Our Mission: Mobile Mouse Maternity

“AutoMouseMultiplication”  

by Rea C. Whicker

(A true story, from our Cove Fort mission days!)

This is how it works, at least from the viewpoint of Molly Mouse: True story.

First, you find a very nice, clean automobile. One that has an owner who cleans EVEN THE ENGINE when he washes his car. This owner has just recently done that very thing, and the engine is almost clean enough to use for a picnic table! Actually, it IS clean enough -- just has a few too many bumps to be practical.

Secondly, you search for a space approximately 6 inches long and 3 or 4 inches wide, that is completely safe, warm but not too hot, tight but still has enough airflow for your new little family to survive. Aha! There it is -- a small, comfortable compartment just under the air flow ducts that allow air into the people part of this automobile. The weather is still cool a lot of the time, so there surely won't be TOO much cold air flowing there for TOO many minutes at a time. PERFECT!

Now, we have the building lot. Let's see, what materials shall we use for the house itself? We'll need at least 200 small sticks, from one to three inches in length, to give it stability. Whew! That took awhile. We need to hurry, because the mommy is getting close to her due date! Oh, look, there's something soft on the underneath side of the top of this big engine's roof! I wonder if I could get my teeth into that? Hmmmmmmmm...

Voila! It is just right! We'll only need to tear the covering off of about 24 square inches or so, and dig into the soft stuff underneath! Wow, it is WARM and SOFT and CUDDLY! Easier to get down through the vent holes than the sticks were....

Weaving, pulling, pushing, weaving................there, finished! Now, I need to rest before this little one comes.

What's that noise? OH, NO, the engine is starting! I wonder if we really will be safe? This is really scary!

The wind is blowing through here, but it isn't cold yet, thank goodness. Hey, watch those bumps! I'm a bit big to be bounced around right now!

Wow, that was a short ride. I think they got out. Maybe I can have some peace now.

(6 1/2 hours later) Ah-h-h-h, that was a great nap! It's a good thing, I think the little ones are coming!

The engine again??? Why can't they leave a girl alone in her hour of travail? OK, hang on, maybe this will be a short ride like the last one.

It was! These people sure do move a little distance at a time! You'd think they'd just let me be and WALK if it's going to be that short distance!
__________

Oh, sweetie, you are such a little doll! Just look at that beautiful grey hair and cute tail! I'll be glad when you open your eyes and look at me! I can't wait 'til your Grandma sees you! We'll just stay in our cozy little home until you get a little stronger and I feel a bit more rested.
___________

My, you are hungry so much of the time! You eat every few minutes it seems. You gonna be a beeg stronga boy? I bet you are!

Oh, oh........what's that funny noise. It's not the engine. Oh, my, they opened the roof! The sun is SO bright it hurts my eyes. Hey, put it back down! There's a baby eating here and I want him to go to sleep so I can catch a nap. What are you doin'?

He's pulling some big long thing away from the glass above me. Then he drops it back onto the glass! SO NOISY. I can see him now. He sure is funny looking. He has a little bit of hair, but it isn't pretty grey like mine and the baby's. He has something shiny on top of his head......oh, maybe that's the sunshine reflecting! Hope he doesn't see me down here. I'm keeping an eye on him.

Ugh! I think he's looking at me! I'll hold really still.....maybe he won't see me here.

Ohmigosh! He's taking my roof with the holes in it away..........what will I do? Hey, babe, wake up, we may have to make a quick getaway here.......Mortimer, did you hear me? We may need to RUN! ARE YOU DEAF, KID?

Well, I looked straight into his eyes, and now he's reaching down in here, so here we go! Hang on, kiddo! We gotta find our way outa here! 

*************

The next chapter shall never be known by human beans. The little mommy, with her babe hanging on to his feeding tube for all he was worth, found their way out of the car and off across the field, with Grandpa looking on in complete surprise.

Well, the above story is the prologue of my visit to the Dr., which is explained in the rest of this letter.  We very well could have been exposed to the Hanta Virus through that little experience, so we are checking it out.  I've been pretty much in pain for a couple of weeks, with the exception of one or two days.  The little mouse nest was right in the air conditioning vent, so when we turned the AC on, we got the airborne dust from the urine and feces of the mice right in our faces.

Great Gma & Gpa's Home Sweet Home

Father's Day Poem from Benj

Daddy Flying over House

June 7, 2011

Whicker-Wide Photo Album

Please remember that Glenn has created a photo site for ALL family-wide activities.  We can post photo's of our family reunions, gatherings, campouts...so that all of us can access and enjoy them!  Thanks, Glenn!

To view the photos, go to  http://picasaweb.google.com/108326893341501531188

If you have pictures to upload & share, go to the above URL, then sign in as wikr@earthlink.net.  (You will need to text Ry @ 801-529-4102, email Glenn, or call G'ma for the password, as this blog is viewable by all.  But a text only takes a second!)

Family Party Planning

We did the scheduling of this party so that those who are in school could come during their days off of school.  However, we still ran into problems with the ones who were working.  We could do it on a weekend in another year, since Christmas and New Year's Day are not always on Saturday.  Here are some pros and cons about when and where to have our next get together.  Jeff has suggested that we just have a one day get together on an annual basis rather than try for a three day reunion every five years or so.  Please let us know what you think?  If you have date preferences, let us know about those,

Seeing Through A Glass Darkly

Dearest Family All:

I recently learned a valuable lesson as I read the other day, I believe it was Daniel Peterson in the Mormon Times. I have often pondered the scripture involved, (Corinthians 13) but it has stayed with me more forcefully because of Bro. Peterson’s treatise of the meaning of verse 12 in that chapter. My perception of what he was trying to say was this:

When Paul talks of "seeing through a glass darkly", most of us think of just not having the understanding we need in order to see things clearly. But Bro. Peterson explained that he thinks it is pretty plain that there is more to it than that. The whole of chapter 13 is devoted to the superiority of charity above all other gifts; indeed it makes it clear that if we have ALL those other great, great gifts named there, but do NOT have charity, we are nothing at all! Then, in verse 11, he moves to the contrast between childish understanding and mature understanding.....then comes verse 12:

"For now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face:

now I know in part; but then shall I know even as I also am known."

He then closes the chapter by referring once again to the greatest gift....charity.

Bro. Peterson says that in the Hebrew language, the word they used for 'glass' actually meant closer to mirror. That made very good sense to me when finishing the sentence..."then shall I know even as I also am known"! For me, that changes the focus of the whole idea; now I understand that I am not seeing through a glass darkly pertaining to knowledge in general, but rather I am seeing through a mirror darkly -- in other words, I do not see myself accurately -- however, THEN shall I know myself even as I am known!

My thoughts continued on to connect the subject of the whole chapter, charity, in correlation to knowing myself as I am known. I can't really even explain exactly how I got there, but my conclusion was (and I believe Bro. Peterson indicated this also) that I desire to obtain the gift of charity AND use that gift to help others to know fully who they really are, as they are known by their Heavenly Father.

It has truly given me a much more meaningful perception of charity itself, as well as greater understanding of how well our Heavenly Father knows each one of us.

Love to all, forever.

Mom/Gma/Rea

Family Memories Entries Please!

OK, here's the important section of this letter, for those of you who get bored or antsy taking the time to read my letters!

I need your help for a 2012 project. I would like to give all of you a subject each month and request that you write a short story (or long if you wish) about that subject. (Of course, if you don't want to do this, that's fine.)

For instance, for January, the subject is FIRST DATE

This could be about your very first date with anyone, including all it's painful awkwardness and possibly the phone call that led up to it or whatever is embarrassing, funny, tragic, stupid, tense, etc., etc.

OR, it could be about your first date with your spouse. (It would be fun to have the two daters write about the same date and see the different perspectives!)

Please be as descriptive and thorough in your explanations as possible.

OR, if you are below dating age, write about who you would like to go out with and what he/she is like!

I'll assign the subject each month, probably send you the other 11 months all at once sometime during this month. They won't all be funny........like one of them will have to do with where you were, what you were doing, and what your first thoughts were when you heard about 9/11.

I will be the editor and send each of you an ebook with all the stories at the end of the year. If we all like it like I think we will, then we will continue in 2013 and beyond.

 

The deadline will just be the last day of each month. If you don't make it in time, it may not be put in the 2011 edition!

****************************************************************************************************

We will continue in 2012 with our book project if we all enjoy it, not in 2013 as stated. When I re-read my letter, it sounds like this is a project we will start in 2012 instead of that being the year the first book would be ready! Actually, I am hoping to have it ready for Christmas of 2011. We start THIS month! I am excited!

Love, Mom

Whicker Winter Family Party 2010

On the VERY snowiest, windiest, most dangerous night of the century (in Kaysville, at least) the Whickers held a family party. If you weren't there, you really missed some fun, but if you didn't feel good about driving in that storm, you most likely missed some UN-fun, so congratulations! We sure did miss all of you who couldn't come. We had 35 there, which is approximately half of what it would be if everyone came!

Actually, I was worried about all of you coming and going, and felt pretty relieved when everyone was home safely. It took Rachael and Brooks 45 minutes to get from Farmington to Kaysville because of the wrecks and visibility.

We felt especially bad for out little Ethan, as he was sick last fall when we did a party, and didn't get to come at the last minute even though he had been SO excited.....then Weds. he was excited again, but his wise father and mother didn't feel it would be a good idea to go out in that blizzard. I heard it was even worse in West Haven, where they live.

Anyone who took pictures that night, please put them on the website that Glenn wrote about. I especially want to see them!

We did the scheduling of this party so that those who are in school could come during their days off of school. However, we still ran into problems with the ones who were working. We could do it on a weekend in another year, since Christmas and New Year's Day are not always on Saturday. Here are some pros and cons about when and where to have our next get together. Jeff has suggested that we just have a one day get together on an annual basis rather than try for a three day reunion every five years or so. Please let us know what you think? If you have date preferences, let us know about those.

Christmas!

Dear Ones:

I hope everyone had a very joyful time celebrating the birth of our

Savior.

The Halls came over Christmas eve afternoon  and brought gifts.  They are

such fun!  Ryanne had spent many many hours making a beautiful album for

me for  my birthday with pictures of me as a baby and gradually

progressing to a grey haired old lady!  It is really a nice one, and I

can't wait for the rest of you to see it.   Paytie had me polish her

fingernails and then she polished mine!  Good thing it was clear polish,

because my knuckles wouldn't look too good in  red!

We had fun at Rea Jo and David's house Christmas Eve.  We had their names

this year, so we went over and took pizza to add to their other goodies,

and ate with them.  Then we opened the gifts from them to us and from us

to them.  Rea Jo suggested we each give the receiver of our gifts a wish

for the coming year, and that was fun.  Amazing thing-- RJ wished I

would be headache free (I can't remember if she said all year or what)

but anyway I was TOTALLY headache free on Christmas Day, which hasn't

happened for a very long time! It was wonderful!

Christmas Day we spent visiting, then when we came home, Fred came over

and spent some time with us, which was GREAT!  We haven't been able to

spend that much time talking to him for such a long time!  Penny and her

Mother had gone  to her sister's in SLC for a quilting project, so he

didn't have to get back home or  anything.   It was a great Christmas

present for us!  Jeff, Lynda, Christopher and Michael came over while

Fred was  here and they were all so glad to get to visit with  him, too.

They brought us some of their wonderful Christmas dinner, which we really

enjoyed,  as we hadn't had much but junk snacks for lunch!

PARTY

I want to let you know that the Glenn Whicker fam will with us!

I would like to try doing our Minute to win it party a little differently

this time.  I think it would be fun to have all of us watching when

anyone is doing a game.  I also would like for the little kids to be able

to compete within their own peer group as much as possible.  Soooo,

here's an idea:

These are the age groups of the little ones that I think will be there (I

haven't heard from all of  them yet, so I may be wrong)

Besides the tiny babies, we have:

2 18 month olds (Chloe and Ella)

3 2 yr. olds (Aubree, Sierra, Jaycee)

2 3 yr. olds (Sophie and Payton)

2 4 yr. olds (Lexi and Addie)

2 5 yr. olds (Kayden and Ethan)

I want the little kids to have their time in the spotlight, and I want to

watch all of them, so what do you think about having a game that all 5 of

the youngest could attempt together, the the 5 that are 3 and 4 years old

do one together, and let Kayden and Ethan compete against each other in

some kind of a relay race, etc.  We could do all of them,and then divide

up into teams for the adults to play.

I believe we will have quite a number of adults and young people there,

so I hope that we can have each team pick one person to do each game to

represent their team, and have about 8 games.  We will pick the teams

when we get there, as it depends on how many of us there are.  When those

games are done, then we could  do like we did last time and have a free

for all, letting everyone try any game they want to all at the same time.

To do this, I would like to request that parents of one of the youngest 5

prepare a game for that group, parents of the 3-4 year olds prepare a

game for that group, and Benji or Mikelle prepare a game for their two.

As we did last time, everyone please bring a dish of any kind (dessert,

salad, soup, or main dish).

However, since there will be so many of us, I would like to have you

prepare a game if you want to so that we will have at least 8 games

besides the little kids games, but as long as we have 8 we will be good,

so everyone won't HAVE to prepare one.  If we have more than 8, it will

work out fine.

DUPLICATES

Let me know which game you would like  to do just so we won't have

duplicates.  Glenn  & Pam are doing the Kissing Christmas tree

ornament...that's not the official name, but you will know if you've seen

it.  We will have Nut Stacker again.  That's all I know of as of now.

The set up of tables and equipment for games, etc., will begin at 3:30

p.m.   We have the church reserved until 8 p.m.  A lot of people have to

work, so we will plan on eating at 5:30, then  playing games after

cleanup. If anyone wants to bring things that the little kids would enjoy

playing with while we clean up and after they get through with their

games, please do.

We will bring the paper plates, cups, utensils.  I haven't planned any

table decorations, so if someone wants to guide us on that, I would much

appreciate it.  I'll bring whatever you tell me to bring for that!  I

have some garland stuff, etc.   I'm just no good at planning it.  Maybe

we could all just bring a centerpiece?  Does anyone know where to get the

white paper to go on the tables?  PLEASE let me no promptly!

This takes place at our church building about 800 East on 200 North.

Any questions or suggestions, send immediately!

Should be a lot of fun!  See you there!

Love,

Mom/Gma