Brrrrr.........Chad is awesome!

Early this morning, Chad ran his first 1/2 marathon. I say first because I have a feeling he is going to keep this running thing going. He has been a real natural! The race started at Aspen Grove above Sundance and made it's way down the Provo River Trail ending in the River Bottoms of Provo. Chad ran with two of his Brother-in-laws; Cameron and Shawn. Let me just say it was COLD and they are AWESOME! While Amy, Megan and I waited to cheer them on at Nunn's park, my thermometer read a balmy 30 degrees. It felt colder. It was so cold that as the runners ran by, you could see that their sweat had turned to frost on their clothing. Chad said he actually felt a bit hot (Yes, he is!). The first 5 miles was a steep downhill...easy on the heart, killer on the legs. It began cold and foggy and it ended beautifully...sun and warmth! I was so impressed with the guys, they all did a great job and ended within 10min of each other. Oh, and they got really cool skull shirts and medals to boot! Chad was amazing and the long run didn't even seem to phase his body too much. Really great news given his I.T. band problems earlier in the summer. Way to go, Chad!!! (truth be told, I'm jealous...I wish I could run with as much ease and enjoyment as he does!)

Happy Halloween!!

Ominture/Adobe Halloween party last night....check (photos to come...maybe)
Halloween Half-marathon....check (awesome job, Chad...more to come!)
Candy ready (I think I bought way too much this year)....check
Messy house....check
Pumpkin-shaped pizza....check
Witches brew (dry ice!)....check
Make-up....check
Obligatory photos (I love that group shot)....check
Trick or Treat.....GO!

Blog post....check
I figured getting my blog post done would make the night go more quickly. I think I'm anxious for the holiday to be done...we've packed in a lot of Halloween stuff this year. Yes, it's been a slow start for trick or treaters tonight and I'm on door duty.  Maybe I'm a little bored. Chad's out with the kids and Josh is at a party with friends (talking to a certain girl I'm sure!) Which do you prefer; door duty or walking the neighborhood? Neither?

Bittersweet

"Through tears and trials, through fears and sorrows,
through the heartache and loneliness of losing loved ones,
there is assurance that life is everlasting. Our Lord and
Savior is the living witness that such is so."

-Thomas S. Monson

 And in the words of Herodotus...

"Death is a delightful hiding place for weary men." Grandpa, enjoy hiding from your weary body and we look forward seeing you again. We will miss the teasing.  We will miss the stories. We will miss the honor of having one who lived such an amazing life in our presence. We love you.

More Hallow-een fun...

It's always fun to enjoy the Halloween traditions we've started with the grandparents.  G'ma and G'pa Jensen hold a big party/FHE each year complete with spooky food and games. This year, the kids loved playing the "head on a platter" and eye ball relays. They also loved popping the balloons to find the treats inside. (I love the photo of Sarah sitting on her balloon...an instant before it popped!) This years backyard spook alley attracted even more friends and neighbors than last year. Ron is always a huge help with that. With Grammy PJ, the kids love creating a graveyard cake.Or you could say, a cake with every bit of Halloween available sprinkled on top! Thank you to the grandparents for all your efforts to make the holidays so fun and memorable...we love you!

I did it.

Yesterday, I ran my first 10k. I have been running 5 miles at a time fairly consistently now, but wow, that 6.2 miles felt so much further. Why do I have a smile on my face? Why am I flashing the love sign (although I meant to do the rocker sign) like I just had the time of my life? I'm really not sure because truth be told, it was kind of hard and I kind of didn't have fun. I guess 1 hour and 12 min (I know...not a great time) of misery was worth a free (yes, the race was free!) Nike dry fit t-shirt! I don't know how race courses are ranked, but I'd say this one was not an easy course. We started out going up hill to Sugar House park. As soon as we reached the park, we ran on grass. For about a mile. Dodging pine cones. Once we circled around and finally hit some pavement, the hills started. Cardio wise, I felt fine. It was my legs that felt so fatigued. I guess I could blame it on week of climbing up and down a 20 foot ladder (painting my dining room), but the bottom line is, I just need to train more. Knowing that I've been sucked into a half marathon in January weighed heavily on my mind yesterday. I kept thinking, "...and this isn't half of what I will have to do then."  Yes, it looks like my winter days will filled with running. Ugh.

Last weekend, I went to "Witches Night Out" at Gardner Village with some of my girlfriends. Have you ever been? Wow...craziness. As you can tell by the photos, we were pretty decked out...as were about 8,000 other women from the Salt Lake Valley. No joke! We literally parked almost a mile away. I'm not lying. Look at the photos. And I was wearing high heeled boots. Ouch. Once our trek ended, we joined the throng of other women starving for a night out in full costume. Speaking of starving, many of us did. The line for the food was so long, it was hopeless. Good thing for Chili's at 9:30 on a Friday night! There are so many people you can barely work your way through the crowd. I say people because while nearly everyone in the crowd is of the female species, there were a few strange characters from the other side. Take Mr. Super-Creepy-Clown-in-a-White-Suit. Weird. Guess he didn't get the memo that the costume request was for witches. lol  Even the animal species was represented with a lady toting around an owl. See, I told you...it was craziness! With Witches Night, G'ma and G'pa's Halloween party, the neighborhood party and the Omniture party, I just might be done with Halloween before it even gets here! So much fun (with an itchy wig and make-up) is exhausting!

Am I that gullible?

As we were climbing in the car after one of our Sunday dinners in Kaysville, there was some sort of commotion between the kids. No surprise. Chad turns to Andrew and says, "You're the wizard of getting people in trouble." Andrew blurts out, "No I'm not!" And then with a little mischeiveous smile growing across his angelic face, "Well.......kind of."   Ahhhhh-ha! The tricks of a middle child. The master of deflecting to the older sibling. I can't believe I was so gullible all this time. Or was I? For the record, Andrew does have a record...very good record. He's not perfect, but we don't call him "Angel Andrew" for nothing!

Hi, my name is Julie and I'm addicted to projects.

I think I have a problem. It's called "projects." I've decided that since I never nurtured and developed my artistic talents, this is the next best thing to satisfy that need. Why is it a problem you ask? I've got several reasons and I will tell you a few. 1) I can't shut my brain off. Once I start thinking of something it kind of takes over. (do I need medication?) 2) I think I unconsciously use these projects to ignore all other responsibilities is life.Painting a room is so much better than doing laundry. 3) They create bigger messes that I ever think they will. and 4) While I am extremely frugal, I still end up spending money that maybe I don't need to. However, I must say, the end result almost always trumps these problems. I love dreaming and scheming in my head (dreaming=big budget, scheming=almost no budget).
I've been joking lately that even if I had the money, I'd still like to do things myself and hunt around for great finds. Am I just telling myself that because I don't have the money? Maybe. But, I'd still like to think that even if I had unlimited funds, I'd still be frugal and hands on with making my home my own. (Gee, I'd like to test  out the unlimited budget someday!)
So, currently, I am working on the dining room. It has been a blank and very boring slate for 5yrs now. For sure, the first thing I do with a project is to look at what I already have and to figure out what I can do myself. I've had a black table for several years and I had some natural chairs leftover from the kitchen project (they will be painted black). They are very casual chairs, but with a nice upholstered parsons chair on each end, I think they will do! I found these great chairs at Ikea. Very reasonable, sturdy (much better than the chair I loved at Pier One...and half the price) and the slip covers are removable (ie. washable!). My most exciting find was the chandelier. $60 on the KSL classifieds. Yes, this would be $400 chandelier at Lowes and I got it for almost pennies!! I little black spray paint and I think it will go perfectly (and nicely compliment my entry light to boot). In case you haven't talked to me recently, I am a huge fan of the KSL classifieds (think Craigs List). lol I have gone with an extremely bold paint choice. A Ralph Lauren gold (yes, GOLD) metallic paint. If it plays out like it does in my head, I think the black furniture and creams in the upholstery and dish display will work together wonderfully. I'm picturing a bit of a "Frenchy" feel. And....if things work out, I may have one splurge to finish the room....

Preschool field trip....check!

If you've read my past entries, you'll know that I had a terrible record for attending preschool field trips last year. This year, is Jenna's last year in preschool and she is my baby. I am bound and determined to mantain a better record this year. So far I'm 2 for 2!

A couple weeks ago, we headed to Thanksgiving Point to see the farm animals. Jenna loved the baby horse and having a tractor ride and a horseback ride.

Yesterday, the kids headed to a local pumpkin patch. She had so much fun pushing her own wheel barrow, picking her own pumpkin...and most of all the corn maze. I think she and her friends ran through that thing a half a dozen times!
I am really trying to enjoy and live in the now because wow....it is flying by was too fast.

Happy Birthday Josh...14 years old!!!!

Yea, yea...I know! How in the world can Josh be 14....FOURTEEN???? He can go to church dances now. And dance. With girls. I think there just might be a few girls already lined up hoping he'll ask them for a dance.

It seems with each year, it gets harder to celebrate and gift give. Gone are the days of the dinosaur theme party and a pile of gifts to be opened. The fifty bucks or so that bought several toys now buys ummm, say 3/4 of a cool gift suitable for a teenager. Fortunately,  Josh was just as thrilled with his new cell phone (Celtic green, of course...and no, it's not an expensive phone...we stayed within budget!) and Skull Candy headphones. So glad he "gets it."

However, I am Julie and I worry that I haven't done enough or his day won't be memorable enough. So what do you do?? Well, apparently you spend $20 in doughnuts and candy at the gas station the night before his birthday. (so much for practical gifts and budgets) I thought it wholly appropriate that Josh start his day off right....with a chocolate Dunford doughnut. The candy? I attached a "happy birthday" tag to 14 (get it??lol) packs of Josh's favorite gum and candy. I then asked his friend to distribute the candy to friends who would then in turn give them to Josh. About 8 packs in, it dawned on Josh that it was me that did it. He said it was the font and the tag that gave it away. I wonder what that says about me and Josh that A) he knows what a font is and B) he associates "fonts" with his mom. I digress.

Later that day, G'ma Chris joined us for dinner at the Training Table. (mmmm....thanks g'ma!)We ended the day with chocolate cake, ice cream and a few gifts. Sarah put together some  items she thought Josh would like (ie. very random things gathered from around the house). They were carefully placed in a white box tied with yarn. I love that she did that...Josh loved it, too.  I know Josh had a good day....he hasn't looked up from his new phone. We love you, Josh!!

How can this not make you smile?

Temple Riders

One of the things I love about watching conference in Utah are the little news/movie/biography vignettes that KSL plays between sessions. Stories about members, temples and events from around the world are featured. Today, "Footprints of Faith" featured the Temple Riders motorcycle group. Now really, how can you not smile when you see this? Our bishop in Colorado, Bishop Chuck Barton loved going on motorcycle trips with his wife Bea (I loved having Bea as my visiting teacher). I always loved that they had such a unique hobby together. There was a running joke that you could hear the hum of their motorcycles in the parking lot on the day he was released. Hmm...I wonder, are they part of the Temple Riders today?

"The Princess and the Frog 2"

It's always been clear that Sarah is very creative. Even knowing this, I am always tickled with delight and surprise when I see something she does. A couple weeks ago, she created an entire play. Complete with backdrops and people. Her stage set up was the best; it was flanked by pillows and a blanket draped over her head to hide the behind the scenes mechanics (i.e. her!). She was thrilled to have the family's undivided attention. It was so cute seeing her little hands peeking out from behind the blanket to manipulate that characters...then her little head poking out to change the backdrop. Her story line was a sequel to the fairytale of  "The Princess and the Frog." In this continuation of the original, the Princess decides she likes the Prince better as a frog. He travels to a witch, a wizard and a mad scientist to gain his frog-hood back. Ahh...but, there is a surprise ending. The mad scientist added an extra spell to the potion; turning whoever he kisses into a frog. The princess not only gets her wish of the Prince being turned back into a frog, BUT she gets to join him as an amphibian, too! It was priceless! Well done, Sarah...keep up the creativity. We can't wait to see what you do next!

Chad and I have often said that we don't need our kids to be better than everyone else at what they do...we do, however, want them to work hard and do their personal best. It is so exciting when we catch little glimpes of this inner drive at work. It's no wonder that Andrew exhibits this so well. He may not always love playing soccer, but while he is there he is 100% committed and determined to do his best. I'd like to think that he's not only doing his best for mom and dad, but for himself. Andrew is not  aggressive by nature and it's taken a couple of years for some aggression to develop on the field. I have loved seeing him stick with it...and I have loved seeing his upward climb of improvement. These characteristics are very evident in other areas of Andrew's life, especially his school work. Determined and committed to do his best work (and he does!). Hmm...maybe we can work on spreading this attitude to keeping his room clean? ;) Keep it up Andrew...you're awesome!

FHE with the Jensens

Sunday night, the Jensen clan gathered in Kaysville for a Family Home Evening gathering like no other. G'ma and G'pa worked on this for quite some time and were so excited to present this special lesson to the g'kids. After a dinner surrounded by closed windows (so the kids couldn't see the set-up in the backyard), we had a lesson on Lehi's dream and the Tree of Life.After the lesson, each child had a "veil" placed over their eyes and they were directed to the rod. The path was even lined with "the great and spacious building," complete with taunters (my favorite part...love that picture)! The kids made their way to the Tree of Life where small goodies awaited. I love that we ended the night with a family cheer. What a memorable FHE...we loved it! Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!

The other night I left the girl's bedroom window open. In the middle of the night Jenna bursts into our room,

"Mom! The window is flying away! 

It keeps flying up!"

Yes, Jenna is wearing Shark goggles in public...and I loved it!

Goodbye MAX

Nearly five years ago (December 12, 2005) I heard a tiny little meow from beneath a car at my  neighbors house. It was freezing outside and there was no way I could leave this little kitten to die. After checking with the neighbors to make sure it wasn't theirs and doing a little eyelash batting at Chad, we brought him home. The kids were thrilled with this unexpected surprise (Jenna was only 6mo old and I was no where near wanting a pet). He was quickly given the name Max Sparkly (Sarah's contribution!) Medeiros. So thus commenced the roller coaster ride of owning a pet.

Often frustrated with some of his shortcomings, I would refer to my care for him as a stewardship. Meaning, no matter how much I disliked his pee accidents,  the occasional nip at the kids, or the claw marks in the door frames (pre declawing), I would never consider dropping him off at the pound. I knew, we had taken him in and accepted that responsibility and therein much love grows for taking care of the needs of an imperfect creature. Chad and I often joked how nice it would be to have him gone...no worries while on vacation, no shutting doors (for fear of him peeing), and no random finds of a stinky accident. However, now that he is gone, I find emptiness in the special places he loved. The spot at the top of the stairs, our bath mat, under the girls bed, under Josh's blanket, on top of Chad's car. I find myself looking for him again and again in these "Max spots" or expecting to hear him meow to be let in or out of room. I will miss how he curled up next to me after the kids went to bed or when I napped.

So what happened? About two weeks ago, I suddenly noticed he had gotten dramatically skinny. I asked Chad if he had noticed. Then there was an increase in accidents. I knew we needed to take him in. Somehow, life speeds off and it gets put in the back of your mind. After coming home to another accident on Tuesday and realizing that he was not eating (only drinking) I knew we had to get him in. The kids and I took him in that afternoon. It wasn't good...not good at all. The vet ran a blood test and found that his liver was failing. He was in very bad shape. The prognosis was not good. A shot of fluids and antibiotics was our only hope.He needed to start eating and show signs of an improvement within a couple days. That night, I found that Andrew had lined up his food to spell his name...in hopes that Max would eat. When we woke up the next morning my heart just sunk when I saw him. He hadn't left the family room from the night before, he had peed where he was laying and hadn't touched his food or water. I desperately wanted him to be okay, but there was no doubt in my mind that we couldn't let him suffer. The kids were all very aware of his state and were all hoping and praying for him to eat and recover. When it was clear that this would not be the case, we all gathered around the family room for one of the most difficult conversations I've ever had. We were all sobbing. It was torture looking at Max lying there with his blue eyes knowing what we had to do. After a family prayer, the kids were left to process this. They drew pictures of Max, Sarah prayed that he would eat (her faith is incredible and it killed me to tell her this prayer wouldn't be answered), Andrew and Sarah wrote a song and Josh wrote "Max" on his arm. However dramatic this all may sound, I will add it was a very traumatic day with many emotions flowing.

Originally, I told Chad there was no way I could take him back to the vet. As the time came, I knew I couldn't let Chad do this alone. As I gathered him from beneath the girl's bed, my heart was breaking knowing what we were about to do.The kids said their final goodbyes and we headed to the vet. Surprisingly, Chad was the one that had to leave and go to the car. Don't get me wrong, we were both crying, but I was the one that had to sign the consent to euthanize form. Now, I know there are much more difficult things in life, but this was seriously heart wrenching. As with many tough experiences, this ended up being a really special experience for us as a family. To experience love and loss together. To see  the kids reach out and hug each other in comfort. To pray together and affirm the Plan of Salvation to our children. One friend described the love/hate relationship of a pet to that of having a teenager: Sometimes you can't stand living with them but you always want them there. Sure my house might be a little more clean and free from pet worries....but, it's a little more empty, too. We love you, Max and will miss having you here.

Utah State Fair: enjoy the goodness

For the last couple years, the kids have been attending the State Fair with Grammy (and sometimes Papa). The kids seem to have an internal clock whose alarm starts going off in mid August. "Is it time for that festival thing?" one will say. "When are we going on the rides with Grammy?" from another, and, "I want cotton candy!" Yes, the time has come. The Utah State Fair is here. Time for the children enjoy the Fair's nutritious and delicious offerings, feel the thrill of semi-safe rides and have a few lessons in animal husbandry. This year also threw in some rain, a meatball stain on mom's boob (courtesy of Moochies) and some $30 cotton candy (Megan lost money while buying a treat). No matter. We enjoyed it all the same. A highlight each year is sitting in on a session of animal judging (for lack of the correct term). Last year it was the sheep and their "cronches" (as Sarah said...lol). This year it was two varieties of cows; the Holstein and Jersey. Who knew a prized cow had a rear bone structure set high and wide....with full, bulging udders? Yes, love what we learn and what we learn to appreciate at the Fair! Thanks Grammy...we loved continuing the tradition!!

Food + Festival = Fun (ie. leaking money)

The kids are off track (yes, I know, school just started) and in an attempt to be "fun mommy" I've been trying to supplement our daily activities. I am bound an determined to keep them on jobs/workbook/piano schedule in the morning, but I am also trying hard to add in more trips to the library and other fun outings.

Last weekend was the Greek Festival in Salt Lake. I'm not sure why I've never taken part in the this local institution and this year the call of Greek food was too much to miss. Friday morning I headed downtown with Andrew, Sarah and Jenna. Right off the bat, I make a few cardinal mistakes as a mother; no stroller, shoes that were too small for Jenna and bad time of day. No sooner had we found parking, paid for parking, paid the entrance fee and joined the mile long line for the food (along the with rest of the SL workforce on lunch break), Jenna complains that her feet hurt. Being "casual mommy" I say fine, take your shoes off. As we are winding through the line, her socks get more and more black with each step. Oh well. While waiting in line, I did buy a tyropite to share....mmm....bring on the calories! We finally reach our destination to find each food item price a la carte. A scoop of rice, $2.00??!! I  frugally put food on two plates of all of us to share. A bit pricey (especially with kids) but mmmm.....delicious! As we were eating the pastry line in right behind me...and besides, I do have a few more dollars just begging to leave my possession. We end lunch with baklava and some sort of powder sugar covered cookie. Wow! I think I've just fulfilled my calorie in take for the week. So good! The kids had a great time trying the Greek food and I loved giving them the opportunity. We were disappointed that there was no Greek music of dancing while  we were there (the bad timing part of the trip...I should have known that most of the dancers are kids and are in school). Not wanting our Greek experience to only consist of food (but that is the best part isn't it?) we head over to the cathedral for a tour and brief introduction to the Greek Orthodox faith. Sarah exclaims as we walk in, "This is the most beautiful church EVER!!!!" I so clumsily say, "Well, yes it is...but, not as beautiful as the temple, right???"  Yes, I know....totally lame response. I momentarily let "hyper mommy" think that just because she thought this building was so beautiful it somehow weakened her testimony. Dang, I've got a lot of work to do with my mothering skills. In attempt to not completely throw off our cultural experience, we stick around a bit longer talking about the art and the infant baptismal font. All in all a fun field trip. Expensive, yes...but fun!

PS...these pictures crack me up...Jenna-no shoes and Sarah's "I'm so full I could puke" face after eating!

Primary initiation

     For the last 2 years, I have been working as a teacher in Relief Society. This calling has given me far more than I ever expected. I can't believe how much I learned. I loved, loved, loved this calling. Upon my release, I was asked to teach the (one of  three!) Sunbeam class...the (mostly) adorable 3 and  4 year olds. This will definitely be a change of pace from my previous assignment. While I may go home each week with what I call "the primary headache," I am never bored and I love it.These kids are sweet, sassy, and always liberally offer up secret family information ("my mom has a baby in her tummy," or "I broke my toy on purpose and hid it under my bed," and often, "my mom yells at me") While it always keeps my on my toes, I really do love teaching them and seeing their eyes light up as little seeds of testimony are planted.
     Today was a perfect example. This was only my second week teaching. Our lesson today was about "Friends." I begin by asking the children who I am...hoping that I could get them to see me as their friend. When I throw out the bait, they all cry out, "You're not our friend, you're a mom!" Hmmm....okay, that pretty much backfired. I continue with the lesson. Several times throughout the lesson, one  little girl keeps asking to tell a story about her dad. I gently remind her she will have her turn at the end of class. Knowing how badly she wanted to tell this story, I officially turn the attention to her at the end of the lesson. She starts, "I went upstairs.....and....saw my dad....NAKED!!!" Wha, wha, what???  It was out there and said before I could even react. There was no clue or indication of what direction she was heading in. Wow. What do you say to that? I awkwardly said something like, "Well, yes, we all take showers....we all have to get dressed...." It didn't matter. They were all lost in their giggling. At least class was over and some of pressure would be off me in sharing time, right?
     With our annual primary program fast approaching, the children are practicing their standing in unison and standing while singing. One girl in particular had a difficult time standing when she should be sitting and sitting when she should be standing. After about the third time trying to direct her, I reach down and to help her stand, except....at the exact moment that I bend over, she decides to jump up. (!!!!!!)  Did someone just ring a bell? That is what it felt like when her head was thrust into my lip. My eyes were watering, my lip was bleeding. I feel all the adults looking at me (trying to figure out what just happened) as I excuse myself from the room. My lip bleeding and throbbing, I needed a moment to gather myself. I'm pretty sure I have a good idea of what your lips feel like after a collagen injection. Mine felt nice and full. While my top lip was definitely swollen, I think it felt worse than it looked. I expected primary to be a change of pace. I just didn't think I would need protective gear!

Need a fast, easy read?

May I recommend....

"Flipped" by Wendelin Van Draanen

I loved this juvenile fiction. Yes, it was a charming, quick read, but it really had some depth. I loved the way the narrative "flips" between Bryce and Juli. This book is a wonderful observation on how the same situation is view by two different people...how there is always so much more to someone that we ever really take the chance to see. I know since reading it, I've caught myself thinking about how I look at others and how others might see me. There is always more to us than anyone ever sees. How can we change what we see in others and what others see in ourselves? I think this is a valuable read for anyone, boy or girl. I am passing this book along to my kids.

8th Grade

Is it just me or is he really, really looking older this year?

And the "Mother of Year" award goes to....

Just in case you were competing for this award, I'm pretty sure I've got the title secured. Yea, having another one of "those" days. Again. I seem to have a lot of these.

Today was Josh's first day of school. I bought Dunford doughnuts for breakfast (see I really am trying to be mother of the year...or not, if you're a healthy mom....ha ha!). I set the alarm bright and early to give us plenty of time in the morning. Alarm goes off (Chad is out of town btw, so I do have another person's awareness as insurance). I look at the clock and think, "Eh...this is too early. I will wake up in 10 minutes." Next thing I know, I'm being awakened by pounding on the front door. Carpool is here!! I throw on a robe and send carpool on their way and then get Josh out of bed. Luckily, being a boy, it doesn't take much to get ready. I even had time for a quick 1st day of school photo. AND...he even got breakfast. I knew I bought doughnuts for a reason! Just after I drop Josh off (he was on time!) I realize he has no lunch money. I will have to drop some off later.

Still more.

As I'm leaving the gym, I notice a call from the elementary school. I quickly realize that today is picture day. I even had this one written on the calendar (I swear calendars don't work...oh, yea, I have to actually check the calendar). My mind flutters with resolutions. Run to the school with a brush, go home get new clothes...or, do nothing. I concede to do nothing. I am going for authenticity in the school pictures this year. The kids just as they are...no cute hair, no clean shirt....heck, I don't even know if their faces are clean. It's all good. There is plenty of time later for perfectly presented children in photos, right?

Still more.

I have no brain. I wonder how many blog posts have egregious spelling errors and grammatical mistakes (I'm sure many in this post alone). I had done a fun little photo collage of a recent relief society activity. I was asked for copies and emailed them out. Last night I got a couple emails.
"The Higland 1st Ward Summer Salad Social." A few problems: we are not the 1st ward we are the 9th. So a totally fumble around photoshop and somehow change the number and email the new copy. More emails this morning. Ummm....Higland is spelled Hig*h*land. Whatever, it's already been emailed to the ward. I give up.

How wonderful to have Kerri visiting from Colorado! Although she was staying with Jackie, I got to see her a couple times. It was so fun to hit a few classes at Education Week in Provo with Kerri and Andrea. Just enough to know we'd love to do it again. We were totally cracking up that we went to all the effort to climb over flowers and stand next to Brigham only to have the person taking the photo cut his head off! Saturday night, Chad, Jackie and I went with Kerri to hear her friend, Dave perform. He was awesome...taking on any request we had with ease. What talent! Although it was quick, it was wonderful to Kerri...love you, Kerri!

Temple dedication

It still seems surreal to me that we have a temple literally around the corner. It has been an honor to witness the whole process; from construction, to open house and now the dedication. Chad and I were able to attend the first dedicatory session in the temple Friday morning. We sat in one of the sealing rooms upstairs (they really packed people in...even in some of the hallways!). I would definitely have to say that one of the highlights was watching the live feed of the cornerstone ceremony. This is something we most likely would have only seen photos and short media clips of. In this short ceremony we got such a human look at President Monson. I loved seeing him so relaxed and less formal. He did a lot of joking and teasing. He commented to President Uchtdorf's attempt at the mortar, "That's pretty good...for an airline pilot." I loved seeing such relaxed expressions from him...so nice to be reminded of his human-ness. As the dedication continued inside we were able to hear from President Packer and Elder Oaks. As we sung the "Spirit of God," I found knew meaning to the words, "...we'll sing and we'll shout with the armies of heaven." Being inside the temple, I knew we were indeed, singing with the armies of heaven. Sunday afternoon, Chad attended a session with Josh, Andrew and Sarah (I stayed home w/ Jenna and babysat my brother's kids so they could go). Sarah has talked about it several times since and is treasuring her white hanky. I am so grateful for this opportunity we've had as a family to witness and take part in the opening of the Oquirrh Mountain temple.