A Shoutout for Technology

Nathan is enjoying having Jacob in Logan, had him over for dinner and games, Facetimed Ella in to play Betrayal, she set up her game and Nathan set up his so they could all play together

Rachael’s oldest son, Jacob, got home from his mission late this summer and started at USU this fall. Since we shared a house with Rachael and her family for over five years when our kids were tiny, Nathan and Jacob pretty much grew up together. They were good friends then and continue to be good friends now. Patti’s youngest daughter, Ella, is the same age as these boys and as cousins, they all enjoy being together. In particular, they love to get together and play board games. The times they are able to gather together have been fewer as they have grown up, but they get together when they can. 

Nathan has really enjoyed having Jacob in Logan. This evening, he invited Jacob over for dinner and games. One of their favorite games is Betrayal, one that Jacob introduced them to a few years back. Ella was not in Logan, so they Facetimed her in for a game of Betrayal. Nathan and Jacob set up a board on their end, Ella did a copycat setup with her board and the three of them spent an evening together.

I guess necessity is the mother of invention? 😂

Texas Extras

For the past several transfers, Nathan has been working to organize a stake musical fireside at the request of his first mission president. Although Nathan transferred out of that stake several weeks ago, he has been planning from afar and guiding his previous companion in the last organizational details. He got permission to drive back to Arlington for the fireside, which was held this evening. The theme was centered on the Savior’s love which is perfect for any fireside, but in my opinion, especially fitting for a missionary focused one as they are out in the world teaching people about the Savior and the love he has for each of us. Nathan has been incredibly excited about this event from the very beginning, and has put a lot of effort, enthusiasm, and love into its planning.

One of the good things that came out of the pandemic is the fact that pretty much everyone in the church is comfortable with streaming events and meeting virtually and as such, we were able to watch the fireside from here. There were some technical difficulties with the stream so it wasn’t available to watch until about twenty minutes past the start time, but we watched the rest and it was wonderful. There were so many members who participated. All the music was interpreted into ASL so it was deaf accessible as well. The Spirit was there. Nathan was conducting the meeting and I was so proud of the strong testimony he bore, of the love he expressed for the Savior, with the gentleness of his voice. He has gained even greater conviction in his beliefs in the past six months. It was a beautiful way for us to send a Sunday evening and I’m so grateful for the technology that allowed us to participate in this portion of Nathan’s missionary work.

This is What Family Time Looks Like Right Now…

Nathan joined us a few minutes after this screenshot was taken and Malia was popping in and out as we talked, so everyone was there. When I was kid, this type of technology was still in the realm of science fiction. I mean, we had a t.v. that we had to turn on twenty minutes before our show started so the tubes could warm up. I kept dimes in my penny loafers so I would always have the means to make two phone calls. And when talking on the phone, you could only walk as far as the cord would allow. And look at what we have now. Video on demand means there is no need to pore over the t.v. listings each week to make sure we don’t miss our favorite programs. We have phones that fit in the palm of your hand and can go with you anywhere. And we have the ability to video chat across great distances.

Technology is definitely a blessing for us. It makes the miles seem smaller. And even though Daniel is far from home, he is still a part of our day to day lives and we are a part of his.

High Tech Holiday

Matthew and Malia are both still feverish today. That meant no Christmas Eve dinner with the extended family. But thanks to some cool technology, we were still able to participate in the annual reading of the Nativity story and the musical portion of the evening. Kev and my dad got their iPads out and we connected via facetime. My technologically advanced sister Esther connected my dad’s iPad with the t.v. so the folks gathered there got us on the big screen. Nathan still got to play his piano piece for everyone and Matthew, who was still running a fever but definitely feeling better, acted just as spazzy as he always does when he’s on facetime. While it wasn’t as good as actually being there (no cheesecake, although I think I’m the only one who missed that), it worked out really well and made my kids feel like they didn’t miss out on much. They didn’t care about missing the food (having pizza is actually a treat for them and one I didn’t feel bad about doing on a holiday since Matthew isn’t back up to eating yet anyway) and they still got to join in the festivities. So not the way we had planned the day to go, but still, we do have some pretty cool technology nowadays.