Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, everyone! We had a great Christmas Day and hope you all did too.

I woke at nearly 8 AM. Not a single child was in the room, nor had any been in earlier and threatened that we would not open presents if I saw them again before an acceptable hour. In fact, when I went out to the family room there was only Melanie, playing a game of Tetris on her computer, and the boys were all still in bed.

After waking the boys we began opening presents. It was a good Christmas, and everyone got what they wanted. There were new piano books to play from, new clothes to wear, new LEGO sets to build, new books to read, new movies to watch, and new IPODs to listen to (after we downloaded a bunch of songs onto them, of course). It was a wonderful haul...Thanks Santa and everyone!

After getting ready for the day we headed to Craig's parents house for a yummy meal and presents from Grandparents and cousins. There was plenty of food (is there ever NOT plenty of food at a family function?) and it was fun to see everyone and share in the Christmas spirit.

One of the fun tradition that the grandparents (on both sides) have is to give the kids a Christmas ornament each year. My parents give random Christmas themed ornaments, and Craig's parents give ornaments that are specifically geared towards something that happened with the kids this year. So, for example, Bradley's ornament this year was a police car, as he got his first speeding ticket. Jacob's ornament was a kid bowling, as he and Grandpa went bowling together one time when Craig and I were out of town. Giving Christmas ornaments is a tradition my grandma did as well, and it's fun to see the ornaments she gave me each year when we put up the tree.

After the Christmas festivities, we set out to take Melanie back to Logan. It was sad to send her back so soon, but she had to get back to her aide job for a lady with MS. Before we left, Craig was able to give Melanie a father's blessing. I'm thankful for a righteous husband who holds the priesthood, and for the daughter that gives him a chance to bless her. Mel is spending the next two months in California with the family she works for. Although a sunny winter sounds nice (I can't wait to visit!), she will be leaving her friends and schooling behind for that time, and I think that's a little nerve-wracking for her.

What a wonderful day Christmas is. It's a time to be thankful for friends, family, and our many blessings, but most importantly a time to be thankful for the wonderful gift of the Savior, our GREATEST blessing.

Christmas/December Musings

*I have decided that online Christmas shopping is the way to go! Very often I can get exactly what I want online, whereas at the store it seems that they have just what I want...in the wrong size or color. I may not have to pay tax online (which feels like a 6.5% discount), and I may get a screaming deal with a promo code. I don't have to fight crowds or weather either! All in all, shopping online just seems to help with the Christmas feeling because it helps me avoid the bah-humbuggie feeling I often get when I go out shopping at the stores. So hooray for online shopping!

*What is it that makes poinsettia plants die within just a few short weeks of being in my home? I don't kill my normal houseplants off, yet nearly as soon as I place a few of those beautiful red flowers around my home the leaves start turning yellow and curling up and falling off. Do I overwater them? Underwater them? Is it the air in my house being too cold for them? I have no idea. But suffice it to say, if you've got a poinsettia that you want to live, you just better not give it to me.

*This week we went to Kajsa and McKay's wedding in the Draper temple. It was a fairly sentimental day for me. First of all, Kajsa is the same age as Melanie, and having her get married made me realize just how soon it could be before Melanie could be getting married herself! Plus, it reminded me of the late December day 21 years ago when Craig and I got married, which was not as breezy, but definitely as cold as Kajsa and McKay's day! Anyway, thanks for 21 great years, sweetie. I think I probably got the better end of the bargain in that deal.

*This year our Christmas letter had a graphic on it that was a Christmas tree made up of pictures of each of us in our childhood. The caption with it said "May Christmas bring out the Child in you." Christmas is still bringing out the child in my youngest. Even though he's old enough to know all about STUFF, he asked me the other day if we were still having Santa bring presents, having them all lined up, wrapped in special paper. Hmmm. I hadn't planned on it, but I may need to rethink that strategy since it seems it means a lot to him. If only I hadn't wrapped almost all the presents already...

*Merry Christmas, Everyone! May you experience true joy and happiness this season. Take time to remember the real meaning of the season, and the birth of the Savior Jesus Christ. What a wonderful Christmas present! Unlike most presents, it's perfect! We can't say that we already have one, for there is no other Savior for us. We can't say it's the wrong size, for the atonement of Christ is infinite, and pays the price for ALL. The tiny baby, born in a stable so many years ago, is truly, truly the greatest Christmas gift of all.

Tying Myself Up in Knots Just to Unwind

A few months ago, my neighbor Denise (who teaches yoga) offered a month of free yoga classes, as she was trying to get in some extra hours for her yoga teacher's certification. I decided to give it a try, and have found myself hooked!

By nature, I am a pretty tightly wound creature. When I started doing yoga, I pretty much felt as if I was very untalented and inept at yoga. I couldn't get breathing down, because I tend to hold my breath a lot, especially as I was trying to hold a pose steadily. I told my neighbor that she just needed to constantly remind us to breathe every minute or two so I would remember to stop holding my breath. Another problem I had came because I would find myself scrunched and crammed into a pose, feeling like I was doing exactly what I was supposed to be doing, when Denise would mention how we should relax our shoulders and roll them down the back (hmmm...mine are up around my ears) and lengthen and straighten our spine (hmmm...that would probably feel better than this hunched up Quasimodo pose I'm really in.) I also have issues with flexibility and balance, both an important part of many of the yoga poses, and both of which I am lacking in!

However, as I have continued on with it, I have come to love yoga. I am getting better at it: I can breathe more consistently throughout the poses, and as I go into each pose I try to remember to lengthen and stretch it out properly (it is actually amazing how much more comfortable a pose feels when you've lengthened your spine.) I feel as if it has helped my body as well. I feel a bit more flexible and balanced (a bit, don't expect to really see me do a pose like the one above yet!) and I feel like I have learned things that can relax my body even when I'm not actively doing a yoga class. Another things I've discovered is that yoga minimizes my physical PMS symptoms, which is an extremely wonderful thing as well!

After Denise's classes ended, I have tried to continue doing yoga, using two online yoga sites: http://www.yogatoday.com/ and http://www.myyogaonline.com/ . The Yoga Today site offers a weekly free yoga practice, and the My Yoga Online site (the one I use the most) is a subscription site where you can pick from numerous classes. I love using those sites because I can do a practice anytime, and with the Yoga Online site I can even pick the length of a practice, which makes it really adaptable to my daily schedule.

Yoga means "to unite", and the concept of yoga is to unite mind, body and soul with that of a higher power. As you discipline your body and mind with yoga, you become more in control of yourself (always a good thing to be!) I also love the concept of being patient with myself and my body in yoga. In a world that is so full of competition, winners and losers, it is nice to focus on being thankful for what my body can do and not compare myself to others.

One of my favorite things about yoga is what happens at the end of a practice. At the end of a practice you go through savasana, which is a relaxation pose, otherwise known as corpse pose. You lay on your back on the ground, with your arms and legs slightly opened, and then just relax and let go of everything. You try to relax not only your entire body, but your mind as well, and just basically be quiet. Afterwards, when I sit back up and bring my palms together at my heart and say "Namaste," (signifying a recognition of the divine in myself as well as my instructor), I can just feel peace and calm wash over me. Love it, love it, love it! A yoga practice is a great way to either start or end the day.

Life is Great!

Once again my darn blog didn't just update itself! I really need to work on that!

Things have been going great for me. Here are some random thoughts about life and what's been going on...

--Tomorrow I get to go get Mel and bring her home for a day. Because of her job working as an aide to a lady with MS, she has been very tied down and hasn't been home much. I guess that's payback for us having her home nearly every weekend this summer. That "summer of Mel being home" feels so long ago, and I really miss her. I'm glad I get to see her this weekend!

--The past couple of weeks I have been working for Craig. His business got a 5000 pin order and that kept things busy, so I have come in to help every day for at least a couple of hours, sometimes even more. I like that he pays me...it's a little mad money for me! I love saving up my mad money and buying something fun! Today I was talking with two other ladies that work there. One said her money was going to pay for her big dental bill. Another said her money wasn't mad money, it was going for regular life stuff. Can I just say how thankful I am that Craig's work provides well enough for us that I can use my little mad money for whatever I desire? Throughout our whole marriage I have been able to mostly stay home and take care of our family and home, and whenever I do work it's been very part time and something fun for me, and the money I've earned hasn't had to go to regular household bills. I feel really, really blessed.

--This past week as the American Fork High School Band was returning home from a band competition in Idaho, one of the bus drivers blacked out. A teacher grabbed the wheel of the bus and tried to get it back on the road, but was unable to avoid a crash. There were many minor injuries to students on the bus, and one fatality: the teacher who had tried valiantly to get the bus back on the road. As mom to a former band student (though not an American Fork band student), that hit so close to home for me, and I really felt their loss. I even wore red, white and black in honor of the band one day this week. But, as tragic as the situation is, one of the things that I thought was so incredible was the stories that came out about how the band students dealt with this tragedy.

At the crash site, as the students learned of their teacher's and worried about each other, they prayed and sang hymns. I am so thankful for the gospel of Jesus Christ and the knowledge it gave those kids of where to find peace in that troubling time! How many high school students really know that?

--And speaking of the gospel of Jesus Christ, a couple of weeks ago was the General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. What a wonderful weekend! During General Conference we have the opportunity to hear from living prophets and apostles as they teach us what Heavenly Father would have us know. General Conference consists of 5 sessions, each two hours in length, where we listen to those prophets and apostles speak. When Conference is over, I usually feel a bit discontented...it can't be over yet! I love the feelings I get when I listen to Conference. I feel as if I can tackle anything, and know that Heavenly Father loves me and wants me to be all that I can be. It's a great feeling. If you would like to know the things that were taught at General Conference, you can find them here:
http://lds.org/conference/sessions/display/0,5239,23-1-1117,00.html.

As I listen to these men and women of God speak, I KNOW that they are speaking truths, and sharing the way to true happiness and joy. Just as I mentioned above that the gospel gave knowledge to the teens of where to find peace during their troubling time, the things that are taught at General Conference can give us knowledge of where to find peace at all times, troubling or not.

--Lately life in general has been feeling more calm and peaceful to me. Our family has scaled back on what we've been doing, and it feels great. I know that there is a certain feeling of accomplishment and contentment in being busy and we often think we want to do it all, but it is so easy to go overboard with busyness that you soon feel overwhelmed and unhappy. I know, I've been there, done that! Let me tell you though, being less busy feels better. Being less busy feels calm and peaceful. And that is a priceless feeling!

A Clean Sweep!

I returned from my morning walk to find the above on my front porch.

Really, Mr. Deliveryman, do you think that no one will notice the package you left behind because it's hidden by the Welcome mat? Are there ever any homeowners that can't find their packages after you've hidden them so well? Maybe it's to hide what the homeowner got from neighbor's prying eyes? (Can't you just see it, the neighbor peeking through their blinds..."What'd they get, Martha?" "Dagnabit, Heber, I can't tell what it is, 'cuz it's hidden behind the welcome mat!")

But, regardless, I now have new stuff at my house. I had two orders floating out there, and they both came. The first is boring to me...clarinet reeds and trombone slide oil for my boys in band. The second I am hoping proves to be more exciting: a new steam mop.

The other day at Enrichment Night we were trying to clean the kitchen after our dinner, and we needed to mop the floor. We got the big ol' industrial mop out of the janitorial closet, which SMELLED to the high heavens, plus it's generally bulky and obnoxious. As no one really wanted to use it to clean the floor, my back door neighbor runs out to her van and comes back with her steam mop for us to use instead. (If you're wondering, she cleans offices at night for a job, which is why she had a mop in her van. As far as I know she's not some kind of super clean freak that always carries a mop in her van!)

She started mopping, and I was intrigued. Mopping the floor has never been favorite job of mine. I just have never found a mop that seems to work. They often end up smelling at my house too because I can't get them wrung out very well. They don't seem to scrub off the junk that gets splattered on the floor (can I just say that boys are pretty darn messy overall?) But this seemed to be doing a great job of cleaning up the floor, and suddenly, I could see that if I had a spiffy steam mop I would probably become a floor mopping fanatic.

And so, I stewed over it for a few days, checking out steam mops online. As you might imagine, steam mops are not that cheap (is anything fun and exciting ever cheap?), but I scored a good deal at Kohls.com with it being on sale, plus a 30% off coupon, and free shipping.

And today it came! I ignored it for a bit while I did some other chores and a few errands, but finally after lunch I was ready to give it a try. Out of the box it came, in about 3 easy-to-put-together pieces, and a few quick turns of the screwdriver later I was ready to mop.

Back and forth I ran it, squeezing the steam trigger as I went (ka-pow! Take that you kool-aid spill!), cutting through the mess with ease. A few minutes later I stepped back and looked at the floor. It looked great! Walking across it with my bare feet (the floor dries really fast!), I loved the smooth, non-sticky, non-crumby feeling on my tootsies. Ahh! I think I'm in love!

America's Got Talent...but no values?

Last night we turned on "America's Got Talent". It was down to the 10 finalists, the ten acts that America thought were good enough to get a chance to win a million dollars and an act in Las Vegas. Most of the contestants sang, a couple danced, there was a percussion ensemble, and then there was Grandma Lee.

I had not seen Grandma Lee perform before that evening (I don't usually watch America's Got Talent), but a few sentences into her act (where I got to see her come out with a pillow under her shirt and suggest the "baby" was one of the judges', cuss, slam her children, and discuss the size of her chest) I turned to Craig and said "She is rude, crude, and socially unacceptable. Please turn the channel."

The sad part is, as a finalist in America's Got Talent, she is obviously socially acceptable to a large group of some ones in America. Why is it funny to see a 70-some year old grandma lady act in such an unrefined way?

What a strange world we live in, where we are concerned so much about keeping things clean (the enviroment, our food supply, hand-sanitizing away all germs so we don't get H1N1) and yet we pollute our spirits and minds with junk like Grandma Lee was spewing. I believe though, that polluting our spirits and minds is just as dangerous to our health and well-being as enviromental pollutants.

So, Grandma Lee (and all you some ones who voted for her), clean it up, please!

I wanna make it!

Give me the scissors! Get me some fabric and clear off the sewing machine! Pull out the paint brush and other supplies...I'm in the mood to redecorate!

What to do, what to do? I've got ideas, ideas, ideas...but which one(s) to pick? Should I complete the half finished decor change sitting in the guest/Melanie bedroom closet? That was originally gonna go in the family room until a major paint clash with the wood throughout the family room ended that idea. Now I'm thinking it will end up in my bedroom instead. If I did that I'd take down all my beachy stuff, so I'd obviously have to get new decor...I feel a trip to the store coming on! (Ooooh, and which store? The fabric store to get fabric to make new pillows? DI for some new knick-knacks? Tai-Pan Trading Company? Where can I get new stuff to put on the walls? There's so much to choose from!)

But, then there's the really cute striped fabric I saw yesterday that my neighbor had just made new kitchen valances with. When I commented on how much I liked it she mentioned that she had bought a huge bolt of the fabric for $5 at DI, so now she had a ton of leftover if anyone wanted it. Hmmm...do I want it? What would I do with it? It's so tempting!

I still need to mat and frame three pictures for the Melanie/guest bedroom and paint the wall that got dinged up when I took down the shelf that used to be on it. Plus, I'm now wishing that I had chosen a different mat option for another picture in that room...do I change that out or stick with what I've got? And do I really like the stuff that's sitting on the dresser in there, or do I need a change there as well?

I've always been one to change my decor. When I was a kid I can very distinctly remember rearranging my room: pushing the dresser here, tugging the desk there. There's just something exciting about a change of scenery to me. My family, who all tend to be a lot more "stable" than I am, laughs as I talk about redoing things yet again.

I'm limited though, in my change abilities. If I had my way I'd know how to tile a floor, recover furniture, or even learn woodworking and make my own furniture...think of all I could do then! I keep thinking I need to learn...I need to learn...but so far I haven't taken the time: I'm probably too busy changing something to stop and learn!

Anyone need a change at their house? Just give me a call and I'll be there. In fact, my family would probably thank you for giving me something to do...it would give them time to get used to what I've done before I change it all again!

Oklahoma! Part 2

After spending Friday in Oklahoma "on business", Craig and I were able to enjoy Friday night and Saturday doing a few fun things. The first thing we did on Friday night was go out to see the Oklahoma City Temple. The temple is located in a middle of a neighborhood. It's actually a really small temple, which was interesting to see. The temple is only 10,769 square feet, or a little over 3 times the size of MY house. By contrast, the Salt Lake temple is 385,000 square feet. But, like all temples, it is beautiful and we enjoyed walking around and feeling the spirit that was there. We asked a guy coming out of the temple to take our picture. He took one, looked at the camera and said, "Uh, I should take another, there were some people behind you." When we got the camera back I thought it was funny to see the couple just coming out of the temple. I think they were scamming into our picture. Craig thinks they're just lovey dovey and were accidentally caught in the picture. So, here's the shot...what do you think?

After going to the temple we went to dinner at a place called Kona Ranch. I've decided my new "thing" for trips is to try to go to a restaurant that they don't have at home. Kona Ranch, however, was a bit of a disappointment, though. I had coconut shrimp, which is usually yummy, but for some reason it didn't really hit the spot. Oh well, that was the only disappointment in the whole Oklahoma trip, so it was fine.

We went back to the motel and spent the night, then woke up Saturday ready to see a few more sights before we headed home. Our first stop was the Oklahoma City National Memorial, at the sight of the Oklahoma City bombing. To enter the memorial area, you go through large squared arches. The arch we entered through had these words engraved on it: "We come here to remember those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever. May all who leave here know the impact of violence. May this memorial offer comfort, strength, peace, hope and serenity." Although what happened on the site was horrible (you definitely 'knew the impact of ' on not only this city, but country as well), there was a great feeling of 'comfort, strength, peace, hope and serenity' at the memorial. It was touching to see a wall of tiles made by children throughout the US sent to Oklahoma letting them know that although the whole nation was hurting as well, we were also praying for them and sending our support.

The field of empty chairs, representing the 168 killed in the bombing, made me think of a saying by Ezra Taft Benson: "God intended the family to be eternal. With all my soul, I testify to the truth of that declaration. May he bless us to strengthen our homes and the lives of each family member so that in due time we can report to our Heavenly Father in His celestial home that we are all there--father, mother, sister, brother, all who hold each other dear. Each chair is filled. We are all back home." For those families who lost loved ones in the ing, there are earthly empty chairs as their loved one is gone for now. But, at some point we will have the opportunity to be together again with those we love, with no "empty chairs". It was especially sad to see in those empty chairs not only big chairs, but little chairs, symbolizing the children (ranging from 3 months to 3 years old) that were killed at the on-site day care.

There is a beautiful reflecting pool stretching between the entry arches, and I loved what was said about the pool in the brochure explaining the symbolism of the memorial sight: "Here, a shallow depth of gently flowing water helps soothe wounds.." I can just imagine all the horror from that day being gently washed away, and a peaceful stillness, like the water, washing over those affected by it as well.

After we had finished at the memorial we headed off to Lake Hefner. I imagined it to be somewhat like a Utah mountain lake, surrounded by trees and trails, but it was actually a man-made lake out in the open. There were boats sailing on it, and we stopped and looked at it for awhile, then headed off for lunch.

We decided to have lunch at a place we read about in our Oklahoma Tourism magazine that David and Cheryl had given us. So, we hopped on Route 66 (I feel another song coming on...you probably all know it, so feel free to sing along!) and drove to Arcadia, Oklahoma, stopping at Pops for lunch. Pops is a place for "food, fuel, and fizz", the fizz coming as you choose one of their 500 soda flavors! It was a fun little place, and I enjoyed a grape Nehi, which, if you remember, was also Radar O'Reilly's favorite drink on M*A*S*H. Besides the grape Nehi, lunch was rounded out with a yummy cheeseburger and chocolate shake.

After we left Pops, we heading about a half a mile down the road to the Round Barn. There we found a quirky little gift shop on the lower level, run by a quirky old guy named Butch. This gift shop has everything from "regular" souvenirs (like Round Barn key chains, or Route 66 magnets), to things that make you think you're at a garage sale (such as used VHS movies for $3.) One of the coolest things I saw at the Round Barn gift shop was Rose Rocks. They are Oklahoma's state rock, and they are little rocks in the shape of rosettes, formed by barite crystals. While Butch was discussing Rose Rocks with us, he mentioned that when people ask about where they can get some he tells them to just go to the other side of Draper Lake to find them.

Well, that sounded like a fun adventure! So, Craig and I got in the car and off we went to Lake Stanley Draper in search of our own Rose Rocks. One of the things I really liked about Oklahoma was that the dirt was red. Even the "beach" at Lake Stanley Draper was an incredible terra cotta color. We walked up and down the shore with our heads down, stooping and searching for Rose Rocks. The ones we found were not quite as elaborate as the ones Butch had at the Round Barn gift shop, but hunting them out ourselves added an extra dimension no gift shop bought Rose Rock would have had.

The time grew near for our plane to leave, and we left the lake and headed to the airport. As I sat in the terminal I felt a little melancholy. I really enjoyed my trip to Oklahoma, and wouldn't have minded if for a few more days (in the immortal words of Rodgers and Hammerstein) my "honey lamb and I would sit alone and talk and watch a hawk making lazy circles in the sky." In my book, Oklahoma was definitely OK!

OKLAHOMA! Part 1

I have a habit of breaking randomly into song, based on something that I run across that makes me think of the lyrics to a song. This weekend I spent a lot of time breaking into song ("OOOOOOOO-klahoma! Where the wind comes whippin' down the plain!") as Craig and I took a quick trip to Oklahoma.

We went to Oklahoma so Craig could take a look at a company that is for sale that he might be interested in buying. This company is a metal casting company. They have a very similar product to what Craig's company currently does, but instead of getting their stuff from China, they make their own.

We arrived late Thursday night, grabbed our rental car (as well as our very own Gladys Patricia Sorenson to accompany us) and checked into our wonderful hotel so we could get some rest. Besides being clean, well decorated, spacious and modern, this place had a plasma TV that Craig loved! (In fact, in showing the boys the pictures from our trip, the one that got the most oohs and aahs was the TV picture!)

The next morning, we arose early and had our continental breakfast before heading out to spend the whole day with the company that was for sale. This company works four 9 hour days, so on this Friday the only people there were us, the real estate guy, and two of the three owners. It was so interesting to tour the company and see exactly what they did. We got to see some of the different products they made, tour their facilities, and find out as much as we could about the company and what it's all about. David and Cheryl (the owners) gave us a goodie bag full of Oklahoma treats, and we ate lunch (their treat) at a local restaurant, Cotton Eyed Joe's. (I had barbecued pulled pork...yum!) We toured Inola (population about 1700), and had a great day getting to know David, Cheryl and their company. I had such a good time with the whole day that I was ready to buy the company and move to Inola.

Never fear, though, my friends...while Craig was interested in the company, he was not interested in moving to Oklahoma! However, he was willing to stay one more day with me in Oklahoma, and I will tell you more about our adventures in "OKLAHOMA! Part 2".

A quick note from the Atlanta Airport...

Ah, life! Just when I think I've got it figured out, it tosses me a curve ball!

I'm writing this in the Atlanta airport, where I am waiting not so patiently for my flight home. As Carolyn and I checked in at the airport in Connecticut, a screen popped up on the check-in kiosk that said that the flight was overbooked and they were looking for volunteers to get on another flight.

Oh joy! It was my dream--I could stay in Connecticut longer! I had been having such fun on my well-deserved, most needed vacation...I really wasn't ready to head home and back to "real-life".

The check-in agent told us they would give us a $400 voucher, possibly put us up in a hotel, and we could fly out tomorrow morning, arriving in Salt Lake at 12:30 PM, a mere 13 hours later than our current flight. I looked at Carolyn hopefully...could we stay?!?!?!?

However, having only seen her hubby one day in the past 6 weeks, Carolyn was anxious to get home. She told me that I could do what I wanted, but she was going home. After much personal anguish (I REALLY wanted to stay), I decided to follow her lead, and head home instead.

And now, we're sitting in Atlanta with an hour an a half delay, or so they claim. I'm looking at the departure/arrival board, and it says the plane arriving at the same gate before our plane departs comes in at 10:48--and we're scheduled to leave at 10:50? Somehow I'm guessing it ain't really gonna happen!

Wow, what a bit of a bummer. I could have stayed in Connecticut a few more hours (another goofy movie, Daniel?), and gotten a voucher so we could have headed off on another adventure.

THE REST OF THE STORY: Our plan left Atlanta over 2 hours past regularly scheduled departure time, and we got to Salt Lake City at approximately 2 AM. Also, the movie on the plane was goofy...but in a "this is a really bad movie" way, not in a "having fun with my favorite nephew" type of way. Oh well, c'est la vie, I guess. I did at least have two really cute guys there waiting to pick me up and take me home!

Calgon (or rather Connecticut)--Take me away!

This month I had the GREAT PLEASURE of spending a week in Connecticut, which was a HUGE "battery recharger" for me!

Carolyn and I flew out to Connecticut for Brian and Holly's wedding in the Boston, Massachusetts temple. It was such a wonderful, well-needed trip. I enjoyed days of no real responsibility and tons of fun. Coming home, honestly, was not really that thrilling of an idea for me...couldn't I just stay and play forever? My neighbor Bonnie told me that even if I stayed in Connecticut, I would still have to be responsible, but Shirlene promised me that she'd be responsible if I just played with her kids all the time! When I instant messaged Trevor and asked if I could stay longer, he wrote back: PERMISSION DENIED. I guess it's good they all missed me, eh?

When we got to Connecticut, one of the first things we had going on was Daniel's Eagle Court of Honor. Way to go, Daniel! It was fun to be there in support of Daniel, and it was fun to experience an Eagle Court of Honor, since I'm not experiencing any here at home. Bradley? Trevor? I'm waiting...

The day before the wedding, Carolyn, Mom and Dad Fry, and I drove up to Boston and spent the night in a hotel (thanks to Kristin and Steven and their hotel points!) We arrived, dropped off our stuff, and decided to go to downtown Boston and check out the Freedom Trail. First, though, we decided to have dinner at Uno's. After a yummy dinner, we got on the road and experienced WAAAAAY too much traffic for our liking. So, after a quick change of plans, we decided to head to Lexington and Concord and see some Revolutionary War sites.

Following the directions of our trusty guide, Gladys Patricia Sorenson, (or GPS as she is better known), we soon ended up who knows where! We discovered a couple of times that Gladys must have old information on where to find things, as we would end up in random spots that were supposed to be some other attraction we thought sounded interesting. But, we were in the general area, so we just started driving, hoping we'd come across what we really wanted to see.

We ended up on the Battle Trail, at the Minute Man Historical National Park. As we were looking at the map of the trail on a marker there, we noticed a small body of water that looked interesting, and off we went.

We soon arrived at Walden Pond, where author Henry David Thoreau spent a couple of years conducting an "experiment in simplicity", living in a small one room cabin away from the world. A year or so ago in General Conference, Elder L. Tom Perry made comments about how Walden Pond was a getaway for him and his wife as well as they struggled through some life stresses, and it was his comments that made Walden Pond seem like an interesting spot to visit for us.

Ahhh! What a wonderful place! We arrived at sunset, and the sun setting over the lake was incredible. We dipped our toes in Walden Pond, which was cool and refreshing, and wished we could stay longer than the light left in the day allowed.

After leaving Walden Pond, we heading to the Boston Temple so we'd know how to find it in the morning. The temple, with the last rosy streaks of day fading fast behind it, was gorgeous. We commented on the way back to the hotel how traffic, which you would normal take as a horrible thing that might ruin your day, had caused us to change our plans in such a delightful, peaceful way.

The next morning we woke and left for the temple sealing of Brian and Holly. The day was a perfectly bright, sunny day, and we were thankful to be there with them.

Later that afternoon, after a wonderful lunch, topped off by a sneak preview of a video of Brian and Holly that Alan had put together to play at the reception, we heading back to Alan and Shirlene's home for a brief rest before the reception. The ride home was a bit long, but wonderfully scenic. A backup on the Massachusetts turnpike caused us to change our route, and we wound our way home through beautiful New England countryside that looked like something straight off a postcard.

After we arrived home, we freshened up, put our stuff away from the hotel stay, and headed off to the reception. We discovered then another shortcomings of Gladys'...she takes you on the most direct route, regardless of how scary of a place that drives you through! Downtown Hartford was definitely NOT as peacefully scenic as our drive home had been! (We snagged Daniel after the reception to take the place of Gladys on the way home, and his directions even included a short jaunt through the Wendy's drive in for Frostys!)

After Brian and Holly's wedding we spent the weekend relaxing together, and Monday the ladies (minus Bekah, who had heading to Girls Camp, and Kaylene, who had headed back to Texas) all had lunch together at Bugaboo Creek, followed by ice cream cones at the Fish Family Farm and mini golfing with Grandpa, Daniel, and Micah.

Tuesday Shirlene, Carolyn, Mom and I (oh, and Micah, too) took our last little trip out before Carolyn and I had to fly home. We took a trip to Gillette's Castle, and toured through that incredible place. We then returned to Alan and Shirlene's, where Alan gave us twenty minute rides on the Goldwing (I loved it!), Daniel took one last song request from his crazy aunt who wishes so much that someone in her family could play the guitar and sing like he does, and then said our goodbyes and were off.

What a great week. So needed, so enjoyed...I loved it.

New Car!

Ok, so I write on my blog about as well as I write in my regular journal. Oh well.

But, in big exciting news at our house, I am now FREE from the regular pain and suffering that I had to deal with with my van. We got a new car! (Car being a generic term...SUV, if you wanna be specific.)

We are now the proud new owners of a year old, white Honda Pilot, with just 4000 miles, and plenty of bells and whistles. Sun roof? Got it. DVD player? Got it. A regular plug like you have at home? Got it. (Wooo...I could blow dry my hair in there if I wanted!) Heated seat? Got it. Camera that shows out the back of your car when it's in reverse so you hopefully don't run over any little kids? Got it. I LOVE MY NEW VEHICLE!

I no longer have to worry about random things happening with my vehicle when I least expect it. The door locks all work, and the doors all seem to open smoothly, without you having to employ superhuman strength to open them. The lights don't randomly flash on and off, and the rear air has yet to turn itself on in some poltergeisty way. I haven't had any check engine lights or overdrive lights flashing on and off, it doesn't overheat, and when I turn a corner it sounds quiet, not like my kids moaning 'cause I've asked them to practice the piano. I am looking forward to NOT having to take it in to the shop. In a quick peruse of the auto folder in the filing cabinet, I counted 23 work orders documenting our MANY trips to the shop over the 9 years we had the van. I mean, really...23 times in 9 years? That's nearly 3 times a year! Ridiculous. Hate me if you must 'cause I've got a super new vehicle, but I am pretty sure I probably deserve it after putting up with the van for 9 years!

And, you ask, what is happening with the van? Well, currently Bradley is taking his turn in suffering through it's quirkiness. Ideally, we'll get rid of it and get something else, but doing anything with the van at this point is going to way of my blog postings: it's just not happening very quickly. I'm hoping maybe we'll trade it in on the government's "Cash for Clunkers" incentive: we could get double to triple it's value on the trade, and then they destroy it and no one ever has to deal with it again! Sounds like a win-win situation for all.

Why doesn't my blog get updated unless I post something?

Amazingly, I have discovered that if I don't post anything, my blog doesn't get updated! As much as I know that to be true, I found myself wanting to check my blog to see if there was some great post this past month (has it really been nearly a MONTH since I posted?!?!). But, alas, there was not, because I didn't write anything. In a future Jetsons-like time, maybe I'll be able to just plug into my brain and download my thoughts about what's been going on without having to sit down and type out a post. And maybe then I won't go so long between posts!

June brought GIRL'S CAMP. I spent a few days in Mantua, Utah at the Mantua Girl's Home. Sounds like some orphanage doesn't it? It's really just a house set in the mountains above Mantua where LDS girls can go for Girl's Camp. Some of the highlights of Girl's Camp for me included:

-My possessed van scared me to death by leaking antifreeze all over after I returned from a side trip to Logan. Since that time however, it has done nothing of the sort and seems to run fine. That's pretty typical of my van: do something strange and bizarre, then run fine afterwards. When I used to take it to the dealership I'd get the work order back with these words: "Cannot duplicate". Or in other words, your car may have done something strange, but it's not doing it now, so we can't really fix anything.

-We went on a hike and got HAILED on! As I had an umbrella with me on the hike, this wasn't really so horrible. The girls with no umbrella found the hike not quite as refreshing as little hail balls (well, say blueberry size) tend to hurt when they slap into your skin.

-We had a wonderful "spa day", with little tropical slushie drinks with umbrellas to sip while we did foot baths, oatmeal/honey facials and nail painting. The girls loved it.

-A great "sturdy foundation" activity where the girls learned all about the safety and peace of building on the sturdy foundation of the gospel.

All in all, it was a great few days up at girl's camp. I came home and promptly got sick, as did about a dozen or so of the others from camp! Obviously we much have gotten really close at camp! (And isn't that really what camp's all about?)

June also brought Jacob's 12th birthday! Happy Birthday, Jacob! And, with the 12th birthday came advancement from Primary into Young Men, and the Aaronic Priesthood. It's a combination of exciting and scary to have the kids growing up so fast! Jacob's 12th birthday was the night of a Young Men/Young Women combined Water Activity. We had a giant slip and slide, and some other fun water games, such as human battleship. In human battleship, two teams lie down on the grass in random spots on opposite sides of a tarp that is held between them (so they can't see the other team's positions). Then they launch water balloons over the tarp and try to hit each other. The kids loved it.

June ended, July came, and we had 4th of July fun with Craig's family. We went to Carolyn and Tony's and had a fun barbeque, then went to the Salt Lake Bee's baseball game and the fireworks afterwards. I have decided that I am not a fan of being so close to fireworks that cinders fall on you...we've done that twice now and I (and my eyes) much prefer watching them from farther away!


I've also been really, really spoiled this summer by having Melanie home nearly every weekend. Between all the mission farewells for her friends and holidays she's been coming home a lot. As much as we tease about how we can drive to Logan with our eyes shut, I must admit that the thought of fall semester (when she won't come home as often, I'm sure) makes me feel really sad.


All in all, however, life is good. Craig's work is running him ragged at this point in the game...between Michael Jackson's death and the people who want to make commmerative buttons for that and the baseball teams that want trading pins for their tournaments he's been really, really busy! But it's good, and we're thankful for the blessing of his company being prosperous.

When you wish upon a star...

If you know Melanie, you may have noticed that she has one fashion accessory that she can't live without. She has a silver star necklace that, for at least the past 4 years, she has worn nearly every day. This star necklace is such a big part of her life that she has even claimed she will wear it the day she gets married. Overall, Mel seems to have an affinity for stars in general, and it would be a sad, sad day if she were to lose that necklace.




(The above pictures start in 2005 and go through to 2009--note the star necklace in each picture!)

Tonight our family went to the Oquirrh (pronounced "oh-ker") Mountain Temple Open House. It was beautiful! When we walked in, as we began filing through the lobby, the first thing Melanie said was, "This is the place I'm going to get married."

As we wound our way through the temple we came to the Celestial Room. The furnishings are beautiful, with a creamy white color scheme. The ceilings are extremely high, with a beautiful chandelier hanging in the center of the room. As I looked at that pure white, sparkling chandelier, I suddenly became aware of the design: it was star shaped. "Look, Mel," I whispered, "The chandelier is a star!"

In the sealing rooms in this temple, hanging over the altar where husband and wife would kneel to be sealed together through priesthood power for all eternity, there are smaller star shaped chandeliers. I became aware of more star shapes throughout the temple, from the mirrors in the brides dressing room, to the glass in the windows.

As we exited this beautiful house of the Lord, I smiled. It seemed appropriate that Melanie, with a love of stars (especially silver ones around her neck), would feel drawn to this beautiful place full of stars of its own.

Love ya, Mel, our own bright, shining star! May your "wish upon a star" to be married in the Oquirrh Mountain temple--sealed forever and ever and ever to your eternal sweetie--come true.

Please leave a message at the tone...

I have had a couple of people mention to me that they would leave comments but they don't have an account. I have discovered that you don't have to have any type of account to actually leave a comment, even though it LOOKS like you do.


Here's how to do it: First, type your comment. Then click where it says to "Comment as" (right under where you typed your comment.) Pick to comment by name and URL. When that comes up, type your name, but leave the URL blank. Then hit enter, it will probably make you type some random word to make sure you're a real person, and then it should post.



Although my "dream of blogging" was NOT to have people send me money (although feel free if you so desire), I did have hopes that it would be a bit interactive as I posted and others commented.



Is this totally lame to beg for comments? Oh well, call me lame. If I wanted to be ignored, I'd have teenagers at home. Oh wait, I DO have teenagers at home! Maybe that's why I'm desperately seeking interaction!

What is it about human nature that makes us unable to appreciate the good others have or do? Today my boys and I spent a couple of hours volunteering at the Bishop's Storehouse. I thought it was a great--the boys worked hard, I was so happy that they got a chance to serve and help. However, on the ride home, they about drove me crazy with all the trash talking! They couldn't be happy for what had been done, they had to rehash how one was better than the other and had done more or better things than the next.

You say you worked for 10 minutes in the freezer? Yeah, well I worked in there for 30 minutes in a swimsuit and you wore a coat and cried the whole time about how cold it was!

You got to work the pallet lift? Yeah, well you were way too noisy with it, slamming it here or there, you sat there while mom swept where the pallets had been, and on top of that you WHISTLED WHILE YOU WORKED!

You wiped off the sticky honey containers? Well, I walked unprotected into the beehives to harvest the honeycombs to make the honey, bottled the honey in a plastic container that I made from recycled materials, hand drew the label, and walked 50 miles one way uphill in the snow to deliver it to storehouse myself!

I'm sure some of that is plain old regular brotherly rivalry, uh, I mean love, that makes them talk that way. My husband swears they'll grow out of it and love each other by the time they're older, citing he and his brothers as proof. But sometimes I wonder, because I find that often it's not just my boys that think and talk that way. As brothers and sisters in the human race, we often seem to delight in acting like we're better than the next one over.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland gave a great talk on this issue in the April 2002 General Conference called "The Other Prodigal". (You can find it by searching at http://www.lds.org/) Elder Holland talks of how often we feel that a gift given to another somehow diminishes the blessings we have received, or how we wonder if God is smiling on another, then is He somehow frowning on us? My favorite quote from his talk is this: "I testify that no one of us is less treasured or cherished of God than another. I testify that He loves each of us—insecurities, anxieties, self-image, and all. He doesn’t measure our talents or our looks; He doesn’t measure our professions or our possessions. He cheers on every runner, calling out that the race is against sin, not against each other."

Even though they drive me crazy with this stuff, we'll be back again next week (with the plan being to go every week this summer) to help out at the storehouse. And maybe, just maybe, by the end of the summer, they'll come to appreciate each other and effort they are making to serve.

When we're helping we're happy!

Let me tell you, for me some of the greatest happy feelings come from helping other people! A couple of nights ago, I got an email from one of Craig's cousins that has been out of work for 9 1/2 months saying that she had gotten a job based on a lead that I gave her. Hooray! I feel so pleased when stuff like that happens...I love being able to be a part of something good.

At the same time, I recognize that this trait also can cause huge issues with me. The issues come in when it doesn't end up the way I think it should, or it doesn't make someone happy, because instead of thinking "oh well, you can't help 'em all," I tend to feel a bit like a failure.

That's part of the reason I'm not a huge fan of subbing anymore. Instead of "Hey! It's our favorite sub! We love her! She's awesome!", it was more and more of kids not listening and acting like I was chopped liver. That doesn't feel helpful and happy.

That's part of the reason why I'm not a fan of making dinner some nights. Instead of "We love this food, Mom, it's the greatest!", it's often accompanied by wrinkled noses and grumblings about why didn't I make something yummy? That doesn't feel helpful and happy.

That's part of the reason that "And they lived happily ever after," is my favorite quote. I just want everyone, everywhere to be doing good, being good, and helping each other out. Now that, THAT feels helpful and happy!

However, considering Adam got kicked out the garden and from then on out things were gonna be a little tough and trying, as well as the fact that I can't always help for whatever reason, I'm often in a world of hurt with that attitude! There is always going to be someone or something that I am unable to help or please. Failure probably actually comes only in me doing nothing at all to try to help or serve.

I've been pondering whether my desire to be helpful is actually a bad attitude disguised as a good attitude. Because, really, isn't it a little prideful for me to think that if I haven't made an outward "Oh, you're the greatest, you helped so much!" difference that I'm a failure? I find even that sometimes I rebel against things that I think from the outset will be a failure...if asked to do something I think will not have good results, I'm not much into doing it. And that is definitely a bad attitude! I have no crystal ball in order to divine whether I have truly made a difference, and a fact of life is that there will be times when a difference is made that will only be silently recorded in heaven, with no earthly recognition at all.

And so, a challenge to myself (and others): Keep helping, regardless of whether it turns out the way you think it should or not. Don't take it personally if it doesn't, and don't be afraid to try to help no matter what the outcome might be!

"Find out how much God has given you

and from it take what you need;

the remainder is needed by others."

Welcome, Welcome Sabbath Morning (and afternoon and evening)

My favorite day of the week is Sunday. The Sabbath. The day of rest.

Now certainly there are some Sundays that are a little stressful (like maybe the ones where I teach YW or if there are a bunch of meetings to attend), but overall I love Sundays.

First of all, I love Sunday music. In Sacrament meeting I love singing the hymns. I usually try to sing a different part each verse. I know the soprano and alto parts well and usually do fine at those, but for fun I also try to the tenor and bass parts (sung up an octave). Bass I can hear fairly well (probably because I'm usually an alto, so I can hear those low parts), but the tenor takes a bit of concentration. Shhh, don't tell the ladies, but sometimes the tenor and bass parts are the best parts of the song! For example, the bass part on "True to the Faith" is a blast to sing, especially on the chorus!

Beyond the sacrament meeting hymns I also love to listen to spiritual, uplifting songs. On the local radio stations (FM 100 or KOSY 106.5) they play these types songs all day. When we get home from church the radio goes on, and stays on for the rest of the day. Music is such a peaceful, soothing part of the day.

I also love that Sunday is a day of rest from all the "need to do" stuff. On Sunday I can sit on the couch all day and not feel guilty at all that I'm not _______ (fill in the blank: doing laundry, cleaning house, running errands, etc.) I can truly rest not only my physical body from doing those things, but my mind as well from the pressure to do those things.

Sunday food prep is so easy as well. Every Sunday we have the same thing: roast, rice and corn. I put the roast in a foil lined pan, dump a can of cream of chicken soup and a can of cream of msuhroom soup on it, and sprinkle dried onion soup mix over the top. I then seal the foil up and pop the roast in the oven on 275 degrees until church is over (or later depending on how long it takes for Craig to get home from his meetings). It's easy and quick to make the corn and rice right before we sit down to eat. Making the same meal every Sunday means my mind is not stressed with what to make and with the concerns of which kid will grumble about how yucky dinner is. Everyone enjoys this meal and expects that is what will be on the table each Sunday.

Maybe after dinner (ok, usually after dinner) someone will make cookies. Very often it's Shanna's Chocolate Chips, which are super delicious cookies. First you cream together 1 cup shortening, 1/2 cup white sugar, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla, and 2 eggs. After those ingredients are well creamed you add 2 2/5 cups flour (I know, weird measurement...just do 2 1/2 cups and take a teeny bit out), 1 tsp. baking soda, and chocolate chips. Then you put it on your cookie sheet and bake at 370 degrees (again, a weird measurement) for 10 minutes. When the cookies come out of the oven you have to do one important step...Slam the cookie sheet down on the counter. Technically that step is not in Shanna's recipe, but that's Libby's hint for perfect cookies. I don't know why, but I promise it makes the cookies taste better somehow.

The rest of the day is usually spent in activities such as talking to family on the phone (Hi Mel! Hi Mom and Dad!), playing games together, reading scriptures, working on Personal Progress or Duty to God or Faith in God, reading the newspaper, or taking a much needed nap. Or, as I am now doing, writing on your blog about the joys of the Sabbath!

In the June 1993 New Era magazine, Robert L. Backman says this of the Sabbath: "With [the Sabbath, the Lord] gave us the means by which we can become well-rounded mentally, physically, socially, and spiritually. The purpose of the Sabbath is to nourish the spirit. Truly we are rested, refreshed, and renewed as we pause and concentrate on spiritual things. We are better prepared to meet the world and the challenges of our daily lives if we turn away from our own pleasures and delight in the Lord."

I have to agree...the Sabbath is truly a day which helps me to feel "rested, refreshed, and renewed." What a much needed thing in this crazy world!

Cleaning the sink...Angie's style

Have you heard of the FlyLady? She's a woman with an online site, book, and newpaper column that help show other women how to take care of themselves and their lives more efficiently. One of her signature things is telling ladies to show the love they have for themselves by shining their sink everyday.

Well. I must tell you that shining my sink every day is NOT something I usually do. I tend to be more of a "Oh, hey, the white sink is starting to turn brown, maybe I better clean it," type of gal. But earlier this week, I found out about a sink cleaning that I could probably subscribe to daily.

When our family went to take Melanie back to "her summer home" (haha), we ate at a restuarant called Angie's. If you ever go to Angie's, I would suggest you clean the sink. No, this is not some weird way of working to pay for your dinner, this is an ice cream lover's dream! Cleaning the sink at Angie's consists of ordering about ten gallons (give or take a few) of soft serve ice cream, loaded with 3 toppings and bananas, served in something that looks a lot like a kitchen sink--it's a stainless steel tub that's maybe 6" x 12" in size, attached to plumbing pipes which is all attached to a wooden stand so it nicely sits on your table. After you clean the sink, you get a bumper sticker so you can proudly show off your great abilities to the world.

After arriving in town, we went to dinner at Angie's. Our plan was to clean the sink after dinner, but our plans were foiled when the portions at Angie's were just too big to immediately tackle the sink. So, instead we went to a movie to give our food time to digest.

We went to see Night at the Museum 2. Reviews haven't been overly favorable, but I personally enjoyed it. One of my favorite parts of the movie was Amelia Earhart, played by Amy Adams. I loved her moxie! I wish that I could be more consistantly like that...happy, energetic, ready to take on the world and anything in it. My second favorite part of the movie is the family movie quote replay, which happens once we leave the theater. It's amazing to me how my kids can remember every line in the movie after just seeing it once!

During the family movie quote replay time, it was suggested by party-pooping parties that shall remain nameless that we forego the sink cleaning and just head home. WHAT!?! NO WAY!!! Except for the dropping off Mel part, that was the WHOLE PURPOSE of going up there as a family. So, cooler (hungrier? less party-poopier?) heads prevailed and we went back to Angie's.

Going back to a restaurant a few hours later is actually pretty funny. The restaurant staff tends to look at you a lot like "Wait...weren't they here earlier? What are they doing here again?" Well, we're here to clean the sink, so pile it high with chocolate sauce, oreos, and peanut butter cups and bring it on!

After cleaning the sink (I think the grand champ on the ice cream eating was probably Bradley with 4+ bowls) we dropped Mel off and headed home. While the rest of the family zonked out in the back of the van I drove home, singing along with the radio all the way, happy to have spent an evening with my wonderful family!

The First Post

So, shouldn't your first blog post be amazing and incredible so that everyone will come back and read more? That's what I would think, however, if you're looking for that here, you won't find it.

This first blog post will basically be so that I can see how my blog looks before I head out on a little trip to take Mel back to her summer home. Ooooooh, she sounds so rich. A summer home. I almost said take Mel back to school, but she's not in school now. She's just working. But I wasn't taking her back to work, so I couldn't say that. I guess I could say I'm taking her back to her apartment instead. So....

This first blog post will basically be so that I can see how my blog looks before I head out on a little trip to take Mel back to her apartment.

Wow, with just a few small keystrokes we went from rich (with a summer home) to the plain old every day folks that we really are.