Following through

After hours and hours of practice I finally played the song I have been working on at the music party last night. It is such a relief to have it over! I don't remember a time when I have been so nervous but despite the list of excuses I had ready to go I actually followed through on my goal and played the piano in public. I didn't want to go first but I wanted to play early so that I could relax and enjoy the rest of the performances, so I went second. All in all it went well. My hands were shaking so bad I'm surprised that I could play at all but I only messed up once. About 3/4 of the way through the song I hear "Papa Joe answer your phone. Papa answer your phone." which is the ring tone on Joe's cell phone. My mind went blank for a minute but I recovered by just playing part of the interlude and going on to the end of the song. Other than finishing, the best part was that no one noticed the mistake. Since they weren't familiar with the arrangement they had no idea that I left out an entire line! Now that it is over my family will celebrate never having to hear that arrangement of Away in a Manger again!

Winter Wonderland

Growing up in Wyoming I loved the change in seasons and nothing was more beautiful than the first snowfall of winter. Waking up to a world blanketed in pure white was one of my favorite things. (I admit that by the time the last snowfall came I didn't love it so much.) Since leaving Wyoming 23 years ago I have not lived anywhere that it snows in winter. Seven years in Santa Barbara - no snow, nine years on the central coast - no snow, four years in Vegas - no snow, 3 years in El Dorado Hills - one snowfall that melted by ten am and then this Monday SNOW!!! I woke up a little cranky at 5:30 for seminary but when I looked out the window and saw all the snow, joy filled my heart. So many memories! Best of all a snow day! I kid you not, 2-3" of new fallen snow and school was cancelled. No school or seminary for two days. The kids have had a great time sleddidng and snowboarding down the hill leading into our community, building snowforts in the park and snowmen all over the neighborhood. Here it is Thursday and the snow is still here. My own Christmas miracle! These pictures were taken at 6:30am before the sun came up.

The backyard

Backyard

Looking from our front yard across to the neighbors

View up the street

Peaceful changes

This past weekend we had Stake Conference. Our stake president was released and a new one was called. It was such a spiritual meeting and a sweet experience to feel the changing of the mantle with no fuss or contention. I think about other religions who have councils that meet and nominate people and those that actually have to campaign for leadership and I am grateful that we have revelation as to who Heavenly Father would have serve at this time. I am grateful to have been in the presence of two general authorities who shared their genuine love and concern for each of us, who shared messages of hope and direction. I am grateful to have the gospel in my life.

What was I thinking?

Last Monday night Kevin gave a great FHE lesson on setting S.M.A.R.T. goals. S - specific, M - measurable, A - attainable, R - realistic, T - timed. As he was sharing his lesson the piano was in plain sight and I knew my goal needed to be regaining the skills I have lost by not playing consistently over the last 18 months. I have always wanted to play the piano but had never felt like I had the time and being an adult I thought it was too late to learn. Then my dad inspired me by starting to take lessons in his 60's. If he could do it then I could do it. I found a teacher and have taken lessons off and on over the last 10 years. I had gotten to a point where I was actually playing songs that I once thought were impossible. I'd look at the music and think "really?" there are way too many notes stacked up there for me to figure out, but I was getting there. Then home school arrived and piano went by the wayside. Over the last couple of months I have felt like it was time to get back at it but had not done anything about it. After Kevin's lesson I made a commitment to myself that I would get started. The next morning I opened an email from a friend who has a holiday music party every December at her home. She invites family and friends to share their talents and have a fun evening of socializing and sharing in their love of music. Under the influence of Kevin's lesson I sent her a reply committing to play a song at the party. I know that I have a fear of playing in public and felt I needed to challenge myself to overcome that fear so I replied while I was still thinking about the lesson and before I could talk myself out of it. Playing at the party would fulfill most of the criteria - it makes the goal specific, measurable, and timed. The question is, is it realistic and attainable? I have not played in public because I don't have the confidence that I can do it without panicking and hitting the wrong keys. It is now Saturday and I have practiced everyday but I find myself wondering more each day - "What on earth was I thinking?"

Best way to start the day

I just got home from the most amazing seminary morningside. The topic was scripture study and the speakers were the students. 7 students had been asked to share an experience when reading the scriptures had helped them or made a difference in their lives, then the meeting was opened to the rest of the students to bear their testimonies. It was one of the most spiritual meetings I have ever been to. I am so grateful to be a part of seminary and to spend my mornings with these youth.

Super Ty!

Aren't his glasses supposed to come off in the phone booth?

Favorite Pictures from Alaska

Home Sweet Home!

After traveling 7978 miles in the last month I am finally home!

At the beginning of the month the kids pitched in and flew Joe & I out to Vegas for my birthday. It was a wonderful trip as I got to spend time with our kids and grandkids as well as some of my extended family. It was so fun to see Avery & Kaeden. They are growing fast and have such fun personalities! I got to spend my birthday with my daughters & their families, my mom & dad, two of my sisters, my brother & his family, Joe's sister Carol, as well as some of my nieces & nephews. Ryan (my nephew) got married the weekend we were there as well so we got to attend the celebration. It was so nice to be at a wedding that was NOT one of my kids!

I was home from Vegas for 3 days before heading up to Alaska to help Amanda move from Juneau to Denver. On the way to the airport Joe & I were in an accident which was a very "exciting" way to start the journey. Thankfully neither one of us were seriously injured which was the first of several miracles on this journey. The truck however did not fair as well and has been deemed totaled by the insurance company. Despite the accident and thanks to Brian's quick arrival I actually made my fliglht to Juneau on time.
The morning I left for Juneau I had expressed some concerns about the trip to Joe, upon arriving in Juneau Amanda mentioned that she was feeling some unease regarding our planned route. We decided to pray and both felt we needed to change our route and go a different direction. We called Joe and discussed it with him and then we called and changed our ferry tickets not knowing that this would be the first of three changes. We both felt at peace that we could now make the journey safely.
Amanda's car had broken down a couple of days before I arrived and since it is a Volkswagon they had to have the part shipped in to repair it. After two days of waiting and several promises by the auto parts store in Anchorage to deliver the part via express plane it still had not arrived. We were running out of time to make it to Denver on schedule. Miracle #2. After some very sincere prayers we got a call from the repair shop that despite being assured that the part had not arrived on the morning plane, the airport was now calling to let them know that a package had been found in the terminal addressed to them. It was her part and we were told we could pick up the car at 10:30am. At 3:30 we boarded the ferry and said good-bye to Juneau. Alaska is a rugged and beautiful area. It was in many ways awe inspiring and I wish I had had more time to explore.

After 2.5 days on the ferry we arrived in Canada and began the 1789 mile drive to El Dorado Hills. I learned what it meant to pray unceasingly as we encountered bad weather, and treacherous mountian passes on unfamiliar roads in a foreign country. The scenery was breath taking at times and so was the drive! I admit to being grateful when we crossed the border back into the United States and felt a sense of peace at being "home". It took us 2.5 days to make the drive and we were in El Dorado Hills less than 24 hours before we headed back out on the road to get to Denver. This time around we had Joe & Kaitlin with us. After another 2 days of driving we arrived in Denver at midnight, unloaded Amanda's belongings and were back on the road by 1:30am to head home as Joe had to be at work Saturday night at 7pm. After 10 days, 6778 miles, 4189 of which were by car I am grateful to be sleeping in my own bed again!

I am grateful for the safety of our journey but most of all for the presence of our Heavenly Father with us. I know Joe & I were protected during the accident. I know that Heavenly Father produced the part for Amanda's car. I know that He watched over Amanda and I as we drove alone through Canada and the northern states, and I know how much I value the priesthood in my life. I have come to take it for granted as I have Joe, Brian & Greg in the house but I realized on this trip how much it means to me to have the priesthood constantly available. Part of the reason Amanda & I both felt uneasy was that we are used to having constant access to priesthood protection. We knew we would be without that for several days and it concerned us. We learned that while we did not have immediate access to the priesthood we did have immediate access to Heavenly Father. He accompanied us throughout the journey and reassured us that even though we thought we were alone we in fact were not.

Gotta love nature . . NOT!

Today I was leaving to take Kelly to work and noticed a guy on a bike at the end of my driveway. As I pulled out he was waving and pointing behind me. I thought maybe there was a small dog or a toy in the street so I rolled down my window to see what he was worried about - no dog, no toy, just a 3-4 foot rattlesnake!!!! It was heading right for the driveway. I called Katie in the house and told her not to let Tyler, Kevin or the dogs outside. I stopped at our neighbors house and asked him if he could take care of it since Joe, Brian and Greg were all gone. Being the wonderful guy that he is, he and his wife headed straight for the house to solve the problem. After a little snake wrangling Renee pinned it down while Vearl beheaded it. Thank heavens for great neighbors!! The guy on the bike did suggest that I just run over it and kill it but I couldn't do it. I don't know if that would have killed it or not but it would have bothered me too much. I feel bad enough having asked Vearl to do it but there are so many little kids in the neighborhood as well as dogs it had to go. :(

One week down . . . thirty-six more to go

We made it through the first week of seminary. Yea!!! I do admit that this morning when the alarm went off I was looking for someone to remind me that I was excited about this on Monday. It is surprising how quickly the kids get into the flow of things. Monday and Tuesday were crazy but by Wednesday we were calming down and on Thursday I actually got to sit down and get some scripture study done. Thursday by 7:10 all but 4 kids were in the building and in the classrooms they belonged in but today was obviously Friday! We had a handful of kids absent and several who came in late. Oh well four days in a row of no absences and very low tardy count is great!

Kevin redeemed himself nicely by being up and ready to go the rest of the week as well as becoming the first of ten kids to pass of a scripture mastery scripture the first week. He passed one off on Wednesday and another one on Thursday. Kaitlin passed off her first one today. Life is good.

And we're off!!

Seminary started today and the principal's son was not in attendance. Yes, that would be Kevin. Since Kevin moves very slowly in the mornings I asked him to set his alarm for 4:30am so we could be out the door by 5:30. He argued that he did not need that much time to get ready etc, etc. I reminded him that he had to get himself up as he is now in high school and no one else was going to take responsibility for him. I came downstairs at 5:20 to get my things together and found Kaitlin ready but Kevin was no where to be found. He had not gotten up despite his alarm going off repeatedly. As Kaitlin and I were heading out the door he came stumbling out of his room but it was too late to wait for him. So out of 10 kids he is the first one to miss his first day of seminary. He also holds the dubious distinction of being the only one not to get himself up and ready to go on his own. I am so grateful for kids who for the last 16 years have gotten up on time and not fussed about attending seminary, most especially Riley, Kelly & Kaitlin who had to set their alarms a full hour earlier than they were used to once I was called as principal. Not one of them complained, they simply got up earlier and got ready so that I could be there in time to fulfill my responsibilities. I should state here that I owe my mom a huge apology for having to force me to attend my first day of seminary! Sorry mom, and thanks for making me go. It made a huge difference in my life.

Other than having to leave Kevin home things went smoothly. We have five classes meeting at our building, two at 6am and three at 7am, but today they all met at 7. Last year Kelly & Riley took roll for me while I met with the teachers for prayer meeting. This year I left the roll with Kaitlin, when I came back Kaitlin handed me the roll and said "I can't handle this, it's too overwhelming!" In her defense approximately 110 kids arrived between 6:55 and 7:05. After some minor chaos we got them all in the correct classrooms.

As crazy as it sounds I am glad to be back at seminary. There is something about being around so many amazing kids filled with excitement so early in the morning! I also have no doubt that I will need someone to remind me of this statement in the weeks and months to come.

Catching up

The week before Kevin & Kaitlin's birthdays Kaitlin was complaining that she had never had a birthday party and had decided that since she was 16 and had never had one there was no point in starting to have them now. While it is not true that she has never had a party she got one this year anyway. The week after their birthdays we had a surprise party at a neighbors house for both of them. They had a great time swimming and playing games, we redeemed ourselves as parents and were moved from the deadbeat parent column into the okay parent column for at least one night. Katie and Brian took care of the cake for us by making cupcakes that looked like hamburgers. They turned out great as always and everyone loved the idea.

In an effort to keep on top of things with the kids I have set up a facebook page but I use it about as often as I blog so it will be a challenge to keep up with everyone and what is going on. Hopefully I will get better at both.

After spending two months in Alaska with Amanda, Kelly has arrived back home. She loved the scenery, went hunting - saw a bear, went fishing - caught a 13lb salmon, and ate it! Fell in love - and out of love, and generally had a busy two months. We are happy to have her home safe.

One of Ty's favorite things

Motorcycle rides with Papa

Ridin' bikes is serious business!

Growing up

Kevin & Kaitlin both celebrated their birthdays last week. Kevin turned 14 and Kaitlin 16. My mom also celebrated her birthday last week but I don't think she would appreciate my sharing her age here!

Pulling candles out of his Banana Cream Pie

We were adventurous and made Baked Alaska for Kaitlin

The light dawns! Kaitlin finally realized her gift was a facebook account.

4th of July

We had a relatively quiet 4th this year. Our neighborhood has a party at the park every year with a bike parade for all of the kids. Tyler rode his bike about 100 feet and decided that was enough, he went straight to the park and waited for the fun to begin! It was a nice calm day with our neighbors and then back home to crash for awhile. Greg & Carinna decided to run a quick errand and found a rattle snake under their car. That was our excitement for the day. Joe & Brian were able to get it in a cooler and relocate it to a vacant field away from the neighborhood. The snake was about 18" long and had 4 buttons on the rattle. Needless to say we are all much more cautious outside and keep a closer eye on Ty when he's out of the house.

Ty dressed in red, white & blue riding his bike at the park on the 4th.

Directionally challenged

We decided to get out of the house today and settled on a drive up Hwy 50 to see some local waterfalls and have a picnic. Looking online we found several waterfalls in the area but I had to laugh as I read the information. One of them actually said that if you could see the falls they would be rated a 9 or 10 but since you can't see them due to too much tree cover they couldn't recommend them and the trail up is so steep that a fall would mean certain death! If you can't see them how do you rank them a 9 or 10 and if you slip on the trail it means certain death why on earth are they listed on the website? Another description of different falls said that they were spectacular but again you can't see them! He found them by looking on Google earth and then used his GPS to find his way there. There is no trail to follow and you have to cut down brush cover on top of which the hike is so steep that it is rated dangerous. He does not recommend you try to find them but if you decide to go anyway download his directions and take your GPS so you don't get lost in the woods! Again why are these falls listed on the site? We decided on a much easier journey and chose two waterfalls that are easily accesible. We found Bridal Veil Falls with no trouble as it was right on the road. However, Jay Bird Canyon Falls proved a bit more elusive. The instructions seemed very simple, turn left on Peavine Ridge Rd and go 11.9 miles to the falls. What they left out is that 3 miles up Peavine Ridge Rd there is a fork in the road with no signs to indicate which way the falls are. Having a 50/50 chance we went right but it turned out we should have gone left. If you remember correctly from the hike to Hidden Pond we turned left when we should have turned right! Thankfully this time we were driving and not hiking. We ended up at a very beautiful campground but there were no falls anywhere to be seen. Since Greg & Carinna had to be back by 4 we gave up on searching for the falls and had lunch down by the river before driving back home. It was a really beautiful drive and reminded me why I love living in this area.

Wild flowers by the river

Kevin & Kaitlin rock hopping along the river

Carinna & Greg enjoying lunch

Dad & I by Bridal Veil Falls

Bridal Veil Falls

Missin' my goofy girls

Looking through pictures the other day I came across a file of pictures from a couple of trips we took a year or two ago. The girls were having a lot of fun just goofing off with Alex's camera. Since they are all gone now (except Kaitlin) it brought back lots of fun memories and laughs. Miss you guys!

All by myself!

Almost all of my posts that contain pictures have been fixed or worked on by Andrea, Riley or Katie but today I changed my background and all of the details by myself! Yea! I am finally getting this (or so I think.)

Wake up call

This past week was girls camp for our stake. Friday was the last night of camp and the girls had the usual end of camp testimony meeting. Our stake president and his wife were there and spoke to the girls as well as bore their testimonies of Christ and the gospel. On the way home at about 2am President Wood and his wife were in an accident. Kathy died instantly and President Wood is in a coma in critical condition. Needless to say our entire stake is in shock. What a reminder that we never know how much time we have here. Today at church one of my friends who is related to them and knew them well made the comment that if anyone was ready to go it was Kathy. She had her life in order and truly loved Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. What an astounding comment and compliment. It made me take a step back and ask myself am I ready? Would those who know me best say the same thing? I am so grateful for a lovnig Heavenly Father who watches over us and gives us opportunities to learn and grow. Our hearts go out to the Wood family.

A few of my favorite things

We love to camp but have not had time to get away so we decided to take a day hike instead just to get out in nature for awhile. Last week we decided to hike out to Hidden Pond on the Dead Truck Trail (don't you just love the name?) which was supposed to be a 5.3 mile moderate hike, however we took a wrong turn at a fork in the trail and ended up hiking an extra mile and a half by the time we were done. To be away from the noise of life and enjoy some of God's creations was such a blessing. Here are some of my favorite pictures from that day.

Kaitlin, Katie, Kevin, Brian, Tyler & I on the trail

The view across the ravine

Brian helping Katie down from the trail to Hidden Pond - yes it was as steep as it looks

You can onlly see this waterfall by climbing down from the trail and crossing the rocks surrounding the pond. Definitely worth the trip!

Looking down the river away from the pond

Kevin & Kaitlin debating whether or not to put their feet in the icy water

Tyler & Gran enjoying the view & the sun

Tyler with Papa Joe & Tank

Our cover girl Katie ready for her closeup

The water was very cold & Tyler wouldn't put his feet in but his head was okay!

Brian & Tyler putting shoes on to begin the climb out

The only way out is up!

Even though we were all sore for the next few days it was a wonderful day. I'm so glad we went.

Quiet house

We are down to six in the house which is funny if you think about the fact that 25 years ago we added Greg and became a family of six. It has been 13 years since there were only six of us in the family. 1996 began our journey with foster care and adoption, our house has been filled to capacity and often overflowing ever since. Greg & Carinna have both started online classes so they are out of sight most nights, Brian, Katie & Ty are still in Idaho hanging out at the ranch, Riley has moved into her dorm and is beginning college life in Rexburg and Kelly has moved up to Alaska to become an Eskimo with Amanda, so the house feels pretty quiet. If we could get Tank & Harley to quit barking everytime they hear a noise the silence would probably be deafening!

Britt and Derek's Wedding

(click on the pictures to enlarge them)

Joe and Brittney before the wedding

Walking down the "aisle"

Bonnie, Brittney, Derek, and Joe

Avery, Brittney, Kaeden, and Tyler

Kaeden and Great Grandma Johnston

Kaeden and Great Grandpa Johnston

Bye-bye Ri-Ri

So Riley is all grown up (or at least pretending to be) and has headed off to college. After attending Britt's wedding she headed off to Idaho with Katie & Brian for a two week stay at spa Smith, aka Katie's parents house in Preston, after which Brian & Katie will take her over to Rexburg & get her moved in to her dorm. Classes begin on June 4th and I know she will be a wonderful addition to BYUI. Here are some of the things we will miss most about Ri Ri:

1. Her mischievious smile
2. The wicked glint in her eye when she's up to something
3. Her willingness to help with anything
4. Her company
5. Her sense of humor
6. Her "professional" driving skills
7. Her help in understanding what's funny and what's not
8. Phil
9. Her loving nature
10.Her example

Good luck at school. We love you Ri!

Weddings, weddings & more weddings

So we have now survived our third wedding in 7 months. I would love to say that I hope we are done for the rest of the year but everytime I voice a comment along those lines I am proven wrong! Brittney and Derek's wedding was beautiful. They chose a really beautiful location in St. George UT where we were joined by family and friends. It is always a sweet experience to be with those closest to us on special occasions whether in person or in spirit. Hopefully I will become more competent at adding pictures to my posts and you will all get to see how nice things turned out for both Brittney and Alex.

Something's wrong here

Living in a family with 10 kids 7 of whom are girls you get used to seeing lots of girls and ony a couple of boys sitting around the table. The other night at dinner I looked around and realized that Carinna & I were the only girls at the table with Joe, Brian, Tyler, Greg & Kevin. It felt really strange to be in the minority!

To walk or not to walk continued. . .

So I walked! Yes I actually made the entire 13.2 miles!!! It took me 3 hrs 46 min which is not too bad all things considered. Kevin & Riley ran it in 2.5 hrs, Kaitlin walked it in 3 hrs 30 min, Brian & Katie finished in 3 hrs 40 min, and Joe finished in 4 hrs 5 min. Somewhere between mile 5 & 6 Joe & I split up which left me on my own on the trail. It was a really beautiful area and I enjoyed the scenery but somewhere between mile 8 & 9 I had to start convincing myself I really could do it and if I just kept putting one foot in front of the other the finish line would eventually appear. By mile 10 I was making up silly rhymes to keep my mind off the pain in my hips and legs. By mile 11 I was starting to feel the joy of knowing I was going to make it and nothing was as sweet as seeing the finish line and knowing I could stop and rest! We were all sore Saturday night but we all survived. It is amazing what we can accomplish when we put our minds to it. We had a good time as a family and it was fun (yes I said fun) to do it together. Reflecting back on it and being asked why on earth I would do it I think I just needed something to push me forward right now. It's been a difficult year and I needed to find out if I really could do something hard. Did I still have the ability to get outside of my comfort zone and succeed. It is nice to know the answer is yes.

Life's Greatest Joy

This past weekend we had the opportunity to take Alex through the temple to receive her endowments and be sealed to Nick. Nothing in life can compare with being in the temple with your kids. Brian, Katie, Andrea, Todd, Greg & Carinna were all there with us. Amanda was there in spirit but was not able to come in from Alaska to be there in person and we missed her as well as aunts, uncles and grandparents who we love. The weather was absolutly beautiful which was nice as it had been bitter cold and raining earlier in the week. Heavenly Father truly blessed us with a wonderful day. Nicks family all came down from Idaho which was really nice. It was a fun experience to meet Alex's mother in law in the dressing room in the temple! We had lots of fun, lots of love and most of all lots of joy. Katie & Brian once again stepped up to bat and pulled off all the decorations, food, and photography. Everyone pitched in to help set up & clean up. It always amazes me as I watch the kids pull together to help each other out how much they have grown and the love they have for one another. Saturday as I reflected on the day I realized that exactly nine years ago on April 18th we were sitting in a court room signing the final adoption papers and Alex legally became our responsibility. How fitting that nine years later to the day, she legally became Nick's responsibility!

Entering the 21st Century

I have had the same glasses for the last 4 or 5 years and have noticed over the last few months that when I put them down on a counter, bookshelf, table, etc. I can't find them. They are frameless and blend right into whatever surface they are on. I find myself running my hands across the surfaces hoping to bump them so I can find them. I'm sure it is an amusing sight and makes it appear that my sight is worse than it really is. I should probably explain that I need them for distance and take them off in order to read which means they are off on a regular basis. Since I needed a new perscription I decided that it might be time for new frames that I won't lose when I put them down. Joe helped me pick the new ones and assured me they look great. When I came home with them Greg said "wow, welcome to the 21st century mom". They are so different that I do a double take every time I see them in a mirror. I end up laughing and wonder if they are really "me". Since my insurance only allows new frames every other year I have plenty of time to get used to them. Riley and I tried to get pictures of both sets but it didn't work too well so you'll just have to use your imagination! The new frames have wide black arms and have black along the top edge. They are not quite the shape of cat eye lenses but they're close.

So now that I posted four in one day can I be lazy for four months??

Conference

I loved conference. I am so grateful to be a member of the church and have the opportunity to hear from the Prophet and apostles on a regular basis. No matter what is going on in life there is something in the conference talks that brings comfort, peace & hope. My new quote comes from Elder Neil L Anderson's talk as he quoted President Monson. There seems to be a running theme in my quotes regarding challenges and having the strength to get through them. Our family seems to be going through a time of growth and learning which means challenge and struggle. It will be interesting to see what quotes I am drawn to as different challenges pass and new ones arrive.

To walk or not to walk

Katie found out about a half marathon in May which we are planning on doing together as a family. Some of us will run (obiviously not me) and some of us will walk. I am hoping to get clearance from the Dr this week to participate. Right now I have permission to do training walks but she won't clear me to enter until the lab tests come back. Last week I walked 2.8 miles on Monday and 2.25 on Tuesday then spent Wednesday and Thursday down and pretty much non functioning. By Friday I was regaining some strength & energy. This week I think I will try walking every other day and see if I can handle that better. Whether or not I get to participate I am excited for everyone else. I think it is going to be a great opportunity for Riley to see what she can accomplish before heading off to college the first week of June. I also think Kevin will excel and it will bring him a measure of self assurance. He continues to struggle in school and was recently "excused" from science and math. His caseload teacher is also his constitution & history teacher. She really likes him and loves his quirky personality. She is the only teacher who has not "excused" him from attending class on campus. When I was meeting with her to get the teachers editions for the math I will now be in charge of she asked about my health and I mentioned it may be chronic fatigue, she asked if I was sure is wasn't chronic Kevin!

My how time passes

As is blatantly obvious I am not getting better at this blog thing. It has been a tremendously busy and crazy time around here and I recognize that the more stressed I feel the more private I become. It is hard to write to an unknown audience and express daily ups and downs. I am still fighting almost constant fatigue. The Dr is now checking for vitamin deficiency which I am hoping for as the alternative at this point is chronic fatigue syndrome. I cannot imagine feeling like this everyday for the rest of my life.

New quote

I just changed my quote yesterday but had to change it again today. I signed up for an online seminar through Time Out For Women. Today I "attended" the first session with Sherri Dew. I really need this right now. The topic for this session is the Divine Influence of Women. In the midst of current challenges I often question my ability as a mother to guide the kids in the right direction. I love the quote from Abigail Adams about needing difficulties to form good character. It was a good reminder that instead of praying for things to be easier and trials to be lightened I need to pray that they find their true strength through their trials.

Newly employed

Since Kelly & Riley have graduated from high school and have nothing to occupy their time til college begins we have "forced" them to join the ranks of the employed. They have been fortunate enough to find jobs this week. Kelly will be working at Solare, a tanning salon. The question now is will she save for school or will she tan instead? Since it will be obvious to all of us what her choice is we hope she will opt for college funds. Riley is now working at Subway. She started training on Wednesday of last week and then had her first day on Thursday. Here's how it went: she was scheduled to work from 1:30-5 at the Raley's location. The manager calls at 9:30am & says he needs her at the Safeway location asap, she says "ok". She comes and tells me she needs to go to work but I am in the middle of a lesson with Kevin and cannot just drop it at that moment. Brian is up to his elbows in glue getting sets and props ready for that nights roadshow. Greg, Carinna & Katie are not at home to take her. She says it's okay since her one and only uniform is in the washer! I ask if she let the manager know it would be close to 2 hours before she could get there as they had just started the washer, she said she let him know she'd be there in "awhile". The washer finishes and we hear her starting the dryer with only her uniform. We ask her to put the whole load in so the laundry can be kept going. About 15 minutes later we realize she has disappeared. We finally find her in her bathroom blow drying her pants with the hair dryer. On the way to drop her off Brian asks what time she will be done, her response: "I don't know." She did not ask how long she was supposed to be there nor did she find out if she was still supposed to work at the other location in the afternoon. She calls me at 1 and tells me the manager just walked in and said he needs her at the Raley's location right now. Once again Brian nor I can just drop everything and run. About half an hour later I finally get free and head out for her (keep in mind the store is 20 minutes from home). She calls to let me know she is in front of Safeway and not at Subway. I ask if her boss is aware that she does not have her own car and that she would have to wait for a ride between locations. She says she's not sure. I let her know this is the one and only time I will be transferring her from one store to another in the middle of the day. By the time I get her to the Raley's location it has been almost 90 minutes from the time she called. Her boss thinks she went straight there as she left Subway right after he came in! That night on the way home from roadshow I ask if she works the next day, she tells me that she doesn't know. She has only been hired as a relief worker and will not have a set schedule. They will only call when they need her. As the conversation continues it comes to light that not only will she not have a regular schedule but he had asked her if she could do transfers and she said yes not knowing that he meant going from store to store during the day. Then she tells me that he told her he didn't need anymore employees but since she was honest with him about leaving for school in June he decided to "squeeze" her in as a relief person! Remind me again why I made her get a job????

Saying goodbye

It has taken me two months to be able to write this post. Over the years I have come to understand that there are pet people and non pet people. We are pet people, more specifically dog people and even more specifically English Bulldog people. The first night Katie met our family her impression was that we were a nice enough family but we loved our dogs WAY too much. That sums us up pretty well so when we lose one of them it hurts. Just before Christmas we had to put Brutus down. Anyone who knows Brutus knows that he was a bit psycho. He was definitely a case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hide. He was one of the funniest and most loving dogs we have ever had but at the same time he could turn in a heartbeat and snap for no reason. At one time or another we have all been bit by him but we all accepted that that was life with Bru. We dealt with it because it was such a small part of him and the rest made up for it. However, as the numbers in the house increased he got more touchy and unpredictable. Having a baby in the house we just could not risk anymore problems and since he has a bite history we had to put him down. So here we are two months later finally able to say goodbye without completly breaking into sobs (just a few tears now). We miss his happy dance when we walk in the door, his soulful eyes as he silently plead for attention, his pushing himself between Joe & I or Brian & Katie on the couch, his mischieveousness as he dumped the toy box all over the floor to find his favorite ball, his invitation to play bow, his thinking he was a lap dog and plopping himself on us to watch tv, but most of all we miss his company. He brought lots of love and laughter into our lives and we miss that.

Off to school

Talking with my mom this weekend she asked about Riley's college applications. I thought I had sent an email or put this info up already but apparently in the midst of shoehouse chaos I did not. Riley has been accepted to both BYU Idaho and Southern Virginia University. She has decided to attend BYU-I. She put down that there were no restrictions on her schedule so they assigned her the spring/fall semesters and gave her a start date of April 16th. Since Alex is getting married here on the 18th Riley will be deferring her start date until June. We are all very excited for her.

Raising the bar

On Friday the seminary co-ordinator met with me to go over my responsibilities as the seminary principal. Turns out that our building has the worst tardy rate of all the seminaries in the area and he is hoping I can do something about it. Right! I spent the weekend contemplating different ideas to inspire the kids to come on time. Over half of the kids come in after 7:15. I discovered that the kids think seminary starts at 7:10 not 7:00 so they think 7:15 is okay. I wanted to find a way to help them that would be fun and motivating, hoping that would give us a better chance of success. So today I presented the plan to raise the bar. Starting next week I will be taking roll at the door. Each of the kids will have to check in with me as they come in the building so I will get to know them by name and know which class they are in. Tardy's will be counted starting at 7:05. The classes are divided by grade with the freshman in one class, sophomores & juniors together and seniors in their own class. For the month of March they will compete as classes to see which class will have the lowest number of tardies. That class will get a reward breakfast at the end of the month. Since some of the kids will come on time and end up not getting the breakfast due to others in their class, in April we will be rewarding individual students. Those who come on time for March and April with no tardies for 2 months will be treated to breakfast at the end of April. Believe it or not they did not stone me for this. Quite a few of them liked the idea, then there was the lukewarm crowd who may or may not participate, and of course the "no way am I doing that" group. I don't know how this will go but we are giving it our best shot for now. Talking with the teacher that I had subbed for in November I commented that I wasn't sure I was the right person to get this done. She replied that I was the only person who could get it done as I already have a reputation for being strict. I wasn't sure how I felt about that but Kelly assured me that it was a good thing. In the meantime any of you who have suggestions on how to motivate and inspire teenagers to be on time please let me know!

Learning to embrace . . .

The last few months have been one challenge after another. There are times when I have wondered what's up with this? Can we not get one finished before the next one drops on us? How many things can we handle all at once? Enough already!! But as usual Heavenly Father has a different plan. For whatever reason He seems to think we are capable of handling all of this at once, so we are trying to trust and accept that answer. Last week I could feel the discouragement setting in, not just with me but it seemed to permeate the entire household. As I reflected on where we are and how long we've been there I realized that we are going to have to find a way to embrace these challenges and not just endure them. Instead of just trying to survive hoping that time alone will push us through we need to take an active role in the process. What is it that Heavenly Father would have us learn? What areas do we need to grow? How can we find joy in this particular journey? As I have prayed more deeply and sincerely, tried to be more diligent in my scripture study, been more on top of my callings and looked for ways to be of service to others I have felt better. While no answers or relief have come, I have felt peace and reassurance that all will be well. I just have to be patient and let Heavenly Father work on His time frame instead of trying to convince Him to use mine.

Definitely celebrate!

Eight down - two to go!!! Riley & Kelly have both graduated from high school. YEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Kelly officially graduated on January 30, 2009 & Riley graduated February 12, 2009. Congratulations to you both!!!

Riley Kelly

To celebrate or not to celebrate . . .

As previously mentioned Riley & Kelly are turning 18 - tomorrow in fact. I am uncertain whether or not this is something to celebrate. We have been listening to the "when I am 18" speeches for weeks if not months now so I'm sure that the rollercoaster ride is about to commence. Since they are number 7 & 8 in line to turn 18 you would think I'd have this down, but I am not looking forward to watching two more navigate the minefield of young adult life. We are taking odds on how long it will take before they realize that turning 18 does not mean total freedom from responsibility but in fact the exact opposite as we move from the manager role to the consultant role and they begin to take responsibility for their lives. Anyone want to step in and oversee this process for the next few years? We'll take them back when it's over!

Amazing people

I am truly blessed and surrounded by amazing people. Kelly really wanted an 18th birthday party which Joe nor I were up to planning and carrying out so our trusty live in helpers (Brian & Katie) took the reins and put together a Survivor themed party for the girls. I am always blown away by Katie's talent and dedication to anything she works on. She made an amazing Tiki mask cake, shopped at every party store in the region for tiki torches and other Survivor theme items, went online and found a variety of games for the kids to play as well as created an invitation with the Survivor logo on it. Brian took the reins in the kitchen and made kabobs, and virgin pina colada's, and strawberry daquiries. We were all amused when in the middle of the party Kaitlin asked "are these virgin drinks?" No Kait we are getting you all drunk! They planned the party for the weekend before their actual birthday so they could have the traditional family dinner on their day. Everything was geared around being outdoors - but mother nature took control and provided some much needed moisture for two days. I was in favor of leaving it outdoors - it was Survivor after all - but I was voted out as no one else wanted a bunch of wet muddy unhappy girls & guys on their hands so the party was moved indoors. Despite some party crashers, some jumping on the couch (yes the guests were 17 & 18) and throwing the candy from the pinata hard enough that I was washing it off the walls the next day, the party was a success. Thank you Brian & Katie for once again stepping up and making life wonderful!

How do you do it?

As is obvious by the time between posts I am not very good at blogging! I think about it often but for whatever reason just don't follow through. I guess a part of me still struggles to put things out in cyberspace. It is much easier to talk face to face or to specific individuals by email than it is to just "journal" to an unknown audience. As I read other blogs so many of you seem so at ease with this, how do you get there?

Totally Ironic!

Monday I got a call asking me to meet with a member of the stake high council on Tuesday evening. So I spent the rest of the day and most of Tuesday wondering what I was going to be asked to do. I have served in a variety of stake callings over the years so I have some idea what they entail. I was trying my best to be positive and feel that whatever it was I could handle it among all the many stresses and challenges that currently exist in my life, but I was losing that battle. On the way down to the stake center I kept praying that I would just be humble and accept whatever calling they extended, at the same time praying it wasn't going to be the cannery again. Much to my surprise I have been called to be the seminary principal at our building! Considering the post from a few months back when I subbed in seminary and had a less than stellar experience I had to laugh at the thought that I would now be responsible to oversee the teachers and students that attend seminary at 6 & at 7am. The previous principal was a really great guy and he has developed a great report with the kids. He has a new stake calling and cannot do both so they had to replace him. I left the meeting feeling a mixture of relief (that I don't have to do the cannery!)and concern over trying to step into such big shoes. Since I am at the building every morning anyway with the kids it will only mean arriving 20-30 minutes earlier than usual and staying late to lock up. There are a few administrative things as well but nothing overwhelming. I was concerned about what the kids were going to say about having to be there early but I am blessed with children who are supportive when it comes to these things (if only they were as supportive of everything I ask!!!)so life won't change much. Hopefully I will be able to get to know the kids and develop as good a report with them as Br. Ackerman had. Life is so ironic at times!

Here Come the Brides

We're off to a running start this year with two weddings in the spring. Brittney will be marrying Derek Bratton on Saturday May 16th at the Snow Canyon Resort in St. George Utah and Alex will be getting married on April 18th to Nick Balmforth here in the Sacramento temple. We are excited to welcome both Derek & Nick to the family or should I say to the shoe!

Brittney & Derek -Alexandra & Nick