Let the MTC begin! Brigham said goodbye to his family yesterday and then came to Grandma's house. I am so excited and grateful to get to spend time with Brigham before he heads to California. In Salt Lake when they were getting ready to say goodbye a mother walked by with a little boy and pointed to Brigham and said, "Look--a missionary!" It wasn't that long ago that Brigham was a little boy but oh what a great man he is becoming. Welcome to Grandma's MTC Brig!
I got an email from Meg today. She is doing great and shared some pictures of a Halloween activity that they had at their apartment. They carved pumpkins and decorated cookies. The hat was done by Meg and the eyeball by her roommate (Meg's was best because she used Nutella for her frosting!). She also mentioned a class she is taking on International Health that she is loving. She said she is thinking of getting a masters degree in Public Health since she is already minoring in International Development. Along with everything else that is going on she got a job this year as a teacher's assistant. And...she has been taking a volleyball class with her roommates and said it is a lot of fun. I love you amazing college students who just keep on moving forward and are never afraid to learn a a little more!
It was a busy week for Ava with a Dance Recital on Wednesday and then on Saturday a Color Guard Competition. And of course, a little Halloween fun! More pictures will come of her and Caleb's costumes in a few days.
Lincoln joined his Whitney cousins last weekend for a little wood cutting project. I have to say that there doesn't seem to be anything that my grandchildren can't do!
14 Years Old
Tonight I enjoyed passing out Rice Krispie Treats at our ward Halloween party. My neighbor and I shared my trunk. She was a big hit in her Robin Hood costume, but my favorite costume was worn by Beckham in my primary class.
20 Years Old
A week from tomorrow Brigham will begin his missionary training. This week he received his official missionary badge that will be worn daily for the next two years!
I have thought a lot about Owen and Perry moving into their new apartments recently. I realized that I never lived by myself until I was 70 years old. I love where I live now and it has been hard not having grandpa with me but I have adjusted. Now Perry and Owen have moved into their own places to start the next phase of their lives. It seems they both found really nice places. Perry now lives in Draper, Utah close to where he works. From the reviews I got from him and Ellis it is a really nice apartment. I think it is safe to say that Perry's favorite feature is the garage which is now full of his tools!
Ruth had a great time with her friends before the homecoming dance. They enjoyed a special dinner put on by one of the young man's mother. Ruth looked beautiful! They went to the homecoming dance at the high school but after about 30 minutes they decided that there had to be something better to do and they left and went to the Stake dance and had a great time. I was so grateful they had a nice place to be to finish out such a nice day.
Today Brigham spoke in church before he enters the Grandma MTC. I was incredibly impressed with what Brigham said and feel confident that he will be a successful missionary. On November 1st he will begin his training for the mission field. Although I call it the Grandma MTC, Brigham will be in zoom classes each day connecting with other missionaries who are also in training. Brigham will be here with me for three weeks and when his training is complete he will fly to San Jose, California to begin his service to the Lord. So proud of you Brigham! The picture is from my computer so the quality isn't as good as I would have liked but don't worry--I will get lots of pictures beginning November 1st!
There were two other speakers beside Brigham. One was another missionary who will be going to Calgary, Canada and a youth speaker. Each talk was exceptional. After they completed their talks Uncle Bill was able to close the meeting with a few remarks. Again his message was also excellent. I especially enjoyed it when he turned and spoke directly to the three previous speakers. I took a few pictures of him as well.
Before Brigham heads to California he is helping his mom out. Today he installed a new sink in the bathroom. I'm impressed!
While I'm enjoying an Arizona Fall the Duncan's in Utah are taking advantage of the fall before the snow starts to drive everyone indoors! 😊 Aunt Cathy provided a hot dog roast for the family tonight and if you look closely you can see some of the those fall leaves on the ground and some of the trees. I have to admit when you live in Arizona you LOVE the end of summer and celebrate Fall no matter where it is!
You may think that Arizonans don't know what Fall looks like. We definitely have to work a little harder at it but when the temperature gets into the 90's and stays there for at least a week then that means "it's Fall y'all!" Grandpa and I spent two falls in New Hampshire and there is nothing like it. When you live in Arizona you have to improvise and imagine. Yesterday Aunt Amy helped me get my fall on and every time I walk out my apartment door I love remembering how wonderful it is when even though the leaves aren't changing colors the days are cooler and the nights are wonderful. Now is the time to come and visit in Arizona!
When I was working at Green Tree East School I started a tradition at the school. Each October I would decorate the cafeteria stage to look like a pumpkin patch. It always turned out so nice and the week of Halloween the kids were allowed to bring carved pumpkins to the school and they were put all over the stage. I still remember how much I loved hearing the children as they came in and saw the stage full of carved pumpkins intermingled among the pumpkin patch. I wonder if Perry, Ellis, and Ava remember that?
14 Years Old
