Why does the last month feel more like a sprint than normal?Perhaps because I spilled tea on my keyboard and nothing seems to work properly since then!!
Suddenly all the grandkids are back in school and I am left trying to be an affiliate marketer and mostly I have just gotten myself into debt even more than before.
My husband is trying to help with the marketing but it is so foreign to him to try to make money-he only works because he loves to!
So, then i decided to try to be an affiliate of a grant giving business called BottomLine Concepts and they are offering small businesses an ERC grant to help them recover from the pandemic.
thinkingofcuttingmyhair
When i approach people with the idea, they think i am trying to scam them, but this is legit and can help so many people that were out of work because of the shutdowns and lockouts and changes in the world where people stopped going to work outside their homes.
So, if you want to know more about the grant-here it is:
Hi. I live in Founderās Park in Daybreak (South Jordan)Utah. Currently, Iām an affiliate for BottomLine Concepts. They are now helping small businesses obtain the ERC (Employee Retention Credit) grant. It is for small businesses affected by the Pandemic to help them get back on their feet, especially those of minority groups.
The process is made simple by BottomLine, and your business could be getting back about $10,000 per W-2 employee. ERC is a refund in the form of a grant and can return up to $26,000/employee ($11,000 is the average) depending on wages, health care, and other personnel expenses business owners have already paid.
A requirement of the grant eligibility is to have 5 or more and less than 500 W-2 employees per Federal Employee Identification Number (FEIN). Even if you received the PPP, you can also receive the ERC.
If you feel your company may qualify for ERC, I would be willing to help you apply for it before it runs out! Also, if you are aware of another small business that would benefit from ERC, share this great news with them.
The link below has much more information including a video, FAQs, and testimonials for BottomLine. Here is the form if you want to see if you qualify. Donāt miss out on this timely grant to help your small business grow!
Please get back to me and tell me what you decided to do.
Seems there have been so many funerals lately so i am just happy to be alive! We are going to India next month while Robert is still stationed there, another place I have never been.
All of our family are relatively healthy-Siope is improving and Ileina is trying to stay well so she can go on her mission to NewZealand.
If you want to check out what Iāve been doing, go to:
https://mcs.samanthasdomain.com/7-figures
Ileina went to the temple for the first time and many of the family showed up to support her.
Rachel Ileina is the one in yellow with two chubby grandmothers on each side.
The first part of our trip was spent in England and the Fakatou family had taken such good care of us. Now we were on our own and it seemed that everything went south!
My motherās family are from Denmark. Her mother is Ruth Zina Anderson and her father is Harold Christensen.
We landed in Copenhagen, Denmark late in the evening, and by then there were only two rental car offices open. Isi had been trying very hard to get in contact with Alamo because we had made a reservation and paid, but they needed his signature and he had not had success. So, we went to the first car rental office. They said that because
Harold Christensenās ancestors (familysearch.org)
Our Danish Connection (familysearch.org)
of the Ukraine situation, their computers had been down all day. That was not very encouraging. So, we went to the next one and they said they were fully booked, but had only one BMW available for $300 for the night. We didnāt have much of a choice. The only thing we had going for us is that in Denmark they drive on the same side of the road as we do in America. And, who wouldnāt want to drive a BMW?? Our timeshare was about an hour to the north and I volunteered to drive.
It was a fun drive to our home for the week. So, why did we choose to go to Denmark? It turns out that I am more Danish than any other nationality. My motherās parents come from Moroni, Utah. Their grandparents on both sides were born in Denmark and followed the saints to Utah and settled in Moroni, Utah. I am named after my maternal grandmother Ruth Zina Christensen. Towns in Denmark like Viborg, Skanderborg, Hjooring, Vejle came up on Family Search familysearch.org on both Grandma and Grandpa Christensenās side. We had the privilege of taking my father to Scotland where many of his ancestors are from, but I was curious about my motherās side and where they had come from.
As we drove to a new world, there was a beautiful sunset. We finally made our way to Rageleje Klithttp://www.raageleje-klit.dk (feriecenter). We had called ahead to tell them that we would be arriving late because of our flight and they had literally left our place unlocked with the key in the door for us (very trusting)??
We were glad to have made it to our destination and soon found out that the outlets in our place were not the same as those in England where we had just come from. That meant that one of us would not be able to sleep with the right equipment, so I volunteered. There was only one electrical outlet in each room with no extension cords. So we had to deal with it. The apartment was adequate. No extras. It was what I considered to be minimalistic ā absent of any color or style (or is that a style) except for a blue couch? The ocean was literally across the street from us. You could walk 50 steps forward from our glass sliding window and be on the beach. This was definitely not the South Pacific, because it was cold!! But, beautiful nonetheless.
View from our front door ā yes that is the ocean!
My longtime girlfriend, Debbie Clawson hooked me up when we went to Idaho and it seems she is my new travel agent since she told me she had a brother who lived in Denmark. We had been in contact with Steve for some time now. We arrived on Saturday evening and had made arrangements to meet him at his ward the next morning at 10:00 in Copenhagen, which I thought was a long shot, but āIsi of course was very optimistic. After getting up quite early, then getting lost, we arrived in his area an hour later.
Steve had sent his sweet wife Marion to flag us down on the crisp clear morning. She gladly showed us where to park so we didnāt get a ticket and escorted us into Sunday School class. Isi raised his hand and participated in the lesson just as he did in any other Sunday School class. The Copenhagen Temple President and matron were there and we got to meet them. It was hard to identify the temple because of all the tall buildings in the area. We got to see the temple. We were told that the steeple with Moroni on it could not be any higher than The Church of Our Lady.
S. Eric Ottesen and Elizabeth D. Ottesen Credit: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Sain
Steve and Marion took us to their lovely home in the heart of Copenhagen. We had to take a tiny elevator to get there. Marion had prepared a yummy dinner for us which included three kinds of meat, small round potatoes (she said that is the way Danish eat them), vegetables, and delicious homemade gravy. We had earlier suggested that we would take them out for lunch, but they said they didnāt do that on Sunday. They were very gracious. Then Marion sat down with me and my genealogy and looked up all the little towns in a book her father had given her.
Afterward, we went with Steve to take back our expensive BMW and get the car we had reserved. By that time, jet lag hit, and I was ready to go āhomeā and rest. Steve was just getting started and wanted to show us all of Copenhagen, but my battery had run out.
I attended Rootstech 2022 and met some of my Danish cousins online. I also had been in contact with a few of them that lived in Denmark. They gave me some suggestions of what towns I ought to visit while in Denmark. We tried to map out our journey to hit those places. Monday we tried to just rest and get laundry done from England, which took most of the day since the washer and dryer were half the size of what we were used to.
We had a little downtime so we went to a close fishing village looking for ā fish and chips. It did not disappoint.
Tuesday we had planned to go to the city of Viborg where some of our ancestors were from before they migrated to the United States, ending up in Moroni, Utah. Now, the story about our GPS journey ā donāt always trust your GPS! We set our GPS for the town of Viborg and started our āroad tripā over hills of yellow canola flowers or mustard plants. It was very beautiful mixed in with the greens and occasional chives and wildflowers.
There were some old windmills and some modern metal windmills along the way. The countryside was spacious and went on for miles (or kilometers in this case).
One thing we had failed to take into consideration was that Denmark is made up of many islands. After we had gone a long distance, we came to the end of the land and could only see water with nowhere else to drive. What we did see was a huge ferry with many vehicles lining up to get on it. There were buses, motorbikes, bicycles, cars, trucks, and the like and we looked at each other and decided we better get in line.
We paid the fee which was about 30 USD (not bad) and drove up a ramp at the tail end of the line. We had just made it on time. We finally looked at a map (duh) and could see where we were on it. Imagine yourself somewhere between Copenhagen and the city Aarhus and you will see whole lotta water. Our GPS was just trying to take us the shortest way to where we were headed which was over the water.
We asked the porter if we could stay in our car and sleep and he said that was not allowed. So, Up the stairs, we went with all the rest of the gang. This was a pretty short stretch and once again we were back in our car, but then a few hundred kilometers later we approached a much larger and more expensive ferry (barge).
It was really huge! I was quite alarmed. It was like a whole city up there with restaurants including fast food and fine dining, places to sit and lie down, restrooms, and such. We each took our turn getting some goodies and then I took a bit of a nap until we heard the whistle and disembarked with the population. Gives a whole new meaning to the song, āOn the Road Againā.
I am sure we would have spent about as much driving the distance to go down around the bodies of water to get to where we were going. We planned to drive on land all the way back to our place on our return trip.
This place had a bit of style. Too bad we had it for only one night. We decided to make the most of it. After the long drive and two ferry rides, we were tired but ventured around the place. It was well taken care of and immaculate. The trees were all trimmed sharply. There was a cathedral that seemed to be the center of the town and then everything was built around it. Cobblestone roads with no traffic allowed and shops you could only walk to. Where were the people, you might ask? We only saw a few people walking about. Denmark has provided steady figures throughout its history and although the population growth is slow and sometimes negative from year to year, it is normally steady and fairly reliable.
Isi asked where the best restaurant was and he was referred to a place called ROD. Without reservation, we took our chance and were escorted and seated at a table. Tom was our waiter and he was very congenial. We ordered the special and found it to be very much like what we had been served at Steve and Marionās on Sunday. The dessert was the kicker! It was made of a base of caramel with two small scoops of sorbet with a small carrot, small tomato, and two blueberries on top. I had never had vegetables as part of a dessert before, but it wasnāt bad. Then a trip to the water closet (bathroom) before returning back to our hotel.
The nightmare shower
I longed for a hot bath after a cold day. Unfortunately, I could never really figure out Danish plumbing. The one in this hotel was particularly confusing. It had several faucets, nothing to keep the water in the vicinity, and no directions, so after a very frustrating attempt at getting relief from the chill of the day, I screamed every time the cold water hit me. Look at the picture of the shower area ā no bath, and you might understand what I mean (more like a spacecraft)!
If you are still with me, you are either my family, close friend, Danish or a martyr! I plan to finish this today or bust!!
After a good sleep, the next morning we decided to drive to a place called Vejle where some of our ancestors had lived. I often thought about them and what the circumstances were like when they decided to leave their homes to go to Zion with the saints, most of them ending up in the tiny little town of Moroni, Utah. They must have had a very strong testimony of the Gospel to give up their homes and possessions to follow the prophet and apostles. This is just one example of my ancestors who were born in Denmark and ended up in Moroni, Utah.
When we arrived in Vejle, we found a gravesite and I was impressed by how well they took care of the graves. They made hedges around them and even grew bushes and flowers on them. There was a very loud alarm unlike any I had heard before which made me think there was an emergency of some kind. I was scared because of the issue with Ukraine. It would go off for a minute and then back on again. I asked some people in the cemetery if they knew what it was and they said they do it from time to time like our warning system in America ā but this one was very loud and eerie.
We made it to a place called Traedballe on May 4th at 12:43 pm. and soon afterward crossed a suspension bridge to get over the great waters of the North Sea. We had been so lucky to have had near-perfect weather during our trip so far. It was not until we got to Chicago on our way home that we had freezing cold rainy weather and I got a bad cold. It seems like a dream, but I know it all happened. I have a greater appreciation for my Danish ancestors and feel a great love for them. The great thing about our church is that you can do the work for your ancestors in the temple where you reside wherever they come from. Farvel (Farewell)!
We spent the end of February 2022 in Las Vegas. We own a timeshare week at Tahiti Village which is located on the south end ofĀ The StripĀ near the airport. We usually try to use our week every year. On our way there this time, we stayed in St. George overnight. The drive to Vegas takes about seven hours so it is good to break it up. We met up with Brett and Sunie Thomas and headed to one of our favorite restaurants,Ā The Red Fort. They serve yummy curry and garlic naan bread and my favorite, mango yogurt drink!
We had a great visit and good rest before finishing our trip to Las Vegas. The first night at Tahiti Village was a nightmare. The last time we stayed in Tahiti Village, the fridge would not close. This time, our fridge did not work. Not only that but there was a leak somewhere and the carpet was very wet. We had just gotten everything unpacked and then noticed the leak and very soggy carpet. We called maintenance and when they came, the only resolution they came up with was that we needed to move to another room. By that time, I was totally
exhausted and not ready to move anywhere. Isi talked to the front desk and they said they would move us the next day to a larger room and credit our account $100. That made us feel a bit better for the inconvenience.
Isi had contacted LeRoy who was very helpful and kind in getting us tickets forĀ The JetsĀ show in Las Vegas. He and his wife Ana and son also took us out to dinner before the show. He is married to my friend Mary Faās sister, Ana who we knew very well when we lived near Mesa, Arizona. We cannot thank them enough for all they did for us while we were in Vegas!
he Jets are a Tongan-American family band from Minneapolis, Minnesota, who originally were composed of brothers and sisters LeRoy, Eddie, Eugene, Haine, Rudy, Kathi, Elizabeth, and Moana Wolfgramm.
They started performing as a family band in 1977. They enjoyed worldwide success from 1985 to 1990, performing three world tours and producing five top-10 hits on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. The family has 17 children: 15 by birth and two Eddie and Eugene, by adoption. They are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The five songs that became Billboard Hot 100 hits included: Crush on You, Cross My Broken Heart, Rocket 2 U, Make It Real, and Sendinā All My Love.
The current Jets are composed of the three oldest sons, one of the youngest original daughters, a grandson, and a classy recruit who rounds out the group.
The Current Jets playing at Las Vegas
Although the three oldest sons are getting up there in age, I thought perhaps they wouldnāt be able to move around as much or play their guitars as well, but I was wrong. The whole show was high-energy, well-choreographed, and thrilling. The audience was singing along and almost jumping out of their seats including myself. They went through songs from the 80s and 90s and included some from others artists and of course their own. They changed costumes from time to time and even dressed up as different characters. They invited the audience to take pictures as long as there was no flash photography. Here are a few of the pictures I took:
Yet again, when the show was over, we were invited to take pictures with the stars and I have to admit I was a bit āstar-struckā. After all, I had been listening to their music on the radio for so many years and knew most of the words to their songs. We were there when they came to Tonga and now we were with them in Vegas!!
So, if you get the chance to go to Las Vegas, make sure you include The Jets on your agenda! They perform in the V-Theater on the Strip.
Most of February was spent getting Dadās house ready to sell after his passing. I think he kept every single receipt and every family record from the time he moved into the house over 50 years ago. It was a challenge for the siblings to decide what to keep and what to throw away. My big brother, Kirk did a great job of delegating the tasks so no one sibling was overwhelmed. I was given the daunting task of taking care of family historical records including pictures, geneology, historical books from Fairview, Sanpete, and other published books that had to do with our ancestors. Just when I thought I had found all of them, I discovered more. My dad was really into family history! I had been blessed with the spirit of Elijah also and so I was excited and terrified at the same time.
Then came the distribution of Dadās āthingsā. Every time we looked at Dad and Momās earthly possessions, it tugged at our heart strings. How can you decide what to take and what to give away. Everything meant something at some time to them so you had to think twice before putting it in the D.I. pile. One rule was, āif you gave something to them, it was yours to takeā, so everything I had given them over the years, became mine. Much of it was from Tonga when we lived there. Woven articles, tapa cloth, carved tikis, etc. I wondered if they had ever enjoyed them. Dad had taken one of the wooden boxes we had sent the gifts in and made a beautiful clock out of it in a style called āintarsiaā. It was beautiful and his skill of woodworking was truly evident.
My first wish was to have Momās chandeliers ā i had always loved them. So, I asked my brother and two sisters if they wanted them. They said they didnāt, so my husband asked his friend who was an electrician to take them down and brought them to my house. We had to clean them very well and it was quite a daunting task while being very careful not
to break anything. Then my sisterās son, Steve came and put them up in my home. I hope Mom doesnāt mind. They upgraded our home and it did not diminish the value of their home one bit.
Piece by piece, a part of Mom and Dadās precious valuables were taken and their home started looking bare. It was a sad sight, but we felt that we were doing the best we could. Kirk put some items for sale on KSL and a few sold.
Dad had so many tools in his shop in the basement. I wonder how many pieces of wood he had crafted into amazing useful structures. I ended up with one of his beauties to hold my knickknacks. Mom had painted many ceramic pieces and I think all of us got some of them.
I found some cassette tapes and was delighted to find one with my mother having a voice lesson and with a conversation between her and her teacher. She said that she was taking singing lessons because Dad had missed hearing her sing. So sweet. Another tape had my Grandpa Anderson on it being interviewed by my father. I made a copy of it and gave one to each of my siblings. Precious memories!
Dadās Mustang was a coveted piece and Kirk was putting it up for sale. It had hardly been used by Dad and had been kept in pristine shape in the garage. All the grandkids wanted it. It ended up being purchased by the Kongaika brothers ā to be determined who will end up with it in timeā¦
Once the house was emptied out, professional cleaners were hired so it would be ready for the realtors to take pictures. Dad had hoped that the house would be able to stay in the family. I had wanted the home at one point, but that did not turn out well. The house was getting quite run down and would need quite a bit of upgrading for whomever ended up living there. It had been built by my father with loving care for Mom. It had served its purpose. Noone could love it as much as she did. It sold for a handsome sum and we are all grateful to Dad for his sacrifice. We miss you, Mom and Dad!
My favorite season of the year! COVID-19 almost contained! Fully immunized and ready to get my gardening on. Spent the weekend filling my flower pots with soil and fertilizer. Dug up any weeds left in the yard and confiscated some great wood trunks from the neighbors to spruce up the garden areas. Iām stoked! Positive Easter vibes and loving it up with the grandchildren lately. Have also been doing some redecorating in the house (or at least, telling āIsi what to do to change it!
Two of our grandchildren will graduate from high school this spring. James Aliāi wants to be an engineer and has chosen to go to Arizona State University where his sister, Princess attends. Aliāi has excelled in basketball, and is amazing to watch. We are hoping to travel to Aliāiās graduation next month.
Jacob Tupou will graduate from Lehi High School and is still deciding what to do going forward. He is very artistic and would like to pursue a writing career. He was one of the unfortunates to get a bad case of Corona. It put him behind a bit in school, so he has been playing catch up! We love him so much and are glad he is doing better.
Our oldest three grandchildren are doing fine and keeping very busy. Israel works as a graphic designer near us and he and his girlfriend, Emi like playing house together. They met in Okinawa, attended BYUH together, and we have them over every month for dinner. I miss Isiboy so much!
Princess is studying Marketing and taking 19 credits (just because she can), and she is very good at making videos. She has a cute kitten (cat) named Lucy who keeps her company in lieu of fickle males. I miss Esa so much, too!
Anna Luiza, a.k.a. Sister Kongaika is serving a mission in Las Vegas West Mission, Nevada. She shares her amazing experiences and we canāt get enough. Both her sister and mother got Corona not long after she went on her mission. That left Lily Ruth with a bout of separation anxiety from her mother who has been homeschooling her. Joel has become an expert in multi-tasking.
I could go through each of the grandchildren, but you get the idea that they are the center of my world, and since they are all so busy with school and friends, I have to find other things to occupy my time. I am still a thrifter and shop several times a week to find bargains to turn around for a profit at https://poshmark.com/closet/elayne001. So far this year, I have been doing fairly well. I also write blog posts for Joelās company, rseventytwo.com
Oh, yeah, I nearly forgot to tell about my partner, āIsileli. Besides his working in the temple as a sealer, patriarch, and my errand boy, he has recently been doing some yard work with a friend. He still loves cooking, sewing, and baking. Oftentimes, I question his gender. His sister, Simulata will be turning 80 this week and we are looking forward to celebrating with her.
I will be having a stress test this week, so if things donāt go as planned, this may be my last post. My heart seems to be weakening. My sleeping patterns are upside down, and Dr. Kinikini has nearly given up trying to diagnose and help me, so I try to keep a low profile. I am currently seeing three different physicians and will report as soon as I know what malady they have come up withā¦
Meantime, I am actively oil painting, making jewelry, and attempting acrylic pouring. I have enjoyed decorating nearly every wall in the house. I recently had āIsi paint my bathroom purple and it is my sanctuary. Honestly, who needs a day spa when you can enjoy your own candle-lit, lavendar-fragranced, color-coordinated
My 12-generation chart from Puzilla.org
Colonel Kong ā newly assigned to New Delphi, India (India, here we come)!
We already made reservations to stay near Copenhagen, Denmark next spring. So, if you have any travel advice, email me at rkongaika@gmail.com. So excited for that trip! We hope to swing by England on the way.
My father requires quite a bit of help because he is getting physically and mentally weaker. I am trying harder to fill in some of the needs and give my brother and sister a break.
I still have a testimony of the Gospel, even if I have not returned to in-person church worship. I quite enjoy the Zoom church and FHE arrangements. God is good! Lots of aloha!!
When Covid-19 manifested itself, I felt there was little to be thankful for. I cried nearly every day worrying about my grandchildre and I thought we were all doomed. The pandemic definitely has been an eye opener! I quickly learned to keep my distance from everyone (although I doubt that the virus knows about the six-foot rule). Masks were donned before entering public establishments, for rare visits to church
meetings, and other gatherings. I became more familiar with Zoom and realized it was invaluable for Family Home Evenings, art lessons, and conferences. I adjusted to seeing choirs harmonizing together with each individual in their own little window. Hand sanitizer now decks every room in the house. Even with all of that, people still get sick, end up in the hospital, and some sadly die from it.
So, what am I grateful for Thanksgiving of 2020? It took me a while to think about these, but here we go (not in any particular order)!
Plants, comic relief, food storage, Wifi, night and day, family, government, health/medicine, music, jobs, forgiveness, hot water, shopping, food, family history, seasons, friendship, a home, a sense of safety, and The Gospel.
Some are self explanatory, but I will attempt to clarify why I chose each topic.
Plants:Ā Even though the world seemed to be failing, my plants didnāt seem to notice. We had a bountiful harvest from our garden and our flowers kept on blooming.
He seems normal here! smarterparenting.com
Comic
Relief:Ā Politics of recent days have been very entertaining and often hilarious.
Also, my son-in-law seems to have no social inhibitions. He has used his license as a mental health counselor in very productive ways on social media to keep us all in stitches.
But, then there is this!!
Food storage: While many people were rushing to find any evidence of cleaning supplies, we were prepared and were able to stay at home because somehow we had enough.
Wifi:Ā We had a minimum amount of downtime in our ability to connect with family and friends. Technology truly is useful and necessary these days to relief anxiety and worry.
Night and Day:Ā We were able to wake up each morning and rest each night. My Dad who is 94 said the secret to long life is to āwake up every morning!ā Duh!
Family: We are fortunate to have loving children and grandchildren. They all get along and love each other. If anyone is in need, the others rally around to help.
Government:Ā Although there were moments of panic and uncertainty this year, I am glad we have a somewhat stable government to control chaos and establish laws. Anarchy does not seem to be an attractive alternative.
Health/Medicine:Ā So far, we have been able to avoid the virus (knock on wood)! We were able to continue getting our prescriptions to keep us physically and mentally stable. I am especially grateful to my daughter who has seen to it that I get my medication and she has checked on me nearly every day to see how I am doing!
Music: I can escape the troubles of the day usually by listening to my favorite music. It is soothing and inspiring. I couldnāt live without music. Luckily, several of our children and grandchildren love music too and share their talents with us.
Jobs: Unfortunately, many people became suddenly unemployed due to the pandemic. Although we are retired, we both had small jobs that brought in a bit of income so we were
not destitute. My little job onĀ Poshmark, teaching online, and writing, together with my husbandās job as a driver, kept us busy and provided extra income.Ā
Forgiveness: A few times the pressure got too much for me and I usually took out my frustration on those closest to me. Staying with the same person 24/7 when you are used to having some alone time does cause friction. We had to learn a new way of surviving ātogetherā. Since my husband and I are both stubborn individuals, it took extra effort to forgive.
Hot water: I cannot remember a time this year when we did not have hot water. I love long hot baths. I do remember when we lived in the South Pacific, often the electricity would go off and cold showers are not my favorite.
Shopping: After some stores reopened, I made an escape with my mask and braved the local Goodwill, Ross, Savers, etc. It was not only my therapy, but also provided me with exercise (walking) which I might otherwise not have gotten. The only problem with that is I have become a bit of a hoarder.
Food: Although I am a few pounds heavier than I was at the beginning of this year, I have never starved or even come close to it. My husband loves to cook and he usually fixes enough to feed a family of ten in the process. Luckily I eat leftovers!
Family history:Ā Both my husband and I have spent some of our time doing family history. We published a book that is on Amazon about our experiences when we were on a mission in Tonga. It is namedĀ āThe Tender Mercies of the Lord in the Tonga Nukuāalofa
Mission 1989-1992ā.Ā That was quite a project. Also, we have spent some time searching out our ancestors. Although the temples were temporarily, we could still do research online. My husband was still able to do sealings in the temple, although it was limited.
The Seasons:Ā Winter, spring, summer, and fall come whether or not the world is shaken up a bit. i love the beauty of the earth and particularly enjoy the change of seasons in Utah. I prefer spring and summer when the temperatures are not extreme. It has been a particularly dry year so I hope we get some needed moisture soon.
Friendship:Ā I have been able to reconnect with old friends and receive inspirational messages from them when things are going south. It seemed everyone was trying to uplift each other due to the negativity. Some classmates became ill or had accidents and it was a hard to deal with at times. It is good to know that you have friends you can turn to for comfort.
A home: We have lived near our grandchildren now since 2013. We have enjoyed being able to see them (even from a distance) much more than when we lived in Hawaii. We love being a bigger part of their lives and feel content to call this home. We are able to have missionaries living with us which also gives us comfort.
A Sense of Safety: Even with the earthquake we experienced about the beginning of the pandemic, we were able to receive updates and also were able to get insurance for the next time (hopefully it wonāt happen again)! Also, my children gifted me with āRingā so I felt much safer when crime increased due to the failing economy. Also, we live in a neighborhood that informs others of crimes or suspicious activity.
Christus Replica
The Gospel:Ā It has also given me a feeling of safety. Knowing that we have a living prophet who guides us is very consoling. We can receive personal inspiration through our knowledge of Jesus Christ and His love for all of His children. Having and reading the scriptures and singing hymns has been a blessing, even when we could not physically attend church.Ā
Well, there you have it! I could go on and on, but these are the things that stood out in my mind from this year I am grateful for. A pandemic puts a bit of a twist on things and there is a heightened level of appreciation for simple things. It has definitely been a challenging year, but we are happy that we are still enjoying this life and have faith in a new tomorrow.
October is a fun month for our family. Not only are there several birthdays, but it is also our wedding anniversary as well as Halloween.
Happy Birthday to all our October babies! Robert, Meilani, āIsileli, myself, Grandpa Bob, and Ileina
Bob and Ruth
Although Halloween is not one of my favorite holidays, it has been fun watching the grandchildren in their costumes and being delighted by all the candy they are allowed to eat!!
Here are some of my favorite Halloween pictures of the grandkids:
All I can say is kudos to their parents for coming up with such cute costumes! Far cry from what we did back in the dayā¦
Masked Halloween ā Liana and Robert are on the right!
Of course, our wedding anniversary falls right before Halloween (how appropriate)! We usually head out to Vegas since we have a timeshare there:
One anniversary in Hawaii at the PCC
One of our favorite shows!
One of our favorite places in Vegas!
October is a special time for us to listen to General Conference and get ready for the long winter. Not sure I am ready for the snow just yet!
Jojo in the Autumn leaves.
Pumpkin patch with Ileina!
Love my grandbabies!
It was seven years ago that I moved here from Hawaii. Isi came a couple of months later.
October always makes me melancholy, especially now that most of my grandchildren are grown. One of them has graduated from university, another is in college, and one just received her mission call. So grateful for the good times we have had and hope to have many more.
I wrote about one scary experience I had when we were in Hawaii at the Polynesian Cultural Center (sad to think it has been closed for quite some time because of COVID)!
his year, for the first time that I can remember, it was questionable whether the grandchildren would return to school in the fall as usual. Most parents are excited for the time when they can get back into a normal routine again after summer ends. This year, it was difficult to know if and when there would be any sense of normalcy again. Luckly, noone in our family got Covid (that we know of) and we were able to meet as a family for one last Family Home Evening as well as have all of our family together for pictures (Jacob has them)
Some of the grandchildren had online school, some opted to go to their schools with protective gear on, and some are being homeschooled. The ones that are homeschooled miss their friends, the ones in school say it is weird, and the ones that do it online think it is pretty hysterical. Everyone is having quite the adjustment to new ways of doing things. I have to hand it to the parents for being so flexible and helping their kids succeed.
We got to meet with our Arizona family a couple of times this summer which was glorious. Our oldest grandchild, Israel, graduated from university and is now holding down a job near to where we live. Princess is still attending ASU and when she visits, she always has homework but seems to have a bit of fun with her cousins. Anna is attending BYU Provo and living in the dorms. She also got a job in the tv studio. JT Fisher (Jake) is attending PG High and finishing up his senior year. He is looking forward to being a professional writer. Aliāi is also a senior and back at volleyball and working towards university. He says that although the players can keep their distance of six feet, they still handle the same ball. Ileina got a cute bug and loves to take her friends and cousins for rides. She has had her first paid working experience taking temps and now working in retail.
Eryn has decided she wants to be a nurse. Her horse, Flash is getting older and she will soon have a new colt. Zion and Bella got parts in a play at school. Zion lifts weights along with his dad. Robbie and Joseph keep their computers connected much of the time, but now that summer is over, hopefully they can get more sleep. Robbie is back into basketball and Joseph is trying weight lifting. Bella has grown a foot this year and loves taking care of her new little cousin, Liam. Lily has had many fun adventures during the summer. She especially likes bird watching in the state parks and reserves. She knows most of the types of birds she sees. Iām so glad that this Pandemic has not hindered the grandkids from learning new things and enjoying one anotherās company.
We were supposed to go to Hawaii for our grandsonās graduation, but Covid ruined that. So, we took a road trip to Twin Falls, Idaho. We saw the Snake River and Shoshone Falls. What a beautiful country we live in. We ended up at Bear Lake and met Siope, Liana, and Ileina there.
Whenever we all get together, there is plenty of music, food, and fun. We have all eaten too much and hopefully we can get back on track this fall. We have missed going to church and the temple, but we are trying to follow the church curriculum of āCome Follow Meā. Is it a coincidence that what we are reading about in the scriptures coincides closely with what is happening in the world? It is a reminder of who is in charge and what we need to be doing.
We had a great harvest from our garden this year. We had huge cucumbers and made pickles. Also, we had plenty of squash, beans, peas, tomatoes, and beetroot. It has been a very dry summer, so I was surprised with our bounty.
When I was not entertained by my children and grandchildren, I spent time painting, selling on Poshmark https://poshmark.com/closet/elayne001 Currently having a BOGO sale.
I am working on a commission for a friend. If you want me to paint a person or place, let me know (I am an impressionist, not a realist in case you wondered).
For some reason, the boys decided it was a good time to teach the grandsons how to shoot guns. Joel and his friend arranged for each child to have a turn at several different calibers. They went up high in the mountains to shoot. Hereās proof of their adventure.
So glad we had time together as a family and looking forward to more good times.
Last, but not least, we completed a project we have had for four years. We published a book entitled āTender Mercies of the Lord in the Tonga Nukuāalofa Missionā. It is now on Amazon and it shares faith-promoting experiences of the missionaries and ourselves while we served in Tonga from 1989-1992. Copy and paste this link to find it: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08H9R63V9?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860
Have a safe fall and winter season. Stay well and stay safe!
