minute by minute

Moving

2011-10-14T12:14:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to let everyone know I have moved my blog to a new platform. If you want to follow me, go to www.takeintime.wordpress.com. Hope to see you there!!

the happy dance!

2011-10-02T15:34:00.000-07:00

About twenty years ago, I asked my Dad where I could help in doing our family history. He chuckled, and said something to the effect that he would give me something easy- and handed me what little information he had on our Drake family line. That information consisted of my grandma's name, and her siblings, along with a "We think her Dad's name was Albert Cleveland Drake, but that is just rumor; he took off and left the family when Mom was a little girl." I spent the next 20 years looking for this elusive relative of mine- to no avail. A few years ago, I was at our local family history center (fhc) and was able to locate Albert and his wife, as well as Albert's dad. Since then, I have found hints of Albert Sr here and there, and a suggestion of HIS parents' names, but nothing really concrete.

Ten days ago I was at a friends house where we jointly homeschool. She was heading to the Salt Lake area for some business, and I was able to hook a ride with her. We left in the late afternoon, and drove all night, arriving around 5 am. After catching a couple of hours of sleep, we jumped in the car and headed downtown. She dropped me at the Family History Library where I spent the next 12 hours. Previously, I was a little skeptical of what further information I would be able to gather that was not already available on the internet. Oh buddy!! Was I wrong!!

Family History Library in Salt Lake. Thank you Google images

I was able to locate both Alberts, as well as Greenbury- Albert Sr.'s dad, qne his wife, Martha. Also Albert Asbury's wife, and her parents! In addition, I found the obituary of Albert Cleveland which named both of his parents, his siblings, and the names of his married sisters and places of residence!! Was I able to maintain my calm and dignified composure? Uh......NO!!! I was literally doing the happy dance in the middle of the FHL in Salt Lake City!! The joy I felt was unlike almost anything I have felt before, and I knew that these ancestors were just as joyful on the other side of the veil. This discovery was so worth the 24 hours of sleepless traveling, and I can't wait to go again. The most interesting thing was that after I had transcribed and made copies of this information, I decided to do some work on my mother's side, as I have some holes in my Jewell ancestry. But it was as if a cement wall had dropped over my mind, and I was unable to locate any further information. It was like Heavenly Father was saying-" My daughter, I have given what you came here seeking, now go home and search anew. Your prayers have been answered". What a powerful example oh His love for all of His children! And what a testimony of prayer I received- it was an experience I will always remember.

In other news on the catch-up front, when Paul and I took Josslin to Rexburg for school, we decided to do some camping/hiking in Glacier National Park. I had never been there, and neither of us had ever driven The Road to the Sun, so we decided to hit that too. Holy mountains batman! It was a sight to behold! The flowers were amazing!

These pics were taken on the Road to the Sun. There are straight dropoffs on the side of the road that fall for up to 1000 feet. In some places we could see a waterfall start high above us, then follow it all the way to the valley floor. Truly a sight to see.

I took this photo from across the valley- I don't know the name of the butte, but the mineral striping was gorgeous. We could see this butte from many places in the park.

< More flowers- Indian Paintbrush, wild lupine, and a type of bee balm? So pretty! It is amazing how living things can find any little spot of soil and not only grow but thrive! I think there is a lesson there!!

And here is our home sweet home! It made camping so easy to just pop the tent and fill up the air mattress. We had to keep the food in the cab of the truck because of the bears, but it still was the cleanest and easiest camping we have done.

This is Bowman Lake. We went on a long hike on which we were to hike about 6 miles in and end up at Numa lookout. Apparently there are lots of wildlife that can be seen from this area. I recently hiked this distance and was pretty comfortable with the distance. But. I forgot about the 3000 ft increase in elevation,and when you start at 4000 feet, 7000 feet makes quite an impact on how efficiently one is able to use one's oxygen intake. So we made it in 5 miles, missed out on anything other than squirrels and chipmunks, and the bear scat, but it was still a wonderful way to spend the day. It was so peaceful up there, the Spirit of the Lord was abundant. As I contemplated on the creation of our world, I was overwhelmed with the love Heavenly Father has for us, and for all of His creations. It was such a treat to spend time just enjoying them and discovering all the beauty around us.

This weekend is General Conference. It has been wonderful to listen to prophets and apostles teach us how to draw closer to our Savior, Jesus Christ. There were so many great talks, I am going to have to watch each session over and over. What a blessing to have this access in our home!

For those of you that are wondering what that blank patch of denim is at the top of my blog, eventually it will be cute; I am just having some difficulty figuring out how to put some pics on it to personalize it and cutify it.

Well, thats it for me- have a great week everyone!

Where did all the summer go?

2011-09-26T16:45:00.000-07:00

So, the other day I decided to spend 45 minutes blogging- trying to slowly catch up for the last 6 months of ignoring my story. But after typing for 10 minutes, the rest of the time was consumed in waiting for my pics to upload. Then I forgot to save it before logging off, and so here I am again- reblogging!

I thought I would give you a quick look at the projects we have been working on this summer, so here goes a photo tour! To the left is our house before we began resided it. Residing sounded pretty straight forward to me- I mean, you take the old stuff off, and slap up the new stuff, right? WRONG!! Yes, first the old stuff had to come off, but then the insulation (basically nonexistant) had to be installed. Then plywood sheets go up, then the vapor barrier, then new front window, then new doors, then trim around the windows, THEN the siding. Whew!! It was a big job but it is done, and the house looks so much better!

Catching some rays! Never pass up a chance to be moral support!!


And Voila!

The flower beds took a major beating, so their improvement is on the list for springtime. If Paul only knew what is in store for him! :)

Paul got the goat shed and tool shed built, now it just needs some siding and hopefully paint before the weather gets cold. He also installed fencing around our pasture, as well as pipe and pump so now we have irrigation to our ground!! Yay! It has made keeping things green so much easier.

In other news, we got a beehive! It is so fun to watch the bees, and I have a whole new appreciation for them. Did you know that bees build their combs in a row by row format? They are very organized, even their queen lays the eggs in rows. You can follow how old the larvae is by where it is in the nest, and when the larvae hatch, their little cubicle gets cleaned out and eventually the queen comes back and starts a new brood.

This is a frame from the bottom box of the hive. The purple is all the pollen the bees have gathered and placed in the foundation comb. The pollen is different colors depending on what flower it was harvested from. Some of my pollen is purple, some is red, some orange, etc.

Somewhere on this frame is the queen. There are always a lot of bees with her because she has to be fed and cleaned.All she does is lay eggs, and mate with the drones. If she starts slacking off in her duties, the bees will start a new queen growing and when she is ready to hatch they will kill the old queen. You can see that my hive has 2 big boxes. The bottom one is where they raise the brood, and the top one is where they store their honey. I have a feeder box on the very top that I have been feeding them with. Because I got them late in the season, they haven't had time to build enough stores for winter on their own, so I have to help them. Now they are making honey and storing it in the top. Next spring I will add smaller boxes called supers, and they will store honey there which I will then harvest next fall. Yummy!!

Well, I guess that is all the pictures today, since Blogger seems to be on overload. I will try again tomorrow to catch up some more.

from God's arms

2011-03-25T08:52:00.000-07:00

A few years ago, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints introduced and rolled out an improved and updated family history program. The Bishopric did a presentation on it, and said that our Stake would be having classes on how to use the program, and that those who took the classes would then teach the members of our ward how to use it to do their family history.After the meeting I volunteered to take the classes and get to work finding my own ancestors. Since that time, over 200 of my ancestors have had their names taken to the temple, and saving ordinances were done for them.

I started working in the stake Family History Center every Thursday, and I really enjoy it. Last night was an amazing night, and so rewarding! I was on a high for several hours afterwards. When I got to the FHC, an elderly couple who used to live here were in town
visiting, and decided to spend some time looking for some ancestors. We found lots of information for them, pushing one of their lines back to 1752!! It was such a wonderful experience to see how much it meant to the couple to find information that they had been seeking for many years, and the gratitude they showed touched my heart.

While we were working with the couple, a new member of the Church who happens to be in my ward came to the library. She is of hispanic origin, and because she is a first generation member she has lots of family history to do. I sat with her for several hours, and it was really exciting to help her enter the information she had so carefully gathered. She has been interviewing her family members for hours every Sunday, writing down stories, dates, places, names, and events. Then last night we found a little girl that she didn't know about, and added her to the family. By the end of the night she had added many names to her file on the new family search, and was excited and a little overwhelmed at the responsibility she faces to get all the temple work done for her family members. She was able to locate the region of Mexico that she came from, and as she looked at the trek her ancestors had undertaken when in their early sixties, I could see the appreciation on her face for their sacrifice.

One of the benefits of doing family history research is that you find yourself becoming familiar with these people, their stories, and their experiences. By this you develop your own relationship with them. It sounds kind of weird, but it is almost like they know you are thinking about them, and so they come a little closer to you in spirit. I can't explain it very well, but it is like a increasing bilateral awareness of each other, and then I get and increased desire to keep searching, and sometimes a prompting of where to look for a family. It is an incredibly spiritual but exhilarating feeling, and I wouldn't trade it for all the $$$ in the world. Last November we took >90 names to the temple and had them sealed to their families. We ran out of time and have another 90+ to do. Since that time, I have been researching more, and am preparing more names for a baptismal trip with the extended family. Some of my favorite memories are those family temple trips, watching nieces and nephews, brothers and sisters being baptized in behalf of our deceased relatives. WOW!!

On another note, the new goat shed is well on its way to being completed, then the pigpen needs some repair work, and then the siding on the house gets replaced. Then the pasture gets fenced,and the water is on its way to our ground!! Some exciting changes comin' our way!!

mucus monday.....one form of mucking out!!

2011-03-14T17:07:00.000-07:00

So, Paul caught this horrible cold from his bosses, and then shared it with the rest of us. All I can hear throughout the house is:"sneezzeee, cough, cough,snort, Is there any more kleenex?, and Is there any more juice?" Yuck!! I was feeling pretty safe since I got through the winter with out a cold; I thought so anyway! But here we go, the infamous spring cold. It amazes me that the human body can produce so much gross, slimy, icky snot! I mean SERIOUSLY???!!
Okay, enough with that shtuff.

I have been studying up on the Constitution lately, something I should have been doing long ago. You know, when you read the original Constitution, it takes only about 20 pages. The founders felt strongly that if the Constitution were left alone it would not only serve the agrarian lifestyle of that time, but the modern age as well. Thomas Jefferson studied the Bible extensively when he wrote the Declaration of Independence, focusing on the ancient Israelites form of self government. He sought to implement these truths into the Declaration, and later into the Constitution. The founders also studied Plato, Cicero,Blackstone, de Montesquieu,Polybius,John Locke, and other great minds of the centuries. John Adams agreed with Thomas Jefferson that Plato was at best terribly disappointing, and at worst disgusting, but Jefferson described Plato's writings as "utter nonsense"!

You are probably wondering why I am writing about this today. It is because even now, the leaders of our country seek to remove the freedoms we now enjoy. It is only through studying the founders individually as well as those thinkers that they respected can we come to understand what it is we are allowing our government to do. Today, I want to challenge you to muck out those cobwebs in your mind, and go find out what the founders knew. I have been amazed at how my mind has "woken up" since I started stimulating it with some history and paying attention to what is going on in our nation. I say, no.....I shout...WAKE UP AMERICA, AND LIVE!!!! Blow the slime and snot from your brains and fill your brain with light and knowledge. Our government is sick, but it can be healed. We must get to work and make it happen!!

A long time comin'

2011-03-12T10:14:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time since I was here last! As you might guess, not only have I been busy busy but emotionally overwhelmed. A lot has happened, but most of it I can't talk about here in order to respect others' privacy. As a result, I have decided to have a private blog where I can talk about those things, and at the same time keep this blog.....maybe. I'm not so good at keeping this one up to date, so what makes me think I can do two?

In a quick synopsis, the first quarter of the year is gone. Brianna and Brannick are back with their mother, so things here have really calmed down. Dylan is on the last step of submitting his mission papers, so we will be in the "waiting for a call" phase, hopefully by Monday. Yay!!

Oh my goodness!Where did this big handsome guy come from? It seems like yesterday I was trying to get him dressed for church, and now he is an independant, hardworking, "fire fightin' farm boy"?

Adam is finishing up his eagle project, so that is way exciting! He and Dylan are the first Eagle scouts on both sides of the family! We are so proud of them. He is still attending Kimber Academy, and making progress.

Josslin is at home, looking for work. She is a joy to have around, and a big help to me.

Paul and I are just keeping on keeping on. We are planning on some house projects beginning here in the next few weeks, among them being : new siding on the house, fencing and irrigation to the property, improving the pasture, adding some pigs, and building a new goat pen. Then of course, we will be putting in the garden. This year we are going to try elevated garden boxes on the west side of the house, and hope to start a small orchard. Whew! I am really excited about it all, and can't wait to get started.

Over the past several weeks, we have been repainting the main living areas, and I am really happy with the results.

The front room is a off white with blue trim, one wall is done in brick red, and the dining room has one wall that is the off white with a glaze ragrolled on over it. The entire kitchen is done in the rag roll technique except the ceiling. Don't you love the feeling that a fresh coat of paint brings ? Everything feels new and clean! Next up to paint are the bedrooms!

Well, I think that will some it up for now, everyone have a great weekend!

Thankful Thursday

2010-12-16T21:28:00.000-08:00

1. Generous, caring friends

2. Amazing, loving, intuitive husband

3. Blue sky this morning

4. Gas in the gas tank, defroster that works

5. Great counselor who gets autism

2010-12-05T18:43:00.000-08:00

So, a month has gone by since my last post; which isn't necessarily unusual for me, it's just that of course I chose the busiest time of year to get behind! This post may be the longest in history.....but at least it will have.....wait for it.....wait for it.... PICTURES!!! Because after being without a camera for 6 months, and having a suboptimal one before that, I took the big plunge and bought the camera I have been looking at for a couple of years.

All right, starting off with October-- Halloween! I have never been a big Halloween fan. When I was a kid we were trick or treating, and some weirdo was dragging a leg and waving a gun. It probably was all fake, but it has warped my perspective of all things spooky ever since. This year, with young kids in the house again, I decided to try really hard and give them a fun time, a good memory. Off to the land of costumes we went, and SUCCESS!! Bri was a punk rock princess, Joss was a hobo, and Brannick was a ghost. We went to the ward party and trunk or treat. We decorated the truck, and after Brannick had made several rounds he hid in the cab and made scary ghost sounds that could be heard all over. It was really funny!

I am not sure what you would call Adam- he was supposed to have one of those fake eyeballs hanging off his forehead, but at the last minute just decided to go with striped hair. Bri and Brannick looked great too, but I am not allowed to post pics of them.

November brought one of the highlights of my year- the scrapbook retreat! It was held at Suncadia Resort which is gorgeous. It is located in the mountains, and the setting is magnificent.

Below and to the left are the views out of the windows of our scrapping room. Floor to ceiling windows were wonderful! It made it really easy to get the creative juices flowing.

One of the special things about retreat is the amazing food. I kept meaning to catch a pic of each meal, but the only one I managed was this dinner salad. It had a raspberry vinaggrette dressing on it. Some of the menu items included top sirloin steak, and several chicken dishes, and positively sinful desserts.

This room is full of 40 + women, each with a 6 foot table, and all their scrapbooking supplies.

Below is what I took. It is only a small amount compared to what some other people took. One group of 3 ladies used a trailor to pull all of their stuff up!

I did get 15 pages done, complete with journaling the events. While there were people who completed 60 pages, I am very happy with the way mine turned out. They were a vast improvement over last year, and told the whole story. One of my favorite projects was retelling the story of Dylan's summer camp. One of the boys caught a rattlesnake, and oh my! You can imagine what 10 or 15 boys can do with that.

< This is Lisa and Leslie. They are both nurses that I used to work with. This was Leslie's first retreat, and I think she had a good time.

Some people did scrapbooking, some did sewing projects, and some made banners. It was so fun to wander around and learn new techniques.

This picture was taken a few days before the temps dropped into the single digits. I can never see one of these machines without thinking of the childrens story "Are You My Mother?"! So funny!!

The week before Thanksgiving brought our first snowfall.

This is my car in the driveway just as the snow was starting.

Paul and Adam and Dylan were out in the blizzard hanging heat lamps and making sure the critters were going to be alright. They are really awesome that way. I am so grateful to have such an amazing husband.

This is my car about 4 or 5 hours into the storm. The flakes were huge, and the wind was blowing sideways. Add to that temperatures hovering down around 10 degrees, and it was definitely a night for a blanket, a book, and some hot chocolate.

And this is my car after the storm!! We were surprised that it drove right out- the drifts were really misleading. In some places they were 3-4 feet deep, in some places the ground was almost bare. Isn't nature amazing?

Thanksgiving Day brought the smells and tastes of Paul's delicious cooking. He never ceases to amaze me with what he can do with food. Nik came over and brought his little girlfriend, named Ashley. She is very sweet, and even more important, she loves to scrapbook too!!Woot woot!!

Left to right: Nik, Ashley,Paul,Dylan,Adam,Josslin,Brannick,Brianna.

The food was great! We discovered after the meal that we had left the cranberry sauce in the fridge! HA! But it tasted great the next day on toasted and buttered flat bread! We had a good visit with Nik, and he made a comment about it being good to be home again. Hopefully he will begin to come out a little more and we can continue to mend our relationship.

Friday afternoon found us on the road in 2 vehicles on the way to bigtown. The Forgotten Carols were playing at the local performing arts venue, and we have wanted to see it for years. If you have never heard of it, it is the story of a very practical nurse named Constance who hates holidays and children. As she hears the carols of the innkeeper who turned away Mary and Joseph, the shepherd who slept through the angelic chorus, the childless woman who may have helped Mary care for her infant, and others, her life is changed. It is wonderful music that will bring the spirit of the season into your home every time it is heard. We hooked up with my folks,Bill and Julie, Brandy, Kait, and Ian and Karissa for some good eats before the show and then headed on over. Such a special, fun night!

Hmmm.....what shall I have?

Brandy is due anytime, but she bravely made the trip to see an amazing show! What a woman! She is having a girl, and naming her Aria, we are so excited to meet her.

This is the set before the show started. It is very simple but was perfect for the play.

Left to right: Mom, Kait,Bill,Julie, and the top of Karissa's head.

We made sure to get there early- I don't know why as we had reserved seats. The place did fill up tho.

So, this tree below has bottom branches that normally reach about 6 feet off the ground. As you can see, the weight of the snow was significant! But I love how the tree looks, so pretty!

These chickens are so funny! They must be afraid of melting- they won't step outside their coop into their run, but they stay all cuddled up on their roosts.

And my goats are growing and growing! I am looking to breed them, so if anyone has some Boer bucks, give me a jingle or shoot me an email. And that pretty much ties up our month! Now, we are on to the Christmas craziness.

If I don't get back here before the new year, I wish you all a peaceful and happy Christmas season. May we all look for and find ways to serve those around us, so that the Spirit of Christ will light our way back to Him.

porches and sticks and stones

2010-10-21T14:41:00.000-07:00

So, the last couple of weeks have been pretty hard. In fact, kind of lousy. We have a lot of irons in the fire, and some of them are getting burned and some are not getting an even roasting, so there has been quite a bit of stress. It is interesting to observe how our lives are so completely impacted by others' actions, even when we are making good choices.

Remember that old saying about "sticks and stones will break my bones, but words can never hurt me"? It's a big lie. Not that I didn't know that already, but that fact was re-emphasized in my life recently, and it is taking me a while to let it go. I am not angry at the source of the hurt, just really sad. And the source spoiled what I had planned and hoped to be a fantastic experience.

Do you ever wonder if this is as good as it gets? Not speaking on an eternal perspective, just a regular everyday life perspective? Do you ever wonder if you will get through the current trials- not get through them with grace, but just survive them? And then, the guilt you feel for just surviving them overwhelms you as you contemplate how you have failed to optimize on the experience!

The other day I snuck into Adam's seminary class, in search of some peace and spiritual food. The lesson was on enduring to the end, and how several members of the early church got their feelers hurt and left the church. As I listened, the Spirit filled the room. Always, Joseph Smith's response to those who reviled him and then repented and sought forgiveness of him was one of peace and love. As he told WW Phelps"‘Come on, dear brother, since the war is past, / For friends at first, are friends again at last.’ ”* WW Phelps went on to write 15 hymns, one of them being "Praise to the Man".

As the students gathered around the piano to sing Praise to the Man, my heart began healing. This scripture that we read that morning has been circling around in my brain all week: D&C 53:7- "And again, I would that ye should learn that he only is saved who endureth unto the end. Even so. Amen."

Elder Bruce R. McConkie testified shortly before his death with these powerful words:"I know that my Redeemer lives; with Job I testify. “What though the ravages of disease destroy my body; what though I am slain by the sword of death—yet I know that he who bought me with his blood shall soon reign on earth and that “in my flesh shall I see God.” (Job 19:26; see also Job 19:25.)

I am a witness that he was lifted up upon the cross of Calvary; that he was crucified, died, and rose again the third day; that he ascended into heaven, where, sitting on the right hand of God, the Father Almighty, he now reigns in everlasting glory; and that he will soon come again among the sons of men.
I know that he is the one Mediator between God and man; that he brings to pass the immortality and eternal life of man; that his is a ministry of reconciliation whereby fallen man can be reconciled with his Maker. I know that salvation is in Christ and that only by faith in his name can we hope for the riches of eternity.
He is my Brother and Friend, but he is more. He is my Lord, my God, and my King, whom I worship in the full majesty of his Godhead and who will continue to be my Savior, my Redeemer, and my God through all the eternities that lie ahead."

And so I say again...I need to find the strength to endure with grace and peace. Only through the love of our Savior can I do so. Happily, I know that He will help me.

And today's funny: A blonde chick knocks on the the door, and inquires of the home's owner if he has some odd jobs she could do to earn some money. Taking pity on her, he tells her that the porch needs to be painted and that all the supplies are in the garage. The price of $50.00 is agreed upon, and the girl goes in suearch of the paint and supplies. When the man returns to the home, his wife chides him for taking advantage of the girl, since the porch wraps all the way around the house. He merely shrugs and goes abut his business.

2 hours later, the girl knocks on the door announcing that the job is done. Flabbergasted, the husband pays the $50.00, along with a &10.00 tip. As the girl turns from the door and walks away, she calls over her shoulder " oh, and by the way, that wasn't a porch,it was a Lexus"!

blogging

2010-10-12T15:35:00.000-07:00

When I started blogging a couple of years ago, it seemed like there was never-ending material to use. It was more difficult to end my posts in a timely manner than it was to find something to write about. Lately, finding posting material has been more elusive, and frankly, the lack of comments are disheartening.Which is kind of dumb, because I have always thought that I blog for myself, not for others. Today, over at segullah, the topic, interestingly enough, was on this very issue. I have been wondering what, exactly, comprises an "interesting, compelling" post.

When I read blogs, I am first of all looking to catch up on the events in the lives of friends and family. Finding humor there is definitely a bonus! Secondly I desire to read something that stretches my brain and brings introspection. Nothing is worse than letting your brain rot in prolonged vegetation. And thirdly, I want to read uplifting, testimony strengthening experiences.

To follow my own recipe, I will briefly summarize the doings of the fam in the past few weeks. We have been trying to refinanace our home for an interest rate that is half of what it currently is. The plan is to get a little extra money to make some much needed improvements- replace the siding, windows, and doors. However, in order to get the refinance money we have to paint our house to cover the peeling paint (which might be lead based) (even though we just repainted a few years ago and definitely is not lead based), in order to remove said sideing and replace it with concrete siding. Are you lost yet? Paul took last weekend off to do the dirty, and of course it rained ALL WEEKEND! He was able to get the primer on though, so yesterday, after taking another day off, it was finally painted. Hopefully it will pass muster, and we can get the refinanace closed, and the improvements in the works.

After being down to 2 kids at home this time last year,we are back up to 5 kids at home. And along with that we are back up to an inordinate amount of groceries needed to keep the tribe full. It is really strange to be back to 4-6 agallons of milk a week along with 8 loaves of bread, not to mention all the other staples!

Joss is hanging out here at home, looking for work, and being my right hand girl friday. I really love her and appreciate how much she lightens my load. Always willing to help out, she is responsible and compassionate.

Dylan is working 14 hour days, and filling shiffs at the fire department as well. He really loves the fire stuff, and is eager to become a fulltime fireman./paramedic in the future. He is working on his mission papers, and looking forward to getting his wisdom teeth out! ; ) NOT!! He is however very excited to be receiving his mission call in the fairly near future. We attended a farewell in Q-town for 2 of his friends that are leaving very soon, on for Tonga, and one for England. Hearing their testimonies and excitement to share the gospel was infectious and uplifting. I have known these boys since they were about 3, and have immensely enjoyed watching them grow and mature. They are both fine young men and will contribute much to their fields of labor.

Adam is enjoying being back at Kimber, and is working hard. He is taking group violin lessons as one of his electives, as well as a STEM(science,technology,engineering, and mechanics) class. They are building rockets, and I hear them constantly hounding their teacher for launch dates. So fun!! He is really coming along as a surrogate big brother for Bri and Brannick, and developing his inter personal skills and leadership qualities. He has completed all the merit badges he need s to receive his Eagle award, and only needs to complete a project. His leaders have been very helpful in finding a project for him, and now he only has to get it going.

Bri and Brannick are making a lot of progress, and we are loving having them with us. I have learned a lot about myself, and have learned a lot about how Heavenly Father touches us through those with special needs. There is nothing better than feeling the joy of accomplishment and sharing it with Brannick. He is truly one of those choice spirits. The one drawback to have the kids here, is having the state be so intrusive in our lives. I long for the time when we can just parent the way it needs to happen for the good of the children, without worrying about the feelings of the biological parents.

In between taking care of the kids, and making a stab at keeping up with the house, I am spending some time doing family history indexing, cross-stitching stockings for Christmas, crocheting baby items for photography props for my sis- in law, and teaching a crafts class at Kimber. We are looking forward to a family sealing session at the temple, where many families will at last be sealed together.Whew!!

Now for the brain stretcher. Unfortunatley, I can't think of a thing; this is going to take some n.hmmm.....Oh, here's one!! Spoiler alert!! since this IS my own blog, I can state my political views. So, if you don't like my views, you may want to stop here. On the other hand, it is pretty funny- so there you go!!

                                       DIVORCE AGREEMENT

Dear American liberals, leftists, social progressives, socialists, Marxists and Obama supporters, et al:

We have stuck together since the late 1950's for the sake of the kids, but the whole of this latest election process has made me realize that I want a divorce. I know we tolerated each other for many years for the sake of future generations, but sadly, this relationship has clearly run its course.

Our two ideological sides of America cannot and will not ever agree on what is right for us all, so let's just end it on friendly terms. We can smile and chalk it up to irreconcilable differences and go our own way.

Here is a model separation agreement:

--Our two groups can equitably divide up the country by landmass each taking a similar portion. That will be the difficult part, but I am sure our two sides can come to a friendly agreement. After that, it should be relatively easy! Our respective representatives can effortlessly divide other assets since both sides have such distinct and disparate tastes.

--We don't like redistributive taxes so you can keep them.

--You are welcome to the liberal judges and the ACLU.

--Since you hate guns and war, we'll take our firearms, the cops, the NRA and the military.

--We'll take the nasty, smelly oil industry and you can go with wind, solar and biodiesel.

--You can keep Oprah, Michael Moore and Rosie O'Donnell. You are, however, responsible for finding a bio-diesel vehicle big enough to move all three of them.

--We'll keep capitalism, greedy corporations, pharmaceutical companies, Wal-Mart and Wall Street.

--You can have your beloved lifelong welfare dwellers, food stamps, homeless, homeboys, hippies, druggies and illegal aliens.

--We'll keep the hot Alaskan hockey moms, greedy CEO's and rednecks.

--We'll keep the Bibles and give you NBC and Hollywood .

--You can make nice with Iran and Palestine and we'll retain the right to invade and hammer places that threaten us.

--You can have the peaceniks and war protesters. When our allies or our way of life are under assault, we'll help provide them security.

--We'll keep our Judeo-Christian values.

--You are welcome to Islam, Scientology, Humanism, political correctness and Shirley McClain. You can also have the U.N. but we will no longer be paying the bill.

--We'll keep the SUV's, pickup trucks and oversized luxury cars. You can take every Subaru station wagon you can find.

--You can give everyone healthcare if you can find any practicing doctors
--We'll continue to believe healthcare is a luxury and not a right.

--We'll keep "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" and "The National Anthem."

--I'm sure you'll be happy to substitute "Imagine", "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing", "Kum Ba Ya" or "We Are the World".

--We'll practice trickle down economics and you can continue to give trickle up poverty your best shot.

--Since it often so offends you, we'll keep our history, our name and our flag.

Would you agree to this? If so, please pass it along to other like-minded liberal and conservative patriots and if you do not agree, just hit delete. In the spirit of friendly parting, I'll bet you answer which one of us will need whose help in 15 years.

Sincerely,

John J. Wall

Law Student and an American

P.S. Also, please take Ted Turner, Sean Penn, Martin Sheen, Barbara Streisand, & Jane Fonda with you.

P.S.S. And you won't have to press 1 for English when you call our country.

brain strain

2010-09-26T21:26:00.000-07:00

Ever wondered why you tend to trip on lint? Or why you like bananas? Or why you are good at math but not at grammer? Why are you logical, or why are you extremely emotional? Why can you organize a warehouse but not paint? Well, the answer lies inside your skull. While medicine can cure many illnesses, science is only beginning to understand the miracle of the brain. This week, we have been immersed in the complications of trauma to the brain, and have learned and cried and laughed. Brain injury and mental illness have lifelong ramifications, and lifelong scars.

When Josslin had her brain injury 4 years ago, it went undiagnosed for 7 months. Finally unexplained seizures put her in the hospital up in Bigtown where the cause was not epilepsy but something called conversion syndrome. This happens when the brain is sick or injured and is not being treated, so it causes something to appear to be wrong with the body in order to bring focus on the injury or illness of the brain. It really is an amazing thing to see.

Below is a diagram of the brain with a few of the basic functions. Perhaps it will help you understand a little more. When Joss was hit, she was stopped at a stoplight, and struck from behind by a man traveling at approximately 50 mph. Her brain slid forward and back, as well as side to side inside her skull, causing bruising to all areas of the cortex of her cerebrum. Later, testing would show diffuse injury in all centers of her brain. It also caused the strain and tearing of the neural pathways connecting her hypothalamus and amygdala. Think of it like a story being written without the emotion being expressed. The two sides of her brain were unable to communicate, and so her experience was unable to be processed, resulting in PTSD along with her other brain injuries.

•AMYGDALA: Lying deep in the center of the limbic emotional brain, this powerful structure, the size and shape of an almond, is constantly alert to the needs of basic survival including sex, emotional reactions such as anger and fear. Consequently it inspires aversive cues, such as sweaty palms, and has recently been associated with a range of mental conditions including depression to even autism. It is larger in male brains, often enlarged in the brains of sociopaths and it shrinks in the elderly.

•BRAIN STEM: The part of the brain that connects to the spinal cord. The brain stem controls functions basic to the survival of all animals, such as heart rate, breathing, digesting foods, and sleeping. It is the lowest, most primitive area of the human brain.

•CEREBELLUM: Two peach-size mounds of folded tissue located at the top of the brain stem, the cerebellum is the guru of skilled, coordinated movement (e.g., returning a tennis serve or throwing a slider down and in) and is involved in some learning pathways.

•CEREBRUM: This is the largest brain structure in humans and accounts for about two-thirds of the brain’s mass. It is divided into two sides — the left and right hemispheres—that are separated by a deep groove down the center from the back of the brain to the forehead. These two halves are connected by long neuron branches called the corpus callosum which is relatively larger in women’s brains than in men’s. The cerebrum is positioned over and around most other brain structures, and its four lobes are specialized by function but are richly connected. The outer 3 millimeters of “gray matter” is the cerebral cortex which consists of closely packed neurons that control most of our body functions, including the mysterious state of consciousness, the senses, the body’s motor skills, reasoning and language.

•The Frontal Lobe is the most recently-evolved part of the brain and the last to develop in young adulthood. It’s dorso-lateral prefrontal circuit is the brain’s top executive. It organizes responses to complex problems, plans steps to an objective, searches memory for relevant experience, adapts strategies to accommodate new data, guides behavior with verbal skills and houses working memory. Its orbitofrontal circuit manages emotional impulses in socially appropriate ways for productive behaviors including empathy, altruism, interpretation of facial expressions. Stroke in this area typically releases foul language and fatuous behavior patterns.

•The Temporal Lobe controls memory storage area, emotion, hearing, and, on the left side, language.

•The Parietal Lobe receives and processes sensory information from the body including calculating location and speed of objects.

•The Occipital Lobe processes visual data and routes it to other parts of the brain for identification and storage.

•HIPPOCAMPUS: located deep within the brain, it processes new memories for long-term storage. If you didn't have it, you couldn't live in the present, you'd be stuck in the past of old memories. It is among the first functions to falter in Alzheimer's.

•HYPOTHALAMUS: Located at the base of the brain where signals from the brain and the body’s hormonal system interact, the hypothalamus maintains the body’s status quo. It monitors numerous bodily functions such as blood pressure and body temperature, as well as controlling body weight and appetite.

•THALAMUS: Located at the top of the brain stem, the thalamus acts as a two-way relay station, sorting, processing, and directing signals from the spinal cord and mid-brain structures up to the cerebrum, and, conversely, from the cerebrum down the spinal cord to the nervous system.

(Thank you brainwaves.com)!

I was reading an article today about a researcher who has isolated some neural tracts in the brain that are linked to depression. They are the amygdala, hypothalamus, hippocampus, and the neural pathways that connect them. There is beginning experimentation with electrical stimulus to those areas via electrodes. They are also working on using fiberoptics instead of electrodes. That article can be found here. Another interesting article is showing that bipolar illness is not psychological, but anatomical.

Another interesting subject is that of traumatic brain injury. TBI used to be defined as mild, moderate or severe according to how long the person was unconcious. It is now becoming clear that the length of time spent unconcious is not necessarily indicative of the amount of damage. Josslin suffers from the aftermath of a "Mild" traumatic brain injury- again, it was classified as mild because she had very little time spent unconcious. However, the brain injury has changed her life, and will continue to affect her quality of life for the rest of mortality. This week we have spent time dealing with the consequences of one man's irresponsible driving. Not only does she deal with the "physical" problems, but the emotional and intellectual as well. Her accident caused a tendency towards bipolar disorder to be unmasked, which has complicated her life even more.

One of the blessings of this trial has been an increased compassion for those who look or act " different". As we have come to know and understand more about mental illness, we have developed a greater appreciation for the atonement and the sure knowledge that eventually Josslin, Dylan, and Adam will one day be made whole. One day they will be healed. And now, when I look at the homeless, or those that are talking to no one or gesturing to the air, I remember that they are also children of a loving Father, who one day will also be healed. And we will be held accountable for how we treat them So to my hometown peeps, the next time you see our local homeless man acting a little or a lot different, remember that one day he will be made whole, and it is our responsibility to do what we can.....even if that is only to not point and laugh at him.

I remember when I was younger, praying that my children would not have any mental handicaps. I knew that I could handle anything except that. Give me chronic illness, physical challenges, financial problems, etc. Just not mental stuff. And now, 22 1/2 years later, all 3 of my kids have mental illness. Heavenly Father knew what I needed to grow and develop in a way that would let me go back to Him. Now, I struggle watching my kids suffer, and cry as I watch others treat them like they are "different" and not as good. But I know that they are wonderful strong spirits who have much to offer the world, and that in the end, all the brain strain will be worth it.

amazed and confused

2010-09-20T22:32:00.000-07:00

I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me;
Confused at the grace that so fully He proffers me;
I tremble to know that for me He was crucified!
That for me, a sinner, He suffered, He bled and died!!

Oh it is wonderful, that he would care for me enough to die for me!
Oh, it is wonderful! Wonderful to me!

I marvel that He would descend from His throne divine;
To rescue a soul so rebellious and proud as mine!
That He should extend His great love unto such as I
Sufficient to own, to redeem, and to justify!

I think of His hands pierced and bleeding to pay the debt,
Such mercy, such love, and devotion, can I forget?
No! No! I will praise and adore at the mercy seat
Until at the glorified throne I kneel at His feet!

It has been a rough few months. We have been stretched and pulled and tried so intensely that many times we have fallen. Yesterday at church was the Primary sacrament meeting program. The theme was on the Savior and what the children have learned in the last year about Him. Many of the kids testified of the reality and divinity of His existence, and the Spirit was so full and strong there. One of the songs they sang goes:

I know He lives!
I know He loves me!

I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior!

There is nothing more moving than hearing testimony of Jesus Christ, especially from children.I am so grateful for Him, and for my testimony. I know He lives, and He will redeem me, and has atoned for my sins. And I do stand all amazed.

The summer was too short and is gone, and time marches onward. Adam is back at Kimber Academy, and taking seminary. His teacher is Jane Payne and he really loves her and is loving learning about the gospel everyday. We have a new addition built on to the building where Kimber has been meeting since last year, and the senior class meets in that addition. Sean Turner is the teacher this year for the senior class. He has left teaching in the government sector, and is enjoying teaching the entire student- spiritual, mental,physical, emotional. Including the gospel truths in education makes all the difference in learning. When the Spirit is there, learning is enhanced. Love love love Kimber!!!!!

Paul and I took a 3 day weekend and went to bigtown together. We slept and ate and shopped and ate and slept and ate some more. Totally fun and relaxing! It was awesome to spend some quality time together and reconnect.

2010-09-01T16:07:00.000-07:00

I have wanted to blog for a long time, but haven't been able to find the words to express what is in my heart and mind. So much has happened this summer, and while it has been a busy season, it has also been one filled with sadness, joy, stress, and love.

Bri and Brannick are still with us, and the bond between us has grown. This is a good thing, but also a bad thing. It is good in the sense that when you love someone, more loves comes to you, but bad in the sense that when they leave us, it will be infinitely more painful. How do you keep your heart closed off to protect yourself from hurt? Paul keeps cautioning me to not get "too attached" but I can't help it.

I am one of those "all or nothing" kind of people. As with all things this is a double edged sword. On the one hand, I can get a lot of things done, because I give it my whole heart and soul. On the other hand, when I am done, I am SO DONE! For example, when I jumped into my weight loss adventure, I went full force. Now, 9 months later, I am down 100 pounds. When I clean my house, I do the WHOLE thing- deep cleaning every nook and cranny. But, then I crash and don't do anything for several days, requiring another max out cleaning spree. Balance. That is my challenge. Why is it that some people can be balanced with such ease? Why can I not?

There are so many things I want to do! There are not enough hours in the day/month/ year!! We have gone swimming at the pond, read books, done some serious road time, and just hung out at home. We went to a family reunion in Idaho, and had a good time. I have read some books, donbe some crocheting, and am starting to do some counted cross stitch stockings for Christmas. Some where in here, I want to get some scrapbooking in! So many fun things, so little time.

Joss is home from school- deferring a semester to work- so if anyone knows of job openings, let us know!
Dylan got his GED this summer scoring 200 points more than he needed. Since then, he has been doing a lot of hours with the fire department, and went on his first state mobilization up to the Slide fire. He is also working part time for a farmer.

Adam got glasses, and is also working a little bit. Thank you to those who have the patience to teach him to work and pull his weight.

And now a little venting. Did you know that people who have had their kids removed do not have to have employment in order to have the kids returned? Their welfare counts as "income". Oh my gosh!! This whole experience with the government has been a nightmare- not only have they gained unlimited access to my home, they continue to make demands....."separate bedrooms"...more bed......etc etc. Send this report, take them to this doctor, come to this court hearing, the parents still can determine medical decisions, apply for food stamps, apply for cash from the state, by the way do you have any weapons in your house and where are they? We want the names of friends and relatives that we can talk to about you...send us pictures of the kids every week, bring the kids in to CPS 3 times a week for visitation, take them to big town every other Saturday for visitation but don't take your purse, phone or camera.Don't post pictures of the kids on your blog or facebook, do not allow visits with other family members without your presence. On and On and On and On. And in the middle of all this, no one cares about the rights of the children, only about the rights of the drug addicted parents. Where is the sense in all of this? What have we come to? Hello? Is anyone thinking out there? This summer has been consumed by the government. While I recognize that part of it is necessary, there is entirely too much interference. Oh, this was my favorite question: If something happens to you and Paul, what will happen to your children, and by extrapolation, what will happen to Bri and Brannick? What is your financial status? How much is your monthly income? I tell ya, I was waiting for them to inquire about my bathroom habits!!

So, September and school are upon us. I know that structure is important, but something in me chafes against a state entity dictating my schedule. I love the freedom to come and go, play and work at my disgression; After home schooling for so many years, and then going to Kiimber for 4 hours a day 3 days a week, conforming to such a stringent schedule is very constricting. And I so love the idea of "free" government schools, which I then had to spend >$100.00 on school supplies, not to mention the $400.00 bucks in school clothes (which was paid for by You and I insurance).NOT!!

My goats are getting big and full of attitude; I am looking forward to having them bred in a couple of months, and having kids in the spring. Well, I better go get some housework done, and find something for dinner.

Oh my Henrietta!

2010-07-02T17:33:00.000-07:00

I finished reading "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks", and can't stop thinking about it. It is the story of a young black woman -Henrietta Lacks, age 31- who contracted cervical cancer in 1951. She unfortunately was misdiagnosed and treated in the wrong manner, which led to her death. She would have died anyway, just perhaps not as quickly had she been treated appropriately. The focus of the story is about her cancer cells, and how they continued to grow in culture. Up until her cells were cultured, science had been unable to maintain cell growth- all the other cells died within a few days. Henrietta's cells, however, continued to grow. To the tune of enough to go around the world several times if they were layed side by side. Scientists have been able to come up with many medications and treatments for disease processes using these cells and their propensity for robust growth.

So why do I care? Here's the thing. Henrietta's cells were grown in culture without her consent- which was a common practice then and is today. Almost everyone has some form of their tissues on file somewhere in the world. When it was discovered by her family after her death, they were enraged, but not for the reason you might think. It seems that along with a lack of education, they were not recompensed for the use of Henrietta's (aka HeLa) cells. The family was without health insurance, and extremely poor. They felt that they should have received monetary compensation for the use of HeLa cells, and especially free medical care. Increasing the frustration was the fact that some family members thought Henrietta was still alive in some kind of limbo at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, or that she had been taken off the street and used in macabre experiments. They didn't understand the concept of cell growth, mainly because of poor education, and not having the issue clearly explained to them.

As I read the book, I was alternately horrified, disgusted, amused, and uncertain. Not only is the book about Henrietta, it is also about ethical issues. Does science have to pay for the use of someone's tissues/samples/cells in order to study them? This would have a huge impact on the cost of medical research. On the other hand, others (read industry) makes a killing off of the proceeds from the sale of medication and equipment made from the use of said samples. Do extended family have claims on those proceeds? If so, why? They didn't do anything, didn't contribute anything to the research.

Another side of the issue I am grappling with, is the racial one. I don't think I am a racist. I don't care what color someone's skin is. Would I feel the same distaste for the behavior of Henrietta's family if they were white? or hispanic? or asian? Am I disgusted by the "the world owes me a living" mentality, or is it something else? I would like to think I would feel the same way. Coming from the background I do, raised with the "work hard and make something out of yourself" mantra, I violently oppose free rides. Everyone in this world should be contributing something to society, not taking. Granted, there are some who are disabled who need financial assistance, or medical care, that they are unable to provide for themselves. Those circumstances aside, how does one rationalize the right to receive something for nothing? I just can't wrap my brain around that.

Rebecca Skloot does a good job protraying the members of Henrietta's clan, their voices really came to life for me. The format she used was choppy though. In between telling the story, she took several detours to discuss the science behind the cells. While interesting, I found this distracting, and would have preferred the science and story to be in different sections. Would I recommend the book? Yes, with the caveat that you need to be willing to look at all sides of the issues, and wade through some disjointed writing. But I will say this- the next time something new comes out in the medical field, I will wonder- "who's cells were used in this technology?"

all kinds of kids

2010-06-25T20:53:00.000-07:00

So, I woke up this morning to the sound of a panicking goat. If you have never been blessed with this experience, think of a screaming infant, magnified about 50 times. Seriously. They sound like babies. And why, you may ask, was my sweet Cream blithereing away at 8 am? Because she has figured out how to escape her pen, but not how to get back in. And she can't stand to be separated from her sister, Cookie. Of course, she took advantage of the lush vegetation (read weeds; esp. kocia) growing in her immediate vicinity- which sent Cookie off her rocker! (Honestly! For her own sister to not share in the spoils of escape!).

What is really funny, is that Cream is totally content in her pen, until the sun comes up, and then-Holy Hannah! Get me out in that pasture Momma!! She doesn't run from me, in fact she trots right up and waits for me to halter her, and give her and Cookie a handful of grain prior to spending the day belly deep in grass and brush. They have a little shelter out there that they loll around under at the peak of the heat, and occasionally stand in the sprinkler to cool off. But mostly, they just munch, munch, munch. And chew their cud, cud cud!! (Sorry, couldn't resist! :}).

Why am I chattering on about my sweet girls? Because they make me happy, and feel content. It sounds so.........wierd, geeky,.....but seriously they do! I love to weed the garden and listen to them rip the grass off, and snort the dust, and paw at the ground. I love to watch them climb up on their little hut, and play king of the mountain. I even love the smell of manure. It smells healthy, and earthy, and clean in a different kind of way. I love to hear the chickens discussing their yardmates. I can almost hear them say " Really, did you SEE her coat this morning? ". So much fun to have critters!

The other day, my foster son who is autistic, got upset and started to run away down the field.
Samson, my shepherd cross, caught up to him, and gently blocked his way, gradually turning the boy back in the direction of home. Who says animals are dumb?

Today, I took the kids to the pond. They had a lot of fun, and really enjoyed the water. It was wonderful to watch childhood happen. We did have a problem with inappropriate use of the alfalfa field for a potty, but other than that it was great. This is what children should be doing! Playing with critters, swimming, playing, laughing. Not trying to protect the younger sibling from life's ugliness. Yesterday, Brie had her friend over for the day, and they laughed and giggled and shrieked like all little girls do. They played in the sprinkler, and the mud, and did their hair, and traded clothes. They ate popsicles, and watched TV. I so want them to have some normalcy! And a chance to be kids and feel safe and secure.

Paul and Adam got back from camp this afternoon. They had some good talks, and went hiking. I am so glad they are close. They seemed to have a great time, and Adam collapsed into bed about 8:15 tonight.

So, the best thing about this week? Watching childhood happen, enjoying God's creations, and being with family. And all is well.

here to there and back again

2010-06-20T17:35:00.000-07:00

Don't you hate it when you have a lot to say, but can't talk about it? This post might be a little vague, but those of you who know what is going on, will understand, and those of you who don't know, might get bored.

Recently, we have been exposed to some of the nastier sides of life, and how they can affect innocent people. I have been by turns enraged, broken hearted, grateful, exhausted, joyful, and rejuvenated.

When we adopted Nik 8 years ago, we traveled to Russia to get him. We were required to appear in a family court, and had to listen as Nik was asked such questions as "Isn't it true that your parents have made no effort to communicate with you in the 4 years you have been in protective custody? Isn't it true you have received no birthday cards in 4 years? Isn't it true that prior to your removal from your home that you were forced to break into the neighborhood's homes for food because your parents failed to care for you?". He was 12 years old, and had to answer in the affirmative to all of these questions, and others as brutal. By the end of his "testimony" he was in tears.

In Russia, you get one chance at parenting. For example, if you are down at the neighborhood bar, and it is discovered that you have left your children at home, they are immediately removed from your care, and your parental rights are terminated. That is not an exaggeration. At first glance, you might think-" It is about time!" . And you would be right. Until you understand that these kids are placed in "orphanages" where they are "cared for" by hours and hours of TV watching. In Europe, pornography channels are part of regular programming. Kids are exposed to porn from a very early age. At age 16, they "age out" and are kicked out on the streets without any job skills, home, etc. You can imagine what becomes of most of the 800,000 parentless children in Russia.

Nik lived with us for 6 years. He moved out at age 18, and now lives with other people, living a life that will only bring him pain and heartache. Someday, we hope he will return to the Church and the teachings he has received.

Fast forward to present time. I spent hours in a family court listening to similar testimony in reference to people that I know and love. It was of course even more heart rending because these people are not strangers. As in Nik's case, drugs and alcohol have left 2 young lives in a shambles. And I am not talking about the adults. Thankfully, the judge clearly saw the implications of leaving the children with their mother and placed them in our care. However, this did not make it easy to watch their sobbing parents being led out of the courtroom. My heart broke as I placed myself in the mother's place. If someone took my children away, it would be the end of my world. I don't even want to contemplate the thought!

So, our family has grown by 2. These kids are sweet and easy to love. There are lots of issues and concerns, among them autism. It will be difficult, but definitely worth it. The learning curve is steep, navigating through the legal system is mind boggling. All we know, is that we want these kids to feel loved, secure, and safe. Given the American system, the road is long with lots of turns and surprises. Is it right that the children remain with us? Should they be returned to their parents, where the neglect/abuse may continue? How long is long enough to determine that the parents have gotten it together and will make whatever sacrifice necessary for the wellbeing of the children? Who is an accurate judge of that? What benchmarks are appropriate? How much dysfunction do the kids have to endure before they have a stable lifestyle?

What ever happens, our Father in Heaven is very aware of our needs, and the needs of these innocent kids who have gotten the short end of the stick. And at the end of the day, "All will be well".

Whiskers and peonies and rainbows and...

2010-05-23T15:46:00.000-07:00

Here are just a few of my favorite things: New family members- aren't they so cute?? The brown one is named Cookie, and the white one is....wait for it......wait for it......Cream!! They are really fun, and are the beginning of what I hope will be a little money earning project. They are only 3 months old.

I love the one week of the year that I get to enjoy these:

I think that we should get at least 2 weeks of these beautiful peonies.

These are also some of my favorite spring sightings:

Okay, so ignore the backyard landscaping project- I am trying to show the gorgeous spring wheat, especially with the sprinkler on it- nothing like a homemade rainbow to brighten the afternoon!
Spring is fulfilling and exciting and rejuvenating. After the long winter of brown and more brown, tender green shoots breaking through the crust reaffirms my faith and hope in a better day.

I am reading a book called "The Heretic's Daughter". It is about the time of the Salem witch trials, and how it looked through a young girl's eyes. The online reviews made it sound boring, and difficult, but so far, I can't put it down. Next up: The Poisonwood Bible. Wish me luck and hous of fun!

I am still working on the weight issue- so far I have lost 60 pounds since I started the program in October- and dropped 6 sizes. It is a lot of work, but so very worth it! Yesterday, I was able to lift a 50lb tire- no sweat! Whhoooooo Hooooooo!!! Yea for me!! And many thanks to my awesome hubby and kids who are extremely patient and supportive looking out for me with such tactful questions as "Mom, are you sure you want to put that in your mouth?" Health wise, I am 100% back to normal- fully recovered from the surgery. I love excercising at the gym, and have started a little horseback riding. I guess I never realized all the work your body is capable of doing until my ability has increased so much. It is truly a miracle that our Father in Heaven has given us. I am in awe and am deeply indebted to Him.

And last- I am again behind on my circle journal. This one is supposed to be about a woman from the Bible that has changed my life, and I can't decide. One day it is one, the next another. With so many strong, spiritual, influential women to choose from the decision is very difficult. Any ideas? My frontrunners are Rachel/Leah, Eve,Deborah, and Mary Magdalene. Who will it be? Who has been your example?

this n that

2010-05-05T14:09:00.000-07:00

So, it's been a busy month! I've done a lot of running around, alot of road time, and alot of thinking. I have wanted to blog before today, but haven't been able to come up with anything even slightly interesting.

On the 2nd weekend of April, we were privledged to attend a seminar on the early founders of freedom- namely Joan of Arc and Christopher Columbus. I am exhibiting my ignorance here, but I thought Joan was burned at the stake because of her visions and voices- calling it witchcraft. However she was killed for heresy; she wore several layers of mens clothing to protect herself from sexual assault and it did prove effective. In those days cross dressing was heresy, and that is why she was burned. I am fascinated with her now, and plan on reading more about her.

We also spent several hours on Christopher Columbus, and how he was inspired in everything he did. Did you know that he had a wife who died, leaving him with a young son? He placed the boy in a monastery in Spain, and in fact spent a lot of his time there when he was not at sea. Christopher prayed several times daily for guidance on that fateful voyage, and was threatened with mutiny when it had been more than 30 days since land was sighted.. He begged for 3 more days, and soon after land was seen. They landed on the island of San Salvador, named after the Savior. It is interesting to note, that for an interpreter, Columbus chose a former Jewish rabbi. He felt that he would find the "other sheep" whom Christ spoke of, and that they would speak Hebrew. Sure enough, after the landing at San Salvadore, they discovered a tribe of white Indians on another island. These white Indians became extinct later under Spanish colonization.

Here is Dr. Kimber eating lunch with some of the attendees. He is the 3rd from the right. This man is awesome! I hope that someday I have as much knowledge in my head as he has in his little finger!

Josslin needed to get back down to school, so we headed out on the 15th for Rexburg. The weather was so beautiful! We went up over the continental divide- Joss drove all the way to Butte, so I got a lot of crocheting done Whooooeeeee!! I could not believe how little snow was up in the mountains. We didn't have any even on the sides of the road unless we were at least at 7000ft elevation. I hope we have enough water this summer!

After dropping Joss off, and getting her moved in and groceried up, I hit the road again for Boise to hook up with a dear friend I haven't seen in 15 years. We had a fun girls weekend! She introduced me to "Savers" which is an awesome thrift store! I picked up 2 shirts for $10.00! And they are in great shape! Isn't scoring at great discounts the best part of clothes shopping?!

We went out to lunch after and enjoyed a spicy Mexican chicken chalupa- YUMMO!! This is Becky. We have been friends since meeting in junior high. We talked about the different paths our lives have taken, and what we've learned along the way. We went to the movie and saw Bounty Hunter- big waste of time and money! Glad we caught it on the matinee! Again, my camera sucks, so I hope you can make out her pic!

I left Boise on Sunday, and made it home about 5 pm. That next week was a major catch up- it is amazing what happens when you are gone!!

This past weekend, I was fortunate to attend the Time Out for Women in Spokane. There was a speaker there from Sierra Leone who told of the diamond war, and having to run and hide from the rebels. Somewhere along the way, she had received a hygiene kit that the church distributes, and shared it with all of these women. constanly on the run, the women reached a house where they felt they would be safe to sleep for the night. Unfortunately, it was discovered. Each woman was raped, and then lined up to have her limbs chopped off. She was about 10th in line, and had just watched her sister undergo this horror. Praying and praying for deliverence, suddenly many soldiers appeared and prevented her death. She later found out that her sister had died. After being introduced to the gospel later, she was preparing to go on a mission to Temple Square in Salt Lake City; She received news of her younger sister and a nephew who had been found, and needed her. After discussing the situation with her bishop, she went to her home village and retrieved them, afterwards returning to where she had been living. She said the Lord had whispered to her that if she would go forth and serve him for a little while, that the children would be cared for in ways she could not foresee. During her mission, the children were adopted and brought to the States, where she saw them. She kept her hygiene kit all this time, despite being urged to get rid of it. She brought it with her to the event, and with tears of gratitude, she thanked the audience for their sacrifices, and urged continuing dedication to the humanitarian effort. By about halfway through her story the packed house was in tears. I have made many kits for the humanitarian effort, but this was the first time that I met someone who used them. It made the need close and real. I won't ever be the same. Here is a pic of Mariama, and a sister from Zambia, with a group of us that got to sit together. Mariama is in the yellow.

Monday we had a "wind" warning out. They should have called it a "dirt" warning. The wind was blowing so hard, the dirt came in through the windows. If you were sitting in front of the window, you had to keep brushing the dirt off your clothing, glasses, the window sill, etc. This is a shot out our front window- if it wasn't for the dirt, the sky would be clear!

for my friends

2010-03-21T20:02:00.000-07:00

I am having trouble. Not bad trouble, just some. After feeling overwhelmed, dissatisfied, agitated, frustrated, and just about every other negative emotion, some serious inward examination eventually revealed the problem.

Neighbor Jane does a weekly post of her 52 blessings; I must admit it took me over a year to figure out why she didn't list 52 blessings every week!! How's that for a blonde? Then, as I have continued to read her blog (which I very much enjoy) her effervescent personality charms and teaches me much of what I should and could be. The secret is gratitude for every event, item, emotion, and challenge we are given in our lives.

So. How to develop said attribute? I mean, really! How does one grow gratitude? There have been many, many times when I have not been able to find one positive aspect to my day, never mind have gratitude!

King Benjamin makes it very clear that even should we serve our Father in Heaven with our whole souls, and thank and praise Him with every fiber of our being, that we are yet lower than the dust of the earth- Mosiah 2:20-25- for even the dust of the earth is obediant in all things to the commandments it has been given. Wow!! Where do I start?

I think that the very most basic way to begin, is by listing my blessings every week, and maybe as I get a little better at it, I will be able to see more clearly the hand of my Father in every moment of my little life.

Since it is Sunday as I write, it is fitting that the first thing to be grateful for is the Atonement of our Saviour, and the opportunity to repent and start over with a clean slate after taking the Sacrament each week.

So, here is today's list:

1. the Atonement

2. the Priesthood of God on the earth

3. Springtime!!

4. friends who care about me and are so kind!

a. One of my friends, Korbi, was so gracious to make me a cover for my KitchenAid mixer after I saw one she made her sis and rudely begged for one. Here is a pic:

Is this not adorable? I totally love it! My camera sucks, so the picture isn't good- those are chickens in the pattern which so goes with my country themed house. Korbi is so very sweet and kind!!

b. In Primary, the kids in Junior primary made a vase of paper flowers, and then they gave them to me! The chorister-Bri - is another of my good friends. It was so thoughtful of her to think of me. That made my whole weekend!

c. Last Friday night was the Relief Society birthday party- the theme was the Mad Hatter- and it was really fun! Afterwards, my friend Janelle went to the gym with me to work out. We closed down the gym that night- we were the last ones out at 10 pm. Tomorrow, Tuesday, is yoga, and Janelle has promised to go with me again. I always thought that people who did yoga were a little weird- think EPA treehugger types- but I have found it to be quite a workout. On Wednesdays the class is called yoga butt- for a very good reason. Whooo hoooo!!!

One of my favorite hymns is #293. Verse 2 says: "What greater gift dost thou bestow, What greater goodness can we know Than Christ-like friends, whose gentle ways Strengthen our faith, enrich our days."

And verse 4:"For worthy friends whose lives proclaim Devotion to the Savior's name, Who bless our days with peace and love, We praise thy goodness, Lord above.

Yes, friends are indeed a great blessing of the Lord, and I am very greatful for mine.

Andrea and the Motab Let Him In

2010-01-29T22:20:00.000-08:00

Let Him in and Let it snow!

2010-01-28T16:33:00.000-08:00

Have you ever heard the song "Let Him In" by Michael McClean? It talks about the innkeeper who turned away the Holy Family on that memorable night a millenia ago. How the innkeeper was justified, wasn't he? After all, they couldn't have payed his asking price, could they? But....what if they could have?.... He doesn't sleep that evening, and goes for a walk as the tiny child is born in such lowly circumstances, so that he won't have to hear the cry, and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he could have given some comfort and hospitality to such an important Stranger. Well, I listen to it every year, and every year, I make a new resolution to Let Him in to my life, and into my heart. Then, as the year winds on, I forget. Other feelings and events seem to overshadow Him.

In Stake Conference this Sunday, the theme was on the basics- reading the scriptures, praying, and being happy. Everything boils down to our testimony of Jesus Christ, His Atonement, and the possibility of returning to live with Him and our Father. By following through with the "basics", we will be happy, and have compassion on Heavenly Father's children. So again, I make the resolution- Live to Let Him In!!~

This last weekend, Paul and I went up to Leavenworth for our 22nd anniversary. It was so fun and relaxing! They still have all the Christmas lights up, so it felt like the North Pole at night. Here are a few pics.
This one is a shot from outside the bookstore, looking west. Aren't the decorations beautiful? Every night, the fog would roll in, and I felt like I was back in Dickens' England. By about 10 0r 11 am the fog burned off, and it was gorgeous blue skies.
Our bed was a queen sized, four poster with the privacy/warmth curtains, and 2 lamps mounted on the wall. I LOVE LOVE LOVE that bed. Paul was informed that he needs to build us one like that. Totally romantic!! They use feather comforters. Those things are so warm, the hotel warns you to turn off your room heater at night so you don't roast. And talk about a quick chore to make the bed- just fold each comforter back to the side. I think I can manage that!! The only change I would make is to build drawers under the bed. It is so high anyway, may as well make use of the space.
This is the main gathering place downtown- it has a place for shows with bleachers, grass in the summer, etc. There was some snow there, and several kids were sledding down the little hill. What a blast! It made me miss those days- snow, sleds, cold, followed up by dry clothes, cuddling in a blankie, and drinking a big mug of hot chocolate!!
And what is more romantic than a warm fire? There was even a sofa that was comfortable!! The desk downstairs gave us courtesy duraflame logs to burn in our little fireplace. We sat and talked for hours, watching the fire burn down to ashes. We ate out at Katz, and at Mozart, both of which were very good. The duck at Mozart was unbelievable- I brought my leftovers home and munched on them for 2 days. Yummy!!

2010-01-14T12:52:00.000-08:00

Sunshine on my shoulders.....makes me happeeee! Sunshine in my eyes, can make me blind! Sunshine on the water......loooks so looooovveeeleeee....sunshine almost always makes me smile.

I LOVE blue skies and sunshine!! I don't care how cold it is, if the sun is out all is awesome in my world!! January is a tough month for me...all the gray days from November on seem to culminate in January. But then the sun comes out!!!YAAAAAAAYYYY!!!!

Well, the year is off to a running start. Already up to my armpits in alligators, now I am trying to keep them all organized so they don't bite me in the .....er..hmmm fanny. Kimber Academy is back in full swing, so that also brings running the kids back and forth. Adam and Dylan both take Martial Arts- there is a fancy name......Buddo Taijitsu I think.......and they love it. So much that Adam finally talked me into letting him take it 2 evenings a week as well. And Dylan is totally disgusted with the fact that he can't do so, since he has fireman class and drill on the same nights. He isn't disgusted enough to stop the fire thing tho.

Tuesday and Wednesday I spent at the Academy. It was so great to be with all the kids, and learn along with them. The Spirit was so strong, and you can see it helping the kids learn and absorb all the information. Yesterday, the younger class wanted to know about the endocrine system. All the kids are studying the human body right now, but the endocrine system wasn't included in the younger kids' information. 2 of the older kids put together a little presentation, and went upstairs to the junior class, and taught them about the endocrine system. How awesome is that?

I love working with the Academy. We are getting ready to present a "One Evening a Month for America" seminar. It is going to be really exciting with guest speakers, one of which will be Dr. Kimber. We are doing it as a fundraiser, so let me know if you want a ticket! Further details to follow! In March, we are hosting a Book of Mormon readathon allnighter that is open to everyone. Tentatively, there will be different stations for the younger kids for the first 2 hours.

And now, it is already Thursday! I cannot believe how fast the weeks are flying by. It seems like I just wake up, do a few things, and then it is time for bed again. Well, better go flip the laundry, mop the floors, and take a shower. Happy Thursday!!

One down, more to go

2009-12-31T18:00:00.000-08:00

Over at Segullah, the question is posed "What accomplisments are you proud of from 2009?". In reviewing the year, at first my mind was blank, and tentacles of despair began to squeeze the hope for improved behaviour away, into the farthest corners of possibility. "How could I have wasted a WHOLE YEAR?" I wondered. Memories of hours online, reading, sleeping, watching TV, swelled up and overtook me, the waters threatening to close over my desperate struggle to look for the positive. "I am nothing. I have done nothing with this precious year. I have made no progress, no new beginnings, still have hard feelings toward the people who spoke evil of my son, no monthly temple attendance. My visiting teaching has suffered, I have not served my fellow beings." How did this happen? Or rather, how did I not make each moment count? What have I done to strengthen my marriage? To nurture my children? To bond with my parents? my siblings?
Although past experience has taught me that our time here is short, precious, and of undetermined length, did I make each moment count? Failure after failure filled me, flooding me with self loathing.

And then, other memories emerged. Pictures of my entire extended family standing in the baptistry of the temple as 82 ancestors made sacred covenants. And another trip to the temple with everyone, as 35 more were baptized-including a beloved aunt and uncle who died less than a year apart from each other, victims of lung cancer. Even the adults did baptisms, we didn't just watch the teens do this ordinance. Although I had been to the temple several times as a youth, I had not done baptisms/confirmations since. This time, standing in the water and hearing my baby brother's voice calling out names of those I have come to know and love through hours of research, I felt the Spirit sweetly testify of their presence and gratitude.

This year, we had our first successful garden! We have tried to grow a garden almost every year we have been married, but they produced mostly weeds and rocks despite diligent weeding and watering. This summer, everything survived, even prospered! And for the first time, there were enough vegetables to can! I even learned how to pressure can successfully! No one died!!!! My freezer is full of frozen tomatoes, peppers, peas, jam and onions. My shelves are full of carrots, beans, tomatoes, apple juice, as well as the flour, sugar, etc. Another first.

My 14 year old learned how to work- as in for someone else to earn money- and actually made a little cash. He is figuring out how ignore his brother's sarcasm, to not take it so personally. Sometimes. He loves girls, and dances. He is somewhere on the autism spectrum, and has difficulty with social nuances. A blessing of this difficulty is that when a girl says "no" to his request to dance, he just shrugs and moves on to the next girl in line. Even the priests quorum is in awe of his success rate. A tender mercy given to a son who will struggle all his life in many areas. A grateful mother who worries and cries for a sweet, handicapped son.

My 17 year old learned how to handle himself in less than ideal circumstances. He has almost completed his volunteer fire training, and seems to have found his preferred occupation. He loves fighing fires, loves helping people, and loves the adrenaline high. Dylan taught his friend the gospel, and baptized him. What a joy!! what is that scripture? Something about "no greater joy than to know my children walk in righteousness". Totally describes my emotions. After the friend spent several months back in Babylon, Dylan was able to bring him back. Now the friend lives with us. No greater joy!

My 20 yr old succesfully completed 2 semesters of school at byui. She was able to finish her summer semester with a B average despite a 3 week psychotic episode. BYUI has a phenomenal academic assistance department. They bent over backwards and did acrobatics to help her. She then finished fall semester with a 3.94 gpa. A psych major with a criminal justice co major, she hopes to finish in 3 more semesters. We are so very well pleased!! Now if she would just stop intimidating the guys, get married, and give me some grandbabies!!

My 19 year old dropped out of highschool, got a truck, and spoke to me 3 times this year. Better than last year. He did finally verbalize the fact that our parenting was not the problem, his attitude was. Hmmmm.....maybe someday he'll comeback. How I pray for him.

We attended the funeral of Paul's favorite aunt, and spent time with those cousins that he grew up with. We threw a family reunion for Paul's side of the family over labor day- rain and all. It was a tender mercy, forcing everyone to retire to the lodge to play some games, talk, eat, and talk, and eat, and talk and eat. The food was great, the company was great, and there were no squabbles.

Late fall brought family gatherings, surgery, and now the holidays.

Was the year as productive as it should have been? Definitely not. Were there improvements? Yes. Unequivically Yes. Do I have more goals for 2010? Absolutly. Will I complete them? Maybe. But when it is all said and done...... over all.....2009 was good. Very good. And 2010 will be even better.

Happy New Year Everyone!!

my take on it

2009-12-24T14:33:00.000-08:00

It's the day before Christmas,
and all thruough the house,
every creature is eating, maybe even a mouse ( or two in the wall?)
the stockings remain all snug in their box
cause Mom never finished them-and won't waste the good socks!
Paul is home from the job, and in the kitchen he cooks
lots of taters, and prime rib, and soup from a book.
On the table are snacks, rich and salty and sweet,
crackers and cookies and candy to eat.
When all of a sudden is heard from the kitchen
"turn off the yard hose, the hottub is drippin'
all over the yard, it's too cold to be swimming!
Ice skating won't work, our yard is uphill,
so cut off the water and don't let it spill!!"
The kidlets are watching the boob tube with glee,
"no chores to do, our time is all free!!""
And I on my couch keep a seat warm
planning my next scrapbooking storm.
Paper, and ink and paint and some trim,
pictures and mem'ries kept this way won't dim
with the years.
Tonight is the one we think of a Birth
which changed the future of each person on Earth.
His infinite Grace, and fullness of joy,
Is the best gift He gives to each girl and each boy.
Take a minute to pray, and thank Him tonight
for sending His Son, in glory and might.
We'll all live again, together we'll be
forever and ever a family, you see.
We each have a part to do in this work,
So cheer up, look out, and find that one jerk who
can change with a taste of the Savior's sweet care
Give him a portion ofGod's goodness to share.
Once you have given you'll find a surprise-
The jerk will have changed right before your own eyes
to a person with value, and what joy this will buy.

2009-12-19T18:29:00.000-08:00

Why do the holidays bring out the worst as well as the best in people? Over on Segullah the discussion was on "but ye have not so learned Christ". You can read it
here. The author is discussing her week, and lack of ability to bring Christ into her crazy busy life. To top it off, a very good friend died, and she didn't find out until the next day; having ignored several promptings from the Spirit to call the friend, she is filled with remorse and regret and ..... . It brought to my mind the way I have not taken the time to become closer to my Saviour lately. Here is the time of year when we celebrate His birth, and yet I am caught up in all the other stuff. My attitude has been reflected in my children. As much as I nag at them to think of others, and others' needs, I have failed at that very thing. I hate it when I am such a hypocrite!

So. How to fix it. Is it too late? No, I don't think it is EVER too late to change and improve. Knowing that "his Hand is outstretched still" brings comfort to my heart. Along these same lines, the words of the Lord to us in the scriptures also comes to me : "for I have engraven you upon the palms of my hands". I understand that He is explaining that He knows us each so intimately and will never forget us, having sacrificed Himself for us. The night before I had my surgery, Paul was able to get my wedding set off of my finger, and my CTR ring. They had not been off my hands in probably 15 yrs. Of course, there was a mark left in my skin. I anticipated that it would disappear soon; 18 days later, it still remains. It is not a temporary impression, but my body has actually changed itself to allow for the presence of those rings. In the same way,I can change my heart to allow the love of Christ to enter in and take over my selfish desires. It will take great effort and committment. The reward is worth the price.

On Thursday, Adam and I went to the high school Christmas concert. It is tradition in our town that the choir sings the Hallelluia Chorus at the conclusion of the concert, and the audience members are invited to the stage to participate. What gratitude filled me as I sang next to my sister! Hallelluia , Hallelluia, Hallelluia!

Here is a picture of my nephew, Connor, singing with his partner during the Jazz Choir's portion. He sings well, but struggles to put body movement/choreography with it. His partner, Brianna, worked really hard to help him loosen up. What a riot!! Last night, Adam and I attended the Christmas party at Kimber. They did a cute little skit about Christmas around the world, singing in English, German, and Spanish. I love the holidays, and everything that comes with them. This year, my goal is to let Him in more fully.

peace and plenty here abide

2009-12-17T16:46:00.000-08:00

So, 16 days post op. 20 lbs gone. I am so glad I did it! Even though I am still on liquids and pureed food in the middle of the Christmas season, I have no regrets. My life has changed, as in a 180 degree turn. I feel great, just struggling with being tired now. It was so fun today to go to the store and buy pants 3 sizes smaller than what I wore last Christmas, and find cute clothes! Did you know that when you lose a significant amount of weight, that your shoe size also changes? HALLELLUIA!!! The other day I was shopping for shoes online, and found 1 pair in my size. ONE! And they were weird looking crocs! Apparently fat people don't wear cute shoes?! Since October 12, my BMI has dropped 6 points. Now, I am not classified as morbidly obese-just your garden variety obese!! WHOOHOO!! Tomorrow, I get my "before" pics done for the paper...part of the super discount I got. So be watching the local rag, homies!!

Paul is one his way to bring Joss home from school, so by Saturday we'll be all together again.And that, my friends, is peace indeed!

november newsings

2009-12-11T20:11:00.000-08:00

My oh my! Last time I posted, I needed to change my background to a fallish one. Sure that I would be posting frequently in light of upcoming events, I merrily went on my way. And. Forgot. to. Come. Back. OOOPSS!! Now, 2 holidays have come and gone, and Christmas is too quickly upon me. Not only am I not in the least ready for the big day, I am severely behind in the blogging dept. So, do I catch up chronologically, or just pick up from here and move on? Maybe pick up, and have flashbacks?

These pics are taken from my hotel room window at Suncadia Lodge. I was there for a scrapbooking retreat hosted by my good friend Jane and her business partner Deb. 35 women got together for 3 days of laughing,scrapping,eating, and making more memories.

This is Michelle. I met her at the retreat. This gal finished 55 pages! And Heather, who sat across from me did 53! I was feeling pretty good about my 12 pages until I heard those numbers!!

The food was unbelievable, and beautiful as well. I made new friends, some incredibly talented women, who share some of my interests. I love doing family history, and one of the ladies, Jody, was making pages of her husband's deceased family members. She had beautiful photos and combined them with ingenious embellishments that made a treasure her family will cherish for generations. The windows to Michelle's left look out over a meadow and evergreens. The deer came out and fed there. It snowed on the 2nd day, and turned it into a wonderland. wow!

Returning home on Saturday night (after a super fun stop at Ruby's scrapping store), I had a few days to reclean, relaunder, and repack for a trip to Boise, Id. . Paul's nephew was getting married, and it was a great excuse to party with his sib.'s. We don't get together very often so this would be a real treat.

Brian met a beautiful, sweet young woman on the internet....who happens to be in Paul's sister's ward!! How funny is that?! She is very outgoing and warm, and will be a great addition to the family. Welcome Ashley!!

The next day, we all hooked up at Winger's for some, well, wings! and other stuff too. There were so many of us we pretty much took over the place. I felt sorry for the waitresses having to keep us all straight, but they did a great job.

Paul and Bonnie peruse the menu- there are a lot of choices after all!
Here are Gary(who is married to Paul's sis Sue) and Kellie (who is married to Paul's bro. Jim) trying to decide what to eat, and keep up with the laughs and jokes at the same time.

And the infamous teens/young adults! What a riot to watch and what a wonderful thing to see all these cousins talking and laughing together. Our financial stations vary from extremely comfortable to counting every penny, but the ties among all of us run very deep and these cousins are always there for each other. What a great blessing!!

Next up: turkey day!! This year, Paul did the turkeys-2 22 lb. birds. He put hours and hours into them, seasoning,making brine,and then cooking them. He did one in the oven, and one on the barbecue-They were gorgeous and so yummy and moist!

We got over to Bill's house around five, and of course my sweet little neice was having her pre feast snooze. After waiting forever for her to wake up, I accidentally on purpose woker her up. But who would be able to resist this little cherub??
We had tables and people and food everywhere! so Fun!! this group of cousins also get along well, and enjoy being together. The dynamic is different, but equally as tight.
Nick came and it was nice to spend some time with him. He is doing well, finding out how challenging it is to be an adult. He bought a truck this summer-which he really needed- and now lives with a friend of his out in one of the valleys. They are a Russian family, and are re teaching him Russian. I hope he also learns to read and write fluently.

And now, it is Christmas time! May you all feel the peace of the season that our Saviour's birth made possible, and let His Light and Love fill your hearts moving you to have compassion on those you come in contact with. May you seek ways to lighten their burdens, and through this feel an increase of love for our Father and His Son.

PS: This new layout is a little wierd- if you would like to leave a comment, keep on scrollin' down!!

you guessed'er chester!

2009-10-14T10:03:00.000-07:00

Okay, so the big prize goes to......(drumroll please!)....Danielle! She guessed it! Hmmmm....now what to give for the prize?.....Any requests, Danielle?

If all goes well, in November I will be sleeping peacefully, while my life changes forever. That sounds a little anticlimactic, doesn't it? Sorry about that, but too many late nights and early mornings are conspiring against my ability to "wax comedic" right now.

Here's the scoop, but you have to plod through some history so you will understand why this is Big News to me. If you get bored......meander on over to your other favorite blog, since we BOTH know this is your favorite spot to hang out!!! ; -]

When I was younger, my sis's and I would play this game. It entailed smashing your face all up with your hands until you looked like a wilted pumpkin, or a 3000 yr old woman; because we were young, it looked like we had been "victims" of the "kick anorexia's butt" club. Then we had this chant that went something like "My name is ____. I love to eat! So does everyone else in our family; my mom's fat, my dad's fat, my brother's fat and so is my sister! One day, I got to go on a motorcycle ride, and when my friend hit the gas, Whoa!!!!" This statement was accompanied by us pulling all the skin on our face back as far as we could, thus appearing as if we had magically dropped a lot of weight.

Juvenile, I know, but somehow in my mind, it gave some consolation for being overwieght...made it funny. Since then poundage has been a huge part of my self identification. Even though I hated it, and myself, I continued to feed my face. There were many diets, and big weight losses followed by the inevitable weight return plus bonus poundage. Up and down, up and down.

Marriage and children again contributed to the accumulation. At first I consoled myself with "Well, I do have 3 children!" Then at some point I began to realize that there were many women with more kids than I who were at least much closer to their intended weight than I was. At first, I told myself that they were the exception to the rule, there weren't that many "skinnie minnies" out there. Sometime though, these thin, fit moms became the rule, and I became the exception.

After Adam was born, Paul and I became focused on our bodies, and made some serious changes in diet and lifestyle. We joined a gym, and both of us lost weight and became much more fit. Unfortunatly, a tubing wreck resulted in a broken neck, and I spent 3 months in a C-collar, on restricted activity. That was all it took to derail me. Since then, I have been aquainted with ever higher numbers on the scale- numbers I didn't know were even included!! I mean., sure, I had taken care of people in the hospitals that were morbidly obese, but we used special scales for them! I couldn't be MORBIDLY OBESE!!!

In the past several years, I have experienced more and more health issues. Being transferred to Deaconess a couple of months ago with unstable angina, and going through a heart cath was the clincher. Along with the increasing diabetic symptoms, chronic pain in my back and legs, difficulty moving around, skin issues, etc, now I was a "heart patient". At 45. I have to tell you, I have had several operative procedures done, and while a little nervous, they really were no big deal. Waiting in the holding area before the heart cath was the most terrifying experience of my life. Total meltdown. Luckily, my arteries are clear. I am- as one doctor put it-" out of shape and overweight". No kidding!! Somehow I was unaware of this fact?

After having some medication added to the ever longer list, my cardiac problems have resolved. Thank heavens!! About a month ago, I heard about this new program starting at Samaritan- bariatric surgery. A lottery was going to be held, and 6 people would be chosen to have either a lapband or gastric bypass done at 10% of the cost. All I had to do was fill out an application. After dropping off the application, I pretty much put the possibility of winning out of my head-I have never won anything in a lottery-not a quilt, cake, or free dinner. Wait a sec , I HAVE won a free dinner! . One evening, the phone rang, and on the other end, someone told me that I was a winner for one of the free spots!! UNREAL!! I was so excited and surprised, that I was screaming in the poor woman's ear!

Surgery is slated for around Thanksgiving time. And for the rest of my life, I will be able to get my weight down. All I need is "a little help from my friends" . Will you be one?

woooot wooot!! Teaser #4

2009-10-12T21:49:00.000-07:00

Well, after many comments and um hmmm....PROBING questions.... here is teaser #4. I wonder if you will come any closer to guessing the Big News? So far, no one is on the right track! So.... here we go!

wednesday's workings and teaser #3

2009-10-07T14:20:00.000-07:00

One of you is getting closer!! Which one?

Today I went to school with my kids. It was so fun to see all of the children engaged and learning! They are learning about the cell, math, and the 4000year mark in history. Dylan was so into it, he brought his home and is still working! Never did I think this would happen. Kimber Academy is already such a blessing in our home. My cup runneth over.

After school, Safeway was next on the agenda. I was so craving cookie dough, but I didn't want to make any, because , well,, we don't need those calories at out house. So I did the next best thing-I bought one of those little packs of premade dough, and ate it ALLL before arriving home.

Driving home, the imminent onset of cold weather brought views of field corn, all dry, waiting for the combine to come and chop it all into silage. The wind is blowing fairly good today, so all the farms in the area are trading dirt. The sunset should be spectacular. Maybe I will catch a photo and share it with everyone. Living on a little rise out in the sticks definitely has its benefits!!

Now, on to the laundry, and cleaning the bathroom and floors. Can't wait!

measuring up teaser #2

2009-10-06T17:19:00.000-07:00

So, you are all hilarious!! But, alas, not even close! And now we pause for a public service announcement: I am not nor will I ever be pregnant again in this life! I understand it requires an internal incubater, from which I happily separated 11 years ago. Good guesses, but keep trying!

measuring up

2009-10-05T23:22:00.000-07:00

I have big news. Really big news. And it will be made public. Very Soon. I am trying to assimilate it all, and I am incredibly surprised at all the emotions and thoughts that the Big News has brought with It. I fully intend to blog the complete experience, but it is taking a while for me to come up with the words. So, there will be daily (I hope) teasers. But maybe not. Here is today's teaser. I am accepting guesses. If anyone should accurately describe the Big News, maybe I will give them an insider's snippet. Maybe.

summery summary

2009-09-26T12:41:00.000-07:00

Wow, it has been a really long time since the last post! It is embarrassing that my last post was such a rant, as well. I have been doing a lot of thinking about this blog; whether to continue it, take a prolonged (?) hiatus, or totally bag it. By this time, I am sure, very few, if any, people read my silly little thoughts. Readership is not why I began blogging, however. The purpose was to record my life, and the events of our family. Since I haven't touched a journal/diary since my mission days, there is very little recorded about the past 22 years. After re- reading my last post, I wonder how much I am just blithering on, and how much actual history I am recording. Perhaps I should make this a private blog? I don't know. Thoughts, anyone?

In any event, a quick catch up is in order. We have had a busy summer- as everyone else has. For the life of me, looking back, there are not that many "events" that stand out.

One of the things that happened was that my side of the family had it's first annual family reunion- and it was a blast.
To kick it off, we had a family temple baptism night. My siser lost an 8 month old baby to death, and she would have turned 8 this year. Since she would have been baptized that week, we decided to go to the temple as a family, and did over 250 names. What a wonderful experience- our whole family there, dressed in white, being baptized for our ancestors. My dad's sister and her husband both died with the last couple of years, and so their baptisms were also done.

Over the next few days, we barbeque'd,had water slides, played games, went to Leavenworth to see "The Sound of Music" in their natural amphitheatre (which,by the way, is definitely a must see- it was sensational!), and just sat around and got some quality relationshipping done.

Labor Day weekend rolled around, and it was Paul's turn to host his side's family reunion. We went up to Scout-a-Vista ( a BSA owned facility that has campsites, a lodge, winter cabin, etc.)looking forward to some volleyball, Bocchi ball,croquet,and campfire time. Instead we got 3 days of rain!! The rain actually turned out to be a blessing, because everyone congregated in the lodge. There were home made donut/fritters, early Christmas candy, games, art projects, puzzles, and LOT'S of visiting. Since each family took a turn preparing,serving, and cleaning up a meal, there was much less stress, and more fun. You knew who was cooking by the various genre's of music being played on the stereo in the kitchen. We even took up some guitars and amps, and the cousins had a blast jamming together.

Another high point of our summer, was our garden. That sounds really lame, but we have had many gardens over the years that just didn't produce much except weeds. This year, we put up corn, carrots, beans, peas, tomatoes, peppers, and even got a few onions. It was very rewarding to actually benefit from all those hours of sweat and dirt!

Many people know that we have homeschooled our kids for the past several years. This year, however, a Kimber Academy has been started in our town, and both of the boys are enrolled. After 3 days of class, they have memorized 20 historical dates along with the people from the Book of Mormon and Old Testament that are associated with those dates, as well as one event for each date. They have covered the various forms of government around the world, and begun math reasoning.

Each student will have memorized 40 "hook" dates,with at least 100 facts for each date which equals 4000 facts, by the time they graduate from the academy. The dates/facts include religious as well as secular history of the world. In order to graduate, they will write a thesis from memory, in story form, of the the history of the world from the beginning to present time. They will also place at least at a college freshman level in the 22 areas covered by the diagnostic GED test;this test is given every 90 days throughout their years at the Academy. Their study/academic goals are set according to the results of these tests. We are extremely excited to have the Academy here in our little town. In about 3 weeks it has gone from 6 students, to 20, with more "in the wings". In a word, the Kimber Academy is AWESOME!!!

Last night, we went to bigger town to see my baby sister sing the National Anthem at the semi-pro hockey game. She did fabulous! And the hockey game was really exciting, with tons of action and some good brawling at the end. Super fun!

Well, I think that basically catches us up, Josslin is back at BYUI for the fall semester, and is doing very well. Ironically, 2 of her roommates from summer semester got engaged over the break,so today they are shopping for wedding dresses. How fun is that?!!

balm of gilead

2009-07-20T22:40:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been so mad at multiple people that all you can do is cry, shake, and yell? And in the process said things that needed to be said, but would have gone easier had you not been angry? And know that you should apologize, but also not because you said what everyone else was thinking but didn't have the guts to say out loud? And to top it all off, can't get unmad because your child is involved? And even though your child did something wrong, the other party is acting like your child should be in a max. security penitentiary? And your child wasn't the only child who did something wrong, but is the only one being vilified? And even though you know that the anger is only poisoning you, and no one else cares that you are mad, somehow you can't let the anger go even though you keep praying for peace and relief?

Catch up!

2009-07-06T12:31:00.000-07:00

I went to BYUI the last weekend of May for Mom's weekend. Joss and I had a lot of fun together. We caught one or two of the special activities, but mostly just hung out. She has been blessed with some awesome roommates this semester;they are very supportive as well as super fun. My tummy ached from laughing so hard.

This is Jen. Yep, as hard as I tried all weekend, I could never get her without her "friend"....from SLC, she and Joss room together.

This is Sara, from Southern Cal. She is a returned missionary, and brings a quiet strength and spiritualality to the group.

Signe (pronounced Sinee) hails from Durango, Colorado. Full of life and on the boisterous side, she keeps things hoppin'!
And last but definitly not least, comes Kaylee. Bringing generosity and creativity, Kaylee is a product of Klamath Falls, Oregon.

Malinda lives next door, and is the RS pres. She is sweet and fun,and she and Joss are convinced they knew each other in the preexistence.

We attended the Mom's weekend luncheon, and were not disappointed. Pres. Clark spoke, and inspired us all with the story of his daughter's battle with cancer, which she has apparently conquered.
Isn't that "tablescape" gorgeous? There is nothing like being served a wonderful meal, with entertainment in the bargain.

We also took in the fireside Sunday night, when the BYUI woman of the year spoke to us. Sara sang in the choir-absolutly beautiful!

We went to IF and did some shopping/browsing. It was very relaxing and brought back memories of all the times we have shopped together. Those are some of my favorite times we have shared. I am so glad Joss and I are good friends, and can talk and express feelings as well as debate controversial issues. I will sorely miss her when she is gone with a family of her own.

One of my favorite activities was "stadium singing". Students come from all over town,and meet under the stadium bleachers. They open with a prayer, and then sing hymns together for an hour. Not afraid to harmonize and sing out, it raised goose bumps to hear them sing "Army of Helaman".

I am so glad I went and made more memories with my wonderful daughter. She truly is a great gift in my life, and I thank Heavenly Father for her every day.

the candyman

2009-06-08T22:35:00.000-07:00

"I will tell you the truth of all things"

2009-05-29T20:47:00.000-07:00

I realized today that it has been almost a month since the last post. I don't know why or how that happened, but today I have something to say. Actually a couple of somethings.
I teach the 16 yr. olds in Sunday School. They are a fun group of kids, and I have grown to really love them. In my class, I like to have lots of discussion and interaction. When these kids moved up to my class in January, they were a very quiet bunch, and to say the least, class was BORING!! Gradually, the kids have opened up, and we have had some really great discussions. Sunday, our lesson was on the Plan of Happiness, and knowing that this age group has heard the basics many times, I wanted to get deeper into it, and find a way to make it real and personal for them.

Just briefly, we believe that we lived with God as spirit children before coming to this earth, and that we are here to learn and progress, and prepare for the next life; during which we will continue to grow, with the potential to eventually become like God, and create worlds of our own. Initially I had planned to show a movie to add to our discussion, but the Spirit led me to sit and just talk with the kids.

As we worked through the different facets of the plan, the discussion turned to the possibility of "life out there". I shared with them things I had seen on a special about the Hubble telescope, and the Spirit filled the room. It seems that the scientists who drive the Hubble decided to point it at an "empty spot'. They told it to take consecutive pictures of the same spot for 10 days. When the pictures came back to earth, there were BILLIONS of galaxies out there!

I am not one to cry...except when I am really mad,or when someone has died. Sunday I had to choke back tears as the spirit testified of eternal progress, and the fact that there IS life "out there". What a great gift!!

That evening, we were out at my Mom's, and all but one of my siblings was there. We got to sit around and visit. We discussed everything from childhood/teenage memories to work experience to child rearing tips. It was so enjoyable to get to talk on a friendship level as well as that of siblings. I treasure these moments of closeness with my bro's and sis's. It hasn't always been this way.
Tuesday we headed to Portland to attend the funeral of one of Paul's aunts. He spent several summers with this particular aunt and uncle, and they have continued to support him and the rest of his siblings. Dolly and Chuck made a point of attending weddings, graduations, reunions, etc. Chuck took our wedding pictures 21 yrs ago! Now the time has come to say a temporary goodbye to Dolly. We look forward to the day when we will associate again, only with perfect bodies not troubled with illness or pain. Once again, gratitude for the plan of salvation fills our hearts. What a blessing to have this knowledge to soften the pain of separation!
The service was beautiful and uplifting. Dolly would have loved it. At the graveside all of her 7 children and her grandchildren held colorful balloons and sang the Rainbow Song- you know the one-"red and yellow and pink and green, purple and orange and blue...!" At the end of the song, they released their balloons, and told everyone to clap because "Mom would want us to!!"

final rest

2009-05-25T22:31:00.000-07:00

Today is Memorial Day, when we remember those who gave their own lives that we might live in freedom and peace. I don't know how others feel about the man who lives at the White House, but I am deeply offended and outraged at his actions and comments about America and our "arrogance". I think he either has forgotten, or chooses to ignore the amazing acts of courage and sacrifice that allow him to say those things. Below are some pictures and facts and numbers that staggered my mind. I hope others will look, and remember, and appreciate those sacrifices. But even more, I hope that Americans wake up, and speak up, and make their presence and feelings known, before our freedoms and rights are totally stripped away.

This is the American Cemetary at Aisne-Marne, France, where 2289 soldiers are laid to rest.

Above is the American Cemetary at Meuse-Argonne, France where 14,226 men who died for us lie.

Ardennes, Belgium is the final resting place for 5329 brave souls.

Above, Brittany, France shelters 4410 men sleeping until we meet again.

Below, Brookwood, England is the final resting place for 468 who gave the ultimate sacrifice.

And above, quiet and academic Cambridge England provides a quiet resting ground for 3812.
Flanders Field, Belgium is famous in history. And 368 American soldiers never came home, instead they quietly lie in the picturesque countryside.

Florence, Italy is rife with art, food, and wine. Did you know that 4402 American troops lie here? Look closely at the photo, those are fields full of crosses, not an empty meadow!!

Henri-Chappelle, Belgium (below) is the resting place for 7792 military. A beautiful park, but I think these troops would much rather be home bouncing great grandbabies on their knees.

Above, 10,489 American troops line the rolling hills of this quiet cemetary in Lorraine, France.

Below, 5076 graves lie silently in the tiny country of Luxembourg. Tiny it is, but important enough for American blood to nourish seeds of freedom.

Beautiful, and picturesque, the Netherlands fell to Hitler within just a few hours of the invasion. 8301 Americans bought her freedom with their lives.

On the left of the photo below, the shores of Normandy beach today are clean, and the water blue. On D-Day, so many died that the sand and water were red with blood. The beautiful cemetary shelters the graves of 9387 courageous men who were willing to die for freedom and their country. How does one express gratitude in the face of such bravery?

Above, 6012 Americans lie sleeping at Oise-Aisne, France. Are you still agreeing that we are an arrogant nation?

Below, Rhone France is the final resting place for 861 American troops.

The small island of Sicily holds the remains of 7681 valient American warriors.

Below, Somme, France houses the bodies of 1844 Americans in perfectly symmetrical rows.

Below, Suresnes, France provided a gorgeous park that we might bury our 1541 American soldiers who died for their freedom.

And, last but not least is the cemetary at St. Mihiel, France. There are 4153 American soldiers resting here.

These are only 19 American cemetaries where over 100,000 lie in peace until the resurrection. And so, maybe you can see why I feel so strongly about my country being called arrogant. We have earned our stripes, and I challenge anyone to match the sacrifices that we have made around the world. It is interesting that while the world delights in ridiculing American, and calling us everything from babykillers to over consumers and major polluters of the earth, who does the rest of the world look to when international troubles arise? What country "outdonates" the US in fighting disease and hunger over the globe? How DARE Obama BOW to anyone!! How DARE he apologize to other countries? And how DARE we allow this behavior to go unchallenged?

chicks, feathered and otherwise!

2009-05-01T14:27:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, my sweet little neice Alyssa called Dylan to ask him to go to "Mormon Prom" with one of her friends down in bigtown, and "by the way, could you find a cute guy to go with me too?"! Too funny! So Dylan said he would, and set up with Chris to go with Alyssa. All was good until Saturday morning when Chris flaked out and went to the coast instead. Thankfully, Matt said he would go with her, and she had a great time. He is such a great kid, and a good sport to boot. Alyssa said that he made her laugh all night. Aren't they cute?

Dylan went with a friend of Alyssa's, her name is Shanlyn. Dylan said she was very shy, so he didn't know if she was having fun; She told Alyssa that she thought D. is very funny, and wants to go out again. Isn't it hilarious getting the different perspectives? Here they are after the dance. I am just having so much fun with my teenagers. This is a really fun phase of life, and building a friendship with them is awesome. They teach me so much about myself, and awe me with their knowledge and testimonies of the Savior and their purpose here.

Josslin is doing great at school. She has really fun roommates this semester, and is loving her classes. She has been called into the Relief Society presidency as first counselor and is learning a lot about church government, inspiration, and reaching out to each person. Down there, they have 3 RS's in their ward; each apartment building floor is it's own RS. Interesting, no? Living 3/4 mile from campus is contributing to some increasing fitness, combining with her weight training class, and she said she needs some smaller clothes!! Oh darn, she has to go shopping!

Adam is hanging in there, very bored having me for his only companion now. Dylan is up and gone by about 6 am to work, followed by Paul a couple of hours later. We are trying to get some serious schoolwork done this spring and summer, and looking forward to the pond filling up.

The joys of country life manifested themselves last evening as we discovered that our drain field is on it's last legs, when we were rototilling to put our garden in. YIPPY SKIPPY!! I do love living out here though. This is one of the upsides of rural living. Aren't they adorable?

Now if I could just get someone to fix my pigpen's water, some baby pigs would be so fun to watch and laugh at. Having animals makes me really happy!! Oh, by the way, these chicks have a lot of room, they just feel the need to pile on top of each other....that's just for any anti farm peeps out there!

road trip

2009-04-19T21:04:00.000-07:00

I am so excited that it is spring!! My flowers are blooming despite my terrible lack of care for them, it is warm, the grass is green......I could go on forever!!

We took Josslin back to school, left on Wednesday and got back last evening. She is living off campus in an apartment with 4 other girls, and already is having a blast. She has two cousins down there this semester as well, so they are looking forward to some seriously good times. She has some good classes which will keep her pretty busy, and some extracurricular activities planned.

We went to the Rexburg Temple the morning after, and tried to catch a session at the Twin Falls temple, but had not called early enough to get a reservation so missed out on that. Twin Falls is in a very pretty area though, it would have been fun to spend a day or two exploring.

After getting home, and mucking out the mess that 2 teenage boys create when left on their own for 4 days, Adam wanted to go to the Stake dance. Every year, our stake puts on a formal dance for the kids...they get all gussied up and everything. Paul found this jacket for Adam to wear, and all of a sudden he wasn't 14 any more!

joy in the morning

2009-04-09T13:33:00.000-07:00

April 6th is a significant date to many people, but it is a very special date for us. 20 years ago we were delighted to cuddle our first child, a beautiful baby girl. There is an old saying that joy cometh in the morning, and sure enough, Joss made her appearance at 1:20 in the morning. We named her Josslin Elizabeth, she weighed in at 9 lbs. 13 oz, and was 21 inches long.

I remember her trying to open her eyes in the delivery room, but the lights were so bright! When the nurse turned down the lights, she opened up those beautiful eyes and looked around her new world. We took her home that night, and she slept all night long!! "wow, this is going to be a piece of cake!" I thought.....little did I know that was the only night she would sleep through until she was over 2 yrs old!! It would take a wise old pediatrician to tell us that screaming for hours until she vomited would not hurt her, and that we needed to decide who was the parent, and who was the child.
Here she is at about 1 month, isn't she beautiful? But who are those young kids holding her? Wow, where did those years go?!
During my pregnancy we had prayed that Josslin would have a strong mind and body. This request was granted as she has always been at the top of the class. Student of the month in kindergarten was only the beginning.

Don't you love it when they lose their teeth? Too cute!
We brought our kids home from public school when Joss was in the 7th grade. When she was 15, she started classes at the junior college, graduating with honors at 17 despite a head injury she got in a car accident in late October the previous year.

Josslin has been a joy to raise, and has been my best friend (except for Paul) for several years. She is a compassionate, generous, funny girl, who is very motivated to get her education. She is majoring in Psychology at BYUI, with hopes of counseling victims of PTSD, or working with law enforcement officers. We are so blessed to have her in our home, and look forward to the time she brings us grandbabies to spoil rotten. Did ya hear that Joss? So get busy!! ; )
We went out to a local Mexican restaraunt for her birthday, and then to see a movie, followed by cake and ice cream the next night. Boy, does she know how to stretch out a birthday, or what?

Happy Birthday girl! We love you very much.

name them one by one

2009-04-06T09:48:00.000-07:00

My Dad grew up in the Deep South, raised by a single mom who supported 6 kids working at whatever she could find. At one point, she was a machinist working on bombers during the years of WWII. They were desperately poor, subsisting on beans and rice most of the time. One winter all they had to eat were blueberries Grandma had preserved the previous summer. After graduating from high school, Dad joined the Air Force. While stationed in Newfoundland, he received the missionary discussions, and wanted to be baptized. However, Mom was at home with us, and he wanted her to also hear the gospel. Long story short, eventually they were baptized when I was about 4yrs old.

Through the years, Dad has worked at his family history with quite a bit of success. One line, however, has proven to be quite difficult. His maternal grandpa is the last one he has been able to trace, until a few days ago. Here is where the story gets difficult to keep track of, so hang on tight if you are still reading.

I have been preparing names of folks to take to the temple for several months. A couple of weeks ago Paul and I took the kids, my sister, and Becca their cousin, and did some baptisms in the temple for 82 of our ancestors. My dad and brother also went. While getting things set for the trip, I noticed that the ordinance work that had been done for Dad's great grandpa still showed as "in progress" on the church's New Family Search website. I printed off what the computer showed and took the appropriate paperwork showing the sealing had been done when we went. I need to back up a little and explain that in '98 or '99 while doing some research I had found a possible cousin from a second marriage of Dad's grandpa. When Mom and Dad were returning from their mission in Buffalo New York, I begged them to stop and do a little investigating. It turns out this WAS a cousin from a second marriage, and Dad was the spitting image of the woman's brother who had been dead lo these many years. The gal about passed out when she opened the door and saw Dad/her bro. standing there!! Louisa gave Dad some info on his great grandpa, and we have been hunting for this man and his wife for several years. Anyway...the people at the temple told us we needed the original slips in order to correct the computer, so Dad went home and hunted for them. After a fruitless search, I decided to order the death certificate of his grandpa in hopes that the great grandpa's name would be on the slip. When the certificate arrived, not only was his great grandpa's name on it, so was his g.gma's, and that name was different from the one Louisa had given him!!

Using this new info, I was able to use Ancestry to search for them, and I FOUND THEM!!!! That death certificate led to 3 more generations that now can progress on the other side of the veil.
I know that this has been a long, convoluted post, but I wanted it recorded for my own posterity.

As an aside, aren't names funny!? One of my ancestor's name is Evilman. Makes you wonder what they did to get that name attached to them way back when! This g.g.g.grandpa's first name was Green, also recorded as Gremberry. Hmmmm....! What are some names in your ancestry that are significant or humorous or whatever?? Please share!

sisters

2009-03-23T18:57:00.001-07:00

I love the Relief Society. When I was a young mom, not so much; until I found out that "all those old ladies" were as young at heart as I was. They have taught, tutored, and loved me as I have grown into my role as a woman,wife, and mother.

Saturday I went to our ward Relief Society Birthday lunch. I was rather reluctant to go, as the dustbunnies were having the World Series of baseball and were getting bigger and bigger the longer their game lasted. I wanted to go, but it had been a long week of being gone, and believe me- you knew it the minute you walked into the house. Anyway.... Joss had consented to run a nursery for the mom's who needed one, and she used the most effective motivational technique known to parents everywhere. "It's okay Mom, justt stay home. I HATE it when people make ME do stuff!". I mean, what do you do with that?? The guilt immediately began, and exploded exponentially by the second, and before I knew it, I was in the shower mentally apologizing for again neglecting my housework.

The Relief Society was organized in 1842 by Joseph Smith. The sisters of the church had felt a need for an organization of women to minister to the temporal and spiritual needs of the members, in a way that only women can. In response to this, a revelation was given to Joseph in which much more was promised to the women. Since that time, the priesthood has leaned heavily upon the Relief Society in learning of and meeting the needs of the members. Now the RS reaches out to everyone around the world, whether members of our faith or not.

The picture at the top of this post depicts the meeting where the RS was organized. Now we look like this...

and also this.. and also this.....

Our stake (a larger unit of several congregations) was re aligned a couple of years ago, and so there are many gals in our ward that I still don't know well. Determined to make a new friend, I plopped myself down at a table with 2 of these sisters, Beka and Jenica. Beka and Jenica are young moms with several kidlets, while mine are mostly independent at this point (although they all still live at home). It was so fun gabbing and remembering how fun that stage is. I am so glad we got to laugh. It wasn't too long before the table was full of sisters all laughing and chatting and getting to know each other better. And it was priceless to watch Jenica add parts of her chocolate bar to the top of her cherry cheesecake...it was awesome! She generously shared with all of us. I am still waiting to see your pics of your kicked up ummies Jen!! You will have to ask her how she got stuck on a salad!! hee hee!

Later, I got to thinking about how lucky and blessed we are to be organized into a unit of women. Even though backgrounds,hobbies, styles, and preferences vary, we all have common ground. One by one, we can get things done, but together in a common purpose all things are possible. It is very comforting to know that when one of us is in need, the others are there for them. We have a hymn we sing in church, and I love hearing the sisters sing it together. "The errand of angels is given to women" says it all. Thanks ladies for brightening my life!!

spring is flinging happiness, and bags, and sunshine, and...

2009-03-19T10:39:00.000-07:00

Can I just say how happy I am that spring is finally here? Yesterday was warm and sunny, and it was so great to be outside. Yea!!!! Winter is definitely leaving!!!

So, I was engaging in my favorite time wasting activity-blogstalking-and came across this very cute bag. If any of you know me, you know that cute bags are definitely my major downfall. I mean, after all, a girl can never have too many bags, right? You can go here to get in on the give-away, but I hope you don't because that gives me a better chance!! ; ) Just kidding! Here is the link:http://parkcitygirl.blogspot.com/

amazing grace

2009-03-16T09:16:00.000-07:00

Last night Dylan baptized his friend, Chris, into the Church. It was a very special night, and the Spirit was strong there. Dylan and Chris have been friends for about a year, and recently Chris expressed an interest in the gospel. I think the catalyst was when they and another buddy went to the movie, and the other guys wanted to view a movie with an R rating. Dylan declined, and called us for a ride home. The other friend went on into the movie, but Chris waited with Dylan in the lobby. Since then Chris has been supportive of Dylan's decisions as to the appropriateness of their activities. Don't get me wrong- they still manage to have a lot of fun together. There was the incident with dry ice.....but that is another story. As Chris has talked with the missionaries, Dylan has sat in on the discussions, helping Chris to understand, and testifying of the truthfulness of these new concepts. It has been a choice experience to get a snapshot into the process of conversion.

As we have come to know Chris better, we have been impressed by his goodness. Recently he decided he wanted to know more about our church, and started meeting with the missionaries. As he received the truths of Jesus Christ and the news that the gospel has been restored to earth, his countenance began to change. As he and Dylan went down into the water last night, the Spirit was very strong, so strong that both of them were visibly moved. It was wonderful to watch Dylan baptize Chris, and see the bond of brotherhood between them deepen. It was truly a tender mercy of the Lord for Dylan to experience using the priesthood in baptism at such a young age.
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sweet assurance

2009-03-15T13:43:00.000-07:00

I just got back late last night from a spectacular Time Out for Women in Verybigtown. Joss and I headed over on Thursday, and stayed with one of Paul's sisters. She attended with us, and we had a great time staying up late talking about everything and nothing.

This year's theme is "Sweet Assurance", and the speakers covered everything from depression to children, to testimony, loneliness, temporary loss of faith in a loving heavenly father, and the sweet victory that can come as we persevere in righteous endevours and continue to pray. The musical presenters were Jenny Oaks Baker, a violinist and the daughter of Dallan H. Oaks who is one of the 12 apostles of Jesus Christ on the earth; the other musician was Hillary Weeks, an extremely talented singer/songwrite.

One speaker in particular touched my heart as she related the story of her young son's diagnosis of juvenile diabetes, and the first time she had to test his blood and give him his insulin. She said that her son pinched her cheeks so hard and told her that if she could hurt him, he could hurt her.He ran to his room screaming that he hated her as he slammed his door. She crumpled to the floor of her kitchen sobbing; it took her over a year to "come back" to her Heavenly Father, not that she apostatized or anything, she was just so full of anger and sorrow that she went into an emotional shutdown. When her hubby asked her when she was coming back, her answer was that she might never.

I sat there listening, and all the emotions that I felt after our children were diagnosed with their illness rolled back over me. The tears wouldn't stop, and soon the snots were becoming a problem. All the anger, fear, grief, lost dreams, despair, and other emotions with their variations overwhelmed me. I remember wanting to "curse God and die" as Job's friends urged him to. I remember trying to envision a future that would not look like the one we had dreamed of, wondering how the kids would ever function independantly, would the boys no longer be able to serve missions? How would they ever be able to have families? Were grandchildren no longer a possibility? Trying to achieve a level of stability with the right combination of medication that would not gork the personality of each child into oblivion became an ongoing nightmare. Weeks of not allowing ourselves to sleep deeply. For months someone was awake all night. It got to be a normality for either Paul or I to stay awake. I remember how surprised I was that other families slept at night.

Then this sweet woman described the miracle that occurred that brought her back to life emotionally and spiritually. And again I remembered the sensation of literally waking up to the sun again, and being able to smile and laugh again. I still don't know what the future holds for us, but there are things that I do know. I know that my children will only struggle with their illness in this life, that one day they will be free. I know that Heavenly Father is very aware of their pain, and that he cries with them. I know that He gives them new strength every day to fight on. Most of all, I know how much he must love them and each of us, because I know how much I love them and an eternal, perfect, heavenly Parent loves them much much more than I am able to. These are things I know, and it gives me the sweet assurance to go on, and that all will be well. Eventually.

2009-03-06T20:06:00.000-08:00

WoW! What a crazy week! It is already Friday night again, and still so much to get done.

We went to Bigtown on Wednesday to celebrate Dylan's 17th birthday. He actually turned 17 on the 24th of February, but unfortunately was feeling like trash.

Remember this pic from last week? He is better now, thanks to some antibiotics.

Dylan was born after 48 hours of labor, a threatened C-section when he decided to present in breech position, an external version, then some serious Pitocin. After calling the NICU team to the room because of some shoulder dystocia, everyone just stood and stared at this big boy on the warming table. 11 lbs. 10 1/2 oz, and 23 1/2 in. long, with a perfectly round head. Paul said when they announced his birth in church, all the women groaned, and the guy conducting the meeting said something about the 1st grader that had arrived in our home. Too funny!!

Always ready for physical activity, an accident on the playground led to a 4 day hospitalization. He holds the family record for number of stitches-36 by age 12, and the priest quorum record for sawing a log in half- 5 minutes flat. Dylan's leaders were impressed with how he just put his head down and went for it. The other guys took rest breaks, but not Dylan. Here he is playing a game of cards. That poker face is a big help! Levi is looking on, laughing.
He was a standout football player on the freshman team, playing both ways and contributing to a very good season. By the time his sophomore year rolled around, he was having difficulty managing his illness and decided not to play. This hasn't stopped his love of rowdy fun, with cliff jumping, camping, and hiking at the top of his fun list. He caught this pic last summer when hiking with the priests group from our ward.
Mudding out at the dunes, and plain old horsing around are also part of his life. By the time he was 13, people noticed his strong work ethic, and actively recruited him to work for them. This will be the 4 th season he has worked for a local farmer, and hopefully will get all the money saved that he will need for his mission.

Some of Dylan's best attributes are his compassion and generosity. He would give anyone the shirt off his back, and is always giving food or money to the homeless people he comes in contact with. He really sets a good example for me in how he gives of himself to others.
Dylan is a good writer, and is good at math- even though he hates it. He is taking his high school courses online, and should finish in time with the rest of his friends that go to public school.

Here he is with his buddy, Samson. They both love a good wrestling match, or a rousing game of keep away. That old saying about "a boy and his dog" definitely applies here.
Happy Birthday Dylan!

pants on fire

2009-02-28T12:34:00.000-08:00

Two very handsome guys have been hangin' out at our house the last day or two. They have the cutest hats :) and oh my, the way their clothes fit!!

Let me introduce you to Chewbaaca, aka my 17 yr old Dylan. The other guys at the firehouse renamed him, as he is the biggest one there. He is totally loving doing volunteer work with the department. Today they are burning a house down that was donated for practice. The department is, I mean.

This is Chris ^, he is a friend of Dylan's that is also volunteering. don't tell'em I said so, but they look like little boys playing dress up. Yes, I am a little nervous about the danger, but he can't drive fire vehicle or enter a burning structure until he is 18. Hopefully he will have enough training under his belt by then to be safe. I must say, however, that I am proud of him for choosing to do this on his own, and for taking all the classes required. Class is twice a week at night for 2-3 hours, and then some weekend practicums. Go get'em Chewie!!!

families sunnyside up

2009-02-27T16:25:00.000-08:00

So, it is a beautiful day today. I am delighted to see the sun, and go outside in bare feet only protected by the wonderful invention seen to the right. Mine are red today! I decided to celebrate the sunshine today by not doing my housework, even though the dustbunnies are playing basketball in the hallway.

Instead, I spent 5 wonderful hours immersed in the computer, working on some family history. You may remember that my awesome Dad gave me a subscription to a great family history website, and using it has allowed me to take several family lines back to the 1500's. This is not, however, a plug for ancestry.com. It is an expression of gratitude to a loving Father in Heaven for giving us computer technology which allows us to further the work of redeeming our dead. Using the new family search program from the Church, and one name from Ancestry, 5 generations were linked together. Now, just the Temple ordinances need to be done. What a miracle!!

As I was sharing the success with Dad, he said how sad he was that he had not been able to get it all done. The truth is, he did quite a lot of research, but only had the slower, older tools(read "hours of perusing microfiche") to accomplish a huge task. I am blessed to be alive now, when advances in technology are making what used to take years to accomplish, only a fraction of that time.
Once again, life is all about families...current, past, and future members tied together. I am awed by the magnificence of it all.

2009-02-26T18:58:00.000-08:00

flop flips,flu,fun, and phases of childhood

2009-02-26T12:09:00.000-08:00

We have been going through a lot of this stuff this week!! Can you guess why? The flu has made it's appearance at our house, hitting the 2 boys. Hopefully the rest of us will escape it's joys.

It has been several years since I needed to do this kind of Mommying...and actually it has been a trip down memory lane. Where do the years go? I remember being so exhausted from endless nights of rocking and vaporizers and continuous linen changes; the heavy, warm,damp, limpness of a restlessly sleeping child lying on my shoulder, finally quiet; having to write down which child got dosed with what remedy at whatever hour so no one got over dosed. I remember being in a quandary as to how sick the child could get before a doctor visit was needed, and once the visit happened wondering if the doc was right. Now, it's the same anxiety, the same dosing regimen, but they won't let me rock or hold them. And thankfully they make it to the bathroom before the gastric explosion occurs, so the laundry isn't quite as bad.

I have a lot of regrets about wishing those years would come to an end, that raising children would get easier. It doesn't get easier, just different. I wish I had learned to live in the moment, and just take in every microsecond, sound, picture,smell. There are pictures, but the pictures don't remind me of those things. And now, in a different season, the years are still rushing by, leaving memories in their wake. I want to capture each moment, each nuance, each sound and thought and feeling.

This morning I woke to snow-big, huge, fluffy flakes. Now, the sky is blue and clear. And soon, the cold weather will change to warm, the grass will be green, flowers will be blooming, the pond down the road will once again be full of ebullient children and teens basking in the water and sunshine, and best of all........it will be FLIP FLOP AND ICY DIET CHERRY COKE SEASON!!! woooooohoooooo!!!!!

ruminations on reality

2009-02-23T22:22:00.000-08:00

It has been almost 3 weeks since my last post. It is not that I didn't want to blog, I just have been having a difficult time. There have been some challenges in my personal life, and I can't write about it because it concerns family members, and they prefer that I not discuss it in this forum. So you might not understand what this post is about. Never fear, I hope I will feel better discussing it in a vague and oblique manner. And that is what life is all about, right? ME?

I have been surprised at how much losing my previous posts saddens me. It is almost like losing part of myself.... almost like I have had writer's block because I left off in a different place, and can't connect back to that me. I know...very wierd.

Being the mom means that the general vibe/spirit of the home is instigated and reflected by you. "If Mom ain't happy, ain't nobody happy", or so goes the couplet. The hardest part is maintaining equanimity when all around you are in turmoil-whether due to physical, emotional,or spiritual needs. Taking time for yourself to recharge, of course would help. Unfortunately, in my specific situation that is not a feasible alternative. In self defense, I find myself retreating for a daily nap, hoping the house doesn't burn down in my temporary removal from intense atmospheric stress. And in that action I am disappointed.

Left to wonder at my response to environmental stimuli, I am forced to evaluate my own inner strength and stamina. Am I doing what I need to be? Why do small things appear to cause spin off tornadoes from the daily hurricane, and is there damage being done to the bystanders? If damage is occurring, can it be repaired? What are the long term ramifications for the major players, and are those on the sidelines sufficiently protected to weather the storm? Most important of all, IS THE STORM ALMOST OVER????!!! BECAUSE I AM GETTING REALLY SICK OF IT!!

Usually politics and world happenings are engrossing. I can't summon the focus to even examine current events, let alone decide how they may affect my family's future. Hours of crocheting serve to numb my mind and in autopilot, the daily tasks of running a home are accomplished. A verse fills my mind- "When I was a child I spoke as a child....now I see through a glass darkly...." Acknowledging that in the future we will see clearly and all will be restored to perfect form, I am left once again wondering......WHAT am I going to blog about??

Loyal to God and each other

2009-02-06T20:26:00.000-08:00

Sunday was Adam's 14th B-day. I blogged about it but that was the day before I lost my blog, and I feel really terrible about not having the day documented. If any of you are bored, feel free to skip off to your next blogstop.

Adam is the baby of the family, and made his sunnyside up appearance at 10:10 pm on Feb. 1, 1995. His was the easiest delivery of the 3 bio. kids, probably because he was the smallest at 9 lb 7 oz. After delivering Dylan at 11 lb 10 1/2 oz, Adam was a piece of cake!! I remember being so scared that he would just fall out and half hoping he would be as big as his brother was. Then, carrying him around in my arms, with the strange sensation of losing him because I had so much more room available to cuddle him with.

Always a quick learner, it wasn't long before I was catching him ransacking the lower cupboards, in the litter box, eating the soil out of the potted plants. The Poison control people soon recognized my voice! Adam ate everything- food, dirt, plants of all types, detergent, bath oil balls...; if he could reach it, he ate it. And of course, we were dealing with a mild heart defect that he was being watched closely for, being hospitalized for a week with urosepsis at 21 days, undergoing surgery at 7 mths for a circ that should have been done post natally, but wasn't because the doc was afraid of throwing bacteria to his heart. We finally got referred to Children's Hospital in Seattle for the cardiac and urology specialists. Thank Heaven for Childrens!!

Adam was a pretty happy child,as long as he had his thumb, a blankie, and a sippy cup full of warm chocolate milk.He would lay on the ground playing or watching Disney movies with his thumb in his mouth. He has always had a bit of the daredevil in him, and didn't think twice about jumping off a 70 ft cliff into the Columbia river this past summer. He had huge blue eyes when he was younger, and his day care gal called him her "precious moments baby".

Now he is taller than me, stronger than me, loves to cook and experiment with flavors, go fishing, camp, play his PSP, and tease his sister and brother. Sunday, he was ordained a teacher in the Aaronic Priesthood by his brother Dylan. It was one of those very sweet moments that make it all worth it. You could feel the love these two have for each other, despite their altercations, wrestling tournaments,competitions, etc.

That evening we went to Paul's Dad's for dinner, and Larry surprised Adam with a cake. What makes that special, is that Larry was a professional baker, but rarely bakes and decorates any more due to arthritis in his hands.

Don't they look so happy to be together?? Really....they just hate it when I bring out the camera.
Today we all went down to bigger town to choose the "perfect gift". Our town doesn't have anything to even call choice and selection, so off we go!!! I should have snapped a pic of all of us-- Paul and I in the front, and all 3 of the kids with earbuds in, kicked back, eyes closed. Nothing like family time!! It is so different now from how it used to be. The days of having bags full of snacks,juice boxes, toys, and on and on and on. Now the toys are more expensive, the grocery bill is higher, and now we can talk and laugh together, more like friends.

I guess what I am trying to say is that we all change, and grow, or regress, but it all comes down to each of us doing the best we can to stay close to each other. A sign hanging in our front room says "Anderson, we are loyal to God and each other." And that is what it is all about.

glitches in time

2009-02-04T20:08:00.000-08:00

So, I had a major glitch and lost my blog. The up side is that a total rebuild is in store, the downside is that now I have to figure out what should be here. And that entails evaluating who I am and how I've changed since last summer.

Should the background be classy, scrapbook, or holiday(valentines day) oriented? Do I want to keep the basic elements, or do I want a complete makeover? Pictures? And if so, of what?

Why do we have glitches? Obviously, because they help us grow. The more important question is our response to the stimulus. When the Lord "pokes" us, do we take advantage of new opportunities or go kicking and screaming. Change is inevitable in life, and here's hoping we are able to progress with grace. Or if not with grace, at least some humor. I don't know how long it will take me to learn grace, but I do know that the Lord is LONGSUFFERING, he must have some serious earplugs he uses when I go weeping and wailing and knashing my teeth. It is a great comfort to know He is always there to pick me back up, brush me off, and start over at "grace 99".