Pay Day!

Hey dad! whats up. I wrote to everybody in moms main letter. but i have a minute and thought i would write to you. How are you? You are the man of the house now! dad i have learned so much from you. Good preisthood principals i will use throuought my life. I am so glad i could from the time i was a hairy ball from india to now me being on a mission; to be raised with you leading my way. You have always been my hero and will always be. I look up to you and the things you believe in. You are a great father source for comfort and love. I have enjoyed playing golf with you so much. I am really going to miss that. especially when we were just getting into the swing of things. I am grateful for all those good times we have had. the sweetest thing about being on a father and son activity is being there with you; my dad. Even if we rode up on the fourwheeler and came back the same night. It was so worth it to me. etched memories i have of that. I plan on going on alot of fishing trips with you and talking on the bank. i love you so much dad and would never change anything! Love you sonElder Owens

Geeze Knees

I have been walking Spanky around my block – 2 ½ miles every day. My knees were killing me so I thought of this brilliant solution. I bought a scooter. I can walk up 2300 North and coast all the way down 1600 East and 2400 North then scoot along 1200 back home. Lenny says he has never seen or heard of another 56 year old woman on a scooter. It is exhilarating and my knees feel much better. Spanky loves it because he has to run and he gets the cardio he needs.

You should be so lucky!

You can't choose your relatives but you can choose your neighbors. I am so glad we chose to sell the lot next door to our good friends John and Marianna Larsen. Nikki calls their house "The Smart House". It really is one of the most elegent yet functional homes in Cache Valley and I ought to know because I see a lot of them. It has made the value of homes on our street do nothing but go up. But one of the best thing about our neighbors is they invite us to dinner and a movie every now and then.Marianna loves holidays and she decorates to the max. This is her Easter table setting.
The Easter tree center piece.
The fireplace decorations add to the ambiance.
Every nook and cranny is decorated. Marianna is a good cook, a good conversationalist, really clever at decorating, and a good friend. What an escape to go next door and step into the Larsen fantasy world and spend a few hours. Thanks John and Marianna. You are a reminder that its OK to enjoy life!

Over Mountain or Plain or Sea

Jordan and his companion Elder Vonniederhausern

Cherubs ?

Don't let this angelic poise fool you. They are scrubbed and polished and ready for primary and the nursery but would have nothing to do with it. Their father was all too ready to return home and play hooky with them at their first wimper, leaving a disgruntled nursery leader with a bad image of my grandchildren who "made the other children cry too!"

The Big Three O

It's time to party! Alex never was one to turn down dessert.

Daniel is 30. We celebrated with a lasagna dinner and friends and family. Nikki came from Boise and Jeff brought the kids for a sleep over with Grandma Owens.

Nikke made some of her famous cupcakes in ice cream cones. Heidi bought an ice cream cake. Get it? The cake was ice cream and the ice cream cones were cake.

In the arms of the Lord

Jordan wrote me that he was "in the arms of the Lord". Here he is in the arms of his mission president.
Here he is in the arms of his companions. His companion is from Hyde Park just up the road from our house. Jordan went to high school with him. He said, "He is the MAN!"

He writes: "I am doing great and I am following all the rules even getting up on time. (This is evidence that God is still a God of miracles). I am the coolest companion ever! Everybody wants me! I love it here and being on my own! I'm glad I made this decision! . . . I am going fishing today with a recent investigator. We are going to fish and talk about the church! I planned it all out! I am so excited. He is the same age as me and his name is Nick! He wants to know the truth. His parents are anal and crazy and it's tough for him. So I made this activity and will hopefully bring him in! (Jordan will love him into the church. He is very compassionate. He always looks for ways to include people on the fringes.)

I have edited his emails. He types them fast because they only have a certain amount of time and he wants to write everyone personally. He does put an exclamation point after every sentence. He always expresses his love and appreciation to all of us and names everyone Heidi, Nikki , Jeff, Daniel, Josie and the kids. He says, " I love you all so much and hope I can make you proud." He bears his testimony. "Joseph Smith was a man of God and Jesus Christ died for all mankind. Never forget that." He is very caught up in the work and sounds happier than he has ever been. "The best two years."

...and also see that ye bridle all your passions

And, as I, the Lord, in the beginning cursed the land, even so in the last days have I blessed it, in its time, for the use of my saints, that they may partake the fatness thereof.

(Doctrine and Covenants Section 61:17)

Americans across all age groups, genders and races are getting fatter. A full 66 percent of U.S. adults were overweight or obese in 2003 and 2004, and if the trend continues, 75 percent of U.S. adults will be overweight by the year 2015. As well, sixteen percent of U.S. children and adolescents are overweight and 34 percent are at risk of becoming overweight, according to federal government figures. (Yahoo News, July 18, 2007)

Obesity, despite assertions by critics, is becoming the norm. It is likely to continue to increase, and if nothing is done, it will soon become the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, say researchers.

I have recently discovered this great healthy treat! EDAMAME

Edamame is a green vegetable more commonly known as a soybean, harvested at the peak of ripening right before it reaches the "hardening" time. The word Edamame means "Beans on Branches," and it grows in clusters on bushy branches. To retain the freshness and its natural flavor, it is parboiled and quick-frozen. In East Asia, the soybean has been used for over two thousand years as a major source of protein. Edamame is consumed as a snack, a vegetable dish, used in soups or processed into sweets. As a snack, the pods are lightly boiled in salted water, and then the seeds are squeezed directly from the pods into the mouth with the fingers.

Calories
125.0
Protein
12.1
Carbohydrates
13.1
Fat
3.6
Ash
1.7
Calcium
9.3
Phosphorus
180.0
Iron
2.7
Sodium
5.0
Vitamin A
130.0
Vitamin U1
0.31
Vitamin C
40.0