Stephen Receives His Mission Call

Exciting news for our family: Stephen received his mission call on Friday, February 20. He will serve in the Washington, Spokane Mission. He reports to the Missionary Training Center on May 27, 2009.

On Friday evening, 2/21, after the mission call arrived in the mail, and before it was opened, we gathered around the kitchen table. Some family and friends were on the speaker phone. Keeping with our family tradition, the next-younger brother opened the letter and read the mission call out loud. Here's Ryan reading "Washington, Spokane Mission!"
Nobody exactly predicted the location of the call (although Washington state was mentioned), but many family and friends said, "it seems like exactly the right mission for Stephen."

Clockwise from the front: Robyn, Treavor Heaney, Danielle Anderton, Elder Murley and Elder Barron, Stephen and Ryan

Reviewing the mission details. Stephen's mission includes parts of three states (Eastern Washington, Northern Idaho, and Northwestern Montana) and a little bit of Canada. None of our family has spent time here, so we will be glad to learn about a new area of the country as Stephen serves.

Stephen texted his huge cellphone contact list and has been receiving congratulations the entire weekend.

Snow Excursion

Greg and Nathan took Ryan and me up to the San Bernardino National Forest for some off-trail snowboarding and (in my case) cross-country skiing.


Greg and Nathan, at our jumping-off point.

Jeff and Ryan

Watching Ryan, Nathan and Greg

Ryan

At the bottom of one "run"

That's me, with crossed skis, under two very big trees.

The cross-country skiing on picnic tables was epic.

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Nathan shows us all how its done.




Greg was first on all the new powder.

Old Palos Verdes

Robyn and I enjoyed a little driving tour of Southern California. We started in Westlake Village, at the Hyatt, after a KF parents conference. We drove over the mountains down to the Malibu coast, through Santa Monica, Venice (where Robyn's grandparents met and first lived), and on to Palos Verdes.

I insisted on this photo. Notice the likeness?

My favorite godess, not mythical
At the Old Palos Verdes Library, opened in 1930

Spectacular views of the LA Coastline, from Malaga Cove Intermediate School

After the conference.

Rook--Robinson Rules

Mom and Dad invited us to dinner to visit with Aunt JoAnn, Uncle Clark and DeeAnn Robinson. We enjoyed catching up on family matters. The most popular topic was "Rook--Robinson Rules." We had fun recounting all of the sayings popularized by Hap--the founder of the Robinson Rules Rook Dynasty.

Here are a few:
Lead 'em and weep! --
What did you do THAT for????---
I'd rather be hung for a sheep than a goat!---
Moses wept and [no one was sure what came next??]---
and my favorite, "Length is better than strength."
Add your own sayings in the comment section...

Afficionados of Robinson Rules Rook
We all voted that Austin must update the Wikipedia "Rook" site again!

Listen carefully....

"These are a few of my favorite things..."

As the song says, "these are a few of my favorite things..."

An organized desk.
It took me several hours, and four bags of trash, to clear out my desk. Look what I found, "taxes"--oh great!

Stephen Davis, on his way to "Temple Prep" class...

Hungry Birds.
I filled our bird feeder to the brim yesterday. The house finches, morning doves, spotted towhees and others came by in just a few minutes and have been busy ever since--at least when Princess isn't out chasing them away.

Princess is a sweetheart.