November 1, 2009

From: Claire Owen <clairebang.owen@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, Nov 1, 2009 at 6:11 PM
Subject: Re: Liebe Schwester!
To: Lauren Bangerter <sisterbangerter7@myldsmail.net>
Thanks for your letter Lauren.  I really do feel like the YW are
investigators.  I will study PMG this week, doing as you suggested!  I
have to tell you about Abby today - for the first time, she started
singing with us in Sacrament meeting.  I think she even matched pitch
a couple of times!  She was mostly making sustained noises, using her
full voice, along with everyone else, until the hymn ended, at which
point she was the only one singing, so she stopped.  However, during
the first Sacrament prayer, she pulled out a hymn book, opened it, and
started "singing" again.  Oops.  We helped her be a little more
reverent than that the rest of the time, but it was neat to see that
she is observing what we do and learning so much from us!
We had a nice week - beginning with your birthday!  Thank you for
suggesting that we study Mosiah for your birthday.  Michael and I did
as you suggested, and had some incredible insights!  I think we were
blessed for following a faithful missionary's counsel!  I hope your
birthday was great!  Katie Garlick brought us a couple of birthday
cakes for you - yellow cake "M&Ms" with "L" and "M" on them!  It was
fun to feel like we could still celebrate with you!  We had a fun
Halloween party that the Laurels threw for some of the primary kids on
Wednesday.  Abby dressed up as a BYU cheerleader (Gerilyn gave me the
cheerleader costume her girls have worn).  She LOVED the little
boombox we had that was playing the Halloween CD that mom has.  She
learned just which buttons to push and danced and danced!  On Friday
we had the cousin Halloween party.  Michael was a farmer, I was a
farmer's wife, except my overalls had a hole in them where my green
belly (dressed as a watermelon) poked through, so when I "held" it, it
looked like I was carrying a watermelon!  The "melon" had a blue
ribbon on it, dubbing it the "1st Place Melon."  Abby was dressed as a
pumpkin, also with a blue ribbon, bearing "1st Place Pumpkin."  It was
fun to have a family theme!  On Saturday (actually Halloween), Abby
was the cheerleader again, as we went up to Alpine for spudnuts.  We
also did a little trick-or-treating with her and the boys - and Dad.
She was pretty cute standing on the doorsteps, swinging her little
pumpkin around!  I think she was a little confused by the whole candy
thing, and kept pulling things out of the pumpkin to hold, as though
she wouldn't get to keep anything else.  Truth be told, I probably
won't give her any of her candy to eat, but that's okay, since she
loves other things, like blueberries and apples, more anyway!
I've also been a little busy this week trying to help Michael's mom
arrange plans for the Owen family, since they are all now going to be
out here in UT this Christmas for Mark's wedding.  I don't know if I
told you that Mark and Sarah got engaged, but they did - and are
getting married on December 29.  It looks like the whole family will
come out here around the 18th, then we will spend the next week at
Grant's cabin so we can all still be together.  It's too bad we can't
go to Michigan, but it will be nice to have the whole family together.
Also, it's probably a good thing that I won't be flying so close to
my due date (they usually don't like you to fly in the last month of
your pregnancy).
That's about it for now - I love you!  What is a little piece of your
everyday life that you haven't told us about?  I'd love to hear it!
We're praying for you - and trying to teach Abby to say your name!
Have a great week!
Love,
Claire

On Mon, Oct 26, 2009 at 4:02 AM, Lauren Bangerter
<sisterbangerter7@myldsmail.net> wrote:
>
> I love you Claire!
> Thanks for the letter and the pictures. I'm glad to hear of your progress with the Young Women. I feel I can relate to you a lot.  Your young women are your investagtors. I promise you that if you read prech my gospel with them in mind you will have ideas come to you to know how to help and involve them. Keep up the good work. Member retention is a HUGE part of missionary work.
> I loved the pictures of Abby - and for Michael's words. I'm serving in Magdeburg now - so my training and whitewashing are over - but I learned so much and I know that I can do hard things happily - I knew that before as well, but now I know it deep down in my heart.
> I love you
> Love,
> Lauren