My Elder Wirthlin Experience

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin passed away this week after 91 years of service on this earth. He was such a kind and hardworking man. He was not the flashiest of the Brethren and often in his later years struggled with teleprompters and such- but when I took the time to really read his messages that were later published- I found that I was amazed at the depth and power of his messages. I will personally miss him. The last address he gave in conference, however, is one of my favorite from the conference and will be classic reading for anyone wanting to ever quote someone on the subject of dealing with adversity. "Come what may, and love it" is a recipe for happy living.

I had the chance to meet him once when I was a teacher at the MTC. He was training mission presidents along with many of the other Brethren. Since they used the classrooms that I taught in, my job duties during mission president week consituted running errands for the General Authorities and getting to learn what they were teaching the mission presidents. (Always one of my favorite weeks for obvious reasons). I was going to a small copy room to pick up some supplies and was surprised to see Elder Wirthlin with some of his assistants in the room for the same reason. I must have looked like I did not know what to say with an Apostle in the room or maybe he just is the type that likes to put people at ease- but he just stuck out his hand and said with a big smile "I am Elder Wirthlin- what is your name?". I introduced myself and we chatted for a couple of minutes. I know he was very busy- but for a few minutes his black eyes just focused on me and what I had to say, what I was studying in school, what I did at the MTC, etc. It was like he had all the time in the world- and I am sure he made everyone else feel the same way.

I hated to have to fulfil my assignment to get the supplies and leave because it was so great to have someone that I look up to and sustain as a Prophet, Seer and Revelator take the time to put me at ease. He lived what he taught- Concern for the One.

I hate to see any of the Brethren pass away because I learn to love them all so much. However, he is with his beloved wife again and has earned through his acceptance of the Savior of whom he was a Special Witness right to be welcomed home to His presence.

Happy Thanksgiving

I have been thinking lately about this holiday. What a wonderful thing to set aside a day to give thanks. Thank you Abraham Lincoln!
I used to be prone to calling it Turkey Day- a common thing lately. I now regret that, for it is a day of thanks, not just a day for Turkey (although a turkey induced food coma sounds good to me right now, and is one the things that I am truly thankful for- it is not all just about turkey).
Allow me to name some of the things I am thankful for:
-My Mom- She had a rough week last week with blood clots in her lungs and some pretty severe pain. She is much better now- thanks again to Toni and Tyra who gave so much of their time and effort during that period.
-My wife. I do not say enough about Eileen on this blog. Eileen is the most wonderful and loving wife that I could ever hope for. We see how so many families struggle and how people who profess to love eachother seem to not even like eachother. Not Eileen and I- we could literally spend all day every day together and never tire of it. Just being in the same room as Eileen is enough for me to feel perfectly contented. She is the love of my life and loves me despite my glaring and obvious faults.
-My Children. Kayla, Ashley, Joshua and Tyler are everything a parent could hope for in kids. They are loving, love eachother and really try to do what is right. Sometimes I fail to notice what they do right because it is easy to point out what is going wrong. I will try to do better at that.
-My Sisters- not many people can claim the blessing of five sisters. They have each one and collectively helped me more than they ever know in many ways. Thank you Patsy, Kathy, Jody, Tyra and Toni. I love you all
-My extended family- I have many wonderful nephews, nieces, cousins, etc. Love you all
-My country. I get frustrated sometimes with my government, my elected leaders, etc- but when I take a step back and realize what a wonderful country we are all able to live in in the United States- I am grateful for my freedoms.
-Most importantly- My Father in Heaven and His Son Jesus Christ. They give meaning to all of the other things for which I am grateful. Without Their love and sacrifice, all other things have no purpose. I am most thankful for them, the Church they restored in the last days and the gospel that speaks peace to troubled hearts and lives.

So instead of saying Happy Turkey Day this year- remember that we are setting aside for this day to give THANKS.

Halloween- sorry a week late

Joshua the Soldier

Ashley, the Queen of England (Queen Elizabeth the First)

Tyler the Cowboy

Kids had fun this year. Always too much candy- but it was fun.

Ashley and her friends went "Pumkin Caroling" - Halloween themed words to Christmas Carols. Very cool- I am glad she has friends that are as fun as she is. They did get a few treats, but were mainly in it for the fun and singing.

Kayla was in Bernalillo at the State Soccer Tournament so she missed out on the Halloween fun- which is fine with her- she is feeling too big for the candy day, anyway.

Here at work at the bank- my crew really gets into this holiday for some reason. They do themes and contests and go all out. Here is an example of some of the crew.

General Conference Musings

I am truly thankful for Prohets and Apostles. We are very blessed in troubled times to have watchmen on the tower who can see afar off.

Since I work in the financial industry, these past few weeks have been tumultuous. Gratefully, I work for a bank that did not play the sub-prime game nor did we get entangled to a large degree in what had caused so many problems recently. That does not mean there have not been ripple effects- so many people are nervous that I end up spending much of my day trying to calm the fears of people afraid to lose their nest eggs.

Then comes the weekend of conference. In direct contrast to the weeping, wailing and gnashing of poll numbers that you get as a steady diet on the evening news- you hear the calm and reassuring voice of men we sustain as prophets, seers and revelators.

Did they deny times were tough- no! They acknowledged it and then sent the message that there is a way to peace in this life- by living the gospel of the Prince of Peace.

Very reassuring.

Joshua's first win in Football

Last night was a great night for us. I am sorry I do not have pictures, but this is a blog, right?

Joshua's games are on Thursday nights. Problem for me since I usually have Stake Presidency meetings on Thursdays. I have missed most of the games. At first, Joshua was not playing a lot, but now he was put on the line as a tight end and really started to get into that position. He won a starting position this week and did a good job. Well, his poor little team had not been winning too many games, so we are learning lots of lessons from losing. We would rather not have to learn those lessons too many times, but really it was starting to get on the boys from the team. Joshua continued to say how much he loved it, though.

Well- he got the late game and I got out of meetings early enough to get there in the 2nd quarter. His team was down 6-0 and it was not looking good again as both teams were stopping eachother and it did not look like there would be a way to win it. Joshua's team, the Maulers, really took over in the 2nd half though and actually controlled the ball the entire 3rd quarter. In the 4th, the team drove down to the opponents 20 yard line, only to fumble the ball. The Mauler defense took it to them, however and got that ball back without allowing a 1st down.

With only 2 minutes left, they had to dig deep to get into the endzone. They had only scored one other TD ALL YEAR, so they looked like it could be another disappointing night. Thankfully, they did pull it together and drove to the endzone with 40 seconds left. The converted the extra point try to go up 7-6. They held their ground after the ensuing kickoff and won their first game of the season.

After the game (all of the parents were going nuts, so happy to not have the "let's be good sports, and winning isn't everything' speeches again") we went over to congratulate the team and Joshua- who had contributed to the victory. They won. They tasted victory. They felt what it was like to get a win under their belt and deserve it. Joshua had the most amazing look on his face. It was a mixture of joy, relieved frustration, exhaustion and pride all at the same time. We are very close and I could almost feel what he was feeling. He looked up at me and he just said -"we did it". His eyes welled up with tears and he just cryed for joy. It was definitely one of those moments that I will treasure forever. We connected. We bonded and it was all I could do to keep from crying myself. The history of the world will never remember the night the Maulers beat the Pouncers on a fall evening in Gallup- but we will remember. If it had happened on the first night of the season- it would not have meant as much. If it had happened early in the game, it would not have meant that much. But it was all aligned in such a way to have a great life moment for a 9 year old boy. I love sports for exactly that reason. A little microcosm of life lessons.

Football Time

This is Tyler ready for his first flag football game of the year. He is ready to go, as you can see. He is part of the Paws- and I am happy to be his coach. He is fun and has a great time out there, although he plays so "full blast" that he sometimes forget that he does not wear a helmet or pads when he is going full force out there.

He loves football and is very good on the defensive line "sacking" the QB by grabbing flags before the play of the opposing team really gets going.

Happy Birthday Babe! :)

Well, today (August 12th) is Tommy's 40th birthday. Our family is so grateful to have him. I asked the kids if they could tell me one favorite thing about their daddy and here is what they had to say:

Tyler's favorite thing is that his dad is his football coach.

Joshua's favorite thing is that his dad is funny.

Ashley's favorite thing is her dad's sense of humor.

Kayla's favorite thing is her dad's dorkiness.

My favorite thing about Tommy is that he loves me - even with all my faults.

As you can see, Tommy makes life fun! (I always said I didn't want to marry someone boring.) He does so much for our family. He works hard at his job to support us. (He's the Senior Vice President of Pinnacle Bank in Gallup, NM.) He loves the Lord and serves Him in whatever ways he can. (He's the 2nd counselor in the Gallup, NM Stake Presidency.) He likes to tease and be silly. Life with him is great!

We love you!!!

Family Get together

Some of the related pictures are on other blogs- and thanks to Melissa Roquemore for these pictures. We are so happy to have been able to get together during Jeremy's furlough from Iraq. It was the first time that so many of us we able to get together in a very long time. We love our family so much and although we get caught up in our own lives for the most part, we are happy to take a break and get reaquainted wtih the people we love the most. Thank you Tyra for getting us together.

Las Vegas Trip

Eileen and I went to a six State Bankers Convention in Las Vegas. It was held at the Wynn Resort- some place we would never be able to afford on our own. It was sure very nice to be able to be together for a few days, though. Thanks to Grandma helping out with the kids!

The covention was a success and I leared a lot of good things. The time schedule was not too hectic, either. Eileen and I got to go to the temple and spend some time together. We got to see a couple of shows and ate some good food.

Las Vegas is a busy place and we could not believe the growth. So much money is spent in that place. I heard a good analogy the other day, though. Las Vegas is like eating something rich or sweet- it might be good for a while, but if you get too much of it, it gets old real quick. We were happy to get home and back to our more simple life.

Baseball Time

Here are our Cubs- Joshua and Tyler before their first Game the other day. They are on the same team - which makes it nice for the practices and games. We have not had them play for a couple of years - couple that with the fact that there was not a lot of athleticism to pass on from Dear Old Dad and I hope that all goes well. Nice thing about this age is that there is a lot less pressure than when they get older.

Joshua, who turned 9 earlier this month, and Tyler, who turned 7 this month, are both just happy to be playing together and having a good time- so we are not going to stress about it, either.

They are sure fun to watch.

Tomorrow is finally last day of school- so they should be able to get into lots of fun stuff. Our summer is going to be pretty busy- so hope to keep you all up to date.

(and it is good to be blogging again)

Decmeber or May?

No, this picture was not taken a few months ago, but rather a few days ago. To show how crazy the high desert weather can be- we were almost 90 degrees on Monday of last week and this was taken on Friday Morning after a Thurs night snowstorm.

It was good to get some moisture, but the snow was a surprise to get the day before the Memorial Day weekend started.

As you can see- we now have a camera again. I will post a few blogs about goings on in the Haws household the last few days. It is hard to believe this is the last week of school for the kids and then it is going to be a crazy summer.

Hope all is well- Tommy

Broken Camera

Sorry for the lack of reporting on the blog lately. My camera has broken. I had a really cute picture of Kayla ready go do and a nice little writeup on her. I will get a new camera soon so that we can get back to blogging about family.

I was really impressed with General Conference this weekend. I really needed it. Work got suddenly busy when a valued co-worker left the bank, so with the added stress of that- it was nice to get some spiritual nourishment from the Brethren.

It was an honor to stand and sustain our new Prophet, President Thomas S. Monson and his great counselors in the First Presidency, as well as our newest Apostle- D. Todd Christofferson. (Kayla noted that his name even testifies of the Savior -CHRIST, the OFFERed SON.)

Hope to be able to post soon about family things again.

A Guys' Weekend

I had the great opportunity to get reaquainted with some of my favorite people in the world this weekend. Here are the 6 of us who served together in the Washington, DC South mission around 20 years ago. They are (Top L-R) John Manning, Frank Christianson, yours truly and (Bottom L-R) Vance Mellen, Dave Dobbins and Dan Perdue.

John Manning was kind enough to host us in his beautiful home in Henderson for four days of basketball, food, golf and lots of "catching up". Thanks to John and his wife Joanne (hope that is spelled right) for being so gracious in letting us take over their home for the few days we were there. It was so nice to see all of these guys again. Sometimes after a long absence, it can be awkward getting caught up and wondering if you still have anything in common. Not with these guys. They are just good men that made me feel welcome and like it was just last week when we were serving as missionaries together. They are a very disparate group that come from very different backgrounds but I was touched by how all of us had such an incredible respect for one another that allowed us to talk freely, share openly and laugh much.

Thanks, guys for a great time. I am counting down the days until next year. Here are some good pics to laugh at. Vance got way too into discovering the sushi Bar.

On the last day, Dan treated us all to a Sushi Buffet. It was new to me- but was a great treat. Vance took this silly picture, but then with his great skills on the computer "enhanced" his misery and distended belly. Vance still has that warped and unique sense of humor. Kept me laughing the entire weekend.

Finally- here are Dan and Vance with their differing boxing styles.

In all- it was a great weekend. Heard they all made it home safely, so that is always a good thing.

Ashley

Sorry for the sidetrack on posting about the kids. This is Ashley. She is pictured here preparing to go in for her first ever Solo competition at the high school with her clarinet.

We are very proud of the fact that she worked very hard and practiced well. She got a I+, just below the highest score possible. She played a piece called Aria and Scerzo. (I am sure that I spelled that wrong).

Ashley is very focused and works hard at all she does. She is a great student, too. She loves to cook, is our crafty one and also loves to read. She is good at "getting it done"- whatever the "it" may be.

She is our Ashers and we are so happy she is in our family

Haws Look-alike Meter

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Roots - Family history

We all knew it was true, but here is concrete scientific proof that Ashley is really Eileen, Jr. They are so much alike in many ways. The other kids are pretty close to mixtures between us according to this analysis. You can try it for free by clicking on it. Try it, it is fun

A night with the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra

Here are Kayla and Ashley, posing at a private reception after a wonderful concert we were privelaged to attend by the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra. The gentleman with them is the Music Director and Conductor of the Symphony, Guillermo Figueroa. He is a very kind man that was very gracious to the girls. He is originally from Puerto Rico.

With him in this Picture with Kayla and Ashley is Melissa Pena, who was a featured soloist on the oboe at the performance. She was magnificent in her rendition of the oboe part in Bach's Brandenburg Concerto #2.

We spent most of our time, however getting to know this man, Krzystof Zimowski -the concert master and first chair Violin. He was so good to the girls and we were fascinated with his story. Born in Poland when it was under Soviet Control, he started playing the violin at the age of 6 when he heard musical pieces on an old American made Pioneer radio that was dropped by american forces into his village. He took a job some time later in Mexico City as a violinst for thier national orchestra, and then was not able to get back into Poland to get his wife without the possibility of being stuck there forever. Instead, he stayed in Mexico and worked to get his wife out, who was an opera singer. They then moved to New Mexico and he has been with the Symphony ever since- starting as the 8th chair of the second violins. Now he is the concert master and a wonderful musician. He made us all really appreciate freedoms and privelages that we often take for granted as Americans.

We were very happy to have been able to have this wonderful night together on a Daddy/Daughter date and hope the girls will remember this special evening for a long time.

Joshua

This is our buddy boy Joshua. He is now 8. This is the picture of him at the District Spelling Bee. He had won the Bee at Red Rock Elementary and did pretty well here, although he was out in the third round. We are proud of him, though.

Joshua loves school and is a good student. He also loves Medal of Honor video games and cub scouts.

He and I are making our first pinewood derby car and will be racing it in a couple of weeks.

Joshua is a very stable part of our family. He does not stir up much and gets along pretty well with the rest of the kids.

Tyler

Thought I would spend a little time telling you about each of our kids and what

they are up to or like to do.




Tyler is 6 and is very full of life. Here he is in a tight squeeze- Actully trying to stay warm. He is active in everything he does. He is in the first grade and is getting the hang of reading. He loves math and being the class clown.



Tyler loves to do anything outdoors- but that got him in a little trouble this last month. He was sledding with his brother on a snow day and took the wrong path down the hill in our back yard. On the first try he hit a cinder block wall at the bottom of the alley and blacked his eye. It actually broke the orbital roof bone of his right eye. After a night in the ER and then back the next morning, they were afraid some pretty serious damage had happened to his eye muscles, so they flew him to Albuquerque to Presbyterian Hospital. He was checked over by a bunch of specialists who determined that it would be best to not do surgery but rather wait. That was the best decision- within a couple of weeks the swelling went down and he was back to normal. Very scary for Mom and Dad, I will tell you that.

Tyler is a great part of our life and we love having him in our family. He is a very loving guy (As you can tell from the other picture with the cheerleader).

Salt Lake Trip

Here we are at Salt Lake temple waiting for my nephew Jared Woodson and his new bride Annie to come out and take pictures. We are very proud of Jared for getting such a great gal to marry him and especically that it happened in the right place. We wanted to make sure our kids got to see how wonderful it is to be around the temple with the hopes it would increase their testimony and resolve to marry in the temple some day, too.

That trip was very fun and we were able to see many wonderful things there. We went ice skating, which was a riot to see. Kayla really started to get the hang of it eventually- but the rest of us were still pretty slow going by the end of the day. (And Mom and Dad were exhausted, too!)

We were able to see the Mormon Tabernacle Choir perform portions of Handels' Messiah at Music and the spoken word. Tyler and I did not get to go into the auditorium as it has an 8 year old cut off for entry, so we went into one of the "cry" rooms- and there were plenty of kids that did not make the name obsolete. It was still a great event and then we went to sacrament meeting over at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. It was President Gordon B. Hinckley's ward and he actually came. We got to see his sweet face as he came in and slipped out right after the prayer. It is hard to believe that exactly 4 weeks later he would pass on the to the other side of the veil. We really will miss him.

At the BYU game

Here are the kids with some of the cheerleaders during the tailgate party before the BYU/UNM game. This was a great day!

Ashley (12) is on the left with Kayla (13) on the right. The boys- Tyler (6) and Joshua (8) are on the bottom.

Sorry- do not know the names of the cheerleaders.

BYU won the game 31-24

True Blue forever

How do you make a Cougar fan for life? Tyler is now in that category.

This was at the BYU/ UNM game in Albuquerque last fall. After a great come from behind win, it felt good to be a cougar. We stayed after the game and the cheerleaders and players were so good to us and our kids. We went to the fireside the night before and were so impressed that the Cougars are a good off the field as they are great on the field. This was a night of great memories that we will never forget.

Welcome to our Blog

This is all new to us. We have never been the best scrapbookers, journal keepers, newsletter writers or communicators. But we do want to have some sort of record of who we are and what we are doing.

In the coming days we will post some pics, happenings, etc. Then maybe this can be sort of a scrapbook for our family.