Marjorie Jean Harnish Comin

We thought we would dedicate our post to our Mom, Grandma, and Great Grandma, Marjorie Jean Comin, since May is the month for honoring our mothers.  We are posting several pictures of Jean (I don’t know what else to call her to avoid confusing people!) and also, Van and Wendy did and interview with Jean in about 2001 covering her childhood through high school or so.  I have compiled a very rough and disjointed history covering Jean and Ed’s dating years to the present with many random thoughts thrown in.  We really should complete Jean’s life history.   She can’t remember much now,  so I thought if we all contribute what we remember ourselves or from stories told when memories were sharper we can get this done together.    

Please post your favorite memory of Grandma Jean on the blog for everyone to enjoy.  

We want your input to the life history (additional details, as well as corrections to what we already have) and also favorite memories of Grandma Jean (perhaps in more detail than in the blog comments)– Either leave a comment or please email your memories to cominfamilynews@gmail.com.  Please submit everything by August 5, 2012 and then we will complete the history by Jean’s birthday Dec. 23, 2012.  I know there are many  talented family members out there who can help us make this an awesome life history for Jean and all of us to enjoy.

Click here to start reading Jo's history of Marjorie Jean Comin Harnish

Click here to read Van and Wendy's interview with her.

Click here to read Tiffany Smathers Rowley's memories of Grandma.

Here are some pictures of Jean and also of the people or things that she mentions in her history!

Jessie Pearl Sibbit Pierce
Jean Comin's Grandmother

Lena Pierce Harnish
Jean Comin's Mother

Lena Harnish with Shirley and Barbara
Jean Comin's Mother and Sisters

Barbara Harnish at the Ranch
Jean Comin's Sister

Jacob Henry and Louella Sparks Harnish and Shirley
Jean Comin's Grandparents and Sister

Jean Comin's Softball Team
Jean is in the middle in the back row.

Dance Photo
Jean is on the right.

Ed and Jean while dating.

Jean on a camping trip.

Ed and Jean with their parents on their wedding day.

Marjorie Jean Harnish Comin

Jean with son Van.

Jean

Ed, Jean, Van, Gayle, Jo, Tod, Emry, and Jenny

Ed and Jean with daughter Mindy

While serving their mission.

Elder Sommer's Latest Letter

Click here to enjoy Elder Sommer's letter from May 7, 2012

The Chad Sundquist Family's Addition

Hi Family! We hope you are all doing well. Things at our house have been a little crazy. On March 9th we welcomed our 5th child, Lucy Paige. She is beautiful. It took a few weeks, but we finally have her (mostly) sleeping thru the night. The other kids all love to hold and snuggle with her and fight over her. We think she is sensitive to milk, so I have been trying to reduce my dairy intake--I didn't realize what a staple in my diet it really is! Its been tricky, but we've seen a vast improvement in Lucy's grumpiness.

Megan has proven quite the little helper with the baby. She even loves to help change diapers. But she is such a little mom--she loves to help clean up toys and do dishes and cook and take care of her baby dolls. She is almost 2, and I think 2 is the most fun age! Its not without its struggles--she can definitely have her "terrible" moments, but it is so fun to see her learn and grow

Claire is 4 now. I have been doing a preschool with some other moms in our ward and that has been great. She is our social butterfly--always looking for a good time. She's going to be the one that goes to school for fun and if she happens to learn something, that's ok. She is taking swim lessons for the first time this summer and is very excited.

Natalie is 7 and getting excited to be baptized in a few months. She loves reading and would rather read a book than just about anything else, especially if its chore time. The biggest exception to that rule is riding her bike. She finally got the hang of a 2-wheeler and loves it! She is playing soccer this spring and has proven herself as a goalie! There was one game where she stopped all kinds of kicks--Chad was so proud.

Caleb is also playing soccer this season. He is glad to be on a team thats actually winning this year--so far they are undefeated. He is doing awesome in school--I don't think his teacher quite knows what to do with him. Caleb will read anything he can get his hands on, and I cannot keep him supplied with new material. I have a feeling we'll be going to the library on a weekly basis this summer, just to keep him occupied. He earned his Wolf in Cub Scouts, and is really enjoying his time in Bears. Caleb is such a good helper around the house--I don't know what I'd do without him.

Chad is also really busy with work and church responsibilities. He is also training for a 30K that he'll be running up in Sheridan in June. This winter he took up snow-shoeing; there was one time when he found himself up to his chest in snow after discovering a hole. But he was able to dig himself out, thankfully.

I have my hands full with taking care of the kids. I really enjoy my calling as a youth Gospel Doctrine teacher. I am also working on sewing some costumes for "Hero day" for the kids. We were really fortunate and had the opportunity to go up to the temple in Billings last month with some friends-- what a great place it is! We love to feel the Spirit of the House of the Lord, and are so grateful for those blessings.

We hope all is well for each of you and look forward to keeping in touch via the new blog. If you're ever in Casper give us a call. The kids love to play with cousins!

Love, Chad, Teri, Caleb, Natalie, Claire, Megan, and Lucy

The Sundquist Update

DON, GAYLE, & DANE

Dear Family,
We thought for our contribution to the Comin Blog that we would share what has and is going on in the Sundquist and Hall households.  Don, I and Dane are pretty boring we have decided.

Don is now serving as one of two teachers for the Gospel Doctrine class. He really does a nice job and is enjoying it. He is getting a lot of good studying time in. I have been called as the Visiting Teaching Coordinator and it is helping me to get to know all of the sisters after so many years in Young Womens, Primary and the Nursery. This will be good for me I know, but I am definitely out of my comfort zone again.

We are trying to catch up on doing a lot of work on our home and yard. We are so thankful for Dane being so willing to help us. He is a good worker and has a lot of knowledge that is coming in handy.

Don and I are blessed to have both his mom and Mom and Dad here in Casper where we can enjoy there company and maybe be able to help them a little since they have done so much for us in our lives and have had such a big impact on who we are today.

We are very blessed to have Chad and Teri and their family living so close to us. We enjoy being able to have dinner with them and to be able to watch the kids grow up. We feel awfully blessed, also, to be so close to the rest of our family--not in miles, but close in touch to where we feel definitely a part of each of their families. We feel like they all go to such great lengths to keep us part of their families.

We love you all and think of you all often. Maybe I should take a lesson from our children and do better to keep in touch with all of you that mean so much to me!
Love,
Don, Gayle and Dane 


 THE HALLS

MaKadie and Tatum just turned two and are as busy as ever. They are 110% girls- the love purses jewelry, dress up, pretend make-up, babies anything that might me remotely considered girly. We just recovered from them being down and out with the dreaded RSV.  We are so glad that they are feeling much better and we are able to enjoy the beautiful weather again.

        Damon is getting ready to finish up school He will finish up this summer. He is currently working for the UW police department in dispatch and is hoping to be able to get on there as an officer in the next couple of months. We are more than ready for him to be done with school. This year he has being doing school during the day and working the midnight shift at work. I know he is ready to be able to catch up on a little sleep and to have a better schedule.

        I am staying busy with the girls and love that I am able to stay home and enjoy them every day. They are learning and growing so much. They definitely keep me on my toes. I have also enjoyed having a little more time to work on some craft projects- I am sure Damon doesn’t enjoy that as much as I do but it is fun none the less. It has also been nice to take off with the girls and go visit grandma and grandpa whenever we want-  If you can’t tell I am completely sold on being a stay at home mom.  I am just as exhausted at the end of the day but so rewarding.

We love you all and hope you are all doing well. 

Love the Halls

**Note from the Editor:  To see and of the pictures larger, just click on the photo and it will open larger in a new window.



MARYLAND SUNDQUISTS

Just a quick rundown on our goings on: We have had tons of change in our lives lately. Dirk was medically retired from the Air Force because of his arthritis and the rest of his autoimmune disorders; he has began a new job as a government civilian, still teaching Arabic; we are purchasing a home; and Dirk was called as bishop. Any one of these things by itself would have been significant, but all of these together have been interesting. We are excited about all the changes, though, and feel very blessed.

During the week between Dirk's retirement and his new job (which conveniently coincided with the kids' Spring Break), we drove up to Niagara Falls (that's where our attached picture was taken). On the way back home, we went through Palmyra, New York. It was great. We went to Palmyra several years ago with Mom and Dad, but this time were able to take in a few sites that we missed last time: the printing press where the first Book of Mormon were printed, and the Whitmer Farm, where the Church was re-established.

We love and miss you all.

-The Maryland Sundquists

Here are some pictures of the other families.  First we have Nick and Emily's family...

And Chad and Teri's family (minus Lucy)...

And lastly we have some pictures of Kurt and Jen's kids.  First is Inara....

Then Reuben and Thatcher...

And finally, one of Thatcher a little more grown up...

Thanks so much to the Sundquist family for their updates and pictures.  We love to see and hear about your families!

Elder Sommer's Letters April 23 & 30

April 23, 2012

Dear Family,

How are you all doing? It is great to hear from all of you again. Just to answer some questions it is still hot here and will continue to be hot here for the next few months, we are in summer now, but Bangalore is one of the nicest places to be. My companion Elder Chelladurai is from Chennai, he is a great Elder and has taught me many great things. I will be staying in Bangalore for the next 3 months because transfers came this week, and I found out that I will be training a new Elder in my area. Which is quite a daunting of an assignment because I just barely this week finished my training, but I am excited and know that with the Lord's help that I can accomplish all that the lord would have me do.

This week has been good we found another family in our area, who is progressing very well, and we are continuing our work with the family that we found last week. We are hoping that May will be a big month for us in our area. I am excited that Annalee and Camille went to the Spring Fling dance and had a fun time. That's awesome that Anna will be working at Snoasis, and I am so happy that Camille is going into E.S. it will be the best class that you have ever had. Kent sounds like you had fun having air soft wars and helping with the apartments. Laura sounds like you are having lots of fun with Nats, and that is awesome that you saw some dear and a moose. Brenen thanks for your prayers, I know that you and kent will be great missionaries. Dad sounds like you have been very busy with work, and with trying to get the field all disked and planted and harrowed, along with burning the ditches. I can't believe anna is graduating and that you will all have summer vacation soon.

Next week I will really try to send some pictures as you all know I am not to good with computers and the computers and internet here really make it fun. But this week has been amazing, we have had many good lessons, and through prayers have found new investigators this week. I love you all so much and think of each of you and the wonderful blessing all of you are in my life, I was reading in the April Liahona and I read the talk by Elder Bednar on The Atonement and the Journey of Mortality" It is an amazing talk especially as i have pondered how the Atonement has enabled me in my life. I would encourage you all to read that talk and to think of its implications in our family. Especially pay attention to Nephi's words. I love you all so much thanks for you love and prayers. Thanks Dad for the poems thte only other one I really want is teh one about the tree (the Forest King) May the Lord bless you. Please congratulate Benson and Sebb, and say hi to all the elders that have come home from our ward.

Oh and tell Uncle Jared happy birthday, I think it is in April

Love,

Elder Sommer

April 30, 2012

Dear Family,

So good to hear from all of you again. Sorry that some of you got sick and were not feeling well. The work here has been great My new Companions name is Elder Oraon he is from Visak, and came from the MTC this week so I will be training him for the next three months, he is a great Elder and has a great desire to serve, we are really trying to work hard, to help our investigators to make the decision to enter the waters of baptism. Some times the work here is hard, because often times, even when we teach very simply I worry that because of the language barrier our investigators do not understand completely what we are teaching them. But I am so grateful for the Spirit which has the power to bear witness to the hearts of the truth of what we are teaching. I gain a great deal of strength from Paul's words in Philippians 4:13 where he says I can do all things with Christ who strengthens me. I truly feel that I can do all things with his help, and I am truly humbled and so grateful for his love and guidance. I have felt the Spirit so strongly this past week especially as I have bore my personal testimony that Jesus is the Christ, and that he loved us each enough to offer his life a ransom for each and every one of us who has, now does, or ever will live on this earth. I have felt the love of our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ so much this week, especially as we have taught one sister whose husband has died and she is raising two young sons, the oldest who has something a kin to Multiple Sclerosis. As we walk in their door every time I seem to hear the words of our Savior from third Nephi where he said "Behold Your Little Ones."  This little family has such faith, and such a belief in the power of prayer, they have truly strengthened my testimony, and made me even more grateful for the wonderful family that I also have. I am so grateful for the enabling power of the Atonement,and for the power that it gives us to move forward even when all seems hopeless, In Preach My Gospel it says that thru the Atonement of Jesus Christ all that is unfair about life can be made right. I am so grateful for this wonderful little Family that we are teaching and I am especially moved by their love of God, that even though hard times have come to their lives they have put their trust in him, and they know that he has never forsaken them. I feel this same strength in my life, and as I look at our family, I know the Lord has given us the strength to accept his will in our lives. And I am especially thankful for each of you and all that you have taught me by words and examples, I here your words in my mind often, especially Dads, who said in his own testimony the words of the Savior that I quoted above. Know that I love you all so much and pray for you continually, I invite you all to really make prayer a meaningful thing, really speak to our heavenly father and I promise that if we listen he will always speak back. We just have to learn how to recognize his answers to our prayers. My time is short, but it sounds like you are all working very hard, at work and in school kep up the good work and tell the returning missionaries hi. Also thanks to every one who sent an email. Please wish Grandpa Sommer Happy Birthday, and tell the whole family I love them. I will get to call you all in May sometime I will let you know about the particulars when I find out.

I love you all more than I could ever express in words

Love Elder Sommer