Happy Birthday to Jesse!

Happy 19th birthday to this cute girl!

Here are some more pictures of her on her birthday with one of her best friends, Tori.

And here is Bruce's personal favorite. (Even though she's putting him in a choke hold to give a kiss).

Bruce and I and Josh went out to eat with Jesse and Tori.  Cousin Lindsey met us there too, and it was so fun to see her!

I'm glad Jesse is finally nineteen.  She has been acting like she was nineteen since she was sixteen!  And now that she's nineteen, I think she's finally acting her age.  She got to buy some really cute dresses and clothes for her birthday.  She went shopping with Darcy and had a ball doing that!  Thank you also to our friend Gale who took her to lunch last week!  Happy Birthday Jesse!!

The first day of school was this week for Mary,

 and Peter & Libby.

The first week of school went well for all three.  Mary tried all sorts of ways to get out of taking Calculus, but we stayed the course and she said "it wasn't so bad".  But that's because the first few days were review.  But I think she'll do way better than she thinks she will!  Libby is a library aid this year, and they are both in choir.  Well, Mary is in choir too, but that is a given!  ha ha

Joshua went on a date this week with Aubree, and they went horseback riding on our horses with friends. Fun times!

Afterwards, a whole bunch of other kids from their singe adults branch came over and they swam, played ping pong and foos ball, and generally had a good time (as evidenced by their laughter).

Saturday we got to go to the Funeral of my former missionary companion, Glenae Turley.  We were companions for two months in Bolivia, and I loved her!  She passed away from cancer at the age of 47.  Bruce and I were able to attend.  It was lovely to see the group of friends from our mission that were there.  She was a firefighter for the Murray City Fire Department, spanning a 13 year career.  They said that she was the first woman in Murray's history to command a fire scene.  As a firefighter, she received an Honor Guard at the end of the Funeral. 

Wow - it was breathtaking in its solemnity.  They had a man playing the bagpipe, and if that doesn't bring out the deepest feelings from one's soul, I don't know what does. When they had the dispatcher thank her for her service and say that she had moved on to her next assignment, I just about lost it, and I could hear people all around me with the same reaction.  After folding the flag and delivering it to her family, the loaded her coffin onto the top of a fire truck.  Bruce and I were deeply touched by the respect and honor shown her because of her service to her fellowman and her community.  When that kind of respect and honor is shown, there is still a lot of good in the world!  And I felt my dear companion's joy and fulfillment at having lived life to the fullest and served well.  She is truly on to her next assignment!

Here is part of the tribute and pictures I posted on FB about her.

 

 I got bitten by a dog on my ankle, barely missing my Achilles tendon. The wound was deep, and bless her heart, she cleaned out that wound like none other. Her mother had just passed away from cancer when she came to be my companion, and we had a lot of long talks about grief and loss. I didn't guess at the time that she would also pass away from the same illness. I have fond memories of singing "Walk Like a Bolivian" to the tune of "Walk Like an Egyptian", learning to love Bolivia while singing "Viva mi patria Bolivia", and working hard to find and teach people the gospel we both love. Glenae, I look forward to meeting you and your very own Captain Moroni on the other side. I will miss you, and I'm grateful to have been counted as one of your many friends!