Life in Lyndhurst

My Friend Sue

2012-02-15T13:23:00.001-06:00

I love this photo of my friend Sue and I. It was taken on September 11, 2011. It was the day that Sue went through the temple for the first time. I was privileged to go with her.

She and I have been friends since the early 80's. I think I was assigned to be her visiting teacher and the rest is history. She's one of those people in my life who I connect with in a special way. Our friendship can be put down and picked right back up where we left it even if there are weeks, months or even years between the putting down and picking up.

I'm just now learning about her growing up years. Isn't that funny? We've known one another for decades and I'm just now finding out things I never thought to ask. Perhaps because they weren't important for me to know. I just knew that I loved her.

This week we got together and baked cookies for the sisters that we visit teach. (We get to be companions once again and I love it!) It was just the two of us and I loved every moment of it. She's smart and funny and loves to laugh and she's a survivor. She's taken whatever life has thrown at her and come out on top. I know she hasn't had an easy life and I'm amazed by her ability to bounce back. She's an amazing friend.

So Sue, when you read this, just know that I love you an incredible amount and I know our friendship will last through the eternities.

Happy Birthday Mom!

2012-02-11T18:36:00.000-06:00

Today my mom would be 74 years old. I think it's amazing that my parents' births were only 12 days apart. Dad is soooo much older than Mom. I don't dwell on her often but since I live in her house and I am her daughter she is a constant every day part of my life. I am who I am due to her influence.

This picture is how I remember my parents....together. It was taken at the Chicago temple ground breaking. My dad must have been the district president as they were invited to participate.

I remember her as "Nana" to 17 little people. More showed up after she was gone. I do believe they all have a relationship with her even though they never met her in this earth life. She was great at reading to the children and taking time to play with them.

Now I'm the Nana. Where did that time go?

My parents' love was visable. I think that's the thing I miss the most. Seeing my dad without her. Her coworker made a comment to me after her death about how she could see how much my parents loved one another. That's how I want my children to remember my husband and I. I hope people can "see" our love.

So on this February 11th, I feel a little sad. But I am so overwhelmed with thankfulness to be born to a woman who taught me so much and loved me enough to listen when Elder Olsen asked her to meet with them to learn about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I know she has a great love for her Savior and that is a grand legacy that I hope to carry to my posterity.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Friends and Food

2012-02-08T19:54:00.001-06:00

Last night at Andrew's basketball game, my friend Laura came to sit by me as I was all alone. We had a good time catching up. We decided it would be really fun to get together for lunch and invite another mutual friend.

Laura made a delish BBQ chicken, pineapple pizza. It was so yummy! We enjoyed good conversation and lots of laughing. Thanks Laura and Michele!

I was assigned to bring something sweet for dessert. Since all three of us are working on losing weight, I found something tasty without tons of calories or fat. Here it is!

It's raspberry trifle. In case you think it looks good I'm posting the recipe below.

1 angel food cake mix

1 small package raspberry jello

frozen raspberries

3 or 4 containers of raspberry yogurt

Bake an angel food cake. When it's cool, tear it apart into bite size pieces. I do this in thirds as there are three layers to this dessert.
Make the jello and add the berries.
Layer the torn up cake, then yogurt, then jello berry mixture. Do this three times and top with whipped topping. Real cream is better, but I was looking for low fat. Refrigerate.

It isn't brain surgery and it isn't hard to do. I've already forgotten to add the jello so just dumped it on top. It worked. Enjoy!

Emery Layne

2012-02-03T11:53:00.001-06:00

Congratulations to my niece Alyssa who gave birth this morning to a beautiful daughter. I'm sure Belle and Jake will welcome her with open arms.

A Re-enactment

2012-02-03T11:49:00.000-06:00

I was going through some photos this week. I had been looking for this one as it's one of my favorites. My two older brothers and I all got married within 18 months of one another. The babies came fast and furious after that. This picture was taken about February or March 1984. Tony appears to be a couple of months old. Look at those young dads! My parents had one grandchild and suddenly within three months they had three more!

Looking at the re-enactment of this photo, I believe it was 2000 that these grown up babies crawled onto their daddy's laps for another picture.

I cannot even express how much I love all these grown up people.

Basketball Season Continues

2012-01-27T11:15:00.000-06:00

Andrew's basketball season is in full swing. In fact, they've begun to play the teams in the conference for a second time. Menominee Indian is always a tough battle. The first time Gresham lost by one point and the next time was the Holiday tournament where Gresham won by about five points. So, last night was the rematch.

The first two outings saw Andrew riding the "pine pony." He didn't get even a second of playing time. Of course he was disappointed, but apparently he's proving to the coach that he can play with the big boys. Here's my #35 going up and getting that rebound!

I do have to say that he's a great defensive player. I think his brain thinks in defensive mode. Who doesn't love to make the points? But I think he would much rather have some great rebounds and blocks. He did have a block last night but fouled the guy in the attempt. It was a good call. So who won?

Gresham did!

Since Andrew doesn't play huge quantities of time, he isn't typically in a position to be fouled. Last night he was fouled more than once, but only once when the officials saw it. In fact it was one of those things that you couldn't miss. Yes, it was that bad. Too bad I didn't get that on video. He did a great job shooting his free throws.

In my defense, I wish I had a good camera when the girls were playing. I would've had someone take some pictures while I worked the clock and/or book.

Snowmen

2012-01-23T11:26:00.000-06:00

Every year for Christmas for the past 15 Christmases, I receive a hand crafted snowman from my in-laws as a gift. Each one is different and unique and really cute. All are smiling. I have a shelf that they sit on over the winter, but there are just too many of them to all fit. Since re-making our kitchen countertops, I now have a windowsill where I can display several. Here they are standing/sitting in a row.

We finally got some snow...again and so my birds are happy to have a place to come and eat.

Here's the view outside in our front yard this morning.

I don't know if you noticed, but that last snowman on the windowsill somehow got himself turned around and seems to be longing to go outside and play. I really don't know how he got turned and really don't care. I saw him there last week "looking" outside and thought then it was cute, but it's so much cuter now that there's snow on the ground.

Scripture Mastery Golf

2012-01-20T12:37:00.000-06:00

On Wednesday I got my seminary students together and we played a new version of scripture mastery golf. I held up a word strip clue and two of the youth went head to head to see who could come up with the reference first. I have to say that Ris is really fast at this.

Whomever got it wrong had to putt into a can. They got only three chances to get it into the "hole." By the look of the following pictures you can see which team did more putting.

Trev is really great at getting the references right, but once in a while he'd get beat when going up against Ris.

Nolan doing his best.

Jas. It appears she's got it.

Christian often pre picks a scripture so he can say it really fast. Once or twice he's gotten it right doing that. But not usually.

The girls watching the guys do all the work!

Austin did the final putt of the day from across the entire gym, one handed and got a hole in one!

We have a great time together.

A New Counselor

2012-01-15T21:09:00.000-06:00

I had my camera and forgot to take the picture. Today my husband released his two counselors. President Blunck was released as well as President Beck. President Beck was called as first counselor and Jim Wagner as the second counselor. I love Jim! We met him when we were part of the City of Joseph pageant. I know my husband is very excited about the opportunity to have President Wagner as part of the stake presidency!

Promises

2012-01-14T12:15:00.000-06:00

This week in seminary we studied the book of Joshua. We talked about the fact that the Lord never breaks his promises to us. A few students needed to leave early so I decided to end before they left. I was supposed to end with four different scriptures where the Lord makes promises to us, but decided to end with just one. I just happened to choose D&C 58:42 to end the lesson. It reads: Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more. What a grand promise!
I was able to testify of the truthfulness of this scripture. When we keep our covenants, the Lord will keep his promise as well. He will never break his promises to us as long as we are obedient. D&C 82:10 tells us: I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.
If there was nothing else during the week that the students came away with, I hope they came away with the one concept that the Lord will remember our sins no more, if we repent. It was a good week.

Another Official

2012-01-14T12:01:00.000-06:00

This morning Andrew began his new job as a basketball official. He and his dad went to Clintonville to work a game. The kids were 5th and 6th graders. His dad reports that he was nervous. I can understand that. Each of the four officials in this house have had our "first" games. At any rate, he can only work on Saturdays because he practices and plays on the weekdays. Good money for my son.

Firewood

2012-01-12T08:43:00.000-06:00

Unfortunately there are no photos to go with this post. Clare and Clint had a load of wood delivered to their house in early December. A few kind souls helped get it cut and split. Since then, there was just a huge pile of firewood that needed to be put somewhere.
Pat and I had a "shed" which is actually a truck box, that we weren't using anymore. We offered it to the Gourleys and they said they'd take it for a woodshed. I believe it was Decemeber 31st that we delivered it to their place.
Since that time, we've had some really mild weather. In fact the past two days have been nearly 50 degrees. Tom and I went over on Tuesday and moved a lot of wood into the woodshed. We had to quit as the dirt was turning to mud and I didn't want to create ruts in their soon-to-be lawn. We returned on Wednesday morning and this time Clint was available to help us. We moved that monstrous pile of firewood either into the woodshed or into the basement. It sure feels good to have that done for them. Now it can snow all it wants. The wood is in and dry!
I recall being that young mom with small children and how difficult it was to help my husband get wood into the house. I just wanted to help them out by doing something to help and besides it got me outside in the wonderful weather and getting some exercise. I will say that my body ached last night and I yearned for a hot bath. Didn't get one, but feel better this morning after a good night's sleep.

Twenty-nine Years

2012-01-11T15:27:00.000-06:00

Twenty-nine years ago I married my best friend. Since that time we've had a lot to keep us entertained. The following photos give you a glimpse into our lives.

First of all, there's Tom. He keeps us on our toes.

Then there's the fact that we are now grandparents to three beautiful people. Number two is showing how he can wear his Nana's glasses.

We didn't know when Clint joined our family that he would fit in with the others so well. I'm very thankful that he is part of our craziness.

Little did I know when I was in second grade that this little guy would grow up to be my sweetheart. I remember a girl in my class who "liked" this little guy. I was confused back then as to which boy was Henry and which was Pat because I only knew of one Pleshek boy in the third grade who fit this description.

After he grew up and served a mission, he came home to Wisconsin and proposed a few short weeks later. Ok, maybe it was a month. I do know it was on Easter Sunday in April that we decided that we'd spend our lives and eternity together.

This particular January day in Washington D.C. was cool but not cold. Probably around 40 degrees. We didn't take many photos as it was cold enough that I didn't want to be out without a coat for very long.

We try to make a yearly trek to Nauvoo. In fact, this past year we trekked three times! A stop at the Fudge Factory for turtle tails is a must! How much do these happy people love fudge and caramels? A lot!

We love to stay at the Pountain home while in Nauvoo. It's so much better than a motel. These crazies gave us their best pose.

The alumni game when Erin was a senior in high school was so much fun to watch. Two of my lovlies played against their sister while daddy blew the whistle and kept things in check.

Then there's the yearly trip to Bay Beach. I love the Zippin' Pippin' and so does Tom. But, Clare goes strictly for the cotton candy as evidenced below. I know she hates this photo as it doesn't show how truly beautiful she is. Still, it shows part of the many sides of crazy that exist in our family.

It sure has been a fun trip over the past 29 years. The best part is yet to come I'm sure. I love being a grandmother! I loved being a missionary mom and look forward to doing it again in three years. I love having adults who are my children. We have grown up conversations...for the most part.

I'm more in love with my sweetie than ever and thank my Heavenly Father for him daily. This journey we're on sometimes has potholes in our road and we have to swerve around other things in our way, but we're on it together and that's the important part.

I look forward to the next year and beyond.

Another Wedding

2012-01-09T21:53:00.000-06:00

Over the weekend my husband and I flew to Salt Lake City and then drove to Idaho Falls with Sammi and Jeff to attend Zane and Megan's wedding. We had a wonderful time being with our son and daughter as well as many nieces and nephews and several Robertson family.

I've seen the gyms at our church buildings decorated in a variety of ways over the years but never like this. Megan has an aunt who is a wedding coordinator and she did a fabulous job.

Those who attended the ceremony as well as all the children and those friends/family who couldn't go inside the temple minus Pat and myself.

Here's the happy couple. I never did get a good photo of both of them looking great. :(

There was some time spent in a receiving line which wasn't much fun for most of us. Gramma Sue said we needed the chicken dance and Sammi mentioned that she had it on CD. With Megan's approval as well as her parents', we had a dance.

Jack and Aubrey in the Conga line.

The cha-cha slide.

Some kind of line dance. Niece Nichola in the foreground did her best to bring about labor.

Zack, Liz and Zoey. What a beautiful family!

Aubrey danced herself out.

Nichola worked hard but didn't bring on labor. She did, however, have a daughter at 5:01pm on Monday afternoon.

It was a quick trip but so worth it in being able to see Sammi and Jeff and all of Kurt's family that live in Idaho as well as Hannah and her children and Mike and Amber.

Family is what it's all about!

A Busy Boy

2012-01-04T16:37:00.000-06:00

Sometimes when a 2 year old visits, he goes somewhere and becomes very quiet. Then a strange noise comes from the bathroom. I peek in to see the feminine products being flung from the basket where they're normally kept. He was after the basket with the pretty flower on it. Goofy guy.

Sunday Happenings

2012-01-04T09:36:00.000-06:00

On Sunday I traveled through the snow with my husband to visit the Rhinelander Ward. It was nice to see many of those wonderful people whom I know and love. The reason for visiting wasn't just a usual visit though. Bishop Lindner has served as the bishop of that ward for eight years. He's a wonderful man whom I dearly love. He was released as the bishop. Tom Jones was sustained as their new bishop. I love to see the reaction of the saints to a new unit leader. Even more I love to hear the testimonies of those who've been newly called and released.

Here's the new bishopric with their wives. What a wonderful group of people they are. They'll handle whatever comes their way no problem. Those sisters are just full of support as well.

My husband always says in quoting some general authority. "We've identified whom the Lord has already chosen." Just before arriving home, my husband spotted this guy sitting atop a sign not far from our home. What a beautiful day it was!

Are You Tired Too?

2011-12-27T07:25:00.000-06:00

In the past week I think I've gotten at least six phone calls from "Newt 2012." The campaigning for our next president began months ago and the election isn't until November. I'm already tired of all name calling and nastiness of politics. Is anyone else sick of it too?

A McBain Original

2011-12-26T07:12:00.000-06:00

Last week my husband surprised me once again with another Mort McBain original. This print hangs in my kitchen. He also purchased a larger size of the same print for Clare and Clint as a Christmas gift.

I like the fact that Mort paints what he sees and not what's actually there. You don't see any buildings or roads in this print. It isn't this close to the river either. The temple itself is accurate which is all I care about.

While at the McBain home, Mort showed me his "cave" where he works. He showed me many of his works. What a talent! I won't even say I wish I had that talent. I have my own. I'm just thankful that I know someone so talented where I can purchase these beautiful prints.

Christmas Day 2011

2011-12-25T19:07:00.001-06:00

A beautiful Christmas day spent together as a family. Last night we skyped with Sammi and Jeff and did all the usual Christmas eve festivities.

Today we went to church and had a wonderful program with lots and lots of singing. The choir sang four pieces and sounded beautiful!

After church we got our dinner started and then opened gifts.

Erin got a new robe, boots and an exercise ball.

Andrew was blessed with the pajama shorts he's wearing and the shirt he's holding up. But his real excitement came upon opening his new ipod.

Tom scored new pajama pants and two Mario wii games. He was pretty excited about those pants even though he actually picked them out.

There's the new ipod!

A book my husband didn't know he wanted was his gift. He was grateful to receive it.

Me? A ruby necklace from my sweetie. Sammi and Jeff sent a book on the Savior's life and Clare and Clint gave me "scent burner" with several types of scents to melt and fill the house with the scent of apple pie or cinnamon or pumpkin.

We heard from Sammi and Jeff when they got back from church. Pat and I were able to listen to them opening their gifts from us via speaker phones. It was fun to listen to them get just what they wanted/needed.

We spent the afternoon watching some Christmas movies and eating and visiting. The only thing that would've made it better would be if the Fillmores could have been here in person. But, we understand.

I've always loved Christmas and continue to love it. To remember the Savior's birth and His gifts to us leaves me in awe. I can never repay all that I've been blessed with. The best I can do is to be obedient and do those things that I'm asked to do. Most of those things are small and simple. If I can do those, then I shouldn't have difficulty doing the big and hard things.

Mr. Gresham Pageant

2011-12-24T13:04:00.001-06:00

On Thursay the Mr. Gresham pageant was held. This is a fund raiser for cystic fibrosis. Andrew decided he wanted to be a part of it. He was Mr. Sophomore (at least one of the two).

He used one of Erin's dresses and I'm not sure who top of a tankini for the swimsuit. He used Sammi's blue sequined dress as his evening gown.

He didn't win, but had fun being in it. I only wish I could've been there to watch. Erin went and took some pics for me. By the way, that's Newell in the purple/pink dress next to Andrew.

Sabbath Day Thoughts

2011-12-11T20:49:00.000-06:00

In the last month we've talked about the Sabbath during our seminary class. The first thing I noticed was that the manna sent to the Israelites fell only on six days. You couldn't keep the stuff overnight or it would get wormy and stink. But, the miracle is that none fell on the seventh day so they had to collect two days worth on the sixth day. Miraculously, it didn't go bad then. I thought how important the Sabbath is to the Lord if even He doesn't work then.

There was an article in the local newspaper about a minister who was holding a special worship service on the Thursday night before the deer hunt. He was encouraging all the hunters to come and even wear their blaze orange. He would be wearing his blaze orange stole as well. He recognized that there would be many in the woods on that Sunday morning and by coming to worship on this night, they would get a "free pass" to not be in church on that day. Who is he to think he can change Sabbath worship? My class was quite entertained by the article and it gave us a lot of fodder for discussion.

A few days later we started discussing the 10 commandments. I noticed that the fourth commandment to keep the sabbath day holy took four verses to cover. It is so important that it needed some clear direction.

As I've contemplated these thoughts, the Sabbath has come to mean more to me. Am I perfect at keeping that day holy? No. I'm not. But I keep on trying and working on it. Do I wish the Packers always played on Monday night football or a Thursday? Yes I do. I would love to sit down and watch them play or listen on the radio. I don't because I'm trying to be obedient. I love God and keeping His day holy is the best way I can show Him that I love him.

And So it Begins

2011-12-05T20:25:00.001-06:00

Basketball season is upon us once again. Andrew had his first game last Friday as strictly a Varsity player. Here he is scoring his first two points of the season.

His team is not very big. There are only a few guys on the bench. He's the only post player to relieve the other two big guys. Andrew says the coach told him that this is his place on the bench.

It could be a very long season with so few on the bench and not much for big guys, but they did win their first game by 18 points. Here's wishing the Wildcats the best in a very long season!

Christmas Letter 2011

2011-11-29T14:44:00.001-06:00

As Christmas is coming nearer, I got busy and got our Christmas letter done early. So here it is!

Another year filled with wonderful things and people begins this Christmas greeting.

Brock Patrick Gourley joined our family in March as grandchild #3. What a happy little guy he is.

Cami began Pre-K this year. Are we really old enough to have a grandchild in school? I should think not.

Driving is Andrew's newest venture. He got his license a few weeks after his 16th birthday.

Eleven is the number of students Heidi is teaching in seminary this year. Our course of study is the Old Testament. So far so good.

Fillmore is the name Sammi now uses after her marriage in August to Jeff. What a whirlwind courtship that was! The first date was June 24th and the wedding was August 18th.

Grade 10 is where we find Andrew these days. He's a fairly good student and he loves athletics. He's just a good all-around son.

Home sweet home should be the sign hanging in the Gourley's new house. They bought a house in the Gresham area last winter and are enjoying being out of our house. We painted a lot of walls before they moved in.

Into everything would be how to explain our grandson, Adam. He's two and as curious as he is cute...and he's a real cutie!

Juicing apples this fall, was the way Heidi spent two days. Fresh apple cider. There's nothing else to compare. Canned many gallons and gave many more away.

Killing his first deer was Andrew's big news last deer hunting season. Not quite so successful this year. :(

Lake swimming brought us together with our dear friend MaryEllen this summer. The temperatures were so hot, that the lake felt so good at the end of the day. That was as close as we got to camping this summer.

May brought Sammi home from her mission in Washington. How I love to be able to text or talk to her whenever the mood strikes me. She was a fantastic missionary!

Nauvoo was the site for our youth conference. Tom and Sammi came along to help do dishes. Heidi set up the schedule for all the activities. A wonderful time together of fun and service!

Overjoyed is how we felt with getting airline tickets for cheap to attend nephew Zane's wedding in Idaho this coming January.

Princess is what Cami called niece Nicola in her wedding gown. We were able to attend her wedding last December in Idaho Falls. These grown up kids are getting expensive!

Qualifying for the sectional track meet with a jump of 5'6" was Andrew's big news in May. He struggled a lot with injuries and confidence all season, but it all came together for him at the Regional meet.

Receptions in Muscatine, IA and Gresham were a way to meet new people and reconnect with friends from our past. Roasting a pig was a good and delicious way to celebrate!

Soccer is Andrew's fall sport. He got to play a lot more this year and the team as a whole did a lot better as well. Basketball has officially begun and he's playing Varsity.

Tom is still involved in Special Olympics as well as working at the chip mill with his mom one day each week. He's quite independent.

Utah, in Provo are where Sammi and Jeff are living. He's going to school and she's working at Deseret Book/Distribution. She loves it!

Vocal Point was the concert in Nauvoo where Sammi and Jeff reconnected. We've enjoyed watching them this fall on TV in The Sing Off.

Wedding bells for Sammi and Jeff resulted in a trip to Utah to deliver wedding gifts in October for Pat and Heidi. We enjoyed General conference while we were there.

ReXburg, ID is where Erin is getting her education. She's still loving being there.

Yellowstone is a beautiful place to visit. Pat and I drove through on our way to visit the girls. It really should be enjoyed as a destination and not just a drive-through.

Zebra stripes are what Pat and Erin will be wearing over the course of the basketball season. Each year Erin says she hopes this will be her last year doing it but it pays her college expenses.

That pretty much sums up our year. One thing we have that is so important is the constant love of our Savior. As we celebrate his birth, we're reminded once again what a great miracle His love is. All we have is because of Him. We would be very ungrateful if we didn't praise Him and give Him the credit for everything in our lives. We wish you a very happy Christmas season with you and your loved ones. Merry Christmas!

Johnny Jump Up

2011-11-27T21:12:00.001-06:00

Clare has a Johnny Jump Up and keeps it our house as she doesn't have the door frames at her house to make it work. So, each time Brock comes over, he jumps and jumps and jumps. He loves it!

Tonight, Clint put Adam in it. He used to jump in it as well. He's much too big for it but it gave us all a good giggle.

Since both boys are such jumpers, we bought a jumping horse for the boys. Cami is actually about the right size to use it, but we specifically thought about the boys when we bought it. I'm hoping Clare will post a photo of Adam on his "ho-achee."

Santa's Helper

2011-11-27T20:51:00.000-06:00

Today one of Santa's helpers stopped by our house.

Maybe you saw him at church. I think he looks much more like an elf than Santa.

Riddle of the Day

2011-11-25T14:45:00.000-06:00

QUESTION: What do you get when you allow a two little girls ages 4 and 5 to decorate your Christmas tree?

ANSWER: A tree that looks like this. :)

I think I'll do some rearranging when they're both gone home.

The Temple

2011-11-23T16:24:00.000-06:00

In my quest to be thankful, I have to say that I'm thankful for temples! Yesterday my sweetie and I drove to Chicago to spend time in the temple. I always learn something new. We did some sealing and I was reminded of the covenant of marriage. It felt so good to hear the promises and blessings that come with that specific covenant. Besides that, I got to look across the alter at my handsome husband.

We've been going to the temple monthly for at least four years now and I can't imagine not doing it. I believe not only has it opened my understanding, but it has strengthened our marriage. What's not to be thankful about?

Hunting and the Sabbath Day

2011-11-19T12:13:00.000-06:00

This week in seminary we studied Moses leading the children of Israel out of Egypt. What a bunch of whiners! They had miracle upon miracle and deliverance more than once and still wanted to go back. I'm sure they weren't all like that. You know, the squeaky wheel theory. Those are the ones that get heard.
We learned about manna. It "rained" from the sky after the morning dew was gone and it melted upon having the sun come out with it's heat. It couldn't be stored from day to day as it got wormy and stank. Yet, on the sixth day, the people were to gather enough for two days and it didn't go bad.

This is evidence to me about how very important the Sabbath day is. Even the Lord rests on the Sabbath day. He thought it was important enough to make it one of the "Ten Commandments." I think we are expected to put aside our daily lives and devote ourselves to the Lord.

This week in the newspaper there was a story about a local Pastor who was doing a special Thursday night worship service so that the hunters who will miss church on Sunday can have a "free pass." We discussed this article in seminary as well. How dare this man "change" the Sabbath! I understand that he thinks it is better to get people in church any way he can rather than not having them there at all. He even invited them to wear their blaze orange to his service as he would be wearing his blaze orange stole with a cross on it.

I, for one, love the Sabbath day. I love the chance to worship and partake of the sacred emblems of the sacrament. I love being with the wonderful people of the choir, going home or visiting teaching and preparing for Monday's seminary lesson.

I don't pretend that I am perfect at keeping the Sabbath, but I'm so much better than I used to be and my children are way better at it than I was when I was a child. I love the Lord and I feel it a privilege to serve Him.

Christmas is Coming

2011-11-19T09:19:00.000-06:00

When our children were young I had a Nativity set that was out in the livingroom during the Christmas season. Clare loved to play with it and called the "Activity Set." Believe me, it got plenty of activity! Since then, I've wanted something nicer and several years ago, my husband came home with three! I've collected a few small sets as well. After Christmas Stein's Gardens and Gifts puts everything on sale for 75% off. He came home with more last year. I have two more that I didn't get posted and another two for each of my husband's offices. Here's what I have displayed in my house as of now.

This is one of the miniature sets. It sits on this little shelf in the kitchen.

Here's another of the minatures. It is on top of the piano.

This is a new one from last year, so this year is the first time it's being displayed in our home. It is on the counter in the kitchen. Good thing we extended that counter this Spring.

This is one of the original three that came home. It too sits on the piano.

The Gourleys gave me this one for Christmas last year. I've wanted one for years that the kids could play with. It is a true Activity Set. Adam loves the animals and Cami plays with the people. It's down low where they can have easy access.

A friend made this one many years ago. She's very crafty and I bought it from her. It's one of my favorites. It's on the window sill above the sink.

The one of the left is new from last year's sale. The one of the right was given to us by the Growcocks. They purchased it in the Holy Land many years ago. It's made out of Olive Wood. The plates in the background were some that my mom collected.

This is the window sill in the livingroom. On the left is something I bought for $1 many years ago. Next to it and on the far right are new ones from last year. The second from the right is just another $1 one.

Last year after Christmas I was in Walmart and looked through the Christmas clearance and found this wall "sticker." It sticks to any smooth surface and come off clean. I've had it up all year. At present it is located above the back door. I have another wall sticker of the nativity. I'm not sure where I'm going to put it. First I have to find it.

I love Christmas! I love what it represents and why we celebrate it. I want everyone coming into my home to know that we are Christians just by looking around. I have plenty of pictures of Christ hanging in my home all year long, but this time of year (and especially this year) our home is covered in the reason for this blessed season.

I've never put these things out this early and yet, why not? I love them!

Back Online

2011-11-17T19:56:00.000-06:00

No pictures, no frills, nothing special. Just grateful that my internet connection is back up. It allows me to keep in touch with all of you who read this. Isn't it interesting that we take this communication for granted? How many years back was it that it didn't even exist? I'm grateful to be back online. Good thing I worked today and was busy....no time to miss it.

My New Friends

2011-11-15T10:21:00.000-06:00

Two weeks ago I stepped on my bathroom scale which is not my friend. The news it gave me was unpleasant. I've not felt comfortable in my clothes as of late and that little scale was exactly what I needed to make these fine pieces of machinery my friends.

I am now in my third week of daily exercise (excluding Sunday) and last night I noticed that I feel different. Not inside feel as much as outside feel. My muscles feel tighter and more toned. I spend 1/2 hour with my Bowflex Treadclimber and then another 1/2 hour with the traditional Bowflex and the Totalgym.

These pieces of workout equipment are in the back room of our garage. There's a TV out there and I've discovered that either Perry Mason or Cannon on MeTV are great workout partners. (I still can't believe that in the 70's there was a detective show centered around William Conrad who had to weigh at least 300 lbs.) There's a good motivator!

Some days I am extra motivated and get out in the evening as well as the morning. I'm a huge Biggest Loser fan. If those people can exercise and lose huge quantities of weight, I can do it too. I don't feel I need to lose a huge quantity of weight, but I really don't like being as heavy as I am. I'd like to be a "lighter weight" at my next birthday. Wish me luck!

Choir

2011-11-13T18:07:00.000-06:00

I love choir! I have the opportunity to be the choir director even though I'd really rather be singing. Each Sunday afternoon I get to be with the wonderful people who have chosen to be a part of our ward choir. We laugh together and they raise their beautiful voices to make the most amazing music. I am very blessed to be with them each week.

I don't have a photo of my choir so the Mormon Tabernacle Choir will have to do. Sometimes as I listen to them sing, they inspire me as to what we should sing next. What an amazing blessing the gift of song is!

Apple Harvest

2011-11-12T08:43:00.000-06:00

This year our apple trees gave us a plentiful harvest. Yesterday (11-11-11) Pat and I processed apples into applesauce. We were blessed with 29 quarts!

Earlier in the fall, we processed apple juice. After a lot of pressing, we were able to get 14 gallons for ourselves and I know I gave away at least 8 more gallons.

Our trees really blessed us this year. Unfortunately, we lost one of our trees. No more yellow delicious for us. It wasn't one of my favorites, but it did make a tasty sauce/cider or whatever.

We have been very blessed!

There is Beauty All Around

2011-11-11T16:49:00.000-06:00

In my attempt to be thankful everyday, I took these photos last evening when I got home from parent-teacher conferences. The moon was just rising and the clouds were trying to hide it.

I am so thankful for where I live. This particular part of this wonderful country is calm and still and beautiful. I thank my Heavenly Father often for the opportunity to live here in this place and now in this time.

The First Snow

2011-11-09T14:26:00.000-06:00

I love the first big snowfall of the season. Mostly because it covers everything with a blanket of clean. As I think about that clean, it takes me to the Atonement of Christ. It really covers everything, not just sin. I think about all the heartaches we feel in this lifetime, about all the unfairness. The Atonement is what helps us get through those times. I have a dear friend whose daughter is going through the most difficult thing in her life. Today she will recognize that only the atonement will get her through her trial.

One Happy Boy

2011-11-08T18:56:00.000-06:00

This little guy makes me smile. He always has a smile for me too.

When he comes to our house, he gets to play in his jumper.

He was dressed as Peter Pan for Halloween. That's the smile I've fallen in love with. Gotta love those dimples.

He's learning how to jump in a specific direction.

I love this little face and I'm constantly thankful that he lives so near.

Lessons from a 2 year old

2011-11-06T21:44:00.000-06:00

This little boy absolutely warms my heart. He's all boy and loves boy things. He also has a temper which he shows off from time to time. Putting that aside, he did something tonight that was very interesting.

Last night I put up my Christmas tree. It isn't decorated nor will it be until Thanksgiving is finished. I just really wanted to see how the furniture would fit with it up. Since we moved the furniture, there was a big empty spot where the tree should go, so I put it up.

Tonight, the Gourleys came over which is normal for a Sunday. Adam came in and noticed immediately the the tree was up and said, "Tree. Beautiful." (It's pre-lit and the lights were on.) After some time he came over by me and looked up at the top where angel Moroni is our tree topper. He folded his arms and became very reverent.

My question is, how does this little boy even know who Moroni is? He certainly has seen him on top of the many temple he saw some 10 months ago, but not since then. It was a testament to me about how much our little ones know and just how pure they really are. Any time I see this little guy getting into mischief, I just have to picture him folding his arms as he looks up at the Angel Moroni. Isn't that putting things into perspective?

Sesame Street Live

2011-11-06T07:32:00.000-06:00

Several years ago, I took Tom to Sesame Street Live at the arena in Green Bay. He loved it and has wanted to go back each year. Unfortunately, it just didn't fit into our schedule. This year, however, it fit easily.

I did the grandmotherly thing and brought Cami along as well. She liked it enough, but was ready for it to be over as she was hungry and I wasn't spending arena prices on any kind of food. Here they are waiting for the show to begin. I think that was the longest part for Cami. Tom is good at waiting.

Last time the show didn't include all the favorite Sesame Street characters. This time was different. All the favorites were there. Count von Count was there as well (his photo didn't want to load). He's
Tom's favorite!

It was musical and entertaining, but you've got to love Sesame Street to love it. Tom loved it!

16 and Licensed to Drive

2011-11-03T20:06:00.001-05:00

For Andrew's birthday a few weeks ago, Clare got him his very own "car" and a keychain. Grandpa and Grandma Pleshek gave him the same thing plus some cash. Well, starting today he can put away his Hot Wheels and actually drive all alone. My last child to reach this milestone. Congratulations Buddy and drive carefully!

I.E.P.

2011-11-02T18:42:00.000-05:00

I.E.P. stands for Individualized Education Program. Tom needed these all the way through school. In second grade, Andrew was falling behind big time in the area of reading. Mr. Everson asked that we do some testing to determine whether or not he needed some special services. It turned out that he had some deficiancies in the area of reading. Every year the process repeats itself and we have to determine if he still needs services and if so what. Some goals are set in place. Andrew is still in need of a bit of assistance at times. As a note to help you understand the following, he has horrible handwriting and often rushes through doing a paper so it can be declared "done." He's always had great comprehension though.

This year was the first year that so many teachers were in attendance. Each of them gives a synopsis of how Andrew is doing in their class. Today I received the official written report. As I read the teacher's comments I couldn't help but laugh out loud. This is what was written in the area of language arts.

Andrew is able to comprehend what he has read about 90% of the time which is great! He is able to identify characters, plot, and setting with no problems. When writing, Andrew has great ideas. I have noticed that this is usually due to the way he holds his pencil and if he rushes.

What??? His great ideas are due to the way he holds his pencil when he rushes? Now that's funny!

Happy Birthday Sammi!

2011-11-01T12:41:00.001-05:00

Once upon a time, 23 years ago, this wonderful little daughter was born to me. She's always been happy and still is!

The blonde child that has remained blonde. Well, sometimes anyway.

I took her to the photographer to have her photo taken and there was no way that was going to happen, so I settled on this wonderful shot which hung on the wall for the year. She was 2.

When I think of little Sammi, this is what I see. Giggles and smiles.

Belle was a favorite for a few years.

An amazing volleyball player.

And a scholar.

There is nothing quite like "sister time."

One of the sisters born to another mother.

This guy came along and stole her heart.

I left out all of the jr. high pictures as a birthday gift. This beauty had a few awkward years, but my oh my has she grown out of that! You've come a long way baby girl! I love you immensely! I just hope Jeff appreciates you the way I do.

Endings & Beginnings

2011-10-29T14:04:00.002-05:00

With the beginning of the fall comes beautiful colors and woodpiles. Unfortunately a lot of cleaning up type of work comes with all of that. The garden is cleaned out and most of the leaves are raked up. Those yet to fall are obviously not raked and hauled away.

With the end of fall comes winter and I just couldn't bring myself to post a picture of the white stuff just yet.

With the late fall and winter comes the beginning of the basketball season. Both for those playing and those officiating. The end of my officiating season was last week. The beginning of basketball means the end of the soccer season. It was a good season to be outside and watch. Many years the wind and cold are nearly unbearable. This year was beautiful!

Today is October 29th which means it's an anniversary in our family. It's the day my mom passed from this life to the next. I wasn't initially thinking about that with the title of my post, but thought it would work and I wouldn't have to create two posts.

This is my mom on the day she was baptized. With her are Elders Marvin Olsen and Sam Rex. I've kept in touch with Sam over the years. Marvin is a different story. I did speak to him a couple of years ago when I was doing some research for a talk that I never gave. He gave me such sacred information about my mom's conversion, that I couldn't share it with the ward.

One of my mom's best friends was Ruth Darnell. I haven't seen Ruth recently, but she's such a sweet woman. It's funny now that I'm getting close to the age my mom was when she passed, I think about my friends and I know that I have the same types of relationships with them as my mom had with her friends. I just wish their mortal friendships could've lasted for more years. I could totally see my parents working together in the temple.

Bonny's wedding day was the beginning of her life as a married woman and the closing chapter for my parents' marrying off their children. This was 10 months before my mom died. So many people say I have mannerisms like her or I say things that she would've said. I supposed that's true, since I've said some things over the years only to realize that my mom's voice was coming out of my own mouth!

This was Alison's first Christmas and my last one as a single woman. Times were much more simple then. I wouldn't want to go back though. Now little Alison has five beautiful children of her own. How I loved that little girl! I couldn't imagine loving any other child the way I loved her. Funny how the more you love, the more love you have to give. It's also interesting how a mother's love is different than any other kind I've ever experienced.

Eighteen years have passed and although I don't cry like I used to, I still miss my mother tremendously. She was such a great example of obedience even when you didn't feel like being obedient; of frugality, of a scriptorian, of how to serve completely in a calling and just how to love your husband. I know she wasn't perfect and she had many difficulities that I don't have to deal with, still, I had a great example. When my dad would come home from work, she would drop whatever she was doing and go embrace him and kiss him. If she was in the garden, he would go find her. Iin my eyes they lived a true love story. I'm sure they had their problems but I never saw them.
With the end of her mortal life began the beginning of her immortal life. Sometimes I wonder what was so important to take her away from us while she was so young. Fifty-five is way too young. But I take comfort in the fact that she is still my mother and she still loves and cares about us and that one day we'll all be reunited.
I hope that one day when I grow up, I can be like her. I miss you Mom!

October 18th

2011-10-18T15:22:00.001-05:00

Today is Andrew's 16th birthday! How did that happen? He was born a very tiny 5 pounds, 1/2 ounce. Granted our cat, Sylvester was about 12 pounds, Andrew still is tiny next to our cat.

He liked keys a lot as a toddler, but what kid doesn't love keys. This was taken Christmas time in Nauvoo when he was 2 years old.

I don't remember if he was three or four when I took this photo. I've always loved it.

He was 4 1/2 when we went to Nauvoo for the first time to be in the pageant.

We were back in Nauvoo in August and guess who wanted his picture taken with the carkeys as well as the car?

It's still amazing that this tall, thin drink of water started life in such a tiny body.

Happy 16th Andrew!

Wyoming and Yellowstone

2011-10-14T20:11:00.000-05:00

I've been through Wyoming a bunch of times and never saw anything really beautiful until we went through this time. Some of this scenery was really gorgeous. Photos can never capture the true beauty.

The leaves were beginning to change color. Amid all the pine trees, there were spots of yellow leaves.

I liked this "arch" in the rock.

I believe this is Lake Yellowstone. The sun was shining so brightly that I had a hard time getting the water very clearly as it was glistening so brightly.

I can't remember without looking at the map. But this was some geyser place along the lake. We missed Old Faithful by only a few minutes. Actually we did see it above the tree tops.

This was one of two elk cows just walking along the side of the road. They were so close I could almost reach out and touch them. Not that they would've let me.

Here's the reason we missed Old Faithful. See the Speed Limit sign? Well, we were sitting still. Once the bison were shooed off the road by the park ranger, the cars started moving. All except for the doofus in front of us. He had to stop and take photos until they came back on the roadway again.

While we waited I watched these two "bucking" for position. As soon as I turned the camera to video, they stopped. Of course.

There were so many bison just hanging around minding their own business. It really was kind of funny, as I've never been in a position like this before. Pat and I decided that Yellowstone is a destination and not a place to just drive through. At least we learned that. We also decided that it is a total tourist trap. You better have a LOT of cash if you're going to be spending money there. When we were in the U.P. this summer, I bought a pair of earrings at a mine in Houghton. They were $15. In Yellowstone the same pair of earrings was $25! I thought $15 was a lot.

49 Things

2011-09-27T12:43:00.000-05:00

I'm celebrating my 49th birthday today. Celebrating is probably too strong of a word as I'm sitting at work with not much to do and then I'll be off to officiate some Jr. High volleyball and finally heading out the door on my way to Idaho/Utah for the week. Anyway, I thought I'd list 49 things that I'm grateful for.
1. My parents. Without them I wouldn't exist.
2. My husband. He's my rock.
3. My children. They are my friends and keep me amused.
4. My grandchildren. Definate amusement here and lots of love.
5. My friends. I have some of the most amazing people who I'm lucky enough to call my friends.
6. The Gospel of Jesus Christ. I would be lost without it in my life.
7. My home. I love the house I live in as it is filled with years of memories.
8. My health. What more needs to be said?
9. My siblings. We don't do a lot together, but we're there when it's needed.
10. Seminary. I love the direction the scriptures take me.
11. Eleven wonderful seminary students. I love these youth!
12. Motorcycle rides with my sweetie. What a good way to relax.
13. A trustworthy vehicle. Enough said.
14. My testimony. I pray it will always be built upon the rock.
15. My jobs. I love that I can work at things I love and get paid to do them and it isn't full time.
16. The green. I love the green of the trees and grass.
17. A wood fire in the house.
18. A comfy bed.
19. Computers and internet. A great way to stay connected.
20. Cell phones. I don't use my much, but I love that my husband/kids have them.
21. Priesthood. Where would we be without that magnificent power?
22. The temple. A place of love and beauty.
23. Food. I love to eat!
24. Vacations. Spending time with loved ones far and near is the best!
25. Two very wonderful men who married my two oldest daughters.
I'm half way there...
26. Wonderful neighbors.
27. Caring, wonderful teachers at school. They are so great!
28. A job for my husband. My earning power is pretty limited.
29. The opportunity to be a stay at home mom.
30. A living prophet.
31. General conference
32. The atonement. Need I explain this one?
33. The smell of autumn leaves as well as the color. I love the changing seasons.
34. A fresh blanket of snow...which will be here too soon.
35. Fresh produce, especially cucumbers.
36. The smell of fresh baked bread.
37. Random kindnesses by anyone.
38. A clean house.
39. The plan of salvation. It gives me purpose and direction.
40. Covenants made in the temple.
41. A supportive family.
42. The newness of Spring!
43. My husband's taste in clothing as he buys most of mine.
44. The ability to listen to the Spirit.
45. My memories of my childhood. I had it good.
46. My increased patience as I've gotten older.
47. Children who give their parents a run. i.e. Adam. He's so darn cute.
48. The ability to exercise faith and pray.
Last and certainly not the least in any way.
49. If you put 2 and 2 together from my last post, you're absolutely right and I couldn't be happier!

So there you have it! Happy birthday to me.

A Special Day

2011-09-24T16:33:00.002-05:00

Today is a special day. What an understatement that is! After much fasting and much prayer and much patience, prayers were answered. I cannot begin to explain the feelings of my heart. I think I know what it feels like to have your heart full. I love these guys.

Brett left before I got my camera out so he's not in this pic.

Yes, it is a special day. More than that, with the rain falling and cool temperatures, it is a most beautiful day!

The Wait is Always Worth it

2011-09-22T13:51:00.000-05:00

Sometimes things happen in our lives that we have no control over. A flood of emotions follows whether they be happy, sad, frustration or anger. That's the only part we do have control over...how we're going to react.

Sometimes we worry about our loved ones. About the decisions they've made or the path they're following. We again have no control except to pray and fast for them and continually love them.

Sometimes we have a spiritual confirmation that everything will be alright in the end. I've had that experience more than once and it is a HUGE comfort.

Let me say that by keeping our faith in the Lord and trusting that everything will be alright takes a lot of patience and more often than not, a lot of our time; perhaps even years.

Then there are the times when we can be happy because our loved ones are making good choices. We continue to pray for them and love them as well just because we want them to continue making good choices.

The Lord is in control, of this I'm sure. He hears and answers prayers. The wait to have those prayers answered is always worth it.

Choices

2011-09-16T10:50:00.000-05:00

My seminary students and I studied the Fall of Adam today. We had a great time with treats and pretend laws. The point was very clear that we have the right to choose. That was what we fought for in the pre-existence...our agency.

What would it be like to be free to choose and not really have any choices? There were some great ideas for object lessons. You may eat anything you want from the table before you...except that the table is empty. Way to go in keeping that law! You may choose any treat you want from the table...but why didn't you choose the one I had hidden in my pocket? You may take any treat from the table except that one that I don't want you to take. I'll give you $20 for doing the "correct" thing all day. Except no one knows what that correct thing is. I certainly am thankful we don't have to live that way.

Adam and Eve were given two commands in the garden. They couldn't keep both. They had to make a choice. Thus, AGENCY! A choice with a consequence. What a grand plan. I'm so thankful for it.

Seminary 2011-2012

2011-09-10T10:00:00.002-05:00

Here are the beautiful faces that attend seminary each morning. I think we're going to have a lot of fun together! I LOVE these youth!

Back to School

2011-09-09T09:47:00.000-05:00

Where did the summer go? June wasn't all that fast even though it was really busy. But July and August flew by. I suppose in part because of the preparations for Sammi and Jeff's impending marriage. At any rate, school is back in session and Andrew is now a sophomore! He's been at soccer for a full month already and their season is about half over even though school just started on Tuesday.

I attended his game on Tuesday as it was at home. Andrew got quite a bit of playing time in which was nice to see. Tonight we'll go to Mosinee to watch another of his games. He likes playing but admits he isn't the best or fastest guy out there. I like that he sees that. As long as he's having fun.

I do have several of my seminary students on the team and some of them are very good at soccer.

I began seminary on Tuesday and so far we're having a good time. What a challenge to learn all the books in the Old Testament. It isn't required, but it will make finding scriptures a lot easier. We're using the Primary song about the books of the Old Testament and that's helping. We had a fun time this morning playing a game together as well. Will post the photo of my students as soon as my computer cooperates and lets me copy it. Let's hope the next 35 weeks of school go as fast as the summer did!

Time to Relax

2011-08-30T18:58:00.000-05:00

After a crazy week of making rolls, cutting up a pig, making beans and decorating (and picking up food for the soccer/volleyball tournament plus working a shift), I decided it was alright to take some time and relax. We were blessed this weekend by a visit from some wonderful friends. The Bradys came all the way from Galesburg, IL to spend the weekend with us. They came on their motorcycle so we had to go for a ride.

The Raddant, Bohls and my dad all came with us to Eau Claire Dells. What a beautiful park! We stopped for ice cream as usual.

Rhonda was very kind to not only take some pictures but share them with me.

It was so relaxing after all the hustle and bustle of the last two weeks. My dad said we needed to ride to Tigerton as they were celebrating "Lumberjack Days."

They had a free corn roast so we had supper. There was roasted and boiled corn. Who would take boiled when you can have roasted? It was so yummy. We enjoyed ourselves immensely. What a wonderful time we had enjoying the food, company and sights.

Now it's our turn to go to Galesburg on the bike to go riding with Rhonda and Larry. I loved having them here so much. They are one of the biggest things I miss about doing the City of Joseph.

Reception Time

2011-08-30T13:16:00.001-05:00

What's a wedding without a reception to celebrate the happy occasion?

Cutting the cake at the Gresham reception.

Jeff licking the frosting off of Sammi.

Dancing as husband and wife.

Brock getting watermelon at the Muscatine reception while Larry holds him.

Jeff dancing with the mother-in-law.

Some people throw a rowdy party that needs police intervention. Actually, Clint and Ryan came to get some food.

Jeff and Daniel on the dance floor.

Adam getting a ride during the clean up process.

A line dance during Footloose.

Teeny and Ben.

Adam and Jeff. Adam wouldn't let Jeff alone. He loved the high tosses into the air.

Cousins dancing.

Shoe pile. A lot of comfy feet around.

A bride and groom dance.

Family Picture Fun

2011-08-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

With the entire family being together in Nauvoo, we, the girls and I, figured it would be a perfect time for family pictures. I planned on taking one when Erin got home from school, but then waited as Jeff was joining our family. My 4th daughter, Sara, was kind enough to take these so I didn't have to set a timer on the camera. Besides, I didn't have my tripod.

Pat wanted a new photo of the two of us. This one is good, but I'm aggrivated by the fact that there's sun on my shirt. We may take another one in our "dress up" clothes.

Andrew needed a new picture for the wall for quite some time. Sara took some nicer ones than this, but he had a forced smile on the others. So, this will have to do.

The Gourley's tried but the three kids weren't very cooperative. This was the best of all. At least the kid's faces are visable and no one is screaming.

We needed a Papa and Nana picture with the grandkids. This one turned out perfect! I love this one!

There's a great arched bridge which makes an interesting place for photos. It also makes a difficult place to photo with the darkness inside and the bright sunlight behind. Still, I think Sara did a great job with this one.

A close up of these beautiful people together.

It was a good time to be together despite the heat and mostly the humidity. Bright sunlight is NOT the best condition for taking photos, but we made the most of it with finding shady places. Who knows when the next time is that we'll all be together for a photo. It might be a while.

Little Oinker Bites the Dust

2011-08-26T07:01:00.001-05:00

When Sammi and Jeff decided to get married I asked her what kind of reception she wanted. She agreed to having roast pork as the meat. Jeff Cerveny did all the work for us. He picked up the pig and roasted it on the spit. We went over on Tuesday evening during the pouring rain and cut up the porker.

I think our Jeff likes to try new things. He had a good time cutting up the meat.

Here's Chop and Jim taking it off of the spit.

A close-up of little oinker.

It sure tasted good on Tuesday night. I'll be tonght it will be even better since it has been seasoned!

Happy eating to us!

Wedding Time

2011-08-25T08:34:00.000-05:00

A wonderful day in the temple with Sammi and Jeff.

What a happy couple.

All my kids doing the "Tom."

I know Sammi and Jeff aren't very close in the photo, but I love the angle and the temple in the background.

Looking at the temple from the 3rd floor window of the Cultural Hall.

A walk down Parley Street.

Sammi and Jeff's "bench" at the end of Parley Street. This is where he first put his arm around her on their first date.

Jumping for joy!

Everyone who attended or waited outside, except Liz who is taking the photo.

With the nieces and nephews. Tough photo to get them all looking in one direction.

Seminary In-service

2011-08-13T15:47:00.000-05:00

Seminary in-service is not one of those things I usually look forward to. Now it's been made even easier as we can stay home and call in via phone bridge. I thought about doing that this morning, but decided there wasn't really a reason for me not to go in person. I'm so glad I did. I gained some insights that I don't think I would have had if I hadn't been there in person.

Let's say that I learned some things about Jonah as well as the atonement. I'm no longer feeling quite so intimidated by the Old Testament. I do think, however, that I'm going to have to spend a lot more time preparing this year than ever before. Oh well, there is nothing to lose and everything to gain in spending time in the scriptures!

Vacation in the U.P.

2011-08-10T21:20:00.000-05:00

There are so many things I could blog about. My time at girl's camp or Sammi's wedding shower being at the top of the list, but instead I want to share my overnight vacation to Lake Superior. Pat does a U.P. tour each August where he comes North to check on the buildings up here and he brings me along overnight. This is our 3rd year at this campground. We set up our tent on the shores of Lake Superior at a
campground. Each year Pat states that he wished he'd brought along his swim trunks. Well, this year he packed them. I doubted that he'd use them. I was wrong.

This year he brought his swim trunks and waded in for a short time and then finally took the plunge. I recall doing that as a kid. My parents would let us do it because typically we never saw waves crashing on the shore and wanted to be buried in them or try to outrun them.

He said it wasn't as cold as he thought it would be. He said he's been in colder water.

I saw this fungus growing just past our campsite onto the beach. It's growing out of a fallen tree. This "beach" isn't typical sand. It is all rocks. Very smooth rocks, but still rocks of all sizes. I really took this photo so I could share it with Cheryl.

The sunset was perfect from my lawnchair. I took several, but this was easily my favorite.

We went for a stroll along the shore and found a few interesting things to look at. I set up the camera so we could have one last shot of the sunset with both of us in it. I love spending alone time with my sweetie.

Perhaps that's evident in this final photo.

I know the night will not be too warm and I did bring extra covers. What will be nice is the sound of the waves crashing on the shore all night long. It is so soothing. Back to the real world tomorrow.

Girl's Camp

2011-07-31T19:26:00.000-05:00

Girl's Camp 2011 here I come! The next few days I will be taking pictures and creating slide shows for the girls in our stake. I enjoy going as the "historian." I get to take pictures of everyone and everything that happens. I get to enjoy the activities on my terms, eat all that good chow and best of all, bunk with Cheryl. We had so much fun together last year that I asked her if we could bunk together again in the bat cave.

The bat cave is just a little tiny end of a cabin with 3 sets of bunks and not much room to move around. We giggle ourselves silly and besides having a lot of fun, I think it relieves any tension that she may have to deal with as the stake young womens president.

So, Monday morning through Thursday night, I'll be bunking at Camp Susan with the best of the best.

Sacrifice

2011-07-28T14:25:00.000-05:00

On Sunday in our gospel essentials class we talked about sacrifice. I asked a question that perhaps wasn't quite answered the way I wanted. I explained that when we did the City of Joseph, the pageant presidency and directors spoke of our "great sacrifice" to be there. It never felt like sacrifice. Yes, my husband used his vacation and we spent quite a good deal of money, but it still was so enjoyable that it didn't feel like I was giving up anything. Quite the contrary. What I gave up monetarily and in my time was brought back 100 fold.

So what exactly is sacrifice? One answer was that giving anything to build up the kingdom of God can be considered a sacrifice. I believe that, yet always felt that it needs to "hurt" a little to be a real sacrifice.

I had a conversation today that made me rethink my thoughts. Sacrifice isn't just for building up the kingdom. Sometimes we give up something we enjoy or something comfortable because circumstances dictate doing so. It may not be something we want to change.

Changes in our lives help us to grow, but that doesn't mean that they're welcome or even wanted. Thinking about a change in circumstance because of certain situations just makes me angry and frustrated. Why is it that other people often dictate our sacrifices? It isn't right. It isn't fair. The squeaking wheel gets the grease while the quiet one that just does its job is taken advantage of. I know, life isn't fair and we can't control other's actions.

There is consolation in all of this. There is ONE who paid the ultimate sacrifice so I have the right to complain and grumble. I thank my Lord for that opportunity. In that perspective, do I even sacrifice at all?

Service

2011-07-22T16:41:00.000-05:00

Over the past three days I've had the opportunity to give service to a very dear friend. You know, when it's someone you love so much, it doesn't feel like service. Rather, I got to spend some good time visiting with a wonderful person.

On the other hand, I've been the recipent of service as well. While making an inquiry, an offer was made that certainly didn't have to be made. I'm grateful for the fact that as we give we are blessed. Isn't the gospel of Jesus Christ grand?

Dreams

2011-07-19T09:10:00.000-05:00

During the school year when I drop Andrew off at school, he listens to WIFC. Often they talk to a woman who is an author of a book(s) about interpreting your dreams. Her name is Laurie and she's on dreamzone.com. She's great at figuring out why people dream what they do.

It is mornings like today, after having some scary, wacked-out dreams last night, that I wish I had that book so I could figure out what they mean. Usually it's things we are worried about or things that you think about during the day. Last night's dreams were out of the blue and very emotional. Not liking them.

Today can't help but be a better day than last night.

Work and a New Son

2011-07-18T08:17:00.000-05:00

There is a tradition in our family which every man who wants to be a part of our family needs to be aware of. If he wishes to join our family by marrying one of our daughters, there is work involved. Clint painted and split firewood. On Saturday that tradition continued.

Jeff came for a visit on Thursday and Pat was so busy working that the poor guy didn't have an opportunity to "talk" to Sammi's dad. Pat put in a lot of hours. The earliest he got home was 9pm and was up and gone by 5am the next day. On Saturday morning Jeff finally got the chance to work and talk.

We have a maple tree on the south side of our house that needed to come down due to the fact that it has been slowly dying over the past couple of years. The following are pictures of the tree coming down a little at a time.

Pat is cutting up some of the larger limbs and making firewood while Tom was waiting for the next branches to fall.

Pat borrowed the "bucket" truck to get up high. Jeff began on the ground with the pole saw and then headed up to get the higher limbs.

A closer photo of Jeff up in the air. Too bad I didn't get a shot of him with the saw in hand. I believe he was busy maneuvering the bucket to get a better position to cut.

After all that work and some lunch, we all went to the lake to swim. Then to my in-laws to visit. Jeff took Sammi on a gator ride to the pines where he officially proposed. Upon getting home, the ring was put in place.

Erin was crazy all weekend waiting for the official announcement of the engagement. That's who Sammi is on the phone with during this re-enacted moment.

More pictures after church on Sunday. As a mother, I'm really happy for them. They are so well suited for one another. Our Father in Heaven sure knew what he was doing when he brought them together. I took more candid shots which capture how happy they are and how much in love they are.

Obviously not a candid, but looking so happy together.

A long 6 hour car trip home for Jeff and lots of hours on the phone during that trip. They won't see one another until a day or two before the wedding. It's going to be a long month. Invites are in the mail today and tomorrow. August 18th, here we come!

Home Again with Plans in Hand

2011-07-08T20:18:00.002-05:00

Sammi has always had the idea that she'd like to get married on June 27th. Well, that's not going to happen. It is interesting that on 1:05am on June 27th, she decided that she was going to get married. Here's the scrawl she left on the bathroom mirror.

It says, "Pretty sure I'm going to marry Jeff Fillmore! Just so you know." Now we all know. Sammi and I made a roadtrip to Muscatine to see Jeff over the last two days. They are so great together. What a great man we will add to our family! We went out and took pictures yesterday in the heat and humidity. I think they turned out pretty good considering they were melting in the heat.

Vonnie (Jeff's mom) and I took lots of pictures. Some were posed and many were candids. This was a candid. It appears he's talking to her about something important.

Her eyes are mostly closed, but this was pretty much how we saw them all afternoon and evening on Thursday. Huge smiles and lots of laughter.

I like the tender way he treats her.

Except for the very bright sun, I love this photo. They're just so comfortable together.

She appears to be taken off guard by something very serious he said. Or he's just really taking in whatever she has to say. Another candid.

This too is candid. He brushed her hair out of her face. A really tender gesture.

So the final question is....Are they engaged? Well, not officially until he comes to Gresham next week and talks to Sammi's dad. Is a wedding date set? Yes it is.

Sammi & Jeff

2011-07-07T20:33:00.000-05:00

Sammi and I took a road trip today to Muscatine, Iowa. One guess why we went. These are just a few of the photos that Jeff's mom and I took.

Isn't this a great photo?

They are so sweet together.

I think she has super glue on her hands. They don't look like they're coming apart from Jeff's anytime soon.

Sam is protecting Jeff from a bear attack!

Please don't feed the bears!

Youth Conference 2011

2011-06-24T14:02:00.000-05:00

A quick update about what's happening at the youth conference in Nauvoo. Wednesday night we went to Sunset on the Mississippi which really isn't on the river anymore. Vocal Point followed. They're awesome!

Yesterday we did the handcart trek. Cheryl was the only one with a camera. I wore my Nauvoo costume and Pat and I acted out a scene from a book where we had to bury a baby who died on the trail.

I believe we did a good, convincing job and it worked.

We let the youth tour in the afternoon and then went to see High Hopes and Riverboats. Elder Packard plays Eli, a young boy, and he stole every scene he was in. This guy served his mission in Washington Kennewick with Sammi. What a small world.

The members of my ward may recognize Elder Christensen. He is also here for the summer working as a performing missionary. It was fun to see him again as well.

This morning, very early, we were at the temple. Here's Tif on the steps of the temple. I stayed outside with the 14 who didn't have recommends.

What a beautiful structure. Even more beautiful when you understands what goes on inside.

The kids are/were off to Carthage today. When they get back we're having our testimony meeting. It should be awesome. Then tonight another dance and perhaps some of the youth going back to see Vocal Point one more time.

Tom and Sammi are with us. The entire Pleshek family is on dish duty. We're helping the cooks by washing all the dishes. It's fun. Tom's birthday is today and Hiedi got him a small birthday cake. The youth sang to him and he was typical Tom. He so enjoyed it. Wish my camera was with me but the batteries are being charged.

Sam? She's off somewhere with Jeff Fillmore today. I know they're having a good time. One of my friends, Teri, looked at the two of them and asked, "Is this a date?" Jeff nodded and said it was. I wait patiently for her return so I can get all the fun details of her day.

Lots yet to do today, but right now a short nap sounds wonderful, even Heavenly!

Final Preparations

2011-06-16T09:26:00.000-05:00

I've got to say that I always get excited about the youth conference in Nauvoo. I love "Old Nauvoo" and want the youth to feel the "spirit" of the city. With the church history and the Doctrine and Covenants being the text for seminary last year, this is the capstone of all that learning.

I know most of the youth in my seminary class have never been to Nauvoo.

I hope they don't witness the kind of thing this little dude showed us a few years back. I guess even when there are public bathrooms on the street, when you gotta go, you gotta go.

The young performing missionaries are always a treat. They put on a great show with High Hopes and Riverboats. I've got to say that I think I like the old Nauvoo Adventure better, although they're both top notch shows.

A poor photo, but Vocal Point will be there while we're there. We're going to get to see them on their opening night. I promised Tom and that he and Sammi and I will go back for a second performance.

Erin edited this photo. I love this statue. What a great cause we're engaged in!

I look forward to seeing all the flowers. Every temple has beautiful flowers around it when in season. In April it was tulips and daffodils. Now it could be just about anything.

Some final preparations to make and a list of things to bring. Some juggling due to some unexpected circumstances beyond our control. Still, I think it will be a wonderful trip for our youth. I hope they too come away with the spirit of the place.

Summer

2011-06-06T18:33:00.002-05:00

What happened to Spring? There was frost only 2 weeks ago and now we're hitting 90 degrees. What the heck?

Mohawks

2011-05-31T11:25:00.000-05:00

When Andrew and his teammates advanced to the sectional track meet, many of them decided to sport mohawks as a team unity kind of thing. Clare cut Adam's hair into one as well.

Following the conclusion of our season when no one advanced to the state meet, I took this photo of those who were sporting their new hairdos. Ryan was sporting his long before the sectional meet.

As you see, even the other coach got into the act. Me? Not so much.

It was fun for them and I believe really added to the fun they had over the course of the season.

Here's Andrew from the back as he was jumping. I actually thought his looked pretty good. I insisted that he cut it before Sunday. Now he just looks bald.

My Tree

2011-05-31T11:07:00.000-05:00

When I was a little girl I had a favorite tree that I loved to climb. It was a MacIntosh apple tree. I remember my dad decided to "trim" this overgrown tree. I watched as he began to cut limbs off of my tree and hoping beyond hope that he wouldn't cut the one limb I needed to climb that tree. As he cut off my limb, I was standing in the livingroom watching out the window with tears streaming down my face. How could he cut off my climbing limb? I loved my apple tree.

Fast forward many years. I now own the house that I grew up in. Along with the house came the trees. This tree has produced some wonderful fruit throughout the years...even without my climbing limb.

These days I'm shocked that my tree is still standing. I understand that trees get their nutrients through their bark. This poor tree doesn't have much else except the bark. Take a look at the following photos and give me your thoughts. One day I plan on using my tree as a talk. There's got to be a talk in there somewhere.

The inside is completely hollow. When the wind blows it actually moves in the wind.

The base of the tree doesn't seem to be strong enough to hold the weight of the branches.

This view shows exactly how rotten it really is. When you knock on it, you can hear nothing but hollow sounds.

The woodpeckers have begun to "drill" their holes in it.

I took this one so you could see how it leans into the wind. Notice the flag flying above. This tree has shown me how leaning into the wind will keep you strong. No matter what storms may come in life, if you're battered by those hammering on you or you're being eaten away by matters that occupy your mind with worry, you can still bear beautiful fruit.

If you've got some thoughts on my tree, please post. One day I will give a talk about this tree.

A Water Weekend

2011-05-31T09:58:00.000-05:00

Last weekend, Sammi had to report to the council on her mission at 7:15am in Wausau. I wasn't looking forward to getting up and being on the road so early in the morning. Clint had the weekend off and both the Gourleys and us had a Groupon to be used at the Lodge at Cedar Creek in Wausau. What a grand plan that was. No getting up early and heading to Wausau since we were already there.

I didn't get many great pictures, but I did get a few. The boys are waiting for the "bucket" to dump while Cami just wanted to stand back and watch.

Adam enjoyed trying to shoot his sister with the water cannon. She on the other hand enjoyed the slide.

I never did a waterpark when my children were this young. It took all of us to make sure they were in sight. I held Brock for much of the first round of play.

Cami enjoying the slide once again.

We had an early dinner at El Mezcal. It was yummy. We did a little shopping and then headed back to the water for round two. This time I got to get wet.

It was a fun time. My husband never did get wet. I've got one more Groupon to use at the same waterpark/hotel. We'll do it sometime while Erin is home. Making memories is what it's all about.

Youth Conference Prep

2011-05-28T09:29:00.000-05:00

Now that the school year is almost done and my track season is officially over, I can concentrate my efforts on wrapping up the details for youth conference in Nauvoo. I'm really excited that the youth are getting this great opportunity. After teaching church history this past year in seminary, I've gained some great insights that I didn't have before concerning church history. By the way, seminary finished yesterday!

One of the things that I love about being in Nauvoo is the flowers. This pic shows a sample of the beauty. I guess there is no slowing down just yet. But, I should have a little more time to do the things I need to get accomplished.

The Tradition Continues

2011-05-24T09:42:00.000-05:00

When I was in high school way back when, I loved track and field. I was a high jumper and was good at it. I qualified for sectionals every year that I competed, but only went to state one year where I placed 6th.

Erin decided while in high school that she wanted to be a high jumper. She too was good at it. In fact she qualified for state 3 years running. Andrew loved coming to practice when I began coaching. He too wanted to high jump.

Now that he's in high school I've had the opportunity to coach him. Andrew has struggled all year with injuries and then with a mindset that he just couldn't shake. Yesterday was our regional meet in Suring. Andrew jumped a personal best of 5'6". He was pretty excited as that's a new co-op team record. Neither of us realized was that he placed 4th, which is good enough to move him on to the sectional meet this Thursday, until the field official came over and told me. When I told him, he had the biggest cheezer on his face and then hugged me. What a sweet young man I have.

I'm really thankful that he finally overcame his mental block and is healthy enough to compete. It was a good day.

Tough Decisions

2011-05-18T14:14:00.001-05:00

As a coach I've had to make some tough decisions. This week I've got a really tough one to make. There's a kid who has been running a specific relay all season long with a myriad of other guys. This last week I've been looking at who has the best chances of making it the furthest in the post-season. This particular young man is the slowest of all the participants in his relay. There is a faster athlete. I know he's going to be angry and disappointed that he's being pulled from this event. Do I hurt one kid's feelings or hold back four others? My brain hurts thinking about this.

I knew there were tough decisions to make in life. What doesn't kill us makes us stronger right?

Conference Track Meet

2011-05-15T14:50:00.000-05:00

We had our conference track meet on Saturday in Rosholt. I've been to a lot of cold, windy and/or rainy meets in my life, but never this miserable in the middle of May. The whole season has been this way so why change now? The weather couldn't dampen these guys as they took 3rd place in the 4x400 meter relay.

The girls team only got to run one relay. Due to an injury, the 4x400 is no longer running. Then the 4x200 got disqualified for a false start. The wet surface had Carli slipping as she held her "set" position. I felt bad for her. In years past, the coach would've been very upset. I'm glad I've got a different perspective than he had.

Our throwers did a great job. Jordan got the best throw of the season. Brittany got a pair of fourths which wasn't enough to get her on the podium, but made her happy.

This group of guys also placed third. There was a little controversy in the last meters of the race, of which the refs didn't see because they were busy visiting with one another and not watching. These guys took third place over the next team by .01 seconds. Now that's quite a feat!

These two make my heart full. Taylor has worked so hard this year and he's doing really great, but he didn't come home with any of the top three spots in his events. His times were great, just not great enough for him. Kelly has always worked very hard. She went out with an injury a week and a half ago and here she is, standing in the rain to support her team. That's heart!

It's been a difficult season because of the weather. Tomorrow is the last regular meet of the season before we have the regional meet. I'm hoping for some good times, distances, heights. I'm always glad when we get to this part of the season. It means we're almost done and my life will get back to normal.

A New Attitude

2011-05-08T07:31:00.000-05:00

Today is Mother's Day. Many of you who are reading this know of my dislike for this day. It stems from having an expectation that has never been met. Last year I had a change of heart. I decided it was time to stop being offended and embrace the fact that I am blessed to be a mother. There are many wonderful women in the church who have never had the blessing that I have of being a mother.

This year I'm going to stop my whining and just celebrate my children. Here is my mother with one of my older brothers. What a cute baby! I want to say that it's Brett.

My mom told me once that she was a better part-time mother than full time one. When my little sister was two years old she went back to work part-time. She took a 12 year maternity leave. She actually went back to the same job she had before. I think she was right. She was such a thinker that I think she needed that intellectual stimulation that came with her job. I never resented it. I'm sure my siblings didn't either.

Ma Hoffman not only raised her children but had a hand in raising her grandchildren, whether we wanted that or not. I think about my self esteem and that of most of my cousins. Most of us are very self-assured individuals. You couldn't go to visit without being told how skinny, beautful or wonderful you were. Surely you had time to sit down and have some ice cream. She always had Dehn's ice cream.

My grandma Otto showed me that life can be fun. She smiled and laughed always. At least while I knew her. She didn't do any unnecessary speaking (unlike me). Her siblings always had so much to say. I think she just kept her mouth shut and observed. Her laugh was infectious. After my mom's death I would make a point to go visit her on Mother's Day. It was the closest I could feel to my own mother. How grateful I am to have these beautiful women in my life to show me how to be a mom.

These are my crazies that call me "Mom." How blessed I am to have them as my children. Even the one who married in. He's a perfect fit for us. Motherhood has had it's challenges, but the blessings have been so much more than the challenges ever have been. I have such obedient children whose desire it is to serve the Lord. I don't know that I can take credit for that, but I am thankful. They are my best friends. This year, even though Erin is away at school, I feel particularly blessed to be able to have Sammi home. She's an example to me of how I need to serve the Lord, with my whole heart.

This picture is a few years old as Cami is now four. My daughter Clare is an incredible mother. She's given me the opportunity to be "Nana." How I love that blessing! She's so patient with her little ones. Oh I know that there are times when she probably just sits down and cries feeling overwhelmed. I did that very thing many times. I'm blessed to have her and her family live so close. I know it isn't fair to Miriam, but I love having them just a few miles away.

I pray that one day my other children will be blessed to be a mom or dad and be able to experience those things that can only come as you are a parent. First of course they need that eternal spouse. Time should take care of that.

The opportunity to be a wife and mother is the greatest calling that I could ever hold. I've had callings in the church that I love. I love being a seminary teacher. I love being with the choir every week. Those things, as great as they are, don't even compare to how much I love being a sweetheart and mommy. They do help me become a better one though.

Heavenly Father surely knew what he was doing when he created eternal families. I'm ever in His debt that I've got one!

Sleep Deprivation

2011-05-04T11:49:00.000-05:00

What happens when your daughter whom you haven't seen in 18 months flies in at nearly 11pm?

You get 3 hours of sleep. That's what.

I'm at work today and it's a good thing there are some trucks coming and going because that's keeping me awake. I never did this little sleep thing very well. Still don't.

So glad to have her home. Lots of emotions for me, but mostly for her.

Jumping for Joy

2011-05-03T12:59:00.000-05:00

Do you ever feel like jumping for Joy?

Apparently Sammi does.

It has been nearly 18 months since we last saw this beautiful face in person.

Tonight we get to not only see her but hug her and talk to her.

What a joyful journey this has been. Not only for her, but for us as her family as well.

The letters home are proof of the growth in character and testimony.

What more could I ask for?

My joy is FULL!

Track Season 2011

2011-05-02T09:17:00.000-05:00

The track season has officially begun. In fact, we've been at it for over a month. But with the rainy weather we've had, four meets have been canceled. We've only competed four times. Today we've got an invite in Iola. It will be a tough meet for a lot of our athletes. We should come home with a few medals though.

Andrew doesn't love the hurdles this year like he did last year. He has great form which doesn't show on this particular photo, but he doesn't have the speed. I'm thinking it'll come as he gets older and stronger.

Andrew is carrying on the high jump tradition in our family. He is pretty good at it as well. If only I could keep the kid healthy. He twisted his knee in phy ed class and missed competing in the first meet. Then he twisted his ankle playing basketball and missed another.

Kelly is my star on the girl's side of the team. I love her enthusiam. She's a miler and pretty good at it as well. She's also the only girl who knows how to triple jump. If we ever get time, we need to have other girls learn the skill. It's not really that tough.

These two turkeys are our unofficial mascots of the team. I believe Karen has been deflated, but Kevin makes his way to the meets. He was even in our team photo.

This year started off much different than previous years. I've always had a great group of athletes that I have a personal connection with. Most of them are gone now due to graduation. I don't have interaction with the Bowler kids except for these short months during the season so it becomes difficult to really connect on any other level than competition.

I've got some of my seminary students as athletes so that's helped. Either way, I'm having fun.

Mrs. Noah

2011-04-26T13:58:00.001-05:00

I recall last Spring we had unusually warm and dry weather. Not so this year! All I see outside today is rain and puddles. This lovely "pond" will make sure it tries to make it's way up the drain and into my basement.

Across the road in the Paiser's driveway there's always a good puddle whenever it rains. This one seems rather large.

My garden is going to have to wait until it's much drier before I can even think about planting anything in it.

I'm beginning to feel like Mrs. Noah. I imagine day after day she looked out the window and wondered when the rain would stop. After it stopped she had to wonder how long it would take before there was actually dry land. Yes. I am feeling a bit like I should start building an ark!

Now What?

2011-04-21T11:36:00.000-05:00

I did the 30 day thing and now what? I'm been a putz as far as blogging goes.

My track meet season has begun and I'm busy with my athletes. For the most part they're doing great. We've had some meet canceled but we're on for today. Yippee!

Over the weekend, my husband and I were in Nauvoo for a very short time. We drove down on Friday and were home by Saturday night. My nephew went through the temple for the first time.

I met an amazing woman while I was there. I feel like I know her from long ago. We just clicked. She's a bit older than me and has 14 children! That's amazing. She also has built herself a round house. Yes. Round. She builds harps and other musical instruments out of wood. A multi-talented woman. Her name is Irene Tukuafo and her blog two blogs are linked to mine if you want to check out her round house and instruments.

It's been a very busy and happy week for me. Except for the snow. But then, this too shall pass or melt.

I've got a daughter back out in Rexburg for the semester and another coming home in a couple of weeks. All three grandbabies are doing great and the boys are healthy. Pat still loves me and that's all that matters.

Random post? Yes, but then that's my life. Random.

Day 30

2011-04-09T10:40:00.000-05:00

A picture of someone you miss.

My sister Tina.

She was an awesome aunt.

She was a great mom.

She was a great friend.

She was a wonderful wife and best friend to my brother.

She was a great sister and friend.

I miss her voice, her face and her sense of humor.

Day 29

2011-04-08T08:07:00.000-05:00

A picture that makes you smile.

This one always makes me grin. I look at his little face and know there's mischief in there.

Day 28

2011-04-07T14:06:00.000-05:00

A picture of something you are afraid of.

This is so easy it's pathetic. I'm so afraid of snakes that I can't even post a picture of a real one. There is nothing in my life that has frightened me as much as these nasty critters. My skin crawls just thinking about it. I think my fear stems from the fact that growing up, the neighborhood boys would catch them and throw them at others. Not a fan!

Day 27

2011-04-06T08:32:00.000-05:00

A picture of yourself and a family member.

How about a picture with three family members?

These little people have changed so much since this was taken.

Gotta love the grandchildren!

Day 26

2011-04-06T08:31:00.000-05:00

A picture of something that means a lot to you.

That would have to be my eternal marriage! No doubt about it.

Day 25

2011-04-04T21:19:00.000-05:00

A picture of your day.

I spent my day at the mill doing the paperwork which took only a short time this morning.

I answered the phone a couple of times, signed for TWO packages that I then took up to the shop, scrubbed the sink, cleaned 2 toilets and swept the floor.

I know these photos are of Sammi, but I didn't have a camera to take some of myself.

Oh, then I went to track practice, came home ate leftovers, had FHE, sent my entries in for the track meet tomorrow and now have a little time to update this blog.

Oh the excitement of my Mondays!

Day 24

2011-04-03T08:19:00.000-05:00

A picture of something you wish you could change.

The weather! See previous post.

The beginning of the track season

2011-04-02T14:32:00.000-05:00

What do these pictures have in common?

One keeps the other from happening. That's what. Looking forward to having a track meet. Will it ever happen? Certainly. We've had two cancelled already and a possible third. I'm getting anty as well as my team.

Day 23

2011-04-02T14:25:00.000-05:00

A picture of your favorite book.

I can't say I have a favorite book. There are some that I've read more than once and this is one of them. It is a very insightful look at the Atonement of Christ and how it works. I really loved it. Moreso, after the first reading.

Day 22

2011-04-02T14:20:00.002-05:00

A picture of something you wish you were better at.

I wish I were better at deep, meditative prayer. I need to "listen" better. I know I'm the only one who can change this. I think I'll try.

Day 21

2011-03-31T10:29:00.000-05:00

A picture of something you wish you could forget.

Not all of them. After all, in making mistakes there comes a growth and learning. I wouldn't be the person I am without the mistakes I've made. Still, there are some better forgotten.

Day 20

2011-03-31T10:26:00.000-05:00

A picture of a place you'd love to travel to.

I'd love to go on an Alaskan cruise. I think the nature of the place is what I'd really love to see.

Day 19

2011-03-29T08:23:00.002-05:00

A picture of when you were little.

That's me sitting on my mom's lap.

Here I am in my mom's arms.

Day 18

2011-03-29T08:17:00.003-05:00

A picture of your biggest insecurity.

I had to think a long time about this one but finally came up with the answer. I am terrified to sing (solo) in front of a group. I know I don't have a terrible voice, but I also know it's nothing special. I think there is no crutch when you are a soloist. There is no one to help you or lean on. It's kind of like if you had to stand naked in front of a crowd. I feel very vulnerable.

Day 17

2011-03-27T14:38:00.002-05:00

A picture of someone who has recently made an impact on your life.

My daughter Clare. She just gave birth to another beautiful child. That makes me "Nana" to three. I also had to become the surrogate mother for a few days while she was in the hospital. That was a big impact on me.

Day 16

2011-03-27T14:34:00.003-05:00

A picture of someone who inspires you.

That person would have to be my mom. Even though she is not here with me anymore, I find myself doing things that she would do. She didn't have the confidence that I have, but she had so many other talents. She inspires me to be a better person and to enjoy my grandchildren.

New Grandson

2011-03-25T10:41:00.001-05:00

Brock Patrick showed up on March 23rd. Another grandson to love. Life as a "Nana" is so good. I love it!

Day 15

2011-03-25T10:27:00.002-05:00

A picture of something you want to do before you die.

I want to one day visit the USS Arizona Memorial in Hawaii. Not because it's in Hawaii but because of the tragedy it represents and the strength that came out of our nation as a result.

Day 14

2011-03-25T10:22:00.002-05:00

A picture of someone you could not imagine your life without.

My parents and my husband. My parents because I wouldn't be here if it weren't for them. My mother taught me so much and my dad was just the best daddy. He was my hero as a little girl. Even though my mom is no longer here, I feel her presence every once in a while. I hear her voice come out of my mouth every once in a while as well.

My husband (even though this pic was before he was my husband) is my rock and my strength. He is my world. For his example of kindness and love and patience I will always be grateful.

Day 13

2011-03-23T07:27:00.002-05:00

A picture of your favorite artist or musical group.

This one is really hard. I can't say that I have a favorite. I love music. Most kinds actually except for rap, hip-hop and really heavy head-banging trash. I love to listen to Josh Groban's smooth voice but I also really like Trace Adkins. I enjoy the a capella groups like Voice Male and Vocal Point. I like anything from the 70's. (My era growing up). The 80's I don't particularly like and I like country music. I love the emotion that music can evoke. Our ward choir was especially great on Sunday. See? I have a varied interest when it comes to music.