BLAKE'S MISSION CALL

WOW....the house was full of excitement this day and it couldn't have been more perfect! Steve had just landed in Dallas (on a weekend visit) at 7 PM. We had set 10 Pm for a skype call. We were all dying to know where Blake would be sent for two years on a mission. All I wanted was for him to go someplace SAFE! We had all played the game of picking where we thought he would go. (in fact I wish I had that list to post) but I do not think that any of us even came close. I do know that I guessed South America or New York, Grant said Texas ;) Tyler guessed Billings Montana, Camille guessed South America. Steve said Russia....If you had a guess let me know I will add it.

Blake called about 8:30 to say his teacher at LDSBC had let class out early so that he could go home and open his call. We quickly moved the call up to 9 PM. Blake went over to Tyler and Kaylee's, We were all home. Carly was sick so we had Carly and Joel on speaker phone. Blake's voice was shaking when he read it and I was so teary and nervous. He is going to...................

Johannesburg, South Africa!! What??!! WOW on the other side of the world! He was to report to the MTC in South Africa on July 8th. We got a call from our Stake President (President Gottfredson) a couple days later to say that Salt Lake had called and now wants him to report to the MTC in Provo on the 7th. We are not really sure why, but it works out well as now we will all be able to make the trip to Lake Powell with the Goodmans (Carly's in-laws) before Blake reports to the MTC. (by the way I have no idea why the 7up is sitting there ;)

Us watching as Blake reads his call.

Although I am a bit nervous...I know that Blake will be on the Lord's errand and will be protected. We all believe that he will be a fabulous missionary. Blake has a unique, happy and giving personality and adds so much to our family. We will all miss him and Cheer for his success! We love you Blake.

Up Wards Basketball 2010

Grant just finished his first season of basketball. He had a great season and loved it! We were blessed to have a couple of buddies from church on the team. Blake and William...even better was the fact the Dave Smith (our new Bishop) was one of the coaches. William heading to the basket.

Although I do not have a good picture of this.....it was my favorite part of the game. They would have the kids run through this frame as they announced their numbers and name like they were big boys! The boys were so darling (you should have seen their faces) and LOVED this part. What is it with boys...You would think they were playing in the pros. It was priceless.

On the way to Grant's last game today he said, " Our coach is going to be really mad if we loose this game." I said, "No he won't. This is just for fun and you are learning." He said, "Mom we have already learned!" :)

A letter from Canada

On Mar 2, 2010, at 10:35 AM, Steve Williams wrote:

Family,

Yesterday, I received birthday greetings from several in the family who asked me to let them know how I was enjoying Canada. I had been thinking of sending an e-mail to the family so the notes reminded me to do so.

Turning 50 wasn’t the happiest moment in my life. Generally I feel young at heart but 50 doesn’t sit well with me. It causes me to think that there’s only a short time left and not much time to get the “chores done”.

My experience in Calgary thus far has been positive. When I’m not at work or church I am as lonely as I can be, but when I’m around people things are good. The people at work and the wards I’ve attended have been remarkably friendly. They are Texas friendly in the sense that they are outgoing and very, very kind. My pattern on Sundays has been to go to my own ward (near downtown) and then to attend one or two other wards elsewhere. The relief society sisters of Calgary have been well taught on how to welcome strangers. In every ward where I’ve stayed for Sunday School I’ve received a dinner invitation. I take them up on the invitation because it gives me a chance to make new friends and ask questions about the area.

Work has been a slow start. My role will be to take-over a senior partner’s client base and then together to assist him in growing our practice. The practice serves Canadian companies doing business in the U.S. It is a talented group of individuals from the U.S., China, India, and other parts of Asia. I have not yet transitioned onto the client assignments so several days have been slow. I look forward to being a bit busier at work. However, already in the first month I was instrumental in selling a new and very large client. In a professional services firm you are “scored” by how much revenue you bring to the business. I needed this win because I hadn’t generated any work from billable services. There will be an adjustment going from being self-employed to working for a large company but I’m finding there’s a lot I need to learn. The people at PWC Calgary are literally from all over the world. It is remarkable. There is so much to learn from them. Plus, the business and tax world has advanced and become much, much more quite than when I left PW 17 years ago.

Calgary is expensive – incredibly expensive! I knew the price of homes was much more than Dallas but I had no idea how much more. The prices are staggering! $300 - $350 a square foot is about the going rate. Our home in Texas would sell for $1.3 - $1.5 million here. I don’t yet know how we’re going to buy a home – or if we’re going to buy a home. We may rent. There is no tax deduction in Canada for mortgage interest or real estate taxes so renting is a possibility. I currently live in an apartment about 10 blocks from the office in the heart of the city centre. The apartment is very comfortable – but lonely.

Weather hasn’t been bad during the last month. It isn’t warm enough to melt all the snow on the ground but it’s getting there. People tell me that the temperatures have been unusually mild. They said December was horrible though. I was told that temperatures in December got down to negative 40 degrees Celsius. This last week the days seem to be lengthening and it feels like spring is not far away. I enjoy being surrounded by the mountains again. I love seeing the wildlife. On Sunday I went to church not far from my home and two large deer were feeding in the yard of a home near the church. It’s not uncommon to see deer in town. On Saturday I watched a herd of several hundred elk. The outdoors is close.

On Saturday I drove 2 ½ hours south to go to the temple in Cardston. Cardston is a very small town – almost deserted – but the temple is beautiful. This was my second visit there. Stacey and I went together right after we entered Canada about a month ago. This temple is one of the originals. The craftsmanship is amazing. People here rumor that President Hinckley said Cardston was the prettiest temple in the church. I don’t know if that’s an accurate statement but it is beautiful. Inside the temple many of the colors are bright. There is obviously native American influence in the architecture and design. The temple is well attended even though it is 2 ½ hours away from Calgary. Both times I’ve been the sessions have been full. I like it there.

Since I’ve been here I also took a drive to Waterton National Park. I’m told that Waterton National Park in Canada and Glacier National Park in the U.S. are essentially the same. Many people tell me they prefer vacationing in Waterton over Banff. Their view is that Waterton / Glacier is more beautiful and less crowded.

Now a comment directed to the younger generation. I’ve been pulled into meetings at PWC and another very large firm where discussions took place about outsourcing work to India, Brazil, Philippines, etc. I think it would be to our kids advantage to know that this is really happening and is not just an unsettling story on the news. There’s no reason to fight the movement of jobs oversees because it’s happening and will continue to happen. That doesn’t mean we have to lose in the U.S. though – we just have to adapt. There’s positive that can come from migration of certain jobs. Firstly, it has to cause people of all nations to learn to work together and thus learn about one another. Second, when people learn to work together there is opportunity for spreading the gospel. I want my kids to know that this is happening and prepare to adjust their plans accordingly. If they grow-up willing to travel and perhaps live abroad they will likely be kept busy and have good experiences.

That’s it. Hope to hear from you when you have time to write.

Love,

Steve / Dad / Uncle Stephen

Happy Valentine's Day 2010

It was so nice to open the door and see these beautiful flowers that Steve sent to me. He scored points for not only sending flowers but tracking down one of my favorite floral designers. :)

The Sky Is Falling! Feb. 12th 2010

Snow Day! It has been a bit colder in Texas this year than normal. But, no one expected to see this in Texas. it started snowing and kept snowing and snowing and SNOWING!! it snowed 13 inches in Keller. That NEVER happens. School was called off and we just all played in the snow and drank hot chocolate. I love days like this when the kids are home but I hate all of the wet cloths! I do not look forward to that in Canada. However..the snow is beautiful. Grant measureing how deep the snow is.

Camile the snow angle.

My Man Feb. 1, 2010

Shortly after all of the wedding celebration ...reality hit us square in the face. Steve had to report to work on Feb. 1st in Calgary. He was released on Jan. 24th as Bishop. He had served for 4 and a half years. There were many highs and some lows but we felt blessed abundantly through it all. The Lord has a way of teaching and humbling his people and we are no different. I saw miracles take place in our life and in the lives of those Steve served. We have lived in Texas for 23 years and our roots run DEEP here. Our children were raised here and we love this place and it's people. The church is very strong in Texas and we have been blessed with many opportunities to serve and rub shoulders with some of the finest people anywhere. It will be very hard to leave this place and start over. I am so thankful that at least we will have each other and the church in Calgary.

Steve and I left the next day driving first to Utah to take Carly some of her wedding gifts and then spend a short day with the kids in Utah . We continued on the next day heading for Calgary. It is a long but beautiful drive. Although we had both grown up in Idaho. We drove through a lot of country that neither one of us had ever been to. It was nice to spend some time just the two of us and make plans. Boy is our life about to be full of BIG change. I helped Steve get settled in a executive apartment downtown Calgary. It is a nice EXPENSIVE place. The cost living in Canada is so high. I flew home to next day to start my life in Texas as a single Mom. I hope to sell the house here, get the kids through school and join Steve in June. Boy I miss him.

WAHOO...MEDICAL SCHOOL FOR TYLER AND GRAD SCHOOL FOR KAYLEE!!

It has been a few months of painful waiting to see where Tyler would be excepted to Med. school. We were all so thrilled when we found out that he would be going to UT at Houston. Kaylee was also excepted into Grad. school at Texas A&M. I am a bit sick that my kids are heading back home and we are moving to the frozen north! We are so proud of these two. They work well together and set lofty goals for themselves. We love them and are so proud of them. This is what Tyler wrote on his blog about their big news! Touching....:)

Sunday, February 21, 2010

The MONTH of Good News!
Kaylee and I have had an absolutely wonderful month full of great news! On February 1st Kaylee and I woke up a little earlier than normal to wait for the match results to Texas medical schools. It was an especially stressful/nervous/sickening morning for me as I feel that I have been working towards medical school acceptance for the past five years! After interviewing at six medical schools in August/September 2009 we had been anxiously awaiting the match results that were to be posted at 7:00 AM on February 1st. After several system glitches and an incredibly tortuous and incorrect "sorry, you have not been accepted to medical school" message, we finally learned that we matched to our top choice - The University of Texas at Houston! It was a very emotionally draining morning (especially after the fake-out message); however, I feel incredibly relieved and we are both very excited about our upcoming move to the Texas Medical Center this summer.The emotional high of Monday was quickly followed up with concern on Tuesday about how to pay for medical school. For the past year we have been seriously considering whether or not to have the military finance my medical education without being able to feel comfortable with a decision one way or the other. However, on Tuesday we both began to feel very strongly that we should apply for the Air Force's Health Professions Scholarship. The scholarship program is semi-competitive and we were worried that we would not be selected, but after submitting my application on Friday the 5th we learned that we had been offered the scholarship on Monday the 8th! The Air Force will pay for my tuition, books, and fees as well as give us a monthly stipend for living expenses. In return I will serve for 4 years on active duty after completing a residency program. Hopefully, Kaylee will let me do their flight surgeon program so I can fly some of these sweet jets!

.
The good news just kept coming as Kaylee received a bonus, a promotion, and a substantial raise at work on Friday the 12th! She has worked for Overstock.com in Salt Lake City since May 2009 as a Demand Management Analyst and will stay there until we move in August.
Kaylee has also been working towards getting into a master's program in statistics. She has been studying very hard for the GRE and finally took the test on Saturday the 13th. After reporting her exam results to the program director at Texas A&M she learned on Monday the 15th that she has been accepted into their on-line master's program in statistics! I am so proud of her and her hard work! Statistics is not exactly the easiest degree program and she has worked very hard to get into this program. She will start in May by taking one class while still working full-time; when we move in August she will be a full-time graduate student.
We feel very blessed with all of this wonderful news and are so grateful that Heavenly Father has answered our prayers! For me, it has been a very humbling month as I have reflected on all of these blessings and contemplated how much our Father in Heaven truly does yearn for our success. It is often amazing to me how quickly we seem to forget our pleadings with the Lord for those things that we desire to have most in our lives after they have been granted. Before receiving the blessing it is as if we feel that all rests squarely upon the Lord's shoulders and we pray and fast accordingly. Yet after the blessing has been realized it is sometimes tempting to feel that we are entitled to our successes and forget how gracious the Lord has been in granting us our desires. Kaylee and I are so grateful for the strength of the gospel in our lives, and have felt our testimonies strengthed that we truly do have a loving Heavenly Father who sorrows with us in our failures and rejoices with us in our successes.
Posted by Tyler and Kaylee at 7:11 PM
Thursday, February 18, 2010