What going on here in Orem - 3-10-2009

William,

So how is Virginia? Are you still with Elder Davis and Elder Goats? I chose to hold off on the "snailmail" when you said that you may get a transfer this week. So what happened with all that?

Mary Ann has been watching the weather for Virginia and I think she mentioned snow and cold temperatures. We have had 4 inches of snow and 50 degree weather in the same week. How's that for Utah. She has also been playing around with making "creme' Brule" and "flan", Custards made from scratch, and are they delicious. Her quilt top is done and now she just has to make back. It is for Trish.

Benson got a new computer at the BYU surplus sale, a 2.4 GHz duo-core system for $50. He and I have been playing Ghost Recon on it now instead of using the laptop. During one of the warmer days Benson was nice enough to take the christmas lights down for Mary Ann. Really, it's only March, what's the hurry. Benson went down to the cannery. He told his seminary teacher that he worked a shift in the cannery and his teacher told him that he would get 2000 "spiritual" browny points. but no extra credit for seminary.

Anneke came over for dinner last week, it was fun to see her again. She mentioned that you sent a photo memory card to them last week, but I am stilling hoping to see some of them. Anneke said that she would try to get me some this week, so I gave her my jumpdrive. Now I have been without my jumpdrive for a few days and still have no pictures.

The water softener has really been great on our skin, Mary Ann has stopped scratching and the dry skin on my legs has been healing. Talking about water, Mary Ann has been pushing me to cleanup the Fish tank, so Saturday we did a water change, and rearranged some of the rock. It is starting to look nice again.

Benson is teaching Indy to jump. The best we have gotten out of him so far is to stand up quickly. So he is still a work in progress.

Matt only has 108 days left in the Paris France Mission. Tami and Shawn have sold their house and are moving soon. Steve passed his LSAT for Law school with a 186. He needed a 187 to go to Harvard Law School.I asked Sue if Steve wanted to go to Harvard and she said no, but it's cool to say it.

I have been attaching the pictures of the headstones from Parowan to each genealogy record for Mary Ann family tree. We have a family reunion in July. I have joined the Wendelboe reunion group on Facebook and have more family pictures then I can shake a stick at.

Well that is about all for this week, I need to plan my week out better so that I can start adding a spiritual message again. I hope that you are having a great week and that you are continuing to have some success with your investigators. I am including a couple of pictures from the board at church and some of us hear at home.

Keep up the "Good" work, and know that our prayers are with you.
- Dad, Mary Ann, and Benson

Pictures





The headboard that we made as a wedding gift for Steve & Tausha





William's Picture on the Ward Missionary board
David's Picture on the Ward Missionary board
Andrew's picture on the Ward Missionary Board




Top of the quilt that Mary Ann made for Trisha




How the Fishtank is looking so far



Benson & Indy

New Spanish Guy getting baptized - 3-4-09

This last week has been really different. It started out bad with a snow day, 2 inches of snow stopped us because we were told not to leave the apartment. So we stayed in all day and did nothing. I tried to write a letter but then stopped, Elder Goats and I played with our cameras and you will see those pictures soon.

Transfers are next week and I don't know if I will be here or not, so hold all letters and packages until I send the email and tell you my address.

The big highlight is that a new Spanish guy is getting baptized this month. (if all goes well)

He is really cool and we have only been working with him for a little while.

Tell Benson "Good Luck" and tell him I need him to email me if he can get the time

Virginia ROCKS! The church is true, and I love you. read Mosiah 3

We had fish for dinner - 3-3-09

Hi William,

We had fish for dinner yesterday. The water softener is really helping my dry skin. And Benson is taking his ACT's next month. Garth has a date this weekend and Wes is thinking of buying a house in this depressed market. Anneke has been over to the house a little more often this last week and I have really enjoyed seeing more of her.

In your last letter you mentioned needing a cookbook. What type would you like? Fast meals for 2, Chinese, home cooking, meals to freeze? Let me know and we will see what we can find for you. Are you having fun with trying some new dishes? I hope so.

How are things going with your companion? I hope that you remember what I told you last week. It will only help your relationship if you are able to realize that you have changed an awful lot in the last couple of months and he was a part of that. He started out with a greenie and had to teach him to become a missionary. I am glad that you have hit it off with you new companion. How are you new investigators doing? you could challenge them to a game of soccer and if you win they have to take the fist discussion. Or while you are playing soccer you and your companions could keep shouting out scriptures or topics from the dicussions.

A couple of weeks ago I sned an email to a guy in Italy about some genealogy information on the Boy line. He never replied by someone in North carolina saw the post and asked my about my line. Well this week we have shared more information and this guy (Gary) is a direct line decendant of my great-grandfathers brother. his half of the family stayed in Tennessee, while my hal of the family moved to Missouri. They have had almost not contact with the families since the split. He only knew about 4 of the 11 siblings of his great-grandfather, because the rest were born after the family splitup.

It is kind of like how it will be when we return to our Heavenly Father and see our "old" friends. We will talk and talk to catchup on each others experiences while we were apart. But in other ways it will seem like we were never apart. Even with "new" family like I have just met, it feels like we have known each other, and just have to catchup a little.

Well I have to get to work, I can't wait to here how your week has been. I love you and I love to hear of the incredible experiences that you are having. I just remembered that I was suppose to send you a "snailmail" this week. I will send you next week, so don't look for it this week, it isn't in the mail. Sorry about that.

Take care of yourself, and go find those golden contacts!
Love you
Dad, Mary Ann & Benson

Baptism of Christina - 2-25-09

This last week has been really good. We finally got Christina Veanuava baptized, she is a unbaptized youth and we have been working with her since I got here. Other then that, not much has happens this week. It seems like everything is going much faster and it is hard to see what happens from day to day.

As far as the Easter Box; Socks, Candy, Cookbook, Pictures (of the new cameras and dog dog and the family), Garment tops, microcassette tapes, bike light, sudoku puzzle book (free time on pdays), and anything you think I need and would like to send me.

I still have everything from christmas and it was hard to give away the little hot pads you sent me.

I love you all and can't believe how fast time is moving. I have already been out for almost 4 months and it only feels like a couple for weeks.

WOW, Benson singing in a restaurant. I'm sorry I wont be home in time for the wedding. I will have to try and write a poem and send it back for you to read.

60in plasma screen I am going to have to go there afterwards, Elder Benz is probibly not happy with it, after he leaves but yea someone will enjoy it.

This is all for now I will write to everyone before May, that is when the postal charge is going up and I have some 42 cent stamps to use up.

I love you all and I love getting the pictures, I would love to see one with you all in contacts and the changes in the family.

Love - Elder Boy

Back from Arizona

William,

We had a great time watching the play that Garth worked on in Las Vegas. It was called "Back to the 80's" and it was kind of like "Grease" done in the 80's. A bunch of kids going to high school, and singing a bunch of songs from the 1980's

We went to In and Out Burger after the show. Ione (Trisha's Friend) bet Benson that if she could drink 5 "shots" of ketchup in 20 seconds, that he had to sing a song to her. She did drink 5 ketchup shots, and Benson sang, "I'm a little teapot" to the entire restaurant, and then proposed to Ione, the whole group cracking up.

We stopped at the Parowan City Cemetery and took pictures of a bunch of headstones from Mary ann's side of the family.

Friday and Saturday we spent with Sue, Robin and Grandma Boy. Robin got a 60in flatscreen High def TV and is it sweet. Saturday Morning was a genealogy conference so I was in Heaven. and Saturday afternoon Sue and Mary Ann spent together at the fabric stop.

Grandma Boy got in the mood to talk about 11pm on Saturday night and we talked until 2am. It really was my favorite time of the entire weekend. Fortunately, Mary Ann and Benson we willing to drive most of the way home.

I got a couple of interesting email today, 1 was a reply to an email to some guy in Italy who is related to the Boy line. We are going to exchange information soon. I also got a invite on my Facebook accoount from my cousin Bobby Sheppard back in Racine. I am looking forward to catching up with him on what has been happening the last 25 years. His father, uncle Bob also died this last year.

Sorry for the missing spiritual message, I hope that everything is going great with you. I am excited to hear how things are going with your investigators, and how your baptism went. I got your snailmail letter yesterday and I am glad to hear that your bike is working out so good. Wow, 200 miles in 2 weeks. Holy Mackeral!

Well, just this short message this time,
Love you and you are always in our prayers
-Dad, Mary ann and Benson