New Grandson

Parker Forrest Ottley was born on December 2nd about 135 p.m. He and his mom almost didn't make it. Adrienne's uterus ruptured and Parker was just in her abdominal cavity.
They are truly blessed and after Adrienne had several blood transfusions she was able to come home from the hospital on Tuesday night. Parker was transported to a hospital with an NICU and is still there but he is doing pretty well. Jaundice and not digesting food as well as they would like.
That makes 6 children for Jared and Adrienne: Taylor, Andrew, Cameron, Olivia, Sawyer, and Parker.
Parker's middle name, Forrest, is for my father who passed away this year in January.

Reindeer or Penguin

There is a group of ladies from work that I go to dinner with about once a month or so. We are all administrative assistants at the same company. It is an interesting thing to do.
Cynthia: Single, 60s, twice divorced, three adult children, three grandchildren, loud, caring, but don't cross her.
Connie: Single, 50, divorced, one adult son who lives at home. (I believe he is in college.) Connie dates alot, going to college herself, works at Mile High Stadium during football season, also caring, also do not cross her.
Susie: Married to Pat who also works at our company and travels alot. Two adult children, one grandson, knits, quilts, attends church regularly, 50s, funny, caring also. Maybe you could cross her and she would forgive you, but it wouldn't be nice.
Then there's me.
Last night we met at Cynthia's house and had dinner. I didn't mention that Cynthia is a great cook. She made this stew with butternut squash and it was SO good. Then usually we just talk. They talk more than I do. I mainly just listen. It sort of gives me a headache sometimes. I am trying to do some missionary work and be a good influence on them. I know they do some other things together. Connie and Cynthia go out sometimes to a concert or something as they are both single.
Anyway, we also exchange gifts at Christmas time. This is really all about the gift that Susie gave me.
So, I opened the gift and it was a jar filled with chocolate chips, sugar and flour, etc to make brownies. The jar was shaped like an animal. At first I thought it was a bear. Then I thought it was a penguin. So I asked Connie what she thought it was, bear or penguin. She decided that it was a penguin. But then Susie piped up and said, "No, it is a reindeer." We all just stopped talking at looked at her. Then I said to Connie and Cynthia, "Does this look like a penguin to you?" We all just started laughing except Susie who said, "Isn't it a reindeer? I thought it was a reindeer." This was hysterical. It is definitely NOT a penguin.
This morning at work we started emailing eachother and got on the topic of the "reindeer." Susie tried to change the subject but we brought it back to the fact that she thought the Bear or Penguin was a reindeer.
I told her I was going to take a picture of it and put it on my blog and ask my kids and any other readers what they thought it was.
I showed the jar to Leslie and Amanda tonight and told them it was a reindeer. Here is their reaction.
Leslie: Are you sure that's a reindeer?
Amanda: Where are its antlers?
Leslie: What are you smoking? We are just trying not to hurt your feelings.
Amanda: I think it's a bear. It's not a penguin.
Leslie: Let me look at that again.
Wait till I tell Susie that they thought she was smoking something. I think she might need to go take the drug test for work again.
What do you think?

I got my very FIRST comment!

Wow. I got a comment. How honored am I that someone commented. It was Jared. :) He suggested that I add the blogs that I like to read. I added a few. My only and still frustration is that everything is at the bottom. Whereas I could figure out how to add the links I couldn't figure out how to move where they show up.
But...WOW! I got a comment!

Giving Thanks

At October 2007 General Conference President Eyring gave a wonderful talk (when has he not?) entitled "O Remember, O Remember." He said:
"...find ways to recognize and remember God’s kindness. It will build our testimonies. You may not keep a journal. You may not share whatever record you keep with those you love and serve. But you and they will be blessed as you remember what the Lord has done."
I have always tried to keep a journal. At some times I have been better than at others. For many years I wrote every Fast Sunday. It is really fun to go back and read. Over the past 7 years that we have been in Colorado I have barely journaled at all. AND SO MUCH HAS HAPPENED IN OUR LIVES SINCE WE MOVED HERE! What a shame and loss to not capture those moments as they happened instead of in retrospect.
Writing on this blog is more writing than I have done in all that time. Earlier this year I wanted to start seriously journaling again and I wanted to find a nice smaller journal that I could carry around with me. So I paid $10 for a book size journal and have barely written on 4 pages, if that much. I am thinking that I do not like that size. But I could still use it for note taking at conference or other meetings worthy of remembering.
While in Guatemala in 2006 I kept a travel journal. I think that will be valuable in the future. I also had a journal to take notes in when Elder Ballard was here in our Stake Conference. He gave two awesome talks which I will eventually transcribe as the journal is falling apart.
My calling in Relief Society is to lead the Teachings For Our Times lesson. The Bishop or Stake Presidency chose the talks from the most recent conference for the lessons. I was SO excited that the lesson for November is President Eyring's talk. But guess what? We will be on vacation and so I will not get to teach it. But you better believe I will read it over many times. I think that I will add a copy to my journal.
I very much have a testimony of journaling for many reasons: Remembering experiences, sharing testimonies with future generations, mental health, etc. I like the Blog, but somehow it does not do the same thing for me. But it is a real time way to share thoughts with my family.
Anyway, I began this whole entry today wanting to share what I was thankful for. President Erying's talk supports my desire to "remember."
He said at the end of his talk:
"Tonight, and tomorrow night, you might pray and ponder, asking the questions: Did God send a message that was just for me? Did I see His hand in my life or the lives of my children? I will do that. And then I will find a way to preserve that memory for the day that I, and those that I love, will need to remember how much God loves us and how much we need Him."
Just a start on what I am grateful for on November 1st 2007.
1. My testimony of Jesus Christ as Savior and Redeemer of the World.
2. My membership in the true and living Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
3. My family
4. A reliable, trustworthy, hardworking husband who loves me.
5. The Book of Mormon.
6. Books in general.
7. Spring and Autumn
8. Music
9. Animals, Millie and Nikki in particular
10. Modern medicine
11. Airplanes
12. Sunrises and sunsets in Colorado
13. Cesar salad
14. Chocolate
15. Ice cream
16. Skiing (yes, there, I have admitted it.)
17. Sewing machines
18. DVD players
19. IPods
20. Email
21. Hawaii

That is a start for today. As the month goes on I will think of more.
What are you thankful for? You don't have to tell me. Just think about it.

Robert

Robert gave me an "I love you" card this morning. For no reason, except that he loves me. How sweet is that?

What did I do?

I did something to the format of my blog. I don't know what it was. I was editing a blog entry and I deleted something I shouldn't have. I am sure that is what happened. Past entries were completely unreadable. I am sad. I should go to bed and leave things well enough alone.

The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew

By Margaret Sidney

"The little old kitchen had quieted down from the bustle and confusion of midday, and now, with its afternoon manners on, presented a holiday aspect that, as the principal room in the brown house, it was eminently proper it should have. It was just on the edge of the twilight, and the little Peppers, all except Ben, the oldest of the flock, were enjoying a breathing spell, as their mother called it, which meant some quiet work suitable for the hour. All the breathing spell they could remember, however, poor things, for times were always hard with them nowadays; and since the father died when Phronsie was a baby, Mrs. Pepper had had hard work to scrape together money enough to put bread into her children's mouths and to pay the rent of the little brown house. But she had met life too bravely to be beaten down now. So with a stout heart and a cheery face, she had worked away day after day at making coats and tailoring and mending of all descriptions; and she had seen with pride that couldn't be concealed her noisy, happy brood growing up around her and filling her heart with comfort, and making the little brown house fairly ring with jollity and fun."

When I was in 6th grade we had a Christmas party in Mr. Bolger's class. Everyone had drawn a name to exchange gifts. I don't know that I remember who gave me my present. But I remember that it was wrapped in kleenex type paper with a ribbon. I wonder now what the circumstances were of the child who gave me the gift. I loved that book. It just struck a cord in me. I still have it around the house somewhere.

Reading has been such a huge part of my life. I know there are people who do not enjoy reading. Where would the world be without the majesty, mystery, and fantasy of books?

While in 1st grade I went to live with my paternal grandparents for a while as my brother was very sick. Any germs I would bring home from school were a threat to his life. In fact, I did contract the chicken pox and that could have been fatal to him. Anyway, my Grandma Dayhoff would read to me at bedtime. My father liked reading. He liked Zane Grey and Louis L'Amour. I know that my mother enjoys reading non-fiction history.

In high school with easy access to the library on campus I could read a book a day. When homework got done, I do not know. My social life was actually pretty good and I taught primary and cooked dinner but reading books was my obsession. Overall I may not have absorbedeverything that I read. But I sure enjoyed it. Reading has been my refuge many times.
Thank you little Peppers one and all. You helped me learn to love reading and what a blessing that has been in my life.

Rocktober!
The Colorado Rockies are in the World Series opposing the Boston Red Sox. So far they aren't doing too well with 0-2. They have played the first two games at Fenway Park in Boston.
We don't usually get too far into sports although when a local team does well we enjoy the fun and comradery that goes along with the game.
Our little Ottley grandsons, Taylor, Andrew, and Cameron, are convinced that the Red Sox will win the series. And they may be correct! It is fun to hear them over the phone be excited about the games and to tease them about who the winning team will be. Of course, we in Colorado want the Colorado Rockies to win! But if they don't it will all be fun to us. Maybe not to every fan, but to us.
I found that I don't really even have any purple clothes to wear to support the team. But I did go "sox-less" for two days. Get it? "No Red Sox"
Our other little grandson, Jayme, broke his arm a couple of weeks ago jumping off of a trampoline. When he finally got a cast on it he chose a blue one. Then he drew a big "Y" on it for..... BYU. He and his brother, Kyle are big sports fans and they are just little guys.
A little competition is good so long as we don't let it rule our lives.

What does this scripture mean to you?

1 Corinthians 9: 24
"Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. "

"What would you do if you knew you could not fail?" Robert Schuller

Words are very powerful. They can hurt, motivate, uplift, teach, inspire. Sarah Twiss from Church has the quote above on her emails. Quite an interesting question to ponder.

The possibilities are mind-boggling.

What do you think you would do? I know many people who have a "List of Things To Do". (One thing I need to do is find out if the punctuation goes inside the quotes or not. :)

I have been pondering making a list. As usual, I have thought of several different ways to do this. But the main type of list would be the types of things that pertain to the "what if you could not fail category." Now these are all things for my adult self, not from the beginning of my life. The goals from early in my life, I have met except two I can think of. Maybe I had better not go there. I might think of too many that I have not accomplished.

Temple marriage (check)
Children (check)



1. Learn to ski (check)
2. Live in Colorado (check)
3. Travel to England (check)
4. Write a book or so.
5. Earn a college degree. (I have not but some of my children have. Hurray!)
6. Travel to Hawaii (check. In fact, I have traveled a few places I did not plan on. For instance, I have traveled to Guatemala and Mexico. They were not on my list.)
7. Travel to Australia
8. Have some kind of sewing business; bags, children's clothing, children's quilts.
9. Retire :)
10. Go on several missions
11. Live close to my children and grandchildren
12. Read Jesus the Christ
13. Sing with the MoTab
14. Be skinny
15. Cruise to Alaska
16. Organize my family history
17. Road trip after road trip with Robert

There are probably more. Time to put on my thinking cap. These are do-able.

Oh. And why the Halloween Doggies? I love doggies and I love Halloween.

BOO!

P.S. Funny Halloween story. I was making a Halloween bib for one of my grandchildren. I wanted to embroider some Halloween words around the edge with my embroidery machine. I thought it would be cute to put the word "Boo" on the edge. I practiced at first for size and set up. As the machine was sewing I noticed that the boo words were too close together and it looked like a continuous string of the words boob.

I laughed till I cried. :)

I read this post on a blog called: Taniwa

It truly humbled me and gave words to a feeling I have had for a long time and also needed to remember.

A Long Walk

"I remember hearing a story about a missionary who lived in Central America for many years and when she was getting ready to return to America, the missions board sent out an announcement to all the churches she had ministered to that she was leaving. One day an old man arrived at her door carrying two coconuts as a thank you gift for her time with them. She was very touched by the gift but she was more concerned about the man whom she knew had had a four day walk from his village just to give her the coconuts. "Thank you so much for your gift, but what a long walk you had to have!" The old man replied, 'Long walk part of gift.'"

I have felt this message as I have lived my life. Sewing for my family, making gifts, searching for something special, cleaning house, cooking meals, doing laundry, going on a date with my husband, preparing a lesson for Church, cooking a meal for a family with a new baby or sickness, even in my employment which I didn't plan to do, but chose to do to help my husband and family. Even as I have had the feeling of importance to what I would do, I did not know how to put it into words. This story provides the words so profoundly.

I don't think I can ever look at a gift, a visit, a phone call, a letter, the same again. And I don't mean just on my part, but on the part of every person who comes through my life.

And on further contemplation, how does the Lord look at the time we take out of our so busy lives to "talk" to Him, to read His words, to serve others and thereby serve Him?

Taniwa continues...

"I say, yeah to all of us who give our time to the people around us. It is the most valuable possession we have even if no one can see it. Next time you're making something for someone and wonder why, when you have so many other things to do, remember, 'Long walk part of gift.'"

Powerful.

I am a worrier. I don't remember when I started worrying. Maybe I have worried all my life?
As a child I remember worrying that my parents would be gone when I got home from school. Totally gone.
Another childhood worry: forgetting my homework. I remember when I got over that one. I was in 11th grade and didn't have my English homework. A feeling came completely over me that was a real eye-opener. "What would the teacher do to me if I didn't have it? Fail me? Embarrass me? Send me to jail?" It wasn't like I was in the habit of forgetting my homework. (National Honor Society)
In junior highschool and highschool I worried that no one would like me. And sometimes they didn't. Highschool probably scarred me for life. :(
Once I started having kids I worried about teaching my children, keeping them safe spiritually, physically, and emotionally. Overall I had no training or education to help me do that. That worried me too. I always clung to a statement I heard once, "I know I will make lots of mistakes but overall I want my children to know that I have always loved them." I also clung to having Family Home Evening as a way to keep my children where they needed to be.
With no "Church" background to train me it was something I worried about a lot then as I continue to do now. At least now I have my own background to sustain me having developed my own testimony and experiences.
Now I worry about adult children. I realize that I cannot "own" their problems, issues, etc. I worry about their spouses and their children. I worry about their jobs. I worry about car accidents. I worry about health. I worry about their finances. I worry if they are reading their scriptures.
Other worries: Testimonies, Robert's health, my health, my mother's health, skiing, 4 wheeling, money, travel, a clean house, broken things, ALL THAT MATERIAL IN THE BASEMENT!
Do you think I need counseling? Sometimes I think I do. Other times I just tell myself to GROW UP. What is that scripture in Nephi? Lehi says something to Laman and Lemuel like, "stand up my sons, and be men."
"Men (and women) are that they might have joy." Time to look for the joy, Janice.

I just took a quiz: Which Austen heroine are you?


: A N N E ::

You are Anne Elliot of Persuasion! Let's face it, you're easily persuaded, especially when faced with choices that are or aren't 'the Elliot way.' But this doesn't mean that you don't have conviction. Actually, your sense of duty is overwhelming. And though you won't stick your neck out too often, you have learned to speak up when it counts. To boot, you know how to handle sticky situations. You love deeply and constantly.


HURRAY! Because I love Anne Elliott.

What am I doing awake at 2:00 a.m.?

Robert & I were invited to go to Puerto Vallarta with Bonnie and Kent Fairchild.
Originally I was excited, then scared, then excited. Excited to go on a trip...Pleased to be invited....Scared because we don't speak Spanish....Scared because I always get scared...Excited because after the Fairchilds arrived the day before us they sent an email with directions and then I knew it would be fun.
And it was!
No problem with Spanish as all the service people spoke alot more English than we speak Spanish.
Let's see, what other great things?
2 bedroom condo at Paradise Village was great!! Clean, cool, quiet, close to everything, modern, new.
Beach was clean, nice water (not blue) good waves for boogie boards, covered umbrellas to sit and watch the ocean and read, etc.
Beautiful settings.
Friendly people.
Church found easily and met Pres. and Sister Watkins from the Guadalajara Mission. They took us for a tour on Sunday afternoon while they were in town for meetings.
Talked ALOT about couple missions. Not just about the Guadalajara Mission, but the Ottley and Fairchild missions. (Coming up soon for both!)
Canopy tour was so fun this time! In Guatemala I was scared to death. (After giving it thought, maybe too tired, raining, heights) But this time I went on my own and it was soooo FUN!
Ate dinner in the jungle on the property where John Huston, the director, used to live. Didn't see his house. That was disappointing but the jungle at night with candles and torches was so neat.
Bonnie and Kent Fairchild, the friends we were invited by are great and we enjoyed the fabulous time together.
The pools at the resort were fun. All kinds: hot tub, lap pool, salt water pool, regular pool. Two huge crocodile slides which were accessed by a climb up a tower and across a swinging bridge.
There are always some down sides to things, but overall we really enjoyed ourselves. The trip went very smoothly. AND I got a great tan!

I received this story from a friend this morning. While I do not have a daughter named Rachel and no one has ever given me a week at a gym for my birthday, and I am not 60 years old yet, I identify with the story and laughed so hard that I cried and all of my make up is gone.

Dear Diary,

For my sixtieth birthday this year, my daughter Rachel (the
dear) purchased a week of personal training at the local health club for
me. Although I am still in great shape since being a high school
football cheerleader 43 years ago, I decided it would be a good idea to go ahead and give it a try.

I called the club and made my reservations with a personal
trainer named Belinda, who identified herself as a 26-year-old aerobics
instructor and model for athletic clothing and swim wear. My daughter
seemed pleased with my enthusiasm to get started! The club encouraged me
to keep a diary to chart my progress.

MONDAY :

Started my day at 6:00 a.m. Tough to get out of bed, but found
it was well worth it when I arrived at the health club to find Belinda
waiting for me. She is something of a Greek goddess - with blond hair,
dancing eyes and a dazzling white smile. Woo Hoo!! Belinda gave me a
tour and showed me the machines. I enjoyed watching the skillful way in
which she conducted her aerobics class after my workout today. Very
inspiring! Belinda was encouraging as I did my sit-ups, although my gut
was already aching from holding it in the whole time she was around.
This is going to be a FANTASTIC week-!!

TUESDAY :

I drank a whole pot of coffee, but I finally made it out the
door. Belinda made me lie on my back and push a heavy iron bar into the
air -- then she put weights on it! My legs were a little wobbly on the
treadmill, but I made the full mile. Belinda's rewarding smile made it
all worthwhile. I feel GREAT-!! It's a whole new life for me.

WEDNESDAY :

The only way I can brush my teeth is by laying the toothbrush on
the counter and moving my mouth back and forth over it. I believe I have
a hernia in both pectorals. Driving was OK as long as I didn't try to
steer or stop. I parked on top of a GEO in the club parking lot.

Belinda was impatient with me, insisting that my screams
bothered other club members. Her voice is a little too perky for early
in the morning and when she scolds, she gets this nasally whine that is
VERY annoying. My chest hurt when I got on the treadmill, so Belinda put
me on the stair 'monster'. Why would anyone invent a machine to
simulate an activity rendered obsolete by elevators? Belinda told me it
would help me get in shape and enjoy life. She said some other words
too.

THURSDAY :

Belinda was waiting for me with her vampire-like teeth exposed
as her thin, cruel lips were pulled back in a full snarl. I couldn't
help being a half an hour late, it took me that long to tie my shoes.
Belinda took me to work out with dumbbells. When she was not looking, I
ran and hid in the restroom. She sent another skinny instructor to find
me. Then, as punishment, she put me on the rowing machine -- which I
sank.

FRIDAY :

I hate that Belinda more than any human being has ever hated
any other human being in the history of the world. Stupid, skinny,
anemic, anorexic little cheerleader. If there was a part of my body I
could move without unbearable pain, I would beat her with it.

Belinda wanted me to work on my triceps. I don't have any
triceps! And if you don't want dents in the floor, don't hand me the
barbells or anything that weighs more than a sandwich. The treadmill
flung me off and I landed on a health and nutrition teacher. Why
couldn't it have been someone softer, like the drama coach or the choir
director?

SATURDAY:

Belinda left a message on my answering machine in her grating,
shrilly voice wondering why I did not show up today. Just hearing her
made me want to smash the machine with my planner. However, I lacked the
strength to even use the TV remote and ended up catching eleven straight
hours of the Weather Channel.

SUNDAY :

I'm having the Church van pick me up for services today so I can
go and give thanks that this week is over. I will also pray that next year
my daughter Rachel , will choose a gift for me that is fun -- like a
root canal or a hysterectomy.

I like to read blogs. It all started a couple of years of years ago when I googled knitting. I got hooked (that woudl be crocheting) on a blog from a lady in England. She was working on her PhD. but couldn't finish it because she couldn't stop knitting. Then I found a blog spot for some LDS People, active and less active. I found a "heavy weight" lady's group. then I found "Ernest Goes to Iraq". He is a civilian contractor who wrote from Iraq while he was there retro-fitting armor under trucks to better protect the military folks. I also found some pretty interesting young women who were either in school, finishing school, teaching school. The one that linked me to some of them now requires an invitation to view the blog. That makes me wonder if something happened. Like, was she being stalked? So anyway, now I have to find them on my own and bookmark them.

I found out that today is "International Talk Like a Pirate Day." It has been kind of fun every-once-in-a-while saying "ARRR!" I also sent out a few reminders on my distribution list and used some pirate jargon. Avast! Ahoy! Me Hearties! etc.
I feel like I am not having relaxing fun much. Most things feel like work, no matter what they are. Sad, isn't it? So throwing around a few pirate words was fun today.
Yesterday, one of my friends told me that Sept. 19th was International Talk Like a Pirate Day. Then there was an announcement about the special nature of this day on the radio on the way in to work. So then I googled pirate talk and found that there are actually quite a few people who are really into pirates. Now I should have known that after we went to the Renaissance Festival this year in Larkspur, CO. and a major portion of the fair was pirates, pirate gear, pirate clothes, and pirate talk. Plus, the pretty good acceptance of Captain Jack Sparrow in the movies should have queued me.
It was also interesting that on the two websites that I actually read a little, there were both disclaimers about pirating.
"Just remember that real pirates were very nasty, reprehensible people" is the basic wording.
Once the phone rang and I almost answered by saying, "ARRR!" Now that wouldn't have been a good thing. Or would it?
Have a little fun every day!

People become really quite remarkable when they start thinking that they can do things. When they believe in themselves they have the first secret of success."
- Norman Vincent Peale

My father passed away in January of this year. It was a big shock. He had not felt well for a while. But nothing that hadn't been going on for a long time. He always said that he wanted to die the way that his father did. Grandpa Dayhoff went out after lunch and a small nap to work on the lawnmower. Grandpa had not felt well after lunch and looking back it was classic heart attack symptoms. Anyway, after he didn't come back for a long time Grandma went to find him and he was just sitting there on a box in the workshed dead. The doctor said that if he had any pain he would have fallen off of the box.
Well, Dad mowed the lawn the evening before he died. He went to bed and in the morning when Joyce got up she saw that Muffin, the cat, was laying over Dad in bed in his room (he snored REALLY loud) and that something was definitely wrong. He had died in his sleep. No pain, just like Grandpa. Dad was 76 years old.
He really had a fun personality. Just the year before he had flown up to Salt Lake City where Robert and I picked him up and he went snowmobling with us up in Idaho at Maxine and Gail's cabin. We had even talked about going again this year.
On New Year's Eve the phone rang at 1:00 a.m. It was Dad. He was all happy, almost giddy, welcoming in the new year. We oldsters had gone to bed hours before. :) But Dad was up celebrating a new year. How could I be upset about the phone call? We had a really fun conversation. Then he said, "I'm going to call your sister now." That was so funny because he was in Pacific time. We are on Mountain time and Rebecca is on Eastern time. So I reminded him that it would be 3:30 a.m. at Rebecca's house and he said, "Oh, I know." I never knew until the funeral a couple of weeks later whether he had actually called her or not. Well...he DID!
We also had a couple of fun traditions between the two of us. We always sent eachother 2 birthday cards. One funny, one serious. It was so fun even just finding the cards. Another thing was that at the end of a phone conversation One of us would say, "I love you." The other one would say, "I love you more."
We were trying to get together more often lately. When my folks divorced in 1976 it really tore our family apart and we didn't get together as much as we might have. Although we did live closer to eachother over the years especially when he lived in Indiana and we lived in either Illinois or Louisiana. So at least we saw eachother some. We were really having more fun together. He drove out to Colorado on his own more than once. The last time really tired him out though. Once he drove to Utah to meet his grandchildren and their spouses and to help with Kyle's baby blessing. That was so neat. He had started calling the kids every-once-in-a-while too.
I remember how handsome I always thought he was and he was always tall and straight. He told great stories too about his life. Once he was telling stories and I was amazed sitting there and thinking how I wished could know more about him. Before I forget the stories he told I should write them down.
I miss you Dad.

Robert and I are going to Mexico, Puerto Vallerta, the last week in September. A whole week!
It is an interesting story.
Leslie told me that "some guy" kept calling me. I asked her his name but she had not gotten it. So one night I was home and he called. She answered and said, "Mom, it's that guy." I got on the phone and it was one of our good friends from Church. We have a lot of fun with them and try to get together every-once-in-a-while now that they have retired and moved to another town. He used to be our Hometeacher too. I guess he is still taking care of us.
Anyway, he was calling because he and Bonnie, his wife, were going to Mexico and wanted us to go with them.
Here's the GREAT DEAL.
No housing costs. Our flights are using United award points. Only costs are taxes on tickets and of course, food and any activities we participate in while we are there.
How COOL is that?
Of course, I always have "buyer's remorse" for doing ANYTHING. But I can't let that stop me. I mean, we barely are spending anything, relatively speaking.

Today I realized that we only have a week and a half until we leave!
After we get back I will have to figure out how to add pictures to this blog. I think it looks pretty easy.

A while ago I bought a new set of large print scriptures. Even though I could read them better (still needing glasses) I missed my old set. The old ones had gotten me through a lot of worry, planning, questions, etc. They are all marked up and the pages are soft with all the use. I remember once at girl's camp I was very stressed out. I went back to my bunk and there were my scriptures sitting on the quilt. I picked them up and just holding them and knowing what they meant to me quieted my emotions. They were/are my best of friends. So the new scriptures had a hard row to hoe.
Scripture study lately has been a little different. I have been going through the Book of Mormon to begin with and transferring my marked/favorite scriptures and writing in the margins, to the new set. I will through the Doctrine and Covenants and also the Bible as well. As I go through I am reading the scriptures and pondering them. It is taking a while, but has been really spiritually uplifting. It not only reminds me of the meaning of those scriptures but it also brings back memories of when I marked many of them. It is sort of amazing that I would remember.
After doing this, which will probably take a long time, I plan to go back and read between the marked passages and see what lies there as my next phase of scripture study.
I love reading the scriptures. They give me such peace and knowledge. We have been told that all the answers lie in the scriptures. At times I have asked myself almost sarcastically, "well..where is the answer to this problem, huh?" And then more humbly I have either found the answer while reading or sometimes even had words put in my mind which have given me the reference and where to look.
I read mainly early in the morning. It is quiet and I sit there in the living room in a pool of light from the lamp and soak it all in. Nikki usually either is by my feet or over on the couch all snuggled down in the pillows. Such a peaceful time. No wonder the time slips away so quickly.

What books have you read lately? Are you part of the Harry Potter craze? Are you are romantic? Do murder mysteries keep you captivated? Have you read the new vampire series by Stephanie Myers?
Books I have read lately:
Make Your Own Living Trust by Dennis Clifford
Twilight Stephenie Meyer
New Moon Stephenie Meyer
Eclipse Stephenie Meyer
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows J.K. Rowling

I never did finish this post and since I hate to waste the words I will post it and try to do a better job on the subject at a later date. Sorry :(

Surprise! After 9 months of no entries I thought I might get back on here. Although, I am not sure that anyone reads what I write except me. Ha!
Alot of people have either myspace or facebook pages. But I get a little nervous about those things where it seems like more people have access to your life.

Writing has always intrigued me. Either how people write or how I could write. I remember when I was in highschool I wanted to write something to make a difference in the world. I have kept a journal over the years. I have not really written for a few years now. And lots of things have occured which I should have documented. But I didn't and probably can't capture all of it now. But maybe I can try. I have a hard copy journal which I bought a few months ago. Small enough to carry around. So, I carried it around for a few months.
If I am truly interested in writing I have several venues to do so:
Blog
Journal
Children's stories
Short stories

Well, that is about all for now. I have had strep throat for a few days now. I just got the lab results back today and so am just now on meds. I hope that the first 24 hours will make a marked improvement. But for right now my throat is burning, I am tired, and I think I will go to bed.
Goodnight blog. Hope to see you again tomorrow.
ZZZZZZZZ