Serving the Lord in Fiji

My nephew Jacob went into the Missionary Training Center in Provo last week.

We went to Utah to hear him speak in church. My brother Dave, Amy, and Lamoni at dinner afterward...

He is "the baby" of his family and it was hard for all of us to see him go.

He will be an excellent missionary. Good luck, Elder D. I will pray for you every single day.

Miss Me? And...A Big SURPRISE!

I know you did!

This has started out to be a crazy summer.

Only three weeks in and I feel like I've been in a marathon.


First of all, biggest thing. Amy got married!

I know, big surprise.


We've known it was coming for quite some time, but it wasn't official till TWO WEEKS before the event. We'll be sending out announcements, but it is a done deal.


Mr. and Mrs. Lamoni Limon (Lah-MONE-ey Lee-MONE) are a very happy couple.

Lamoni is from a ranch in a small town about an hour south of Mexico City and is attending BYU. (He learned English in a year-long intensive BYU language program and speaks and understands very well. Very smart!) He teaches at the Missionary Training Center in Provo. They eventually plan to live in Mexico, but not for another six years (whew...a lot can happen in six years, right?? He might just LOVE the U.S. SO MUCH... :) )

Congratulations, Amy and Lamoni!

Thanks to all the family and friends who attended on such short notice!

Adam and Mindy's baby Sadie...

Matthew and Conner...

Sam and Martin...

Baby Abram...

Karen, Stephen, Jacob, Ally (having a wonderful time,) Loretta...
(Uncle Dave and David were there too, just not in this photo...)

Sam and Ashley's baby Eve...

...and so many more! These are not official photos, just some snapshots I took. Can't wait to see Manda's good ones...

This summer we've also already been to my nephew Jacob's mission farewell and Girls Camp. Posts on those later!!!

Hope you are having an enjoyable summer too...

Bumbleberry Jam

I'm not sure I've ever posted a recipe on my blog before.
And I'm not usually a big jam fan.
The only kind of jam I every really made was frozen strawberry.
But then my friend Julie told me how to make Bumbleberry Jam.
I have since made it three times and always give most of it away.
Most everyone LOVES it. Even Tyler, who doesn't like "chunks" or "seeds."
Aubrey helped Ally and me last time...She loves to help.
So, if you want to make some really yummy jam...


Bumbleberry Jam

2 c. crushed strawberries
2 c. crushed triple-berry blend
(blueberries, raspberries, marionberries)
(may be frozen ones from Costco)
7 c. sugar
1 pouch liquid Certo pectin

*Sanitize jars, lids, screw bands.
*Crush fruit and add to large pot. (It takes almost twice uncrushed fruit to get crushed amount.)
*Measure sugar into bowl, then add to fruit in pot. (Add 1/2 tsp. butter to reduce foaming, if desired. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. Not a huge difference...)
*Bring mixture to full rolling boil on high heat, stirring constantly.
*Stir in liquid pectin quickly. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon.
*Ladle quickly into prepared jars, filling to within 1/8" of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Put on two piece lids. Let jars stand upright on towel to cool completely. Listen for “pop.” After 24 hours make sure jars are sealed and store on shelf for up to one year. Refrigerate open jars up to 3 weeks.


Enjoy!

Andrew J. Mitchell

Thirty two years ago when we moved to Midway, Utah, Mabel Mitchell, was my Visiting Teaching companion. She was an older woman who had retired with her husband, Andrew J. Mitchell, to Midway. Ten years later, when we were planning a move to Boulder City, I visited here to check out the schools. The elementary school was called Andrew J. Mitchell Elementary! A large picture of my visiting teaching companion's husband hung in the hall! Turns out Boulder City was the city from which they had retired and moved to Utah. Andrew was principal for 25 years at the elementary school and Mabel was a respected and loved English teacher at the high school. My four youngest children all attended AJM Elementary.

Yesterday was Andrew Jackson Mitchell's funeral. He was 91 years old. He and Mabel were great dancers and four days before he died, he "tossed aside his cane for the quickstep when the music began to play." At a celebration some years ago someone asked him to save her a dance and he said, "I only dance with Mabel."

Below is his life philosophy, which impressed me greatly. I hope you enjoy it. (Thanks, Richard S. for the copy!)

Philosophy of Life in a Nutshell

Written by Andrew J. Mitchell, November 1991

I believe that in order to fulfill the measure of my destiny on this earth, in my mortal state I must:

1. Develop a personal relationship with God, my Father in Heaven, and His Son Jesus Christ.
2. Seek knowledge from good books and teachers.
3. Study the scriptures, the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
4. Acquire wisdom from righteous living.
5. Find companionship with good people.
6. Develop physical and moral strength through right living: right exercise, right diet, right rest,
right attitude.
7. Develop character through worthy thoughts.
8. Cherish truth, beauty, goodness, freedom, equality, justice, faith, hope, and charity.
9. Protect all God's creatures.
10. Conserve and preserve natural resources.
11. Know my true love and nourish our relationship forever.
12. Shun evil and vice like a plague.
13. Live a life of service.
14. Proclaim peace as a goal for all nations and people.
15. Practice discipline and self control under all circumstances.
16. Love all things pertaining to the Kingdom of Heaven, my wife and family, the center of my Joy.
17. Keep your nose clean and you won't have to blow it so often.

"High School" Girls Now...

I'm so proud of these girls I could just burst.

Not only are they beautiful on the outside, as you can see for yourself, they are truly beautiful inside too.


Today they "graduated" from eighth grade (although we have to laugh, as they still have three days of final exams to complete!)

They have worked so hard this year, making excellent grades and serving others in many ways. Not only are they excellent students, they work after school one day a week in the long term care section of the local hospital, helping entertain the residents there. These are really nice girls.

I know I'm just the teensiest bit prejudiced, but I think these girls are pretty darn special!

(Okay, I've tried and tried to make this font a little LESS OSTENTATIOUS but it just won't edit. Sorry...)

75 Years Young

Last weekend we celebrated a big, big birthday! (Uncle Dave, Jacob, David, Uncle Drew, Brian, Maddie, Julie, Allyson, Susan, Sydney on Aunt Karen's lap, Ally, Grandma, Nathaniel, Aubrey, and Tyler.)

We made Grandma a Memory Quilt so she'd never forget us :)


We went swimming and BBQ'ed in Grandma's backyard. (Hey, that's what she wanted to do!)


Uncle Dave, Aunt Karen, and Jacob came all the way from Utah to attend. (Uncle Dave really was here!)


Uncle Drew and his s0n Nate were here too.


Sydney had some serious "cake" (frosting...)

We missed all the family who couldn't make it: Aunt Arline and Aunt Betty, Jeff, Loretta, Amy, Angel, David and Ryye Lynn; Lauron and Rachel; Elisabeth and Jared, and Stephen.

Happy Mothers Day

We had a nice day at our house.

Jeff and Maddie cooked egg-tacos for breakfast.

Maddie made me a beautiful card from the two of them.

David brought me roses. Aren't they gorgeous? The photo does not do them justice. What a nice surprise. I love them!


Allyson made me a cookbook full of recipes from the Josi Kilpack culinary mysteries. It makes a matched set with the one she made me before full of Diane Mott Davidson recipes. She also made the pretty blue card in front. I love them!

Brian and Susan gave me a Mickey Mouse tote bag that Susan stenciled. It had hot pads and dish cloths inside. I love it!


I made a few lavender sachets for Mothers Day. They are sewn from some of the handkerchiefs in the collection I inherited from my Grandma D. I love the hankies SO MUCH. I remember getting them out and looking at them with my grandma when I was young. I still love to look at them. Every so often I can part with some, but only to share with people I really, really love. So if you got one this week, know that you are one of my favorite people! (I had already given five away before I took this photo...) (Also, if you did not get one this week, you still may be one of my favorite people! I made some that I haven't given out yet...and I have a lot of favorite people!)

Happy Mothers Day to you!