School Registration

It's crazy to think I only have one more year of this. James is a senior, and Hannah is a junior. I don't know where the time went. 

The best part of registration was letting James go by himself. He was armed with a semi-blank check. I dropped him off just before 9 am and by 11 am we ran into each other at Fred Meyer. I think I'll make Hannah do that next year. 

Hannah's registration was uneventful, EXCEPT the Hannah JensOn and Hannah JensEn confusion. We had that last year, too, and it got really fun when they had a class together. Our Hannah was always getting call slips for the other Hannah until the office figured out that there was a small difference in their names. 

Last year and this year, this is what happened: 

We finally get to the table to get her locker. The man looks at her ID and types "Hannah JensEn" into the computer. 

Then he says, "We have a problem here. We already assigned you a locker." 

We say, "No, you didn't. Her name is spelled with an O-N." 

He says, "OH! I missed that." 

We say, "No worries. It happens all. the. time."

Funny thing is...it's only adults that have this problem. The kids never get mixed up. 

Proud Mama

Yes, I'm the proud mama of TWO college students...THREE counting Laney. Tim was accepted into the BYU-I Pathway program. He will be studying online and living at home while (hopefully) working! I think this will be very good for him. It's a way to spruce up his study skills and get ready for full-fledged college. 

Ya-hoo! Way to go, Tim!!!

Good music makes a huge difference!

This is what I listened to as I ran this morning. Music by "Jericho Road"

Song 1:
I'm always looking beyond the mark
I've been way too far away to clearly see
You gave me courage to open my heart
And find the strength
Deep inside of me. 

Song 2:
There is no end
There is no death
But a love that's big enough 
To cover every single step
There is no way
I will give in
Cause I can face tomorrow
If I know where to begin 
And as long as I have you
There is no end

Song 4:
It's time
To make the best of time
Just trust and you will find
There's something you can do
To make the best of time
You gotta understand
When you just reach out your hand
Someone's reaching out for you
Just leave your fears behind
It's time

I could have run farther, but decided that one minute longer than what was scheduled was enough. 

Sweet 16!

One day Tom and Ann decided to get married.

Tom said, “This is good.”

Ann said, “You know what would make it really good? Baby!”

Baby finally arrived.

Tom said, “I’m a dad!”

Ann said, “Look at that dimple!”

And they saw it was good.

Later Tom said, “Life is good.”

Ann said, “You know what would make it better?”

Tom said, “Baby?”

Baby finally arrived.

Tom said, “Another boy!”

Ann said, “He’s so sweet!”

And they saw it was good.

Still later Tom said, “Life is good, but could be better.”

Ann said, “I know.”

Tom said, “Baby!”

Baby finally arrived.

Tom said, “Another boy!!!”

Ann said, “Boys are nice, but I want a girl.”

And they saw it was good.

Baby was still a baby…

Tom said, “Should we try again?”

Ann said, “This time is as good as any.”

Baby finally arrived.

Tom said, “It’s a girl. I am complete.”

Ann said, “It’s a girl! I’m not alone in a house full of boys.”

And they saw it was PERFECT.

Happy Birthday, Hannah! I can’t believe you’re 16!!! We’re so glad you came to round out our family and fill it with sweetness and kindness. 

Emotional Week

I'm feeling very sad. 


First, Tom flew to Salt Lake City last weekend because his mom was not doing very well. He came home Sunday knowing that the end is near. The rest of the family is coming to terms with it. One brother in particular is having a rough time. As of today they are finding a nursing home that can take care of her needs. We'll be playing it by ear, day by day until the end. 


Second, we received word of yet another couple who is calling it quits after 20+ years of marriage. I feel so sad that they chose this route, sad for them to go through it. Tom is so sweet. He said, "Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere." We started saying that to each other several years ago, and it really helps sometimes...like now. 


And one lesson learned...


Rice, beans and vegetables DO NOT do the job when you're emotionally eating. 

Boy vs Girl

with camp preparation...


BOY (it's midnight and he needs to be at the church by 6 am to leave) "Mom, I need snacks, batteries for my flashlight, a rain coat, snow pants and some of those things to keep my hands and feet warm." 


GIRL (It's Saturday and she leaves for camp Tuesday at 10 am) "Mom, I need to do my laundry, go through my camp gear, go to the store for snacks and batteries."

Insights

Before I started running a certain message came to me through several different methods. It was that we have to push our bodies further than what we think they can do to show our bodies what they can really do. Having said that, it is important to do this carefully because we don’t want to push hard enough to cause injury, but it was an intriguing thought and I decided I needed to step up my workouts and start running. So I started a c25k program. The first day I ran 1.5 minutes, coming up short by 30 seconds, but the second day I ran all 2 minutes. And so it went, each day showing my body it could do more and more.

Sunday we were talking about trials (Mountains to Climb, by Henry B Eyring) and the thought occurred to me that Heavenly Father knows us intimately and He knows our potential. Trials are how He pushes us to show us that we can do more and be more. As we grow through our trails we aren’t proving anything to Heavenly Father. We are proving to ourselves that we are what He thinks we are. There have been many, many times in my life when I have thought that Heavenly Father thinks more of me than I think of myself…and I’m right. He really does, and He cares enough to help me see myself through His eyes.

****** 

A couple weeks ago we were reading the last chapter of Ether, and recently we saw the Manti Pageant. I was struck by how similar Mormon and Coriantumr felt. Mormon was a righteous man, but probably felt very disheartened, frustrated, pained and anguished by the fact that he couldn't get the people to listen and they were being destroyed. Coriantumr started out wicked, but repented. I imagine he felt the same feelings as Mormon, with an added measure of guilt and regret. I feel the same things only to a lesser degree in our day.

*******

One great lesson we get from Alma is the importance of burying our "weapons of rebellion." The story of the Anti-Nephi-Lehi people is a dramatic example of it. They needed to bury their swords and never take them up again because if they compromised even the slightest they would be on the road to destruction. If they said, "We can do it this time to defend ourselves" it would have been easier the next time and the time after that. 
My brother was a good example of this in my life. He gave up the drugs and was clean for 3 years, but ultimately he started compromising. "Oh, drinking coffee isn't that bad." "The guys are smoking. Just one won't hurt." And before we knew it he picked up his drug habit where he left off and he lost the battle. 
I think of myself. How does this apply? Can I really give up my sin one day and take it back up the next? How does that affect my future goals of eternal life?

 

********

In Sunday School the teacher had us read Alma 31:5 and asked what evidence Alma and the sons of Mosiah had that the word was stronger and more influential than the sword. The answers were interesting, but what impressed me the most was that these men in particular had seen how the word was stronger than the sword first hand. They had gone around persecuting the church until an angel appeared to them and told them to stop. The "word" was preached to them (again) and it changed their lives. 

In Relief Society the teacher talked about Ammon and his brothers as missionaries. She brought out the fact that they were prepared by studying the scriptures (so we should study to be prepared for missionary moments) and they loved the people (so we should love our neighbors before we try to teach them.) Both were excellent points. What impressed me as we talked was the fact that these men were with Alma when the angel appeared. Through that experience they repented and truly felt the love of God in their lives, and they had a deep desire to share God's love with everyone. That's what made them such successful missionaries. 

I'm on a roll...

This post belongs on both blogs. So if you read it here, you don't need to read it there. LOL 


I improved my time by one whole minute over last Friday's time. I ran 5 minutes!


I couldn't have done this even last year. At that time it was a stretch to walk three 5k's per week. This year I needed to step it up. I looked at my watch at 1:45 and was amazed. I was just starting to breath heavy. 2 weeks ago I couldn't go longer than 1:30.


Aunt Daryl will be happy! She is my inspiration and true support. At the age of 50 she looked at "my little mother lying in the hospital bed" with alzheimers and other health issues. Daryl didn't want to end up that way so she went to the store and bought running shoes. She started by walking past one house and then running past one house, and over time she got better and better. For several years she ran every weekend during the summer...5k, 10k, half marathons, full marathons. Now she is in her 80's and still gets around great. She doesn't regret learning to run when she was 50.


When I told Daryl I was going to start a couch to 5k program she was excited. Every few minutes she would turn to me and encourage me to do it. ha ha!


And I figure this fits right in with everything else. I started learning to swim and play the piano after I turned 40. Now I'm pushing 50, I guess I can start running.

Change is good

When I was younger I hated change. It made me uncomfortable, and I hated uncomfortable. Now I like change. I get bored if things don't refresh once in a while. That's really what change is...life being refreshed. New opportunities to learn and grow. New people to meet and get to know better. New routines. 


A couple days after our vacation I got the news that the stake was going to be reorganized, meaning all the ward boundaries would be changed. Speculation mounted all around me, but I've made it a habit to not speculate too much. I figured we'd end up with a new bishop (yep) and we'd end up with members of the other ward added in (yep), but I didn't expect to lose people. You would think I'd expect that, too, but I didn't. I hoped I could keep every sister we already had and just add new ones to the mix. 


So, they tossed the deck of cards into the air and when the dust cleared we had a new bishop and counselor, a new high priest group leader, a new elders quorum president, very few young men's leaders and half a relief society presidency. 


I'm going to miss ALL the sisters who were moved into the Colehaven Ward, from the ubber-talented, always dependable Relief Society counselor and secretary to the sweet sister who could correct us and still make us feel loved to the few I hadn't met yet. They all had a place in our ward and leave a hole. 38 sisters in all. That makes me sad. 


I'm really excited to meet the new sisters and get to know them better. I know some names and faces already since they have been in the "other ward" since we moved to Boise, but now I'll really get to know them. I'm excited to learn from them. 

The Good, Bad and the Ugly

As far as vacations go...the cruise was a ton better. 


First of all the bad...


Things really took a down turn when we arrived at the Manti temple grounds and ran into a man who was letter of the law and no leeway for anything else. It's one thing to stick to the rules. It's another to handle it in a tactless manner and leave the people feeling trodden upon. Not knowing any better we took a game on the temple grounds to pass the time. We had barely started playing when HE came by and very tactlessly told us to put it away. We all felt that he was looking down his nose at us and was appalled that we would even think about playing a game on the temple grounds. My question is...How is playing a simple game on the temple grounds any worse than hauling a pile of pizzas and grocery bags stuffed with snacks onto the grounds? They allow any snacks you want on the grounds, but not a simple game. Later, we were still sitting by the fence because our seats were still in the sun. The same man came by and got after Tom because he was sitting too far from the fence and in the "fire ease-way". For heaven's sake, he was sitting two feet from the fence and there was at least 6 feet between him and the other people in the area. 


Thank goodness for the man who came along behind that one. He walked up, and we were thinking, "Oh, great. Here we go again." He says, "I'm sorry. You can't lean against the fence...unless you want to." If he hadn't come by I was thoroughly tempted to leave Manti before the pageant even started. I had such a sour taste in my mouth from the whole thing. Later, I was sitting in my seat and watched a young mother playing "Go, Fish" with her small child. I prayed THE MAN wouldn't come give her a hard time. I was hoping, however, that he would come over and tell me to put my tatting away because it looked like I was flipping the bird. I had it all lined out. "Maybe that's because I am because you won't leave us alone." "This is more appropriate than eating pizza and other snacks on the temple grounds even if it does look like I'm flipping the bird." and "Well, I guess you have a problem because I'm not flipping the bird. Heavenly Father gave me this talent and I'm making an alter cloth for the temple." I would never think to play a game or have a picnic on the temple grounds under normal circumstances, but face it...they opened it up when they decided to perform a play on the grounds and allow snacks in. 


And that set the tone for the rest of the trip, and it was very hard to shake it. At least for me, it was easier to become irritated with stupid things for the rest of the time. 


The last challenge was getting Zena back from the kids. Poor communication in the beginning meant that we ended up driving all the way to Teton to pick her up. We ended up making a trip to Idaho Falls for dinner (since Rexburg is a holier than thou kind of place and nothing is open on Sunday... literally. Not even gas stations.) So, we left Teton at 7 pm and made it home by midnight. Pretty good considering we were slowed down by our gas gauge saying we were on empty even though we had just filled the tank. 


The Ugly...


The Dump Fire that started in Saratoga Springs/Eagle Mountain. It started about an hour before we left the Gruber's house for Manti and we worried about them and our other friends all weekend. My phone was dead so we couldn't call to see how they were doing. 

Taken by one of the Gruber's friends

Also, I burned my thumb and pointer finger while we were camping. I somehow manage to get burned at least once a year while camping. Those darned dutch ovens. This time it was the lantern. My cousin Lillian was amazed that I didn't cry out when it happened. That's just the way I am. I never cry out like that. The burns are second degree burns and actually didn't hurt all that bad. I've had first degree burns that hurt worse. The next day I was knitting and doing everything like normal. They are kind of ugly, but not painful at all and healing well. 

The Good..


Lots of visiting with friends and family. We stayed with Tom's sister for the first part of the trip. We were able to visit with them, Tom's brother, his mom and his aunt. We also met friends at Golden Corral in Orem and enjoyed time with them. When we were done there we went on BYU campus and played nerts for an hour because we didn't want to break up the party. These friends live in Georgia and happened to be in Utah at the same time we were. The husband went to high school with Tom, and the wife served in my mission. We also went to Tooele to visit a good friend from our old Salt Lake neighborhood. She is going through some tough times and it was good to visit with her and let her know we're here for her and supporting her. 

The Great Salt Lake

After a few days in Salt Lake City, we went out to Eagle Mountain to visit the Grubers. Sean had had a crazy couple weeks at work so he forgot we were coming, but was very happy to see us. Gordon was especially happy to see Tim. 

Then we went to the Manti pageant. It has been tradition since I was a girl to watch the pageant and then camp in the Manti city park. Some years it has been wall to wall tents, but this year there were only tents around the perimeter of the park. They told us it was because of being opening night. More people come the other nights. 

Hannah and James with "Robert"

This group of girls were chatting about the "hot guy" and then came over to talk to Tim. He thinks it's funny that the girls ignored James, but I say it's the Returned Missionary appeal. 

Another group came by and we had them do their question and picture with James instead of Tim.

Tim, James and Hannah with some actors

The Temple

Tom with Nephite girls

Tim with Nephite girls. He really doesn't like this photo because he has his arm around one of the girls. He felt uncomfortable doing it in the first place and then to find out she's only 14. Oh, no! 

The temple again

Tom is a fan of Ratfink and found out there's a "museum" in Manti. 

The temple from a distance

On the way back to Idaho we drove through Payson, Utah. My family lived in Payson twice. Once while I was in 5th through 9th grade and again while I was in college. I took the family past our second house and church building. This is the temple site for the Payson temple. It is 1/4 mile from our second house. 

Just getting started. 

I also took the family past our first house and the high school. (That's where the old "Footloose" was filmed.) I pointed out the junior high and sites where the old junior high and middle school and city pool used to be. I even showed them where the city library was while I was growing up. It was fun to visit the past. 

Here's the dump fire as we drove past on the freeway Friday.

Our final stop was the Bright Family Reunion. It was very relaxed and low key this year and wonderful! The tatted earrings were a hit, and I scored a copy of my cousin's artwork again. 

This was the first picture I got several years ago. She actually painted this one at the reunion.

In recent years Stephanie has brought several prints of something she has painted in the last year or two. 

This bag was made by Stephanie's sister Lillian. Several years ago she was running a race and wanted to make bags for the people who contributed to her sponsorship. She did such a good job on it!