The Butcher, The Baker, and the Mammograph Taker

Jason now has both of his casts off. The doctor removed them on Sept. 1, so Jason is back to writing and doing all of the other things people do with their hands as a matter of course. Jason had a hard time doing for some of those things for a while. Actually he wore the casts for six weeks. He is a Weblo Scout now and is enjoying his activities. David is now a cub scout and is enjoying being a part of the program. He loves the scouting activities. He likes working on the computer and is learning to keyboard.

Madilyn is doing very well in school. She likes reading and likes being with the other kids in her class.

A.J. is learning to ride a two-wheeler (with training wheels). He is now an official “big” boy because he is potty trained and doesn’t have to wear diapers anymore.

Eric is still working at Sam’s Club. He likes his new boss very much. They are getting along great and, in fact, the boss would like to move Eric to mornings but that doesn’t work with Amy’s schedule at the hospital. Amy has a job in the church and is thankful for that. The ward has so many members that the policy is to rotate jobs every so often. Now Amy is the new Relief Society chorister and is enjoying that position. She passed a form around to find out what some of the sister’s favorite hymns were but the response (turning the forms back in) was not good.

We love you all!
Eric and Amy

Oh! Hi! Oh!

How the time has passed. We enjoyed seeing everyone, even though it was for the funeral. We made one mistake while there; we should have had a family photo with Mom, Dad and all the siblings. It has been a long time since we were all together like that.

We only have a few weeks left until the baby is here. By the time you read this, there will be about 6 weeks left (December 8th). 

I don’t know what all to tell you in this newsletter, because we have only been back here in Ohio for about 1.5 weeks. So, not much has changed since then. We did come home to find all seven kittens still alive (dang it). Both of the other cats were here as well. However, I decided I do like cats. With the right seasoning, they taste like chicken!

I sent a whole bunch of photos. If you see them, then that means that Mom was able to successfully download the mega-email I sent.

Thank you to all for your help with Tyler’s baptism and thank you for making it a special day for him. I am glad we got to move it earlier, so we had some time to talk and to play. I am happy I decided not to go the BYU game, because it was a good day for us and I would have hated to ruin it. J

Well, we love you all. The kids are doing great. We are going to take them to a Johnstown-Johnnie football game tomorrow night (10/14). Tyler’s 2nd grade teacher is the head coach for the team and we have failed to get him to one yet. I’ll have to let you know how it all turns out. They have a 6-1 record and this year’s senior class has about 120 students, so it makes

me feel a little like home.

The Fabulous Four

This has been an interesting month for the four of us.

Erin is doing very well in school and gets “fantastics” on all her papers.

Donovin just keeps getting smarter and smarter and bigger.

David's working very hard and putting in lots of time with his job and even more time with his family.

Arbree just sold 1400 homes to FEMA and made over 20 years salary in less then 2 weeks. Who says that working hard doesn’t pay off?! I have not been able to go to my meetings as much and have been putting in a lot of overtime at work but when I'm not at work I’m at the pool, (which recently got done at our apartment, just in time for winter, I might add) with the kids.! My company is paying for David and me to fly down to Encenada Mexico for the New Year as a bonus and the whole family will be going to Disney World, courtesy of Quality Wholesale Homes at the end of January. All expenses will be paid. We will be staying in a 4-star resort two blocks from Disney World entrance. The kids will have their own suite filled with Disney movies and goodies. They will not find out about this ‘till they read this in the family newsletter.

I am not good writing so I will allow Myrna to edit this letter with her extensive knowledge in writing. (I left this in so that you would know that Bree is actually quite good at writing. The editor had to do very little.)


Brandon and Ann Marie have been gracious enough to help us find a tax specialist that will help in deciding what to do with all this earned money and hopefully Brandon will be helping us spend it on bills and getting us out of debt. We plan on building a house and getting gifts and paying back the people who have so graciously helped us out of the financial strain that we were and have been in for so long. We have a lot of thanks to give to the family and friends that have stuck by us and given us the help and understanding in the many things that we have needed guidance and help on. We look forward to spending more time with the family and getting Erin in Ballet and Donovin in Karate and taking the long needed time to spend with the people that we love. We will be enjoying visiting and family camping trips that we have been unable to attend but will now be able to.

I told David that he can now quit his job and stay at home and take care of the kids, that long ago he told me that if I found a job he would do, but he seems to have forgotten all of a sudden that he said that.

Anyway I count on you Myrna to help me clean this up and make it printable. I love you and will talk with you soon.

Arbree David Erin and Donovin

Rocky Mountain "Hi!"

We made it! We're alive and well in Colorado after our multiple trips from and to Utah this past month and a half.! Thanks for all of your prayers; I'm sure that is why we made it home "safe and sane." I didn't even have to threaten to pull the car over; I thought that was pretty amazing in and of itself.

Despite the circumstances, it was wonderful to be reunited with all the siblings and most of your families (we missed Howard and kids, of course); you know, that's a once in every three-year occurrence. That means, Siovhan, you're not allowed to get married for three more years, at least (I know, such a hard deal), and no one else is allowed to "go to the other side." Mark your calendars.

After being home for so long, it has taken some minor adjustments to come back to our Waite family home and settle back in to life and routines. We do love being in Colorado! As you can tell from the pictures, we're already enjoying our first snowfall. It should all be melted within the next 24 hours (another benefit of Colorado: we get to see and enjoy the wonderful snow and just as it starts to look ugly and get in the way, it melts and we're left anticipating the next storm.) Jared has learned not to appreciate snow days as much as he did while in school; it seems no one wants to brave the weather to see the dentist, though they do take advantage of the time for great shopping.! Oh well.

We have started the official process of looking for a house (the race is on, Ams -- just kidding).! We are a little frustrated; it is a very strong seller's market in The Springs right now. We're trying to stay in an area that will have a strong resale in five years, but then so is everyone else looking for homes right now. I am amazed at how much lumber, a little carpet, drywall, cement and what have you can differentiate in price across the country. I never did like economics and the whole "supply and demand" thing. I always seem to be on the wrong of the equation whether buying or selling.

Emma is now in a playgroup with four girls in nursery. She loves having her friends come over and going to school. We, as moms, rotate the group at our different houses. I love it! It actually has brought back many memories of mom doing the same thing (though, I'm sure some of you remember it even better than I). I've tried to copy some of the same structure: snack, activity, play time, learning activity, lunch (really, it's like being a nursery leader for an extended time period). I enjoy even more the times I get to drop off. Whitney is at school the same time Emma is at playgroup, so I get a couple hours to myself. So far that has been used to run errands, etc. But I hope to fill that time with some hobbies (reading, anything else besides cleaning, etc.).

Whitney is in full swing at preschool! She loves it and loves having some of her new friends come over to play. She loves her teacher, Miss Deb (who also doubles as one of our realtors -- she's leaving the preschool world after 20+ years to sell real estate full time after the end of this school year) and loves feeling so grown up. I'm constantly told what a good example she is and how well behaved she is (most of the time). It makes me wonder, why are our own kids always better for other people?! She is starting to become a great helper at home. She loves to "clean" her bathroom (thank heavens for Clorox wipes and Windex wipes), and even helps with dishes (clearing them, that is) and wiping the table. There are days, but we all have those don't we? She's still determined to save up for a Barbie car (one of those kinds kids can ride in, not Barbies). She is becoming very much like Alyssa (a good thing) and not spending her money on anything she doesn't deem more worthwhile than her final goal (in this case, the car). I guess she is very determined (one of those positive traits you use as your "negative" traits in a job interview).

Jared is glad to have us back for good. Life is still the same for him: get up and run on the treadmill, go to work, come home from work, eat, get kids ready for bed, fall dead asleep and start again the next day. We feel sorry for him, but are grateful he has such a wonderful job he enjoys (most of the time). Work is going well. He still loves the practice, the patients, his fellow workers and the dentist who owns the practice. His most exciting news is that he recently became the proud owner of a Copper Mountain Four Pass, which means he has four, all-day passes to Copper Mountain which he can use throughout the season. And, as you all know Jared, it was purchased at a very extremely "sweet" deal. He's happy and his brother is happy, because he, too, bought one. I think it will be a great thing. He didn't get to go at all last year and that was one of the reasons we moved back to the west (besides being closer to family, of course).

As for me, I'm in the heat of preparing for Young Women in Excellence and enjoying life. I'm a little behind on our assignment from President Hinckley and I have set the goal to catch up and finish reading the Book of Mormon with the rest of you by the end ofmthe year. It's amazing how a simple book can be soprofound and so amazingly influential in our lives. Imhave loved reading the stories over again (though I'm still stuck in the Isaiah chapters). I love how every time I read it, I learn something new or a different verse strikes me and causes me to reflect and change.! It has helped me calm down quite a bit lately and really focus on being a better mom and spouse and having the strength to overcome some not-so-good habits. No other book has that power! I'm so grateful for the miracle of the Book of Mormon, for parents who know of its power and truth and who taught all of us!to walk in the light. All we have to do is read it. It'sworth the little effort it takes on my part. I know it's true.

Thanks for being my family! I love you all and am so grateful we get to be!together forever! I pray for each of you and hope all finds you well.

Love,

The Waite Family!

The Boston Baked Boltons

Where did September go? It seemed like it would never get here, then it was over and done with before we realized.

I never thought that I would hear Howard say that he was tired of flying, but after his adventurous last trip, he said that he was tired of the hassles of flying. He is still teaching the Gospel Doctrine Class, and hasn't had to find too many substitutes. It has been amazing how his travel schedule has worked this year, and he hasn't needed to be away on too many weekends. He does a nice job in the Gospel Doctrine class. He would like it if more people would come on time to class, but he always has a full class by the end of his lesson. He put up the door to the laundry room for me. I had asked him how long it would take, and he told me it would be a couple of hours. I got all the materials ready and we started hanging it. After a few errors and many hours later, the door was hung. It is so nice to not have to have cat hair on my clean laundry. The cat now sleeps on the carpet in the toy room, or on the chairs that are stored in the basement.

I am still trying to read as much as possible and have found the book, "Fire in the Bones, William Tyndale--Martyr, Father of the English Bible," by S. Michael Wilcox fascinating. I was even more interested in General Conference when they were talking about him and his work on translating and printing the Bible into English. It is interesting how the Lord sets his work up on this earth. Without some of the major players in World History, our church might have had a different outcome, or beginning. I am still running, though as I get older, I get slower. I will soon be the tortoise on the side of the road. Actually, there is a gray haired older woman that runs near our neighborhood, and she can keep really good time. Hopefully, I will be like that as I get older. I had a great time in Utah, even though the event that brought me there wasn't a joyful event, it made me grateful for travel by air and for family. The baptism and the blessing were wonderful. I haven't heard all the nieces and nephews sing a Primary song before, and it brought tears to my eyes to hear them all singing "We'll Bring the World His Truth." I am extremely grateful to my siblings for teaching their children the ways of the Lord. My nieces and nephews are wonderful human beings. I love watching them together.

Siovhan had a few tests done on her stomach in September. The Doctors have discovered that she has GERD, gastric reflux disease and she is on medicine. Hopefully the medicine will help her to sleep better and to eat better. She hasn't been sleeping well or eating well for a long time now. Siovhan loves her classes, especially her news writing class. She is well involved in her Ward's social life. She was made the "Grandmother" over all the Family Home Evening groups--which means she is in charge of the family home evening mothers and fathers and making sure they are doing their jobs. She loves this calling. Her Bishop has a standing order, that if Siovhan is waiting to see him, she gets in first. How does that work? When I am sitting waiting for the Bishop, our clerk tells me that the Bishop wants to talk to me for a while, so could the others go first? I need the Siovhanposition- of-power.

Braden is doing well in Seminary and School. While I was away in Utah, he filled in for me and took care of the cooking, the laundry and the cleaning of the house. I came home to mopped floors, folded laundry and lots of good-looking leftovers. He did a great job of making sure that Mikaela and Ben were taken care of and that they had their homework done. I don't know what I would do without him. He called me several times a day to give me updates and ask about certain things.

Ben is still Ben. He has his wonderful moments of wisdom, and when one of the other children are talking back to me, he reminds them, lovingly, who they are talking to. He does his homework and then takes care of the dog. He loves to take Sherlock out on walks and loves to be outdoors. I think he is overcoming his fear of the unknown and is starting to feel a little more at ease on his own.

Mikaela is still loving reading. She purchased a Junie B. Jones book while I was in Utah, and is almost done reading it. She would have finished this week, but she had a lot of extracurricular activities which took her away from home in the afternoons, and when she would start reading at night, she would fall asleep with her book open. She loves to be out on her bike, and would ride ten hours a day, if given the opportunity. She wants to be a grown up girl soon, she doesn't like the waiting. I remember Siovhan saying the same thing.

We went to Sharon/South Royalton, Vermont the weekend of General Conference. The Church owns a campsite there, and we stayed in one of the cabins. The air during the day was a cool 70 degrees, the 34-degree nights however, made us all appreciate warm fires, and warm blankets. We toured the countryside in the morning and discovered a farm in Woodstock, Vermont. It was fun to see the children petting the newly born calves and sheep. Then we learned about chickens and their roosting habits. After that we petted a chicken. I never knew that chickens liked to be petted like cats. We were able to do a lot of other farm style things. It is similar to Young Living Farm, but a lot more hands on activities for the youth. It was a learning experience for us all. The farmhouse was on a huge piece of land, but there was an even larger piece of land across the street that housed the family's mansion. It was amazing. The whole area is an historic landmark and part of it is owned by the government as a National Park. That night Howard and the boys attended the Priesthood Session at the Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial building. They were among six others in attendance. The church building wasn't even being used. While the men were in the Priesthood Meeting, Mikaela and I huddled around the warm fire, drank hot chocolate, played the card game: There's a Moose in Your House, and read Junie B. Jones. We even sang some campfire songs. We both became tired and decided to turn in for the night. Just as we got in bed, the men came home. I then got up and made them hot chocolate, and returned to bed, only to find Mikaela fast asleep, and as we were sharing a bed, she was taking all the bed. We came home on Sunday to listen to conference from our home. We had decided that it would be best to make the three-hour trip in the morning and beating the traffic, instead of fighting the traffic at night. For those of you who don't know about Fall in New England, the traffic around the borders of Massachusetts gets very busy, much like leaving a BYU football game (when they are in a winning season).

If any of you want to spend time in Vermont during the month of December, it is only about two and a half hours away. The celebration on the 23rd of December might be attended by the Bolton's of Massachusetts.

That's all for now folks. Hope that your October is a fun and family eventful month. We love you all

Love, M

The Old Folks At Home

I was not ready, as I guess no one ever is, to let my daddy and your grandpa leave this life. However, if it is time to go, I guess his way was a good one. Unlike Dad’s parents, there was not any long-term suffering. I am so thankful that I have LHT (Dad to you) to be with me. He is a great comfort and it helps that he also loved my dad. He also stands by me and supports me. He looks after me and tries to make things better for me as we close the memories that were once my father’s home. I also want to thank each of you, my children (that includes spouses) and grandchildren for your support. I know that Heavenly Father is watching the kind ways you are behaving and that, when it is time for Dad and I to go ahead of you (hopefully we are ahead), He will bless you as you have blessed and supported me. “What goes around comes around.” Know that you are all loved! We pray everyday that you will be helped, guided, watched over and protected.