Mongolian means of transportation

The Elder's well worn shoes.

We had some great adventures traveling in Mongolia. We arrived by plane and were picked up in a Land Cruiser driven by the APs. 4 wheel drive is the required vehicle for getting around in Mongolia. The mission office has four of them. There aren't that many paved roads outside of the cities, and the paved roads that do exist are in pretty bad condition with lots of bumps and pot holes. We were introduced to the crazy drivers in Mongolia right off the bat. They make three lanes of traffic where there is only suppose to be two. They turn left in front of a line of cars that are waiting to turn left and cut them off. They drive to within inches of each other around town and use their car horns with frequently. Crazy, crazy stuff!
We walked and walked and walked, just like the pioneer children. We got a true taste of what Mongolian missionaries do - they are on the street all the time with the people. Rain or shine, wind or snow, sub-zero temperatures, they are out and about.
We hiked to a Buddhist monastery about two miles up a canyon. In the altitude and cold, it was a workout. Luckily I have been exercising, or I wouldn't have made it.
We went in about 30 taxi cabs or more to get around Ulaanbaatar. Any car on the road can be a taxi cab. If you hold out your hand, someone will stop and give you a ride for a small price. Most are just little old cars like our Nissan Sentra. They drive all over the place, even four wheeling when you wouldn't think that a small car could do such things.
We went on a city bus and a meeker, which is like a little Volkswagen van, only it is crammed by about 20 people. The drivers on the buses are enclosed in little locked containers so that drunks can't accost them while they are driving. Another employee takes the money to ride the bus, so that the driver can just drive in the crazy traffic with hardly any traffic laws.
We got to ride a camel and a horse as shown above. That was a fun adventure! The camels in Mongolia have two humps instead of one and they are cold weather animals as opposed to desert camels.
We hired a driver to take us to the country and he picked us up in a Land Cruiser. We went 4 wheeling into the vast countryside with no roads for many miles, getting stuck once in a snow drift. If they couldn't have freed the vehicle, we would be there still, out in the middle of nowhere.
Our last adventure in transportation was going in a sleeper car on the train to Darhan overnight. We bought all four compartments so that no one else would be in our compartment with us. We rented some sheets to put over the well used blankets and pillows and tried to settled down for the night while the train stopped and started about 12 times. A good rest was not had by all. It was like going back in time by about 50 years. Everything was very old and well used, but reasonably clean. Reminded me of the Harry Potter train. Sadly, we brought our own drinks and treats and they were pretty boring in comparison.
Very few people in Mongolia own cars. However, we did see some very nice cars like a Jaguar on display in the city and a couple of Escalades on the road along with some Mercedes and a few Lexus'. I'm not sure why anyone would want to drive such nice cars in such unpredictable driving conditions. Mostly people use public transportation and they walk. In Darhan people can rent a horse drawn cart to carry larger items. That is about the only mode of transportation that we didn't try. I guess we'll give that a go the next time.
I know I'll mention this several times before this entire recap is done, but we just had such respect for the humble people of Mongolia who make do with so little. And they don't complain about it. Ever.

Mongolia trip itinerary

Rick and I left on March 12 at 5:00 pm from SLC headed to LAX. We could each take two 50 lb. bags, plus one carry on bag and a purse or brief case. We pushed the limits on all pieces, but we sneaked by and didn't have to pay any extra. Courtney took us to the airport and waited around to see if we got rejected on any of our stuff, but luckily we passed and got underway. We took 3 bags full of stuff (over 150 lbs) to give to the people in Mongolia, including a brand new Dell laptop that was ordered by a church member who worked in the mission office. It was fun to shop for the items to share and to think about things the Mongolian people needed and would like.
We took 4 BYU footballs (deflated) and 14 football shirts that were donated by a friend who works with the team. We also took a basketball (inflated) and an air pump, among many other items. Luckily all our four big 50 lbs bags were checked all the way to Mongolia. We laid over a few hours in LA and boarded Korean Airlines for Seoul, Korea (a 13 hour flight.) Laid over in Seoul for about 10 hours (at their beautiful, clean, modern shopping center/airport) and finally boarded Miat Mongolian airlines that was delayed from departure for three additional hours, arriving in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia 40 hours (March 14) after we locked our front door and set out on the adventure of a lifetime.
Elder Andy and the two assistants were waiting for us at the airport. It was so good to see him again after two years and 24 days. Words can't even express the emotion of seeing a beloved child who has served with all their heart. It's happened to us two other times and it is an emotion beyond explanation. Proud doesn't even begin to describe it. Elation might come close. The cold air literally took our breath away when we arrived in the airport. We knew we weren't in Kansas any more.
We stayed on the run the entire time we were there. Here is a little summary of some of the things we did:

March 15 - went to the tailors, the dress makers, the open air market, had lunch with new members (ate horse meat), visited three member families in their homes. Every home we entered (19 in all) served us their best food. It was simple food, but was prepared with so much love. More on that later. We went to Andy's first area, eating dinner at the ger of his companion's family who aren't members of the church. Visited the church building, saw where he lived and met with several members in their homes in the evening. It was FREEZING.

March 16- visited with members most of the day, had our picture taken in traditional Mongolian clothing, visited a member woman in the hospital. (note to self - don't ever get sick or require hospitalization in Mongolia.) Enjoyed dinner at the home of the mission president and his wife with another Elder from Andy's MTC district. His parents came to Mongolia to pick him up as well and it was a nice evening spend together talking about our sons and the work in Mongolia).

March 17- attended zone conference with Elder Watson of the quorum of the Seventy. Andy served as an interpreter for part of the meeting. Had lunch with all the missionaries and then left in a taxi to visit another of Andy's areas. Visited with four families and they all fed us. Went to the church were he served for many months.

March 18-left in the morning in a Land Cruiser for the country side. Saw the huge Chinggas Khan statue, the 13th century park and ended the day staying in a ger (yurt) resort for the night.

March 19- got up early and met our driver to see Turtle Rock and hike four miles to a Buddhist monastery (in the snow) returned to the mission home to shower and meet new members for Chinese food for lunch, visited members, attended a baptism service and then took the late train to Darhan, staying in a sleeper car, arrived at 3:00 am, stayed in the Kiwi hotel.

March 20-spent the day in Darhan visiting families, enjoyed lunch with two missionaries (a former companion of Andy's), walked around a lot, ate roast beef dinner with Brother and Sister Atkins from Canada - roast beef, mashed potatoes, carrot and peas, birthday cake and ice cream. It was delicious!

March 21- attended church in the Onion ward where Andy served. We were called out of the audience to share our testimonies, visited families the rest of the day and ate at every home.

March 22- picked up the guys' tailored suits, my custom designed suit, went to the market to buy souvenirs, ate Chinese food again, packed our bags and got ready to leave, attended a cultural arts program that was amazing, especially the contortionist. wow.

March 23- left Mongolia at 1:30 am, flew on Korean airlines for three hours arriving in Seoul at 4:30 am, laid over for 12 hours, flew to LAX, laid over for four hours, arrived in SLC at 4:30 pm, 38 hours after we left Mongolia, traveling back in time.

Home again, home again

What an adventure! More details to come. We made it there and back safely and Elder Andy is home again. JOY!!!!

Returning with honor

After two years and 22 days, we FINALLY get to see this smiling face again! Elder Andy, here we come! Think of us on Sunday at 4:25 pm when we arrive in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia to meet our son at the airport and undoubtedly make a big scene as we hug him once again. Yeah, I have tears in my eyes just thinking about it. We're so excited to see the country he loves and meet many of the people he has befriended. He has loved his mission. It's been tough, it's been terribly cold and hard in many ways, but he was grown and served with his whole heart. His testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ has grown and he has put into practice the teachings of Christ. We're so proud of this good son and look forward to sharing the next 10 days together in a far off land.

Family history books

For 30 years we have been writing and compiling an annual family history. My sister Mary Ann started the tradition and for a little more than 25 years, we did it as an extended family with my brothers and sisters. Unfortunately, that large group effort came to an end and our little family decided to carry on the tradition. The 2008 Family History just came off the press and our family members are now working to compile their memories, history and pictures from 2009. The deadline is May 1 with a grand prize going to the couple who turns in their completed history with pictures first!
Since I'm not a daily journal writer, this has been a good method for me to preserve some history and experiences in writing for the future. Rick and I have been doing this type of history book since we got married, and it is fun to go back and look at the pictures and read about our lives in days gone by. It's a simple concept. Invite family members to write about their experiences and then send in that writing to another family member who will compile the histories, make a cover page and family directory and take the history book in to be bound. It only costs about $5-$8 dollars a book and it is a treasure to have it compiled and bound for future reading. We also include 3-4 pages of pictures that have either been color copied, or digitally formatted and printed to include with the written history of each family. Family members can take turns gathering the histories, making the cover and getting the book bound and distributed if they would like to pariticpate that way. Any volunteers for the 2009 addition?

Since our family is scattered through several states, it's a good way to stay connected and to preserve history, all at the same time.
Andes mints NOT included :0

Vitamin D to the rescue

When Rick and I had physical exams and blood tests a month ago, the Doctor told us both that were we very deficient in Vitamin D. Who knew? We drink vitamin D enriched milk, get some sun (not as much during the winter) and I love eggs and fish (Rick doesn't). We had no idea we were deficient. The doctor gave us each prescription amounts of vitamin D to build up our reserves. We've taken the pills just once a week for two months and we'll go back at the end of this month to have our blood drawn again to see if the vitamin D levels have gone up.

New research suggests that vitamin D helps in lots of different ways, especially in heart health.

Very few foods are naturally rich in vitamin D. Therefore, most people obtain their vitamin D intake from fortified foods, such as milk, soymilk and fortified cereals. Naturally occurring vitamin D is found in the flesh of fatty fish (mackerel, salmon, sardines) and in egg yolks.

Vitamin D insufficiency results in rickets (defective bone growth) in children and osteomalacia (soft bones) and osteoporosis (porous bones) in adults. These skeletal diseases are the result of inadequate bone mineralization or demineralization of the skeleton. Vitamin D-deficient diets are often found in those who have milk allergies, lactose intolerance or in those following a vegan diet (devoid of animal products, including milk and eggs).
Some groups may require supplemental vitamin D, particularly if they are not receiving exposure to sunlight. These include:
Infants exclusively breast-fed: Human milk contains very little vitamin D. Many infants—especially those who live in far northern latitudes—may not be exposed to sufficient sunlight.
Older adults: Older adults are more prone to vitamin D deficiency, especially those living in northern industrialized cities of the world. This is due to lack of sunlight combined with a decreased ability to synthesize vitamin D in the skin.
Dark skin and sunscreen: People with dark skin or those using topical sunscreen are at increased risk of deficiency due to a reduction in the body’s ability to produce vitamin D in the skin.

These is also research that shows that vitamin D deficiency can lead to obesity.

So, the next time you have a physical exam, ask the Doctor to check out your vitamin D level.

I'm getting older...and hopefully wiser

March 5th dawned bright and cold in Midway, Utah. When I opened the door of my room at the Homestead where I was managing the Media conference, this is the scene that greeted me...beautiful freshly fallen snow, and LOTS of it. We ate breakfast and left soon after that to drive down the snowy canyon to resume our meetings in the valley at the university.
Here is a shot of the front of the Homestead with my wonderful assistant Brad.

After finishing up the conference in the later afternoon, my sweetheart came to pick me up and he delivered this beautiful arrangement of flowers. I LOVE flowers in any variety and color, and this bouquet was delightful! Thank you dear husband. Along with the flowers was a certificate for an hour massage at my favorite spa courtesy of him and our girls and their families. SCORE!

We drove up to the Salt Lake valley and I met Dave and Courtney for dinner. Rick went off to attend his own conference in the area while I went to dinner. They treated me to one of my favorite restaurants, Cafe Trio. Dave said that it was probably the first meal he has ever bought for me, and he may be right. I even indulged in creme brule for dessert! Delicious food!!! Thanks Dave and Courtney, I always love spending time with you two.
Birthdays are so fun, don't you think? It made me feel so good to hear from family and friends through cards, phone calls, visits, little gifts, Facebook messages and text messages. We certainly live in an age when it's easy to send a birthday message of love, congratulations, support and best wishes. Thanks to everyone who made my birthday so wonderful!

My childhood friend Carla sent this card. She said this is what we will look like in another 30 years. She may be right! I hope I gain more wisdom with the advancing years. I hope I show more love, more patience, more forgiveness, more humility, more kindness and more charity as the years go by. A friend said that the 50s are the greatest time of life! She observed that this is so because the kids are out of the house and hopefully doing great on their own, a person can actually do what they want to and pursue some of their own interests and talents, a couple usually has a little more $$ to spend traveling and doing some things together, health is usually still pretty good and brain functioning is going pretty well. She told me to live it up in my 50s and enjoy each moment. Actually, I've enjoyed almost every moment during these last 55 years. I'm indeed a lucky woman!

Jon Schmidt

Wow, where to start???
The last three days have been amazing attending the "Media and the Family" conference, celebrating my birthday and attending a small group performance as part of the conference with pianist Jon Schmidt. I'm smitten with his music. I've heard it before, but now I'm sold on his powerful arrangements, his talent and his humility. He ate dinner with us Thursday night before his performance and I got to sit by him and chat. What a wonderful family man he is and such a talented musician. Check out his web site.
Take a look at this video! It's amazing. If you like Taylor Swift and Coldplay, you're in for a treat! Check out this video link from YouTube (sorry I couldn't post the actual video because the embedding was disabled.)




This version is for you Sydney Jan, the dancer.

Research of interest IV

I'm headed out for three days to manage the "Media and the Family Conference" at a local resort. Once again, well respected and well published scholars from some very prestigious universities are coming to town to meet with our local scholars to compare notes and collaborate together on some research with a similar topic. One woman is the programing director on Nickelodeon TV. It will be VERY interesting to see what they have to say. Media is so pervasive in our culture and as you already know, it's having a HUGE impact on family life, relationships and our American culture in general. What can be done to try and curb the tide of negative impact that too much media or the wrong kind of media has our on lives? I'll report back in a few days. Stay tuned.

Here is a glimpse of things to come. This research was produced last year by Laura P. W. and it got the professor (pictured above and her research assistants) who wrote it a lot of attention, both good and bad.

Video games linked to poor relationships with friends, family in new study.

How to treat your partner

My Mom sent this clipping last week when she sent a check to reimburse me. It's a good thought and if applied, could really improve relationships. "If you treat a person as he is, he will remain that way: if you treat the person as he can become, he will tend to become that person." Food for thought.
(click on the article to enlarge)