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

SUPER TUESDAY

I voted today, did YOU !?!

"Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism."

GEORGE WASHINGTON

Follow the Prophet

I was looking forward to it and it finally happened! It was announced today that President Thomas S. Monson is the Prophet. I bear my testimony that he truly is a prophet of God. Certainly President Hinckley will be missed, but the Church moves forward. God has His servants prepared and in place. The stone "cut out of the mountain without hands" continues to roll forth!

"It is in the home that we form our attitudes, our deeply held beliefs. It is in the home that hope is fostered or destroyed. Our homes are to be more than sanctuaries; they should also be places where God’s Spirit can dwell, where the storm stops at the door, where love reigns and peace dwells."

President Thomas S. Monson

“Becoming Our Best Selves,” Ensign, Apr 2006, 2–6

MITT! MITT! MITT! MITT! MITT! MITT!

I've been a registered "Independent" voter all these years, but I registered "Republican" this election just so I could vote for Mitt Romney in the California Primary. Super Tuesday is coming up so I'm touting my support for Mitt!

He has a track record of success in bringing change to business, the Olympics, and government. I believe he's a leader that can make a difference. He gives me HOPE and for that reason (and many others) I eagerly promote Mitt Romney. We can be a better America and I believe a better America will bring a better world.

"And if you believe that as I do, that our source of strength is our people, then when America faces a new generation of challenges like we do today you don't look to government. You don't look to make government bigger. You don't look to make government stronger. You look to make the people stronger. Because that has always been and will always be the source of our destiny. And when we need to call on the strength of America we look to strengthen the American people ...

"We rise to the occasion time and again. Whatever we face, whatever challenges we have, there is no challenge greater than that which can be achieved by drawing upon the spirit of the people of America. This is the hope of the world. We will always be such."

Mitt Romney, Final Speech as RGA Chair, November 30, 2006

Reflections of 2007

January is almost over and 2008 is in full swing. Before it is too distant of a memory I thought I'd reflect on 2007 with a slideshow. It's certainly not a complete version of our year, but instead captures a glimpse of it.

This was quoted by Gordon B. Hinckley,“‘Behold Your Little Ones’,” Ensign, Jun 2001, 2 “When God wants a great work done in the world or a great wrong righted, he goes about it in a very unusual way. He doesn’t stir up his earthquakes or send forth his thunderbolts. Instead, he has a helpless baby born, perhaps in a simple home of some obscure mother. And then God puts the idea into the mother’s heart, and she puts it into the baby’s mind. And then God waits. The greatest forces in the world are not the earthquakes and the thunderbolts. The greatest forces in the world are babies”(E. T. Sullivan, quoted in The Treasure Chest, ed. Charles L. Wallis [1965], 53).