Feeling the crunch already!

It isn't Thanksgiving until next week and already I am feeling behind for Christmas! I think the reason is because on Dec. 1 I will start teaching full time until the end of January for a teacher who is adopting a baby from Taiwan. I am so happy for her, and of course, I will have the Christmas break, but my house gets so out of order when I am at work all of the time. I am trying to get things done now so I will be ready, but nothing ever stays orderly around here for that long! This will be our first Christmas all together since Tyler has been home from his mission and I want it to be wonderful. I know it will be, I just always worry. I tried to put a pix from Christmas past on here, but I couldn't find one I wanted or that anyone else would appreciate. I'll have to get some good ones this year.

Things I am thankful for today.....

Today I want to give thanks. After all, it is November, so why not get started. Here is a list of things I have loved about today:

*I went to church. Glen spoke in Sacrament meeting. He said that no one was perfect, except for Helen of course. Jacob made sure to tell me that Dad was really kidding about that. Everyone teased me about it. But, it made me feel loved by my husband.

*Tyler got home safely from California.

*Aaron rubbed my shoulders as he stood behind me as he talked to me. He didn't do it too hard like sometimes, and it felt really good!

*I had a good talk with Lindsey on the phone. It was nice.

*I talked a little with Alicia, but she had company. I was glad she had company because she is stretching her social wings. She will call and talk to me later.

*Jacob showed me that he had read the directions on his math paper and no one else in his class had done so. His teacher was very proud of him. He is a real smarty.

*Madalynn and I laughed and laughed together tonight. She is a crack-up sometimes.

*We put out our Thanksgiving decorations. The table looks particularly nice.

*Jacob, Maddy and I watched "Brother Bear" together and ate popcorn and drank hot chocolate.

*It actually rained a little bit today. It finally looks like fall!

I hope you all have had an equally wonderful day! I feel so blessed.

Afterall, Tomorrow is Another Day...

I always hated that ending line of Gone With the Wind, but I do feel a little better today. I am glad that the voting in AZ went well, if not in the entire country. All I can do is what I can do for me and for my family and as one neat lady once told me, "Just lay it on the cross!" So, that is what I am going to do. (sigh)

My worst fears

The last thing I am noticing about Barrack Obama is the color of his skin. The thing I notice is that our apparently next President has been elected with terrorist money and we now have a liberal president and a liberal Senate and a liberal House. What were you all thinking when you stepped into that voting booth? I am listening to John McCain speak as he concedes the election and I can hear in his voice his love for our country. It is my hope that those few Senators and representatives like him left in our Congress will not allow those who would tear down our country and our Constitution to prevail. At the very least, Obama is wishy washy and inexperienced. At the worst he is the most liberal president we have ever seen and supported by people in the middle east, terrorists and palistinians. My prayers are fervent that America will not fall because of this election. I am heart broken.

My three October girls

Isn't it amazing that in a family with 6 children, that all three of my daughters were born in October? I am so blessed to have these three girls be mine!
The oldest, Lindsey, had her birthday yesterday. She is so smart, funny, spiritual, beautiful and responsible. The next one is Alicia, she is so smart, funny, spiritual, beautiful and responsible. And, last, but not least is Madalynn who is 13 today. She is so smart, funny, spiritual, beautiful and responsible. Even though they are all of these things, they are also so different from each other and each of their personalities make them so special to me. Do you see this picture? They really do love each other. What a blessing that is to see that relationship because they are always there for each other.

I love you girls!! You must be wonderful because this is my first non-political post in weeks. You are so worth turning all of my thoughts to. Happy Birthday once again! Love, Mom

A New Blog

I want to put up something new that is not political because we are so close to the day of the election that I guess most of you have made your decisions.

Madalynn has had interesting conversations about the election with her friends at school. She told them that she is against abortion and they were surprised to hear that. Then they expressed concern about off shore drilling that might hurt the environment. She told them that is was strange to care more about plants and fish than about killing babies. That actually made them stop and think a bit. She gave one the girls a mini "Strength of the Youth" pamphlet so that she could better understand Madalynn's beliefs. I was very proud of her when she told me all of this. It is amazing to me how grown up and thoughtful she is becoming, and she is listening more than I realize.

My good friend in Mass. just emailed me and said that she does not like Obama. She said that looking into his eyes, she just feels like he is evil. She is not a member of my church. Her son, (a really nice guy,) is gay. Her husband is retired from the army. She recently lost her mother and has done a lot of spiritual introspection, so I don't know if she realizes it or not, but I think she is very close to the spirit and He speaks to her at times. I know that the summer of '07 when we were there visiting, she was talking to me about her mother and how she feels that she is still close to her that I was able to bear my testimony to her that I know that there is life after this earth life and that our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are there for us. She will be able to see her mother again. I know that the Spirit was there that day as we spoke. So, it speaks volumes to me when someone who is a native of Mass., a state where gay marriage is legal and is typically liberal, could tell evil in some one's eyes.

So, this post is still political. But, I have made my decision and I have prayed about it and I feel very strongly that it is correct. I have studied it out first and considered and prayed. So, that is all I have to say. This may or not be my last post on the subject, I am not making any promises.

Hope in a sea of fear and confusion

This weekend was general conference for our church. It bouyed my spirit and helped me to feel motivated to be better.

Wasn't it interesting that Pres. Monson and Boyd K. Packer mentioned the word change. I was so happy to hear it in a true light.

As we study the Book of Mormon this year, I am stunned to realize how many Gadiantons we are surrounded by. I am so thankful that I can pray about my decisions in this election year and cast my vote for someone who may not be perfect but who is atleast not bought and paid for by anti-Americans.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_HZMD97nMw&feature=related

Another Political moment....

Watch this video with your finger on the pause button so that you can take the time to read because it goes fast. There is a lot of info here!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxgSubmiGt8

A couple of new thoughts.....

You may be getting tired of reading my political posts, but my mind has really latched onto the issues lately and my rantings have actually become very helpful to me as I sort through the issues. So here are a couple of things I've noticed that I want to make observations on:

1. I have noticed that people with liberal points of view always label people who disagree with them as "haters". For example, if I believe that homosexuality is a moral choice and I disagree with that life style, I am labeled as a homophobe and my disagreement is "hate talk". (See what is going on in CA as reference.) I take exception to that line of reason. I do not hate people who choose to live a gay life style. I know some people who have chosen this, people who I count as my friends, and I love them. They are good, loving people. But, I do not agree with their lifestyle choice. This does not make me hate them. My favorite color is blue. Some people hate blue. This does not make me hate them. I do not like government programs trying to run my life and take over my choices. This does not mean I hate poor, uneducated people. This way of thinking does not make sense. It makes me wonder if in reality, those that are labeling me are the real haters.
Whenever I hear a politician speak about entitlements and what the government should give to the American people, I think of Star Wars when Anakin Skywalker, (I don't know how to spell Anakin), said that he should be in charge to make the world be safe for everyone. That makes me think of Lucifer who wanted to make us all do things his way so that we would be guarenteed to return to Heavenly Father and he would be sure to receive the glory.

2. As I have been reading and studying lately, and listening to the debate, I have come to realize very powerfully that now is the time that we must stand for truth and righteousness. We must learn and vote and speak our mind so that reasonable people will be heard and pray for our country and its leaders to be more righteous. I do not want to offend, but mostly I do not want to offend God. So, when voices in the world cry for change, what kind of change do they cry for? Change from truth? Change from freedom? We need to be very careful about the rhetoric.

Housing Crisis

In light of today's news, please read the following very carefully:


FEDERAL HOUSING ENTERPRISE REGULATORY REFORM ACT OF 2005
The United States Senate
May 25, 2006Section 16
In This Section...
Sen. McCain [R-AZ]: Mr. President, this week Fannie Mae's regulator reported that the company's quarterly reports of profit growth over the past few years were "illusions deliberately and...
Record Text
Sen. John McCain [R-AZ]: Mr. President, this week Fannie Mae's regulator reported that the company's quarterly reports of profit growth over the past few years were "illusions deliberately and systematically created" by the company's senior management, which resulted in a $10.6 billion accounting scandal.
The Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight's report goes on to say that Fannie Mae employees deliberately and intentionally manipulated financial reports to hit earnings targets in order to trigger bonuses for senior executives. In the case of Franklin Raines, Fannie Mae's former chief executive officer, OFHEO's report shows that over half of Mr. Raines' compensation for the 6 years through 2003 was directly tied to meeting earnings targets. The report of financial misconduct at Fannie Mae echoes the deeply troubling $5 billion profit restatement at Freddie Mac.
The OFHEO report also states that Fannie Mae used its political power to lobby Congress in an effort to interfere with the regulator's examination of the company's accounting problems. This report comes some weeks after Freddie Mac paid a record $3.8 million fine in a settlement with the Federal Election Commission and restated lobbying disclosure reports from 2004 to 2005. These are entities that have demonstrated over and over again that they are deeply in need of reform.
For years I have been concerned about the regulatory structure that governs Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac--known as Government-sponsored entities or GSEs--and the sheer magnitude of these companies and the role they play in the housing market. OFHEO's report this week does nothing to ease these concerns. In fact, the report does quite the contrary. OFHEO's report solidifies my view that the GSEs need to be reformed without delay.
Quick Info
S. 190 [109th]: Federal Housing Enterprise Regulatory Reform Act of 2005
Last Action: Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
Status: Dead
I join as a cosponsor of the Federal Housing Enterprise Regulatory Reform Act of 2005, S. 190, to underscore my support for quick passage of GSE regulatory reform legislation. If Congress does not act, American taxpayers will continue to be exposed to the enormous risk that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac pose to the housing market, the overall financial system, and the economy as a whole.
I urge my colleagues to support swift action on this GSE reform legislation.

This reform legislation was cosponsored by John McCain 3 years ago. It was shot down by democrats who were receiving campaign funds from the big shots of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Obama received the 2nd largest amount of money from these men. Is it any wonder that he is reluctant to join across party lines to figure out a solution?

My personal comparison of the two party platforms.

I have had fear in my heart over this years election. I have really not been converted to either candidate, although I have leaned towards McCain. So, after reading many blogs and articles and listening to radio and TV commentators, I finally got on line and read, line by line the two platforms presented at the respective conventions. I put them on separate tabs so that I could go back and forth and compare them.

I read the Dem's platform first. So much of it sounded reasonable and good. But, implementation of their ideas have me worried, plus there are a few moral issues that I take exception to. But, overall, I felt like much of what I have heard and read about Obama is somewhat misguided and that in many cases his heart may be in the right place. (I like to think the best of people.)

Then, I read the Republican platform and saw that many of their aims are similar when it comes to caring for America, but their approaches are different and I have to say that I felt the confirmation that the Republican way is the best. Please read as I outline some of the differences and point out why I came to this conclusion.

First of all, let's address the War in Iraq. The Democrats say that they will have a careful, systematic pull out of Iraq that will take 16 months. They call the war in Iraq a strategic blunder. My first reaction upon reading this was that they have a lot of nerve saying this when they all voted to go into the war in the first place. Now, they have the luxury of back-pedaling and placing all of the blame on the President. Don't you think that if Pres. Bush could have gotten out of this unpopular war by now he would have done it? How do the Dems know that they can safely remove the troops within 16 months without Iran rushing in and taking over? I felt the Republican stand was more realistic, showing their experience in such matters. "In dealing with present conflicts...it would be presumptuous to specify them in advance and foolhardy to rule out any action deemed necessary for our security."
This discussion leads directly to each parties stand on dealing with Iran. The Dem's threaten stiff sanctions on Iran if they don't agree to not having nuclear weapons. Do you really think they care about that? I was alive in the 70's when Jimmy Carter's sanctions failed and American hostages were taken. The Republicans speak bluntly to Iran, whose leadership "supports terror, threatens its neighbors and provides weapons that are killing our troops in Iraq." They will not consider negotiation unless they agree to no nuclear weapons and stop supporting terrorism. As a side note, there is a group of war veterans who are running ads against Obama because of his statements that he would sit down with the leader of Iran before speaking with the new leader of Iraq. His plan seems to be to pull out of Iraq before there is control in that country, making it vulnerable to Iran and undoing all of the work that our troops have worked, fought and died for there. As the wife of a Viet Nam War veteran, I can understand these veteran's frustration with this situation.

Both parties talk about strengthening the military. The Dem's gave Pres. Bush a backhanded compliment about efforts to verify North Korea's nuclear weapons program. I found this very interesting when you consider how long North Korea has been a problem, and tell me again, what did Clinton do about that problem? How many bases did Clinton close when he was in office and allow China to use instead of our own troops? But, now they will expand the military. That need falls right into the Dem's lap.

Both platforms deal with immigration and how to handle illegal immigration. Their views did not seem to me to be that divergent, except that the Republicans also addressed immigration as a national security issue, and the Dem's did not.

Now, lets talk about Social Security. The Dem's call it indispensable. Really? Some members of my family live on Social Security. $1200 per month, but if they earn more than $900 on their own, it is taken away. Are we really concerned about abolishing poverty? People living on Social Security, their hard earned money that they will never see most of and have to qualify to receive, are living in poverty. The Republicans propose that people have control over their Social Security investments and that they receive a fair return on said investments without taking away from those relying on the current system.

One of the things that I have heard Obama say against McCain is that he doesn't specify how he will make change. But, as I read both of the platforms, I have found the opposite to be true. For example, the Republicans give an in depth description of the current budget process and how it must be changed: I am pasting the following directly from the platform document.
The federal government collects $2.7 trillion a year from American families and businesses. That’s $7.4 billion a day. Even worse, it spends over $3 trillion a year: $8.2 billion a day. Why? Largely because those who created this bloated government will not admit a single mistake or abolish a single program. Here are some staggering examples of the overall problem:
Recent audits show that 22% of all federal programs are ineffective or incapable of demonstrating results.
69 separate programs, administered by 10 different agencies, provide education or care to children under the age of 5.
Nine separate agencies administer 44 different programs for job training.
23 separate programs, each with its own overhead, provide housing assistance to the elderly.
With so many redundant, inefficient, and ineffective federal programs, it is no wonder that the American people have so little confidence in Washington to act effectively when federal action is really needed.

So, let's talk about social programs and how they will be implemented. First of all, The Dem's speak highly of past Democratic leaders. Unfortunately, they have forgotten the words that they have spoken. John F. Kennedy, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country." (I realize that this may not be exact, but you know what quote I mean.) To me, these words do not mesh with the Democratic love of entitlement programs that foster dependence on government dole systems. These programs all are paid for by taxes. Democrats want to supply preschool for every child:

Pre-school
We will make quality, affordable early childhood care and education available to every
American child from the day he or she is born. Our Children's First Agenda, including
increases in Head Start and Early Head Start and investments in high-quality Pre-K, will
improve quality and provide learning and support to families with children ages zero to
five. Our Presidential Early Learning Council will coordinate these efforts.

When I was in high school, I remember hearing in a Social Studies class (I grew up in CA) that in the future, the government would try to take control of American families by mandating preschool programs. I was disbelieving at the time. But, more and more I am seeing a movement towards "The State" trying to take control of my family. While the above statement is not a mandate, I wonder why I will have to be paying, with my tax money for daycare of other people's children? What other decisions will this Learning Council make? Why is the Federal government so involved with preschool when it is not given this responsibility in the constitution? The Republicans support Head Start funding for low income families. How could we possibly afford to pay for every one's daycare?

Here is a quote from the Democratic platform: "A Barack Obama administration will make it clear to the special interests that their days of setting the agenda in Washington are over." Really? Wasn't there a news reporter arrested for photographing Dems meeting with special interest lobbyists at the DNC?

Continuing with education, both parties pledge to continue with grants and assistence to college. The Republicans take it even furthur with the following:
Although the Constitution assigns the federal government no role in local education, Washington’s authority over the nation’s schools has increased dramatically
Because some of the nation’s leading universities create or tolerate a hostile atmosphere toward the ROTC, we will rigorously enforce the provision of law, unanimously upheld by the Supreme Court, which denies those institutions federal research grants unless their military students have the full rights and privileges of other students. That must include the right to engage in ROTC activities on their own campus, rather than being segregated elsewhere.
We call for education in constitutional rights in schools...

I love that last part about educating students on the constitution. I read somewhere that they felt that the repubs spoke disrespectfully about the constitution. But, I must say that I found no evidence of that in their platform. On the contrary, their pride in the constitution and the symbols of our country were much more apparent than in the platform of the democrats. Here are a few examples:

1. They explained the benefits of having English as our unifying language. It fosters a commitment to our national motto, E Pluribus Unum.

2. "The symbol of our unity, to which we all pledge allegiance, is the flag. By whatever legislative method is most feasible, Old Glory should be given legal protection against desecration. We condemn decisions by activist judges to deny children the opportunity to say the Pledge of Allegiance in public school."

3. "We support freedom of speech and freedom of the press and oppose attempts to violate or weaken those rights, such as reinstatement of the so-called Fairness Doctrine."

The dems did not address any of the above issues.

Now, on to a few final topics that are really clinchers for me. I will put some direct quotes from both platforms for you to read with a few interspersed comments by me.


The Democratic Party strongly and unequivocally supports Roe v. Wade and a woman's
right to choose a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay, and we oppose any
and all efforts to weaken or undermine that right.

The Democratic Party also strongly supports access to affordable family planning
services and comprehensive age-appropriate sex education which empowers people to
make informed choices and live healthy lives. We also recognize that such health care
and education help reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and thereby also reduce
the need for abortions.

The Democratic Party also strongly supports a woman's decision to have a child by
ensuring access to and availability of programs for pre- and post-natal health care,
parenting skills, income support, and caring adoption programs.

In contrast to that, read the Republican stand.

Faithful to the first guarantee of the Declaration of Independence, we assert the inherent dignity and sanctity of all human life and affirm that the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed. We support a human life amendment to the Constitution, and we endorse legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment’s protections apply to unborn children. We oppose using public revenues to promote or perform abortion and will not fund organizations which advocate it. We support the appointment of judges who respect traditional family values and the sanctity and dignity of innocent human life.

Here is something that I have heard Senator Obama say about abortion: (not an exact quote, this is from my memory.) "I wouldn't want my teenage daughter to be punished with a baby." A baby is not a punishment. It is a consequence. Should the baby be punished and have his life taken because of your daughter's mistake?

Next quote:

"Because our children’s future is best preserved within the traditional understanding of marriage, we call for a constitutional amendment that fully protects marriage as a union of a man and a woman, so that judges cannot make other arrangements equivalent to it. In the absence of a national amendment, we support the right of the people of the various states to affirm traditional marriage through state initiatives. "

The only thing really said about homosexuality in the democratic platform that stands out is allowing anyone in the military regardless of sexual orientation. Also, it is clumped together with other issues that they would not tolerate discrimination against.

Here in AZ, there is going to be a proposition on the ballot that would make a constitutional amendment that states that marriage is a union between a man and a woman. Our church leaders have asked us to vote yes on this propostion, #102. This is not something that they do very often, that is telling us how we should vote. But, this is a very important issue, one that could affect our freedom of religion and our freedom of speech.

A few other comments and then I will end this lengthy blog. I do not support socialized medicine. I have lived in another country where it is socialized and their taxes are huge! The care is not better and the waiting time is longer. 'If people let the government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in a sorry state as the souls who live under tyranny.' Thomas Jefferson

I love our country. I have faith that God will bless our country as long as the majority will remain righteous. My fear is that the democratic answer to everything is too much like Satan's plan. He wanted the glory and to make us all do things his way. Democrats treat us, the poor everyday people, as if we are too stupid to think for ourselves, to choose for ourselves and to make our own decisions. Well, some people are stupid, some people will make bad choices, but we deserve the freedom to do so. I will make sure that my children are educated my way, and I will feed them and clothe them as long as I am able to do so. When I can not do this for myself, then I will ask for help. But, I am not entitled to have any of this for free at the expense of my fellow Americans. I want to care for the poor and disabled in the Lord's way. I do not want to give hand-outs to everyone who knows how to work the system because they are too lazy to work for themselves.

I am not computerly adept enough to give you the websites to the platforms, but you can google them easily and I would encourage you to do so.

Remember what Michael Savage said: "Liberalism is a mental disorder."

Oh Wow! I had to come back and edit my post because I left out one of the most important things. Both the dems and the repubs stress the importance of faith in our lives. Once again, the Repubs took it farther, which I appreciated. "Republican leadership has made religious liberty a central element of US Foreign policy. Asserting religious freedom should be a priority in all America's international dealings. We salute the work of the US commission on International Religious Freedom and urge special training in religious liberty issues for all US diplomatic personnel. " I just feel that this issue could have major implications for missionary work being carried on throughout the world.

Okay, that is it. If I sound biased, well I am, but now I feel I can defend my bias intelligently and with knowledge under my belt and not with just hearsay and rhetoric. Thanks for reading this. I hope it all made sense to you. I know that McCain isn't perfect, but I believe that the Republican platform is the best of the two. And, think of this, do you really want a democratic congress and a democratic President? That is scary!

Trip to Provo

These are a few of the pix. I will add more later. It was so beautiful up there. We really enjoyed the trip.

August, 2008

So far, this has been an interesting month. Jacob has had football practice every week day since the 4th. he isn't so sure about this decision to play football, but he is sticking with it pretty well. He is the youngest player on the team, so it is rough on him. He has a lot of battle scars and I don't think that he has ever done anything this hard.
Last week, Madalynn had open house at her middle school. I had asked Aaron if he could take Jacob to practice so that I could take her. He said that he would when he got back to work. Unfortunately, he never made it to work because he was in an accident on the I-17 and his car was totaled. He wasn't hurt and neither was anyone else, but he was devastated by the loss of his car. Thankfully, he had comprehensive insurance on the car, so he will get money for another car. It is a blessing that he was still able to come home and use my car to get Jacob to practice and Tyler took Madalynn and I to her open house. It is wonderful to see the Lord's blessings in our lives, even in the midst of trials.
The kids have started school. So far it is going well for them, Jacob scored very high on his AIMS scores. Madalynn's haven't come yet, but I did hear the last years 6th grade scored very well. She really likes the pricipal at her middle school and she has begun making new friends as well as seeing her old ones. Jacob was elected class representative to student council.
Aaron and Tyler start school on the 25th. Tyler is going to GCC for a semester and then he has decided to go to BYU in the winter. Aaron only has about a year left until he graduates.
Glen is rebuilding the engine on the DUrango and I am waiting for the subbing jobs to start rolling in. I am looking forward to next week when Jacob's football practice goes down to 3 days per week and then to two.
After all of this, we decided that we needed a little vacation, sort of a last hurrah of the summer, so we are going to drive up to Provo for Labor Day Weekend and visit the girls.

Age, HUH, What is it good for? Absolutely nothing!

If I've told you once a year, I've told you 12 times, I am 39.

Ponderings

Since girl's camp, I've been pondering a message that I heard at our Sunday meeting there that really has stayed with me. Scott Smith talked about asking someone to do a certain difficult job for the church. The man responded that of course he would do it because he is a consecrated servant and will do whatever he is asked to do. That really touched me because I want to be able to say that I, too, am a consecrated servant and that the Lord can always count on me to do what I am asked to further his work here on the earth.

I have made certain promises to the Lord, and I try to keep them and I try to serve when I am asked to do so. But, here is the rub. I am really terrible about getting my visiting teaching done. How consecrated can I be if I don't even do that small task the way I should. I tell myself that I will do better, but I let other things get in the way. And, I mean other things that are not even important. I have four days left this month, so I will let you know if I can get it done. I have been given a new member as a companion, so I need to be a good example to her. I have been the RS president twice. I know how important it is to be a good visiting teacher. I really need to overcome this problem. I have no excuse for this shortcoming and it is so dumb to let this keep me from being the kind of servant that I should be.

On a lighter note, yesterday was Glen sister Ellen's 50th birthday party. It was a fun time. Ellen and Mallory flew over from Texas. I will add pix later. Mallory is a senior this year and hopes to go to BYU next year. So, Alicia, maybe you can live together! Anyway, you can spend time together atleast! She is a great girl. Just think, you can learn to say y'all correctly!

Our Throw Away Society

How can people get ahead financially when nothing lasts for any decent length of time. Just this last week I had to purchase a new microwave oven. I hadn't had the last one more than a few year. The one I had before that lasted about 15 years I think. It seems that we will need to replace this computer before too long. As a matter of fact, it seems that everything runs on some sort of computerized system anymore, and nothing lasts as long as things used to last. Think of cars, TVs, telephones that we have to replace every two years. I think manufacturers do this on purpose. Remember the old adage, Use it up, Wear it out, Make it do or do without? Well, I try to live by that mantra, but it becomes more and more difficult. How did I ever survive without a micro wave anyway?

Joseph M. Done

This morning around 6:00 AM, my brother-in-law, Joe, died. For 20 years he had fought a hard fight against a disease that ravaged his body until it finally took his life. It began as a little tick in his head after the accident that took his beloved daughter Donna Lynne's life. It slowly took away his ability to walk and stand and talk. He sat could no longer eat or do anything that he wanted to do. Yet, he still managed to endear people to him with his intellect and wit.

One of the things that Joe could still do until recently was type on the computer. He did a lot of genealogy work on my mother's side of the family. And, he wrote on his blog. One day, after I had started blogging, he wrote on my comments area. I was so excited to find that he had a blog, too. Then, he had some trouble with the blog, but it was exciting for me to have someone else out there to read my blog and someone who always wrote interesting things on his for me to comment on. He never wrote silly, trivial thoughts, but always deep, thought provoking ideas that gave me pause to consider.

Joe and my sister Sandi were married back in the 60's, when I was a little girl. He has been a part of our family for so long that it is hard for me to remember when he wasn't there. After they were married, my brother Fred and my younger sister Audree would get to go and visit for a week or two during the summer months. We would stay with Sandi and Joe and also with Donna (another sister) and after she was married, her husband Steve. We used to tease Joe about ankles because they grossed him out. He love the outdoors and we could always plan on having a nice outdoor picnic somewhere while we were there. Whenever Sandi and Joe were coming to visit, my mom would make corned beef and cabbage for him and also tacos. For a skinny guy, Joe could really pack away my mom's tacos.

Joe's favorite book was Goethe's Faust. He always carried a copy with him. I studied it for one semester at BYU, so we had some good discussions about it. Mostly I just listened to him because there was no way my mind was ever going to keep up with his, and I learned so much from him. We discussed many other works of literature as well.

The doctors never could decide if Joe had ALS or MS or something else. He lived longer than anyone else ever has with either one of those diseases. I think his love and worry for his family is what kept him here for so long. I wonder if they realize the depth of that love and worry and the depth of his faith in his Savior, Jesus Christ. His love for them has always been so unconditional. It makes me weep when I think of the pain and struggle he has gone through for so long and how much I will miss those little emails and blogs. It gives me peace to know that now he is with his dad who died when he was two, his step dad who he knew all of his life, and mostly with his Donna Lynne who he has missed all of these years. I am happy for him because he deserves peace and comfort at last. I love you Joe. I will see you again.

Car Trouble

Before I left for camp, I took my Mariner for its regular service appt. I learned that my back tires are wearing funny so I need to get that fixed. So, because of that I took the Durango up to girl's camp. It did fine and I was able to fit a bunch of stuff in it. But, on the way home, it overheated. I had checked the coolant before leaving camp and apparently had not put the cap on tightly. So, to make a long story short, it took all day to get it home and inspite of new hosed, themastat and fan, it still is over heating.

Oh, but dear reader, don't stop there. Tuesday morning, the construction workers on our street, pulling a trailor, sideswiped Glen's F350 with the camper, taking out the windows, mirror and part of the camper. Of course, the insurance company wants to total it and give us some piddly amount that will make it impossible for us to replace what has been an excellent truck. Insurance companies have such a racket going! Now, we will have to buy a new vehicle and have a payment which we did not have before. How is that fair? I hate car trouble!

Tara is married!

I know, it has been forever since I have updated. But, there have been a lot of things going on. We went to California for my neices wedding, then I spent three days at cubscout day camp. Now I am getting ready for girl's camp this next week. Here are a few pix from our time in CA. The first two are at the salon where we all, including my mom in pix two, got mani/pedis before the wedding. That was fun. The last is of Tara and Stephen coming down the isle.

There is so much to learn...

I went to the baptism of a woman in our ward last night. She stood up and spoke afterwards of her gratitude to the Lord for bringing the gospel to her life at this time when she needs it most and how his timing is perfect. She thanked all of the people who have helped to teach her and fellowship her. She spoke about Brother Bentz and she said, "Your knowledge and ability to help me understand things has been so wonderful. There is so much to learn!" That comment gave me pause to think and I realized how blessed I am that I was raised in the gospel so that I could learn from my childhood. What if I had to start from scratch right now? Would I have the personality or the will power to learn all that I would need to learn? Sometimes I guess I take what I know for granted. And even now, there is still so much for me to learn and to become better at. I have gained a perspective on our belief in eternal progression and growth. I also realize even more how well the Lord knows me and each of us on a very personnal level. That is so comforting and it makes me know that we are all truly God's children.

Sad News

Steve and Marty, our Cornish cross chickens, died today. I think it was the heat, although the other 4 chickens are doing fine. These two chickens were bred to be butchered, but I think because of their large and fatty size, they couldn't take the heat. It was sad. I was at work today, but it looked like Glen had checked on them during the day, they are all mostly in the shade, and they had food and water. Madalynn was especially upset because the chickens have been her project. (literally, her science project.) I had to go and put them in a garbage bag out of the cage. They are in the outside refrigerator waiting for Glen to get home. I didn't know what else to do with them. I called Tyler and told him because he had purchased these chickens after we had the first four. He said that since the chickens seem to be breathing heavily, they may have respiratory problems and that I should give them an anti-biotic. So, I raced to Pratt's, bought that and some seven dust to prevent lice, then dropped Jacob at his game, raced home to help Madalynn give the meds to the chickens, then raced back to Jacob's game. It is all rather unsettling. You don't realize that you can get attached to chickens until you have them eat out of your hands. Our chickens are very tame.

So, Good-bye Steve and Marty! We will miss you!

Take the Quiz here!

Don't tell me what I believe!

I was watching a news program the other night and there was a woman on it who has a blog that has become famous because she says things about motherhood not being that great and blasts the LDS church, BYU and other things. She lives in Salt Lake City, so wow, like all of that has never been done before. Her blog takes in about $40,000 worth of revenue per month from advertisers. One of those advertisers is the LDS church, telling people where they can order a Book Of Mormon, Bible or video. I think they figure after people read her blog, they many want to know what is really going on in our religion. (I wonder if I can attract any advertising to my blog?)

Anyway, after listening to her, I have a few thoughts about people who feel the need, after deciding not to be a member of the LDS church anymore, to blast out to the world what their beef is. When I read what they say and what their experiences are, they are so foreign to me and my experience and is hard for me to decipher where they are coming from. This woman, for example, said that she wrote some strongly worded sentiments against religion in general that had been fueled by a martini. I found it interesting that she had to throw in the whole alcoholic beverage thing, a not so subtle way to show that she had distanced herself from the LDS religion. Then she said that when her LDS family saw it, they were so upset that her father didn't speak to her for 3 months. Well, naturally, they were hurt. She had taken everything that they believed in, something deep and sacred and laid it out before the world to be trampled on. Why? Couldn't she just decide not to believe and go on? That would be painful enough for her family without her open assault.

I try to stay away from most anti-Mormon literature because it hurts my heart, just like this woman's family must have hurt. Many of the things that I have read are people saying that there is too much required of Mormons and they feel guilty if they can't live up to those standards, and they don't want to feel guilty, so by giving up the religion they feel better about themselves. Well, I feel guilty because I need to lose weight, but I don't stick to my diet and I don't have the will power to exercise. That doesn't mean it is wrong to lose weight, it means I need to decide what is important to me and make changes in me. I can't blame the diet, or the creator of the diet, or the exercise machine that I am not using. Getting fatter isn't going to make me feel any better either. So, you can tell yourself that living your religion is too hard and that you will feel better without it, and you can blame everyone else who does try to live it for your unhappiness, but in the long run, you have to decide what is important to you and how to achieve the end results. I know what I want my results to be.

Other comments I have seen claim that LDS people have a "holier than thou" attitude. Well, I have found those kinds of people in every aspect of life, within my church and out. I feel badly that people have been driven away from our church because of an other's attitude. But, that attitude is not what our religion teaches us to be like. Although, I would like these people to consider a couple of things. First, by writing an article telling everyone how wrong our religion is and how right you are, aren't you also placing yourself up as a know-it-all authority and better than me or anyone else who doesn't believe as you do? Second, I don't belong to my religion because of the people who are in it, but I truly believe the teachings. I could have decided not to attend many times if I based my belief on the actions of others. No one is perfect, and part of striving to be like Jesus Christ is to love others anyway, inspite of their imperfections.

So, now that I have mentioned the Savior's name, let me talk about that tender subject a little. One day, quite a few years ago, a man came to my door to invite me to attend his church. I thanked him and told him that I already attended the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He then began to tell me in a harsh tone that I didn't believe in Jesus, that I worshipped Joseph Smith and didn't believe in the Bible. I told him that he was wrong and I said how dare he tell me that I didn't believe in Christ. I was so offended. After he left, I quickly called my dear friend Ruth, who is not LDS, and asked her if she doubted that I believe in Jesus Christ. She told me that she knew I did. That experience has stayed with me because many people think that Mormon's do not believe in Christ the same way that they do. I don't understand what way they believe in Him then, because here is what I believe: He is my Savior and my Redeemer. He is the only begotten son of God the Father. He atoned for my sins and the sins of the world in the Garden of Gethsemane. He died on the cross and was resurrected the third day. Because of Him I can repent of my sins and I will be resurrected. I will be able to live with Him and His Father and my loved ones again some day. I love Him and I know that He lives and loves me.
I do believe the Bible to be the word of God. Certainly, it was a verse of the Bible, in James that led Joseph Smith to pray. I also believe the Book Of Mormon, which also bears witness of the Savior with the Bible. I do not worship Joseph Smith. I honor him for who he was. To quote a favorite hymn, "I believe in Christ, He is my King. With all my heart, His praise I'll sing..."

So, are my beliefs so different that yours? One main difference is that we believe that God still speaks to his children today through a living prophet. What did Amos say in the old Testament?
"Surly the Lord God will do nothing, save it be through the mouth of his prophets."

Anyway, this wasn't going to turn into an explanation of the LDS religion, but just sort of a venting about how this woman made me feel. I guess you can tell that I felt a lot. I also hope that if you are judging my religion, you will remember this passage of scripture as well, "By their fruits, ye shall know them." Our church does so much good in the world. Check into it if you wonder. I can also see the fruits of the teachings of the gospel in my own family with my own children. I want you to know that my religious beliefs are what give me hope and joy in this chaotic world and bring peace and joy into my home. I love my life, my family, my friends, my religion and my Savior. Don't try to tell me what I believe, because I already know!

When do they send the money?

My blog is worth $1,129.08.How much is your blog worth?

Happy Mother's Day~

I enjoy Mother's Day. Not only because I am a mother and my kids always make me breakfast, but because I think about my mother and what a blessing she has always been to me and to my brothers and sisters. When I hear the stories of other people and the lives that they have led and see the world today with mothers whose hearts are cold towards their children, I realize more and more what a saint my mother is. I hold her as my ideal and I know that I fall incredibly short of that ideal.

My mother went through a lot of difficulties in her life. She was raised during the depression in a family with 8 children. Any money she made was used for the good of the family. She married my dad and raised 7 children and she never had much money or things of the world. But, she always found ways to give us what we needed and made us feel that she was proud of us and served us throughout her life. Her service to us and to others was remarkable as I look back at her life.

People make so many excuses today about why they fail in their family life or why they can't parent as well as they should. What the problem boils down to is selfishness and an unwillingness to love and fulfill personal responsibilities. Even in the most dire of financial situations, my family never became disfunctional. I am so thankful for that and I love my parents so much for their love and hard work. I especially love my Heavenly Father who blessed me with that love in my life. I hope my own children know of my deep love for them and that they can continue this righteous tradition of caring for their own families that has extended from all of their grandparents to them as they carry on in their lives. It is in family that we find true happiness and joy.

I Can Tell it is May!

The End of the school year is just a few short weeks away. This is always the time of year that gets so busy with last minute activities and ceremonies and I seem to work a lot for teachers who also have last minute activities and ceremonies. My house becomes more and more out of control and I start feeling restless and wanting to get everything in order. I just have to hang on until the summer break gets here. I can hardly stand it. This year seems to be particularly bad for me. Next week, Lindsey is leaving for Provo, Glen is going to follow her at the end of the week with her household goods. (She is flying in order to get there in time for job interviews.) Madalynn is leaving on Weds. Night for her trip to San Diego with her 6th grade class. Our backyard is like the ultimate white-trash yard now that the shed project is coming to an end. We now own 6 chickens. While I have enjoyed having almost all of my children at home, the bigger ones seem to take up a lot of space now and we are bursting at the seams. I need to do an extreme over haul of all of the bedrooms. Tyler has purchased a drum set which is in my living room. Aaron has sound stuff in there as well. It is all very difficult to clean around. Jacob has baseball 2-3 times per week. I am in charge of cub scouts and I am the camp director for the young women this year. Cub scout day camp is June 9,10 & 11. Girl's Camp is June 19-23. I haven't seen Alicia since Easter and I worry about her. I am glad that Glen is going up there to check in on her. But, all of this travel is costing us a lot of money and I really want to get the credit card paid off, but with summer here and that means I won't work for the duration, there won't be much extra money to do that.

I don't mean to complain. I know that I am so blessed. I think that I would be able to cope if I could just get my house in shape and organized. Something needs to feel orderly. Now, If I can just organize myself this summer to get a lot of work done, and have the energy that I need........
Pray for me!

Words to Think About

Recently, Gordon B. Hinckley passed away. Here is something that he taught once when he addressed the students at BYU: "You are good, but don't just be good, be good for something." He always said that we should stand up for what we believed and stand for something. I think that this is what a hero does, a hero isn't just good, but he is good for something. In other words, he does something with what he believes is right. He has integrity to make his actions consistent with what he believes to be true and right. His goodness motivates him (or her) to action. Faith should motivate us to act and to become Christlike. Faith and love should be verbs, not just nouns. Somehow in my mind it continues to come together until it will gel in my heart.

My Kids

Here is the update about everyone:
Tyler is trying to join the Air force. He wants to attend the Air force Academy. He needs to lose about 2% of his body fat in order to do that.

Madalynn recently competed in the State Odyssey of the Mind competition in Tucson. They tied for 5th place. I was surprised that they didn't do better because I thought that their performance was much better than some of the others. But, I guess it is a good thing that they didn't win because we didn't know how we would sent all of the kids to the national competition in Maryland. Now she is working on a science project with chickens. We are buying 4 baby chicks, hopefully all hens from Pratt's. She is going to study them to see if the chicks raised on regular feed grow any differently that those raised on feed plus a supplement. In the end, we should have four nice laying hens. If not, we will be eating chicken. But, with the price of eggs and groceries in general, we thought that this might be a nice idea. We shall see. Some of the names have already been chosen: Stella, (say that with a fervent cry), Tina, (from Napoleon Dynamite), and we are waiting to hear the rest. In May, Maddy will be going to San Diego with her 6th grade class.

Lindsey is planning to move back to Provo in May to retake the LSATs and to work until Law School. Tyler is going to drive her up there and hopefully will date all of Alicia's roommates as well as Lindsey's new ones in the couple of days he is there!

Jacob is playing Little League. Lately he has been on first base and doing a fine job.

Aaron is finishing this semester at ASU. He plans to be finished up with school in December! Yeah! for him! He is doing a great job.

Alicia is finishing the semester and then moving into a house. Sadly for her, she and her boyfriend will be parting ways because he will be returning to Michigan to leave on his mission for the church. So, there will be new and wonderful things to come for both of them.

So, that is the update. I haven't been waxing very philisophical lately, and I haven't had time to write about my spiritual moments. I will try to focus on that later. Bye!

Just an update

I spent today cooking healthy food. Tyler is planning to go into the Air Force to finish his education. He has to lose 2% of his body fat to be eligible. I am trying to cut down my cholesterol and lose weight. So, today I steamed asparagus, steamed vegetables for Glens lunches to work, made fresh salsa, made cabbage salad and finally baked low sugar oatmeal/apple cookies. (lots of fiber is the key!) It is satisfying to get all of that done. Unfortunately, it won't last long around here. Groceries have gone up and so has the amount we consume with everyone home. But, I love the Fry's ad this week, I should save a bunch when I match everything up with my coupons!

Oh It is Wonderful, Wonderful to Me!

This has been a busy and wonderful Spring Break! On Monday, Tyler, Madalynn, Jacob and I drove to Clovis, CA to visit my mom and family. It was too short of a visit, but very nice. Tyler got to spend time and have an adventure with his cousin Kendal who also recently returned from a mission. Our drive home was long, because of bad traffic, but we made it.

Then, On Friday night, Alicia flew home for the weekend. She brought all of her laundry. It was fun to have her home. This was the first time she got to see Tyler, so it was great to have her home to see him, to be here for Easter and to hear Tyler speak in church on Sunday.

Saturday was a busy day because Jacob had Little League opening ceremonies, and a game. Then, we had family pix at 4:00 and came home and colored Easter Eggs and got food ready for Easter company. We sang a little Karaoke that night, except for me who is hoarse!

Sunday was a great day at church because many people came to hear Tyler speak. Well, actually some came for that, but the rest just came because it was Sunday and/or Easter. Whatever the reason, it was a packed house today. Tyler gave a beautiful, humble and heartfelt talk about our Savior. He spoke about how the third day of his misson in Belem, it was raining, he was hot and tired, and his feet hurt. He didn't know what anyone was saying and he thought that he just wanted to go home. He prayed in his heart for help and the Spirit spoke to him and said, "I wonder how many it steps it was for the Savior to the top of Golgotha as he carried his cross." Then Tyler thought to himself that he could keep walking a little furthur for the Lord. He told us how the gospel has changed him and how he has seen it change other people. He was so sincere and sweet in his testimony that I see why he had such success when he taught in Brazil.

After church, we came home and fed family and visited. It was very nice. We had to get Alicia to the airport as her flight left at 3:45. It was sad to see her go. The rest of us had a special Easter family home evening. I hate to see Spring Break end and to have real life begin again. I love being in my own world with just my family, friends and the gospel to keep me going. But, I am grateful that my kids have their strong testimonies of the gospel of Jesus Christ to help keep them safe out there in the world.

Old Age is Settling In.

My lab reports came back from my Dr. visit. They say I have high Cholesterol. I went to see my doctor today. I told him that I don't want to be on another pill. I want to try to change my diet and excercise to one that will help me lower my cholesterol natually. He says that my problem is genetic and that the natural method will not work. He is giving me until June to try to lower my numbers and see if I will believe him then that I need medication.
The medication that he wants to put me on is called Niaspan. It is a time release form of niacin, or vitamin B3. This medication is supposed to lower the ldl, raise the hdl and lower the triglycerides. So, I have been doing research on what foods are high in B3. Interestingly enough, they are mostly animal products: Chicken breast, Tuna, Salmon, Venison, liver and the exception is a certain kind of mushroom, which I hate, so I will stick to the chicken, salmon, etc. But, doesn't it seem odd that the things that lower cholesterol are the very things that they warn you will raise it? (Except salmon, which we all know is high in omega3.) It just goes to show that medical scientists don't really know what they are talking about.
By the way, the other really good thing for your cholesterol is psyllium seed husks. It is usually used to make MUCUS!

He's Home!

Tyler is home! He looks so great and he is so sweet and funny. We are really enjoying having him home. When Easter gets here, Alicia will be home too and we will all be together! He is speaking at church on Easter morning, at 9:00 AM if you can come to hear him. You will be amazed at him.

Four More Days!

Tyler will be home at 9:00 Wednesday morning!! What else is there to say? Alicia is coming home on Easter weekend, so we will all be here--the 8 of us! Tyler will be speaking on Easter Sunday. Lindsey is back home, too. All is well, all is well.

A yearly landmark event!

I just completed the last undecorating of Christmas. My children will be be surprised to hear this because it is not quite Easter. But, since Tyler is coming home in just 13 days, I have taken down the Christmas tins from above my cupboards and put up the usual decor with an additional Easter tin. You may now all applaud.

Change

Why is change so difficult and frightening. Even the smallest thing can throw me for a loop sometimes.

I just got off of the phone with the cable company. I am getting rid of Qwest and going all Cox. I am bundling the cable TV, changing from DSL to cable computer, and getting the Cox telephone service. It should save us quite a bit of money and they are making all of the changes free of charge. I will have to pay for the cable modem. But, overall, there should be a big savings. Not just a few dollars, but close to $50! And still I feel apprehensive about the change and hope that everything turns out the way I hope.

I don't think this fear has anything to do with a voice of warning or anything, it is just my own fears popping up. I work really hard to try not to be a worryer, but I have not been able to conquer this horrible trait that I have always had. Even when I received a new cell phone when my two year contract allowed it, I felt badly about not using my old phone which still worked perfectly well.

I worry about my children and I have to battle not making them feel less confident because of my own insecurities. It is rediculous and I feel like all of my worrying is manifesting a lack of faith. I want to be full of faith. If I were full of faith, I wouldn't be so concerned over the small and trivial things of life. For Pete's sake, if the Cox thing doesn't work out, I can always change things again, right? Philip. 4:12 for Pete's sake!

Lessons from Sunday School

These were actually quotes form Joel Osteen. (I am not sure how to spell his name, he is a radio personality.)

"Don't let anything steal your joy." and "Expect something good to happen everyday."

The first quote reminds me of a talk from Elder Bednar who spoke once about how we shouldn't choose to be offended and to get angry over small things. When we do, who are we really hurting besides ourselves? We allow those feelings to overcome the joy we should be feeling in our lives that comes through loving the Lord and knowing that he loves us. The joy that comes because of the hope that we have in the redemption and resurrection. If we will fill our lives with charity, the pure love of Christ, we will be filled with joy and nothing will be able to take it away.

The second quote reminds me of the Secret. If you have looked into that school of thought you may be able to see that the real Secret is to be filled with faith in God's promises that can be found in the scriptures. If we expect something good to happen everyday, it reminds us that our prayers are answered and our Heavenly Father is mindful of us constantly. This reminds me of Brother Stevenson's joke of the week:

He attended a religous parochial school as a child. One day in the lunch line, there was a basket of apples that had a sign which read, "take 1, remember, God is watching!" So he took one and as he went down the line farther, there was a basket of chocolate chip cookies. His friend turned to him and said, "take as many of these as you want because God is watching the apples!"

Valentine's Day was not created by card companies

This morning my single, adult son woke up and greeted me with, "Happy Singles Awareness Day." I thought that was pretty funny. Reflecting back on my single life, I remember how awkward Valentine's Day was when I had no one to share the love with. On the radio this morning, as I drove the kids to school, I heard the story behind Valentines's Day.

I didn't catch where this happened, somewhere in Europe during some past early century, there was a ruler who didn't believe that young men should marry because they would not be as good of soldiers. So, marriage for young men was outlawed. Valentine was a priest who would secretly marry these young men with their true loves before they were sent off to war. He was eventually found out and imprisoned. One part of the story that I don't understand says that he was in love with the ruler's daughter. I thought he was a priest. I am too lazy to look up the story myself, but perhaps you may want to on your own today. But since I am a proponent of true love, I thought it was a nice story.

However, one of the morning DJs wasn't buying the story and still believes that the holiday was created by women as a means of putting their men into bondage. That could be true as well, especially if these same women own the card companies!

Anyway, Happy Valentine's Day!

Things I learned in California.....

Lindsey and I drove to California this weekend. She is trying to make a move to Sacramento. She had a job interview there. So, we left on Saturday morning. I was to fly out on Sunday. We are letting Lindsey use the Durango for a little while until she can get settled and find a car of her own. Here is what I learned:

1. I have only been married for 28 years and not 29. I don't know when or how I lost count, but now I have to wait another year to go to Hawaii.

2. I am not very good at making plane reservations. When I went to print off my boarding pass for Sunday, I found out that I had made the reservation for Monday.

3. I don't enjoy traveling as much without Glen.

4. Kids are much more stressful to deal with when they are older than when they were young.

(I kind of already knew the last two, but they were re-emphasized this weekend.)

We Thank Thee, Oh God, For a Prophet!

On Sunday, Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley passed away. For him, it was such a blessing. He had spent most of his life in the service of his heavenly father and his fellowman. I know he is so happy to be reunited with his wife who died a couple of years before him. For me and other members of our church it is an emotional time to have someone so loved leave us. His nature was so endearing and kind. His words and works, so inspiring. I cannot do him justice with my words.

In my kitchen I have a wooden plaque hanging over the entrance to the family room that lists the six "Bs", given by Pres. Hinckley. They are: Be Grateful, Be Smart, Be Clean, Be True, Be Humble, Be Prayerful. He embodied all of these qualities and more. He was a true representative of how the Savior wants us to live. I have no doubt that he was truly called of God to represent him here on earth as our prophet and leader. Let me expound on that.

I am now at the age of having been around for a good many or the prophets. In the song "Latter-day Prophets", I have been around for all of the names in the last 3 lines of the song!

"David O. McKay was followed by Joseph Fielding Smith.

Then Harold B. Lee, Spencer W. Kimball, Ezra Taft Benson, Howard W. Hunter.

Gordon B. Hinckley shows the way. We hear and follow his words today."

Each time one prophet passed away and a new one was sustained, I prayed to know personally that this man was indeed the Lord's servant, the one meant to lead us and let man know God's will for us today. Each time I saw that mantle of authority almost literally cloak the man as he was set apart, ordained and sustained to lead this great work. I was given that peace and comfort in my heart to know that miracles still happen and that God has not left us alone in these modern days. He still speaks to his prophets and tells us what we need to know and gives us comfort in times of trial. Amos 3:7 "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets." I know this is true because I have found out for myself.

So, as my final tribute to President Hinckley, let me quote Paul, from 1Corinthians 14:3-4, "But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church." Pres. Hinckley's words were always words of edification, exhortation and comfort. I will miss him.

If you go to byu.org, you can see a slide show of him at BYU and hear excerpts of some of his speeches given there. They are awesome.

I was tagged by Lindsey!

Four jobs I've had:
1. cashier
2. water slide attendent
3. Bagger at a grocery store
4. Substitute Teacher
Four places I've lived:
1. Clovis, CA
2. Provo, UT
3. Wurzburg, West Germany
4. San Angelo, TX and a few other places besides Phoenix
Four movies that I love:
1. Sand Lot
2. Return to Me
3. White Christmas
4. All Cary Grant Movies
Four favorite foods:
1. Salmon
2. Chocolate
3. Shrimp
4. Strawberries
Four weird things about me
1. I fear almost everything
2. I am overly emotional
3. I have always wanted a strapless dress, even though I wouldn't really wear it because it is immodest.
4. I love dishes more than shoes.
Four favorite TV shows
1. What not to Wear
2. Dancing with the Stars
3. Don't Forget the Lyrics
4. Decorating Cents
Four places I'd love to go
1. Back to Germany
2. Hawaii (or back to Tahiti)
3. Japan
4. England
I tag anyone who even reads this

"Make me a blessing to someone today..."

I was telling Ruth about the Mitford series of books. So, I have begun reading the first one again. It is titled, At Home in Mitford, by Jan Karon. Besides the scriptures, these books are probably the most inspirational works I have read. My title to this blog is from the first page of the novel. Father Tim says this prayer each day. He says and does so many other things that make him a saint. And while I know that this is a work of fiction, I wish he were a real person that I could know and that I could be as Christ-like as he is. Not only does he know the scriptures forward and back, but he quotes Wordsworth with equal ease. He serves others willingly and is totally selfless. His utterances are almost always edifying and kind. The little town of Mitford is filled with such characters and character. There is always humor and there is so much that makes you want to nod your head in agreement. Here are some of his kind remarks to people:

To his less than affable secretary when she hads him a box of Little Debbies: "You are a pearl above price!"

When he walked into his friends' warm home: "A foretaste of heaven!"

And here is a little exchange that I just loved: Vet friend Hal talking to his wife, '"Tim has some heavy-duty stress to contend with. Holy Week, two Easter services, a Vermeer, a new dog the size of a Buuick, fourteen azaleas to get in the ground, and' he looked at Father Tim, 'there must be something else.'
'"A bone spur in my left heel,' he said, cheerfully" Don't you just love that?

So, I recomend the Mitford series to everyone. As I reread this post I see that I haven't done the book justice at all, so you will just have to take my word for it and read it yourself. I will end with one of Father Tim's favorite sayings which I would like to adopt as my own: Philippians four-thirteen, f'r gosh sake!

My Bucket List

My friend Ruth put up a bucket list question on her blog. Now I am really thinking about it and I have to post my own partial list:

1. Swim with the dolphins.
2. Sell this house and buy a dream house, (not necessarily a mansion) a house that is nice and comfortable and it doesn't need remodeling or fixining, but I can just live in it and have time to do other things. Of course, it will be furnished with exactly the right nice pieces of furniture, not make do pieces.
3. I want to serve a mission with my husband.
4. I want to spend 3 days at Disneyland. I love Disneyland.
5. I want to travel to so many places!

Well, this takes a lot of thought. So, I will have to add to it as thoughts come to mind.

I am getting too old to teach kindergarten!

Yesterday I taught kindergarten. It wasn't too bad of a day really. There were a couple of kids who could have done with one more year at home before starting school, but overall I thought it went well. Then at the end of the day, the principal came it to say that a parent had called and complained that I had left the kids out on the playground for a really long time in the afternoon. I was floored. In the afternoon, about an hour and a half after lunch, the kids were to go to music class. So, first we went to take a bathroom break. Then, after checking the time I saw that we had about 3 minutes left before our music time, so I lined the kids up and we played Simon Says for 3 minutes before going into class. They seemed to be having fun, and the child whose parent complained didn't have any problems at the time. What child complains that they got to be outside playing instead of in the classroom working? The other thing that baffles me is that this child arrived at school nearly 2 hours late that day because they hadn't woken up. I get the impression that this is not a one time event, but that it happens often.

I have found that there are some people who just look for things to complain about and for reasons to have drama in their lives. I wish that they would find some other way to fulfill this need than to stress me out. Now that this is off my chest, maybe I can continue with my life. Unfortuately, I have to teach this class again on Thurs. and Fri. Arghh! If only I could become independently wealthy...........

29 years and counting

These Pix are in the wrong order. The top one is at our reception. That is a light , not a bubble coming out of my nose. The pic below was taken on the night we were engaged. We are in my apartment in Provo. It was Oct. 4, 1979.

Before I wrote about the New Year, I should have written about our anniversary. On the 28th of December, Glen and I celebrated our 29th anniversary. Doesn't that sound amazing? It does to me because I can remember our wedding day and many other days since then as if they happened yesterday. In another way, it does feel like a long time, since when I look back, some of our memories feel like it was other people living our lives then from who we are now. Does that make sense? I guess that just means that we have grown and experienced a lot in 29 short years. Here is a short synopsis of these 29 years.

We were married 29 years ago in the Los Angeles Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After the wedding, we drove up to Clovis, CA. My sister Donna had prepared a wonderful lunch for us all to enjoy. Glen's family was there. We had a reception at the Gettysburg building that evening. It was terribly foggy that night, so it prohibited a very large attendance. But, it was nice. My Uncle Floyd sang and so did my past youth leader, Connie Bybee. We spent our wedding night at the Airport Marina Hotel, which is now named something else. The next morning, we went back to my mom's house and opened our gifts. Then, because my car needed a new radiator, we ended up driving to Phoenix with Glen's parents towing a little trailor with our gifts and a little furniture from my mom.

On New Year's Eve in Phoenix, we had an open house. It was well attended. It was held in Bishop Pottle's home here in Phoenix. Elsie Webster was here visiting her daughter Chris Mecham who was having a baby. She was the only person from home that I knew, and I was glad to see her. Finally, after that night, Glen and I drove his mom's Plymouth Valiant, a circa 1960 something orange car, on to Provo Utah.

In Provo, We had an apartment on State Street, next to the Beasley Monument Co., and across from the cemetary. I had graduated from BYU and needed to find a job. Glen had been going to school at BYU, but transferred to Stevens Henegar Business College hoping to finish more quickly. But, he was going to school on the GI bill, and they decided that they needed to council him before they sent him any more money. Unfortunately, It snowed badly, the worst storm in 50 years, and the Valiant wasn't very valiant. We walked most places and getting Glen to Salt Lake was not working. We also couldn't afford a phone. We had to walk to a pay phone to call our parents to borrow our $100 rent each month. Soon, Glen found a night time job as a janitor at the Orem Mall. He couldn't stand owing our parents money though, so one day he talked to the recuiter and re-enlisted in the army as a russian linguist

We moved to Monterey CA, then to San Angelo , TX and after that, Wurzburg, West Germany. That was when there was still the Berlin Wall. We saw the guards and wire and so forth. We lived there for two years, and that was where our first baby was born. After we left Germany, we finished the military life in Manhatten, KS. Since that time, we have lived in Phoenix, AZ, in three different places. This is where our other 5 children were born. I am trying not to continue to bore you all with the details, but they are vivid to me. I have truely loved my life with Glen. I can't say that we have never argued, but mostly we don't and I feel sorry for everyone who isn't us because we love each other so much and we feel so blessed. We are not rich and we don't live in a mansion, but I love what I have, and I am so thankful

For our anniversary this year, we went and ate at a very expensive Brasillian restaurant. It was awesome. We did it in honor of two of our sons, Aaron who served and Tyler who is currently serving as missionaries in Brazil. They are such great young men. All of my children make me feel so proud. The Lord has truely blessed us. I have felt His love in our lives throughout our marriage, and that is what I want for my children, because there is nothing better than to be married to a good companion who is spiritual, smart, strong and good. Everyone's lives should be filled with such love and I know the source of that love that is eternal. So, for this first 29 years, I give thanks to my Heavenly Father who has blessed me beyond my capacity to be worthy of those blessings. And I will end with this, I love you Glen.