One year down!

It's been one year since UDOT started the 30 mile renovation of I-15 and shook up our world. Getting from point A to point B has been a hassle, to put it mildly. A driver going to SLC needs to time their drive and avoid rush hour if at all possible. We've avoided driving on I-15 when it's possible and taken back roads and other routes to avoid driving through the construction. We've seen more orange cones and construction equipment in the last year than we've seen in the last 50 years. It's a massive project. I've only been caught once in a slow down where it took 45 minutes to go 2 miles. And there is ONLY a year and a half to go if the workers meet their December 2012 deadline. Joy.
I must say though that some of the construction has been very interesting to watch. Every major overpass between the point of the mountain and Payson is being redone. Lanes are being added and when it's complete it will be so much easier to travel through Utah County. I guess all improvements come with some associated discomfort. UDOT has done an impressive job of keeping their web site updated and of warning motorists of scheduled delays. It's been quite the undertaking and it will be so much better when it's complete.
For you Lego or Erector set enthusiasts who enjoy building things (Claire and Dave) you may enjoy seeing these progression photos.
An especially impressive spectacle has been the construction and moving of the enormous bridges over the freeway. They have built the bridges to the side of the freeway and then in the middle of the night, they have closed the freeway and moved the entire constructed bridge into position in a matter of hours. Evidently this has never been done before with a section of bridge of this size. Check out this cool video to see the process.

Spring is (kind of ) in the air

Little notes of affection

Dear Mother Nature:
Enough already with the snow and 40 degree temperatures! Bring on some sunny days so that we can get outside and start our yard work, garage cleaning, window washing and patio set up. You've delayed us long enough and it's not funny any more.
I mean it.
Yours truly,
Vonnie

Dear Lands' End:
I adore your swim suits. I really do. They fit. They look nice. They stay put. They're cute. They cover what needs to be covered. For tall girls like me, this is a necessity. I love your online catalog and ease in ordering.
Please don't ever go away.
Your faithful customer.
Vonnie

Dear Father in-law Vern:
Happy 87th birthday dear man. You are a giant of a man. In every way. Your calm spirit is an example to us all. Your perseverance is amazing. Your ability to take whatever comes your way without complaint is inspiring. Your sense of humor is second to none. Your kind and gentle ways draw us to you. Your keen intellect and your ability to keep on learning is exemplary. You are a great husband, father, grandfather, brother and uncle to many people who adore you.
From a daughter in-law who loves you.
Vonnie

Dear daughter Claire:
I wish I could come to your royal wedding party. You've pulled out all the stops and a good time is guaranteed to be enjoyed by all. Your love all things English and all things Royal make you the perfect party planner for the special day. Plus you love to create stuff. Plus you love good food. Plus you're so dang clever. Kate and Will would be proud. I know I am.
Your loving mother who wishes she lived in your neighborhood.
Vonnie

Dear darling granddaughters:
Could you possibly look any cuter in your Easter dresses? I'm so happy that you enjoyed them and that you had a great Easter day hunting for Easter eggs and learning more about why we really celebrate Easter. It's about what our Savior did for each of us. And now you know it too.
I loved talking to you each on Skype. You are the sweetest girls there ever where.
From your Grandma Vonnie who loves you so much

San Diego photographer

We're going to the beach in a month with our family! We've been planning this trip for a year and it's coming up soon. We're looking forward to being together and enjoying the company of everyone. I'm so excited. Since we don't often get everyone together in the same place for very long, we though we'd have a family picture done. Last year Jordan and Jake went to the beach with Jake's family. This photographer came to the beach and took their pictures. I really like the way they turned out. She is available to do our pictures this year! Happiness! Hooray for Elizabeth at Lizzy Photos.

The assassination revisited

I've always been a BIG fan of Abraham Lincoln. I think it started when our dad worked for Lincoln National Life Insurance Company. Abe's picture was on his stationary and the company also gave him some cool Lincoln memorabilia for his office. He even had some life-size-plaster-of-paris-casts of Lincoln's hands that were painted a bronze color. They were huge hands.
(I wonder where those went...)
Anyway, as I said, I've always been a big fan. I memorized the Gettysburg address when I was a kid and I loved seeing the Lincoln memorial in Washington DC the most of all the monuments when we visited Washington. There is a sacred spirit there and it is awesome to read the words engraven on the walls of some of Lincoln's most memorable addresses.
So when I saw this cover story, I was drawn to it. It presents an interesting perspective on the civil war and the actual cause of the civil war that happened 150 years ago. Was the war fought over slavery or was it fought for state's rights and the preservation of the union? The losses in human life were staggering - which left more than 625,000 dead — more Americans killed than in both world wars combined. It's an interesting read and even more interesting to find out more about that time period and some of the events that happened then. It's also very sobering to think that Americans are still suffering from some of the consequences from that war.
Which brings me to a couple of recommendations on the topic:

I highly recommend this book.
I began reading Manhunt over a long weekend. By the end of the day I had accomplished none of the chores and errands I had hoped to scratch off my list, but instead found myself 350 pages into this book. I eventually pried myself away long enough to get some sleep and then promptly finished it up the next morning. Though I am a lover of history, rarely has my attention been held as long and as rapt as with this work of non-fiction. I highly recommend it.

AND

Be sure to see this movie. It is so well done, thought provoking and powerful.


(I still think she knew more about the plot to assassinate the President than she let on.) What do you think?

Gather around the dinner table

This beauty is 29 years old. Rick and I got it brand new after Grandma F. passed away and we got several hundred dollars from her estate. We went right out and bought this new table and chairs. Beginning in 1982 it became the place for family dinners every night. Thousands and thousands of meals have been served on this table. Lots and lots of guests have eaten there as well. At least seven little kids learned to feed themselves at this table.
Around 2005 we passed the table on to our daughter and got a bigger one in our kitchen. Her family has used it over those years continuing the tradition of having a family dinner hour and serving a good meal. It has been beaten up, washed and rewashed and used and abused as it should have been. It now has moved on to serve another family (although Dave and Courtney kept one chair for their computer desk, so a piece of it lives on in our family.)
But more importantly, it's been the center of attention, quite possibly the most important piece of furniture in the family. This is the scene of many family gatherings, were lively discussion has taken place. It's been the place where the whole family came together at least once a day, sometimes more, to talk, to share, to tease, to debate, to read scripture, laugh, get caught up and just have good ole family interaction.
The importance of the family dinner hour can't be overstated.
Research shows that:
"Major recent studies have shown the tangible benefits that a regular dinner hour with good conversation has on family bonding.

A 2004 study of 4,746 children, 11 to 18, published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine found that families who ate together frequently had a significantly lower risk of smoking, drinking and marijuana use, and a lower incidence of symptoms of depression and suicidal thoughts. They also got better grades.

A study of 12- to 17-year-olds by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University found that the more often teens had dinner with their parents, the less likely they were to be with sexually active friends, and, for the girls, less likely to have boyfriends two years or more older. A University of Minnesota study found that children who dined frequently with their parents were less likely to have eating disorders.

It's not rocket science. It's not fancy parenting psychobabble from some self-professed guru.

It's just what I call basic, common-sense parenting. Make the family dinner hour a regular and consistent tradition in your house. It's impossible to screw it up: Just make a simple dinner and make sure parents and kids are there to share the meal and share some conversation."

HOW CAN WE BRING BACK THE FAMILY DINNER HOUR?

The best way to bring back the family dinner is to make it a part of your daily routine. Make dinner time the same time every evening and stick to it if possible. Tell every family member that dinner will be served at a specified time and all must be present.

Next, plan for each of the dinners in advance. Most of us don't realize how much time we waste looking for the right recipe, then running to the store several times a week to buy the necessary items. However, if you have a meal plan in place each week that includes a complete week of dinners, all the recipes, and a grocery shopping list, you will save a tremendous amount of time; time that is better spent with your family.

Post your menu on the refrigerator so family members will know what dinner will be. When they see that you have planned a family dinner, they will not only plan to be there, but also look forward to this wonderful tradition.

What's there to do in St. George?

Last week Rick had a conference to attend in St. George. I loved to tag along and do my own thing while he was in class Tuesday night through Saturday. Here was my to do list this year:

1. Enjoy the spring weather that is a month ahead of us up north, soak up some sun, sit by the pool & read.
2. Eat pie at Croshaw's Gourmet pie shop.
3. Go look around the outlet mall, spend my gift certificate at Kohls (thanks Colleen!)
   
4. Eat dinner at the Mongolian BBQ
   
5. Eat lunch at the Painted Pony with Jil A.
   
6. Attend the St. George LDS temple, walk around the grounds, smell the lilacs
7. Work out on the hotel exercise equipment
8. Work on my project brought from home of organizing photo books (still)
   
9. Walk and walk and walk around town. It's safe and beautiful. There are many great walking and biking trails. Found a great deal on Easter dresses for the 4 little grand girls.
   
10. Go to two movies (Soul Surfer and Source Code - both good) & watch several more on HBO in the hotel room.
11. Eat more pie at Croshaw's (I limited myself to three pieces this trip.)
    
12. Notice all the polygamists shopping at Costco
13. Notice all the development projects that the city government approved that dig into the red mountains and look TERRIBLE.
    

If we are in the area longer or more in the summer months, it's also very fun to drive over to Zion National Park and hike a trail and eat at one of the great eateries in Springdale (like Oscars.) This summer Tuacahn is doing GREASE and THE LITTLE MERMAID and it would be fun to see one of those.
I'm thinking of going back with a sisters group or friends group in June maybe, before it gets too hot. Any takers?

Goodbye Hawaii

Friday, April 1
One last dip in the Pacific at Waikiki.


The hike to the top of Diamond head as seen from the parking lot.
At one point we went inside the mountain and climbed over 170 stairs. I couldn't believe how much easier it was to hike and climb at sea level.

The breath taking view from the top. A 360 degree view of beauty!
Friday morning, April 1
All good things must come to an end, right? Our week in paradise was winding down.
This report from Carol:
"Woke up and started packing. How can our week be over already?? Walked down to the beach for one last swim. Checked out at noon then drove to Diamond Head about 15 minutes away. Von realized she did not have her wallet. We turned around and she called the hotel while we were driving. Thankfully it was turned in. It got left by the computer as we were printing out our boarding passes. Wow - that could have been really bad. Went back to Diamond Head and hiked to the top - in the pouring rain! What a breathtaking view from the top. Worth every step and steep climb! By the time we walked back down we had dried off. We grabbed some lunch and then started to make our way to the airport. We simply wanted to find a gas station to fill the rental car before returning it, but that turned into a one hour adventure. We were not impressed with Hawaii's highways. There are no signs that tell how many miles to the next towns, and no signs at exits to let you know what services are available. We took an exit trying to find a gas station and got on another highway and it was 10 miles to the next exit beyond that. Anyway, we eventually made it back to the airport, got the car turned in, got checked in and waited for our plane. We took off at 9:30 Hawaii time and arrived in SLC 7:30 AM. A very, very long night on the plane. What a wonderful, relaxing, enjoyable trip. Loved every minute spent with Rick & Von and Mom in a place of paradise!!"
I couldn't have said it better Carol, thanks for the write up! Rick and I enjoyed our week with Mom and Carol so much! They were perfect travel companions. Mom was such a good sport. She was up for whatever we wanted to do. If she couldn't do something (like hike) then she was content to sit and read. We visited for hours and hours as we drove around. We talked about old history and current happenings. We laughed until we cried and we share some tender moments. Rick was a trooper to travel with three women for a week. He was so helpful and kind and we even survived his driving!
Thanks dear husband for taking me to visit Andy and giving me the opportunity to spend a week with you, my mother and dear sister Carol in Hawaii. It is a vacation to remember!
Day seven of a vacation in paradise. The end.

More sand and surf

Thursday, March 31
We headed to IHOP for breakfast where they over charged for everything. It was good but not that good. We drove over to the west side of the island looking for a beach. We ended up at a resort and swam in a beautiful lagoon called Ko Olina bay. It was very picturesque and the weather couldn't have been better. We swam, read, and relaxed for several hours. It was really a beautiful day. We drove further north on the west side looking for a beach with a little more wave action. Either there was too much coral or the waves were out of control huge. We found a Subway for lunch and bought some macadamia nuts & snacks to take home. We finally found a beach that we thought would be perfect. Rick and Carol got in and soon discovered that the waves and the rip tide were too strong. As Rick was walking up the beach after getting out of the water, a huge wave caught him and knocked him flat. He said that has never happened before. The force of the waves is a thing to be reckoned with.
We got back to the hotel and sat in the hot tub, showered and walked downtown Honolulu. There are many high end shops all along the shore and many huge hotels. We ate dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. While we were waiting, Mom bought some black pearl earrings from some clams that they opened right in front of her. They set the earrings on the spot with the freshly harvested pearls from the clams. Cool. For dessert we had white chocolate carmel macadamia nut cheesecake. It was splendid and a very fun day.
Day six of a vacation in paradise.

4-11-11

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, New Mexico temple - 5 initiatory
• 4. Mesa, Arizona temple - 1 endowment
• 5. Laie, Hawaii temple - 1 endowment

2. lose 11 pounds

• lost 2 then put it back on in Hawaii. Oh well, back to square one.
  

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. The Forgotten Garden
  

4. organize & label 11 of our family photo books

• nothing yet

5. visit 11 elderly people

• 1. G.G. 2. G.D.E. 3. M. Y. 4. L. B.
  

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
• 2. North shore Oahu, Hawaii - including Waimea, Haleiwa & Sunset beach
  
• 3. Hike to Diamond head, Hawaii
• 4. West shore Oahu, Hawaii - including Waianae, Maili & Ko Olina bay

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. 6. G. G. 7. T. 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
• 5. A River Runs Through It
  

10. make 11 new recipes

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

• 2. Ziti Primavera
• 3. Cinnamon rolls (new recipe)
  

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
• 4. Ryan, Jill and Corbin C.
• 5. Dave's friends from college - Erick & Sam, Bryan & Kelly, Danny & Danielle, Kyle & Kayla

A little shopping - a lot of waves

Wednesday morning, March 30
This recap from Carol:
"Von and I walked along the beach and then we ate cheerios and headed to the swap meet. We had great success - loved it! It was frustrating to find the right exit to get there... Then we drove to Laie, picked up Andy and Tanner and went to Ted's Bakery where Von and I had the best shrimp of our lives! Went to the North Shore and saw some GINORMOUS waves - just like in Hawaii 5-0! They were huge and people were surfing in them! It was amazing to see and hear. We saw three more giant turtles at another beach. We spent time trying to find a beach that didn't have waves too big. We finally did but it took until about 5:00. We swam, took Andy home and then picked up KFC on our way back to our hotel. We sat in the hot tub again before going up to our rooms to eat. It's 9:15 and I'm ready for bed!"
Carol bought a little notebook and kept a running diary of our itinerary every day. She just emailed me a copy of it and I'm so glad she did! She remembered things that I didn't.
Most days we got up and exercised. Rick went running and Carol and I walked along Waikiki beach exploring different routes each day. We had a little fridge in our rooms, so we bought some milk and ate cold cereal for breakfast every morning. Mom brought some of her granola and we enjoyed that until it ran out and we had to move on to Cheerios.
There is a HUGE swap meet at the Aloha stadium every Wednesday and Saturday. It's the only place to buy anything Hawaiian at a good price. It has souvenirs galore and we shopped for a couple of hours finding some great buys. Some of these purchased items will be appearing on our grandchildren and children soon if they haven't already.
While we were waiting for our scrumptious shrimp at Ted's bakery, we sat across from a commander in the Army who was also waiting for his food. Mom starting talking to him first and then we all joined in. We were so impressed by him! If all Army commanders are of this caliber, our nation is in good hands. All the branches of the service have a huge presence in Hawaii. There are military people all around. The commander was about 30 or so years old and his wife and little girl were with him. He was getting ready to ship out to Afghanistan the very next day, as commander of 140 men. He told us about a lot of interesting things but one I wanted to share here what he told us about an organization they have started to help the people of Afghanistan.

After lunch we headed out to find a beach. The waves that day were HUGE. Really, I've never seen anything like it. There was a woman's surfing and boogie board competition going on and those professionals were the only ones who dared enter the water. The rip tides and the sheer force of the waves were amazing. It was a beautiful day, in the low 80s, with a breeze and blue skies. It was a day long to be remembered.
We saw some more giant turtles, went to Matzumotos for some shaved ice, went to Waimea beach where the waves were still too big for us to get in and finally headed back to Laie were we went to Hukilau beach where we enjoyed some save waves and a lovely white beach. Matzumotos shave iced is famous all over Hawaii. They put some ice cream under the shaved ice and drown it in very flavorful combinations like the one I had with pineapple, coconut, banana. Tanner's had a squirt of sweetened condensed milk over the top of the shaved ice. Sounds weird I know, but it was amazing.
We said goodbye to Andy and took back home one of his bags with us since he had more to take home than he had room for. He had 10 more days of school at that point to finish the semester. I'm glad that he will be returning home soon. I don't think I can take any more of his high adventure Hawaiian activities. If there is a cliff anywhere, he'll jump off of it. I already have enough gray hair!
Day five of a vacation in paradise.

Table coverings with flare

I interrupt my Hawaii recap to bring you a special announcement:



How ingenious! I have two of these utility tables and covering them has always been a challenge. I love the ideas shown here from Macel & Co.

A little culture is a good thing

Tuesday morning, March 29
Got up. Got out of bed. Drove the hour drive from Honolulu to Laie to attend the Laie temple to do an endowment session. What a beautiful temple inside and out! It's a marvel. The recent renovations make it look like a completely new temple. The rooms are small and you move from place to place (which I like.) It took a couple of hours to complete the temple work.
Afterward we walked around the BYU - Hawaii campus and got the lay of the land. It's a small but stunning campus. Later we met David Mejia, a young man from Peru and headed to lunch with him and Andy in our rental car. Rick taught his family the gospel many years ago in Peru and we've stayed in touch with him and his family. David is attending BYU-Hawaii as well as Andy. We went to the Kahuku grill and had some coconut shrimp for lunch. After lunch we parted company. Rick and Andy went on their own adventure and Carol, Mom and I headed to the Polynesian Cultural Center that is owned by the LDS church and operated by the students of BYU Hawaii and the people of Laie. Andy and Rick went on a hike to the China-man's hat island and to Pounders beach for some surfing. We each enjoyed our respective activities.
The Polynesian Cultural Center or PCC as it's referred to in Hawaii, is a marvel. Andy referred to it as the Polynesian Disneyland. It's on about 40 acres and it has become one of the main tourist attractions of Hawaii. Bus loads of people take the hour trip from Honolulu over to Laie to participate in the day-long activities. As you can see on the map, there is a small replica of each of the Polynesian cultures in the PCC. Visitors can spend the better part of the day going from village to village learning about each culture. There are native dances and activities to either watch or participate in. There is a large stream that runs down the center of the PCC and a visitor can go on a boat cruise down the stream. At night they offer a large luau complete with authentic flower leis and a buffet dinner with all the trimmings, yes even including poi (a native Hawaiian dish.)
After dinner was their signature program "Ha, Breath of Life" that tells the story of a native boy as he grows to manhood. It is complete with dancing, singing, fire dancing, war battles, love stories, birth and death. It was well done and a good way to showcase each of the different island cultures. Andy and Rick got back from their adventure in time to go with us to the program. There are gift shops galore and lots of places to have a picture taken in native dress. I think the PCC has learned a thing or two about marketing from cruise ships, Disneyland and other resorts. It was well run and a very entertaining day. I would recommend it to anyone visiting Hawaii.
Day four of a vacation in paradise.

A sobering experience at Pearl Harbor

Monday morning, March 28
We started out the day visiting Pearl Harbor. While we were driving there, Rick asked Mom what her memories were of that day. It was VERY interesting to her talk about "the day that will live in infamy" from her perspective. She was 14 years old. Her only brother Dean later joined the war effort and served in the navy in the pacific theater. He saw many years of the horrors of war and returned a changed man. Luckily he returned. Many did not.
Our Dad was drafted into the army when he finished serving his mission in the New England states and was sent to Germany just before the war ended there and would have been sent to the Pacific to fight if the US hadn't bombed Japan and ended the war.
I'm so grateful for a generation of men and women who stepped forward to defend our liberties and our way of life. We visited the interesting and informative museums and listened to a recorded tape describing the things we were seeing by Jamie Lee Curtis whose father Tony Curtis served in the Pacific. It was very informative and well done and I learned a lot about the bombing of Pearl Harbor and why the Japanese decided to launch an assault against the United States. They truly did awake a sleeping giant. We were taken out to the Arizona war ship memorial in the Pearl Harbor bay on a small boat. The Arizona memorial is the only sunken ship from the day that still lies in the harbor. It entombed over 950 men when it sank and it remains a stark reminder of that day when the United States was attacked and entered into World War II.
After that experience we drove around the south east shore of Oahu to see the sights. There are beautiful beaches along Hanauma bay and also very majestic and rocky shores along the south side. We found a lovely beach at Kailua beach and put on our swimming suits for a dip in the ocean. The water was lovely! It was so warm and the air temperature was about the same as the water temperature. We had a good soak and loved watching all the people enjoying the different water activities around us. It was fun to see Mom enjoy the water. Rick was his usual self swimming out to sea and enjoying himself immensely. Carol and I had a good time swimming around and enjoying the water.



We got back to the hotel, sat in the hot tub and ordered some pizza to be delivered to our room.
It was a lovely day. Day three of a vacation in paradise.