March 2012 - Picture of the Month

Averie Bessey - Waiting for the Rest of the Family to Get Ready for Church

March 2012 - Executive Office of Ken Woodward

Dear Family,

February was a good month. Joshua and Zachari attended every day of seminary and school, whenever they were held, which weren’t often. And they are now resting up for Easter vacation which is only a few weeks away. They continue to have a perfect attendance record for the entire school year.

Zack visited the barber recently just to even up his sideburns and came out looking like a billiard ball. Our old barber, Frank, took an unplanned vacation to Indonesia just ahead of the FBI, and the new barber is an undocumented Latino who has a little trouble with English. Rumors on the street are Frank will not be returning. Joshua hasn’t seen a barber since early last June. It’s amazing how much these boys now resemble Moe and Curly.

I plowed my garden a few days ago. The current weather in Superior California east of I-5 suggests a favorable early planting season, but the calendar doesn’t support that conclusion. Of course, if I had been wise like a certain member of my extended family and located west of I-5 I wouldn’t have to worry about the possibility of a killing frost or a summer drought. And concerning a possible drought, a news item on the front page of “The Wall Street Journal” under a heading “The Western Drought Worsens…” contains the following quotation: “The snow and bad weather hit the east so fast that their problems were immediate apparent. A drought is so much more subtle,” said Kenneth Woodward, “It creeps up on you, and you may find out you’re in trouble far later than you should have.” Mr. Woodward is an official of the California Department of Water Resources. ( WSJ February 10, 1977). As condition now look in Northern California, the WSJ may have an opportunity to use that quote in some near-future article.

Love, Dad

March 2012 - Cannon, Aaron & Mindy & Family

Dear Family and Grandpa:

You would think that facebook banter would soon take the place of the newswire but alas....I hear grandpa has forgotten his password so we must continue to rely on archaic means of passing information. The month of February has seen the start of baseball season in the Cannon home. Jakob is coming off his first ever all star season and expectations are unrealistically high. This will be the first season of "kid pitch" whereas in seasons past he has been hitting off a pitching machine. Mindy and I are alllllll ready for 3 hour 2 inning games with 2342334 walks and 2343235 runs.

Hannah will be starting tee ball this month as well. She has been ready for this for at least 3 years. Finally she is on the road to earning her keep.

Mindy continues to co-chair the bake sale where the Loma Portal Bake Sale committee finds itself in a pitched battle with Michelle Obama over bake sale regulations. That's right fellow communists....the feds are trying to shut down the bake sale. Why you ask? Because they can't regulate what comes out of mama's kitchen and therefore have decided that the most sound and courageous course of action is immediately closure. How will the school continue to pay for it's music program, physical education program, and librarian you ask? Michelle is gonna cut us a check.....I'm sure.

What am I doing you ask? Good question. I took the opportunity this last weekend to run the "tough mudder" event here in southern california. This was a 12 mile military grade obstacle course complete with electrified obstacles that send 10k volts coursing through your brain if you are unlucky enough to come in contact with the random live wire. Also included are "monkey bars" that are covered in grease and twist, a swim through ice water (as in ice.....and water) jumping off stuff, crawling through.....stuff...and other various and sundry goodies. I recommend going on over to the website and checking it out. Other than that...exactly.

March 2012 - Cannon, Adam & Erica & Family

Dear To Whom It May Concern.

The Cannon, Adam family has been doing great. I figured I would submit something this month because it has been a while.

We are doing very well. Maja and Annika are excelling in school. Ava and Lilah are excelling in making a hugh mess at home. Erica is excelling in keeping us all alive and somewhat organized. I competed in a Tough Mudder last weekend in Temecula, Ca. You can look it up online at toughmudder.com and see what it is I did. Aaron went with me but I pretty much had to carry him the whole way.

That is all we have to report. Cannon, Adam Etc...

March 2012 - Woodward, Kevin & Tammy & Family

Dear Family:

We each enjoyed the benefit of one additional day during the month of February, a phenomenon which coincides with the year in which we have a presidential election. It is also an additional day for which every Melchizedek Priesthood leader or Relief Society president in the church could take credit as having provided their organization for purposes of completing home and visiting teaching. I can hardly wait to see the February spike in visits accomplished when the stake’s 1st Quarter results become available.

A thorough analysis of my historical business travel trends of the past several years suggests that I participate in an out-of-town “boondoggle” about every six weeks. February was true to form. I enjoyed a three-day, all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C. I won this trip by offering my labor at one of Lockheed Martin's east coast offices. Of course this required that I venture outside of our garage door and commence to dig a path through the snow which we recently experienced, so that I could drive to the airport. I didn’t have the luxury of waiting around for those warm Chinook (snow-eater) winds coming off of the Rockies to clear the driveway and sidewalks for me.

During this past month I had a chance to enjoy a private, 75-minute luncheon with the mayor of Colorado Springs. I wouldn't want anyone to mistakenly believe that he sought me out to ask my opinion regarding the state of the city. I readily acknowledge that I initiated the gathering to see how the Church could be of greater service to the city. It was a very enjoyable and productive meeting.

We’re looking forward to the month of March. And in the words of Adam, “that is all for now.”

Love,

The Woodwards

February 2012 - Picture of the Month

The hearts of the Children shall turn to their Fathers 

 Standing L-R: A Condie Daughter, John Condie, Mary Jane Condie Winkel 

Seated L-R: Gibson Condie, a Condie Daughter

February 2012 - Executive Office of Ken Woodward

Dear Family,

What an exciting month ahead.  As this is leap year and February has one day more  than otherwise, I can hardly contain myself.  It will give each of you one more day not to write about in our next month Newswire, and one more day for me to be insulted by some of you on Facebook.

The most noteworthy event during January in Sacramento was an announcement that the church’s  Sacramento regional welfare cannery will be closed permanently  in June in favor of a more efficient facility elsewhere.  The new location has not been made known to this emeritus leader, but my fervent prayers are that it will be in Colorado Springs.

Shortly after that facility was completed, then California  Governor Ronald Reagan accepted an invitation to tour the plant.   Here is a copy of a picture printed on the front page of the November 10, 1973 issue of the Church News. I’m the one with the dark rimmed glasses giving them the 12 tribes, the governor is to my right and Lt. Governor John Harmer’s back is toward the camera.

As John Harmer was a personal friend of mine, he introduced the governor to me, saying,   “Governor, this is Ken Woodward,  Ken is one of your boys.”  As Reagan  shook my hand he said, “Ken, it’s sure good to see you AGAIN.”  I still trying to  remember when he ever met me before.  Maybe I’ll remember the same time Carol remembers where she put my key to the house.

We’ve had a little rain so far this winter, and I mean “little,” and if conditions don’t soon improve we will be known as the Sacramento dust bowl.  And talking about bowls, how about Tom Brady and his Patriots in the Super Bowl.  I suppose that was Aaron’s team. The only bad thing that didn’t happen to the Patriots was Brady didn’t get thrown for a 15-yard loss as he came out of the tunnel.

Love,  Dad

February 2012 - Ekins, Justin & Emily

January was an exciting month. Justin traveled with his classmates to San Francisco to meet with tech company executives and learn more about the tech businesses. Then he went to Chennai, India for a school project to help a hotel in the city offer a new service.

 I continue working my three jobs: polling director at Reason, finishing my dissertation in poli sci at UCLA, and doing research at the Cato Institute. Hopefully my co-authored paper with Mark Calabria on credit rating agencies and their regulatory environment will be published this month. If you're interested in some of the national polls I've conducted at Reason, visit reason.com/poll. I'm also starting to cover the presidential election for them with blog posts every few days at reason.com. Justin, Rocco, and I are loving Boston. Living on campus is very fun and social, and the students and their families here are great.

Justin & Emily Ekins

Justin and I went to Plymouth Rock and visited Plimouth Plantation. This is a recreated village of those who traveled on the Mayflower and settled in Plymouth.

Justin is his section's toastmaster, and thus officially gives toasts at class events. This picture is of his holiday toast and with a glass full of ice water.

We obtained a pet Santa outfit at a white elephant Christmas party. He loved the outfit, seriously! and purred the whole time he wore it.

February 2012 - Haupt, Levi & Torrie & Girls

January was crazy! I thought that we skipped the horrible weather curse that seems to follow us since this was our 2nd winter here, however, for a week straight we had snow, snow, and more snow!  The girls enjoyed it, complete with backyard snow angels, but by the time we were done we were ready for our regular schedule of school to come back ( I didn’t realize how much we all enjoy school, until it was taken away.) I thought we would never see our grass again. 

Levi had a business trip to Utah, thankfully before the snow. Things went well except for my being too tired to handle my kids all by myself, the girls were good, but I was exhausted. He’s enjoying being involved with scouts and is in the midst of planning this year’s Blue and Gold

. 

Emma is enjoying school and church, she learned 12 out of 13 Articles of Faith last year, we’re finishing number 13, very proud of how hard she worked.  Especially since she can’t read and has still memorized them.

Charlotte is officially a “sunbeep”, which she sings all the time. Every Sunday she wants to go to the podium and sing like the other kids do, we have a long wait until Mother’s Day

Our ward building which was burnt down in October of 2010 is officially reopened for “business”, its great to have a new building and we’re so happy to have a closer building and to have church with Sacrament Meeting  first again.

I had to take the dreaded glucose test, ugh, however I was blessed with good numbers and I didn’t have to take the extended version which has been my friend in the two previous pregnancies. This third daughter likes to party all night long, kicking so hard that I can’t sleep, so grateful she’s doing well, but she’s better get that all out now, because when she gets here, I’ll make sure she has her days and nights correct!  

That’s us for now, see y’all in March!

Love,

Emma, Charlotte, Levi, Torrie & Baby

This  Picture doesn't do it justice, we ended up with about a foot over the course of a few days, which is a lot for the Pacific Northwest!

The first night, snow was a novelty and we weren't sure how long it would last.

February 2012 - McClintock, Robert & Susan

This past January was another quiet month for The McClintock.

Word was sent out that our local Church Cannery is to be closed.  It is an institution in Sacramento. Many Christian denominations have used the cannery as well at the wards and stake and have been grateful for it.  Grandpa Woodward conducted then Governor Ronald Reagan through this Church cannery in the 1970s when he was Stake President. Maybe he will comment on it in a submission.

A cousin, Louise Porter Stanton, has found and shared with me some Condie family history.  Among her findings are these two pictures. It is our hope that we will work together to make the histories and journals of our ancestors available digitally so that you all may profit from reading them. The lives of our righteous ancestors inspire us to do the best we can, just as they tried to do.

In one picture is Minnie Johnson and Joseph Condie.  Grandma Woodward was named after Minnie. Grandma's grandfather, Joseph Condie, was called in to bless Grandma Woodward when she was just a baby sick with pneumonia.  The other picture is of Gibson Condie.  Yes, THE Gibson Condie who helped rescue the Martin Handcart Company.  Also in the picture is one of his sons, John (a younger brother of Joseph Condie), a daughter, Mary Jane Condie Wickel, and two other unnamed daughters.  Enjoy!

Have a lovely February.

The McClintock

Joseph and Minnie Condie

February 2012 - Mercier Kelly & Family

We are doing well.  I just celebrated my 37th birthday (Happy Birthday to Mindy, too!) and had a very nice, relaxing family meal.  It was wonderful and nice to have as a change.  There is nothing new on the divorce front.  I am still awaiting the decision on the jurisdiction between the states.  I will be very happy when that is in my rearview mirror.  I am starting a 6 week long-term substitute position for a lady going on maternity leave.  It is for a kindergarten class and I hope it goes well.  Hopefully it will look good on a resume so I can get a JOB!!  Besides subbing I started working at IKEA in December.  It is pretty amazing that I can work part-time and get full benefits.  It is really a great company.  So, that is what I am up to...work, work, work.

Jilina is doing well. She is very active with softball and I love being able to assistant coach on her team.  She is taking pitching lessons and doing really well.  She also loves playing third and catching.  She wants to get active in volleyball also.  She loves it and with her height it is a no brainer.  I am 5'4" and she is only 1/2 inch shorter than me, at 10!  Thankfully she takes after her dad in that regard.  She is also active with her school orchestra playing the violin and is very artistic. 

Well, that is what we are up to.  We hope everyone is doing well and taking care!

Love,

Kelly & Jilina Mercier

February 2012 - Woodward, Kevin & Tammy & Family

During the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, we had the privilege of enjoying Arianna, the Haupts and the Besseys here at home.  After the holidays, everyone except for Alexis, Maija and Averie headed back to their respective domiciles, for work and school.  These three girls stayed just a bit longer.  The weather was pretty nice during the time they were here.  Consequently, we decided to take a drive to the top of Pikes Peak.  As you can see from the picture of Alexis standing next to the summit sign, she is pretty bundled up.  The temperature, with the wind chill, was a mere 16 below zero.  As a result, we elected not to picnic on the mountain top that day.  In the picture looking out into the plains, one inch on the horizon equals 40 miles.  It was from this spot where in the summer of 1893 Katherine Lee Bates wrote the words to the song “America the Beautiful”.

Recently we received a fair amount of snow fall.  I went to our ward building, situated in the Black Forest about 6 miles to the east of us, to help with our weekly Saturday morning cleaning.  This was the view out one of the windows. 

We love you and wish you the very best for this coming month.

Love,

The Woodwards

Black Forest ward snow-in

Bundled up atop Pikes Peak 

"America the Beautiful"

The Woodwards

January 2012 - Picture of the Month

Emily & Justin Ekins

January 2012 - Executive Office of Ken Woodward

Dear Family,

Facebook has a disturbing feature, absent in our Newswire. Aaron can now insult me more often than once a month. And with a new law in California requiring booster-seats for all children under 8, it would be well if Adam turned his family facebook activities over to Erica and he spent more time hassling violators instead of me.

As a sworn officer of the law, and a model citizen, I wonder if Adam ever issued himself a ticket. And if he did, did he pay the fine or try to get it fixed.

Christmas vacation for Joshua and Zachari was unique, much like Ground Hog Day. They came out of their bedroom only on Christmas morning, examined their gifts and returned to their hole until New Year’s eve.
They come out then only because their rich Fresno grandfather came to report to them of how much fun, food, and frivolity they missed by refusing his invitation to accompany he and Monica to Las Vegas for the holidays.

I was delighted with a visit from Susan, Emily and Justin on Christmas day.. We had an enjoyable time, but I was disappointed that my youngest grandson, Rocco, didn’t accompany them.. He sent his regrets. He was skiing In New Hampshire.

Overall, 2011 was a good year. We have experienced limited illness, the boys have missed no school so far this school year. The air is warm, the grass is brown, with December being the 4th driest December of record, and no storm in sight. A few of my close friends cashed in during the year, and Price Funeral Chapel mailed me a 2012 calendar with a reminder that they are still looking forward to my future business.

You’re a great family and I am proud of all of you.

Love, Dad

January 2012 - McClintock, Robert & Susan

Greetings Family,

This McClintock LOVES, LOVES, LOVES Christmas decorations and lights!! Not that the McClintock's house is an outstanding example of Christmas decor and design, but this McClintock appreciates a tasteful assembly of lights and reverence for the season. So, in keeping with said enthusiasm for exterior Christmas lights and decorations a quest was undertaken to find and document the City and State Christmas trees. Sadly, the City Christmas tree was adversely affected by an unseasonable gale that blew through town just a couple of days after cranes and elves hoisted the tree into place. The state Tree, however, must have been born under a special Star (no pun intended) because it did not suffer the same fate as the City tree. One night, early in December, with camera in hand, this McClintock went in search of the elusive government agency 'Christmas' trees. The attached pictures will prove that, yes Virginia there is STILL a Santa in government office.

Another Christmas thrill was having Emily and Justin spend Christmas in Carmichael. Emily came in a couple of days before Justin. What fun to have the house filled with activity and exuberance not initiated by an enema. There was the mandatory evening trek to view the Fabulous Forty Avenues' holiday decorations and to verify that the 'government' trees were will standing. Then Christmas day arrived and a 92 year old Grandma Anna was very eager to get to 'presents' long before the rest of the church-going family was able. (Some days can be tough on 92 year old grandmothers.)

Lastly, a mention of the neighbors whose holiday decoration enthusiasm is excessive yet effective in warding off potential thieves. The decorations are so extravagant as to attract Looky-loos to the street. Increased traffic results in increased Sheriff patrols. Increased Sheriff patrols scares off would-be holiday thieves. The 'Home Alone' sticky/wet Bandits will never have a chance as long as our neighbors LOVE decorating for Christmas.

Have a wonderful start to a new Year. Let's compare notes in 2013 about the Mayan's prediction. (Didn't they read the old testament? Guess not.)

Love, The McClintock