Merry Christmas, Mom, and Welcome to the New Bryant Bugle!

Merry Christmas, Mom!

As part of your Christmas gift, we have re-established the Bryant Bugle Blog.  I will keep on top of it and remind everyone to contribute during the first year, as well as helping out with that tricky computer stuff!

Merry Christmas!
Rhonda

Love from the Hills

Gabriel’s thoughts on Nana:

I like to play with her in the snow. She is great at making our lunch. She is fun to play with. I like her. I liked making food with her at Breckenridge. She likes to do crafts with me and Eva. Nana is good at crafts. She and Grandpa are the best people in the entire earth at Breckenridge. I love Nana.

Eva’s thoughts on Nana:

Nana loves Eva and Gabriel and Luke. I like doing crafts with Nana. She is fun to play with. I like playing with her in the snow. When she plays with me in the snow I like her. She’s going to be happy about our message from the little kids. She acts nice. I thought she was good at doing sharing time. I like the teachers that were in Breckenridge when I went to church. I like my lunch that she makes me. Love Nana. Love, Eva. Good bye.

Rhonda’s thoughts on her Mom:

I love you mom. I appreciate all that you do for others. You are a great example and while I am sure I will never be able to match you and all that you do it is something that I strive for. Thank you for being a great Nana, mom and mother-in-law. We are all extremely lucky to have you in our lives. I love you, Rhonda

                       

Matt’s thoughts on Rhonda’s mom:

I don’t think I could have gotten a better mother-in-law.  I appreciate your honesty, humility, and generosity, as well as your capacity for hard work and respect for others’ agency.  I always enjoy talking to you, on the phone or in person.  Your example is stellar, in all aspects of your life.  Thanks for being such a wonderful person.

Mom and Dad's Busy Year, by Michael

This year was busy and once again full of travel. For both myself and Yolanda.

At the end of January Yolanda and I went to Chicago where I led a training for the PCAOB. While there we went down to Indiana where we visited my brother, Robert, and his family in Nappanee and enjoyed seeing some of the Amish country. We also visited my sister, Rhonda, and her family in Kendallville.  Along the way we visited a few sites and we really enjoyed our family visits.

I think it was February when we made a trip to Utah. We were there to see a Wedding and we also stopped in to the BYU campus to look into the possibility of spending a year teaching English and business in China. In the end we decided it wasn’t quite the right fit at the moment. We will see what other opportunities present themselves in the next few years.

In March I went to Washington DC for my annual training. Rhonda was able to join me there for a couple of days.  We had a great time visiting sites including the spy museum and enjoyed a Segway tour of the city sites.

In April I began my inspection trips for the year with a couple trips to San Jose, CA.

In May we went to Texas to visit our three daughters and of course the grandchildren. After that I was off to Orlando Florida, where Yolanda was again able to join me for my birthday.  We had a nice couple of days and enjoyed a long bike ride and some fun food and an evening at an outside the park Disney area.

June found me off to Bogota, Colombia for two weeks. I enjoyed the food and the nice weather there. Yolanda spent some of that time loading a truck and taking some things to Texas. She also enjoyed visiting one of her cousins on the trip.

My next rip was in July to New York City for an inspection.  There I was able to go up the Empire State building for the first time.

 In August I was off to Jan Juan, Puerto Rico. We also had our friends the Allens visit from Arizona. We had a nice time with them up in Breckenridge, biking, river rafting and relaxing.

The last two weeks of September I was working in Helsinki, Finland. Yolanda was able to join me there at the end of the month and we began a two week anniversary trip together enjoying Finland, France, and then a week long cruse of the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Our cruise began in Barcelona, Spain and we visited several cities in Italy, France before returning to Spain.

I returned to Finland again at the end of October and spent another two weeks there returning on November 8. That was just enough time to get ready for the big bi-annual family reunion in Breckenridge, CO. We enjoyed having everybody in the family there for at least part of our fun filled week. We enjoyed good food, games, some snow and relaxation. One highlight was the Olympics, especially the games for the kids. I really enjoyed spending time with each member of the family especially the grandkids. Thank you to each of you for being part of our tradition.

In December I had a trip to Dallas and another to San Francisco for training. Yolanda was able to go with me to San Francisco. We enjoyed the nice hotel, some food in Chinatown and a trip on the cable car to Fisherman’s Warf and Ghirardelli Square . We both had mishaps with losing our personal computers on the trip but were able to get them back. I left mine in the hotel room and Yolanda left hers on the airplane.

We are looking forward to a relaxing Christmas week as I will have time off and we will not be going anywhere, at least until after Christmas.

As I said it has been a busy year. I am sure my short summary has not done justice to the happenings in our home and in our family over the year so please share and enjoy.

I am so glad I have my wonderful wife to keep me under control with all of the travel and busy life we live. Without her I would not be as successful as I am I would not be able to dedicate myself to my career and still have time to serve in the Church and take time for my family. I am so thankful she keeps us organized. I am also thankful that she has had the opportunity to travel with me on several trips this year. It is much more fun to travel when I have her by my side. Thank you for all ypou do for the entire family but especially all that you do for and all that you are to me.

It is a wonderful journey we are on.  Yolanda, I love you.

Yolie, the Gold-Hearted Giver, by Natalie

Yolie, the Gold-Hearted Giver

(sung to the tune of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer")

Yolie, the Gold-Hearted Giver (Giver)

Had a very giving heart,

And if you ever met her (met her)

You would even say she's smart (like Einstein!)

All of the other Bryants (Bryants)

Used to laugh at her silly songs (like in the morning!)

They never let poor Yolie (Yolie)

really ever live it down.

Then one brilliant summer day

Yolie had a thought: Yes! Yes! Yes!

Yolie with your house so bare, 

Won't you serve my other heirs?

Yolie then served more children (CASA!)

As they shouted out for joy (yeeaaa!)

This is just one of the reasons (reasons)

Yolie has a Heart of Gold! (like Mother Theresa!)

The 7 Habits of a Highly Effective Mom, by Leisha

• Habit 1: Be Proactive

Mom is not one to sit still and just let things happen to her. She always has great ideas of how to help others or fun plans for the family and doesn’t let others actions determine her course. Mom is always looking for ways to make a difference instead of waiting for other things or other people to make the difference.

• Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind

Mom’s eternal perspective has guided her through life and has been the focal point of her decisions in life. She sees others as children of God and sees our family as eternal. Her strong testimony has made her a positive example in the lives of those around her.

• Habit 3: Put First Things First

With her strong testimony and understanding of the important things in life, Mom has always been able to prioritize. She puts family and those in need first and remembers to “not sweat about the small stuff”. Because of her ability to remember others and what is important in life she has become the type of mom that her children know they can always depend on.

• Habit 4: Think Win-Win

Mom is always looking for the best way to make everyone happy. She does not look at life as a competition but instead believes we can all win and does her best to help us do so. She helps others to reach their potential and believes that we can all be better. She is also always striving to better herself.

• Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood

Mom is very concerned with how others feel. She is often so concerned with the feelings of her friends and family that she loses sleep at night. She will listen to all of her children as they discuss their lives, their thoughts and their feelings. She does not try to take over and make our decisions for us, though I’m sure sometimes it would be for our good. But she listens and tries to understand and doesn’t try to force us to understand her. It is no wonder she has so many life-long friends.

• Habit 6: Synergize

Mom has always been working throughout her life to create synergy in the family. She would try various creative ways to help her daughters get along. She encouraged father-daughter outings over the years and she is always looking for ways to have the family come together in harmony. She does the same with those around her as she works to improve the lives of families in need and helps to bring team work and unity to her ward. She really is the cog in our family that keeps us all turning in the right direction with each other.

• Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw

Mom is also an amazing example of making sure to take care of oneself. Over the last ten years she has turned herself into a gourmet chef/nutritionist. She has also kept up regular exercise and started up running again. She respects her body and looks out for her physical and mental health. What a wonderful example she is of a strong and effective woman.

My mom really does exemplify the phrase, “I am woman hear me roar”, but she does it in a quiet, determined, enduring way that sets a wonderful example for women everywhere. Thank you Mom, for being such an inspiring example in my life. I am always striving to be more like you!

~Leisha Bicker