Now a happier way to remember Nov. 11 /Clock scientists?

Darling Charles Spencer Pierson made his entrance into the world on Nov. 11 with a minimum of fuss.   Spencer and Kellie have always wanted a large family.  It seemed that might be difficult as Charlie's older sisters  were delivered by Caesarean section.  Patience, prayer and Kellie's great physical condition won out and little Charlie slipped into this world without a hitch.

With both grandmothers out of the country on missions, the young folks were helped out by neighbors and family.  To Spencer's mom, this sweet baby is the image of his father, born almost 30 years earlier.  When you want to hear the story of how I "lied" to get him out of the hospital with me, I am happy to share.

These are the times it is very tough to be away.  We will see this sweet one in just a few months.  With Kellie's parents leading the mission in Guam/Micronesia, they won't be back for 3 years.  Such consecrated service.

In the hospital, Spencer and Kellie were among friends.  Spencer is in the second year of his OB residency at the U of Utah Hospital so this is where he spends most of his time, delivering babies.  Fun for the two of them  to experience the place as consumers.  

Almost weekly, we are welcoming several new missionary couples into their service in East Europe.  If they fly through Moscow, we meet them at the airport and try to keep them on their feet until their connecting flights later in the day taking them to their destinations.  It is fun for us to spend time with these wonderful people.  We are impressed with their goodness and testimony.  I am thrilled that the Lord continues to send these amazing people to bless the lives of our precious young people.  

Yesterday in our Zelenograd ward,  we met a couple of fascinating, faith-filled scientists.  I suppose the only place I would encounter  atomic clock physicists is in church.  The head of the American association of space and time is David Allen, a Mormon, and his counterpart in Russia is Leonid.  The two first met in 1998 at a Paris conference.  As they became friends, Dr. Allen felt impressed to give Leonid a copy of the Book of Mormon.  The two corresponded and Leonid accepted the gospel. Dr. Allen came to Russia for Leonid's baptism.  He also accompanied Leonid as he made further covenants in the Kiev temple.  In pursuit of his family history, Leonid met Dr. Allen in the San Diego Family history center where he filled out 20 family group sheets.  In yesterday's Sacrament meeting, these two world leaders in their field each bore testimony of the reality of God and His plan for each of us.  They see science and faith supporting each other.

Their connection is deep and eternal, truly best friends.  They love being together and laugh a lot.  Dr. Allen is here in Moscow, at Leonid's invitation,  to address the international convention of scientists who study all that stuff.  I can't wrap my brain around any part of what they do.  As they tried to explain it to us in church yesterday, it's something about slicing the second into billionths, quadrillionths and even smaller.  This precision has led to things like GPS and cellular communication.  Dr. Allen has written a book for the rest of us, bringing together his love and belief in science and the gospel.   The title, of course, "It's About Time".  To him, the promises that the Lord made in D&C 122 are being fulfilled.  Such a great story.

Another fun picture before our sweet children left us last week.