Tara Can't Be Left Out Too!

Okay...after this I think I have all of my bases covered as far as the children are concerned. I don't want anyone thinking that I am leaving them out :)

Tara is our 17 year old very driven senior in high school. She knows exactly what she wants in life and where she is going. She plans on graduating in May of next year with approximately 15-20 college credits under her belt. She hopes someday to be a nurse and work in a pediatric oncology unit of a hospital. She is very mature for her years and we are constantly reminding her to slow down and enjoy her teenage life. She recently had the opportunity to go to Cancun with her friend, Maddie, in April and loved seeing a different part of the world (she is on the right in the photo). She hopes next summer to go to Africa to work in an orphanage. We love you tons, Tara!

Jenni Feels Left Out

Jenni looked at my blog the other day and said "Where am I???" So...I guess I had better put something about her on here. Jenni is 19 years old and is all about the party. She is a very fun girl who loves to be with friends and kids. She taught preschool last school year at Ridgeline Elementary in Highland, Utah and LOVED it. The kids really liked her too. So much, in fact, that a few of the parents have hired her for the summer to nanny their kids. She has three families that she rotates throughout the week and she is having a blast. She is not a "sit at a desk" kind of gal, so this job suits her perfectly. She spends her days with the kids going to movies, parks, swimming pools and anything else fun she can think of, and her nights are spent rotating the numerous boys that are dangling around :) Love ya Jenni and sorry you felt left out!

Emma's Swimming Lessons

Yesterday was the last day for Emma's swimming lessons. She really enjoyed them and learned a lot. She has always been a little fish in the water with no fear whatsoever. She has been able to jump off of the diving board and swim to the side since she was two years old. We will have to sign up for another session so that she does not forget everything that she has learned so far. Her teacher told me that she was a very good swimmer and just needed to not be so "social"...isn't that code for she talks a lot? Why couldn't I just have ONE child that was shy and scared of people???

Peter Ferrero V Eagle Court of Honor

Greg, Josh, Emma and myself just returned from Boise, Idaho to see Pete receive his Eagle Scout Award. For his Eagle Project he completely furnished, painted, and put carpet and vinyl flooring into two rooms at the River of Life shelter for men. A total of 166 hours were volunteered to make this happen. Dayna and Peter were also a huge part of the success and support. It was a great afternoon of celebration with lots of family members present. Congratulations Pete!

Letter From Elder Williamson June 22, 2008

Dear Dad,

Yep, another week has flown by and boy I get so tired by the end of the day. so, I wrote you a letter last week and I lost it so I apologize that you have not received one from me for a while.

So this last week has been crazy. We have had lots of meetings and planning to do for the Zone. Also, this past Monday we got a 2 week missionary named Jared Gardner and boy, he drives me crazy and he is a test of my patience. He is a good kid and all. He wants to work, he just does embarrassing things out in public. He turns 18 in 2 months.

On Tuesday the 17th the mission doctor came and I loved that because he talked about how to be healthy and guess what? I am doing pretty good at that. He talked about the importance of exercise also.

So this week was a very hot week. I was between 105 degrees and 112 degrees. We tracked out in it and man, was I sweaty. But we are still alive. The thing that stinks about this heat wave is that it wouldn't cool down at night, so it was a rough night's sleep because Sister Adams does not like to use her air conditioner. I love her house. It is beautiful and we live in the countryside on the foot of the mountain. You can hear nature in the morning when you get up and it just feels wonderful. It is also clean air :)

So this next week is also going to be super busy. We have Zone Meeting on Monday where my companion and I will train our Zone. I am training on the importance of "Preach My Gospel". I titled it "Preach My Gospel, A Missionary Playbook." I feel a lot more confident about this one. I was really nervous when I gave my first training last transfer. But now that I am getting the whole swing of things, it should g a lot better.

We are also doing service for the California Speedway on Wednesday from 1 pm until 8:30 pm and Friday from 6 am until 1 pm. I am pretty excited for that. I do not know everything that we are doing.

So this coming Saturday the 27th, we have a baptism for Justin Freeman. Dad, this kid is an animal and I have never seen or heard of anything like this. He reads 50-100 pages a day out of the scriptures. He always has questions written down to ask about wheat he has read. On Thursday he had 49 questions written down to ask us. It is just amazing. He also decided to get a haircut and shave and he looks great and so sharp. I am going to have to get you a before and after picture.

Also, on the 28th we get to go to a wedding in Apple Valley:), my Greenie area. My companion Elder Lott, was teaching them before they left, so that means I may be able to see a couple of families in my Greenie ward. I have not been there for over a year.

Well Dad, I love you so much and I want you to know you are my best friend.

Love your Son,

Elder Williamson

Tommy The Kitten

After eight years of being not being able to produce kittens, our cat, Maddie surprised us on Mother's Day with one cute little feline. We named him "Tommy" after Thomas S. Monson and soon grew to really love the little guy. He was very cute and had a large personality. Emma was especially attached to him. He loved being in the house and really had no interest in going outside too much. He loved being around our family and just be held and petted. He even found my pillow to be his favorite spot to take cat naps. He just recently had his six week birthday and we placed a sign outside that said "Free Kitten". I had a knock at our door not more than 30 minutes later from a lady and three little kids. They said that they had an older cat that was dying and wanted a new kitten to replace it. How could we not let Tommy go live in this nice families home? Emma had lots of tears but now realizes that Tommy is very happy and is living with an awesome family. We will never forget little Tommy and how cute he looked swinging from the curtains in the family room by the sliding glass doors. We miss you Tommy!

Williamson Family Reunion

We decided it was about time that the Williamson Family had a reunion. So...we rented cabins at the Heber Valley Campground above Heber, Utah and spent the night. We were surprised to wake up to snow early the next morning, but we survived and still had fun. The kids really liked the paddle boats and canoes on the lake. Emma and her cousin, Amy were maniacs in the paddle boats. We were all trying desperately to stay away from them. I think they were confused a bit and thought they were driving bumper cars! It was a lot of fun. We will definitely be making this a tradition. As you can see in the picture, Josh made himself at home by the fire with a book and blanket :)