FAMILY LETTER 09.30.18

Notes on an Epic September

Dear Loved Ones,   

You can tell by the fact that this letter is a monthly one, not a weekly one, that this month has been EPIC! It has been a true test of our abilities to coordinate schedules, organize supplies and meals, eat super-fast or subsist on trail mix and Gatorade, and love one another in the process.  Way back on September 3^rd, we celebrated Labor Day with a yummy BBQ at the ranch and a float down the river with our Melin cousins and the Smith Family.  It seems ages ago, as the temperatures that day hit 100* and we enjoyed spending the hottest hours out on the water, and  today it is  SNOWING. It was a great day, cut short by evening practices for football, cross country and soccer players. The next day we dove into the second week of school still fumbling around trying to get into the groove. Wednesday 9/5 Sweet Baby James’ 12^th birthday!!! Poor guy had to squeeze in celebrations between school and practices and YM/YW activities. We had his favorite biscuits and gravy for breakfast and he opened some gifts. I had promised to take him to lunch, but I also had promised to be a substitute driver for Meals On Wheels, so I bought him a Taco Bell lunch and he drove around with me for an hour and a half delivering lunches to shut-ins and listening to the “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” sound track, hahaha. That night he mostly celebrated with the Deacons at an activity/party at the park and had an ice cream cake with his buddies.

On Friday 9/7, my mom and Mark arrived for James’ ordination weekend. We let them sleep in on Saturday 9/8 and we went at 8am to THREE soccer games on opening day—James & cousin Matthew played on one field, Niles and cousin Simon played on another field, and cousin Lexi played on yet another field, so we all sat right in the middle and tried to spin around and watch all three games, hahaha. Addie also left at 8am for a cross country meet in Pony where she placed 8^th in her heat and hit a personal best sub-7-minute mile—I’m so dang proud of her because running doesn’t come easy and she never gives up. Cousin Summer had a game at the high school at 10am, but I had to run some errands in Bozeman so we went and did that and came back to hang out with Nana and Papa. We had Papa Murphy’s pizzas for dinner and got ready for church and James’ ordination on Sunday 9/9. Jessi Tyner subbed my Primary class so I could attend the ordination and Relief Society with my mom, but my mom was sick all day Sunday, bless her heart! Mark was able to be there in the circle and that was special for James. Later that afternoon we had a big Ravioli dinner at James’ request, plus a yummy chocolate birthday cake and rice krispy treats from Aunt Kelli. Uncle Jess had to fly out for work after church, the grandparents were at a temple training, and  Nana was sick downstairs, and then all the youth and parents had to head to Stake Standards night in Bozeman at 5:20. So it was just me and the little guys and Kristina left to clean up. So we did, and then enjoyed the amazing Church History broadcast from Nauvoo introducing the new “Saints” series. We looked for Eden Jones (a Nauvoo missionary from our ward) the whole time but didn’t see her. The meeting was beautiful nonetheless! We had to say good bye to Nana and Papa on Monday as they headed back to Utah. The following week is a busy blur of practices and open houses and homework and housework, but Tuesday 9/11 stands out as a great memory because we got to take James to the temple. Grandpa and Grandma Melin met us in the baptistery and James was baptized for several German ancestors of President Hetherington of our Stake. Grandpa and Grandma read scriptures with James and gave him lots of hugs and showed us some of the gorgeous new art in the temple. James chose Golden Corral for his dinner date because he loves the chocolate fountain. We were happy to come home and find the girls had done a wonderful job serving and cleaning up dinner and getting their little brothers to bed.

Saturday the 15^th was the busiest day ever. We had about 8 things on our calendar and had to pare it down to two. Rich and the 3 bigs went to Billlings at 6am with the youth to do baptisms with the youth at 8am. Then they met me and Kristina and the little boys at River Front park in Billings for a Youth For Understanding Family BBQ. All the families in southwestern Montana who are hosting YFU foreign exchange students got together for some more training and bonding from 11am-3pm. We met girls from Thailand, Kyrgystan, and Mongolia, and boys from Germany and Denmark and their families. It was a lot of fun. Afterward, we stopped at Scheel’s because Rich wanted to show Kristina the biggest store in the world. She said it looks like a mall with one store. I think she is right! We ate a quick dinner at Café Rio and headed home. I had to take Addie directly to the Shane Center so she could see the Lip Synch Battle. It would have been so fun for all of us to go, but we were BEAT!

Sunday  9/16  Heidi was set apart as the Mia Maid president with Summer and Kara Allen as her couselors—super excited for her to practice leadership skills. That night we had a lovely potluck dinner at Joneses’ with Smiths and the Jelli Melins to celebrate the 8^th birthday of Beatrice and Rex Jones. It was such a nice night! We love our friends that feel like family and family who are best friends. On Monday 9/17 we had the Jefferys and Adair Peacock and her son Antonio over for FHE. We had a short lesson followed by ice cream and some visits so Jefferys could meet Kristina and speak some German with her. The rest of the week is a bit of a blur. The kids did not have school Friday 9/20, so James had a sleep over with Charlie Vermillion and spent most of Friday with him.  Heidi hung out with Sophie and Ilana and Kristina for part of the day. Saturday was busy with soccer games and canning. On Friday and Saturday (9/21) we made 12 pints of salsa (roasted blender and peach salsas) and 10 quarts of apple sauce. Saturday night we all went to Summer’s PHS soccer game and had some Mark’s In & Out for dinner. I was so wracked with joint pain from the cold air and gallbladder pain from eating junk, I thought I wasn’t going to be able to get up on Sunday.

BUT I DID! I went down to the High school at 9am and met up with another mom to decorate lockers for the Choir kids. I ran to church and made it just in time for the sacrament, and a fun lesson on baptism for my primary class—3 out of 5 of them were baptized this week! Sunday night all the Melin guys went over to Bozeman together for priesthood meeting. I stayed home and watched “Cinema Paradiso” with the girls (they humored me as a Birthday –eve gift, hahaha). Monday 9/24 I turned 47! My body feels 67 and my heart feels 27, so I’ll take it. I spent the day finishing laundry while watching “The Kindness Diaries” on Netflix (highly recommend) and talking on the phone to well-wishers, including my cute bro William with whom I rarely get to chat these days. All day I’d intended and nice hot bath for myself, but school pick ups snuck up on me. However, after pickups and afterschool snack, I remembered that my in-laws were bringing dinner over after soccer practice, so I sent to boys off to practices with Rich and snuck my bath in between 5:30 and 7pm. At 7, all the Jellis were here; Rich and Jess were grilling steaks and German franks; Kelli had made yummy ranch potatoes and a chocolate quinoa birthday cake---SO DELICIOUS! We had such a fun time together. The food was great and so were all the gifts I received, especially THE HUGS and selfies with the fam. I sure do love my people and our sweet life!

Celebrations continued Tuesday as Addie and I went to a Relief Society Ice Cream Social (Heidi and Kristina stayed home to study) and then out for birthday tea at Gil’s with Robyn and Rebecca, Robyn’s treat. Addie and Jeanette were with us, but they got cheesy fries and studied together at another table, hahaha. Addie is stretched really thin lately with school work, seminary, student council/homecoming duties, XC, and college prep, but she is hanging in there. She is learning to make hard choices when she needs to take a break and take care of herself. Heidi is also learning to navigate high school and speak up for her needs as well. Hard life lessons, but that’s what we are here for, and I am proud of all of them—Kristina, too—for the ways they are learning to manage their time and energy and new environments. Wednesday 9/26, Addie played defense on the junior powder puff football team. It was so dang fun to watch her and her friends (and the boys cheerleading). Thursday night was a late night for the kids since there was no school Friday. I had to go to Bozeman for Stake Public Affairs Meeting and Addie went to the Iron Man volleyball game (where the football team is coached by the girls’ volleyball team; the opposite of powder puff fb).

Friday morning 9/28, I woke up to Summer coming over after early morning soccer practice. A cold, dark snow cloud had settled over Livingston and the stormy howling wind from the night before had stopped. I heard Summer on the phone with her mom talking about putting together a Freshman Float for the Homecoming Parade at 4pm, since nobody else had volunteered. With that, we all sprang into action. Kelli was in Bozeman, so she went to a few stores and grabbed some purple and gold supplies, Summer and Heidi texted their friends to meet at the school at 1pm to make decorations for the Ranch truck and trailer. I helped them make a few decorations here, then started shuttling people all over creation at noon (Addie went to work on the junior float). I finally got the boys and Kristina bundled up and headed out to the Homecoming parade at 3:40 and we headed downtown to watch the fun. As we were settling into our spot, Kristina got a call from her friend Katerina (the other exchange student at PHS; she’s from Austria) asking her to ride on the sophomore float. So Kristina ran around the block and hopped on the float and got to ride in her first and last American high school homecoming parade. We met back at home and Rich took Addie, Kristina, and James to the game while I stayed home with Heidi and her friends and Niles and Ammon to get ready for our alternative Homecoming celebration, aka “Alt HoCo” (we do this because the homecoming dance is a very casual affair right after the game at which the student behavior is questionable at best, so my kids and their friends have their own celebration here; this is the 3^rd year).  I fed the boys some pizza and bathed them and got them to sleep before the onslaught after the game. Heidi and her friends helped me heat up some taquitos and jalapeno poppers and nacho cheese. We put out chips and sodas and fruit trays and salsas and guacamole, too. I had some reading to do on my phone, so I cuddled up on the chaise in the living room for the next three hours and chaperoned the hullaballoo. There were 24 kids here for most of that time and they all seemed to have a good time. I got to meet some new friends and some I haven’t seen in a long time showed up and it was a really fun time.

Saturday 9/29 Niles had an 8am soccer game. Valiant Richard got up early and made a few thermoses full of hot chocolate and took him to warm up at 7:40am. I could not bring myself to sit out in that 35* cold, so I stayed home with the other wimps. We all got ready to attend the baptism of Porter Tyner, Rex Jones, and Beatrice Jones—three of Niles’ closest friends. The service was absolutely beautiful. The opening talk about baptism was given by Tiffany Parsons, a good friend of the Tyner’s and recently returned missionary. So of course it was simple, direct and powerful. Rich got to witness for and help confirm Rex and Bea. It was just the sweetest thing. Then they got to play a talk about the Holy Ghost that Sister Eden Jones of the IL Nauvoo mission recorded for Rex and Bea in Brigham Young’s house in Nauvoo! Her talk was also simple, direct, and powerful. I just kept thinking what a precious treasure that will be forever for the whole family!  I was so proud of those sweet kids, so excited for their futures, and so grateful I get to teach seven-turning-eight-year-olds in Primary. After the baptisms, we hurried to watch James and Matthew play their soccer game at 12:30. When we came home, Addie helped me in the kitchen making chicken gnocchi soup and apple tarts. It made my heart both happy and achy to be in the kitchen on a cold cloudy day with her again after having her gone so much this past year between work, school, church, and athletic activities. I know this is how it goes—I know I see less and less of her until she flies the coop and starts her own life, capable and gifted as she is, but it doesn’t make it any easier. My mom showed no signs of this nostalgia when we left, only relief, so in some ways I was completely unprepared for how personally painful it would be to see a child go and do and become all the things we raised her to be. How can getting what you always wanted feel so achy? UGH. Anyway—I am grateful for those times when they come, and I always will be, because my kids are cool humans who I enjoy being with. After cooking with Addie and doing a little sewing, I felt my sinuses and throat and ears swelling up and getting sore, so I chugged emergen-C and took a nap from 5-6. I was supposed to go to Summer’s soccer game, but didn’t dare aggravate my cold (or Ammon’s hacking cough), so I kept the boys home and sent everyone else off to the game. I bathed the boys and got them in jammies and took them to deliver some little pillows to the Jones kids as baptism gifts. I got to visit with Robyn and her mom (Mama Brown), then brought the boys home for bed. Heidi had dinner and a movie at Ilana’s and Addie had a movie night with Clara. I tried to wait up for them, but I crashed hard. I am still under the weather today (Sunday 9/30), but I took some meds and slept while the family went to church, so I should be better to start this coming busy week (we are headed down to Utah for my mission reunion 10/5-6—quick trip) and be ready to FEAST on General Conference broadcasts! Just what the doctor ordered!

We love and miss you all so much! We wish you all a great week and hope you will carve out at least a little time to enjoy conference…and share! Tell us your favorite parts and let us know how you’re doing!

Love, Jamie and Rich and Family

PS: When I think about endings and good-byes (which are not my forte), I think of these words:

“In light of what we know about our eternal destiny, is it any wonder that whenever we face the bitter endings of life, they seem unacceptable to us? There seems to be something inside of us that resists endings.Why is this? Because we are made of the stuff of eternity. We are eternal beings, children of the Almighty God, whose name is Endless …ENDINGS ARE NOT OUR DESTINY…How grateful I am to my Heavenly Father that in His plan there are no true endings, only everlasting beginnings.”- Elder Uchtdorf

We failed to mention in our last letter that Mom and Dad Melin
celebrated their 52nd Anniversary on 9/1/18. They have ONE MONTH
left of their 3-year service in the Billings Temple Presidency. We love
them and feel so grateful for the blessings their service brings our family.

9/3 LABOR DAY BBQ: Uncle Jess, grill master

Addie with Kristina

Heidi

Uncle Jess and Cousin Summer 9/3

Kristina 9/3

Heidi 9/3

TJay & Lexi 9/3

TJay 9/3

Ammon 9/3

James 9/3

Lexi 9/3

Niles 9/3

Floatin' the River 9/3

These hippies and their cool van 9/3

 And now...James Through the Years

James 3 weeks

James 5 mos

James 6 mos

James 6 yrs

James 5 yrs

James 8yrs

James 9/5/18- 12 years old!

Ammon helping with Meals on Wheels 9/7

9/8- SOCCER OPENING DAY-8am Games
James and Matthew's team

James on the bench

Simon, Winston, and Niles

Simon, Winston, Niles

9/8 Addie with her 8th place ribbon after running her personal best
in the Pony meet.

9/9 JAMES' ORDINATION
Matt Johnson, Trevor Strupp, Dad and Papa Drews

James' ordination: Cousin Summer, Kristina, Addie, Heidi, and Mom

Happy Deacon 9/9

9/9 Family Dinner

TJay, Addie, Lexi, and Summer with Papa in back

Matthew and Rich

Kristina laughing at Heidi

James and Ammon

Summer and Simon

Lexi-Lou

Kelli and Kristina

9/11 TEMPLE DAY for JAMES
with mom and dad (and Grandpa and Grandma inside)

9/15 YOUTH FOR UNDERSTANDING BBQ
Betty, Addie, Kristina, and Heidi

Sebastian, Heidi and Mrs. Larsen

Heidi and Addie

Niles

Ammon and Niles

Heidi, Kristina, Mrs. Larsen and other exchange families

Add caption

Addie, Niles, and James with other exchange families

9/15 VISIT TO SCHEELS
Addie, Kristina, and Heidi at the aquarium

Girls "Fishing"

Addie and Kristina on the Ferris Wheel

Boys 4-wheelin

Girls 4-wheelin

9/16 NEW MIA MAIDS PRESIDENCY
Kara Allen 2nd couselor, Heidi Melin President, Summer Melin 1st couselor

9/16 THREE FAMILY POTLUCK at JONSES Rex & Bea's Birthday
Rex and Ammon in diguise

Little Buddies: Bea, Niles, Rex, and Ammon

Elanor and Jeanette

9/21 HARVESTING

9/21 my Peach Salsa Sweat Shop

Niles and Ammon helping with apple sauce
(aka experimenting with the thermometer)

9/22: Playing at the park between soccer games

Simon and Niles

Ammon

Ammon

Niles

9/22 Beautiful night for a soccer game

Summer in the center in purple 9/22

Me: in a meme

9/24 BIRTHDAY DINNER delivered by the Jelli Melins

James & Kristina

Selfies with Matthew, Lexi, James, and Kelli

James, Simon, and Niles

Matthew, Lexi, and Ammon

Heidi, Addie, Summer, Kristina

Summer and Heidi and James

Gifts from Rich...plus a HUGE Insta Pot

Sweet Birthday poem/letter from Kristina

9/26 POWDER PUFF FOOTBALL GAME
Let's Go Rangers! #12

Football Player Cheerleaders

Niles and Simon cheering for Addie

Addie on defense, wearing TJay's jersey

Cousin Pals- TJay and Addie

9/28: HOMECOMING PARADE
Ammon, James, and Niles throwing leaves

Ammon ready for candy

Here comes the band!
A few years ago we didn't even have a marching band
Look at them now!

Football float- Cousin TJay #12

Kristina on her first and last Homecoming Float

The junior float-- you can see Addie's hat
and leg behind Erin' orange sign, class of 2020