Sunday, April 10, 2011

                                   Delta Junction seminary teacher - Maggie Olsen. We have had a chance
                                    to meet and work with many wonderful early morning seminary teachers.
                                                                Jung & Jacob Ames
                               Wedding cake made by Jacob's mother Lori, a North Pole seminary teacher.
                                          Check out this fish hook and lure.  There are nothing but
                                                      big fish in Alaska! (Is that a U of U tie?)
                A preparation day quilt project to remind us that it's spring. Green for the upcoming
                leaves of birch and quakies and blue for the state flower, forget-me-nots!

                            Good morning April 10, 2011 - Spring? The snow is actually starting to melt and there
                                             will be no more days of thirty or forty below zero!

It's been a good week at the institute.  We have had several new guys show up that are going to be working in Fairbanks or around here this summer.  It's good to have new people at the branch and in our classes.  I'm getting better at making cinnamon rolls, but this week we almost had a disaster.  There were two districts of missionaries at the institute have district meetings.  As Jim and I were eating lunch, Jim told me that the elders were making baked salmon for lunch.  They didn't know that I had dough raising in the oven.  I got to the kitchen just in time.  My dish towel on top of the dough had not caught on fire yet.  However, the dough had started to bake a little in the bowl.  It gave the cinnamon rolls an interesting texture, but they still tasted good.

Jacob and Jung were married on Saturday.  Jung has only been a member of the church since September, so they have plans to be sealed in the temple in a year.  Jung loves the temple.   She was so excited to do baptisms when we went as a group.  It will be a wonderful day for both of them when they meet that goal.   The reception was very nice.  Lori Ames is Jacob's mother and a dedicated seminary teacher.  I didn't know she had such skill and a baker and decorator of wedding cakes.   It was delicious and beautiful.  Jacob is a recently returned missionary and has 10 brothers and sisters, so the reception was full of grandchildren having a great time.  It reminded me of home.

Jim was offered a frozen moose hide by a member of our branch presidency.  He couldn't pass up the deal.  However, he has already discovered that it is going to take some effort to do anything with it!  It is now salted down on a gravel portion of our driveway - at least we have been told it's gavel below the snow.   We'll see what happens.

We loved general conference.  It will be wonderful to be able to study again the counsel of the leaders of the Church in depth this fall semester.  I have really appreciated the direction we have received.  (Some of the boys in the branch have taken Pres. Monson's admonition to get going and get married to heart and have even asked some of the girls out for a change.  That's a good step in the right direction.)   We are so grateful to be members of Christ's church that has been restored and reestablished in the latter days.  We invite our friends to come and see what we have to add to what you have.  We know the Savior lives and has given us a way to return to His presence if we will repent and follow Him.

Lots of love,
JoAnn & Jim