Happy Birthday Grant

I stole this picture from Stacie's blog. It really made me giggle. We are so happy that when Kevin married Stacie Grant came as part of a package deal. We have enjoyed getting to spend time with him and getting to know him. Grant is a part of our family....we love him like one of our own. Happy Birthday Grant. Have a very naughty birthday.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRENTSTERS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today is brent's birthday. We are so happy to have Brent in our family. He always has a smile on his face and his laughter is infectious. It just makes you feel good to be around him. He's becoming quite a tease........you have to be in this family to survive. We are so thankful that he and Carolyn fell in love and are very best friends. It is so nice to see. Happy Birthday Brent. We love you.......almost as much as Chris and Grant do......ha ha.

Happy Father's Day

Today is Father's day. It is never an easy day for me since my father passed away. I miss my father terribly. I miss him when important things happen in my life and he isn't there to talk to and share in my joy....like when Kevin gave the valedictorian speech at highschool graduation, Carolyn and Kevin getting married, my son's mission calls, university graduation. I wish he were here to experience all of those things with me....but the times I miss him most are just the quiet moments when I get to reflect on how much he taught me......or when the Mariners beat the Yankees and I want to rub it in. I was blessed to have Ted Stewart King as my father. I love you dad.

I was blessed with a second father. My father in law Lloyd was a precious blessing in my life. He was one of the kindest men I have ever met. He loved to tease me....but he also loved to tell me how much he loved me. He taught me so much about integrity and charity. There isn't a person I've met in this town that doesn't speak very highly of dad. I feel privledged to have not only known him.....but to have been his daughter in law. I love and miss you dad.

Last....but certainly not least......Happy Father's day to the greatest father I have ever known. My children are so blessed to have Scott as their dad. He loves them dearly. He is so proud to be their father. I have precious memories of watching him out on the back lawn teaching Chris to fly fish.....or seeing the tear slide down his face as Carolyn danced a solo in her final dance recital.....or the joy in his face as Kevin came home from Brazil and embraced his dad. The best gift I ever gave my children was falling in love with Scott so he could be their dad. I love you babe. Thanks for being such a great example to our children. Happy father's day.

Elder Jackson

Paris was incredible. I took over 1000 pictures so it is going to take awhile to downsize some of them for the blog. I look forward to scrapbooking our trip. Paris pictures and stories to come.

I can't believe that it has been a month since I blogged. My new calling has me very busy and I just need to take some time so sit down and do it.

Elder Jackson sent us a really great email a week ago and I wanted to put it on here so I'd have it to remember. He has suffered from the extreme heat and terrible blisters but he is happy to be teaching the people in Guaymas Mexico. He looks great....and happy.....although he hates snakes as you can see in this picture. Here is part of his email.

Well my blisters are somewhat getting better. I have been here for 6 weeks and I'll get a new one every day because the dirt and cobble stone roads... every step is different so my feet get a new one every day in a different spot but they are never super deep anymore... that reminds me of a story. I would like to share an experience with you that I had on June 2 2010, its a little about service and a lot about love. I love my investigators so much and Silvia has realized that... Silvia was waiting on her porch and waiting for the boys of God to walk down her street for lesson 3. She is always so excited and it makes me smile. Anyways, she could see that I was walking with a limp. It was hot and my feet got beat up that day extra hard, blisters with puss and my calluses cracked open and were bleeding. She asked me what was wrong. I said that I had blisters and she said she knew what to do.... "take of your shoes" she said as she chopped a lime in half... I slowly peeled of my socks, when she saw my feet she wept, she could not believe i walked all the way to her house just for her. She thanked me, as she rubbed lime and lemons on my feet for bringing her this message of happiness. I am baptizing her on the 12th of June. She will be a relief society president soon I am pretty sure.

I had tears streaming down my face when I read this. He loves the people he teaches so much and as a mother it was so touching to read about Sylvia showing him love and rubbing his blistered feet with those limes. It is the kind of love that the Savior has for each of us.