Maddie, Brent & Emily w/ the Whitman girls: Emmalee & Paige

October 3, 2010

Dear Family,

What a riproaring fun time we've had lately! Just enjoying General Conference this weekend—including a chance to attend the Saturday morning session live (thanks to sweet Brian staying home w/ the young ones AND a friend's two boys while we went!), and having Nick and Laurie up here w/ us today. 

Kristi Whitman and me

Last weekend, Brian's parents surprised us w/ a great 3 day visit, and before they left, Dad M. spent a night w/ us on his way home from BYU mtgs. Nothing beats family time! It felt like we were on vacation to be so surrounded, and it's amazing how being w/ family helps you remember who you are, and how good life is :). Last Saturday, we also got to meet up w/ Carrie & Steve Madsen, who were in town for BYU Alum training, and had fun being in Provo for a bit. We crammed as much visiting in as we could, stocked up on a few BYU paraphernalia And LUCKY DAY!!--they had 2 extra tickets to the football game, so Brent and Brian were able to stay for that (sad loss, but we're getting used to it this year!) while the rest came home and enjoyed a movie night, and I scurried over to the great RS broadcast.

Brian & Brent @ game (courtesy the Madsen's)--a great example of why it's hard to not giggle in our sacrament mtgs when Brian is on the stand!

Gpa Duncan after Brent's soccer game

We let Brent enjoy the football game, since his birthday was Monday, and we had a fun time celebrating w/ him for a FHE of hamburgers, german chocolate cake, and a video. He got a pair of Heely shoes (he's been asking for them all year!--basically shoes w/ skateboard wheels built in) from us, a boatracing lego set and a cool pocketknife (that works!--he cut himself opening the shoes package) from grandparents. 

We've found a gorgeous four-poster bed for our room (from KSL Classifieds—only $100!), let the kids spend $1 on the new rage of “silly bands” (are they huge everywhere???), have worked on getting our family home evening chart made, and bought paint for our living room! Brent and Spencer finished up their fun soccer seasons, Lucy slept 12 (!!!!) hours 2 nights in a row, and life, in most ways, seems to get better and better. Funny quote of the week: (from Anne)

Emily was sharing some treats from school, and Anne wanted more. Emily said, “Anne, you already got 2—and you're 2, so that's how many you get!” Anne answered, “No, BIG, BIG—I EIGHT, I EIGHT!!!” She IS big, and doing fairly well mood-wise, but her skin will NOT improve, and I'm at a loss of what to change right now. I guess we'll just keep pressing on, until we know what else to do. (and wasn't it sweet to hear of Lucy M. Smith praying so fervently for her children's illnesses?!) I DID love these messages of Conference! SO MUCH encouraging to follow our prophet, to SLOW DOWN , how to live a consecrated life, the importance of moral and religious values in our society—including laws, developing an attitude of gratitude, a lot on our need of the Holy Ghost, and the importance of our choices, and overall, SUCH a message of HOPE for EVERYONE and EVERYTHING, because the Atonement really does overcome ALL things for us. I was really struck, being there in the Conference Center to hear President Monson, more than just the words he spoke, his manner, and his attitude are SOO gentle and so Christlike, as though he can barely contain, let alone convey the greatness of the Lord's love. He is a real reminder of who we should be. I am always anxious for a list or set of marching orders, but sometimes, like Pres. Uchtdorf stressed, being still, and making sure we're who we want to be, is more important. I've had a lot of impressions lately that patience is the answer for a lot of things, and that while goals and directions are important, I need to relax enough to enjoy more of the day by day and not just the end results. It was such a boost there at the very crowded Conference Center, to be a part of such a FORCE-as we flowed through those throngs of people, realizing how the Lord's kingdom really is rolling forth, despite so much moral decay and value decline around us. As Elder Cook proclaimed, “I believe light and truth will be preserved!” and Pres. Monson, “While there are problems, there is MUCH that is right!!” About the only thing that could be righter w/ us, is having all our loved ones more accessible—this spread out part of mortality is one thing that doesn't get easier with time! But thank you for being so much of what is right in our family—we are so blessed. Love, The Duncan's

p.s. I took the girls to see Ramona & Beezus last night, and cried—not so much b/c it was touching, as much as I was just SO happy to find such a full of goodness movie. It was hilarious and darling and (aside from a few of the teenage sisters' outfits) cozy family fun!!