December 13, 2009

From: Claire Owen <clairebang.owen@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, Dec 13, 2009 at 11:37 PM
Subject: Re: Liebe Schwester!
To: Lauren Bangerter <sisterbangerter7@myldsmail.net>

Dear Lauren -
Happy Christmastime once again!  I just love this time of year!  We
are just about ready with everything for Christmas - which we need to
be since we'll be leaving for Grant's cabin on Saturday.  Speaking of,
I apologize beforehand if I don't get to email you next week - I'll
try to get one off earlier in the week, since we won't have internet
access on Sunday.  However, we'll be sure to tune in for your
Christmas call! I'm glad we have Skype to connect us all together!
Oh, and I got a book of Organ Preludes for Michael's mom for Christmas
from Deseret Book.  I mostly just love window shopping there - that,
and smelling their delicious rolls.
Abby was a doll (once again) in church today. For the first time in
months we didn't have to take her out, but we can't really take any
credit for that. She was up and down the isle sitting with all of us.
By the end she had just about lost it when she saw the rest of us get
a breath mint and she was denied one. That was just as the closing
song started. As she squirmed on my lap I asked if she wanted to go
see Grandpa who was watching her from the stand. She said yes and
nodded vigorously. We let her go and she ran up during the song,
climbed the stairs and ran to grandpa where she sat perfectly still
and contented through the rest of the meeting. I didn't get to witness
this event (Michael wrote the above account - I had been at another
ward helping with a musical number), but I met my young women coming
out of Sacrament meeting, who reported that Dad was glowing !!!!! the
whole time he had Abby!
She is spunky and fun - and probably gets way too much attention, but
we can't help it!  We worked really hard on "butt-ns" this week, and
we've definitely made an improvement (we only get "buts" 20% of the
time).  She loves pointing out my "babys" (she often puts 's' on the
end of words), but she also points out other people's "babys"
erroneously - I"m trying to switch her over to "tummy" instead.  She's
really good at "ears", "eyes", and "mose" (ears eyes and nose).  She
still loves to see the "bemple" and "Jeesss" - I'm trying to think if
she's picked up anything new... Well, she will copy anything we say at
least once - this morning Michael asked her if she wanted her pacifier
and she smiled and said "pad-i-fi-da" - pretty close if you ask me.
No wonder most kids just call it a binky.
Enough of her language skills - let's talk movement.  Man, can that
little girl dance!  Her hips get moving; she tips from side to side;
she just loves to dance.  She runs around, pulls herself up onto
chairs, tables, you name it.  She jumps in her little car, spinning
the wheel, saying "beep beep" and "voom voom".  She's so fun and
energetic!  At the store and church, she loves to be set free to walk
around - which is okay until she pulls things off shelves or wanders
into classrooms she shouldn't be in.  Still, you can feel her sense of
freedom at being able to move around!
Well, Lauren, stay warm!  I've been praying for you and your
investigators!  What neat experiences you have to share!  We have
little miracles here all the time - like today the laurel who
basically asked me not to call her anymore came to sacrament meeting!
For the first time since her family moved here!  Also, another girl
who's been struggling actually answered my cell phone call this week!
She's never done that before!  So, we're making progress.
I just love you!  Have a great week and keep up the hard work!
Love,
Claire  (...5 weeks until a baby... exciting!!!)
On Mon, Dec 7, 2009 at 4:54 AM, Lauren Bangerter
<sisterbangerter7@myldsmail.net> wrote:
> Thanks Claire! I love hearing about Abby! I try not to think about Lori. It makes me ärgerlich and I just think 'doof Andrew, doof'. But what is right will happen.
> ANYWAY . . . what did you buy at Deseret Book?
> We are feeling really blessed here. I read what Andrew told you about Advent - and that's all true. We see the candles at every members house. I think the party SEth went to was for St. Nicholas tag.
> It brightens my day to hear from you. THanks for your love adn prayers. I cherish the memories I have from our childhood. I love you!
> Lauren
> ps- have you seen the new disney kiss the frog movie? We are seeing posters for it all over and it looks good.
>
>