Hanging out with the girls!

These are my little chica's. We have so much fun hanging out at Inverness with the horses!

Updated 5 generation

Updated 5 generation chart on James Bernard Williams--Only 2 blanks in Paw's chart.

http://www1.tribalpages.com/tmp/1159901757406.pdf

hey the Third picture is my bed...the second one is what i wake up to every morning...and someone took the first one while i was playing ping pong.

From Raleigh

Fun conference pictures :)

The girls love their Aunt Kaley.

A nice thought

From Sister Hinckley's book:

"Life is full of challenges. Many of them involve balance and temperance. Complete abstention may be much easier than moderation . . ." then she quotes Ralph Waldo Emerson when he said "It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own, but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude."

Now that we've finished w/ general conference, it's time to start up the newsletter, that YOU AS A FAMILY voted to start up again. English text of conference addresses will be available online by the Thursday following conference.

I want to start with the beginning . . . Dallin H. Oaks who spoke about Heavy burdens and the power of healing. (Matthew 11:28-30).

Please have your post to me by Sunday October 15th.

Thanks,

Brittan

Video blog of camp king benjamin

You can follow this link or double click the video screen below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2g9G7jiHOSk

Camp King Benjamin!

Mosiah 2:5-6: "And it came to pass that when they came up to the temple, they pitched their tents round about, every man according to his family, . . . And they pitched their tents round about the temple, every many having his tent with the door thereof towards the temple, that thereby they might remain in their tents and hear the words which king Benjamin should speak unto them . . . " General conference is one of my favorite weekends of the year! Our little Camp King Benjamin was put into action yesterday. It was a year ago that we did this for the first time--Campbell is a little older now and is starting to understand the importance of this weekend. We set up camp in our back yard, and we saw a coyote, while doing it. It dropped into the high 50's/low 60's last night so it was a perfect cool temperature. We woke up to oatmeal, hot cocoa, and cinnamon toast to warm up our cold bodies. Now we are on the countdown. 2 hours and 45 minutes until we get to bask in the spirit of our latterday prophets~! I am excited (can you tell?) Anyways, here are some of our pictures! I hope you guys all enjoy this special conference weekend!

Pictures of Campbell at preschool

Picture

The stake relief society came down and trained the new relief society presidency. I got the calling to be the secretary. This is a picture of the new presidency, the old presidence, and the stake relief society president. Kaley and I are going to have a fun time serving in the same capacity :)

Links to family trees

James Bernard Williams . . . 5 generation chart: http://www1.tribalpages.com/tmp/1159012594406.pdf

Martha Kerr Aman . . . 5 generation chart:
http://www1.tribalpages.com/tmp/1159012708828.pdf

Robert L. Larson . . . 5 generation chart:
http://www1.tribalpages.com/tmp/1159012765781.pdf

Iris H. Dossey. . . 5 generation chart:
http://www1.tribalpages.com/tmp/1159012824375.pdf

Dad kissed by Beast

Thought this was a fun picture to share!

Found it on mom and Dad's computer.

Brittan

August 23rd, 2006- Sacrament Meeting Talk

We were asked to speak in our Gainesville Ward recently. This would be our first talks in this Gainesville Ward. We were excited and a little nervous- especially me (Kaley)! We were asked to speak on President Hinckley's talk "A prayer and and counsel for the Youth". Here President Hinckley lists "6 B's" that the youth should strive to be more like. But these principles really apply to all of us... be clean, be smart, be grateful, be prayful, be true, and be humble.

I spoke on humility and being truthful and here is a little excerpt from that "True humility will inevitably lead us to say to God, “Thy will be done.” And because what we are does affect what we do, our submissiveness will be reflected in our reverence, gratitude, and willingness to accept callings, counsel, and correction.
The more humble we are the more willing we accept our callings and magnify them. The more willing we are to ask for counsel and then actually follow that counsel. And the more willing we are to recognize our own mistakes and make the corrections necessary to get back on the right track."

President Hinckley talks to the youth about pride and I think it applies to everyone:
“There is no place for arrogance in our lives. There is no place for conceit. There is no place for egotism. We have a great work to do. We have things to accomplish.”
D&C 112:10: The Lord has said, “Be thou humble; and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers”

To be true to ourselves means being an example of righteous living in all situations and circumstances.
President Howard W. Hunter, spoke on this same subject in the May 1990 Ensign and said: “ Ultimately, what our Father in Heaven will require of us is more than a contribution; it is a total commitment, a complete devotion, all that we are and all that we can be.
He continues…Please understand that I do not speak only of a commitment to the Church and its activities. I speak more specifically of a commitment that is shown in our individual behavior, in our personal integrity, in our loyalty to home and family and community, as well as to the Church. "
Example of being true and faithful in my life:

My mother who converted to the church when she was a young woman, even though her family opposed it.
My great- great grandfather- who listened to the missionaries back in 1898 and is recorded as saying, “For the first time in my life I have heard the truth”.

John spoke on being smart, clean, and prayful:

"STORY of Family: President Hinckley emphasized the importance of education and continually learning. My parents were strong supporters of education and learning. They wanted us to perform well in school, and it was their own time that was sacrificed to accomplish this. More time than the average parents. I am the 16th of 17 kids, all from the same mother and father. My Mom's daily school routine was 5 shifts of breakfast (seminary, my dad, middle school, elementary, and preschool). Afternoons and evening were spent coordinating activities, overseeing homework completion, and just keeping track of all of the kids. Luckily, by the time I came around, they were a little bit more relaxed and didn’t see too many of my report cards. My parent's examples really helped me understand this principle... the of the importance of being engaged in learning. "

Learning is a spiritual and practical matter that trains the mind and body. It is a refining process. President Hinckley said this about learning, “[Learning] is something that need never stop. No matter how old we become, we can acquire knowledge and use it. We can gather wisdom and profit from it. We can grow and progress and improve- and, in the process, strengthen the lives of those within our circle of influence.”

Just a few little clips from our talks. You all missed some good preaching!

First Big Game!!! Go Gators :)

GO GATORS! We went to our first Florida Game on Saturday night. A little different from Mountain West football- real fans, real school spirit, and real talent! It was pretty intense and fun. We are looking forward to a very good football season here in Gainesville. Final score Gators 34-7 S. Mississippi. This weekend The Gators are playing UCF and it should be a blow-out. We will probably hit the scene after half-time. I am even trying to talk John into hitting the road for the good away games (Tennesse and Georgia, and FSU). I figure we need to live it up- no kids and good tickets! We'll see...sorry Raleigh- don't hate us :)

P.S. This is the first touchdown by Tim Tebow- the future of Florida Football...(John's litte comment)!

Labor Day at the Wirthlin's!

The Mitchell's decided to come up to Gainesville for the afternoon. John and Brian played a round of golf and the girls just hung out at the pool. It was very relaxing and fun! We love holidays!

Hey

I started a family history project . . . and to help everyone out--I joined a website that allowed me to put my family tree on a website. Now all you have to do to see your family tree (because it is very similar to mine) is to click on your name.

If you want admin access to add, delete, or to work on the files--let me know and I will send you a personal invitation to join.

http://tribalpages.com/tribes/blm1041

Check it out!

Brian doesn't have work tomorrow so we are going to sneak over to the Orlando temple first thing in the morning--so I am hoping to get a few pictures of the girls on the temple grounds!

By the way, the first newsletter deadline is tomorrow! I haven't heard from anyone yet--I'm not going to push this one--if I don't get any posts--then we will start in October after the new conference session!

Brittan

Brittan's beautiful quilt

Annastyn just couldn't keep her darling little toes off her Mommy's quilt. She was a fun to have around all the chaos!

Quilting with the Girls

My quilt is almost finished here. All I have left is the blue border to put on! We spent the morning with our teacher Ruth Ann who helped us tie up all the "loose" ends. We really needed the extra help. What a big project! But well worth it!

Family meeting

We had a family meeting last night where we talked about Brandon, Inverness, and Utah. Everyone gave suggestions and comments. We also reviewed the upcoming cruise plans and checked on everyone's passport status. Kempton booked tickets for everyone to fly to Utah on the Wed. before his wedding (leaving Orlando at 5pm) and (leaving SLC at 5pm on Sunday). Email Kempton your SKY Numbers if you care about that detail. He will call the numbers into Delta.

We all voted for the RETURN of the Family Newsletter (in Print). September will be our first issue. Please have POSTS (from 50-350 words) to be by FRIDAY, September 1st. (that's THIS FRIDAY). If you have any pictures, you can send those too--but I'll pull some off the blog if there are no pictures emailed to me. You can either (1) Post your Post on the Blog--and I will pull it from there or (2) email it me at brittanmitchell@gmail.com

TOPIC for September Newsletter: Creating a Gospel Centered Home by Elder M. Russell Ballard (Sunday Afternoon Session April 2006 General Conference). This was one of my favorite talks--that's why I choose it. Like last year you can write about the theme--or something else (Kaley and John's talks, recent spiritual experiences, marriage plans, etc).

Since Conference is next month, I'm not going to post the future topics--we'll pull them from October's conference. Check the blog at least once per month to get topic ideas! I will call you guys too.

Brittan

FHE Idea

Based on our stake president's request . . . tonight's family home evening should be on AGENCY and ACCOUNTABILITY. . . .Just in case anyone wants to follow this program . . . I thought I would post an idea .. . then you guys can do it too. (Of course anyone visiting Inverness, is welcome to come to our house about 7pm for FHE on any given Monday night).

Welcome
Prayer.
Song: Choose the Right
Discussion of Weekly Family Calendar
Everyone names one thing that they are grateful for (record in Family "Gratitude Journa")
Lesson: AGENCY (See below for full text of the For Strength of Youth discussion on Agency)
Game: MEMORY (talk about the effects of making right and wrong choices as you find matches)
Closing Song: Teach me to Walk in the Light
Snack: Blueberry Muffins
PRAYER


AGENCY--Full Text

Agency and Accountability

“Wherefore, men … are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death” (2 Nephi 2:27).
Your Heavenly Father has given you agency, the ability to choose right from wrong and to act for yourself. You have been given the Holy Ghost to help you know good from evil. While you are here on earth, you are being proven to see if you will use your agency to show your love for God by keeping His commandments.
While you are free to choose for yourself, you are not free to choose the consequences of your actions. When you make a choice, you will receive the consequences of that choice. The consequences may not be immediate, but they will always follow, for good or bad. Wrong choices delay your progression and lead to heartache and misery. Right choices lead to happiness and eternal life. That is why it is so important for you to choose what is right throughout your life.
You are responsible for the choices you make. You should not blame your circumstances, your family, or your friends if you choose to disobey God’s commandments. You are a child of God with great strength. You have the ability to choose righteousness and happiness, no matter what your circumstances.
You are also responsible for developing the abilities and talents Heavenly Father has given you. You are accountable to Him for what you do with your abilities and how you spend your time. Do not idle away your time. Be willing to work hard. Choose to do many good things of your own free will.


Suggested Scripture Reading for Family: Matthew 25:14–29

6 principles to live by for raising children

This is some other stuff from our stake conference (President Carter, Stake President, Leesburg).

1) Set High Expectations (duty to God, YW Recognition, Eagle, Modesty, College, Tithing, Tithing, Bear Testimony, Work Hard)
2) Teach and Settle for Nothing Less than Obedience (accountability is important from teachers, parents, and leaders--see both small and large issues in the same light (do not say, "I choose my battles"--squeeze and minimize the grey issues (try to teach that things are black and white)). Elder Ballard: "meticulous obedience is expected".
3) Establish a Pattern of Absolute Consistency (follow through on consequences--otherwise it will lead to confusion and manipulation). Reinforce with parent/child interviews. Ask specific questions (you have a right/responsibility to know child's worthiness); apply specific discipline (action directed towards goals (not physical punishment); "Do not intervene to soften blow for the violation of commandments" . . . Elder Ballard. Intervention enforces false principles. Be consistent, it takes time and dedication (last children should get same degree of discipline as the oldest child (that's right Raleigh).
4) Be one with your spouse (if divided on raising children, problems arise, do not disagree in front of children, do not abrogate role as parent to be a friend--because you can never be a parent foremost again, parents who establish a proper/loving relationship early will not have to compromise the friendship.
5) Teach and Show by example, words, FHE, scripture study, speak kindly of others in front of children, go to temple & meetings--sets right example for kids, teach principle that every choice has a consequence and each consequence has a destination. Best place of learning, the kitchen table and the parent's king sized bed.
6) Opposite of Love, is to Ignore: Children require intimacy, take time for children, children cannot trust parents who rarely talk to them, time is the most precious gift of love, share testimony with children, establish a spiritual relationship with them that transcends time, create an atmosphere of love.

We are going to email the stake president to get a copy of the talk, if you are interested in reading more . . . send me an email!

Leesburg Stake Conference

Today was our stake conference . . . our stake president gave everyone the following three assignments:

1) Each week in Family Home Evening, pick one topic from the "For Strength of Youth" Pamplet, and organize your family home evenings accordingly. He said that there were 18 topics and 20 weeks left in the year. He said this applied to old/young, and all family types.

2) Invite someone/family to church between now and the end of the year. Make it a matter of family prayer/fasting.

3) Attend the temple, at a minimum, once per month. He said that he worries that if we do not go AT LEAST this much, then the individual members of the stake are not receiving the blessings promised to those that attend the temple.

Kaley and John gave talks in their ward today--about the traits that Pres. Hinckley has encouraged us to develop . . . Be True, Be Smart, Be Clean (and some other things too). Kaley said that she would post a favorite quote from her talk on the blog .. . so stay tuned!

Kaley also is working on the Arline Family History and will have a print out of some of the stories of Sophronia's parents ( our great -great grandparents).

Thanks,

Brittan

Elder L. Tom Perry

"Brethren, your first and most responsible role in life and in the eternities is to be a righteous husband."

Just thought this was a good quote for Ben and Kempe as they approach the ever important decision to marry!

Campbell's primary talk

Campbell gave her first talk in the Lecanto ward this afternoon. She talked about Noah's example of obedience to God's commandment to build the ark. Everyone especially loved the fact that she passed out DOVE chocolate to help the kids remember to use the Holy Ghost like Noah used the Dove. She did a wonderful job. Because the video was kind of long--we cropped out her testimony--but it was cute!

Grammie, Annastyn and Campbell with a Train

Happy Anniversary

Kaley babysat so that Brian and I could go to Orlando for our 8th Anniversary. We did an endowment session on Friday night. On Saturday morning we went to the Outlets and then we went and played putt-putt golf at the same place that we went on our first date! It was fun!

John finished his first semester in his Masters program at U.F.--they are here in Inverness for a few days for their break! Mom, Kaley, and Brittan all have to finish their quilts this week--we've been working hard on these gigantic quilts--we are all ready to see the finished product!

Logan Temple

I was doing some reseach on local hotels in Logan to stay the weekend--and I came across the Logan Temple--it is beautiful! I have never seen this temple before--so I thought I would share a picture of where Kempe and Marin are getting married.

Quilting 101

What I have been doing during my spare time in Gainesville? I have spent many hours on the sewing machine Dad bought for the girls for our quilting class. It has been very fun and challenging! Thanks Dad!

1st Anniversary- Cocoa beach

Just relaxing in the sun all day...No school work for John- all play! We spent the day swimming and body boarding. The east coast of FL gets some pretty big waves...

John surprised me with 2 dozen beautiful red roses!

July 29th- Our 1st anniversary!

We had our 1 year anniversary this past weekend! John and I had a great time at Cocoa Beach...

Wedding in the Works for the Crest Whitestrips Models

I went a little overboard on the teeth editing on this one...

All the wedding plans are moving along nicely.
Here is a tentative wedding run-down for everyone:
November 10th
Evening - Wedding Dinner

November 11th
1:30 - Sealing @ Logan Temple, please arrive by 1
2:30 - Photos outside the temple - bring a warm coat, because it is cold in Utah :-)

3:00 - Break: Snacks and Sandwiches at Poole home
4:30 - Reception Set Up
5:00 - Family photos at USU Alumni House
6:00 - Reception Begins @ Alumni House
7:00 - Receiving Line ends, first dance, daddy-daughter/mother-son dance, cake cutting
*Everyone please enjoy and dance because we are hiring a great band
8:00 - Kempton and Marin Change, everyone can stay and enjoy
8:15 - Kempton and Marin send off

I heard it through the grapevine--good news for Kempton

I heard that Kempton got accepted into one of the nation's top accounting schools! So it looks like Kempton and Marin will be at BYU for the next couple of years! Good job Kempton!
(I'm jealous!)

Brittan

Campbell got her hair cut!

We took Campbell to get her "Going to PreSchool" hair cut! She got a good 4 inches trimmed from the bottom! Kaley has recently worked on persuading her to get her hair cut just a bit--and it worked! IT looks so good!

Backyard Baseball

Kaley and John are celebrating their 1 year anniversary this weekend! Yippee!

Ben/Suzette are making wedding plans centered around the Nov 3-4 weekend; while Marin and Kempe are planning for Nov. 11.

I don't know why it has this blue box--but check out the video to the next world class outfielder!

Recent Tender Mercies

We moved to Inverness and our car insurance company called us about our new location. I told them the details--and they sent us a check in the mail for over 400 dollars. I guess living in Inverness will save us 800 dollars a year in car insurance! A tender mercy for sure.

Brian had someone give him some gift certificates to Outback. Eating out is not really in our budget right now--so that will be an extra special treat!

These were little perks that happened this week. We know Heavenly Father is watching us!

Brittan

We had a blast on the 4th!

Another fun video of the girls

Follow this link--dancing w/ bear from gran-mimi

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6SRU3oUTcw

Link to video of bday party

If you follow this link you will see a few seconds of Annastyn exploring the cake/icecream.

Please take special note of the home-made cupcakes that look like mint-cc-icecream cones!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZQBXW2T9y8

Thanks for making Annastyn's first Bday party a success

John killed everyone in Bowling!!! We spent the day inside for the party because it was so hot outside. I am going to post a series of pictures--hopefully everyone enjoys! Grammie spent the weekend with us--which was a major bonus. Mom saved the day with the cupcakes (that looked like ice cream cones) and we spent Friday evening cooking and checking blood pressure! It was a success!

Video of Annastyn walking

Please follow the following URL to see a video of Annastyn walking.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xoib5NYUyA

Campbell at Disney--June 2006! This was one of her favorit Disney moments--meeting Belle and Cinderella

Well this weekend was fun. I got to go camping up in the mountains with some buddies, and it was probably my first time ever shooting a hand-gun. I was looking for some squirrels to fry for breakfast like that lady in Tallahassee, but I couldn't find any. Im excited to finally come home on the 14th of July to see everyone.

Annastyn's First Bday

The party is going to be at 195 N. Flicker Point; Inverness, FL 34453 (our house).

The party will start around 11am with some arts and crafts for the kids/cousins.
Lunch will be served (probably BBQ or Wings or Subs) by 1pm.
Piñata/Family Pictures should be around 3ish.

More details will follow. The theme will be a horse theme (if I can get my act together enough to buy the stuff online early enough).

Annastyn's First Bday pictures

Please visit:
http://www.picturepeople.com/viewsharedalbum.aspx?SharedPictureGroupID=1044230&ShareKey=2c774eb7c249406cba3bba00090bf992

we bought the one with her clapping in the box.

3 weeks till she turns one!

Nauvoo

Mom, Dad, Raleigh, Kaley, and John all arived in Nauvoo last night. They are staying outside of the city and plan on playing tourist today. A highlight of their trip--a tour of the Nauvoo Temple by John's relative. Hopefully we will get some pictures posted.

Brian and Brittan are trying to get moved into the house so that it will be picture perfect for Suzette's arrival on Saturday. We are thrilled to finally meet her!

We are finally getting some rain her in Central Floirda thanks to the first named storm of 2006--Alberto. It should be out of the state mid week--so it should NOT mess up Ben and Suzette's trip to Floirda.

I am hoping to get Ben signed up next week during his visit to this blog--he is the only one left to convince that it's not so bad--I guess Dad is still resistant too!

Annastyn is now walking all by herself --she heads into the center of the room even when there is no one to catch her. She can also stand up from a sitting position and she can stop and turn around and head back the other direction.

She is now a toddler!

Happy Birthday Bentley (yesterday)! We are excited to see you in a week.

10 Reasons Why John Loves Kaley

I came across this while cleaning out my stetson email--just thought I'd share:

1) She loves lots of space, and likes to be around those she knows well and feels safe around.
2) She is always very honest and tells you how it is- unless she is in the wrong and she will quickly come up with a good laugh, line, or story to get out of it.
3) She loves to serve others to demonstrate and express her love.
4) Kaley is very smart with a good head on her shoulders. But sometimes a little too quick for me!
5) She loves her family dearly and is very loyal to them and others that are close to her.
6) I love her sweet spirit that is so loving and caring and helping me become a better person.
7) I love it how she likes to be active. Whether its riding bikes, walking, water aerobics, etc..., she likes to be outside doing something.
8) "She's a mover and pusher" and not too shy about making her opinions known.
9) I love her because of the great mother she will be one day, the wonderful wife she will soon be, and for being my very best friend.
10) I love her because she is the most beautiful!

good quote

I came across this quote today . . . thought to share . . .

"When we stifle our creativity we kill part of our souls."

So--Mom--I think you should paint those clouds today!

Pictures and more Pictures

This is from the BYU golf tournament, from a day in the swimming pool, and from Brian's swearing in ceremony (out-of-focus)!

Kaley and John found an apartment

Kaley and Mom went to Gainesville today to look for an apartment. They were successful in finding one that the Wirthlins can move into in late June! John is fishing so he hasn't heard the news yet--but we are all very excited for them to be in Florida for the next little bit!

Kaley came over last night and made a waterslide for Campbell and Annastyn--they had a blast.

Grammie, mom, and Brittan played golf yesterday with 50 other "friends of BYU" in Tampa. There were only 3 other women that played--but we came in 5th place!

I'm going to post some pictures soon! Kaley said the apartment is right off the interstate and it is a 2 bedroom apartment (that way there is room for over-night visits!).

Anyways, more details to follow

Annastyn is walking

Last night (May 23, 2006) Annastyn took her first real steps. She doesn't completely have the balance thing down--but she will stable herself on a piece of furniture, put her hands straight up in the air, and then run about 4-5 steps, till she finds herself in the safety of someone's arms!


She laughs and giggles the entire way--it really is VERY cute! I would post a video--but I am still working off dial up--so that will have to wait! She took those first steps at mom and dad's house (which coincidentally is where Campbell took her first steps too!). She woke up this morning and was still able to walk (Campbell took her first steps and then didn't walk for about 2 weeks).

Anyways, I have a runner on my hands--and life is great! Happy Memorial Day. We are moving to Inverness this weekend. We also are headed back to our branch in St. Petersburg on Sunday to give Sacrament meeting talks. Brian and I played in a golf tournament last weekend--and I won closet to the pin (for women) on one of the par 3's. (The neat thing was there was a woman that was a golf pro at Black Diamond (a very famous course) that was playing!) I'm in another golf tournament tomorrow (Thursday) for the Tampa Chapter of the BYU Alumni. I'm playing with my mom--so it should be fun. Grammie is playing too. Raleigh was supposed to play--but is going to S.C. w/ dad for a horse show instead. Anyways--happy memorial day.

We are excited for Kaley's arrival in Orlando tomorrow--she's here to look for an apartment, and as far as I know Kempton made an offer on a townhome--but hasn't heard back from the realtor. He's also headed out of town on a weekend trip w/ some friends--and his 'date' is a former Ms. Utah.


I know alot of people say that they can't post for a variety of reasons--just send me an email at brittanmitchell@gmail.com and I will post on your behalf! Love you guys! Brittan

Dangerous Duo!

Dangerous Duo! Watch out for these girls as you are driving through town! Picture taken in April 2006.

Our house

Just in case you guys want to see which house we are going to build--this is what we've submitted to our builder.

We will add a garage/Bonus room down the road when our family is a little bigger--but for now we thought this would be adequate--but still cute

http://www.mountainhomeplans.com/plan.asp?PlanNum=2359

Update!

Kempton turned 21 on Wed and I turned 27 today. Mom, Dad, and Ben left this morning to fly to San Diego for Dereck's wedding. We wish we were there--but I couldn't take the time off work. Our house sold last Friday, May 5th, thanks in large part to Dad! We all went to Outback for a celebration. Campbell and Annastyn are a having fun at the Farm, and Brian is really starting to get busy at his law firm. I am excited for this year! We will move into the Flicker house soon and then will settle into the Lecanto ward. I am hoping to have a fun celebration for Annastyn's first B-day--which is right around the corner. I am joining Brian and 2 of his bosses in a golf tournament next Friday (May 19th)--thankfully it is best ball. Grammie, Raleigh, Mom, and I are all playing in the BYU Tampa alumni golf tournament on May 25th.

I've been on dial up for the last month--so I can't load any pictures or movies--but I have some cute ones of the girls in the powerwheel and of Brian's ceremony when he took the oath of an attorney.

Kaley and John are moving to Florida soon and we are all excited for them to be just a few hours away in Gatorland--John got an assistanship which allows him to assist professors and basically get his Masters degree for free!

I'm excited for this year and for my transition from a work-at-home mom to a stay-at-home mom. As far as I can tell, Campbell is really excited too!

I hope everyone is doing great! I've heard that Kempton is finishing a major load of independent study courses by the end of the month. He's been working hard so that he can apply to the accounting program at BYU in the summertime. He's also been researching some real estate deals.

Ben came to Florida (although he's in San Diego now) and has been helping Dad with real estate projects. He fed Annastyn her very first Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich--and she ATE the ENTIRE sandwich. Ben laughed at her appetite throughout the entire process. Campbell was also very excited to see her uncle Ben and she worked especially hard on looking "cute" on Sunday's so that Ben would make a comment on her outfit! It's cute to see these girls interact w/ Ben.

Raleigh is taking some summer classes at Florida's Virtual Highschool. This should allow him to expedite the process of getting enrolled at BYU.

That's all for now! Feel free to update the blog--or make corrections!

Swearing in ceremony

Brian has opted to go to one of the official swearing in ceremonies. May 8th, 2006 11:00 am 2nd District Court of Appeals Dept of Citrus 1115 E. Memorial Boulevard, Lakeland We will post pictures for anyone who cannot attend.

If you want to see a picture of the building--go to the website at http://www.2dca.org/

The Wirthlin clan

We had a fun filled two days of celebration. Here we all are right after John walked with Bina. He participated in the Communications Department ceremony and Derek and Erica recieved their diplomas also. At the end of the ceremony Uncle Neil was asked to share his thoughts and testimony. It was a very special time for all of us.

BYU Graduation!

April 27 th. Congrats John! We are all so proud of you! John is graduating with a Bachelor's degree in Chinese and a business minor.

Wirthlin Easter

Our first Easter together as a family. We had a wonderful Easter Sunday with John's parents and later we all had dinner over at Doug and Christina's house. I am wearing the beautiful Easter outft I purchased at Anne Taylor and John is wearing a matching lavender tie. We looked great!

Easter Dresses

Campbell and Anna looked so cute in the Easter dresses Mimi bought them. That is part of the Williams Easter tradition... beautiful easter dresses. Brittan and I had fun shopping together later that night and we found matching Easter dresses too! Thanks Mom!

Kaley and Campbell

Campbell and I are anxiously awaiting the kid's Easter egg hunt. Campbell and I quickly found 18 colorful eggs all over the back yard. Three of these eggs had money in them. We collected a total of $3 dollars! That was so much fun :)

The 2 girls

Brittan and Anna at the Larson Cousin reunion. Thanks to Grammy we had a fun weekend full of family time and lots of sun! Thanks Grammy ... you pulled off an amazing event!

Resignation

I resigned from my job, Thursday April 27, 2006. I gave them the required notice--so my last day at the Clearinghouse will be May 31, 2006.

Just thought you might like to know.

Brittan

Bar Results

We found out this morning that Brian passed the Florida Bar Exam! It also looks like he is authorized to be sworn in! This is very exciting news--thanks for all of your prayers!

Brittan

Focus on Mom!

Mom was recently highligted in a Florida-based carriage/driving magazine called WHIPS. (The picture that I have w/ mom and Kentucky Lass is not uploading--I'll try later)

Member in the Spotlight……Danette Williams

1. Who are you and what is your farm? My name is Danette Williams and my husband, Greg, and I own C&W Mountain Horse Farm in Brooksville.

2. When did your interest in Equines begin? As a little girl I had a Quarter Horse named Little Egypt. I had a lot of fun with her.

3. Where did you live at the time? Kissimmee

4. Who, what, how did you get started in driving? I learned to drive at a horse farm in Jacksonville. I went for a week. Then I had a trainer come to the farm to teach my gaited horses.

5. Does your family share your equine interests? I didn’t know that I had married a cowboy. We raised our children in Tampa and have been married for 28 years. About 6 yrs ago Greg began the trail to retirement and we bought 5 Mountain Horses. We have 5 children so I though that was appropriate. But next thing I new we had 20 horses. And today we have 150!

6. What breed(s) to you have now? We have all gaited Mountain Horses. We raise Kentucky Mountain and Rocky Mountain Horses for trail and show.

7. Do you show or just pleasure? We show our horses at World,, International and local Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horse, Rocky Mountain Horse and Gaited Horse Shows. Some of the shows even have driving classes now. I do a lot of ground driving with all of our horses as part of their training , but so far I have been driving only for my own pleasure.

8. What is your favorite thing to do with your equine(s)? I love driving everywhere.

9. What are some of the highlights of your equine life? It is very fulfilling. I love the simple aspects of everyday life. I love being outside and enjoying the beautiful splendor each day has to offer.

10. What has been your greatest accomplishment? Learning to drive has been a great accomplishment for me. I love grooming, harnessing and driving.

11. What has been your most exciting event? We had a trail ride for our horse customers in December. It was very fun to keep up with the group in my meadowbrook cart. We were traveling at a fast pace and there were so many bumps in the road that a lot of my stuff popped out of the cart. I had to back track to find it.

12. What future goals do you have? I have a team of horses, Sis and Sas, 2 full sister palomino Kentucy Mountain Horses. I hope to become more confident driving them. They are great.

13. Who is or was your favorite horse and why? My favorite horse is Kentucky Lass. She is a 2001 Kentucky Mountain World Champion All Around Mare. She is my favorite because she is brilliant, sweet, and beautiful and she has a very nice gait. In 2003 I was able to assist the trainer in teaching her to drive. She took to it very quickly. It was very gratifying.

14. What changes would you like to see in your local club? I have been to several Whips events, but haven’t gotten in touch with anyone since the hurricanes.

15. What would you like to see more and/or less of in the newsletter? The Whips newsletter informed me of several events that I attended. It is very informative and I really enjoy reading it.

Is there anything else you would like to share about yourself or your farm that was not asked? My great grandfather was a Baptist preacher in Plant City in the late 1800’s. He went by buggy every weekend to a different church “preaching the gospel”. I have his doubletree. I love to be in a buggy and think about what it was like “way back when”.

Giving a friend a Book of Mormon

I have wanted to give one of my law-school friends a Book of Mormon for several years. I have always waited for the perfect moment, and I have always talked myself out of the "perfect moments" that have come along.

A few weeks ago, I went to Barnes and Noble and I paid 22 dollars for one of the Doubleday versions of the Book of Mormon. I figured that if I would be more likely to follow through with my goal of giving away the Book of Mormon if I had actually spent some money on the gift.

I was planning on giving my friend the Book of Mormon, on Monday April 3, 2006 (her Bday), so I was hoping to find some extra confidence by attending and listening to the sessions of General Conference.

On Sunday Morning, M. Russell Ballard spoke about "Creating a Gospel Centered Home". He encouraged us to forget our guilt for our failures in missionary work, and to instead focus on making our home a testimony of our faith. Then he encouraged us to welcome people into our homes, and to let them abound in the spirit that will be in our home. He also said that if we are truly converted to the gospel, we will not have issues with sharing the truth with our friends. This gave me strength--because I want to be truly converted to the gospel.

"Some of you may even feel guilty that you are not giving much help to the missionaries.
Today I invite you to relax and set aside your concerns and focus instead on your love for the Lord, your testimony of His eternal reality, and your gratitude for all He has done for you. If you are truly motivated by love and testimony and gratitude, you will quite naturally do all that you can to assist the Lord in "[bringing] to pass the immortality and eternal life" (Moses 1:39) of our Father's children. In fact, it would be impossible to keep you from doing it."

So, after general conference, I started my first fast in a long time (Annastyn stopped nursing in March) so that I would have the courage to deliver the intended gift. I was nervous and I almost talked myself out of it--but I stayed the path! Nothing dramatic happened either for the good or the bad--she is still my friend and she was very gracious in her receipt of the gift. I felt very encouraged in my efforts to work on being a member missionary.

Elder Ballard said: ". . . [a successful missionary experience is] not defined by whether or not people join the Church as a result of our contact with them. Our opportunity and responsibility are to care, to share, to testify, to invite, and then to allow individuals to decide for themselves. We are blessed when we have invited them to consider the Restoration, regardless of the outcome. At the very least, we have a rewarding relationship with someone from another faith, and we can continue to enjoy their friendship."

Saturday Easter at Grammie's house

This Saturday (April 15)--Grammie is throwing an extended family reunion--"Cousin Power"

Kaley is flying down from Utah on Thursday to help Grammie prepare.

I'm hoping to take pictures of all the different members of our extended family, and I'll post them here next week!

***Remember that we all need to have our taxes done this week!***

Some things that I have written:

Just thought you guys might want to see some things that I have written that have been published online:


http://www.ncstl.org/news/Mitchell3-06 (March 2006)

http://www.llrx.com/features/csieffect.htm (May 2005) (although it looks like all of my symbols have been changed to question marks?????)

Post favorite thoughts from Conference

Saturday April 1st 2006:

Saturday Morning:

president Monson talked about keeping our bodies (temples) free from certain influences. He named things like pornography, excessive debt, immodesty, immorality, and vulgar language. He also stressed with equal importance the necessity of positive influences. He specifically named keeping our temples/bodies clean and fit. Working on fitness is something that I struggle with in this fast paced world!

Saturday Afternoon:

Elder Perry discussed the responsibility of the parents to bring children to sacrament meeting in a timely and reverent fashion. He talked about the sacred privilege that we have to renew our baptismal covenants on a weekly fashion. As a mother of young children, this is something that I definitely need to work on. We have dedicated many family nights to principles of reverence and we even hold 'mock sacrament meetings' where someone gives a talk--so that Campbell can practice sitting quietly for some length of time. However, we have a long way to go before we find the magic solution for timeliness and reverence! Hopefully, this talk will provide us with the needed inspiration.

oh well--dad needs the computer! Post your thoughts!!!

Love, Brittan