Me and our party at Glen Ivy Hot Springs
Thanks for a great day! Best wishes Haley!
Can you believe it? This is what I've been doing with my time. Yesterday was SPA DAY (at Glen Ivy in Corona) for Haley's Bachelorette Party. It was very nice and relaxing. It would be nice to do it again and not wait another 60 years to pull it off. I remember as a kid my grandmother going with her cousins to the hot springs. Now I know why - all the relief from aches and pains, not to mention great company and food. Sign me up for a year's pass and for the rest of my life; oh . . . one problem, I was so relaxed and tired it was hard to drive home. Hughie gets in the tub every morning trying to soak his aches and pains away. I guess I'll have to compensate and follow his lead.
This video is about a little girl's perspective
living with her Autistic brother.
It touched me because
many of the children I service are Autistic.
Subbing has been a little different for me this year. Initially I ended up being in a class for approximately four months. It was a class I have subbed for many times over the years. I was happy to be there. I couldn't have done it without the help I received. The para educators who are in the class are awesome. They guided me, helped me, and together we made a team. I also had support from other staff and administrators. The children naturally began to bond with me and accepted me as their real teacher; which they, of course, would do over time and yet, I was only the substitute. I was very temporary, there was no doubt about that. The teacher was ill, but is back in the class now. The situation was very bittersweet for me because I too had bonded and made friends. It was time to move on.
I sub for a reason - I don't have to work every day; yet the pressure of daily work was on me. I felt compelled to be of service. I felt being there was the right thing to do and I was glad to do it, but when it was over I felt I needed to take a bit of a rest. It then seemed very odd not working for almost two months after having worked so consistently, but I was feeling a little tired, melancholy, and worn out.
Some years back I ended up taking a three month hiatus from subbing when my mother went on hospice and eventually passed away. I had things to do at home and it seems that's the case now with Janna leaving for a mission in July and Tom marrying in June. My dad too was on hospice earlier this year, but is doing better. We have also had many visitors which we were happy to receive. I have been very content to stay at home with all the doings.
Well, this post has been a kind of overview of my working school year. It is now May and I have jumped in again with subbing. I am feeling better and am back in the swing of things. I am assuming I will finish out the school year doing my usual two to three days a week.
I've been in a bit of a slump the last two months. I only worked two days for the school district. One at the beginning of March and one at the end of April with nothing in between. I have finally fully recovered from my fall last February, but now the other knee hurts. I keep thinking it will get better, being lighter would help. I have had lots of headaches this spring dealing with my allergies, but that too seems better now. What once had me down seems to have moved on. The light is a little brighter; therefore, I'm a little more optimistic.
My food and exercise are an issue. I set two new challenges for the month of May at loseit.com. The goals don't have anything to do with my diet or exercise, but I'm hoping they help. It is to drink more water and get more sleep. I've decided to start there. Maybe my motivation will perk with these improvements because right now I can certainly say, "I really want to eat and I don't want to exercise." Here's to watching me win the battle or should I say, "lose the battle." What a situation I'm in.
Each week my sister-in-law, JoLinda, sends me the letters from her missionary children. I wanted to share part of Elder Reynders letter. He's now serving in his second area - St. Paul, Minnesota. I find his situation fascinating and inspiring - read on and then watch the video: I have a lot of stuff to tell you because this area is absolutely nothing like Buffalo. I am in the center of St. Paul. I can see the Cathedral [and] hear the bells every day. I thought NPS stood for North Saint Paul, but it actually stands for Nepali Saint Paul. This means I work a ton with Nepali people. They are all refugees that came to the U.S. in the last 5 years. Most of them are Hindu. They eat curry and every time we go into one of their homes they feed us. I love their food. I have no idea what they are saying though. I get to study Nepali for an hour every day and I love it. I have been wanting to learn another language for the past couple of months and now I get to. My companion, Elder M------, is still learning Nepali. I replaced the only native Nepali in our mission and he spoke Nepali fluently. I am not sure why I got put here, but I like it. My Nepali name is Sagh-meer. It is easier for the Nepali people to say than Elder Reynders. I love the city. There are almost no white people. I love diversity which there was very little of in Buffalo. My mission President called my new area the U.N. because there are people from all over the world in this area. In the past five days I have met people from West Africa, Bangladesh, Nicaragua, Mexico, Nepal, and Thailand. My whole district serves in my ward. There are 8 Elders. There are two sets of Karen Elders. Karen (pronounced Ka-REN) - they are a minority of Asians from Thailand, then the English Elders, and me and Elder M------, the Nepali Elders. My zone is the St. Paul Asian Zone. All the Hmong Elders are in our Zone along with my district.
This trip was not only fun, but educational. As Lisa and I would drive, talk, visit with people, and sight-see; we would write down questions we had. After we got home we'd search for answers, looking things up on the Internet and then discuss it some more. Our understanding increased, our friendship increased. I am so grateful for Lisa. What a wonderful thing it is to have such a wonderful friend.
Our last day, September 12th -
Homeward Bound
One for the road -
A "Cracker Barrel" breakfast in St. George
Scary sights in Vegas
We just kept driving, and driving, and driving until
FINALLY . . .
"Honey, I'm HOME!"
Mark and Lisa
Martha and Hugh
Other than my husband, who is really my best of friends; I have never really done anything like this before - a road trip with a friend. When my mother was older she would go on trips sometimes with her friend, Janeen, (our host in Bountiful). We talked with Janeen about her and my mom, trips, and compared them to Lisa and I. Janeen said, "Going on a trip with a friend is great, if you really like your friend." Well, Lisa and I had a great time. I'm sure we'll get to do something like this again someday. In the meantime . . .
September 11th - a big drive today. We toured Welfare Square in Salt Lake City before heading California way. I had never been there before. It was my favorite part of our trip. Later in the day, after eating in a little diner in Beaver, we took the scenic route up the mountain.
Cedar Breaks
I was calling it the mini Grand Canyon.
Lisa, conquering her fear of heights.
Freezing cold on the top of the mountain.
Burning hot at the bottom.
“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature -- the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.”―Rachel Carson, Silent Spring
Unbelievable scenery
I thought these views were a top highlight.
Lisa in true form was all about the animals -
Sheep
and dog alike.
We finally arrived in Hurricane, Utah and stayed with the Thorley's for the night.
This was the view from their home.
We didn't take any pictures of our hospitable hosts.
They made our trip even more enjoyable.
We watched a movie that night, visited, had some snacks,
and not to mention - a great night sleep.
Thanks to the Thorley's!.
"Attend the temple. You will be blessed for so doing. Every man or woman who goes
into the house of the Lord leaves there a better man or woman than he or she was
when he or she entered the house of the Lord. The house of the Lord will have a
refining effect upon you. It will cultivate unselfishness within your lives. It will build
righteousness. It will impress upon you the importance of doing what you ought to do.
Go to the house of the Lord." -President Gordon B. Hinckley
One of the main reasons we came on this trip was to attend the Brigham City Temple Open House which means we were able to go inside for a tour before it was dedicated.
Readying for our tour of the Brigham City Temple.
In front of us across the street set the Brigham City Tabernacle.
Another view of the Tabernacle
September 10th
In front of the entrance to the Brigham City Temple
in the morning sun.
We had tickets for an early tour.
The Brigham City Temple
Another view
It was built on a site of an old school.
After our temple tour we toured the tabernacle.
Antelope Island
After our time in Brigham City we hit Antelope Island.
The largest of all the islands in the Great Salt Lake.
The overcast day made our trip on Antelope Island very pleasant.
Real Bison Up Close
This was one of Lisa's favorite parts of our trip. She's all about animals and being able to see the bison so close was amazing. We also saw antelope and other wildlife as we toured the island.
Beautiful scenery, but not much in the way of trees.
Visited the original homestead.
Lots of history.
It boasts the oldest standing building in Utah.
On the way back our GPS got us lost trying to find a Cracker Barrel. We finally found it on our own and had a nice dinner. We spent the rest of our evening visiting with the Steven's, our hosts, (which we didn't take a picture of). They were so good to us. Wish we could have stayed longer.
September 9th
For our Temple Square visit we rendezvoused
with my brother, Adam and his wife Sally.
In the Tabernacle
We couldn't go to Salt Lake City and not hear the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. It was Sunday so we heard them perform for the morning broadcast of Music and the Spoken Word. It was great to be there.
Another building on Temple Square - the Assembly Hall.
Me and Lisa pictured next to a beautiful side door.
Happily, Sister Ariel Ibarra (from our stake)
and her companion were our tour guides.
Our foursome by the Salt Lake Temple.
Saying our good-byes and wrapping up our whirlwind tour.
Lisa, I, and our tour guides.
Then we were off to Holladay to spend the day with Adam, Sally, Michael, and Emma. A great meal and great company. It was a wonderful Sabbath day!
Hello! I'm Martha, welcome to my blog. You'll find some highlights posted here of my family, religion, art, photos, music, musing, whatever. These pieces of my daily living are "THE BOOK OF MARTHA", a glimpse of me.
Martha Reynders Blair Lancaster, California
"I thank God that I live in this day and age of the world, when my ears have heard the sound of the fulness of the gospel of Christ."
Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.
And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.
Moroni 10:3-5
“Search the scriptures—search the revelations … and ask your Heavenly Father, in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, to manifest the truth unto you, and if you do it with an eye single to His glory nothing doubting, He will answer you by the power of His Holy Spirit. You will then know for yourselves and not for another. You will not then be dependent on man for the knowledge of God; nor will there be any room for speculation.”
"It is the Holy Ghost who testifies that Jesus Christ is the Beloved Son of a Heavenly Father who loves us and wants us to have eternal life with Him in families. With even the beginning of that testimony, we feel a desire to serve Him and to keep His commandments. When we persist in doing that, we receive the gifts of the Holy Ghost to give us power in our service. We come to see the hand of God more clearly, so clearly that in time we not only remember Him, but we come to love Him and, through the power of the Atonement, become more like Him."
“The temple is a place of beauty, it is a place of revelation, it is a place of peace. It is the house of the Lord. It is holy unto the Lord. It should be holy unto us.”
My brothers and sisters, we are surrounded by those in need of our attention, our encouragement, our support, our comfort, our kindness—be they family members, friends, acquaintances, or strangers. We are the Lord’s hands here upon the earth, with the mandate to serve and to lift His children. He is dependent upon each of us.
". . .I beseech of thee that thou wilt hear my words and learn of me; for I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day."
