hello

What great news to know that Sister Remund is safe. Rick and I were praying all weekend and felt assured that she was ok, but I worried the most that she would be frightened by the wind...I myself hate being in the dark alone when it is windy. I am always surprised at how she is being tested and yet she is so stalwart and brave. We can all be so proud of her..she is quite the missionary and quite a young woman too boot. She will come home from her mission so grown up and we will just wonder how did it happen??? I am in awe of her. She is bringing blessings to us all. Mark, I so enjoyed your last blog. Thanks for sharing some small portion of your life with us. I am not sure what has happened to Jeff..he used to be so faithful in writing from time to time. I guess everyone is just so busy. I have but one excuse...I feel like I have nothing worth blogging about. What do Rick and I have to say that interests anyone? YOu all have such exciting things with kids. Life as an older couple is much quieter and much less to write home about. We relax, watch football or old westerns or Christmas movies. WE do family history or go to the temple and read books. I cook, Rick fiddles or tinkers in the yard. This is what happens when you get old. No kids, no babies, no excitement in life..just each other and quiet time all the time. I am not complaining...we are very much enjoying life. Just setting the stage for what is to come as you get older. Empty nester comes way too early. In 7 weeks, I will be retired and living with Rick in Fruit Heights. I sent some of my clothes home with Rick today as he drove the jeep so we can start packing up the St.George home.We plan to start trying to rent it out soon.I am not going to put up much for Christmas decorations this year. First time in my life. We will be totally moved before New Years and no use putting it all up just to take it all down. I hope I am not too homesick. I will have to go over and look at Sherri's decorations. and eat her cookies. We are looking forward to Thanksgiving...It is our turn to host Rick's kids and Mark and his family along with Michael's family will be joining us. How I wish all my kids could be there. It may be years before we are all together for a holiday again. I wonder what it will be like in Hawaii with just Rick and I next year? Let's see more news in this family blog before year's end. I love my family. Mom

If at first you don't succeed...

Well, apparently the Lord wants me to succeed where I have failed in the past. Two weeks ago I was called and set apart as the 11 year old primary teacher. This will be my third time fulfilling this calling. I intend to magnify the calling this time! I taught my first lesson yesterday. We have a big class, 18-20 kids, and I have a team teacher, the former counselor in our Bishopric. He is very nice. For the next two months I will have the opportunity to teach Mason's class, before she moves on with the New Year. That part is pretty fun. Either this is revenge for my primary days or have a lot to learn from 11 year old kids, and have not learned it yet. Truly, I don't mind the call, but it is funny.

Our family is doing well. We had a great time at Michael and Catherine's Halloween party. For those that missed it, check out Angela's Facebook page for some pics. It was a good time, and as always our girls had the best time. That is why we do it! It was fun to hang out with some family and just be silly for a night. We are looking forward to the upcoming holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Hopefully we will get to spend some time with family during this festive time of year. Maybe one year we will all be able to get together for Christmas or Thanksgiving again. Before I am too old and soar to run a slant route on my brothers.

Angela is very busy at work, so she and her team are working 20 hours of mandatory each week. Of course that equates to even more than 20 hours for her. As the sup she puts in significantly more hours. She works hard and is doing a great job of trying to work with such a crazy, messed up system. There are just so many rules and stips that make it stressful and more difficult than it needs to be. Anyways, I am proud of the great work she is doing. She is creating organization out of a mess. She is such a hard worker and sets a high bar for all of those around her. I am grateful for a spouse that sacrifices so much for our family. Hopefully, this is a means to an end for her soon. Okay, no one wants to hear me gush over my beautiful, and wonderful wife. I am grateful I am surrounded by amazing women, for my daughters to emulate. Thank you Mom, my wife, Sherri, Kayla, Catherine, and their female cousins. We Hall/Remund/Mayfield men have a lot of work to live up to and be worthy of such beautiful women inside and out. Thank you!

Pretty much our lives are pretty boring, so there really is not a lot to update. Connley just finished running club, which is her cross-country team for sixth graders. She was constantly the first or second fastest girl on the team, and in the top 5 overall. She is more of a sprinter than long distance, so I am impressed at how well she did. If they had a track team, she would love to do more short distances, but for now this is fun and good exercise. Mason is in the ensemble of her upcoming school play, so her rehearsals just began and she is very excited about being a part of it all. Both girls have made a couple friends, but have struggled a little more than in the past. It just gets harder as you get older. However, they do have a couple friends, and we are very happy about that. All they need is one good friend. I continue to work on finishing my masters. I took a semester or two off last year, so right now it is projected I will graduate this coming summer. It has taken a lot longer than I had hoped, and I cannot wait to be done. I just hate having all the assignments constantly hanging over my head. Hopefully, this investment will pay off in the long run. Anyways, that is about everything happening with our family. Pretty dull and quiet, just the way I like it. I wish I knew more about what is going on with the rest of the fam; Jeff where did you go? Hope y'all are doing well and know that we are here if you need anything.

Rick and I are just returning from spending a week in Myrtle Beach with his brothers for the 1st 4 days and then with Kayla, Jeff and boys for 2 days. The weather in Myrtle Beach was rainy, windy and chilly so we didn't get to do much outside but he was able to watch some home videos of his parents of some 20-30 years ago and the boys were able to remember some great times together growing up. It was so fun to hear them talk about their childhood...I invisioned my boys and Sis doing the same things some years from now. I hope you all will get together when you are in your 60's and 70's and talk about the good old days and all the fun things you did as kids. I hope you won't just remember the bad. Everyone has some bad, but I notice that Rick and his brothers mainly just think of the good and what great parents they had. We so enjoyed being with Jeff and Kayla...they have gotten to move into a nice home and they are fixing it up really cute. We did some fun things together and were there to celebrate McCoy's 5th birthday. He thinks that is why Grandma and Grandpa came to town. Well, I am glad he thinks that. We got to meet some of their friends and they really have some neat friends. No worries about lack of friends in SC. Really good people. We got up at 1am Ut time to make all of our flights today so I am feeling ugh right now...It will take time to readjust... I don't know anything about a friend of Connley's passing away...what happened? I am so sorry and hope Connley is ok along with the family. What a tragedy for sure. Can't wait for y'all (Kayla gave me permission to talk southern) to see the fabulous job Angie is doing with Rick's buffalo. It is looking so "out of this world". I cannot believe the talent she has!!!! I am following McKenna's blog weekly. I do need her address though so I can drop her a line. I do better at writing. And I think that is what we are supposed to be doing?? Sis, you cannot be doing the Marathon while we are in Hawaii...I simply cannot surprise you like I did the last time. Then you will be disappointed. Yes, KSL did a great program on Hawaii. Got Rick and I even more excited. Time will go fast. They hired Mike Wood to fill my position. I will spend the next couple of months orienting him and then I am done. 46 years and then I am gone............yiles, scary not to have a job. Love to all and have a great week. Mom

Checking in

Hello you non-bloggers:)
I'm trying to keep up two blogs...come on, write:) Had a good weekend...busy with marathon and company, but still good. Every year when its the marathon, I think "I should do it again". Then Monday morning comes, and I realize NAH! Done with that. Hope you all got to see some of General Conference! WOW. I just love it!! So inspiring! Elder Holland is always amazing. President Eyring as well!! Loved it. And I loved hearing from President Monson! Man, they are all incredible. I thought it was interesting that Mom and Rick just got their call to Hawaii and KSL did the between conference spotlight on Hawaii! No coincidence with that!! What a great place to be able to serve!!! SO exciting for you. And speaking of missionaries..I love and miss mine:)) She is doing well. Has committed her first person to baptism. 20 year old girl. She says she loves it there. Check out her blog, we try to keep it updated. It weird to think she has been out close to 2 1/2 months now!! We've gotten more in a routine now with Kam and Hallie, so I have no doubt its going to fly by. Girls are doing well. Same stuff pretty much. My heart hurt for Connley this past week, as she lost a friend of hers to death. I could not stop thinking about that poor poor family. So grateful for the knowledge we have of eternal families!! I can't imagine getting through something like that without that knowledge!! Well, I'm off to run kids here and there. Hope you all are doing well. Hopefully Jeff is feeling better after surgery!And lucky that mom gets to see him this week!! Have fun and love ya all!
SIS

Friday

Watch for a text message from me on Friday morning. We got a call Friday saying we have been assigned a mission call. It will probably arrive Thursday here in St.George, but Rick doesn't fly in until Friday so I will have to wait for him to get here for us to open it together. Then we decided we will send out a text to all 9 of our children at the same time. It will be a long week for Rick and I...praying the Lord remembers certain things about your mom...that she hates to be too cold, that she hates rascals, you know all these things as does the Lord....Rick hates the heat so what can He do with us? We will serve where we are asked to go. It would just be nice to be comfortable, but oh well, Jeff showered with bats and had rascals in the sink while he ate. I guess it all works out the way it is supposed to, but the first time they put an entire goat head on my dinner table, I am sure I will upchuck right then and there. McDonald's may become my best friend after I have ignored it all these years since the boys left home. And if they put a pig head on the table, I think me and bacon would part ways as well. Hallie would love that!! Oh well, my excitement this week will be trying to get through the week. My position is posted at work and they have 4 candidates. I am a lame duck now. boohoo. 46 years of nursing and I am happy and sad as well. I know today is a milestone (a sad one) for my kids. I am thinking of each of you and hope you are having good memories of your Dad today. I love you and wish you every good thing in life. One of the reasons for Rick and I serving a mission is the hope that our children and grandchilren will be blessed while we are gone. this is one of the promises. Love, Mom

Amazing

Here is what I find amazing. My children are seeing what I have been saying for so many years. Families are the best. It seems like each of you in your own special way is finding out that not only your own mate and children are dear and near to you but you also love being with each other. I remember well when I wanted to spend time with my brothers and sister. We were married and all had our own families, but when someone couldn't come for a birthday or holiday, I was so sad...a part of me felt so lonely for that person. You are beginning to understand that. When I was home this summer, Uncle Steve had a cook out and Aunt Marilyn, Uncle Ted, Uncle Carl and Aunt Lynda all came. Of course, Uncle Dan is gone. That was the best night of my trip. All my siblings were there together. That may not happen again in my life time. We did not want to go home. We sat around and visited about the days as kids. We went over to an old farm house that we lived in growing up (Uncle Steve owns it now) and we talked about where our Christmas tree sat and what was each of our rooms. We have memories. great memories. I hope each of you have memories from your childhood and when I am gone you will still want to get together and talk about your family life growing up. Maybe your kids will talk about cousins and how they got together for family reunions. I still love getting together with my cousins when I go to the Hannum family reunion. And we are in our 60's and 70's. Mark, I, like Sherri, really enjoyed your blog. Thanks for sharing your feelings. I have been worried about Jeff working so many hours and I know they have sacrificed family time. Sometimes we all do what we have to do to survive. This economy has hurt every single one of my kids, but has been extremely difficult for Jeff. I am praying that we will be able to find a job he loves in the future but in the meantime I know he is grateful for a job that provides good insurance and some security for now. Rick and I are holding tight waiting for our mission call. Still no word so not sure what that means.We know a couple who put their papers in the same time as us and they heard 3 weeks ago. Is that a bad sign or good sign? Maybe we will end up with McKenna. Perhaps she was sent to lay the ground work for us. I am so proud of her. Sherri does cry a bit, but who wouldn't? I know they are tears of joy. As for Christmas music, Rick might be able to tell you a little about whether we listened to some while we traveled to Yellowstone this past weekend. It seemed fitting. cold, rainy, in the mood weather. I am not as sly as Sherri. I enjoyed it tremendously. Kayla would not be happy with us though, but it was great. I may have to make a pumpkin pie soon. Oh, yes, I have all my fall decorations out. Someone looked at my house last night to rent and they thought it looked beautiful with all the leaves and pumpkins out. Maybe they will want to rent it since it looked so pretty!! I love my family more than this old computer will express. Mom

Its P-Day

Hello family! It's Sister Remund's P-day...that means its my P-day too:) I call it my play day...haha. I admit I have spent more time looking at her blog than the 'journhalls' blog...I will be better:) Doesn't mean I don't think of all of you often! Seems like now more than ever I am thinking of family. I'm sure it has something to do with the fact that I've had kids leave the nest...makes me reflect a lot on family!! SO, speaking of family...I want to say how much I loved Mark's most recent post. WOW. I'm not one to be emotional (well, since Kenna has left I cry a lot), but I just sat here reading and weeping. That was truly inspiring, touching, and beautiful Mark. THANK YOU for sharing your feelings! I understand that is more difficult for you. You are incredible and I want you to know that I love you too!! I also couldn't agree with you more. Family is where its at!! And I certainly love mine! Thank you again for your thoughts!!

Not too much new to report. Ashley & Justin found a place to live. Another big shout-out here to Mark & Angie (and Mason & Connley) for opening their home to them for awhile!! Their jobs seem to be going well, and I am happy to have them a bit closer. Kam & Hallie are getting used to being the only ones around. They are cute with each other (most of the time) and I relish every moment with them. I realize it is going to go fast and before I blink, they will too be gone. And sweet McKenna is wonderful too. Check out her blog...we post her stuff once a week. It was so GREAT to talk to her at the airport. We only got 30 minutes and it went way too fast. She had memorized Joseph Smith's first vision in her language and recited it to us. Was sweet. If you read her last letter...count how many times she says "Its great". Brett and I have been cracking up!! Everything is great:))) Brett's back/leg is finally on the up and up!! YAY!! Relief. Feel very grateful about that. We've seen a slight increase at the bakery with the onset of fall...hopefully it will continue. I love fall...I may have listened to a few Christmas tunes, but I can't say for certain.

Well, I'm off to frost cupcakes! Hope you all have a great week. Love you, miss you, and am thankful for each of you!
SIS