Fun Happenings!

Tom and Zoe, Saturday, April 26, 2008


Lancaster High Prom

Pinewood Derby,

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Entry: The Matchstick

Last Place :( BUT. . . . Most Original Design :)

Good Sport Sam! "Do Your Best." - Cub Scout Motto

GO INDIANS!!!

Since March, Sam has had baseball practice
and games usually four times a week.

"Character, Courage, Loyalty." - Little League Motto

A "WICKED" 16TH BIRTHDAY!

We’re celebrating another birthday at our house. Janna is 16 today. To honor her we finally went to see WICKED. Last night 12 of us converged on the Pantages Theater nosebleed section for the evening performance. Our enthusiastic group of friend and family still had a good view of things in spite of being in the last two rows of the theater. (Ohhh.....Mommy is always trying to save a buck!) Janna was pleased and we all had a nice time.

We plan to do some more celebrating tomorrow. Chicken Tetrazzini (Janna‘s favorite), asparagus (that was my choosing), and chocolate cake. Happy Birthday Janna! I love you!

"A daughter may outgrow your lap,

but she will never outgrow your heart."

--Author Unknown

5 p.m. - not quite "witching hour". We're heading out the door for WICKED. Scott Reynders (one of our fun Clovis, CA cousins) and Janna - READY TO GO!!!

Busy Doings!

Thursday Hugh and I drove to St. George, Utah. On Friday we
went to the St. George Temple to attend our niece's sealing -
Amy Shirley Ellington, her husband Adam, and baby son, Wesson.
We then headed home. It was nice to be there, but it was a
whirlwind trip. We were gone a total of 34 hours.

Saturday was our stake women's conference. I was busy helping
with one of the workshops most of the day, so I didn't have the opportunity to attend any other classes; but I did get to hear
the closing remarks of Bonnie D. Parkin, the former General Relief Society President. It was a thrilling experience. I didn't have any problems falling asleep that night. I was so worn out from
my busy day, my busy week, my busy life.

~~~~~~~~~

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"Do we frequently reject the Lord's love that He pours out upon us in much more abundance than we are willing to receive? Do we think we have to be perfect in order to deserve His love? When we allow ourselves to feel 'encircled about eternally in the arms of his love,' we feel safe... His love is there for us every day. Remember, it's constant—even when we don't recognize it. I love Nephi's description of this great gift: 'The love of God . . . sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things . . . and the most joyous to the soul.' I testify that this is true. "

Bonnie D. Parkin, “Eternally Encircled in His Love,”

Ensign, Nov 2006, 108–10

Sustaining the Prophet of God

I was able to participate in a solemn assembly today, even though I viewed general conference at home. This gave me, along with everyone else in the Church, the opportunity to sustain President Thomas S. Monson as the prophet. I believe in prophets. It is a miraculous thing to think a man could be the spokesman for God here on earth. Can mortal man be trusted with such a responsibility? God must think so, for he has had prophets proclaiming His word from the beginning. Of course, it's not just any man.

What a wonderful blessing to have a mouthpiece in place declaring God's word. I am grateful. There is so much malevolence and pervasive meanness in the world. If that's what I had to hang on to, I would have little hope. Instead, my confidence and peace are strong knowing that God has provided me with sure guidance.

For some reason, it's easier to believe the Bible stories of Noah, Moses, and other ancient prophets; but to follow a prophet, here and now, is another story. Those that crucified Christ are evidence of that; their "King of Kings", and "Lord of Lords", was before them. He walked with them, performed miracles, all along declaring truth; and yet, they did not see, and had him crucified.

History reveals that prophets were scorned in their day. What do people picture a prophet of God to be like? Pride can take over humble thinking. If we study the scriptures, pray, have faith, do the will of the Father, we will see things clearly, we will follow the living prophet, and know that he speaks today and stands as a witness of Christ.

Ezra Taft Benson spoke at BYU and gave "Fourteen Fundamentals in Following the Prophet". Check yourself, Do you sustain the prophet and follow his counsel?

1. The prophet is the only man who speaks for the Lord in everything.

2. The living prophet is more vital to us than the standard works.

3. The living prophet is more important to us than a dead prophet.

4. The prophet will never lead the church astray.

5. The prophet is not required to have any particular earthly training or credentials to speak on any subject or act on any matter at any time.

6. The prophet does not have to say “Thus Saith the Lord,” to give us scripture.

7. The prophet tells us what we need to know, not always what we want to know.

8. The prophet is not limited by men’s reasoning.

9. The prophet can receive revelation on any matter, temporal or spiritual.

10. The prophet may advise on civic matters.

11. The two groups who have the greatest difficulty in following the prophet are the proud who are learned and the proud who are rich.

12. The prophet will not necessarily be popular with the world or the worldly.

13. The prophet and his counselors make up the First Presidency—the highest quorum in the Church.

14. The prophet and the presidency—the living prophet and the First Presidency—follow them and be blessed—reject them and suffer.

Ezra Taft Benson, “Fourteen Fundamentals in Following the Prophet,” Tambuli, Jun 1981, 1

It is my testimony that we need to keep our eyes on the prophet. God loves us, that's why we have a prophet. There is no need to be left to the perverse opinions of the world. We need to listen and do the word of God. Following the prophet means following the Savior. I know from experience and the Spirit has confirmed my understanding, do the will of God and blessings come. There is beauty, joy, and happiness to be found through Jesus Christ. I know Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God on earth today. I pray we will follow him, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Are We Having FUN Yet?

Tuesday, March 25th, Sam, Becky, and I headed to Orange County to see Cassie and Ruben's new apartment, visit with the grand kids, and go to Knott's Berry Farm. We had Jeremiah, my eldest grandson, join us on our venture to Knott's.

Now let's face it, I'm not theme park material. I haven't been for a longtime, my age and weight being the main deterring factors. My children question why I even bother going, it's not like I ride anything. Of course, me riding something adds to their thrill. It makes them feel better because they equate having fun with going on rides and certainly their mother is deserving of some fun.

Rides are not my thing; but I did go on one ride yesterday, the Ferris wheel, and only because they wouldn't let Jeremiah on without me. The pressure was on because he kept telling me how much he wanted to ride. I told him it might be scary, but he reassured me that he was brave. Who can argue with that? I trudged on to the Ferris wheel sitting between Jeremiah and Sam in the hope of keeping our cart somewhat balanced. True to his word, Jeremiah was very brave. He fared much better than Sam or I.

I use to be all about rides; but I've taken on a new position, one that has evolved with the more children I have had and has culminated with the addition of grandchildren. It is one that other grandmothers who have gone before will completely understand. Let me explain, I'm the one who watches purses and belongings as the family takes on another roller coaster ride. I'm the one who sits with the tired child that naps while everyone climbs on another roller coaster ride, again. I'm the one who acknowledges with the wave of my hand and a smile, the bright eyes and cheerful expression of a wee one's first experience on a carnival ride. Parents may well do the same, but I am another helping hand in the mix of things. I'm another person that's pleased to hear about how fun the ride was and maybe I'm just a little more animated with my pleasure in hearing about it. I'm the one with a little extra cash in my pocket for some candy, fun photos, a drink, or a souvenir t-shirt.

In my younger mothering days I was glad just to come up with the cash to go to an amusement park; don't even think about asking for a souvenir; water to drink will do just fine; and, of course, we'd take a break for lunch by walking back to the car to have our own private tailgate party followed by a nap. With Grandma leading the way on this excursion if we go back to the car, we're leaving. We'll eat inside the park and pay twice the price for food because I'm too tired to do anything different. If I was a regular at any theme park, I'd probably soon learn to work the system so we'd get more fun for our dollar; but we rarely go, so the philosophy is - RUN UNTIL YOU DROP!

Sam and Jeremiah had a great time. We were run amok for nine hours; albeit, Jeremiah was a bit whiny today because he was tired and Sam took a nap in the car as we drove home to Lancaster. They didn't seem too worse for the wear. They both claim they want to go back again. Becky did have to accommodate the little kid agenda on our play day at Knott's. There was a lot she didn't get to see or do. She was a definite help, but still had plenty of fun enjoying many of the rides with Sam and Jeremiah. She too wants to go back. Now the great proverbial question: Did I have fun? Well.....let me put it this way, "I'm HAPPY to be of service!" No doubt I'll be going again, the issue is, WHEN? I'm guessing it will be sooner instead of later because Cassie lives in Anaheim and because I'm the GRANDMA.

"Grandmas are moms with lots of frosting."

-- Author Unknown

California Poppies

We took a Sunday drive to see the Poppies!

"If you take a flower in your hand

and really look at it,

it's your world for the moment."

Georgia O'Keefe

BUT DON'T PICK THE POPPIES!

Happy Easter!

It’s Easter Sunday and I thought I’d take the opportunity to bear my testimony of Jesus Christ. I love the Savior. I’m glad to be a member of His Church and feel very grateful to have the gospel in it’s fullness. Referring to"the fullness of the gospel" is terminology that designates Mormons from other Christian religions. Mormons herald that "TRUTH HAS BEEN RESTORED!" Because of apostasy in the early Church only bits and pieces of Jesus Christ and His gospel have penetrated the centuries. Those precious fragments of truth give a glimpse of the Savior, but many valuable doctrines, knowledge, and understanding had been lost. Having truth restored to the earth presents a more complete picture. Jesus Christ is truly the Savior and Redeemer of the world. His light encompasses ALL truth not just part of it. Having faith in Christ and living His gospel brings PEACE, JOY, HOPE, and LOVE.

I know Jesus Christ is my Savior. I know He lives and loves me. “He lives, He lives who once was dead. He lives, my ever living head.” This knowing, makes a difference in my daily living. It makes a difference in how I cope with the trials of life. It makes a difference because He supplies me with my daily wants and needs. I’m happy because of Jesus Christ. I wish everyone knew Him. My heart aches for those who do not have this understanding. I am so grateful for His ATONEMENT, His SACRIFICE, His REDEMPTION, His EXAMPLE, His LIGHT, His LOVE. "I stand all amazed." How do I know these things? The Spirit of God has bore witness to me. I feel it in every fiber of my being. Again, I am grateful. Again, I stand all amazed.

“All of our worthy desires and good works, as necessary as they are, can never produce clean hands and a pure heart. It is the Atonement of Jesus Christ that provides both a cleansing and redeeming power that helps us to overcome sin and a sanctifying and strengthening power that helps us to become better than we ever could by relying only upon our own strength. The infinite Atonement is for both the sinner and for the saint in each of us.”

“We will not attain a state of perfection in this life, but we can and should press forward with faith in Christ along the strait and narrow path and make steady progress toward our eternal destiny. The Lord’s pattern for spiritual development is “line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little” (2 Nephi 28:30). Small, steady, incremental spiritual improvements are the steps the Lord would have us take. Preparing to walk guiltless before God is one of the primary purposes of mortality and the pursuit of a lifetime; it does not result from sporadic spurts of intense spiritual activity.”

“Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ. . . .

“And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot” (Moroni 10:32–33; emphasis added).

Elder David A. Bednar,
"Clean Hands and a Pure Heart", Ensign, November 2007, 80-83

Martha Ann Blair

Today is my daughter’s birthday. If you know our family, you’d question; Is it Becky, Cassie, or Janna? but not so, it’s Martha Ann, my eldest. She was born the first day of Spring, March 21, 1977. Martha Ann would be 31-years old today if she were alive.

She arrived as a stillbirth when I was 7 months pregnant; 2-lbs., 3.5-ounces, and 14-inches long. She died about an hour before delivery. A blood clot in the umbilical cord cut off her circulation. I had been bleeding a good 24-hours before delivery because the placenta had pulled away from my uterus. After some time of waiting, watching, and test results; the doctor eventually said, “I am now making decisions on your behalf and not the baby’s.” If I had lived in the olden days, I wouldn’t have made it; and, if I delivered in this day and age, I’m guessing, I would probably have had a C-section early in the delivery process and with the technology skills of the day, Martha Ann would have made it. I’m grateful, that in spite of how things turned out, that the experience went the way it did. I think things happened in the best interest of all as hard as it may seem. I certainly wouldn’t have had all the other children I have had if I had had a C-section. We also learned a thing or two in the process; one in particular was made more clear in our minds and in our hearts - Families Can Be Together Forever.

Martha Ann looked like a little doll. I will be forever grateful to the nurse who wrapped her up and brought her to Hugh and I to hold; that little moment together was precious. Being a preemie she had such tiny little fingers and tiny little toes, dark hair with some length to it, and a look as if she was peacefully sleeping. She was warm to the touch, not cold. She seemed so alive to me and as I held her I somehow thought she might wake up in my arms. How amazing she was and how sad not to take her home. Later we had a little graveside funeral and Hughie dedicated her grave.

Martha Ann is buried here in Lancaster. Her cousin, Stephen David Lockhart, was buried next to her almost 10 years later. With a lapse of ten years you wouldn't think that the grave site next to Martha Ann would have been available; but it was, so the baby cousins are buried next to each other. I believe it to be a tender mercy. Steven David Lockhart was three-weeks old and died of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome/crib death). It’s interesting that my sister, Beth, nor I were living in Lancaster when we lost our babies. We were both visiting family, which was a help and support to us at the time. Consequently, in being here, we both buried our babies here. They are gone the way of all the earth, but they are certainly not forgotten, and certainly alive in Christ.

"All little children are alive in Christ..."

Moroni 8:22

READY, SET, TYPE!

Adam Spiel (Confessions of a Pecking Typer) just challenged me to a typing test. I do not confess to pecking as he does. I took typing every summer from 8th grade through high school. I studiously made a point not to look at my hands while I typed. I am not a particularly studious person, but for some reason I delighted in the challenge of typing. I'd say, "Can I do this without looking?" and then test myself. I also took two typing classes in college. I always got an "A".

I attribute my typing skills to the many classes I had; otherwise, I wasn't typing much and it does take practice. I did have a few jobs that involved typing, so that gave me some daily practice. I perfected typing numbers, without looking, when I worked for the BYU Transfer and Admission Offices as a computer operator. Daily typing of Social Security numbers was a challenge at first, but "practice makes perfect" and eventually, I got the hang of it.

I like to type. For me it's faster and easier than printing or longhand. With all my stated background, you'd think I'd be able to give Adam a run for his money, but he has me beat. My 67 wpm pales to his 81, but what were your errors Adam?! Dare I boast, I use to get over 100 wpm in my heyday - if you can have a typing heyday. I'm contributing my 67 wpm to a loss of brain cells. I am almost 30 years his senior. You try it:

67 words

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"Your story should be written now while it is fresh and while the true details are available...Get a notebook, my young folks, a journal that will last through all time, and maybe the angels may quote from it for eternity."

Spencer W. Kimball

“‘The Angels May Quote from It’,” New Era, Oct 1975, 4

That's for sure! Get a journal, get a blog, start writing or typing. You so easily forget your daily doings, I know that from experience. I try to write daily and devote Sunday's to extra writing, but according to my husband, my rightful name is the "All-Night Blogger". I just say, "I'm practicing my typing."

SPRING IS IN THE AIR!

It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.

~Charles Dickens

"It's spring vacation!" that is, if you get a spring vacation or maybe I should make a more general declaration, "Spring is in the air!" Such a statement might conjure up in your mind some of the joys of the earth; weather warming, flowers budding, birding chirping, bees humming, etc. It seemed that way a few days ago. I was hastily planting and actually getting a few things done in the garden, but now the wind has kicked in with its chilly blowing. I unfortunately am feeling weighed down by all the pollens whirling through the air, which makes me feel extraordinarily miserable. I was sitting at my computer, dabbing my nose, hoping for a momentary distraction, which might provide me some relief from my sinuses; in doing so, I discovered this little tidbit of a musical that brightened my day. I thought you might be amused too.

IMPROV EVERYWHERE - Food Court Musical

PRIDE - "There's the rub!"

William Shakespeare

I've always somewhat prided myself in not getting crazy over someones ingratitude, but "there's the rub", PRIDE. Anyway, I read this quote the other day, it's from Elder Neal A. Maxwell's book, Things as They Really Are and I realized I could improve on my behavior:

"We can't dwell upon another's
ingratitude without using up our time and talents unprofitably."

I can do this! I'm always looking for more TIME and I really want to use my TALENTS in a profitable way. With this new attitude, no doubt things will be better, for me and for those I serve; and I think I'll eliminate that pride part too. I'm feeling happier already.

A Quarter of a Century

Princess Martha, Princess Zoe, Princess Becky, Princess Janna

It's Becky's birthday today, February 27th. I can't believe she's 25 years old! What's that make me? Please, don't do the math. We celebrated her birthday with a family party on Monday. We had lasagna, salad, and french bread for dinner at her request. We then played a round of games at Becky's place of employment, Chuck E. Cheese, and then it was home for gifts, cake, and ice cream. It was a Princess Party, hence, the tiaras.

"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years."

--Abraham Lincoln

Moon and More

I'm all about the lunar eclipse last night. WOW!

In spite of my postings, I’m quite hidden in THE BOOK OF MARTHA. That’s probably why my daughter-in-law, Chelsea, tagged me with the following questions. You just might learn something about me that you didn't know.

10 years ago?
Ricky (my oldest son) was away serving in the Pennsylvania Pittsburgh Mission and I was pregnant with Sam.

5 things on my to do list TODAY?
Always on the list -
*Prayer
*Scripture Study
*Journal
*Exercise (except Sunday)
*Check on my parents
Now the question is do I get them done everyday and what’s the quality in which I do them? It depends on what else is on the list, even then, I always pray.

5 snacks I enjoy?
I won’t tell what snacks I ENJOY because I have NO business eating what I enjoy! I’m on the program!

What would I do if I was suddenly a billionaire?
Tithe
Set myself up for life
Serve, donate to higher education and other worthy causes
Buy a vacation home on the beach
Travel

5 jobs I have had or have?
Food Service
Teacher Aid
Secretary
Computer Operator
Piano Teacher
and more!

3 of my bad habits?
Not putting things back where they belong
Always in a hurry
Overbooking myself

5 places I have lived?
3 places -
Ontario, California (I was born in Pomona, CA, but was brought home to Ontario.)
Lancaster, California
(I moved here when I was 18 months old & I'm still here.)
Provo, Utah (I lived there approximately 1 1/2 years single & 2 years exactly, married.)
I'd like to live other places. It would be an adventure.

5 things people don’t know about me?
I’ve had plastic surgery.
I’ve graduated from Brigham Young University.
I like to sew, but I do it rarely and I’m not particularly good at it.
I’ve had 12 pregnancies. (It’s not cheaper by the dozen.)
I’m the most allergic person on the face of the planet.

" 'Life is good, if we live in such a way to make it so.' . . 'A good life' comes as a result of the way we do things, of the words we choose to say, and even of the kind of thoughts we choose to have. . .

". . . 'Wanting to' is the determining factor which leads us to lay hold upon the word of God and be happy. Perseverance in making correct decisions is what leads us to happiness."

Elder Benjamín De Hoyos ,
"True Happiness: A Conscious Decision," Ensign, Nov. 2005, 31

Saturday - Snow Day

Becky slept in.

I had a meeting,

but everyone else had FUN in the snow.

The Janna, Tommy, Sammy, Zoe, Hughie Excursion

Mt. Pinos - February 16, 2008

Tommy, coming through!

"You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation."

PLATO