Happy Birthday Zuster Israelsen

Dear Sister Israelsen,   Well, what a week. This week Colorado has received about 15 inches of rain. this is more rain than we have ever had in recorded history of colorado. It has caused a whole bunch of damage in different towns. Lyons (a town on the way to Estes Park) is pretty much gone, it have been flooded out and most of the homes are either gone or damaged. Longmont has been flooded like you wouldnt believe. Next is Greely, they have so much water. the news said that 19,000 homes have been damaged and around 5000 homes are gone. Its hard to explain all the damage thoughout the state. We have had roads closed not to far from us that have been flooded. Even some of the towns around Denver have had a lot of flooding, like Aurora. We have had such a dry summer this was a real shock. it have rained for the past 6 days and its not done yet. now it stops for a few hours and then all of the sudden we get another big heavy rain.   This week I had a big sales meeting at my office. they brought all the sales people and customer service people to Lakewood. There were about 50 of us. My company just seems to keep growing. I was presented a "major award"! ooooohhhhhh, right? Not really, I have had so many differences from my boss that this award was a "major surprise". Oh well, I'll take what ever I can get.   I had an amazing missionary experience this week and it is on going. One of the Ladies in my office has been really sick with Pancreatic cancer and she has been going through Chemo and radiation therapy. It really drags her down. She is a little order, about 63, and she is small to begin with. She has lost about 30 pounds, not sure where she lost it because she was pretty small to begin with. Anyway, she is Catholic and she was telling about her trials and I just offered to give her a priesthood blessing. I told her about the Priesthood and that she could receive a blessing if she wanted. That was a couple of weeks ago, well on Tuesday, she pulled me aside and asked if she could have that blessing. So I arranged to do it on Thursday. I told her that I was going to invite the missionaries in that area and would come over after work. Well, she called me on thursday and she was having complications and needed to go to the doctor for more tests but we are going to do the blessing this week some time. I found out that one of her daughters is a Mormon. So I will let you know how it goes next week.    I cant believe that you 22! it seems just like yesterday that you were bouncing on my knee and just learning how to walk. Boy how time flies. Speaking of time, you are just about down to the last 6 months of your mission. You need to do everything that you can because the time will fly. I remember my last 6 months and it went so fast. I really just want to wrap my arms around you and give you big hug. So, give you companion a big hug, not too ackward and let her know that was from me to you. I am so proud of you! You have been an awsome example to me and I am inspired by you. Keep up the good work!    I Love you, I Love you, I Love you!   Happy Birthday!   Dad

Happy Birthday Zuster!  What a lucky thing to have your birthday land on your P-Day! I hope your do something really fun today! Did you get our card? Grandma Gail sent a note with $100 in it for your birthday and mission. We put it in your account so buy something you need or something fun or something you want! :) Eat yummy food and enjoy the day!  I sent you the picture from our pond and will send you a few more from the flooding. It is amazing what is happening here. There are 1200 people now who are unaccounted for and 17,000 homes that have been damaged or destroyed. It is simply stunning and devastating. It is still raining now. Boulder and Jeffco schools are canceled tomorrow and they have closed Huron from 120-144 for deep flooding and they had to do a water rescue today. Church was cancelled after Sacrament Meeting to send people home when Broomfield police asked that people get off the roads. The water is now heading towards the plains and Nebraska and they are all seeing flooding and problems. I am sure that the missionaries will get to help people with the clean up.  Rachel wrecked the Honda this week in the neighborhood. She ran into the neighbors rock and landscaping and popped the tire and took off the front bumper. She drove the car home when she couldn't get Dad or I on the phone (on the tire rim). As Dad and I drove in, she was in the driveway crying and standing by her car and a police car drove in behind us. They went back to the house where she ran in to the rock and they told her that she would have to pay for the rocks to be returned and the light replaced. The policeman told her that she should never leave the scene of an accident. She was lucky because the homeowner didn't press charges and the policeman didn't give her a ticket but she is going to have to pay for the landscaping and the car to be fixed. Meanwhile, Dad is driving her to school after seminary and she has to get up and leave early with him. What a crazy day! She was on her way to a haircut that we have been trying to get her into since June... I went downtown on Wednesday to PBS for training with my Super School News Team and then to the State Department of Education to testify about Common Core Standards and their use in the classroom. It was very nerve wracking but interesting.  Tuesday night, I had DPAC down at Yale and Monacco so I am a little tired of driving around Denver!  We have had a quiet weekend - finally! It was nice to read and enjoy the rain until it started to get a little scary today. We just got off the phone with Jake who had fun with Homecoming week this week. He sounds a little stressed about Calc Class. His calling is taking quite a bit of time too.  Take Care Little Megan and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! I love you, Mom p.s. I finally got a hold of someone from Piano street and was able to cancel your account and they took 3 months worth of charges off your account... Sent from my iPad