Luke’s Harry Potter Birthday Party

Luke was pretty excited to see me dressed up as Professor McGonagal – especially since I don’t really dress up.  They loved it.  Katie, Emily and Megan were fantastic prefects and did a great job helping with everything!

Once Luke’s friends were all here they visited Diagon Alley and got their robes, picked up a Spell book and wand at Ollivanders and headed through Platform 9 3/4 to Hogwarts.

The kids helped me make wands a couple days before the party.  We used different sized dowels and hot glue and then some craft paint that I already had.  They were pretty easy to make and the kids loved doing it.

Once in the Great Hall, the prefects brought the first years to the Sorting hat and told them their specific house – even though they were all dressed like Gryffindor.  Then the prefects taught Spells.  The boys were pretty cute practicing.

Then outside for Quidditch Practice…

It was really fun putting together the food for Luke’s Party.  When he and Matt came home from school and saw everything decorated they were beyond excited.  It was pretty fun!

The prefects added polyjuice potions (Italian soda syrup) to Sprite for the students drinks.

After opening presents our last activity was handing out Chocolate Frog Trading Cards.  It had printed out only two of each character so they were excited to trade and collect them.  It lasted longer that I thought.  So fun!!

Luke turns 9

We had a Family birthday party for Luke about a week before his real birthday – we were going to be on vacation in California on his birthday and wanted him to receive his birthday presents before the trip and before his friend birthday party the next day!  He was so excited!  He quickly started opening!

Luke’s birthday surprise was a surprise for the whole family!

Matthew got a wand/pen and bookmark for Luke for his birthday – but boy did he want his own SO badly.

Dad presented Luke with one last present – a new Muggle Bike!   But we wanted Luke’s help picking it out so we immediately piled in the van and headed to Target so he could pick it out.  It was very exciting!!   It was a very Magical birthday!

Great big illustrated Harry Potter books #1 and #2

$20 dollars from Grandma and Grandpa Walton to spend at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter…

Luke’s new bike…

Report from Elder Johnson–Carry On

Hi Dad.   The parents of those 3 kids are doing really good. We had a great lesson with them on Thursday and they committed to prepare for baptism on December 10th. The language is going good. I need to focus on studying it more though. Halloween sounds like it was awesome. I am sorry about the sickness and throwing up. That sounds tough. I love you! And I love getting your emails.                In Albania, we use lek, it is pretty simple because 100 Lek = 1.00 USD. We recieve about $240 from the mission and it is plenty to support ourselves. The only thing is that there are certain things I am not allowed to purchase with that money, like souvenirs, a Shqip bible, and other personal items. I took out $120 (in lek) the other day. I will use that to buy a USB and a Shqip Bible. I don't know exactly what I will use the rest on. I will be keeping my eyes out for some cheap but cool souvenirs for all my siblings. Should I send home some things for Christmas? What do you think?  I have a Debit card from the mission that they add money to each month. We pay for housing and gas with that and then get reimbursed for those things.   NO WAY! That is so awesome that the Cubs won! That is so fun! I love hearing about it, and it sounds like it was an incredible game. I love you!   Elder Johnson

Mom!  I love you!   I am so glad to hear that you have been trying to implement a healthier home. I have been studying my patriarchal blessing this last week, and there is a part that specifically mentions that obeying the Word of Wisdom will bless me. I was drawn to this because the blessing promised to doing this in my patriarchal blessing are specific things that I am really striving for right now. At first, I thought I am obeying the word of Wisdom, but then I realized that of course there is more to it than just avoiding alcohol and coffee and other bad things. I read an article in the Ensign about how to eat more healthily. I have made a goal to try to apply those things in my life, and I know that I will be blessed. Similarly, my patriarchal blessing mentions the Law of Chastity. I don't have any problems with that, but there is always room to improve our thoughts and do better things.       That sickness sounds awful, I am sorry that it was so bad. But, sounds like a movie day was fun and You watched Civil War.... That is a good movie! How did the kids like it? (By the way, Dr. Strange is out, so you should go see that next, or just get it when it comes out on iTunes) Ooh, Sunday Sundaes sounds delicious.    Those are some sweet wands! Is Luke reading Harry Potter 2 right now?       Good luck with your to-do list! I miss the laundry-folding movie-watching days. But, of course, I love love love it here. The people are amazing and the work is going great!    Love you so much!  Awesome! Oh, I love these Halloween pictures!!! Classic! My favorite is the one of Mattio and Lukigi leaning around the pillar. Awesome! I wish I could've been a part of it!    Elder Johnson

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Hello everyone,

A good week, it was! I love my study time. I learn so much each day! This week I have been studying Faith and The Atonement and 2 Nephi. It is so sweet!  Elder Samuel and I made a pedigree chart of scriptural characters from Adam down to Christ (See Luke 3) and added a bunch of other scriptural characters too and connected it to the Book of Mormon figures and to me. It was great. 

I am loving the mission. (So nothing new, you could say.)  I am continually learning, growing, and being guided by the Lord. It is incredible.

We have had many amazing lessons this week with Zef, Elton and Drane, and The Beqiri's. They are all progressing so well. It is amazing to see. We had a great lesson with the Beqiri's parents on Thursday and committed them to baptism on the 10th of December. We are so excited!!!! We are praying for them.

We also teach a Kurs Anglisht (English Course) twice a week in Shkodër and twice a week in Lezhë. It is a great way to find people to teach and is so fun. Albanians come and we teach them English. It is so great. We always end with a scriptural thought, so hopefully they are getting something more important than just English out of it. It is nice, because I can speak English to Albanians, and a good amount of them understand what I am saying. I also learn a lot of Shqip during English Course as we are teaching.

The big news of the week, other than the Beqiri's baptismal date, is that Elder Samuel and I are moving from Lezhë to Shkodër. We will still be working in Shkodër, Lezhë, and Lac, just living in Shkodër. It will be good. We will also be taking over all the other investigators of the Elders who were living in Shkodër. We will be busy as the only Elders in all three cities. Elder Samuel will also be the district leader and he will do a great job. We loved our place in Lezhë, but it will be nice to be closer to everyone in the district (now just a sister trio and senior couple and us.)

I know that our Redeemer lives and loves you personally. It has been such a blessing to see his hand in my life. I love you all and hope you are doing well! We have so much to be happy about in this life, so be happy!    Love you so much

Elder Johnson

After Church Sunday Pics