Welcome, welcome Sabbath Morning, now we rest from every care!  (Well, at least until tomorrow.)

The past week has been better, although I think my trainer (who is so good, by the way) is amazed at my stupidity!  No, really she has been very patient with me and has "dumbed" things down where I can almost understand what I'm supposed to be doing.  I do have a better vision of how to use Family Search/Family Tree, and the church really is trying to make it user-friendly.  I even printed out a couple of sheets for ordinance work for a couple of  "lost" relatives, and had the cards printed at the Salt Lake Temple on Friday, where we went as a group of missionaries.  Clair and I were privileged to be the Witness Couple.

Yesterday, we met Amy and Michael and their friends at the Bountiful Temple.  We had another card printed for Whitney to use when their ward comes to do Baptisms for the dead this Tues.  This lady is a granddaughter of one of my great grandma's.  She was "illigitimate" and was raised by her Grandma and her step Grandpa, so that's who we're sealing her too!  I've decided those relatives of mine from England were not very moral!

Ben and Kennedy stopped to see us last Sunday evening on their way back from St. George, helping Ben's Mom move.  Thanks Fryars and Pedersens; it helps so much to see family, so everyone - COME!

Tomorrow we start more training in the HRDA Zone.  Our zone leader says that we are basically "glorified indexers."  From the general public who do the initial indexing to the arbitrators, who check the general public's work and make corrections if necessary, to us, who have the final say.  Clair forgot to mention that he (he says "we") are being called as Assistant Zone Leaders, and that when the Zone leaders go home in October, "We" will be the new Zone leaders.  They need a computer-engineer/smart person to help them figure things out.  That's Elder Davis, and I am along for the ride!

Shawn finished his classroom work this past week (hope it went well Shawny boy - we were praying for you!)  Have a good rest this week before you start rotations the week after.

I understand that the Dallings, Fryars and Klinglers up in Rexburg have all been one big sick happy family this past week!  So sorry - hope you are all doing better.

Congratulations on doing so well with your lambs at the fair Fryars!

Happy Birthday this month to Whitney, Lincoln, Troy and Eliza.  I know some of you have anniversaries, but I can't keep up with them, so Happy Anniversary to all of you!

Keep praying for us; we do for you.

Love to all - Mom/Grandma/Carolyn

Larson Boys

Dallin and Daniel's Mission President had the Elders film their meeting at the airport. Dallin had no idea...click on this youtube link.

One more in Philly!

We were excited to hear Daniel would be in the Philadelphia mission, but even more excited when the elders from our ward told us that he is in a another ward in our stake! Stake conference is next week so we are hopeful :) Maybe he'll go on splits with our elders since they are zone leaders and we will just feed our elders on that day. I am excited to hear about the brother reunion especially since Dallin didn't know he was coming. What a same world. Hopefully he gets to go to Brazil soon though, so he can practice Portuguese and be where he is called. Of course we are so excited for Clair and Carolyn. I hope things get easier. I know they will. It just takes time. Thanks for being such great examples to all of us.

So...just like some of you other Palmers, when Shawn is super sleepy, he can be so funny! The other night we were saying our prayers and here is a quote from his prayer..."Please bless President Monson, (short pause) Charles and the twelve apostles. Not sure who Charles is, but holy moly I couldn't stop laughing. He was hoping that I didn't hear it. I am sure glad I did. We need to write a book called the "sleepy Palmer classic quotes."  :)

This is Shawn's last week of his first week of PA school!!! Yah!!!! Well as long as he passes his tests this week, :) which he will because he is super smart and is going to make an excellent PA. He gets two weeks off and then starts his rotations the first week of September. He is really nervous but I am sure is going to learn a lot.

Kanyin and I are still doing our thing here at home. She is such a character. I love being her mom. Even though there are hard times, it is such a blessing I get to be home with her. She is starting to talk which is so fun, and the tantrums have come at full force. Poor girl fell in the bath tub and chipped a good chunk of her front tooth off. It look so bad. I feel soooo bad. Our apartment contract says we can't have anything in the bottom of the tub, well heck to that I am getting something this week cause it is so slippery.

We miss everyone so much. Remember we do have a nice comfy air mattress if you ever have a desire to visit the east coast. :)
Torrey

Fourth of July at Independence Hall.  

This is a very regular face around here

It's a 10 minute walk to Shawn's school. Kanyin LOVES going to his school for a visit.

On Chick-fa-la day you get free meals if you dress up like a cow

Shawn brought me to a Taylor Swift concert. It was pretty crazy but so fun. 

Kanyin really wanted to join the study group

Shawn's school

I have a lot of pics on our family blog.
thepalmerpair.blogspot.com

Hello from Salt Lake!

We are getting settled in!  Our apartment is really quite nice.  It is right next to the Kimball Apartments and is an older apartment building, which the church leases for it's missionaries.  We have a floor full of young Temple Square Sister missionaries right below us.  Our apartment is on the top (3rd floor) and is at the back of the building.  It is the biggest one on this floor and overlooks a park, which is actually a cemetery where Heber C. Kimball and some of his wives and family and Newel K. Whitney and some of his family are buried.  There is a beautiful, perfect tree right out our east living room window with a large monument honoring those who are buried there.  I want to learn more about Heber C. Kimball and suggest you do the same so that when you come to visit us, you will know all about him.  The flowers in that cemetery, as well as all around Temple Square, the Conference Center and the Plaza are gorgeous.  This really must be what Heaven is like - landscaping-wise.

On Friday, we had a luncheon in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building for all the new missionaries.  There were about 30 of us.  This mission has around 1100 missionaries, most of which are church service missionaries.  There are about 350 full time.  I ate all my food at that luncheon like my Dad taught me, and I was miserable the rest of the day.  We met all the trainers and did a little one on one computer work with them.  We each have our own trainer and will start training tomorrow.

Last night we went to a concert in the Assembly Hall.  Sister Linda Margetts (tabernacle choir organist) and her husband and children and grandchildren (who played violins, cellos and the bass fiddle) presented the program.  They were amazing.  Those kids were so good.  Livvy and Maddie, I thought of you and wished you could have been here to see and hear them.  It would have inspired you to keep on practicing and performing!

This morning, we walked across the street to the Conference Center for Music and the Spoken Word.  It was just beautiful.  They introduced the family organization of Joseph and Lucy Mack Smith, who must be here for a reunion.  Some are members of the church; many are not.  They also introduced the family of Dr. Nathan Smith (no relation to Joseph), who performed the surgery on Joseph's leg when he was 7 years old.  That surgery was 100 years ahead of it's time, and if not for that inspired Dr., none of us would be here to enjoy Temple Square and all that transpires here.  I think I might have seen Uncle Var's granddaughter, Catherine, who sings in the choir, but I'm not sure.

We had our meetings in the J.S Building at 1:00 p.m.  They were nice, but I sure miss the different ages.  I miss the wiggly kids and the babies crying, and the young deacons and priests to administer the Sacrament.  I keep looking at all these old people and wonder how I got here?

For those of you who don't know, Daniel just opened his call to the states while waiting for his Visa to Brazil.  Guess where?  PHILADELPHIA!  That's right - Dallin's mission!  I can't wait to here how that all goes!

I also got a call from Shawn and Torrey (who also may get to see Daniel).  They are coming for Christmas, and have a rotation in St. George for the month of January!  So it's party time for us all!

Well, I've rambled on long enough.  Josie and Jeff, I loved your blog entries and pictures and recommend them to all of you.  I even left a comment. (And people think I don't know how to use a computer - hah!)
I'll let you all know how it goes as I start my new adventure tomorrow.

I'd sure like to hear what's going on in your lives.

Love you - Mom/Grandma/Carolyn