10.16.16

It was supposed to be the storm of the century. Thank goodness it wasn't! Thursday I worked at Pleasant Glade elementary school by North Thurston high school. The power was out. I was supposed to work in the resource room with small groups of kids. They cancelled the groups and I "got to" monitor the bathrooms. Because it was so dark, I sat outside with a flashlight. It was the most boring/easiest job I've ever done. At least the school was prepared. They had battery operated lanterns, flashlights, and glow sticks everywhere.


Something strange.. a couple of crows were tapping on my sky light in the bathroom! It startled me!

One of nice things about everyone saying that the weather was going to be so bad was that there was hardly anyone out and about. So, we decided to drive to Tacoma and drive around the Stadium high school and the beautiful neighborhood by the water front. Wouldn't it be fun to go to a school that looked like this?!

How cool to have your football field overlook the water!


Next week Melissa and Hazel are coming to visit! So excited! Picture overload next week!

Hazel just learned to put her toes in her mouth! Haha


Primary program season has started! So fun! Sister Turner and I went to one out in Yelm today. It was great!
Love you all!
Sis shoop
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10.09.16

Hello friends.
I'm so grateful for the gospel and the peace it can bring. There are so many crazy things going on in the world and life. It is is reassuring to have the peace that the Gospel and especially the Savior can bring to our lives.
My step moms funeral was yesterday. It was an emotional rough day. I don't know what I would do without the Gospel knowledge of the plan of happiness. We are going to miss my step mom, Judy so much, but I'm glad she is not in pain anymore and with some of her loved ones. It's always interesting being in another church and hearing their beliefs and being grateful for my knowledge.
After the funeral we had a little bit of time to kill before taking Keagan to his stake dance in Centralia, so I took my little family on a journey through memory lane by driving by a couple of houses I lived in when I was a little girl. I also took them by the buildings that we went to church in before our building was built in Rochester.
Here is one that I remember most where we went to church.
It's been rainy and a little sunny here, like normal Fall weather. The fall colors have been coming out and it's been beautiful!
Last weeks Sunday drive.


A lot of times this is how our Sunday drives look like.. we stop at beautiful spots and take pictures.

My favorite two guys with my wall of pictures in the back.

And the best for last! We get to see her and Melissa oct 22. I'm so excited!
Love you all!
Sis Shoop
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9.25.16

This week has been rough. It was emotionally taxing and exhausting. I started subbing more this week, so I was working a lot. And I had a stake primary meeting I had to prepare for on Tuesday. Wednesday, I got a call from my dad that my step mom Judy had died unexpectedly. My dad and Judy have been together for 19 years. She was such a sweet lady and a blessing to my dad and us. My dad lives in Elma which is about 45 mins away. Now, I'm worried about how my dad is going to be. She was everything to him. Thank goodness for the knowledge of the gospel! Even knowing makes it hard because I miss her so much! 

This is Ray,me, my brother Eric and his wife Brandy, and Judy and my dad. This was a couple of years ago. 

One of the blessings of sad times, is family gatherings. I got to see my Grandma who is 85 and my aunt Ellen my dads mom and sister. 

Keagan, me,my dad, and my grandma. 4 generations 

And my brother Eric and I with my grandma. 

I got to watch the broadcast with my friend Sandy. It was awesome! It was just what I needed after such a rough week!

And a couple of cute pics of Hazel!!

Hazel looking at her mom!  Haha

Love you all!

Sis Shoop

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9.11.16

Sorry I didn't write a letter last week! I was too busy enjoying my cute grandbaby! She was so cute, smiling at coo ing at everything we said to her. It was a great visit! We loved every second and were sad to leave! Here are some pictures from our trip. People have told me they like the pictures.. So I'm going to maybe condense my words.. And collage my pics, because of course I took so many!


And we saw the Reddings on our way home.


And a cool thing about the Seahawks game today! My cousin Jeff is a firefighter captain in Marysville Wa and he got to hold the big flag out on the field! And a classmate of mine was the fireman that sang the National Anthem! He did such a great job! I don't remember him much.. In fact one of the few memories I have of him is that one time when I went on splits with the sisters, we knocked his door. He wasn't interested, but was kind and listened for a few minutes.
Have a great week!
Love ya!
Sis Shoop
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Hazel's blessing

8.28.16

Hi! This week was a blur, but that's ok because the weekend is most important!
Stake conference was awesome!!!
We had two general authorities come to re organize our stake presidency. When they released them, it was so spiritual! The spirit was so amazing, I don't even have words.. Elder Murray read part of a letter from the first presidency talking about their honorable release and how they are loved and appreciated. Elder Murray went over how it is Heavenly Father and the Savior deciding not any man. It was truly a great a revelatory experience! Our new stake president is Pres Esquibel (Lacey 1 bishop) 1st counselor, Dale Ossler(Lacey 6 bishop), and Carter Hyatt, from McKenna (he was the bishop a year or two ago there) and is the brother of Brother Hyatt- Wade from Lacey 3 who was Melissa's seminary teacher. Such great men! One of my blessings of having a stake calling is that I have heard these great men speak and I know they are men of God. Isn't the church wonderful! I am so grateful for the gift of the Holy Ghost that testifies of the truths of the gospel!
And now.. We are so excited and happy to go to Utah, leaving Tuesday- so next week there will be an overload of cute Hazel pics and pics of my rms!
And my friend Darri Guinto and her family will be on Utah and I'm going to see her! So happy!
Love you all!
Sis Shoop
Some cute Hazel pics to hold you over.

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8.21.16

In Sunday school today, we talked about the 2000 stripling warriors. Here are some of the things that were listed on the board about them:

2000 stripling warriors

Alma 53-63. 56:46-48

Valiant

Obedient

True

Knowledge 

Strong in faith

Covenant 

Fearless 

Protect

Keep commandments 

Strong family foundation 

Innocent

Brave

As we were talking about the stripling warriors, it reminded me of my missionaries. Those that have served and are serving. Those characteristics remind me of you! And I feel the affection for you all like Helaman felt for his warriors!

President Benson said,

"You have been born at this time for a sacred and glorious purpose. It is not by chance that you have been reserved to come to earth in this last dispensation of the fulness of times. Your birth at this particular time was foreordained in the eternities.

“You are to be the royal army of the Lord in the last days. …

“In the spiritual battles you are waging, I see you as today’s sons of Helaman. Remember well the Book of Mormon account of Helaman’s two thousand stripling warriors” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1986, 55; or Ensign, May 1986, 43; note that stripling means young man).

Earlier this summer we had planned this past week to go on vacation with my mom and Thom. We didn't plan what we were going to do, but had the dates blocked out. Well.. We didn't ever get anything set up, so we decided to take day trips. 

Monday, we went to Mt. Rainier

Tuesday we went to the ape caves at Mt. St. Helens.

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It was dark and cold in there, but beautiful! Keagan andAurora went on to the longer trail. 

The south side of Mt. St. Helens. 

On Wednesday, we started out later and went in the boat with my mom and Thom. It was lots of fun!

Keagan even caught a fish. He was pretty funny about not wanting to touch it!!

Thursday, we took a break. Keagan had to go to the school, too, for orientation stuff. 

Friday our youth had the 4 stake youth dance at the beach. Ray and I took keagan and a date to ocean shores. It was so hot in Lacey! In the high 90s! The beach was so refreshing! It was 80 at the beach, which is unheard of for our beaches! 

Keagan and his date, Sarah bagnall. (Sp?)

Love you all! Have a great week!

Sis. Shoop