mike and ruth

It is a custom in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to give infants a name and a father’s blessing shortly after birth.

This can be compared in some ways to what is known as “christening” of other faiths, but is not a baptism. It is an official ordinance and is recorded on the records of the church, and a certificate is also created for the event. We were thrilled to participate with Andrew and Charlotte in the blessing of Daphne today.
Andrew’s family very kindly invited us to dinner at their home after the meeting and we took a few photos of the occasion. It was a very happy day for us all. Melodie took this picture of the proud parents and grandparents that we share with you.

I have sent a 3/4 size violin with Grandpa and Grandma Dastrup who are traveling to Cincinnati to help David and Tamara take care of their family during Tamara’s upcoming oral surgery and removal of a cyst from her wrist. The violin is for Sanja to use. This is a precious keepsake that I hope she will cherish and take good care of. I want to tell her a little bit about it here.

This is the very instrument I used as a young boy myself when I was a beginner. I started taking lessons when I was just a few years younger then you, at the age of eight. I was already taking piano lessons. I believe this violin belonged to my grandpa Hendriksen but I don’t know where or when he got it. This probably means that it is close to 100 years old. (I got you a nice, new case from Uncle Tom because the old one was not in very good condition for taking to school or lessons.)

When we got this instrument it needed some work so it was taken to Dale Stevens for the job. I bought a new violin from him many years later in my junior year of high school which I still play.

This 3/4 size violin has wonderful tone for an instrument of its size. It does not look like a nice new instrument, but that is one if its beauties: it has been well-used but still plays very well. (We probably need to get you some new strings and will sometime soon.) I believe that a few of your relatives have played this instrument also, including Aunt Kristen. They enjoyed playing it, and we hope you will too. You will also notice on this photo that the old case with green interior is shown. The case has served its purpose well and has protected the violin through these many years. Be careful with it and it will serve you well. Then when you get a full-size violin maybe someone else can use it so it retains its usefulness for the future. Love, Grandpa.

Last weekend we went to the last night of this year’s Martin Harris Pageant, called “The Man Who Knew”.

This is the story of a man who was misunderstood by his neighbors and peers (and his wife) as he came to understand and accept the teachings of the LDS faith. He fell away from the faithful for many years after the trek to the west, but rejoined them very late in his life.
He never recanted his witness as one of three persons who saw the plates, saw the engravings, and heard the voice of God commanding him to bear witness of what he saw. The pageant used to be over three hours in length and has been shortened to under 1.5 hours which was about right. I understand that it is only presented every-other year, so make your plans soon if you are interested in seeing it in 2011. It requires tickets to control the size of the crowds. We enjoyed it very much. Clarkston UT is only a few miles south of the Idaho/Utah border, west of Logan.

The kitchen is finally done and Mom is moving in dishes and other things that were moved out for the demolition that had to take place before the remodeling and improvements after the flood. This photo was taken before the floor was finished. We still need to purchase a light fixture for the kitcen and install it, but otherwise it is virtually complete.

Last week Rosie’s kids were at Grandma’s for lessons and were quite pleased that Charlotte let them hold Daphne for a few minutes. They were very cute as they held her and watched her reaction when they took her from her mother. She was really good and seemed to enjoy getting to know her cousins. We wish all of her cousins could get to know her better but they are scattered around the globe at the moment.

The early fall sky is really fascinating to me, especially when the clouds are lightly dispersed like wisps of cotton up in the air. The early morning sunshine lights up the sky and the clouds in such a beautiful manner that I needed to have a photo of it. I hope you enjoy this.

We are pleased to announce the birth of Daphne Helen Green to Charlotte and Andrew this weekend. Her arrival was none to soon for Charlotte, by way of a c-section at Timpanogos Hospital. She was born at 5:48 a.m. on Saturday August 15, 2009. Her first vital stastistics include a weight of 8 lb. 2 oz., and length (or height) of of 19 inches. She has some thin, moderately dark hair on her head. We first saw her about an hour later, which is when these photos were taken. In the nursery she looked bigger than most of the other babies to us for some reason. We are thrilled to add her to our family which now includes 8 children, 6 spouses and 14 grandchildren. We now number 30 in all.

Progress is taking place at the house, Derek and I worked late into the night Saturday night to finish the bathroom floor. The job turned out to take us a lot longer than we had originally planned for (what is so unusual about that, you say) because the concrete backer board took quite a while to measure and get cut out. The progress is nice but aching backs and joints are the price we are paying today for this work. I am glad I don’t have to work tonight.

We had a family get-together tonight and got a chance to wish Kent Seal and Mary Ann Parsons a happy birthday. Since they have both been living a long ways away from us (and from each other) it was really fun to have them together with their families. The family is getting so large now that it is difficult to plan things with so many diverse schedules and with family members living so far from each other.

We look forward with anticipation the changes in the world that spring brings every year to our part of the country. With spring comes the promise of new life including beautiful flowers and new leaves on the trees, green hillsides, family gardens, and weeds. The weeds represent the things we need to take care of in our lives that would possibly otherwise “take over” and change our direction or our appearances and circumstances to something other than what we might have chosen ourselves. Let’s be diligent about keeping order in the things we do to keep ourselves on the pathway we want to follow.

David and Tamara and their family will be visiting for a few days this week as they come to pay their respects to his grandfather who passed away recently, and participate in his funeral services. We extend our condolences to his family and are saddened by their loss. We will be happy to see them and hope we can find some time to do a few things together while they are here for a short time. It was very fun having Devin and Emily and their family here, in addition to Robyn and Eric and their girls during the Christmas holidays.

We also look forward every spring to General Conference and the stirring spiritual messages we anticipate receiving at the hands of those who will be participating in Conference. We hope everyone will take the opportunity to be uplifted by the positive and inspiring counsel and guidance given at the conference proceedings.

We visited the Draper Utah temple today with Devin and Emily and their family, and Grandma Hill. It was a beautiful experience. The photo shown here is from http://www.ldschurchtemples.com, where photos of all of the LDS Temples may be seen and downloaded for your enjoyment.

The peace and beauty inside represent the love we have for our Savior whose house it is, as well as His love for us and that of our Father in Heaven for all of His children. The intricate detail and fine craftsmanship of everything in the temple was breathtaking. If you get a chance to go to the open house you really need to see this beautiful edifice. The public tours end on March 4. Don’t miss it!

We are so blessed to be grandparents, it is great fun! We don’t get to see some of them very often so when they do come it is extra special. Here are a few photos from their last visit. They are now visiting other relative for a few days but will be back this weekend. We can hardly wait!

Oh January 28, 1949 Oscar Hendriksen and Dorothy Kennard were married in the Salt Lake Temple. Dad says he had a car that was a convertible and they had snow on their laps. They have seen many things throughout their lives and we are grateful they are still with us. Congraulations on 60 wonderful years! We look forward to celebrating with you soon. This is the time of your lives to enjoy your progeny and try to leave the worry and stress of life to others while go through the twilight season of your lives. We love you!

This has been one of the colder winters we have had for a long time. We have seen more snow than we have seen since the 2002 Olympics, and that year it snowed in December and January but not in February until a few days before the Olympics began. The snow came this year with a vengeance. Someone we know prayed for a white Christmas; well that prayer was certainly answered! We have the remains of that white Christmas still on the lawns and roofs, but most has been removed from the streets and sidewalks.

The change of seasons is a beautiful thing that we enjoy in the mountainous parts of the country while those near the coasts enjoy their own version of the changes of season with temperate climates that are much the same most of the year. This year we had a beautiful autumn that lasted several weeks instead of days as it has in recent memory. This new year we look forward with hope that the issues we face will be overcome somehow by those daring to invest in the future of our country and in the talents and skills of the people of the country. We are grateful to have so many friends and neighbors that display kindness and patience. Would that more of us might take that example to heart and be the kind of people we would like to befriend ourselves.

We hear that we are going to once again add to the list of our grandchildren this coming fall, as Charlotte and Andrew announce that they are expecting parents. The excitement of this announcement is tempered by the health concerns of Grandma Hill, for whom we pray daily and hope she feels better. Also Grandpa and Grandma Hendriksen are in our prayers as Grandma can no longer fill her role as one of our parents, but is now is as a child and must be taken care of very carefully. We remember each of you including Buzz and Susan with your health concerns. There are others including sisters and brothers who have difficulties in their lives. Oh, how we long for you to know we are concerned for you and pray for your deliverance from your difficulties! The coming Spring is looked forward to more than it has been for many years, as the renewal and promise of a brighter future it represents comes to be a part of our environment. Be well everyone!