Tender Mercies 5.3.15 letter 1

Last Monday was full of Tender Mercies! Little Miracles. I’m so grateful!

Sunday night I was checking my sub finder web site like I always do to get a job for the next day. I had one all settled for Lydia Hawk in their preschool from 8:45-3:30. Monday morning, I did my usual – take Keagan to seminary and try to go back to sleep for an hour or so before I really have to get up. I was awake, so I got into the shower. @7:30, Ray came running into the bathroom and said, Keagan just called, there has been a shooting at North Thurston. I’m going to pick him up. I started crying (you know me) immediately and said a quick prayer and hurried to get out and ready for the day. All I could think of was last year in Marysville when 4 kids were killed by someone with a gun. Shortly after, Keagan called me (and he was trying not to cry.. although he won’t admit that now) and told me he was safe and he was a few streets away from the high school and talked to me until Ray picked him up. Keagan was home by 7:45. I was never so glad to hug him and know that he was safe!  So many blessings right there! I had woken up early, already was getting ready, KEAGAN WAS SAFE, and he was home so quickly. I didn’t have to worry and wonder.

Here is what happened to Keagan:

He got dropped off after seminary. He was in the commons. Around 7:20 (the first bell rings at 7:25 and it hadn’t rung yet) they heard a loud noise. He said that everything was silent. They weren’t sure what it was, maybe it was one of the tables falling or something.. Then another shot went off and it was total chaos. People were running and screaming. He said it was a mass exodus for the exits. He tripped and fell, skinned his knee and someone grabbed at his back pack trying to get out quickly and ripped it. He said he just ran to get as far away as possible. He said a teacher was motioning for him to come into one of the building.. but he just kept running and then called us. (I noticed that I had 3 missed calls when I got to my phone). So luckily Keagan was home safe quickly! When Keagan was running out of the building, he heard a loud thud.. it was Mr. Olson tackling the kid with the gun. He was able to calm him down and get the gun out of his hand and no one was hurt! Some of the kids hid in classrooms. Some were made to meet in the stadium. It took them a while to get home. I’m actually glad that Keagan did what he did and we had him home safely so soon!

I was actually glad to go to work. I knew that if I had stayed home, I would of just been reading all about it and been crying all day with the “what ifs”.  My job that day was a little crazy.. but fun. The preschool usually has at least 2 assistant teachers and 1 lead. All of them were out, so the lead teacher was a sub and then me. We managed just fine, but it was busy and I didn’t have time to think about the earlier days events. (another blessing!)

This event was all over the news and even world news. I think Mr. Olson was interviewed on Good morning America. I’m just very grateful for the safety of our community and great teachers!

Our poor kids are pretty shell shocked! I’ve heard a couple of reports of loud noises and kids freaking out. There was a balloon that popped in the gym and it was really loud and echoed and several kids started crying. There have been some crazy threats about others with guns. Mostly, though, it has brought the community together. There has been several other schools wearing their purple to show support to NT.

All is well, and now I can tell you about the rest of the week. 

Love,

Sis Shoop

4.26.15

This week I subbed at mt. View for 3 days. 2 for playground duty and one in the resource room. It was pretty fun. One thing that was fun was that mt. View has a lot of kids from our ward. I was cracking up as some of them were looking at me, trying to figure it out. Henry nelson kept looking at me.. so I said hi to him, and he said hi, but kept looking back at me. I could tell he was trying to figure it out! Anna Cheney just came right up to me, HI sister shoop!! & one of my preschoolers from last year started talking to me and her friend,  how do you know her?! & Leah, says, she was my preschool teacher as she skips along.  My favorite though was 11 year old Blake Erickson. He looked at me and I could see in his face... please sister Shoop, don't embarrass me. Haha It reminded me of how Jesse and Josh used to look at me when they were 11. And that's what really made me smile!! Sorrynotsorry... Jesse and Josh for harassing you so much when you were young! ;)

 

We had a stake woman's conference yesterday. It was pretty good. Pres Turner was one of the speakers.  He was the best one! Not that is too much of a surprise. . They had the classrooms at the stake center set up into different sharing stations they called them. The rooms had different themes. A sewing room, family history,  service ideas, a pinterest room!, a temple room (it was obviously,  so beautiful! !) And some more. I didn't make it to all of them. There were 3 speakers and 20 minutes or so in between to go look at the rooms and/or visit.  And then lunch afterwards.  It was a pretty good day.

Today, before church we had the missionaries over for lunch. They're so fun. I love having them over. We have 3 for a couple of weeks.  I guess there was an emergency transfer somewhere. The Missionaries told us the President ended up switching around 10 different companionships.

I love when they share a short message at the end. And getting to know them a little bit!

Church was good today. A couple of things that I loved..

Watching Keagan pass the sacrament and was leaning down with the tray for some kids just melted my heart.

Also, there is this sister that just got baptized 6 months ago or so.. the bishop asked her to say the closing prayer in sacrament mtg. She was sitting next to me. She was so nervous, but said yes. It was so sweet to watch her and hear her prayer, she did a great job.

We're at my mom's in shelton now, so I need to go. But my step dad just said the funniest thing.. Keagan was talking about wanting to date. My step dad said, you need to worry about a mission not dating a much. Girls are like fruit.. a new crop comes ever year. Hahaha There's your thought for the week.

Love ya!

Sister shoop

4.19.15

Hello everyone.  I'm so happy to write you every week! During my week I sometimes ponder or think, what should I write "my missionaries". Thanks for serving and letting me write you. :)

Earlier this week, in utah it snowed! (Hahaha) Melissa called me complaining about it.. and being the good mom I am.. I sent her back this picture I attached.  It was beautiful sunny here, it was from our front window. (and that was the only picture I took this week)

Melissa is doing good! She just got another job. She is starting a receptionist job/sales job this week. It will be noon to 4 m-f, and then her older job at a sandwich place called kneaders really wanted to keep her, so they offered her hours of 8-11 m-f. That will be great, so when she starts college in the fall she can choose which job suits her better. And, yes she's still dating chaz. ;)

I had ward conference today for lacey 5th ward. They have a fairly new bishopric,  Bishop Peters. His wife just had a baby in the last day or two. It is the bishops responsibility to talk during ward conference.  He wasn't there today and hs first counselor gave the talk. It turned out to be a great lesson that president coppin talked about. He said our church is great where it has a system where there are no questions.  If the president or bishop is unavailable,  then it goes to the first counselor.  He also said how happy he was that the bishop made his family a priority. In our church family is supposed to come first. Pres. Coppin said, we learned a great lesson from the bishop this day. I think sometimes as members of this church we get caught up in our callings are super important (which they are) and don't think that a counselor or someone else can do our job. Family is most important! 

The bishopric counselor talked about taking time to slow down and enjoy moments in life and not be so busy. And also taking the time to go to the temple. 

My calling is, so great! For sharing time this year we are talking about the sacrament. We are talking about remembering Jesus and to think of him during the sacrament. The presidency divides up sharing time, so we each only 5-7 minutes or so. I have pictures that I have them come pick from that they tell me if it's something they can be thinking about during the sacrament or not. I have the obvious pictures of Jesus, baby Jesus, baptism, Jesus being baptized,  scriptures, and a temple. For the not good ones, I have all pictures of things that are good and fun, but not to think about during the sacrament like playing with your pets, playing on the playground, video games,  playing sports, building with blocks, etc.  (Let's face it.. we've probably all had some of those thoughts in our minds during the sacrament. ..)

Did everyone hear? Aericka Corrigan got her mission call to Hamilton New Zealand!  Somoan speaking. She reports to the mtc July 29th.  Pretty exciting!!!!!

Have a great week! I love you all!!! And of course, pray for you often!

Love, 

Sis Shoop

4.12.15

We rented a condo up in eden, a half hour up to he mt from ogden.  We didn't do too much, but we got to visit with lots of friends and most importantly just hang out as a family with melissa. 

We watched a lot of family fued and we brought the wii along and played games. The condo was nice and had racquet ball courts, pool table,  hot tub, tennis and basketball. 

The most fun and enjoyable part for me was just to relax and be goofy with my family.  Watching melissa, keagan, and aurora tackle each other and tease each other. I'm so grateful for forever families!!!!

As you can see melissa hasn't changed much.. by the pictures. . She's still as goofy as ever. That is one of the many things I miss and love about her. A dollar bill fell beside the washer and dryer and I told miss and keagan whoever found it could have it, so they were so funny and "fighting" over who could get it.. and then with keagans bum n the air miss couldn't resist (pretending) to spank him. It was a few days of just being silly together. Our tv had the game show channel. I don't know how many episodes of family fued we watched and yelled out our answers.  So fun!

We did go up to logan one evening and saw our rms price and Anderson.  That was fun! And then we met up with some of the falter family for ice cream.  They were there visiting kylee and lauren. We were joking that we have to come all the way to utah to see each other! Ha!

We also went to provo one day and saw where miss lives and works. W had dinner at cafe rio with our other rm, kearney. The food was awesome, I'd never been there before.

Yesterday, I got to go with the youth of their baptism temple trip. It was wonderful. I also got tg o ride up with Jemma Williamson and visit with her. That was pretty great, too! The spirit was strong! I got to hand out the towels. That's actually my favorite job.. I've done it a few other times. It's great to be able to see them up close and the glow of their faces!!

Today was fast and testimony meeting because of conference last week. It was one of the best in a long time! Bishop said a few words before about what a testimony is and to keep it brief. I think that really helped the spirit! Keagan bore his testimony and that really made me a mess... hahaha and then we sang, I know my Redeemer lives. That one I can hardly ever get through. We also had a family move in that has a deacon son!!!! For passing the sacrament today, one of the ym had to go sit down!!! That has never happened!  Exciting times!! :)

I love you all so much! I pray for you often!

Love, 

Sis Shoop

April 5th Utah

Here is the link to our trip to Utah in my other blog.

I missed a letter because I wrote it on my phone in Utah.

http://rdmkshoop.blogspot.com/2015/04/utah-april-2015-long.html

Utah trip