Please Reply About Packages

Myrna wrote: First I packed the packages too tightly last year and things broke. This year I packed them too loosely and things were spoiled. Were any of the contents damaged? Melanie told Dad that the paper was shredded off of one of the packages. Was the book inside ruined? Dad forgot to ask. What about the rest of you? Dad says he told me that we did not have enough packing on top but I don't remember him saying that. I just knew we were hurrying to get the job done because we bought the boxes at the Nephi Post Office and we were using one of their little tables (there are two) so that we were in everyone's way. I guess I should go back to UPS because Kimo and his kids take me in the back and help me package. Maybe UPS is the way to go.

Amy G wrote: We haven't opened ours. Were we supposed to?

Kirsten wrote: We haven't opened ours either, yet.  I'm sure they're fine.

Kirsten

Myrna wrote: All of the packages inside are wrapped. So you can open the big box and put the items under the tree, if you want.

Kirsten wrote: Ours were fine.

Kirsten

Myrna wrote: Three cheers! One not and one OK. That is 50 percent, so far.

Bree wrote: Myrna,

We got our packages just fine the corners were a little torn but the books look good.  From what I can tell you did good.  love you very much and thank you.

El Paso Trauntveins

Amy G wrote: Opened the package last night and everything looks perfect.  Thanks for everything, and Happy Birthday!  We will be calling later today...

Melanie wrote: The book that we didn't re-wrap was fine...we left it out to read tonight as part of our family night. The other book looked fine, I re-wrapped it and put it under the tree. 

I am excited for the children to see the other book. It is awesome!

Mel

Myrna wrote: Can you see what the books are through the paper? RATS! Next year, I have it all plotted out. . .

Thanks to all of you for your thanks. I am glad that you all, at least, got the packages. That is wonderful news.

Next year, I am packing everything in bubble wrap and then putting it inside the box. So there, Mr. Postal Service!

Thanks for all the replies. 

Did you know that I deeply love each and everyone of you? I hope so.

Christmas

Myrna wrote: LHT/Dad wanted to invite a particular ward family over for dinner on Christmas since we will be alone. I said, "No way." He thought I was terrible. I told him I wouldn't mind fixing Christmas dinner for them and taking it to them but I really was uncomfortable just having the whole family come to dinner. He thinks they need friends, and I agree, but I am not comfortable with the two oldest of the boys. Tell me that Dad is right and I am wrong.

AnnMarie wrote:
Mom,
We have been wanting to invite you up here for Christmas Day, but we know that Julie and Jim usually do something with you.  If you have no one coming to your house, we would love to have you come here.  We have a ham and everything picked out so you can just come and play with the kids, have some dinner, and visit.  If it is too much travel or the weather is yucky, we understand.

Myrna wrote: How wonderful! Did I ever tell you that I am most grateful for you and for the fact that you always include us in your family happenings? We have so enjoyed being at the concerts. It sets the stage for the season. Thank you.

After I told Dad/LHT that we were invited to be with you and your family, he decided to just buy the ward family a ham or turkey and some dinner trimmings and gift it to them. I feel much relieved because that still shows them that someone cares but keeps me from  having to be concerned.

Thinking About Christmas

Dad/LHT thinks that would be the good LDS thing to do because we will be alone on Christmas Day to invite a ward family who will be all alone. I said that we should do something, just the two of us. However, he thinks that it is a good time to open our home up to others. Of course, all of the older folks in the ward have someplace to go and are spending time with various and sundry of their family members. So I suppose he is right but, I really do not want the older kids of the family he has in mind here. Dad is right that the parents are good people but the older kids are not. He said I would have felt terrible if we were not invited places just because of our kids. I said that our kids were not the kind who entered homes without permission and took things that did not belong to them.  I said that I would have understood if we were not invited had they been. Besides, if they are not invited, how will they ever know they might have been? I guess I should pray again. A few times, when we have had disagreements on what should be done, Dad and I, we both pray and seem to get answers that are in line with what we are thinking before we pray. We don't always seem to get the same answer. The one time, when we were trying to decide whether to buy the Olpin home and rent it, we had to really work together. I admit that we finally did come to a consensus. Therefore, we bought the Water and Joey Olpin home and you know what sort of problem that proved to be. I think that confusion we had might have been the answer. Who knows, maybe we had lessons to learn and we did learn them. Of course, that has very little to do with this situation. I am just thinking in print. I suppose the best thing to do is get on my knees again. I haven't a single child who would be so worried.  They would all open their homes, as would LHT, to the unfortunate. "Tis the season. . .

This One is OK

Melanie wrote: Don't know if you saw this link. I believe that I can trust the writer of this article. I loved the third picture. 

http://www.meridianmagazine.com/lds-church-updates/article/7018?ac=1

Melanie

Myrna wrote: Thanks! You are right, they are completely trustworthy. I also agree about the third picture. I do love you. (I did not copy the photos to this site.)


Tabernacle was Provo's core, should be rebuilt, expert says
By Michael De Groote, Deseret News
PROVO — Architect William Folsom probably was relieved when LDS Church leaders in Provo asked him to design their new tabernacle after the Salt Lake Assembly Hall on Temple Square. It made the job a little easier to have a model to build from.
C. Mark Hamilton, author of "Nineteenth-Century Mormon Architecture and City Planning," said three tabernacles in Utah were built in the late 1800s with the same basic underlying design: The Assembly Hall, the Provo Tabernacle and the Coalville Tabernacle.
The Provo Tabernacle had the same basic cross-shaped layout as the Assembly Hall, but with large staircase towers at each corner, which are "reminiscent of the octagonal towers of the Manti Temple," Hamilton wrote in his book. The towers gave the tabernacle "a more imposing presence" than the Salt Lake Assembly Hall.
The building was capped with a large central tower that was removed in 1917 because of fears it was too heavy and might collapse. "Much of the visual appeal of the building was lost when this focal point of the design was eliminated," Hamilton wrote.

The Coalville Tabernacle was torn down in 1971. The Provo Tabernacle was damaged by fire on Friday.

"When you've lost that building, you've lost the large center of heritage for the city," Hamilton said. "In the early history of the church, if you didn't have a temple, then the next building of importance would be a tabernacle. And they put it in the most visual center part as a constant reminder of who they were and what they ought to be about. And to lose that, you've lost your cultural core of Provo City."

Hamilton said he thinks that the Provo Tabernacle's cultural importance is such that it should be rebuilt if it is at all feasible — even though he thinks it probably will never be cost-effective. One of the problems in rebuilding is the quality of the brick. The tabernacle was built with a low-fired brick — a light brick according to Hamilton. "It could be damaged more by a fire than the normal high-fired brick we use today."

Hamilton said one of the arguments used when deciding to tear down the Coalville Tabernacle was that there were two other ones just like it.

Now, with the Provo Tabernacle all but destroyed, there is only one.

Caydin was diagnoed with epilepsy

Arbree wrote: Sad and scared tonight...Caydin was diagnoed with epilepsy today.  very abnormal EEG. Everyone say a prayer for him.

Linda Lee Trauntvein Kraushaar: My prayers are with you family!

Kirsten Trauntvein Waite: We have a friend who's little guy was diagnosed with mild epilepsy, too. Dr's say it's quite manageable with today's meds. He's a great kid with very capable parents. You got this. We love you!

Amy Robinson Adams: Sending prayers your way! My husband was diagnosed with epilepsy when he was 3 years old and he' still managing it very well  Sad and scary, but there's always hope!

Melanie Trauntvein Bolton: Wow! We will keep you in our prayers. You know after your battle to get him here and keep him here, you will be determined to do anything to give him a great life. Keep up that hope!

Todd Trauntvein: We love you and will definitely add him in our prayers. You guys are great. I miss you.

Myrna Trauntvein: Oh, no! I will certainly be praying. What lead to his being tested?

Arbree Trauntvein: Took him to the doctor because he had a sinus infection...no fever and he seized. Glad we were at the doctor though.

To Sister Jensen from Leonard

Dear Sister Jensen and family:

I want to take this time to wish you a Glade Jul og Godt Nyt Aar. My Danish may not be correct but you will understand what I am wishing for you. It is hard to believe that it is that time of the year again. I do not remember if I have ever told you I still have a Christmas present you guys gave me the second Christmas I was in Denmark. It is a small statue of Shakespeare holding a head. Usually what goes with it is the words “To be or not to be”. I do not know if you remember it. I wrote your name on the bottom. It sits on a small shelf in our kitchen. Thank you.

Two weeks ago we received ten-inches of snow. It was very beautiful. However, with the past two weeks, our day-time weather has been in the high forties (degrees), so the snow is almost all gone. In fact, I walked up the street to deliver some papers and on my way back my neighbors were out raking the leaves in their yard.

Myrna And I work in the Temple on Friday Evenings and Saturday Afternoons. On Friday, we start at 2:30 p.m. and leave about 9 or 9:30 p.m. and on Saturday we start at 9:30 a.m. and leave about 5 or 5:30 p.m. I am always impressed every time I enter the temple. I am sure you get the same feeling.

I do not know if it is just because I am getting older, way older, or whether my understanding is improving but this last conference was so uplifting and challenging. My prayer is to be able to do what I have been counseled to do.

What has been going on in your family and, also, with you? How are you doing with the new pacemaker. My mother wore one out and had the second one put in. It helped her quite a bit. She lived to be 93.

I was just thinking Dec. 16, 1958 was a special day of days for both of us. That was fifty-two years ago. Wow! How time flies. Congratulations.

I was reading in the newspaper that the two bomb blasts were pretty upsetting to the Swedish people. Of course, they should be of concern.

Our families are doing okay, as far as we know. I will tell you some about them starting from the oldest to the youngest. Shawn’s oldest child, a daughter, graduated from high school this last summer. He still has three in school. Melanie’s oldest graduated from the BYU  a couple of years ago. She is working in Oregon. Melanie’s oldest son is on a mission in South America. She has two in school, one will be graduating this summer. Todd’s oldest son will also be graduating from high school this summer. He will go to college for one year and  then go on his mission. Eric has four children and the oldest is in the ninth grade. The others are in grade school. AnnMarie has five children. The oldest still has one more year in high school before going to college. The others are scattered throughout the different levels of school. Alyssa, AnnMarie’s oldest, has been selected to be in a choir that will tour Europe this next summer. I will let you know if they are coming to Denmark. Julie has three and four-ninths children (she is expecting in April). That will give us thirty-two grandchildren. What a clan! Her oldest is in the first grade. Kirsten has four children. Her oldest two are only in grade school. David has three children. Two of them are in grade school and one is still at home. So much for our history.

Love you all,

Myrna and Leonard

Changes

This week we have changes! Wohoooo! This will be interesting...I just love how different things become because of the change of one or many members of a zone. The personality of the zones really change and it become interesting how everyone interacts once we all get settled in an area.

This week nthing really interesting has happened. We have been battling the Nica legal system for a while so that this family we are teaching can get baptized. They are some interesting people and really make me frustrated and happy at the same time; however, after all this trouble I would just like to see them get married and baptized. My companion and I have been trying to go out and complete a new goal thatthe mission has, that is: find and keep five families progressing. So, we need to keep looking for new families, putting baptismal dates with them, get them to the church and teach them lesson one. For me right now the hardest thing is getting the people to church. I can teach all I want and the people always say that they will come to church on Sunday, yet when we pass by to go get them on Sunday they are either not home, or they say that they are too busy to come to church (but they say they will gladly come next week). I know that all of the areas in the mission will be so blessed for accomplishing this goal.

I am excited for the new year to start and to see what new surprises lie around the corner. I hope that I will be able to set new year's resolutions that I can accomplish all that I set my mind to do. Right now I'm making high expectations for this next year, as there's a lot that I want to accomplish.

I know my letter might be short, but I just don't know what to write right now, plus I'll be talking to some of you on Christmas morning/afternoon (just depends on the timing). SO STAY HOME!!!

Love ya all! Elder B

Photos for Kirsten

Kirsten wrote: Do you have any good pictures of us from Disney world; mine are all blurry... stinking camera (always easier to blame the item rather than the user). :)

Love you!

Kirsten


Myrna wrote: I have some good ones. I have a couple of bad ones. I have put them on a disk so I could send them with Christmas and then I forgot to include them. I will mail them. By the way, I didn't wrap a book in the bottom of your box. I had been trying to get a copy for you and they got it to me as I was headed to the post office so I just put it in the bottom.

Love you, Mom


Kirsten wrote: Thanks mom!  I love you!

Kirsten

There are nuts all around us and I found one and opened the shell.

Myrna sent article: Local Man Says Voice of God Led Him to Burn Historic Provo Tabernacle to the Ground
By BC Bass


Kirsten wrote: I think this guy's site is all a joke, literally.  Today's headline was Santa tells children he doesn't believe in them anymore.  I was thinking, "this man is a loon," but now I think this guy was just writing this as a joke.  We do have NUTs all around us. Pretty creative nuts, but nuts nonetheless.

Myrna wrote: I'm glad you found that out for me. I thought he was a loon quoting a loon but now I know. That was a convoluted thought, right? Have a happy anniversary!

AnnMarie wrote: This is disturbing.  I wish I hadn't read it.

Myrna wrote: This is not true. See Kirsten's post. Thanks. I wish I hadn't read it either.

AnnMarie wrote: I know it isn't true - it's clear the author is writing a farce.  But it is a mockery of our religion.


Myrna wrote: The problem was that I actually thought the source, sent to me, was legitimate. I thought the reporter was that, a reporter, not a writer of farce, as he turned out to be. Therefore, I did not check it on SNOPES. Yes, once again, I bit the dust. You are right that it is a mockery of our religion and I should not have forwarded it. However, I repeat, I thought that the man was one of those sick people who might have actually claimed to have had visions (I have met some in my line of work) and may have actually started the fire. It is tragic, the fire, and has affected me deeply. I do hope that they soon find the cause and that the building can be rebuilt. Of course, the expense may keep that from happening. That kind of expense usually goes into temple building. We will see. Meanwhile, for a newspaper reporter, I certainly am naive. You would think that my Mona friend who thinks he sees visions all of the time and gets advice on how to better run the church, even though he is inactive, would prepare me not to believe all I hear. My apologizes to all. I would like to say that this would never happen again, but it probably will. I am just to childish to not want to share EVERYTHING and too surprised by people and their actions to ever be prepared for this kind of thing. I am sorry.

I Heard the Bells

One of my favorite poets, as a girl, was Longfellow. I also enjoyed the Christmas hymn, "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day." As a little girl who had lived through World War II, the words had a special meaning to me. 

Then, there was Korea. The one Uncle on the Pitts side, Robert, who did not go to World War II, went to Korea. (My dad, of course, served in World War II as a SeaBee (Construction Battalion), an arm of the U.S. Navy, in the islands of the Pacific.

My two older Childs cousins had experiences serving in the U.S. Army in the Viet Nam conflict (Garth in Germany as support and David in 'Nam). 

Before that, Grandfather Smith, served in the infantry. 

Other members of our family fought in the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. I thought that 

Longfellow's words: "For hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth good will to men," had special significance for me. 

Following "The War," there was what was known as the "Cold War." I grew up during those years when all of us feared an atomic bomb. 

As a teen, I discovered that the words to the hymn, "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day," were written by Longfellow. When we visited Cambridge, MA, we went to his home and learned even more of him. 

I developed a respect for his life. This book I am giving each of my families for Christmas (part of my Christmas tradition is giving a book in addition to the other gifts given.) tells the background story of my well-loved song, "I Heard the Bells of Christmas Day." 

I hope you all enjoy the story and realize that, as a country, we have experienced many dark days but the spirit we have created is, in part, made of the patriotism of those who lived before we were born.