This Youth Fireside hit it out of the park!

Last night Matt Heiss from the new Family History Library spoke at a fireside for our youth and their parents. Now in the past these Sunday night firesides are poorly attended, you know, the guys don't want to put their ties back on, the girls have changed skirts for shorts and flip-flops.............but we promised them ice cream sundaes, so with that bribe we had a good turnout.

His message was trying to tell the kids how important their journal writing and personal history was. To write it down now, while they are fresh in their minds. It was a hit, the spirit was there and the kids had so many questions when he finished. Matt is one of the few who has been asked to journey to Nigeria and the Ukraine to gather oral histories from new members joining the church. He had some stories that were absolutely spine-tingling about the Lord watching over him and his companions as well as amazing conversion stories and challenges of people living in dire circumstances and accepting the Gospel into their lives.

I'll share one of the many he told us: The Aba Temple has had to close recently because of the danger to patrons coming to the temple and attempted kidnapping and ransoms sought by dangerous gangs. He said he was there collecting oral histories and they were close to missing their flight. A Branch president and his son were driving them to the airport. The police are very bad about demanding bribery payments to let you pass through check places in this huge and crowded city. At one point they were stopped and in a four passenger car already filled with four passengers, two policeman with guns got in and told them to go back to the police station. The brave African Branch President said, "If you want to imprison me, I will go back with you but these men must make their flight". Matt said suddenly the air just changed in the car, the policeman said "give us bus fare back to where we stopped you and we'll let you go". With that they gave them the equivalent of 75 cents and they got out of the car and let them go. Matt said we were praying so hard, because they could have detained us, ruined all of our luggage and equipment, even torture in a Nigerian jail and suddenly with this Branch President's courage, the Lord intervened and softened the policeman's hearts.

Ok, just one more..............The temple in the Ukraine was under construction with lots of scaffolding surrounding it. The stake Center which was completed near it a couple of hundred yards away was hit by what they called a "microburst but it was closer to a tornado". It was so powerful that large pieces of wood were jammed into the stucco of the stake center and glass windows were exploded. But, here's the cool part......only some scaffolding was blown away on
the temple, no other damage was done!!!! We saw the slides!!! Quite amazing, the local people could not believe how it had been protected.

Anyway, a Sunday fireside well worth the effort to attend. I know I will never forget seeing his presentation and hearing his testimony and I hope those youth won't either! He left them with the words that no matter what you have to get through, rely on HIM, even the Savior of the World.

Dancing with Amy

She loved to dance and while at three
She was a duck, applause to see

With tassles wagging on her hips
The Provo Stars was on her lips

Her toes wore through her ballet shoes
On snow she slipped and chipped a tooth

With fireworks she danced at night
The Osmonds came oh what a sight

She grew some more all legs and knees
Cheerleading Mueller Park with ease

The Mandonelles was now in sight
A figure comes yet still quite light

Early morning work and sweat
don't be late "The Jan" did threat

Dating, college, Marriage too
Mommy-hood with five, whew!

And now her training brings a judge
she see each kick, each turn, each nudge

And when she comes back home quite beat
her little ducklings all so sweet ...

Begin their dance for mommy's eyes
Their wiggles, giggles, make her realize,

What a lucky dancer, mom and wife
This birthday girl is blessed in life.

I love you sweet daughter, thank you for blessing my life!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

~Troy's Day

Happy Birthday Troy-Boy

Are you really 31? ok, super, prime of life! young enough to golf all day and old enough to make breakfast for your three little kiddies and speaking of breakfast, lunch and dinner, you are becoming quite a chef! I always knew you would never go hungry, even when you were a little guy and we were on a trip - your stomach knew when it was high noon every time, "time to eat"!

After waking up numerous times with a 2 yr old quietly breathing and staring at me 3 inches from my face, whispering, "juice", I devised the tupperware early breakfast routine for my little son. If it was 6:00 AM, you knew your bowl or cereal was on the table, a cup of milk and cup of juice sitting in the frig. You simply poured the milk over the cereal, drank the juice and you were good to go for cartoons until the rest of the house woke up! What a survivor!

Bedknobs and Broomsticks became daily fare in our family room - with your two older sisters wailing, "please, not again"

After your dad proudly planted a slender and willowly tree in the back yard, you used your cowboy expertise in roping it, bending it over and pulling it out by the roots!~

We thought at age 4 you were still in the "big wheel" mode, but walking by the window I saw you kneeling on the sidewalk beside your sister's bike. when I asked you later what you were doing, you said, "Praying to learn to ride without training wheels". Well your prayer was answered, it wasn't long before you were speeding along, wearing out your toughskins jeans at the knees~. Sears didn't earn any money on me, since their warrantee was they would replace the jeans if the knees wore out ~ you were probably the inspiration for the company to end this guarantee a few years later!

Many summer evenings you were a blur of dust running around the baseball diamond touching the bases - you were fearless with a bat, glove, ball but in naval deep water you clung to the side of the pool! of course later post-Samoa you became a FISH! ( smile )

I remember watching SNL - "Cowbell" with you where you had me laughing so hard I barely made it to the bathroom!! And of course the night before you married your darling Cherlyn, you, Kelly and I laughed so hard about cool pillows, etc that the tears wouldn't stop!!

Family time is priceless Son, and now you have your own to make memories with! You have been blessed with so many talents and gifts, the least of which is a big and loving heart! I'm proud of you. I love you so very much~~ Happy Birthday!

Mom

~routine brings trouble.....

Well, I walk at night and usually between 8:30 and 9:00 when it is cooler. Tonight when I got back at 9:00 I remembered I had brought in tomatoes given to me at work from a missionary and had locked my purse in the car and was going to get it to take it in the house after walking. I quickly realized it was not there and the back window of my new little car had been very deftly broken and purse gone! I know everyone says the same thing when this type of thing happens.....they could have the money that was in it, but now all the calling and driving around to replace the ID, bank cards, address book, check book, driver's license, temple recommend, insurance cards, etc! What a pain!

It is so creepy that someone would watch me walk away and then sneak over and check out if they were going to get something that didn't belong to them? The Officer thinks it was someone that might have known my routine, because most car break-ins happen between 2-4 AM he said. I felt sad that my little car had to be violated and angry at someone who wouldn't think twice about damaging and stealing another person's belongings.

Oh well, here we grow again, lesson well learned - and passing it on to others, don't leave anything in the car of value, even if you lock it, better to take it with you or lock it in the trunk. I wish some shred of compassion would come over them and they would just bring the purse back with all my identification and leave it on my doorstep, but that would really be a miracle wouldn't it?

Bags were packed - then change of plans~~

August 8th, 1980......I had been in active labor since the day before, but holding on so my # 4 could be born on their dad's birthday-----back in the days before ultrasounds, it was Christmas every time in the delivery room!!! Jennifer came after just six hours in the hospital, which for me was the shortest and easiest delivery I had! My recovery was also amazingly fast and before long I was bathing my little new born baby girl in the kitchen sink with two year old Troy looking on grouchily being replaced (or so he thought) by his newest sibling! I remember having the morning sun coming through the window over the sink, onto her shiny little head thinking, "life doesn't get any better than this!"

Jennifer is what I called her until about five years ago, she then became Jenny and now Jen, funny how I was so adamant that her name was Jennifer, but she is Jen now, a friend as well as beloved daughter! Happy Birthday sweetie!!

I had my bags packed and ready to head out on a road trip Saturday night with the Horton Hurricane to drive up to Blanchard, Idaho and visit with Troy and Cherlyn and kids ~ but about 4:00 got a call that mom was in the ER in Ogden again. She was in heart failure and once again endured another angioplasty for heart stent placement. Poor thing, one more patch and more recovery. The good news is that they were able to quickly help her, but sadly, I would have to postpone my trip this time.

I will miss not getting to hold and see that darling little 9 month old Michael!! He is a clone of Troy and T.J. & Kaylee are so fun to be grandma to!! .... But "Life Happens" so maybe I'll catch a flight up later to visit in the Fall.

Have a great trip Horton's!!! Take lots of pictures!!! Troy & Cher are going to be blown away when they see how tall Mason, Brooke & Kobe are!!

Happy 29th Birthday Jen! I love you ~

August 6, Barbara jean turns 76

Happy Birthday Barb,

I hope you don't mind that your age has been revealed~~~but it is an accomplishment, mom!! and I'm so happy and proud that you are mother!

You have contributed I believe to my well being throughout my life! Your strengths to me in my life include a great sense of humor, generosity of spirit and means, graciousness to everyone you meet and your testimony that has grown so much in your "golden years". ( smile )

You also have always had a wonderful sense for fashion and my memories of good smells and tastes coming from the kitchen ~ I still cut a cucumber, throw in a sugar pinch to spaghetti sauce, use green peppers in anything I can get them into, make a beautiful red velvet layer cake, and stir my scrambled eggs with a salad fork just like I watched you do. All my life you have out-shopped me with your tiny little legs~~throwing things over the dressing room door, whew,,,,,,you were relentless at back to school sales! I learned to put on mascara watching you! I know I love being a mom because you enjoyed motherhood as well!! Thank you for all the cards and thoughts when the divorce came~~it helped more than you will ever know!

Hang in there "B" - Happy Birthday!!
ly, your oldest!

~that new car smell~

I haven't had a new, really brand new car since 1994! So...............o...............o..................have taken the plunge and traded in the old taurus for a Toyota Yaris!!! yippee, 41 miles to the gallon on the highway~~ now am I being green or what? (smile)

Everytime I get in and see that the gas gauge has not even moved ( Kelly told me it wouldn't)....I SMILE~~

On a serious note, I am so grateful to have this dependable car to get me places!! Not afraid to leave Bountiful anymore~~who knows I may get up to West Yellowstone to touch some buffalo!