionary come home is such fun, but it is busy! We cleaned the house, fixed up his room, worked in the yard, made signs that say, “Welcome Home”, and bought balloons, etc.

Then a week later, cleaned the house again for the get together after he spoke in church. Called, emailed, and texted family, and friends to organize food assignments. I wanted everything to be perfect for Alex, and wanted everything to be great and fun for everyone else.

It is so awesome to have him home. He is amazingly spiritual and the bonus is, he has an accent. He can share his testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ in Zulu.

We ended up having 60 people over to our home after Alex’s talk. We had a great time! Now I can relax, a little, until Kelsey comes home in September, and then we can do it all again!

Pioneer Day!

-July 24, 1847-

 this is the day the Pioneers entered the Salt Lake Valley.

The Pioneers were an amazing group of people. They were Brave enough to leave a home they knew. Strong enough to sail across the ocean, walk mile after mile toward their goal. Spiritual enough to know they could do whatever was required to do, with God’s help.  Happy enough to sing and praise God in-spite of hardship. Faithful enough to believe God had a plan for them. They had enough Endurance enough to keep going, and start a new life in the valley.

These are my pioneer ancestors:

John Griggs White

Lucy Miranda Bailey

Joel William White

Joseph Moorhead Thomas

Mary Ann Thomas

Francis Anne Thomas

William Davis

Lucy Davis

John Davis

Jean LeSueur

Jane Caroline LeGresley

Jane Caroline LeSueur

David Daniel Jones

Ann Jones

Richard Dye

Mary Malden

Mary Malden Peek

I am so grateful to them for their lives, and for all they did to make life better for me.

Totally “Fort Worth” It!

Hermana Kelsey 18:1 -email-
 Dearest family,
How are you all?!
I hope everything is good with you. Today we went to the TEMPLE!! Woo! It was so great! We are kind of stressed now, because we only have a couple hours left of our p-day, and we still have tons of stuff to do. But anyway, it was worth it. We just did a session with an hermana from our ward here, but it was cool talking with her, and spending time with her. She is a great lady. 🙂
So this week has been pretty good. I don’t really have time to write you a whole lot of things that happened this week, but it was pretty good.
Mom: I did have a great b-day! It was mostly like other days, but Sister M. made me breakfast in the morning and a cute sign for when I walked out of our bedroom that said, “Feliz Cumpleanos Hna. Fina”. Ha ha. That is the nickname Hermana P. gave me. She is just a sister in the ward, but she gives all the missionaries nicknames, and she named me Hermana Fina, because she said I am like fine perfumes, because they never come in big bottles, always tiny little bitty ones. 🙂 She is so stinkin cool. Then at lunch time, we got some money to go out to lunch from a member family, and so us and the elders went to eat at Golden Corral, and we ate a ton! Anyway, later in the evening we were eating dinner with a member family (the C.’s), and it happened to be a family member’s birthday on Thursday, and they still have delicious cupcakes left over. So they sang “Happy birthday” to me, and I ate a wedding cake cupcake. Then they were all joking that it was showing the future, because it was a wedding cake cupcake. Ha ha ha. They are crazy. But anyways it was fun. It was a pretty good birthday. I’m glad next year I will get to be with my family for my birthday though.
Dad: That is fun you had a ward party. We are having a stake activity Saturday at this water park here in D., and I want to go, but we can’t even swim or anything, so we’ll just have to go out and work. I’m glad you got to go to Bear Lake, and spend some time there. I really like Bear Lake, even thought it isn’t super famous or anything. Mostly I like the memories I have, and the good times that we spent with family there.
Riley:
HAPPY LATE BIRTHDAY!!
Sorry, I forgot to send something off last p-day, and so I couldn’t send anything before the 19th! But Sister M. and I celebrated your birthday. I dan’t really remember what we did, but we did something fun. 🙂 Anyway, I got your email last week. I am so glad you’re doing great with your testimony. That really truly makes me happier than you can even imagine! 🙂 It is so good for you, and so good for you daughter, and so good for future children you have. 🙂 Anyway, how is life? I miss all of you a lot.
Alex: Congratulations on your new temporary job at Admiral! That’s pretty cool.
Emily: Yes, I got your letter and your card! Thank you! 🙂 It was super nice. I got more mail this week than any other week!! And most of it was from you and mom! 🙂 I really liked the picture you send with it too. Although, I feel like I don’t know who that girl is in that picture anymore. I know she is me, but at the same time it doesn’t feel like me. She is trying so hard to smile and be happy, but I can just tell she doesn’t feel it completely. And when I look at that picture it takes me back to that time, and reminds me that I never want to be that girl again. But you live and you learn right? 🙂 Now I know that I don’t have to feel like that.
So I might not get to writing you a letter today, but that is because we are running short on time. For reals, but I love you and I will write to you next week. 🙂
Natasha:
Happy Birthday sweet Natasha!!!
How are you my cute little niece?! I hope you are good. Do you remember me? 🙂 I miss you a lot, but I will see you soon. I love you and I hope you have a good b-day! Be good! :)LOVE, Kelsey
Well, I think that is all the time I have left. I love you all sooooo much! Cuidense!!
Love, Kelsey
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
    P.S. Guess who got their trunky package today?!?!?! Ahhhh! It’s the beginning of the end! 🙁

Family History Friday: Karen Petra Hogensen -Part 2

To read Part -1 go here!

Karen Petra married her husband Christian Hogensen on the ship while they traveled across the Atlantic Ocean. After they arrived at New York they traveled by train to Florence, Nebraska. There they were organized into handcart companies and began the trip west. Their company consisted of 235 people, sixty handcarts, and six wagons.

The journey was quite hazardous. Once Petra did not feel well, she fell to the rear of the line and fainted. She was picked up by a horseman who was traveling to California. By the next morning she was rested and ready to help pull the handcart. While they were fording the Green River, she was swept off her feet by the current. A soldier saw her go down and urged his horse into the river and rescued her. They arrived in Salt Lake City September 4, 1859. They were weak, but very thankful.