Guess Who is Excited about getting baptized?

Tyler will have his baptism on May 9th (his Birthday) at the Gallup Stake Center at 4 pm. He is very excited and would like everyone to know that they are welcome to come and share this special day with him.

Recent Ramblings

Things have been a little hectic around our neck of the woods- so not a lot of posts. Work has been very busy, Church has been very busy and I am trying to unwind a few of the other community boards and activities I am on- but it does not seem to be working. You know the old saying- if you want something done, ask a busy person to do it.

Just wanted to reflect on a couple of things on my mind lately. First- as always this time of year, I think a lot about Dad. He passed away 18 years ago as of the 6th of April. I still am amazed at how much I think about him and sometimes ache to ask him advice on things. I am a big advice getter and giver (sometimes the giving is unsolicited and therefore annoying- sorry about that) so not being able to talk to my own father about parenting and other things seems like a hole that I cannot get filled completely. I know that he is on the other side doing things that he is called to do there- and I will not complain about missing him because I know that there will be a time that we will see each other again and he is still my father.

Conference was wonderful as usual and I am excited for Elder Neil L. Anderson as the newest member of the 12. He is a great teacher and man and he will be a great addition to that elite group.

Is it just me or does President Uchtdorf get more impressive each time he speaks? I really love listening to him.

Hope you are all well and happy. Our family is very blessed- hope yours is too.

The Junto

Frank Christianson- one of the group of former mission companions and BYU buddies that have invited me to join them on an annual get-together (that convieniently coincides with the mountain West basketball tournament) in Vegas told us recently of society that Ben Franklin organized in Philadelphia in the early 1700's. This group of men got together to discuss politics, religion, philosophy, literature, etc. He (Ben) called it a JUNTO.

A quick peek at Wikipedia will prove he is right (Frank is always right- he is a university professor). Sounds a lot like our small group. These men are people that I admire greatly and have learned so much from. It is a rare thing to have a group of people that you feel that you can share your most important thoughts and feelings with- all without feeling judged or discounted, even though it might not be completely in line with others opinions.

Some of the topics that we discussed were: serving in the Church, sports, Prop 8, various doctrinal issues, etc. I found myself further educated and humbled by their insights. I was definitely edified.

The highlight for me was right before I had to leave for home. We went and did an endowment session at the Las Vegas Temple. It was a great feeling to stand with these men together in the celestial room of the temple and know that these were my brethren. I love each of them and are grateful for their insight and friendship. May the Junto never die and we be able to continue the tradition. Thanks again guys for the wonderful weekend- even if BYU got booted out in the second round.

Bishop Haws

Well, our family is once again beginning a new adventure. Tommy was sustained as the Bishop yesterday of the newly reorganized Gallup 2nd Ward. He is nervous, excited and overwhelmed to say the least. I may be biased but I think my husband will make a great Bishop. I know that he will work with all his might, mind and strength for the Lord in the Gallup area. I know that he loves the people of Gallup. I feel truly blessed to have a husband who is so willing to serve the Lord in whatever calling he is asked. They have not called a new counselor in the Stake Presidency yet, so for a few weeks he will be serving in both callings. Hopefully, that will be resolved quickly.

I am a little nervous to be the Bishop's wife. I hope that I don't offend anyone in our ward and I hope that I am good enough. I will be sad to be released as the Relief Society President of our ward. I have only been in 7 months and was just getting the hang of things but I am willing to serve the Lord wherever I am asked.

We appreciate those that came to share in this experience and know that many more wanted to come but couldn't. We are so grateful for all of the love and support we have felt from family and friends.

Sorry for the long delay in posts. I had promised that I would post pictures that my sisters and I donated money for framing that we presented to Mom for her Christmas present. It was a surprise to her that we were able to give them to her this year. A few years ago, I asked a friend of mine, Ann Marie Mowrer, to have her mother paint a portrait of my dad from from pictures that we had. Sherrel Watkins, the artist, went above and beyond anything that I could have imagined and she added an extra portrait of Mom, too. She is very happy with them and here that are in case any of you are curious as to how they turned out.

The photos do not do them justice.

We had a wonderful Christmas and 2009 got here just fine, too. We are so happy to have the blessings we do- and hope you all have a wonderful new year.

PS- for those of you that are reading that might have ties to the Gallup area-- a little update of some of the Church goings on. After many months of prayer and working through details and approvals, today the two Ramah wards were combined into one ward and in Gallup the three wards were put back to two wards. We hope that the desired affect of greater ministering to the people in the area will allow real growth.

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