New Experiences

Friday, October 25, 2013

New Experiences

One evening I heard a noise just outside our living room window.

I asked Andrew what it was.

He didn't notice and didn't care.

So I dropped it.

The next morning we found out that our trash cans had been knocked over -

By a BEAR!

Um, welcome to Alaska!

A day or so later we ran across these deer on the way home from school.

Peter was so excited!

I had to stop him from petting them.

Sadly, the day we saw the deer, Ammon had stayed home sick.

So he missed it.

We moved here during the rainiest month of the year.

And we have seen some rain.

We have seen a lot of clouds.

But we have seen a lot more of the sun than we expected based on reputation.

And whether the sun is out in full force or not,

It is beautiful here!

Andrew's branch is the one out of the three here in Ketchikan that is open on Saturday.

He gets to work every other weekend.

And as a trade off, he gets every other Wednesday off.

We spent his first Wednesday off running errands.

These last two pictures are the grocery store parking lot.

(The grocery store is actually in the mall - next to Wells Fargo where Andrew works.)

The picture above and below this comment is the view from the DMV.

We were able to get Alaska drivers licenses and register our car.

It was such a pretty day!

This is our car parked right outside our front door.

This is the view I see from my kitchen window.

I love it!

On Saturday, while Andrew was working, Ammon had a scout activity.

He went shooting at the shooting range.

I was nervous about leaving the "new kid" at the range.

I made sure to find out who the adult was in charge of his group.

I made it a point to tell Ammon (in front of him) that he needed to STAY WITH HIM.

But when I came to pick him up at 1:00 (maybe 1:00 and thirty seconds)

I didn't see that adult anywhere.

And Ammon was gone.

I found a couple of kids who had been in Ammon's group.

They told me he had gone down the trail to the main road.

Fortunately, as I tried not to panic and went out to start the search for my child,

he came walking back up the path.

He had decided to walk home (the wrong way) but had turned around in time to see me pull up.

So he came back.

PHEW!

Crisis narrowly averted.

We were over six miles away from home.

On a rural 50 MPH road - that was under construction and had no shoulders.

I have no idea why he thought he could make his way home on foot and alone.

But that's Ammon for you.

This is a picture of the foyer in our church.

The chapel is beautiful and we are in love with the wood that was used to build it.

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Family Proclamation

The First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children.All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshiped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize his or her divine destiny as an heir of eternal life. The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God's commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.We declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God's eternal plan.Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. "Children are an heritage of the Lord" (Psalms 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God and to be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed.We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.

This proclamation was read by President Gordon B. Hinckley as part of his message at the General Relief Society Meeting held September 23, 1995, in Salt Lake City, Utah.