Summer Reading Program...

This summer we have the privilege of Crikette's presence. She is staying here between student teaching and graduating from BYU Idaho to  getting a teaching job somewhere, hopefully Idaho, her Mother state.
It's been a pleasure having her here and it's been fun. She may or may not agree with that.
She make's things a little more exciting and fun for everyone.
For Example: The Summer Reading Program.
Instead of just picking books to read for ourselves, she decided it would be fun for each of us to choose books for each other.  Lame ones. Really lame ones.
Okay, so it's total torture for all of us to read these books. Crikette picked 2 books for me.
One about "A summer missing you" or something like that  and one about teenage drama.
Drama kind of explains my house hold on a daily basis so Crikette thought I'd appreciate that one.

These were just books picked off the shelf randomly. Bad Idea.
Both of them had bad cussing and sex. These books came from the TEENAGE SECTION OF THE LIBRARY. I'm yelling in my brain.

You have to be so careful about what you just choose to read. Chloe was reading a book that WAS recommended and written by a teenager and it was fine and clean until the last two chapters when the characters started taking off their clothes. She shut the book right away and didn't get to read the end, but really, she probably could've guessed the end anyway. These books are so poorly written.

Anyway, only a couple of the books we randomly chose were clean enough to read all the way through.

A spicy risk we took, and it was fun to change things up a little and find out just what we are all made of. We don't have near the drama that these stories talk of.  And what we will and wont tolerate;  I can say my kids are dang good at walking away from the poop.

Hey...

Things are going by really fast and I haven't taken the pictures I should have
during all of it and I can't stinkin' find the battery charger thingy for the Camera's
battery. Ugh.

So this is what I got for you all.:)

Tony is doing so great and I'm sure you all know from his letters. They are a
highlight. The are fun and positive. I couldn't be happier. Him and his
companion are becoming great friends so that is always a plus.
Talking to him with skype was awesome and I realized...he doesn't really miss us.
But that is okay. I'm getting tougher at having him gone. And he's just loves being
there. His language is amazing. His companion said Tony was far more prepared
with the language than he was after being in the MTC for 12 weeks.
Heavenly Father is really helping these missionaries in a very real and personal way.

School is out! Thank heavens. It's been a tough but productive year.

Sara is a legal driver now and feels really good about that!
We are getting together our summer goals that we have divided into 4 categories:
Physical, Spiritual, Mental, and Emotional(Service). We are also going to do some
indexing (Thanks to Crikette for teaching us).

I made curtains for our living room. Oh my gosh I like them so much better than
blinds.
I've also made tons and tons of pioneer skirts, aprons and bonnets for those who
 need them for trek. We still have tons to make. Including a pioneer dress for
myself. I'm pretty excited about the whole shindig.
Things are coming together after all this planning and organizing. There are amazing
people on all our committee's.

I've learned some hard lessons too. About myself and how I need to change to
become a true follower of Christ. I've made mistakes, big ones, and I'm more
thankful for the knowledge of Christ's Atonement and His love for me. I'm so
thankful for repentance, and so thankful for forgiveness.

Need to go and sign up for the Summer Reading program with the fam...
Peace out!

A lesson I learned from Natasha

The picture Natasha sent me.

I just got an e-mail from a sweet lady from Russia named Natasha. She just met
Tony(Elder Tippetts) that day and took the time to send me an e-mail and a picture
of him. She said Tony is kind and understands little Russian but it's fine, he will get
used to it.

I was so happy for the rest of the day. Then I thought of how any Mother would
 like to get an e-mail from someone who has interacted with their son while so far
away from home.  I have had the privilege of having many missionaries in our home
and watching them teach with the spirit. They can be so powerful and kind. Like the
Savior. Wouldn't you want to hear that about your son or daughter?

I will do that next time I have missionaries over. It's one more way to connect
with our sisters that don't live close to us but that we still have a connection with
through motherhood.  My love for missionaries have grown since Tony is serving.
I also feel an obligation to treat them like I would want my son treated.

Thank You Natasha.

Tony is in Samara, Russia!

 Elder Tippetts and Pres. and Sis. Sartori

A Mighty Band Of Youth

We got a letter yesterday from Tony. He said he's in the MTC Choir and they
did a special on the MTC that aired on channel 5 between Conference sessions.
He said to see if we could see him. I didn't see it so I looked it up and I think I
saw Tony. I showed Chloe and she just laughed at me.  Okay, seriously, I searched
for him. Every time it showed the choir I would pause it and search for his face.
And I'm pretty sure I saw it. It's tiny, but I'm sure that was him.
Just look for yourself:  Left hand side where the men are, on the right end of the row next
to the hand rail, 2nd to last row.
15 seconds into the video pause it and look. Just tell me I'm wrong!
You can watch  this awesome video: A Mighty Band Of Youth. Just click the link below.
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=295&sid=109376

It's okay if you laugh at me too but I'm confident. :)

I e-mailed Tony and asked if I am right. He'll let me know!
I may or may not tell you either way. :)

Lets get caught up a little...

The highlight of my week is getting a letter from Tony.
But there are other exciting things going on...



I was just recently called into the Stake Relief Society serving as the first
counselor over Sunday meetings and music. I absolutely love this calling.
I have been to 2 ward conferences, one of which, I got to teach. We still
have 4 more to go. I get to teach this Sunday too. We've gone to 3 Relief
Society Birthday Dinners which have been great and visits in each ward.
I get to rub shoulders with some of the best women and meet all kinds
of wonderful women who are truly devoted to our Savior. I am learning
so much about how to love.

Tony Sr. and I are still in the trenches of Trek preparations. He has put
together a cool film (Sara's idea) interviewing youth who have never been
on Trek and those youth who have and their worries and experiences.
We are hoping to pull youth who don't want to come and change their minds.
He is doing out takes about a wolf that hides up there in the hills and comes
down in the night to eat kids, that are so funny. He knows how to get those kids
involved and bonded. He has a gift I tell ya.
His work is picking up and he is one busy guy, but he is the best dad and
always makes time for our family.

Sara gets her drivers license this Monday (if she passes the test....) and she
 is so excited. She will no longer have to rely on me or her Dad giving her rides.

Chloe is excited about "The Host" coming out. So, she is motivated to do some
dreaded work that needs to be done around here to earn some money to go and
maybe get some clothes or shoes or something.

Dallin is really into comic books and wants to publish his own. He is trying
really hard and puts in lots of time to it.  He has also discovered the amazing
world of Harry Potter. He's reading  #2 now and loves it.

Dallin and Lilly just started a Parkour/Freerunning(click the link) class that they
both like. They are really building up their core muscles. Dallin has a 6 pack already
and Lilly was told she does the best push-ups, even better than the boys. She was
really happy about that little fact. She's a strong one.

Lilly is trying hard to earn an American Girl Doll. They are expensive
so she is earning part of it and I will pay the rest for her birthday coming up.
She earns it by being a good worker and having a good attitude with school
and working hard.  It's working... she still has work to do, but it's slowly
working.

Ian stopped going to primary for a while because he kept
falling asleep in Sacrament Meeting (on purpose) until I reminded him he can't
take fun classes like Parkour if he doesn't go to Primary.  So he's been
going. Last week he walked in with no problem. Yea! I hope he keeps it up.

So that is it for now.... We're hoping for some pictures of Elder Tippetts soon.

-kelly

It's different....

                                                              Ian refused to get into this picture

Ok, I keep thinking I need to write about my thoughts
about whats been going on around here.

You know, I'm still a mom who rushes everyone everywhere,
does the dreaded laundry, and gets the kids up  to have scripture
 study and prayer,  worries about all I need to do for my (right now)
4 callings in my church, schools the kids and strives to be a better,
calmer mom every day.

But there is a difference here in our home.
It's not just that Tony is gone.
Tony(my son) is on a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ
 of Latter-day Saints.
It has changed the feeling of things around here.
Our family is closer.
We are listening to our scripture study a little better.
We are preparing for our lessons and talks at church with a better
understanding of our relationship with our Savior.
We have a deeper purpose for ourselves.
My husbands work is picking up.
We are more determined to work harder on things because we
know Tony is.
We pay attention to things a little more because we want to write
 it down in a letter to Tony. It makes us a little more thankful for
what we have and what we get to do.
We try to spend more time with each other because we know
 it's important.
We have a little more patience with each other.


 Even though life hasn't changed, we are feeling some of the blessings
of  Tony being away and doing God's work.  (even though it's hard).
It's so hard.  Sometimes I miss him so much it hurts.
But, he is where he should be and he's having experiences that will
shape him into who he becomes.

And he will come home...
And he will go back to school...
And he will get married...
And I'll be a grandma.  :)  eventually....:)