January 1st 2000
Wow! The year 2000 has always seemed so futuristic and here it is! The world celebrated last night without a glitch. No Y2K problems. Power stayed on and everything was fine. The media has hyped up all the Y2K problems and many vendors have taken advantage of peoples fears. I'm thankful for this blessing and to all who worked hard to help make the transition into the year "00" a smooth one.
The day is clear, sunny and bright and glorious. I'm relishing every moment of having us all together. We went on a beautiful walk in the woods next door.
In this century I look forward to the coming of Christ and His Millennial rein of peace. I know terrible things are prophesied before that time.
I love the Lord and look forward to His coming. I'm so thankful to know Him and to know of things eternal and find joy in serving. I struggle to balance time. Time for callings, family, home, church, school activities and all the "too much going on" all the time.
We are a very busy family. Chris is Stake YM Pres. Also on the High Council, ward scout advancement chairman, friends of scouting, assistant scout district commissioner. I'm RS President (Sequim 1st Ward)
Jennifer has to go back to BYU on Monday and Sharilyn to Ricks College on Wednesday. Boo Hoo. I sure miss them a lot. There's a feeling of rejoicing when we're all together and blueness at the end of rejoicing when it all must end.
The world always seems in a mad dash rush. It is a noisy rowdy world, but there are quiet places in the heart and sometimes at home and always in the temple. We love to go every month.
I have no doubts as to the truthfulness of the gospel and the realities of Christ and eternity. I know through the confirmation of the spirit, with no doubts or hesitations that these things are true. Heavenly Father made us and watches over us and we are trying to return and bring with us as many as will come. President Hinckley is a dynamic, awesome prophet of God.
King Family 2000 - a brief description
The day starts at 6am fixing lunches for the kids to take to school. Emily is in drivers Ed so Chris lets her drive to seminary (leaves about 6:18) - good practice. Aaron leaves at 7:15. On Tues & Thurs Chris goes with Aaron to the middle school for 7am jazz band. Chris is the jazz band leader right now! They are trying it out to see if there's interest. Other days Chris drops the twins off at the bus on his way to work at 8:15.
I'm trying to finish my second year in The School of Natural Healing. I have until Aug 18th to finish so the pressure is on and that is good...will keep me on top of it.
Between RS, Priesthood, Stake stuff, ward stuff, YM, YW, scouting, cub scouting, achievement days, HS, Middle School and Elementary school activities it seems there's always something going on. This is our 8th year for early morning seminary. We still have 8 more to go.
January
We have a new gold fish. They were on the table at a wedding reception and we got invited to take one home. Kids named it Goldie. Econolocohatchee got voted down as did Henry Alexander Ichabod Todd.
Jen and Sharilyn are doing well. Jen is looking for sponsors to help with expenses for the National Ethics bowl in DC. Sharilyn says her three new room mates are awesome and she loves her classes.
Our street got renamed to Spyglass Lane. The City said Mariner View Drive was too confusing with a Mariner View. We are now 870 Spyglass Lane instead of 152 Mariner View Drive.
Feb.
Chris went to the Sawtooth Conference in South Carolina. I ran the office here while they were all gone. In a few moments of quiet at the office I worked on my herbal school work. The twins walked over to the office after school so it worked out well. Same week Chris was gone Aaron had a band concert (those are always great) and Em had a day hike to Storm King. She said she broke up her granola bar and 3 birds ate out of her hand!! Also this week we had our RS Bday which was a lot of work. Our person doing the skit cancelled last minute (said she'd been too busy to work on it). I was lost for what to do but Emily came up with a brilliant idea which I loved and implemented and it turned out great. We just called people to come up extemporaneously and they read the parts for the skit! Thank you Em! Cub scouts and achievement day was sandwiched on each side of setting up for the birthday. Also . :)
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| At Margo Metegrano's in San Francisco |
We enjoyed a family excursion to San Fran to see the cable cars and Fisherman's Warf etc. We had a lovely visit with Margo.
March
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| Aaron and Joe - great friends, great runners! Track and Cross Country |
Jen got accepted to BYU Grad School.
April Trip to Utah
We flew to SLC and got to go to the first session of General Conference in the new conference center! Sharilyn got tickets for us and met us there. Pres. Hinckley told us about a black walnut tree that he planted many years ago (something like 38 years ago) and for some strange reason, a year ago the tree died. Pres. Hinckley spoke to us as he stood behind a new pulpit made from the very black walnut tree that he grew!! He related the beautiful story in a sweet and loving manner and with a touch of emotion. We also went to Sunday Afternoon session (our whole family together)
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While in Utah we got to go to Jen's concert at BYU and also the English dept. awards banquet. We also went skiing at Alta, first time skiing for the twins so we got them lessons. Aaron skied black diamond runs and I prayed we would all be safe and nobody would have to be carried off the mountain.
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Back to Provo and Rexburg
We drove to Provo for Jen's graduation (20th & 21st) and to help her move stuff into storage for the summer.
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| Jen with her Bachelor's Degree! |
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| Our two graduates going places! |
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It's so fun to have the girls home from college. Jen will be working at the state park and Shar is working for Sawtooth part time (every morning) and looking for full time work.
It's festival time here...Aaron's marching in the parade, Sharilyn is playing in the orchestra for Oklahoma and I took the kids to the carnival.
Tom came to visit for 10 days. We all went to Cape Flattery at Neah Bay which is at the very tip of the USA...most northwesterly point. It's really pretty. Tom fits into our family so well! I feel like he has always been a part of our family. (in eternal reality, he has ha ha)
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| Beautiful day at Cape Flattery |
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| Jen & Aaron at Neah Bay |
Harry Potter books are out and all the rage. We are reading it together as a family and loving it.
June
The day after Tom left, Steve & Christie came for a couple days and the day after they left Chris & I went to San Diego for the weekend, then I came home and he stayed for the conference.
Aaron had a band concert, we all went to a community play that Br. Bahrt starred in, we went to the beach with Bakers, went with twins on field trip to Salt Creek and another one via bicycles to Port Williams beach. Emily went to the Hugh O' Brian youth foundation leadership seminar in Seattle, Chris had a business trip to Atlanta, YW girls camp, youth conference for Chris, Shar, Em, Aaron. Cub Scout space derby...dentist apts... helped a couple different people in their yard and getting ready for Shar's wedding.
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| Double rainbow or' the bay |
July
Twins are enjoying the summer reading program. Em went to EFY. We got a new car. Picnic at Olympic Ntl Park. Andrew cub scout day camp. (I helped two of the days). Em went to AZ to visit her friend Carli and then Carli will come here for 10 days. Outing to 2nd beach, Chris & Aaron on a campout, had an evening Enrichment Mtg with husbands (but Chris had a stake mtg) that turned out nice. Chris had business trip to San Fran for 4 days. Aaron is trying to finish his Eagle...just has a couple merit badges left. Em's friend Sommer has been staying with us a lot and goes with us to all our activities.
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| Bumper crop! |
My School of Natural Healing deadline is in a couple weeks and I wasn't able to complete the work. I will have to pay the extension fee and finish late.
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| Pioneer Day |
So much has happened the last few months that I said to myself "I need to write this down, it is special" but by the time I sat to write I couldn't remember what it was. It has been the most hectic summer of our lives. I yearn for more time to spend together as a family, just talking and being together; not running around throwing our hello's and goodbyes around as we hope we can remember what we wanted to talk about when next we meet.
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Aug
A wonderful bridal shower was giving for Sharilyn at Sellman's house.
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Receptions were held in Grace Idaho and also here in Sequim. (See next page)
After the reception we helped Jen get ready to go back to BYU. We're so not ready for her to go.
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| Jen and Dannah at Mom Clarke's |
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| Jen at the building she loves. |
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| Lofty reading |
Harla Hutchinson came to Sawtooth. Chris worked with her in Illinois and it was after he left, they discovered each other at a family reunion and made the connection that they are related! We took them around to see the Peninsula.
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| Marymere Falls hike |
Sept
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It was fun to have Chris sign my temple recommend today. He is going to be such a wonderful bishop. The ward is thrilled about it and I can sense the members love for him.
After church Pres. Shaw asked me to speak in Stake Conference for 15 min on charity. Sometimes I feel like I'm too busy being charitable to prepare a talk on charity ha ah. It will be in the PA HS auditorium so that we can all fit. I have giving so many talks but never in Stake Conference so I'm a bit nervous. I decided to give up my reading of Harry Potter for a time so that I can use that time to prepare my talk. I'm thankful that I chose to do that and the Lord really blessed me and I felt His inspiration. How so very thankful I am to Him. Isn't it just a most amazing thing when you think about it that we aren't left to our own weak selves but that God himself gives us thoughts & ideas to guide us! He is our loving and nurturing Father in Heaven.
I was thinking of the wonderful people here and remembering when we first arrived and gathering with a group at the Louthan's to press apples into cider. I have tried to convince myself that I wouldn't miss people if we ever moved from here. I never wanted the pain of leaving Sun Valley again. But I give up! I finally admit to myself that I just love these people here so much & if ever we leave here I will be in just the same pain as when we left Sun Valley.
Enjoyed a fun outing bike/hike to Olympic Hotsprings with Emily, Aaron, Andrea, Andrew and Sommer Spaulding.
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My stake conference talk went well. Pres. Sorensen let me know that I should finish my talk by 11:25 so that Pres. Shaw can have a half hour. Well I didn't stand to speak until 11:30! I began my talk "Good morning Br and Sis. In spending some time preparing a talk on charity and in seeing that our good Pres. Shaw is concluding this conference & is scheduled to speak for half an hour, I didn't think it would be in keeping with the spirit of charity if I cut into his time. (everyone laughed) What he has to say is important and we want to hear all of it." I was just ready to say that I would bare my testimony of charity when Pres. Shaw tapped me on the shoulder and with a smile told me to repent and give my talk! ha ha ha. I did give a shorter version and the Lord helped me in all I said.
After church we received a sad call that my RS councilor's husband unexpectedly passed away. Chris began his new bishop career with a funeral of a friend. I've been so sad feeling Elyse's loss of dear Carl. I'm arranging food for a family dinner, homes for guests & 42 sack lunches for them to take to the burial sight in Seattle. Chris isn't sleeping well and is so tired.
The big giant elk were ripping branches off of our plum trees. If only they would prune properly! They eat the plums and spit out the pits! ha ha
I was touched to get a sweet note in the mail from Pres. Shaw thanking me for participating in Stake Conf. "You added just the right touch of spirit and wisdom. Our members were edified and lifted. Thank you for who you are and what you are doing."
October
Went with Chris to Utah. He is interviewing students for Sawtooth. I got to visit Jen and attend her class! She teaches MWF 8am. I loved it! I learned about parts of the brain; Logos (logical), Pathos (emotional), and Ethos (authoritative). She had the students get into 6 groups and debate whether or not the Trix rabbit should be allowed to have some Trix. We visited with Paula and Rock, Pete and Vicky Clarke and I got to read some more Harry Potter.
November - Family trip to Hawaii! See next page
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| Thanksgiving feast with a friend, Evelyn Fairclough |
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| Great musician |
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| Cub Scouter |
December
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| Chris cutting the tree Aaron and Emily hauling it out! |
We had a fun Company Christmas party at our home with good food and singing Christmas Carols.
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| Gary, Bryan, Chris and Justin |
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| Chris performing the German Night Before Christmas |
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| Composite of our part of our Sawtooth party Rich Johnson, Walt & Katrina Williams, Miriam & Dave Squire, Danell Neibuhr Marilyn & Dave Standford, Me and Drea, Wendell Neibuhr Alyse & Justin Luster, Andrew and Jennifer |
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| FHE activity at the office |
