Saturday, October 30, 2010
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Photo of the week!
Isaac's 1st trip to the temple!
This picture was actually taken several months ago, but I just got it off of Bjorn's phone.
This picture was actually taken several months ago, but I just got it off of Bjorn's phone.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
September: by Bjorn and Becky
Becky…
We’ve had a nice fall without TOO MUCH going on. The kids are enjoying the last few weeks of warm weather and spending a lot of time outside.
Ellie loves going to preschool and she’s learning a lot and making new friends. She loves to sit at the piano and figure out little tunes, like “We Thank Thee Oh God for a Prophet,” and she loves to prance around the house doing Irish Dance steps. She seemed so grown up as I watched her and Katelyn having a great time together this weekend. She has adjusted just fine to being home alone with me during the day – she’s just as happy as ever doing whatever.
Miriam is doing great in school and loves it! After scripture reading every morning, she gets ready fast, packs her lunch, practices the piano, usually brushes her own hair, and then has to wait for the others to be ready, before they all hop on their bikes and ride to school. She’s very self motivated to do her chores and homework quickly, and then spends her free time playing the piano, riding her bike, coloring, or playing with Ellie. She and Ellie both look forward to when Brenda comes so that they can chop things with her in the kitchen.
At parent/teacher conference, Enoch’s teacher told me he was a keeper. The baptism day yesterday was wonderful. We appreciated all of your support & encouragement to Enoch on his important day. I truly enjoyed the day, but even more than that, I enjoyed watching Enoch look forward to and prepare for his special day. He has been so excited and eager, and I can tell he has grown-up a lot throughout the whole process. He is obviously trying hard to read his scriptures, pray, fast, and do all of those things that the big people do.
Natalie’s only complaint is on a day when she doesn’t have homework. She’s not too keen on housework, but she loves homework! She also loves soccer and Irish dance, and doesn’t seem to ever get tired. Her soccer team is in 1st place right now, with only one more season game. She plays sweeper and never-ever subs out. With her birthday right around the corner, she’s looking forward to turning eleven and hoping to get a new bike like Enoch did. She’s still baking & selling a lot of bread and saving a lot of money.
Isaac loves Junior High – he has had a great time this year so far. Boy’s PE is a new experience for him and he has had a blast playing sports in a less competitive environment. “Just for fun” is so much more fun I think!! He’s been playing basketball with Bjorn and the other Elders in our ward and also reading a couple of books a week. He has taken up the drums in the junior high band and is still trying to decide whether he likes it or not. Chad was so kind to take all the boys this morning and help Isaac collect fast offerings. The deacons really needed Isaac’s help, but he was torn between that and spending one last hour with his cousins. Thanks to Chad he was able to do both.
Auriana is thriving in High School. She’s staying right on top of her grades and seems to enjoy her classes more this year. I guess you can’t complain if your teacher asks you to eat a candy bar as part of a science experiment. Auriana would still rather be reading than doing most anything else, but she has made a lot of progress in her “personal progress” for Young Women lately. For one project she’s working on a family history book about her Great-Grandpa Bjorndal, and for another one she’s doing baptisms for the dead once a month for the rest of this year.
Bjorn…
We had a wonderful day yesterday with Enoch’s baptism & confirmation. He was so excited the whole month of September and couldn’t believe it when the day finally came. He seems like he has grown up so much in the last few months. Becky and I have enjoyed some good discussions with him and are grateful for his understanding of what it means to be baptized and confirmed. There was such a wonderful spirit throughout the service. Thank you to all who participated. I know it was an experience Enoch will always remember. You wish you could get inside their minds and hearts and see what they’re thinking and feel what they’re feeling, but of course that’s not possible. We’re grateful to many of you for being there and wish all of you could have come, but understand that’s not always possible because of busy schedules or long distances to travel.
Natalie played her second-to-last soccer game the morning of the baptism and beat the team they were tied with for first place. So now they’re all alone in the first place spot with one game left in the season. What makes that even more significant is that they’re a “U11” team (meaning the girls turn 11 during the year) playing in a “U12” league (girls that turn 12 this year), so they’re 5th graders playing against 6th graders and they’re still winning all their games. And even more impressive, they have not been scored on in any game, thanks in large part to Natalie’s awesome defensive play as the “sweeper” – also known as center fullback. After the game yesterday, Natalie’s coach said to me, “You know we would probably have at least 20 goals scored on us if it wasn’t for Natalie. We sure feel lucky to have found her.” Natalie has really enjoyed being on this accelerated team and has made some good friends in the process. For her birthday party she is going to invite the entire team and have a soccer birthday party.
Enoch had a soccer birthday party too. He invited his entire soccer team plus about 8 other friends and it was total chaos and total fun. Auriana had a fun party too, taking her friends ice skating. I can’t believe she’s 14 years old. She is such a beautiful young woman. We went to a “Utah Old Time Fiddlers” competition down in Richfield a couple weeks ago and while she was up on stage performing I just thought to myself, “Wow, she is such a beautiful and talented young lady. That’s my daughter!” And she ended up taking 2nd place and got a cool hand-carved trophy shaped like a mandolin and $30 prize money. Isaac also took 2nd place in the competition and got a hand-carved trophy shaped like a guitar and $30. Natalie came in 6th, but had about 3 times as many people to compete with. I was proud of all three of them for competing and doing so well. It was a fun family trip.
We’ve had a nice fall without TOO MUCH going on. The kids are enjoying the last few weeks of warm weather and spending a lot of time outside.
Ellie loves going to preschool and she’s learning a lot and making new friends. She loves to sit at the piano and figure out little tunes, like “We Thank Thee Oh God for a Prophet,” and she loves to prance around the house doing Irish Dance steps. She seemed so grown up as I watched her and Katelyn having a great time together this weekend. She has adjusted just fine to being home alone with me during the day – she’s just as happy as ever doing whatever.
Miriam is doing great in school and loves it! After scripture reading every morning, she gets ready fast, packs her lunch, practices the piano, usually brushes her own hair, and then has to wait for the others to be ready, before they all hop on their bikes and ride to school. She’s very self motivated to do her chores and homework quickly, and then spends her free time playing the piano, riding her bike, coloring, or playing with Ellie. She and Ellie both look forward to when Brenda comes so that they can chop things with her in the kitchen.
At parent/teacher conference, Enoch’s teacher told me he was a keeper. The baptism day yesterday was wonderful. We appreciated all of your support & encouragement to Enoch on his important day. I truly enjoyed the day, but even more than that, I enjoyed watching Enoch look forward to and prepare for his special day. He has been so excited and eager, and I can tell he has grown-up a lot throughout the whole process. He is obviously trying hard to read his scriptures, pray, fast, and do all of those things that the big people do.
Natalie’s only complaint is on a day when she doesn’t have homework. She’s not too keen on housework, but she loves homework! She also loves soccer and Irish dance, and doesn’t seem to ever get tired. Her soccer team is in 1st place right now, with only one more season game. She plays sweeper and never-ever subs out. With her birthday right around the corner, she’s looking forward to turning eleven and hoping to get a new bike like Enoch did. She’s still baking & selling a lot of bread and saving a lot of money.
Isaac loves Junior High – he has had a great time this year so far. Boy’s PE is a new experience for him and he has had a blast playing sports in a less competitive environment. “Just for fun” is so much more fun I think!! He’s been playing basketball with Bjorn and the other Elders in our ward and also reading a couple of books a week. He has taken up the drums in the junior high band and is still trying to decide whether he likes it or not. Chad was so kind to take all the boys this morning and help Isaac collect fast offerings. The deacons really needed Isaac’s help, but he was torn between that and spending one last hour with his cousins. Thanks to Chad he was able to do both.
Auriana is thriving in High School. She’s staying right on top of her grades and seems to enjoy her classes more this year. I guess you can’t complain if your teacher asks you to eat a candy bar as part of a science experiment. Auriana would still rather be reading than doing most anything else, but she has made a lot of progress in her “personal progress” for Young Women lately. For one project she’s working on a family history book about her Great-Grandpa Bjorndal, and for another one she’s doing baptisms for the dead once a month for the rest of this year.
Bjorn…
We had a wonderful day yesterday with Enoch’s baptism & confirmation. He was so excited the whole month of September and couldn’t believe it when the day finally came. He seems like he has grown up so much in the last few months. Becky and I have enjoyed some good discussions with him and are grateful for his understanding of what it means to be baptized and confirmed. There was such a wonderful spirit throughout the service. Thank you to all who participated. I know it was an experience Enoch will always remember. You wish you could get inside their minds and hearts and see what they’re thinking and feel what they’re feeling, but of course that’s not possible. We’re grateful to many of you for being there and wish all of you could have come, but understand that’s not always possible because of busy schedules or long distances to travel.
Natalie played her second-to-last soccer game the morning of the baptism and beat the team they were tied with for first place. So now they’re all alone in the first place spot with one game left in the season. What makes that even more significant is that they’re a “U11” team (meaning the girls turn 11 during the year) playing in a “U12” league (girls that turn 12 this year), so they’re 5th graders playing against 6th graders and they’re still winning all their games. And even more impressive, they have not been scored on in any game, thanks in large part to Natalie’s awesome defensive play as the “sweeper” – also known as center fullback. After the game yesterday, Natalie’s coach said to me, “You know we would probably have at least 20 goals scored on us if it wasn’t for Natalie. We sure feel lucky to have found her.” Natalie has really enjoyed being on this accelerated team and has made some good friends in the process. For her birthday party she is going to invite the entire team and have a soccer birthday party.
Enoch had a soccer birthday party too. He invited his entire soccer team plus about 8 other friends and it was total chaos and total fun. Auriana had a fun party too, taking her friends ice skating. I can’t believe she’s 14 years old. She is such a beautiful young woman. We went to a “Utah Old Time Fiddlers” competition down in Richfield a couple weeks ago and while she was up on stage performing I just thought to myself, “Wow, she is such a beautiful and talented young lady. That’s my daughter!” And she ended up taking 2nd place and got a cool hand-carved trophy shaped like a mandolin and $30 prize money. Isaac also took 2nd place in the competition and got a hand-carved trophy shaped like a guitar and $30. Natalie came in 6th, but had about 3 times as many people to compete with. I was proud of all three of them for competing and doing so well. It was a fun family trip.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
August 2010: by Bjorn
Didn’t summer just start? And now the kids are back in school. It’s amazing how quickly time goes – especially when you want it to slow down.
We loved seeing Grandma and Grandpa during their grand tour of the West. We were lucky to see them both coming and going and enjoyed the wonderful spirit they always carry with them and the happiness and love they bring into our home. We appreciate their willingness to do all that traveling. I don’t think I could do it. We’re glad they’re safely back in Mexico and we admire their firm commitment to the Lord.
Jamboree… wow what can I say? It was an amazing experience. I don’t think I’ve ever sweated so much in my life! Luckily the humidity and high temperatures didn’t last the whole time. Though it was hard to be away from Becky and the rest of the kids for two and half weeks it was wonderful to have that time with Isaac. In spite of my daily assignments as staff at the Technology Quest area, he and I were able to spend a good amount of time together. Since my staff tent was just across the street from where Isaac’s troop was camped, it was easy for me to join his troop each evening for activities and closing ceremonies. It was always fun to hear about his day and see him interacting with the other scouts and his scoutmasters. I think he did a lot of growing up on this trip as he was responsible for cooking meals and cleaning up and also had Quartermaster duties. He was able to do a lot of fun things, and I got to join him for archery, shotgun, climbing wall, rappelling, Disability Awareness activities such as wheelchair basketball, the Action Alley challenge course with a big zip line at the end, and of course hanging out together at Technology Quest displays playing with robots and taking pictures next to a life-size Indiana Jones made out of legos. It was also neat to attend sacrament meeting together and listen to Elder Hales talk about the importance of the Aaronic Priesthood and Scouting, and to see about the longest sacrament table ever. It was also very cool to walk among a sea of scouts 45,000 strong filing into the arena for the 100-year anniversary celebration, to stand with all of them and recite the scout oath and law, or to see all of them waving the American flag or later, each one of them holding a candle symbolizing their commitment to the ideals of scouting. The performers and the fireworks and all the other parts of the show were cool, but I was more affected by the great potential I felt from those 45,000 young men.
Though the Jamboree was a great experience, the tour of national historic sites and the Church history tour were what made the trip unforgettable. To be in the Sacred Grove with Isaac and to bear my testimony to him of the reality of what happened there was a sublime experience I will always treasure. The Spirit in that place was so real and strong that tears began to fight their way out almost the second I entered. I felt such peace as I walked the paths inside the Grove and reflected on what happened there, and as I looked around wondering if this was the spot or if that was the spot where the Father and Son appeared. I also very much enjoyed reading a letter that Becky had written expressing her testimony and I ached to have her there with me sharing that sacred experience. We were given an hour to spend in the Grove, but I could have spent another three hours in there. The time passed far too quickly. I know Isaac expressed the same sentiment.
Another amazing experience was arriving at the site of the restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood at dusk. We took pictures by the monument, and then went a little farther down the road to the dirt road that leads down the banks of the Susquihanna River. Each of the 35 boys rushed down to the river, but I stayed back and looked around thinking through how the events would have unfolded as Joseph and Oliver found a spot to pray and then as John the Baptist appeared. There was one spot in particular just off the trail, still with a clear view of the river, where the Spirit seemed to be especially strong and I just stood there in that spot for the longest time, my eyes blurred by tears, feeling the overwhelming power of what happened there as a resurrected being – the same person who had baptized the Savior – had restored the authority of God once again to the earth. Then all 40 of us – scouts and leaders – knelt there on the banks and one of the scouts asked if he could offer the prayer. It was such a simple, sincere prayer. Kneeling there next to Isaac, again the tears came as I felt the powerful potential of my son and these other young men who were future leaders of the Church. I didn’t want it to end. When the prayer was ended the scoutmaster told each of us to pick a stone from the river as a memento of our experience there. As Isaac and I walked back in the dark to the tour bus I was impressed to learn that he had thought to get a stone for each member of his family.
I could go on for a long time about how neat it was to visit 3 places in one day where the Savior had appeared – the Kirtland Temple, Johnson Farm, and the Whitney Store where they held the School of the Prophets upstairs, or what it was like to go to Sacrament meeting 100 yards from the Whitmer home where the Church was organized, or how my feelings of gratitude increased for the founders of this nation as we visited the Capitol building, the Supreme Court, the Library of Congress, and other historic sites in D.C., and then Fort McHenry of Star Spangled Banner fame, or what it was like to stand in Liberty Hall where both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed, or what it was like to stand at the base of the Statue of Liberty and then walk by Ground Zero and then look out from the top of the Empire State Building, and to experience all these things with my son, but that would take way more room than the format of this family letter allows. I will say that one of the coolest experiences for me in New York was taking Isaac to a street pizza shop and just he and I enjoying a slice of authentic New York pizza together.
We had some great conversations as we rode the bus together and I know that Isaac learned a lot about life and his own beliefs and standards as he watched not only the many people in each of the places we visited, but also as he watched the scouts in his troop and how they acted, realizing that the standards we have set in our family are a bit different even than other members of the Church, and that he can stoop to the baser type of behavior that is often exhibited by boys that age, or he can rise above that type of behavior and be a leader and an influence for good in his family, among his peers, and wherever he goes.
Well I certainly have gone on too long already, but I will mention that I learned a great deal during the trip as well. One of those things was how much I truly love my wife, and how much more full and happy and meaningful my life is because she is my wife and we have a family together that can be eternal. What a joyous reunion it was to see her and each of my children after 19 days away from them.
And now we’re back in school and life is pretty much back to normal. Each of the kids love their teachers. Auriana is enjoying 9th grade and will be singing in the Utah Valley Children’s Choir. Isaac thinks Jr. High is pretty cool and it seems to fit him well. He made the adjustment like it was no big deal. He enjoyed his first visit to the temple to do baptisms with Auriana and I last Friday. We hope to be a bit better at getting them both there more often. Natalie is doing well with her club soccer team – they won their first game of the season. Enoch gets to put up with me as his soccer coach this season and we’re having a lot of fun. Miriam and Ellie started Irish Dance at the same studio where Natalie goes and they love it. I’m trying to keep my head above water with work and planning this year’s Harvest Moon Hurrah (all the locals are invited to come on the 18th of this month) and hiring a new director for our community choir.
Becky and Auriana got to go with the young women of our ward up to Salt Lake this past week to meet with sister Elaine Dalton. They each got to talk with her and take pictures and get a big hug from her and sit at her desk. They both said the Spirit was strong and it was a very neat experience.
Life is good. The gospel is true. BYU won yesterday. I love my family. What more could I ask for?
We’re looking forward to seeing many of you at Enoch’s baptism on October 9 at noon.
We loved seeing Grandma and Grandpa during their grand tour of the West. We were lucky to see them both coming and going and enjoyed the wonderful spirit they always carry with them and the happiness and love they bring into our home. We appreciate their willingness to do all that traveling. I don’t think I could do it. We’re glad they’re safely back in Mexico and we admire their firm commitment to the Lord.
Jamboree… wow what can I say? It was an amazing experience. I don’t think I’ve ever sweated so much in my life! Luckily the humidity and high temperatures didn’t last the whole time. Though it was hard to be away from Becky and the rest of the kids for two and half weeks it was wonderful to have that time with Isaac. In spite of my daily assignments as staff at the Technology Quest area, he and I were able to spend a good amount of time together. Since my staff tent was just across the street from where Isaac’s troop was camped, it was easy for me to join his troop each evening for activities and closing ceremonies. It was always fun to hear about his day and see him interacting with the other scouts and his scoutmasters. I think he did a lot of growing up on this trip as he was responsible for cooking meals and cleaning up and also had Quartermaster duties. He was able to do a lot of fun things, and I got to join him for archery, shotgun, climbing wall, rappelling, Disability Awareness activities such as wheelchair basketball, the Action Alley challenge course with a big zip line at the end, and of course hanging out together at Technology Quest displays playing with robots and taking pictures next to a life-size Indiana Jones made out of legos. It was also neat to attend sacrament meeting together and listen to Elder Hales talk about the importance of the Aaronic Priesthood and Scouting, and to see about the longest sacrament table ever. It was also very cool to walk among a sea of scouts 45,000 strong filing into the arena for the 100-year anniversary celebration, to stand with all of them and recite the scout oath and law, or to see all of them waving the American flag or later, each one of them holding a candle symbolizing their commitment to the ideals of scouting. The performers and the fireworks and all the other parts of the show were cool, but I was more affected by the great potential I felt from those 45,000 young men.
Though the Jamboree was a great experience, the tour of national historic sites and the Church history tour were what made the trip unforgettable. To be in the Sacred Grove with Isaac and to bear my testimony to him of the reality of what happened there was a sublime experience I will always treasure. The Spirit in that place was so real and strong that tears began to fight their way out almost the second I entered. I felt such peace as I walked the paths inside the Grove and reflected on what happened there, and as I looked around wondering if this was the spot or if that was the spot where the Father and Son appeared. I also very much enjoyed reading a letter that Becky had written expressing her testimony and I ached to have her there with me sharing that sacred experience. We were given an hour to spend in the Grove, but I could have spent another three hours in there. The time passed far too quickly. I know Isaac expressed the same sentiment.
Another amazing experience was arriving at the site of the restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood at dusk. We took pictures by the monument, and then went a little farther down the road to the dirt road that leads down the banks of the Susquihanna River. Each of the 35 boys rushed down to the river, but I stayed back and looked around thinking through how the events would have unfolded as Joseph and Oliver found a spot to pray and then as John the Baptist appeared. There was one spot in particular just off the trail, still with a clear view of the river, where the Spirit seemed to be especially strong and I just stood there in that spot for the longest time, my eyes blurred by tears, feeling the overwhelming power of what happened there as a resurrected being – the same person who had baptized the Savior – had restored the authority of God once again to the earth. Then all 40 of us – scouts and leaders – knelt there on the banks and one of the scouts asked if he could offer the prayer. It was such a simple, sincere prayer. Kneeling there next to Isaac, again the tears came as I felt the powerful potential of my son and these other young men who were future leaders of the Church. I didn’t want it to end. When the prayer was ended the scoutmaster told each of us to pick a stone from the river as a memento of our experience there. As Isaac and I walked back in the dark to the tour bus I was impressed to learn that he had thought to get a stone for each member of his family.
I could go on for a long time about how neat it was to visit 3 places in one day where the Savior had appeared – the Kirtland Temple, Johnson Farm, and the Whitney Store where they held the School of the Prophets upstairs, or what it was like to go to Sacrament meeting 100 yards from the Whitmer home where the Church was organized, or how my feelings of gratitude increased for the founders of this nation as we visited the Capitol building, the Supreme Court, the Library of Congress, and other historic sites in D.C., and then Fort McHenry of Star Spangled Banner fame, or what it was like to stand in Liberty Hall where both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed, or what it was like to stand at the base of the Statue of Liberty and then walk by Ground Zero and then look out from the top of the Empire State Building, and to experience all these things with my son, but that would take way more room than the format of this family letter allows. I will say that one of the coolest experiences for me in New York was taking Isaac to a street pizza shop and just he and I enjoying a slice of authentic New York pizza together.
We had some great conversations as we rode the bus together and I know that Isaac learned a lot about life and his own beliefs and standards as he watched not only the many people in each of the places we visited, but also as he watched the scouts in his troop and how they acted, realizing that the standards we have set in our family are a bit different even than other members of the Church, and that he can stoop to the baser type of behavior that is often exhibited by boys that age, or he can rise above that type of behavior and be a leader and an influence for good in his family, among his peers, and wherever he goes.
Well I certainly have gone on too long already, but I will mention that I learned a great deal during the trip as well. One of those things was how much I truly love my wife, and how much more full and happy and meaningful my life is because she is my wife and we have a family together that can be eternal. What a joyous reunion it was to see her and each of my children after 19 days away from them.
And now we’re back in school and life is pretty much back to normal. Each of the kids love their teachers. Auriana is enjoying 9th grade and will be singing in the Utah Valley Children’s Choir. Isaac thinks Jr. High is pretty cool and it seems to fit him well. He made the adjustment like it was no big deal. He enjoyed his first visit to the temple to do baptisms with Auriana and I last Friday. We hope to be a bit better at getting them both there more often. Natalie is doing well with her club soccer team – they won their first game of the season. Enoch gets to put up with me as his soccer coach this season and we’re having a lot of fun. Miriam and Ellie started Irish Dance at the same studio where Natalie goes and they love it. I’m trying to keep my head above water with work and planning this year’s Harvest Moon Hurrah (all the locals are invited to come on the 18th of this month) and hiring a new director for our community choir.
Becky and Auriana got to go with the young women of our ward up to Salt Lake this past week to meet with sister Elaine Dalton. They each got to talk with her and take pictures and get a big hug from her and sit at her desk. They both said the Spirit was strong and it was a very neat experience.
Life is good. The gospel is true. BYU won yesterday. I love my family. What more could I ask for?
We’re looking forward to seeing many of you at Enoch’s baptism on October 9 at noon.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Photo of the week!
Auriana and I had a great experience visiting Sister Elaine Dalton in Salt Lake this week. One of our leaders had shared some cookies with her in a meeting a few months ago and she asked for the recipe. Our entire group of YW had the opportunity to deliver the recipe for "virtue cookies" and visit with Sister Dalton!
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Sunday, August 22, 2010
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August: by Bjorn
Well, the 3 younger kids are off to their first day of school! Can't believe Miriam's in high school! We did father's blessings...
