The Oregon Tail

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

PROPHETIC SUPPORT FOR A MODERN CAMPOUT

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DREAMS and VISIONS IN THE LAST DAYS

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Monday, February 9, 2015

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Monday, January 26, 2015

THE WORDS WE USE, USE US... DECLARATIONS 2015

Mount Washington, Oregon

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Sunday, December 14, 2014

CHRISTMAS GREETINGS, AROUND THE WORLD

Francis' in Taiwan, Argentina, England, Ireland and Bend Oregon

Francis’ Go Foreign - 2014

Have you heard? Americans could be living on Mars in 2016. Haven’t ventured that far from the planet yet, but we have broadened our view of this beautiful world and covered some foreign ground. Like bitty grains of sand at the beach, “Those Francis’, they’re everywhere.”

While the kids have wandered far, Brett and I are manning the home front in Bend Oregon. This week, picture us on the icy planet Hoth from Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back. Blanketed by ice and evermoving snow drifts, we secure the Echo base shield generator each night once everyone is accounted for… Yep, it’s cold up here, and not even taun tauns can survive outdoors. Remember last week when Brett woke up with his feet frozen to the ceiling of that wampa’s ice cave? #closecall #jedipowerforever

Lauren and Dal (26) set up the first foreign family outpost in Bracknell England before the new year began. On weekends they canvassed the British Isles & continental Europe. They’re home in Provo now preparing for their next adventure, MBA school.

Tanner (24) reconnected with his Irish roots working in Dublin last summer. He climbed the cliffs of Moher (aka. The Cliffs of Insanity) ate his fill at the Greedy Goose, tuned in to rugby, hurling (an ancient Celtic field game in which 30 spirited Irishman enthusiastically run around a field hurling a hard leather ball at eachother at roughly 100 mph) and other “Class” pursuits. He came home using Irish phrases like “banjaxed,” “bunk off” and “What’s the craik?” He’s in the final stretch of undergrad work in Business Management Finance at BYU.

Megan (21) returned in August from Argentina, with a testimony of Jesus Christ burning in her heart and a mug of Yerba Mate warming her hand. You don’t wanna miss homemade empanada night with Meg. !Que rico! She’s applying to both Accounting & Finance at BYU, with a lil’ harp on the side.

Nate (19) finally arrived in Taipei Taiwan in October to immerse in Chinese culture as he’s longed for since…well since birth. Always one for the bizarre but delectable, he’s sampled several kinds of dragonfruit, milkfish dumplings, Tsong Tse (Chinese Tamales) and most recently, pigs blood soup -a gelatinous blood mass in oil with boiled onions for garnish (molto no bueno, he says). It’s Chinese food and fellowship to exceed his fondest dreams.

Lynley (16) stretched her wings and flew…to London with Mom and Nate, for a fabulous 10 days exploring the unknown. After 3 days she was no stranger to the streets and began directing lost tourists to their desired destinations. (Say what?) She loves hostessing at a fine Thai restaurant downtown.

Isaac (14) is dabbling in foreign studies at school: Spanish, AP Geography and teenage girls. Talk about foreign experience, check this. Isaac was interviewed for a yearbook segment on “Guys with Style”. I know, right? Thanks to Lynnie’s mentoring, he is looking strangely dapper these days.

Joslyn (12) has entered the alien world of middle school. Unrattled by the locker thing, changing classes, clipping through homework or running her way through Fall she’s praying for just a few more snow days…’cause you can never catch too much air on those sledding jumps she & the bros make.

Alex (9) may have been responsible for ‘foreign’ objects appearing at the bottom of our breakfast cereal bowls. Airsoft BB’s look and feel a lot like dried currents, only a little less digestible. Next to airsoft strategy, he’s a closet detective and deep thinker. When Meg returned from South America he mused that “now that she’s home, we get to unlock the mystery of what ACTUALLY happened to her while she was gone.” Indeed.

Ethan (7) – Ethan's no stranger to the power of affirmation. He and Tanner were pillow fighting against everyone else one night. And in the heat of battle, Ethan screamed out this encouragement to Tanner. “You can do it! You’re a missionary!” Fulltime missionaries, whether current or returned have phenomenal cosmic power. This we know. They know for whom they stand, and with whom they’re allied. And that their mission cannot fail.

Wherever you are this Christmas season, you’re no stranger or foreigner to Him whose birth we honor. May your road be long, only when traveled with good company. And may you have the Holy Spirit, the most favorable company of all, as your travel companion, always.

Merry Christmas,

The Francis Family

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

MAYBE I SHOULD BE PREPPING THE TURKEY...

What do you get when you let a small group of girls out of the house for just an hour on a sunny Saturday?

You get,

SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL!

That's what.

Introducing Kristin and the Mount Bachelorette's.

She's the legit singer, so we called it that.

This is what middle aged mom's do when no one's looking.

Or when the Relief Society Pres. asks for a showstopping number that gets everyone up on their feet.

We sing "Lean On Me" ... with voices. Yes, it's a limited repertoire, but you gotta start somewhere.

The first verse was mine...

It's really low, cause it's a man's part.

None of the men we auditioned could fit into this ponytail.

So, there I am.

" I'll be your friend.... I'll help you 'CARRY ON' "...like a socially repressed housewife, alright!

This is why I blog.

Open for bookings while they last.

Don't know how much longer this much moxie can remain a stable compound.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Love,

Jonell

(aka, 'We still love you Mom',

'Hey Thin and Beautiful',

'You look real good in Gold',

...anything else affirming like that)

This post will self-destruct any moment

From sheer awesomeness.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrvOCYgQhDU

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

A MAN TO MATCH OUR MOUNTAINS...

Remember that awkward young adult phase looking for 'the one', half loving the thrill of the dating game, and half despairing of ever finding the perfect fit? At 21, I claimed with a loud voice that I would find someone I could follow. Someone with the strength, character and competance to inspire my total trust.

When it comes to high places and all things related, I trust Brett with my life. I've found this year that many of you have spanned that same tremulous gap, with only Brett's calm, encouraging voice to talk you through it -- the gap between 'I think I'm gonna die' and 'this is so crazy it just might work'. But oh, what a view from up there.

Happy Birthday today to my Mountain Man.

...Collector of outerwear, Boots in all their varieties and high altitude Summits. Climbing Instructor, Mountain Guide, Inspirational mentor, Young Men's leader forever, Husband, Father, Superstar. You inspire us all to Climb Higher!