Cosmic Bowling

We went bowling and had so much fun! Cosmic bowling is when the lights are out in the bowling alley and they have the black lights on.

Michael ordered french fries with fry sauce - they were GONE in no time. And oh - I am much too humble to let anyone know who won the first game! :)

These are pictures from our "Thanks and Giving" run/walk on Thanksgiving morning....yes morning :) We are smiling in the pictures only because our faces were frozen. We had a wonderful time being together. Michael was #1 in his age group for the 12K race. I was #2 in my age group for the 5K race. I was thrilled and didn't expect to even have come close to being in the top 10! Now that the race is over I don't have any motivation to get exercising. I don't know if it is the Thanksgiving dinner....leftovers or if I need to look for the next race to sign up for to get my mind and body in motion. Right now I think I will just rest and think about it :)

Here is our Constable for Fiddler on the Roof. Love the mustache! Eric is doing a great job and enjoying the play. It starts tomorrow so tonight we will be at the play late getting details perfect. I am in charge of all the hair and beards for all the cast. I have learned so much. Eric's mustache here looks great on him.

I know I have not been keeping up.....I am working on Fiddler on the Roof, helping my friend out with keyboard for kids, and I have broken ribs :(
I will update soon.

Beautiful Morning

I love fall. Tuesday morning I decided to go for a run down by the river. Amazing, amazing, amazing. As I was jogging through the leaves as they were falling from the trees I was pondering on the lesson I am teaching this Sunday for the Young Women. The lesson is on loving ourselves, forgiving ourselves and moving on. I think that we often forgive others and never truly forgive ourselves or spend our time beating up on ourselves. Have we forgotten who we REALLY are or are we not giving ourselves permission to let the full light of Christ shine through us?

The air was crisp and I was glad as I began to warm up on my jog. I pulled my sweatshirt off and tied it around my waist. I could smell fresh cut grass - I love that smell. The big lawnmowers were going over the grass and leaves, probably for the last time of the season. I run I pass old folks with canes, young folks with backpaks, dogs, and bikes. I chuckle to myself...at the beginning of my run I offer all who pass a "Good morning!" As I get more fatigued from my run my greeting turns to a hand wave, then to a hand raise, and finally just a nod with heavy breathing.

I realize I love to run. I have loved it because the music that I put on my ipod is inspirational. Between the beauty of the season and this beautiful music I feel like I can do anything.

Tagged

I have been tagged which means that you go to your digital computer file, go to the 4th file and the 4th picture and post it on your blog. So here it is .... ta da ... of my mother and me on the balcony of our cruise to Alaska. We are in glacier bay - my favorite part of the trip.
Now I tag Christine, Paige and Olivia.

Homecoming 2008

Sunday evening

This evening Jared, Christine and Carson came over. We made carmeled apples...always a must during the fall season! Obsiously Eric got bored :) Jared and Eric played a game of snapping the clothes pins to see who can get the most in a box on the table...Eric got a little distracted.

Today was my first day in my Young Women calling. I forgot how much I love being in the YW. I am very excited for this calling.

Eric and Michael went to their first homecoming dance last night. They were out very late (or early - depending on which way you look at it). They went with different groups and came home with smiles on their faces. They had a great time. Eric and his date, Kjersten Lewis wore black with cream. Michael and his date Erin ? (don't know her last name) wore black with royal blue accents. What a fun time for them.

Mr. Sunshine

Carson with Mr. Sunshine - his favorite

Mother's Weekend/Lava Hot Springs

I met up with Lori Pathakis at Lava Hot Springs. We had a fabulous time catching up on where the last 22 years have gone. It was so much fun to catch up on kids and remember what good friends are all about. Even though we have missed seeing each other for a few years, we can see each other without missing a beat. I love Lori and her energy!

One of my favorite seminars at Mother's Weekend was by Connie Sokol on Eliminating emotional clutter. She concentrated on 6 things:

1. Nourishing your soul: "I decide what goes on in my home". She talked about doing prayers, scriptures, and temple attendance on a level of being a woman and not as we did as a child.
2. Clear Vision: What do you see as your "ideal" life (emotionally, physically, spiritually)? If YOU DON'T KNOW - then you can't do/have it. Carp diem - make a "to become" instead of a "to do" list.
3. Great JUICY goals to creat vision: "What do you want or need for the next 3 months?" Discuss this with the Lord. Create a wall of inspiration. Achieve one good juicy goal a week.
4. Eliminate energy drainers: guilt, costic people, perfectionism (ask "who am I doing this for?"), inappropriate guilt. Guilt is like a rock dropped at your feet. Ask yourself, "is it mine?" If it is not yours - DON'T pick it up. If it is then pick it up and take care of it.
5. LAUGH
6. Increase energy gaines: magnify your gifts and interestes. PASSION, PASSION, PASSION, MOXY, MOXY, SAVY, LIFE WISDOM.

Mother's Weekend at BYU - Idaho

We are having a great time here at Idaho! Paige picked me up at the Idaho Falls airport and then we went to T.G.I.Friday's for dinner. We had a great time catching up on her boyfriend, Nathan, and her visits with his family. They sound like a wonderful family - they must be to have such a great son.

Next we were off to my sister Olivia's house in Blackfoot. We had a fun few hours before bed to goof off, laugh, tell funny stories, and try on clothes that I brought for Olivia.

This morning Paige and I were off at 7:45 am to get back to Rexburg. The seminars started at 9:00 am and we went to three outstanding talks. I have to run right now but I will post more on what I learned in each talk later....plus I have the cutest pic on my grandbaby!

Ah....the finish line. My heart is full!

Oktoberfest Half Marathon

"You have the GREATEST FAMILY!" was the cheer as I passed fellow runners in the Oktoberfest Marathon. I think I had the most and best support of anyone in the marathon! Welc had his dirt bike and went up and down the road cheering me on, getting me water, whatever I needed. Carson and Christine made this fabulous bright pink sign "Keep Going Mom! We Love you!" That pink sign kept moving down the road on the back of her car so I had a goal to get to every mile or so. Eric was hooting and rooting on the side of the road...he kept moving to different points along the trail. Then at one point (the bottom middle picture) Eric stood by the side of the road with my cell phone open. He had it on speaker phone and Paige was hollering "GO MOM! GO MOM!" Alas that is not all...my brother, sister in law, and sister were waiting around the 10 mile mark. What fun to have them come and support me. Oh, I can't forget my dear friend Terri Wynder who didn't want to run the marathon but she wanted to support me so she volunteered to pass out water at a water station.

I get tears in my eyes just thinking about the day and all of them at the finish line for me. This is a day I will never forget. The incredible beauty of Leavenworth this time of year, my family, my friends, and I made my goal! 2 hours 19 minutes!

Cross Country

Of course Dad was there at the finish line. What a great pic. I didn't show you the picture that during the race Welc was on a bike with a bubbly black helmet pedaling from spot to spot around the course to yell out times for Michael at certain distances so that Michael could pace himself. :)

Michael's cross country

This season cross country running Michael has done exceptional. He has already met his season goal as of today in Yakima...he ran a 16.58 5K!

This weekend I am going to run a half marathon in the Leavenworth Oktoberfest. It was this race last year that got me going with a goal to start exercising. I realize now that I need a goal or I don't have motivation.

Last year I ran the half marathon in 2 hours and 31 minutes. My goal this year is to run it in 2 hours and 25 minutes...I figure one year older and 6 minutes faster is good! I am very excited and it is wonderful that so much of my family is coming to support me :) Yippeee for families!

Michael had a cross country race this morning. The weather was GORGEOUS and Michael ran a great race. I think he was in the top 5 or 6. The Wenatchee boy's varsity team won a trophy...pretty exciting!
Then I was off to a little place called Cider Mills Cafe in Cashmere. I met up with my friends Terri Wynder and her mother, and Kristi Anderton. Terri, Kristi, and I have been taking guitar lessons and there was a group at the cafe playing mandolins. Mandolins are small and sound Celtic. We had a great time enjoying the music and catching up. Since I have been released as RS President we haven't been able to keep up with each other's lives...it was good to have "girl time."
Then I was off to pick up Christine and Carson for the RS Broadcast. There was a light salad dinner before the broadcast. I was very pleased at the attendance. I was afraid that most women would stay at home and watch the broadcast on KBYU. I guess the thought of getting out and having a light dinner with other women was great motivation...the cheesecake was VERY GOOD!
After the broadcast Christine and I were off to DQ for an ice cream treat before returning home. So a little after 7:00 pm I finally arrived home after a day filled with WONDERFUL memories...I am a happy girl!

I am going to go visit Paige at BYU Idaho for Mother's weekend! I am so excited to get her all to myself and enjoy the events they have planned. I will also get to see my sister in Blackfoot and also meet up with a college friend in Lava Hot Springs. I have never been to a hot springs before - I am very excited about everything except trying to s-q-u-e-e-z-e into a swim suit for the hot springs. I am assuming people wear swim suits - if you are supposed to go in the buff I am afraid I will have to enjoy a good book curled up in my room :)

I hope to remember to take pictures of the trip to post .... this will be FUN!

Notra Dame

After we had walked through this magnificent church we sat at a little cafe on the side street. I ordered a crepe with nutella, sat at our table and took the picture that is in the bottom right corner of the collage. As I enjoyed the moment, I couldn't help but pinch myself and think "I am in Paris eating a crepe and sitting outside Notra Dame!" It was a beautiful day...I will never forget it. I was very grateful that we had purchased food because there are hardly any restrooms and in order to use one you have to purchase food and they give you a "token" in which you can use to open a stall down in the restrooms. Isn't America great!

This was histerical....I told Welc to move over while I took a picture of this incredible statue that was at the front of a battle ship eons ago. He moved over and was litening as he looked up at the ceiling. I caught this photo and realized that it looks like he is posing as the statue! I'm not sure he thinks this picture is as funny as I do!

This is the Louvre. It is HUGE. I think there are 4 or 5 levels and the building itself covers blocks and blocks. It would take a couple weeks to see everything that is here.

August flowers

I love to garden!

Fire!

On the way home from Spokane, we received a phone call from Jared telling us there was a fire coming close to the house. They were getting ready to evacuate homes. Luckily Jared was able to get up to the house and help Eric load the Explorer with files, computers, photo albums, etc.

When we FINALLY got to the house the fire had calmed down tremendously. As I arrived fire trucks cars and people were so thick on our culdesac that I had to beg to get through. Here are pictures after one of the fire trucks had finished spraying and left. This last one in pulling in his ladder and getting ready to roll up the hose. Even as I was getting ready to go to bed there was a fire truck camped out front just in case any flair ups.

I am so grateful for the church! When I arrived, besides Jared, Christine, Eric and Michael there was Mike Anderton, the Sister Missionaries, 6 phone messages, and a stream of phone calls coming into my cell phone.

Hill Cumorah

Top of Hill Cumorah
Looking down...this is where they hold the Hill Cumorah Pageant.
I found myself looking at each spot saying to myself "The plates could have been buried right here!"

Palmyra New York

Joseph Smith's log cabin. Very humble.
Upstairs ... this is the place that the angel Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith.
Finally...the Sacred Grove. I have been waiting all my life to get here. It was beautiful - the spirit overwhelming. As I looked up at the trees I found myself wishing they could talk. I would love to have seen what they have witnessed.
I spent about 45 minutes in the grove...walking, sitting on a bench, basking in the spirit. As I left I turned around and took this picture. It was hard to leave.

Niagra Falls

Standing right at the falls...spectacular! The sound and strength of the water put things in perspective of how magnificent - how blessed we are to have such beauty.

Kirkland Ohio

Here is the Knewell K Whitney Store. The store is set up the same way as it was in the 1800's. Upstairs at this table is where some of the revelations in the D&C were received.

Here is the Kirkland Temple. We went to this cemetary that is just across the street. We saw several tombstones of Joseph Smith's family and many other names that we recognized from D&C.