Merry Christmas to All!

Christmas Card Photos

Getting ready for the retelling of the Thanksgiving story!

Tin Foil Dinosaurs (I am guessing after Halloween and the chipotle
promotion-wrap yourself as a a burrito and get a free burrito)
How to entertain yourself with leftover foil...


"Jockos World Famous Fried Chicken"

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!
It is almost Christmas... actually, I believe it is winter solstice today if I am not mistaken... So exciting huh! Who needs to celebrate Christmas when you can celebrate winter solstice? Just playing....

So life here in Hamilton Ohio is just dandy! Had a good pre-Christmas week! We have been talking a lot with our investigators about trying to figure out what they want... If they want to progress in the gospel, or if they just want. Had a good lesson with Maria in which my companion really just asked her what she wanted and how she was going to go about achieving that. She is a way good lady, just has trouble with taking another step of faith to go to church (she works on Sunday and doesn’t think she can find another job). So we are working with her to resolve those concerns...

My Spanish is coming along nicely... My companion corrects my pronunciation ruthlessly so I am actually learning how to say the words! It’s a good feeling; I have gotten several complements lately with my accent which makes me happy! In fact I spoke in church yesterday; it was like 40X better then my last talk in the Branch. I spoke for 10 minutes about Samuel the Laminate and how he foretold the the Saviors Birth to the people here in the American continent before Christ was born in Bethlehem(3rd Nephi 1). I figured everyone has heard the story of Christ's birth in Luke, so I might focus on a little different perspective. So I spoke about Christmas and only used the accounts of his birth from the Book of Mormon. It is all there. Prophets foretold Christ would come to save the people from their sins. A sign was given- Samuel said that, there would be a day and a night and a day of light, and that is what happened. The Book of Mormon really is another testament of Christ. President Robbins (our mission president) came to our sacrament meeting because my companion was singing. He did a solo of The First Noel. He did way good! The kid can sing! It was overall a success!

Also, we had our Branch Christmas party on Saturday with tons of people there (130+). It was really good! But... Something very annoying... The party should have started at 5 o'clock. But it started at 6:50. Yes almost two hours late!!! So I did a little equation... I figured out that Spanish speaking branches are probably the most non-punctual groups of people in the world... This is my equation:

Hispanic Time- 60 Min. Late
Mormon Time - 30 Min. Late
Lack of Organization- +20 Min. Late
Time when we start - = 1 Hour and 50 Min.

That is the perfect storm of lateness!!!

Ok... To another topic. I must first start out by saying this to my dear sister Emily King... You were right, and I was wrong! Before I got here to Cincinnati some people had told me it would not be cold... So I believed them. My sister Emily told me that it was going to be crazy cold... So here on this Blog (I am assuming my mom will post this on there) I will admit before the whole world that my sister was right, and I was absolutely wrong... I realized she was right when my overcoat was literally frozen!!! FROZEN!!! There was no condensation of any kind but my Jacket turned into a large black piece of ice... It was a learning experience because I did not know that solid, in adamant objects could freeze again!

Also... It was windy yesterday and we were riding against a really strong wind and my eyes started to water.... Then the tear on my cheek began to FREEZE!!!! I had to clear it off before it could!

Also... when I don’t breathe out of my nose I can feel my nostrils freezing ... NO JOKE!

Also... My scarf, I kind of put it over my mouth and nose like some Arabian Horseman (Mormon missionary on a bike version) but the moisture began to freeze so I just had my face frozen in my own saliva ice... Also... My pen ink froze... No Joke I had to open it up and rub it between my hands to get it to functioning temperature.

It was like 17 degrees yesterday but apparently with humidity and wind-chill they were saying it was below zer0 (it is what I heard it has not been verified as truth)! It’s cold, but it’s actually not that that bad (I just like to think of the Russian missionaries who are way colder!). It mostly just makes me laugh and kinda yelp when the wind hits us... Listening to my yelps is one of my Companions favorite things... I am pretty well set for the cold... Just lots and lots of layers and a good attitude and it is not bad! Just making mission memories!

Sooo basically everything is grrand! Loving life, getting ready for the Christmas Call!

Good Stuff!

Well I love Mission Life! Everything is good!

Merry Christmas everyone and I love you!!!

Love Elder Stiles

Seriously Now...

How’s it going everyone? Things are going well here! Mostly just working hard and having fun.

Ok, this letter might be a little different than most... It kind of has a different tone. I got a new companion about 2 weeks ago his name is Elder Spjute. I think it is safe to say Elder Spjute has had the hardest mission of anyone I have ever met or ever will meet. He left on his mission Feb 07 and so is almost done with his mission.

Elder Spjute is known in the mission as being super obedient, and super hard working but pretty quiet until you break his shell. Well, in May of last year he had something terrible happen. His older sister who was serving a mission in England was on a morning Jog and went into cardiac arrest. She passed away almost immediately. The mission president delivered the news to him a few hours later in a personal visit. He was given the option to go home at this point in time, to be with his family. When president asked him about that he said "No" without even considering going home. He called and talked to his parents and they were supportive of his decision. He recovered from this pretty well; he basically lost himself in the work and kept on moving forward (with lots of prayer).

Everything was going pretty well until about 4 weeks ago. He received a phone call from his Dad. His Dad explained that his Mom has terminal Cancer. He once again talked with the mission president and was given the choice to go home to be with his family for the Holidays. His Dad's only council was to not make a decision based on emotions. So he prayed and he decided to stay. The sacrifice that he is making is amazing. I do not think I have ever met a stronger more faithful person. He signed up to serve the Lord with all of his heart and that is what he is doing. It is a SACRIFICE, but it is something he knows is right.

I think it is kind of an interesting story at this time of the year. We always associate Christmas with family time, presents and good dinners. BUT there is actually something much much larger than those at this time of the year. Sacrifice, Jesus, made the sacrifice for us, if we remember that the wise men brought Jesus gifts, it was not that this little baby Jesus wanted any presents or could do anything with them, but it was a display of the sacrifice they were making for Christ.

So my invitation to all of you is to sacrifice something this Christmas. Do something you wouldn’t usually do for someone else... Give of yourself. Do something Hard! And you will find there is a different holiday spirit. I would also ask that everybody say a little Prayer for the Spjute family. They need all of the prayers they can get at this time. I love you all and I am proud to be a servant of The Lord.
Love,
Elder Stiles

Enough binge blogging for now, gotta go to bed!

In the Aviary 1

This is a total action shot! Delaney in the back and Ryan hoping to catch those two birds on his bird stick.

This cockatiel landed on Delaney's head. It creeped me out, but she thought it was funny!

Feed the birds tuppence a bag, tuppence, tuppence a bag. Ryan with his own little flock of mooching birds. lalala

Delaney with a little yellow parakeet or is it a lorakeet?

Yes, Reese was there, but she was in the baby bjorn on my chest, and I was the one with the camera! She had a good time too.

The Aviary 2

Because the Zoo was deserted, the birds were hungry! We barely got inside the front door and they were
feeding off the kids bird sticks!

Ryan was loving it! it was so funny to see the birds flock to the little ones and the kids were not afraid at all!

Two big parakeets on Ryans bird stick!

Day at the Zoo

Emily and I and the kids went to the Ft Worth Zoo.
It was a gogeous day at the Zoo, there was hardly anyone else there and the kids were perfect!

Thanksgiving- A great meal was had by all

Gramps and Ryan and Delaney watch a little football!

Delaney is 2 1/2 and cooked the turkey almost all by herself. It was delicious!

The turkey was also beautiful
Ohhhhhhh Yummmmm!Our Little Pilgrim had a bump on the head before we feasted!

One happy baby!

The Dallas Childrens Christmas Parade

We got up bright and early the first Saturday in December and went to the Dallas Childrens Parade! It was lots of fun. Lots of balloons from the Macys Thansgiving day parade were flying high over Dallas. When the handlers got to intersections, the crowd would chant, spin, spin, spin and if they were able to turn the character 360 they would.

Next year we will try for an even better spot!

Reese thought the whole thing was a snoozer!



Delaney and Her Daddy

Frosty the snowman was there

Ryan and Em enjoying the morning all bundled up
Here comes Santa Claus! He is the one we have all be waiting for, It's the end of the parade.

Ryan had a great view too, perched on Gramps' shoulders

A good time was had by all! We lunched at a crazy gas station in Downtown Dallas with live longhorns, bikini clad ladies in a pool in the summer, and 1.19 tacos! Only in Tejas!

so, I must have been inturupted!

When I began to post, I must have just downloaded this photo of katie and the girls taken november 08. I guess I will just post again with the rest of the pictures I wanted to share!

Fall Fun

Trip to the Dallas Arboretum- Pumpkin Patch

Katelyn and I took the kids to play with the pumpkins while Emily was busy moving this past week!

It was sorta like herding (black) cats!

Even though only two of them can walk, they kept us busy busy busy!

We had a good time, but this may be the best photo we got.

Check out Katies blog to see if she posts a better one.

Ryan playing the pumpkin bongo!


Just a little squeeze!

Today Katelyn had a Halloween Party for Delaney and her friends.

She wore a hot pink flamingo costume.

She greeted each guest with a big bearhug!


Satch greeted Ryan with a full body smile and a kiss too!

Katie and I made the
"baby Mingo" costume for Reese

A good time was had by all!

Road to Recovery

Brent and I just returned to Provo after his osteochondral allograft transplant surgery. It was a success and according to Dr. Bugbee, a perfect match. As we expected, the rest of his knee was in perfect condition and the graft fit perfectly, so his chances of recovery are good. He has a 5 inch incision down the front of his knee. He is moving his knee some, up to 50 degrees non- weight-bearing, and bearing weight on it with his brace on (peg-legged). He will have home health care nurses come and take care of him and Physical therapy at home for the next 3 weeks. Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers we are very grateful. I will stay here with Brent and Janeese for a week or so until he is feeling better. All we know about the donor is that he was 19. We were given a little card with an identifying donor number so we can write the donors family anonymously and share our gratitude.

Rockin' the Kasbah

We used the last of Dave's frequent flyer miles and our timeshare to visit Costa del Sol Spain, Tangiers, Morocco, and Gibraltar last week. It was remarkable how much like Southern and Central California this whole region is. The wealthy areas of Tangiers looked like Montecito with its walled estates and ocean views...

Our Amazing Tour guide Aziz took us all over the city. We went to the northern most tip of Africa, to where the Med and the Atlantic meet, to Hurcules Cave, the Kasbah, the Medina, past the mosques and villages, past the palaces of the rich and famous and last but not least, to ride the camels in Tangiers-

One of the "carney, ride operators" handed Dave the fez as he got on the camel, and then made him buy it! He thought it was part of the camel ride! Contrary to what this photo depicts, we were not ambushed and robbed on our little ride overlooking the Med.

The Kasbah

the market in the Medina.

This is a resort that celebrity types visit for

the beautiful and completely abandoned beaches.

Aziz took us home to his parents home for the traditional post- sunset breaking of the Ramadan fast. We had missed the boat he intended us to go back to Tarifa on, so he took us to his mom and dad's where his family was celebrating and served us soup, lamb and potatoes and home made cookies.

The home was beautiful and the food tasty.

The mosiac behind us on the living room wall was all tiny pieces the size of a pinkie fingernail, (not just big squares of tile) and above that, is carved plaster that adorns the walls and ceiling. The floors are beautiful rugs and the sofa, which runs along the entire perimiter of the room is hand embroidered. Amazing workmanship, and a fabulous tour guide.

Right out of the Wizard of Oz!

I was more than a little surprized when this "Barbary Ape" who was perched up on our car hood, jumped into my lap while I was photographing him! I beaned him on the top of the head with my big zoom lens and he jumped out of the window, and onto the ground. I don't know who was more shocked, the monkey or me! Dave would have loved to have his camera on me when it happened. Our little side trip into Gibraltar was rainy but lots of fun.

Portrait of the would be camera thief!
Alhambra, Granada, Spain

We visited the Alhambra, a gorgeous fort, palaces, gardens and village in Granada, Spain. It is also the most visited place in Spain. The thing that is so cool about the Alhambra is that with ordinary materials, the creators of this palace were able to do extrordinary things with great artistry.

The allegory of what the Lord can do with our simple lives if we let Him inspired me here.

This view from across the gorge, was the result of an adventurous drive over cobblestone village streets, so narrow, we had to pull the side mirrors in to avoid hitting the walls of the buildings we were passing. And we were in a little Saab, not an SUV! More than once, we wondered if we had gotten ourselves into a fix and would have to back up to the next cross street, or ride down the stairs! Simple turns were three point manuvers! It was wild but the view from the other side rewarding. When we got there, we were seranaded by a couple of gypsies playing guitars and singing.

Unforgettable!