Filled with the Spirit

Dear Family,

Off I go to meet Hannah in Paris! Dad's about to give me a blessing. I'm very excited.

I'll take this wonderful talk of Elder F. Enzio Busche's with me. We started to read it for scriptures this morning, and it is inspiring. It was given at BYU in 1996.

I bet you'll enjoy it, too!

xoxoxoxo

Mom

http://www.byub.org/talks/Talk.aspx?id=270

Happy 100th Birthday, Grandma

Dear Family,

Our grandma Vella Rachel Fowler Neil would have been one hundred this September 25th. You may remember that her female descendents are gathering at Garden City Utah, on the shores of Bear Lake, to celebrate her life and gifts to us.

Thanks to Dad and Mom, we will be staying at Sweetwater at Bear Lake, September 23-25. Maybe we will see Grandma's diamond ring glinting in the sand on the shores there! Please share any birthday party ideas you have. And if you have time in September, let's head homeward together to the land of the Fowlers, Crowthers, Westons, Neils, and . . . (who else, Mom?)

My Life, A Review

I love Nonna, but she can be a little hard to work with at times. I've been reminding her that my life has been moving on, and I need her help. She's going on a trip with Aunt Hannah and is a little distracted. Some of these photos are over a month old.

Today, the Summer Solstice, is my two month birthday. No wonder the sun is shining so long!
Daddy and I are the hair boys. People are still commenting on my hair all the time. And that's without any bows or other amendments. Nonna says I look like President Hinckley from the back.
Since my last entry, I have cried my first tears. This is actually my first tear.
I have smiled. This is a fake smile, but it's good, don't you think?
This is a real smile with Auntie Laurel just last Saturday on Grandeur Peak. Do you admire my double chin? I have worked hard on it!
That was my first hike outside Mom. In a new pack.
After I smiled, I cried. Maybe you would have cried after being nose to Dad for three miles, and that was the up half!
These are The Bobs. Bob Fleming, Micah Robert, Aaron Robert, and Uncle Rob! It's probably not going to work for you to be in this club unless you already are.
Papa came. He gave me a bath.
And sang to me.
And held me a lot, especially in the early morning when I was a little sad. I'm not so sad in the mornings now. Thank you, Papa! I love you.
From this picture, you might think that I am being cruelly treated, or muzzled, but this is not true.
I just like holding hands with Mom. She is still my dearest.
Auntie Fei Fei is pretty good at helping me be happy. At first I wasn't sure.
I visited with Grandma Brown.
She is pretty young compared to Sister Robbins, who is 100 years old!
Here I am with Grandpa Charlie.
He wasn't with Grandma Lynn that time, but here's a photo I haven't put up yet. If you remember, Grandma Lynn was there when I was born. I love her, too.
Who knows when Nonna will help me next? Here are some more pictures to last you for a while.

Don't worry about me and Nonna. We'll patch it up.

Goodnightiloveyouseeyouinthemorning.

Aaron
Bonus Picture Number 1: hiking in Snow Canyon. This was my first hike. Visibility almost zero.
Bonus picture number 2: my first bottle. The good stuff.

Talk given Sunday, June 19. :)

Thank you Ariel for requesting I post this. I would have never thought of it myself ;). So for those of you that missed this:

...enjoy!

Laurel

The prophet Joseph Smith said: “Happiness is the object and design of our existence”. I gained a greater testimony of this principle last week at EFY. Sometimes I find myself focusing too much on the atonement’s help in overcoming our sins, that I forget that the atonement is predominately about joy. Those who are already Happy people can obtain even more joy through Jesus Christ.

We know that joy is strength. D&C 88:67 says: “And if your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you.” This reminds me of a story I learned from a violin maker. Stradivarius Violins are the best violins in the world. They were made long ago, and the secret of their remarkable sound has been lost over time. When asked why they are so much better than other violins, one violin maker told me that he thought there wasn’t any real secret at all. Instead, he thought that the violins had such amazing tone because they had been broken and repaired so many times. Every time the violins went into the shop to be fixed, they were improved. Over a long period of time, a violin would be made flawless, with meticulous work to every tiny detail of its structure. Likewise as we receive joy and light after our trials, we are made stronger. Satan is at a disadvantage in the struggle against sin, because Satan cannot take away our Joy and light unless we give it to him, and he can not turn light into darkness. Jesus Christ however, has the power to turn our darkness into light through the atonement and he does this because of great love for all of us.

I love the story of Jesus walking on water with Peter. When peter starts falling into the sea, and asks Christ to save him, Matthew 14:31 says: “And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand and caught him” I love the word “immediately”. I have a testimony that whenever we fall into trial and ask for Christ’s help, he will catch us immediately. And that he not only died for us, he lives for us as well, today.

I am so grateful for the savior in my life and our father in heaven. Also on this father’s day, I am grateful for the amazing examples of earthly fathers, particularly those closest to me: namely, my own father, My grandfather, and Micah, and many other fathers who I have observed, many of which are in this ward. They are such great strengths in my life.

I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Lentil Soup with Cilantro and Mint

Hi Family,

I know you really want pictures of Aaron, and not this silly recipe, but Hannah has talked me into a last minute trip to England and Ireland. I'll compromise with a few precious photos in a minute.

This soup is delicious and vegan! You'll want this recipe. In my big pot, I have room for 3 recipes. I recommend making at least two while you're at it.

Ingredients
3 T vegetable oil
1/2 t cumin seeds
1/2 t black or yellow mustard seeds
1-3 dried hot, red chiles
1 sm onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 med-sized tomato, chopped
1 c whole green lentils
3/4 t salt
1 t ground coriander
1/2 c chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 c chopped mint
fresh lemon
Greek yogurt

Instructions:
Put the oil in your pot and set over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, put in the cumin and mustard seeds. As soon as the mustard seeds begin to pop (this takes just a few secn=onds), put in the red chiles. Stir once. Put in the oinion, garlic and tomato. Stir for about 2 minutes or until the onion browns a bit. Now put in the lentils, 3 1/2 c water, salt, ground coriander, cilantro, and mint. Stir and bring to a simmer. cover, and cook on low for 20 minutes, or until lentils are done.

Serve with fresh lemon and/or yogurt, if desired.

Don't tell Andrew what it is. He'll like it!

Adapted from Madhur Jaffrey's Quick and Easy Indian Cooking

Women of God

Dear Sisters, Daughters, Mothers and Friends,

We have just finished listening to Sister Beck's talk for scripture time, and found it so powerful, not only on the subject of women in the Church, but of discipleship for everyone. It's worth studying. I hope you have time to enjoy it.

I include thes photos, because with one exception (salmon colored shirt), these are some of the most precious examples of women of God in my life.

Thank you all for showing me the way. I love you dearly.

If it's Spring, There Must be. . .

Rhubarb Pie! At least, when Grandpa is around. We've loved his rolls, his turkey soup and stuffing, rice pudding and baked apples, but nothing more than his rhubarb pie! Do you agree? In case you missed it, here is his recipe, a family heirloom.
Our own rhubarb is in its second (third?) year. The rhubarb wizard suggests waiting until the stalks are 1 inch wide. I think I have enough. Dad's is still looking better next door, though. I'm going to harvest some of ours and make a pie for a special occasion which I do have in mind.

In case you didn't get a hard copy of the pie recipe a few weeks ago here it is, just as he wrote it:

Grandpa's Rhubarb Pie*

3 cups rhubarb
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons flour
Dash salt
1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind
2 tablespoons butter
1 well beaten egg

Combine rhubarb, sugar, flour, salt and orange rind. Fill unbaked pastry-lined pan, dot with butter and pour egg over top. Leave uncovered, strip, or cover with top crust. Bake in hot oven,450 degrees for 15 minutes, reduce heat to moderate, 350 degrees, about 30 minutes longer.

*Courtesy of Mary Cullen's Cook Book Copyright, 1938

"Although the lines within this book
Are mostly written for the cook,
Our dedication and our greeting
Are to the chap who does the eating."

Is that little Rachel now a mama in the same house? And am I the grandma? I'd better get baking, but I'll never match the master. I love you, Dad!