Hi everyone, this is an update about some things that have happened lately in our family. Nick and his family came to visit from June 14 to June 18, 2008 on their way from Hong Kong to Washington DC where he got some training and returned to Iraq in July for one year. Sumei and the kids will live in Hong Kong while he is gone so the kids can stay in their school and not have so many changes. He will be able to visit them for 2 or 3 weeks every 3 months. He is representing the State Department to help with reconstruction of the government there. Brianne's family and Haylee came to visit while they were here. Nate and his wife Hyunjin became first-time parents on June 13, 2008 in Seoul, South Korea with the birth of Yeijee Hannah Larsen. After 36 hours of labor Hyunjin had a C-section. Yeijee (pronounced Yeah-gee) weighed 8 pounds and 6 ounces. On Fathers day, June 15, 2008 Natalie and Nathan Pope got their first son after 3 girls. His name is Skyler Lee Pope. He weighed 6 poounds and 12 ounces. Haylee brought her boyfriend with her from Las vegas where she is working as a public defender. They visited us in Salt Lake and got engaged on June 20, 2008. They plan to marry sometime around next spring, probably April. His name is Kevin Kolkoski and he is a policeman. We like him very much. He and Haylee have both been to Iraq. Brett's wife Aino and their 2 children, Sofia and Josef went to her homeland, Finland in July for 7 weeks so she can see her grandparents and other family who have never seen her children. Brooke and Shaun and Tamara and Ryan moved to California earlier this year. The guys both graduated last December. Rachel and Dustin are still in South Carolina where he is in the Air Force. My sister Joann and her husband Roy came to visit his parents because his mother wasn't doing well. She passed away while they were here. My mother turned 89 on June 21st. We are back in Salt Lake serving at the Family History Library. Life is busy! Love Sister Larsen


Hello again! In July our choruses sang in a program about the pioneers. The speaker waa H. Dean Garrett. He is a patriarch right now. He taught institute for many years. He told the experience of John Moyle who walked to the Salt Lake Temple to help build it, 22 miles on Mondays and back home 22 more miles to Alpine on Fridays. He was kicked in the leg by a cow and his leg was shattered and amputated. He carved himself a new leg and tried it out at home and went a little farther over time until he got over the pain. Then he went back to walking the 22 miles twice a week to help with the temple again. He latter carved the words Holiness to the Lord on the outside of the Salt Lake Temple. Brother Garrett talked about how much the pioneers did and how they led the way for us but that we have our own shoes to fill now in our lives to keep being strong like they were. One of the songs the women sang was called Poineer Lulaby. The words tell about burying a child who had been running the the meadow just the day before. The mother talks about the wagon wheels passing by and leaving the child's body there. But the last verse gives great hope because she knows that she will be able to hold that child again because of the Atonement and resurrection. It was hard to sing because of the emotions it brought. At the end we sang Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing. Hope you had a great pioneer day!


The Osmond family was here to help celebrate the 24 th of July. We were not able to go to their concert but we went to the program Music and the Spoken Word where they were special guests with the Tabernacle Choir. All 9 of the Osmond children lined up across the stage and sang 2 or 3 songs. The 2 deaf brothers were on the outsides doing American sign language. They were born deaf and their father helped the next 4 brothers learn to sing and play instruments to earn money to buy hearing aids for them. I thnk that it was wonderful to include them in the performances. Alan Osmond needed a cane because he has MS. We heard that Donny had sung a song at the 24th performances that he had written. It' called Whenever You're in Trouble. He had gotten a phone call from his son Brandon (Tamara's highschool friend) when Brandon was on his mission and feeling very homesick so Donny wrote the song for him. You can find the lyrics online. President Monson presented each of the 9 children with a plaque because they were celebrating their 50th year in entertainment.