Patrick Kearon

Thursday, 12/14/23  Hello Brandon, I sent you an email yesterday. I hope you are well. I leave a blank _____ when I hope you will answer a question. @ Elder Patrick Kearon is our new apostle. In April general conference ‘22 E. JRHolland teased him in his talk!  In front of everybody! Elder Kearon teased him right back as he began, he was the next speaker. What an interesting way for us to get to know him a little better!  Here are their two teases: 

1-This cri de coeur comes from my eight-year-old friend Marin Arnold, written when she was seven. I will translate for you her early reformed Egyptian:

Dear Bishop

generle confrins

was Boring why

Do we half to

Do it? tell me why

Sinserlie, Marin

Well, Marin, the talk I am about to give will undoubtedly disappoint you again. But when you write your bishop to complain, it is important that you tell him my name is “Kearon. Elder Patrick Kearon.”

2-Marin, I’m Elder Holland, and things are about to go downhill.

They both lied Brandon!  So cute. So funny.

Dec. 23, 2023 Hello Brandon, Today is JS’s bday. Happy Birthday Joseph! And you, JS must have been phenomenal in the premortal existence.  @ Sandra’85 started a dialog about a family Christmas gathering to play games. It happened last night. We all brought food, potluck without any coordination and it was spectacular! Karen’87 & Louis‘80 both offered to host it. They have nice big roomy houses and swimming pool or tramp and zip line in back yards.  When I saw Louis offer I was pleased because he has a gas stove that gives off tons of BTUs/heat and I can get two pans of oil cooking french fries to keep up with 20-30 people. Well, Louis’ house was where we ended up and I made french fries for over an hour! @ The bishop and the youth brought me a hickory smoked ham with honey glaze on Wednesday night and they caroled: Rudolf, and Silent Night.

I was emotionally fragile afterwards with inadequacy. But it wore off by the next morning. @ Pineapples were on sale for $1 at Smiths and I got 5. So did Robert n Amber so they didn’t want one last night. I gave one to Karen and four to Sandra. @ Clementines were on sale (digital download) 3lbs/$2. Louis and Sandra were the happy recipients of those. @ I also had artisan rolls from the freezer from Thanksgiving that I thawed and Karen ended up with those. @ I checked out 5 books from a Saint George editor and writer/author named Lyman Hafen. He spoke in the first dedicatory session and I decided I needed to get to know him better. Yesterday I read the one called: “A Snowball's Chance” with my old media coordinator from PVMS, Ester West, as the illustrator. I took it with the hope that I would be able to share it with all the grandkids. 4,4,2,2 (I guess we had 21 people at his house last night. @ I also took two boxes of Quirkle that I  bought in ‘17 because we needed more tiles if we wanted everyone to be able to play. I don’t think we have played it since then. So I had high hopes, as you can see. I did not get to do those last two, but BnS have invited me over for Monday and perhaps I can use them then.  @ Sandra & Bonnie both asked for Christmas ideas for me. So they both paid for some prescription rainbow computer glasses. $20/each. I ordered them on Thanksgiving from Zenni and they arrived. I love useful presents!  These glasses have held up really well so I wanted a pair for at home and the FSC.

     Louis has been out of work for a year and been living on savings. He put tons of money away. Everytime we can get Louis & Bonnie involved in a family activity it is a blessing. @ I heard Louis saying how he rises to take care of family crises, but crashes when things are level/smooth/normal. His wife Bonnie is the opposite. She shuts down in times of crisis. Ever since Lincoln was born they have been in a family crisis, almost. I think I mentioned that Lincoln’s’11 meds cost over $1k/month. Louis makes the meals and takes care of the meds etc. @ I think Bonnie told me that she has had about ten surgeries in the last 18 months. Pins in two broken ankles, appendicitis, broken jaw and lost teeth from being knocked down and stepped on by her horse, tooth abscess this last month, etc. etc.. @ As you probably recognize. . . this is the family I try to keep in touch with by reading with Lincoln every school day.  @ So when I heard him explaining how each person is different in how they handle difficult times, I was interested and pleased. Owning our abilities and disabilities is so key! 

     Amber is 30 weeks pregnant and Robert was exhausted from work. Nevertheless, Robert rose to the challenge of putting kids shoes and jackets on and taking them out back to play. Lydia loved the tramp. Oliver pushed a 3ft car around the backyard in bliss.

     Karen subbed for Jen Shaw (baby Shaw)at Tonaquint Intermediate school. Lisa Shaw (mommy Shaw) asked her to say hi to me.  Brooklyn Brock had Jen Shaw last year for honors English and Hailey Brock has her this year. Karen said that the honors classes are a dream to teach but the leftovers/regular classes are awful/difficult/rambunctious. She couldn’t figure out how some unrestrained students ended up coming back to Jen’s class a second time?  I absolutely disagree with offering honors classes in the 6th grade. I believe that every class benefits from having bright students in it. And when the hormones are taking control. . . every ounce of brain power/role modeling and good behavior is needed!  Preadolescence! Karen says she is getting along with Brooklyn just fine but it is driving Larry nuts/crazy.  Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023 Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Glorious Sabbath Brandon! We had the best Christmas program you could ever imagine. Have you ever plucked a string on a Bass? (Big brother to a cello.) We had a Silent Night solo (Mathew Walker) on it as well as later sung by the congregation. We had a flute duet by Lydia Larsen and Amy Adams (YW) and a number of organ & piano accompaniments and lastly A Flute counterpoint/harmony on the last 3 hymns by Andra Garrett. I had bassesTed Fifield’39(84) & Jim Cox’42(81) on each side of me’55 so I can guide them to the right notes. So fun!  We had 4 speakers between the musical numbers: EQpres. Josh Borgerson, RSpres. Kathy Averett, 1st couns. Derek Larson, & Bishop Karl Torgerson.  It was so glorious Brandon!  What a blessing to be part of this ward. Plus I got to participate, and I love that. What is your favorite scripture about Jesus? That was their topic.  That would be a tough call for you and me wouldn’t it? _____ @ I came home exhausted. I don’t know why. Maybe it was all the Christmas treats I ate last night. Lloyd Simpson brought me a quart of homemade candies and cookies and I studied and listened to the CFMe Christmas lesson and ate them one by one. Way, way too much sugar! But man was it fun and good. I did feel a bit sick afterwards. @ Our meetings have been at 9am. We make sure we are there to put out the chairs at 8:30 because we are the first ward. Today I was the first one to put out chairs and I did it my way! I lined up the first row on the basketball line! And I got 5 or 6 rows done so by that time no one was willing to move them back to the regular place. Ha! My Bishop sent out this message at 7 am this morning:” 

Bloomington Hills 2nd Ward

Brothers and sister Happy Christmas Eve! 

I know myself well to know that tomorrow on Christmas morning I will wake up and spend all my time with my kids and not think about sending off a Christmas message; so I'm going to do so now:)

I read a quote that I would like to share with you all by Elder J. Thomas Fyans:

"When the angel announced the birth of the Savior to the shepherds, these men "came with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger."...

The good news of the gospel throughout the ages has been accompanied with a rapid pace and a sense of urgency.  The Prophet Joseph Smith exhibited this haste as well as have all modern-day prophets. ...

Where do the streams of our thoughts flow? Are we reading the scriptures? Are we listening to the counsel of our present-day prophet? Are we catching the vision of really living the gospel? Are we feeling the sense of urgency--an urgency to repent, to share the gospel, to prepare for the second coming of the Savior, to obey all God's commandments?"

Brothers and sisters, as we visit today in sacrament meeting and celebrate the life of our Savior today and tomorrow please consider how we can all, individually, hasten the work of the Savior and come unto him.

I love all of you! Merry Christmas brothers and sisters!

Love, 

Bishop Torgerson

Brandon, I don’t share these things to make you feel left out. I share them to remind you and help you feel included.

     As you probably know. . . I hate red tape. Is buying presents red tape? To me it is. :( But I have figured out a way to buy everyone presents, all 32 of us, and never go to the store. I like to put it off until all regular Christmas shopping is done. Last night I did it. Amazon gift cards! Karen didn’t notice her one from last year until August or September. Louis never noticed his, so I had to resend it this month! ha! I texted them last night so they would have an extra reminder and they responded in delightful ways: Saturday · 10:11 PM 

I sent out my Amazon Christmas 🎁 gift cards tonight. Don't miss them like Karen n Louis did last year. . . although Christmas in Oct or November might be fun for variety. Ha V

😂

Sandra Morgan

Thank you for the heads up! 

Louis Jensen

Redeemed it tonight so I don't forget. Lol. Early Christmas 

Karen Brock

Oh wonderful! Thank you Dad!! Merry Christmas! 🎄

 So Brandon, once again, sharing this with you makes me smile. I love efficiency! Can you get any more efficient than that?

     There is the sweetest picture/painting of a baby for the Christmas lesson in the CFM manual. 

I wrote the following on the highlight I made last night:I felt the condescension of God as I imagined what JC felt as that tiny newborn in Mary's arms last Friday during the video in prayer meeting./For some reason it was a brand new experience for me. Tyhf! [Brandon, you and I were born and cared for. So was Jesus. A God, grew up as a child on this earth. Doesn’t that make him much more relatable? He experienced what you and I experienced. Wow.] 

December 18–24. Christmas: “Good Tidings of Great Joy”

Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: New Testament 2023

Why does the birth of a baby bring such great joy? Perhaps because a new baby can be a symbol of hope. There’s something about a brand-new life full of possibilities that invites us to ponder what life might hold for that child and what wonderful things he or she will accomplish. Never has this been truer than at the birth of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Never has there been more hope placed in a child, and never has there been one born with so much promise.

     ok, on to lesser things. I qualified my third current account as a REVIEWER this week by getting 1k Italian death certificates indexed. Since this account will have Louis’ membership number associated with it. . . I should be able to get an accurate measurement of time for how long it takes to get temple work done by someone on a record I have indexed. I imagine it will take at least a year. We will see. 

     Next week will be another week here at home because the FSC is closed. GBY-bltpjs- your friend Vern