Freitag Files

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Sounds like you had a good week despite! I'm glad things turned out okay with your hotel and all. That's fun that the kids were able to come and go swimming there, I'm sure they enjoyed. That's great that Jaman is getting more and more used to you and wanting to play more! It seems like he is really coming out of his shell a lot. That stinks that your not looking forward to education week as much, but understandable with all that is going on! It's some busy times that's for sure! Hall's class on Nibley I'm sure will be excellent! That's fun that one of your trainees is LDS. Did you get a chance to talk to him much? I'm glad they were catching on pretty well and ended up being better than you expeceted. That's one good thing about expecting them to be awful, is that you can be pleasantly surprised if they aren't! I am starting to be from the middle east! DAH!!! scary huh! Next thing you know I'll be saying rubbish (I actually haven't heard that one yet!) and couple three! It's funny how different it is here. That's fun mom and Tracy are going to Disneyland, are they going for the whole week?! I enjoyed your thought this week, it is clear who we should follow and that we need to be like the widow and not hesitate, but know that the Lord will provide and if we are quick to listen and obey then things will work out just like they should! Sometimes that one is hard to remember though, so thank you for the reminder! This week has been good, I found out today I am not getting transfered and neither is Sister Hansen, but we are getting a new companion so I'll be in a 3 again! So it should be interesting, hopefully it turns out well! I'm excited that I'm not moving, with Bob's baptism lined up for the 28th and Sister Pruett hopefully being able to go to the Temple in the next few weeks and guess what....we finally got back ahold of Mary Beth!! I am so excited! She is doing a lot better, she quit her job and got a new one and will now be back to church everyweek. She just got her recommend for the Temple and for her Patriarchal Blessing. She appologized to us for everything and we had a nice talk with her. She came this past Sunday to church and just gave us the biggest hug, we needed it!! It was great to see that everything is getting better for her and that she wasn't upset with us at all. We took Bob to a Baptism this week, but the members who took us were late and so we missed the actual Baptism part, but made it for one of the talks so at least he was able to meet a few people. We had him talk to the man who got Baptized as well, so it was still a good experience. So it has been a pretty good week over all things are going well. So I hope that your week goes well this week! I love you Daddy! Love, Leslie

Hello Momma! Well I forgot to say in Dad's email that we will be having p-day on wednesdays every 6th week! So that will be something to keep you on your toes. I don't quite understand, but whatever it works! So that's why I am emailing today and will be every 6th week on Wednesday. We are going to Nauvoo today!!!!!! Yay! Heidi one of the new girls in the ward for the summer who has been coming with us to Bob's appts is taking us down there. We are going to go to the Temple, Carthage and to the Pagent! We are soo excited! And I will hopefully be able to run in to Sister Miller! What a great day! I was nervous about this transfer because I had the same thoughts, I could see myself staying and going so I didn't know what to expect. But I will end up serving almost 7 months here in Peoria, I love it! I'm grateful for that. I'm glad that your primary lesson went well, I will be excited to hear about it from your letter. Your "Women of the Old Testament" Book sounds really good, I'll maybe have to borrow that one from you when I get back it sounds great. I love Preach My Gospel, I haven't studied "earnest" yet out of there I will have to look that up and perhaps study that tomorrow for my morning studies! I set a goal to be done with the Book of Mormon by the end of Aug! It shouldn't be a problem as I am almost through Alma, I think I am in ch.46. I like what you said about how the Lord gives us the Holy Ghost to show us or as evidance that He will fulfill His promises in this life and the next! That is beautiful. I hope you had/have fun in Disneyland, be safe! I love you! Love, Leslie

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Another grandchild on the way!

Lauren and Garn told us this fantastic news on Memorial Day. They asked us not to tell anyone, because they wanted to do it in person. So finally the news has been out for a few weeks. She is in her fourth month and as of yesterday when we saw her, she is getting a cute little baby bump. The baby is due on January 18th, Kelly's birthday. We will see how close it will come to that date. This will make grand baby number four for us!

Asher turns FOUR

Our little girl is four already! We gathered at Melissa's for the party to celebrate.

Asher and her cake

Candles were all blown out...

and gifts were opened....

A bug catcher from Mom.

We had to take a walk to look for bugs to put in it.

Believe it or not we did not find one bug the whole way!

her Sleeping Beauty costume from Grandma and Grandpa

what's next?

Asher LOVED the Barbie's.
Kelly played Barbie's with Asher forever.
Kelly started off talking with a funny accent and
Asher picked up on it and would use it when she was talking for her Babrie! It was really funny.

Grandpa reading to the Birthday girl, who is eating Grandma's mints!

Quilt for grandbaby # 3

With Kelly's pregnancy nearing an end, I wanted to make a quilt for the baby. Kelly has always loved rubber ducks. She has long wanted to decorate a bathroom with all the duck accessories. When I found a quilt pattern that had ducks on it, I knew it was the one for her, (and Logan). I quilted this on my sewing machine. It is a learning process, but I had fun doing it! I can't wait to make another.

Baby Showers for Kelly!

While in Utah I was able to attend the first baby shower for Kelly, given by her mother in law, Jolene and her sister in law Stacy. It was fun to share time with the Rasmussen's and have all three of my sisters there.

Kelly with the "Diaper Cake"

Lynette, Luke, Kelly, Melissa, Catherine and Melissa

The happy parents-to-be

The gathering in Las Vegas included friends and family. It was a fun weekend with three of the four girls at home! We included Leslie too, of course by her picture.

Kelly, Leslie (in the picture frame) Melissa and Lauren

Games were played. Debbie and Chris trying to drink from a baby bottle. It is harder than you think!

friends visited and gifts were shared

Mandy and Michelle

Andrea and Gayle

Jenny, Vicki, and Jody

Hollyn, Kyron and Jaden

everyone was very generous

Quilt that Melissa made for baby Logan

Quilt I made for Logan

My Mother

My mother passed away last month on June 23, 2010. She was a wonderful person and a great guide in my life. She was always the encouragement we needed as kids to keep going with school projects and any other adventure we were trying. Her testimony of the gospel is where I got the start of my testimony. She had a great love of reading, which I have now inherited. I will greatly miss her.

Mom had a stroke a few days before she passed that was massive. We were told that this was so bad that they could not do anything for her. I was able to arrive the day before she left this earth. She was still alert when we talked to her. I am so glad that I got to spend that day with her and my Dad. Dad has taken such loving care of Mom. I am very proud of him for all the work that he did on her behalf. I know it was not easy for him to do.

As the funeral arrangements were made, family started to arrive. All 8 of us children were there and many of the grand and great grand children were there to celebrate her life. As sad as an occasion as it was, it was a joyful reunion on both sides. I am sure that Mom was greeted by her parents and brothers and sisters. I know Aunt Velma had to be there waiting with open arms. But here we were able to visit with each other and share our families with each other. It was great to see my nieces and nephews, and also many cousins.

Here is the obituary from the newspaper with pictures at the end:

Elva I. Rookhuyzen
January 11, 1924 - June 23, 2010

ROY – Elva Irene Furgeson Rookhuyzen passed away on Wednesday, June 23, 2010, at home in Roy, Utah in the company of her loved ones. She died of natural causes following several strokes. Elva was born on January 11, 1924 in Ogden, Utah, to John Henry and Grace Cragun Furgeson. As a youth, she practiced swimming. She was a cheerleader at Ogden High School. Elva graduated from Ogden High School on May 28, 1942.

She married Sidney Chandler Rookhuyzen on March 17, 1943 in Ogden, UT. Their marriage was solemnized in the Los Angeles LDS Temple on May 25, 1968.

Elva worked in the Ogden Arsenal Primer Department during the war. Elva also worked for Union Pacific Laundry. The family moved to Long Beach, CA, then to Lakewood and later to Lompoc, CA where they lived for 30 years. During their time in Lompoc she worked alongside her husband in their dry cleaning business. Elva and Sid returned to Ogden after a short stay in Las Vegas.

Elva was the mother of eight children, grandmother to 42 grandchildren and 38 great-grandchildren. Elva was an avid reader and loved learning. She completed many Institute, College and television courses on a wide variety of subjects. She was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Her favorite callings were serving in the Cub Scout program, primary Ward & Stake Relief Society Presidencies. Elva had many hobbies and was always busy with Family History, crocheting, and several other kinds of crafts.

She is survived by her husband, Sidney Chandler Rookhuyzen, Roy, UT; eight children, Eileen (Jeff) Rose, Cypress, CA; Lawrence (Kay) Rookhuyzen, Corona, CA; Marilyn (David) Prina, Provo, UT; Mark (Shawn) Rookhuyzen, LasVegas, NV; Paul (Karen) Rookhuyzen, Mesa, AZ; Nancy (Michael) Freitag, Las Vegas, NV; David (Amy) Rookhuyzen, Lompoc, CA; Karen (Alberto) Duenas, Bountiful, UT.

Elva was preceded in death by her parents and brothers and sisters, except her youngest sister, Darleen Spiers.

Funeral services will be held Monday at 11 a.m. at the Monte Vista Ward Chapel, 3845 South 2000 West, Roy, UT.

Friends may call at Lindquist’s Ogden Mortuary, 3408 Washington Blvd., on Sunday from 6 to 8 p.m. and Monday at the Ward Chapel from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m.

Interment, Lindquist’s Washington Heights Memorial Park, 4500 Washington Blvd