Senior portraits with friends

On Monday, June 30 Marissa and her friends met at our house at 4:00 pm to get ready for a group senior pictures!!!  This is a new concept - Jessica and Devon never did this but Marissa has the opportunity.  

We went over to Lovust Grove Histotical site and met up with Craig Paul our photographer.  He spent two hours photographing the girls!  They had so much fun!!!

Marissa and Makenzie Mullin

Best Friends

Super cool girls

Delta X - for Avery

Can't believe she's a SENIOR!

Mallory, Caroline, Kelsey, Marissa and Makenzie

Makenzie Mullin, Kelsey Hall and Marissa!

Best friends since 6th grade!!!

Week 59

Hey hey hey!!!

So this week has been just one of those amazing awesome weeks you just wish you could relive over and over again. Seriously... I love being a missionary haha. 

Ok so 1. My companion Sister Pizon is great and super hilarious, she always keeps me laughing and is super positive which I LOVE. My housemates are CrAzY but so so funny!!! Oh my gosh I love the Polynesian culture Sister Selelesi and Sister Hausia are crack- ups but such amazing had-working missionaries too. We have a good balance of hard work, spiritual growth stuff and having fun and being happy :) I remember before I left on my mission my Mission Prep teacher at BYU told me "If you don't have fun on your mission, you are doing it wrong." I know that to be true because If you love the people and enjoy everyday and give your best in all you do, the mission is the happiest best thing that's ever happened to you. So last week we had 5 baptisms!!!! They are all so awesome and have super strong solid testimonies. 

Then me and Sister Pizon are now preparing 7 more people to be baptized in July! I love it here in Olongapo and am learning a lot here! That's one thing about the mission, no matter how long you've been on the mission you never stop learning. So something else big happened this week... 

President Querido and Sister went home    :( President had his last interview with me and I promised myself I wasn't gonna cry because I hate crying, but he just started talking then HE started crying and that just destroyed my no crying thing. We both just cried and shared memories, We are just so close I will miss him so so much.. :( 

BUT we have a new President now! His name is President Dahle, I haven't met him yet but rom what I hear he's super nice and is gonna be a great mission president. 

Other than that everything is just great! It's rainy season now so it rains EVERYDAY ALL THE TIME and it floods really bad here. But its fun :) I love you all and I hope you all know that I have a strong testimony of this gospel! Jesus lives and truly is our best friend :) LOVE YOU ALL! Mahal ko kayo :)

Sister Lowe  

Devon - week 2 MTC

it feels like I have been here for a month, but the week flew by and days are forever.

Betsy Decides to ACCEPT the Full Time Job

On Monday I interviewed for the full time Accounts Payable/among other things position at Proheat, Inc. where I have just been working for 1-2 weeks.

Originally I wasn't looking to go back to work full time in the sense that it is every day all day, but I had already done that in some sense when I was a long term sub at Liberty for 5 months.

I had a very good interview and passed the computer assessment test, but there are still so many things to consider.

I was also just accepted into UofL business school - University of Louisville.  I have, for as long as I can remember, wanted to finish my 4 year degree and even get my MBA.  If I go back to work full time I will not have the time to take classes during the day, and in the evenings will be next to impossible with all the kids sports.  It will be a very hard decision between going back to school and taking a full time job.

The job doesn't pay super well, but it's a great start back into the business world with people that I know and trust doing something I am very capable of doing.  It would increase our income and help the family's finances - especially with two missionaries and two future missionaries, 2 college students - soon to be three and one to follow.  The house is going on 15 year and that is when LOTS of work has to be put back into it - things break down, etc.  In addition we will have 4 weddings in the future as well.

It isn't that we haven't saved for all of these events - or at least planned for them - we have (with the exception that Jessica went on her mission about 2 years earlier than we were expecting).  We have money set aside for each of the girls' weddings, money allocated for Jessica's mission and for Devon's, money saved and set aside for all four kids to go to college, and most importantly (according to Mark) we have money set aside every paycheck for our retirement, however, our day to day money goes ever so quickly with mission preparations, sports, travel, maintenance, yard work, things breaking or breaking down, kids growing, etc.  ugh - it never ends.

So, on Friday the VP at Proheat offered me the full-time job and I accepted.  I am very excited to start this new chapter in my life, but I am also very sad to not be home with the kids during the summer(s).  For the most part it won't effect them, which is why I was able to decide YES.  It was also a very prayerful decision.  It has some short term downfalls, but over all it will work to be a very good thing for our family.  Both Mark and I felt good about it!!

During the school year, they will be in school or at after school practices until 5:00 or 6:00 at night every day that I am at work - so no issue there.  The challenge will come when Robert has club soccer in the spring.  Sometimes he has practices that start at 4:30 - which means we have to leave his school at 4:00 - that's going to be a challenge - but I can either find a car pool or I can work some flex hours.  Proheat was very understanding that my family is still my first priority.

I am nervous about starting something where I am expected to be there every day all day.  Over the past seven years I have enjoyed having the option to say YES or NO to a job...not any more - people are counting on me to be there...everyday!

One thing that I am sad about, and the kids are too - is that I will not be available to go to Kentucky Kingdom during the week - boo!!!  I guess we will be going on the weekends, and letting Marissa drive Robert to KK during the week.

Here we go!!!

S is for Scoliosis

So we made it to Marissa's appointment early, but still had to sit in the waiting room for almost 2 hours (1 hour 45 min).   So finally we get to go back to the room and wait.  It was a good lesson in just being patient.  There wasn't anything we could do except wait because we really wanted to know about her back.  Just before they called us back, she went back for an x-ray.

When the doctor Grossfeld walked in she said, "Marissa has scoliosis."  She has a 15 degree curve, and the definition of scoliosis is 10 degrees or more.  Then she gave us the good news -  she doesn't require a brace or surgery!!!  We just need to keep a close eye on it - we will come back in 3 months.

As we were leaving she allowed us to take a photo of her x-ray.  WOW!

(now the camera is not totally straight so it makes it look worse than it really is)

I feel so bad.  I'm the one with scoliosis, and now Marissa has it.  She has had a rough year - femur stress reaction, allergies, bronchitis, and now this.  Heavenly Father must have a ton of blessings in store for her because she is such a strong and determined person!  I'm so proud of her - she never lets it get her down.

Robert Goes to Indiana University (IU) Soccer Camp

So Robert, and his friends Aaron Green and Ryan Danehy went to the Indiana University Soccer Camp (IU) for the week (short week).  We packed Robert up Tuesday night for his journey started Wednesday at 9:15 am.  Maureen, Aaron's mom drove the boys up to Bloomington, IN (where my niece and nephew live - he teaches at IU) to drop them off.  IU is a beautiful campus.  

Robert and Aaron were roommates while Ryan roomed with another boy, Davis that goes to St. X.  

They had a full and active schedule every day.  Up at 6:45 am, breakfast, and then 2 hours of practice and training in the morning.  Then a break, lunch, and back on the fields for 2-3 hours in the afternoon (except Thursday).  On Thursday, they got to watch the FIFA 2014 World Cup game of the USA vs Germany on the big screen.  Then, some free time, dinner and then scrimmages.  They would have a coaches meeting at 10:00 pm and lights out at 11:00.   Needless to say, they were busy most of the time.

IU Football stadium

Mark in front of Assembly Hall - their basketball building

Normally this would never happen, but because it was part of the camp, and because it was our niece's birthday (Tami, the one that lives in Bloomington - we volunteered to pick up the boys on Sunday - we would visit with Tami and Steve and then get the boys from camp).

We got there around 9:30 to see Robert's first game of their "World Cup."  He was playing defense and did a great job.  He played the whole game.

Aaron, Robert and Ryan after a great camp!

After the game, we went to Steve and Tami's.  We were lucky - our other nephew and his wife were also visiting.... so we got to see Gary and Diana as well.   We stayed there about an hour before heading back to the award ceremony.

Each player was given there person evaluations from their coaches.  Robert's coach was ... Coach Roberts.  too funny - he's also from England.  It was great to meet him.  Robert had very high marks and a wonderful comment at the end of his evaluation.  So proud of him.  He must have played hard.

Big Kids Have Fun TOO

So I came home from work on Tuesday and found Robert and Marissa in the back yard sitting by the water spickette filling up water balloons ... I foresee some great fun in the future.

As soon as they decided they had made enough balloons - the war was on.  I was luck enough to go outside and film them - each with their last water balloon.  Marissa threw hers at Robert and hit him dead on, Robert threw his at Marissa and it hit her, but bounced off.  Marissa WON.

We tried to do a reenactment so that I could get more of it on film, but Robert's balloon hit Marissa and broke, while Marissa missed Robert all together - Robert WON.

IT'S A TIE!

After they dried off and cleaned up I took them out to Cheddar's for lunch.  This is Robert's last lunch with us for a while since he's going away for the rest of the week to soccer camp in Indiana.  I'm going to miss him!

Not your Typical Sports Physical

Monday after I got off work, I took Robert and Marissa for their annual sports physical.

Robert was first - all systems go!  He's up to 110 pounds and he is 5 feet 5 inches tall.  He's really grown since last year.

Marissa was next - all systems go, until she reached down to touch her toes so they could check her spine - YIKES.  She definitely has curvature of the spine.  How did that happen?  It wasn't there last year.  WOW!

We called her pediatrician and set up an appointment with Stacy Grossfeld to see her on Thursday.

Two Interviews in One Month

So I couldn't believe that Monday morning I was having another interview - I was only fishing for jobs, but then I got the one - part time - perfect for my current wants and needs - and then they tempt me with a full time job.

So my interview was at 10:00 am.  I was there at 8:00 to work, worked until 9:30 when they called me in early - since I was there and since they already had my resume and knew me.

Steve did most of the talking and the main interest was if I was interested in full time.  It's a challenge to change and I have so much to consider.

During the school year it will only be a slight challenge - spring - days that practice is early, but during the fall Marissa and Robert will go to seminary at 6:45 am - then school starts at 8:45 (check). I will work from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.  School gets out at 3:45 but they will both have practice from 4:00 - 6:00 after school!  PERFECT!!

Then on game days - games don't start until 6:00 - PERFECT!!

One thing that will have to change is I will HAVE to get to bed earlier!!!

I will be like the office manger/accounts payable/receptionist person.  One thing they mentioned is that they are looking for someone long term - not just a year or two here!

I'm in a good position because this job isn't something that we NEED, it's something to help with finances - weddings, repairs, unexpected things, new cars, etc.  So as long as I'm happy with the job and the people, I'm happy to stay there as long as needed.

On Friday I should find out if I got the job or not!  - here's waiting until Friday.

Week 58 - Transferred to Santa Rita

Hey guys!

So yup, I got transferred!! Last Tuesday night was spent packing and crying as my recent converts kept calling and texting me telling me how much they loved me and how much of an impact I have made on them... pheeewww makes me tear up just thinking of it haha. I really did love Calapacuan and gave my all there, BUT now I am prepared to give it all again here in Santa Rita. 

I'm super close to Olongapo City maybe 5 minute jeepnie ride and maybe 20 minutes from Calapacuan so this transfer was not a far one haha. My new companion is Sister Pizon, she is a Filipino from Manila and she is super nice and hard-working so we make a good team :) We've already sat down and made a lot of plans for this transfer and we have already found people this week who will be baptized in July!! whoooooooooooo! I just need to learn the area now because it's pretty big and confusing... and anyone who knows me knows that directions is not exactly a strength of mine haha. I live with 2 other sisters, sister Hausia (Tongan) at sister Selelesi (Samoan-think I spelled that wrong haha) 

Me and my new house mates

But we all get along and its fun because we are all from different countries but are all here for the same purpose. So my apartment now has a sick view! outside my bedroom window I can see a jungle and a waterfall... yup be jealous haha. We have 4 baptisms this week and they are all super awesome!!! I love being a missionary!!!! Love you guys! Take care always! Read your scriptures and go to church! hehe :)

Love,

Sister Lowe