WV Bollschweiler's

Dear Family,

Sorry that we missed last month and that we are late this month. We have had a busy and eventful summer.

First for my spiritual thought. I have this picture hanging on my wall, one of the gold leafing ones, which has a scripture reference to 3 John 4. “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” I find that the older I get this scripture become more and more true in my life and has deeper meaning. There are many things that give me joy in life. My hubby, children, grandchildren (even though I don’t get to touch them often, technology is the greatest thing, I LOVE skype). Most are small things, for example every time I see a butterfly (especially the Monarch), fall leaves and colors, our food storage (home canned from the garden), camping in Yellowstone, my job (I know most of you probably don’t feel that way about yours), going to the Temple and there are so many more. However, as our children have grown up and are now making decisions of their own in regard to life, the words of 3 John 4 have taken on a new deeper meaning to me. I have great joy in knowing that 2 of our 3 children are worthy to enter the Temple doors. The 3^rd may be worthy to, however she is focused on school now and the Temple is not in her immediate future, so there has been no interview to determine that. There truly is no greater joy for me than to know that your children are living the Gospel, that they know it is true and that living by the standards and values they have been taught, that although life is hard, it is better because of the Gospel.

Now onto the news. Last month while Brenda had 2 weeks out of school, she has been going year round and working for years, we took her to Florida to Sea World, Silver Springs and to the beach. It was a short trip down and back, due to Steve’s work schedule. We had a great time, even in the 100 degree weather in Florida, I thought I would literally bake in the heat. I have to say the Killer Whale show was not nearly as good, because they no longer get in the tank with the whales, since a trainer was killer earlier this year. We spent an afternoon walking on the beach and she picked up several small shells and brought back Florida sand for several of her friends. Christopher had to stay home and work, so it was just the 3 of us. On the way home we were camping in South Carolina and I as usual had to get up in the wee hours of the morning and go “potty”, well I was not looking where I was going and I hit with my leg and fell over the firepit ring. Yes, I cut my leg open down to the bone, had to go to the emergency room and have 23 staples put in my leg. They x-rayed it and the bone was not fractured or chipped which was good. This was my first time in the emergency room for myself. I have never had stitches (except c-section) or broken bones, etc until I get to be this age, should have just stayed in bed and ignored the “potty” call. Anyway, it has taken a long time to heal up, I did not have any pain, but it really looks awful.

Brenda went back to college the day after her birthday, she turned the big “21” this year. She is down to her last two semesters and will graduate in May as a repertory therapist. She is in clinicals two days a week this semester. Some parts she really likes and others not so much. She is still working at WalMart and has been moved out of the connection center, back to over the counter pharmacy where she started. She is much happier with her job now that she is out of connection center and away from the cash registers. She has a pretty focused life right now, work and school, not much time for other things.

Christopher is still working at Kroger, night shift, stocker. His mission papers are in Salt Lake and we expect to receive his letter this week or next week. He meets with the Stake President and one of his counselors on a regular basis and has a great respect for these men. He is currently in CA visiting his “Greta Rose” and having a great time with his sister. He is ready for the mission call and ready to serve. He said last week he wished he could leave for the MTC as soon as he gets back from CA. There are so many young men and women who sacrifice their time to serve, to bless people lives who are searching for truth. I am living proof of the great joy and blessings that the Gospel brings to your life, and to have a son be an instrument in the Lord’s hand, there is great joy in this convert mother’s heart to know that her son is going to go and bring the Gospel to people’s lives.

Steve is still working hard at the airline. Did I say working hard, well not exactly hard (watches NCIS on the internet) I meant to say puts in long hours. We have mission to pay for, so he takes all the extra shifts that he can pick up.

I did not get to teach the Basic income tax class this year. I have taught it for 5 years and am really disappointed that I did not get to teach this year, not enough students to have multiple classes. However, that is money that we always had for the end of the year that we don’t have this year and I now have extra expenses for the end of the year with a mission. Oh well I suppose there is a reason and I am sure there is a blessing in store for me, I just don’t know what it is.

Our garden did pretty well, at least we were able to keep the deer out of it this year. I pickled sweet bell peppers, froze bell peppers, pickled and froze banana peppers, froze butternut squash, onions, fried and at the zucchini, froze yellow squash, have not dug all the potatoes yet, canned over 100 quarts of tomato juice, canned over 50 pints of applesauce, the cantaloupe and water mellon did not do well. All in all not a bad garden considering the spring was really wet and rainy and then it dried off and was hot and humid, not the ideal growing season this year. Maybe next year will be better.

Well I suppose that will do for now. Happy Fall everyone, enjoy all the colors, well I guess that really only applies to us and Sandra.

We love each of you. Diane & Steve

September - Sandra

Family,

 

It is late and I have been up doing homework again.

 

My thought is along the same as moms. I taught a lesson today for Mackenzie's class and it was on service. Many of you have probably heard the story of Pres. kimball helping a mother in and airport who was standed with a small crying 2 year old. She was pregant and unable due to medical problems to pick up the 2 year old to console her. The child sat on the floor as the mother had to push her along in a long line with her foot. A man, after some time came up to her and asked if he could help her. She agreed and he picked up the child and went up in the line to explain that this lady needed help and he was able to get her to the front of the line and get her ticket so she and her child could be ready to get on a plane to go home. It was a small act of service, but many years later a letter came to pres kimball from a returned missionary who had just come home. It was the son of this lady that he had helped. Because of his service the young man was born and served a mission. I am impressed that our small acts of service no matter how small or big can have great effects on more then just the recipient. The scripture that says in Mosiah when ye are in the service of your fellow men ye are only in the service of your God. This is our small way of being able to repay the debt we have to our savior who performed the greatest act of service when he gave his life for each of us. It is through us that heavenly Father is able to answer prayers and help all of his children. Take the time to look for ways to serve. It will bless your life and the lives of those you serve.

 

As for our family we stay very busy. I am doing homework each week. You would think that I was in school. There are many days I go to work and I say guess what i didn't have homework last night. I am staying busy with Relief Society. I really don't think that I will ever get the hang of what I should be doing. I am terrible at planning week night activities of which I am in charge of. I have had some good ones but mostly I feel they are average and even boring. I could be here forever if I have to learn how to do this well before I get released.

Grant stays busy with his calling and also is trying to start a side buisness of handyman and finishing basements or whatever is needed. His job at the hospital is scaling back and so we are having to make up some funds with other things. He actually enjoys the side work of doing other peoples houses. However his buisness cards have Armstrong and sons on it and his sons aren't really around. If things pick up and he works more on this, Brad may start helping him with somethings when football season is over. It has been interesting to see how many people have come up to him in just the last couple weeks asking if he was interested in doing some work for them. The Lord is blessing us.

Most of you may know that Shelli finally finished her stat class and has officially graduated from BYU. We are very proud of her. She wasn't or didn't walk in a graduation and so we surprised her with a little ceremony at our Armstrong reunion in August. I made her a cake and we played the music and brought her in and gave a little speech. It was silly but we let her feel important and show her we were excited for her. She will have to fill you in on the rest of her life. I will say that she self published her book she wrote this week and I know for a fact that she has sold 1 copy. Her dad had to buy one even though I am not sure he will actually read. He told me I would have to buy my own copy to read cause it would take him quite a long time to read it. You might want to check it out.

Amy is in school right now also. She is working when she can. She has 2 classes and her and Brad actually drive together 2 days a week to go to the community college. I think she is doing well. Kelsie keeps us all entertained and we love to make her say silly words like super tough, and phycho spazz. She repeats everything. she is an Elmo freak. We are all so sick of Elmo. It is sad that a few weeks ago Amy's facebook status was Did you know there are 10 jackets in a jacket parade. This is how much we are all subjected to Elmo around here.

Brad is in the paper every weekend. He always manages to get his picture in there from the football games on Friday night. He is doing well in football and really enjoys it. Anytime any of you want to come watch a game your welcome to come. Every friday grant and i go to the football games. This is our weekly date night. We like to watch him play and as his mother I always like it when they say his name over the speaker that he had a tackle or interception, which he had 2 in one night. He is a good kid. his only hang up is English and writing papers that is where I get most of my homework from. He has a paper due every monday. and every week I say do not wait until Sunday night to work on this paper. I do not want to do it then. He dosen't even have school on Fridays and so i say work on the paper while you are home, but he is the best procrastinator ever. I can't break him of that.

Mackenzie still hates school. She can tell you how many days are left for this year and it just started. I think that she likes most of her teachers at least some of them make her laugh once in awhile. She does well. She is playing soccer right now. Her team is pretty bad. It is sad to have to watch and it is hard for her to have to play with them. Her coach is not that great at coaching. This has probably been the hardest year. This is however her last year as far as the city league. Next year she will try her luck at trying out for the school team.

Mark is still living at home. Some days I am ok with this in that I know he is safe and other times I think when will he ever grow up and become independant. He is finally going to take his GED test I hope this week. That will be a good accomplishment for him. He is not working right now but did work all summer long which was a good thing for him. He made some money and I think actually has some of it still saved. I hope that once he gets his GED done that he will go look for something better and stick with it. He hates money but we all know you can't get by without it unless you stay and mooch off someone and they let you. Maybe he will work a little with Grant on all his side jobs. We shall see.

The Armstrong house is full and crowded. There are people and things everywhere. I am pretty sure we have long outgrown the place. At least we are close. It is a good thing we love each other. We might not be able to stand the smell of each other on some occasions but we are pretty good about taking our showers as our turn in line comes up.

We love each of you. It is good to hear from you.

Sorry for the long novel. I am good at doing that. Can't seem to keep it short. I am sending this to grant but he will see how long it is and not want to read it. Hopefully you guys will read it.

Take care

Love Sandra

Update - September Mom & Dad

Hello My Dear Family,
    Well, lets see a month was skipped and now to get back to seeing whats up with life in general with all of us. First off lets go to my spiritual thought....I seem to have become aware of a fact that I had taken for granted...let me start off with a scripture that you are all aware off..D&C 4:2  "Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve Him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day"....I then ask myself how do I serve with all my heart, might mind and strength when I do not do the simple gospel principles that help us to grow closer to the Lord...such as do we do DAILY scripture study....do I have personal and family prayer DAILY? Do I hold a WEEKLY family home evening with my spouse or family? Am I striving to Go FREQUENTLY to the Temple? (at least once a month?) Am I STRIVING to become Christlike in thought, actions, and words on a daily basis? If I can not do the simple things that we hear repeatedly how can I really progress in this life? So, I am thinking that I need to take these simple basic requests a little more seriously...actually I need to take them a lot more serious. How about you? Care to change the thought that when hearing a talk that gives these basic helps that "phooey...this is the same old stuff we keep hearing." I am guessing that there are a lot of us who need to hear it and get with the program before more can be added. We need to prioritize our daily lives so that we can allow ourselves the time to do these small and simple things that will help us get through this life/trials...I can see that each of us in our families need to do what we can do to help us through the daily trials that come to us. The blessings will come as we strive to serve with all our hearts, might, mind, and strength. We actually start this serving right with ourselves in our own personal lives, then we add more service to church callings and outside the home living. Just know that the Lord loves you...stay strong and you will feel His love and you will be strengthened in times of trial and despair. The gospel of Jesus Christ is true. It is a good way to live.............lets stay with it into the eternities....... Not sure if this makes much sense to you, but I feel that we need the basics in our daily lives. Reach for the higher goal.......
    Well, I have been into trying to get rid of zucchini.......it is getting so that no one in the family wants to see me anymore...they are afraid that it might end up with them finding a zucchini in their possession. Yes, I have tried several ways to get rid of them...presents, drops into the cars, foods made with zucchini in them. You can have this if you will pay the price...what is the price? Please take a zucchini! I think next year I will try and grow a banana  squash plant and see what happens. I canned peaches last week, and this week coming up I will be canning pears. Grapes are coming up real fast too. Busy, busy. Lots of standing. I have had to go and see a foot doctor and have gotten a shot in the heel. The pain was getting really bad. We shall see if the shot helps any. I am still swimming 5 mornings a week, and still working at the temple. No word has come through as to when they will close down for the repair work that will be done. I love working there. It has got to be the best calling ever!! So far my sisters, mom and myself have done four quilts and are working on more. I still do the house work and most of the yard work since dad has taken on a newspaper route. I go with him right after we get out of the temple on Saturday evening and help him get the big middle papers put together and then he comes back at 2:30am and puts that into the Sunday newspapers. His hours are terrible and of course we have a deal going on with the security system going off and on whenever he comes and goes. Who sleeps around here...oh well, who needs sleep? I am not sure how long dad will keep doing it but, it does help in paying some bills down. Dad has been able to get in some golfing all this spring and summer. He is up and down in his playing, but even though at times he swears it off, the first person who calls to go golfing has him ready in seconds. He has won some points towards getting some kind of merchandise at the golf shop there at the golf course. Actually with all our aches and pains, we still seem to be alive and moving so that is good. I am hoping that the shot in the foot will ease my problems of pain and then I can be on the run again...that would be so sweet! Grandma is doing pretty well. She is up and about and out pulling weeds and puttering around like someone much younger that her 92 years. In all, I guess that we are all doing well at this time. I hope that all of you come through with your thoughts and letters. I love hearing from you. We are all so far away from each other and this e-mail newsletter lets me know you are alive and well. Our birthdays for this month have been Tami, Tess, and Dylan's is coming up. No one that I know of has a birthday in October so that makes November our next group of birthdays...MacKenzie, Allen, Shelli, and a brand new great grand daughter from Clara and KC. This is fun and exciting to look forward to! This novel is done........I am out of here. We have a family home evening over at Barb and Roys....lets hear from all of you. Please know that dad and I love each of you dearly. You are all a wonderful blessing to us and we are so grateful that we have the eternities as a family unit to look forward to.   Love  Mom and dad........big hugs and lots of kisses....!
P/S A quilt that Jo, Barb and myself made was entered at the Weber County fair and won the prize of "Best of Show" and a 1st place blue ribbon. It then was entered down at the Salt Lake County Fair and it won 1st place blue ribbon. We think we are so wonderful!!! It was fun to do and it was fun to see the outcome of the work!

September - Tammi (Allen)

Good Afternoon Family,

Allen has put me in charge of this news letter.  News of the Allen Bollschweiler clan is as follows:

Tess:  still not potty trained, and yes, she has indeed turned 3.  All my other children have been trained by 25 months. Tess is determined to blow to bits every pre-conceived notion I have had about raising my children.  I am now throwing up my hands in utter defeat and letting her train herself.  She'll do what she wants anyway, she always does!  We still do not have a fence, and she is still sneaking out of the house at every turn.  We keep finding her down the street, in the neighbors back yard across the street, and just today I found her hiding in the neighbors yard adjacent to us.  These particular neighbors complain about our cats, I am sure finding our baby in the back yard wouldn't impress them at all.  Lucky for me, they were at work...

Brynn:  I was actually very worried about her starting kindergarten, as she went through a full year of preschool without learning her letters.  She is keeping up just fine, though, and not only is her brain getting smarter, so is her mouth...  we were discussing her Grandma Kate's birthday the other evening, and she says "What is she now, like a hundred?"  She put on a cute skirt yesterday and told herself in the mirror "You are SO gorgeous!"  So, Brynn has about 7 other children on our street who are her age.  The triplets across the street are proving to be her nemesis's (how do you say nemesis in plural form?).  They may not agree with each other, but they never agree with anyone else.  Must be nice to be born into your own little gang, but I quickly grew tired of my 5 year old whiner and told her to buck up, or go hide under her bed and be bored.  She bucked up.  She is now holding her own with the triplets, good times...

Dylan:  8 going on 13.  Allen is really bugging me a lot to give her "the talk", and I keep saying "Dude, she is 8!"  She is this close to being in need of a bra, though, so I think during our bra shopping expedition, the talk just might be in order (just an abbreviated version of it though, geez!).  She is the fastest girl runner in her class, and informed me that during state fitness tests, she was the only girl in her class to make it to the "boy" number, whatever that means.  One of her good friends is a drama queen, and when Dylan played with a new girl at recess, her friend ripped off her end of her best friend necklace (be fri) and threw it away.  Dylan says her friend apologized, but Dyl is still sad they don't match anymore.  3rd grade is very dramatic.

Gabe:  Gabe Gabe Gabe Gabe Gabe.  Yep.  So, I am supposed to be home schooling him (Connections Academy, which is public school on-line).  The paperwork got screwed up, though, so we are waiting waiting and waiting for our stuff (computers and books).  In the meantime, he attends his old school.  He is in his 3rd week.  This Monday, we received our first call from his teacher informing us that he is missing 2 homework assignments, even though I have asked him every day if he has homework.  Gabe Gabe Gabe Gabe Gabe.  I keep telling myself that this type of confirmation is good, though.  Gabe is playing football on his very kick-butt team, and they are indeed kicking hiney.  He is battling asthma a lot, so we are taking him to a specialist. 

Tanner:  He is still president of his Deacon's class.  He is loving 8th grade, and has straight A's ("pretty much"), which I think translates to a few B's, but Que Sara : )  He refused to play football, because he was worried about starting a new grade.  He has informed me that he really wants to play baseball this year, so I had better find out how to get him enrolled.  Tanner at times informs me that he is a better parent than me.  If I didn't appreciate how responsible he is, I would probably strangle him!

I got released from YW, and just as I was celebrating getting my Wednesday's back, I got called to Activity Days.  My kids are really enjoying having me home on Sundays, though.  What a relief to have one parent at home, with Allen's meetings, it was getting ridiculous!

I have been sick with a head cold\chest cold for the past week, and Allen has been keeping track of how long I have been sick in the following manner:  (at 4 days - "Tam, you need to go to the doctor, you've been sick for 2 weeks!")  (at 6 days - "Tam, you need to go to the doctor, you've been sick for 4 weeks!")  Evidently, times passes in a different fashion for him when I'm sick.  We both agree though, that at least when I'm sick, I still function, unlike a certain male figure in the home.  After discussing psychological illness earlier this year (i.e. him always getting sick at the same time I get sick) he has decided to let me be ill by myself this time just to prove a point - which instead just proves my point even more!  Yes, he does control it!

We just bought 1/2 a cow.  His freezer at work is full, our freezer outside is full, and 1/2 our freezer inside is full of cow.  That is a lot of cow.  He actually  took the kids to meet said cow earlier this fall;  I didn't want to see that face every time I ate a burger. 

spiritual thought.  HMMMMM....

So, Allen and I have a friend named JoAnn, who has adopted our family. She is a 68 year old Jewish Lady (some of you have met her), and she loves the gospel, loves our family, but is determined not to be Christian.  I told her she already is.  So, I was looking at the Living Christ, reading the following "that by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God."  D&C 76:22-24.  It is always a fine line talking with JoAnn.  She is right, I do want to convert everyone, but that is because we have the truth, and want everyone to partake of it.  I think she might be getting that.  Anyway, she really wants to marry an LDS man...  And it is true, she is already a Christian, she just hasn't acknowledged it yet. Her very favorite songs in the world are about Christ.  She always asks for blessings.  This list goes on.

We love you all,

Let us know how you are all doing.  Clara, I have a feeling you are a better Mom than me.  Stop worrying so much, and give me some pointers ; )

Tammi  B. (wife of Allen Gerald)

September Update - Shelli

Oh, hey... it's that time again. Hey Family! Hi Family! Listen, family, it's time to update the blog again... and I have nothing.  Oh wait, yes I do.

I'm done! It's official! I'll never, ever, EVER have to go to school again. I'll never have to walk on campus... wait, yes I will. I have church there every week. But that's besides the point. No more teachers, no more books, no more... how does the rest of the song go? I can't remember.

So now everyone wants to know what I am doing with my life. Well, the truth is, I don't know. I work during the week at the architecture firm and enjoy it enough that I keep coming back. I wish I had a bigger paycheck. And I constantly think about picking up a second job. Otherwise, I am perfectly content to go home and watch an episode or two of Mad Men or Veronica Mars....except I just finished the last episode of the last season of Veronica Mars and I wasn't happy... you can't end the series with so many unanswered questions! Why, oh WHY do they do that to me?

I'm also in the process of trying to decide whether to self-publish or go out looking for a literary agent in order to publish my book. I keep having semi-brilliant ideas for other books to write, and then no time or motivation to actually work on them. And then I forget the idea. I'm sure I've come up with at least six best sellers, and then forgotten EVERYTHING. Sigh. Stupid Stats: it was such creative motivation, that without it, I don't know how to focus all my energies on writing anymore.

I lost both of my best friends within a month to moving. And not just like, moving to Salt Lake (like a few of my other friends) but one is working for the Church in New York City and the other is attending grad school in Scotland. Yes, Scotland. SO I am trying to figure out how to finance trips to both places...and it is proving to be rather difficult. This last move (yes, I moved again) wiped me clean and I am having a hard time replenishing my savings.

With the new move came new roommates and a new ward. My roommates are pretty cool. They are super nice and laid back and so far, I have had no problems whatsoever. My place is a lot bigger than other places I've lived, and it's easy to hide out in my room and go without seeing everyone. Half the time I don't even know if anyone is home. I'm not ready for winter, but I am happy that it is cooling down. The upstairs, where my room is located, is about 20 degrees warmer than the basement, where two of the four of us live. Good thing I have two fans blowing on me directly, or I would never have lasted this last month.

My new ward... well, I haven't really gotten to know anyone really well. We had regional conference yesterday, and I've only been twice before. The bishopric seems really nice and friendly and dedicated to getting to know everyone. The ward seems... similar to what the home single's ward is like. A lot of misfits that band together and have fun. Of course, that means that they come off as goofy, nerdy and somewhat boring. I'm trying to give them the benefit of the doubt and hope that I am wrong about most of them. Still, they have not been otherwise convincing. I've sat down in our living room with a small group of members of our ward and listening to them talk about Star Wars and computers and other things that I have no interest in... well, let's just say I was bored. And not entertained. The one good thing is that they play basketball every Monday night, and I've seriously thought about attending that spectacle. I'll keep you posted.

So that's my update... I don't know, I feel like you all should know most of this. If you read my blog, then you probably do...

Love you.

Shelli