summertime and mission news

We are having a great summer. The weather's been beautiful, we have been busy but not crazy. It's hard to believe July is half-over already!

Kristi was laid off of her job at the college day care but has been fortunate to pick up several odd jobs here and there (house sitting, pet care, child care-type stuff), and she has also been going into work with her dad helping him with lots of things he's gotten behind on while he's been wearing all the hats. She is SOO excited (and a little nervous) to begin college in a few weeks!

Austin was invited to play on the varsity summer basketball league, which meant some tournaments in the Sacramento area, but that's over and now he's giving his full attention to football practice (7-10:45 a.m. almost daily). He also has several lawn mowing clients, so he is making lots of money, building big muscles, and getting very blond and tan.

Dallin has been playing with friends, swimming in the backyard pool, and working on his first summer homework assignment, a 25-page packet for 6th grade advanced math. 25 pages, really?????? Austin also has summer assignments for math, history and english which he hasn't made much time for yet. I am really NOT a fan of summer assignments. And that would be an understatement.

Brennan was just transferred to a new area, into an area that hasn't had missionaries since '09, with a companion he had never met before. It's a small town (6,000 people) with a small branch as you will see in the letter I am including. Remember the story of the sons of Mosiah being sent to teach the Lamanite nation? Well, this is like Elders Shaffer and Christensen being sent to teach the Baptist nation. I think they have their work cut out for them. But gratefully he sounds excited and optimistic!

By the way, you will see that Brennan references a job that Keith got. We are feeling extremely blessed this week that Keith did take a job which for many reasons seems perfect for him. We definitely feel the Lord's hand in this, and know that even though it's been a stressful 2-3 years for us, the Lord has been mindful of our situation and has guided us to this position. He is hopeful that he can keep his consulting business alive on some level as well, but only time will tell how feasible that will be.

And now, here's today's email from my handsome missionary son (who turns twenty today!):


Shaffer Family and Friends!

Thank you all for all the birthday wishes! That really did make my day. I actually forgot it was my birthday this morning until a member in the Radcliff ward sent me a text saying happy birthday, we love you and miss you dearly. That felt good, but I did totally forget about what day it was. Thank you for the letter and the cookies, and the money; I really didn’t need anything but thank you anyways!

I'm so glad to hear Dad got the job. I'm so happy to hear that, I really, really am! I'm sure that will take a little bit of a burden off of your shoulders mom. So i'm very glad to hear that -- the Lord works in mysterious ways, so we will see what plans he has for dad in this new job.

Okay on to the good stuff. Monticello, Kentucky. Hmmm I really don't even know where to start. We are the most southern area in the mission, I've actually been to the Tennessee border so that was cool. The people here talk so different. I'm not kidding, I've never heard people talk like this before its unreal. It makes me laugh so so so much!!! Everybody down here seems pretty set in their ways, 98% of the community are baptists and pretty active ones at that. There are 63 churches here in the county and a lot of them are bigger than our community center in Carson. There are huge signs on almost every street and on the highway warning us about Christ’s second coming, and huge 10 Commandement billboards, and how we are all sinners and we need Jesus Christ. I'll take some pictures, its unreal. It’s a different world down here without a doubt, unlike anywhere I've ever been in my life. Let’s see, our apartment address is 45 Sycamore Dr. #11 Monticello KY 42633. Its a nice little condo that’s a lot bigger than my last apartment so that’s nice. No dishwasher though, so that stinks! But we do have a washer and dryer which I did not have before. It’s such a small community - everybody knows everybody here, and its just really different. It's cool though and I'm going to enjoy it a lot.

Okay check this out. So this Sunday we went to church and there are 8-10 active members that show up every week! That’s right - 8-10!!!!!!!!!!! I've never experienced anything like this before. We have one young women and that’s President Shoemake’s (Branch President) daughter. And no young men, not a one. Our Branch President is awesome, he's a truck driver with only 3 top teeth!! No joke! He's straight Kentucky, but he is such a great humble spiritual man I already love him a lot. The first counselor in the branch is brother Barton who is my favorite. He reminds me of dad a lot and i really like him. Those are 2 of the 4 priesthood holders in the branch. The other one is an 80 year old man who has polio so he cannot walk or move well, and the other is a 39 year old man, not married, who lives with his mom, and acts like he still lives at home. So this branch is unlike anything i've ever experienced! But i'm so excited to be here. This branch is awesome and takes care of us missionaries well! But the work here in the past has been non existent. So I'm just excited to work my hardest and baptize the heck out of Monticello! Its going to be extremely hard in the next upcoming weeks. But i know that there are people here ready and prepared, we just need to find them because the branch needs them so much! Dull months are for Dull missionaries, so we're not going to have any Dull months, only productive, energetic, exciting months here in Monticello! I feel very overwhelmed though, to be completly honest. Not because the area is new, but just the urgency in finding new people to help this branch. I feel like there is a lot weighing on our shoulders. I guess I've asked for this though, because i have not wanted my mission to get easy ever, and I don’t know if it will ever be easy here. So i'm very excited for the potential in this area, and that the Lord has trusted Elder Christensen and I to be here at this time to help this area explode. I'll send pictures here shortly but i want to take some more in this area before i send it. P-Day will be weird; we’re 25 miles away from the closest elders so there will be no hanging out with other missionaries while I'm down here. That will be hard because i'm used to playing basketball or football, but not for awhile!

Thanks for all you guys writing me birthday stuff, i really appreciate it. Well i'm going to respond to the other emails now, but I love you guys so much. Keep being great, and setting that example for me. I love you all so much!

Elder Shaffer

it's coming . . .

It's not done yet, but I just wanted to update all my Lowe relatives that the family cookbook volume 2 is in production and our mouths are watering. Kristi has been typing like a mad woman, and if I remember correctly, I think there are 270-ish recipes in 9 categories. We will let you know the cost as soon as we have it, and you can pay for how many you want. It's time to get excited, people.

Second, we were in Sacramento last Saturday watching Austin play in a basketball tournament, and we had some time to kill in between his four games (the first of which began at 10:00 am and the last at 8:00 pm). SO, there wasn't quite enough time between games to go to the Sacramento Zoo, or to a movie, or to find a mini-golf course. But there was enough to time to find a yummy barbecue joint to eat lunch at, and to throw some rocks into the American River, and to track down a certain missionary and take him and his companion out for dinner.





Doesn't he look great?? It was so wonderful to see him and it made me feel just a teeny bit closer to Elder Shaffer somehow. It warmed my heart!

extended family fun

Well it seems things have slowed down a little for me (not being at work every day) because here I am, posting again! I just saw some pictures on Keith's camera that I had forgotten he had taken and they need to be shared!

Over Memorial Day weekend we had a visit from Steve and Becky and some of their wonderful kids: Nathan, Jeannine & Jon, Michelle, and David. We were so happy to have them come, and appreciated their l-o-n-g drive across the desert to make it happen. We especially appreciated Michelle's extra long drive that began in Rexburg, ID that same morning!

We had planned a few things to do and see while they were here, and assumed the weather would cooperate since we are known here in northwestern NV for our blue skies and lack of precipitation. Well . . .

The day dawned unseasonably cold, but the skies were fairly blue. We drove up to Lake Tahoe, around the south shore, to a beautiful spot called Emerald Bay. It had been cold in Carson City, but 1500 feet higher it was even nippier. And windy.

But did it dampen our spirits? No way.


However, nobody wanted to stand still and pose for a picture for very long!


Hoping to get out of the wind, we walked a mile-long trail that took us down to lake level. We had our picnic in backpacks and were planning a nice lunch by the shore. We saw some pretty mountain blue jays on the way down that were very willing to have their picture taken.


By the time we got to lake level, the sky was getting grey. The wind was better but it was still cold! Michelle and Kristi are still having fun . . .


This current BYU-I student, and the one who will be joining her in the fall had some time to catch up and talk about seeing each other at school in the fall!


Michelle, Jon and Jeannine decided to be brave and take a dip . . . notice the worsening weather.





Oh charming. Is it really snowing on May 28th?

The storm did not pass through quickly, as Keith had suggested it might.

and although smiles were still being given for the camera,




the fun was beginning to wane.


So we drove around the rest of the lake and over to Virginia City, one of our other tourist attractions here, just in time for Dallin and Austin to ride in the camel races.


Safe and sound at home later, it was game time.




And then the fun turned a little giddy . . .




But Michelle and Austin were mere amateurs. Look what Jon can do.




Well, Kristi couldn't do that, but she does have some sweet skills of her own:


44, was it? Ouch.

In addition to the craziness, we also had a nice Sunday together where I actually got to introduce MY relatives in Sunday School (when does that ever happen to me?), and then the Lowes were nice enough to join us for Kristi's seminary graduation that evening.

It was such a fun weekend! Thanks for coming, Lowes!!!!!!!!!!!!

I crack myself up.

I am pretty easily amused.

Brennan recently asked for a mini-photo album of some "life before mission" pictures to share with his companions. So I put one together but had some extra pages at the end. I couldn't leave it like that because I am my father's daughter, and just like how he always had to even out the brownies if someone had left an uneven edge in the pan, I had to fill the album to its even end. So here's how I did it:

















I hope it brings a smile to my missionary's face when he opens the package and remembers how dorky his family is. hee hee!

fanfare . . .

W h e w.

Thirteen years of pencil lead, eraser shavings, alarm clocks, heavy backpacks, overall diligent effort (and some occasional stress, blood, sweat and tears) culminated on Saturday with Kristi's high school graduation.

For a student like Kristi, I can barely describe how both proud and relieved we are that it's finally over. She is a combination of smart (i.e. she took honors and AP classes and did unbelievable volumes of homework year-round), social (i.e. she prioritized a little fun every day), somewhat disorganized (i.e. "I can't find my ______", or "I forgot to tell you about ______" or throwing in a load of laundry at midnight), and independant/stubborn (i.e. her work habits are her own - "I've got it under control!" or "Don't worry mom, just go to bed!"). We have been both exhausted and in awe watching her live her life.

Kristi's gown was bedazzled with her accomplishments. She wore a Nat'l Honor Society drape, and wore braided cords for student government, academic achievement and something else I can't remember. She graduated in a class of 419, but was one of only twenty who got to wear this:

I know you can't read it very well, but it says "Top Twenty". I think she got one B in her entire high school career (AP Calculus gave her a run for her money). She also decided to decorate her cap so that she could find it after she threw it in the air. And true to form, she can't do anything simply.

Here she is on her way to graduation on Saturday:


The Top Twenty marched in first, so she had a seat on the front row.


She performed the senior song with two other girls - Kristi on keyboard, one on guitar, and the third sang vocals.


Kristi had a great senior year. She has a thousand friends and was very involved, and so now that it's over, she is feeling some sadness along with the happiness and relief. She is looking greatly forward to college, but I think she will have many happy memories of her years growing up in Carson City.


And I'm not sure I've mentioned it here before -- after MUCH thought, stress, and prayer, Kristi decided to attend BYU-Idaho in the fall rather than BYU-Provo. This is not the decision she thought she would make, having wanted to attend Provo her whole life, but when the dust settled from the decision-making process, Idaho came out on top. And then the stress vanished. She is super excited and knows that great things lie in store for her there. And we couldn't be happier. Anything that begins with BYU makes us happy happy happy.

Kristi left yesterday for Disneyland and Huntington Beach with some friends for a senior trip, and I imagine she is having a wonderful time. CONGRATULATIONS, KRISTI!!! It's been an amazing ride.

pop some popcorn & grab a tissue

Personalize your own slideshow design

We'll be having an open house for Kristi (and the other graduating seniors in our ward) after her graduation ceremonies on Saturday, June 4th. Each graduate will have a table displaying some things about them. This slide show will be running on our laptop. If you decide to watch, you can click through them as fast as you want rather than watching it in real time. It's l-o-n-g, but I can't help such things. She's the only daughter I have . . .

nearing the end!

Once upon a time, I approached the end of a school year with 50% excitement and 50% jitters over how in the world my children and I would keep busy, happy and sane for three months with no school. My, how things have changed.

Now, around the time my kids go back to school after Christmas break, I start dreaming about summer vacation with 100% excitement and 0% jitters. Staying in bed past 5:00 a.m. tops the chart for me. You'll notice I said 'staying in bed' rather than 'sleeping in' because I love the luxury of the former even though I am generally unable to do the latter. I am very dutiful and completely reliable in my morning routine, and I even annoy the kids at times with my cheeriness, but I do not enjoy it. And by the end of the school year I am almost cursing it.

Because I work for the school district, I look forward to my own vacation - not just that of the kids. I enjoy my job, but I have found that the children are far more delightful in the beginning of the year than at the end. I love that summer means we all get enough sleep, we don't eat breakfast 'til 9:00, we stay up late watching movies, and generally try to be as lazy as we can stand. My kids would probably say I can't stand as much laziness as they can, but right now in May when things are still in full swing, I covet laziness and try to plan my summer around it as much as possible. It's nice to dream, right?

We spoke with Brennan on Mother's Day and it was wonderful! He sounded older and a bit more serious than we remember, but I guess that comes with the territory. He is doing great and working hard, and trying to stay solely focused on the work. He admitted that he was a little hesitant to talk to us because of that focus, but hopefully we didn't do too much damage! It was bittersweet by the time we had to say goodbye -- Austin and Dallin were particularly sad, and I had that feeling in the pit of my stomach again that I felt when he left in November. All of a sudden, instead of feeling amazed because he's already been out six months, I felt sad because he's only been out six months. Two years is a long time. But he is happy and healthy and doesn't want to be anywhere else.

On the fun side of life, Austin turned 15 recently, and for his "party" he wanted to take two close friends on the Ultimate Rush ride in Reno. They did it twice and had some good, scary fun.

And this weekend was Prom, and with Kristi being the VP of her senior class, she has had major responsibilities for it all year long. Budget constraints forced the prom to be held in the gym this year, which meant transforming the gym and the entrance foyer into their "midnight sky" theme. So. much. work. This past week we were all up at the school helping to lay flooring, hang lights, decorate tables, put bows on chairs, etc. etc. It turned out amazing. A cute boy from our ward who she has known most of her life (and who will be leaving on his mission in the fall) asked her to go with him. She was thrilled because she knew she would have fun with no stress whatsoever. She simply has no time in her life for boy stress. Anyway, they had a GREAT time.

That's Kristi in the middle on the floor, and Logan is the boy next to her on the left. This was somebody's birthday party probably about twelve years ago.

And here they are all grown up:



Hard to believe!!!!