November 9, 2013 Dear Family, We are just now getting settled from our last week s adventures!

We " Norma Du#ree, $ikes mom, flew down toget%er and s#ent t%ree days wit% &ry'e and &et%any in (ilbert, )ri*ona! We went down for t%e blessing of t%eir baby, +os%ua ,%omas Du#ree! ,%ey were so good to us! We felt like we were s#oiled rotten! ,%e first nig%t, -aturday! we went to t%e ./()N -,.0 0122) restaurant w%ere 3%arlie &alog% #lays t%is %uge gorgeous gold de'orated organ! 1t sits on a round stage t%at 'omes u# out of t%e de#t%s of t%e restaurant w%en %e #lays and goes down ea'% time %e finis%es one of %is #erforman'es! )ll of us were intrigued as we listened, wat'%ed all t%e instruments #lay as %e #layed t%em from %is organ, and ate #i**a! ,%at day we did a variety of interesting t%ings! Did you ever %unt s'or#ions4 5ou %ave to %unt t%em at nig%t wit% a bla'k lig%t! ,%ey do it to kee# t%eir '%ildren safe from t%eir bite t%at 'an be deadly! 1 went out wit% &ry'e and &en for t%is adventure " took #i'tures! W%en 1 'ame in 6iersten wanted to know w%ere 1 %ad been! -%e t%en wanted to go out too, so 1 took %er out! -%e was very brave! -unday was t%e blessing day for +os%ua ,%omas Du#ree! ,%omas is t%e middle name of %is grandfat%er, and t%e name of %is great grandfat%er! We all gat%ered at t%e '%ur'% for t%eir 7830 a m -a'rament meeting! We took u# several rows! &ry'e gave a beautiful blessing to little +os%ua! ,%e testimony meeting was unusually s#iritual! W%en %is 'ounselor was to get u# to bring t%e meeting to a 'lose t%e &is%o# got u# instead and said %e was #rom#ted to s%are %is feelings and t%oug%ts about w%at little +os%ua did during t%e blessing! 9e told %ow %e %ad been #rom#ted to o#en %is eyes :w%i'% %e usually doesn t do; and look at +os%ua! 9e was looking intently at %is fat%er w%o was giving %im t%e blessing! 9is ga*e stayed intently on %is fat%er until %e #ronoun'ed t%e <)men!= ,%en %e smiled a great big smile! ,%e bis%o# felt t%e so strongly t%at t%is little baby boy understood %is fat%er s words " was %a##y for t%em! $ike told us as we were driving ba'k to &ry'e " &et%any s t%at %e too %ad o#ened %is eyes and +os%ua was looking at %im! ,%eir eyes remained in 'onta't for a time as %e felt a s#e'ial s#irit between t%em until +os%ua s eyes turned to &ry'e! 0robably t%at was w%en t%e &is%o# o#ened %is eyes! &ot% t%e bis%o# and $ike felt somet%ing s#e'ial s#iritually going on t%ere between fat%er " son and grandfat%er " grandson! ,%is was tou'%ing to me! 1t reminded me of t%e story of t%e little girl w%o wanted to get into t%e 'rib wit% %er little new brot%er! -%e said to %im, <0lease tell me about +esus be'ause be'ause 1 am starting to forget!= 1 am sure t%at our little ones remember about +esus for a w%ile after t%ey 'ome to t%is eart%! $aybe t%ey remember ot%ers too! $aybe +os%ua remembered %is great grandfat%er w%o was t%ere wit% %im before %e 'ame to eart%! $onday was also an e>'e#tional good day! .ur visit to t%eir #ark t%at is rig%t a'ross t%e street from t%e (ilbert )ri*ona ,em#le be'ame a sweet memory for us! First we 'ould see 'lose u# t%e beautiful ,em#le w%i'% will be dedi'ated in t%e -#ring of 201?! )s we walked along t%e 'ement #at%s of t%e #ark we 'ould see t%e s#ires of t%e tem#le from many #la'es and t%at was su'% an ins#iring t%ing to do! We 'ommented on %ow lu'ky t%ose w%o will go to t%e tem#le will %ave a beautiful #la'e to %ave lun'% w%ile viewing t%e tem#le from t%e #ark! ,%ere is truly a s#e'ial s#irit t%ere! We also enjoyed seeing t%e du'ks " turtles t%at swim in t%e many large #onds and t%e su''ulent ty#es of flowers t%at grow in t%at desert 'ountry! ,%at meant my 'amera was busy! &est of all was being wit% t%at bran'% of our family! We are so blessed to %ave '%ildren and grand'%ildren w%o are doing t%eir best to <Follow t%e 0ro#%et= " 3,/! -#eaking of following t%e #ro#%et @ (rand#a " 1 %ave been wat'%ing t%e 'onferen'e sessions on my i0ad! ,%at is a wonderful way for us to see " %ear our (eneral )ut%orities messages! Now t%at our Ansign %as arrived we are reading " marking t%ings t%at #ertain to our own #ersonal life! We love bot% ways of kee#ing 0res! $onson s admonition to review t%e 'onferen'e talks! We %o#e you are all

doing it tooBBB For me, w%en 1 %ave my %ard 'o#y to mark 1 take more time to <digest= w%at is being said and get more from ea'% talk! Do you find it t%e same4 ,%is morning 1 was talking to +ulie and learned t%at /ilie " +esse %ave been blessed wit% anot%er baby boy! 9e was born on November 7t%! 1 didn t get %is name! -o 'ongratulations to +esse and /ilie! We love youBBB (/)ND0) - 3./NA/8 1! (randma rig%ts a great letter and 1 enjoy reading t%em to know w%at we %ave been doing! We enjoy our work in t%e tem#le, and %ave worked %ard in t%e garden to remove t%e leaves, #lants et'! We %ave even %ired a young man to %el# us! We %ave filled C garbage 'ans t%e last 'ou#le of weeks, and 1 %ave a blown a sta'k of leaves a'ross t%e front of t%e %ouse a foot and a %alf %ig% by t%e front gutter to be #i'ked u# by t%e 'ity! We %ad a great time in )ri*ona, and will be going to 1owa for t%anksgiving! We love our family and are #roud of all of t%em! 1t was good to %ave 3indy visit wit% our grand'%ildren! (/)ND$) )()1N8 We took 3indy, 1saa', +onas " Ali to ,%e ,ree 9ouse! We %ad loads of fun t%ere! 1 will let t%e #i'tures tell t%at story! $D39 E.FA, (r! " (r! 3%ristensen