If you feed them, they will come!

Good Sunday Night Everybody!

This will be a short email (whew for you), because it's bedtime and we just walked in the door not too long ago after being gone since 8:30 this morning.  How is it possible to be tired when you spend the whole day sitting in meetings!  But one of those "meetings" included a clarinet recital at Ithace College by one of our young single adults.  She was awesome!  And another meeting was with the ysa planning committee for MarCon which is a big young single adult 3 day conference in two weeks that our stake hosts which includes activities and workshops and food and fun and a dance and ice skating and our special speakers are President and Sister Wirthlin (mission pres. and his wife) and Terrell and Fiona Givens who live and teach in Virginia and are the authors of some great books.....and that was way too long of a sentence....sorry!  We're amazed at the level of organization that exists with these young people and their willingness to work all hours of the day and night in school and Church and anything else they do.

Back to the subject line of this email.  We had over 50 people show up for Friday Forum a couple of days ago and it was minus degrees and 20 mph winds and FREEZING cold and they still came and we had enough food because we always over-plan and they ate it all.  People will eat anything with 7 lbs. of cream cheese in it!  At our institute in Owego on Wednesday, we had 3 non-members besides our regular attendees.  That institute also included a little birthday "party" for our wonderful Charlie who's 83 and Ceasar who is 70 something and Bonnie who is raising her 2 grandchildren and has some huge health challenges.  She's diabetic and so we discovered how to make a chocolate bundt cake with 2 ingredients....sugar free devils food cake mix and canned pumpkin....and it was good....especially with sugar free ice cream on it....and lots of chocolate syrup for those of us who cheated.  We love these "salt-of-the-earth" Saints in Owego!  Did we tell you to read the article in your February Ensign about the Owego Ward?  Probably.  These are some of the great people we've met as we've gone there every week.

We did do other things this week besides cook and teach....just can't remember what they were!  The weather was purely miserable again, snow, cold, wind.....and if we're counting our blessings, we had ONE day of gorgeous blue skies and bright sun and even if the temperature never broke 10 degrees, it was a great day.  We took pictures that day of our 6 foot drifts and 6 foot icicles....and we washed our car at Squeeky Clean almost every day last week!  Also we took Valerie to a doctor's appointment and "dinner" in the car because the only food place in town had closed their dining room for renovation and take out was our only option.  Ahh....such are the tiny towns in upstate New York!  It was an interesting dining experience and the food was actually really good and Val was very appreciative.  And we learned that there's a lot more in 4th Nephi than we ever thought even after reading it many times over a lifetime of reading the Book of Mormon.  We love studying and teaching The Book of Mormon and were sad to leave 3rd Nephi.

Last but not least and pretty much the best was taking a carload to the Palmyra Temple.  The temple closes for its two week cleaning period so there were LOTS of people there.  We all had a great temple experience.  Unfortunately the weather was too cold and the snow too much to do anything else in Palmyra except eat a extra huge pizza and laugh a lot.  We want to go back again soon and walk through the Grove in the wintertime when it isn't minus something.  On the way home, we stopped by a YSA's home in Trumansburg and helped him get his car out of a snow drift (where it's been for the last 2 weeks).  The women pushed and shoveled as much as the men and I sat in the car and took pictures of it all....playing the old lady card!

We promised you short and short it is.  We have a busy week ahead of us and need our beauty rest tonight so it's off to bed.  Thank you, thank you, thank you to all of you for doing so much for us and you don't even know you're doing it.  It's the little things that count!  We love you and what good things you're doing with your time and your lives. You're always in our thoughts (yes we still get homesick at times) and prayers and we appreciate that we know you're praying for us as well.  We feel it!

WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dad and Mom and G and G and E and S

"So let the sun shine in. Face it with a grin."

Hi Everybody,

So the only redeeming thing about this last week's weather is that just 5 minutes ago the sun came out for about 10 minutes before it went behind our "mountains/hills."  We're officially tired of snow, cold, road salt, wind, boots, winter coats and gloves, etc. etc.etc.!!  But we're also officially grateful for boots, winter coats, gloves, a warm car and road salt that keep the roads passable, and a warm house....even if we have to crank up the furnace to 80 degrees to keep it at 70 degrees.  And the snow on all these tons of trees we have is beautiful.  The other morning when we were driving to zone training meeting, every tree and bush was covered with a coating of frost and it was amazing.  It was just too dang cold to get out and take a photograph!  This morning as we were driving to the Trumansburg Branch to speak, our car thermometer said -2 degrees and the weatherman said with the 30 mph winds, the actual temperature was -27 degrees.

Cold weather outside, warm hearts inside!  We got to Trumansburg, and missionaries and members were out shoveling 3 or even 4 foot drifts that had covered the sidewalks.  Then we went in and there was a table full of wonderful valentines treats that some sisters of the branch had made for the after-meeting Linger Longer.  There was beautiful music playing and as part of the service, they gave an update on members that were sick and afflicted and a beautiful opening prayer was given in their behalf.  They treat us as though we were important people, and we reassure them that we're as ordinary as anybody else and that we love to be with them.  It's true!  There's something about these little branches that rejuvenates our spirits and refreshes our faith.  Since the wind was howling and the snow blowing in the parking lot, the Branch President decided to send all home after Sacrament Meeting and yet they all stayed for a half hour or so to "linger longer" and make plans to check on neighbors and friends and branch members who might need assistance.  And Dad/Grandpa gave his boots to one of the Elders who is here waiting for his visa to come and doesn't have anything to wear in this weather besides sneakers and Sunday shoes. 

It's winter break here in Ithaca besides being President's Weekend.  We don't actually get a break because not many students leave for this break and school is only out for a couple of days....and some of our students who were leaving had to change plans because of the weather and difficulty of getting anywhere, especially on the east coast.  And we're also officially glad we don't live in New England, specifically Boston.  We have a couple of feet or three of snow but it could be worse.  When we see pics on Facebook of flowers blooming in Utah and Idaho, we realize that some day Spring will come here too.

But it was a very, very busy week.  We had a good zone leader training meeting and a great message of encouragement from President Wirthlin.  Our new mission president will have BIG shoes to fill in July.  One of the best parts of the whole meeting was listening to the Elders and Sisters sing the closing song with great gusto.  It was "In Our Lovely Deseret" and we don't think they'd ever sung it before.  If you go read the words to all the verses,  you'll know why they had so much fun singing it, and why we and the Wirthlins, who were the only people over 25 years old there, got lumps in our throats as we sang about our "multitude of children all around."

We didn't expect large groups at either of our Institutes because of the weather,  but they still came in normal numbers...maybe it's the hot chocolate we bring!  Friday Forum still had 36 hungry students there.  Speaking of food.....we prepared a breakfast for Angela and some of her friends as she was leaving the next morning to move to Salt Lake.  She's a bit nervous about this new step in her life but has strong faith and is so excited to be so close to so many temples.  If we're repeating ourselves, forgive us....but she is our newest member here and is an amazing young woman with such strong dedication to Gospel Principles.  Her husband helped drive her out but then he's coming back here....there's much to work on in their relationship, and we pray for whatever needs to happen that's good for Angela  So back to the food.  We discovered a knock-off Kneaders french toast with homemade caramel  syrup and whipped cream and strawberries recipe and it REALLY was good.  I may cook once when we get home (despite my resolution to never cook again the rest of my life) and make Kneaders french toast!

 So for Valentines Day we did our regular Red Cross blood donation on Saturday , went to dinner at Applebees, and while watching a movie, we ate the Hersheys Kisses off the tops of half a dozen cupcakes we overturned (in their container) in the car on the way to FF lunch.  What a good excuse to just eat the top of a cupcake!   A good end to a good week!  We put in lots of long hours this week with "stuff" that really mattered and studied much the last 4 chapters of 3rd Nephi for our Institutes and learned so much about the Doctrine of Christ.  And besides that we loved and appreciated more than ever chapter 27: 27.  It ends with a great question:  "What manner of men (and women) ought ye to be?'  The answer is the answer to all the times we wonder if we're doing what we should be doing or if we're working hard enough and being good missionaries.  The answer:  "Even as I am."  That's a good plan to follow!

Well, when we write to you all next week, we hope to tell you that we've had a February thaw and that all our snow has melted.  HAH!  We love you all so much and pray for you all diligently and often because when you're missionaries, you find yourselves praying multiple times a day.  And we hope you don't get too accustomed to spring because the other shoe's going to drop one of these days!

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO    Dad and Mom and Gpa and Gma and E and E-ette

Random Subjects

Hi Everybody,

Just as we sat down to type this email, we realized that at this very time you are all probably "sitting down"  to family dinner....together....minus us.  We'll go have a Klondike Bar and pretend we're there....boo hoo!  I attempted after all the cooking I've done during the week to actually make us a meal tonight.....homemade chicken noodle soup with dumplings!  How can someone mess up on anything from the 5 Ingredient cook book??  Well.... I could write a book on that topic starting today!

So tonight we'll start with the weather report.  Somebody at Church today said that Ithaca has more snow right now than at any other time that they remember here.  Actually we want to say that it's pretty much like many Idaho winter days so we can handle it.  After we finished last weeks' letter, it started to snow and didn't quit until a foot and a half later.  So last Monday after early morning BB (Dad) and laundry (me) we were pretty much grounded for the rest of the day.  The wind blew, the snow flew. and it didn't make any sense to go anywhere so we didn't.  FHE was even cancelled so we were thrilled when our "old folks" FHE in Orem called....they made our night!  Our snow is all still on the ground plus another 6 inches or so.  We have fickle weather.  Last week the temperatures weren't much out of the teens and with wind chill sub-zero....a good excuse for this senior sister missionary to wear slacks and boots everywhere.  We had one night of ugly driving coming back from our Owego Institute for about the last 15 miles....lucky us or should I say Dad.  He drives, I back seat drive.  Now today it's in the high 30"s and we're supposed to have freezing rain.  None yet but we have an ice skating rink on the entry-way to the 4 apartments that we're part of.  It's what happens when maintainence doesn't clean the rain gutters in the fall and all are overflowing with dead leaves and water and 6 foot icicles from the top of the 2nd floor apartments.  Now we could be home and have to deal with 65 degrees in February....no fair!!

We had to say goodbye to more missionaries this week....dang!  Sister Anaya, who was a "visa waiter," got her visa last week and we took her to the Syracuse airport to send her off to Portugal.  Hard, hard, hard to say goodbye but she was excited to go so we were happy for her.  She was hoping to finish out this transfer and possibly have another one here.  So that left Sister Frisby with no companion so she was temporarily assigned to another district in our zone, hopefully to be back here with a new companion the first week in March.  So now our only two Elders left here are trying to hold down the fort with one companionship where there used to be three.  And the work is getting pretty busy so they're calling for help.  We went with them yesterday for some new member lessons which is fun.  One of our newest members, Angela, is moving to Salt Lake on Friday to begin what she hopes is a new life.  She's living with a member friend of a friend until she can find an apartment and establish herself in a profession (has a degree in Marketing) and she has several interviews lined up.  She worked for NuSkin in Taiwan.  She's an amazing, dedicated new member who is so excited at the prospect of being by so many temples.  So we've told her so many good stories about you all, if you get a phone call from her, it's just because she wants to meet you and see if our stories are all true.  We're hoping she loves it there and is still in Utah when we get home. 

Let's see if we can sum up the rest of the week in a paragraph.  Watch for Valentines in the mail....hope you get them before the 14th.  One of our really difficult responsibilities (NOT) last week was going to Ithaca Bakery and having really good food while we listened to  one of our YSA play a "gig" with another branch member and friend in their band.  The music was great (3 guitars and vocals) and like we say when we get to go to anything our YSA do,  "somebody's gotta do it!"  A perk of senior missionary work!  We had a crowd at Friday Forum last week and another "loaves and fishes" miracle.  That group included 6 non-members!  They left contact information so if something comes from it, it will be worth the hours of preparation!  Friday night we got to be part of an on-line "Evening With a General Authority" that was broadcast over the CES website for seminary and institute instructors.  Elder Holland was absolutely great and made us want to "convert" every young person in that age group!  After visiting early morning seminary classes here, we wanted to cheer when he said "there is a throne in heaven for early morning seminary teachers."  And he all but pounded the pulpit when he talked about "trendy transgressions" and not being afraid to teach true doctrine and "absolute 1st Level Truths."  Then we finished off the week with a branch "welcome back to the new semester" Valentines social.  About two-thirds of the branch will be graduating and leaving the end of the semester and they will surely be missed!  And our Chiong grandpa and grandma, the first people we met here from China, went back home this week after being here as long us.  We still speak no Chinese, they still speak no English, but hugs and goodbyes are the same in any language.  They brought us homemade dumplings and we gave them chocolate and we took pictures and we will miss them much!! 

Well....dear family (and dear anybody else who reads this):  We love you this week and next and all the rest to come!  We're glad we don't live a continent away, and we're glad we have email and facebook and phones, and we're glad, most of all, that we have you.  Have a good week and remember what day this Saturday is and do an extra kindness for somebody who needs it!

XOXOXOX  Dad and Mom and Grandpa Sr. and Grandma and E and E-tte Jolley

Winter Storm Warning

Hi Everybody,

We'll see what that (winter storm warning) means by tomorrow.  Supposedly we're going to get 10-12 inches of snow by  mid-morning.  Luckily it's preparation day and we don't have to go anywhere except 6:30 a.m. basketball (Dad/Grandpa) and 7:00 a.m. laundry (that would be me).  How many emails have we written since we've said how much we've missed our washer and dryer??  Actually the laundromat is about 100 yards from our house so we can't complain too much.  Then we need to go to HEG (FHE) tomorrow night which is always nice because we don't have to do anything for that except show up treats in hand.  Yay for BJ's (our Costco knockoff)!  We are practically on a first name basis with the checkers and the "receipt puncher" there. 

So we hear that it's Spring there....how can that be?!  We think that means that in April or May you'll have a foot of snow just in time for the track and soccer seasons.  For those who've expressed concern via text or email about whether or not we're buried under 5 feet of snow, thanks.  So far, so good and yesterday we even had a brilliant sunny day with a fresh 5-6 inches of snow and 25 degree temperatures.  That's rare.  The snow is weird here when it falls.  It comes down light and fluffy and then freezes on the windshield of our car so every night when people are done driving for the night, they stick their wipers up and out....otherwise you have to wait for 15 minutes for them to unfreeze in the morning.  If it weren't cold and dark at 10:00 at night, we'd take a picture.  And also coming out to the Cornell parking garage after a basketball game at night is not fun because the temperature is 20 degrees colder in there!  If the BB team (just reminding those who wonder if we're keeping mission rules, one of our YSA is on the team :)) had as many people come to their games as the hockey team do to theirs, we'd really be in trouble.  Those hockey fans come early to get seats and take up all the parking!  We pretty much have our pick of any of the cheap seats in the basketball arena and since we look old enough to be boosters we've sat in the chair seats a time or two and pretended we belonged there....lots of room there as well...even for the Harvard and Yale games.  That would be like going to a BYU/Utah game 10 minutes late and sitting 20 rows up mid-court.  Hockey is king here.

We've had a crazy busy week and won't send you a re-run except to say it's nice to be done and looking forward (??) to another one this week.  We resolve to be more efficient the next 7 days!  One of the highlights though was a program we participated in as part of CURW called "Faces of Faith."  It was student planned, student run, and involved mostly students but some of the CURW chaplains as well.  We had several of our LDSSA leadership come with us.  It consisted of a wonderful catered meal, and we (about 100-120 of us) were all divided up into tables of 8-plus who ate together and then discussed how faith plays into our lives.  So there were no two people of the same faith on a table and it was a fascinating look at how we all believe.  My table was agnostic, atheist, Muslim, Unitarian, Jewish, Catholic, and Moon Unification.  Dad's was Lutheran, Muslim, Russian Orthodox, Hindu, Catholic, Varsity Fellowship, and Protestant.  How incredibly grateful we are for Prophets and Apostles and additional scriptures that not only clarify doctrines and principles but most especially teach the nature of the Godhead and the amazing power of the Atonement and faith and repentance and baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost.  How we wished we could have just given each a Book of Mormon!  By the end of the two hours, we were all great friends even though we'll probably never see "our group" again.  As each was asked to tell what we believe and how our belief guides our lives,  we were able to testify of a loving Heavenly Father and His Son who know and love us.   Our new  LSDSSA leadership, Matt, Mike, and Xan are The Best!  They. along with the missionaries, handed out over 200 pass-along cards and several Book of Mormons (Books of Mormon??) and a Bible at the last "table-ing" experience and at our table at Club Fest last week.....and we had 5 non-members at Friday Forum and the one young man who went through the food line 3 times, is having his first lesson with the missionaries this week.  Did we ever say "If you feed them, they will come?"  Well, we're saying it now.  Sometimes when I get tired of cooking/baking, I think that physical sustenance and spiritual sustenance often go hand in hand....sort of like what we discussed in SS class this morning about Living Water. 

When we take a few minutes to sit on our sofa and take a deep breath, we can see all the family pictures we have around the room....and we count our blessings and name them one by one until we get up to at least more than we can count.  We're here and missing all of you (yes, still, but that will just be a fact of life), but because we have been given much, we too must give.  Thanks for being who you are and who you will become and for what you do for us and each other and for many others.  We are Grateful!!  And we love you....and we think about you....and we pray for you....and we know that Heavenly Father answers your prayers and ours.  Be good this week and smile, particularly when you don't want to,  and don't get too used to your January heat wave.

XOXOXOXOXOXOX0    Dad and Mom and Grandpa and Grandma and E and E-tte