Email from Ashley!

I am here at the MTC on my first P-day! Writing my first email to my wonderful family! I hope everyone is doing well. I am learning so much here. I just wanted to let you know that I am doing well and that I don't have much time on the computer, so tell the kids I love them and that they should be good to you you because you do so much for them. I want to share with you my testimony with the very little espanol I have. Yo se que Cristo vive, y que su Evangelio es verdadero, y que El Libro DeMormon es verdadero y testifica de Jesucristo. Yo se que tiene un profeta en latierra hoy, y que Dios contesta nuestros oraciones. En el nombre de Jesucristo amen. Just a little something! I LOVE YOU ALL!!! Love,Hermana Tyler

You can send her an email at ashleytyler@myldsmail.net

Please write to Ashley!!

Hey everyone! Ashley got off safely to the MTC and despite a delayed flight, arrived on time.
I got to talk to her right before she entered and quickly realized that it would be the last time I'd hear her voice until Mother's Day....now THAT made me cry!! Anyway, I know she'd appreciate letters, cards, drawings from the kids, etc. So here's her address while she's at the MTC:

Sister Ashley Nicole Tyler
Chile Santiago North Mission
Provo Missionary Training Center
2005 N 900 E Box #289-0330
Provo, UT 84604

She will get a box number, but I don't have it yet. There's no need to wait though. I'm sure they can find her!!

Love you!
Wendy

Full-time Missionary!

This was by far one of the best Sabbath's I've ever enjoyed. It was a beautiful day, we were on time for church, the speakers were wonderful, the lessons in Gospel Doctrine & Relief Society were excellent, my children were all home for dinner, Grandma Lewis spent the day with us, we played Apples to Apples after dinner, and we had an awesome dessert (Brownie S'mores - yum!). But the icing on the cake was going over to President Wright's home this evening so that Ashley could be set apart as a full time missionary. Roxi and Bruce met us there. President Wright took Ashley and had her sit in the front of the room while he sat with us and talked to her about the service that she'd be rendering for the Lord. The Spirit was so strong. I didn't think it could be any stronger. I was wrong. When Pres. Wright was through speaking, he asked for Bruce (father) to stand with him to set Ashley apart. The blessing he pronounced on Ashley was powerful and I knew that it wasn't just our little family there in the room. Grandma Lewis said that she felt very strongly that were she to open her eyes, she would see the Savior standing there. Ashley will be a great missionary for the Lord. She is prepared. She is not afraid. She is willing to work hard. She knows who she is. She knows that she is supposed to go. She has a testimony.....it is her own. There have been several times in the last few months that I have been in awe of the depth of her knowledge of the Savior. She knows Him. She will help the people of Chile to come to know Him too. She leaves at oh dark thirty on Wednesday morning. So soon, yet I know for her not soon enough. Godspeed, Ashley.

Bruce says it's not fat....it's undefined muscle!!

So, yesterday I went up to Fitness Together (Craig's a personal trainer there) and I had Craig take all my measurements and put a program together for me to lose weight. Yes, it was just as embarrassing as you can imagine having my totally fit and healthy son find out just how totally unfit and overweight his mother is!! Anyway, I'm not going to post the results of the initial test right now, but suffice it to say that it was a BIG wake up call!! Even though I was completely depressed about the results, Bruce immediately told me that it's not as bad as all that.....it's not fat, just undefined muscle!! Isn't he sweet?! I have my work cut out for me, but with Craig pushing me to my limits and Bruce there for moral support, I'm looking forward to the work. Also, there will be no "before" pictures posted. I wouldn't want anyone to throw up!!!

Christian got blogged!

Two weeks ago we had some old friends we knew in Germany come for a visit. It was a lot of fun to get reacquainted with them and make some new memories. One of the new memories involved taking them to our ward Christmas party. It was about as memorable an event as can be expected of your typical Christmas dinner with the ward family, but there was at least one thing that gave it a little something more. http://jake.roeckerfam.com/?p=512 Gotta love it!!

Santa, PLEASE give them a lump of coal!!!

Yesterday was the longest day and unfortunately it's only going to get worse on the Santa set. My asst. manager tried to commit suicide on Saturday night and her daughter knew nothing about it until she was at work and understandably had a huge meltdown on the set. Austin and I left church early to take over. Now, for those of you unfamiliar with what the line for Santa is like, let me enlighten you. People start lining up about 30 minutes before we open and the line is usually about 1 1/2 to 2 hours longs. We only have one Santa that works all day with a couple of hour long breaks. How do we take care of Santa? We close the line early once we judge how long it takes from a certain point. If a customer is in line prior to us closing it, they get seen. If not, we have to turn them away or tell them to line up for the next session. That makes for ANGRY customers who seem to not care whether Santa ever gets a break. He's an old man, not a magical elf!! So, yesterday, we had the grandmother from *&*&%$ bring her grandson at 5:45pm. We still had a 25 minute line to get through prior to Santa getting a break before we began Pet Night @ 7pm. She created a HUGE scene. I called security for back up. Security was a woos (sp) and after talking to her for about 10 minutes, gave in instead of backing me. I might have gotten past that but the grandmother from *&^%$$ proceeded to tell everyone else that came up to the rope that they should insist as well. Security gave in second time. I told security that I didn't need their help anymore. No one else got past! We tried really hard to take a bad picture for the grandmother from %$*@*^, but unfortunately, her grandson was really cute and took a great picture on the 1st try.....dang it! Pet night started on time with a million dogs and two cats. It lasted past the 9pm close. I'm beat. Santa's beat. I'd like to know if a customer put my asst. manager over the edge...maybe I can blame her attempted suicide on the grandmother from #$%^@!!! Sorry for the rant.....

Texting & Driving do NOT Mix!!!

Teenagers (and some adults) really need to get a clue... texting while driving is beyond stupid. Don't worry, Ashley and I are okay, but as you can see by the pictures our car didn't fare so well. According to the insurance adjuster, it's a total loss. Any advice on what kind of car to purchase next???

I imagine the teenage boy driving the truck that plowed into us won't be driving for a while. Poor kid just got his license to drive and BAM....his truck didn't look too good either. As for the lady that I was pushed into...minor bumper damage to her explorer.

Things to be grateful for: that no one was seriously injured, insurance, friendly police officers, apologetic fathers (the kid's dad was sooo nice), awesome EQ pres who stopped to help and took Ashley and me home, cell phones (not to text while driving, but to call 911 in an emergency!), undamaged Christmas presents that were in the trunk, awesome neighbors who checked on the kids.....this is the short list in addition to the many, many things I'm always grateful for!!