Father’s Day!

Any man can be a father, 
but it takes a special person 
to be a dad. 
-Proverb
My Dad is awesome!
When I was just a little girl, I remember my Dad was always a busy man. He used to say, “I’m going to get on my horse and ride off in all directions!” Our house and yard was the most popular in the neighborhood. Dad built a small cinderblock castle in the yard. We had a teeter totter that was built on the axel of two old wagon wheels, you could move it all over the yard. Awesome! We had an old nose cone from a bomb, that my Dad made into a doghouse. We would turn it over, and climb in and spin each other around. Great fun! When my Dad got home from work each day, he would spend the rest of the day light hours in the yard, making it beautiful. When I was about 5 years old, he was building a home (pretty much by himself), working full time at the nearby college, and getting his PhD. I didn’t see much of him that year, but our whole family was amazed at the things that he could do. He always finished what he started. Our family moved into that beautiful home and he got his PhD. Later, he had an urge and built another home. And made it so beautiful. My reception, when I got married, was in the yard my Dad had created. It had terraces, decks and rock and wood pathways all over this acre lot. People would say, “Did he do this all himself?” Others would say, “No, this was done by a professional landscaper!” Actually, he did do it all himself. He just had a knack for it. I say he had, because he doesn’t have a yard anymore. He has always been active and healthy. He used to play handball everyday at lunch, now he plays three days a week. He is 77 years old. Amazing! He has always loved God, and has done his best to live a good life. He is an example of “love your neighbor as yourself.” One thing about my Dad, that means so much to me, is that he loves my Mom. They have been married for almost 56 years. When my Dad retired from his full time job, he was able to work on his family history more, and he began volunteering to help others do their family history work. He now is the Director of the “Family History Center” where he lives. That means he is working for no pay, many hours a week. One of my favorite things that my Daddy does, is take me on a date once a month. Just me and him. He has done this for many years. 
What an amazing man!   
Happy Father’s Day 
to my wonderful Dad!!!
I love you!
(My Dad’s book: 
“The Book of ON!”
 You can find it here!)



———
Happy Father’s Day 
to all Dad’s!

Family History Friday: Great Fun!

The 
Ogden City Cemetery
 Tour 
was on June 11th and 13th 2011
Incase you’re wondering what that is, 
I’ll tell you!
You go to the cemetery, and listen to people talk about some of the residents of the cemetery. Usually, it is one of the descendants of one of the people buried there. They tell a short history of that person. I am amazed at the stories!!
This is a descendant of Sidney Stevens, 
who was from England.
He owned and tannery, and then later he owned an implement shop in Ogden. 
These two people are descendants of Louis F. Moench, he was from Germany. He was the first President of Weber Stake Academy, which today, is known as Weber State University!
This darling little lady is a descendant of Richard Slater. 
She told the story of Ann Corbridge Slater, his wife. They were from England. Their family was early settlers in the area now known as Slaterville.
This man is a descendant of  
James Iverson, from Denmark. 
Their little boy was taken by indians  
when he was 3 years old, and 
they were reunited when he was 17 years old.
Old Glory!
This is the World War I Memorial. This cute lady is telling us about World War I, and about the memorial.
There is a legend about this statue. If you go into the cemetery at night and go around the statue three times, the soldier with follow you with his eyes!! 
This is my cutest Mom!! She is telling everyone about the 
World War II Memorial. It has the names of 71 soldiers “whose burial places are unknown” as the memorial says.
This is the World War II Memorial
This is Gold Star Drive. There were 52 trees planted for each of 
the soldiers who were killed in action, from Weber County, in World War I. There is also a plaque in front of each tree.
It is a fun and interesting experience and it happens every year, usually in June. Each year the stories and people represented are different. I am always glad when I go! 
Happy Family History Friday!! Love, Joy

Favorite TV/Movie Quotes! My Dog Skip

My Dog Skip!

Narrator: I almost lost old Skip that day. Even as he was sleeping on the operating table, he was still teaching me. That day, I became a young man. Why, in childhood and youth, we wish time to pass so quickly. We want to grow up so fast. Yet, as adults, we wish just the opposite. 
———————–

Narrator: Old Skip was 11, and feeble with arthritis, but he never lost that old devilish look in his eye. He made my room his own. Came across an old photo of him not long ago. His little face, with the long snout sniffing at something in the air. His tail was straight out and pointing. Eyes were flashing in some momentary excitement. He always loved to be rubbed on the back of his neck. And when I did it, he’d yawn, and he’d stretch, reach out to me with his paws as if he was trying to embrace me. I recieved a trans-atlantic call one day. “Skip died”, Daddy said. He and my mama wrapped him in my baseball jacket. They buried him out under the elm tree, they said. That wasn’t totally true. For he really lay buried in my heart. 

————————
What a sweet movie!

Totally "Fort Worth" It!

Kelsey with Hermana Vaughn, her trainer.
She just went home last week!
Hermana Kelsey 4:4 -email-


Mama!
Hola!! Como esta? Como fue su semana? (How was your week) I hope things are good. We have had so many miracles, and blessings this last week or so. On Tuesday, we found out that one of our investigators who has been coming to church for like 5 years, and couldn’t get baptized because she wasn’t married, is finally getting married at the end of July! We are so excited. She will be getting baptized the week after. 🙂 Also we have a few really awesome investigators that will hopefully be getting baptized soon as well. They are pretty legit!
Sister Vaughn was with me for Monday and Tuesday, but she left Wednesday. I was really sad. 🙁 But my new companion is really cool too. Her name is Sister Summers, and she is 6’2″!! We make quite the companionship. 🙂 But we even each other out pretty well. Her spanish is muy bien, which is great because mine sure isn’t. It’s getting better though. Slowly, but surely. I prayed in our meeting that we have with our branch president every Sunday, and he commented on how much better my spanish has gotten already since the last time he heard me pray. That was pretty cool. Also, just as a side note, Sister Summers is from Morgan and she lives like right across the street from Summer W.! Crazy right?! Even crazier, her brother is serving his mission in the same place as cousin Andrew! It sure is a small world.
On Saturday, we ate dinner at one of our investigators homes, and she made the spicest food I’ve ever eaten. It was so hot! I thought I was going to die. But it was pretty good too.
I miss the Empey’s! Julie and Melissa sent me a letter together, so that was really cool. Also, my best friend, Amanda, wrote me a letter finally! 🙂 That was really cool. That’s crazy that Landon is coming home that soon! I swear he hasn’t been gone for two years.
Awww! I miss my sweet niece! I was showing Sister Summers that family album you gave me, and I saw Natasha in the picture, and it made me a little sad. But then I was okay. It’s just gonna be really crazy, because when I get home she’ll be so big! But it’s okay. 🙂
Anyway, I better go now. Te amo mucho!! (I love you much)
con amor, Hermana Kelsey
Papi,
Hola! I’m kind of jealous you get to play real life soccer. We play this game we call chair soccer, but it’s not the same as real soccer. Also, I’ve gotten really into soccer, because a lot of our investigators love soccer, and will talk to you more if you know about soccer. So I have an “insider” that always tells me who won the soccer games and who Mexico played against, and then I can talk to people on the streets about it. It’s fun. But I really wish we could play for real.
If we can borrow a bike from someone, we might ride around a little bit, which should be fun. Although I am really out of shape, so maybe not.
I remember when you taught me how to do a backflip. That was so long ago. Man, I miss jumping on the tramp! Some of our members have trampolines, and I want to jump on them so bad, but we aren’t allowed. 🙁
Anyway, I better go now. Te amo! (I love you)
Love, Hermana Kelsey 
Emmysaurus Rex!
I’m still waiting on a real letter from you!!!!! You crazy girl! I’m glad you enjoyed church though. I love church. Our branch is so great. All of the members are so cool, and they are so closely knit because there are so few of them. Everyone is friends with everyone else. It’s so cool. I love the spanish people so much! I was little scared before, because, I’m not gonna lie, I was a little prejudice. But most of the people I have met are so awesome, and the Hispanic people are so much nicer than white people and african american people. We try so hard to find Hispanics, because we don’t want to have to talk to white people. They are mean.
Anyway, I’m glad you are having fun with Melissa. Did you know she sent me a letter? Yeah…she sure did. So maybe you should send me one too!! 🙂
Anyway, I probably better go now. Te amo!! Be good. Make good choices. Do what you know you are supposed to.
Love, Hermana Kelsey 

P.S. What does BFN mean?



XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX  


Howzit-Elder Flexy!



Elder Flexy 12:1 -email-

Make,

ya this week has been pretty good we taught some very prideful people and thats something i don’t enjoy. I’m beginning to be pretty quick with my scriptures almost all main doctrine points. but the other day we taught this seven day Adventist guy and he just spouts out scriptures that have nothing to do with the topic. one thing that you will find is that most religions just have one thing that they will just repeat over and over. like this guy all he cared about was that the seventh day is on saturday so we should worship on saturday and so i showed him the scripture and explained the fulfillment of the law of moses and he just was too prideful to listen. but ya mission is cool. love you
    Love Elder Flexy

 

Baba,
thats cool that your still riding bikes and i haven’t driven since i came on mission for almost a year its kinda weird. thats so weird that Caleb got married i hope they continue to make good decisions. but ya mission is good i’m about ready for a new area i’ve only had two areas so far so i’m getting bored of this place. but ya we played soccer today and i did ok not way good but it was fun. so Kaden is growing up thats so cool we will chill when i get home. well thats it for the day. love you
     Love Elder Flexy

M,
well i’m glad someone cries as much as me but ya mission is good. one of the africans from my group is now training an elder from hawaii its pretty cool i shoul be training at the end of next transfer. but ya life is good. love you sis.
    Love Elder Flexy

Sunday Best!

Hope!

2 Nephi 31: 19 & 20
19 And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save. 20 Wherefore, ye must press forward with steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: 
Ye shall have eternal life.
—————–
Hope is: the feeling that what is wanted can be
had or that events will turn out for the 
best.
————-
Jeremiah 17:7
Blessed is the man
 that trusteth in the Lord, and whose 
hope the Lord is.
———
I hope your Sunday was the Best! 
Love, Joy

Totally "Fort Worth" It!



Hermana Kelsey 4:3 -email-

Mama,
 
I hope thing are bien for you. I an doing pretty fantastico. We had my first baptism yesterday. It was pretty freakin’ AWESOME! He is a cool guy. We could tell he was nervous, and then while we were waiting, he started crying. But not just crying. He was BAWLING! We asked him if he was okay and he told us he was just really happy. We did it at 9 in the morning, and he got confirmed during our sacrament meeting at 11. It was really cool.
 
Sister Vaughn is going home this week. We got our transfer calls this morning, and my new companion is going to be Sister Summers, who actually was roommates with Sister Vaughn before they both came out on their missions. She sounds pretty cool. Sister Vaughn wants to stay another transfer now, and be in a trio with us, because she has always wanted to serve with Sister Summers. So that’s exciting. I’m sad Sister Vaughn is leaving, but at the same time, it is time to move on.
 
Anyway, our Sunday was great too. We have 6 investigators at church, and one of them we just barely met yesterday, and he got up and bore his testimony! Kind of. As much as someone who doesn’t know how to do it can. But it was really cool.
 
Anyway, I probably better go now. Love you lots. Be strong!
 
Love, Hermana Kelsey
 
XOXOXOXOX
 
P.S. Wasn’t Riley going to write me a letter and send it with that package you sent?!
 
Papi,
 
I learned a new thing in spanish. It is about fathers, so I’ll tell it to you.
 
“Yo como una papa, no como a mi papa (accent on a)
(I eat a potato, I don’t eat my dad)
Una papa es comida, un papa (accent on a) es mi padre”
(A potato is food, a papa is a father)
 
It’s funny in spanish, but not really in english so it’s okay if you don’t laugh or anything. 🙂
 
Anyway, this week has been pretty good. Is it still raining a lot there? That’s crazy that Brad’s house got flooded. Is our house doing okay? I hope so, cause I sure don’t want to move!
 
Anyway, I better go now. Love you lots. Sorry these are so short, but time just doesn’t mean the same thing it used to. Bye.
 
Love, Hermana Kelsey
 
Emmysaurus Rex!
 
JA JA JA JA JA JA!! You have to be in summer school?!?! That’s so funny. I did that too, once upon a time. But it was pretty much the easiest class I ever took, so I didn’t mind.
 
It is really really hot down here. It was been within a few degrees of 100 all week! It’s craziness!!! Muy loco!! Pero, esta bien. (I hope you can understand my spanish) 
 
But anyways, Por que did you corto su pelo?! We were supposed to be having a contest! JK JK, it’s all good. I’m just going to win. 🙂
 
What kind of changes are happening in your life? Are you’re friends still moving away? I will tell you one good things about that. I know it is really hard (trust me, I REALLY do know), but when friends leave, you get to make new ones! It was super, super hard for me at the MTC when the older districts would leave, because we became such good friends with them, but then new people would come and we would be friends with them. So them you have lots and lots of friends. So it’s okay. I’m pretty sure most of the people I met at the MTC will be my life long friends. 🙂
 
BYE. Love you lots.
 
Love, Hermana Kelsey
 
P.S. You are never too busy to write a letter. I am one of the busiest people I know and I can still write letters to people. I’m actually better at writing letters than anyone that I am writing to. 🙂

Howzit-Elder Flexy!

Elder Flexy 11:5 -email-



Make,
this week has been ok, i don’t think i have ever had this many people bunk us in one week. but oh well we will keep going. ya that’s funny about Brad’s dogs there is this chihuahua that we walk past a lot and it always runs and hide from us. ya that’s crazy that Caleb is getting married. but its probably good for him. ya this sunday we had a recent convert bear his testimony it was pretty funny he talked about how he used to be a Zionist Prophet but then he found that he didn’t have authority to do that but it was pretty powerful. but anyway thats all for now. love you
   Love Elder Flexy

Baba,
so now my dad is lumber jack as well!!! thats cool we did some service for and old Gogo(Grandma) in the branch. it was good to do some manual labor. but ya my clothes are starting to get a little rugged those eccos shoes are even starting to get old. but ya mission is good thats weird that there has been so much rain it never rained when i was home. but ya i’m thinking they might give me some leadership this next transfer. but ya life is good. anyway mission is going great. love you
Love Elder Flexy

M,
well this week was kinda boring nothing really exiting happened except the testimony of that recent convert that was pretty funny but i hope you can continue getting those credits for school don’t follow in my foots steps on that one. well love you
Love Elder Flexy