In the Spirit of Thanksgiving

In the Spirit of Thanksgiving Be sure to click on this blue line to watch a short, very cool video!

I have so much to be grateful for! For each of you who read this blog because I know you are the people who love and care about me and Scott. I am so thankful for my faith in God and for every breath He gives me to live in this beautiful world he created for all of us. I acknowledge His hand in all that I do, in all that I have, and in all that I am. We are all so blessed!

Family is what it's all about - and you thought it was the okey pokey!

Yesterday we got to speak with each of our children through out the day! How grateful I am that as Senior missionaries we can talk with our family whenever we want. Sarah is doing well in the Ukraine - she got the birthday card from us AND she got the package that Joe sent her. It was quite the miracle since it wasn't the correct address. Pete is taking care of the homefront very well despite 2 very needy dogs! David is still trying to figure out how to manage his symptoms from 2 different ailments - ulcerative colitis and some kind of arthritis while he takes care of his sweet family. And Angie and BJ are getting settled in after managing a long trek across the country with a large Uhaul, 2 cars, a baby and a 2 1/2 year old! I think they all need a medal!

Elise Kristine Allen was blessed on Sunday, November 7th by her daddy BJ Allen. What a blessing she is in all of our lives. I can't wait to hold her and kiss her. Isn't she beautiful in her blessing dress?


Angie was trying to take a picture of Elise sitting up in her cute little chair and Quintin really wanted to be in on it too.



The Allen Family - Angie, BJ, Quintin and Elise


David, Angela, Eli, Abby, Lizzie and Jonah

What a blessing to have such wonderful children and grandchildren. I am truly grateful for all of them and the love and concern they show me. I know that it's the prayers of our families, that includes our parents, our brothers and sisters and our friends, that help us and sustain us in all that we go through. WE LOVE YOU AND ARE SO GRATEUL FOR YOU!

Here's a beautiful Houston sunset that one of the Sister missionaries took! I love sunsets because every time I see one I think of my Heavenly Father, how He knows my every need and how He gives me everything I need. The trials, the joys, the people, the sunsets, the tender mercies, the frustrations, the loving hand, the new baby. I have so much. thank you for that beautiful sunset.

Happy Birthday & Happy Halloween

HAPPY 22nd BIRTHDAY SARAH! We love you and are so proud of you for doing such positive things with your life. We miss you so much but are glad you are making so many friends in the Ukriane. What a beautiful country. We love your pictures on your blog!

Yesterday we were in College Station and saw this guy walking down the street. We think it's his halloween costume but we're not sure! HAPPY HALLOWEEN today!

We drove past Texas A&M's footballs stadium, there were 83,000 people there! No wonder we couldn't find a place to park. We wanted to walk around the campus and go to the George H. Bush library but we couldn't find a place to park! We'll go back another time. We didn't even think about going to the game, the least expensive tickets were $70!

transfers, flare-ups, and a mugging!

I didn't blog last week because I wasn't really feeling up to it! I started having leg pain on a Monday, didn't sleep Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday because of the pain. It's weird! During the day it was uncomfortable but I could get up and walk around and talk with people and it was bearable, but like a ticking clock at night that's not noticed during the day, Wow! during the night it was just excruciating. I did go to the doctor on Thursday morning and he didn't think it was associated with MS so he told me that I should go see an Orthapedic Dr. and told me to take some ibuprophen. Believe me I called him on Friday to say that not only did that not help but it didn't even begin to touch the pain. So then he gave me some pain medicine that made me so sick on Friday that I threw up for the1st time in 22 years! No kidding! Gross! On Monday I got into an orthapedic Dr. thanks to my wonderful mission president. The doctor put me on a milder pain med and gave me some real low dose steriods that seem to have helped. But the best thing he did was say that he would talk with my neurologist and see if between the two of them they could figure out what is going on. They did and MRI last Tuesday and doing some other test this Monday at the neurologist's office. I'm pretty sure it's an MS flare-up but I'm not a Dr and he says it's not but it's so similiar to what happened last June just in a different place. But gratefuly, it didn't last as long and I was able to get help and relief sooner. I don't know why "stuff" happens, not just to me but to people around me that I love. One of our dear sweet Senior Sisters was mugged 25 steps from her apartment this past week by some guy who knocked her down, stole her purse, with all her ID, money, phone, car keys and took our feeling of safety down a level! BUT, in all this we have to see that God is in charge. I just read this quote by Wallace Goddard: "I define faith as the stubborn resolve to see God's goodness in everything that happens to us." Neal A. Maxwell said:

"Let the kaleidoscope of life's circumstances be shaken, again and again, the
true believer of Christ will still see with the eye of faith divine design and
purpose in his life."

www.drwally.org The article is titled A Little Known Debate in Heaven and is very thought provoking.

Sister Young (in the middle) is going home today, back to Sandy, Utah. Sister Walker and I will miss her a lot. She had lots of stories and funny sayings. I will never forget the saying; "I feel like a wart on a pickle!"


Here we are last Sunday in Brenham, Tx about a little over and hour away from us. We took a new car to some Elders there and then went to the branch's Sunday meetings. Sister Young and Sister Young took the Sunday drive with us.

We had a guest at the Mission Office the other day! We caught him as a pet (one of the missionaries did!) and put him in a fish bowl but he turned an ugly brown color so we let him go!

The AP's Elder Thomson from Hawaii and Elder Anderson from Utah. Elder Thomson was just transfered up to College Station. We will miss him. Missions are a series of Hellos and Good-byes!

The transfer trailer!

One of the Sister missionaries (we won't say who) showed up 15 minutes late with everything she owned in the back of her car. NOT in a box or suitcase, just in the back of her car. So Elder Stringfellow was helping her back it into whatever we could find. Since she had to put it in the back of this trailer, he was taping up her stuff so it wouldn't fall out and get lost. I'm not sure where her suitcases were.

WHY ISN'T THERE AN UNDO BUTTON ON BLOGSPOT? I just accidently deleted the picture of Scott taping up the laundry basket and I don't know how to get it back on there. He just said he didn't think that was very blog worthy anyway!

Another Week Has Passed Quickly

Last week was a week for catching up. I finally got the Mission History started and organized. All I need to do now is print it off. We put pictures in it and describe the comings and goings of all the missionaries and various Conferences that are held. We also put in testimonies of recent converts and special experiences of the missionaries. It's kind of like a blog in a binder. I think I'm finally somewhat comfortable with my varied assignments and don't feel quite so panicked! Saturday all of the Senior missionaries took a trip to Traders Village, which is a giant flea market and then we went to a big farmers market with the best looking fruits and vegtables. Though I did have to laugh when I saw a bag of potatoes from Idaho and apples from Washington. I bought the best tasting mango though, not sure where it came from!

Here are my two Sister Youngs. I just love them both. They both have such unique personalities. They're in the middle of throwing bread to the ducks. The dark hair Sister Betty Jo Young works in the office with us and is going home at the end of the month and I am sad to see her go. One of the best parts of the mission are the people you meet and friends you know you'll have forever! We got to meet Sister Peggy Jo Young's daughter this weekend. Hi Margaret! (she told me she reads my blog to see what her mother's up to!)

On Sunday we went to the Klien Stake's Conference, Elder Marlin Jensen was one of the speakers. His talk touched me so deeply. He talked to a young man recently who had returned from his mission 4 years ago and had read some anti-mormon literature and had decided to leave the church. Elder Jensen didn't really say what he'd said to him but said he reflected on the origin of his testimony and the foundation of his beliefs. He had 3 points;

*1 Christ is talking in Matthew 7:15: Beware of false prophets - if there are false prophets then we have true prophets and we know them by their fruits, LOOK, OBSERVE, example the Word of Wisdom that Joseph Smith gave 180 years ago.

*2 John 7:16,17 When Christ is speaking about the doctrine; we can know it by living it. That is the only way! "The proof is in the pudding.!

*3 1 Corinthians 2:11 For what man knoweth but by the Spirit of God. He expressed that this one is the most elusive, Moroni 10:5 By the power of the Holy Ghost ye SHALL know the truth of all things. This connects what we believe with what we do.

This too is my testimony, I know it because I have felt it so deep in my heart, even every fiber of my being, I cannot deny that it is through that power that I know. I know. I am grateful. I am SO Blessed to have this knowledge and faith and hope in my Savior.

Here are the tres hermanas. Sister Rodriguez, closest to me is the sister we took to the hospital last weekend for an MRI. We unfortuantely missed Elder Costa's talk to all of the missionaries in the 3 Houston missions but I was glad that we were there with her. She moved to California about 4 or 5 years ago but is originally from Guatamala and I knew exactly what she was going through with the back pain and having to have MRI's. The president was glad Elder Stringfellow was there too in case they needed an interpreter, but she got along fine. The other two sisters are Hermana Bullock and Hermana Ferro.

10-10-10

Scott has pointed out to me several times today that it's 10-10-10! So I thought I would write 10 things I am grateful for.
1. Family (I love you guys!)
2. My faith in Jesus Christ, in His atonement, in His love for me and each one of us.
3. Friends - I am so blessed to have such great friends, including the ones I'm just making!
4. To be living my dream of being on a mission with my wonderful husband (Scott, thank you for all you do for me.)
5. To be feeling as good as I do! I recognize that God hears our prayers and enables us to do what we need to do.
6. That I can read (especially the scriptures) and listen (to prophets and apostles, my grandchildren's sweet little voices, uplifting music and so much more.)
7. Nature - thus the picture of the great big leaf, the cows in the pasture, an old barn! Sarah, on my screen saver right now is the picture you took of Antelope Island with all of the clouds in the sky; the wind on my face, the smell of rain, a beautiful sunset!
8.My right to choose - how to feel, how to think, what to believe.
9. The bounties of life - a home, food, shelter, we truly do have sufficient for our needs!
10. I am so grateful for my Heavenly Father and ALL that He does for me, I feel His loving hand and tender mercies every single day of my life!

These huge leaves are just outside our apartment and everyday I tell Scott I want to take my picture by it and every day he just rolls his eyes! So finally we took this picture because I noticed it's turning colors and will probably fall to the ground in a few weeks.

We pass by this old barn every day as we drive to the mission office.

Then we pass these cows every morning. The ironic thing is that north of this only a half mile is probably one of the busiest streets in all of Houston with every store and resturant imaginable.

Last Sunday we had a few missionaries over for dinner. This is Elder Hansen who goes home in a few weeks spoon feeding Elder Austin (who for some reason my brain thinks is Elder Curtis) who had just eaten before he came so he was'nt too hungry. Seriously, that's how much food he took and he didn't eat any of it! You don't see that too much.

Sister Maylet's birthday was the next week so we made her a dessert, Elder Stringfellow accidently bought the trick candles that don't ever blow out. They just kept re-lighting!

After Disney World

It sounded like they had a great time in Disney World. They came back through Wednesday morning at 8:00 AM and grandpa had baby cinnamon rolls and oranges for everyone. I hear David's going to start a blog just so I can see their pictures from their trip. And keep up with the next years activities! (hint, hint David)

Wow, I remember when I had that much energy to travel with 4 kids, a myriad of suitcases, backpacks and diaper bags!!!

Eli bug loved the oranges but especially when he figured out they could be his lips!

Jonah's souvenier - a blue Mickey Mouse!

Abby was excited to show me her little kitty stuffed animal!