With All My Love

Elder Schenewark,

Good morning! We're hoping to hear from you as to when you'll be able to call. Wednesday any time. I'm off. Tanner said he would join in from Vegas.

Hunter and the Bachs both flew on on Thursday evening. I worked overtime on purpose since we needed an airport run. It was also the last day of school, and a half a day, which I didn't know when I signed up. If I had known I would be getting phone calls every 20 minutes from your sister, and Miller, I would have stayed home and let your father go in. They were so excited and waiting at home, they had to let me know everything. Due to extremely windy conditions both their planes were late. The Bachs just enough to cover for my getting off late and hitting some traffic. They walked out and I pulled up. We left Love field and drove straight to DFW airport, where we found Hunter's plane had been late leaving SLC by almost an hour, so we had about an hour wait. By the time we figured out how to get to his terminal, and actually pulled up, it was more like 30 minutes. We have the run down pat just in time for the next trip a week from Friday.

It's so good to have the extra bodies in our home. It's nice to see people enjoying the food I cook. Your younger siblings aren't as food happy as my first half were.

I had to do piano lessons early Friday and Saturday morning. Friday Sawyer had a basketball game in Burleson, that Hunter, Dad and the Bachs were able to see. I was home with Cooper, who planned a foosball tournament for 16 16-17 year old kids from the Weatherford stake. He planned the food, was ready with the fire pit, had a mini ping pong table on our table top, had gigantic Bro. Bach Jenga blocks, and a bracket for his tournament including trophies he made by etching the glass at school on vases he bought. I'd say it was a resounding success. The linger longers left after a few rounds of board games.

Sawyer's team on their game, now 10-1. Sawyer had 23 in the fourth quarter alone, out of 47 points. He came limping a bit, squinting out of one eye, and was definitely sore the next day.

Saturday the gang went golfing. Hunter, Miller and Sawyer with the clubs but all came home a bit chilly. The sun was out but the wind was persistent. Breyer and I made homemade caramel sauce to share on our caroling excursion tonight and tomorrow evening for FHE. We began a bit early on the 2019 Come Follow Me program as we gather around the table.

In between Breyer has been everybody's wrapping buddy, Miller keeps everybody in the game mode, Sawyer keeps me in the kitchen, Cooper has everybody salivating over making a knife (the knife in the picture is Sawyer's) and Hunter cleans up the leftovers. Life is wonderful.

Dad had to talk again in church today. After his pineapple talk he reached celebrity status. We're still receiving pineapple themed gifts in our home. Today he switched to Tiny Tim and stars. He talked about the star I found while walking around Bentwater. I asked him what it was because it was "S" shaped, and had seven stars. It's The Pleiades. I liked it because the seven stars represented each of my seven children. Dad then transitioned into the North Star. While we're apart this Christmas season look to your north star, while we look to ours, and we'll be together forever.

Love,

Mom

P.S. Chloe was married in the Houston temple Thursday.

Super Love is A Family

He Can Toucan

Christmas Candids

Cooper's Coffee Can Forge

New Cancer Fighting Drugs Developed in Groton

https://www.wtnh.com/news/health/new-cancer-fighting-drugs-developed-in-groton/1653276187

Letter #69

Well, the news that has occupied our week is the happenings of Campinas. Actually, it's the biggest news in Brasil. In a Catholic cathedral, a man entered a shot eight people before shooting himself
on the church altar. The turnover has been violent. Everyone has become extremely preoccupied that the United States is arriving in Brasil.

This week was also one of the hottest weeks in the history of São Paulo. Cars were  passing in the streets with speakers saying that nobody should be in the streets from 10 in the morning until 4 in the
afternoon. It's hot

So hot that while we were making a contact, our friend on the street collapsed. First thought,

41 And he began to cry unto the Lord, saying: O Lord, have mercy;
according to thy abundant mercy which thou hast had upon the people of
Nephi, have upon me, and my people.

42 And now, when he had said this, he fell unto the earth, as if he were dead.

But, it was just a little overheating.

My 25 minute talk yesterday has been the talk of the ward for the last 12 hours.

Also, transfers were announced today. I will be staying another transfer in Paulínia, but this will be my first without Elder Jesus. Sad to see him go, but that's life.

Also, we had the baptism of Maria yesterday, but another week without pictures.

Love you, good work, until next week.

Love,

Elder heat wave

With All My Love

Elder Schenewark,

Good morning! We love you! We're getting so excited to be able to see your sweet face. And hear your voice. It's been a long time. The time between Mother's Day and Christmas, of the second year on the mission, is forever to me.

The Spirit of Christmas is etched a little bit more into our home as we were finally able to put up a Christmas tree. I was waiting a bit as I had an appointment for my twice yearly carpet cleaning, and life got away from us. But because I waited, I paid half the price. All the trees are marked down - bonus! And they were all the same price. So why get a 5-6 when a 7-8 fits nicely in your 10 foot ceiling. The tree is massive. Not just tall but very wide. I had to piece all our lights together to cover it adequately. I pulled out two colors of bows as well. Breyer and I spent last night alone decorating the tree. She had spent the morning separating the ornaments for me. She's a very sweet and excitable helper.

We had to use the ladder. We spent extra time putting heavy and breakable ornaments up, and soft ornaments down. Nora's coming to visit! Her tree is blocked off by their couches, but ours is not. As far as I'm concerned she can have at it. I'll even give her a bucket, and we'll learn ON and OFF.

We had extra sand from Cooper's weekend project, and filled up the sand table for her as well.

Cooper spent his Friday evening making a coffee can (#10) forge. He used sand and plaster of Paris, and attached a torch. Sometimes the things he does amaze me. He and Sawyer are serious about their desire to make knives. The man Cooper is working for orders materials for those who want to make their own knives so sometimes they get the scraps.

Cooper and I picked up the flat stone to finish the top on the fire pit. We also got a bag of dirt to fill in depressed areas left from the creation process. But our main purpose in visiting his favorite store, Home Depot, was to pick up a tree.

 He actually went back in the day with Breyer, as they have a find-the-Elf-On-the-Shelf activity - which was very discreetly tucked away in the tool section. When you locate the Elf, you tell the front desk where you found it and you get to pick out a piece of candy.

Cooper's other weekend project included hitting the send button on his BYU application. It was due Saturday. He might have had a recommendation outstanding, but he got it in.

Sawyer had a basketball game at home on Tuesday. I got there at half time, and sat with Dad and Nathan's mother. They had another win, now 9-0, and was their sixth game over 70 points. Sawyer had 19 points.

We did have our Hanukkah ceremony Monday, actually on the last day. Your sister had a lesson at school and was able to contribute to our discussion, and all thoroughly enjoyed lighting a candle while sharing why the temple is important to them. We even had some who blew out a candle so they could go again.

Miller had three basketball games yesterday and I didn't get to see one. I had early morning piano lessons during his early morning games, and due to a stake dance and the stake Laurel-Priest dinner, two cars were needed in Weatherford.

Last Sunday was Miller's last day in Primary. He went to opening exercises as usual, after being presented his certificate, and sat. All the adults were kind of curious as to why he was in class, and finally approached him. His reply? "They'll be coming to pick me up." And while he waited, the ladies soon realized he was thinking of the common tradition of young women coming in to pick up a just turned 12 years of age girl now in Young Women's. When they questioned him again, he got up and slid out the door. His faith that he wouldn't be forgotten touched my heart, and that he was forgotten, touched my tears. He's very much loved. He was greeted on Wednesday with another box of corn dogs and a bag of Arby french fries.

Elder Neal A. Maxwell taught, “The Lord loves each of us too much to merely let us go on being what we now are, for He knows what we have the possibility to become." Miller will be a joy to watch as he grows physically, mentally and spiritually because of the Priesthood he'll receive.

Speaking of not being forgotten, The Brazil Area Presidency of The Church released a statement after a knife attack during a church service left several injured:

“We are saddened to report that this morning (Sunday, December 2nd) a man entered a chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Aparecida de Goiânia, Brazil during a worship service and threatened the congregation with multiple knives. Four members of the congregation and the attacker were injured during the incident. All are receiving medical care, and police have arrested the attacker."

I read this and wept. At the time I didn't know it was so far away - those Brazilian names all sound the same to me. Stay safe!

Love,

Mom

P.S. Dr. Park, Dad's professor that agreed to take him as her last graduate student, passed away. You were either going to be Porter or Parker, after her. She has no parents, no siblings, and never married. #LightTheWorld

Family History Award

Dear Hunter,

It is my pleasure to inform you that the family history faculty voted to name you as the recipient of a Morse Grant for Spring Term to partially support your internship in Boston, Massachusetts.

Congratulations, Hunter!

Nora N'Updates