Justine's Farewell

 Today Justine gave her talk at Church and her plaque was put on the "missionary wall"

by the bishops office.

This is her last day at home...

After Church we went to the Stake President's home for Justine to be set apart as a full time Missionary.

Then we rushed home for a little open house in her honor and to say goodbye.

I kept getting and making more food thinking I wouldn't have enough...
As it turned out, we had way too much food!
It was after dinner and people had eaten already.

And as people showed up, they also brought more treats!

Next time: less food...

The weather was perfect! 

A break in all the rain and cloudiness of this winter.

We opened the back doors.
Mike had put up lights on the patio.
It was lovely!

The kids were able to play in the back yard!

Thank you Aunt Shirley for all the cutting and the Johnsons for helping! :)

We are so going to miss her but are very happy for her decision.

What a great example of courage and sacrifice she is to us all!

She is not your most outgoing talkative of us! 

Kinda takes for her moma!

We know she will grow so much by having to reach out of her comfort box.

But especially we know that she will grow closer to her Savior.

And have a once in a lifetime experience.

Justine's Mission Call

A couple of Months ago, Justine to our surprise, 

announced that she was open to the idea of serving a mission!

We got really exited for her.

I told her that if she decided to go, she would never regret it!

Both Mike and I had wonderful experiences serving in the England Coventry Mission.

We loved our time there and have very fond memories.

A lot of those memories are serving together in Birmingham - where we met! :)

She got everything done in Hawaii as far as meeting with her bishop and Stake President.

And getting her papers ready, they were sent from there.. 

We got her assignment letter a few days before she got here today.

She opened it right after Emric got his Patriarchal Blessing.

  Alexi and the Johnsons were also present.

Justine had just gotten off the plane!

So here she is, opening her mission call:

Baltimore Maryland Mission reporting the 11th of February 2015 to the Provo MTC

We are so HAPPY for her!!!!

Halloween

We had the huge pleasure of having my sweet niece Esther come stay with us for 10 days!

We dressed up for our ward Trunk-O-Treat and dinner.

Grateful For Conference

This is my little set up Sunday for watching to the 4hs of General Conference.
Every 6 months I look forward to it!

Today, the weather was perfect.
The talks inspiring.

The only thing missing was my hubby who had to work all week-end!
We did watch the Saturday morning session together in a hotel he got down town.
He had to be at a site for work during the night.
So I joined him at work, we had dinner together and breakfast.
It's the only way I got to see him a bit this past week!
This month is very busy for him.
I complain a bit but I am so grateful he still has this job!
Going on 5 years now when he got contracted for 2.

But I do miss him...

"Love is the catalyst that causes change. 

Love is the balm that brings healing to the soul." 

Thomas S. Monson

"We can have 
F A I T H 
In 
G O D
Because 
He is 
P E R F E C T L Y 
Trustworthy"

Elder Uchtdorf

Daddy Daughter Date

While the Browns were visiting us, 

Mike, Amelie, Danny & Clara went to a Daddy/Daughter date at church.

The dads got the whole treatment!

Manicures, full facials, and a personal custom decorated cake!

The Girls LOVED it!

F U N * F U N * F U N

Relief Society Birthday Dinner

Every year, the women in our church celebrate 

the creation of our Sisterhood organisation - the Refief Society. 

Usually, with a dinner.

This week we met and had a great time! 

We were arranged at birthday-month-tables.

Being in October, our table was of course decorated with Halloween stuff.

- Not my favorite, mind you - 

But it was kinda cute! Loved the witch feet coming out of the Cauldron pot.

The food. Awe... the food was outstanding!

We had Cafe Rio pork with all the trimming!

So Yummy!
I had to have seconds...

We had a sweet uplifting spiritual message from one of the Sisters.

Then we played a couple of games.

2 groups - All in a circle

We threw a big beach ball to each other with questions written on them, like:
 - Where would you like to live if you could live anywhere in the world?

 - What is your favorite Disney princess? - Celebrity? - Movie?
- Sweet or Salty?

As we got the ball we would read the one on top and answer it.

Then we each wrote 3 things about ourselves, people might not know about us on a piece of paper.

We crumbled it up and threw it to the table next to us. 

They did the same and we had to read the paper we got and all guess who it could be.

My 3 facts were:

* I've lived on 3 continents.

(Europe, North America, and Australia)

* Even though English is my second language, I have spoken it more than my native language.

* I went spur of the moment hang Gliding

(in Australia here)

Easy to guess, right?

In all a very fun evening!

I realised too, that I am really starting to feel comfortable within my sisters.
You'd think! After 2 years!

Even if I still don't know half of them...

Those things just take time...
And effort, and some reaching out, and opening up, and serving, and accepting,
and being yourself, and finding common interests, and being a friend, and loving...

For a slightly deep down introvert, it's easier said than done! ;)

Derby Race

So Mike and I thought we were never ever having to deal with Derby cars ever again.

After 2 boys in cub scouts, that was 8 years of making the darn cars.

We were wrong!

Amelie's activity day techers at church had the great idea to have their girls participate in a Derby race.

She did pretty good. 

Came in 3rd place.

Amelie and her iGroovy Derby car.

At the end of the race, Amelie asked

"Next time, can oncle Laurent come Visit?"

She heard how awesome he is at making these little cars fast

He was in town a few times Alexi and Emric had to make them.

He would spend hours on them making them perfect!

The winneres freindly race.

Ward Christmas Party

This morning we had our Christmas Bruch Party

With a little live Nativity play with songs. 

We had a very nice time.

I brought cut up apples with caramel.

I liked what they did with the deco.

Amelie was a lucky little angel.

On a sadder note, Justine didn't get her plane...
today doesn't look good either...
But that is to be expected with buddy passes.
The tickets are way cheeper, but you have to be prepared to wait for a seat,
sometimes a few days.
I was stuck once in France for 10 days!
Hopefuly, it will not be that long for Justine!
She would miss Christmass!
We do not want that now, do we?

Fall Festivities

Tonight we had our yearly fall Festival at our church.

This year we had a Truck-O-Treet

Emric was a modern Harry Potter

Amelie; Cat from the show 'Victorious'

She can speek just like her and kinda looks like her too!

My Rat Car

We also had a Chili Cook-off

I made a White Chichen Chili 

The kids had a few games stations put on by the youth.

I was wearing boots and gloves!

It was the first day of real cold, barely in 60's!

Not to worry though, we will be back in the 80's by next Wed.

For now I will enjoy wearing my warmer clothes hats and scarves...

My Chili was gone very fast! It is an awesome recipie!

Conference Cookies

During the afternoon session of Conference,

Amelie and I made some Peanut Butter cookies -

some with Heath Bits,

some with mini-chocolate chips

and some with both.

She has a little swim-team girlfriend who moved-in on our street.

We took her family a dozen cookies to welcome them to the neighborhood.

Needless to say I will have to re-listen to that session!
Thats ok, cause I will be listening to all of Conference
on my phone during my walks with Chloe within the next 6 months...

But boy! Was that cookie dough YUMMY!

The Heath/Peanut cookies were delicious too!

I'm not a huge fan of Peanut Butter Cookies but these;
I really like!

Robin's Peanut Butter Cookies Recipie

(we made a double batch to share)

Girls Camp

 Wed morning, I left for Camp Bovay just an hour from home. 

For our Ward's girls-camp-once-a-year-trip.

Our makeshift tent fly! 

I forgot the second bag for my tent in my garage...

We were pretty proud our ourselves 

(Barbara & I, 2 tarps, rope and no man involved!).

Our showers and toilets. 

I bleached and cleaned them real well the next day!

when we got there, they were kinda gross with lots of bugs. 

I was too busy setting up camp to clean them the first day.

But taking a cold shower that night was so wonderful!

Other than the fact that I shared it with a huge spider. I called her Charlotte. 

I kept my eye on Charlotte the whole time.

The next person showering killed her.

Our Camp Moto 

Reach Higher

Shine Brighter

With an Olympics Games theme.

Our ward was France of course!

The girls tents. 

We have 10 girls total +2 that tent with the older girls.

Mormons in Style

Last night Justine performed in a Stakewide activity about Modesty. 

A previous Mrs Texas, Bonnie Hubert came and spoke to the girls. 

She brought her evening gown and crown, 

and shared how challenging it was to find modest clothing for such a competition. 

But she did not compromise her standard, 

even though she was told she would never win in such modest gowns and swimsuit. 

 After that inspiring talk, the Laurels (16 to 18 year old girls) modeled 3 outfits. 

Casual, Evening gown, and Church dress. 

They were followed by newly-wed brides.

The evening ended with some delicious yummy cheesecake with fresh berries.

 Now that was finishing in style.

Oh! Justine decided she liked cheesecake after trying it!
She had a lot of fun!

Christmas Chruch Nativity Expo

 

Emric with Breanne Narciso