December in a Nutshell

I am proud to say I was more successful than ever in not getting stressed out during December, but the month was still a bit of a blur for us. Perhaps it was because we tried to squeeze so much into it, and so many things happened.  It was busy, it was crazy, but it was so much fun!

For starters Ray and I made a quick trip to Mexico.  Funny thing about Mexico is that there are not many Christmas trees or decorations up in early December, although we noticed a few more by the end of our trip.  We were able to find a few nativities (which made me happy), but one thing we were curious about is that in each nativity, baby Jesus was missing.  Upon further investigation we discovered that it is tradition there for the baby Jesus not to be placed in the manger until December 24th.

After we returned home, I had a lump removed from my face that I discovered about a year ago.  In my mind it should have simply been able to be excised, like a mole.  But after an ultrasound, three CT scans (long story), and a biopsy, it was determined it needed to be removed.  So mid December I had a partial parotidectomy, which involved a stay in the hospital and cost way more than you could ever imagine.

Because that resulted in a drain coming out of my face/neck, we were required to stay in SLC until Christmas Eve.  Despite the drain, I felt great, so while we were there we took full advantage of the events of the season...

We all went shopping :)

Took our family to The Forgotten Carols,

Kept our long running tradition of going to The Spoken Word,

Had brunch at Little America,

Went to see all of the lights downtown,

Then on Christmas Eve we traveled back home in a winter snowstorm.

 That evening we went to our neighborhood Christmas carol sing-along.

After that we had our Christmas Eve dinner and enjoyed sitting around and visiting.  As part of our dinner we played a little game that was a gift to us a year or two ago.  It is the Christmas Box of Questions, which are basically conversation starters.  We took turns drawing a question then went around the table hearing everyone's answer.  My question was, "What is your favorite Christmas candy?"  Easy, it's this pecan log that my neighbor brings each year.   I love, love, love it!

Christmas would not be complete without this!

When it got to Ray we all knew what he would say. He enjoys orange sticks so much at Christmas that when he gets a box in his stocking he opens it immediately and the entire box is usually gone (with just a little help from the rest of us) by the time the rest of the gifts are unwrapped. Apparently we don't know Ray as well as we thought though. When it got to him he very matter of factly replied, cherry cordials. With a shocked look on their faces, both Heather and Tyler in perfect unison replied, "WHAT? Not orange sticks???"  It was so funny. Then the next day, when we were able to Skpe with Mitch, he started talking about orange sticks, and carried on about how hard he had tried to find some to send to Ray and how disappointed he was that he could not find them anywhere in New York. When he finished telling this, Tyler said, "Guess what Mitch? We've been living a lie for 20 years. Dad's favorite candies are cherry cordials." Mitch's response was identical to the other kids the night before. Same puzzled face, same intonation, same words.

"WHAT, not orange sticks???"

 I have a feeling Ray might be getting something different in his stocking next year.

In the spirit of saving the best for last, imagine our surprise when we unwrapped this gift!



The best Christmas gift ever!

It really was a wonderful December!

Christmas is...

 

At our house the very first Christmas decoration to come out, and the very last to be put away each year is my collection of nativities.  This is my favorite tradition.  I have a porcelin nativity, one made of rocks, one from Peru, one made of popcicle sticks, a stained glass set, and many more.  They never come out before Thanksgiving, but one year I left them out until Valentine's Day.  It brings great joy each time I walk down our hall and see this cabinet.

 

December can be crazy.  Some years I have let the craziness get the most of me and haven't enjoyed the journey to Christmas quite as much as I should.  This year I am determined not to let that happen.  There is a Christmas campaign our church is doing in New York City and it has made me stop and reflect on what Christmas really should be about...

 

This Christmas initiative includes billboards (like this one at Time Square) and advertising on buses and taxi cabs reminding people what Christmas really is. Christmas is family, Christmas is service, Christmas is love, Christmas is Jesus Christ. 

 

It's not only people in New York City that need to be reminded of that.  Thanks to this campaign I am making sure each day to take the time to ponder the meaning and message of this sacred season.

 

There is also a sweet video of the nativity that is unlisted on youtube, so I haven't been able to upload it,  but can be found here http://mormon.org/christmas

Breaking Tradition

Needless to say, Thanksgiving just wasn't going to be the same this year without Mitch, Heather, Nick, and Grandpa around.  Add in the fact that our anniversary just happened to fall on Thanksgiving , and it felt so wrong.   Nothing against Thanksgiving, because it really is one of my favorite holidays, I just didn't like the idea of spending it without so many of the people I love and having to slave away in the kitchen on my anniversary.  Thanksgiving is a holiday to be spent with people-lots of people.

So, instead of getting all depressed about it, I decided to solve the problem.  I figured if we didn't do all of the traditional things we usually do on Thanksgiving, then it wouldn't feel so lonely.

In that spirit of breaking tradition, Ray and I decided rather than cooking Thanksgiving dinner, we ought to just go out to eat.   So sometime in October I picked up the phone and made ourselves a reservation at one of the yummiest places I know.  Then I decided to look into a little holiday fun run/jog/walk, and before anyone had the chance to tell me no, I registered us for a Turkey Trot.   I justified it because it was a fundraiser for a good cause and I kind of liked the idea of getting moving before we stuffed ourselves later.

 

 

Apparantly I wasn't the only one with either of those ideas. There were close to 1000 people at the race and about the same at The Grand America.   Later in the day we headed to the movie theater and watched Lincoln.  So we did end up spending Thanksgiving with lots and lots of people.

It really was a wonderful day.  I think we should start a new tradition and break tradition by doing something out of the ordinary whenever our anniversary lands on Thanksgiving.

I voted, I really did

I did not go to the polls today.  Instead I cast my ballot by mail a few weeks ago and it feels kind of strange.  Our county changed to mail only voting this election.  What is really strange about this is that it seems out here in the Basin we are usually a little behind the times.  Not this time.  Duchesne County is the FIRST in Utah to implement mail-in voting for all voters.  It's really strange to be first.

They say it will save our county thousands of dollars.  They say voter turn out will be much higher.  I say that's great. 

I didn't mind not voting in person because marking my ballot at home gave me a chance to look at the ballot a little more closely rather than getting to the booth and finding things on the ballot that I didn't even know we were voting for.  It happens.  I also didn't mind because it saved me some time that I would have spent standing in what probably would have been a very long line.

I am a little embarrassed to admit that I am sort of missing getting an "I Voted" sticker.  Maybe the county should enclose an "I Voted by Mail" sticker with the ballot when they mail them out next time.  

Halloween Heist

^{Someone stole ALL of the pumpkins from our street last weekend-4 days before Halloween! What’s up with that?  In the past you’ve only had to worry about bringing in your jack-o-lantern early on Halloween night if you didn’t want it hauled off.}  

^{I am pretty sure whoever took that 30 pound pumpkin off our porch must have needed it more than we did.  I was even a little relieved when I realized that meant I wouldn’t have to spend an evening scooping all those pumpkin guts or come up with a creative way to carve it.   I bought that pumpkin not because I love Halloween, but because it seemed the right thing to do.   That’s what grownups do.  Sometimes they pretend to love a holiday even when they don’t.  My kids would have been so proud.}

^{This reminds me of another Halloween when the kids were young and we had the coolest pumpkins ever.  We had turned our pumpkins into a perfectly stacked jack-o-lantern totem pole.   It was awesome!  As a matter of fact it was so awesome someone snuck it off our porch prematurely that Halloween too.  We lit it and set it out when the first trick or treaters arrived and our pumpkin stack disappeared within a few minutes.  It was there when we answered the door and then one or two of minutes later when the next group rang the doorbell it was gone.  Only that time we were sad to lose our pumpkins.}

^{So remember when you drive through a neighborhood tonight and it looks like a bunch of Halloween Scrooges live there because there are no jack-o- lanterns, don’t judge them.  Some pumpkin burglars are probably to blame.}

Good News!!!

I am quite tired of watching the news.  With the upcoming presidential campaign it seems all that is on the news are negative things about the candidates and it is getting old.  It has even gotten to the point that I am starting to despise some of the news anchors that I used to really really like. 

But the other day this story in the news caught my attention:

This isn't "new" news, as the results of this study actually came out last March, but for some reason it was in the news this week.  Hearing this made my day :) and gave me a little faith that maybe things in the world aren't quite as bad as I have been thinking.

Peace of Mind

 

 

October is breast cancer awareness month.  You cannot go anywhere without seeing an ocean of bright pink trying to bring this to our attention. 

 

Obedient soul that I am, and thanks to my mother's example, I have always been faithful about getting my exams.  Apparently my friends and neighbors don't all feel the same because for years Utah has had the second lowest rate of mammograms in the country.  

 

I don't think about it often, but I do during October, because I really could be the poster girl for early detection.  About this time 4 years ago I was diagnosed with an early stage breast cancer (DCIS- the same kind of cancer Ann Romney had).  Luckily it was discovered and treated while it was small.  It is one of those cancers that is 99% curable when found early, but had I not gone in for a routine mammogram that cancer might have grown inside me for years into something really bad before I would have felt it in a self-exam.  Unfortunately, going to get that mammogram caused me to have a lumpectomy, a mastectomy, and breast reconstruction with a tissue expander and implants.  I even had some complications that required the removal of the implant, being completely flat chested on one side for months, and then going through the entire reconstruction process over again.  It was frustrating and it required a lot of patience, but I still feel fortunate because that mammogram may have saved my life.

 

Everyone thinks it won't happen to them especially if they have no risk factors.  Not true...I did not have a single one of them, except my gender. 

 

This experience has turned me into a bit of a mammogram bully.  I have little patience for women who make excuses to not go in for a mammogram.  I am always shocked at the intelligent women my age who will announce to their friends that they have not had a mammogram for several years...or ever, and seem proud of it.   It's all I can do to not grab these women by the shoulders and shake them while saying, "Are you crazy?"  Then I stop and say a silent prayer while I gently suggest they stay up to date on those routine checkups... because you just never know.

 

I learned a lot going through that experience, but the most important thing I learned is that each time you go in for a routine mammogram, colonoscopy, etc. and get a clean bill of health, the peace of mind it provides is priceless. 

 

 

 

What Goes Around Comes Around

Today, I received a simple request, “Hey, mom the next time you send a package, could you send me a scarf?  There is a brown and tan scarf in with all the winter stuff.   It would be really nice to have.”

 

What Mitch doesn’t know is that old scarf has been everywhere with us.  From apartment, to apartment, to house, to house, to house.  It was worn by a missionary three decades ago.  It was a gift I sent to Ray while he was serving in Michigan.  After he returned home it was placed in a box of winter accessories and kept there until a few years ago when Mitch discovered it and decided to wear it snowboarding.  Not really for warmth, but more for fashion, because it was retro.  And now he wants it sent to him…to keep him warm this winter.

Ray is a pack rat.  I am not, but every once in a while there is something I am really glad we hung onto.  It did my mother heart good to think that something used by a wonderful missionary long ago is going to be used again to keep another wonderful missionary warm. When he comes home with it I will definitely put it away for safekeeping.  You never know, another missionary might want it someday.

Summer's End

Where did summer go???  The kids are back in class, the temperature in the morning is dropping, and the other day I saw this...

 

In case you can't tell what he is doing, it's this...

Even though the daytime temperature is near 90, preparations for the Christmas/winter season are under way in Salt Lake City.  While I love, love, love Fall, I am a little sad to think that summer is over :(

Just sayin'

^{Ray and I just finished a 48 hour detox/body cleanse.  Not sure whose great idea it was, so not sure who to blame.  What I ‘m pretty sure of is that the food we have eaten for the last 2 days is the food they serve in Hell.}  

Technology

We bought a new car.  Well, not really a new car, it’s used, but new to us.  It has a lot of new and awesome technology with so many features we are not sure we will ever be able to figure them all out.  It has keyless entry, heated and cooled seats, a rear window sunshade, ambient lighting (no kidding), adaptive cruise with collision warning, intelligent access (IA), and more.  When I get in the driver’s seat I feel a little like I'm in the cockpit of an airplane with so many lights and buttons, and I knew it was only a matter of time before some gadget in this car would get me into trouble.

So… not long after we purchased the car we went on a little road trip to the Wasatch Front.  Ray drove as we went to Provo where he had a meeting to attend.  Our plan was for me to then run some errands leaving him in Provo and he would get a ride up to SLC where I would meet him.  We arrived, he jumped out of the car, I moved into the driver’s seat, and took off.   I drove several miles and got to my first stop.  I pushed the button to turn the car off, gathered up my things, then notice that the “key” (that is not a "real" key) was not in the cup holder where I generally put in when I had driven this car.  It was then that I realized Ray had the IA key in his pocket and had taken it with him when he got out of the car to go to his meeting. 

Apparently, once the car is started, the vehicle will remain running until being turned off by the start/stop button even if the "key" is no longer in the vehicle.  I was stranded, and there was nothing I could do about it!  Luckily, I was able to catch my dad at home and he was able to rescue me.

Since that happened I decided it would be a smart idea for me to read the owner’s manual.  Sure enough, right there on PAGE 235 it warns you that something like this could happen.  There is even a solution to this problem if you are quick enough.  You see, there is a fast restart feature that allows you to restart the engine by pushing the start button within 20 seconds of switching the vehicle off, if you happen to discover the "key" is not present in the car (which means I am not the only one who has ever done this).   That seems very James Bond-like; to think that you actually have 20 seconds to fix a problem before something bad happens.

I must be more old fashioned than I think I am.  Is it really a bad idea to have a key that you actually put in the ignition???  I sorta like the idea of having a designated place it has to be while you are driving. 


This experience has me a little freaked out by all these new-fangled gadgets in the world today.  I can only imagine the trouble I could get into if I had a smartphone with all its advanced computing capability.  I am sure it would only be a matter of time before I accidently pushed a button on it that did something bad.

Homemade With Love

Last night our ward had a combined YM/YW activity at the park.  It was a bunch of water games and then ending like every good mutual activity... with treats.  Our ward is huge and there were a whole lot of kids there.  As the activity was nearing the end, the other leaders and I noticed that not everyone that should have brought the treats did.  All that we had were some plain Rice Krispie Treats and a package of Keebler cookies.  There was no way there were enough for all those kids.  In an attempt to fix this problem, we noticed that the Rice Krispie Treats were kind of large, so we decided to use our hands to break each one in half (since we had no knife to cut them).  They didn’t look nearly as pretty when we finished, but there were twice as many.  Problem solved.

Now I, in my stupidity, thought the kids would snub these torn treats and those who were lucky enough to be first would take the “perfect” fudge dipped Keebler cookies, and the kids at the end of the line would be forced to eat the Rice Krispie Treats we had mutilated.  To my surprise, kid after kid took the Rice Krispie Treats and it was those at the end that were left with the packaged cookies.

Moral of the story:  Homemade is ALWAYS better, no matter what!

So, I spent the afternoon making a whole bunch of Homemade Red Velvet Oreos  (which I don't particularly care for, but others seem to love) for the neighborhood BBQ tonight.

Happy Birthday

Today is President Thomas S. Monson's 85th birthday.  Ray and I were blessed to be able to attend a birthday celebration for him held at the conference center last weekend.   It was an evening of music and tributes celebrating his amazing life.

I heard it said recently, "When your heart speaks, take good notes".  So here are my "notes" from that evening:

Twice in the evening they quoted Scottish author James Matthew Barrie.  He said, "God gives us memories so that we might have June roses in the December of our lives."  I love that!  Although in Utah I think it should be the January, or February of our lives.

President Monson was described over and over again as one who has"touched hearts, come to the rescue and gone about doing good."

As I sat there that night, I thought back to a few years ago when President Monson was turning 81 years old and was interviewed by the Church News prior to his birthday. The reporter asked him what he would consider the ideal gift Church members could give him. He replied, "Find someone who is having a hard time, or is ill or lonely, and do something for him or her."

We all came away from that evening with a stronger testimony of our prophet and a desire to do just that.

He Loves Me...

I have always told Ray that I am smarter than he is.  It is pretty obvious when you look at who I married and compare that with who he married :)   He treats me the way a gentleman should.  Even though we have been married what seems like forever, we still hold hands, go on dates, and enjoy being together.

Yesterday, Ray was playing in a golf tournament with his brother and with Tyler.  They had fun spending time together doing something they all enjoy.  When it was over I met up with them in Heber so that Ray and I could travel back to Roosevelt, and so Lee and Tyler could drive back to Salt Lake.  I got out of the car while they loaded Ray's clubs into the trunk and gave Tyler a hug.  Ray then opened my car door to let me in and we were on our way.  I didn't think much of it, until later when this text message came on Ray's phone.

Ray has been doing little nice things for me, like always opening the car door, for over 30 years and I love it!

Going along with this topic, this video is one of my favorites...

I am a lucky one. I know it, and I'm glad my kids are noticing it.

 

The Most Important Thing is to Have Fought Well

This past few weeks I have reflected on the Olympics and remember back to when I became hooked on watching them.  It was 1976.  These were the games when 14-year-old Nadia Comaneci caught everyone's attention by scoring perfect 10's in gymnastics.  I became interested in Nadia, not because of how she could maneuver her body into almost impossible positions, but because we were close in age and I became intrigued when I heard how she had sacrificed pretty much all of her short life to pursue her dreams as an Olympian.  I think hearing her story made me believe you could do anything if you wanted something bad enough.

This year I have anticipated watching the summer Olympics for the last several months.  Now that they are here, Ray and I will find ourselves glued to the television, especially interested in the human interest stories of the people who will capture our hearts these next two weeks. 

We always think that athletes competing at the games go there with the goal of bringing home the gold, but the Olympic creed gives the Olympics more significance than the pursuit of gold.  It reads, "The most important thing in the Olympic games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph, but the struggle.  The essential thing is not to have conquered, but to have fought well."

I can't wait to begin watching the games tonight and see those who succeed, but what I look forward to even more is hearing the stories of those lesser known nations, like Laos, who in every event will likely come in almost last.  I have no doubt they understand the Olympic creed better than any other athletes at the games.  They know that the most important thing is not to win, but to take part and to have fought well. 

I think we could all learn a thing or two from them.

It's a Lost Art

Today a small miracle happened.  There in my mailbox amongst all the junk was a handwritten note.  It was a thank you note from a young man and his new bride.  It brought a smile to my face.

This may not seem like a big deal, but it is.  You see, many couples seem to have forgotten how to say thanks-"Thanks for taking time out of your busy life to share our special day, thanks for spending your hard earned money on a gift for us, thanks for being a good friend, thanks for sending a gift even when you weren’t able to come".

Most young people, I am sure, had parents who taught them proper etiquette. So what exactly is their excuse?  Is their newlywed life really that busy?  Did they not like the gift?  Are stamps too expensive? 

In the last year I've done a little unscientific research.  I paid attention to every wedding thank you note we received.  At the end of one year I discovered that I could count them all on one hand.    Mind you, in Utah, we get invited to and send gifts to  A LOT of wedding receptions, so that is really not impressive. 

Okay, maybe I’m old fashioned, but is it really too much to expect a thank you?  I would like to even be so bold as to suggest that couples should limit their guest list to the number of people they will be able to properly thank.  Maybe that’s being a little too harsh.  After all, in the Bible only one of the ten came back to say thank you, so maybe I should be thinking that one in five is actually pretty good. 

Anyway, kudos to the classy couple who sent the note in the mail today.

I have spies

It really is a small world.  Since Mitch left on his mission a few things have happened to remind us of this.
 
First,  when we pulled up to the curb to drop Mitch off at the Missionary Training Center, we stepped out of the car to get his luggage from the trunk and there standing on the sidewalk right next to our car was a business associate and friend of Ray's, Tom Morgan and his wife, who were in the MTC attending the new mission president seminar.

Then the whole thing about Elder Mansfield being in his district (see previous post).

 
Then this morning, Ray received an email with the above picture from a Salt Lake Gallagher coworker who is vacationing in New York with his family.  He had searched the church's website to find a ward to attend today and was surprised when the brand new missionary was called to the pulpit and introduced himself as Elder Hussey from Roosevelt, Utah.  Since Mitch has only been in NY a few days, we hadn't heard from him yet so didn't even know which area/city he had been assigned to.  Thanks to Sterling, now we know.

I have always teased my kids that Mom has spies out there.  Maybe one of these days they'll believe me.

Coincidences

Shortly after Mitch received his mission call, I received an email from one of my good friends from high school that I still see about once a year.  She has a son the same age as Mitch.  She asked in the email if Mitch was going on a mission and told me that her son, Austin, had received a call to Nebraska and was entering the MTC on June 27^th.  I replied telling her that Mitch also reported to the MTC on June 27th!  We emailed back and forth a few times saying how glad we were that they were staying in the United States, wouldn’t it be neat if our boys could meet, that that they should look for each other at the MTC, etc.

A few days before he left I reminded Mitch to watch for an Elder Mansfield.  He reminded me that there are thousands of missionaries in the MTC, with several hundred new missionaries each week, so it was pretty unlikely that he would meet him.
The day after we dropped our sons off at the MTC, Kerry and I were talking on the phone about how the last few days had been.  I told her how Mitch had requested homemade oreos at his farewell and how disappointed he was that they were gone before he had gotten one.  Since I was still in SLC, I told her I was thinking of making oreos for him and taking them on Friday to one of those same day MTC delivery places.  She thought it was a great idea and said she should send cookies to Austin too.  I suggested that since a batch makes a lot, that I should just make them and share the batch with her and maybe in a week or two she could make cookies and do the same.  

The next day I went to her house with the cookies and we boxed them up for our boys.  As we addressed the packages we were surprised to discover that Mitch’s and Austin’s MTC mailbox numbers were the exact same.   I had also just received our first email from Mitch & he told us about his companion, Elder Chapell, and how he wasn’t going to New York like rest of them in his room, but was going to Omaha Nebraska.  That is the same mission Kerry’s son is going to!   So we stood in her kitchen and figured out that our boys have got to be in the same district (group of 8-12 missionaries).  We also talked about how they were likely to share their packages with the guys in their district.  We laughed about what their response would be when they got similar packages from their moms, on the same day, with the same individually wrapped homemade oreos in them.   We wonder if they will put two and two together and figure out that they were the ones they were told to keep an eye out for.

Always Remember...

Isn't it supposed to be easier the second time around?   Whoever said, the best kept secret in our church is how hard it is to send a missionary, is probably correct. 

I know, I know, I really would be sad if he wasn't going, the time will go by faster than I think, etc. etc.  Right now none of that matters.  It is hard...maybe even harder than it was last time we did this.

It has been difficult to watch Mitch say good-bye to his friends and his family.  He has been super emotional and there have been moments that I've wondered if he is going to be okay.

Our parting words to each other were these..

“Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."

This quote comes from a discussion Christopher Robin had with Winnie the Pooh about the two of them being separated from each other.  It's one of my favorites and gives some consolation to me on a day like today. 

  

I just may have to wake up and tell myself this every morning for the next 2 years-

Farewell

“Apparently, they still will call you on a mission even if you haven’t grown a foot or two”

This is how 5’5” Mitch/Elder Hussey opened his talk last Sunday and it cracked the congregation up.  Our family has laughed out loud several times since then about him saying this, and thinks it is one of the funniest (inside) Mormon jokes we’ve heard. 

He also talked about going to Kanab a few weeks ago and how he didn’t have a way home and the adventure he had finding someone to give him a ride to SLC so he could stay overnight to get a cab early the next morning to the Greyhound station then take the bus the rest of the way to Roosevelt.  He compared that to our life on earth and how Heavenly Father has sent us here, and it is not always going to be easy, but it is our job to do whatever it takes to find our way back to Him.  It was a great analogy.

As Mitch leaves, it has been hard for him to say good-bye.  He has been unsure and a little bit worried about a lot of things, but he also knows the Lord will bless him and he is ready to serve.

Culture Shock

What an amazing 10 days!  We just returned home from China, and while I wasn’t sure what to expect, it was one of those experiences that almost can’t be put into words.  We really live in a bubble and are clueless about how most people in the world really live.

Here are just a few of the things that shocked me:

Most babies in China don’t wear diapers for long.  By the time they can walk, they wear open crotch pants so they can relieve themselves wherever nature calls.

Also, the one child policy is mind boggling.

Chinese people are really tall.  For some reason I expect Asians to be more my size.  Not in China.  They are also very trim (most likely because they walk everywhere and eat no sweets).  And they can effortlessly  put their bodies into some really strange positions.

Everyone there was very loud.  They talked in an “outdoor voice” all the time.   SEEMED LIKE EVERYONE WAS YELLING BUT THEY WERE JUST HAVING A CONVERSATION!

The women are extremely modest-we saw no midriffs, no plunging necklines, and very few shoulders.

The traffic there was insane, with no apparent rules. 

The bathrooms.  Nobody told me how happy I'd be to find a "western" toilet and not have to squat.

I knew the government was very controlling, but didn't realize how many things aren’t allowed and are blocked...like Facebook.

The food was strange, but it wasn’t as hard to take as I thought it would be.

There are “temples” everywhere, yet very few people seem to be religious.

Lastly, I was surprised by how pleasant the people were.  They seemed very content with their life and believe they have everything they need and want.


Every time I leave the country I come home feeling even more blessed.  I’ve said before that the way I judge a vacation is whether I would want to go back and take family and friends.  We had a wonderful time and it really was a ton of fun to be there with our family.  While I would tell my friends they should definitely go if given the opportunity, I think I will check China off my bucket list.

Love You Forever

If flowers grow in Heaven,

Lord please pick a bunch for me

Place them in my mother's arms

And tell her they're from me.

Tell her that I love and miss her,

And when she turns to smile.

Place a kiss upon her cheek

And hold her for awhile.

Remembering her is easy,

I do it everyday,

But there is an ache within my heart

Because I'm missing her today.

-author unknown

(Moms and Grandmas keep these forever!)

My Boys will all be Home

Time flies and another semester has gone by and soon my college boys will be here for an extended stay.   Somehow things worked out for Tyler in his Pharmacy school rotations to be in Roosevelt for the six weeks before Mitch leaves on his mission.  Then they both take off to their next adventures the same exact week at the end of June.  Coincidence?  I don’t think so. 

We haven’t had this much together time since 2006.  While I have gotten pretty comfortable with our empty nest, I am really looking forward to having these guys under one roof.   We plan to work hard, play hard, and get very little sleep.

Too Much Time on my Hands?

Spring is officially here!

Ray has been out of town this week.  He left a few days ago and will return tonight.  This is not that unusual, as he has always had a busy career and over the years has spent many, many days traveling for work.   The difference is, that since Mitch left home last summer, I have pretty much accompanied him.  We quickly adjusted to this and found that we really enjoy our time on the road together.  This time I couldn’t go, and we’ve missed each other…a lot.  

So what’s a girl to do while her man is gone?  I indulged in one of my guilty pleasures and bought the just released Train album on iTunes, cranked up my iPod, and...cleaned.  Not just ordinary cleaning, but some serious spring cleaning.  I searched online, found a spring cleaning checklist, and went to town.  I cleaned things that may never have been cleaned before, inside and out.  Even though it won't stay that way for long, it feels really good to have a house that is so sparkling clean.

I am not sure what this says about my personality, but when I find myself home alone and there is no one to cater to, instead of kicking up my heels and doing something fun, I choose to go into a cleaning frenzy.  It’s a good thing he’s coming home tonight, because I’m exhausted!

Vertically Challenged/Blessed

A week or so ago Ray and I were invited to a Jazz vs Kings game. This game was kind of a big deal because Jimmer Fredette now plays for the Sacramento Kings and a lot of people in Utah have this thing for Jimmer. We were going to be in Salt Lake anyway, so we thought it would be fun to go. Our seats just happened to be in the section where the former players and the Jazz wives sit and right smack in the seat in front of me, somewhat obstructing my view of the game, was Mark Eaton.

Now Mark Eaton played for the Jazz in the days of Stockton and Malone and is 7 foot 4 inches tall!  I couldn't help but wonder how uncomfortable it must be for him to be crammed in that seat with his legs sticking way out in the aisle.

It is no secret that I, along with the rest of my immediate family, would have loved to have been a little taller. As a matter of fact, Ray, in his teenage years, would have pretty much given anything for a few of Mark Eaton's inches. I, not quite that desperate, just would have liked it if my legs were long enough to not have to hem all my pants.

It has taken a lot of years for both of us to come to terms with our stature, but seeing Mark Eaton opened that wound once again. We even had a conversation after the game rehashing all the disadvantages we've experience being short, but in the end came to the conclusion that like most things, it's all relative. It is a good or bad thing, depending entirely on the situation.

I have been envious of taller people for a variety of reasons, but I am sure there are occasionally times when being vertically blessed doesn't seem like such a blessing. Whenever I am seated on an airplane and don't have to twist my legs up, I remind myself of that. That may be the only time when those of us who are vertically challenged can smile and feel that being short might even be considered a blessing.

April Fools, I Meant Twenty not Two!

He tricked me. I was misled when Ray accepted a job at the hospital in Roosevelt. He told me it was temporary and we would stay two or three years at most. While I was excited about the opportunity for Ray, I wasn’t exactly thrilled about living in Roosevelt. I was somewhat embarrassed when I told my coworkers where we were moving, because after all, who dreams of moving to the Uintah Basin? So I had to convince myself we could be happy anywhere for just two years.


That was in April 1992! I was thinking about this the other day and I never ever would have believed that we’d stay here this long. At the time, had I known he meant 20 years, I am not sure I would have been so agreeable.


I will admit there are still things that I can hardly stand about Roosevelt: the bitter cold winters, the lack of good produce, and how far away our family is. But there are more things that I love: the people, nearby boating lakes, no traffic congestion, and being able to see the stars clearly at night.


We have found ourselves spending more and more time in downtown Salt Lake City recently and there is an energy there that I love, but there are just some really cool experiences that you can only have living in a small town.


Where else would you have a mail carrier who calls your house early in the morning telling you that a mission call arrived and would you like to come and pick it up at the post office instead of waiting to have it delivered? Where else can your daughter get pulled over by an officer on the way to early morning institute, only to have the officer scrape the frost off the windows for her? Where else can you go boating on the morning of the Fourth of July and have the entire lake to yourself for an hour or two?


While I sometimes wonder what we may have missed out on by not living in Salt Lake all these years, I really have no regrets. Roosevelt is a great place to raise a family, and that’s no joke!