We've Been out of touch For a Year

In some respects, this is just like my journal. I usually write about once a year!! There is always an entry right around January 1st as I solidify that resolution to write more often in my journal! HA! Anyway, the biggest updates are:

Carston graduated number 3 in his class and is now at Utah State University on a full ride scholarship. He also got a Research Fellowship from the Physics department! Yay! We love not having to pay for school! He works at Taco Bell - Que Bueno! And lives with Dalon and 2 other roommates near campus.

Yes, Dalon is back from Hong Kong. Arlen and I were able to go to Hong Kong in August and see his areas, meet his comps and feel the Hong Kong vibe (and smell the Hong Kong smells and drown in the Hong Kong humidity) It was a great experience, but I've never been so exhausted in all my life from hoofing it EVERYWHERE! Dalon is at USU and is working at the Space Dynamics Lab designing experiments for NASA. Pretty cool!!

I've included some Hong Kong pics. The temple is beautiful, the Mission Pres. was sooo nice as were the people of Hong Kong. We had many angels help us the first couple of days we were there. Arlen's Mandarin helped some but not completely. It was better once we were with Dalon and he could communicate in Cantonese.

Mong Kok night life

The Bays were Beautiful

The Temple Doors

Triathlon Times

Since Arlen moved to Amarillo in 2005, he's trained for and participated in several small triathlons. We have actually gone and watched at a few of them, but always sans camera. This time we took a camera, complete with supportive logo t-shirts, but somehow ended up without any photos of Arlen. He's just too fast!! (That's the only thing I can think of.) This particular triathlon was held in a gated community which has a private lake. The lake had just turned or something and newly disturbed organisms had killed a lot of the fish, so the place stunk like rotted things!!! Thus the photo with carefully pinched noses!

Anyway, Arlen had a blast making the tee's for the kids and did fairly well in the race to boot.

More News from Hong Kong

Dalon sent more pics. Just a little update on him. He was made Senior companion several months ago and more recently a trainer. His mission president sent the nicest letter. (Arlen wonders if it's a form letter, but I choose to think he only says wonderful things about MY son.) :-) He said, "I want you to know how much I love and admire your son and I know that Heavenly Father loves him as well. He is an exemplary missionary in every way." That does a mother's heart good! The letter goes on to define the responsibility of being a trainer. "One of the greatest expressions of trust that you can give a missionary is to assign him or her as a trainer of a new missionary." We're so happy for that trust that's been placed in Dalon. Anyway, the pics of Tung Chung on Landau Island are beautiful and I wanted to share.

Summer Recaps

I figure this is better late than never.

Carston and cousin, Collin at EFY held at Utah State University in July.

The VEST family reunion met to celebrate Kari's mom and dad's 50th wedding anniversary.

Mom and Dad's posterity = 5 children, 25 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren, so far.

Grant and Gayle Vest hold up a gift given by my sister, Kami. I loved what this said. "All Because Two People Fell in Love..."

We were also able to attend the Pixton Reunion in Draper, UT. The cousins played Ultimate frisbee.
My mom (center back) and her siblings sing a fun song.

L to R: Eunice (Robert's wife), Uncle Robert, my Dad, Aunt Sylvia, Mom, Aunt Cleone, Aunt Janice, Uncle Howard(hidden in back), Aunt Joann, and Howard's wife, Margene(peeking out)
Lauren and cousins, Kelsey and Keaton at Bear Lake in Garden City, Ut

Swim lessons after the reunion was over.

We celebrated Dalon's 20th birthday Aug. 11, even though he's in Hong Kong. We got to celebrate with our Amarillo Vest cousins while their new baby brother, Kolby Kyle was born. Now, Dalon has a birthday mate. How many people get a new cousin for their birthday? We thought it was pretty cool.

TOO FUNNY

Man, this is hilarious. I took it from the Greenmun's blog, so I thought I would give credit there, but I wanted to expose those who don't surf that blog to some great political satire... Kind of in the tone of SNL. Loved the Sarah Palin/Hillary Clinton spoof too, but that's a different link.

Click HERE to enjoy the joy of Politics.

Heroes

A Little More Space

Lauren has had an exciting vacation this year. Her first tooth came out and the tooth fairy left a whole dollar!!

Gone Fishin'

We're currently in Providence, UT visiting Grandma and Grandpa Vest. Grandpa took the kids fishing one day. Look what happened in the first fifteen minutes!

Independence

Each child has their own phase of independence - Lauren now makes her own peanut butter sandwiches, Bowen asserts his independence by answering everything by saying the opposite of what we need to hear. Landon now rides his bike around Canyon without supervision. And...

Carston got a job! He's officially on duty at Wendy's - which by his estimation is better than McDonalds. We warned him not to ask if the customer's wanted their order "supersized"! He's excited to finally have a way to earn a little extra dough and I'm excited to see him find this opportunity all on his own. Woo hoo! One more child on his way to independence!

We're grateful for Dalon's independence in a foreign country. Dalon has been in Tung Chung almost two weeks at this writing. We heard from him last week that some mudslides had blocked roadways on the island and that the missionaries had been called in to help try to move the mud out of the way, bucket by bucket. Apparently it started raining so hard while working that the government pulled every one out of the area for fear of more mud slides, so his service time was cut short. I found the following article on the church website concerning this very event(see link) and lo, and behold Dalon is in one of the pics. It's a very small pic and I've done my best to make Dalon a little more visible.

Hong Kong Floods

As we celebrate our country's independence in the next few weeks, I'm just very grateful for the men and women who are serving our country. Some are not much older than my own children and it's a scary prospect to think of them in harm's way, but I admire their efforts, bravery, and dedication to their job at this time.

Lovin' Summer

I so enjoy the summer and the lazy days and the lack of someone else's schedule. We're getting up later, eating breakfast unrushed and (after chores) playing throughout the day. We've got our little garden growing and progressing with plenty of water and the kids also surviving with plenty of water. They regularly wear swimsuits and play with the hose to keep cool. I am still working a few hours each day at the Real Estate thing, but my kids are where my thoughts consistently lead me. Later in the summer, we will travel to Utah and play there for four weeks.

Dalon has finally been transferred from Kwun Tong to Tung Chung. He apparently caught the fancy of a young lady who thought she might pursue him. So, wisely, he was moved. He says Tung Chung is cleaner, rural, and by the ocean. They are on an island with a branch of about 50 people. His companion is a former Marine -"oo-rah"- who apparently does 360 push ups every morning. He could teach Dalon a thing or two, I'm sure. :-)

Promenade

Another driver!

Woo hoo! Carston got his driver's license! I have no pics at the moment. I'll post one sooner or later. It's still hard for me to see him behind the wheel, but I've been taking full advantage of the situation and have him running errands for me OFTEN! Luckily, Canyon is a small town and the max speed is 30 mph and there are plenty of stop signs, lights, etc. Keeps the teenagers grounded and the parents sane. We're very proud of Carston and his new found independence. One major obstacle overcome and now on to the Eagle Project and moving toward Senior Year!

Catching UP!

I cannot believe how long it has been since I have blogged. Time seems to speed by leaving us in its wake at times, seems to sweep us along with it at times, and then there are those rare moments when it stands still long enough for us to take a mental picture and form an impression that we will never forget. Today I'll share some of those moments and even share some actual pictures so you can see why we need to catch up.

We have had 4 birthdays since the beginning of the year. All of which were low key and uneventful in nature, but special to those being honored. Bowen did turn 8 this year and was privileged to be baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by his big brother, Carston. It was a great experience for Carston to exercise his priesthood in a different ordinance. Landon and cousin, Collin Hall, sang "I Am a Child of God" with Landon taking the descant in the chorus. It was very nice. My brother, Kyle, and his family and my sister, Lani, and her family as well as Mom and Dad Work all attended. It made for a terrific day for Bowen.

You may notice that Bowen has started wearing glasses. Recently, Landon got contacts and feels free from the burden a piece of metal sitting on your nose can be. Landon also tried out and made it into the Amarillo Boys Preparatory Choir, which he has thoroughly enjoyed. He will start with the Amarillo Boys Concert Choir in the fall - a promotion made by the directors. We are so happy for him and love to see his love of music.

Lauren has been jumping and tumbling her way to medal after medal. Now, granted, they give all participants medals. :-) So, it may seem a little like it's not such a big deal. BUT, the majority of her medals have been 1st place medals, so I think they count. She was also recently awarded State Champion in the Double-mini trampoline, 5-6 yr olds, level 2 in the Panhandle area. I think that counts too. She has really had a great time going to the meets and learning some valuable lessons. At home she has recently started to reign in her mischievous, teaser, "push every button my brother has" side of herself. She has said to me, "I just always want to choose the wrong." and "I need to learn how to stop fighting." When she does well she is sure to point out that she's "choosing good things." and " doing what Jesus wants me to do." We love her for being so intuitive and so willing to try to better herself all on her own and at such a young age!!

Lastly, a little update on our beloved Dalon. He is still in Kwun Tong at this writing and enjoying every moment of his time. He bears testimony to us in so many of his letters and is just growing stronger and stronger in his conviction of the truthfulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He's been blessed to be part of a baptism already. A Bro. Lee was baptized and has led the missionaries to teach others through the sharing of his testimony. How important the members are to the furthering of the work of God. Dalon has been out for almost EIGHT months. I cannot believe he is more than a quarter of the way through. Remember what I said about time at the beginning of this post? I'm so grateful that I've been so busy so that I do not miss Dalon so much. We look forward to his emails every week and his pictures and his example for our other children. We have been so blessed by his service and work. I'm including a picture of Hong Kong at night. It's so beautiful and reminds me of the light that Dalon is sharing in that part of the world. Love to you all!!

Finally Here

Finally! Pics from Hong Kong. Proof that Dalon is alive and well and loving what he's doing. The above pic is of Dalon with his Trainer, Elder Ross. We thank God for him and the goodness he showed Dalon in his first weeks in Hong Kong! Dalon's emails are very positive and he continues to improve in his language skills and his people skills. They do not tract there in HK, instead they street contact which involves stopping people as they are traveling and trying to strike up a conversation. A major challenge for Dalon, but one that will bring him many blessings as he masters that challenge! The next pic is something I call "Dominoes". I think if one building falls they'll all go!!

This one is of the longest suspension bridge in the world. We all thought that was a Golden Gate bridge honor.

We're still here lovin' and livin' life!

Meet Data

One of our Christmas surprises for the kids was our new puppy, Data. For those who don't know me or my children well, he's named in honor of one our favorite Star Trek characters, Lieutenant Commander Data. The character was killed off in the last Star Trek: Nemesis movie as he saved the lives of his captain and fellow shipmates. (Our friends, Jim and Melanie, will remember me sobbing as his 'life' ended on screen). Anyway, Data is a wonderful puppy. Very quiet and snuggly and is potty training well - thank goodness. It's like having a new baby in the house sans the diapers and bottles!!

One of my favorite gifts was receiving a phone call at 6PM Christmas Night from Dalon in Hong Kong. He sounded wonderful! He's being very positive and appreciates any progress he makes as far as the language is concerned. His trainer has been transferred and his new comp is coming from an area of Hong Kong that has a large english speaking population, so the new comp is a little rusty in his own Cantonese. This is really a blessing for Dalon, because it means he has to speak more on his own and rely less on his comp. His trainer was great, but it's the right time for Dalon to strengthen his own skills.

As we made our family phone calls, I just realized how blessed we are to have technology to communicate and stay close. I love to email Dalon and receive his in return, but to hear his voice and to hear the sincerity as he expressed what a wonderful experience he's having was precious. To hear my brother's and sister's and our parents voices was wonderful and we were so far away!! What a miracle this technology is in our day.

One more thing that is miraculous! The completion of our garage. Arlen is a miracle worker with a hammer and nails. We are excited that it's done and now on to the next project - building a sewing room/guest bedroom! Yea! We're excited to have Arlen's brother, Paul with us to start that project off on the right foot!

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way Home from Waco

We received a wonderful invite to attend an Eagle Court of Honor for one of Arlen's former scouts in Waco. The timing was right due to Thanksgiving holidays so we thought we'd make a quick trip to Waco/Robinson area on Saturday, attend church and return on Sunday evening in time to prepare for school and seminary the next day. We had such a terrific time visiting with our friends there. The time was too short, but it was just the drink of water we needed after being away for a year and a half. (I love the blogs, but nothing can beat a one on one conversation!) Anyway, we attended church on Sunday and started on our way home. The weather was a bit dreary. It rained consistently from the time we left Waco until we reached Wichita Falls. The cooler weather required us to use our defroster to keep the windshield clear. A little info here - our air conditioning compressor had gone bad during the summer and we'd been told it needed to be replaced. We decided we would wait to replace it in the spring. Guess what? The defroster requires the compressor as well. HMMM....

Well, as we were driving through WF I asked Arlen were we going to stop? I was calculating hours we'd been in the car and the bladder size of each of my children as well as my own needs. Arlen was in the "Let's go as far as we can and not stop until there is a dire 'Daddy, I have to go now!' moment" mode. I understood that thought process as I've had those thoughts myself when traveling alone with the kids. For some reason, though, I felt that we should stop sooner rather than later and so requested that we do so in Iowa Park just outside WF so I could use the restroom. As we pulled off the highway into the gas station we could hear the engine making a terrible racket. The sound had been previously masked by the highway noise and the rain coming down. The rain had now turned to snow and we knew the engine was not in good shape. A quick phone call to Arlen's dad, who is a car engine whiz, and he confirmed that the engine was not in good shape and that it sounded like a bearing was about to fail. Arlen decided that rather than risk the car completely breaking down in the snow, in the Panhandle wilderness, at night, with his family, we would get a hotel and find a place the next day to fix the van. This discovery prior to a major breakdown in the middle of nowhere is blessing #1.

Blessing #2 - The Holiday Inn in WF sent a van to come get us and take us back to the hotel. I'm going to overlook the fact that the ride back to the hotel was the scariest part of the trip, because the defroster was not working, the windshield was fogged over, the roads were now snowy and icy and the van was swaying like it was top heavy. And the driver looked a little worse for the wear.

Blessing #3 - The hotel gave us a discount for our stay.

Blessing #4 - We called the Bishop in Wichita Falls to ask if there might be someone who could take Arlen back out to the car the next day and if he might recommend a mechanic in the area. The Bishop turned out to be a mechanic who specialized in car airconditioning/heating. Hmmm....

Blessing #5 - The next day the hotel took Arlen back to our car in Iowa Park so we did not have to worry about finding a ride. Just for reference this is about 15 miles one way from the hotel.

Blessing #6 - A mechanic in Iowa Park confirmed that the air conditioning clutch was frozen and that the bearing was burning out. Arlen drove the van to Bishop Scoggins garage. They had all the parts needed to replace our compressor and expansion valve - a newly discovered problem.

Blessing #7 - The final cost was much less than we'd been quoted previously for just the compressor.

We are so amazed at how our Heavenly Father watches over us. My dad reminded me of the blessings that come from having a son on a mission as well. Whatever the reason, we were blessed and protected and know that we are loved.

Seminary Stars

These are most of my seminary stars. There were a few missing on this particular day, so I'm hopeful I'll get another picture when the others are present. As you can see, they are enjoying their "Friday Food" which is served after our scripture mastery activity has been completed.

I've so enjoyed getting to know these youth and hearing them share their testimonies, knowledge and discoveries as we've spent time together so early in the mornings. I was thinking about it, and so far this school year, I've spent about 48 hours of instructive and fun time with these kids. What a privilege that is to be entrusted with this responsibility. Thank goodness it's the Spirit that really teaches! I've finally stopped trying to put all the load on myself and realized that this is a team effort. I do my part, the youth do their part, and the Spirit does his part. I still look for great ways to introduce the principles of the gospel to them, so anyone with ideas PLEASE share!! I love a great object lesson or readiness activity. The Old Testament is chock full of symbols, sacrifice, commandments, obedience, types and shadows of Christ. The challenge is to present it in a way that the youth will start wondering and questioning and searching on their own. It's a terrific challenge and one that I've taken to heart, but I love to learn from others what experiences and valuable teaching methods have worked for them so that I can improve and, hopefully, be a better instrument in the Lord's hands where these Canyon Ward youth are concerned!

Happy Halloween

Carston wanted to be Mr. Darcy for Halloween. From Pride and Prejudice, of course. I thought he looked rather dashing. He said he had his picture taken 3 times at school, the girls all identified who he was, and the teachers remarked how handsome he looked. Several kids even said he looked like Joseph Smith. How do a bunch of non-LDS kids know this? Guess what they are studying in US History at this moment? They were nice about it, however. Two of his friends dressed up as Mormon missionaries complete with white shirts, ties and bicycle helmets. They did ask Carston if he would be offended if they did this - and he admonished them to be on their best behavior while they were dressed that way. Amazing!



Landon was Mr. Bingley. Bowen was Luke Skywalker. Lauren wanted to be a bunny.
We tried to talk her out of it, because we had better costumes, but she was thoroughly happy and I guess that's all that matters!!

Timely Wisdom

I also really enjoyed General Conference this year. I always end up feeling like they were speaking directly to me. It seemed to me that there were a lot of General Authorities who mentioned their mothers and their gratitude for them. And, it also seemed that there were several talks about mothers this time and their righteous influence. It's been timely for me to hear these loving things directed toward mothers. Sometimes you just need a boost, a pat on the back and some reassurance that you are doing the right things. My favorite talk was Sister Beck's. She said, "Mothers who know do less. They permit less of what will not bear good fruit eternally. They allow less media in their homes, less distraction, less activity that draws their children away from their home. Mothers who know are willing to live on less and consume less of the world's goods in order to spend more time with their children—more time eating together, more time working together, more time reading together, more time talking, laughing, singing, and exemplifying. These mothers choose carefully and do not try to choose it all. Their goal is to prepare a rising generation of children who will take the gospel of Jesus Christ into the entire world. Their goal is to prepare future fathers and mothers who will be builders of the Lord's kingdom for the next 50 years. That is influence; that is power." This is such a challenge in this day and age, but she put it so Beautifully! I love going to others blogs and reading about the happening in your lives and feeling of your spirits since I cannot be with you physically. At times like these I really miss your sisterhood!! (And brotherhood, as the case may be.)