Called to serve

The Deseret News has been running a series of in-depth articles on life in the Provo MTC. It's been great to see the pictures and read the articles about life as a missionary in the MTC. Not only is it fun for people who have gone through the MTC to see it and reminisce, but it is also a very valuable tool to let people see what goes on in there. In case you missed it, take a look at the dozens of photos they have made available and the articles that described missionary life. If you have a son or daughter who is pre-mission age, this might be a great FHE to see the pictures and talk about preparation for a mission.
I think it's fantastic that the MTC has allowed this kind of transparency and that the D News has done such a great job reporting. I'm sure that many people are curious about what goes on in this little mini city in Provo. Now the mystery is removed. Be sure to go through the many pictures that are associated with each story.
Enjoy!

1st article - Mormon church's Provo MTC: Exclusive look at the largest missionary training facility in the world.
2nd article - Inside the Missionary Training Center - arrival day for missionaries means quick goodbyes and hello to a brand new world.
3rd article - A look at the Mormon missionary training process.
4th article - Mormon church operates 14 missionary training centers around the world
5th article - Inside the Missionary Training Center: It takes a village to run what amounts to a small city.
6th article - Select group of missionaries serving online
and finally
7th article - photos of a devotional at the Provo MTC.

We miss it. I'm not going to say we don't. But life in couch isn't too bad either. We're both serving with the young men and young women in our ward again and we really enjoy serving with the youth. We're happy to serve where ever we can lend a hand.

Serendipity!

(This is the second time I've written this post. First time I added a picture and the whole thing disappeared. I got so mad I went on strike against Blogger and gave it a rest for a week. Time to forgive and forget I guess.)

The last week or so, several serendipitous events have happened! It's been so fun to just go with the flow of these events as they have unfolded.
#1 - I planned a trip to Rupert to visit my sister Janet while Rick went to the MW conference games in Las Vegas. Sisters Lee and Ann jumped on board and we headed to Rupert. (We missed Carol and Mom and hope they can make it to the next sisters adventure.) Janet had John Wayne tacos waiting for us when we arrived and we enjoyed eating dinner together and chatting. Jan had suggested that we all come prepared with something to share so we did just that. Lee showed us how to make her creative Oreo-cookie-chocolate-dipped-ball-on-a-stick treats, Ann showed us how to make some darling decorative cones for party favors, I showed the group how to make little-girl-3-layer-rick-rack-skirts for granddaughters and Janet was prepared with folders and brochures to get us started on funeral planning. She works as a pre-funeral planner and she really knows her stuff. It's good to think through finances and decisions that need to be made even if we usually like to put that sort of thing off. We exercised to a DVD of the Biggest Loser in the morning and then headed out to Kings variety store to buy some St. Paddy's decorations and just smell that distinctive plastic smell in Kings. We went to lunch and ate Reuben sandwiches, went to a craft fair where Lee found the perfect frame for her living room wall, went to a scrapbook store and made table coasters for our homes and we just chatted and chatted the whole time. It was a "Girls" adventure, that's for sure. It was so fun to be together and spend the day doing fun stuff. We also got to visit the homes of our nephews Nick and Dustin and visit with their lovely wives and see their darling children. They are doing such a great job raising their families.
#2 - We attended a BYU Honors Program dinner a couple of weeks ago. Two interesting things happened. I sat by a couple whose son is the drummer for the group Maroon 5. It was interesting to hear their story. Rick sat by the director of the Freshman Year experience at BYU. He chatted her up pretty well. A few days later look what came in the mail (see above.)
As if we didn't already have enough blue and white in our house! Of course is goes nicely with the exciting events this last week with the ongoing Jimmermania saga...another serendipitous event.
#3 - Can I just say how much FUN we've had watching BYU basketball this year? Jimmer made the cover of SI two weeks in a row now. I'm just saying. If you haven't seen him play yet, you MUST catch him tomorrow night in the NCAA tournament sweet sixteen. He is a wonder to behold.
#4 - I got a call from my nephew Matt asking me to check out some local cars he saw on KSL.com. I went to check out the cars, took some pictures and also took this beauty in for a mechanical check. He decided it was a go and he and Carol came and picked up the car the next day. He paid in cash. I don't think I've ever held that much cash before. Probably a first and last time for that. I'm happy for Matt's new ride. He's such a cute kid and working hard to pay for his new purchase.
#5 - I got the BYU Women's conference brochure in the mail. I have TWO cousins presenting this year. Janis L. and Rebecca G. Unfortunately, they are presenting at the same time. I'm not sure what I'll do about that. Also presenting is a friend in our stake who I really admire. Her name is Lloya H. and I'll be attending her class for sure on adult relationships with our children. I got my pass to attend. Are there any interested attendees? It's April 28-29 and the Rombom Roost is available for overnight guests.
Roost is available for overnight guests.t is available for overnight guests.

China (not the country!) replacement

Recognize this beautiful china??



Have you ever broken a piece of your china and wished that you could replace that piece? There is a GREAT website that does just that. It has thousands if not millions of replacement china and dish ware pieces. Here is the web site.
They also have crystal, silver and other serving pieces. If you don't know the name of your china or dish ware, you can take a picture and send it in and they will try and identify it.
There is also this web site called Past and Present that does the same thing, although I don't think their inventory is as large. The prices aren't cheap, but if you're looking to replace an item or two, it might be worth it. The name of the manufacturer is usually stamped on the back of the plate. Happy replacement shopping!

Sassy water

Do you ever want to drink something besides water? Do you want to try something that doesn't have any calories and is still flavorful? Well, try making some sassy water! It's refreshing and easy to make and it lasts for 2-3 days.

Here is the recipe:

2 liters water (about 8 ½ cups)

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger root ( I don’t always have this, so I skip it. You can find ginger root at a health food store.)

1 medium cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced

1 medium lemon, thinly sliced

12 mint leaves

Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher, chill in the fridge and let flavors blend overnight.

I refill the container and use the flavoring for 2-3 days.

Enjoy! From the Flat Belly Diet Book.

The amazing Japanese

I know we've all watched in horror as the tragedy that is going on in Japan unfolds. First a deadly earthquake, followed shortly by an absolutely powerful and terrifying tsunami, followed by the disaster of the nuclear power plants. How can one country take so much? I've watch several videos on CNN and other news outlets of the damage and the reaction of the people.
I'll say this much - I totally admire the spirit and resiliency of the Japanese people. For the most part, they don't tend to freak out. They don't scream and cry. They don't protest and beg for help. They don't just sit there and wait for someone to save them. They stay calm and they go about getting their lives back in order as much as they can. They help each other. They watch out for the aged, the children and those with disabilities. They get to work. There isn't a bunch of looting. People wait in line with patience for food and water. They are well behaved, organized, intelligent people who try to take care of themselves.
I'm in awe of this and I admire the Japanese people. A lot.
I have a dear friend who is Japanese and I've observed these same qualities in her. She is strong. She is kind and she goes about quietly doing good. She doesn't get emotional about things and she takes what is dealt to her with courage. I love having her as a friend. She teaches me so much. She has been very saddened by this disaster and even though her family has been in the US for a couple of generations, she is very concerned for the people of her heritage.

I found this interesting explanation of the Japanese people:

"Two phrases offer some insight into the Japanese psyche.
One is "shikata ga nai," which roughly translates as "it can't be helped," and is a common reaction to situations beyond one's control. The other is "gaman," considered a virtue. It means to be patient and persevere in the face of suffering.
Theories abound as to what makes the Japanese so resilient and willing to cooperate. Some cite the centuries-old need to work together to grow rice on a crowded archipelago prone to natural disasters. Others point to the hierarchical nature of human relations and a keen fear of shaming oneself before others.
"It strikes me as a Buddhist attitude," Glenda Roberts, an anthropology professor at Tokyo's Waseda University, said. "Westerners might tend to see it as passivity, but it's not that. It takes a lot of strength to stay calm in the face of terror."

I think it's time for a donation to the LDS Humanitarian aid fund.

An epiphany

Two things happened in the last several days that really got me thinking.
First, I attended a lecture given by my boss at the annual Hickman lecture on campus. He got this great write up in the D News. Check it out for more info. Here are the main points of his lecture based on solid research:

Sacred living strategies shield families, strengthen marriages and build a shield that will temper many of the storms raging against families today.

Sacred living checklist:

FORGIVENESS:
When my partner hurts my feelings can I forgive him/her easily?
Can I move forward after conflicts or do I pout for days?
If my partner upsets me, can I absorb the hurt and find
ways of letting go?

SACRIFICE:
Do I sacrifice my time, energy and even money for others?
Do I put others' interests before my own?

COMMITMENT:
Do I act like this is the person I want to be with more than anyone else?
Do I avoid comparing my partner to other people and just for a moment
thinking that someone else would be better for me?

KINDNESS:
Do I stand up for my spouse?
Am I sensitive to his/her needs?

RELATIONAL AGGRESSION:
Do I avoid sharing private information about my spouse behind his/her
back?
When I'm upset, do I refuse to gossip about my spouse?
After a confrontation or conflict, do I stonewall and ignore my spouse
or do I find a way to express my feelings?

This topic was on my mind over the weekend. It made sense to me that simply going through the motions of living a religious, Christ centered (Christian) life has little meaning if we don't incorporate the teaching of Christ into our lives. We can't just attend church and go through the religious rituals and expect to be more Christ-like. We have to walk the walk and incorporate those principles into our lives every day.

Second. In Sunday School yesterday we had a lesson on the Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes and this is where the epiphany struck me. What matters most in life is how we treat people. Period. We can go through the motions of religion, we can attend church and do all that is required of us, but until we treat people with kindness, forgiveness, patience and love, we aren't really reaching our full potential and being true followers of Christ. How we act in our homes, at our work, in our communities and in our relationships with other people is simply a time to practice the Beatitudes taught by Christ. He is the only human who mastered them. It's our challenge to truly follow His example. It can be life changing as we strive to do just that. I've known this truth before, but it was reinforced again over the weekend. Our family life will go better, our marriages will be stronger, our friendships and extended family relationships will be stronger and we'll be better people all around if we truly give ourselves over to following the example of Christ.

3-11-11

Progress report to keep me motivated.
11 in 11
1. visit 11 temples this year and do the the temple work for at least 22 of our departed ancestors

• 1. Provo temple-10 sealings for couples and sons

• 2. Provo temple - 5 initiatory
• 3. Albuquerque temple - 5 initiatory
• 4. Mesa temple - 1 endowment
  

2. lose 11 pounds

• no comment
  

3. read 11 books

• 1. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

• 2. Heidi (a childhood favorite - loved reading it again)
• 3. Same Kind of Different as Me
  

4. organize & label 11 of our family photo books

• nothing yet

5. visit 11 elderly people

• 1. G.G. 2. G.D.E.
  

6. sew 11 items and give them away

• 1 skirt for Skippy, 1 blanket for Skippy, 1 skirt of Lauren, 1 skirt for Ellie, 1 skirt for Ada

7. go with Rick to visit 11 new places

• 1. drove around Utah Lake for the first time

8. send birthday cards to 11 people I don't normally send to

• 1. A. K. 2. A. K. 3. D. A. 4. D. R. 5. D. S.
  

9. watch 11 old movies that I love but haven't seen for awhile

• 1. Dances with Wolves

• 2. First Knight

• 3. Mama Mia

• 4. Groundhog Day

10. make 11 new recipes

• 1. Lentil soup (won't be making this again - it wasn't a hit with the husband)

• 2. Zita Primavera

11. invite 11 groups of people over for dinner

• 1. Lacey M. and friends, Pat & Vern
• 2. Valentine dinner with the Mark & Colleen, Trent & Kelley
• 3. Cleofon group of women for luncheon

Birthdays of long ago

Back in the 60s, celebrating a birthday wasn't a huge deal. There just wasn't a lot of fuss. Mom would make a cake for us of our choosing (which was always a homemade white cake -no cake mixes- for me with white frosting & vanilla ice cream) and she would usually cook our favorite dinner as well. We would get a new outfit or some other small gift from our parents and maybe a few small gifts from siblings and/or friends. Everyone would sing happy birthday and we would move on. I think I was probably 14 or 15 in this photo. Why do I know? Because I got contact lens near the time of my 16th birthday and the glasses were no more. Now about that Twiggy haircut...
I remember this birthday so well. I woke up and saw a dress that my Mom had made me hanging on the door of my bedroom. I was so excited to wear this green beauty complete with bell sleeves and gro-grain trim, with lace around the neck and around the bottom of the sleeves. So stylish and cute! I also got the lovely pen necklace you see feature in the photo from my friend Carla. The blue cat eye glasses and the white headband complement the outfit so well. All together it makes for a smashing statement. Now about those teeth...
I was the happiest girl in the world on my 6th birthday. Mom let me have a birthday party and invite some friends over. You can see the expression of sheer joy on my face. I was pretty progressive to invite three boys and two girls to my party. Little brother Paul (isn't he cute) is was my left. I remember bossing everyone around and having a great time. My oh my how some things don't change much over the years...love the ringlets!
I got this stylish green suit complete with matching skirt and slacks when I was in 6th grade for my birthday. It was so fashionable and I loved wearing it. I was devastated the day I was chasing some boys around the gravel playground at Lincoln Elementary school and slipped on the concrete-rock-covered-sidewalk and ripped the knees about of the slacks. We weren't allowed to wear slacks to school very often and it was a real special occasion when we were allowed to wear them. And then I had to go and ruin my favorite pair of slacks. I was heart broken that my fashionable green three piece suit was ruined. We finally had to cut the slacks off to shorts, but it didn't look good to wear shorts with a jacket. Don't you just love the haircut with the side curls? I faithfully taped those curls every night with Scotch tape to achieve the look. Fashion can be exhausting sometimes.

Last week I celebrated by 56 birthday. I can't believe that I'm this old. My Mom was 56 1/2 when she lost our dad. I thought it seemed pretty "advanced in years" back then, but now I have a completely different perspective. Becoming a widow at 56 is very young. At this age, "things" start changing fast. Life becomes more precious and more tenuous. Kids grow up and move on. Relationships with friends and family become more meaningful. We have time to do some stuff we haven't had time to do for years. I think I'm going to like this next chapter of my life.
And guess what? My dear husband gave me this for my birthday. It beats the blue pen necklace all to heck.

Great photography

Today I went to a lecture given by the BYU photographer Mark Philbrick. Not only did he give us some great pointers for taking better pictures as amateurs, but he also shared a slide show of some of his amazing photography. Here are a few of his shots that are available to post on the internet.













Here is the link to the website where you can see many of Mark's slide shows over the years. If you love photography or if you just want to look around campus through his eyes, the slide shows are well worth your time to watch (especially the MWC win slide show.)
He gave some tips for taking a good picture:
1. Control your background then tell your story with a picture
2. Move out of our comfort zone, try new settings
3. Lighting is everything. Wait patiently for the right light.
4. Experiment with horizontal and vertical pictures. Each work well for different settings.
5. Try and get your own inspiration and style. Don't copy someone else. Learn from them but get your own style.
6. Wait for the shot, sometimes up to a hour. Move around the location and look at the subject from all different angles.
7. Train yourself to see ordinary things differently. In action shots, follow the sequence of the action.
8. Look for one element in each picture that "pops" either a person, place or thing.

I LOVE and value good photography and Mark is one of the best. Of course he has great subject matter to work with. Wow, what a job (if you could even call it that.) If you haven't seen it before or if you haven't watched it recently, check out this wonderful Christmas video make up of Mark's photographs for a collaborative project with several talented individuals in the area.

Media and the Family

Last week our shop hosted the second annual conference of scholars doing research on the impact of media on the family. Needless to say, this was of great interest to me and I loved hearing what they had to say for two days. My assistant Brad and I picked everyone up from the airport and brought them to campus for the conference. We were able to join in and listen to their presentations, eat meals with them and attend the activities as we organized and ran the conference. It's always interesting to see what visitors have to say about Utah, BYU, and the LDS church. Hopefully we're making some friends for all three.


One of the rising stars in this whole arena is a young professor named S. Coyne. She is doing important research in areas of great importance, since media impacts all of us. She is centering her research on media impacting the family and it is very interesting. I asked her to come to our home and speak to a woman's group I'm involved in last month. She gave such great practical advice for the group and for everyone who is concerned about the huge impact that media is having on our lives. She quickly went over all the ways the media has changed our lives in the last 30 years. As you know, it's been dramatic and invasive in some ways. Just think about the way the smart cell phone, texting, taking pictures and video with the cell phone, emails, Internet use, computers, digital photography, online shopping, TV, cable TV, movies, books, Kindle, video gaming, pornography, Facebook, magazines, etc. etc. etc. having impacted our lives.
She gave some great practical suggestions for families that I wanted to share. Here we go:
1. We can't escape it unless we live in a cave. It's here to stay and we need to learn now to use at least some of the advances that are available. It is changing so fast and we need to stay up to date of as much as we can, especially if we have children who are using media. We must stay informed and involved in their lives and choices in this area. If not it can consume them and it may be very hard to reclaim them from the addictions that can occur.
2. Have someone (probably a child or grandchild) teach you how to use your cell phone, learn to text, get a Facebook page, play a video game or sports Wii and use your TV. Don't be afraid to ask them. This is a good way to let them share what they know and teach you how to use it. Join with them in the use of media. Don't shy away. Play games with them. Get involved, not only to see what they are doing, but to join in the wonderful advances that are taking place. If you can't beat em, join em.
3. Monitor. You MUST monitor media usage. You can't just walk away and not know what they are doing, how long they are doing it, when they are doing it and with whom they are communicating and absorbing media. Again - knowledge is power. Set reasonable limits with time spent watching & content. Talk about content. If you hear or see something offensive to you, say so. Talk about it. Turn it off, but say why you are turning it off. This is a time to instill values. They NEED you to instill values as a parent and grandparent. Take charge and let your children and grandchildren know what your standards are in your home. You MUST set the stage. No one else can do this but you, the parent or grandparent.

Here is some more to read if interested. Talk with your kids today about media in their lives and how it affects them both positively and negatively!

• Guilty parents rejoice: study finds some active video games count as legitimate exercise - see here.
• Video games are good for girls – if parents play along - see here.
• Film and TV aggression rubs off on viewers, BYU study shows -see here.
• Meaner than fiction: Reality TV high on aggression, study shows - see here.

6th annual SCERA gala

We had another wonderful evening raising money for the endowment at SCERA again this year.
This article from the local paper summed it up very well.

"The recent article regarding SCERA's gala was the perfect place to recognize such a "class act." Attending for the first time, we were again amazed at what the SCERA staff and volunteers did to present such a delightful, thoughtful, beautiful evening.

The community sponsors and their generous donations made me grateful to live among such good people. Though SCERA honored amazing recipients that night, we should all surely applaud the dedicated, talented and gracious staff at the SCERA. They truly are a class act."

The writer of that letter to the editor is right! The staff at SCERA is amazing! They work so hard to provide wonderful entertainment in our community. Here is a link to the article in the paper listing those who was honored this year.

It's always such a fun night to get all gussied up, walk the read carpet and contribute to such a good cause. I've enjoyed serving there over the last seven years.

Waaa Waaa Waaa

Sometimes it's really hard to be a BYU sports fan. I should know, I've been at it since 1973. Now, don't get me wrong, my version of being a BYU sports fan isn't the same version as my husband. I don't claim to love BYU sports at the same depth and breadth as he does. Few people do. But I do love BYU sports within my own parameters. I'll admit that I'm a fair weather sports fan. I'm also a woman who loves other things more than BYU sports. It isn't my life. What's the fun in watching or going to the games if the teams aren't any good? There is no point. So, my level of love and devotion has ebbed and flowed over the years. There, I said it (mostly for you Andy.)
I can agonize right up there with the best of them when the Cougars aren't playing well. I can cry when the outcome of the game goes against the boys in white & blue. I can cheer with a lot of passion and I can walk away if I'm not that into it. It's my prerogative, right?
It's been so much fun to follow the BYU basketball team this season. We've had season tickets again this year and we've gone to watch just about every game either live or on TV. It's been very entertaining to watch the five starters work together to accomplish some amazing feats. Jimmer, Noah, Brandon, Jackson and Charles and the rest. They have worked together as a team and it's been awe inspiring at times to watch them play.
Not only does being a BYU sports fan mean that you have all the traditional worries (like injuries, recruiting, coaching and such) but you have a set of worries that virtually no other sports team in the nation has. You have to worry about your team upholding virtue and honor. You know that being honorable will be enforced. You have to hope that the players will uphold their part of the agreement when they signed the honor code and put on the jersey to represent the school, the LDS church and themselves. You have to worry that the coaches will be able to recruit enough quality players who will agree to abide by the standards. Those who don't want to or can't, go elsewhere. In a world of growing promiscuity, this is a gargantuan assignment. But it happens and it is really quite a miracle that so many young men and women espouse such a belief and the vast majority of them actually uphold it. Of course there are other great college age students who attend universities all across the nation, and other great LDS kids who don't go to BYU. But BYU works really hard to hold it's students to a standard that is truly unique.
The BYU Cougars were at the pinnacle of success on Monday morning after beating SDSU and being ranked number 3 in the nation, and they were in the deepest despair by Wednesday night after getting annihilated by UNM. What happened in such a short time that would bring them to their knees?
A little document called "the Honor Code."
BYU as an institution believes in being honorable. It's a basic tenet of our faith. as stated in the 13th article of faith. The imperfect people who work and study there don't always get it right, but it is the goal. The list of requirements in the honor code vary in significance and importance. I suspect that the very most important part of the code was violated - that of using the procreative powers the way that God intended. The honor code requires that there be no sex outside of the bonds of marriage.
Someone on the team wasn't honorable. The specifics don't really matter, other than to say that whatever "it" was that wasn't honorable must have been fairly significant. It was determined that that someone could no longer represent what BYU stands for. Simple as that. His choice brought about the consequence that he wouldn't be able to play for the rest of the season and represent the university. The team had to play UNM a few hours after the announcment. The boys in white & blue were still reeling from this change in events and they acted like they had had the wind knocked out of them. They did have the wind knocked out of them.
But upholding what an institution and a religion stand for is more important than winning a game, or a championship, or a good seed at the NCAA tournament, right?
Right.
TRADITION. SPIRIT. HONOR.
These words are in bold letters on the BYU campus.
I guess they really mean something.

The annual southern swing

What better escape is there during a Utah winter than to head to a warmer climate to visit family? I was able to use my first freeeeeeeeee round trip ticket on Southwest to visit our two daughters and their families, our son and his wife, my mom and her husband, my brother and his wife and my niece. I was gone for eight days and spent a good amount of time tending our little grand girlies. It was a great break from work and cold weather and I wished my husband could have gone. Too bad his job isn't as flexible as mine.