Comments for Kathie's Blog

Oh Kathie, I so loved looking at your pictures. You're lovely family brings back such memories of the time ya'll were little. I remember when Ginger was born! You girls treated her like your own personal baby doll!! You would rush off the bus just to hold her when you got home from school and of course K & K had her to play with all day! I was surprised at how many people at Newell Elememtary knew that we hasd a little boy when Andy was born. You girls told everyone! How blessed I am to be your Mom and how wonderful it is to watch all of you becoming great Moms!! I love you, Your MOM.

PS--I'm sorry to make my comment this way, but I could not comment the other way that I used to. For some reason, it would not allow me to comment(I tried 4 times).

Been Too Long...... but the Weeks Family is Alive

Sorry for no updates in so long. But here are a few highlights:

1- Oliver Cash Weeks was born on April 29th. He cried for 1 hour straight. Labor and delivery were not too bad, thank goodness for epidurals!

2- Cole is finishing up preschool and getting ready for his birthday and summer. One of the end of the year highlights was him performing in a May Day routine at BYU. Check out Colby's facebook to see video. I tried to post it here but the file was too large.

3- Izzy is growing and getting more and more blonde with each day. She is a little daredevil and loves to ride Cole's skateboard on her stomach down the incline of our driveway. Also see Colby's facebook for video of that.

4- The past 2 months have been a whirlwind on one sickness after another. Before Ollie was born Cole had a coldsore herpes breakout, Izzy had hand foot and mouth, then lice visited everyone, and since Ollie has been born he had his tongue clipped and the latest is that Ollie Cole and I have pink eye. I keep expecting for the apocalypse to happen next. Love to all!!

The Rest of May

We just seem to get busier and busier. Thank goodness. Since we have new elders in our area, we have been more able to go visit and teach our new converts. We have eight lessons that we are responsible to teach recent converts, once the missionaries are finished with all of their lessons. I have felt like a failure in this because our appointments fall through, or we do not have a translator, or we have other responsibilities that interfere with our scheduling. But now we seem to be on the right track. YEA!! We teach with the elders on Thursday evenings and the sisters on Fridays. I love it.

On the second Friday of the month, we had Brother Todd Harris in town. He is the head of the church translation department. He looks really young, but he is in his 50's and is married with 2 children. He has a most interesting job because he gets to travel the world and heads teams that translate all of the church materials into the different languages all over the world. We usually arrange a few things for him when he makes his visits. He took us out to dinner after his last visit. We went to a lovely Thai restaurant downtown. I don't know how that picture of us with Bro. Harris made its way to the start of this blog--it just did!

Tuesday, May 17 was Wesak Day, a holiday. I have no idea what it means except our branch members didn't have to work that day. We had a service project to do for Br. Musa and Sis. Leni. We took water purification systems to give to them. We're going back on June 4th and repair some things for Sis. Leni. The branch is so good about helping those who really need help.

Dad and I meet every Wednesday evening with the District Pres., his first counselor, and his wife to help them with Youth Conference. This is the first one that they have had in 4 years. It's going to be here in KK and all I can say is "Thank goodness for senior couples." They have us doing everything--teaching, cooking, games, skits, musical numbers, and training of the leaders. Plus, Sis. Ling has me doing all of the emailing and organizing and coordinating with the other 3 couples. I frankly will be glad when this one has come and gone!

The Relief Society Pres. and Elders Quorum Pres. and I met and made a schedule for their coordinated Sunday schedules--just like we have them back home. I really try to help them organize themselves. I had explained this to the Branch President and he asked me to do it. I said that I would help the R. Soc. Pres. and the E. Q. Pres. do it. We checked with the District Pres. first to get his District dates, and then filled out the schedule through December of this year. We were excited. The very first Sunday after, the District Pres. announces in sacrament that during Relief Society and Priesthood time he is holding a special meeting to explain the welfare program of the Church!!! HELLO! Where was this date 2 weeks before??? All of the prepared lessons were out the window!! I'm ready for him to move to the other side of the Island for a few weeks!!!

Then we were called and told that we as missionaries we were invited to a special missionary meeting in KL to be taught at the feet of an apostle--Elder Bednar!!!! It was the most wonderful meeting that I have ever been in. He was fabulous and it was the most interactive meeting with an apostle that I've ever witnessed. He had just presided at a meeting in Indonesia where he and Elder Pratt of the Seventy formed the very first stake in Indonesia. That's right next door!! We're next in a few years!! Elder Bednar asked to come and meet with the Singapore Mission. He asked us to read 2 of his talks on faith to be prepared. I have the utmost faith that he is an Apostle of the Lord, Jesus Christ! I have repented and am now willing to let Pres. Ling stay on this side of the Island!

After Elder Bednar left, Pres. Clark taught us all about humility. It was fantastic, even though he said that he felt really badly about his power-point presentation after listening to Elder Bednar for 3 hours. Pres. Clark is a very humble person and one of the most gifted teachers that I've ever met. I would love to say that I have pictures of Elder Bednar, but every time I tried to take one, someone got in the way. Pres. Clark said that he would give us a copy of our group picture. I hope so. I do have a picture from yesterday--just for Natalie Sistrunk. This is her brother who is serving in our mission also!! Small world! Sorry, but I do not know how to get the pictures to show up where I want them to. This is a new setuup for me on the blog now. I'll have to learn how to do it.

Well, it's late and I just stopped to skype with Jenny for a few minutes. I'll tell you more on the next blog. I love you more today than I did yesterday--I hope to tell you that for many years to come.

MOM

Just Because

Hey Guys! I just thought I'd post some pics of the olmstead kids from these past 2 weeks. They went to the doctor 2 weeks ago for their yearly check ups. Jax weighs 36.5 lbs, and Molly weighs in at a whopping 33 lbs. We are doing good. Just busy, but who isn't?

p.s. i used the "old" password to get on here and had no problem. Mom, email me if you have any problems.

MAY IN MALAYSIA

Hi Ya'll.  Happy Mothers Day to all of our girls.  This week was a good one.  Monday was a holiday--National Labor Day in Malaysia and Singapore.  Our youth at church had a bazaar to raise money for Youth Conference.  Ir really was fun.  It was not advertised  to the public, only for the branch.  We had a fun, relaxing time.  Pres. Francis and Kate donated the tents!!  The music and sound system was donated by a friend of Kate's.  Everyone took their hand at singing--some were really good and others were terrible!!  But it was fun for all.

Dad bought a foot and leg massage from Sis. Maylin, the Seminary teacher.  It was so painful that he actually broke into a sweat.  Sis. Maylin just smiled!!

This Monica trying to sing.  She is David Choong's sister and she is really quite a good musician, but with a weak voice.  Ebony, Sis. Dorcas's daughter, is playing the guitar.  Bagus(good)!

This is Sis. Ernie-Dorcas's mother.  Everybody calls her "Grandma".  Every time that someone would put the microphone down, Grandma would pick it up and start singing.  She's TERRIBLE.  Dorcas kept saying, "That's enough!"  So funny!

Dorcas(on the right) sold haircuts and makeovers.  I bought a haircut from her.

This is Charles, one of our YSAs, washing cars.  This was very popular.  For rm6, you got your car washed and waxed.  That's about $2!!!!!  They did a great job.

This was everybody's(except Dad and me) favorite food of the day--CHICKEN FEET!!!  They couldn't keep enough of them!!

This is Sis. Maylin and Ervina frying Bananas which was definitely Dad's favorite.  He bought 4 bags full.  He did share with others!!

On Tuesday, Sis Harrison left home from her mission.  This is goodbye at the airport.
The server keeps rejecting my airport pictures, so I'll just go to something else.  Sis. Howard got transferred on Wednesday, so we're down to just Sis. Hite and her new companion, Sis. Jenson.  She is from St. George, Ut.  She is brand new and a cutie.
Wednesday, I baked a chocolate apple sauce cake for visitors who came on Thursday.  Our visitors were  Bro. Norman Chia, who is in charge of the church service center in Singapore.  He is the temporal and finance guy there.  He is Chinese and so nice and polite.  With him was Bro. Kevin Nield who is the Area Welfare Director from Hong Kong.  Bro. Nield was manager of Welfare Square in Salt Lake for 10 years!!  His is on assignment in the Area offices in Hong Kong for 5 years.  He is over all welfare and building for 26 countries.  He wanted to visit our church building and some of our project partners.  Elder Larson arranged for us to take them to church and visit with Cheshire Homes and The Rotary Club that we partner with on some projects.  After all day doing this, we came back to our apartment and I fed them dinner.  I loved it!  Elder Nield was so down to earth and gracious.  Marty, he knows your Dad and Mom. 

This is Elder Nield when we went to visit the small bakery at Cheshire Home here in KK.  These are some of the handicapped who live and work in the bakery, learning skills to help them to be productive in life.  The gal in the blue shirt is Jennifer Liew, the Director of Cheshire.  She's amazing!  Elder Nield really enjoyed this.  Bro. Bong, one of our church members who had a stroke, is working and learning a skill here.  He really loved meeting Bro. Chia and Elder Nield.
I forgot to tell you that when we went to pick them up at the Hyatt that day, I got out of the car to check for them in the foyer.  As I went up the steps, I fell on my face, scratched my left knee, bruised both feet and bent back the toenail on my right foot.  Just call me "Grace"!!!  I'm fine--just a little bruised.
Life goes on and it's wonderful!!  I spoke in sacrament at church today and had the 2nd lesson of my teacher development class.  It's going great and I just love all of them in our class.  I also met with Elders Quorum and R. Soc. presidents to put together our belated yearly calender for both auxiliaries for their Sunday schedules.  We did this while Dad met with PEC!!  We're busy and love it!!
We love all of you !!  You are in our prayers and hearts every day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DAD & MOM

What we look like lately... (some pics may scare you)

So, matt took a nap with molly's big, pink bunny. I enjoyed the sun on our trip to AZ. Jax got into a fight with a huge rosebush, and the rosebush won (that pic just shows his face. his whole body was scratched up). Molly was treated to a mani/pedi on her daddy daughter date. This is what we've been up to for the past 3 weeks.

Nothing New

There really isn't much new on the Asay home front. We only have five weeks left in the school year, then it's 3 months of fun in the sun for us. We aren't planning on anything super exciting; just another Summer at Cherry Hill and a little vacay down to St. George. I'm trying a new concept for me -- economizing. I know. Y'all thought no one could pinch a penny tighter than Jenny. But I'm trying to avoid unnecessary spending. 

Here are some cute pics of the boys at Aunt Jane's annual Easter Egg Hunt. If you want to see more, just go to the Asay blog!

Another Week Without Internet!!!!!!

This has been another week without Internet being off and on!!!!  It's weeks like this that we have to reread the Book of Job.  Our service is on for a few hours each day, then off for most of the day.  TM headquarters is in KL in West Malaysia.  Whenever I call the service, they are really quite nice and sweet to me.  I feel as if I have talked to about every service operator at TM!!  I call every time it goes out--they know "Miss Gloria" really well.  I told them that I was quite anxious for service this week because I was expecting an email at any time from our daughter in Hawaii who is having a baby at any time.  We were so excited when Colby called us about the birth of Oliver!! 
What a cutie!!!  Just look at those dimples!!  He has a nice set of lungs also.  He cried the whole time we talked to Kathie.  Kathie, I surely hope that he settles into life at the Weeks home.  I'm sure that Cole and Izzy are excited to have him home.  If you can--just relax and rest when he does and let things fall where they may!!  Colby and the kids will survive fine.  You can take care of other "stuff" when you're able.
We have had an uneventful week here.  Our usual of FHE on Monday with our YSA.  I made them cupcakes with some leftover pink frosting from the Relief Society Birthday Dinner.  They love them.  On Tuesdays we meet with the missionaries downtown.  We have not had a meeting for 5 weeks because they are traveling of Tuesdays.  We did not have a Branch Presidency meeting on this Tuesday because they all had to work late.
  On Wednesday we met with the District(Stake) President--Ling, his counselor, Pres. Fausto(one of our YSAs), and Sis. Ling(Pres. Ling's wife) for the purpose of planning for a Youth Conference on June 7, 8. 9 of June!!  They don't believe in planning too far in advance!!  After the meeting, I looked at our responsibilities and smiled!!!!  We are responsible for assigning topics to other senior couples and planning their presentations, doing a 1 1/2 hour Leadership Training for all youth leaders who will be there, cooking spaghetti lunch for first day, and sack lunches for the last day, AND preparing all games for the first 2 days!!!   Busy schedule--so say a prayer for Dad and I that we're up to this.  All of this conference is taking place at a beach here and the youth are camping on the beach.  Keep in mind that it rains every day, sometimes twice a day!  They are planning on 45 youth coming.  I really am excited for this because I love all of the activities--beats staying in the apartment all day and I can wear slacks to the beach!!
On Thursday and Friday, we set up appointments to teach 4 converts their follow-up lessons.  Each convert receives 8 lessons from Dad and I when the missionaries finish their parts.  All 4 cancelled on us!!  Bummer!!  Maybe this week we can see them.
Friday, we cleaned the apartment and I baked an applesauce chocolate cake for Sister Harrison who is returning home to the US on Tuesday!  She is so sweet(one of 12 children).  On Saturday afternoon, we had all 5 missionaries over for a spaghetti dinner.  They loved it because they never get to eat western foods here(if you call spaghetti a western food).  I had French bread, which is a treat here.  They don't eat much bread here, just lot of noodles or rice.  I asked President Ling if he thought the youth would like the spaghetti for their lunch at Youth Conference.  He said it didn't matter--that they would eat whatever he told them to eat!!!  So much for free agency.  You know--he is probably right and it doesn't really matter because they appreciate almost everything that we try to do or have.
We got up early on Saturday morning and I baked a huge pan of fresh, homemade biscuits and took them to church with jam and honey.  About 20 members met there for our first Adopt-A-Highway.   We worked really hard cleaning the highway in front of our church. 

This is President Francis(Branch Pres), Sisters Kate, Caroline, and Wendy getting to go to the street to work!!  Caroline is Pres. Francis's daughter.  Sis. Wendy is Chinese and a recent convert.  She was in my group to clean.  Every other step, she would show me a weed or plant and tell me what it cures or how it will help my body(as if there was any hope for that!!)!!!  I love Sis. Wendy!

If you just take their picture, they will work all day!!

This is most of us getting ready to go and clean the highway.

This was my little group--Sister Wendy, Madame Yapp, and one of our YW, Amy.  Dad came over and helped us as we got further down the road.  He tried to get some trash near this big drainage ditch.  His glasses fell off of his face because he was so sweaty!  They went into the ditch. YUCKY!  Kate and the missionary sisters from the other side came over to help and Sis. Harrison was able to retrieve them!!

FINALLY WE FINISH!  Hot , sweaty, tired, and sunburned, but happy!!  Dad did bring it to my attention that whenever I bent over to pick up trash that cars honked!!  I'm sure that it was a car stopper!! Several people took our pictures and honked and waved.  Two people came and asked who we were and wanted to join us whenever we do it again!!  Next time(3 months) we will come to our apartment for a swim afterwards.

This was a picture taken from our apartment window last night!!  This is the South China Sea.  We have the most beautiful sunsets ever!!

Last Sunday, Sebastian and Julizah invited us to dinner at their new home in Sri Kepayan.  Their home was blessed and dedicated while we were there.  I miss our rides with Sebastian sometimes. (he was our taxi driver for 6 months).  He wore his BYU hat that Dad gave him for Christmas to clean up the highway on Saturday.
Hope you have a great week, especially Kathie, Oliver, and family.  Welcome to our family, Oliver!  We love all of you more each day.
DAD & MOM

PS I forgot to tell you of Branch Council this morning at church.  David Choong is our translator most of the time.  We really love David.  Today he stopped translating, looked at me and said "Sorry, Sis. Larson, I have to go out and pass the gas.  I'll be right back."  He ran out holding his stomach and came back in smiling!!