{ 6 Kids and a Puppy }: January 2013

Dear Benjamin/Elder Soutas

Did things work out for Nuno? I have been praying that he would be baptized this week. It was cool to read about how you invited him to read the scriptures and he received his answer.

To answer your question, your package has not come yet. Hopefully this week, the holiday schedule has everything behind.

this Week the kids did go back to school and it was really hard to get up and get going. I finally cleaned the house and put away all of the Christmas stuff and I like it when it feels nice and clean again.

Dad was sick this week with the stomach flu - no fun at all.

So the BIG NEWS it has been a crazy week. Dad and I have actually known about this for a few weeks now, but we were not able to say anything.

Today was Stake conference and the entire stake was realigned There were tons of changes because of that.

First of all, Dad was released as the Bishop of the 4th ward....but hold on ...he was called as the Bishop of the 8th ward.!!

Crazy huh all of the boundaries are different. We don't even know most of our ward now. It was interesting for Dad to try and call new counselors. He was choosing from the new ward so that there would be unity. But he really didn't know anyone. The Spirit guided him to 2 names he felt good about and now they are his new counselors. They are Brother Bennett (he had been serving on the High Council) and Brother Orton ( I believe he has a son your age, also a son Jordan's age and a son Tyler's age and a son Jenessa's age....etc.. He has 11 kids! I think you might know the son Dallin?.. Jordan knew the one his age.

So crazy- our old 4th ward is now a part of three different wards. Lady Dove area stayed in the 4th ward with the new bishop as Kris Yates (of course not a big surprise) but the rest of their ward includes Hearthstone.

Our old neighborhood is now apart of the 5th ward, which includes Memorial Drive area. The new Bishop is Bishop Oniki

Our 8th ward includes all of our neighborhood down to 2700 West - with South Pointe Road and all of those circles and the other circle over by the Dimicks also the area 1 street to the North of Southpointe Road...if you know where Dana Geddes sister lives - she is now in our ward too.

Dad will be going crazy trying to fill all of the callings this week. There are vacancies and duplicates. For example, the old 8th ward has their relief society president, but sis Fernelius was our 4th ward president and now they are in the same ward - so who to Keep??

Dad is at his old bishop's office meeting with Bishop Yates right now to fill him in on all the details of those members.

Yes - even our building changes - we now will attend at the Stake Center at 1:00!

President Nielson told us that this was an inspired change. Mostly to do with better unity - since some people (example -Sweet Blossom) live across the street from each other but do not know each other. Now no homes that face each other are in different wards. also he testified that this will help with the missionary rescue effort. It's still going to be very difficult to not have such great friends we have loved for so many years in our ward anymore...the Fergusons, The Lamberts, The Yates, The Husseys and so on. It's going to be difficult for some people to accept. President Nielsen asked us to not murmur and to sustain the action. There will also be better chances for more people to serve since the size of the wards will be smaller because they created a new ward - the 6th Ward.

We also had a great spiritual meeting last night where they taught about Family history work...that temple work is a 2 part blessing and unless you do both parts you are missing out on part of the blessing. Going to the temple is one part, doing the work for your own ancestors is the other part.

We also had Stake Temple night on Thursday and that was a great chapel session also.

I have felt the spirit so strongly this week. This morning I woke up with a song going through my mind...I didn't know why. then as I was waiting for conference to start in the chapel, I was writing a journal entry about how the song was on my mind..just then, as conference started, Brother Church stood up and started singing that very song as the prelude song. the song was "Our Savior's Love" and it testified to me that our Father is aware of us and how much he loves us and the Savior also. I know that the Savior's atonement heals us and I feel his hand so strongly in my life. He knows us, He is aware of us. He has blessed us so abundantly this week ... I love my Father and Heaven and my Savior.

I'm looking forward to hear about your week too. Work hard and be happy. :)

Love you forever, Mom