4/3/22 Family Letter

 Hi Eve!! 

 Wizard Of Oz has been really stressful; but really fun!!!

Performances are this week. We might have an understudy run through Monday or Tuesday but I'm not 100% sure. Wish me luck! That's basically it! I love you so much! our rooms are looking good so far! 

xoxoxoxoxoxo MARI

What to say

You're Almost here! That's honestly the coolest thing that's happened recently.

 The show is getting to the point where it's stressful. Everyone is on edge.

Conference was really cool, but I don't have to tell you that.

I went on a date with Taylor and it was fun. Honestly, that's all I got.

I can't wait to see you!

love

Hyrum

Sweet Eve,

General Conference was so filled with the topic of missionary work that I'm sure I heard you give a couple of "Whoot Whoo's" from North Dakota!  What a choice time to be a missionary!  I can't wait to hear what you learned from Conference.  Some of my knowledge nuggets were:  

Elder Bednar:  We will "heed not"  what the wicked may say....      As we draw closer to Christ, His divinity will affect us. We need to testify more openly about our personal connection to the Savior.

President Eyring:  Become childlike enough to ask, "I only want what You want, so please tell me what that is."

Elder Holland:  The LIght of Christ has been given to you to protect you.

Elder Kearon:  What is your survival story?  You have already been rescued.

Elder Gong:  What is your story?  How would you summarize yourself and your experiences? Let your story be passed down.

Sister Susan Porter (General Women's Meeting)- Seek for spiritual insights and awakenings.  Salt, Leaven, Light- a little makes a big difference.  He is all these things for us and we can be all these things for others.

be bop boop badadbadoop (that's Hyrum...he hijacked the computer....)

Sister Becky Craven:  Being a disciple means that we do something. It's not about doing more, it's about doing what matters. Be content with what you have.

Elder Renlund:  Our destiny will not be forced on us.  Our destiny is determined by our choices. Weakness is not rebellion.

Elder Christofferson:  We do our best to fulfill our divine commission, but leave the management of things to Him.

Sister Ann Wright:  Waiting on the Lord can be a sacred place.  It gives us a chance to choose the Lord again and again.

Elder Stevenson:  Mentally summarize the things I do so that I can be prepared to answer the question "What did you do this weekend?'   Love, Share, Invite

President Nelson: Be at peace ourselves.  1- Get on the covenant path and stay there. 2- Discover the joy of daily repentance (repentance is the key to progress). 3- Learn about God and how He works (we need daily experiences with God) 4- Seek and expect miracles (ask in faith and then reflect, recognize and record). 5- End conflict in your personal life (humility required, ask for His help).

Elder Soarres: Stay in "awe" of the Gospel.  There is always something fascinating to learn about the Savior.

Elder Uchtdorf:  Offerings to Christ are measured by the effect it has on the donor. In our busy day are we willing to focus our heart on Him first?

We had a rockin' Conference weekend!  We were able to watch all of the sessions.  Saturday was just our household, but Sunday we added Emma and Matt and the Sister Missionaries.  The Sisters brought their pillows and blankets.  They participated in the full "Barlow Conference Experience" according to them.  They ate so much that when it was time for their dinner appointment that they had to talk themselves into finding more room in their belly.  I hope you get a chance to meet Sister Essex.  I think you two would be great friends!  Matt told us about one of his Conference traditions growing up- to build cup towers from paper cups.  Jokingly I offered him a Costco-sized bag of red Solo cups.  He was so excited!  He built a tower for each session.  His towers reached all the way to the ceiling.  They stayed up until that session ended and then Hyrum and Mari got to shoot them down with Nerf guns.  Emma got it on slow-mo.  Matt said that when he was little he would practice cup stacking (like Minute-to-Win-it games).  Emma was giggling because these are things she never knew about Matt. During Conference, Joey wedged himself between the two beanbags, on his back with his tongue hanging out.  I think he was really relaxed!  I think Joey sleeps about 20 hours a day! 

This week starts my Spring Break and all my landscapes are done!  I'm hoping to use my time to get things ready for you!  Also, we are also getting thge piano tuned, ready for you to play it if you would like.

We are so excited to see you.  Is this the last letter we will write you on your mission or will you get to have a P-day next week too?

Either way,  I want you to know that I am so proud of you!  You did it!

  Mom

Millie,

I hope you had a fantastic Conference weekend.  Our weekend went like it usually does.  We slimmed down a lot of our traditions but still made it awesome.  We had the Sisters over.  I think Sister Essex really likes to be over here.  She has said several times how she is comfortable here and wants to implement some of what we do in her home.  Matt started a new conference tradition.  He mentioned how his family would build a conference Cup Tower to the ceiling and then after that session of Conference they would knock it down.  He built two towers (one with Mari's help) and now we have a bag full of Matt's Conference Cup for future towers.

I felt we had several talks that were definitely needed.  Elder Holland's talk on suicide and Elder Kearon's talk on abuse were great.  President Nelson's talk to open the conference about contention and preparing for missionary service to be followed by Elder Ballard's talk on missionary service were both clear and direct.  Neither said anything new but they were direct enough that it is sure to offend those not doing what they should.  I follow Twitter closely during Conference to get the accurate quotes for my inspiration journal.  I try to distance myself from Twitter after conference as we have a bunch of disaffected people who can't leave the church alone.  It makes for a lot of eye rolling so I try to distance myself.  

Tiffany has her Spring Break this week.  We are expected to have good weather so she is excited to spend all of the time outside in the yard.  We have a few things to repair in the house.  It is a good thing one of those days is expected to be rainy.  Having the kids and TIffany on different break schedules is lame.  I think we all need a break to go somewhere not here but that will come this Summer.  I looked at all the trips we are taking and noticed I will be gone most of July on trips.  I'm still not sure what that will do for work but I think this new job makes it so I don;t need to worry about it. 

This will likely be our last letter to you kid.  With you coming home so soon we will save what we have to share when we see you.  I'm as proud as I can be of you.  You have served at a time that is difficult to serve.  You have proven that "no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing."  You have had many assignments given to you, some of them at the same time, and you found a way to balance them.  You have been an inspiration to many in the NDBM and in your home town.  I'm grateful for you and your example.

Great work kid!

Love

Dad

Ether 12:38