Remember To Remember

Christmas Newsletter Dec. 2011

Grandma Bears Bear Tracks

Christmas Theme this year for me:

REMEMBER TO REMEMBER

I heard on TV the other day that Our Happiness depends on the

Voices we listen to.

Voices we should Listen to:

1. Scriptures

2. The Prophets

3. Listen to the Spirit

Voices we should Not Listen to:

1. The World

2. Selfishness

3. unfaithful

My dear Sweet Loved Ones: It’s wonderful to be alive for the Holidays.

Last year was my worst.

This year is my best

There is always a silver lining.

GOD IS GOOD

He is understanding, He is kind. He is loving. He is perfect

He is my champion. He is my friend. He is my father.

I am so grateful to all of you for the beautiful reunion and birthday party. I will never never forget and I think of it every day. I’m so blessed! I was very honored to be able to go to Alaska to the baptism of Cali, and the blessing of baby Degan. I love Alaska. Karen was moving to a new home. Her boys are growing up. I loved visiting with Tiffy and her sweet family. She took me to meet Ryan’ s grandmother who used to live in Vernal so we new a lot the same people. To Robins surprise I caught the airplane with 30 on the stand-by list. “How do you do it mom?” she said. I spent a week at home and then off to Logan. It’s always a thrill to see my brothers Stu and Lee. They are pretty special. Stu has been on a trip to see his family and Lee is quite a trooper, always falling and always smiling. Kathy has stuck by him in everything and she is an angel. After staying with Ron all night I was off to Idaho. Trie played some volleyball and I loved it. I wish she was dancing (maybe next year) but she’s still playing the piano. Bronx and Caston are too. Sorry I missed your foofball Caston. I’ll get it next year. Race is getting good at reading his own books. I love it. Wow! I even got to go shopping one day for the wedding. I’m excited for it ! Beck and I went to Logan for her birthday, shopping and out to lunch with Tess too. It was fun. I got to go to the Pre-school Halloween party with Tess. Such cute lil’ kids. I miss the lil’ ones. I saw some great football games! Kade was doing the Quarter backing, even threw to Tadd a few times. Those kids can play football, but it was so cold that last game.

I’m off to Wyo. But over South Pass because the Park was closed. Went to visit Tims’ first. Gabbi’s Volleyball team came to Worland so I got to sit by Rick and Tim to cheer her on. I got some good pictures and wish I could live closer to see them more often. We went to Nates football game and even did some tailgating. They sure had good food. Nate played again in Cody. I and Cher got to see that game. Rick is on the chain gang. Barb and girls came to see the game. Before the game I had stopped in Powell to see them. Kyllie is going out for basketball and Natie was practicing rugby, WOW. She loves college and so does Barb.

Tim, Sharee and I went to family night at Courtneys swimming.practice. She loves swimming and is good at it. I felt bad I couldn’t make it to her district swim meet.

Tuney is working with his dad and will build his own home next spring. He and Rick were going hunting Saturday so I took off over South Pass again and then over Togwetee Pass. The Tetons Mts. are always gorgeous and the sky was clear. I visited my old work area and cried a lil’. I went up the canyon and over to Blackfoot Id. Dan was there helping Jesse build his new house. Jared was there helping too with the girls. Tia was busy so I didn’t see her or Dannylynns, but Brit and Jeanette were there cooking for everyone.

I met Julie, Beck and girls at Pocky and stayed a few days with Julie and Becky too.

I always hate to go home and then I am in Jet-Lag for a while. What a wonderful time I had. I just got home in time for the snow to come so I will stay for a while. I was in time to see Logan play a couple of football games. Terry and I went to Logan to hear Jarod in his Xmas Choir Concert It was beautiful and Laura and Steve had a delicous dinner for us. She is a marvelous cook. Cez is in his school choir and had a beautiful Xmas recital. It was wonderful. Justy didn’t sing this semester but will next one. She is busy with her nursing and loving it. Enrique and Ondo are doing both wrestling and basketball and dancing too. They are busy,busy and having fun.and writing letters to Alecc.

Now I am looking forward to Xmas and the wedding. We are going to the temple on Dec 30 to have Chip and John sealed tous, so all that can, please come and go with us. We’d love it.

Thanks to everyone who showed me aWonderful time. Thanks for a wonderful year.

Have a very very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

All my Love, Forever and Always

Grandma Bear

**My husband, Chris, said the other when talking about Grandma Bear..."She is the happiest Grandma I have ever met!" She is amazing and in inspiration to all of us! We love you Grandma Bear!!

Tiffany Metcalf Family

Life has been a journey, we are so blessed and gratefull for all we have. Ryan has been working long and hard hours on his new subdivision. They did everything this time, clearing trees, excavating, and building the roads. Five houses are up, two that are sold. He works two miutes from home and loves his job. He was just put in as 11 year old scout leader, and of course loves to get the boys excited about the scouting program.

Tiffany has been staying busy with four kids, and continuing to stay in shape by running, biking and swimming for the next triathalon! She found a new hobby, and loves to refurbish old and unwanted furniture, and has even sold a few pieces. I serve as the RS enrichment leader, and has really enjoyed growing in her calling.

Alyssa is 8 and was baptized in June. She is in the third grade and loves to learn and create. She enjoys Activity Days, and Girl Scouts. She is such a big help to mom, and always wants to help her younger siblings.

Carson is 6 and is in the 1st grade. He is super smart and is reading at an excelled level. He enjoyed t-ball and swimming lessons this summer, and also going to work with his dad in the afternoon and riding on the bull dozer.

Maylee is 4 and will do anything her older siblings want to do. She is in preschool, and loves the social time with friends. She is her moms shadow all day, and loves to help in any way she can.

Tyson is 1, and has been such a wonderful blessing to our family. He is such an easy going kid, loves outside, animals, nursrey, and climbing on everything!

We have enjoyed Chase at our house for the last nine months. He has been working hard with Ryan, doing everything from framing, excavating, foundations, electrical, and roofing six houses. During the summer months he umped city baseball in the evenings, and this fall he took college courses. He has stayed busy, and has shared many fun times with our family, we'll remember these months. He is headed to BYU-I to discover his future, but is always welcome back to AK.

Jesse Barrus Family

We are getting all settled here in Blackfoot, and Jesse is enjoying his job with the Idaho Transportation Department. We are renting a house on the North West outskirts of Blackfoot. But are excited to be building a new house a mile and a half away. We bought an 1 1/2 acre lot in January, and in July sold our house. We then got busy finalizing plans and getting everything ready to start building. The end of August we broke ground. Jesse did all the concrete, with help from Ben, Jared, Tia, his dad, mom, and me. I learned a lot about doing concrete. Uncle Ron, are you hiring? Ha ha jk!!! You couldn't afford me! Because you would have to pay me A LOT to do that every day. We also did all the framing, except for the trusses. They went on this week. Here is what it looks like so far.




Jesse has been busy working on the house every spare second he has. He enjoys it so much, I asked him the other day if he was going to go into major depression when it was done. He said I just might. I reminded him that there was still going to be plenty to do for quite a while, getting all the landscaping done and deciding what we are going to do with the acre behind the house. He found time to take Cordell to a Boise State football game and they had a great time! He is serving as ward membership clerk, and enjoys it.

I went from busy to crazy busy when school started. Between getting the kids ready for and to school and all their other activities, getting homework done, volunteering in classrooms, doing my callings, and everything else a mom does, I also help coach the swim team a couple times a week and teach some private swim lessons. When I have spare time with all of that, I'm over at the house helping Jess and running errands for him. It's a crazy life, but I love it. I did three triathlons this summer and am becoming addicted to them. Can't wait to do more next summer! I love to swim and bike and am slowly learning to like running the more I do it!



Cordell (9), Jennifer (7 1/2), Landon (almost 6), and Camille (almost 3)


Cordell is busy with school, scouts, swim team 5 days a week, basketball practice and games, and helping on the house. He does really well in school, and got on the honor roll. He is in 3rd grade. He earned his wolf in scouts and is now working on his bear. He, along with Jennifer and Landon, did a kids' triathlon this summer, and he wants to do more next summer.



Jennifer is also doing swim team. She loves it, and is getting really good. She also wants to do more triathlons next summer. She had fun doing the last one with her cousin megan, they finished together :)

She also does good in school and brought home all A's on her report card. She is getting excited to get baptized in April.



Landon is still Landon. He drives us crazy and makes us laugh, sometimes in the same minute. He started Kindergaten this year and loves it, once I get him woke up and ready (that is a chore!). His teacher says she has to stay on top of him and that he likes to test the limits a little bit, but that he does good and is really smart. He also does swim team and is improving a lot all the time. He also did the triathlon.


Camille loves the few hours a day when everyone else is at school and she gets mom all to herself, but she gets excited when landon is home to play with. She is busy trying to keep up with her older siblings. She is a little fish and taught herself how to swim while I was busy teaching other kids. She is getting really excited to go to Sunbeams in a few weeks.


If you want to keep up with our family blog, you can find us here www.jessandbrit.blogspot.com :) I try to update it a few times a year.

Tim Barrus Family Update

Sharee is still teaching 4th grade. She is the librarian at church. She works hard to keep her husband and kids on the straight and narrow. She still loves to scrapbook and watch Twilight, read, and loves trying new recipes from food network.

Tim is as nutty as ever. This summer he took woodbadge for scout leaders, took the scouts on a 50 mile canoe trip, and went on a dinosaur dig in northern Montana for two weeks. This created alot of stress at home but the family survived. He is teaching two new classes in High School this year.(Astronomy and Field Geology) This is keeping him on his toes with all the new lesson plans. He is planning a A&P Fieldtrip to U of U again this spring. Any Utah students are welcome to join.

Nate worked construction with his uncle Darin this summer. He was in his first car accident (fender bender). He played wide reciever and defensive end on Varsity here in worland. They worked hard but did not make play-offs. He now is playing JV basketball and is 6th man on Varsity team. He managed to take a week off and shoot cow elk this year. He is trying to keep his GPA up so he can get hathoway scholarship. He plans on Soccor in the spring. He took a girl to homecoming and was nervous as could be.

Courtney swam on the swim team this year. She cut time in everyone of her events. She swam on a relay at the state tournament in Gillette. She keeps with 4H and did another quilt this year. She made friends with a neighbor girl next door and now has become our socialite. Quite far from the tree of her father. She is taking on-line classes in high school where she is studying French. There is only one thing that she really is competitive in. She love to beet her brother in anything. She studies night and day to get better grades than him. So far it has paid off.

Thanks for sending this Tim. We love it!! NOW we need everyone to follow Tim's example and send us some family news!! karen.melander@gmail.com (pictures are great too)

Chynna's getting married!!

In case you haven't heard, Chynna Holbrook is getting married. They look SO cute and happy! Congratulations!!!

RICE FAMILY PHOTO

RICE FAMILY -11 degrees
11/11
*Makayla--9
*Cali--8
*Jayden--6
*Tanner--3
*Degan--5 months

The power behind this Blog!

So instead of receiving a nicely typed up TBarrusClan newsletter in your mailbox we (Robin and Karen) are starting this blog. We need your help though to keep it going. Stories, pictures ect. will be needed from YOU!! (Im sure you would love to hear lots more than just what is happening in Alaska, although that IS pretty exciting!!) So help us out and this could be lots of fun!!