Heber's Blessing

Thank you so much, Kim & Steve, Michelle & John, and Nicole & Theo for coming to Heber's blessing. It is marvelous to feel the love that our family has for us. We sure missed everyone else (but understand completely), especially Grandma and Grandpa.

We love you all!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

WE, IN THE WEST INDIES MISSION, MET OUR GOAL OF 2008 BAPTISMS IN 2008.

The final count was 2012.

History: 2006 - 601 baptisms
2007 - 1027 baptisms

Christmas Memory

Michelle invited us to post memories, so here is a great memory from our Christmas last year. Enjoy our own special Christmas Pageant.



And here is part 2.

Skype Info

Mom and Dad are on Skype and you can catch them when they are online. It provides a nice way to do a full screen video chat. We were able to have a Skype call with them when we were in the hospital after Heber's birth and they were able to see him. It was so cool.

Skype is free. You download it from www.skype.com. You have to create an account. Then you can add friends. My skype name is bar33byu. I'm not on very frequently, mostly only when I'm looking for Mom and Dad. You can look up their skype name which is georgeandevar. I think they will have to accept the invitation from you before you'll be able to see if they are online.

So go ahead and sign up so that you can keep in touch!

Video Chat

Join us for the multi-user video chat with Mom and Dad. Get your webcam turned on and ready and then go here. Hopefully everyone's internet connection will be up to the challenge. I know that the Gillelands had a tough time last time we tried this. The Virginia Rosses also have an iffy connection, so we'll see what we can do and let everyone catch up with Mom and Dad individually if they aren't able to join us for the conference call.

Merry Christmas!

I hope you all are having a wonderful day. :)

Safe Haven

On the way to Page to collect Deb, Steve asked me if I was concerned about the weather and the possibly dangerous driving conditions. I responded that I felt strongly that we were on the Lord's errand and he would make a safe way for us.

As we were crossing I-20 the bad weather hit. Blowing snow had caused a car to overturn and the highway patrol was waiting with the passenger for a tow truck to retrieve their upside down car from the ditch.

Upon our save arrival in Page, we quickly went to work loading Debbie's belongings into the truck and trailer. Once the load was covered, Steve took off back into the storm. He opted to go the south route to St. George, trying to avoid any mountain passes. 10 hours later, he pulled into our driveway. Along the way passing many stranded vehicles, semi's pulled over to chain up, and even a snow plow which had slid off the road.

The next morning he went to unload Deb's posssesions. In the light of day he realized that the wheel bearings from one of the trailer wheels were all gone and there was problem with the axle. Angels had truely carried him home. He still has no idea how the trailer was able to make the trip.

Deb and I left the next morning. Although we did see snow along the way. We seemed to travel in "windows" of good weather. As you may have heard on the news, it was the worst winter storm in many years. All along the southwest it snowed in places like Las Vegas!

Thank you for all of your prayers. I have felt strength and have been guided to do and say things that even surprised me. Deb seems better everyday. She has a long and difficult task ahead of her. But she is stronger than she realizes and will make it through this.

Happy Birthday Jack!

12 is a big one!!

'Tiz the season of Miracles

The following is a post by Sister Robison on the WIM blog that I thought you might enjoy as a sample of the miracles that take place frequently as the gospel is spread throughout the West Indies Mission. We will be a the zone conference on the 23rd in Trinidad.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

What a tour

"And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up." D&C 84:88

This scripture came to mind as I looked back over our December zone conference tour. We had a series of small miracles that allowed us to get the work done. Here are a few of them.

• Ferry blessings - Getting to Canje, Guyana is tough because we have to cross the Berbice river by ferry. It is also very very hot, crowded, and noisy so it wears me out. Lately only one ferry has been running so it can take hours to cross. But, we were able to walk right onto the ferry and leave within minutes both ways. On the way back from Canje we arrived after they closed the gates and they were even lifting up the planks to the boat. Somehow, the Assistants were able to get the gates opened and us on the boat. The couples, who cross constantly said they had never ever seen that happen. We were traveling to the second session of District Conference and if we hadn't made it, we would have been late.
• Hotel Blessings - Because the hotel in Martinique was full, we were given a suite with a perfect zone conference meeting room
• Flight blessings - Seats on airplanes became available, when there weren't any. We had no flight from Suriname to Guyana on the day before we were to fly - but a new flight was added at the very last minute. We got the last seats on the flight home from St Martin. Sister Collins worked miracles rerouting everyone to accommodate changes due to the Guadeloupe strike
• Tour logistic blessings - We were able to slip into Guadeloupe between two major strikes. We did not know that we could get into Guadeloupe from Martinique until 8h30 p.m. on the night before the zone conference.

We were able to hold 7 zone conference, 2 sessions of district conference, 4 leadership training sessions, and 1 fireside in 6 different countries in just 13 days!

One more zone conference to go - Trinidad on December 23rd!

Good times, good times.

Post a fun memory....for fun.

A Guilty Pleasure

A few weeks ago at the Page movie theater, a rare event occured. There was a midnight premier for a movie that has been highly anticipated by many young girls and their moms alike, yes I speak of the vampire saga, Twilight. Even though I am definately NOT a night owl, a group of friends and I made a plan to go and enjoy this adolescent delight. To ensure we could make it to the witching hour, we met up at 10pm at Denny's (the only place open past 9:00 in Page) for some pre-movie viewing banter and noshing. Finally, the time had come for us to welcome Edward and Bella to our town. We know that he doesn't really have fangs, but we wanted to show our vampire excitement. Here are some of us in front of the theater after the event. We love you Edward!

Winter Wonderland in Durango

A trip to the Gillelands' is never dull. We had a fantastic extended weekend eating, playing in the snow, riding four-wheelers and the mule, going to movies, shopping, eating, hanging out, relaxing, eating, eating, you get the point! It was especially delightful to have the Hannays there as well. We missed you Ross brothers and Debbie! Here are just a few pictures from the Thanksgiving extravaganza.....
Rex and Jebb were the first to brave the winter weather, but it wasn't long before we had a whole group of wet, muddy, snowy, happy kids frolicking outside.

Michelle set a beautiful table with all of the traditional Thanksgiving fare! It was a thumbs up from everyone!

We attempted the Ross favorite, snail rolls, but alas were not successful. Blame it on the weather.

We enjoyed getting to know Lauren's "friend" Devin, and look forward to seeing lots more of him!

Thank you, thank you, thank you John and Michelle. As always, you were such gracious hosts! We are so thankful for you!

The Blessing Box

Hey Everyone!  I hope we all had a GREAT Thanksgiving!  I want to invite all of you to participate in the Blessing Box.  Click Here

Atlantic View Hotel

We found the perfect hotel for the Gilleland's. There is plenty of room for the rest of you. She wanted something right on the beach. yea, it doesn't have AC but there is plenty of ventilation. Just walk across the street to the to Atlantic Ocean. The picture of her view was taken on our walk along the street going into Scarborough, you can see forever. The kids can dive off the wall into the Atlantic, which often has nice breakers beating against the wall. The rates should be good, but we didn't see the manager anywhere to ask.

Bingham Ball

Ty had a great time with Tory (Lauren's former volleyball teammate) at the Bingham Ball. (Yes, I did try to talk him out of the suspenders and white belt!) They went in a big group that all had a strict dress code. All of them are goof-balls apparently. It is so fun watching them go through these stages. (sniff, sniff)

Mystery Man

Here is a photo of Lauren & Devin at Halloween.

Gift Exchange???

Is anyone interested in doing a cousin gift exchange this year? Without mom to spearhead the effort, time has gotten away from us. I was thinking since a large number of us are gathering for Thanksgiving, it would be an opportunity to save some postage...We always enjoy shopping for our cousins, and I would be willing to post a list if everyone is game. Weigh in Ross clan!

Super Spies!!

Want to see the most exciting, most fabulous, most marvelous spy adventure of all time? Don't go see Quantum of Solace, the new James Bond movie premiering today. Watch the B. Ross kids in the blockbuster new release, A Super Spy Adventure. (Made for our ward's home movie night. All rights reserved. No babies were harmed in the making of this movie.)

Tickets Purchased

First of all, we are very relieved to hear that Keryn and baby Heber are no longer homeless living in vans by the river! I hope he is doing well now that you guys are home. What a freaky thing!!

I am posting to let G&G know that our tickets to go to Trinidad have been purchased! We are going on Feb 7th from Albuquerque arriving in Trinidad that night. We still need to get the Tobago leg. Would you mind picking us up late at night? 10pm or so? We are staying the whole week (hope that's ok!) then flying out of Trinidad on Monday the 16th. We are wondering if we should fly to Trinidad from Tobago on Sun nite or early Mon. morning? Do you have a preference? We got awesome airfare-less that 400 per person for the whole flight! You can't beat that! Now we need to get our passports in order! I hope you guys are OK with us coming!

This gives us a date to work towards collecting stuff to bring. Nic and Kim both want assignments too. Have you zeroed in on anything specific? We are excited to go and if anyone else wants to come, I think airfare is pretty reasonable... :)

HOME!!

Quite unexpectedly, we are home home home! YAY!

Heber's bilirubin levels went significantly down two days in a row, and he has been eating well (and doing a good job at what happens next, if you catch my drift), and so they let us come home this afternoon. Heber has to keep a "biliblanket" against his back skin all the time--it's a fiber optic stiff sheet that emits blue light--it's actually quite cool looking. We have to have tests run in the morning to make sure everything is okay. But here we are, where Heber can eat and be cuddled and loved and be at home!

And I am glad to be here, too. Thanks for all your prayers and love.

Music and BYU Students

(I just posted this at our religion blog, PonderIt, and thought you might like to read it, too)

My fourth child was born the day after election day, Wednesday November 5. He is currently in the NICU, being treated for severe jaundice and other blood-related problems. That's the bad news; the good news is that his levels are going down, he's responding well to treatment, he's not in any pain, and although we don't get to take him home for several more days, once he is released we don't have to worry about these problems again--it's a one time thing.

Still, it's been a bit of a bummer. With number three (my son with spina bifida), I was completely geared up to spend tons of time at the hospital, and emotionally (more) ready to do so. With this baby, it has been a surprise, which is always a little harder for me to deal with. My three kids at home aren't happy with my absence, especially the youngest--at almost 2, with a giant cast on his left leg because of recent surgery related to his spina bifida, he has been a bear with Grandma, and sometimes even with Daddy. Add to that the general exhaustion and hormonal shifts that follow childbirth, it's not a wonder that I am a little shaky and sad, prone to tears and frustration.

So what does this have to do with my post's title, "Music and BYU Students"? Simply this. It's Sunday night, I'm in the lobby of the main hospital in Utah Valley, which is very near BYU campus. I'm waiting until it's time to feed my little son again, and the lobby is quiet and peaceful. Various people walk by, most still dressed in their Sunday best, going to visit friends, family, or ward members. When a group of college-age people stop at the Information desk, I pay little attention to them until they begin singing.

It is one of my favorite hymns, "I Need Thee Every Hour", but oddly my first reaction is irritation at the intrusion into the silence. But then I feel my eyes begin to sting, and I look closer at the group. They are not singing loudly, nor are they facing out into the lobby--they are mostly singing for the elderly volunteer manning the front desk. They are not the most accomplished singers I have ever heard, but they are on-key and have some harmony. As I continue to listen, the words sink into my heart, and I have to blink rapidly to stop from crying.

I need thee every hour
Stay thou nearby
Temptations lose their power
When thou are nigh
I need thee!
O I need thee
Every hour I need thee
O bless me now, my Savior,
I come unto thee

When I was in college, I didn't usually participate in the hospital or nursing home singing visits. My general feeling was that a bunch of young, healthy kids barging into the hospital for an hour was an intrusion, generally unwelcome. And (like most activities in college) impressing the opposite sex was a large part of the draw, and I felt weird doing "service" with that end in mind.

But I may have to change my opinion now. For a few moments, unexpectedly, on a day that most decidedly does not feel like Sunday, I was privileged to feel the Spirit. I could hear the love those students have for singing, for the Savior, for others. I was reminded of all my good fortune, the tangible and real blessing of having the Gospel in my life--of having Christ in my life. I am comforted.

Thank you, singers. Whoever you are, whatever your motives, thank you for singing in the lobby of Utah Valley Regional Medical Center tonight. You brought peace to my heart.

Mighty Mama

Oh my goodness, you are too funny. I hope little Heber is Okay, not to mention you. You just had a baby you know,... and sleeping in a van. The things mothers do. Heber sure has one "Mighty Mama." Get some rest if you can. Prayers go out to you.

...In a van down by the river

We don't get to come home tonight, either.

Heber's levels aren't where they should be, and so we are here another night. Except this time they don't have a little room for me to sleep--other moms need it more (which I totally understand). So Bradley just went home to get a sleeping mat, bag, pillows, etc so I can park in the van (and the hospital is sort of by the river) tonight. It will be more comfortable than sleeping in a chair (this hospital has a dearth of couches, oddly), and less time-consuming than driving back and forth btwn Spanish Fork and Provo. This way I can feed Heber every three hours and get him all better so we can go HOME!

Let's be honest--this is going to be a great story to hang over my Heber's head the rest of his life. "Don't you roll your eyes at me, young man! I slept in a VAN down by the RIVER for you!"

Day Two, unexpected stuff

So it turns out we don't get to come home tonight.

Heber's bilirubin levels were high, so the pediatrician ordered a few blood tests to see what's up with that. He discovered that Heber's hematocrit levels are also quite high (normal: 50; Heber's: 75), which has to do with the amount of red blood cells in your blood. Apparently, during delivery, it's possible for the levels between momma and baby to get messed up, and the baby's body can't easily deal with it.

So Heber gets to have a transfusion, through the belly button, to thin out his blood. He gets to stay in the NICU (our first baby to do so, how awesome is that?) tonight, and hopefully we'll get to go home tomorrow!

Congrats!!!

Love the pics! We want to see more. He looks so cute and tiny from a far. Is he ready for his close up? We miss you and wish we were there to help. Remember four is fun!

Day One of Heber

(Thanks, Deb!)

So, did the name surprise any of you? Just curious. If you hate it, too late...mwahahahahaha! Just don't tell me. :) No, we honestly didn't decide on it until about 9 o'clock the night he was born--he was three or four hours old.

He's quite the gorgeous baby, not that I'm biased or anything. His fingernails are superlong, his toes are long (he's got the Peters' feet, just like all my babies). Heber had his first video conference this afternoon, "talking" to Grandma and Grandpa in Tobago. It's amazing that they could watch and listen to him, thousands and thousands of miles away, before he's even 24 hours old. What an amazing world we live in! We sure miss Grandma and Grandpa, though. Grandma thinks he looks like Mercy. I think I agree, but I'll have to get pictures out to be sure.

Sorry I didn't post last night with the "results" of our day in labor...I wanted to, but then my computer stopped picking up the internet and Bradley had already gone home to be with the other kids! I was without internet until he returned around ten this morning, with Ezra, Gideon, and Mercy in tow. That was interesting...Ezra and Mercy were excited to meet the new baby, although the crackers and cookies the nurse brought in, and Playhouse Disney on the TV, were more captivating. Mercy-girl is pretty excited about her "Baby Heber", though. Gideon-boy, however, couldn't have cared less. He wanted Momma and he wanted her RIGHT NOW. And nobody else. (Except the water jug they give you at the hospital was a pretty cool toy, he thought.)

Anyway, we should be home by tomorrow night, all things going well (as they are right now). We love you all, and we'll keep you updated with fun pictures.

Welcome, Heber

Congratulations Rosses! Thanks for sharing those pics as well... he's adorable! :)

Heber Alexander Ross

We welcomed Heber Alexander Ross into the Obamanation at 5:50pm, November 5, 2008. He weighed in at 7 lbs. 15 oz. and 19" long. In the Ross tradition, he is the cutest baby ever born at this hospital!

Please Update Us!!

OK Rosses! What is up?! This suspense is killing me!! Did you meet my new nephew yet?! We are so excited!

Here we go!

Here we are at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center--ready to have this baby boy! I've been contracting since about 10pm last night, but we're not moving forward very fast. The doctor broke my water about ten minutes ago, and we'll hopefully have this baby by five o'clock this evening--if I'm lucky.

We'll let you all know--and the name, too (as soon as we figure that one out, too)!