For the Beauty of the Earth!

I have been so jealous of the fam. in Colorado because you get to go camping so often.... anyway, I guess I can't be too jealous anymore because I went camping this past weekend and had an awesome time. On Friday evening we drove up to Island Park and set up camp then we had tinfoil dinners, played games, and star gazed. It was a relaxing, fun, weekend get-away! Friday night as we were out looking at the stars, I wandered off on my own for a bit and sat on a rock, closed my eyes and just listened. It was completely "human quite." I listened to birds chirping (yes, evidently birds chirp 1:00 in the morning), insects buzzing, leafs in the breeze and various other animals. How blessed we are to be surrounded by all of these beautiful things of this earth. Now, as I was listening, filled with joy, I thought to myself how wonderful these things are in this life... and how even more amazing they will be in the next. Our earthly journey is short, and one day we will return home to our Father in Heaven where we will have the chance to experience what we think of now as simple joys, in an even more majestic way.

How are you doing?

Hello Everyone!

Are you all on target with your Book of Mormon reading?? Just checking up on all of you. I am having an amazing experience reading with a missionary mind. I truly get so excited to read each day. Isn't it great when you can feel that. When you love to feed your spirit as much as feed your body- like ice cream? I've have so many things I've wanted to share with all of you, but haven't been able to get to the computer the last little while.

When I was working out yesterday, I read President Erying's talk- Priesthood Session. AMAZING!! Please all of you, even if you have read it- read it again! One particular thing that stood out to me was when he said, "You can stufy the word of God, not for yourself alone but to be an emissary of the Lord Jesus Christ to all the world. When you increase your power to teach the gospel, you are qualifying to help Heavenly Father in gathering His children."

Yea! That is what we are doing! As a family too, which is so neat. This will be such a powerful experience for all of us- if we all do this. I hope you are all reading with a missionary mind and looking for ways in which we can learn to be better missionaries. We can have neat experiences ourselves, while Chelsee is on her mission and Tyson as well.

Go Walker missionary family!! Keep motivated! Love you all! ~Britnee

Check out my Slide Show!

Book Of Mormon Challenge

Hello Fam!

Book of Mormon Reading Challenge is ON!!!!



As a family we want to read the entire Book of Mormon before Chelsee leaves on her mission! So - let's get going!!!!



To complete your reading by August 31st (Chelsee's farewell date) you must read 7 pages a day or 49 pages a week to complete the 531 pages in the Book of Mormon.



To complete your reading by September 10th when Chelsee enters the MTC you must read 6.5 pages a day, 45.5 pages a week to complete the 531 pages in the Book of Mormon.



First Goal: Sunday, June 22 - 2 Nephi 5 to 7.

WE CAN DO IT!!! GOOOOooooooo WALKERS!!!!!!!

Map of My Mission!!!!

Mission Call !!!! Sister Chelsee Walker

CONGRATS TO BONES!!!

Chelsee got a phone call from the Rexburg Post Office early Friday morning telling her they had received the long awaited envelope from Church Headquarters. Sure enough - here's the address label!!!

Luckily - Chels was flying home to Colorado that same day so she waited until she got home to open the letter....

With great anticipation, nerves, shaking hands, and lots of deep breaths - six phones with anxious listeners resting nearby to hear - Cheslee began reading the letter....

You are hereby... called to serve...

NEVADA LAS VEGAS MISSION!!!!

SISTER CHELSEE WALKER!!! WOW!!! THE NEWEST WALKER MISSIONARY!!!!

The Prophet Said to Plant a Garden

The Prophet said to plant a garden, so that's what we'll do. For God has given rich, brown soil, the rain and sunshine too. And if we plant the seeds just right and tend them carefully, before we know, good things will grow to feed our family.

Ballerina-ing

Brailee likes to be a ballerina in her swimsuit, as she thinks it is a ballerina dress. Therefore, shadow Daiken, had to get in his swim suit too, to ballerina as well. The fireplace is the stage where they say, "Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, Brothers and Sisters, announcing..." and then they have all that room to do their dance while us sitting on the couch are the audiance. It's great fun.

The Past Two Weeks

The past two weeks has been exhausting, fun, hard and rewarding all at the same time!

First of all I quit my job! That was much harder than I ever expected... I've built up some wonderful relationships and it was tough to leave those behind. Although I love all of the people I work 'with' I really didn't have a 'boss' and there were so many huge things coming up that I truly felt like I did not want to put myself in a position to get caught in the middle of it all. Soooo - using all of the events of the past couple of weeks as my excuse, I simply 'excused' myself from work.

I then flew to Chicago and helped Britnee and Adam get packed up for their big move from Indiana to Colorado. Although Adam and his dad did the large majority of the packing and loading, I sure didn't sit still for very long at any one time.

Before the big drive back to Colorado we got to attend two graduations... (see the previous post) What an honor to be able to share this part of Brailee's and Adam's lives.

The drive back was really pretty uneventful! Adam drove the moving van and Britnee did most of the driving of the family van. (Poor thing gets car-sick so easy that I was the luckiest grandma of all to sit in the back and play with the kids) Once in Colorado, it only took a day and a half to get Britnee and Adam settled and stocked up and ready for life again.

Next was Gyle's birthday! Not that he would allow much celebrating, it was still quite a milestone event in our lives. (Gyle and I actually have more years behind us now that ahead of us) (Huge Sigh!!!) We spent Memorial Weekend camping per Gyle's request for his birthday! If he were given the choice of a camping trip versus a luxury hotel anywhere in the world - he'd choose the mountains.

Right after our camping trip, poor Tyson had his oral surgery (all four wisdom teeth removed and a bone graft to the front of his mouth where he is missing a tooth) Poor kid was pretty out of it for a few days.

The sisters in the ward visited out house on Thursday on a "Food Storage Parade of Homes" - thus - cleaning and scrubbing and preparing for that.

Throughout this same time, Chelsee has turned in her mission papers and her Bishop has informed her that her call has been extended and the paperwork is in the mail.

I've also been just a tad bit worried about Devin and Lianne - Devin started out with gusto, and I'm sure by now the 'door to door' work is getting very old and very annoying! At least when you are on your mission you are on the Lord's errand and you are blessed accordingly. I really don't think the Lord cares if someone buys a security system or not??? And poor Lianne - this is her first real time away from home and she is constantly on my mind! I so want this to be a good experience for both of them this summer.

In the midst of it all - I made several trips to several different grocery stores and believe it or not - I've not taken time to write a list so I'm still out of cheese and vegetable spray - go figure!!!

Today I was spoke at one of the wards for their Visiting Teaching Conference. Tomorrow morning I begin my new job! Yikes!!!!

Tonight I am feeling so full of mixed emotions!!! I think I need a day or two to do nothing but veg. I almost feel like I've just been herded from one thing to the next, including this new job, and part of me wants to dig in my heels and STOP!!! Take a breath - and then begin again.

I so enjoy the homemaking part of my life - being the mom. I've been so busy for the past month or longer that I haven't been the best of homemakers. You should see my closet (No, actually you shouldn't)

I am happy about the decision to change jobs - but tonight I wonder about it! I will be working with some absolutely incredible people, but it's just the newness that I wonder about. It's been nice being my own boss for the past 11 months and being able to set my schedule around what I needed to do.

Well, enough of random thoughts... I am looking forward to getting into a routine again. That will be good! The money will be great for missions (Chels and Tys will overlap) for vacations and for daily life - but it's not the money that I even worry about. Sheesh - I don't know... I suppose I should go to bed and get some sleep and wake up with a positive attitude ready to go tomorrow.

GRADUATION

It's fascinating to think about the stages of our lives! Here's two such examples... We had been working so hard packing Britnee and Adam's house to prepare for the big move that when it was time for Brailee's end of year Preschool Graduation Party - she was exhausted and slept right through it!!! Two days later, after staying up nearly all night packing the moving van, Adam attended his graduation from law school. He didn't sleep through it!

I suppose it doesn't really matter if you are asleep or awake at your graduation - at that point you already did all of the work to get to that point.

Soooo, just like I've always said, "It's great to have an end to journey towards (graduation for example) but in the END it is the JOURNEY that matters most!"

Brailee knows her letters, colors, how to use scissors, follow directions etc... Adam can argue a case before a judge if he wanted to.

Congrats to both Brailee and Adam on a job well done and a terrific journey along the way!