Farnsworth Family Facts

Tending Olivia

2012-01-30T07:22:00.008+01:00

January 17, 2012

Livy thinks it's so fun to hang out with Grammy and Grandpa once in awhile. Anyway, I know WE had fun! This particular evening her mommy and daddy went to a Utah Jazz game! We had dinner together, read a few stories, and watched a video. I mean, how much fun can one child have?!

Baby boy blessing outfit

2012-01-30T07:19:00.008+01:00

January 15, 2012

This is the blessing outfit that our oldest son, Ryan Willim Farnsworth, was blessed in. His grandma, Barbara Hulme and I made it. Haven't styles changed?!

Ryan and Shanna are expecting their first boy and our first grandson sometime during the end of February or the beginning of March. Shanna was wondering what Ryan was blessed in so I found it, cleaned it up as best I could and sent it to them. There was a little bit of blue stitching around the neck and arms and on the tabs but when I used a special whitener, it took out the blue color so I took out the stitching.

It's so fun anticipating the birth of this special little boy! We love him already!

BYU basketball

2012-01-27T05:51:00.009+01:00

January 14, 2010

One advantage to living in Provo is getting to see BYU Sports, especially basketball because you can sit inside and don't have to battle the elements outside. We have great seats, too, as you can see. We really enjoy going to the games with Brad's dad and once in awhile another family member.

Tonight we played Santa Clara and won 95-78! We love it when BYU wins.....but we have to admit that we miss Jimmer!

Sew cute!!!

2012-01-24T19:27:00.008+01:00

January 12, 2012

Jen got a new sewing machine for Christmas from us and Becca got a new sewing book with darling patterns to make purses from her sweet husband, Ryan. So.........we decided to get together and work on our sewing skills. We each picked a different purse to sew. I'm sure you will eventually see the finished products.

LaJolla Groves

2012-01-24T19:25:00.006+01:00

January 11, 2012

My mom, Barbara Fitzgerald Hulme, and I try to spend some time together every week. My mom doesn't drive any more so I get to be her chauffer sometimes. Today we met some of her friends at LaJolla Groves in Provo for lunch. These friends are people we knew from California who have transplanted to Utah and still enjoy getting together and reminiscing. They have know each other for almost 40 years! I know alot of these children so it was fun for me to see them and catch up on old times.

LaJolla Groves is a fun place to eat. The place is decorated really cute -- even with lemons on the trees in the middle of winter. I had a yummy shrimp pasta.

Funny story: My purse dumped out under the table and I didn't notice that my make-up bag had fallen out until 2 days later. I called them on the 14th and they had found it! I was so happy.

Before and After

2012-01-23T20:59:00.018+01:00

January 10, 2012

So, months ago the lock on our front door broke, so naturally we needed to get a new front door. (Anyway, we thought it was a good excuse.) We think it's a wonderful improvement. What do you think? The color is called Indian Legend, (just so I don't forget) and it matches our garage door perfectly!

Before

After

I love the way the light comes through these glass windows. I thought I might worry about the privacy but it seems just fine and we love it. I haven't missed the screen door yet! Little by little we are replacing and updating our home. Home sweet home!

The Pita Pit

2012-01-23T20:56:00.012+01:00

January 9, 2012

Certainly, one of the joys of having family around in town are those spontaneously moments we can get together. Today Becca and Livy called and said they were having lunch at the Pita Pit and asked if I wanted to join them. I honestly don't remember going there before so naturally, I said, "Yes!" Becca is always looking for healthy alternatives for us to try and she loves this place. So do I! I had a yummy pita with lots of good veggies and chicken. Livy was the darling of the lunch crowd....(she must be looking for all of her new friends still inside when we took the picture!) I'm sure we'll go there again!

Missionary Training Center

2012-01-23T20:54:00.004+01:00

January 8, 2012

Today was our last Sunday at the MTC. This is the last district that we worked with in Branch 23. They are leaving on Tuesday and Wednesday. Most of them are going to the California Fresno Mission, except for the hermana on the left who is going to Phoenix. We have loved our 7-8 months there working the Shumways, Wilkins, and Warrens and the numerous missionaries-in-training. It was a nice transition from the mission field but now we are back in the mission field here in Provo. We had a chance to bear our testimonies which was nice and also welcome the McDonalds who will be serving there now.

Brad also gave his first talk as a counselor in the Provo Mission Presidency in our own stake. We felt like that was a nice beginning as well. It's only through change that we grow!

Stake Conference

2012-01-23T20:50:00.004+01:00

January 7, 2012

This is a picture of Brad with his dad, William D. Farnsworth. Brad's dad is 90 years old and is doing great. His mom, Glenona Robison Farnsworth passed away in October 2010. We all miss her, of course, but we also are so happy to be seeing more of Grandpa Farnsworth.

We live in the same stake, the Provo Utah Edgemont South Stake, so we often sit together at stake conference. Today was our Saturday evening session of stake conference. We had Brad's dad over for toasted cheese sandwiches and tomato soup before we went to the meeting.

Future Quilt!

2012-01-12T21:51:00.005+01:00

January 6, 2012No, this is NOT my quilt, unfortunately! This is a sample of a dresden plate quilt made by my mother's hairdresser and friend, MaryLou Fryer. It's it great?! When we came back from Spain, I brought a tie from each of our missionaries. I want to make a quilt using them and this is one of the ideas I might use to put it together. Don't the little spokes of the wheel look like ties? One of these days I will be posting a picture of MY quilt.

By the way, taking my mother to get her hair done on Thursdays is one of my favorite things to do. It is so fun to spend time with my 88-year-old mother. She gets her hair done as we enjoy the company of the ladies there, then we usually go and get lunch. She's never eaten so many french fries in all her life!

More Visits!

2012-01-12T21:49:00.006+01:00

January 5, 2012

We were blessed by another visit from Olivia today! She is learning so much and growing so fast! She loves these jungle animals and will line them up on the bench and then one-by-one take them over to the couch and line them up. She growls fiercely when she looks them in the eye. (Somehow we need to teach her that a cat doesn't growl!)

Livy also brought her beautiful mommy over and we were able to hear some beautiful piano music. That's one thing I definitely miss without kids at home!

First day of school!

2012-01-12T21:47:00.006+01:00

January 4, 2012BYU started today. After we had prayer and Brad was on his way out, I yelled, "Wait!" Of course I needed a picture of his first day of school. You have to remember this was about 7 am and he was already smiling! Brad is teaching 2 Missionary Preparation classes and 4 Book of Mormon classes. He's a busy boy!

Visit from Livy!

2012-01-12T21:46:00.006+01:00

January 3, 2012

We are so blessed to have some of our children living close by with their cute little ones. Olivia Jackson came to visit today and had a little Grandpa time. It doesn't get much better than this!

New Calling!!

2012-01-12T21:36:00.003+01:00

January 2, 2012

Brad got a new calling today! He was set apart as a counselor in the Utah Provo Mission Presidency by President Pitts, Utah Provo Mission President. Three of our children and their families were able to attend, along with Brad's dad. All the Priesthood leaders were able to stand in the circle. We are so grateful for our wonderful family. Afterwards we went to IHOP to celebrate and had a fun brunch. We are sorry to leave our assignment at the Provo MTC but we are excited to still be involved in missionary work. His first assignment was to speak in our own stake conference on January 8. We felt like that was a little tender mercy. We look forward to the adventures this new calling will bring.

Happy New Year!!

2012-01-11T18:09:00.010+01:00

Happy New Year! In an effort to post a little more often, I'm going to try and take a photograph each day and document what goes on in our life during the year. We'll see how it goes!

January 1, 2012

This little guy was actually purchased in 2000 for Y2K and is still shaking and wiggling in his 13th season!! He laughs and giggles and says, "10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1, Happy New Year!" Then he plays "Auld Lang Syne" while he wiggles and shakes and then says, "Welcome to the Year 2000" and laughs and giggles again. It is hilarious. Our kids thought it was funny 13 New Year Eves ago and now it's fun to share our little New Year's snowman with our granddaughters! I hope he's around for another 13 years! Welcome to the Year 2012!!!

Christmas Card 2010

2011-02-01T04:04:00.005+01:00

I wanted to share our Christmas card with everyone! Of course, we have our wonderful family, but especially want to show off our sweet granddaughters - Kenna Rae, Addelyn May, Olivia Jean, and Lucy Reine. Aren't they just adorable and growing up soooooooo fast! We have to add an additional young man to our Christmas card next year because......

Jennifer is engaged! She said "Yes" to Timothy Edward Cavanaugh on January 20 and they are planning a wedding on April 23. We are so happy for them! They are a perfect couple and we think Tim is the best! We feel so blessed!

Miss Lucy Grow

2010-12-11T04:43:00.002+01:00

Announcing Miss Lucy Reine Grow..........Here she is at 19 days old. Born: 21 November 2010, weighing 7 lb. 11 oz. I was able to come to California to spend a few happy days with the Grow girls while their daddy was out of town. We have had such a good time -- from a doctor's appointment(now a whopping 8 lb. even) to shopping at the mall with a stop at Chipotle's. There was pumpkin-chocolate chip bread and a Twilight movie marathon (who would have thought I would enjoy them - Melissa said I'm on Team Jacob.)

We have had a couple of early mornings - 2 am feedings and a couple of late mornings with us in our PJ's until noon. Melissa is a sweet and caring mommy. I love the way she talks to her little "girlfriend!" It's been great!

I hope little Lucy will remember her Grammy moments. I know I will never forget them!

Into All the World - Programs - Home

2010-03-01T19:50:00.002+01:00

We just wanted to share a fun interview we were able to do with the Mormon Channel. It recently became available on the internet. Our mission in Spain was priceless. This interview gives you just a glimpse of it. We hope you enjoy it (when you have 30 minutes with nothing to do!) Ha ha...

Into All the World - Programs - Home

I HEART New York

2010-02-22T04:47:00.007+01:00

It all started with a late-night flight to New York City and an early morning cab ride to Murray Street. Brad and I were so excited to visit Ryan, Shanna, and Kenna in their new New York City home.

The first day consisted of a quick run for Shanna and a quick doctor trip for Kenna by Ryan and us. After a medicine run, we were ready for our excursion to the temple. It was our first trip to the Manhattan Temple and we loved it!

The temple session was followed by a walk to the Earthen Oven, an Indian restaurant close by the temple It was yummy! I would recommend the halibut!

Saturday, after a 5K race by Ryan and Shanna, we wandered through the Ground Zero area and Wall Street. Ryan knew about this wonderful little family style Italian Pizza place called Harry's. It was yummy, too! Once again, the Margarita pizza was the best!

Subway rides are the best!

Sunday was Valentine's Day and we had a delightful time at church. Shanna made a wonderful pork tenderloin dinner and we had cousin Miranda come and join us. She is attending Pace University. It was great to see her! She's a beautiful young lady.

We did have time for a story or two between watching Olympic events.

And no visit to New York City would be complete without a burger from the Shake Shack.

New York will forever be a wonderful part of our lives now.

We love this sweet, little family. They have made a wonderful little home and we felt so comfortable, welcomed and loved.

Thanks, Ryan, Shanna and Kenna for a fabulous New York City weekend.

And we even made it to the airport all by ourselves on the subway and airtrain (with a little coaching from Ryan)!

Nanny

2010-02-08T06:22:00.004+01:00

I love my mom! She is also known as Nanny to her grandkids and Barbara to her friends.

One of the hardest aspects of going on our mission was knowing I wasn't going to be able to spend time with her. We had our telephone calls and I did come back three times for weddings but it just wasn't the same. I think we are making up for it now.

We have our trips to get her hair done and doctor's appointments, the random eating out and, of course, shopping. Last week we made our first trip to Five Guys/Burgers and Fries. We had a yummy cheeseburger with all the fixins' along with some fries and, of course, peanuts. It was fun!

My mother has taught me so much.......from sewing, beauty tips (isn't she beautiful for being 86 years old), raising children, keeping a nice house, hosting....I could go on and on. But I think the thing she has taught me the most is how to serve and help others, especially my family. She is a wonderful example of Christlike charity. She has taught me the Gospel of Jesus Christ and I am so thankful. I love my mom! She really is my best friend and I'm looking forward to the years to come and the things I will continue to learn from her. I hope I can have the same kind of relationship with my girls. Thanks, mom. You're amazing!

Happy Weddings!

2010-01-11T06:45:00.031+01:00

One of the blessings of being a mission president and his wife is being connected to 335 amazing missionaries (in our case) for the rest of our lives. We love hearing any little tidbit of what is going on in their lives. This last month has been filled with weddings. We were able to attend four wedding ceremonies (3 in the Salt Lake Temple and 1 in the Bountiful Temple) and one reception.
We attended the ceremonies of...

Tyson and Megan (Black) Barrott,

Conliegh (Johnson) and John Zolman,

Michelle (Cresine) and Taylor Fenton, and

Brandon and Aimee (Archibald) Cardon.

An added bonus was going to the reception of Benjamin and Crystal (Murdock) Breedlove in Santaquin. They were married in the Monticello Temple in December.

From our perspective these former missionaries did a great job in finding their eternal companions. We have heard it said that you can tell how good a missionary was by how handsome or beautiful his/her spouse is.........we know these missionaries worked hard to deserve these spouses. We loved getting to know each one!!

Does this inspire any of the rest of you?

Happy New Year!!

2010-01-04T07:17:00.007+01:00

I am always excited for a new year!! It's a time for beginnings and learning and growing. The year 2009 has been very good to the Farnsworth Family. The first half of the year filled us with amazing mission memories which we relive every time we communicate with one of our 335 missionaries. We love every one of them! We are so blessed!

The last half of the year brought moments when we were able to reconnect with our family.......especially 3 July 2009 when we returned home from Spain to find all of our family waiting at the airport. We added one sweet granddaughter, Addelyn, on May 14 and celebrated Kenna's first birthday on December 9. We are so blessed!

During Thanksgiving we celebrated again with the entire Hulme Family at a family reunion at Aspen Grove. Who would have thought 51 family members could really have so much fun together under one roof for 4 days and 3 nights. We had a blast getting to know each other better. We are so blessed!

We have good health, a great family, and the knowledge of a Heavenly Father who loves each one of us. We are so blessed! Bring on the year 2010! We are ready to find joy in the journey!

Tag, you're it!

2009-11-16T20:18:00.005+01:00

Okay, my daughter, Melissa, knew I had a goal to update our blog this week and tagged me to complete the following "survey." I guess it's okay because the Sunday School lesson we taught last Sunday was all about family history and this blog has family history written all over it. Thanks, Melissa.......you little sneak! (Hope you are feeling better.)

What are your middle names? Brad William (like his dad's first name) and Deborah Jeanne (like my mom's middle name except her name is spelled Jean.)

How long have you been together? We have been married 30 years, 6 months, and 4 days..........but we were engaged for 6 1/2 months before that. I know, 6 1/2 months is a long time.

How long did you know each other before you started dating? Well, Brad moved into The Elms Apartments in April 1978 and our first date was on June 3. He claims he introduced himself to me 5 times before I remembered who he was...but I don't remember that. I would say we knew each other for about 5 weeks...........but we didn't start dating "exclusively" until school started in September. (I was having a fun summer!)

Whose siblings do you see the most? I would say mine....for one thing, I only have three brothers compared to his eight sisters. My brother lives with my mom so I see him alot and my other brother isn't far away, but I think we see most of his sisters 3 or 4 times a year, too.

Do you have any children together? Yes, we have 5 terrific kids who are all basically adults now.........they have attracted 4 amazing spouses and have produced 2 beautiful granddaughters.

What about pets? Not at the moment. (At least until Jen breaks us down - unless you count doggy-sitting Sarge.)

Did you go to the same school? Yes, we both went to BYU and bleed blue!

Where do you eat out most as a couple? Hard to say, but probably Brick Oven or The Olive Garden.

Where is the farthest you have ever traveled as a couple? We were able to go to Jerusalem in May 1998 which was an amazing experience--with stops in Spain and Italy other times. To the west, it would be Hawaii.

Who does the cooking? I would have to say, Me.....but when we are having breakfast food, Brad is the expert (especially bacon - I always burn it). But he always does the dishes! How lucky is that!

Who is more social? Once again, Me. After all, who has the blog and a facebook account?

Who is the neat freak? We both enjoy a clean house, but I'm a pile person and have a hard time throwing anything away which tends to make a mess.

Who is the most stubborn? I don't really like the word "stubborn" but I tend to be the one who gives in. I just don't like to make anybody mad. (Brad gave in to that answer.)

Who wakes up earlier? That's easy, Brad...he's up every morning at 5:30 am. My alarm clock does not have a "5" on it.

Where was your first date? We went to the Fox Theater (where McDonald's is now) and saw Capricorn One. Then we went to his apartment and played $20,000 Pyramid with his roommate and his date.

Do you get flowers very often? No, but I wouldn't want them very often. I think it's a waste of money for something that doesn't last very long. I would rather spend money on other things that we need or things that I want - you can never have too many scarves or purses.

Who sings better? Definitely, Brad. He has a beautiful tenor voice and I love to hear him sing. When I first sat by him at church I was laughing and he wondered why....I said it was because he had such a nice voice (which was true) but I don't think he believed me.

Who does the laundry? I do. Best thing we ever did though was start taking Brad's shirts to the laundry....it probably saved our marriage. (haha)

Who is better with the computer? That might be a tie....Brad is much more savy with technical things and worksheets, etc. but I spend alot more time emailing and doing little things on it that he might not know. Is that fair?

Who drives when you are together? Brad does. He's a very careful driver. In Spain I drove alot more though because he was always on the telephone. (It is against the law to talk on the telephone when you're driving. Isn't that a great idea?)

Who picks where you go to dinner? We usually agree on where to go. I just like to go out a lot more than he does because he usually eats at the Cougareat for lunch every day.

Who is the first one to admit when they are wrong? I think we are both very sensitive to each other and our choices. We are both always willing to learn.

Who wears the pants in this relationship? Brad is a wonderful husband, father, and priesthood leader and I totally support him.

Who eats more sweets? I'm sure I do. I tend to be a snacker and Brad is more disciplined. But we both like that little dish of sherbet and Brad loves the hot chocolate to fill in the cracks.

Who cries more? I can cry fairly easily over little things. Brad can control himself better, except when he's teaching the Gospel but we both cry when we watch our mission slide show.

What's your best day together? I think every day of the mission was the best. It was like a 3-year-long date. We realized how much we love our children and how good they are....how much we love the missionaries and how good they are... and why we fell in love in the first place. But it really is TODAY....the days just keep getting better.

Where did you honeymoon? After our reception, we left in look-alike clothes and drove to Marriott's Great America. They didn't have a room for us (the previous guest refused to leave) and sent us down the road to stay at the Ramada Inn in a studio room where the bed pulls down from out of the wall. Marriott felt so bad they gave us a free weekend...funny thing is that we didn't use it until a few years later when we brought 2 children along.

Favorite date night? In Madrid, we loved going to Frankie and Benny's, our favorite Spanish New York Italian restaurant. But now it's going to the Temple on Friday afternoon but we always love to go watch our kids in some sort of athletic event.

Favorite TV show to watch together? M.A.S.H. would definitely be at the top of the list. I bet Brad could recite almost every dialog of Seasons 2 and 3. Lately, we also enjoy CSI or Law and Order or a new show called Criminal Minds.

I tag: Aunt Nancy...........because we all want to know more about her wonderful life!

Well, I knew I needed to start this blog again somehow. Thanks for the push, Melissa!

Spring into Spain or Spain into Spring?

2009-04-29T18:55:00.011+02:00

It was a wonderful four days with Elder and Sister Bednar and Elder Robert C. Oaks and his wife visiting the Spain Madrid Mission and staying in the mission home. They were delightful to have around. The entire mission benefitted from the talks that we heard and the spirit that we felt. I know the missionaries will consider the "revelatory experience" we had with Elder Bednar a highlight of their entire lives. Who knew you could spend 3 hours discussing D & C 44:1-2? The Spirit was an amazing teacher. As Elder Bednar said, "It's not ME!"

The month of April brought a few opportunities and changes. We had 16 amazing missionaries leave for their homes. We miss them incredibly. But, that same day we had 10 more missionaries full of faith and enthusiasm take their places. (In reality, no one can take their place, but these 10 are doing their best and making their own place!)

Then came a wonderful zone leaders' meeting with 12 of the most wonderful missionaries serving as our zone leaders - with 2 amazing assistants, Elder Jacobs and Elder Jackson.

(L to R: E. Nicoll, E. Haynie, E. McBride, E. Smith, E. Miller, E. Meline, E. Jacobs, Hna., Pte., E. Jackson, E. Finlay, E. Zollinger, E. Coley, E. Goodrich, E. Vause, E. Blood) We expect great things this transfer!!

We also had time for a little fun. The Templo Zone came to the mission home for a preparation day and we all hiked up to the Summit....It was a beautiful day!!! Then we had a BBQ with chili dogs and chips. We had so much fun.

But, it's all about the people. This is a wonderful little family baptized in April. David, Carina, Sebastian and Dean Gordillo are from Ecuador. We were able to go to a lesson with the missionaries and teach them. They are sooooooo happy. Needless to say, so are we - as well as Elder Scoville and Elder Sewell!

The family is doing amazingly......at least from what we can tell. Jen is busy going to school and working at BYU. She is living at home with David and Crissi who are expecting our No. 2 granddaughter in May. David finished BYU this month and is working at the UCCU. Becca and Ryan are in school at BYU and enjoying the spring/summer activities. Melissa and Ryan are enjoying the sun in Arizona where Ryan is pursuing a summer internship and Melissa is working about 7 part-time jobs. Ryan and Shanna are in LA working and enjoying our beautiful little Kenna. Look at her latest trick! It's almost more fun listening to her mom and dad!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mgq0njPzUcY

So, Spring is trying to come to Spain. My next quest is a photo of all the red poppies. They are beauuuuuuutiful!! Stay tuned...............

Preparation Day!

2009-02-11T20:31:00.004+01:00

What PREPARATION DAY would be complete without a visit to the legendary windmills of Consuegra?!

We spent the day with the elders and hermanas of Barrio 2 getting to know all about castles and windmills and each other. (L - R: Hermana Cortez, Hermana Wall, Elder Jackson, Elder Jensen, Presidente, Hermana Farnsworth, Elder Rodriguez, Elder Boyce) We are so glad we are prepared and educated in Windmills 101; you never know when Don Quixote might need help in fighting those giants!

On the way back to Madrid we spent a few minutes listening to Elder Bednar's last two general conference talks on Prayer. We are preparing ourselves for Elder Bednar's visit to the Spain Madrid Mission next week. We are all so excited to listen and learn at the feet of an apostle. We feel so blessed to be able to have this opportunity.

We also prepared the mission home for the week with a little cleaning up and laundry. Rosi (the housekeeper) has been sick so we are on our own in some of those little domestic duties. I think a batch of cookies is part of the cooking responsibilities for this evening.

We have a stake conference this weekend so we took some time to prepare our minds and thoughts in case we are asked to speak. I have really learned the great necessity of always being prepared with a scripture or something to say - just in case.

I wasn't a boy scout but I was a girl scout...........and I hope I can always BE PREPARED.

"Prepare ye, prepare ye for that which is to come, for the Lord is nigh." D & C 1:12.

No. 1 Granddaughter

2008-12-10T22:18:00.010+01:00

Kenna Rae Farnsworth born December 9, 2008 at 11:40 a.m. in Los Angeles, CA. She weighed 6 lb. 15 oz. and was 20 1/2inches long with a dimple just like her mom's. Isn't she beautiful?! Proud parents are Ryan and Shanna Farnsworth, our first-born son. And even though we are entirely too young to be grandparents, we are so excited to welcome the newest addition to the Farnsworth Family. We can't wait to meet her!

Fall has fallen.....

2008-10-01T12:14:00.021+02:00

Hola! We did attend the Mission Presidency Area Training in Germany in August. It was such a great experience to be with 36 other mission president couples plus Elder Perry, Elder Rasband and Bishop Burton. They are such inspired men and really are in tune with missionary work, espeically here in Europe.

Fall has come with a lot happening in the mission. September and October have been full of sick missionaries and little fires and emergencies to handle. Hopefully, we have shown the compassion and love these missionaries and our own family deserve.

We have had a little time to continue to see parts of this beautiful country. On a recent trip to Alcala we stopped to see the birthplace of Cervantes, the author of Don Quixote. Alcala is a lovely little city about 40 minutes east of Madrid. There is a beautiful plaza and lots of people. There is a university so there are lots of students-- that's where BYU's Study Abroad Program is located. Brad is the ultimate in making contacts, but I don't think Don was listening.

Another day sets in the beautiful country of Espana....................

Families are Forever

2008-08-20T22:23:00.008+02:00

We have enjoyed a 3-week week visit from Jennifer, our lovely youngest daughter. We have had a lot of fun shopping, driving, piso checking (with an overnight in LaMancha and a windmill sighting), meeting with missionaries, and just "hanging out." One of the most fun activities was watching the movie, "Encantada" or "Enchanted" for you Americans. It's our new favorite movie -- really, you can't help but smile. We love it! I highly recommend it.

We have also been busy with missionaries, needless to say. Last week we had 11 amazing missionaries return home and we picked up 8 new excited missionaries, plus a Zone Leader's Meeting. It's a continuous 6-week cycle that just keeps going and going and going. We have learned that it's only through change that we grow -- no matter how hard that may be.

We are heading to Frankfurt, Germany this week for some Mission President training with the area presidency, plus Elder Perry and other General Authorities. We always love this opportunity to learn more about how we can encourage, lift and inspire the missionaries and help them be more successful. Of course, the bottom line is how we can better preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and bring people to Christ so that they can participate in the ordinances of the temple - so that families can truly be together forever. I highly recommend that! This is an amazing work! We are incredibly blessed.

Lions, and Tigers, and BEARS -- Oh MY!!!

2008-07-27T17:03:00.012+02:00

I finally got a picture of the BEARS located on the A-1, highway into Madrid. I was so excited. Unfortunately, it took a traffic jam to accomplish this feat but I finally did it. There are actually 2 sets of these mama bears with 2 cubs on each side of the road. I love them! But there is also some significance to bears in Madrid as well.

As many visitors to Madrid know, there is statue of another bear and a Strawberry tree, "El Oso y el Madrono" at Puerta de Sol, the center and heart of Madrid. This statue is the symbol of the city of Madrid. It is on everything that belongs to the city. A visit to Madrid is not complete without a picture taken by this statue.

Bears were once very plentiful in the area which was once called "Ursania." This is the reason that the flag of Madrid is red with 7 white stars. Each star represents one of the administrative areas of the province of Madrid, which are the City of Madrid, Alcala de Hernares, Torrelaguna, San Martin de Valdeiglesias, El Escorial, Getafe, and Chinchon -- But, together the stars are said to represent the constellation in Ursa Major known as the Big Dipper or Big Bear.

So that's your history of Madrid lesson for today. We have learned to love this country and this city, but more importantly, the people. We consider it a great blessing to live here for a time. So next time you see a bear, pause for a moment, remember Madrid and think of us!

Summer has arrived!

2008-07-13T16:48:00.018+02:00

This transfer we are doing something a little different. We are having every zone up to the Mission Home for Interviews where they also meet with the zone leaders and the assistants and then we have a Barbeque. So far we have had the Las Afueras Zone and the Alcala Zone. It has been a lot of fun and I think the missionaries have enjoyed it. We discovered we have some talented "chefs" and the food -- both spiritual and physical -- has been wonderful! The missionaries also have some study time and just "getting acquainted" time. We are watching the new Church DVD "Finding Happiness" and talk about how it can help us contact people about the Church by asking them Questions of the Soul. (For those former missionaries, we now have only seven zones. The two districts in Madrid Norte were put into other zones.)

We have also just completed Summer Slam '08. This is a basketball camp the missionaries put on for the church youth and their friends. We had 299 young people register this year. Only 176 attended but we now have 71 referrrals of non-members who attended the camp that will receive missionaries into their home to get their camp shirt and photo in front of the temple. We have already had one baptism and there are another 4 or 5 in the near future. Isn't the Gospel wonderful! This has been a great tool for the Spain Madrid Mission.

With Spain winning the Eurocup and Nadal winning Wimbledon, it's been a great time to be in Spain............even though we didn't watch it. Viva Espana!!!

It's Been Two Years!!!

2008-06-24T10:17:00.010+02:00

This has been an amazing week of zone conferences! Most of the talks were about testifying and the convincing power of the word, especially The Book of Mormon. President Farnsworth and I even did a little demonstration. We had 2 stepstools at the front of the chapel and we stood on them and gave a little testimony on the importance of The Book of Mormon as if we were really talking to people -- somewhat like Alma and Amulek in the beginning chapters of Alma......I was a little nervous but I knew it was what we needed to do. What I don't do for these missionaries! Oh and did I tell you it was in Spanish?! We had six companionships follow us and do the same thing. There was an incredible Spirit in the room! We have invited the missionaries to read The Book of Mormon in Spanish, marking all the scriptures that refer to, teach about, and testify of Jesus Christ. It will be an amazing experience. Want to join us?

This photo reminds me a little of that demonstration. It was taken 2 years ago in England when we were actually talking to these people about who we were and what we believed in. We ended up giving these people a pass-along card with the Church's website so they could look up some information. It really doesn't seem that long ago. But............... Today is our 2-year anniversary. We went into the MTC two years ago today. It's really hard to believe. It's been 2 years of growth for our ENTIRE family and we have been incredibly blessed.

Bienvenidos!

2008-04-01T23:50:00.003+02:00

We are entering an age of new technology. We need to keep up with our children and the missionaries (at least those who have returned home.) Check back for updates!