Is Barbie to blame?

There is so much out there about how we come to understand and achieve our own self-worth as women and girls. There is a bewildering amount of information about what makes us tick and to try and figure out why we do what we do and for whom.
I thought these three articles were very interesting. They make completely different points, but it all seems to boil down to the same thought. Should the media, society, friends or other people tell us who we are and if we are important? Who are we trying to please and why? I think these are very good thought questions for consideration.
Here are the articles:
~Barbies gone wild here Cinderella Ate my Daughter - Peggy Orenstein's new book on girl culture
~Miss Representation - Jennifer Siebel Newsom's documentary at the Sundance Film Festival. She contends that in our culture a woman's value stems from her looks and her sexuality. She hopes to educate and eventually change the powerful media message and cultural norms regarding a person's worth.
~He Loves Us and We Love Him: You've Memorized it, Now Live it - book by Laurel Christensen

The book emphasizes that no matter what our age (or even gender), as followers of Christ, the values of faith, divine nature, individual worth, knowledge, choice and accountability, good works, integrity, and virtue are still integral to our lives.

"I have a theory that we're all kind of that 13-year-old girl inside, whether we're women in our 30s, 40s or 50s, still wanting to know if our lives have purpose, if Heavenly Father hears our prayers," Christensen said. "These are universal themes. ... Truth is truth. The message is just as appropriate."

What messages are we sending our little girls? More than ever, they are bombarded daily with images and messages of how they should look and what they should achieve or not achieve. How can we help them make sense of it all? How can we help instill in them a sense of self-worth and confidence? They will make decisions in the future based largely on how much they think they are worth. How can we help them have a healthy sense of who they are and decide early on who they want to please?

From the ridiculous to the sublime

I sat by a professor in a meeting yesterday who has been heavily involved in developing two products. One is ridiculous (and very useful) and the other is completely sublime (and really useful). You be the judge:

The sublime one is the LDS scripture citation index. It is a marvel. It is a link that you will probably want to bookmark for future use. It would be SO HELPFUL in preparing church talks and lessons. It's a completely wonderful tool for gospel study. Who knew?

The second is unbelievable and quite ridiculous. Check out the video:


I would love to own one of those Blendtec blenders and an iPad. I definitely wouldn't put the IPad in the blender though. Wow, those blenders are amazing!

Can you even imagine how this would feel?

And the check out THIS VIDEO for a great recap of the game.

Revelation and inspiration cont.

We're almost finished serving at the Missionary Training Center. We started serving in the first part of February of 2007 and we'll be released in a couple more weeks. It's been quite the experience. I'll write more later about some of the things that have happened and about some of the things we are really going to miss.
We've attended the Tuesday night devotionals (lectures) given by the general authorities of the church and their wives for the last four years. It's been an added bonus to hear from their wives and to find out what their names are and to hear them speak. We seldom get the opportunity to hear from them in other church settings. They seem to be wonderful women who have served with their husbands in important ways. Rick and I have taken volumes of notes on all the talks we have heard. We've been schooled in the gospel and we both feel like we have a deeper and broader understanding of so many gospel topics because of the opportunity we have had to learn from the members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and many members of the Seventy. Our Sunday Relief Society lessons have been taught by the general auxiliary leaders from the Primary, Relief Society and Young Women and their board members. Sister Wixom spoke last Sunday in Relief Society. She was delightful and delivered a powerful message. We count it a great blessing that we've had this opportunity to learn from the best and that we've felt the spirit on so many occasions in overwhelming abundance. I know one thing and it's this...the Lord LOVES his missionaries and He only gives them the best instruction there is to help them succeed. After each lecture we've had the opportunity to return to the classrooms with the missionaries and discuss what we learned and how to apply those teachings. Those experiences have been some of the sweetest and most meaningful to me to hear the Elders and Hermanas express their feelings and tell what they have learned. I'm really going to miss that interaction.

I thought I'd just share a few more thoughts about the topic of revelation and inspiration. It's such an important topic and I think most people struggle to know how it works and how to best access and use this gift in their lives.
Elder Bednar taught the missionaries in a devotional on June 9, of 2009. The talk made a powerful impression on both me and Rick. We talked about it, thought about it and came to a better understanding of how this important principle impacts our lives. He said:
~A question that is in the soul of most people and that is asked most often is "How do I know if a feeling or impression I'm receiving is from the Holy Ghost, or is it just me?"
~Answer: quit worrying about it. Press forward with faith. Keep your covenants. Open your mouth and it will be filled.
~Rarely will it come as a noticeable impression. The overwhelming majority of the time you will feel the spirit from being a good boy or a good girl and letting the spirit help you press forward, when you are moving, you will be guided. You can't sit still and wait.
~Don't sit and wait for some dramatic message to come from Heaven. Press forward. Get over it. Get going and you'll be alright.
~There are dramatic spiritual experiences and promptings, but there are many more gradual steps to draw unto Christ and he shouldn't have to be constantly smacking us with a dramatic impression. The majority come when we are moving and doing and not sitting and analyzing.
~Quit worrying about it. Get up, get going. Be a good boy, be a good girl. Be like Stephen Burnett in D&C 80: 3 "Wherefore, go ye and preach my gospel, whether to the north or to the south, to the east or to the west, it mattereth not, for ye cannot go amiss. It means, get going and don't sweat the small stuff. Move forward and the God will impress upon you what you should say, where you should go and what you should do.
~ Every good thought you have to help someone is inspired by the Holy Ghost.

Thought of You

Here is a piece of artwork that is unusual and quite touching combining art with dance. It could have many different meanings about relationships. It's a collaboration between BYU animation professor Ryan Woodward and Dance Dept. instructor Kori Wakamatsu.

Revelation and inspiration

This is a topic that Rick and I have talked about for hours and hours over the years. It's a tenet of our faith as stated in the 9th article of faith:

9. We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.

We believe that God speaks to his followers through revelation & inspiration. We believe that through the Gift of the Holy Ghost, (which we are given following baptism through the power of the priesthood) we as his followers are given the gift of receiving revelation and inspiration to help us in our lives. All people are given the light of Christ and this light helps all seekers of truth to be able to know and feel truth when they hear it and to know right from wrong. While this basic belief is central to our religion, the interpretation of what it actually means to us as followers is an individual occurrence. Rick and I have come to the conclusion that there is no no "one size fits all" application. While some basic guidelines apply in learning to feel and follow the promptings of the spirit, the use of this great gift is an individual quest.
I know a few things that work for me. These discoveries have come through years of trial and error.
~I need to have peace and quiet. I can't "listen" when there is too much commotion. Turning off the TV, the music and all the noise and just thinking and pondering helps me so much. I get good thoughts while driving if I'm alone and it's quiet.
~I've only had a few times in my life when I've felt pure revelation. Getting the prompting to serve a full-time LDS mission was one of those times. It was undeniable and very strong. It had to be that strong and different to get me to pay attention! I have had many, many times when I've felt inspiration to do something, to say something, to go somewhere or to help someone. If I feel a prompting (which is really just getting a thought in my head of a positive nature) I try and act on it. If I can't act immediately, I try and remember it or write it down and get to it later. These are usually things like: go see someone, call someone, send a card, send some money, ask someone if they need help, etc. etc. Or in preparing a lesson or a talk, it's good to just sit and think and see what thoughts come in how to approach the assignment. Usually, good thoughts will come. In problem solving, it works for me much the same way. I think of the problem and then start to sort out all possible outcomes and finally I settle on a course of action. I decide and move forward.
~I don't feel comfortable using the words "the spirit said" this and that when talking to other people. First of all I don't think I need to tell anyone of my own personal promptings. Second, I think it gives the false sense that I have a direct pipeline that tells me everything to do. I think that phrase is overused and often misused. If some sort of explanation is needed then I like the terms "I had a thought that..." or "I felt that..."

Orson Scott Card recently posted an article on this very subject. What he said rang true to me.
I quote:

"Revelation comes when the Lord has urgent business, and he calls upon whichever of his servants are in a position (usually with authority) to carry out his will.

But if every decision in our lives came to us by revelation, where would our agency be? Every choice would be between obeying God or not; we would be like children whose parents were always present, telling them what to do.

I think of inspiration as coming into our minds along with all our other ideas, and indistinguishable from them. We follow the ideas the Spirit brings us, not out of obedience, but because we desire the path itself. Our choices then reveal who we are, and we are fully responsible for the life we chose to live."

And further:

"That is why I worry when people make a claim of inspiration as a means of asserting authority or ending what they see as opposition.

When you propose something to others with words like, "I feel impressed that our course of action should be …" you are effectively cutting off the possibility of receiving good counsel from others.

You can leave them feeling that their own thoughts and ideas are of no interest to you; you don't need them.

If, in fact, you have received clear revelation in a matter that is within your stewardship, so be it.

But if your idea merely might be inspiration, then prudence, modesty and the agency of others suggest it is wiser to say, "The thought occurred to me that we might … "

You will not be testing their faith (in God or in you) with every idea that pops into your head. This leaves others free to think and ponder and counsel and even test your ideas with questions and objections.

You might become acquainted with new information that you would never have received had you introduced your thought with a claim of inspiration."

Elder Bednar gave a talk at the MTC a year ago on this topic that really helped us. It's probably the best talk I've even heard on inspiration. I'll share a few notes from that tomorrow.

Work as hard as you can

Our friend Mark sent this link to this video out today. He and Colleen and their son Tyler are good friends with Tyler Haws and his family, so this video was especially touching to them. I loved watching it and I love the message is conveys."It's in the doing, not just the thinking that we accomplish our goals." Love that.

What women want

Yesterday I attended the most interesting lecture at our monthly women's gathering (Cleofon.) It was entitled "Understanding and communicating with women: research on the attitudes of LDS women" and it was given by a woman who has a list of credentials as long as my arm. She is an LDS woman who has been researching women's issues for over 30 years along with a long list of other research topics. She lived in Washington DC for many years and spent a decade in the Phoenix area. She brought such an interesting perspective to the gathering as she shared her insights and findings. I wish I could recap them here. I requested a copy of her notes and if I get them, I'll share some of her findings in a future post.
The gist of her lecture was about the self-worth of women and how it impacts their choices, particularly Mormon women. The same facts hold true across all religious lines however. Women want to be appreciated and needed. They want to connect with people and with a higher source. They want to contribute and make the world a better place. It's about relationships and finding out who they really are and how they can make something of themselves and be fulfilled.
She quoted past LDS president Spencer W. Kimball. He said in November of 1979:
"Righteous women will cause major Church growth. Finally, my dear sisters, may I suggest to you something that has not been said before or at least in quite this way. Much of the major growth that is coming to the Church in the last days will come because many of the good women of the world (in whom there is often such an inner sense of spirituality) will be drawn to the Church in large numbers. This will happen to the degree that the women of the Church reflect righteousness and articulateness in their lives and to the degree that the women of the church are seen as distinct and different - in happy ways - from the women of the world. Among the real heroines in the world who will come into the church are the women who are more concerned with being righteous that with being selfish."

One way this is happening is through blogging. Enter mommy blogs (as they're called.) There was an article in the DNews last week on this very topic: Mormon mommy blogs immensely popular beyond LDS sphere. I quote: "Self-proclaimed feminist and atheist Emily Matchar recently wrote for Salon about her "addiction" to such blogs, calling them strangely uplifting and even encouraging. Indeed, Mormon bloggers ... make marriage and motherhood seem, well, fun. Easy. Joyful," Matchar wrote. "These women seem relaxed and untouched by cynicism. It's not that (my friend) or I want to quit our jobs to bake brownies or sew kiddie Halloween costumes. It's just that for (my friend), Mormon blogs are an escapist fantasy, a way to imagine a sweeter, simpler life...But the basic messages expressed in these blogs -- family is wonderful, life is meant to be enjoyed, celebrate the small things -- are still lovely. And if they help women like me envision a life in which marriage and motherhood could potentially be something other than a miserable, soul-destroying trap, I say, "Right on." I won't be inviting the missionaries inside for hot cocoa now or ever, but I don't plan on stopping my blog habit any time soon."

Some LDS mommy blogs are superficial and present only the best of everything. Some aren't real. Some cause jealousies and some take women away from their families. It can become addictive as women connect with others. But for the most part, I think LDS mommy blogs present a look into a life style that is rewarding and pleasant to the writers, especially when they present themselves warts and all. The blogs are showing the world that LDS women sincerely love what they do and are happy for the most part being wives and mothers and in contributing to the future through their good choices because life IS meant to be enjoyed.

Utah Lake

Yesterday, Rick, Brian (Rick's autistic cousin) and I drove all around Utah Lake. for an adventure. I've lived in this valley for the last 30 some odd years and I've never taken a drive around the lake. I was absolutely amazed at how large it is. It's 24 miles by 13 miles at the largest points. We live on the east side of the lake and the west side has been largely uninhabited. About 15 years ago, communities started to develop on the west side of the lake. Now there are 100s of homes and entire communities on the west side of the lake. The land is less expensive and there is a lot of it available for development. I've noticed the lights across the lake at night They have grown in number over the years as these communities have developed. The communities of Saratoga Springs, Cedar Fort and Eagle Mountain are all out on the west side of the lake. Who knew?
Utah lake is a fresh water lake. However, it is shallow and only reaches 14 feet in depth at his deepest point. It has been used and abused over the years and the carp population has taken over the other fish in the lake. It is used for recreation during the summer months and yesterday when we drove around it, it was mostly frozen solid since it is so shallow. When I was a college student I remember going water skiing on the lake. It's a shame that the water isn't more desirable for recreation. There has also been talk over the years of building a causeway over the lake so that the property on the west side could be more easily accessed for development. Who knows how that will turn out? One thing is certain and that is this - the east side of the lake is almost completely built out as development has taken place between the shore of the lake and the rise of the mountains. New development has to go somewhere I suppose.
When Rick was involved in scouting many years ago, he went on a 100 mile bike ride around the lake with the boys. He said it was a good experience and it gave him some idea of the size of the lake back then. Yesterday, we also drove through the little farming communities of Goshen and Elberta. We passed many orchards and I would imagine that the town of Elberta got it's name from a peach, since Elberta peaches are some of the best. We finally came back into civilization in the thriving metropolis of Santaquin.
It was a great adventure and the first of my goals of seeing new places with Rick.
I've been to a lot of places in the great state of Utah. Does anyone have other suggestions of where we should go next?

If you don't have your health, you don't have anything

I want my body to perform well and take me the places I want to go. For about 25 more years. After that, I don't care. Then I'm going to eat whatever I want and sit and do nothing! Or so I think...but I've got a way to go until then.
It's a simply theory I have that in order for my body to take care of me, I must take care of it. I've been a pretty good healthy eater all my life and I've exercised the old fashioned way most of my life (by working.) Since my daily work has slowed down over the last 10 years, I've had to start exercising by consciously exercising (which I don't like that much.)
Then why do I do it? Because I want to go and do the things I want to go and do. I'm pretty independent and I want to be able to take care of myself. I want to keep up with my husband who is pretty much a mountain goat. I don't want to burden anyone. I want to play with my grandkids and be able to move to do it. I want to travel, to serve, to work and I want to have fun. I need a healthy body to do these things. That motivates me to eat well, exercise and keep my body going.
In preparing for my talk in church last week, I learned a lot. Here are some thoughts to share:

Why are we here on earth? The answer is easy, right? It's to receive a physical body, to live by faith rather than sight and to be tested. But why is having a physical body so important? Ultimately the answer affects everything we do: what we think, how we act, where we go, what we eat, what we drink, and what we wear and how we look.
The Prophet Joseph Smith taught with great clarity about the importance of our physical bodies: "We came to this earth that we might have a body and present it pure before God in the celestial kingdom. The great principle of happiness consists of having a body. The devil has no body, and herein is his punishment. He is pleased when he can obtain the tabernacle of man, and when cast out by the Savior he asked to go into a herd of shine, showing that he would prefer a swine's body to having none. All beings who have bodies have power over those who have not. The devil has no power over us only as we permit him. The moment we revolt at anything which comes from God, the devil takes power." (Teaching of the Prophet Joseph Smith)
An essential part of the test of mortality is having and properly using a physical body.
Consider this statement by President Brigham Young:
"The spirit is pure and under the special control and influence of the Lord, but the body is of the earth and is subject to the power of the Devil, an is under the mighty influence of that fallen nature that is of the earth. If the spirit yields to the body, the Devil then has power to overcome the body and spirit of that man, and he loses both...let the spirit, which God has put into your tabernacles, take the lead. If you do that, I will promise you that you will overcome evil and obtain eternal lives. But many, very many, let the spirit yield to the body and are overcome and destroyed." (Discourses of Brigham Young)

Here's some thoughts of my own:
Forget about dieting. Forget about the latest fads and looking good for the approval of other people. Eat for good health, and the weight loss will follow. Exercise for good health and the more toned and slender frame will follow. Change the goal and the desired results will come. Eat and move to gain the approval of God. Treat the body like the amazing blessing that it is. How we feel about our bodies will in large measure determine how we treat them.
Who will be the master of your body? The spirit that is within you, or the flesh?
It's an interesting thought to consider!

Products I love

Remember this problem?
Well, I'm happy to report that my dishes are a lot cleaner now. Thanks to this product recommendation from my sister Carol and changing my detergent from Cascade to these Electrosol dishwasher power balls. See their web site here. It has a lot of interesting info about hard water problems and what to do about them. I also followed a tip I read from Heloise. I submerged our hard water stained glasses in vinegar to soak for about 15 minutes, rotating them as needed. We now have sparkling clean classes again!
I also highly recommend this eye makeup remover. It takes off all eye makeup, including mascara and it's gentle on the eyes and doesn't sting. It can be found at the grocery store and it doesn't cost a lot. Pick up some little cotton cicles to use with the solution while you're at it and your night time routine will be a lot easier!

J-I-M-M-E-R ! ! !

He played out of his head last night. Rick and our nephew went to the game and they said it was an amazing performance. Displaying his vast shooting repertoire, the senior guard scored 47 points, including six 3-pointers, to lead the No. 11 Cougars to a 104-79 rout of Utah Tuesday night.
I've been going to all the home games and I must say, it is a delight to watch the team play. Jimmer, Jackson, Noah, Kyle & Brandon all scored in double digits. Wow, what a season (so far!)
Oh, and check out this link. Maybe this kid will be the next Jimmer! Wow!
http://www.komonews.com/sports/heroes/111892554.html

1-11-11

It seems like the stars are aligning for some important decisions & determinations to have the spirit rule over the body and make things happen in 2011.
So this is the best I can do.
11 in 11
1. visit 11 temples this year and do the the temple work for at least 22 of our departed ancestors
2. lose 11 pounds
3. read 11 books
4. organize & label 11 of our family photo books
5. visit 11 elderly people
6. sew 11 items and give them away
7. go with Rick to visit 11 new places
8. send birthday cards to 11 people I don't normally send to
9. watch 11 old movies that I love but haven't seen for awhile
10. make 11 new recipes
11. invite 11 groups of people over for dinner

Goodbye to the historic Provo tabernacle (for now)

During the Christmas break, we lost an old friend. I don't know why I was especially sad about this loss, other than it's hard to see an historic structure just go up in flames like that and take with it a lot of memories and meaning. When we lived in Provo, we attended stake conference in this beautiful building. It had a balcony and it was fun to climb the spiral stair case to get to our hard-small-uncomfortable-pioneer-era-wooden seats. But somehow that is what made it special and a way to connect with the short-small-petite-sturdy-innovative-pioneer-era people who sat in those seats 120 years ago. We attended more than a dozen Christmas performances of The Messiah in that building and it always had a great vantage point to see the performance and listen to the wonderful acoustics to hear every melodic sound. When our kids were little, Rick would take them on a Saturday adventure. Often they would go to the Provo tabernacle and tour the building as if they were out-of-towners seeing it for the first time. My sister Lee attended her BYU graduation ceremonies in that building. And on and on go the memories.
I hope they rebuild it. They have to rebuild it. I'll be an eager contributor.

Looking ahead to 2011

It's a new year and a new opportunity to set sights on the future. After our kids and their families left, we got Andy ready to travel to Hawaii and then I promptly got sick. Icky sick with A LOT of abdominal pain. I ended up getting a CAT scan and missing some work. I haven't missed a day of work for sickness in many years, but alas, I couldn't get out of bed. Some good antibiotics got me back on the path to good health. Plus, the after Christmas blues hit and it was nice to just lie in bed and read my new book that Claire and Rich gave me. I also did mindless things. I watched Eat, Pray, Love. (I liked the move better than the book.) I watched Twilight again (since I won it in a Christmas game.) If I had a CD of Anne of Green Gables, I would have watched that too. It's such a good "stay in bed sick" movie. Note to self - get a copy of that series.

I'm STILL putting away the Christmas decorations. And washing towels and sheets. But I have no deadlines, so I just do it when I feel like it.

Right before I got sick, I agreed to give a talk in church in our home ward.
The topic I was given was on taking care of our bodies and eating healthy. Ironic, isn't it? We gorge ourselves in December and then try and purge in January. Crazy humans.
But it's a worthy new year's goal, right?
If losing weight is one of your New Year’s resolutions, why not look to religion as a guide?
I read a lot and of course I learned a lot.
Here are some interesting findings:
Check out this link for an interesting read and this article that was written by an LDS woman who incorporates the best diet practices of several religions into her healthy eating practices. Here are her 10 diet habits. I think they're really good and simple steps to follow.

1. Make the bulk of your diet grains, lentils, beans, vegetables and fruit.

2. Eat only enough to satisfy hunger.

3. Eat breakfast.

4. Eat at regular intervals.

5. Make two or three meals vegetarian

6. Eat small portions of meat.

7. Eat foods in their natural state when possible.

8. Allow yourself to eat small, healthy snacks between meals.

9. Make water your beverage of choice.

10. Avoid refined carbohydrates, concentrated sugars and fat-fried or processed foods.

December in the rear view mirror

December 1-31, 2010. It comes. It goes. The events are all just memories now, but worth holding on to. Thanks everyone, for a great season! I'm not gonna lie, it's a lot of work and stress and sometimes I had to tell myself to just breath, but it's also worth it. I approach the season every year with a certain amount of dread and anticipation. The JOY of it eventually wins out, but there are some moments when I determine to cut down, cut out and simplify. The problem is that I just can't figure out what to cut. So here is what happened during the month. Plus work. Plus the MTC.
~prepared Christmas stockings for two Mongolian sister missionaries at the MTC (one we met earlier this year when we visited there)
~sent a package to one of Andy's Mongolian companions who needed help
~our star boarder, Jesse, moved into Jordan's room in mid November. He helped me cart in the bins with the Christmas decorations and did all the paint touch up from the remodel
~afternoon tea at our home with Diane and Tiffany
~MTC Christmas dinner party
~BYU Celebration of Christmas program
~Vonnie colonoscopy (yuck, right?)
~mailed the Christmas cards
~SCERA Christmas party
~MTC couples dinner at our house
~Russell family FHE and dinner at our house
~Red Lobster dinner with Dara
~Joshua Creek concert at SCERA
~Cleofon dinner party
~David Lanz concert at the Covey Center
~Rick colonoscopy (not fun for him)
~Dave and Courtney arrived and got settled in
~Tabernacle Christmas concert with David Archuleta
~Sunday dinner party with the Eastman family
~picked up Mom at the airport. Attended A Christmas Carol with Mom, Pat, Andy, D&C, R&Vonnie
~Mom, Andy and I drove to Logan to attend Jessica's bridal shower and attend the Griffin Christmas party with niece Haley. Stayed over night and enjoyed a wagon ride around town.
~bought $600 of food
~R, Claire and Skippy arrive, drive to airport to pick up
~J&J, J, E and baby Ada arrive. Let the fun begin!
~All attend a BYU basketball game
~take around the neighborhood treat
~Ada to Doctor with ear infection. Christmas eve dinner prep
~cookie baking
~All in family attend Christmas eve dinner along with Rick's parents
~leisurely Christmas morning opening gifts and eating breakfast
~Christmas day dinner at Rick's parents with his siblings and families
~Family dinner with the Philipp family the next day
~Attend movies True Grit with the grownups and later Tangled with the little grand girls
~Attend the Timpanogos temple with kids and spouses
~sledding and snowman building with the grand girls
~Attend the Carl Block art exhibit
~Rick picks up our 1/3 beef from the butcher
~did the 12 days for Christmas for a family in our neighborhood
~D&C, J&J coming and going to their families in the area
~play some games on the Wii
~attend the farewell sacrament meeting and lunch for Jake's parents who are leaving to serve a mission in London
~go to Trafalga to play arcade games, watch a high tech movie and eat dip n dots
~Margie, Brooke, Megan and boy friends come for steak dinner with our whole family
~drive to Logan to attend Jessica and Brad's wedding. Enjoy the sealing and lunch with the extended family
~head home for New Year's eve. About die laughing while playing the game "Things"
~J&J, D&C pack up to head home. Drive out of the driveway early New Year's day
~watch some football and start to pack up the decorations. Rick and R take the real tree to the tree recycle place in the same way they have for years (dragging it outside of the car)
~Rick, C&R attend a BYU basketball game. Grandma tends baby Skippy.
~Drive C&R and baby Skippy to the airport and the next day drive Andy to the airport as he heads to Hawaii for winter semester.
~all is quiet on the western front. We loved having our family home for the holidays.
And one unexpected joy? I only gained 2 pounds. That is the beauty of daily exercise (I'm STILL waiting to love that part.)

Christmas Eve 2010 – All together again!