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APRIL 2015

We just returned from our Spring Break trip to Disneyland. We had a really great time and made some fun memories. Here are some of our favorites.

Auriana: My favorite part of Disneyland was the Aladdin show that we went to on Thursday. They had some really spectacular sets, and they actually flew around the top of the room on a flying carpet. My other favorite thing was the racing ride in cars land and the grizzly river rapids ride. On Saturday we went on the river ride and got soaking wet, so since we were already wet we got right back in line and went again. We were all so soaked that we had to go back to the hotel and change! It was a blast. I really liked the parades and how nice everyone there is. We were talking about how the attitude of all the employees makes it such a different experience. The world of color show at Calfornia Adventure was really amazing as well, although we did have to hold Miriam and Ellie on our backs so that they could see. It was a super fun vacation, even if I did have to be the one to miss school right before finals week. :)

Isaac: Disneyland was a blast, they had some pretty spectacular shows there, and the people there have so much talent and it amazed me how much attention to detail was used in creating all the different "lands" particularly in California adventure. The rides were fun and it was really fun spending time with my family and finally having the experience I had heard about my entire life.

Natalie: Disneyland was really fun! Everyone that performed and worked there was so talented and amazing, and I especially loved the Aladdin show. It was really fun to go on such a fun vacation with my family. I really liked all of the rides and the parade at California adventure was really cool.

Enoch: I liked the splash mountain ride, the grizzly river run

Cars land ride, and the space mountain was really fun.

Indiana jones was really fun too.

Miriam: I really liked the Cars Ride, the Grizzly River Run, and the Toy Story Ride at California Adventure. And then I really liked Tarzan's Treehouse and The Pirates of the Caribbean Ride at Disneyland.

Ellie: I liked the Grizzly River Run at California Adventure. I liked the Cars ride at California Adventure too. I also  liked Tarzan's Treehouse at Disneyland. I pretty much  loved the whole trip!! (Except the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.)

Becky

My favorite part of the vacation was the river ride. The boat fits eight so it was just us, sitting in a circle boat, laughing and enjoying being together. I loved how family friendly and clean everything at Disneyland was! I also appreciated having a hotel room across the street to take tired children to. After a full and exhausting three days It was wonderful to arrive at Boyd and Karinne's house and be welcomed with hugs, and smiles, and comfortable beds.

Bjorn: I can’t believe we finally broke down and went to Disneyland. It was great to have the family time and to create so many fun memories. I agree with everything everyone else has written. My favorite moments were/are hearing my kids talk about their favorite rides and memories and seeing the excitement on their faces as they experienced Disneyland. I’m hoping my feet will recover soon from all that walking.

I can’t believe Isaac is 17 and Auriana is pretty much done with her first year of college and will be moving out in the fall. Miriam is now 11 - one more year until Young Women! She’s been having a growth spurt lately and lots of people have commented on it, so she’s pretty excited about that. Conference was wonderful as always. A big focus on marriage and families. Can’t wait to dive into the talks in detail.

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Disneyland

Happy Easter!

Photo of the week!

March 2015: by Bjorn

Becky and I and the older kids just got back from a fireside that was a kickoff for the cultural celebration that will be taking place in conjunction with the dedication of the Payson Temple. It got all the youth and their parents excited about what they will be doing for the celebration and explained the specifics of our stake’s part in the overall celebration that will involve 13,000 youth. A member of our stake presidency was appointed as the Payson Temple Recorder so we have been getting the “inside scoop” on all the progress and our stake will be the first to assign or call workers and volunteers. Pretty exciting all around. The cultural celebration will be June 6 and the dedication June 7.

With basketball coming to an end, soccer season is now upon us. Thankfully the weather seems to be mostly cooperating. In a moment of pure insanity I agreed to coach Ellie’s city soccer team, so adding that to coaching Miriam’s club team will keep me running a practice or a game pretty much every day of the week except Sunday for the next 8 or 9 weeks. If work isn’t too busy I absolutely love it.

We enjoyed our time in St. George over President’s Day weekend. It was fun to have Jenny and Chad and Brenda and Matt down there as well. I know the cousins all had a blast hanging out together. The weather was perfect and Enoch’s team took 2^nd place and Natalie’s team took 1^st – even though she wasn’t playing.

Auriana will be rooming with Melissa starting next fall and she’s excited to be on her own and to finally be able to say she’s no longer a freshman. She was able to keep her scholarship and has been having fun with the bluegrass ensemble she’s in. She’s thinking she will try out for the traveling group that plays for the Folk Dance team. If she makes it that will be a great opportunity for her to travel to some neat places.

I can’t believe Isaac will turn 17 in a week! Is he really that old? He’s been having fun with Ultimate Frisbee and track and this week reached one of his goals to beat 2 of his friends in the 100M run. He got a personal best of 11.28 seconds and hopes to just improve from there.

Other news?... After years of either no interest from the kids or no money or no interest from the parents J it looks like we’ll finally be making a trip to Disneyland over spring break (April 8-11). So we’ll have to get all the best tips and ideas from each of you so we use our time well while we’re there. Another fun yet somewhat daunting opportunity we just found out about is that my uncle Dick Jacobsen has asked us to be in charge of one of the week-long family camps that they run at the Quickwater and Sky Mountain ranches in Idaho the last week of July. We thought we would be going as attendees, as that has become one of our family’s favorite “vacations,” but they had enough applicants that they decided to try and do 3 instead of the usual 2 camps. We feel very honored that they would trust us with this responsibility and love being involved with the great work they are doing.

Photo of the week!

Photo of the week!

Photo of the week!

February 2015: by Becky

We have had a great month here in Spanish Fork!  We just finished a Stake Conference weekend and are enjoying a nice quiet Sunday with perfect weather. 

Auriana had an exciting experience this month while driving to her night class at BYU.  A deer ran out into the road and collided into the side of her car.   She held on tight and stayed on the road and didn’t even realize that she had gotten some pretty big dents all along the side of the car from the front to the back.  She assessed the damage when she got to BYU and called us to tell us about it.  She was excited to have the opportunity to drive a rental car for a few weeks while the car was getting fixed, but then found out you have to be 21 to drive a rental.  I guess she will be driving the suburban to school for a while!  She continues to study hard and did well enough last semester to keep her scholarship alive!  Yay!  She is looking into finding a place to live in Provo starting in the Fall.

Isaac has been having fun learning and practicing the sport of Ultimate Frisbee.  His team will start their games in the next few weeks.  He got a job running the “Little Hoopsters” program for the city and is having a lot of fun with 60 6-8 year olds and their fun personalities.  He has also been reffing city basketball and is learning to develop a thick skin and not take comments too personally.  While Isaac is reffing Natalie is score keeping on the sideline, usually in a different gym.  She does the girls and he does the boys.  Isaac, Enoch, Miriam, and Ellie are all playing city basketball and Enoch and Miriam are both playing futsal.   With both sports only on Saturdays it has made for some busy ones.  One Saturday we went to 7 games to watch the kids play!

Natalie has successfully finished her season of being the manager of her Jr. High Basketball team.  She struggled with not being able to play, but she enjoyed keeping the book and cheering them on to becoming district champions.  She has probably read an entire book a day lately and tries to spend time building the muscle in her left leg every day as well!  She has started running track just to get back in shape.  The doctor tells her she can start playing soccer in the summer to get ready for the fall season – but she has a lot of work to do before her leg is ready for that.  Bjorn took her out for her first driving experience at the church parking lot today!

Enoch got about 8 merit badges recently …  most of them were very boring to him, but several are required for his Eagle, so he is glad he did it.  He is looking forward to playing soccer in St. George this coming weekend and we are all looking forward to some really warm weather and some down time.  Jenny and Brenda are both going to be down there as well, maybe the rest of you should join us!  There will only be 10 people staying in the 1 bedroom condo we rented – feel free to join the party!

Enoch didn’t tell us (or didn’t know) he was in the school spelling bee the other day, so I got a texting play by play from a neighbor who was there when she noticed we weren’t there.  After several rounds he went out on the word “epoch” because he spelled it “epic,” but then they let him back in because the new rules state that if there is more than one spelling of a word they must give the speller a definition.  After a few more rounds he went out on the word laudable, which I’m sure I would have misspelled too, since I haven’t even heard or seen that word before.  He did great!

Miriam is getting ready to be Jimmy Carter’s wife in the President’s Wax museum at school.  It’s going to be fun.  The other students and parents can go around the room and “push the buttons” in front of the “wax figures” so they come to life.  She has her speech prepared and memorized and just needs to find a costume.    She has become really confident on the basketball court and is really fun to watch.  It was fun to have Brenda, Matt, and the kids come to her game in Orem yesterday!  She is our most faithful at practicing piano and fills our home with beautiful music every morning at 6:45.

Ellie has also been enjoying the piano more lately.  She has a soft touch that is very lovely.  I love it when she sings along!  Both of the girls are growing up so much and look older every day!  I wish I could keep them small a little longer. 

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