Life in a Northern Town: FAMILY LETTER 08.19.18

Dear Loved Ones,

This has been a bit of a hum-drum week, busy but not frantic, and full of interesting and inspiring experiences. The Young Actors’ Workshop continued this week, so James and his cousins (hence forth known as the Jellis for “Jess and Kelli’s kids”) attended from 9am- 4pm every day and worked hard to prepare to perform “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat” in three shows this weekend. Addie had work and Cross Country practice every day, and she also squeezed in an interview to serve as a Big Sister in BBBS for community service. I’ve been trying to entertain the little boys with trips to the pool and yard work and exploring the river and painting and hiding rocks this week. Rich is working hard as usual.

Tuesday 8/14 my mom came over to visit around noon just as I was finishing up a morning of laundry. I had awoken with a severe cramp in my back that was restricting my breathing, so mom came with me to an emergency chiropractic appointment at 12:30. It turned out to be a combination of stiff muscles from too much sun combined with a gallbladder attack. I have gone on a cleansing diet for a few weeks (no pork, very little fat) and I am taking beet/bile, papaya, and vitamin F supplements to get everything clean & hopefully avoid surgery. So that was fun. Afterward mom and I collected river rocks and made lunch and took the boys to the pool. I had to shuttle kids all over creation between 3:40- and 4:15, so mom stayed at the pool with the little boys until 4:30, then we all came home and got ready to go to the airport, and Mom headed back up to Matt’s house in Helena where she has been staying. Heidi made a friend online from one of her art sharing accounts. They have become good friends, so Heidi invited her to come stay with us for a few days. We picked up this friend, June, from the airport Tuesday evening and she spent four days hanging out with Heidi and her friends, mostly watching their favorite anime shows in the basement. She went home early Saturday morning.

Wednesday 8/15 (Happy Birthday, Mom!) we had another busy day of chores and driving people around. The YA Workshop presented a showcase of the skills and skits they have been practicing in addition to “Joseph” rehearsals, so Addie and I took the little boys to enjoy that between 2:30 and 4pm. Then I ran Addie to Cross Country practice, came back to the theater and got James, ran home and made dinner for the little guys, then Rich took James and Addie and some other youth to the Stake Youth BBQ that night. Heidi and her friend spent the day downtown thrifting and lunching, and stayed home for a movie night. Thursday was more of the same—we painted rocks and had a home visit from Ammon’s preschool teachers. Addie needed to go to Bozeman to buy a backpack she has had her eye on at Eddie Bauer, so after practice we made a little date of it and grabbed some Olive Garden dinner and looked for good running shorts (no Nike products at Target, darn it). We had a really good time.

Friday 8/16 we did morning chores and ate lunch and Naomi Johnson took my boys with her boys to the pool for the afternoon. Addie and I went to see the dress rehearsal for “Joseph” and we were blown away. The song “Any Dream Will Do” just always shoots me in the heart, and the voices of 130 kids surrounding us and singing it was just so moving. I had spontaneous, unexpected tears! And the rest of the show was super entertaining as well. We loved it! Rich took Niles to the evening performance, then Addie, Heidi and Ammon attended the Saturday matinee. I’m so glad James got to have that experience with his cousins.

Saturday 8/18, Rich and I headed over to Bozeman for the Leadership and Adult sessions of Stake Conference with our Area Authority, Elder James Evanson. The whole day had been peaceful and uplifting, so we were really looking forward to being “fed” at these meetings. We were more edified than I can even find words to say. I can’t put my finger on one talk, but the spirit of the meeting was something special. We did hear the most beautiful, eloquent conversion story I have ever heard from a young college-aged, recently married sister. Her two main points were that God has the power to work in our lives in ways that are incomprehensible to us, and that the scriptures—especially the Book of Mormon—have a power that is also beyond our ability to understand—“even the most faithful among us cannot comprehend the power that flows from scriptures into our lives.” She told about her experience of praying to know the Book of Mormon was true and a voice answering her prayer, “I already told you in its pages,” so she let the book fall open randomly and read Moroni 7:13 (look it up! It’s an amazing answer!). Her testimony really brought The Fire and it stayed the whole meeting. I am grateful for a merciful God who gives us strength and encouragement through His living servants and fills our hearts “pressed down, shaken together, and running over.” Even through all of life’s challenges and drudgery and tragedy, we find joy and light and “compensatory blessings” in and through the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are the luckiest.

Have a great week! –Love Jamie and Rich and Family

Niles 8/15 Yellowstone River

Mighty Niles 8/15

Ammon and Niles on a brother adventure 8/15

They crossed the river all by themselves!
There was a point where I got up to run over and help them,
but I was constrained to let them help each other
climb the rocks on the other bank where they were exploring
and return to me when it was time to go.
I had great visions of future adventures for
these two together.