Dorothy

Sunday, March 11, 2012
Dear Family,

Happy Birthday to Ariane!!! Our baby is 19 years old. I can hardly believe how the time has flown. It seems like yesterday when she was born. It’s good that this earth life is but “a small moment” and we’ll have an eternity together.

I’m so thankful for a loving Heavenly Father whose plan is for families to enjoy a life with our family not only now on this earth, but forever.

I’ve enjoyed visiting with Mom, taking her to her eye doctor appointments, and seeing the progress she’s been making. It was a happy day to finally get her new glasses last week. Dr. Brockbank warned her that her vision would never be perfect because of all the things that are going on with her eyes due to her age (glaucoma, wet and dry macular degeneration), but would improve once the cataract was removed. At first Mom didn’t think her vision would improve but hoped it would. Since the surgery she’s always telling me how things are brighter. Now, since getting her glasses, she says she can see the mountains, buildings, etc.…. But she’ll tell you it isn’t perfect, because the letters aren’t as sharp as she’d like them to be, but better (just as the doctor
predicted).

Daniel and Heather are back into play-acting again and it’s been fun for us to see them perform. The last half of January and the beginning of February they had parts in the same play called “Why I Am a Bachelor” at the community theater in Lindon. All during this month in March, Daniel plays the part of Jonathan in “Backstage” at the same place (see valleycenterplayhouse.com). Alan and I went to see it and found it was surprisingly a lot of fun. I’m sure anyone who has ever been in a play would relate to what goes on in that play. Heather will be in the musical “My Friend Pinocchio” at the Orem Scera during April and May.

We started something new in our family this year. Since our children (except for our missionaries) all live within an hour of us, we decided to start having Family Home Evenings once a month so we could get them all together a little more often. It’s been great. I’m so glad Jason suggested it and that we’re doing it. Tomorrow night it will be combined with a birthday party for Ariane. Our kids love being together but they’re all so busy like we all are, so it is nice for them to have a reason to see each other at the same time, even for just an evening.

For three weeks in a row, the Oquirrh Mountain Temple was closed for maintenance. It was nice not to have to get up so early on those three Saturdays, but we were sure glad to get back to serving there again yesterday. We love the way we feel when we we’re there and how it sets the tone for Sunday. We’re proud of Penny for being a temple worker at the Provo Temple which she just started doing a month ago.

In the last Lingo I said that Penny was working on her last semester. I was wrong. She has internship hours that she needs to get in as well as a few more classes, so graduation for her won’t be until December. She just did start those internship hours with an unexpected recommendation from a teacher. With all of that plus her part time job, she is very busy.

Marcus has been enjoying St Austell in Cornwall, England, his new area since January. He and his companion had a car for a very short period of time. Then it was needed somewhere else in the mission more. Now they have the challenge of covering a large area on foot or expensive public transportation. Kevin wasn’t transferred until just last week to his second area since leaving the MTC. I hope to learn more about it in his next letter.

We look forward to reading your letters and learning about what’s been going on with you and your families.

Love from the Tomlinsons!
~Dorothy