Tis the Season...of Life

Dear Family,

My life is in transition right now as Dad and I become empty-nesters, though I won't really admit it yet--I still have a stewardship over my younger sons. We were invited to the Empty-nester FHE on Monday, but luckily Michael got some Jazz tickets and saved us. I find myself muddled and overwhelmed sometimes by the choices ahead of me at this point. I will get it worked out, but I appreciate patience if I seem to be immobilized sometimes.

As you are aware, the question of Grandma Boyer's care is an immediate concern. My brothers and sisters are discussing the options and trying to come to a decision we feel good about. Your prayers are certainly welcome. I just wanted to share a poem I wrote this morning and express gratitude for your loving support.

~Mom

p.s. The format did not copy as written, but oh, well.

Not Alone

After finishing Pilates,

I cut up a banana, properly segmented in thirds, into a bowl

To go with the orange, waiting to be partitioned…and glance out the window.

A slight movement reveals a covey of quail

Quietly gathered beneath the burning bushes (branches bare)

Along the edge of the timbered wall.

“Oh! A gift!” I muse as I try to count the camouflaged, full-feathered bodies.

I like how they stay together, spaced in clusters, a few always on the lookout.

The bleak morning bodes honestly the burden I feel.

The appearance of age and wisdom belie the childlike fear

Of making the wrong choice.

Really, it’s not as though parental rebukes came often,

But occasionally brought buried shame.

Always compelled to please and protect…

How do I now act as agent for my mother?

Whose God-given capacity to choose is compromised…

The age of accountability rolled backwards.

I count the quail again.

Comforted, I duly note the sum equals my family

And acknowledge the gift.

Kid History - Episode 1

Hey y'all, you should watch this, it's great!

A VICTORY FOR IOWA

Hello my family! I just wanted to share the happy news for Iowa. In Iowa there is a unique law that gives THE PEOPLE the chance to vote Judges out of their spots when an election comes up. Well, 3 of the Judges that voted and CHANGED Iowa law last year to legalize gay marriage (w/0 the consent of the people) have all been OUSTED!!! Gone and kicked-out!

Plus, former Governor Branstad re-ran for office and WON (a good Republican). Governor Branstad was actually the President over Ted's school at DMU when we first got here to Iowa, but when the Judges underhandedly changed "the law", he resigned and started getting ready to run for office again.

After feeling kicked in the face by those Judges changing the law, it's SO nice to feel that the people could say something about how they feel about those Judges and what they wrongly did with their power. They're out!

Lex and I are SO thrilled and wanted to share "our Victory"!!!

Love you all!

A fun Halloween

Hey it was great to see pictures of Halloween from you all and the little ones.

Here are some pictures of my own from Halloween. Deleise and I had this idea since the movie came out in March. It took a lot of work but was definitely worth it.

Here's Neil and I

Deleise (or should I say "almost Alice") made the dress herself!

I was able to piece together a costume, Deleise did an amazing make-up job and found the hat at the Disney store and made my tie.

Christmas 2010

It's October!

And according to my experience, the last 3 months get busy busy busy!!!

I'm beginning to plan Christmas, so I thought I'd post the gift list for 2010:

GIVER--->RECEIVER
Swen--->Christian
Michael--->Swen
Alexis--->Michael
Samuel--->Alexis
Allison--->Samuel
Trevor--->Allison
Devin--->Trevor
Christian--->Devin

Love you all, and miss you tons!!!

Alexis

WHAT A WONDERFUL DAY!

The Wedding Day: I hope everyone had as much fun as I did on Friday--Trevor and Hillary's wedding day! At the end of the day, my heart was filled with gratitude for each person who had a part in making the day such a success--from those who had worked for weeks helping to get the yard and house in shape--to those who were there at just the right time to complete the finishing touches. My deep appreciation goes to those who worked at the house and those who watched children so others could be here (including Paul and Ted).

The Wedding Breakfast: The White Willow did a great job--lovely table-settings and yummy food; the Wedding Toast, friendly roasts, and bits of advice were positive, humorous, and a bit touching--just right.

The Temple: The Lord watches out for us. Stan arrived just in time to rescue Dad, who had been left waiting downstairs, and got him to the sealing room. Brother Featherstone had a sweet sensitivity to both Trevor and Hillary, and his comments were almost fatherly, blended with great humor. What a joy to have so many of our family in the Temple together. And how great for all who welcomed the bride and groom as they came forth from the temple doors. Wow! Prince Charming and Cinderella come to life. Thank you Trev and Hill for making the decision to seal your love eternally.

Reception Prep: Linens, chairs, flowers, hooks, ribbon, candles, mailbox plaque...I'm not even sure of all the things everyone did in the scramble to get ready, but Voila! It was done! (And Trevor and Hillary got a little nap on the couch, too.)

The Reception: What a party! The yard was beautiful, the lights were festive, the flowers were splendid, the food was tasty, the golf cart was a hit (oops), the musical entertainment was classy, the guests were comfortable, the grandkids were cute, and ooh la la--the women were gorgeous and the men were so good-lookin'! I loved the whole evening, and I hope it created lasting memories for all.

THANK YOU for your role in this important event.

My love,

Mom

Bird of Prey

Mua ha ha ha ha ha ha!

Look what landed on my neighbor's fence yesterday afternoon:



RED-TAILED HAWK


This bird seriously stood 1 1/2 to 2 feet
above the fence - a muy big bird!

Look at those talons...
Eeek - for the little rabbit who eats my plants :-).

Lightning!

Hey, Family!

I don't think I ever showed any of you this picture I captured of lightning during an evening thunder storm at North Myrtle Beach a month ago. It's pretty SWEET!





And by the way, purple is the color that naturally came with the picture. I only added shadow to bring out the lightning bolt. Does that mean lightning strikes in purple???

Bear Lake Pictures

Hey, All!

I've uploaded all of my picture for your downloading pleasure! They are in their full megapixel form, so it took quite some time :-).

Anyway, click on the link below, and then peruse the photos and download what you want. I will keep the pictures out there for a couple months, but then I'll have to take them offline to use the space.

If you don't have it already, you'll probably need to download Picasa to be able to download the pictures. Personally, I love the program, as it is what I use to edit pictures until I can get my hands on photoshop this fall.

If you have any questions, let me know! I love you all!

Alexis

LINK: http://picasaweb.google.com/ajohansen25

So Much For Farewells

So i'm not so good at posting, and I apologize for the lack of updates on my boring, average, and overall selfish life. But I digress...a lot.
Im sure mother is amazing at getting the news around, but yes its true...I moved out!!! <---(Note exclaimation triple set)
I moved into Pinacle Apartments right across from UVU, and I am loving my stay there. My roomates are all awesome and great guys, and my roomate that I stay with keeps his room tidy which is nice, but snores like a drunken Banshee. This does take some getting used too. :)
The hardest parts really are the food (lack of), the bed (lack of), the silence (lack of), and a Mother's part in all of it. (None lacking) The first while I did miss all those things, but then I realized how much I absolutly love being out on my own. The fact that I am always hungry, always tired, and never alone took a weird liking to me.
The basic plan to all of this was to move out, work my jobs, go to school, know what I want to study and try dating college girls. Of course, almost all of this fell apart. :)
I did move out and keep both my jobs going, but because of my laziness I missed the application for my diploma/amazing scholarship and now am not going to be going to school. Not sure what I want to go into, and the only college girls I meet are the ones who cry out, "Oh your Devin's/Trevor's little brother! Cuuuuuute!"
But its still fun to meet new people and get out on my own. Ya know, being a tough college student and all...

Moochers Delight

Hey All,

I want to give an especial thanks to Dad and Mom for all their sacrifices in regards to Bear Lake, both financially and in lack of sleep. ;) I also really appreciate all of the delicious meals and snacks provided by our parents and by my lovely sisters. And thank you all for raising such cute and loving children for me to play with :) I admire all of you so much and appreciate all of the caring and love you show me. Looking forward to next year :)

-Sam

P.S. I think that, if we can, we might want to start contributing to the cost of renting the condos next year. Again, if it's feasible. It could be a "put spare change in the Bear Lake jar" kind of a thing. My moochiness wears on my conscience sometimes, so that's where this idea comes from... Loves :)

IS IT REALLY JULY?!

WHEW! The whirlwind of graduations, get-away to Midway, 60th birthday celebration, trip to Iowa/Chicago and back again, and the annual Bear Lake trip has ended. It's great to be home; however, the yard is overgrown, and will take lots of work to get it back in shape. But, guess what? I was released as RS president while gone, and actually have some time to work on it. I do have a new calling: Activity day leader for the 10 year old girls--doesn't that sound like so much fun!?

My main purpose for writing is to give each of you a heartfelt THANK YOU. My birthday was memorable in a wonderful way. I was delightfully surprised by the birthstone pendant and the keepsake book and felt, well...happy! I treasure both gifts, of course, but it is particularly precious to have letters composed by each of you to me. I enjoy seeing your personalities in your writing. I feel so loved and so blessed, and I love each of you immeasurably.

I know it took a lot of effort to accomplish the party and the gifts, and I am grateful.

Our trip to Bear Lake was successful, in good measure because of everyone's willingness to lend a hand (or hold a child) where needed. We really missed Michael and Ted, and we also enjoyed getting to know Hillary better.

Chris and Devin moved into an apartment in Orem, so Dad and I are presently empty-nesters. Weird. I'm trying to be brave and strong, and with Trevor and Hillary's wedding less than two months away, I have plenty to keep me busy.

Lots of love,
Mom

Wait..what!?...Marriage? Graduating?

I hope you are all ready for a SUPER AWESOME EXPLOSION of information and updaaaates! KABOOM!!...Yes, this is my first post ever. Yes, I am graduating from college, and yes..... I really am getting married! Miracle after miracle...I know, I know, I can see the shock on all of your faces right now. Well, happy day! :D

I really do feel like the luckiest person in the world right now. Graduating is great, and I am really excited, but I will have to say that it pales in comparison to the fact that I am marrying the most wonderful girl, whom I love to no end. Hillary is absolutely amazing as many of you have seen already. The Lord has truly blessed me with one of His most precious daughters. I am humbled that she loves me too, and is actually ok with marrying me ;-)

I am really excited for everyone to get to know her as I do, however short that getting acquainted will be (week of Bear Lake), it won't take long to know and love her, I promise :-)

Thank you all for your congratulations. I really feel the support from everyone.
I love you all and can't wait to see you up here in Bear Lake, particularly the Johansens and Butterfields.

Love,
Your crazy-excited-to-be-married-brother...Trevor

MISSED THE CONCERT!

Last night was the Michael Buble' concert. Remember Dad gave me tickets for Christmas? Do you know how excited I was? I now know what Hell is--being stuck in traffic and not moving. Can you imagine missing the concert because you can't get there? Soooooo Sad : (

April Fools : )! We did get stuck in traffic and we did miss the first hour of the concert ': ( But I made it inside just as Mr. Buble' started his show and Dad arrived another song later. AND IT WAS AWESOME! Pretty nice--Michael Buble' singing to me with my honey hugging me.

I promise I'll be good so I'll never end up stuck in traffic permanently.... (And yes, I did write a letter to the manager of the E Center about poor traffic management.)

P.S. Thanks Devin for helping us maneuver our way through the maze.

It's all good.

Mom

Um... Yeah... So... Oh, nevermind.

Trevor walked into our bedroom just a moment ago and said, "What day is it?" I say, "The 27th. Why?" He says, "Did we just miss both of our siblings birthdays?" And then I stared blankly at him for a moment before smacking my hand to my face like a suctioned starfish and dragging it slowly down as I groaned, "Why am I such a horrible brother? What is wrong with me!?"

Sorry to both of you for just letting myself get sucked into my own world. Anyway...

Happy Birthday, for heaven's sake! And just remember to keep lowering your expectations each year, in regards to me, because I'll probably forget your name by then.

Loves despite lack of evidence,

Sam

Just when I had given up hope of a little warmth, Dad was asked to go to St. George for a short conference--and I do mean short. We will leave Friday about noon and come back Saturday night. But I am excited just to drive to southern Utah for a day!

I am reminded of the difficulty of keeping everyone in the family up-to-date whenever I have a conversation with one of you. So, here are a few "in case you haven't heard" notes:

Swen & Becca are working on plan to refinance their home. Becca threatened early labor a couple weeks ago, but everything is going fine now.

Michael & Angela have had sick kids for the last week, and Angela's Grandma has been in the hospital. Mike has been busy with some new responsibilities at work.

Paul has begun a workout regimen to prepare for this summer's Bear Lake triathalon. He also gave Alexis the best valentine when he gently led her to a bubble bath after a hard day, while he took care of the kids.

Sam and Kira are not dating. Sam is dating other girls, however. He is also applying for a couple of positions at BYU Idaho for next year.

Allison and Ted were worn out after watching five children for five days (Brad & Tonya's three plus theirs)! They all got sick, but are doing better now.

Trevor is doing physical therapy and his shoulder is improving quickly. He is looking for part-time work, and applying for an intern position at Ideal Beach next summer.

Devin is dating. He is also snowboarding and using more calories than he takes in.

Chris is hoping for a job at APX; he should find out tomorrow. He spoke in church last Sunday and I wish you could all have been there--he's all grown up. He and I really enjoy watching the Olympics together.

Now, we are sort of on the same page. If anyone wants to expand or add to, feel free.

Love,

Mom

P.S. We love our new table! The chairs and buffet/hutch will arrive tomorrow morning!

Indomitable Spirit

Dear Family,

For those of you who haven't received updated information, Grandma Boyer is home and doing well. She did suffer a TIA, or small stroke, on Friday, but the symptoms have gone. She required a few staples to close a gash on the top of her head. The CT scan revealed an embolism in her neck, which is a ballooning of an artery. When a small amount of blood clot breaks off and enters her blood stream, it can cause a TIA. There is really no way to treat it at her age, except for giving her blood thinners, which none of us feels would be good at this point.

I want you to know how much I love my mother and admire her indomitable spirit. Even in distressing circumstances, she maintains her humor and quick wit. I know each of you loves her, too. I believe this latest incident serves as an indicator that her time is growing short on this earth. I personally have prayed that she will soon be reunited with my dad, and that she will leave mortality without much suffering. However, all will occur in the Lord's way and time. On Friday, Russell shared that for the first time, he received confirmation that it is time for her to go home. I do not think her passing is imminent, but I am trying to be prepared.

After returning home from the airport, Dad and I visited Grandma. While I was talking to Chandrea, Dad checked out her head wound and kissed her forehead. "Oh, kiss it better," Grandma said. So Dad leaned over and kissed her head. "I love you, Bob," Grandma said.

I do appreciate your prayers. I feel great comfort as I reflect on my mother and the powerful force for good she has been in my life. I invite you to pray for grandma, that she will feel peace and be prepared for this next step in her journey.

Love you all,

Mom

331 days left

Yeah, only 331 days left in the year, not bad ah?

I though't I'd take this time to give a quick update so that our vegetable stays fresh and doesn't become rotten (haha).

I am really enjoying my ward and have been serving as an Elder's Quorum instructor. I enjoy teaching and the gospel principles manual is amazing. Oh how sweet the simple gospel principles are.

My roommates are awesome. We don't only get along but hang out and have fun together. I am fortunate to have moved in with people I didn't know and have since become great friends with. My roommate Neil Smith, who's great friends with Tom and Trevor as well, left for Haiti last week. He speaks Haitian Creole and was so happy to go and help. He will be gone for about a month doing construction and being a translator. I miss having him around because he always takes such joy and interest in my dating life, to a degree that always cracks me up.

School is going well. My biology teacher is somewhat of a hippie, but I suppose there's always something I can learn. I'm taking Web Design and Geology which are my favorite classes, and also taking Math 1050 in order to finish up my requirements to graduate with an Associates in Science at the end of this semester. Chris and I shall walk together, how 'bout that!

Wow, I didn't expect this to be as long, but owell, it's a bit of what's happening. Before I conclude I must mention that as of recently I am dating a girl named Deleise. She's the choir director in our ward and we get along really well. You can check my face book page if you want to see pictures.

I love you all and hope to hear updates from you!

--Devin Howard--

Merry New Year!

Whew! Made it through the holidays! We missed the Iowans for sure, but still managed to build some good memories. The Boyer Party was a great way to start. Thanks for the pics, Becca. While Dad and company headed to the Las Vegas Bowl, Sam and Kira kept me company-yea! and GO BYU!
I believe our single guys were afraid Christmas morning would be disappointing without little children at our home, but they were good sports about it--still lined up in a train--and jumped up and down appropriately when they opened the family gift--ROCK BAND. Now that is a winner. By the time Swen & Becca and Mike & Angela and their kids had been here a while on Christmas Day, the house was rockin'!! (Chris is getting pretty good!)The downside is that when I wake up in the morning, I have some rock song going through my head instead of a hymn....

The week after Christmas was a bit stressful with Devin's concussion and Trevor's surgery. But Devin has found his way back to his apartment, and Trevor can hardly wait to return to Logan on Saturday. He's had enough of sitting around. Sam was so great to have around that we felt the void when he headed back to Logan on New Year's Eve (but Heck! He actually had someone to smooch at the stroke of midnight.)New Year's Ever was so much fun. We saw AVATAR in 3-D, had a late salmon dinner, and played Rock Band till 2 in the morning. New Year's Dad brought the family together for football and then Isaac, Joseph, Ellie, and Jacob stayed overnight. We are lucky to have such wonderful grandkids.

I would like everyone to know how much I love your Dad and how grateful I am for all he does to provide for and support our family. He is the best! We have much to look forward to in 2010, and my hope is that we all look to the Lord to guide our paths.