Sid & Jeanne Stephenson
Wow! What a month of excitement in the lives of two peculiar people. Who seldom have anyone cross their threshold. We hardly recognize the doorbell when it rings, because it rings so seldom. This month we hit the jackpot. Linda graced our home for a few days on her way to
We love you,
Mom & Sid
Sue & Scott Oelkers
March 2008
Well, it is a shocker to think that I am actually writing something this month. I wonder if you are as shocked as I am?
Megan is approaching her graduation this April. We are so excited to have her come back to
Myles has been visiting more often and has had some good times with his brothers. One night, Myles showed up to help Marshall and Marc build an eight foot snowman (it was more of a creature of unique shape.) Snow isn’t that common here so they all took advantage of the flakes and played until about
Myles is still working for Pizza Hut and is happy there. He is looking for another job to add on, so he can get more hours of work. He is really fun to be around and has such a killer smile!
Marc has been busy trying to finish up his Spanish class through
Susan said good-bye to Anna Mae this past weekend. She was here for nine weeks to get away from the cold of
My life doesn’t vary too much.
Scott has been traveling to
Our family is taking a spring break trip to
Hope your Easter is memorable this year! We love you all.
The Oelkers
Stacy & Greg Hansen
February was a great month for our family! We had two birthdays in our family last month, Emma turned 4 and Greg turned 40! We had a party for Emma and went to a pizza place with an indoor play area. It was a great time for all of them. For Greg we met friends at Olive Garden & they had the table decorated with a Viagra table cloth & other fun things. Random people gave Greg "Over the hill" advice all night & it was so funny. Then we had everyone come to our home for cheesecake (no I didn't make it). We had a blast & I think I got a years worth of laughs in on one night! We also went skiing for Greg's birthday & had so much fun. Even little Emma skiied on her own. She would go straight down the hill & it was hard to keep up, but luckily she turns and stops on her own. It is fun to watch. This past weekend Koby went to San Diego regionals with the Robotics team. He wrote their entire business plan & won first place on the business plan. Their team did very well with their robot and are headed to nationals. He is very excited! This past weekend I had festival with all my piano students. Madelyn performed two pieces also & received a score of 99. All my students did very well & I am so proud of them. I have been busy with Relief Society & have started working on Jr. Miss already. I am the Scholastic chair and have solicited help from many of you to be judges & truly appreciate it! Greg is busy with work & his church calling as executive secretary. For Valentine's Day he gave me ballroom lessons with him. We are learning the Tango & Salsa . We have had a couple classes & it is so much fun! I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family. We love you all! Greg, Stacy, Koby, Madelyn & Emma
Shauna Allen
Besides becoming semi-pro in guitar hero, this month has been without detriment. Troy and I have made it to the Sand Dunes a couple of times, and needless to say, the last time I went without wrecking. (Anyone who has heard stories of me on my Banshee will know that is a feat.)
I am working hard and loving it. I haven’t been able to travel as much these last 3 months, as work has been a bit more demanding. I have been lucky enough to make it to Mexico about every three weeks, just to get away.
Troy is beginning another house in San Felipe, Mexico, and will be there pretty permanently for the next 6 months. At least till he finds a crew that he trusts enough to come home more frequently. He will be here on most of the weekends and I will probably be a little lonely.
We are trying to plan a big vacation in June, where we can scuba throughout the Caribbean with a lot of our friends.
I am so grateful I have such a wonderful family! I love you all to the moon and back.
Shauna
Sherri & Spencer Plummer
My family is just growing up bigger by the day. We are so blessed to
have good health and be happy.
Spencer just returned from Brazil on his business trip. He enjoyed
it, but loves to be home. He is a Sunday School Teacher for the
15-16 year olds. He is so good to them, and they love him for it.
I had the endometrical ablation surgery done a week ago and am so
pleased with it. I had the opportunity to have Mom and Sid come and
stay with us. They were such a hoot. They were so much fun to be
around. I am a Sunbeam Teacher (Sammy's class) and she loves me to
be around her. I should live it up while she wants me to be around her.
Spencer is back in the swing of things for gymnastics (after being
out for over 3 months). He is progressing very quickly and I am so
proud. He has made the decision to start competing with cutting, and
I am scared to death. He is a good rider, and I am sure that he will
do fine. He gets straight 4s on his report card, and is gearing up
for his first pinewood derby. (We are both novices so we will see
how the car actually turns out!)
Sabrina loves Guitar Hero and Rock Band. She comes home from school
and wants to play with Spencer and Sammy. She is gaining on Spencer
in gymnastics and can do a whip by herself. She is on the waiting
list for the team. She is doing very well in school, and loves to read.
Sammy is just the cutest. She loves to play big sister to Sydney,
and is always having me call her "Mom." She loves school and church
and has so much fun with us.
Sydney is full of smiles and big hugs. She loves mommy the best and
will always stop crying when I pick her up. She is such a good baby
and we are so happy to have her here with us.
Miracles happen every day, I just open my eyes and see everything I
have been blessed with. My kids are the best. We are so grateful
for the gospel and the strength it gives us. We love you all and are
so proud of Stephie for doing this every month.
Spencer and Sherri Plummer Family
Dave & Stephanie Farnsworth
Dave traveled the first three week ends of February to Park City (which
you heard about last month), Nashville & Galveston. He continues
to learn so much from his conferences and is anxious to put all of his
acquired knowledge to work in his business. He has been working hard
towards his thesis and is still enjoying his work at Dr. McGrade's
office. He has almost secured a job in Arizona and will be
interviewing their next month. He is on call on every three weeks or so
and has rarely had to go into Dallas to help someone with their poky
wire. A very different that Will's experience on call I am sure. Dave
has been working out at the gym 4 times a week and has enjoyed such
good health over all. He has found an outlet that has many health
benefits. He looks great. Needless to say, Dave is pretty busy! Dave
works so hard and has helped me so much as I have been so very sick wit
this pregnancy. He never complains as he comes home from a long day
and finds dishes in the sink and laundry to be folded and doesn't think
twice about helping with those and many other tasks. He is such a
great husband and I am so lucky to have him!
Well, this month
was so very hard for me. I have never experienced morning sickness
(well ALL day sickness) like this ever before. I refuse to throw up in
toilets so mainly it is me over the kitchen sink (or parking lots, or
...). There are truly days I do nothing but lay down (and I only get
up to feed the kids or lay them down for naps). So needless to say I
am feeling quite sad at my abilities as a wife and mother lately. I am
truly grateful to be pregnant, I just have had a hard time this round.
On a happier note, on Valentine's day I did feel good and we had a fun
breakfast with cards and treats and a red dinner that night. I love
Holidays and the fun they bring to every day life. We got special
homemade cards from the boys and we shared a list of all of the things
we love about them. It was a great day. We did already decorate for
Easter and have the decorations and our pillow cases out. The kids are
getting excited. I had my first "school project" for Austin this month
as well. He (well mostly I) made a stick horse that can be judged and
trotted on in the Kindergarten pony parade. I wasn't sure how to have
him "make" this. Instead I sewed a horse head and sewed on a yarn mane
and Austin stuffed the horse, glued in a dowel, glued on googly eyes, a
mouth, and a harness out of twine. He was so proud of the final
product. I guess I am just glad it can be checked off the list! I
can't quite explain how Institute has really changed my life. I look
forward every week to my class and to gaining insight into the Old
Testament. It is so fun to relay each story at night to the kids and I
feel like as my testimony grows of the Bible so does theirs. Our
primary president moved to Australia for 10 weeks this month as well.
The bishopbric felt inspired to hold her position as president and for
us to manage while she is gone. So I, who lately can't seem to even
accomplish the small tasks, have taken over and am acting president as
well as 1rst counselor until she returns. Two weeks ago we also got a
new 2nd counselor so I am waiting until she becomes a little more
assimilated to primary before I share some of the responsibility. It
has certainly been busy and somewhat stressful, but I know the Lord
doesn't ask anything that is too much for us to accomplish...even when
frankly it seems like it is.
Austin finished up his
basketball season this month and did such a great job. He is a hard
worker and loved his season. Quickly after the end of basketball
season, baseball season started up. He is playing on the same team
since he was 4. Coach Brian is amazing with the kids and Austin sure
loves it. Austin is doing so great with school and earned his ticket
to 6-flags by reading for 6 hours. I was so proud of him as it was his
choice to read each night. He is starting to read to Chase and Blake
too. Austin is so social and asks for a play date every day. He has
so many good friends. He sometimes rolls his eyes when I say he can
play with his brothers instead. He reminds me a play date is with
someone his own age. Funny guy. He is the best helper with his chores
and picking up around the house. Usually without a fight. He is
growing up so fast and is eagerly trying to gain independence.
Chase
is so so sweet. He is filled with a million "I love you's", snuggles,
hugs and kisses. He is always making jokes. I have been amazed at his
ability to watch out for his little brother. He is so good when Blake
hits him instead of whacking him back he hugs Blake and says "soft".
Chase invited us to a puppet show at his school this month called
"Nanna puddin". It was so cute and the boys loved it. It taught about
making good choices from a Christian perspective. Chasey has been
talking about it ever since. I will miss great things like this when
we leave the Bible belt! Chase still loves his preschool and has
slowly become friends with the girls in his class. He is doing great
with his nightly reading lesson and is feeling pretty big.
Blakey
couldn't be any cuter. He is all smiles and has no qualms about
laughing at his own jokes and stunts (sounds like his mommy and
daddy). He is trying hard to put 3 and 4 words together. A lot of it
sounds like "that is a basketball". He will mimic almost anything
asked of him including naughty things encouraged by his brothers like
diaper and bum bum. Blake has started to sing the Backyardigans theme
song and Diego's back pack song (yes both TV shows as there has been a
lot of TV watching at my house due to my morning sickness).
Nonetheless, he never ceases to amaze me when he sings right on tune.
He is so sweet. He never even hesitates to say "sorry" and offer a hug
if he has done something wrong. He is such a great eater and is the
biggest kid on the block. His sweet smile and chubby cheeks can get
him out of almost anything.
One thing is for sure, *I live with some of the sweetest boys ever.
*this statement is subject to change without notice. especially during the teenage years :)
Lots of love,
Dave Farnsworth family
