Christmasy Tag!

Christmasy Tag!

Welcome to the Christmas edition of getting to know your friends. Okay,
here's what you're supposed to do, and try not to be a SCROOGE!!! Change all the answers so that they apply to you. Then send this to a
whole bunch of people you know, INCLUDING the person that sent it to
you......Tis the Season to be NICE!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Paper for most, and like Stacey, need ribbon or bow.

2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial--partly because we always left it up for a long time

3. When do you put up the tree? When the kids were young we always put it up Thanksgiving weekend. Now it takes me a little longer to get to it.


4. When do you take the tree down? Any time from Jan 2nd to Thane's birthday on the 11th. We have had the tree up for his birthday, but only a couple of times.

5. Do you like eggnog? not particularly, though I can drink a little

6. Favorite gift received as a child? I think maybe a doll I had wanted for a long time. But my typewriter year, and my sewing machine year come close.

7. Hardest person to buy for? That sort of varies from year to year, but maybe Scott because he won't tell anyone what he wants, and his dream things are way too expensive.

8. Easiest person to buy for? All the boys who like Transformers?

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, two. One is the one Bill and I painted together while we were living in Germany, and a small Precious moments one. I have other decorations that are Nativity themed too.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail always, but not always before Christmas. One year they were Valentine cards, but I try!

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Not a gift, but the year I had the flu. I was so sick on Christmas day that Bill fed the kids graham crackers and milk and kept them entertained until I could drag myself out of bed for presents

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? I don't really have one.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Start thinking early, but it may take a while, because I often want to make something.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? orange bowknots, and fudge

16. Lights on the tree? yes. of course - I love the glow it gives the whole room

17. Favorite Christmas song? That's hard--I like lots of them. Silent Night, and It Came Upon a Midnight Clear

18.. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers? Yes

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? star

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? When the kids were home they did the ones from each other on Christmas Eve, partly to give those humble gifts the attention they deserved before they got lost in the shuffle, and partly to ease the excitement. Everything else was morning.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Maybe that it goes to fast- I really like everything about Christmas time, because I ignore the commercialism and focus on what I want the season to be.

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? My tree is pretty eclectic, and nearly everything on it has some sort of story or special meaning. The glass balls are the only "just decoration" and are there to add sparkle and color.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? We have our big dinner on Christmas Eve, and have roast beef and Yorkshire pudding as tribute to our English heritage.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? A fun time with my family and family photo updates for my wall!

TEVAN IS HOME

Tevan is home!








Well he was for a few days. He is in Idaho with Taron for a few days now. But he will be home again Saturday.




All of my grandkids had a grand time getting to know Tevan again, and playing with Uncle Taron and Uncle Tevan. We had a fun couple of days of mostly open house, with family coming and going, and eating with us when they could. It was a lot of fun! It was so good to have him home.







Tevan's nieces and nephews made a sign for him- each child made a letter.

I just want to share some thoughts. Several things hit all at once several days ago-not huge, but frustrating and difficult in some cases to deal with. Torri and Sabrina both had cars break down, and trying to get Trent to work and both families of kids to school was a challenge, and then with Torri's house there were some glitches (mostly a lien on the property they didn't know about) that made for a scary couple of days, as the lender wanted all the stuff in and rate set just a few days from then. I just want you all to know there is an angel among us who went above and beyond to help resolve that issue. Trent was able to get their car fixed, and Sabrina (the angel!) drove to Barstow, then to Bakersfield, back to Barstow and then back to Ridgecrest to get the lien issue resolved. The next day she had to drive her Mom to a doctor appointment in Lancaster. This stress kicked the anxiety in again for a couple of days, which made us sad, but I know Torri and Scott and I surely did appreciate her efforts!

Moments

What was the happiest moment of your life?
Like Brina, I can't pin it down to one. When I was married, and when each child was born, and going to the temple for the first time with each one, and looking forward to the temple time for the last one. Also going to their weddings, and adding their spouses to my life.


What was the saddest moment of your life?
Again, can't do just one. The first was when Bill went off to Basic Training-we had been married a year. The second was the miscarriage of my first pregnancy. The third was when it finally hit, while standing in the doorway of my bedroom, that Bill wasn't coming home any more.

What was the scariest moment of your life?
When Bill had the seizure and they called code blue, and then when I realized, before they called it, that he wasn't coming back.

What was the most embrassing moment in your life?
There are a couple of things I still remember, but my lips are sealed!

What was the most exciting moment of your life?
Still can't narrow to one. There was the time after Basic, when I was supposed to drive to Oklahoma alone, and meet Bill there, when he suddenly showed up at the front door. That was about the best surprise ever. I think another (6) was the day each of my sons came home from their missions. Well, there's a few days until the last one!! There are a lot of others, like moving into our own house, getting good news like getting a specific job for Bill or for me....

Crazy Eights!

Crazy Eights!

8 Things I am passionate about:
1. The Gospel
2. My family
3. People being nice to each other
4. Reading
5. Sewing-
6. and all related - quilting, fabric crafts
7-8. Memory preserving- photos, scrapbooking, digitizing slides etc.

8 words or phrases I use often:
1. Okay
2. Sirus!
3. May I help you? (work)
4. Sirus!
5. I can't remember.
6. No Logan
7. Sure, I can do that
8. I can't remember

8 things I want to do before I die/on my wish list:
1-4. Finish all my projects
5. Visit all my relatives
6. See my last two sons married
7. Live long enough to see all my grandchildren born.
8. Keep all my marble!

8 things I've learned in the past:
1. Friends are eternal too! good one-I'll keep it
2. You need time for yourself. It is okay to take it! -Keep this one also.
3. Having children is the greatest blessing one can have. (I kept this one from my friend's she put it so well!) Again, I agree
4. Everything can change in a flash!!!
5. I really do love studying the scriptures.
6. Don't worry about what anyone else thinks-live where (mentally and emotionally) you are happy and comfortable. Bloom where you are planted
7. Keep in touch with family, they will be your comfort and support forever. Amen to that one too.
8. There is no greater comfort at any kind of loss (including the loss of the spouse) than an Eternal marriage and eternal companion.

8 things I currently want or need:
1. My bathroom finished
2. My kitchen remodeled
3. my photo projects caught up
4. to go to the temple more often
5. A remarkable treatment for Huntington's disease--a cure even better
6. Same for fibromyalgia
7. "Of all the things I've lost I miss my mind the most." - want it back
8. I forgot the other one.

8 Places I want to see/visit:
1. Alaska
2. Hawaii
3. Australia
4. Back to Germany
5. Back to England
6. More temples
7. Nauvoo
8. Back to Adam Ondi Ahman

8 favorite restaurants:
I rarely go out, and it is usually when I am visiting other people
1. Buca Di Beppo- have gone with Tyson and Stacey-I love the bruschetta
2. Cheesecake Factory- went with my sister
3. A little tea house in Lincoln by Sacramento -can't remember the name but had a real English tea (meal) and it was yummy
4. Outback
5. Victoria's here in Ridgecrest
6. Black Angus
7.
8.

8 TV shows I can't live without:
none. (are some I like, and watch, but I haven't any I get upset about missing.) - unless you
count general conference. I have been know to cry when it was supposed to be broadcast on channel 3 and then wasn't on - especially before we had internet to watch on.

8 things that happened yesterday: (Saturday)
1. Helped Torri paint a castle entrance for Victoria's party.
2. Cleaned up the house for Victoria's birthday party.
3. Victoria's birthday party.
4. Torri's car got looked at but not fixed.
5. Trent and Brina's car got worked on but not fixed
6. Tried to figure out what to do about the newly discovered lien on Torri's and Scott's property,
which was holding up the closing of escrow, which is scheduled for Thursday.
7. Went to Walmart in the morning with Torri for Victoria's birthday presents
8. Finally read my scriptures for Sunday School today.

8 things I look forward to:
1. Tevan coming home
2. Seeing Bill again
3. Christmas
4. Millenium- no more wickedness, persecutions, money trials...!
5. Bedtime on exhausting days
6. Sundays
7. the music at church
8. A time with no more pain-physical and emotional

8 things I love about the fall:
1. the smells
2. cooler weather
3. Thanksgiving
4. Baking and eating rolls
5. Cooler weather
6. Cozy feelings
7. Did I mention cooler weather
8. Pumpkin Bread - I'll agree with this one

8 things I need to work on!
1. Being more Christlike.
2. Being more organized.
3. Being more calm.
4. Being more aware.
5. getting back to a better schedule for scripture study.
6. More self discipline for things like getting to bed on time,
7. eating on a better schedule,
8. putting the book down when I should be doing something else!

broken bathroom

So--now I have a "broken" bathroom. With a leak into the hallway, and damaged wall, I decided that since I wanted to gut and redo the front bathroom in the spring, I would have to up the timetable and do the work now. So the process begins. Thought I would document with a few photos. Here is phase 1 beginning.

Twilight character

Take the Quiz and Share Your Results!

Guess I joined everyone else!

1. I have lived in 5 states (Utah 3x, Nevada, Wisconsin, Oklahoma 2x, California 2x), and one foreign country (Germany)

2. I used to have a fear of fluttery things - moths and birds especially, butterflies are mostly okay. Now I just have a moderate nervousness about them in close proximity.

3. I love to learn to do new things--particularly in the arts, crafts and sewing area. As a result I have about a zillion projects that aren't finished. Something new comes along before I finish the last one! Now I mostly just get in the mood for one type of project, and after a while move on to another. But some things actually do get finished.

4. I love rainy days in the desert-love the smell, sunrises, sunsets and the smell of pine forests.

5. I have a really hard time when any of my family is struggling with something. I just worry lots.

6. My first major in college was Home Economics-that was at UCD. When I transferred to BYU I went from the general Home Ec. to Clothing and Textiles, which was my first love anyway.

7. I really liked math in high school, and did well, up through algebra II (advanced algebra. Then we had Trigonometry, and suddenly nothing made sense to me anymore, and that was the end of my math. I took statistics in college for my math requirement. That was okay.

Blue ribbon quilt

I also entered some things in the fair. My baby quilt got a 1st place, and the judges comments said, "fanciful and delightful design, Sashiko quilting adds design and interest" The picture doesn't show the design really well-sorry.

1. Did you date someone from your school? Well, I didn't date in high school except one girl's league dance, and I asked Bill, who had graduated the year before.
2. What kind of car did you drive? A bicycle or I hoofed it.
3. Were you a party animal? Not at all!
4. Were you considered a flirt? no--just quiet and calm.
5. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir? no
6. What was your most embarrassing moment of high school? Probably had several, but after this many years I have successfully blocked it!
7. Were you a nerd? That term wasn't really used much, but probably sort of
8. Were you on any varsity teams? no--didn't have girls sports then, though we did have teams in PE classes that played each other and I played basketball
9. Did you get suspended/expelled? Never!
10. Can you still sing the fight song? yes if I think hard enough (go Blue Devils!)
11. Who were your favorite teachers? Mr. Crabill (math) and Mr. Bowman (chemistry). Mr B. would make explosions behind his back to keep everyone awake!
12. What was your school's full name? Davis Senior High
13. School mascot? Blue Devils
14. Did you go to homecoming, and with who? no
15. If you could go back and do it again, would you? No. I do agree with Aimee that if I could go back knowing what I know now I might make a brief visit!
16. What do you remember most about graduation? I was just excited for it to be over because all the LDS kids were going to Salt Lake City that night for the now non existent general MIA conference to participate in the dance festival. Our ward was selected to represent our area, and it was way fun.
17. Where did you go senior skip day? I don't remember/
18. Were you in a club? Yes- FHA (future homemakers of america)
19. Have you gained some weight since then? not really--I did weigh a little more for a while, but I actually weigh less now than I did then.
20. Who was your prom date? didn't go
21. Are you planning on going to your 10 year reunion? Make that 50th in 2015, and maybe.
22. Looking back, what advice would you give yourself? Don't get in such a fret about things like dating and even getting ready for college. Just enjoy where you are, do your best, and enjoy your friends. I did have some good friends, and I was better off not dating until college!

six questions tag

1) Six places that I go to over and over: work, church, Albertsons, Walmart, Mervyns, my kids' homes.
2) Six people who e-mail me regularly: Aimee, Brina, Torri, Donna, Carl, Linda.
3) Six of my favorite places to eat: Home Town Buffet, Any place with good steak or prime rib, Baskin Robbins, Marie Callendar, Cheesecake Factory, Olive Garden.
4) Six places I would rather be right now: bed, home, temple, mountains, with family, with Bill.
5) Six people I think will respond: Linda? just about everyone else I would tag has already done it.
6) Six TV shows I watch: Knight Rider (depending on how it goes, since it is new, Ghost Whisperer, Numbers, CSI, Heroes. I don't watch all the time, it is occasional.

Thoughts on Conference

I thought I would share a few thoughts on conference. I really enjoyed all the sessions, and have several favorite talks that I will print out as soon as they are available. First, I was excited about the five new temples announced, and especially about one in Rome!

Elder Perry's talk on a simplified life really touched me as a view to take while the world goes crazy with the economy stress. If we just worry about the key things-physical and spiritual, we will be okay. I enjoyed Elder Andersen's theme of "you don't know everything, but you know enough" with faith in Christ being enough. I also found the idea of deciding to rely on our faith in trials really powerful. The hymn the choir sang - "Come Ye Children of the Lord" for some reason had me in tears and longing for the time when the Savior comes. Elder Oaks talk about the sacredness of Sacrament meeting was a powerful reminder of something it is a little too easy to get complacent about.

The two talks on Hope and Unity were both awesome, and first on my list to print. First Elder Uchtdorf's which focused on hope and its power, and how it is a commandment to use hope to move us forward to salvation. It is hope that is the opposite of despair, and is its antidote. The other was Elder Eyrings, which focused on unity and hope. He said we are doing better-we are praying and pleading for unity and our prayers are being answered. When our hearts are knit together, we are magnified in our power. I just think this is so important in families and in the church, and is the pathway to overcoming the problems of this world. Elder Christofferson also talked about unity and Zion and how we are to be beacons of righteousness to those who want out of Babylon. That supports the idea of unity overcoming the world!

Another talk I want right away is Elder Holland's on angels. I loved how he testified that angels exist and they still are sent to help us. Sometimes angels are seen and sometimes unseen. Sometimes they warn but most often they give comfort. I have had unseen angels give me comfort often in this past year and a half. I also found comfort in the reminder that God will fight our battles, and He will win.

And our prophet counseled us to realize change is inevitable but to find joy in the journey. I love that positive attitude. I have often thought of this idea--to bloom where you are planted and joy in the journey. I have tried to be content with where I am and enjoy the moments along the way, though I have sometimes fallen short. I totally agree that gratitude will help in finding the joy in the journey.

I would love to hear your thoughts on conference and know what your favorites were.

the Fours

I know this is an older thing that went around, but I never had a way to do it before, and Trevor asked awhile ago for my list of Fours--so...this is for Trevor, and for anyone else interested.

Four jobs I've had: maid, custom seamstress, dental receptionist,library technician

Four movies I watch over and over: Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, super heroes (3 series for 1): Batman, Spiderman and Superman. (also like latest Little Women, Transformers and Narnia)

Four places I've lived: Davis CA, Provo, Scwaebisch Gmund Germany, Ridgecrest

Four TV shows I watch: (they keep removing the ones I like: Moonlight, Journeyman) but I watch Numbers, CSI, Heroes, sometimes Ghost Whisperer.

Four places I've been: Scotland, England, Switzerland, Canada. Four places in America: Glacier, Yellowstone, Yosemite, Mt. Rushmore, (and several others)

Four favorite things to eat: breads, Ice Cream, Roast Beef, Chocolate

Four place I'd rather be: home, temple, with any of my family, with Bill-which will happen again someday.

Four things I look forward to in the next year or so: Tevan coming home, general conference, temple trips, maybe having enough money to do some more on my house.

Hubby Tag

1-Where did you meet? At church, at a practice for a dance festival. Bill's mom and sister were active when they moved to Davis a few months before. Gwen was called as the dance director for the ward, and we had a couple of practices when Bill came. He was dating a girl in the ward, and she got him to come to practice. Then he started coming back to church and never went back to inactivity.

2-How long did you date before you were married? This is a more complicated question. I had a crush on him at one point in high school, and we had one date to a girl's ask dance when I was a senior and he at a junior college, but we didn't date until I was a senior at BYU. I had been engaged to a missionary, and during the summer back in Davis we were just hanging out some because there weren't many young adults around in the summer. But I had increasingly conflicted feelings and finally decided I wanted to date him seriously, so I broke the engagement. We actually seriously dated about a year-maybe a year and a half. We got officially engaged about 2 months before we got married.

3-We have been married 38 years this past June--and yes I am still counting because we are still married!!!

4-What did he do that surprised you? He used to give me the most interesting gifts--or present them in the most unusual ways. He also would come up with fun activities for the family to try.

5-What is your favorite feature about him? I was first attracted to him because I thought he was very good looking, and I loved his smile.

Who could resist that grin? It was just as appealing when he was older!

6-What is your favorite quality about him? Again, when I first got to know him I saw two characteristics that I liked best about the Savior: kindness and gentleness. He always made the people he was with feel like they were important and were equal participants in an activity, even if they were just beginners at it. I still see the kindness and gentleness as he best qualities.

7-Did he have a nickname for you? He just called me Vic. He never used terms of endearment, but he always wanted to hold my hand, or sit by me. I was the most important person in the world to him.

8-What was his favorite color? He tended to like darker colors, but he really liked pure chroma colors best.

9-What was his favorite food? Pizza, shepherd's pie, and for desert - pie of any flavor.

10-His favorite sport? He was not a big sports fan, but he liked the Indy 500 (which happened on his birthday until the Monday holiday thing passed), and he really liked the Olympics-winter and summer.

11-Who said I love you first? I am pretty sure he did, because I was way to shy and insecure to say it first. I think it was sitting out in front of my parents house in his car, about a year before we got married.

12-When and where was your first kiss? I honestly can't remember, but it might have been on a bike ride around the arboretum on the UCD campus two summers before we got married.

13-What was your favorite thing to do together? Ballroom dancing and board games were the two things we did consistently all throughout our relationship. We also did things like build and fly model sail planes, and astronomy-we bought a small telescope and learned quite a bit about the night sky.



14-He was 61-nearly 62 when he passed away.

15-We have seven children-all wonderful, talented and good looking!!!

16-What hidden talent did he have? He was a jack of all trades and could figure out just about anything. He was a very talented problem solver. When he was going through the psychological evaluation part of the disability exams and tests, the psychologist said he did better on the problem solving puzzles that college professors--so even in the earlier stages of his mental impairment he was very sharp at that.

17-Favorite types of music? He liked a lot of kinds, but mostly similar to my list: hymns, classic rock, folk, anything positive and upbeat!

18-What do you admire most about him? His deep and abiding testimony-and solid determination to do whatever the prophet said. He was the one who made sure we did family prayer, family home evening, family scriptures and were on time (which was 10 minutes early!) for all our meetings. I usually had the follow through, and a lot of the planning out of things, but he was the driving force.

Bill with Thane, Trevor and Trent

19-Will he read this? I kinda think he will be totally aware of this.

So, I have decided to try this blogging thing, for 2 reasons. One, I have enjoyed everyone else's blogs, and thought maybe I would have something to share that way, and two, some of my girls wanted me to do the Hubby tag, and I wanted to do that for them. So look for that post later.