Photo of the week!

November 2016: by Becky

Auriana's Concert was SO AMAZING last week!!  She played the mandolin and sang beautifully! We saw Melissa and many other of her ward members there, who cheered for "Auri" all throughout the performance.  It was really cool!  

Natalie was named "Defender of the year" for her soccer team and then she tried out and made the JV basketball team.  She will have 5:30am practice starting tomorrow, yikes!  She started a new job at the "Tribalry" events center in the University Mall in Orem (thanks Brenda).  She works every Saturday which is perfect for her busy schedule.  

Miriam loves to Index!  Every Sunday while everyone else in our family sleeps in, Miriam is indexing.  She might be motivated by the treats they give out in Young Womens, but she is a huge contributor to our ward's numbers.  Our ward has 10,000 more names to index this year, in order to reach the goal of 50,000 that was set.  Oh yes, and Miriam got braces, she looks a lot different now!!  

Miriam's new look!

Ellie is the last of the Pendleton's in Primary!  This is what she said as one of her parts in the Primary Program today ... "A few weeks ago some of my siblings and I had the chance to go on a temple trip.  We went to 5 temples in one day.  I couldn’t go into the temple since I’m only 11, but I waited outside with my mom.  Sometimes we waited in the waiting area of the temple, it felt peaceful and quiet and I could tell that the temple was a special place. Every time we went into one of the waiting rooms, I always came out feeling better.  We went to the Oquirrh Mountain, Bountiful, Ogden, Brigham City, and Logan temples.  I know that the temple is Heavenly Father’s house and a place where we can always feel happy. I know that Heavenly Father gave us temples so we could become better people. I know that the gospel is true and that temples can help us throughout our lives."

Natalie only has one more temple to visit to reach her goal of doing baptisms in ALL of the Utah temples ... Monticello. Anyone want to join us for a drive down to Zion's the weekend after Thanksgiving? It was a fun surprise to run into Adam in the Provo City Center temple the other day. Fall is the season of birthdays at our house.  Miriam made beautiful snowflakes out of white chocolate to use as cupcakes toppers for Ellie's birthday party.  She and 15 other girls went ice skating to celebrate Ellie turning 11.  The kids noticed that for two weeks between Sep. 30 and Oct. 19 their ages were "counting by two" ... 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20.  

Enoch is actually begging to take piano lessons.  He took for a few years when he was younger, but now he spends a lot of time teaching himself how to play songs and he seems to find great joy in music and in the lyrics. He finished up his Eagle Project this month by delivering his 72 hour kits to the people who took them to Mexico.  He built a bow (like Nephi) and he really enjoys shooting arrows at cardboard boxes in the back yard and at old zucchini that never got picked in the garden. For a young mens activity they learned to make a bow using a PVC pipe and a blow torch.  

Enoch's Eagle Project

Enoch with his home-made bow

It's funny, Isaac also mentioned the piano and Nephi.  In an separate email from the group email he wrote...

"Thank you mom for making me learn five hymns, this week I played the piano in church after practicing a bunch for the past three weeks, so that was really awesome and now they might expect me to keep doing that so I'm gonna have to practice a ton!! And also something I may or may not add in my letter to everyone.  We were talking on the phone with the zone leaders and they told us that we were the first companionship to find a friend and teach them the first lesson since the law passed. That's both awesome and a little depressing for me. But I know that it'll start to change. I don't know why it's me that heavenly father is blessing with this opportunity, but I am gonna try to make the best of it. 

Time travels differently for missionaries is the commonly accepted theory. P-day feels like it comes every other day! But then I look back on the week and realize how much has happened, and usually I can only fit a part of it into my email. I feel like Nephi how only a hundredth part can be written haha. Just kidding, most major things find their way into my letters. And yeah it is so snowy and cold lately!! But people act like nothing has really happened. Like if anything, kids are outside even more, and people still take their babies for walks in these huge like eskimo strollers it's pretty cool! And yeah my boots are super warm so all the walking in the snow hasn't made my feet cold yet. But apparently the winter isn't even real winter yet. People haven't brought out there way warm clothes yet, and I don't know how it can even get colder than it already is, it's pretty dang cold. And yeah kids play in the snow sometimes, but most of the time people just kinda walk in silence with their heads down. It's super weird if you talk loudly on the street, which I still kinda have a problem with, sometimes I get carried away when I'm telling a story or something and my companion will have to shush me." 

Halloween was fun!  Lots of candy and costumes.  

Miriam as miss Captain America

Ellie as Mary Poppins

Auriana as Alvin with her chipmunks

Photos of the week!

Ellie's song!

Photo of the week!

Natalie's team played an amazing game to make it to the Quarter Finals at the state tournament this year! 

October 2016: by Becky

Enoch was ordained a teacher today! He is excited and ready to take that next step in his life and Bjorn performed a very nice ordination and blessing for him.

Isaac is doing well (I hope). We heard from his mission president's wife last week, she sent some pictures and said, "We are so happy to have your son join us in the Russia Samara Mission!  We picked him up at the airport Tuesday evening and have spent the past few days in orientation, dinner in the mission home, interviews, pictures, etc.  He just met his new companion, Elder Poulton, and they will be serving in the city of Balakova - A city that is about a 3 hour drive from Samara."  That's all we know, so we are eagerly awaiting his next letter. It was fun to see him twice and talk to him 2 more times in the airport (Salt Lake and New York).  We didn't see Scott closeup, but it was great to see the two of them singing together!  You can watch it over and over here (like I have.) "Be baptized to show obedience" is their star part and you can find it at minute 1:54. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_X5LXUsbVFY

President & Sister Ottesen 

Elder Poulton & Isaac

Natalie's soccer team made it to state this year, and from what we have heard this is the first time in all of history that Spanish Fork High School has done this as a 4A school.   They have been a really fun team to watch!  Enoch, Miriam, and Ellie are winding up their soccer seasons as well!  I really do enjoy this season of watching the kids play and hanging out on the sidelines together, even when we have to drive all the way to Vernal for a game. 

Natalie

Enoch

Ellie at the Vernal Temple

Miriam and Natalie after doing baptisms in the Vernal Temple

Ellie - dressed Hawaii style for a school project

Auriana caught the bouquet at her cousin Rebekah's wedding

Photo of the week!

Photo of the week!

Photo of the week!

September 2016: by Becky

We enjoyed having Auriana home for the day today.  We celebrated her 20th birthday a few days early with dinner together and a walk around the neighborhood.  The weather was perfect and it was fun to be together.  She is back to school and loving her new roommates and classes and getting back together with friends and her bands.  She will be performing in Spanish Fork at the Harvest Moon Hurrah on Saturday (the 17th) at 4:40 if anyone is close enough to stop by and listen. 

Sailing Paper Boats

BYU Folk Band

Isaac seems to be thriving in the MTC and we LOVE Thursdays when we get to hear from him.  He requested a floral tie last week, so I sent him one and then we saw this picture of him wearing it. :-)

Natalie went to Homecoming last night with our favorite guy Nate - Isaac's best friend.   She had a lot of fun and even won at laser tag.  She is having a great soccer season this year, her High School team is finally winning some games against the rival schools  - after several years of losing.  They are really fun to watch! 

Enoch has a new hobby of spear fishing... and even cleaning, grilling, and eating his catch (all by himself). 

Miriam is playing with the tennis team at the Junior High, that is something brand new to our family. She plays doubles with her friend, and they have their first match this week.  Ellie is in the middle of writing a song for the reflections program at school.  She loves doing things like that!  We all had a blast at Bear Lake and loved seeing many of you especially new baby Lindsey!  

Photo of the week

Enoch spear fishing! He actually caught one, cleaned it, seasoned it, grilled it, and ate it ... All by himself! He didn't learn that from me!