The Storm Kind of Fizzled

I'm glad that the storm that was supposed to be so bad in Illinois today didn't meet expectations. (That's what they said on weather.com.) Tiff said that a really loud thunder bolt jolted her awake this evening, but other than that the weather wasn't too bad. At least not as bad as was predicted. So that's good. I guess there was some bad weather other places but nothing like they were saying was coming. I just heard the weather man say that the snowstorm that is going to hit the Upper Midwest will more than make up for what didn't happen today. That doesn't sound too good. There's been quite the wild weather going on lately. I guess it's been flooding in Vicksburg and Natchez with all the rain they've been getting. It's funny how you don't pay much attention to weather in other parts of the country until you have some kind of connection with it. Here's hoping that Spring will find its way to our locations soon. I'm heading down to St. George tomorrow to visit Mom and Dick. I hope the weather will cooperate.

Conference Bowl

I had planned to go to St. George today to be there for Grandma FT's birthday tomorrow, but the weather turned out to be stormy, so I'll wait until Friday to go down. The weather is supposed to be better by then. When I called Mom to tell her I wasn't coming, she said she'd rather be disappointed than worried about me driving down there in bad weather.

So I continued on today with my project of trying to get things cleaned out a bit and organized before Sarah, Joel and Eliza come this month to stay for the summer, followed by Tiffany next month. We should actually all be able to get along fine here together, I just need to have things somewhat more organized and cleared out than they have been. I got the kitchen counter cleared off of the things that have been on there for a few years and put out my new organizer which I've had for about three years just waiting for the right time to break it out. The counter looks much better now. Slowly but surely I'm getting stuff done. That's one reason I've been so slow posting on my blog this week.

Tonight for FHE we had our semi-annual Conference Bowl, and we did it differently this year. Steven did the questions and I got to try to answer along with Richard. It was pretty scary for me because I'm used to putting everyone else on the spot. And it is kind of funny because when you're on the receiving end of the questions, you can remember the talk but you can't quite remember who it was that gave it. I only missed two, however; I got Elder Eyring's and Elder Holland's talks mixed up. Richard got them all correct. Way to go Richard! For our treat we finished off the orange floats and then we watched the NCAA championship game. We were all hoping Memphis would win, but Kansas beat them in overtime. It's too bad because Memphis could have won in regulation time, but they missed their free throws. I bet that guy is mad at himself! As far as the family contest went: I won guessing the overall outcome and Richard won the round-by-round. We beat Dad out again.

Camden's Ear Ache

Yesterday (Wednesday) Steven went with Richard and me over to American Fork to drop Richard off for work. Then we went by Macey's to stock up on some things during the big case lot sale. We got a bunch of canned goods to "beef up" our food storage. (Lindy--you could go get some garbanzo beans while they're on sale. Those are good food storage items.) On our way to Macy's this weird snow storm blew over. It started out as just a few flakes and then more and more. We could see this "ginormous" (as Tiff would say) storm cloud barreling our way, bringing with it wind and snow. We were in the store as the worst of it passed over. Then it was gone.

On the way home we decided to stop by the Barretts. We went inside. All was quiet. No one was there. We could tell that they had made a speedy exit. Not long after we got there, Lindy came home with the girls. Camden was crying and we could tell something was wrong. It turns out, her ear was hurting. She had been at dance and the dance teacher had called Lindy to say that Camden was crying and complaining that her ear hurt. So Lindy took Riley and Sidney and went and picked Camden up and took her to the doctor. The doctor looked in her ear and then took some wax out, but said that Camden's ear didn't appear to be infected. She gave Camden some Motrin and then sent them on their way. Camden's ear was still hurting when they got home, and she was pretty sad. So Grandpa cuddled with her for awhile and she settled down a bit. When Daddy Nate came home, he and Grandpa gave Camden a blessing to help her feel better. I was upstairs with Riley and Sidney. When I said something to Lindy about the blessing, Sidney folded her arms as soon as she heard the word "blessing." Riley read to me about monkeys jumping on the bed, and Sidney read to me to out of a couple of books for about five seconds each.

Before long, Camden started perking up while lying on the couch and watching a movie. We were glad to see her starting to feel better. I told her that I used to have ear aches when I was a little girl and my mom would put something in my ear to help it feel better. When we got home, I called Mom (Grandma Great) and asked her what she would do for my ear aches. She said that she would barely warm up some olive oil (baby oil will do) in a teaspoon and put a couple of drops in my ear followed by some cotton in the ear and then a warm, moist pack held against the ear. I remember that it did help my ear feel better. Mom said I used to scream and scream with my ear aches. I have waxy ears, too, just like Camden. We hope she continued to feel better and that she was able to have a good night.

Good luck to Karalie today with her second chemo treatment. She got lots of fun head gear and jewels at her head-shaving party on Monday. Her friend ended up not actually shaving Karalie's head but just cutting it very short. Also, we're looking forward to Tiffany coming home tomorrow for Spring Break and our sleepover with the girls. We're going to have lots of fun.

Mitt Drops Out

Well, today was a sad follow-up to Super Sad Tuesday. Mitt dropped out of the race for President. I told Lindy he took the high road by removing himself from all the lying and cheating that McCain and Huckabee were engaging in. This way he can be the statesman and they can make fools of themselves with their antics, such as McCain getting counsel on how to appear "more conservative." It's turning into a joke, so I'm glad Mitt got himself out of it. I was listening to Glenn Beck on the way home from AF today and he said he's been trying and trying to figure out what just happened here; how did we end up with John McCain as the Republican nominee? Well, he had finally figured it out and he would explain it scientifically: We fell into a worm hole, and life in the United States is no longer as we have known it. We are in a worm hole where everything is very strange and inexplicable. I think that's a pretty good explanation of what just happened: We fell into a worm hole and find ourselves in a very strange world where things are upside down and hard to figure out. But as Dad said tonight, now we can just stand back and watch with some amusement as things unfold. I received a letter in the mail from the National Republican Senate Committee with their "conservative agenda" questionaire and plea for money. I sent it right back and said "no money," and asked how did they expect to carry out some kind of conservative agenda with John McCain as the nominee? I said he had done nothing but stab conservatives in the back, and this he did while a U.S. Senator, making it difficult for any conservative agenda that they had been trying to carry out in the past. It will only get worse in the future. It felt good to say my piece.

Today was another snowy, cold day--a good day to stay inside and watch Matlock by the fire. Richard and I are both getting colds. I did go out and do some shovelling so we could get the driveway and sidewalk all cleared off--again. Robert Reay came and got some snow from our snow pile to add to his pile in their front yard for a snow fort. I'm ready for the snow to stop.

Snowy Sunday

We woke up this morning to--you guessed it--more snow! Steven left at about 6:00 for the MTC and I could hear him out in the driveway doing some shovelling. When it came time for Richard and me to leave for church, I thought I better go make a path for us to get out of the driveway. As I started shovelling, along came Bro. Abbott with his snow blower; he proceeded to clear off the whole driveway and the sidewalk. That was nice of him. So Rich and I headed over to church for fast meeting. It's good to be in the ward on fast Sunday, then I don't feel quite so removed from everyone and everything. Lisa Arrington Radulovich bore her testimony and told about practicing with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir last Thursday evening when someone came in and told them to get their things together because they had been invited by Pres. Hinckley's family to a private viewing in the conference center. So they gathered their things and went over to the conference center where they were ushered in to the Hall of the Prophets where Pres. Hinckley lay in state. She said it was very quiet and solemn and there was the most wonderful feeling and spirit in the room. She said she was standing close enough to Pres. Hinckley that she could have reached over and touched his cheek. She said the thing she felt the most as she stood there in the room was the feeling of how much impact one person can have on the lives of so many. And how one person can make such a difference in the world. She said Pres. Hinckley's son (she didn't say which one) shared some thoughts with them and told them how much Pres. Hinckley loved the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Then he invited them to sing some hymns, which they did. They sang "We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet" and "God Be With You 'Til We Meet Again." I can't remember for sure what the third hymn was, but I think it was "My Redeemer Lives," the hymn with words written by Pres. Hinckley.

After ward fast meeting, I went to the MTC to attend fast meeting with Steven's branch there. Eighteen missionaries bore their testimonies, and District F sang "We'll Bring the World His Truth" for their departure song as well as the closing song. The 10 missionaries leaving are: Elders Rodee, Hodson, Richardson, Darrington, Pearson, Castilla, Silcox, Christensen, Gooch and Despain. They've been a good district. They're all leaving for Chile tomorrow except for Elder Castilla who has been detoured to Las Vegas while he waits for his passport to come through. Elders Christensen and Despain have been the zone leaders. Elders Lamb and Wilson were called to replace them.

I phoned the Barretts this morning to see how they were doing and Nate answered. He said poor little Camden had been throwing up all night and that she and Lindy were quarantined in the "sick room." He and Riley and Sidney were trying to have as little contact with them as possible so that, hopefully, they won't get the germs. When I talked to Lindy later in the day she said Camden had finally stopped throwing up and her diarreha was subsiding. Poor little thing. She said she hoped she and Camden won't get each other's germs and that Nate and the other girls can avoid their sickness. We hope for that, too.

Steven, Richard and I had our Super Bowl Snacks dinner without the Barretts. Boo hoo. Richard had been looking forward to having them come over because they usually go to Grampa and Gramma Barretts on Super Bowl Sunday for Uncle Mark's birthday. But they were planning to come here this year until all the sickness interfered. So we had our snacks without them. We had: bean dip and chips, little quiches, shrimp, li'l smokies, carrots, celery, tomatoes, and buffalo wings. Richard had ordered those special, so I picked some up at Macey's. Steven ate only one buffalo wing and he said it about made him throw up. It was everything he can't stand about chicken. Maybe we'll forgo the buffalo wings next time, although Richard thought they were pretty good. As far as the Super Bowl goes, we were happy to see the Giants pull it off with the miracle fourth quarter. (Do you think perhaps a miracle could happen with another Super Something as in Super Tuesday? We'll see.)

Pres. Hinckley's Funeral

Today was Pres. Hinckley's funeral, and it was a beautiful, sunny winter day. It was cold, but not as cold as it's been. So, I think Heavenly Father was honoring Pres. Hinckley with such a beautiful day and a welcome break from the constant cold, snowy, gray winter weather we've been having. Richard went to work at the temple today even though it was Pres. Hinckley's funeral. I guess they had to keep the temple open for all the weddings that were going on plus other things scheduled there for today. But I told Richard that if he had to be any place else today other than watching the funeral, the temple was a great place to be. I don't think Pres. Hinckley would have wanted all temple work to stop for his funeral; so, it was actually a way for Richard to honor him by being there during the funeral.

I just loved the funeral. Even without being there in person we could feel the spirit of the occasion as we watched on TV. The talks were wonderful as was all the music. The speakers were Pres. Hinckley's daughter, Virginia H. Pearce; Bishop H. David Burton; Elder Earl C. Tingey; Pres. Boyd K. Packer; Pres. Henry B. Eyring; and Pres. Thomas S. Monson. Sis. Pearce said, "My father was adorable, a marvel to watch." She also said, "These past four years (after Sis. Hinckley's death) have been the capstone years of his life." She told how he was very sad after Sis. Hinckley passed away; but, for two years, he went back to work in every sense of the word. Then, for another two years after that, he was granted a "miraculous two-year extension of his life" after being diagnosed with cancer. He kept on working until the end.

Bishop Burton said that Pres. Hinckley was considered by the young people of the Church to be "awesome," that he connected with the young people and encouraged them to "stand a little taller, do your best, and raise the bar," and he gave them (and us) the "six B's" to follow: Be Humble, Be Grateful, Be Smart, Be Clean, Be Prayerful, Be True. He told how several years ago when there were 47 temples, of which Pres. Hinckley had part in dedicating 30 of them, Pres. Hinckley said, "My, I would love to be alive when we have 100 temples." The Rexburg Temple, which was scheduled to be dedicated before he died, is #125. He told how Pres. Hinckley had wanted "Little Cottonwood Granite" to be used in the construction of the Conference Center, but that there was much outside opposition to the use of the granite. When Bishop Burton and others suggested using another material, Pres. Hinckley said, "Don't worry. A way will be provided." He will always be remembered for encouraging us to do and be the best we can and to stand a little taller.

Elder Tingey spoke of the "footprints" left in the sands of time by Pres. Hinckley: as the great communicator; his influence on missionary work--400,000 missionaries were called by him which comprise 40 percent of all the missionaries who have ever served; as a temple builder--there have been 75 new temples since he became president; his sense of humor--he once told a group of missionaries, "You all look like a bunch of penguins;" being a "renaissance man" with the building of the Conference Center, etc.;" his promotion of education with the establishment of the Perpetual Education Fund; the expansion of the quorums of the 70 under his direction; and his love of all people, to name a few. He concluded by thanking Pres. Hinckley for his valiant service; integrity; wisdom; judgement; talks; testimony of Joseph Smith, of our Heavenly Father and of Jesus Christ; and "Thanks you for letting us know that you loved us."

Pres. Boyd K. Packer told how when Pres. Hinckley was first hired by the Church to work in the newly-organized public informtion department he set up a broken desk and brought his own typewriter from home. He requested a ream of paper (500 sheets) and was asked, "What will you do with all that paper?" He responded by saying, "I'll write on it," which he did and "he never stopped writing." He also told of how, as a new apostle, Pres. Hinckley had visited the mission where his son, Richard, was serving. After visiting with his son, Pres. Hinckley watched him walk away with his companion into the cold, dark night and said that was "one of the hardest things I've ever had to do." Pres. Packer said that one of the things Pres. Hinckley understood best was the "family," and that Pres. and Sis. Hinckley's family could be described as "ideal."

Pres. Henry B. Eyring said that Pres. Hinckley's motto was: "Things will work out." He then listed things that Pres. Hinckley had accomplished: He saw the way to build temples across the earth; He saw the way for young people across the world to walk out of poverty; He conceived the Conference Center. His accomplishments always blessed individuals with opportunity. He knew that a loving Heavenly Father had prepared a way for families to be together forever. He learned from his father and encouraged each of us to "forget yourself and go to work." As a young man, he promised the Lord that he would do his best and he has been doing that ever sense. He taught that all that the Lord requires of us is that we do our best, our very best. Pres. Eyring concluded by saying, "We are better because of his influence and his example; and the best is yet to come as we take the Gospel down into our hearts."

Pres. Monson quoted a line which says, "God makes a giant among men" and Pres. Hinckley was such a giant among men. He said that Pres. Hinckley has truly been a prophet for our time. He went about doing good. He reminded us that Pres. Hinckley still lives, he's on a heavenly mission. He concluded on a personal note saying, "Gordon, God be with you 'til we meet again."

As a closing hymn the choir sang, "My Shepherd Will Supply My Needs" over a montage of scenes of Pres. Hinckley going about doing his work as prophet. He never stopped working and loving the people. I thought the whole funeral was a wonderful tribute to him.

After the funeral we got to see the cortege leaving the Conference Center and going to the cemetery. All along the way, people were waving white handkerchiefs and canes. At the cemetery, after everyone was assembled, a bagpiper came from somewhere in the cemetery playing "Danny Boy" and "Praise to the Man." I thought Tiffany would have especially loved hearing the bagpipe playing "Praise to the Man" since that is what she used for the accompaniment to her slideshow tribute to Pres. Hinckley. Everything about the funeral and the day was wonderful. I loved it! We'll miss Pres. Hinckley so much. It's hard to imagine that he has gone, but we can always be grateful for his teachings and his example which he left for us to always remember and try to follow.

Lindy called this afternoon to say they probably wouldn't be coming over for dinner tomorrow evening because her cold was getting worse and Camden had started throwing up. So things don't sound like they're going too well at their house. They've got a lot of bugs flying around: strep, superbug cold, and now the flu! We're hoping and praying that they can get better soon.

For dinner tonight we had steaks and baked potatoes from Macey's. Steven and I went to pick Richard up from the temple, and on our way we stopped by Macy's for some groceries. They were having their annual Super Bowl tailgating party, so it was pretty wild. We were there just as they were getting ready to do the drawing for the big screen TV and the winner had to be present in order to win; so as you can imagine, there were lots of people. Outside they were grilling up some New York steaks; and you could get a steak, potato and drink for $3.00. So we got three and took them home for dinner. Yum!

Happy February!

Today is the first day of February and it's a cooooold one out there! The funnest thing that happened today was that Lindy dropped Sidney and Riley off here for a little while while she ran to see Dr. Stacey. She thought she might have strep throat again because her throat hurt so bad; and, as we all know, they've had their share of strep germs floating around. So, while she went to the doctor, Richard and I got to entertain Sidney and Riley. We had a lot of fun getting all the toys out and then putting them back again. Sidney is becoming very good at putting toys back after she has gotten them all out. When Lindy returned, she said she was negative on the strep but that she has a superbug cold going on. That's all they need at their house--superbug cold germs!

Lunch with the Club Friends

Today was lunch with the Club friends at Brick Oven. Jary Carter was the organizer for this one; but she had to go to St. George (she lives there half the time), so she didn't even come. But we had a good turnout with Julie, Sandy, Colleen, Ann Snow, Ann Sumner, Johnnie Sue and myself. I spent some time this morning getting a new program roster made up because everyone keeps losing theirs and then they forget when it's their turn to organize the get-together for the month. When I gave them the new rosters (printed on rocket red paper), I told them no more losing their program rosters. For lunch I had a 1/2 steak and philly cheese sandwich and a salad. It was pretty good.

This evening Steven is at the MTC again greeting 12 more new elders. That's 24 new missionaries in two weeks, so the branch is getting back up in numbers again. Steven said he would go over and pick Richard up this evening since it's supposed to be snowing again tonight. I'm sure getting tired of these storms.

Finding the Strep Culprit and Remembering Pres. Hinckley

Today I went over to the Barretts to stay with napping Sidney while Lindy took Camden and Riley to the doctor to see which of them was the strep culprit--the carrier of the strep bug that has been making them all sick (Lindy, Nate and Sidney). The nurse thought Lindy was crazy (I guess she's never heard of a "carrier"), but she went ahead and tested the girls; and, sure enough, Miss Camden showed positive for strep even though she's not sick. So Lindy got a prescription for her; and, hopefully, it will help her get rid of the bug that's been causing the strep throats in their family.

This evening Steven came home for dinner so that we could drive in to the MTC together in the snow and only have one car in there instead of two. (Also we could go over to AF together afterward to pick Richard up.) After dinner we headed in to the MTC for tonight's devotional. The speaker was Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Seventy. He said he had prepared a talk for tonight about "Finding;" but with the passing of Pres. Hinckley, he decided he wanted to share some of his thoughts about Pres. Hinckley instead. He said, "This is a week to reflect and honor Pres. Hinckley in every way we can."

He told several experiences he had with Pres. Hinckley as he served as a mission president in New York City. One day Pres. Hinckley called Pres. Rasband at 9:30 a.m. Eastern time (7:30 a.m. Mountain time) to discuss something with him. After their conversation, Pres. Rasband told Pres. Hinckley that he was on his way to meet with the missionaries. Pres. Hinckley said, "Tell them what time it is in Salt Lake City." Elder Rasband said he did tell the missionaries and also told them to "always remember what Pres. Hinckley was doing at 7:30 in the morning."

Then he related some things Pres. Hinckley told the missionaries at a conference which was held in Madison Square Garden. He told them: "If you're not up to 100 per cent, you get there." Also, "Don't worry about the hard work--just do it!" "Don't be a deadbeat and don't be a dropout." "This, elders and sisters, is your great opportunity." And, "May you have more tears for your departure from your mission that you did when you came from home."

He also told about the day he was called to be a General Authority and Pres. Hinckley asked him, "Does the testimony of Jesus Christ still burn in your bosom as it did when you were a young missionary?" Elder Rasband asked the missionaries, "Is the testimony of Jesus burning in your bosom?" Then he said, "Go forward on your mission with excitement and with a testimony burning in your bosom. Go forward now and do it." He closed by saying that he was thankful for being on this earth during the days of Gordon B. Hinckley.

It was a wonderful devotional with a strong spirit there. The music added to the spirit, as well. For the opening hymn we sang the hymn written by Pres. Hinckley, "My Redeemer Lives," instead of the usual "Called to Serve." For the closing hymn, we sang "We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet" with a picture of Pres. Hinckley on the big screen. I thought the singing was especially good--almost like there were other voices joining in. Of course, 2000 missionaries singing all at once sounds quite powerful. But it sounded extra powerful for some reason.

After the devotional we met with the new district that came in last Wednesday--eight elders and four sisters. They appreciated Elder Rasband's remarks about Pres. Hinckley and expressed their own thoughts and feelings about Pres. Hinckley along with their love and appreciation for him and that it was he who had called them on their missions. One of the elders in the group is Elder Warren Grant Gagon, who happens to be Aunt Kathy and Uncle Fred's nephew (John Gagon's son). It was a nice evening.

Reminiscing During FHE

Today was a snowy, windy day--a good day to stay inside. Since it's Monday, Richard had the day off, so we didn't even need to go outside for anything. Steven went to work, but Rich and I just stayed here. I didn't even take the car out of the garage.

Tonight for FHE, I gave the lesson and we reminisced about Pres. Hinckley. I read from Vol. 2 of Pres. Hinckley's discourses about his first trip to Thailand in 1966 when he and Elder Marion D. Hanks met with the minister of education who had responsibility for religious work in Thailand. Pres. Hinckley said the minister was unfriendly to them and told them they didn't need our church there. It was during that trip that Pres. Hinckley offered a dedicatory prayer on the work in the nation of Thailand. They made applications for visas and the missionaries were granted visas for three months. The understanding was that the missionaries would have to leave the country every three months and have their visas renewed. It was an "expensive and costly and difficult and discouraging practice that interfered greatly with the work." This continued over the years. And then there was the unfortunate incident where a missionary climbed on a buddha, which caused big problems for the Church and brought about further restrictions on the work. Then Pres. Hinckley told how the current governor of Bangkok (in 2000 when he gave this talk), had become a friend of the Church. When he was a young man, the governor was causing his father great concern with his long hair and dabbling in drugs. His father asked one of his Rotary International friends, Elder Richard L. Evans, if there was a school in America where he could send his son that would be a good environment for him. Elder Evans told him to "try BYU." So that's where his son went and got his masters and doctorate in microbiology. He ended up marrying a friend of his from Thailand who had also come to attend BYU. They stayed for seven years and their first daughter was born while they were at BYU. When he went back to Thailand he got into politics and was elected governor of Bangkok. His father was the prime minister. They were both very influential men. "Between the two they were able to secure, through their government, authorization under which we are allowed 150 missionaries who don't have to renew their visas every three months. They can go forward with their work." Pres. Hinckley went on to say, "Now, to me, that is an absolute miracle. That is the unseen consequenc of that which was begun in 1966 and has come to pass in a miraculous way."

As a family we like that story because we had the opportunity to become acquainted with the governor and his wife and two daughters when he was awarded the College of Biology and Agriculture's Distinguished Alumni Award a few years ago. At the time Steven first started contacting him, Lindy was on her mission in Thailand. The governor was very interested to know that she was there and tried to set up a lunch appointment with her, but she had been transferred out of Bangkok, so she was unable to have lunch with him. Since that time, however, we have had the privilege of hosting his wife and daughters at BYU (he was unable to come); and then later, Steven and I had lunch with him and his wife in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building along with Pres. Packer. He and his wife also invited us to have dinner with them at the Thai Restaurant in Provo. It was a fun and interesting time for us and for Lindy after she had returned home from her mission. We're grateful she had the opportunity to serve in Thailand and for Pres. Hinckley's involvement in getting missionary work started there. Our becoming acquainted with the governor and his family was an added bonus for us. It was fun during FHE to remember the experiences we had with the governor of Bangkok and to read about him in Pres. Hinckley's book.

a fun day in the snow

Now this is more like it--a nice, sunnday that's not too cold where we can actually go outside and have fun in the snow. That's what we did today. It puts a whole different look on winter. Grampa loaded up the four-wheeler and the sleds in the trailer and we headed over to the Barretts after dropping Rich off at the temple. The little girls were excited to have some fun in the snow. Gramp had the idea of maybe taking them on the four-wheeler on the road that runs along the canal there in Pleasant Grove, but the sign said "No Trespassing." So that idea didn't work. We went along over to Nate and Lindy's and got the sleds out and took them into the backyard. There's a pretty good little hill back there just right for sledding. Lindy got the girls bundled up in their pink marshmellow attire and we headed out for some fun. Camden and Riley liked going down the hill on the sleds and also being pulled around the yard and park by Grampa and Dad. Sidney even joined in on the fun. She looked very serious about it all, and I think she wondered what she was getting herself in to; but she wanted to be like the big girls, she she went along and got into it--going down the hill on the sled and being pulled around the backyard. At one point the sled tipped over and she face planted right into the snow. I think she wondered what had just happened to her, because she couldn't get herself out of it, of course; but she didn't even cry. We just brushed her off and away she went again. As Grampa was pulling them around, Camden would squeal each time the sled made a sharp turn; so Sidney started squealling too, since that's what you're supposed to do while riding on a sled. It was a nice, sunny day and the snow was fun. It was actually even quite warm. Grampa and Nate even shed their coats after awhile. Lindy took Sidney and went to the store. So the next thing we did was to build a snowmom and a snowdad. Nate, Camden and I worked on the dad and he looked kind of like a monkey until we gave him some different ears and a different nose. Nate also decided to make him some legs. Riley and Grampa built the snowmom. Riley wanted to make sure she had some earrings; and she wanted to make some eyelashes, but they coulldn't figure out how to do that. When Lindy and Sidney got back we all went in and had some tasty sandwiches for lunch. Then we headed home. What a great time we had out in the snow. And it was just after I was so tired of winter yesterday! Days like today are fun!

Winter, Winter, Go Away!

Brrrrrrrrrrrr. It's cold and I'm tired of winter. It's one of those days where you just kind of want to stay inside and not have to go out. I did make it to Curves and did a few errands, though.

Another Cold, Wintery Day

Boy! Sometimes I think winter is never going to end. It was very cold today and snowy. It didn't snow much, but just enough to make the roads kind of treacherous. Oh, actually, it was kind of a whiteout over in American Fork when I dropped Richard off. But then I got out of that and it wasn't snowing quite so much in Orem. I went by Albertson's for some fresh baked French bread (it was after 4:00 and they're supposed to have fresh, hot French bread at 4:00), but the baker said she wasn't even going to put it in for an hour. So I got some not-so-fresh French bread to have with our leftover spaghetti for dinner tonight. The bread was good even though it wasn't fresh. It's always nice when Steven can be home in the evening and we can have dinner here together. When Tiffany called she said it was cooooooold in Charleston. I had looked at the weather there this morning on the internet and it said 1 degree, feels like -7 degrees. Brrrrrrrrr. That's cold! I don't know about anyone else, but I'm ready for winter to be over. I guess Lindy is, too, since she's taken to eating beef and barley soup for breakfast these days.

Tiffany Travels to Pennsylvania

Today was Tiffany's trip to Pennsylvania to see Angie. She drove to the train station in Mattoon to catch the 9:30 train to Chicago. Only the train didn't come at 9:30--it was 40 minutes late! That caused her to have some crunch time on the Chicago end of her trip. Once she arrived in Chicago (probably about 1:45), she had to walk four blocks to the CTA station to catch another train to Midway airport. That train ride is about 45 minutes. Fortunately, she had printed off her boarding pass last night, and she didn't have to check a bag, so she made it to her gate on time to catch her 3:10 flight to Baltimore. Whew! That's cutting it close. Angie's dad met her in Baltimore, and drove her to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where Angie is living with her parents while she awaits the birth of her first baby. She left her job at Melrose in Natchez, Mississippi, for a better job in Pennsylvania; unfortunately, her husband, Matt, is still in Vicksburg, Mississippi, trying to sell their home and find a job for himself in Pennsylvania. In the meantime, Tiffany thought it would be fun to take a trip and spend a few days with Angie over the Marin Luther King holiday. So, hopefully, they'll have lots of fun and see lots of interesting things--if the weather isn't too bad. I was checking the weather yesterday on weather.com and the map on the home page (which usually shows where the nasty weather is taking place) showed the area right around Baltimore to Harrisburg. It was showing rain, icy rain, and snow from Baltimore to Harrisburg. The other day the map was showing the tornado areas in Missouri and Illlinois, right where Tiffany was. How come she ends up where the bad weather is? Anyway, she said the drive from Baltimore to Harrisburg was a little snowy but not too bad. We're glad she made it safely and hope she has a great time and a bit of a break from school.

Steven was home for dinner tonight, so that was nice. We had bean burritos. Then later, Bro. Sanders and Talmadge came home teaching. Bro. Sanders gave us a lesson on Pres. Monson's message in the Ensign this month: "The Master Bridge Builder." In this article, Pres. Monson says, "...we are all travelers--even explorers of mortality. We do not have the benefit of previous personal experience. We must pass over steep precipices and turbulent waters in our own journey here on earth." He goes on: "...our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was the supreme architect and builder of bridges for you, for me, for all humankind. He has built the bridges over which we must cross if we are to reach our heavenly home." Then he asks, "What personal bridges did He build and cross here in mortality, showing us the way to follow?...(He) provided the bridge of obedience. He was an unfailing example of perssonal obedience as He kept the commandments of His Father...The second bridge provided by the Master for us to cross is the bridge of service. We look to the Savior as our example of service. Although He came to earth as the Son of God, He humbly served those around Him." Pres. Monson quoted Elder Richard L. Evans, who said: "We can't do everything for everyone everywhere, but we can do something for someone somewhere." And finally, "The Lord provided us the bridge of prayer. He directed, 'Pray always, and I will pour out my Spirit upon you, and great shall be your blessing.'" I thought that was a good lesson and it motivated me to read the article. Sometimes I need to be reminded.

The Power Goes Out After a Cold Blustery Day!

Last night (Tuesday) when Rich and I were heading home from AF, we noticed it was dark all along the freeway from about 1600 N. in Orem to the Center Street exit. It looked like the power was out all along there. As we turned onto Center Street we could see lots of activity at the intersection of 1200 West and Center Street--lots of vehicles with flashing lights and people scurrying around near the power poles. It must have been the site of the outage. Anyway, it was dark all along 4th West to 4th South. Across 4th South we could see lights, so we knew our house was just on the south edge of the outage. When we got home, we parked in the driveway because there was no getting into the garage. We could see that Dad had some lanterns going on in the house. He had just gotten home from the MTC and parked his car in the garage. The outage happened right after he got home. So Richard had a tuna fish sandwich for dinner and other things that didn't need to be heated up. The power didn't come back on until 2:00 a.m. Fortunately, we were able to keep ourselves warm enough in bed. Dad had the emergency heater standing by, just in case.

I don't think we've had a colder more blustery day all winter. Brrrrrrrrrrrrr. It was cold outside, and the wind was whipping snow all over the place. I went to the post office and was inside for about 15 minutes. When I came out, the car was covered with snowy ice which had blown down from the roof of the post office. It was like I'd been in an ice storm or something.

Richard made it to the dentist to see what was going on with his tooth. Dr. Wiest took a look at it and said a piece of his tooth had broken off. That was weird. I can't figure out why it would have been stuck up there in his gum. Anyway, Dr. Wiest did the repair on his tooth right then. That was good, then Richard didn't have to wait and have it done later. Dr. Wiest only charged for the exam and X-ray and didn't charge for the repair, so that helped. Richard said he's been in five times since August to see Dr. Wiest about that same place in his mouth for one thing or another. I was about ready to find another dentist. Hopefully, this will be the fix that Richard needed.

At 5:30 I met at the MTC for dinner in the cafeteria, followed by the devotional at 7:00. For dinner we had some tasty lemon chicken, with new potatoes and veggies. It was pretty good--but it was better after we zapped it in the microwave. When we're in the cafeteria, we always like to check out the "mystery island" to see what's there. We call it the "mystery island" because whatever is there is not listed on the menu. I think it's what's left over from lunch. Anyway, at the mystery island was some spaghetti and something that looked like spaghetti sauce, but we couldn't quite tell for sure. Under the heat lamp it looked weird and was a funny color. But I decided I wanted to try a little, so I dished some spaghetti into a bowl and put some of the mysterious-looking sauce on it. Out from under the lamp it actually looked very good and tasted even better--it was delicious!!!!!! It had olives, mushrooms, celery, onions and chunks of tomato in it, and it was SO good. I wished I hadn't picked up a chicken plate or I would have had more spaghetti. I think I'll try to make some sometime, but it probably won't be as good.

Elder and Sis. Perry spoke at the devotional. I bet you can't guess the topic--It was the Book of Mormon! That's three weeks in a row, now; so it must be very important to learn more and be reminded about the Book of Mormon. Sis. Perry read from the introduction to remind everyone of the purpose of the Book of Mormon. Then Elder Perry talked about Joseph Smith, Martin Harris and Oliver Cowdery and how their experiences with the Book of Mormon affected their lives. He said Joseph did what the Lord commanded; Oliver lost his place because of pride; and Martin Harris, though he had fallen away, testified on his death bed of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. He also related the story of William Pilkington, whom Elder Perry heard speak when he was 12 years old. William Pilkington was an old man at the time (actually, he was 72 years old, which Elder Perry said seems young now). William Pilkington told Elder Perry and the other boys he was with about how as a young boy he had lived and worked as a hired boy in a home in Clarkston, Utah, where Martin Harris resided as an old man. Martin Harris called William Pilkington "Willie" and taught him the beauties of the Gospel and the Book of Mormon while he and Willie resided in the same house. Before Willie had spent a year there, Martin Harris passed away; and Willie heard Martin Harris' death bed testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. Elder Perry said that hearing about William Pilkington's personal contact with Martin Harris and hearing his and Martin Harris' testimony of the Book of Mormon encouraged him, as a young man, to want to seriously read and study the Book of Mormon. At the conclusion of his talk he said, "I promise that if you apply its (the Book of Mormon's)teachings in your life, you'll be blessed eternally."

(As a funny side note: Steven and I heard Elder Perry tell about William Pilkington at a CES fireside probably four years ago. At that time, he had brought with him Dr. Lael Woodbury to play the part of William Pilkington and tell, in William's own words, his experience with Martin Harris. The funny part was that afterward, we realized that many of the BYU students there thought Dr. Woodbury was William Pilkington. Quite a crowd of students went up to shake his hand after the devotional, and we heard one of them say in the elevator, "I wonder how old he is.")

After the devotional we met with the new district that came in last Wednesday, District D, which has our two new sisters in it. All the missionaries were thrilled to have heard from Elder Perry; but a couple of them were especially excited because they had never seen or heard an apostle in person. So it was a special evening for them and for us.

Dinner at the MTC

Our evening at the MTC last night was really nice. As we arrived we were greeted by the MTC presidency and their wives and Elder and Sister Holland. It was fun to visit with the Hollands for a few minutes. I told Sis. Holland that we're related--our grandmothers (Lillie and May Holt) are sisters and our dads (Raymond and Maeser) are first cousins. Sis. Holland was happy to know that. She said, "In fact, your dad and my dad dated my mom at the same time. It made my dad jealous, and I think that's what got him to ask her to marry him." I said, "Well, it all worked out for the best." Then she said, "My dad would say to my mom sometimes, 'I bet you wish you had married Raymond because then you could have been part of the educational world.' " I'd never heard that story before, and I thought it was pretty interesting. Dad used to talk about his cousin, Maeser, a lot. The kids remember the time we went to the Lytle Preserve down by St. George, and Maeser was there. He cut a pomegranate open for them with his pocket knife. They thought that was quite amazing!

At dinner, we sat with Steven's counselors and their wives: Mike and Becky Ahlander and Lew and Jann Bankhead. Sis. Bankhead said she had had a good day and was glad that she could come. She is recovering from recent cancer surgery and is now facing six months of chemotherapy. It was nice to be with the four of them. The dinner was delicious: salad, yummy potatoes, green beans, chicken and/or prime rib, rolls and cream puffs. Each table had a nativity set decoration--I took mine earlier in the day. We almost got to sit at the table with the one I brought, but some other people barely beat us out. So we sat at a table with a really cool, big Polish nativity set. Actually, it was better we sat at that table because it was on the edge of the room and we had to leave at 9:00 while everyone was still singing Silent Night. The table with our nativity set was right up front by the stage and the speakers' podium, so that wouldn't have worked for us to leave before it was all over if we had been sitting there. Actually, the evening should have been over by 9:00, but it was a little over-programmed. It started out with a live nativity, which was very nice. Then a long vocal solo, "O Holy Night," followed by a welcome from Pres. Boone, the MTC president. Then a long opening prayer (I'd say about 3 minutes or more). Then the dinner. After dinner was a nice string ensemble that played three Christmas pieces. The next thing was a chime activity in which everyone participated. It was fun, but that was the over-programmed part--it went on a little long. The chimes were then followed by the speakers: Elder Hinckley and Elder Holland. The speakers were almost anti-climactic because the evening had gone on for so long. But they both gave good talks and kept them pretty short. For Elder Holland's message he read a poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay titled, "The Ballad of the Harp Weaver," which he said was a Christmas memory from his youth. It's quite an interesting poem and was, to me, a different kind of thing to be read by him. I imagine it was something like a favorite Christmas reading for his family when he was young. When he was reading it, every time he said "harp" I thought he was saying "heart," so it kind of didn't make sense to me. But then I looked the poem up online and found out it was "harp" instead of "heart," so the poem makes more sense. It's a sad little poem with a good message about a parent's love.

This morning, Steven and I went to the ward Christmas breakfast over at the stake center, then we went to AF to drop Richard off. From there we went to the Barretts to tend Sidney while Lindy and Nate took Camden and Riley up to Park City to see Peter Pan. The weather wasn't too bad when they left, but while they were gone, about 7-8 inches of snow fell there in Pleasant Grove. They didn't get home until about 6:30 because the roads were pretty snowy. Anyway, we're glad they went up and back safely. We surely had a lot of fun with Sidney while they were gone. She really knows how to show Grampa and Gramma a fun time. We sang and read and ate and played with lots of toys. It's so fun to hear her jabber with all of her expressions. When Lindy and Nate and the girls got home, they brought Arby's for dinner. Richard had joined us by that time, so it was a regular party. After coming home, Steven spent the good part of an hour getting us dug out around here. I think winter has arrived for sure.

I Missed the Party

Steven and I headed out to go to Karalie's #50 birthday party in Salt Lake tonight, but the weather got the best of us. After snow had fallen all day long, it had finally stopped by evening. So we left for Salt Lake at about 7:00. The roads didn't seem too bad, in fact, they were pretty dry until we got to about 90th South and then the roads were wet. At about 72nd South there was a big accident involving about six cars that had wrecked because of black ice. As we kept driving, we could see that the black ice problem was only going to get worse; so, even though we didn't want to miss the party, we decided to turn around and play it safe. We had been talking to Tiff since last night about not driving on icy roads, so we thought we better practice what we were preaching. Sorry Karalie. I really hated to miss the party, but safety won out as it did for Tiffany today when she decided not to drive to Springfield to meet Greg because of the ice storm happening back there. We're glad she decided to stay put in Charleston--even though she was getting pressure from Greg to do otherwise. We have to try to be safe out there in this winter weather. It looks like fall has gone and winter is here with a vengeance.