Education. I'm a fan.

I couldn't tell you when it became a priority to me, but I do know this; I'm a huge fan of education for everyone, but especially for girls and women.  Education changes lives.  Education gives opportunities.  Education brings more confidence and security.  Education opens the world of ideas.  Education gives a woman choices. Every sacrifice to obtain an education is worth the effort.  I would encourage every woman I know to go as far as she can in obtaining an education.

Recently BYU began a serious of videos about the back stories of some of the women who teach at BYU.  How did they get to where they are now?  These stories of women at BYU are aimed to inspire education for young women.  Check it out HERE. 

The main message is that "You Can Move Forward."

The BYU Faculty Women’s Association, an organization for female faculty dedicated to promoting a sense of community and supporting women to be successful in their work, wanted to create a way to encourage female students at BYU to finish their schooling.
“There are several types of challenges such as health, family roles, academic difficulties, resources, and personal needs.  Sometimes circumstances imply, ‘you can’t move forward,’ and I wanted to be the voice that said, ‘you can move forward and there are wonderful women here at BYU who can inspire you."
The stories By Study, By Faith are very interesting.   I personally know two of the women fairly well, Dr. Jenny Pulsipher and Dr. Renata Forste.  I love hearing what they have to say about women and education as they share their own experiences. 

As I near my 60th birthday, I think that if I have any regrets, it is that I didn't obtain more education after finishing my bachelor's degree at BYU.  I did start to take classes towards a master's degree, but I couldn't see how to continue since I was working full-time, had a baby and a husband in law school. I've tried to continue life-long learning as opportunities have presented themselves.  I have been able to attend wonderful seminars and conferences and I have been exposed to so many great ideas and to so many different areas of study.  I don't always agree with everything I hear or read, but just knowing other points of view has broadened my horizons and my way of thinking about things.  I've also been very fortunate to work around very smart people for these last 20 years.  It is one of the things I will miss when I quit working...listening to or participating in the sharing of ideas and the defense of those ideas.

I have worked hard to help my children gain an education.  I'm so proud of my sons and daughters and sons-in-law and daughters-in-law who have all valued education and who have worked hard to obtain their own education.  Jordan got a master's degree (MPA) from the U of U, Claire got her degree in accounting from BYU and is now a CPA, Courtney got her master's degree from the U of U in speech pathology and Chelsea graduates this spring from BYU and is then headed to UCLA this fall to pursue her PhD in health Psychology.  Although they may not be currently working outside of their homes, they are working hard inside of their homes to educate their own children and instill in them a love of learning.  If the need or desire ever arises for them to work outside of their homes, they will be ready, capable, and prepared to contribute to society and to earn a comfortable living. They can have peace of mind knowing that they can do what needs to be done because they are prepared. Their education and training is a benefit to them, their families, their church congregations and the community around them.  I"m so proud of them and of all women young and old who pursue higher education or training to make their lives better.

Valentine's Day fun

Rick and I headed down to the land of enchantment over the President's day holiday weekend to visit our kids.  We started out on a Thursday and went half way, staying the night in the thriving country town of Monticello, UT.  We attended the beautiful but tiny LDS temple there and realized that everyone knew everyone else and that we were the obvious visitors.  It was a delightful evening.  The next day we arrived and headed to Hobby Lobby to get started on some crafts.  Grandma Vonnie went to town and soon cranked out a Superman cape and a homemaker apron with fabric chosen by the kids.  We went out to dinner that night to celebrate the fact that R was made a partner at his firm and to celebrate that accomplishment with him and Claire.  Congratulations to R for working so hard at his career!
Valentines Day was on a Saturday this year, and Claire "heart attacked" us all, writing nice notes with personal messages to each person.  So fun and kind of her.  We made cupcakes, went on a beautiful warm hike and tended the kids while their parents went on an over-nighter downtown.  We went to see our good friends Keith and Lorie who live nearby and got to visit their new lovely hacienda home on two acres of land.  We enjoyed a fun evening and tasty dinner with them.  Sunday was church, visiting, and helping to make dinner for Tina and Bob who are Rick's cousins who live in town.  We had a great time visiting and then watching Downton to cap off the evening.
We enjoyed playing with Lizzie and Will and hanging out with Claire and R.  They have a good thing going and we're always so happy to spend some time with them and see how they live their lives.  We love it when the children come running out to greet us when we arrive and then say they don't want us to go when it's time to leave. It's great being a GRAND parent.  We love it so much and we love these little ones.  Claire and R are pretty awesome too.

Two bumps in the road

Some of you dear readers may also read the blog of my daughter Jordan.  If so, then you know there has been a bump in the road with her husband Jake.  See here. While we are saddened that this sweet family faces another hurdle, we know that they will face that hurdle with hope and courage.  They have felt the love of the Lord in their lives and great comfort that they are headed in the right direction with the treatment options they have chosen.  We pray always for them and for all of us to know how to help them, what to say and not say, how to act and how to make them the center of our concern. This is a very heavy burden for this little family, but as I read the scriptures, I find great peace and comfort in the promises of the Lord as I know they do too.

Also....my sweet sister Carol and her husband Robert are going through a similar trial.  Robert too has a GBM brain tumor.  It seems surreal that Carol lost her first husband to a brain tumor and now after remarriage many years later, finds that her second husband suffers from the same condition.  Robert recently underwent a second brain surgery and is now home recuperating.

Our concern, hope and prayers go to both of these good men and their families as they go through surgeries, chemotherapy, radiation and follow-up treatments.  It almost seems too much to bear, but my hope and prayer is that they and we as supporters will be equal to the task. 

I love this passage in the Book of Mormon,   Mosiah 24:14–16.

The Lord said unto them, I will … ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that … you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.

“And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.

“And it came to pass that so great was their faith and their patience that the voice of the Lord came unto them again, saying: Be of good comfort, for on the morrow I will deliver you out of bondage.”

^{And also this talk by L Whitney Clayton entitled "That their Burdens May be Light."}

^{We hope and pray that their burdens may be light and that they will have the strength to bear their burdens as well as possible (I don't know about the submit cheerfully part, with ease and patience), but that they will feel the love of the Lord in their lives, the love of family and friends and the knowledge that they are not alone and never will be.} 

^{Another promise of the Lord:}

 

Matthew 11: 28-30

 28 ¶Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

January goal report

Here is a report on the progress of my goals.  It helps to report it here.  Feel free to spur me on!

• Attend all 15 temples in Utah, attend the temple twice a month

Phoenix temple with Jordan and Jake

new beautiful Phoenix temple

Salt Lake City temple lobby with niece
Stephanie after she received her endowment

• read the Ensign every month

January issue - check

• dejunk, clean and organize my home
• update all my photo albums, label and date them
• start writing my personal history
• sew something for each grandchild
• sew my Christmas presents 
• spend more time in my yard gardening, etc.
• walk 10,000 steps 5 days a week (thanks to my new FitBit from Rick and Claire, this will be measurable!)

I'm averaging about 7,000 steps over seven days a week, thanks to my FitBit for keeping track.  I need to kick that up once I can get outside more.  Making progress!

• Lose 15 pounds 

Put on two pounds.  What??

• Read 15 books

I've read Orphan Train and Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

• support and love my mother more in her advancing years

Visited Mom at her home and took her to the Hardware Ranch, a place she use to visit as a child, call her several time a week

• strengthen the relationships with people I care about

Went to breakfast with a Kathleen, attended a concert with Shelley, Kevin, Marie and Cydnee, went to dinner at the Dixon's home, babysat for Adam and Syd so they could have a break, invited Cydnee over for a sleepover, visited Jordan and Jake and family

• serve at UVU in the Women's Success Center board

Met for two board meetings and contributed.  Signed up to mentor three college students, got training and met with them individually (one widowed mother of five, one 18 year old, one 20 year old from a troubled family) to help them work towards receiving a college degree

• finish visiting the rest of the 50 states I haven't been to including: Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri and Oklahoma 

A visit down south

Miss Ellie getting ready for her Chinese culture night

Soccer champ.  So sad she got rained out and I could't watch her play. 

My darling daughter Jordan at the Phoenix temple

Phoenix LDS temple at night

Jake and I coming out of the temple

GREAT little volley ball player Lauren

Gotta love those knee pads

Look grandma Vonnie, no hands

Tommy trying on my grannie glasses

Hanging out waiting for a table at Oregano's.  Great food!

Miss sweet Ellie girl

Darling Lauren

Oh how I love these grand children!

Of course we have to be silly

Little darling Ada finishing up gymnastics, wow, what moves she has!

I had a great visit down south for five days.  It was fun to relax and just be with Jord and Jake and their darling family.  Andy and Chelsea had a couple of unused airline vouchers that were about to expire, so they shared them with me for an early birthday present.  I was thrilled!

The girls love to hear stories from my youth and Ellie (the teaser) now calls me "Vonnie is a stealer" after I shared an episode from third grade when I showed a lacked in judgement and had to face the sad consequences.  I told them about the time I was a tinikling champ and we even looked up some tinikling videos on YouTube to show them how it was done (thanks iPhone!) Other adventures included seeing Tommy boy fell into the bath tub fully dressed, picking up the girls from school and giving Jord a break while she did some of her own projects.  We ate dinner at Oregano's, shopped at Target and Hobby Lobby, got some good Valentines prizes for everyone, shopped at Last Chance, went to the new Phoenix LDS temple, went to see Ada in gymnastics, Lauren in volley ball and unfortunately, we were rained of of watching Ellie play soccer.  I got Lauren started with crochet and showed her how to roll the yarn, make a hat and how to make and attach a pom pom.  We picked out her 9th birthday present and got that all taken care of while I was there in person.  I attended church with them as their ward met for the last time before being dissolved and reassigned into new ward boundaries.  I got to hear Jordan share her testimony, and Ada give a talk in church about Heavenly Father and Jesus.  I bonded more with one year old Tommy and went through a bunch of his photos for this one year old scrapbook I am going to make.  We visited, watch Downton, ate great grilled food, and just relaxed.  It was a rejuvenating weekend and I loved spending time with this sweet family.  We are all so grateful to our Heavenly Father that Jake is stable and that life is going on as normally as possible for this young family.  We pray that it continues.