Catch Up!

Oh, my gosh! It's been three months since I made an entry. I can't believe how quickly time flies.

Christmas was probably one of the least stressful I've ever experienced. Because of the economy we decided to cut our budget way, way down. We didn't budget a certain amount for each person, we just decided to buy each a gift - and not an expensive one. Talk about reducing stress!

Because of family schedules we decided to have our traditional prime rib dinner (no, we couldn't cut that out) the Sunday before Christmas. All the children and grandchildren had planned on being there, but Lisa and Rusty's little guy, Logan, got sick on the way up from Las Vegas so they turned around. However, we forced ourselves to enjoy the extra food in spite of the disappointment.

At the last minute Lisa and Rusty decided to come to St. George for Christmas, so we had them and the children (Rachel, Logan and Abigail), Brandon, Angie and Mom and Pop. All in all, it was a very nice, relaxing day. The work was done - shopping, wrapping, cleaning, cooking. It was a day to sit back and enjoy the family.

New Years came and went quietly. We went to Las Vegas for the day on New Years Eve and enjoyed a little bowling with the grandchildren but made sure we were home before the drunks hit the highways.

Brandon turned 24 on the 31st of January. My, where did the time go??? He's a Senior at Utah State University already - and it seems like just yesterday he was a toddler.

On the 14th of February we celebrated our 36th wedding anniversary. We enjoyed the company of dear friends Jim & Marlyn Bunker and Fran & Judy Urry. The Sunshine Dancers Square Dance Club hosted their annual Sunshine Dancers Jamboree on that same weekend. We not only enjoyed dancing together as we have done for so many years, but we also pulled out the videos of days gone by and relived many wonderful memories. Carla Bateman was also in town and she joined us for the dancing and the memories.

We had the opportunity to travel to Central and Eastern Utah on February 18-20 to teach western dance at Red Rock Elementary in Moab, Creekview Elementary in Price and Loa Elementary in Loa, Utah. It's a great experience and wonderful to know that we are providing an activity that is meaningful and fun for the students. I must say, however, that it is an exhausting experience because we have to maintain high energy and enthusiasm for two solid hours at each school. I was glad for the opportunity to rest when the trip was over. All in all we covered nearly 1,000 miles.

On March 7 we enjoyed Brandon and his roommates' (Eric, Steve and Kyle) company. They are on Spring Break and headed for California to go on a cruise. Brandon is the only one who has cruised before. I'm praying for their safety and protection while they are away. Strange things are happening to tourists in Mexico these days . . .

On March 8 we made a quick trip to Las Vegas with Mom and Pop. Our purpose was to celebrate Rob's 30th birthday and Pop's 80th birthday. Jaime fixed a nice meal. Lisa and Rusty and their family joined us. Rachel and Adam McCracken and their newly acquired family of four children popped in and we enjoyed their company also. For dessert we had strawberry shortcake.

It blows my mind when I think about my dad being 80 years old. I still think of him in his late 30's/early 40's even though I see him regularly. He is aging remarkably well. His heart is not perfect and he has diabetes, but he continues to be active. He goes to the hills almost everyday to get in touch with nature. I think he desperately misses the mountains of Montana, but he also realizes that he doesn't have the energy or the drive he once had to comb the hills and vales for elk.

Well, of Course It's Santa!

The Down South Chapter of the Utah Down Syndrome Foundation (UDSF) had a very nice Christmas party for families of individuals with Down Syndrome on Monday evening, December 8, 2008. Everyone enjoyed carnival games and a nice ham dinner. We are beginning to know more and more people here in St. George and came across several of them that evening. We enjoyed visiting with them.

Angie was sitting at the table when Santa tapped her on the shoulder. She acted as though it's a common occurrence for her. "Well, of course it's Santa! Just another celebrity who knows me!"

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday. It's a time for gathering loved ones around. It's a time for traditions and sharing and gratitude. The sights and smells of Thanksgiving are unforgettable. Thanksgiving is especially nice because it hasn't been commercialized as much as other holidays.

The older I get the more I appreciate it for what it really is.

(Pictures will follow when I get them from Jaime.)

I Voted

Election Day 2008 (11/04/08) was an important one. No matter who won, it was going to be historical: Barak Obama (a man of color) and Joe Biden or John McCain and Sarah Palin (a woman). At this point in time, our country is facing some very difficult issues with the economy, illegal aliens, the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, national security, health care, jobs, fuel prices (even though they are dropping dramatically as I write), and many other very important issues.

I wish I could have been excited about the election, but the politics started two years before election day. They were not pretty. The media was obviously very biased toward one candidate or another. I did not feel I could depend on what they shared with the public. Email was just as biased depending on who sent it. It was difficult to know where to go for accurate information.

The only candidate I felt I could have gotten behind was Mitt Romney, not because he was a member of the church but because his values are what our country needs to move forward in a positive, healthy manner.

I was unable to make up my mind until I got to the polls and even then I'm not sure I did the right thing.

As American citizens we have spoken. Barak Obama will be our new president, Joe Biden our vice president. It is now time to get behind them and pray that they will be open to guidance from on high. I would feel the same way if John McCain and Sarah Palin had won.

Angel Mutual has Begun!

Since my last post on Special Needs Mutual in September, much has happened. We have been very busy organizing and filling board positions. We are now fully staffed with the exception of a few more advisors and specialists. We have spent a good deal of time meeting and planning.

Special Needs Mutual became a reality last Thursday evening, November 13, 2008.

I had spent the day with my mom helping deliver the Pioneer Shopper paper all the way over to Kanab and back. It was a good thing I was busy and distracted. I might have spent my day worrying about Angel Mutual.

It was a wonderful, marvelous spiritual experience! Every board member took care of their assignments without any hitches. We had approximately 48 special needs participants and about 50 youth counselors. We had some parents stick around to watch; some bishops and stake presidency members came to observe and find out what the buzz is all about. So with SN participants, youth counselors, board members and visitors, we estimate there were at least 125 people there.

I can't express the feelings I experienced that evening. The joy on the faces of the special needs individuals would have been enough for me; but as I looked around I could see the joy in the faces of the youth counselors, the parents, the adult leaders and even the visitors. President Lyman was beaming. He spent the entire evening with us moving from activity to activity. The spirit of the Lord was very keenly felt by everyone in attendance.

I spoke with a mother who had brought several special needs persons that night. She did not hesitate to tell me that she is not a member of our church, but she was amazed at what she witnessed that evening. She is so anxious to tell all her friends about SNM and encourage them to participate.

We are doing the Lords work. The miracles have already begun!

Our Trip to Virginia, Part 2 - The Vacation

Virginia. What a beautiful green place, especially if you live in the desert. After the wedding (Sunday) we drove back to South Riding via Annapolis, Maryland. We so enjoyed the waterfront area near the Naval Academy. It was like taking a step back in time by at least 200 years. It is where they used to dock and unload slaves. The highlight of our visit to Annapolis was the leisurely boat tour we took.

On our way around Washington, DC we dropped Brandon off at the subway to hook up with his friend, Blaine, who worked at the Capitol as an intern for Representative Jim Matheson. It felt really strange dropping our "innocent young son" off in such a foreboding place where he knew nothing and no one. Jaime and Lisa politely reminded us that we probably would not have done that for them so willingly. They're right in that we would have hesitated a little more. Shame on us. It's hard to remember that our children are adults now and fully capable of taking care of themselves . . .

We hooked up with Brandon the following day, spent a little time with him and then sent him back to Salt Lake on a plane. His short weekend went very quickly, too quickly for my way of thinking.

Mom and Pop flew home mid-week.

We spent a few days that week touring some of the sites in and around Washington, DC: the National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center where we saw the Enola Gay (dropped the bomb on Hiroshima); the National Archives where the original Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are well protected; the National Museum of Natural History where the live butterfly exhibit was so fun to walk through; some needed to visit the National Gallery of Art looking for art for their homes; a personal tour of the Capitol building courtesy of Brandon's friend, Blaine.

Mid-week we made a road trip to Newark, NJ where we stayed overnight and then took a train into New York City to see the site of the World Trade Center. Along the way we found ourselves off-track and driving through a very quaint little town known as Pilesgrove, NJ. When I think of small town America, this is what comes to mind. The restaurant we ate at had real home cooking. It was Halloween time and all the lamp posts along the main streets were decorated with scarecrows, witches, etc.

The site of the World Trade Center is really only a construction site at this point, but we visited St. Paul's Church across the street. There was a lot of memorabilia and pictures of many of the victims. It was at this little church with the cemetery all around it that many of the rescuers took refuge from the difficult task of trying to help in the aftermath of 911. It is also in this church that President George Washington worshipped immediately following his inauguration as our first president on April 30, 1789.

While in New York, we also checked out a vantage point where we could see directly into the open construction site. Great plans are in the works.

We went through the WTC Visitor Center which was a tremendous help in bringing the experience of 911 home to me. There was a wall of pictures of every one of the victims along with a few personal items. I think the thing that struck me the hardest was a piece of a plane where an entire window had been. I kept wondering who had been sitting in the seat next to that window and what they must have seen and felt. Very sobering.

That day was not an easy day for Jaime and me. Neither one of us felt very well and New York City with all it's smells and noise is not the place to be when you're nauseated and have a bad headache.

We all quite enjoyed the lunch we had. I think Duane will remember that more than anything.

The last few days were just quiet and relaxing. Lisa flew home on Saturday, the 11th. Duane and BJ spent that day out hiking and enjoying themselves. Tanya, Jaime and I spent our time trying to feel better. Angie was content to watch movies since she hadn't seen any all week.

The flight home was uneventful. Angie got on the plane without any problems. We arrived in Las Vegas early enough that we drove all the way home to St. George.

It was a wonderful vacation. Tanya and BJ are very easy to spend time with and they make you feel very welcome. And they don't fuss over their company. I'm sure they breathed a sigh of relief when all their visitors were finally gone.

Now all we have are memories . . . but they're happy ones. And lots of pictures.

(More pictures to be added when I get them from Jaime.)

Our Trip to Virginia, Part 1 - The Wedding

Duane, Jaime, Lisa, Angie and I flew to Dulles International Airport near Washington DC on Thursday, October 2, 2008. We were on time to the airport in Las Vegas. All was going well until I discovered Angie did not have her ID. (We still haven't found it.) Nevertheless, she got on the plane with only a little extra hassle. I'm sure they made an exception because of who she is and the fact that she was travelling with family.

Our flight was uneventful. We rented a car, stopped at Tanya's house to pick something up for her and headed toward Cape Charles, Virginia, about a 4 1/2 hour drive south. Lisa's Iphone was a great help with directions. No glitches until we learned our back lights were not working. Two young men at an auto parts store in Richmond, VA, were so very helpful. It turned out to be only a burned out fuse.

Tanya had rented a beautiful home across the Chesapeake Bay not too far from Cape Charles. All of BJ's family and our family including Mom and Pop were together. By the time everyone arrived, there were 18 of us, but it was still a very comfortable, pleasant experience.

When we finally arrived close to midnight, everyone was still up and waiting for us. What a welcome! Tanya had a nice meal prepared, we visited a short while and laid our exhausted bodies down to rest after a very long day of travel.

Brandon flew in on a redeye Friday morning. We drove back across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel in the daylight. What an amazing feat of engineering! It spans 18 miles across the Chesapeake Bay, going across the surface for a while and then dipping down under the water so large ocean going vessels can cross without difficulty. The next day was fairly laid back. Some went running and for walks, some swam and did the hot tub thing, some of us just visited. We helped dip pretzels and bag them. (Dipping chocolate is not an easy task. There is definitely some skill and know-how involved.)

That afternoon we went over to Cape Charles for family pictures. The wedding rehearsal dinner was that evening, so those of us not involved did our own thing. We explored the tiny town of Cape Charles and went to dinner at a Mexican restaurant. I believe we were the lucky ones. Our evening was quite relaxing.On Saturday, the 4th of October in the middle of the afternoon we gathered at the end of the pier where the wedding was to take place. It was a beautiful, serene setting, one I think we all enjoyed. I'm not sure the bride and her mother were feeling what we were feeling, but that's to be expected. Marissa was an absolutely gorgeous bride. Brock is an incredible man. We were so happy to meet him and look forward to getting to know him.

After the ceremony there were cocktails, a photo op and we found ourselves at the reception.

Have you every experienced the sunset on the ocean? Try it sometime.

It was a fun evening with eating, toasting, laughing, crying, music, dancing. Some even enjoyed the drinking part - a little too much. The best part is that we were experiencing Marissa's wedding together. And it was a joyful event.

Catch Up!

Oh my gosh! I almost completely forgot about blogging! I have even forgotten to check other people's blogs. Since our trip to Virginia I have been in a whirlwind trying to get Angel Mutual organized.

I'll catch up soon -- after we get back from doing ten schools and 30 assemblies in Salt Lake with our ARTS program.

Ciao . . .

Virginia or Bust

Brock & Marissa

My only sibling's only daughter and my only niece, Marissa, is getting married on the 5th of October in Cape Charles, Virginia, which is near Virginia Beach and Norfolk. We are really thrilled that our entire family (all four children) will be able to be with us - one for only a few days, one for a week, and two for the entire 11 days. We will dearly miss Rusty and Rob because they are now an integral part of our family, but it's not very often that you have the opportunity to take a family vacation "just like the old days" once your children have grown and left home.

It didn't start out that way. Originally we thought only I would be able to attend. Then Angie was going, then Jaime thought she would like to go. When I was making reservations for three of us, Duane decided he wanted to be included. Lisa didn't want to be left out and she needed a break, besides weddings are her specialty so why wouldn't she want to be there? Finally Brandon called and asked if there was any chance he could come despite the fact that he would have to miss a few days of school. We assumed he wouldn't be able to go, so I'm glad he spoke up.

So on October 2 we will all fly to Virginia. I'm sure our haphazard plans caused much consternation for the bride with seating arrangements, but we are thrilled to be able to support her and her family in this all-important once in a lifetime event.

Virginia, here we come!

A 48-Hour Whirlwind

At 1:30 PM on Friday, September 19, 2008, we met our friends, Bruce & Sandy Iveson, at the Jean exit south of Las Vegas. We were headed to Riverside, California to call a square dance for the Cowtown Singles (Stupid name, I know. Very redneck. It gets its name from the fact that the entire area used to be covered with cattle ranches.) Eight squares of wonderful people. Bruce and Sandy moved to Santa Clara, Utah, from California. They used to dance with these people. The dance went well. Duane did a Plus tip "with attitude." We had a great time in a very nice dance hall.

After the dance, we still had another 100 miles to drive to Santa Clarita where we were so graciously hosted by Roy and Jean Woodard. Bed never felt so wonderful.

The next morning Bruce and Sandy escorted us to Hollywood Boulevard where we saw Darth Vader and Marilyn Monroe among other interesting "look-alikes." We also drove past Graumann's Chinese Theatre. Then we went to Universal City Walk, a shopping experience just outside Universal Studios. Fun place, especially if you have lots of money and time. We also drove to the top of a tall hill (Odyssey was written on it) to overlook the cities and get some perspective.

That evening, after a nice meal at the Sizzler, we found ourselves in Northridge where Duane called a great dance for the Valley Trailers. We were very pleased at the 17 squares in attendance. It was a flashback to the Fun Times Squares when we had an average of 20 to 25 squares each night. Enthusiasm begets enthusiasm. Duane called an Advanced-1 tip at the end of the evening. I was very proud of him.

We took off toward Las Vegas about 9:00 on Sunday morning and found ourselves passing the Jean exit almost exactly 48 hours after we met our friends there two days earlier.

We now look back and are amazed at all the things we did in those FAST 48 hours. Good memories, good times, good new friends . . .