A Nice Surprise to Find

I found out earlier this week that a good friend of mine had their recipe in a new cookbook. Perhaps you have heard of it. It's called "The World Wide Ward Cookbook". Both my friend Lorena as well as her daughter Kelly had recipes in this book. Kelly was even written up in one of the BYU papers...pretty cool.

Lorena jogged my memory of nearly 2 years ago when a Mom on the Missionary Mom website asked for recipes that we had and wanted to know if we would consider adding them to this cookbook.

I remember sending a few recipes in but forgot about this book until this week. When Deanna had asked for the recipes from us and then told us we would receive copies of all that was sent in I thought she would send out a CD with recipes for everyone. I never imagined a nice hard bound cookbook.

I got the book a couple of days ago. It's a nice cookbook filled with recipes from many regions throughout the world. It was great to see so many names I recognized from the Missionary Mom site and some recipes that I am going to have to try. Recipes from Central and South America to regions in Europe and of course here in the good old USA. Some of the recipes were entered by missionaries and former missionaries as well.

As I was flipping the pages I came to a recipe that sounded familiar and then I realized.."that is MY recipe!" "Poor Man's Lobster". Okay, I'm not bragging but I was simply surprised. Anyways, this is a recipe that I really like and used to make a lot when I was first married. It's easy to make and tasty too.

A Wonderful Whirlwind Visit

A couple weekends ago Becky and her roommate Mollie decided to make a whirlwind visit to Oregon. Becky phoned us on Saturday at 6 PM and wondered if Mollie and her could drive up for a visit. I said to Becky "you'll be on the road longer than you'll even be here." They didn't care. They were fine with that and Mollie was wanting to see Western Oregon. They left from Sandy Utah around 7PM and the traveling began. Becky picked up Robbie along the way so they had 3 drivers to make the 15+ hour drive. Loaded with Mountain Dew and what other energy foods they used to keep them awake and able to drive they were on their way.

They arrived at our home at 7 AM Sunday Morning...tired and exhausted looking and yet hyped with excitement to be here and visit for even 1 day! We all headed off to Church at 9 AM and I must admit I was surprised that the 3 of them didn't fall asleep at Church. Their adrenaline was keeping them going, not to mention that they are only in their 20's. It's amazing how much you can do when you are under the age of 30! Oh...I remember those days :)

We got home from Church around 12:30 or so and came home to get a bite to eat. Mollie was hoping to see the Portland Temple and boy did she luck out. Our rainy morning changed to a beautiful, sunny afternoon with perfect blue skies and not a cloud it sight. Great for taking pictures of the Temple and the 2 of them. It felt like Spring was in the air as Oregon usually gets this way in mid to late February.

Mollie is a great friend and we were miss having her so close when she moves back to Ohio next month. I am glad she was able to visit us before she leaves. Even though the time here was short. It was great to have the them all here for a short visit. The girls enjoyed rocking out on guitar hero and Robbie...well Robbie headed over to his friend's place in Scappoose. I wasn't surprised that he did that. Mikal Healey is getting married this next month and Robbie enjoyed spending some time with one of his best friends before Mikal gets hitched. Sometimes quick unexpected trips make the most fun and these 3 certainly had fun and we had fun having them here

Elder Whitnah is heading to Deutschland

Sean was up early this morning at the MTC. 4 am to be exact. He and 16 other missionaries bound for the Germany Frankfurt Mission loaded buses to the Salt Lake airport around 5 am. Once getting to the airport they all got checked through to their final destination city. Frankfurt!!

Sean called from the airport a little while ago. It was great to hear his voice and the excitement he had to FINALLY be heading to his mission. He loved the MTC and the training he received there but he is now ready to begin his mission among the German people starting early tomorrow morning.

His plane should arrive in Frankfurt around 7 am Frankfurt time and then he and the other missionaries will be taken to a hotel to sleep for a few hours. They then will be taken out into the streets and begin "street preaching" They will do this for a couple hours and then grab something to eat. After that they are off to the Mission Home and Sean will have an meeting with President Ninow, his Mission President. He will meet his companion and find out where in the mission they will be serving. Sister Ninow is planning on preparing a HUGE dinner for all 17 missionaries along with the President and herself. Sean is looking forward to that. He is also looking forward to some of the yummy German foods

Needless to say I imagine Sean will be pretty exhausted when it's 9:30 pm Frankfurt time tomorrow night! I think with all the excitement, nervous energy and emotions he is having right now that he will pull his way through. I am so happy for him to finally have this chance to serve his mission. He has always wanted to do this and I know he will love it and come back so grown and mature from all his experiences. Ich liebe dich Elder Whitnah!!!

A Surprise Phone Call From Sean Today

The phone rang and I looked at the ID. It said BYU. My first thought was maybe the Y was calling in regards to Sean's information and application. They wouldn't normally do that but I wasn't sure. I answered the phone and a young man's voice said a simple "hi". I said hello back and then asked "who is this?" (now I knew it was Sean's voice and yet I knew he wouldn't be calling me from the MTC) When Sean then said...it's me Mom I got a big grin on my face :) It's amazing how the voice of someone you love so dearly can melt your heart! It's great with all the technology we have today how we can record voices and make videos for keepsakes. I loved hearing Sean's voice, we talked for about 10 minutes. It was great.

Sean was calling because their were issues with his debit card and his Branch President asked him to phone us. It seems like it's been ages since he left and yet it's only been 8 weeks! He told me he was so pumped and excited to leave for Germany and his companion also said hello. Needless to say I will need to phone the bank tomorrow and get his card resolved prior to his leaving next week for Germany. Next week at this time he will be bound for Germany. We are SO excited for him to get into the field!

His MP (Mission President), President Ninow wrote us a couple weeks ago and asked that we send out a letter to him which included information about Sean. His accomplishments, awards, jobs, likes and dislikes. It was fun to sit down and describe our son to a man who has yet to meet him but who sounds excited to soon have him as a missionary working for the people of Frankfurt. Those who know Sean, know that he will give his all to this cause and will want to be not only a good missionary but a great one. Now I am in no way bragging when I say this. Sean has simply always been the type of person who strives to do his best and do all he can and I know he will do this on his mission.

I think the only regret Bethany will have when she hears that Sean called is that she was not here to pick up the phone and say hi to him. She has missed him a great deal. Earlier this morning she was playing one of songs that she recorded on the piano and she began to cry and tell me how much she missed Sean. I am thinking of letting her skip school next week so that she can talk with him on Monday when he will make his phone call from the airport. She needs to hear his voice too and know that he is fine and that will make her happy.

Bryan became a Deacon

Yesterday was a special day for Bryan as he was ordained a deacon in the Aaronic Priesthood. If someone had told me ten years ago that he would at the age of 13 be a deacon I would have probably laughed at them. Bryan was diagnosed at 3 with autism and at that point in his life had no language. He had about 10 words that he had said but then stopped talking all together.

He has been through myriads of therapy, diets and more therapy and through the knowledge we have learned and thankfully to some wonderful aides at school he has progressed and grown in ways I didn't see for him. I was the one with little faith in what he could be.

Bryan is constantly teaching about the love he has for life. The love he feels towards just about everyone and everything. He finds happiness in the smallest details. He isn't afraid of much either...well bees. Bees terrify him. I am so thankful for having this sweet young boy in our lives and for his goodness and willingness to do what is right at ALL times. Literally!

I love you Bryan

Guten Tag!

Sean emailed us yesterday and is doing great! Loving the MTC and learning so much so fast. I really don't think there is a place where there is so much praying, so much learning, so much studying going on at one time like there is at the MTC.

Last week Sean and his companion taught their first lesson in German and did great. Sean felt like he didn't miss with the wording or any of it. That made him feel good. Bethany was glad to receive a letter from her brother this week and know that even though he is so busy he took time to write her. Sean and Bethany became really close the past few years and Bethany sure misses him. But is glad to have her brother serving a mission

Sean will be in the MTC for 3 more weeks and then it is off to Frankfurt! He can hardly wait!

4 weeks in the MTC already!

Elder Whitnah is loving the MTC! Just this last week Elder Holland came again a second time and spoke to the missionaries. He thought it was fantastic! His German is coming and he is practicing using it all the time now. He no longer is allowed to read from his English scriptures..only German. He says he is beginning to better and better understand it.

He found Cameron Merritt this week and that was great! They had a great time seeing one another. It's good because Cameron leaves on Monday for Australia. Good luck Cameron!!!

With care packages from his Aunt Shelly, Grandma Whitnah and Us he is pretty well set and usually shares much of what he has. The food in the MTC is beginning to kill him though. His gut has been hurting. I think he has eaten more in the MTC in just 4 weeks than the last 3 months. He feels stuffed. I guess the MTC wants him to be nice and plump when he makes his landing in Germany :)

Sean loves attending the Temple and has had a chance to go twice since being in Provo. The Temple had been shut down for Christmas and it reopened on the 5th. I don't think he's studied and worked so hard than he has been doing these past 4 weeks. And he will be getting an extra week in the MTC. Instead of leaving on February 16th he will now head off to Frankfurt on February 23rd. I am betting he will be dying to get out of there by then!

Last night I had a long conversation with his girlfriend Haley who is attending BYU-Idaho. She also wants to serve a mission and if all goes well she will have her mission papers in by the end of August. I jokingly asked her: "what if you are called to Frankfurt?" I guess Sean and Haley have had that same discussion. She's a great girl and a great support to Sean in that she writes great letters to him .

Hopefully we will be receiving some photos soon of his MTC journies that I can add to this site.