Life in a Northern Town: FAMILY LETTER 10.22.17

Dear Loved Ones,

Greetings on the last day of Fall Break weekend! We have truly lived it up this week.

Monday was a calm quiet day at home doing chores ending with dinner and family night. Tuesday Ammon had some friends over (the Baker boys) and we made our first pumpkin dip of the season and ate it with perfect gala apples. After the play date we made up and menu and went to Costco for groceries and came home and prepped them. Tuesday night Heidi went out to Gil’s to catch up on her English (I ‘homeschool’ her for ELA) and Personal Progress. It was jazz night at the Murray Bar and we heard lots of great music and saw lots of the high school jazz band people performing. It was a fun date. Wednesday I finished up laundry and packed up for a little over-night girls’ trip to Billings.

When the girls got home from school, we headed out to see Flogging Molly at the Pub Station. It was a small venue (maybe 400-450 people?) but pretty fun. We went in and bought our merch first thing while one of the openers was playing (Jon Snodgrass). We all got Tshirts and headed over to the ballroom to claim our patch of floor before it got too crazy. We kinda made friends with the people around us so when I had to make my way back to the restrooms; our cool friends protected Addie and Heidi from the drunk weirdos around us. The next opening band, Radkey, was so fun. Three black brothers from the Kansas City area. They play funk-punk reminiscent of Fishbone and the Misfits (imho) and I had a very time-warpy experience watching them. It felt very much like a 1986 Fishbone show. I was glad my girls liked them, too. This was their first experience with a mosh pit, which always annoys me. It broke out right next to us, and we got soaked with a few pints of beer within a few minutes (who brings a full open glass onto the the middle of a dance floor like that? Many people had one in each hand--so dumb). But our cool friends totally blocked anybody from slamming us and also from weaseling in front of us when Flogging Molly came on. We were about 20 feet from the stage and it was so fun to see the band so close up, although the acoustics were gnarly (so loud you couldn’t make out vocals). After the second song Heidi was feeling way claustrophobic, so we left Addie with our bouncer friends and headed toward the back of the ballroom to get some fresh air. We found a tiny booth by the bar where we could catch our breath. We hung out there for 4 or 5 songs and this acquaintance from Livingston found us and came and sat down by us. She was three sheets to the wind and so funny. When she walked away, Heidi said, “Drunk people are hilarious.” Yep. We returned to the crowd for “Rebels of the Sacred Heart” and “The Devil’s Dance Floor” and “Tobacco Island.” Dave dedicated “If I Ever Leave This World Alive” to the crowd, and then Heidi wanted to go to the car. I walked her there and locked her in and went back to meet Addie at the door. She was exuberant. It was great! To top off the night for the complete punk rock show experience, we went to Denny’s for midnight breakfast. It was fancier than I remember, and twice the price (remember Grand Slams were $3 for, like, 15 years?) but it was super fun. We spent the night and Grandpa and Grandma’s apartment by the temple.

We got up and headed to the temple in the morning (okay, mid-morning-- we got there at 10:30, but the grandparents had been there since 6). We all got changed and grandpa asked us to meet him in the chapel. He had the girls read Doctrine and Covenants section two, but first he read the heading with them and talked to them about Joseph Smith for a minute, and bore witness to them that Heavenly Father trusts teenagers and teenagers can do great things. Then he discussed verse 2 with them and asked, “Who are the fathers and mothers? And who are the children he is talking about?” They established that our ancestors are the fathers and mothers and we are the children. And by coming to the temple we are showing that our hearts have turned to them, and by performing the ordinances, we are being promise keepers. Heavenly Father promised them there would be a way home to him and that by us all the kindreds of the earth would be blessed. He had tears in his eyes as he told them, “Thank you for being promise keepers today.” We got hugs from him and grandma and went to do baptisms. It was so lovely and such a wonderful way to start the day and wash away the previous night (as fun as it was). I loved that both girls told me at some point during the concert, “I’m so glad we get to go to the temple tomorrow!” We had fun, but we know where we belong. I also love that their grandparents take time to make the temple so special for them. I would have loved to spend more time with my grandparents in the temple, and to be able to do baptisms with my cousins the way my kids get to. It is a wonderful time to be alive and doing Our Savior’s work! The girls and I had lunch at HuHot Mongolian Grill after temple, then did a little shopping, and headed home at 3pm (after filling our mugs with MINT LIMEADE ;)). It was nice to come home to enthusiastic boys. James went to a birthday party and we had a quiet night at home.

Friday we had to catch up on some chores and we babysat Laney, maybe for the last time *sad face* She had such a fun time with the little boys home this time. The girls did stuff with friends and I took the kids to the park for just a little while--the wind was 50mph with many 70mph gusts--not fun to play outside! At 3, Rich and James took off for a backpacking trip and after dinner, Heidi babysat while I took Addie and friends to the All-State Music Concert at MSU in Bozeman--it was BEAUTIFUL! Just as we were leaving town, the power went out at home. It stayed off for 3 hours and Heidi got scared, so I texted the Dixons and they went over and got our kids til the power came back on about an hour later, bless their hearts!

Saturday I committed myself to finishing Halloween costumes. I like the idea of sewing, but I am easily frustrated to I have to really psych myself up to do these things. I made Heidi a Pennywise clown costume out of an old dress shirt and a top sheet. Rich and the boys worked on the garage and got their backpacking stuff cleaned up. In the evening, Rich took the 3 big kids to a youth Corn Maze activity in Amsterdam and I snuggled the littles and finished sewing.

Today was Cassidy Larson’s mission farewell talk. She is headed to the Utah Orem mission, MTC on November 1st. We had choir practice before sacrament meeting, and I sang a solo at half time. It has been a good Sunday. Now we are snuggled by the fire watching some Curious George and finishing up some missionary letters/treats. Life is good. Our 3rd hour lesson was on Elder Christofferson’s April talk, “A Voice of Warning.” It made me think of ways to be a better watchman, and live the gospel more fully so that our lives--everything we do--testifies of Christ and His restored gospel and draws others to Him. It’s big work. The best work.

We love you all and wish you a wonderful week of Halloween fun. Happy Birthday to, like, 20 of our family members this week!

Love,

Jamie and Rich and Family