February 2008 Newsletter

You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them. ~Desmond Tutu

Sid & Jeanne Stephenson

I’m so glad we can have a family chat via the newsletter each month. Thanks to all who are able to participate and especially “hat’s off” to Stephanie in her desire to publish it. It takes time and a little persuasion to get it all together. As I looked over the calendar for this past month, it started off with a special visit from my Linda, and we were privileged to have her during our “New Year’s Eve” celebration. I think the most exciting thing about the evening was breaking open a bottle of Sparkling Grape Juice and toasting one another. She always brings a breath of sunshine into our lives like each of you do when you visit. Sandie and Neil made a ‘pop-in’ visit and we always enjoy them. Dave Farnsworth also stopped in for an overnight visit with a couple of his friends…what a delight that was. It’s just a prelude of things to come when they move back to Mesa. Other than that…we had a couple of doctor’s visits and the exterminator did his monthly round, neither event being too exciting. The coming months look more promising with a visit to the Salt Lake area in March and we might venture even further away later on….who knows? Thanks to all for your phone calls. I think I am going to be like Grandma Watkins and put your name in my journal if you call. That’s just a public announcement that I am keeping a journal again after taking a vacation from journal writing for the past seven years. Just call it a Sabbatical. Oh yes, I am exercising again…not to slim down, but to maintain my bulging waistline. Sid and I count our blessings for the good health we have as we go through the aging process. The Lord has been good to us to bless us with wonderful families like each of you. Keep in touch please…and we love you very much.

Love, Mom and Sid

Sandie & Neil Taft

We had a lot of rain (around 20 inches) and snow through January. Much more than our roads could handle – so they washed away and became impassable. The bright spot is that since the backhoes did their work and now they are fantastic! No potholes or bumps. They are like new…. And we really appreciate them.
Our creek is flowing just in the creek beds now and not in the road. We have over 14 inches of snow on the ground and I feel like we live in the most beautiful place in the world.


Deer and Elk are outside nibbling on my plants and walking through the snow close by.

Neil and I will be able to fly to Utah this month – we are so excited to see our children and grandchildren. Hopefully we will be able to see Shelly and Sherri while we are there. ari and Curtis will be flying back with us for a week. It will be fun to have her home with us.

Meela and Ben are doing great – they both work hard, are happy and so in LOVE!! She has mentioned a couple of dates to us for their wedding, they are just checking on some Reception Centers availability before they finalize their date.

Kris was in a car accident (rear ended) and has 3 broken ribs – I know it hurts – but he doesn’t complain. He is working hard as usual. Allie is busy going to school, working and taking care if the family. Brenton just turned 13 – he is now a teenager! He has grown up so big and handsome. Taylor and Weslie are so beautiful and great helpers to their parents. Clayton is getting bigger and has had a few health challenges this month. Our prayers have been answered and he is doing a lot better now.

Kari and Jeremy are doing great also. Kari is pregnant and having a bout of morning sickness. She is so happy about having another baby. Curtis is growing so quickly and is such a happy boy. He loves his mom so much he s being too far away from her. Jeremy is doing great at his job – they really appreciate him.

It is hard to explain the mixed feelings that I have when thinking about the passing of our dear prophet. We will miss him. I am happy to know that he is with his beloved Marjorie.

We are so grateful for our new prophet Pres Monson and his new counselors.

I have always loved his talks in conference and how tender he is towards individuals. We are so fortunate to live in such a wonderful time.

Love you all, Sandie

Stacy & Greg Hansen

We started January off in West Yellowstone, Montana. We went snowmobiling & relaxed with 3 other families. It was a nice little get away! Koby, Madelyn & Emma are still busy with all of their regular activities. Madelyn is busy with extra practices preparing for dance competition. Koby is spending extra hours at school building the robot for competition in San Diego. School has been cancelled a couple times due to cold weather -18 (with a windchill of -32) & high winds. Please don't let that keep you from visiting! It is cold, but we have A LOT of snow! I am still busy teaching piano. We are preparing for festival next month (where my students play in front of judges). It is a lot of work! It is worth the effort. I am also helping on the Jr. Miss committee again this year. It is a great experience. Greg is keeping busy with work, his church calling, shoveling snow & all the other great things he does to help out at home. I am so grateful for such a wonderful family. This past fast Sunday my sister in law Keri challenged us to fast and pray for every member of our family by name, including children & their children. We did for both sides of the family. We all have challenges in our lives & I want you to know we pray for all of you. We don't know all the struggles everyone faces, but we can all use the prayers. I thought it would be a good idea to have our family do the same next month, if you would like. I love you all & hope you have a wonderful month!

Stacy, Greg, Koby, Madelyn & Emma

Shauna Allen

Well, another family newsletter passes, and I feel like I don’t have hardly any news. I have been working my little buns off trying to get a big software project off the ground for my practice. It has been, OOOHH, so challenging but very rewarding.

Troy and I are still trying to get away any chance we get, though it seems pretty infrequent lately. We have made it to the Dunes and a nice little cabin in the snow for New Years. It is always nice to get on my bike and race people up the big hills. Just the competitive Allen nature that likes to win so much.

The publication came out for an article I wrote in the Vein magazine, if you want to check it out…It’s just a little blurb on marketing, but I am famous now…ha ha ha. http://www.veindirectory.org/magazine/.

I finally hit the year point in my house, and cannot believe how quickly time has flown by. I still am working on decorating a few rooms that have absolutely nothing on the walls. I hope to have things a little more situated this year.

I love my job, and my life, and I love that I live so close to Mom and Sid, though some days I wish I were retired with them. Well… Love ya all, and miss you to the moon and
back


Stephanie & Dave Farnsworth

January seemed to just fly by. We were saddened by the death of Gordon B. Hinkley, but were grateful to live in a time where he was leader of this church. Our lives have been touched in many ways by his quiet example, steadfast leadership, and immovable testimony. We are anxious to gain a love for President Monson as the new prophet. The morning we told the boys President Hinkley died Austin wanted to say a prayer for President Hinkley's family. So he did and as I praised him for such thoughtfulness Chase was feeling left out and informed me, "Mom I want to say a pwayer for Satan so that he will make good choices today". Cute kids.

Dave was gone for most of the month attending conferences. First to Arizona and next to Park City. Luckily we got to meet him up in Utah. The kids and I had so much fun playing with cousins and frolicking in the snow! We made some wonderful memories. Go to our blog to check out some of our fun pictures! Dave has also had to put in long hours at school to complete his thesis proposal and work on his CV. Now the stress is added as he writes his thesis. I can't wait to see his final product. He never ceases to impress. We also celebrated our 8 year anniversary this last month. Time has seemed to fly by and these last 8 years have certainly been the happiest in my life!

I planned and executed our "Meet the Teacher" primary activity this month as well. It is always busy planning and preparing and so much fun to put it on. It was quite the experiences with all my kids in tow as Dave was out of town. I sure miss having a husband :( (too bad Nanci and I can't live closer to each other and be single mom's together!). Anyway, the rest of the month seemed to pass by with regular motherly responsibilities. We are trying to get more organized and check a few other goals off of our new year's list. Having a week long vacation made it easier to come back and get on track! We also found out this month we are going to have baby #4. We are excited and just so you don't ask... we will be happy with either a boy or a girl :) I have actually been pretty sick. I empathize greatly with those who have morning sickness. Mine seems to get worse with every baby. So my spurts of energy are used to maximize productivity. On most occasions though you might find me over a toilet or on top of a wrinkled bed. So worth it in the end....

Austin is still loving school although he has been swamped with makeup homework from our vacation. He is a trooper. He turned 6 years-old this month. I can't believe how the time has just flown by. He is sure grown up. He has almost completed his basketball season and has progressed so much. He is a good team player and really enjoys sports. He is loving his new primary class (CTR 6) and has the most amazing teacher. Austin is always busy trying to figure out how the world and people work. His questions are endless...but we love it. He is working on earning a pass to 6-Flags with his school by reading for 6 hours by the end of Feb. His reading abilities have increased so much since just the beginning of the year!

Chase is loving preschool too. I had a parent teacher conference with his teacher, Mrs. Kim, this month (who was also Austin's preschool teacher) and she had nothing but praise for Chase. I felt bad as she was telling me that Chase could count by two's and had some incredible pre-reading skills unheard of for his age, my response was "Really?". I guess sometimes as parents middle children sometimes get overlooked as we are experiencing new things with the oldest and taking care of the totally reliant baby. After that I have certainly made a conscious effort to equalize time. Chase is a doll and really is so sweet. He is patient in teaching Blakey right from wrong and continues to make his goals each morning of "not saying bad words, no yelling, helping Blake not to hit, & not touching my poo". l love boys! Chase also became a Sunbeam this month. He is doing SO great in primary and sings the words to every song.

Blakey is SO big. Honestly with every month I feel like he grows a year. He seriously weighs as much as some of his 5 year old nieces! He is just a little man. He never (I mean never)is caught with out some type of ball in his hands and will walk up to anyone and everyone and say "catch". He says so many words "ball, catch, hello, c-ya, bye. momma, dadda, dog, all done, more, horse, all the animal sounds, and more". It seems like this is the stage where it is such a joy to realize how responsive they are to you as they follow through with commands like "please go put that in the garbage", "go get your shoes". or what have you. He is the biggest flirt you will ever meet and says hello and c-ya to anyone who looks in his direction with a HUGE contagious grin. He is almost 100% effective in his tactics to get a smile and a "what a sweet little baby" from strangers and friends alike. He loves to be read to and sings himself to sleep every nap and bedtime (even though we have music playing in the background). He is really such a joy!

Hope all is well with all of you!
Love to all...
The Dave Farnsworth Family

Allen Newsletter January 2008

Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Sid & Jeanne Stephenson

December came in like the wind and was gone as quickly, and we are asking ourselves if we really had 31 days last month. After a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with many family members, we wondered if December could possibly be as exciting. Yes it was…but it came and went so quickly.

Early in December, we had a thrilling week in Salt Lake with Shelly, Dave and family. Their home was so festive and ‘holidayish’. When we arrived, Shelly had the dinner tables set up all Christmasie for 25 people. There were two ‘red plates’ (special!!!) with place cards labeled “Grandma” and “Grandpa”…that was us. And we did feel special. She had invited all of our posterity that lived in the area to come and have an early Christmas dinner together. Iit was a total surprise & so wonderful. Then the next day we had lunch with Dave, shopped the Gateway Mall, saw a movie and joined Dave again for dinner and a Jazz game. Dave took a day off and we just stayed home and watched a Christmas movie and enjoyed each other. Later in the week we went to dinner with all the family members again, then went to see “A Christmas Carol” at the Hale Theater in Orem. What a memorable week, and thanks to the Senior family.

Sherri and her children came to Mesa for a few days mid-December and we surely enjoyed their visit! She surely brought some sparkle into our normally sedated state of being. Parties, dinner, get-togethers, activities…that’s Sherri (and Shauna too!!!) She and her children are just a bundle of fun. Thanks Sherri, for the effort you put forth to bring joy into our home. At Christmas time, we had Sandie and Neil for a few days and they are always so amiable…never ask for any thing (like entertainment). We watched a bundle of movies at home and ate and ate and ate. (We are going to the next size of scales for our weight now!) Shauna and Troy and his children joined Sandie and Neil and us for Christmas dinner and Ron and Dawn came later in the evening and we had a late dinner. Each brought their precious spirit and love with them. There is absolutely nothing that compares to family. Santa Claus found us in spite of my occasional ‘naughtiness’ in being the world’s biggest procrastinator. He left us some ’wannabee’s’ that were nice but not essential. Thanks to all of you who were so kind to share pictures, cards and other items at Christmas time. We have the best family ever.

Love all of you, Mom and Sid

Sandie & Neil Taft

We have had a wonderful couple of months. In November Meela and Ben, Kari Jeremy and Curtis, and each of Kris and Allison's children were able to come for Thanksgiving! It was so great to spend some time with them. Although it was a great disappointment that Kris and Allison could not be here with us.....

We were also blessed to have Mom and Sid, Stacy and Greg and their family, Stephanie and Dave and their boys, and Shauna came up for the day. We appreciate all those that made the effort to drive to Pine. What an awesome family we have!

December passed by quickly and we were able to spend Christmas with Mom and Sid. Shauna and Troy dropped in for awhile also. Mom and Sid always make you feel so welcome, it is such fun to be with them. We were able to visit Grandma Watkins also - she looks great! We went over to Aunt Marva's and she played us a few songs on the piano.

Our children are each doing terrific, working hard and enjoying life. We hope to be able to visit them within the next month or two.

We are so blessed to have had such a wonderful year. As we look back we can see the Lord's hand in our lives many times.

Hopefully, we will draw even closer to him this coming year - by trying to become more obedient to all He has asked of us.

We love you all,

Sandie

Stacy & Greg Hansen

December was filled with many exciting events. Madelyn & Emma performed in the Nutcracker ballet. Koby went to Christmas Dance with a darling girl named Rachael. I had my Christmas piano recital & we also performed at a retirement center. Madelyn played "Angels We Have Heard On High" she performed it very well. I also played at the retirement center "O Little Town of Bethlehem". I enjoyed the short break from piano lessons, carpooling schedules, & homework. We stayed home for Christmas & had friends to Christmas dinner. It was nice to stay home and relax. For New Years we went to West Yellowstone with 3 other families & rode snowmobiles, swam (indoor pool of course), played games & just had a great time. We love the Christmas season & took many opportunities to enjoy the true spirit of Christmas & celebrate our Savior's birth. We love you all & enjoyed your Christmas cards & letters.

Love,

Greg, Stacy, Koby, Madelyn, & Emma

Stephanie & Dave Farnsworth

December is always a favorite month. People are a little more charitable, kind and tend to place a larger focus on the Savior. We hope we can take a little bit of that with us into the New Year.

As a family we did many wonderful activities this month. We first were blessed to have an “anonymous” sender of a fridge to our home. Our fridge went out after we returned home from Arizona and we came home to found a large flood in our kitchen, a broken fridge and rotten food. It was truly a blessing in our life to know that the Lord hears and answers our prayers and knows our needs.

We had many other great experiences this month as well. As a family we were able to attend “A Journey to Bethlehem”. It is a free production that a Baptist church in Grapevine puts on every year. I can honestly say it was one of the most amazing experiences I have had, and the kids really grasped the story of the first Christmas. We started in a small home of a Jewish family and were invited in. A Roman guard came and brought the decree to go and pay taxes. We were all given passports to keep with us at all times. We followed this Jewish family on their journey to Bethlehem. We walked with torches through dark forests following only their family flag (to identify who we were). We were stopped many times by Roman soldiers on horses and were asked for our passports so we wouldn’t be thrown in jail. Along the way we met the three Wiseman, shepherds and were visited by an angel. Each had live animals including: camels, donkeys, sheep, etc. The boys were truly intrigued. Finally we made it to a small scale version of Bethlehem to pay our taxes. It was filled with merchant shops, live animals, dancing children, etc. Then we walked to the Inn and out to the stable where Mary, Joseph and Christ child were and sang with the crowd “Oh come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord”. We certainly felt the spirit (which is testimony that ALL good things come from the Lord). We talked to the children afterwards about what they felt and helped them recognize that it was indeed the spirit. Austin told us “I want to do that every night”.

We also attended our good friends, the Olsen’s, live Nativity and Christmas party which has become a tradition for us over the past few years. The kids all dressed up and performed the nativity with a real life size manger, angels on a tower, and carols. It is always so fun for the kids. Then afterwards each year Mr. & Mrs. Santa Clause burst through the door (as we are singing “Santa Clause is Coming to Town”) with a large red sack of presents filled with pj’s for the kids to put on. Each child gets a turn with Santa and he hands them their gift. We will certainly miss this tradition and have decided it is a must to continue in Arizona.

As a family we also went to a Christmas sing-a-long at our friends the Baird’s home. We were surrounded by all of our closest friends. The kids loved to sing all of the songs and giggled and ate so much junk! We are certainly grateful for wonderful people here in Flower Mound who have touched our lives very deeply.

The Howey family came and stayed with us over Christmas for about 10 days. We enjoyed their company so much and stayed up way too late playing games and talking. Our house was full, but we loved the company. Cherry and Scott were here from New Jersey as well and we enjoyed getting together with them along with Emily and Joe. The Oelkers are always so great to open up their home for the annual “Twas the Night Before Christmas” candy pass and presents galore. Being around family is so much fun and really made the Holidays special!

Dave and I also enjoyed our adult session of Stake Conference this month as well as Stake Conference. Call us crazy, but we always seem to get so much more from the adult session without three darling but wiggly kids in tow.

Dave spent the first week end in December in Arizona for a conference in Scottsdale. I know he enjoyed seeing friends and Kathy. Dave also enjoyed finishing up school on the 14^th and having a nice long break with the family. He was able to attend all of the boys Christmas parties and performances and was so pleased. Dave’s colleagues threw the “First annual twangle dirty mustache and eggnog bonanza” for their Christmas party this year. All the men grew out mustaches and sported Christmas sweaters. It was such a fun time. It is always great to be with Dave and his colleagues because I can’t help but notice the deep respect they have for Dave.

I had one of the craziest months I have had in a long time. I was busy with all of the end of the year primary responsibilities like class changes, binders, primary cd’s, birthday gifts, and writing our presidency goals. I am certainly grateful to have them all behind me now and can now focus on my sharing time (which happens to fall on Ward Conference) and our January “meet your teacher” primary activity. I was in charge of both of the boy’s Christmas parties at their schools and was grateful Dave was available to help. They turned out so great and the kids had a great time. I spent many hours at the school volunteering this month as well. It was great to be with Austin while he decorated candy trains, played Holiday games, etc. This month I also spoke in sacrament on the topic of charity. It was more for me than any one else, but I was grateful for the experience. It just so happened that I was singing a duet on the same day. So it was a Stephanie Farnsworth sacrament meeting whether they liked it or not J. It was fun to get ready for Christmas for the kids and experience some of our fun family traditions Christmas Eve and Morning. I sure love my kids and had so much fun watching their sweet faces on Christmas morning and feeling of their tender spirits. Other than that, I just spent most of my days trying to keep our live running and organized. It doesn’t always work, but I will keep trying.

Austin had a busy month between school, Christmas parties and basketball. He is doing so much better at basketball and enjoys practicing his hoop shots. It has been crazy trying to man all of the kids at the games by myself, but it is worth it to watch Austy play. Austin is doing great in school and has really come so far in his creative and writing abilities. Socially he has always done just fine. I just love going into his classroom to watch him interact with his peers. He really has been blessed with great interpersonal skills. All the kids want to sit by him, show him their crafts, share their treats, etc. He really is everyone’s buddy. Austin is continuing his piano practicing every morning as well as reading every night. He is doing so well with both. Austin got a pre-birthday party at Aloha Fun Park with his cousins too. He had so much fun riding the go-carts, playing mini golf and video games. I can’t believe he is almost 6!!!!

Chase has really grown up this past month. Other than his cute normal developmental speech impediments he is no longer a little boy. He has become so helpful and is so good to help with and play with Blake. I am continually touched at his sweet and sensitive nature because he is such a rough and tumble little boy. I think he is so much like Dave in that way. Chase started reading lessons this month and feels so big. I am proud of his desire to learn. He is doing great with his tickets each night and is saving up for something big out of “Mommy’s Store”! I will have to let you know what he decides to splurge on. He is currently working on trying to sing the ABC’s backwards. It is so funny to hear him try. We are still trying to work on not using potty words. I just wish he didn’t get such a roar from his audiences when he uses them!!

Blakey is all smiles. He communicates so well and tries hard to use language to do so. When that fails he resorts to good ol’ sign language. He is often found laughing until he can no longer breathe at his brothers. He still sings around the house and has added yet another song to his repertoire. I still am amazed when he sings right on tune the melody of twinkle, star wars, and now another song from baby Mozart. He always has a ball in his hand and can throw further (and with better aim) than even his brothers. They think this is so cool. He loves to play catch (well mostly throw). He loves to be chased around the house and often just starts running out of the blue and looks behind him to see if anyone will follow him. He is a busy little boy, but still takes time to sit on my lap and read and snuggles me at nap and bedtime.

Life is good for us…It really is.

The Dave Farnsworth Family

Allen News October 2007

"Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them,is the true measure of our thanksgiving." W.T. Purkiser

Sid and Jeanne Stephenson
Another wonderful month of good health and happiness for us!!! How blessed we are to have our lives filled with mobility, the gospel and family. In early October I spent some time with Stephanie, Dave, and family…they run a ‘tight ship’ with fun, schedules, and activities. It was good to get close to our grandchildren and I must have read Blake a hundred books. Their home is filled with learning. Susan joined us for some fun times as well…always bringing sparkle into others’ lives. Then….as if we “didn’t get our fill of Texas” we headed back again the end of October to spend some time with Susan and Scott’s family. It was a privilege to attend football games, baseball games and a special drum line performance of Marshall’s which was incredible. Marc is a pro in athletics and Tony Romo might need to worry a bit about competition in the coming years. I was able to spend a few days alone with Marc while Susan flew to Ohio to Marshall’s national drum line competition…and I understand they took FIRST PLACE. Congratulations!! An added plus while I was in Texas was that I got to spend some time with Emily and Linda. They are both so delightful to be around.
Sid’s last living brother, Charles, passed away in Boise, Idaho the 22nd of October. His health had been poor for quite some time so it was expected. Sid’s consolation is that now his brother can be taught the gospel in the spirit world and hopefully accept it. Charles didn’t want to hear about it here. Thanks to those of you who phoned and sent cards…it was surely appreciated. We are hoping in the next few months that some of you will be able to visit us…remember, the weather is perfect now and if you want a reprieve of wintry weather “This is the place”. Our love to all of you,
Mom and Sid

Sandie and Neil Taft

We have had a very busy month. Neil and I found out that we will be staying at Camp LoMia – at least for a while longer.. We are in the middle of a huge construction project – all the power lines on camp are being buried. In the process, the roads a larger and now being grated. It is looking great. Gone are the narrow, bumpy dirt roads.
We are anxiously waiting for this project to be completed – so we can get ready for our family when they come down for Thanksgiving.

Meela is engaged! I am including a picture of her ring Hopefully, while she and Ben are down here – they will fill us in on a date. We are excited to have him be part of our family. We already love him.

Kris and Allie and the children are doing great - They get together often with Meela and Ben. W can’t wait for our grandchildren to come down – they have all grown so much. We can’t wait to catch up on all that they have been doing lately.

Kari and Jeremy are moving again in the middle of November. It is a busy time for them, packing, and both working hard. Curtis is walking all over the place and feeling like such a big boy now that he can feed himself.

We are so grateful for such a wonderful family and know that we have been blessed.
Love you all, Sandie

Stacy and Greg Hansen

Our family has many blessings to be grateful for. A week ago we got the news that Emma is healed. Truly it is a miracle. She has 20/25 vision now. Thank you for the prayers, putting her name in the temple & for your love and concern. It really gives us strength to know you are praying for us. I know the Savior knows us personally & that He blesses us. I am grateful for the Savior's tender mercies & I see them often in our lives. General Conference was so great & I feel grateful for the messages that were given. I feel renewed strength to work on my weaknesses like journal writing & a few others. Koby had a great month . He won 1st in debate 3 times last month, as presiding officer & speaker of the House. He is working extremely hard & loves it! Koby also went to Sadie Hawkins last night with a cute girl named Courtney. They had so much fun. Madelyn & now Emma are preparing for the Nutcracker ballet next month. Emma is thrilled to go back to dance. Greg & I were supposed to take a trip to San Diego with about 10 couples from our ward to see the BYU game, but because of the fires we cancelled & instead Madelyn & I (Stacy) went to the Hannah Montana concert in SLC. This is her first concert & she did ask if she & Hannah could have their picture together. I told her that she would only see her on stage. In spite of the little disappointment Madelyn said it was a dream come true! We had a great time & took lots of pictures. We also went with a friend & her daughter. Greg & I decided to have a Halloween party last minute & had a great time. We had 18 come & join us in our festivities. We all had a blast. The children all had fun on Halloween. Madelyn dressed up like a cheerleader, Emma dressed up like a pirate. Koby went out on a date & went to his first Haunted House. He said that he thought he was the most scared out of the entire group because he had never been to one before. Greg also went hunting this past month with Koby & unfortunatly they got a 4 point buck. I wasn't too thrilled because I don't care for the meat. We love you all & hope that things are well with all of you.

Greg, Stacy, Koby, Madelyn & Emma

Sherri and Spencer Plummer

We have had a great month in October. Spencer got a job, and I am becoming more organized. We had another fun trip to Hawaii and met Dave and Steph and Chad and Dawn in Las Vegas for the weekend. It was so much fun, but the best part was seeing how amazed Stephie was at such horrible magic (sorry Steph, I couldn't resist) Spencer started working for Buffalo Ranch. He is enjoying working around the horses again, but I sure do miss him at home. He is a Sunday School teacher for the 14-15 year olds. They love learning from him, and even came as a class trick-or-treating to our house looking for him. It was fun to see. I have been working on organizing my home more, and got through a lot of boxes this month. We had a big Halloween Party to get ready for, so I guess I had some motivation. For our Party, we had about 65 people here. It was so much fun that we didn't get people out of here until 1:00 in the morning. I still teach Sabrina's Primary class, and love each of those 13 kids! Spencer IV has been outstanding at gymnastics. He is so fun to watch, but it still scares me at times as well. He had his first gymnastics competition this month, and got two 9s and an 8 out of 10. He competed doing 6 back-handsprings into a tuck. He is such a brain at school, and loves to read more than anything. Sabrina is doing fantastic at gymnastics as well. She has qualified for a "team," but is waiting on a list to get on. She is now able to do a whip on the ground by herself, and also 10 back-handsprings in a row! She loves it, and laughs every time she does a pass because she is so proud of herself. She also loves to read and is such a joy to have around. Samantha is just as cute as can be. She is always making people laugh. She just is so obedient and kind to everyone, that she is always making everyone around her happy. She loves to say her prayers by herself and always thanks him for bubbles. Sydney is such a good baby. She just smiles and laughs all the time. She is teething, but has not been crying that bad. My kids love to help me take care of her, and she loves the attention from her siblings. We are so blessed to have such a wonderful family, and am so grateful for the time and effort Stephie puts into these newsletters. We enjoy hearing what is going on in everyone's lives. Love, Spencer and Sherri Plummer

Dave and Stephanie Farnsworth

October was a fun filled month for our family. We enjoyed a great conference week end. The kids did remarkably well with a little activity sheet, conference bingo and some treats. Although we didn’t get to take in as much as we would have like to (with all the boys bouncing off couches and tables) we know our efforts will be recognized. We always have a big conference breakfast with a few close families. It is a nice tradition the kids look forward to.

We spent some fun nights at the pumpkin patch this month. The kids always enjoy the petting zoo, bounce houses, hay mazes & rides. We drove up to Oklahoma last week end to our friend’s “Haunted Cabin”. It was such an amazing day. The kids rode horses, painted pumpkin, got SO dirty, fished, roasted hot dogs and marshmallows, and went on a haunted hay ride. It was such a great time. The Fall is so fun and offers so many opportunities to do things together as a family.

We also went to a Blue Angels air show this month in Fort Worth. The kids were in heaven (so was Dave). The boys got to explore an Apache Helicopter and sit inside it along with a bunch of other helicopters and planes. They loved the Blue Angel’s and have since been found playing “US Navy” outside in the backyard.

Halloween was great. The kids dressed up as Star Wars characters. Austy was Jengo Fett, Chase was Darth Vader and Blake was Yoda. Between light saber battles the kids were able to trick or treat and get lots of candy. Grandma Stephenson and aunt Sue were the first to be trick or treated to. The kids got sick on candy the day after Halloween and then traded their candy to the Great Pumpkin for a toy. They were pleased with their choice as the Great Pumpkin left some star wars figurines. How did he know?

Dave had a great month. He had NO conferences this month!!! It was great to have him on Saturdays after work. He is finalizing his new research project (yes his last project after much time, thought and revamping still didn’t work out). He has a positive “back to the drawing board” attitude. He is amazing and hopefully this next project will be better it entails analyzing and comparing specific orthodontic cases. For more info in this area you need to just give him a call. Dave also had a birthday this month (32). I surprised him by having two friends come to Texas (Nate Flake and Dave MacArthur). They had such a great time together. They were great company and I know it was a good birthday for him. Dave is still the best dad in the world. He is so playful with the kids and never gives up and opportunity to teach them something valuable. Blake runs from the other side of the house or yard straight into Dave’s arms whenever he comes home. It is sweet. There is no doubt…Dave is loved. Dave whisked me away to Vegas at the beginning of the month for a few days. We had a wonderful time with our family (Dawn & Chad Howey and Sherri & Spencer Plummer). We had very little sleep and a lot of fun.

I had a good month too. I still love my Old Testament Institute class. I realize each week how little I really know about the Bible and am enjoying the weekly enlightenment. For primary it was a busy month. We had our primary program last week. It turned out wonderful. The kids really did a great job and the spirit was very strong. I made a movie for the primary kids that captured our entire year in primary (scouting, primary activities, sharing times, etc). They LOVED it! We watched it for the sharing time after our program and fed them licorice and string cheese. Anyway, it was so fun to do. Book Club took the backseat again this month… I need to get motivated. My next book to tackle is “A Thousand Splendid Suns”. I spent a few days this month volunteering at Austin’s and Chase’s schools. It is always nice to feel a part of things. I read “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” to Chase’s class and used a life sock puppet and props. The kids loved it! Chase, Blake and I were able to eat lunch with Austin at school a few times too. It is funny because I get the worst looks ever toting around Chase and Blake with me into the elementary school. They think I am insane to bring my entire rambunctious but cute family, but the trade off of having lunch with Austy is worth it.
I experience my first parent teacher conference this month too. The teacher giggled as I pulled out my notebook with prewritten questions. I was pleased with the report of how great Austin is doing. I am still trying to find the place for mom’s in the public school system. I am finding there is a delicate balance between been too involved and not involved enough. Also, I enjoyed having my mom and dad here this month. They were able to have lunch with Austin and attend some of the kid’s activities. The kids always feel extra special to have Grandma and Grandpa at their activities and they seem to try extra hard and be extra good. I love having my mom & dad here too. It seems like we always get some fun (and some not so fun) projects completed.

Austin was busy this month with baseball practice and games. He was so happy to earn the game ball and took it as his “most special” item for a school project. He had his baseball party at Peter Piper Pizza and got another trophy. Austin is doing great in school and is still so self motivated with projects, homework and responsibilities. It is like he has an internal palm pilot. Sometimes I have to show him my calendar to let him know he can stop stressing about deadlines and that I have them taken care of. Could my OCD be genetic? Austin is still doing well at the piano. Some days he is more motivated than others for sure. He has made some great friends at school and has enjoyed some fun play dates. Some great missionary opportunities have been presented as I have become close with many of the families of his new friends. Austin is a good little missionary.

Chase is so cute. He is loving his little preschool class and every time I ask him about his friends in his class he only tells me about the boys and says how he doesn’t like the girls. It is so funny how different his little personality is from Austin’s. His art projects he brings home are really good. He is super creative and loves to draw (including on some things that aren’t paper). Chase is really funny and loves to make up jokes and funny songs. He is loving books about sharks right now. Every trip we make to the library consists of another fun obsession (i.e. volcanoes, star wars, etc). Chase is becoming such good friends with Blake. It is fun to see them interact and pretend play.

Blake is seriously so cute. He is the most lovable, playful, flirtatious toddler in the world. He loves attention and people. He is full of loves, smiles, giggles and hugs. He loves animals and when he sees pictures of them he says each animal’s sounds. He carries around his animal book and opens the pages to try to name them. Most of them are still “dog”. He loves to sing and really just sings around the house while he plays. He is finding a little sense of humor too and tries to make his brothers laugh. He really is a sweet little boy.

Allen Family News October 2007

"He is happiest, be he king or peasant, who finds peace in his home."

Johann con Goethe

Sid & Jeanne Stephenson

September was another wonderful month full of ‘the good life’. We count our blessings if we can still jump out of bed…rather than crawl out of bed…each morning.

It’s nice to say that our days aren’t full of doctor appointments, but rather time we are able to spend with some of our children. We feel so blessed to have Shauna and Ron close by. Ron came to the rescue recently and helped out with some electrical problems we were having, and Shauna and Troy stop by regularly just to check on their ‘senior parents’. We always enjoy their company.

Early in the month I had a wonderful week in Texas with Stephanie and Dave and of course I got to be with Susan too. Their children are so precious and are doing the ‘right’ things to bring about achievement and success. Choices are what it’s all about…making the right ones on the little things as well as the big ones. (And…a sneak preview of next month will tell you I’ll be back in Texas again.)

With a few relaxing weeks at home I have started to index my music books. It’s long overdue, but even if it takes me a year or so, the indexing will be worth it. My greatest fear though, is that I might lose my master copy of the indexing. Anyone have a safety deposit box?

The last week in September I spent at Stacy’s home, and what a delight that was. Too bad she had to have surgery in order to have such a memorable week, but while she recuperated we read part of a book together, chatted, cried, laughed, and shared secrets. Just like being “young” again…only with an older body.???? The children were so helpful and polite. Little Emma and I must have read a hundred books together. It was so enjoyable getting reacquainted again. While I was at Stacy’s, Sid was visiting his children and grandchildren. His son, Scott, drove to Idaho Falls with Sid to keep him company while he visited his brother and sisters. Then they picked me up on their way back to SLC and we took our flight back to Mesa. We are so grateful for family… wherever they are. We love your visits here, welcome phone calls, and appreciate any communication we may receive from you. The Family Newsletter brings us all together… Thank you for all who participate in sharing their family experiences. We love you,

Mom and Sid

P.S. Jeff Flake, our home teacher, was visiting us last week and brought us this picture. He said when he was on Air Force One with President Bush last May 18th, and Jeff called Sid to see how he was doing 3 days after Sid's heart attack, President Bush walked into the room and asked if he could speak to Sid also. Jeff said he remembered the press on board the plane had taken a picture while Pres. Bush was talking to Sid (and Jeff is on the phone also). So Jeff asked if he could have a copy of the picture of Pres. Bush speaking to Sid, which Jeff received from the press recently. Jeff was kind enough to share the picture with us. It was a very thoughtful gesture and we truly appreciate it.

Shelly & Dave Senior

Senior Family Newsletter

September was a landmark month as Dave and I celebrated our 25^th wedding anniversary! We were lucky enough to spend it in Martha’s Vineyard, a beautiful place. The provincial Edgartown is beautiful in the fall with lighthouses, beaches, beautiful sunsets, darling cottages and shops with awesome restaurants. Highly recommended to anyone for a romantic getaway.

Scott and Derek are now at BYU and are enjoying being there together. They are embracing the college life complete with football games, acclimating to roommates, associating with old friends and meeting new ones. It is not unusual to have 10-15 kids show up for Sunday dinner at our house. We are lucky to live close enough to share these experiences.

Jeff has enrolled in independent college study and has started working toward an associate degree. This has been a long time coming, but better late than never. With his enrollment we have three enrolled in college coursework.

Ryan is deep into drum line season. He loves playing the tenors, and has had to learn some difficult music but has really enjoyed it. He will be heading to Washington D.C. in a couple of weeks for a National Competition. Late last night a stuffed dummy was left on our doorstep with an invitation for Ryan to the next school dance. He seems to keep on top of his social life despite how busy school and drum line is.

Hope all is well with each of you.

Love,

Dave, Shelly and boys

Stacy & Greg Hansen
This past month we had a few challenges as you all know. We would like to thank all of you for the prayers & fasting for me & Emma. It is a comforting feeling, that often brings me to tears, knowing that so many are praying for us. It makes me feel so close to you all. We truly have felt an abundance of love & a peaceful feeling from the prayers said in our behalf. Emma got shot in the eye with an air soft & has had some major problems with her eye. The doctor has said she cannot attend preschool, dance or nursery for 6 weeks. In the beginning she couldn't see at all out of her eye. After a week of eye drops & many, many prayers her vision has improved considerably. She still cannot see up close to read a book out of her bad eye, but can see things far away. It is a miracle! We will not fully know the extent of the damage for another 4 weeks. Please keep praying for her. I know that miracles happen & I know the prayers have helped her. I had surgery a little over a week ago. Everything went well with the hysterectomy & I am feeling better every day. Mother came & stayed with our family. She is a miracle worker! She ran my carpools, fixed meals, took care of my children (including all of Emma's ailments), read the book Pope Joan to me, did my mending & laundry, & pretty much everything that needed to be done! She truly blessed our family & I know how blessed we are to have her as our mom. Sid & his son Scott came & saw us for a day too. We sure enjoyed their company & cherish the moments we can spend with family. Koby went to his first prom, Homecoming last weekend. He really had a great time, inspite of the difficulties he faced beforehand. He looked so handsome in his Tux! We had over 20 teenagers hang out at our home that night. We truly enjoy having people hang out at our home. Madelyn is busy with her dance team, ballet & gymnastics. She is really enjoying the business of her schedule. She is also working hard on her piano skills. Emma is still struggling, having little to no interaction with her friends, but she is still so good natured. I have started teaching her piano lessons & she really loves it. Greg has taken great care of me, Emma & all the other children in addition to work & church. He has really helped so much! I have been pampered by him, mom, many family members, extended family members, so many friends, people in my ward & people in my previous ward. Thanks for the prayers, fasting, the visits, phone calls, cards, care packages, flowers & more for both Emma & I. They have meant more than you know. It is great to be surrounded by those who care about you & love you when you feel the challenges come. It makes those difficulties much easier to face. I have the best family in the whole world! Keep praying for my little Emma, the prayers are really needed & appreciated! I love you all. Stacy








Shauna Allen

Well, needless to say, it has been a fun but crazy month. Troy and I have sure worked hard to play hard. We started the month at the Coral Pink Sand Dunes, and went to Zions National Park. What a pretty part of Utah. We went with another couple, and really roughed it. As we were driving home, Sherri called and invited us to Hawaii, but we only had 3 days in preparation.

What a blast we had. Sherri and Spencer and their family are so much fun to be around. I felt like we could have stayed another two weeks. Sherri and I played cards like mad women, and watched the boys roll their eyes at us. We did get them to play a few games, but after they lost to us world champions, they quickly found other things to play with.

We made it to the Polynesian Cultural Center, thanks to Craig and Linda, and we also had the privilege to see Pearl Harbor. This was Troy’s first time to Hawaii, so I think he seriously fell in love.

We missed our flight, and got to spend our last day with Craig and Linda and Steph (A.K.A. Phenee) We got to see a junior pro surf competition, and little Steph took us to every beach on the North Shore. It was AWESOME.

Troy and I are heading to Mexico this weekend. He has to finalize some architectural plans for his upcoming build there. He is heading to Playa De Carmen for a month to be submerged in a Spanish course that all you do is eat, drink, and sleep Spanish. Of course it doesn’t hurt that it is on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. His Dad is going with him, and it should be fun for both of them.

We have been playing softball for my office. Last game I thought I was a Yankee, and slid into third. Though I made it safely, my ankle didn’t, and now I am in what feels like a 90 lb cast. First bone ever broken. I feel like a complete idiot.

Work is going great. I feel like I am learning so much and that I am constantly being challenged. Isn’t there supposed to be a day when you know it all?

I send my love…

Shauna

Sherri & Spencer Plummer

Well, I will have to write for the last two months, since I forgot to
send it in last month. August was a great month for us. We had
just as much fun at the reunion as everyone else did, and am looking
forward to the next one! The hardest part was seeing everyone
leave. The kids enjoyed their last few weeks of summer before we
started them hitting the books. We travelled up to our cabin and
enjoyed a relaxing couple of days. Samantha and I were able to
celebrate our birthday with Shelly as we met for lunch and icecream.

September was a lot of fun! Spencer and I celebrated our 11 year
anniversary. I can't believe it has been that long! We are so lucky
to have each other. We enjoyed a trip to Hawaii with the kids, and
Shauna and Troy were our nanny for that trip. We went with our
friends Justin and Stacy, and then we had an employee Andy and his
wife Brandy go as well. It was so much fun. The kids could not get
enough of the water. It was so much fun to see. After we returned
home, it was hard for the kids to wake up early and go to school
again. They managed and are back on track for a great year of
learning. When we returned home, I was able to take a day and make
Jalapeno Jelly.

Spencer and I had to plan a big event at the Miller Motor Sports
Park, and it turned out great! Everyone had such a great time, and
99% of it went smoothly. There was one accident on the go carts, but
everyone was okay. All the many hours of preparation paid off. It
was a lot of fun.

Spencer and I are back in Hawaii now without the kids, and are
completely relaxed. We went snorkeling yesterday, and finished the
day off with eating at Mama's Fish House (The most incredible fish in
the world). We are with our good friends, Steve and Chelby, and are
enjoying every minute of being with them, even though we miss our
kids immencely. Since we have been gone (two days), Spencer has
become the star of soccer with his new team (scoring 6 of the 8 goals
at his game),
and we heard that it was snowing.

These are the only pictures I have on my computer, we did take some
normal ones.



Stephanie & Dave Farnsworth

This month was a great one. We spent most of it getting into new routines for new schools, new sports and new responsibilities.

Dave spent most of the week ends this month working on his research project or working at the dental office in Plano. He has really enjoyed his job and seeing how a dental practice is run and operated. He enjoys his staff and the patients he gets to work on. Dave has been working hard to insure that his thesis project (involving rabbits and mini screws) will work. Keep your fingers crossed Dave also spent the month updating his CV and writing personal letters to all (yes all) of the Orthodontists in the Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler, Queen Creek, Scottsdale area. We put packets together and mailed them out. We hope to find a lead or two to work with. Anyway, Dave took the kids and I along with him to the Southwest Dental Conference in San Antonio a week ago. We had a wonderful time together. Family vacations are great pick me ups & we especially love the drive where we get to chat, sing songs and just spend time together. On the days Dave got home early this month (which are rare but cherished) he took the kids to the pool, the park and practiced baseball with the boys. He is a great dad (& hubby too)!

I had a crazy month. For primary we planned & executed our primary activity, "Come Listen to a Prophet's Voice". I think the primary kids really enjoyed it as Austin assured me "It was really cool, Mom". As a presidency we are now hustling and bustling to get the finishing touches on the primary program. We are anxious to have the primary kids perform. I am the co-room at Austin's school and have enjoyed the few times I have been able to witness the Texas school system in action. I especially love going to lunch with Austin (when I am invited) at his school. It has been sad to have him gone all day every day...I miss him. Chase, Blake & I have enjoyed our time together. We have spent some time at the Fort Worth Zoo, going to story time at the library, and most frequently going to the park. They are funny, funny boys. I spent a nice little chunk of time this month down & out. I had a severe kidney infection that seriously stopped me in my tracks. What? I never get sick...really. I went through the nice cycle of chills, fever, sweat for about 4 days reaching the 104 range several times. Mom's can't get sick!! But luckily my sister Sue was here and she honestly helped me so much with the boys. I was literally helpless. With a couple doctors (& one emergency center visit) I recovered and all is back to normal and well. I also started an Institute class this month. We are studying the Old Testament. I LOVE IT! I honestly look forward to it every week and feel so blessed to learn from the great people that surround me. It is my BIG spiritual upliftment for the week since Sacrament is usually spent juggling kids and I am in Primary for the last two hours of church (not that primary isn't spiritual it is just short intervals of feeling the spirit- very short- rather than one big). My mom came and visited this month too. It is always great to have her here. We love all visitors We had lots of good laughs and good talks. The kids loved having her here too.

Austin is such a big boy. Honestly sky is the limit for this kid. He has more confidence than any other 5 year old I know (or 20 year old for that matter). For the first week of September his goal every morning was to make a new friend at school. By the end of the week when he would follow up at dinner time he informed us "everyone in his class was his best friend" so the following week he moved on to the other kindergarten classes that had recess with him. By the end of the month "everyone in the school was his best friend except some of the 5th graders he hasn't met yet and their teachers". What a riot! I love that he loves people so much. He is doing great in school too. He is so responsible with his morning routine (make bed, pray, get dressed, brush teeth, do chores, practice piano, hug mom). He needs little reminding. Also, he has been amazing at doing his homework without any coaching. I just check it, but he is one self motivated little boy. He is loving piano and is still not minding that mom is his teacher. He LOVES baseball. I think it was wise to switch him from soccer. He is doing great and was so proud to get "game ball" a week ago. He also gave a talk this month in church. He helped write his talk on service. He is doing so well and getting up and talking in front of people. Hopefully this will hold true for the primary program as well!

Chasey is such a cutie. He is so happy to be going to real preschool. He is so obedient to his teachers (which I am kinda surprised about cause sometimes he is a teensy bit ornery). He has lots of friends and is really starting to feel (& act) like a big boy. His new thing is he wants to live every place we go. "Mom I want to live at that book store", "Mom I want to live in that car", "Mom I want to live at the park", you get the idea. He loves our weekly trips to the library and enjoys helping Austin "read" at night. He still has his one true love...star wars. Chase loves to sing. He picks up songs every where and will be caught singing them often. He looks forward to Austy getting home every day & is learning to try to share with his baby brother.

Blake is growing up ever so fast. He is running every where and beginning to speak clearly. He says "Dad, Mom, More (still signing this too), down, uh oh, dog, & that". This is a great stage and we are enjoying every minute of it. Blake honestly has surprised Dave and I to no end. Believe us or not but Blake truly truly will sing tunes to songs. He sings the words "Da, da, da" to the tune of Star Wars, ring around the rosey, and basically will mimic almost anything sung repeatedly to him. We have video proof for all of you doubters:) I am amazed, but he always makes me smile when he breaks out in song in his car seat unsolicited.

We are no doubt doing well. We are anxious to start finalizing our plans to move to Arizona next year. It is a bitter sweet thought for us, but we are certainly ready to start a new chapter in our life. We look forward to being close to lots of family and lots of friends. We hope all of you are well.

Lots of love,

The Dave Farnsworth Family