Embarrassing WHO??

One of my favorite things to do in life is to sing along with the songs on the car radio, especially with my Sweet 16 daughter, Leslie. We have XM radio, which I LOVE. Today while traveling along on 795, the 70's music station was on (HER choice). Donny Osmond's “Puppy Love”., came on! (I actually still HAVE that album.... sad, but true). Well, I of course MUST sing with Donny, so I began smiling, acting out the words, etc., trying to get a rise out of her. She sheepishly smiled, and watched. I told her, mid-song, that if she
wanted to change the station she certainly could. She tilted her head, and wryly said,
“OH no – I am quite enjoying you embarrassing yourself”. Can you believe it??

I told her just for that, I was going to “blog” about it.

WAIT, I guess that will embarrass me further!

Camera Cries

I have Camera Issues. The last camera I LOVED was a Canon Sure Shot that actually took FILM. I bought it in 2001 right before our first trip to DisneyWorld. Richard bought a digital Fujifilm FinePix A 303 several years ago, when digital cameras were just becoming popular. It still takes great photos even with the low amount of pixels or however you describe that (Is it Mega pixels??).

Three Christmases ago, Richard bought me an HP digital camera. I love him, but hated the camera - the dang screen in the back was too small (when you youngsters are over 40 that WILL matter to you…). After my incessant complaining, we sold that one on Ebay. Because I have a wonderful and dear husband who loves to make me happy he scored the camera I had asked for on a Black Friday (see his blog) and gave it to me two Christmases ago - a Kodak EasyShare C743, which I had researched and really thought it would be wonderful. All I can get from it is ….blurry photos or bad lighting (see right). I have tried changing the settings, changing them back, etc. Nothing works. So, I either have a lemon or I am too stupid for a supposedly SIMPLE point-and-shoot camera. Last Christmas you ask? NO camera – I have worn him down.

So, to all my digital and “techy” friends out there – what should I do now? What do you use? I need an easy one that will zoom in, zoom out, and will take pretty crisp photos with dummy-proof settings. Is that too much to ask?? OH, and it would be nice if it doesn’t cost as much as a monthly missionary payment.

Ok, I will wait… a little while!

Church's New Website

If you haven't already heard, you will want to check this out. What a BEAUTIFUL thing.

A Temple Apostrophe

Richard and I went on a short “getaway” last weekend and stayed overnight in Bethesda and then attended the Washington, D.C. temple on President’s Day. It was nice to be together and to partake of the spirit there waiting for us. We got engaged on President’s Day in……1980 something ( ha ha) and so it was particularly sweet to be with my Sweetie there.

A few weeks ago, our high council visitor gave a wonderful talk in Sacrament Meeting about Temple Attendance. One statement he made that particularly touched me was that we should EXPECT a blessing when we go to the temple, and EXPECT to learn. I decided to put that to the test.

I was blessed with an “apostrophe” that day (in our family, we use the word “apostrophe” instead of “epiphany”, thanks to one of our favorite movies, “Hook”, so watch it and you will know why….). There is a statement made therein when made me realize that we are to go “THROUGH” sorrow to make it to the positive understandings in our lives: not SIT in Sorrow, not WALLOW in sorrow, nor will we STAY in sorrow forever. We need to get ourselves THROUGH it. There will be an end to that sorrow. We have to choose it to be so, but there IS an end to it.

I was grateful for that realization. It is a blessing in my life right now. One of the examples of the Lord’s Hand in my life… I just had to WAIT for it, but it came.

Boy Noise and Bump Day

Today my son has officially been a missionary for 6 months! Woo hoo! You missionary moms, both former and current, know that I wouldn’t want him to be anywhere else in the world but where he is, and doing what he is doing. However, I have my moments of really missing him, as any mom would. We have made it to the ¼ mark – today he will commemorate that by participating in the traditional 6^th Month Tie Burning Ceremony. I will commemorate it by writing here.

To my young mom friends – not to be completely cliché, BUT the time flies faster than you will ever know. Soon your little sons and daughters will be on their way to the MTC, or to college, or to get married.

It seems like last week I was shopping for his little teeny white church shirts and tiny little baby boy ties.

Wasn’t it just a few days ago that Brian was driving me crazy running around the house making messes in every room or making his sister scream in frustration (oh wait - he did that up until he left 6 months ago, by the way)? I must confess that I miss the boy noise, boy smell and boy mess.

Now the boy noise is replaced with the immeasurable joy of receiving the Monday morning Emails full of inspiration, lessons learned, and stories of touching lives. My blue-eyed energetic son is now spending his time pedaling across “Carolina”, learning Espanol and riding through near-ghettos searching for the pure in heart. He is becoming a man, day by day, frustration by frustration, and blessing by blessing. It’s Parental Pay-off Time, worth every bit of frustration, every argument about Boy Scouts, every prayer, every Family Home Evening lesson, every Sacrament meeting battle, and every tear that came before it.

The tears now are tears of Gratitude to my Heavenly Father for the blessing of watching this boy transform into a man of God.

I guess I just had to wait a little while….

Tagged Already!

I just started my blog and already got Tagged. Thanks, Amy!?? Here goes:

A.The rules of this game are posted at the beginning.
B. Each player answers the question about themselves.
C. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, and then leaves a comment on their blog letting them know they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog to get the directions.

Questions:
10 yrs ago
5 Things on my list of things to do today
Things I would do if I suddenly was a Billionaire
3 of my bad habits
Places I have lived
Jobs I have had
Things most people don't know about me

10 years ago:

1998 – hmm…. Everything is based on our/your kids, so Brian was 9 and 1/2 and Les was 6. Rich was Bishop, we were busy trying to support him, attending lots of rec. council basketball games, I started substitute teaching once in a while. Basically, I was a young busy mom!

5 things on my list today (wrote this part on Saturday, not Sunday):

clean my house, figure out something fun to do with Les, post this, pay bills, finish decorating Leslie’s room

If I was suddenly a billionaire:

I would pay off my bills and those of my extended family, buy new cars, donate lots, and save lots and travel

3 of my bad habits:

blog stalking WAY to much, procrastinating paperwork, forgetting to do things my husband asks me to do (hmmmm …. Someone could psychologically analyze that one..!)

Places I have lived:

Holbrook, Coolidge, and Mesa, Arizona; Provo, Utah, all over the Dominican Republic as a missionary, Ellicott City, Pasadena and Hampstead, Maryland; Seoul, South Korea

Jobs I have had:

File clerk and asst. secretary in Dean of Admissions Office, Mesa Community College, clerk at a dept store, typist (yep, the old days, girls – with typerwriters…ew!) at the Motor Vehicle Admin, secretary at an insurance agency, school teacher, substitute teacher, NOW owner of my small home business representing Treasure Towers

Things most people don’t know about me:

See my first post on here, I was born with one crossed eye, I am a descendent of Joseph Knight mentioned in the Doctrine and Covenants, wet Popsicle sticks affect me like scratches on a chalkboard, I yelled at my children WAY to much when they were little (so don’t do that); I drove an old 1973 AMC yellow Gremlin in high school (that is totally true!).

I TAG: Christine, Amanda, Dionne, Selena, Kate S.

You're it!

It's Valentine's Week!

Richard is now calling himself “the third man” in my life since I posted about two others first on here, so I had better fix that...poor thing.

I love Valentine’s Day. It is my second favorite holiday, after Christmas. I did NOT like it when I was a teenager, nor when I was single, until I met Richard. We started dating seriously in January of “that” year, and got engaged a few days after Valentine’s Day (ok, yes, it was at BYU, but we had known each other many months by then…!). So, Valentine’s Day was coming up and since we were not engaged yet, I wondered and wondered what should I do for him? Anything? Would it be too soon or two forward? Would he be doing anything for me? Such a quandary…

I was doing my student teaching at the time, and wanted to make something for my 5^th graders. I opted for large heart-shaped cookies with each one’s name on them. OH, wait! I could make some for Richard that look like those conversation heart candies! I could put messages on them – hmmm… what messages should I put? Do I DARE put “Love U”, or should it be "Love Ya"…?? Such decisions.

I made several for him, and opted for “Love YA”. He brought me flowers, and a heart-shaped pizza (only in Provo, right?) . We had a fun evening together… studying and taking breaks here and there. It must have worked – we got engaged 5 days later.

As we married and started life together, Valentines Day has always been significant. Richard is quite a romantic (refer to his blog – it may be hidden in there somewhere). During one of our first years of marriage he started “Valentine’s Week” (sometimes followed by “Birth Week”) and I would get sweet little surprises and tokens from him every day. I continued to make heart-shaped cookies with names on them for students when I was a teacher. When our kids were little, we made them for other people in our neighborhood or ward and delivered them to visiting teachees, the kids’ friends, or people we thought might need our attention. We still do it (ok, if you are reading this and you are in our ward now, DON’T be upset at me if you don’t get any!!).

So, friends – It’s Valentine’s Week!! What are you planning for your sweetie? Who is WAITING for you to give them a little “lift”? I promise it will “lift” you, too.

Wait a Little While

So, Kenny Loggins, you ask? Why would I start my blog with him? Most of you who know me would have NO idea that I am one of his biggest fans. It started in college when I dated, yes, a boy in a band (my second, actually). I was a "bubble gummer" through high school, but matured in my taste of music while attending Mesa Community College to enjoy the sweeter music in life, thanks to whats-his-name. I saw Kenny in concert three times during my years at BYU, once sitting in the THIRD row, and have seen him at least twice here on the East Coast with my sweet husband (I am sure Richard is NOT too happy that my first post is about Kenny.... sorry, Honey). Kenny is my favorite; I love him. (Disclaimer - I however DO disagree with most of his political views, but that is a subject for another time...).

There is a method to my madness, however. The title of my blog is from lyrics to one of his songs entitled, " Wait a Little While". You can read the lyrics by clicking here.

My favorite part of the song, and significant part for my life is this:

Wait a little while to welcome what you're after
Give it the time to find its way to you
And soon as you no longer try, you'll turn and find it standing by your side
Come and get it, when you let it, it'll come to you

I am not by nature a patient person. Anyone surprised? Ha ha. I have struggled with that my whole life, and worked to improve. So, I dedicate this blog to talking about patience, impatience, and lessons learned. OK, so I may throw in some photos of my kids, pets, and decorating tips. But generally, that will be my desire.

Aren't you just dying for more? Well, just wait a little while....