Keep up the good work

From white to black

2012-01-24T18:57:00.008-07:00

After 17 years of almost daily use, these hardworking appliances decided it was time to call it quits. The oven in particular gave up the ghost and would shut off midway through baking time. This became particularly bothersome at Thanksgiving while trying to roast the turkey. A repairman determined that the needed part was no longer available, so what else could we do but move on? Bye, Bye whities.

Hello blackies! Welcome to these new shiny beauties. Because I have black rugs and other black accents in the room, I decided to skip stainless and go with black. I know I'm going to LOVE the ceramic solid top range. I hope they serve us as well as the old white appliances did.

Weight Management II

2012-01-23T21:00:00.005-07:00

OK, so I've been kind of busy lately since the first of the year. I had oral surgery. I changed jobs and I'll be starting the new job on Wednesday. We got a new oven and microwave. I started a health and fitness program with a coach. We went to 3 new movies. I've started organizing our files and going through closets. I went through CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) training in December and I'm going to start working with a 16 year old girl this week and see if I can advocate for her and hopefully help her improve her life. And the best of all - I'm going to visit Skippy and her parents on Saturday for a few days.

I haven't had a lot of time to blog.
BUT
I did read two very good articles about fitness and weight management that I wanted to share.
One in the Reader's Digest and the other is in Good Housekeeping. Check out the GH article here and take a look at these good tips from RD.

1. Pound protein in the a.m.
2. pump up your potassium
3. Stand up and count to 60
4. Early to bed, early to eat
5. Worship morning sun, seek refuge in the afternoon
6. Take a walk for better (and better) memory
7. Beware of diet candy
8. Get results with the 20-second rule
9. Hit the Yoga mat to relieve pain
10. Pick up some sleep shades
11. To feel better, imagine the worst
12. For a good night's rest, keep the room cool
13. Focus less on the kids, more on your spouse
14. Rev up with the spice of life (red chili peppers)
15. Kick off your day with a square of dark chocolate
16. Eat more quinoa
17. Snack on real energy foods
18. Switch to grass-fed beef
19. To boost esteem, get into your friends
20. Be nice to yourself

Weight management

2012-01-18T10:58:00.004-07:00

Make Better Choices

When you compare what you eat to your Daily Food Plan, is there room for improvement? For example, do you eat many sweets or fried foods? Do you drink sugary drinks regularly? Do you eat too few vegetables or whole grains? Does eating out make it difficult to stay on track?

Everyone is different. Think about what YOU eat and drink. How can you make better choices? How can you be more active? The SuperTracker can help you identify changes you should make.

Learn how you can make better choices from these sections. Making these changes and sticking with them can help you manage your body weight.

Check out this great information on choose my plate.gov. and this great system for tracking food intake, exercise and more. Good, good information.

important listening on MLK day

2012-01-16T13:14:00.005-07:00

I was moved listening to this recording of a talk given by Dr. Martin Luther King on August 28, 1963. It is inspiring. I was 8 years old when the talk was given and the civil rights movement was in full swing. King was an amazing writer and a wonderful speaker and he lead a cause that was long over due raising awareness and helping to bring civil rights for all Americans. The phrase in our pledge of allegiance rings true "one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
I'm very grateful that he and others sacrificed so much to make it happen.

The sanctity of the body

2012-01-15T20:21:00.002-07:00

This talk explains so well why our bodies are important and why we should take good care of them. Susan Tanner does a wonderful job putting fitness and good health habits into perspective.

Sleep hygiene

2012-01-13T19:43:00.001-07:00

I've been a very good sleeper all of my life...until I hit the age of 50... then everything went down hill. Now I rejoice when I can get a full night of sleep. It so rarely happens. Usually I can't fall asleep, even when I'm very tired. Or I'll fall asleep and then wake up several times during the night. And the worst is that I wake up early, even before the alarm goes off around 5:00 am. It is a rare occurrence for the alarm to actually wake me up. So what's a person to do?
My Doctor recommended this web site from the National Sleep Foundation:

What is sleep hygiene?

Sleep hygiene is a variety of different practices that are necessary to have normal, quality nighttime sleep and full daytime alertness.

It was some good suggestions:

The most important sleep hygiene measure is to maintain a regular sleep and wake pattern seven days a week. It is also important to spend an appropriate amount of time in bed, not too little, or too excessive. This may vary by individual; for example, if someone has a problem with daytime sleepiness, they should spend a minimum of eight hours in bed, if they have difficulty sleeping at night, they should limit themselves to 7 hours in bed in order to keep the sleep pattern consolidated. In addition, good sleep hygiene practices include:

Avoid napping during the day; it can disturb the normal pattern of sleep and wakefulness.
Avoid stimulants such as caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol too close to bedtime. While alcohol is well known to speed the onset of sleep, it disrupts sleep in the second half as the body begins to metabolize the alcohol, causing arousal.
Exercise can promote good sleep. Vigorous exercise should be taken in the morning or late afternoon. A relaxing exercise, like yoga, can be done before bed to help initiate a restful night's sleep.
Food can be disruptive right before sleep; stay away from large meals close to bedtime. Also dietary changes can cause sleep problems, if someone is struggling with a sleep problem, it's not a good time to start experimenting with spicy dishes. And, remember, chocolate has caffeine.
Ensure adequate exposure to natural light. This is particularly important for older people who may not venture outside as frequently as children and adults. Light exposure helps maintain a healthy sleep-wake cycle.
Establish a regular relaxing bedtime routine. Try to avoid emotionally upsetting conversations and activities before trying to go to sleep. Don't dwell on, or bring your problems to bed.
Associate your bed with sleep. It's not a good idea to use your bed to watch TV, listen to the radio, or read.
Make sure that the sleep environment is pleasant and relaxing. The bed should be comfortable, the room should not be too hot or cold, or too bright.

I've also been taking this herb and it has been working quite well. This herb was also recommended to me by the Doctor. I'm hoping that one or the other will help me get a good night's sleep. If you have problems sleeping, what have you tried to help with the problem? Please share.

Exploring better Health and Fitness

2012-01-11T11:40:00.007-07:00

Who doesn't think of heath and fitness in January? After a month of gluttony and very little real exercise in December, it's time to get real and get back to basics. In a lot of ways, I'm happy to see all the sweets and treats disappear and the real food come back again. Everyone knows that it's so important to take good care of their health, but, do they do what they know they should? The answer in my case if often NO. It takes time, it takes effort, its takes determination, there is often discomfort and discouragement. How do we stay M~O~T~I~V~A~T~E~D?? What motivates YOU? Finding what that motivation is I think is the KEY to success!

Do you want to feel good? Do you want to get around and not move like you're 90 years old when you're far from being 90 years old? Do you want to feel good about yourself - how you look and how you feel inside? Do you want to be independent and not be a burden on others? Do you want to live a long and healthy life? Do you want to go and do the things you want to go and do and not be incumbered by an ill body?

It takes a conscious decision and effort to succeed...and a support system...and friends and helpers...and encouragement by others who know what they're talking about.

I've been reading some interesting articles on:
SLEEP
WEIGHT LOSS
MENTAL HEALTH
ORAL HYGIENE
EXERCISE
HAPPINESS
DRUGS AND SUPPLEMENTS
WATER AND BEVERAGES
SMOOTHIES AND GREEN DRINKS

AND THE SIX AREAS OF WELLNESS
I'll share some ideas in the future that I've found very interesting. Here's to a healthier and more fit 2012.

12 in 2012

2012-01-04T12:38:00.007-07:00

January - health & fitness
February - love & marriage
March - Thai cooking
April - organization
May - family history
June - friendship
July - quilting
August - travel
September - finances
October - food storage
November - service
December - faith

These are topics I'm really interested in.

I want to learn more and accomplish something in each of the categories for that month.

Wish me luck!

Out with the old year, in with the new

2012-01-03T17:24:00.011-07:00

And a picture of Skippy in her new outfit as well...

Here is a list of things I want to remember about the Christmas season 2011:
~Spending 11 whole days with Rick and Andy. The are really good company. They keep those good times just rollin and rollin.
~Shopping for Sunday best outfits for our four little granddaughters. (Head gear compliments of cousin Jessica...so cute!)
~Watching three little girls ages almost 6, 4 and 2 on Christmas morning! Is there anything better than watching their expressions of pure delight?
~Being the guest and watching our daughter be a marvelous hostess.
~Seeing our great son-in-law love his job helping Santa work his magic.
~Eating Christmas dinner with my Mom. I haven't done that for many years. She loves Christmas and misses spending it with her own kids.
~Traveling south to enjoy weather in the 70s each and every day with sunny blue skies. I'm dreaming of a "green" Christmas...there is some magic to it every once in a awhile.
~Spending the night in Vegas right before Christmas and thanking my lucky stars that I don't have to spend Christmas there. The best way to see Vegas in the in rear view mirror in my humble opinion.
~Enjoying an hour massage at Massage Envy with Mom & Jord.
~Movies
~Games...the game of "Things" continues to capture and hold our undivided attention
~Food, food and more food...yikes.
~Hearing "I love your Grandma Vonnie...will you play with me?"
~Going to David Mejia's wedding reception and seeing his saintly mother Julia
~Traveling through Palm Desert and paying a visit to my good friend Marcy. She made us a delicious meal and we had some good conversation and many laughs.
~Spending New Years with Bob and Robyn and their family...watching the 2 of the 3 girls warm up to Ditty and Lucky their dogs.
~Not exercising at a gym
~Spending the night at our friends lovely home (Mark and Colleen) in St. George on the way home.
~Talking to Dave and Courtney, Rich and Claire and Skippy and hearing all about their Christmas activities.
~Watching my true love get a good start on a beard for the two weeks we were on vacation. I wish he could have keep it, but alas, he is teaching at BYU this semester and having a beard isn't going to work...sad.
~Seeing how much fun everyone has together and how sweetly the girls treat one another, their parents and us
~Watching Andy play and play and play and play with (and gently tease) the girls.
~Good feelings, fun times and a memorable Christmas season 2011.

Countdown to Christmas

2011-12-25T21:50:00.005-07:00

~Merry Christmas~

For unto us a child is

BORN, UNTO US A SON

is given and the government

shall be upon his shoulder;

and his name shall be

called, Wonderful

Counselor,

The Mighty God

The Everlasting Father,

The Prince of Peace.

Happy Birthday to the Savior of the World Jesus Christ.

Countdown to Christmas

2011-12-24T21:25:00.005-07:00

Day #24

Christmas Eve.

Five C~R~A~Z~Y people started out the day this way...I wouldn't recommend it...the Polar Bear Plunge. No they didn't have to break through ice first, but still it was very cold to jump into an unheated pool in December...not for the faint of heart...or me.
We went from the ridiculous to the sublime. Jordan was a perfect hostess and she prepared a wonderful Christmas dinner. Jake conducted the program and we enjoyed sharing the Christmas story in word and song and some sharing of talents by everyone there. It was a lovely evening and it was so fun to be together.

Countdown to Christmas

2011-12-23T21:03:00.003-07:00

Day #23

Rick, Andy and I headed out of town to spend the Christmas holiday with our oldest daughter and her family. Our other two children were spending the holiday with their in-law families. Rick had to work most of the day so we reserved a room in Vegas and went that far the 1st night. Claire found us a lovely room for $40/night at a place called Tuscany resort and suites. It was lovely and we would return another time.
We arrived to find this:

I'm thinking that I will write a new song...I'm dreaming of a GREEN Christmas...it was actually quite LOVELY!!

We immediately started some fun activities with our 3 little grand daughters and their parents by driving around looking at some crazy & amazing Christmas light and by going to a fun train park. Our little 2 year old granddaughter is NOT a fan of nutcrackers or Santa Claus and you can see by the look on her face that she was ready to get the heck out of there. We sat in the back seat of the van with our oldest granddaughter Lauren and she put her arm around through our arms as we drove around and said she was so happy that we were there. Auhhhh....so sweet!

Countdown to Christmas

2011-12-22T20:53:00.000-07:00

Day #22

Since we were going out of town for Christmas, someone got to see his present early.

I'm so happy that he was trilled with it! What man doesn't love a lazy boy recliner? It turned out so well that Dave and Courtney and Andy could be around for the surprise!

Countdown to Christmas

2011-12-21T21:55:00.000-07:00

Day #21

We took around some neighborhood gifts to the families we visit through home teaching and visiting teaching, to some people that we have known for years and to some that we don't know very well yet. It's such a great time to be neighborly and to visit and spread some cheer. I made some Grandma Mayme molasses cookies and shared them with some and then made several batches of cinnamon raisin bread and shared it with others. We were able to do some good in other ways too and it felt good to share. We received some great treats as well . My friend Patsy makes the BEST sugar cookies and she brought us a plate of her cookies. We eat them sparingly and try to enjoy them for as long as possible. Some of them even lasted long enough to reach Arizona and were enjoyed by all.

Countdown to Christmas

2011-12-20T21:51:00.001-07:00

Day #20

He's at it again! My little elf (or my true love) once again did the 12 days of Christmas for me! I loved it! He leaves little gifts on the seat of my car each of the 12 days that lead up to Christmas. The little gifts consist of things I need, things I enjoy and things I didn't know I needed, but do! Thank you true love!

Countdown to Christmas

2011-12-19T21:42:00.000-07:00

Day #19

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens has such an impactful message if we will listen well and learn the lessons that the three spirits came to teach each of us. We were reminded of that again tonight when Rick, Andy and I attended with Rick's mom. It was a lovely evening and one of our favorite traditions.

"And it was always said of him, that he knew now to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! An so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless Us Every One!"

Countdown to Christmas

2011-12-18T21:32:00.000-07:00

Day #18

Today in church we heard a talk that ranks right up there among the best we've heard. It was given by a ward member who is a man who has lived enough of life that he knows what he is talking about. And talk he did...about giving the gift of forgiveness at Christmas time. It was powerful. It caused me to pause and think. We all have hurts that we are nursing and he advised us to just let them go. Just let them go and remember them no more. Forgiveness. What a great gift it is.

Today Is the Day to Forgive

Knowing how imperfect we are, surely we can extend healing forgiveness to those we love. Jesus said, “I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men” (D&C 64:10). Comfort and sweet peace will live in our homes when we forgive each other freely.

Is there someone in your life who perhaps needs forgiveness? Is there someone in your home, someone in your family … who has done an unjust or an unkind or an unchristian thing? All of us are guilty of such transgressions, so there surely must be someone who yet needs your forgiveness.”

Amazed at the Love Jesus Offers MeJeffrey R. Holland

Countdown to Christmas

2011-12-17T14:26:00.001-07:00

Day #17

We had a very busy day...it started out with the ward breakfast at the church, followed by the SCERA breakfast, then we were off to this

and this

and this
and then finally some of this

It was a very L~O~N~G day (and mostly fun, even with a heart-breaking loss in basketball!)

Countdown to Christmas

2011-12-16T13:21:00.003-07:00

Day #16

Thanks to our sweet daughter-in-law Courtney who shared her tickets with us, we were able to attend another wonderful Christmas production and concert of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir with guests Jane Seymour and Nathan Gunn at the conference center in Salt Lake City. Wow, it was so inspirational and moving. It even snowed in the concert as you can see! Courtney hit the jack pot because our tickets were on the 7th row from the front. We got to see President Monson and his family, President Uchdorf and his family and many other general authorities of the church come in to the conference center very close to where we were. We were right under the snow flakes. They looked like real snow, but when they landed they were actually some sort of bubble that just disappeared. Cool!
Courtney got four tickets she shared with us and her parents since she and Dave weren't in Utah yet. We went out to dinner first (and coincidentally ran into Ann and Trace!) and had a lovely evening with Adrienne and David. Thanks dear Courtney!

Countdown to Christmas

2011-12-15T10:41:00.001-07:00

Day #15

I'm speechless. I'm so proud. I never thought I'd have a child make it big in the MUSIC industry. I present...Lyrical Reparations...some white boys having fun. See if you can recognize a certain voice. I wonder if he'll make it big as a rapper??

If you want to follow this up and coming group, just like them here.

Countdown to Christmas

2011-12-14T21:03:00.003-07:00

Day #14

Peppermint Ice Cream + homemade hot fudge sauce = Delectable & Irresistible

Hot Fudge Sauce
2 T. baking chocolate
1/2 c. butter
2 c. powdered sugar
3/4 c. evaporated milk

Slowly melt butter and whisk in chocolate in sauce pan. Remove from heat. Add sugar and milk alternately. Stir till smooth. Return to heat. Simmer 8-10 minutes. Can keep hot in a crock pot. Serve hot over peppermint ice cream. Get ready for a taste sensation!

Countdown to Christmas

2011-12-13T20:58:00.003-07:00

Day #13

Lights at Temple Square from Jon Price on Vimeo.

It's a holiday tradition for many families. A tour around Temple Square in Salt Lake City. It's so beautiful and peaceful and a wonderful reminder of the true meaning of Christmas. It just wouldn't seem like Christmas without a visit to Temple Square.

Countdown to Christmas

2011-12-12T14:04:00.010-07:00

Day #12
Here is some really good relationship advice for Sane Family Christmas Gatherings*

Preparing for family gatherings is par for the course during the holiday season. But did you realize you should also be preparing for the impact such gatherings can have on your marital relationship?

Bringing all the family together can be extremely rewarding, but it can also test the relationships of all those who are present. Here are four tips that can help minimize the negative impact that family and family gatherings can have on your marriage.

1. Have realistic expectations - Most couples have an idea of what types of issues are likely to annoy them or hurt their feelings when the whole family gets together. It is important to realize that in most situations, you will each be more patient with your own family. You and your spouse will likely each be more excited to spend time with your own family. This is logical. However, often people are not realistic enough about how they or their spouse will feel about family and family gatherings or unrealistically expect things to be different than they were before. Change your expectations, and you and your spouse will be better able to take the irritations in stride.

2. Open the lines of communication - In anticipation of family gatherings, talk with your spouse about what sort of things you may face and how you can understand what may cause issues for him or her. If you go into the events knowing what may or may not cause issues for your spouse, you can prevent dealing with ramifications.
If there have been problems before, talk with your family members and set boundaries so that similar problems are less likely to occur in future. In most situations, families get together because they want to enjoy each others company. Educate them if something upsets you. Be open, honest and patient. They will likely appreciate knowing how to help make things more comfortable for you and your spouse. If a problem arises, nip it early.

3. Avoid the temptation to smooth things over - Smoothing is a term I use to illustrate when a person tries to fix things between their family and their spouse. For example, when your spouse's feelings are hurt by one of your family members (even if it was unintentional), it is tempting to try to diffuse the situation by explaining that your family member did not intend to hurt your spouse's feelings. You may also try to help your spouse look at the situation differently so that your family member is not put in such a bad light. You may think explaining that to your spouse will help him feel better. The reality is that you may make the situation worse. Your spouse may feel that you are taking the side of the family member and that your family of origin is more important than he is.
A better way to deal with the situation is to listen to your spouse and validate what he experienced. You don't have to agree with his interpretations. Do your best to put your feelings of loyalty to family on the back burner.

4. Put your marriage first - If you are faced with a situation where you have to side with your spouse or another family member, choose your spouse every time. I hesitate to talk of it like you have to take sides, but the reality is that if your spouse's feelings have been hurt or you decide to spend too much time with your family instead of your spouse's, your spouse may feel that you are taking sides. Protecting your spouse protects your marriage. You may need to spend less time with your family that you want and more time with your spouse's family than you want.
Family is and should be the greatest joy in our lives. This is why is it so great to get together and celebrate the birth of the Savior together. Following the tips I have provided can help you and your spouse happily navigate potential negatives you may face so you can truly feel joyous about your family and your spouse's family.

*Jonathan Swinton is a licensed marriage and family therapist at Swinton Counseling in Utah.

12-11-11

2011-12-11T11:17:00.002-07:00

Progress report to keep me motivated. MY FINAL REPORT!
11 in 11

1. visit 11 temples this year and do the the temple work for at least 22 of our departed ancestors - COMPLETED July 2011

1. Provo, Utah temple-10 sealings for couples and sons
2. Provo, Utah temple - 5 initiatory
3. Albuquerque, New Mexico temple - 5 initiatory
4. Mesa, Arizona temple - 1 endowment
5. Laie, Hawaii temple - 1 endowment
6. St. George, Utah temple - 1 endowment
7. Provo, Utah temple - 8 sealings for couples, 4 sons (Rick), 3 daughters
8. San Diego temple - 1 sealing for couples, 3 daughters
9. Provo, Utah temple - 14 baptisms for women, 14 confirmations
10. Provo, Utah temple - 3 sealings for couples, five sons (Rick), five daughters
11. Provo, Utah temple - 1 endowment
12. Provo, Utah temple - 2 sealings for couples, 8 sons
13. Provo, Utah temple 2 sealings for couples, 4 sons
14. Provo, Utah temple 1 endowment
15. Provo, UT temple 3 sealings for couples, 5 daughters
16. Provo, UT temple 1 endowment
17. Logan, UT temple 1 endowment
18. Provo, UT temple 1 endowment

2. lose 11 pounds - I'm sad to report that I didn't achieve this goal this year. Next year will be my year! This is the only goal I didn't achieve and it was by far the hardest after a very good effort.

3. read 11 books - COMPLETED September 2011

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
5. Jane Eyre
6. The Book Thief
7. Believing Christ
8. The Hunger Games
9. Catching Fire
10. Mockingjay
11. Rebel (book on tape while driving through the south, which lasted 16 hours!)
12. Yale Avenue Kid, autobiography of VBR
13. A Child Called "It"

4. organize & label 11 of our family photo books - COMPLETED October 2011

completed 4 books, starting in 1976 through 1982
completed 7 books, starting in 2006-2011

5. visit 11 elderly people - COMPLETED August 2011

1. G.G. 2. G.D.E. 3. M. Y. 4. L. B. 5. V. B. R. 6. D. F. 7. A. E. 8. U. R. 8. A. L. 9. U. V. 10. L. C. 11. S. C. 12. P. P. R. 13. L. B.

6. sew 11 items and give them away - COMPLETED November 2011

1 skirt for Skippy, 1 blanket for Skippy, 1 skirt of Lauren, 1 skirt for Ellie, 1 skirt for Ada, 2 aprons for Skippy, 1 skirt for Skippy, 1 jumper for Kindergarten Lauren, bound 1 quilt for a friend, make five baby blankets for Courtney, make a tee-shirt quilt for Courtney's birthday

7. go with Rick to visit 11 new places - COMPLETED September 2011

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
5. Legoland, California
6. PETCO stadium, San Diego California
7. Mississippi - Jackson, Oxford
8. Tennessee - Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville
9. Kentucky - Bowling Green
10. North Carolina - Great Smoky Mountains, Asheville
11. South Carolina - Spartanburg, Greenville
12. Georgia - Atlanta, Athens
13. Alabama - Birmingham
14. Arkansas - Little Rock
15. Texas - Keller, Austin

8. send birthday cards to 11 people I don't normally send to - COMPLETED October 2011

1. A. K. 2. A. K. 3. D. A. 4. D. R. 5. D. S. 6. G. G. 7. T. S. 8. D. G. 9. M. J. 10. L. C. R. 11. H.F. 12. S. C.

9. watch 11 old movies that I love but haven't seen for awhile - COMPLETED September 2011

1. Dances with Wolves
2. First Knight
3. Mama Mia
4. Groundhog Day
5. A River Runs Through It
6. October Sky
7. The Little Princess with Shirley Temple
8. Father of the Bride
9. Emma
10. Wuthering Heights
11. Fried Green Tomatoes
12. Gone With the Wind
13. Steel Magnolias
14. National Treasure

10. make 11 new recipes - COMPLETED November 2011

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)
4. Easter Dessert
5. oriental chicken in the crock pot
6. Grilled chicken southwestern salad (from Jordan)
7. Fast Easy Bread, cinnamon rolls, monkey bread, crescent rolls with Lindsey!!
8. Shirley J, using the Universal sauce for beef stroganoff & broccoli cheese soup
9. Southern cooking from Mary Mac's cookbook - fried chicken, fresh creamed corn, peach cobbler, peach pancakes
10. Carmel dip fondue with apples and bananas
11. Pesto on vine ripe tomatoes with fresh mozzarella cheese
12. Cube steak in gravy & mashed potatoes

11. invite 11 groups of people over for dinner - COMPLETED July 2011

1. Lacey & 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
6. Cousin Margaret & family
7. Niece Syd & Adam, Danny & Danielle, Romney, Jesse
8. Ryan & Jill, Corbin & Loni (BBQ outside)
9. Denise, Lacey & family
10. Adam and Crissa
11. Lindsey R. and her four darling daughters, Corbin
12. 4th of July BBQ - 70 family and friends
13. Ben and Melissa
14. Mom, David, Diane, Syd, Adam, Bishop and Becca
15. Dustin, Daelynn, MacKinley, Lucy, Syd, Adam
16. Margie, Ann, Brian, Robyn, Doug, Deborah, Pat & Vern (for Pat's birthday dinner)
17. Jason B. his wife Shelley and their four boys
18. Mark, Colleen, Curtis, Heidi and Tyler
19. Richard
20. Harmon, Deborah, Emily, Gerald & Phillip
21. Courtney baby shower
22 Thanksgiving dinner for 15
23. Sofia and friends
24. Andy and friends (and sister Janet...not pictured)

Countdown to Christmas

2011-12-11T10:56:00.000-07:00

Day #11

We attended the premier of a new musical that was written about the Christmas book "The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey" at SCERA last Thursday. We enjoyed meeting the author Susan Wojciechowski and having her sign our copy of the book that we bought back in 1997. It's a sweet story with a wonderful message about love, redemption and bringing hope back into the life of someone who had lost it.

Countdown to Christmas

2011-12-10T10:40:00.004-07:00

Day #10

Christmas is a time of year when a lot of people stretch their hearts and their pocket books and give to others. It's a good exercise to stretch and it feels soooooo good to carry around a pocket book that weighs less! A lot of people are more prone to look outside of themselves and to give to others. I love that part about Christmas. And I really love it when people can give anonymously. They don't want credit, they just want to give and to lift someone, surprise someone, help someone and have fun!
This year I was the recipient of the most generous gift from an anonymous donor. Some generous donor gave every person at my office a Blendtec blender! There are 45 people in my area. Those blenders retail at $470. You do the math.
I was so excited my heart started pounding and I got a huge smile on my face. For you see, I've wanted one of these blenders for years but I didn't have the cash just lying around to buy one.
That anonymous donor made A LOT of people very happy.
I've since learned that the donor has ties to the company and probably got them at cost or less, but still....W~O~W!!!
Who ever it was has got to be feeling pretty good right now. And since I will never be able to thank them in person, I'll just have to thank them here...so...THANK YOU, I really appreciate your gift!!!

Countdown to Christmas

2011-12-09T10:27:00.005-07:00

Day #9

Here's a little video and a shout out to the city of my birth, Rupert Idaho. It has the distinction of holding the copy right name of "Christmas City USA." It's a great effort and a fabulous tradition for a little town of less than 6,000 people to decorate and make the town shine. Merry Christmas (not season's greetings or happy holidays) from Rupert!

Countdown to Christmas

2011-12-08T10:36:00.003-07:00

Day #8

This video is a very sweet follow up to the video that I mentioned on Day # 4.

Countdown to Christmas

2011-12-07T08:23:00.007-07:00

Day #7

Decorating...I started working on putting up the Christmas decorations on Day #3 and I'm almost done! I'm not putting up as many things this year since we'll be in AZ for Christmas. I had a little helper who was the sweetest thing. She and Claire got to stay with us for two weeks and we loved having her around. I have a bunch of valuable and fragile creches, but I also have some that can be handled and played with. Little Skippy loved playing with the Fisher Price creche and hauling around all the figures. She can pick out the Baby Jesus from any creche and she is learning who all the other figures are. She liked the camel and the Baby Jesus the best.

Countdown to Christmas

2011-12-06T08:22:00.004-07:00

Day #6

We went to see ANNIE last night at Pioneer Theater Company. We have season tickets again this year and we have been enjoying their lineup. They added some fun Christmas activities to the play this year and it was darling. It's not a bad message either at this time of year.

The sun till come out tomorrow
Bet your bottom dollar
That tomorrow there'll be sun
Jus' thinkin' about tomorrow
Clears away the cobwebs and the sorrow
'til there's none
When i'm stuck with the day that's gray and lonely
I just stick out my chin and grin and say ohhh
The sun will come out tomorrow
So you gotta hang on 'til tomorrow
Come what may...

Chorus:

Tomorrow tomorrow

I love ya tomorrow

You're always a day away

Source - http://www.kovideo.net/tomorrow-lyrics-lea-salonga-479334.html

Countdown to Christmas

2011-12-05T13:40:00.007-07:00

Day #5

I'm working on the Christmas cards today. I've already received several from Claire (1st place), Nick and Tina, Taylors and Rosenbergs. Wow, I'm impressed! I absolutely love receiving and sending cards. I look forward to driving home each day and opening up the mailbox to see who sent us a card. I love to stay in touch with family and friends this way. It such a simple way to let people know that we care about them and that they are remembered and to wish them a Merry Christmas!

Countdown to Christmas

2011-12-04T13:22:00.000-07:00

Day #4

We watched the 1st Presidency Christmas devotional last night. It was wonderful. We had a group of BYU students over and it was nice to watch it together. I loved seeing the new Christmas videos the LDS church has produced. If you didn't watch the devotional last night, then take a look. You can feel the spirit of our Heavenly Father while you watch them. It really helps to bring the Christmas spirit (even if they were filmed in Utah!) The videos are the Church's gift to the world this Christmas. Enjoy!

Countdown to Christmas

2011-12-03T13:17:00.003-07:00

Day #3
We went to the annual production of Celebration of Christmas at BYU performed by the BYU Singers, Men's Chorus, Concert Choir, Women's Chorus and the BYU Philharmonic. I think there are over 600 voices in the choirs and at least 80 or so musicians playing outstanding music.
This year they performed:
Of the Father's Love Begotten
Wishes and Candles
Fum, Fum, Fumarr
Little Drummer Boy
Angels We Have Heard on High
Candlelight Carol
The Twelve Days of Christmas
Away in a Manger
Rejoice and Be Merry
The Rune of Hospitality (say what??...not a favorite)
Polonaise from Christmas Eve
Sleigh Ride
A Star Shall Rise Up out of Jacob
There is a Star

The whole group sang the first two songs and the last two together. Imagine the rich sound coming from a choir of that size! In a word it was... Amazing. Claire got to attend this year and she really enjoyed being back.

Countdown to Christmas

2011-12-02T10:45:00.008-07:00

Day #2

It's all about the music and Christmas performances. We started off the season last Saturday night attending The Messiah at Abravanel Hall in SLC. This weekend it will be Celebration of Christmas performed by the BYU choruses and orchestra. We're off to a really good start.

Here is a beautiful version of Rick's favorite passage. The soloist even sings both parts...wow, what a range! The words stir your soul.

Countdown to Christmas

2011-12-01T14:22:00.004-07:00

Day #1

It's time to start the Christmas music! At home, in the car, at work, on Pandora...everywhere I can find it.
I can't get enough of this young man Nathan Pacheco. I absolutely LOVE his voice! Check out his web site and sit down and enjoy his voice. Go to the video section on his web site and listen to his version of Nessun Dorma...Wow!

Young Women in Excellence

2011-12-01T13:25:00.010-07:00

We had our Young Women in Excellence program last night. It was AWESOME!. Seven wonderful YW earned their Young Womanhood Recognition award and received their medallions last year and we honored them at the program. I made the Stand Tall sashes and the Laurel wreathes. They were a hit and the girls loved them. I'm so happy they did. I'm also very proud of their hard work and accomplishments.
Our theme was "Hats off to YOU!" We had several people (a new mom, a new wife - Megan Lindley, a grandma - LaRonna, a teacher, a sister) come and talk to the girls about the different hats we wear as women. We then honored the girls and took our hats off to them for the good choices they are making and the way they are living their lives. It was a really fun night.
We had a "tea party" and served hot chocolate and finger foods and sat at round tables that were decorated in a fancy style to eat.
Here are the sashes I made for each of the seven Laurel girls. (Unfortunately I didn't get a separate photo of the Laurel wreathes.)
The girls displayed different things showing some of the goals they have accomplished during the year.
Here they all are with their different "hats" on after the program.
Here is our wonderful Young Women's president with one of our darling Laurel girls.
A few weeks ago we had a combined activity with the Young Men and we talked about preparing to serve a mission. We had leaders who had served missions when they were young tell one way their mission changed their lives. We heard some really touching stories.
The youth then wrote letters to the full-time missionaries who are serving from our ward. We have one older couple and four young Elders representing us. I'm sure the missionaries will love to receive Christmas letters from the youth in our neighborhood.
We made a name badge for each of the youth that was wrapped around a Hershey Bar. It was a very sweet treat and well received.
Each of the leaders who had served missions when they were young submitted some pictures of themselves back in the day. They youth had to guess who was who. We also had three recently returned missionaries come and do a panel discussion of what it's really like to serve a mission. They did such a good job. We showed segments I and II of what it is like to live inside of the MTC. It was a very fun activity and I think the young people really enjoyed it.

Giving THA*NKS

2011-11-30T10:38:00.017-07:00

This year we were very lucky. All our kids came home for Thanksgiving. The weather was lovely and we had a wonderful holiday counting our blessings. Rick passed around the "thankful corns" and we each took a turn to say out loud five of our blessings. It's always a favorite part of the day. That and the sauerkraut. Love the sauerkraut. Oh, and the sweet potatoes.
We are so fortunate and we count our many, many blessings.

Our mother dear turns 85

2011-11-28T14:30:00.014-07:00

It's been a whirlwind of activities around here lately. Here's a few things we've been doing:
We had a big birthday bash for our mother dear who just turned 85.
A combined birthday party for Courtney and Ellie.
Thanksgiving at our place for 15 of us.
A baby shower for Courtney at our place.
Goodbyes to the out-of-staters (with two hangers-on remaining for an extra week.)
Several activities with the youth in our ward to prepare for and execute.
Who can even think about making Christmas preparations?? Not me. Not yet.

I'll start with the 85 year old birthday bash for Mary F. G. P. E.
It was splendid. I got to spend four WHOLE days with Mom and my dear brother Paul, plus three of my sisters and their spouses. It was so fun to hang out and visit, play games and just relax. It was the best fun to honor Mom and to do some of the things she enjoys. She took us all to the Providence Inn which is now a fabulous bed and breakfast in Providence, Utah of all places. Mom attended church at this building when she was a girl. It was fun to walk around the building with her and listen to her stories of the past. It was very nostalgic and the evening we were there is snowed about 8 inches, much to her delight. She lives in a warm weather climate during the winter and it was fun to have a beautiful snow storm come in and cover the ground with white. We ate wonderful food, attended the temple, played a trivia game on her life and just paid tribute to an amazing lady, our mother.

EFY in Zimbabwe

2011-11-14T14:19:00.003-07:00

I was so touched my this video. My nephew Dustin served his LDS mission in Zimbabwe over 10 years ago. He loved the Zimbabwean people. It's easy to see why!

Read more here.

11-11-11

2011-11-11T09:19:00.003-07:00

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 - COMPLETED July 2011

1. Provo, Utah temple-10 sealings for couples and sons
2. Provo, Utah temple - 5 initiatory
3. Albuquerque, New Mexico temple - 5 initiatory
4. Mesa, Arizona temple - 1 endowment
5. Laie, Hawaii temple - 1 endowment
6. St. George, Utah temple - 1 endowment
7. Provo, Utah temple - 8 sealings for couples, 4 sons (Rick), 3 daughters
8. San Diego temple - 1 sealing for couples, 3 daughters
9. Provo, Utah temple - 14 baptisms for women, 14 confirmations
10. Provo, Utah temple - 3 sealings for couples, five sons (Rick), five daughters
11. Provo, Utah temple - 1 endowment
12. Provo, Utah temple - 2 sealings for couples, 8 sons
13. Provo, Utah temple 2 sealings for couples, 4 sons
14. Provo, Utah temple 1 endowment
15. Provo, UT temple 3 sealings for couples, 5 daughters
16. Provo, UT temple 1 endowment

2. lose 11 pounds

3. read 11 books - COMPLETED September 2011

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
5. Jane Eyre
6. The Book Thief
7. Believing Christ
8. The Hunger Games
9. Catching Fire
10. Mockingjay
11. Rebel (book on tape while driving through the south, which lasted 16 hours!)
12. Yale Avenue Kid, autobiography of VBR

4. organize & label 11 of our family photo books - COMPLETED October 2011

completed 4 books, starting in 1976 through 1982
completed 7 books, starting in 2006-2011

5. visit 11 elderly people - COMPLETED August 2011

1. G.G. 2. G.D.E. 3. M. Y. 4. L. B. 5. V. B. R. 6. D. F. 7. A. E. 8. U. R. 8. A. L. 9. U. V. 10. L. C. 11. S. C. 12. P. P. R.

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, 2 aprons for Skippy, 1 skirt for Skippy, 1 jumper for Kindergarten Lauren, bound 1 quilt for a friend

7. go with Rick to visit 11 new places - COMPLETED September 2011

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
5. Legoland, California
6. PETCO stadium, San Diego California
7. Mississippi - Jackson, Oxford
8. Tennessee - Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville
9. Kentucky - Bowling Green
10. North Carolina - Great Smoky Mountains, Asheville
11. South Carolina - Spartanburg, Greenville
12. Georgia - Atlanta, Athens
13. Alabama - Birmingham
14. Arkansas - Little Rock
15. Texas - Keller, Austin

8. send birthday cards to 11 people I don't normally send to - COMPLETED October 2011

1. A. K. 2. A. K. 3. D. A. 4. D. R. 5. D. S. 6. G. G. 7. T. S. 8. D. G. 9. M. J. 10. L. C. R. 11. H.F.

9. watch 11 old movies that I love but haven't seen for awhile - COMPLETED September 2011

1. Dances with Wolves
2. First Knight
3. Mama Mia
4. Groundhog Day
5. A River Runs Through It
6. October Sky
7. The Little Princess with Shirley Temple
8. Father of the Bride
9. Emma
10. Wuthering Heights
11. Fried Green Tomatoes
12. Gone With the Wind
13. Steel Magnolias
14. National Treasure

10. make 11 new recipes - COMPLETED November 2011

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)
4. Easter Dessert
5. oriental chicken in the crock pot
6. Grilled chicken southwestern salad (from Jordan)
7. Fast Easy Bread, cinnamon rolls, monkey bread, crescent rolls with Lindsey!!
8. Shirley J, using the Universal sauce for beef stroganoff & broccoli cheese soup
9. Southern cooking from Mary Mac's cookbook - fried chicken, fresh creamed corn, peach cobbler, peach pancakes
10. Carmel dip fondue with apples and bananas
11. Pesto on vine ripe tomatoes with fresh mozzarella cheese

11. invite 11 groups of people over for dinner - COMPLETED July 2011

1. Lacey & 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
6. Cousin Margaret & family
7. Niece Syd & Adam, Danny & Danielle, Romney, Jesse
8. Ryan & Jill, Corbin & Loni (BBQ outside)
9. Denise, Lacey & family
10. Adam and Crissa
11. Lindsey R. and her four darling daughters, Corbin
12. 4th of July BBQ - 70 family and friends
13. Ben and Melissa
14. Mom, David, Diane, Syd, Adam, Bishop and Becca
15. Dustin, Daelynn, MacKinley, Lucy, Syd, Adam
16. Margie, Ann, Brian, Robyn, Doug, Deborah, Pat & Vern (for Pat's birthday dinner)
17. Jason B. his wife Shelley and their four boys
18. Mark, Colleen, Curtis, Heidi and Tyler

Value colored M & M's

2011-11-10T07:33:00.007-07:00

We had a fun mutual activity last week for Personal Progress with our Young Women group. I bought a BIG bag of M & M's from Costco and proceeded to group them by colors. Did you know that all the Personal Progress value colors are in a bag of M & M's except for white, purple and gold? Those extra colors can be found at Zuchers and purchased by weight to make the 8 value colors complete. I put the separated M & M's in tall stemmed glasses and had the girls use a small scoop to put about 4-5 of each color in the little clear containers. Once they had some of each, I asked them to name the value that each color represented before eating the M & M. If they could recite the definition or give the reference for the scripture, they got to refill their cup. They enjoyed reviewing/learning the value colors this way and it made for a fun activity.
I love the Young Women values and what they represent. If every young woman truly understood and believed in these values and then let them guide her life, she would be so much more successful and happy. They are core teachings that will help any person ground their life to timeless values. Click on each value to learn more:

Now...what do I do with all those left over BROWN M & M's???

Are we improving as the years go by?

2011-11-07T10:25:00.009-07:00

Rick and I have been having this discussion lately...

Are we better people now than we were 30 years ago?
Have we made improvements over the last 20 years?
10 years?
Since last week?
We go through all the motions of being good members
of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints.
We're good Christians.
We go to church.
We serve others.
We read our scriptures.
We're honest and hard working.
We try really hard to keep the commandments.
We pray.
We try.
But are we gaining ground?

Are we becoming better people with more Christ-like hearts?
Do we criticize less?
Do we judge less?
Do we give people the benefit of the doubt?
Do we love those who are hard to love?
Do we help and serve those who are hard to serve?
Are we self-absorbed?
Are we self-righteous?
Do we think we're better than others in any way?
Do we think our ways are the only right ways?
Are we impatient?
Are we uncharitable?

This is the real challenge.
To change our hearts.
To not just go through the motions, but to actually change.

1 Samuel 16: 7 - But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature;... for the Lord seeth not as a man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.

Why do we spend so much time looking at/caring about the appearance of ourselves
and of that of other people?
Why do we worry about our stature in life as it compares to the stature of other people?
This is not the way the Lord will measure us.
These things don't matter to Him.
He will look on our hearts.
Are we improving as the years go by to be to be measured by the Lord?

Kids take their Halloween candy very seriously

2011-11-05T21:55:00.002-06:00

You can take the girl out of Idaho, but you can't take Idaho out of the girl

2011-11-02T11:19:00.006-06:00

One of my favorite things to do in the fall is to return to the place was I was raised. Rupert, Idaho. I can't adequately explain how it makes me feel to return Rupert to visit my sister and her husband. Out of the seven children in our family who were raised there, she is the only one who remains. Driving back into town is like going into a time machine. Not much changes in Rupert. Many of the same places we use to frequent are still there. Just driving around town conjurers up so many memories of people, events and places where we lived out our lives for more than 30 years. Rick and I took a long tour around town and saw so many of the places I use to go when I was young. He was such a good sport and seemed genuinely interested in listening to me chatter on about this and that. The smells, the sights, and the sounds (or lack of sound, just peace and quiet) reminded me of my childhood. Harvest was in full swing and we saw HUGE mounds of sugar beets, fields ready to be harvested and huge storage bins for grain and potatoes. The "Sugar Factory" where the sugar beets are processed was in full swing and the distinctive odor permeated the air. I haven't smelled that smell for quite awhile. If you've always wondered how they get sugar from sugar beets and sugar cane, read this summary. Sugar beets are tough and hardy and can be bounced around and even stored on the bare ground for a period of time until they go through the factory for refining. Potatoes are a different story. They are treated with the utmost care and are often harvested and put to bed during the winter months until the next spring them they are processed and many of them are turned into French Fries.
Check out this farmer's blog for a descriptive narrative and pictures of what a potato harvest is all about. Interesting stuff!
We came home with 100 pounds of those lovely Idaho spuds, compliments of Tim E. and his lovely wife Cari. They were so kind to visit with us and to take us out to their potato cellar and tell us more about how things are done on a potato farm.

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Our wonderful son V IV turns 27

2011-10-29T21:37:00.015-06:00

On Saturday Dave celebrates his 27th birthday! He has had himself quite a year. Since his last B-day here are a few of things he accomplished or enjoyed:

a year ago, he was just starting an MBA program and he was working hard in his classes...again he got some amazing grades and made all the other students hate him (not in a bad way)
we enjoyed spending last Halloween and Thanksgiving with Dave and Courtney in the heat and sun and we even had a sleep over in their comfy apartment
Dave and Courtney came for Christmas and we enjoyed having their company
Dave LOVES BYU sports and he managed to watch Jimmer play a bunch of basketball games on TV
He is a BYU football fan who has been carefully raised in the art of following the Cougars
Dave landed an impressive internship in North Carolina and he and Courtney spent the summer there where he learned some of the finer points in finance and banking
He got great reviews from his supervisor and was later offered an impressive job after completing his degree
He worked hard all summer and spent some time fending for himself for a time and proved that he is self reliant and capable, even by himself in far off places
He returned to school in the fall for his second year of MBA school and moved his family from one apartment to another, in the extreme heat of the summer
He is a devoted husband and a great helper around the house (who knew??)
He LOVES his nieces (and nephews) and he is a wonderful uncle to them on both sides of the family
He served in the YM organization and was dutiful and helpful to the small group of boys in their area
We got to see Dave and Courtney in CA at our family reunion in May and we enjoyed his great sense of humor and his helpful ways
He and Courtney traveled through North and South Carolina during the summer and saw some great sights and learn more of the history of those states
He is a dear son and we love to talk to him and to get his take on what is happening
He and Courtney got some great news. They will be having a little V V in February to fill the BYU tee shirt and hat that Dave received for his birthday
Dave will be a great father. He is such a great uncle and he is so sweet to the little people

Keep up the good work Dave. Your Dad and I are very proud of you and the good life that you live.

Little miss sunshine

2011-10-28T09:26:00.004-06:00

This little sweetheart is having her 2nd birthday today. She is a girl with a 1,000 smiles and she has the sweetest most darling laugh to go along with it. She is a ball connoisseur and knows how to identify a football, a basketball, tennis, racket, baseball and a bouncy ball without any coaching. She is her mother's daughter, that's for sure. She loves to play with all her toys and she takes her nap like a champ with nary a whimper. She loves to play with her cousins and she has a particular fondness for her cousin Lauren. She is loved my her mommy and daddy and she is one lucky girl to have them as parents. Happy 2nd Birthday baby girl! Grandpa and Grandma love you so much.

Little miss manners

2011-10-27T09:50:00.006-06:00

This little beauty is having her 2nd birthday party today. Happy Birthday baby girl! She is a darling little girl who loves to play with her older sisters and mimic what they do. She can also play by herself and have a good time. She doesn't like to take her nap or go to bed, but she loves bath time, story time, play time and just about any time that isn't bedtime. She is very articulate and can talk up a storm. When I was tending her a few weeks ago she would say "thank you Grandma" when I changed her diaper, "thank you Grandma" when I would get her out of her car seat and "thank you Grandma" when I would get her a drink or feed her dinner. What 2 year old does that? She is a little miss manners girl and I love her so much!

Beware of transfat

2011-10-25T10:56:00.008-06:00

It will probably come as no surprise to you but...

Trans fat is dangerous

Trans fat can make food taste good, last longer on grocery-store shelves, and more hazardous for your heart.

"Trans fats raise your bad cholesterol just like saturated fats, but they also increase inflammation and lower the good cholesterol that protects us against heart disease," says Andrea Giancoli, RD, MPH, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, in Hermosa Beach, Calif.

The good news? Many food manufacturers and fast-food chains have removed or reduced trans fat. But it still lurks in many foods—here are 23 to watch.

potato chips
french fries
anything battered or fried
pie and pie crust
margarine
shortening
cake mixes and ready made frosting
pancake & waffle mixes
fried chicken
breakfast sandwiches
frozen or creamy beverages
beef jerky
crackers
frozen dinners
Asian noodles
biscuits & sweet-rolls
packaged cookies
ground beef
microwave popcorn
ice cream
canned chili
packaged pudding
dairy creamers

Good grief! What do we eat now if we remove all these items from our shopping cart (or at least try and reduce the quantity we buy?)
I remember the advice I was given years ago by a Food Science and Nutrition instructor. SHOP AROUND THE PERIMETER OF THE STORE. That is where the "real" food is. Real fruits and vegetables, lean meat, dairy products, whole grains, and food items for preparing foods from fresh products or cooking by "scratch" at home. Try and fill your grocery card around the perimeter first and then stroll down the isles and add a few of the items listed above. This will save our hearts, our waistlines, and maybe even our lives! Check the nutrition facts on the labels and see how much trans fat is in each product. Choose "reduced fat" items when possible. I'm going to try a lot harder to do a better job at this.

A life well lived

2011-10-24T19:28:00.013-06:00

My sweet father-in-law just published his autobiography! He has been working on it since I first met him over 30 years ago. It's been a labor of love and many, many people have helped to make it happen. He and Rick went down to the BYU press a couple of weeks ago to pick up the 100 or so copies that were printed in a hard bound volume that is of course in Cougar Blue. He wrote the entire manuscript by hand over the years and many people have helped transcribe his writing in to a word processed document.
It's an amazing book of 414 pages that takes the reader on an incredible journey through the life of a man who has lived for 87 years. It is extremely well written, clever, humorous, direct, honest, very interesting and quite inspirational. It's entitled

Yale Avenue Kid
an Autobiography
VBR

The chapters go like this:
Chapter 1 - The Boy
Chapter 2 - The Soldier (WW II vet who saw heavy fighting in the Pacific Theater)
Chapter 3 - Enter Particia
Chapter 4 - The Missionary
Chapter 5 - A Wife and Washington
Chapter 6 - A Dozen Good Years
Chapter 7 - Bishop, Politician, Little League Coach
Chapter 8 - Big Decisions, Big Changes
Chapter 9 - Missionary Kids, Exit Politician and Bishop
Chapter 10 - Back to the Real World: Over the Point of the Mountain
Chapter 11 - Still Going
Chapter 12 - 1990
Chapter 13 - Three Score and Ten
Chapter 14 - West Virginia
Chapter 15 - The Jewel
Chapter 16 - Not My Best Years
Chapter 17 - Patriarch, Traveling Man, Rowena
Chapter 18 - Decider, Believer
Epilogue
Ancestors and Descendants

He gave copies to each of us and to our children. They have already started to devour their copies and I've been told that our two sons-in-law have already read the volume cover to cover. It's been a labor of love and my mother-in-law deserves a lot of credit for helping make it happen. It has wonderful pictures in it and some treasured family stories. He left us all a great legacy through the written word, telling it like it is/was. His faith and testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ shines through and it is a very interesting book to read. Well done VBR!

Interesting research

2011-10-21T10:15:00.006-06:00

As I've mentioned before, I am surrounded by interesting research on family topics. Last night I went to this interesting lecture, the Virginia Cutler annual lecture given by Professor Busby about LDS married couples and their habits and beliefs compared to other religious couples. The lecture was recorded and at some point I'll post the link. It was very thought provoking to learn more about the dating habits, length of courtship, commitment to marriage, marital age, sexual habits and overall happiness reported by over 40,000 married religious couples over the course of many years.

Also out this week is a report about the link between the use of profanity and relational aggression. "Exposure to profanity is associated with acceptance and use of profanity, which in turn influence both physical and relational aggression." And further "“This research shows that profanity is not harmless,” said Bushman, a mass communications professor. “Children exposed to profanity in the media think that such language is ‘normal,’ which may reduce their inhibitions about using profanity themselves. And children who use profanity are more likely to aggress against others. These are very important findings for parents, teachers, and pediatricians.”

And lastly, a report about materialism in marriage call "Can't Buy Me Love." It finds that the more money a couple has, the more likely that couple is to have marital problems. It measured how much various couples value having "lots of money" and "lots of things."
“Couples where both spouses are materialistic were worse off on nearly every measure we looked at,” said Jason Carroll, a BYU professor of family life and lead author of the study. “There is a pervasive pattern in the data of eroding communication, poor conflict resolution and low responsiveness to each other.”

“Sometimes people can deceive themselves about how important their relationships are to them,” Carroll said. “It’s helpful to step back and look at where you focus your time.”

I drew these conclusions:

Observing religious codes and conduct helps a couple achieve more marital satisfaction and longevity than not observing any religious practices. Religion helps couples understand the bigger picture and helps them establish codes of conduct and it gives them something to strive for in maintaining their family unit. LDS couples who believe in the Temple Covenant are more likely to work towards achieving that goal and in the process their family life can be more meaningful.

Watch, monitor and edit what language is being used on TV programs that you watch. It will affect your children and yourself in ways you may not even imagine.

Don't make the pursuit of wealth a goal. Money isn't evil, it is what it often does to people that makes it a stumbling block. Be cautious in the desire for "things" and lots of money. Money and things do not define a person's worth. As a subtext, too much money often destroys the children of wealthy parents who don't learn to work and to be self sufficient. They often have a sense of entitlement and that makes it hard to establish their own self worth and their own achievements. Money could well be the root of all evil, but a certain amount of it is needed to live a happy life. Researchers figure that amount is about $75,000 a year for a family. "The lower a person's annual income falls below that benchmark, the unhappier he or she feels. But no matter how much more than $75,000 people make, they don't report any greater degree of happiness."

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2019628,00.html#ixzz1bRSNlY2R

I just finished reading a biography of Madame Marie Curie, the scientist who was awarded two Nobel Prizes for her work in discovering radioactivity (a word she coined) and the elements of radium and polonium. She despised wealth and wealthy people. She avoided all the trappings of the display of wealth. She sought her riches in intellectual development and not in the acquisition and display of wealth. She and her husband Pierre freely shared their precious radium samples with other researchers who could benefit from their discoveries. They could have made millions by selling their knowledge and their discoveries, but they shunned that type of use of wealth. Their marriage was strong and they found their passion in working on joint research projects and in raising their two young girls. The Beatles got it right when they sang "Can't Buy Me Love." It was a very thought provoking book.

An early birthday party

2011-10-18T17:40:00.007-06:00

October 27 - Ada Claire #2
October 28 - Skippy #2
October 29 - V IV #27

Since I was in already in town, I decided to throw an early surprise birthday party for the three October birthday kids. Dave and Courtney, my Mom and David and my brother Paul were able to come while Claire was still in town with Skippy. The girls helped Claire decorate with crepe paper and balloons and we had dinner with cake and ice cream. The twin cousins enjoyed their gifts and I think that V IV was pleased with his as well even if they were a little small. A good time was had by all.

Things I had forgotten

2011-10-16T16:49:00.032-06:00

The magical power of a band- aid
How completely wonderful it can be to read a new kids book for the first time and listen to two little girls laugh like crazy at the adventures and funny names like "Gus Vallony" in Junie B. Jones, or to follow the adventures of Laura Ingalls in "Little House on the Prairie"
How long it takes to get ready for bed with bath time, teeth cleaning time, story time, prayers, song time x 3 - an hour at least
That is matters a lot what color your cup is or your plastic plate or bowl when you eat. The color pink is the best color and was almost always the coveted item
How wonderful it was to hold a little 1 year old (almost two) who has just had her bath and who is in her clean jammies, snuggle and sing "Itsy Bitsy Spider" at the top of her lungs at bedtime
Driving a mini van. I drove two in my day. Jord's van is lovely and it has some real get-up -and-go. What I dislike is the constant buckling and unbuckling of the car seats, but I know they are a necessary evil. It's a chore to get out and go with three little girls tagging along. Plus you also need to take 3 sippy cups and 3 little snacks if it is a drive of more than half an hour.
The strong smell from a pail of dirty diapers that can knock you off your feet
How quickly a clean room can turn to a messy room when three little girls are enjoying a day of play. I decided to just let it go for 2 1/2 days and it looked like a bomb went off. What's the point of picking it up every night just to do it again the next day? Is it just for woman pride/clean house pride or what? I just couldn't muster the energy to pick it up every day, even with the girls helping.

How much delight they take in doing simple things like decorating cupcakes or drawing pictures on the sidewalk with chalk

How much pleasure little girls have at bath time, just playing and playing with their toys and laughing and splashing (and splashing, and splashing!)
The foods that little kids eat, like the good-ole standbys of mac and cheese, PB&J, top roman noodles, cereal, go-gurt, string cheese or the more exotic favorites of pickles, humus, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, avocados, salt and vinegar Pringles, edamame or stir-fry.
How much I appreciated having my husband come and help me over one weekend. He played and played with the girls and they just loved having him around. So did I. Courtney and Dave came over several times and they were a HUGE help as well.

How wonderful it is when everyone goes to bed and the house is quiet
How they monitor who gets the biggest, the most, the best and who's turn it is to do something first
How much they LOVE playing with their cousin Skippy and watching her blog videos over and over and over. Claire and Skippy started tending the girls the first two days and then we overlapped one day. It was fun to have the cousins together again.

How sweetly they help each other and play together for hours and hours on end. It was so sweet to see a little 1 year old (almost 2) play house with her three year old sister (who is almost 4) and call her "Momma" and for "Momma" to call her little sister "Baby"
To see their concern when someone gets an "owie"
To listen to their sweet, simple, sincere prayers & to listen to them repeat some scriptures while eating breakfast
How annoying the DVD of "Elmo's World" can be
That is takes A LOT of energy to keep up with everything and that I'm so proud of Jordan and Jake for the job they are doing in raising our little granddaughters
hearing the words "I love you Grandma" and "Grandma will you play with me?" and "thank you Grandma." And the best of all the phrase that just melted my heart and made it worth taking care of them for 9 days..."I don't want you to go home Grandma."
it was also great to hear that the children in the kindergarten carpool thought I was Lauren's aunt (that I couldn't be her Grandma because I wasn't old enough) and that the lady next door thought that I was Jordan's older sister. Cool.

I love my little granddaughters so very much! I love being their Grandma and I love that they call me Grandma. It's a title I cherish.

10-11-11

2011-10-12T22:40:00.007-06:00

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 - COMPLETED July 2011

1. Provo, Utah temple-10 sealings for couples and sons
2. Provo, Utah temple - 5 initiatory
3. Albuquerque, New Mexico temple - 5 initiatory
4. Mesa, Arizona temple - 1 endowment
5. Laie, Hawaii temple - 1 endowment
6. St. George, Utah temple - 1 endowment
7. Provo, Utah temple - 8 sealings for couples, 4 sons (Rick), 3 daughters
8. San Diego temple - 1 sealing for couples, 3 daughters
9. Provo, Utah temple - 14 baptisms for women, 14 confirmations
10. Provo, Utah temple - 3 sealings for couples, five sons (Rick), five daughters
11. Provo, Utah temple - 1 endowment
12. Provo, Utah temple - 2 sealings for couples, 8 sons
13. Provo, Utah temple 2 sealings for couples, 4 sons
14. Provo, Utah temple 1 endowment
15. Provo, UT temple 3 sealings for couples, 5 daughters

2. lose 11 pounds

3. read 11 books - COMPLETED September 2011

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
5. Jane Eyre
6. The Book Thief
7. Believing Christ
8. The Hunger Games
9. Catching Fire
10. Mockingjay
11. Rebel (book on tape while driving through the south, which lasted 16 hours!)

4. organize & label 11 of our family photo books - COMPLETED October 2011

completed 4 books, starting in 1976 through 1982
completed 7 books, starting in 2006-2011

5. visit 11 elderly people - COMPLETED August 2011

1. G.G. 2. G.D.E. 3. M. Y. 4. L. B. 5. V. B. R. 6. D. F. 7. A. E. 8. U. R. 8. A. L. 9. U. V. 10. L. C. 11. S. C. 12. P. P. R.

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, 2 aprons for Skippy, 1 skirt for Skippy, 1 jumper for Kindergarten Lauren

7. go with Rick to visit 11 new places - COMPLETED September 2011

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
5. Legoland, California
6. PETCO stadium, San Diego California
7. Mississippi - Jackson, Oxford
8. Tennessee - Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville
9. Kentucky - Bowling Green
10. North Carolina - Great Smoky Mountains, Asheville
11. South Carolina - Spartanburg, Greenville
12. Georgia - Atlanta, Athens
13. Alabama - Birmingham
14. Arkansas - Little Rock
15. Texas - Keller, Austin

8. send birthday cards to 11 people I don't normally send to - COMPLETED October 2011

1. A. K. 2. A. K. 3. D. A. 4. D. R. 5. D. S. 6. G. G. 7. T. S. 8. D. G. 9. M. J. 10. L. C. R. 11. H.F.

9. watch 11 old movies that I love but haven't seen for awhile - COMPLETED September 2011

1. Dances with Wolves
2. First Knight
3. Mama Mia
4. Groundhog Day
5. A River Runs Through It
6. October Sky
7. The Little Princess with Shirley Temple
8. Father of the Bride
9. Emma
10. Wuthering Heights
11. Fried Green Tomatoes
12. Gone With the Wind
13. Steel Magnolias
14. National Treasure

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)
4. Easter Dessert
5. oriental chicken in the crock pot
6. Grilled chicken southwestern salad (from Jordan)
7. Fast Easy Bread, cinnamon rolls, monkey bread, crescent rolls with Lindsey!!
8. Shirley J, using the Universal sauce for beef stroganoff & broccoli cheese soup
9. Southern cooking from Mary Mac's cookbook - fried chicken, fresh creamed corn, peach cobbler, peach pancakes

11. invite 11 groups of people over for dinner - COMPLETED July 2011

1. Lacey & 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
6. Cousin Margaret & family
7. Niece Syd & Adam, Danny & Danielle, Romney, Jesse
8. Ryan & Jill, Corbin & Loni (BBQ outside)
9. Denise, Lacey & family
10. Adam and Crissa
11. Lindsey R. and her four darling daughters, Corbin
12. 4th of July BBQ - 70 family and friends
13. Ben and Melissa
14. Mom, David, Diane, Syd, Adam, Bishop and Becca
15. Dustin, Daelynn, MacKinley, Lucy, Syd, Adam
16. Margie, Ann, Brian, Robyn, Doug, Deborah, Pat & Vern (for Pat's birthday dinner)

Brian Stokes Mitchell part 2

2011-10-07T10:20:00.006-06:00

I think I'm in love (don't tell Rick.) Ok, well, at least I'm in love with a voice. My oh my. What a voice it is. Last night we had the good fortune of attending the BYU Homecoming Spectacular. It was in a word - Spectacular! Wow. Brian Stokes Mitchell was the guest performer. It was fabulous entertainment and Brian was amazing. He appeared a couple of years ago with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in the annual Christmas concert. He sang with the choir another time as a guest with Music and the Spoken word (video below.) I've followed him since. They will do a second concert tonight at the Marriott Center. He sang "the Impossible Dream" with the BYU Men's Chorus and the BYU Philharmonic orchestra. It brought tears to my eyes! It was powerful. Brian is an awesome performer. If you live in the area - be sure to see it!

Even though the quality of this video isn't great, the sound is wonderful, so ENJOY!!!

Provo Tabernacle Temple!!

2011-10-06T09:39:00.008-06:00

We were so excited to learn last Saturday that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will be rebuilding the Provo tabernacle and turning it into a temple! It is indeed a happy day!
Our tears have turned from tears of sorrow to tears of joy!
This temple will be a great boost to downtown Provo. The Church has bought up the property south of the old tabernacle and the redevelopment will add so much to downtown Provo. Now a certain someone can WALK to the temple in his beloved Provo. Great, great news!

Mentors International

2011-10-05T09:59:00.003-06:00

I've mentioned this great organization before. Check it out here and here and here and here.
I won't be able to attend the annual gala this year. I'm sorry to miss. Jenny Oaks Baker and Lisa Hopkins Seegmiller will be performing. I'll be headed out of town to tend three of my four grand girls for a week.
Here is a shout out to a wonderful organization that does a lot of good in the world. I guess someone else will just have to win one of the beautiful centerpieces this year since I won't be there to claim it. Best of luck! I hope everyone gives generously. Check out this great video.

Visit all 50 (updated)

2011-10-04T10:28:00.013-06:00

2 1/2 years ago I shared that Rick and I were trying to visit all 50 states sometime in our lives. I'm happy to report that we've made some progress. I think we will need to take three more trips to polish all 50 off. We need to go through the mid-west to pick up 5 states, to the great lakes area for 4 more and finally go back to new England to pick up the last 4 states we're missing. 13 to go! I wonder which one will be the last?? Maybe Rhode Island or Maine. We decided that in order to check off a state, that we had to actually step foot in that state or country. Going through an airport doesn't count.
I love this web site that lets you fill in the states you've visited. You can also do it with foreign countries. I'd love to visit at least one country on each continent. Four down, three to go. My map:

create your own personalized map of the USA
or check out ourCalifornia travel guide

Rick's map:

create your own personalized map of the USA
or check out ourCalifornia travel guide

create your own visited country map
or check our Venice travel guide

Forget-me-nots

2011-10-03T13:50:00.007-06:00

I will never look at these little flowers the same again. Now when I will see their five little blue pedals I'll be reminded of the five important points that we as women need to be reminded.

First, forget not to be patient with yourself.
Second, forget not the difference between a good sacrifice and a foolish sacrifice.
Third, forget not to be happy now.
Fourth, forget not the “why” of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Fifth, forget not that the Lord loves you.

"Wherever you are, whatever your circumstances may be, you are not forgotten. No matter how dark your days may seem, no matter how insignificant you may feel, no matter how overshadowed you think you may be, your Heavenly Father has not forgotten you. In fact, He loves you with an infinite love.

Just think of it: You are known and remembered by the most majestic, powerful, and glorious Being in the universe! You are loved by the King of infinite space and everlasting time!

He who created and knows the stars knows you and your name—you are the daughters of His kingdom."

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Thank you for a very uplifting message that touched me deeply.

Happy 90th birthday dear father

2011-09-30T09:19:00.011-06:00

"It is a wise father that knows his own child."
~ William Shakespeare

Had he lived, my dad would have been 90 years old today. Happy Birthday Dad!
He's been gone for over 28 years now but his influence lives on.
I've been thinking a lot about him lately.
About all he accomplished in his short 61 almost 62 years on this earth.
About his influence on my life and the lives of my six siblings, my mother and well, just about every person who came in contact with him. He was like that. He influenced people. He was outgoing and he loved to engage people in conversation. He showed an interest and he remembered names and events that were important to different people. He encouraged. He complimented. He had a great sense of humor. He love me. He loved us all.

I have a bunch of letters he wrote me while I served my mission in Argentina during the years of 1976-1978. Here is a little look at the kind of man he was:
Dear Sister G:
That is what I'm to call you, isn't it? Hi Von - I'm here at the office, so thought I should drop my two missionaries a line (my brother Paul was serving at the same time in England.) I'm sure mother told you we received a letter from the Elder. Now she can sleep nights. I'll have to go through that again when you leave (that mother!) We were happy to hear that Paul is now in his place and ready to go. I know he will do well, but have a fun time.
I understand you put in a full day. Don't you just love it? Time goes by fast when you're busy. I know it's hard, but I also know you can do it, so I don't worry. This experience will be some thing that will live with you always and will be one of the high lights of your life. You only have one chance for this and it's now so even though it's hard work you are learning some things that will help you all your life. In a few years you won't think of how hard you worked, but how happy you were and what enjoyment you had from the experience.
We look forward to your letters and reports of progress. Everyone asks about you and everyone says "That Von is something."I know that. Keep up the good work. We are all with you.
I've been playing a little golf. We had a nice time over to Bear Lake. I lost "ten" to your mother. I didn't think that party would get off the ground, but it did. I'm even going the extra mile this week. I'm taking her to the Johnson reunion at Ogden on Saturday. I'll try and be nice.
We look forward to hearing from you. Keep happy and enjoy yourself. We think of you and send our love. Dad.

The title of this blog is dedicated to my Dad who taught me to "Keep up the Good Work" I've tried through the years to do just that. I wouldn't want to disappoint my dad in any way and I hope that I can be successful in that goal. I love you dear Dad. Happy 90th.

Here's a couple more links to previous posts on EHG.

Goodbye to summer

2011-09-28T11:00:00.018-06:00

Football season is in full swing, so summer is headed out the door. While Claire and Skippy were in visiting, we went to dinner to celebrate Andy's b-day. Andy LOVES his little nieces and they love him. He is so darling with them and they love to play with him. It was a good visit. Goodbye to the green leaves of summer and hello to fall.

We enjoyed a wonderful weekend when R and Claire came to town with Skippy (well, except for about four hours on a certain Saturday afternoon.) We walked down the new trails on campus that have been recently renovated and enjoyed some good outdoor atmosphere and chit chat. Skippy was a huge fan of the walking trail, the creek, the waterfalls and the ducks.

I'm loving the cool mornings and the cold air that comes in through our bedroom window during the night. I LOVE breathing cold air while snuggled under warm blankets. There is nothing worse than sleeping in a hot or even a warm room. The cooler nights and mornings are a welcome relief. I love the changing seasons and most of all I love the changing flowers, plants, trees and scenery.
A sweet friend from BYU named Camille (a former student employee) met me at Thanksgiving Point for lunch and a walk through the summer gardens before the flowers are pulled up for spring planting. It was a LOVELY day and we enjoy our visit and our walk. It truly is an oasis of beauty in a desert landscape.

The adventures of our daughter who just turned 31

2011-09-25T20:54:00.021-06:00

Young mothers are always on the move. I watch with awe and sometimes amusement as our oldest daughter Jordan takes on the role of a young mother with grace and efficiency. She is a good juggler and she manages her home and family like the seasoned CEO that she is. She is:

a fantastic mother! She takes things in stride and she loves her role. Her 3 little angel girls adore her and she is the commander and chief who takes her responsibilities seriously but who also rolls with it and has a great sense of humor...she is the perfect mix of mothering attributes
a supportive wife to a very busy young professional who works long hours and who does a great job supporting his family in every way possible...they are a great team
a church service worker who serves with 16-18 year old young women, sharing her experiences and showing them a great example of how to live a good life
a gardener, growing a little vegetable garden and some citrus trees... she even has a compost pile and actually knows how to use it
a great seamstress who sews Halloween costumes, kids clothes, some of her clothes and anything inbetween
a book club member...she loves to learn and grow and continues to keep her mind sharp
a great friend to many women of all ages, serving them and enjoying their company in many different settings
an avid library patron who visits and library with the girls weekly checking out all kinds of good stuff to read, listen to and watch
a marathon runner, completing her 1st marathon this year and winning first place in her age category
a piano teacher who took on the role to help her own girls and who is now helping other children learn to play the piano through "Let's Play Music"
a planner...she knows how to get things done and how to figure things out like few people I know
a traveler...she and Jake are headed to Europe soon to visit his parents who are serving a mission in England and to visit Spain where Jake served his LDS mission
a homemaker extraordinaire...tackling deep cleaning every year and buying her own pressure cooker to bottle a wonderful assortment of food items
the keeper of the family budget who knows how to spend well, save and invest with skill and knowledge and discipline...she and J do a great job with their finances
a great emergency planner with all her 72 hour kits, water and home storage in place
a kind and loving daughter who hasn't given us any problems and who is a great blessing in our lives. We love you dear daughter Jordan! We're very proud of what you've accomplished in your 31 years. Happy Birthday!!

Our 6' 5" birthday son

2011-09-23T11:05:00.012-06:00

Andy celebrated his 23 birthday on September 20. Claire and Skippy were in town visiting, so we had the chance to go to dinner with them and Cousin Rom. Since last year, he's had quite a few adventures and has made some good decisions, such as:

he lived at home last fall and saved $$ to go to BYU Hawaii winter semester
friend Jesse moved in and lived with us for six months, even while Andy was gone
he had more fun and adventures (some completely unsafe) than anyone I know in Hawaii while "going to school". He also got to visit the island of Kauai with some friends and explore that island. We're glad friend Tanner went along - we love Andy's friends
he was a cafeteria worker on the Hawaii campus to earn some play money
he went skydiving and he learned to surf
he declared his major in Neuroscience and he is very interested in the brain and its function (or lack thereof). He plans to go into the medical field. I hope he doesn't do any damage to his own brain since he has a fascination with jumping off of things.
he coached a little league baseball team along with some of his friends in the spring and had a great experience with the boys (less fun with the officials)
he went to Havisupai with some friends and again had a great hiking adventure (with more waterfall jumping)
he went to Moab for some four-wheeling and hiking adventures
he jumped off a bunch of rope swings, went wake boarding, jumped off ramps on bikes & went camping since he couldn't do any of that last summer because of his shoulder surgery. I was praying the whole time that he wouldn't have more injuries and surgeries...
he went to a bunch of weddings of his friends and mission buddies
he got invited to work as an research assistant with a very impressive Neuroscience professor who he enjoys a lot
he completed the CNA course and passed the test to qualify as a nurse assistant
he's taking some very hard pre-med classes this semester
he job a great job on campus (which is hard to do)
he moved out into an apartment with friends
he continued to date a bunch of different young ladies
he went to a bunch of outdoor concerts in SLC over the summer and got very dirty in the process, he even went to a rodeo and loved it
he discovered our old 40 year old Schwinn 10 speed bikes and he and his cousin have been riding them around like crazy. I guess they're so old that they are now considered "retro" so they are cool again.
he continues to translate from English to Mongolian at the MTC when asked
he's serving in his student ward and working hard in school, doing research and working hard at his job. He's one busy young man.

Rick and I love Andy very much. It's always fun to have him around and we appreciate his good life, his good decisions, this great sense of humor and the good work he is involved in. Happy 23rd birthday dear Andy!

A mansion, a circle, some friends & a few temples in the South

2011-09-22T10:26:00.016-06:00

To wrap up my report on our trip to the southern states, I wanted to report on several very interesting but totally unrelated places we visited.

A mansion - and oh, what a mansion it was - The Biltmore estate in Asheville, North Carolina is the largest private home in the United States on 3000 acres of private forested land. It reminded us of the castles in England. It was built in 1895 by George Vanderbilt who was a single bachelor at the time. He soon married Edith (lucky lady) and they had one daughter named Cornelia who grew up in this home, married, and had two children of her own while living there. It was a home of hospitality and gracious living. Take a look at this video to learn more and to see inside the house. We spent most of one day wandering around the fabulous gardens and estate of the Vanderbilts that is now open to the public. It was amazing!

A circle - what historically important things have happened on that circle in the country music industry at the Grand Ole Opry.
Since we aren't huge country music fans, we learned a lot and gained a greater appreciation. The six-foot circle of dark, oak wood in the Opry House stage is shiny but clearly well worn. Cut from the stage of the Opry's famous former home, the Ryman Auditorium, this circle gives newcomers and veterans alike the opportunity to sing on the same spot that once supported Uncle Dave Macon, Ernest Tubb, Patsy Cline, Minny Pearl and others. We enjoyed our backstage tour and walked in the steps of the greats. We also learned that country singers can perform at the Opry, but they have to be invited to join and that not all country singers are members. Who knew?

We stayed with some great friends (Corey & Lindsey and girls) outside of Dallas. We arrived one evening and had a great visit. The next morning we got to participate with them in a service project planting around 3,000 flags at their community center to commemorate 9/11 and all the people who lost their lives. We served along with a bunch of their neighbors and ward friends. It was fun to see their lovely home and to spend some time together before going to the BYU Texas game.

Temples - I was surprised to learn that LDS temples dot the southern states. We drove by two in Memphis and Nashville, TN and learned that there are several more located in states we visited including Atlanta, GA ~ Birmingham, AL ~ Raleigh, NC ~ Columbia, SC ~ with five temples in Texas, one in Baton Rouge, LA ~ Orlando FL & Louisville, KN. Check out this cool map.

Football in the South is...

2011-09-20T10:27:00.013-06:00

...H~U~G~E!

Southerners take their football VERY seriously. Since the two BYU football games in Mississippi and Texas were the bookends of our trip, we managed to get a glimpse of how southerners play the game. As we traveled about, Rick took the opportunity to slip into various stadiums and take a peak. He found that the college stadiums were generally open and welcoming while the Pro stadiums were locked down tight.
Here are some pictures from around the different stadiums that we/he visited.

University of Tennessee

University of Texas
University of Georgia
Georgia Tech

We also had the chance to go to THE GROVE at Ole Miss before the game and attend their "tailgate party." Tailgate party my foot! It was more like Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings with 20,000 of their best friends. We saw:

glass chandeliers hanging from "Rebel" portable awnings over the set up of the feast
linens and tablecloths in the Rebel colors
fresh flower arrangements
silverware, crystal glass and china plates
southern food in great abundance
huge flat screen TV with satellite dish connections so they could watch other games being played that day
ALL college age women and some older women decked out in sun dresses and high heal shoes
men wearing button down shirts and ties (to the game no less)
lots and lots of alcohol consumed

Notwithstanding all this Rebel pride, the fans were so courteous and friendly to us. They welcomed us, they said hello in their wonderful southern accents, they were so kind. No one swore at us. No one flipped us off. No one belittled our religion. We came away with a great feeling for the fans of Ole Miss. They were very hospitable and kind (even after we beat them) and they showed a lot of class. The Texas fans were fine as well. They weren't as friendly as the Ole Miss fans, but they just left us alone. Again, no one took swipes at us for wearing our BYU shirts. Good sportsmanship was the order of the day at both locations and we were pleasantly surprised and very appreciative.

History in the South

2011-09-19T10:24:00.024-06:00

We saw some amazing historical sites while visiting the South. I could write many pages of information detailing all we saw and learned, but alas, I won't. When we travel we like to do a couple of things in the cities/states we visit. If we are in a capitol city, we like to visit the state capitol building. We visited the state capitols of Mississippi, Tennessee, Georgia, Arkansas and Texas. Most state capitol buildings are beautifully constructed and they contain a lot of information inside about the history of that state. We also like to visit Presidential Libraries and on this trip we were fortunate enough to visit the Presidential Libraries of President Jimmy Carter and President Lyndon Johnson. We were young teenagers during the time that Johnson was President and we were newly weds during the era of Jimmy Carter's administration. Visiting their libraries is like going into a time machine. The library takes you back to the period of time that they served our country. There was A LOT going on in this country during the administration of Lyndon Johnson (watch the video to get some idea of what I'm referring to.) We remember a lot of the civil upheaval of the Vietnam war, the civil rights movement (and a bunch of other movements at the time) and great advancements in space exploration. We've been fortunate to visit the libraries of Presidents Nixon, Reagan, Kennedy and now Johnson and Carter. We hope to visit more someday.

We also had the chance to visit the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis and learn more about the assassination of Martin Luther King. We went to the home of Medgar Evers and learned about his murder and the work he did for civil rights. If you haven't seen the movie Mississippi Burning, it would be a good one to rent to learn more about this time period and the need for civil rights for all Americans.

We visited the plantation of our 7th president Andrew Jackson call The Hermitage outside of Nashville, TN. It was so interesting to visit this restored plantation and to travel back to the 1830s. We learned so much about life on a plantation and about the time period when Andrew Jackson was president. Which home would you rather live in? The President's home or slave quarters?

While we were in Atlanta we spend half a day visiting the Atlanta History Museum were we learned more about the civil war and slave and plantation life during the civil war. We were mesmerized by the displays and information presented in the time period of 1861-1865 in the South. Our perspectives were broadened and we had several paradigm shifts as we learned more about the history of the south and how that history impacts us still today.

Eating in the South

2011-09-14T08:25:00.011-06:00

Southern food is the best! We decided to avoid all national chains and to eat in as many local restaurants as possible. Jordan had a great app on her phone that would look for places to eat that had great reviews within a certain radius. While she and Jake were with us we used the app to find great places to eat. After they left to go home, we would just ask the locals to recommend great places to eat. Southern cooking includes some GREAT food such as:
southern fried chicken, cornbread muffins, black-eyed peas, fried green tomatoes, okra, grits, chicken and gravy, dumplings, country friend steak and gravy, BBQ ribs, liver and onions, pork chops, hush puppies, buttermilk biscuits, shrimp and grits, pot likker, collard greens, creamed fresh corn, macaroni and cheese (southern style), sweet potato souffle, bread pudding, sweet potato pie, Georgia peach cobbler, lemon meringue pie, egg custard, and pecan pie just to name a few.
One of our favorite places was the Four Way Soul Food restaurant in Memphis. Jord's app found the restaurant and we wandered in to eat some of the best food we ate on the whole trip. It was Sunday afternoon and we had just attended church in an LDS Memphis ward. We went into the restaurant where we were the only white folks in the building. All the other guests were dressed in their Sunday best and were just sitting down to their Sunday dinner at the restaurant. We sat next to a Reverend and his family. We were treated so well and we enjoy some wonderful southern food and great hospitality. I think we all enjoyed the experience.
When we were in Atlanta we went to a restaurant called Mary Mac's Tea Room (that was recommended by Sarah Taylor -Diane's daughter) and it was a lot of the same southern food as the Four Way Soul Food, only more white folks were eating at the restaurant. The restaurant put out this great cookbook and I saw it at various locations in Atlanta. I thought I'd wait and see if they had it on Amazon and sure enough, it was there for half the price. I bought four copies for me and my three girls. I can't wait to try cooking some of that great southern food.

Touring the South

2011-09-13T07:54:00.012-06:00

In order of appearance - Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, back to Tennessee, through the Great Smoky Mountains, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama (back through Mississippi and into Memphis) then crossing the Mississippi River into Arkansas and finally into Texas. 2807 miles traveled in 10 days. (Some pictures are not the best since they were taken in the car while driving.)
We also picked up 8 states that we have never visited before. Beautiful green scenery throughout (well except for Texas) with miles and miles of road cut through green forests. Thank you little GPS for working so hard to get us from place to place. We love our little lady with the English accent.

9-11-11

2011-09-12T10:42:00.009-06:00

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 - COMPLETED July 2011

1. Provo, Utah temple-10 sealings for couples and sons
2. Provo, Utah temple - 5 initiatory
3. Albuquerque, New Mexico temple - 5 initiatory
4. Mesa, Arizona temple - 1 endowment
5. Laie, Hawaii temple - 1 endowment
6. St. George, Utah temple - 1 endowment
7. Provo, Utah temple - 8 sealings for couples, 4 sons (Rick), 3 daughters
8. San Diego temple - 1 sealing for couples, 3 daughters
9. Provo, Utah temple - 14 baptisms for women, 14 confirmations
10. Provo, Utah temple - 3 sealings for couples, five sons (Rick), five daughters
11. Provo, Utah temple - 1 endowment
12. Provo, Utah temple - 2 sealings for couples, 8 sons
13. Provo, Utah temple 2 sealings for couples, 4 sons

2. lose 11 pounds

Southern cooking is not calorie free

3. read 11 books - COMPLETED September 2011

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
5. Jane Eyre
6. The Book Thief
7. Believing Christ
8. The Hunger Games
9. Catching Fire
10. Mockingjay
11. Rebel (book on tape while driving through the south, which lasted 16 hours!)

4. organize & label 11 of our family photo books

completed 4 books, starting in 1976 through 1982

5. visit 11 elderly people - COMPLETED August 2011

1. G.G. 2. G.D.E. 3. M. Y. 4. L. B. 5. V. B. R. 6. D. F. 7. A. E. 8. U. R. 8. A. L. 9. U. V. 10. L. C. 11. S. C. 12. P. P. R.

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, 2 aprons for Skippy, 1 skirt for Skippy, 1 jumper for Kindergarten Lauren

7. go with Rick to visit 11 new places - COMPLETED September 2011

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
5. Legoland, California
6. PETCO stadium, San Diego California
7. Mississippi - Jackson, Oxford
8. Tennessee - Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville
9. Kentucky - Bowling Green
10. North Carolina - Great Smoky Mountains, Asheville
11. South Carolina - Spartanburg, Greenville
12. Georgia - Atlanta, Athens
13. Alabama - Birmingham
14. Arkansas - Little Rock
15. Texas - Keller, Austin

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. 8. D. G. 9. M. J. 10. L. C. R.

9. watch 11 old movies that I love but haven't seen for awhile - COMPLETED September 2011

1. Dances with Wolves
2. First Knight
3. Mama Mia
4. Groundhog Day
5. A River Runs Through It
6. October Sky
7. The Little Princess with Shirley Temple
8. Father of the Bride
9. Emma
10. Wuthering Heights
11. Fried Green Tomatoes

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)
4. Easter Dessert
5. oriental chicken in the crock pot
6. Grilled chicken southwestern salad (from Jordan)
7. Fast Easy Bread, cinnamon rolls, monkey bread, crescent rolls with Lindsey!!

11. invite 11 groups of people over for dinner - COMPLETED July 2011

1. Lacey & 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
6. Cousin Margaret & family
7. Niece Syd & Adam, Danny & Danielle, Romney, Jesse
8. Ryan & Jill, Corbin & Loni (BBQ outside)
9. Denise, Lacey & family
10. Adam and Crissa
11. Lindsey R. and her four darling daughters, Corbin
12. 4th of July BBQ - 70 family and friends
13. Ben and Melissa
14. Mom, David, Diane, Syd, Adam, Bishop and Becca
15. Dustin, Daelynn, MacKinley, Lucy, Syd, Adam

A southern adventure

2011-08-31T11:32:00.010-06:00

We headed out the door soon for a 10 day southern adventure, and this time it will be a REAL southern adventure, as in we're going to the DEEP south. We've been to Florida, Louisiana, Texas & Virginia before, but not to any of the other southern states. Rick, Andy & I are headed to Jackson, Mississippi and hooking up with Jordan and Jake for the Labor Day weekend. We'll stay in Jackson and see the sights and then drive up to Oxford, MS to see the Ole Miss-BYU game. It will be a sea of red and white (but at least these people will be much more civil and well behaved than the ones we're acquainted with who red and white, even allowing for lots of alcohol.) Before the game we'll head to a place called "The Grove" and participate in some southern hospitality. Our friend Keith made the comment that Ole Miss may have "The Grove" but we have "The Sacred Grove." Good point Keith! We're all so excited we can't stand it. Hopefully the Cougars will prevail.

After that we're headed to Memphis, TN and then we're going to Nashville. Jord, Jake and Andy will leave us at that point and head back to reality while Rick and I continue on to see:
Bowling Green, KY
Charlotte, NC
Columbia, SC
Augusta, GA
Atlanta, GA
Birmingham, AL
back to Memphis in route to
Little Rock, AR
near Dallas, TX (where we're staying the night with the Fast Easy Bread queen Lindsey & her family)
and ending up in
Austin, TX for the BYU game there on September 10

It's going to be 2,376 miles through 8 southern states we've never seen before. Thanks to travel agent Claire who made all our arrangements. Also thanks to Delta Skymiles for finally accumulating enough miles to pay for the flights. AND thanks to my husband for teaching summer school to pay for the rest! Hooray!

If we live to tell, I'll do just that. See ya'll later.

How is your child smart?

2011-08-30T10:50:00.003-06:00

Boost your child's success by understanding his learning style.

I came across this interesting article about learning styles. Parents and teachers have always intuitively known that children learn in different ways and that an activity that grabs one child may not be of interest to another. But many of our traditional ideas about teaching imply that there is a certain way to learn particular skills. As parents, we've all had times when we've become frustrated by our children's apparent inability to accomplish a task the way we were taught to do it. When we have a better understanding of their individual intelligences and learning styles, we can provide experiences that speak to how our children learn best.

There are many ways to learn. One of the benefits of the multiple intelligence theory is that it offers parents many options — if a child isn't responding to a particular activity, there are many other approaches to try. Rick and I have had an ongoing discussion about this truth. He learns in a certain way and I learn in another. I'm not good at memorizing facts and figures and regurgitating them. He is. I'm not good at taking multiple choice tests. He is. I'm good at remembering things if I can hear or see it first and then tell it back. This is why together we make a complete person! We do actually function well as a team because we both have strengths and weaknesses that compliment each other. Halleluiah!

I thought it would be interesting to think about our four kids and how they plug into these intelligences. Of course they have ability in most of the areas, but I think they excel in some more than others. What do you think?

The eight intelligences are:

1. Linguistic - Sensitivity to the meaning and order of words. These children use an expanded vocabulary and usually like to tell jokes, riddles or puns. They also like to read, write, tell stories and play word games. (this is Rick to a T. He is very smart linguistically. Claire and Jord has strong abilities in the learning style as well.)
2. Logical-mathematical - The ability to handle chains of reasoning and to recognize patterns and order. These learners enjoy working with numbers, want to know how things work, ask lots of questions, and collect items and keep track of their collections. (this is Dave to a T. He is AMAZING with numbers and math. Even though I'm not good at math, I do think I do well in logical chains of reasoning.)
3. Bodily-kinesthetic - The ability to use the body skillfully and to handle objects adroitly. Kinesthetic learners enjoy sports and love to be physically active. They tend to use body language, dance, act or engage in mime. (Andy, Dave, Claire and Jordan excel here, especially in mime!)
4. Musical - Sensitivity to pitch, melody, rhythm and tone. These children love to listen to and play music, sing, hum, move to the rhythm, and create and replicate tunes. (Jord does very well in this area.)
5. Spatial -The ability to perceive the world accurately and to re-create or transform aspects of that world. These learners doodle, paint, draw and build with blocks. They also enjoy looking at maps, doing puzzles and mazes, and taking things apart and putting them back together. (Claire and Dave for sure.)
6. Naturalist - Recognizing and classifying the numerous species, the flora and fauna, of an environment. These kids like to spend time outdoors observing plants, collecting rocks and catching insects, and are attuned to relationships in nature. (outdoor lover Andy.)
7. Interpersonal -Understanding people and relationships. These children have many friends and tend to mediate between them and be excellent team players. (Andy excels in this arena. He has more friends than anyone I know and he relates to many different groups of people. Jord is also very good in this area.)
8. Intrapersonal - The ability to use one's emotional life as a means to understand oneself and others. Children with this type of intelligence control their own feelings and moods and often observe and listen. They do best when working alone. (Dave and Claire have some of these learning tendencies.)

What do you think? Did I get them right?

the upcoming Mrs. Jimmer Fredette

2011-08-29T13:10:00.010-06:00

There are a lot of broken hearts out there. Why?? Fredette announced to his 53,971 followers on Twitter that he proposed to his longtime friend, BYU cheerleader Whitney Wonnacott.

"I'm officially engaged everyone," Fredette wrote. "She said yes and she was completely surprised! It was perfect!"

Think about it carefully Whitney.

The guy doesn't even have a job.

Get ready for a taste sensation

2011-08-25T20:14:00.003-06:00

COCONUT PINEAPPLE ZUCCHINI BREAD

2 eggs
1 c. canola or vegetable oil
1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
2 tsp. coconut extract
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. grated zucchini
1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple in its own juice, well drained (about 2/3 cup)
3 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 (4 serving size) box instant coconut cream pudding mix
1 HEAPING c. flaked sweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour (2) 8x4-inch loaf pans OR (4-5) 5x3-inch loaf pans; set aside.

Grate zucchini using the large holes on a box grater; place in a colander and press, letting excess liquid drain.

Place pineapple in a mesh strainer; let drain well. Press down to release any excess juice from the pineapple.

Beat eggs in a large bowl. Add oil, sugar, coconut extract and vanilla extract; mix well. Stir in shredded zucchini and pineapple.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pudding mix until combined. Add to zucchini mixture; stir just until combined. Stir in coconut.

Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake @ 350 degrees 45-60 minutes for the large loaf pans, and 35-45 minutes for the small loaf pans, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cool in pans for 10-15 minutes; remove from pans to wire rack and cool completely. Makes 2 large or 4-5 small loaves.

You've got to see it to believe it

2011-08-23T08:16:00.002-06:00

Last year I planted some sunflower seeds in our back yard. They came up just fine and we enjoyed about 12 sunflowers in the late summer. This year I didn't plant any new seeds, but noticed that a couple of sunflowers started growing from the seeds I planted last year. One of them really took off and grew about six inches a day until it got to about 14 feet! Then the flower started to sprout and grow and the weight of the sunflower started to weigh down the plant. It is HUGE! Kind of like a "Jack and the Bean stock" kind of huge. I love it!!

Want a better job? Get a better education.

2011-08-22T10:34:00.008-06:00

This is a topic that a feel very strongly about. I'm climbing up on my soap box armed with great data, so watch out. There is a mountain of evidence to prove that good paying jobs come to those who have a good education. There are a few exceptions and a handful of cases where someone broke out of the norm and got a lucky employment break, but generally if a person wants a secure employment future, they must get an education or some sort of skill certification. If a person wants to scrimp by their whole life and worry about where the money is coming from for the essentials of shelter, food and clothing then just drop out of high school or quit school after graduating from high school and plan to struggle the rest of the time.
I've been spending a lot of time lately with someone in this situation. She is 18, dropped out of high school and is struggling to finish her GED. There are a lot of other issues going on, but the basic idea that life is going to be a CONSTANT daily struggle for her from here on out has left an impression on me. She won't stand a chance of getting ahead in life working minimum wages jobs, using food stamps and trying to survive. I took her to the grocery store to get some food and learned how food stamps work. She was scared to death that she wouldn't have enough money on her food stamp debit card to pay for the items she had in her cart. Government and church financial assistance can only do so much. I'm going to try and influence her to get more training and education and increase her chances of better employment in the future. Why oh why don't people see that settling when they are young into this pattern of living is only going to cause a lot of hardship and grief over the course of their lives? Why don't they see that the choices they make today determine the lives they will lead tomorrow?
Why don't young people stay in school? Why don't they continue their education after high school and get some sort of training or skill? Why don't they see the direct correlation between learning and earning? Why don't they see that every effort to study and learn while they are young will come back to them 10 fold as they grown older? Why don't their parents work with them to get good grades and take their education seriously? Why do parents let their kids waste their time on so many mindless distractions while their futures crumble before their eyes?

I'm so grateful for my parents. They valued education. They saw to it that each of their seven children got an education and some training so that they could support themselves and so that they wouldn't have to work minimum wage jobs. They sacrificed so that we could have this great gift. They valued education for the basic advantage it gave us to be well rounded and to be able to reason, write, think, discuss and know what is going on in the world. They valued it because they wanted us to be happy and successful and to strive towards something worthwhile. They set the example of how to contribute to society in meaningful ways and they expected us to do the same.

What keeps people from getting a degree or certificate of some sort after high school graduation?

I thought this graphic was very interesting. This article in the D News makes some really interesting points about Utahns specifically:

Utahns with a degree or certification have an income level 75% higher than those who do not and are 2 1/2 time more likely to hold a salaried position that come with benefits.
over the course of their work life, students who receive a Bachelors degree earn about $650,000 more than high school graduates. They also experience increased career opportunities, better health care benefit and overall a deeper quality of life.
A child with parents who did not earn a degree had a 27.8 percent chance of earning one. If one parent earned a degree, that number rose to 41.8 percent, and if both parents have degrees the number peaks at 55.2 percent. Students with both parents and at least one sibling with degrees had the highest chance at 80 percent.
Nationwide, Americans with at least a four-year bachelor’s degree tend to be employed more. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that, in July 2011, the unemployment rate for those with at least a bachelor’s degree was only 4.3 percent, compared to 15 percent for those who have not finished high school, 9.3 percent for those who have only a high school diploma but no secondary education.
Utah's universities and colleges need to be more flexible in helping people obtain a degree while juggling jobs and family. This seems to be the biggest obstacle.

My personal feeling is that young families need to be prepared to sacrifice to gain an education. There are grants and loans and ways to make it happen. I worked very hard to help my husband complete his graduate degree and we sacrificed in a lot of ways to get through those years. We were really, really poor and those were very hard years. But we made it and we slowly started to see the benefits of the sacrifice. I hope that young people will weigh the benefits and the disadvantages and make the choice to work hard while they are young to obtain a college education or some sort of specialized training.

Money doesn't buy happiness, but there is a clear connection between the level of education an individual achieves and the level of happiness he has in life.

Keep up the good work

From white to black

Weight Management II

Weight management

important listening on MLK day

The sanctity of the body

Sleep hygiene

What is sleep hygiene?

Exploring better Health and Fitness

12 in 2012

Out with the old year, in with the new

Countdown to Christmas

Countdown to Christmas

Countdown to Christmas

Countdown to Christmas

Countdown to Christmas

Countdown to Christmas

Countdown to Christmas

Countdown to Christmas

Today Is the Day to Forgive

Countdown to Christmas

Countdown to Christmas

Countdown to Christmas

Countdown to Christmas

Countdown to Christmas

Countdown to Christmas

12-11-11

Countdown to Christmas

Countdown to Christmas

Countdown to Christmas

Countdown to Christmas

Countdown to Christmas

Countdown to Christmas

Countdown to Christmas

Countdown to Christmas

Countdown to Christmas

Countdown to Christmas

Countdown to Christmas

Young Women in Excellence

Giving T*H*A*N*K*S

Our mother dear turns 85

EFY in Zimbabwe

11-11-11

Value colored M & M's

Are we improving as the years go by?

Kids take their Halloween candy very seriously

You can take the girl out of Idaho, but you can't take Idaho out of the girl

Our wonderful son V IV turns 27

Little miss sunshine

Little miss manners

Beware of transfat

It will probably come as no surprise to you but...

A life well lived

Interesting research

An early birthday party

Things I had forgotten

10-11-11

Brian Stokes Mitchell part 2

Provo Tabernacle Temple!!

Mentors International

Visit all 50 (updated)

Forget-me-nots

Happy 90th birthday dear father

Goodbye to summer

The adventures of our daughter who just turned 31

Our 6' 5" birthday son

A mansion, a circle, some friends & a few temples in the South

Football in the South is...

History in the South

Eating in the South

Touring the South

9-11-11

A southern adventure

How is your child smart?

the upcoming Mrs. Jimmer Fredette

Get ready for a taste sensation

You've got to see it to believe it

Want a better job? Get a better education.

Giving THA*NKS