My Roots (and Yours) from the Ground Up...

Yesterday I did something that I have been wanting to do for ages, which is to meet with one of the Family History Consultants from church to learn more about researching my ancestors on the computer.  What a fascinating experience!  This is something I definitely want to do again.

Meeting with an LDS Family History Consultant is a service available to anyone who is interested in genealogy.   Because this lovely lady is a friend, she felt comfortable coming to my house and guiding me on my own computer for about 2 hours.  But there are Family History Libraries ALL over the place, which are open to the pubic, along with the expertise of someone who can help you--free of charge.

By the time Carol left, I was tired, but I felt so jazzed and like I had accomplished a lot.  We began at the site new.familysearch.org and proceeded from there.  Even though the genealogical work in my family has been spotty, it is probably still more than in a lot of families.  After learning the basics, I was able to see my family tree emerge right before my eyes.  I've had my maternal grandpa and uncles on both sides do some family history, but a lot of what I saw was also the product of others like me who have set aside a few minutes here and there to do indexing.  As I mentioned in another post, indexing is entering data on familysearch.org from old records such as census sheets, war registrations, birth and death certificates, etc.

(Click on any image to see the full-sized version)

As I clicked on the little brown arrows that you see in the image above, I saw more and more generations appear.  Before I knew it, I was 12 generations back on my paternal grandmother's line.  Because I have a rare copy of a book on family history in this line (the Bunn line,) I was able to verify whether some of this information was correct.

If you're LDS, you also understand the eternal significance of this kind of work, because we believe in forever families when the proper work has been done in temples.  That is the main purpose of temples, to seal families together for eternity.  Since first going to the temple in 1992, I have always gone through for a deceased person that I did not know.  This is still very important, because I discovered that a lot of my family's temple work was already done because of the efforts of others.  Still, I have always wanted to go through for a relative of my own.

My first step was to look up my mother's parents, both of whom passed away in 2008.  I discovered that their temple work was 100% ready to do, but none had been done.  This is something I want to pursue.

A picture of my great grandmother and her 4 daughters.  My grandmother is 2nd from the right. 

 

 A famous family picture--the 7 sisters of one of my great-great grandfathers (great aunts to my great-grandmother in the photo above it.)

I love both of these pictures.  For some reason, I feel very bonded to the women in my family on both my mother's and father's sides.  Perhaps it is because there is a special closeness between women and between sisters that I see in both of these images.

Family history can definitely feel overwhelming.  It is a pursuit that we all know is important, but it also feels like there is no conclusion.  It feels this way, but it isn't necessarily true.  I never wanted to even try researching my family history when I was teaching because the idea of being engaged in 2 exhausting activities sounded really unattractive.  But one of the realizations I came to yesterday was that with the right guidance you can accomplish more than you think you can.  

If you are LDS and want to not only research your family, but also want to see what temple work has been done for them, that carries its own set of responsibilities.  (Especially if you are the only temple-attending person in your whole family, like me.)  And that is fine.  It IS our responsibility.  I think that is why I was so incredibly relieved to see much more work had been done than I ever expected, some of it way before I was born.

One set of  great-great-great grandparents on my paternal grandmother's line.  Lucy Hollister Bunn and Delavan Bunn.  Amazingly, all of their temple work was done decades ago.  By who, I don't know.

So it was great to have a really solid jumping off point!  I got the same tingling feeling that I got on the day that I opened up a box of family photos from my dad's mother that I had never seen before back in 2005.  All of  black and white stern faces where in there, staring back up at me, and yet, I didn't feel like they were strangers.  If anything, I felt an instant connection.

There is something incredibly special about learning more about your ancestors.  We all long to be a part of a group, and what better group to belong to than a family?  Each has its own history, its own special stories, its own role in America or other country, and even its own shame.  All of these things helped to shape them and, therefore, helped to shape their decisions.  Eventually, they help to shape us.  If this is something that you are even remotely interested in, I urge you to pursue it.  Your local family history consultants are waiting to help you!  Heck, you might even find out that you're related to my family, and I think they are pretty cool.

If you are ready to start, click HERE to see where you can get free and very willing help.  You will be amazed at what you find.

The Most Valuable Library...

Yesterday was a great day from start to finish.   I'm thrilled that my Relief Society lesson went well even though my time was cut short.  Because I've been trying to be more diligent with my own scripture reading, it was easy to talk about the different it makes in our lives.  I know it has in mine.

During my preparation, I came across 2 wonderful videos, which I shared during the lesson.  Both are from the talks of LDS apostles, both are very powerful.  Several ladies wanted to know where I got them, so I'm posting them here.

Elder D. Todd Christofferson on the King James Bible:


Elder Jeffrey R. Holland on the Book of Mormon:


Both of these videos bring tears to my eyes as I think about the sacrifices of many to make these books available to us.  They work in tandem to teach us about the Gospel, and how great they are.

Celebrating Womanhood...

I just finished my lesson for Relief Society this Sunday.  I simply love teaching the sisters at church.  And I'm constantly amazed at how much I learn as their teacher.  It is a calling that I take very seriously and I begin preparing way ahead of time because I owe it to them to give them a well thought out lesson.

As I sighed a big sigh of relief--Whew! I'm done!--I was also a thinking about how much I love the fact that the LDS church is constantly celebrating womanhood.  I just love that, because I love being a woman and all that it means--a daughter, a sister, a cousin and, especially, a wife.

The other day I was going through some videos for the youth and came across this short one called Deep Beauty, based on a talk by Elaine S. Dalton.  I wish I could've shown this to my little girls in my classroom.  I saw what they were up against in a world that is constantly distorting the definition of beauty, making them think that being immodest and dressing beyond their years is the way to be attractive and gain a sense of self-worth.

This short video truly shows what real beauty is.  How lucky I feel to be married to someone who values these qualities in a woman:

Happy Mama's Day...A Tribute to My Mom

Yesterday was Mother's Day, and even though I wasn't able to talk to my mom for very long on the phone (she was hosting the CA family for a BBQ) we were able to chat for a couple of minutes.  Sacrament meeting at church was wholly dedicated to mothers and women in general and it got me thinking about the important women in my life, including future mothers, like my adorable niece in the picture above.

Despite the fact that I feel incredible love towards my niece and nephew, and that I know I played a major role in the lives of nearly 300 kids during my teaching career, I won't pretend that I know what it actually means to be a mother.  There is a special bond that is reserved for mothers and children that nothing else can replace.  I do know, however, that I have been on the receiving end of that bond and have had the privilege to witness it in abundance.

I come from a long line of very strong women, either because that is their natural personality, or because Life's circumstances required it of them.  There have been a lot of single mothers in my family on both sides--resulting from divorce, separation, or widowhood.  As a result, I was not exposed to the day-to-day dynamics of a lot of functioning marriages, but I was exposed to extremely dedicated mothers.  I saw the lengths that women will go to in order to protect and provide for their children, and the power of Woman with a capital W.

Naturally, the best example of this would be my own mother. The child of immigrant parents from Mexico, she moved to CA with them at the age of 7 and would eventually become the oldest of 4.  A typical teenager in the 1950's, she met and married my dad at 23 and helped him build a successful furniture business. After trying, unsuccessfully, to have kids for 5 years, she had me when she was 28 and my brother at 30.  At the age of 31 she was a single mother.  I was 2 and 10 months, my brother was 10 months.  And even though my dad supported us financially for a short time, all of the daily parental responsibilities fell on my mom.

Her life has been 100% dedicated to my brother and me.  She raised us with high standards in education, signed us up for sports, music and voice lessons; volunteered at our schools, did mother-child preschool, Indian Maidens, and Boy Scouts.  We read together every single night--without fail--while one of us sat in her lap and one of us combed (and pulled) her hair.  (I wish we had pictures.)  She hosted birthday parties and sleepovers, helped with fundraisers and field trips, and rarely had a chance to focus on her own needs.  Her sense of self was totally defined in knowing that she was providing her kids with a good childhood, one that was as balanced as possible.

My brother and I learned the value of money from my mom.  We knew we didn't have a lot, but we never felt deprived.  We never--Never--asked for extras at the grocery store or whined when we didn't get what we wanted, simply because we never wanted.  My mom talked to us like we were adults without overwhelming us because she respected us enough to tell us the truth.  We knew when times were lean and we understood why. She took in kids to babysit after school and we learned the value of patience and sharing, which isn't easy when you have 4-5 kids that you didn't necessarily choose to be in your house rummaging through your toys. 

When my mom decided to go back to earn her college degree at the age of 40, my brother and I became latch-key kids.  We didn't question it and we didn't take advantage of our lack of supervision because we understood that even this decision was made to improve our lives.  Thus the importance of higher education was instilled.  When she chose her career path, it was a choice again defined by motherhood.  She knew that being a teacher would give her vacations that aligned with ours.  My brother and I would fall asleep to the sound of her typewriter, cranking out one school paper after another, rarely even beginning before 9 o'clock at night. 

Despite being a single-parent family, the importance of family and where we came from was always emphasized, whether that meant getting together with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, or taking multiple trips to Chihuahua, Mexico to visit the extended family.  My brother and I loved those trips, and we learned that the importance of family super-ceded many transitory things in life.

We learned to love music by listening to her records and attending inexpensive concerts.  The songs of Elvis Presley,  John Denver, and the Carpenters have become like old friends that I frequently still revisit. We went to musicals produced by local high schools and universities, learning how to be a good audience member as well as appreciate what we were watching and hearing.

My mom saw us through the tough growing up years.  She helped us with school projects, heard about school crushes, nursed us through childhood illnesses, witnessed our disappointments, and endured our years of teenage angst.  She attended every parent conference, every school concert, every game, every carnival, every recital.  She was our advocate against unfairness and our staunchest defender because she trusted us.  We had no allowance and no curfew for that same reason. She knew that if we asked for something it was out of need, and that we could be trusted with our friends because she knew who they were.

We learned about discipline and respect of our elders.  There was love and communication, but there were also boundaries.  Yet, we rarely felt restricted.  As a teacher who created boundaries in the classroom, I've seen firsthand how much children actually appreciate knowing their perimeters.

She taught us about God and Jesus Christ.  We attended mass weekly and, though we didn't fully understand the abstractness of a higher power, we respected the fact that one existed. When we were introduced to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, she made sure that the decisions to be baptized were our own, personal, choices.  To this day she confesses that she "raised us on her knees" and that joining the Church is one of the best decisions she made as a mother.  The importance of the family unit and its eternal role are taught in a way she always wanted us to comprehend.

When I graduated from high school and was accepted to Brigham Young University she was working full time as a teacher.  As a student I never had to take out one loan or work while going to school.  Only when I graduated did I understand completely her system for squirreling away money and teacher bonuses (when those existed) to pay for my tuition, books, and rent.  My brother took a less direct route to college, but when he did, he knew that the same support I had was also available to him if he chose.

From her example I learned the importance of being a self-sufficient, independent woman.  I also learned the importance of self-respect.  Self-respect,  combined with the love I have always felt from my family, helped me to create the "better single than settle" philosophy that served me well until I met my sweet husband at the age of 37.

And now? My mom can say that 100% of her kids are college grads, me with a Bachelor's Degree and teaching credential, Jonathan with 3, (yes, three) Bachelor's Degrees.  100% of her kids are married, happy, home-owners, independent and settled.  Two precious grandchildren are the results of these unions.

Would she say that the blood, sweat and many tears were worth it?  I know she would.

And what do I say?  Thank you, Mom.  And I love you.  Happy Mother's Day.

Recipe for the Garden of Daily Living

It is a beautiful Thursday up here in the Pacific Northwest!  I hope everyone is having a great day.  After spending some time with several different lovely ladies today, I came home to find this cute email from my mom.  I try to post my own personal and original thoughts as much as possible here, but this was too great not to share.

THE GARDEN FOR DAILY LIVING

First, come to the garden alone while the dew

 is still on the roses.

PLANT 3 ROWS OF PEAS

 

 1.  Peace of mind 

2.  Peace of heart

 3.  Peace of soul  

PLANT 4 ROWS OF SQUASH

 1.  Squash gossip          

2.  Squash indifference

 3.  Squash grumbling   

 4.  Squash selfishness   

PLANT 4 ROWS OF LETTUCE

  1.  Lettuce be faithful                       

2.  Lettuce be kind                         

3.  Lettuce be patient                     

4.  Lettuce really love one another

NO GARDEN IS COMPLETE WITHOUT TURNIPS

1.  Turnip for meetings           

2.  Turnip for service              

3.  Turnip to help one another

TO FINISH YOUR GARDEN YOU MUST HAVE THYME

1.  Thyme for God           

2.  Thyme for each other 

3.  Thyme for family       

4.  Thyme for friends       

Now, water freely and patiently watch your garden grow.  

There is much fruit in your garden because you reap what you sow.

~May we all plant such a garden in our own lives~

    

A Day in the Temple...

(Click photo to see the full-sized version)

Yesterday was the day.  For the first time since 2002 I went to the temple.  What a wonderful day!

When I wrote my last post I still did not have someone to go with, but there was a voice inside of me that said not to worry about it, it would work itself out, and it did.  On Sunday, my good friend and neighbor, Diane, came up to me at church and asked it I had found someone to go with me.  When I said no, she said she wanted to go.  I had a very short list of who I wanted to share this experience with, and she was definitely on it, so I was very glad that she offered!

As I told Diane's husband, Steve, when I went to pick her up yesterday morning, I think I was more nervous yesterday than the first time I went to the temple back in 1993.  And I was.  I woke up  with butterflies in my stomach and zipped around the house attending to the pets and morning chores.  My stomach was doing such flip-flops that for a blink of an eye I even considered postponing until another day.  Just a blink, mind you.  I was in the middle of making the bed when the thought entered, but another, stronger, thought came immediately after which told me that it was the Adversary trying to bring me down.  I felt impressed to stop what I was doing that second and get on my knees and ask Heavenly Father to watch over me that day, to give me peace and focus and the knowledge that I was doing the right thing.  Satan is strong, but there is someone who is much stronger if we ask for His help.

The feeling that came over me is indescribable.  The jitters went away, the butterflies flew out of my tummy, and I just felt a calming peace envelope me.  Answers to prayers are not always immediate, but it was this time. 

An hour later, after taking a head count of the pets, I picked up Diane at 8:30am.  That 55 mile drive down to Lake Oswego went very quickly because we just talked and talked and talked.  Before we knew it, we were there!

Unlike the Los Angeles Temple, which, although very big, does not have a large area inside for unendowed people to wait, the Portland Temple does.  Diane also showed me a lovely indoor atrium that is very unique and available for families to take pictures in after a wedding or family sealing.  Perfect for our many months of inclement weather.

Then it was time to go in.  As I went through the session and absorbed the beautiful words I was reminded of the sacredness of the temple experience.  And there is something about being in the temple that makes you feel like you've left the world behind for just a little while.  We all need that once in a while.

The inside of the Portland Temple is beautiful and serene, as all temples are.  That's the word for the entire experience--serene.  Most people have a special kinship with the temple that is closest to them, and I really felt that yesterday.  Actually, I felt that when I visited it last Friday even just walking around the grounds.  And, now that I know that there are 3 temples in Washington (although the one in Portland is still the closest,) I look forward to visiting them too one day.

After the session it was time for lunch, then Diane and I went back to Deseret Bookstore and looked around for about 15 minutes.  It is such a fun place to visit, and that location is the closest one to us.  Then we got in the car and returned to our little city in Southern Washington.

There are so many feelings and thoughts that went through my mind and my heart yesterday that are too personal to share on a  blog, but, suffice it to say, it could not have been more perfect.  From the weather, to the timing, to my companion for the day, it was all just right.

Last night I was looking at the pictures I took of the temple last Friday and one that I had not paid much attention to before caught my eye.  I started playing with the light levels on iPhoto and it quickly evolved into the image that is at the top of this post.  The sun is in the right spot, the light is the hitting the spires in just the right way--all symbolic of my day yesterday with everything falling right into place.  What better picture to put in our house than one I took myself that perfectly represents my feelings while visiting such a beautiful, special place.

Visiting the Portland Temple...

This week I got my temple recommend renewed for the first time in about 10 years.  Those of you who are LDS understand the importance of that.  And if you are not, I'll tell you that it is a momentous thing if you're of the Mormon faith.  My reasons for not having one went hand in hand with the fact that I was inactive for a while, but I always felt that there would come a day when I would return to church and, therefore, return to the temple once again.  Happily, that day is here.

The temple is a beautiful place, inside and out.  The work that is done there for those who have passed before us is sacred and special and, we believe, necessary.  And, contrary to negative reports, available to everyone.  Of course there are certain steps that are required, but they are very achievable. Like the phrase "where much is given, much is required," I think it makes perfect sense.  And the blessings of attending the temple are abundant.

So, with my recommend in hand signed by my bishop and stake president, I drove the 55 miles down to Lake Oswego, Oregon.  My plan was to visit the nearby Deseret Bookstore/Distribution Center  and buy what I needed and then drive the half mile to the temple and take some pictures and absorb the specialness of actually going inside in a few days.  I didn't want to rush the experience.

The 2 ladies who helped me at Deseret were wonderful.  I wish I knew what my face looked like when I walked in, because one of them came up to me and said "You look like you're looking for something."  She and another lady gave me an hour of their time as I tried on temple dresses and bought the necessities.  Despite the fact that I was there by myself, I didn't feel alone in the process.  And on Tuesday, when I actually go to the temple and do a session (maybe 2,) there will be wonderful people inside to guide me as I refresh my memory.

I need to take a moment to give a shout-out to my wonderful husband, Eric, who has been extremely supportive.  I feel very, very lucky.  Because let's face it, if he wasn't supportive, it would be very challenging.  There are plenty of non-LDS spouses who aren't.  Fortunately, he's a stellar person, and I would expect nothing less from him.  What can I say?  My husband is awesome.

After spending a total of 3 hours at Deseret and getting some so-so teriyaki to fend off the hunger pangs, I drove to the temple.  I had never seen it up close, and had only seen it once from a distance while on the freeway.

Talk about maximum dramatic effect.  After driving down a long tree-lined road, the road forks.  In the middle of the fork is the temple, surrounded by nature in all its glory.  I had to take a picture of the first glimpse:

Believe me, the picture does not do it justice.

After parking the car, I got out and walked around, soaking in the breath-taking beauty of the temple's aesthetics.  I took pictures from every angle while the weather teased me with alternating clouds and sunshine every few minutes.  Thank goodness I could preserve the day.  A great, great day.  Even the horrendous traffic on the way home (that nearly doubled my travel time) couldn't bring me down off my cloud.

I'm counting the days until Tuesday when I return and do a session.  The first of many.

Enjoy my pictures!  I touched them up a little to make them sharper, but the greens and blues are just as they were yesterday.  Click on them to see full-sized.  The view is so stunning, it is hard to take a bad picture!  =)

Surrounded by those I choose...

This morning I was contemplating my new life up here in WA State.  (Yes, it has been over a year, but I think it still qualifies as "new.")  While getting my car serviced the other day I found myself, yet again, defending my decision to move here to a complete stranger.

"How could you leave sunny southern CA,with all of its excitement, and move to THIS?!"  I was asked.

Yes, the "grass is always greener" philosophy is alive and well in this corner of the world.

But the truth, the grass IS always greener up here--literally--which is one of the many things I like about living in the Pacific Northwest.  And the things I was initially worried about, like being in a smaller town and being away from lots of cultural opportunities are non-issues now.  There is definitely something to be said for living in a smaller town.  People are a little nicer, the pace a little slower...all good things.  And even though there are no big cultural events in the town we live in, we live close enough to Portland where things are available.  All in all, not so bad.  And let's face it, I've seen a lot grosser areas in Los Angeles than I've seen here. 

Living in Los Angeles definitely has a few perks, and is, perhaps, a bit more exciting, but it isn't like living in a TV show.  Not everyone is all glossy and glamorous, holding their Louis Vuitton bags, and eating sushi and sipping Perrier.  A lot of people are tired from the constant rat-race (I used to be one of them) and wishing that they could live in a place where things move a little slower, too.

Bottom line...there are happy and fulfilled people in Southern CA and in our little town in Washington.

And there are unhappy and unfulfilled people in both places too.

I am choosing to be happy.  Yes, it is a choice.

Which leads me to the people in my life these days.  I feel very, very lucky in this respect, because for the first time in a long time, I have the option to only closely associate with people that I really want to be around.  (Thankfully, they like having me around too.)  I didn't have that option when I was working (few people do.)  Your colleagues are chosen by someone else and you pick your work friends from that pool of people. Yes, I had some wonderful colleagues.  And, yes, I also had some that I really could've done without.

I was thinking about this while reading an article on The Purpose Fairy site (fantastic blog) about things we have to do to be happy.  One of them was giving up the thought that you can control how people perceive you.  We've all been in situations where we know that someone doesn't like us, we don't understand why, and there isn't much we can do about, but it still bothers us.  Maybe we've even been singled out by that person.  I'm one of those people who it bothers a lot because, yes, I care what people think of me and it gnaws at me when I know I'm being thought of negatively and didn't do anything to deserve it.  Or at least, I THINK I didn't do anything to deserve it.

It brought me back to an incident that happened during my last year of teaching when one of my colleagues surprised me greatly by attacking my integrity out of the blue and not only turned against me, but took a little band of a few others with her.  Four people that I had great respect for as women and educators were suddenly giving me the cold shoulder, both in person and online.  I'm still bewildered at what happened and question what I did to warrant such treatment.  I lost sleep over it.  I remember filling out my wedding invitations at 3am because I needed a distraction.  Shame on me for giving them so much power.

And it wasn't so much that these women were key figures in my life, but it was the fact that someone didn't like me and I didn't know why.

But now I get it.  I finally, finally get it.  Something happened that I had no control over and it skewed their perception of me.  I wasn't a key figure in their lives anymore than they were in mine.  I was a colleague.  Friendship with me was expendable.  When it is a key figure you try a lot harder.  It's taken me almost 2 years to come realize this.

Which brings me full circle and makes me all the more grateful for those who are key figures.  My husband, my family, BYU friends, former colleagues that really know me and have a little more faith in me, and the friends I've made since moving to Washington. 

I'm surrounded by those I choose.  I choose some pretty great people.

Last night's Celtic Woman concert...

After donating to our local PBS station 4 months ago, Eric and I had the pleasure of enjoying our "gift" last night at the Celtic Woman concert in Portland.  What a treat!  I've seen them twice before, at the outdoor Greek Theater in CA, but I was excited to see their new show and in a different kind of venue.  They performed at the Keller Auditorium, which is about the size of the Pantages in Los Angeles, and I think I actually liked the indoor venue better!

The stage was smaller than the Greek, and the show was scaled down a bit (no big orchestra or choir aside from about 8 musicians and a 6 person choir,) but it felt more intimate.  And the fact that we were in the 7th row center helped a lot.  (I'll admit I was a *tiny* bit bummed because the Keller seating chart showed that we were in the 3rd row, and then saw that 4 makeshift rows has been constructed in the very, very front.  Still--no complaints--we had amazing seats!)

We had a quiet day leading up until we left for the concert.  Eric is still fighting some sort of poison ivy and me with my bronchitis...not the ideal situation for going out, but we made the best of it and had a really great time.  It was a beautiful day, which lended itself to a beautiful drive down to Portland.  And of course, seeing my handsome husband all dressed up was an extra treat for me.

I had purposefully not listened to the accompanying CD for this Celtic Woman show very much so that everything would sound very new and fresh.  This is their Believe show. (They create different shows for every tour.)

Below is a video of the opening song, which leads into a gorgeous show.  What I love about Celtic Woman is that the entire show is about beauty...beautiful voices, songs, costumes, and sets.  It is quality entertainment at its best!  (It certainly makes the "music" you see at the Grammys seem less and less credible.)  The fact that Eric had a great time was the icing on the cake.  It was a wonderful night!  If you ever have a chance to see them in person, go do it.  100% family friendly, too.

The Unplanned Adventure...

Recently Eric and I have been giving our computer room a makeover.  First it began by moving his desk to another wall.  Then it was getting rid of my old dresser that he was using for his work clothes and sweats. Next thing you know we were shopping for a new desk for him, then matching desks for us, then waiting for the hutch that he had ordered for his desk to arrive.

Let's stop at the hutch. 

The room had slowly been taking shape and as Eric worked very diligently to put all of this furniture together, when our progress took a detour.  The hutch we had ordered for him (I didn't want one) kept getting delayed.  He and I are alike in that when something is supposed to arrive on time and doesn't, we get a little irritated and start looking at other options.

Our option was (1) wait for the hutch to arrive in 1, 2, or possibly, 3 days late.  Or (2) to cancel the order altogether and find one in a store that we could pick up ourselves.

Despite being on my second week of a nasty bout of bronchitis, it was a beautiful day yesterday that couldn't be wasted.  So after locating a hutch online at a store in Hillsboro, Oregon and calling to confirm that it was physically there, we decided to go on a drive.

It turned into one of those wonderful adventures that no amount of planning can create.  We took back roads through Cornelius Pass to Portland.  The scenery was gorgeous, the weather was alternately sunny and wet.  The mottled sun through the mossy trees made for a lovely drive.  We joked and sang along with the radio (Eric changing all of the song lyrics to match the traffic situation and his excitement about finally getting his hutch.)  It was one of the most enjoyable drives I've ever had.

We arrived in Hillsboro, were in and out of the store with the hutch in about 10 minutes, turned around and arrived home about 3 hours after setting out. 

It was a little magical really.  All because of a hutch.

 Hutch, and no hutch.  Or as we call it, Starsky and Hutch.  (I'm Starsky.)

 The finished product.  What a difference compared to the way the room looked before.

My silly, silly husband...

I don't write about it much, but Eric is hilarious and keeps me in stitches daily.  I really should record more of the funny things he says because most people never see this side of him.

Example--yesterday the water bill came and he noticed that our water usage was slightly higher than it was at this time last year.

Scene:  The Kitchen

Eric: I'm sorry, Sweetie,  but it looks like you're going to have to cut back to showering only once every other day.

Me:  Really?  That kinda stinks.

Eric:  Well, YOU will!

I know.  Completely silly, but I love that we have silliness in our house on a daily basis.

A story to put a smile on your face...

Up here in Washington we've been enjoying some beautiful weather and I've been fighting a cold since returning home from California.  This morning I read my book club selection for about 4 hours until I finished it.  Wish You Well, by David Baldacci, is wonderful book that was hard to put down.  Great old-fashioned storytelling.

So, aside from those things, there isn't a whole lot to share here on the home-front.  Then I ran across a video that was so cute and inspiring, I knew I wanted to include it on my blog.

Meet Caine Monroy of East LA, California, an optimistic and enterprising 9 year old who began building a cardboard arcade in his dad's auto parts shop.  He had everything--tickets, prizes, game levels, security features--everything except customers who wanted to play.

I don't know if it is because this all takes place a few blocks from the first school I ever taught at, or because Caine reminds me of some of my students, but it put a smile on my face and I had to share this:  (the security feature with the "checkmark" is my favorite!)

Home for Easter...

It's been a while, hasn't it?

My 2 weeks in California flew by pretty quickly.  It was great to spend a lot of time with my mom, my niece and nephew and friends from church.  We did have one tragedy during my stay when we learned that one of our former bishops, who was also a neighbor, passed away at only 69.

My mom, niece Angelique and nephew Xander.

She had this taken on her birthday last October

 Aside from that sad news, the trip was pretty good.  I attended my mom's book club (and even read the book, which I didn't really enjoy,) went to 2 FHEs including a fun potluck with yummy food, and saw extended family members at a party my mom hosted at her house. I also got to be with my niece at her toddler music class, which is loads of fun; take both kids to the Kidspace Museum in Pasadena, and take Xander to visit my cute grandma (his great-grandma.)

It has taken me over a year, but the weirdness of visiting what used to be called "home" and seeing the house I still own (and rent out) while staying as a guest at my mom's house across the street has finally dissipated.  Home really is where the heart is, and as I learn more and more about married life, and become closer with my new friends up here in Washington, this is feeling like home more and more. 

I would call Eric each day and we would talk for a few minutes here and a few minutes there.  He had to work long hours and extra days as I played in the sun, but this is the reason we felt like it would be a good time to visit my family.  When the 2 weeks were up, it felt wonderful to see him once again, to be back in our own house, and even doing chores didn't bother me. 

Unfortunately, 2 days after I returned home, I started sneezing and sniffling.  It came on so quickly that I thought it was allergies, but, alas, it was a full-blown cold.  The next 3 days were spent in bed, trying to keep up with the basics around the house, and trying to remember what it felt like to feel good.  When going up and down a small flight of stairs feels like climbing a mountain, that's when you know you are sick!

Yesterday I couldn't stand being stuck at home anymore and Eric had been hinting at a day trip as soon as I was feeling better.  We ended up driving to Vancouver (Washington, not Canada,) having lunch at Olive Garden, and doing some shopping at our nearest Trader Joe's and Best Buy.  I had checked out iPad accessories at the Best Buy in Pasadena, CA and was so, so disappointed in the store's recent changes.  It was a relief to see that the store in Vancouver was still delivering good service.

While at Best Buy, we bought a 2nd Roku player for our house. A Roku player allows you to stream Netflix programs through the TV, and I learned this week that the Mormon Channel (which broadcasts LDS General Conference) and BYU-TV were both available through the Roku.  I was so excited!  Our cable plan doesn't have BYU-TV, so I've always had to watch General Conference on my computer (which is a lot nicer now with an iMac.)  My old Roku player has provided us with a lot of entertainment upstairs, and now it was time to get one for the downstairs, family room TV.  

I finally feel like I'm "plugged in" to all of the Church broadcasts, which is great, and no extra monthly fee.  And, since I was traveling during Saturday's conference session and (she said, ashamed) playing "catch up" during Sunday's, I'm trying to watch the sessions now.  I really enjoyed Pres. Hallstrom's talk from Saturday morning--very powerful.  And I was sad to learn that Sis. Chieko Okazaki had passed away.  She was a gem.

Today Eric is at work and I've been trying not to overdo it too much as I continue to fight the remnants of that nasty cold.  The fact that it has been beautiful outside has made it easy to feel a little better.  Bailey and I took a walk by the lake, and dinner is in the over, filling the house with its yummy aroma.

 Yes, this is the lake at the end of our street.  This picture was not taken today, but the sky looked just like this!  The water was a bit muddier, though. 

Tomorrow, of course, is Easter Sunday, and I've looking forward to seeing my church family after not seeing them for 3 Sundays.  In the spirit of Easter, I'll close with this video, which reminds is that Easter is about celebrating the Savior's life and sacrifice, that we may all live eternally with Him:

Chilling in Cali...

I'm really thrilled with the responses, both written and verbal, that my last post has received. Right now I'm in CA visiting my family and, last night at an "empty nesters" FHE that my mom attends, the sweet couple that runs it asked me to convey my thoughts about what it was like to have an Apostle at our stake conference. You would think that in a big place like Los Angeles the church leaders would visit all the time, but the members here have to take their turn just like everyone else in the rest of the world.

So far, it has been a nice trip. I arrived on Saturday afternoon to wind and rain. It almost made me feel like the airplane pilot had taken us in a complete circle. My mom picked me up and we headed straight to In n Out Burger, home of the Double Double and land of the fresh potato fries.

Sunday was church, and it was so nice to see some of my mom's friends, who embraced me and treated me like a long-lost niece. Some of them I've seen 3 days in a row already, with last night's FHE and the monthly "Ladies Who Lunch" today. We went to a cute place in Pasadena called Kathleen's. Good food, service, prices, and very clean. Just about all you could ask for.

Currently my mom and I are both scrambling to finish the book for her book club, which meets on Thursday. I'm a story person, which this is not, and I'm having a rough time feeling motivated.

In the short time I've been here, I've done a lot, including spending an afternoon with my cute 93 1/2 year old grandma, and a few hours with my niece and nephew. I love them all!

Coming up besides the book club is a sushi lunch with my mom and nephew, a day of babysitting, dinner with some high school friends on Friday night, and a few other things here and there. I'm hoping to make it to Disneyland on Saturday, but haven't solidified plans yet. We are having a family gathering on Sunday.

Again I count my blessings...for my husband's generosity as I take off for 2 weeks, my family in CA, and the love I feel in both of my homes.

Our Amazing Stake Conference with Elder Russell M. Nelson

I am going to do something on my blog that I rarely do, which is talk about my religious beliefs. I rarely talk about them here because I like to keep them private, and also because I don't like opening myself and my faith up to criticism. But lately, I've been undergoing a real spiritual transformation and the events of the last two days have brought all of my feelings to the surface.

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, a lot is required. For a long time, I focused on that a lot. I also focused on other things, petty things, that were seriously impeding my spiritual progress. I felt it, and I knew it, and I still allowed it to happen. And for about 10 years I let this pettiness have more power than it deserved.

But something has happened to me this last year. I finally decided to shed the weight of those unimportant things that were keeping me from focusing on the Lord, on the Church, and from moving forward as a devoted daughter of God.

Yep, that little lost lamb up there is kind of the way I felt. And it wasn't like I had turned into a worldly, wild person, but I was not holding fast to the things I knew were true. Pride can do some real damage if you allow it.

I attribute this change to a number of things. Getting married has taught me a lot--much more than I ever anticipated--about being humble, patient, and unselfish. Not just the actual act of getting married, but WHO I married, because my husband has taught me so much about being a better person. Moving to a new state where the pace is slower, and a bit less competitive, has allowed me more time for reflection on what is important. And, yes, going back to church after many years away has had a big influence. I've been so fortunate to be in a ward (congregation) that has embraced me so much. I love the friends I've made and have learned so much from their examples. What started out as a social lifeline has become much, much more.

And, despite the fact that I'm annoyed at myself for wasting those 10 years, in some ways I'm grateful for them. The conviction in me of what it means to be a member of this church is probably stronger than it has ever been, and I don't think that would've happened if I hadn't come full circle. I have had to really humble myself, which doesn't come very naturally to me! But this way it feels more like a choice. And when you choose something without having it imposed upon you, you are able to take more ownership in it.

All of these feelings culminated in this weekend's Stake Conference. Now, if you're reading this and you're wondering what a Stake Conference is, let me quickly break it down. An LDS congregation is called a ward. Several wards make up a stake. We meet in our ward buildings each week for church, but once a year we meet together as a stake and have several special meetings that are meant to edify us as a larger congregation. That is called Stake Conference. And, twice a year, in April and October, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has General Conference, which is held in Salt Lake City, Utah and broadcast all over the world. At that time we hear from church leaders such as our living prophet, Thomas S. Monson, members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and other church leaders.

Now, I'm sure that if you are not LDS, you suddenly have a lot of questions, and that is OK. But, yes, we believe that we have a living prophet on the earth today. We also believe that prophet is supported by 2 counselors and 12 apostles. These men have the same authority and responsibilities as the apostles of old. But with the existence of these leaders, it is important to reiterate that ours is a Christ-centered church. Everything we teach, learn, read is all about living our lives in order to return to our Heavenly Father and his son, Jesus Christ.

Which brings me to our wonderful weekend. We had the incredible privilege of having an apostle of the Lord, Elder Russell M. Nelson, visit our little city in southern Washington yesterday and today and address us at our stake conference. The last time this area has received a church leader of this magnitude was 29 years ago.

Elder Russell M. Nelson
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

I was very happy that Eric, my sweet and supportive hubby who is not LDS, agreed to go with me to the session for the adults last night. We have had numerous talks about religion and, although we don't see eye to eye on everything, we do agree on many of the most important things. I was so glad that he went with me.

When we arrived (2 hours early--had to get a good seat!) the session in progress was for the men of the stake. Elder Nelson was conducting a question and answer period, and Eric and I watched it on the monitors in the gymnasium at the stake center, where we waited until the chapel was opened up for the next session. Most of us are so used to seeing Elder Nelson in a very formal way, at General Conference, surrounded by the other church leaders, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and the thousands of people in attendance. It was great to see him last night in such an informal and personal way, addressing a group of about 100 men who were seeking his counsel on being good husbands and fathers.

When the session ended, we had another hour to wait while the local church leaders and our important guest had dinner and rested. Eric and I were lucky enough to get seats with a great view to sit next to my good friend, Mary Alice, and her husband, David. I loved a comment that Mary Alice made to me last night, "Just think, in all of the world, there are only 12 apostles. And one of them is here tonight to speak to us."

As the session grew nearer and the chapel and gym started to fill up, it got pretty exciting. The night's speakers entered, as well as the stake presidency, to take their places up on the stand. I am very impressed with our local leaders and they are good, good men. But... as Russell M. Nelson came into the room and everyone stood up in respect during his entrance, we all knew we were in the presence of a special servant of God.

All of the talks were very good last night. Because it was the adult session, the topics were geared toward adult issues. It was very interesting to watch Elder Nelson during the talks. This is man who has probably listened to thousands of talks, yet he still gave each speaker his full attention. The only time he didn't, was when he was looking out into the congregation. I watched him as he scanned the face of each person, one by one, amidst the sea of people in front of him. I really like that I got to witness that.

When it was his turn to step up to the podium and address the congregation, everyone sat up a little taller in their seats and tuned in with a little more focus. The love and spirit in the room was palpable. I watched my husband listen to every word and soak it all in for us to discuss later.

Elder Nelson spoke of the whirlwind of depression that people sometimes get into as they think of the words "Be ye, therefore, perfect," knowing that this is an unattainable thing in this life. Ironically, this is a subject that Eric and I have talked about many times. He spoke of the path to perfection, and the things that are required of us in this life to travel that path. He spoke of the Atonement and the difference between eternal life and eternal glory--one is a gift and the other is a reward.

I wish I could remember every word. I do remember the feelings welling up inside of me as I sat, listening to him, with my husband at my side, and the thoughts that darted through my mind about things that I need to work on in order to achieve those great blessings.

By the time Elder Nelson was done and it was time to sing How Great Thou Art, I was a mess, tears flowing, and not one Kleenex in my purse. I looked over at Mary Alice, who was the same way and we both just whispered, "Wow." Eric looked at me and asked if I was OK. I was. I was very OK. So many things that Elder Nelson talked about felt very personal and exactly what I needed to hear, it almost felt unfair to the rest of the congregation that his comments were so tailor-made to my needs. And yet, I knew that couldn't be true. His words had touched everyone, and we had all just experienced something very special.

After the closing prayer, I took Eric's hand as we waded through the sea of people. Before I knew it, I was shaking the hand of an apostle and thanking him. How I dearly would've loved more time.

When we got home, we talked about the conference meeting. We talked a lot. And we were also tired. It was late, we had a snack, and the clocks had to be sprung forward an hour.

Still, I was on a spiritual high. And this morning's meeting was very good too, with many spiritual moments. But last night's was singular and the words that were spoken touched me very deeply.

Now, some who may be reading this might be thinking that this is awfully personal for a blog post, and perhaps it is. But faith IS personal. And it requires work. And it feels so good to be on the right track again.

*********************************************************
If you have questions about what we believe in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, here are 3 links that may help. Remember that knowledge is power.

THE ARTICLES OF FAITH

LDS Newsroom: "Mormonism 101: FAQ"

Mormon.org

The Big 4-1. There's no turning back now!

After celebrating Eric's birthday on Tuesday, we celebrated mine yesterday. (Those 24 hours of him being 4 years older than me are LONG gone!)

On Tuesday night he brought me some gorgeous deep pink roses and a lovely card for my birthday the next day and then we went for Mexican at our favorite place in town (his choice.)

Yesterday we had a nice lazy day at home (weekends for us are not at the same time as they are for most people.) We walked the dog, I got a mani-/pedi, we made dinner at home, and continued our Harry Potter movie marathon by watching Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 1.

The fun part is when people ask me, "Did you go out for a nice dinner on your birthday?" Haha, no! I certainly had that option, but because we had been out the night before and will be out again tonight for Eric's nephew's birthday, I decided against it.

So, what did we have? I'll bet you'll never guess in a million years...

Sushi? No. Chicken? Nope.

Live and Onions? YES.















As part of our recent commitment to eating healthier (A whole other blog post,) we've introduced liver into our dinner repertoire. The green bean casserole, I'll admit, is not the healthiest side dish, but we needed something to offset the taste of the liver. Besides, it was my birthday!

So, yes, you read that right. My birthday dinner (that I cooked) was liver and onions and green bean casserole.

But don't get me wrong. Even though it wasn't a birthday filled with cake and fireworks, it was still wonderful. The most important gifts are something I get to have every day. I would be crazy not to feel very grateful.

Next stop...42! Ugh.

Happy Birthday, Eric!!

Today is Eric's birthday! And tomorrow is mine. He jokes because for a whole 24 hours he gets to be 4 years older than me instead of 3.

But seriously, it is hard for me not to count my blessings when I think of my sweet husband. He has changed my life in so many ways and has shown me a level of happiness that I never knew existed.

Three years ago we found each other by accident online and started a long-distance friendship. In December of 2009 he came down from Washington to California to visit me. This is a famous picture of that trip. It was New Year's Eve day, 2009, and we were at the Arboretum in Arcadia--one of my favorite places. I set up the tripod and camera in front of the waterfall to take a couple of pictures. After getting one photo, I set the camera's timer again and, a split second before it went off, Eric surprised me with a kiss on the cheek and this shot was immortalized forever:
One month later, Eric returned with a ring and asked me to marry him. Accepting his proposal was the most spontaneous thing I've ever done (and I am one of the least spontaneous people I know,) but I knew it was the right thing. He was (and is) my best friend. He was the person I wanted to share every victory and defeat with first, and my life had taken on new meaning just by knowing him. How could I not marry him?

Over the course of the next few months, from the proposal in January to our August 2010 wedding, we've calculated that Eric flew down to California about 10 times. I was still teaching and about to get laid off from my district. And, although the original plan was to live in California, we realized that it was time to look at Plan B, living in Washington.

Meanwhile, we had a wedding to plan, his house to sell, a house to buy for the two of us, and we needed to spend time together, despite being 2 states apart for our entire courtship and engagement:

Eric and I in Seattle during my first trip to Washington, April 2010. At this point we still thought we'd be living in CA after the wedding.

Two of the photos from our engagement picture session in May 2010. That was the craziest weekend ever! In 3 days we had to get the marriage license, book a place for our rehearsal dinner, pick out flowers, pick out tuxedos for the men in the wedding party, pick out wedding invitations, and take our engagement photos. I had a calendar in my kitchen to keep us on schedule during those crazy days. And we got it all done without losing our sanity. The black and white photo accompanied the invitations to our 150 guests. I honestly don't know how we were able to look so relaxed in these pictures.

Eric and my cute nephew during another CA visit. This may have been the visit where he came to support me during the long and horrible lay-off hearing at my school district. It did not turn out in the teachers' favor, but I'm SO glad he was there! And as my family got to know him, they liked him more and more.

And before we knew it, the big day had arrived! Our photographer, Nick Charrow (his website is HERE, and his blog about our wedding day is HERE) took several pictures of the wedding party when the guys and gals were still getting ready in their separate areas. This is probably my all-time favorite picture of my husband. Why? Because his sweetness and goodness shows in his expression. This is what I get to see every single day. Boy, am I lucky.

And then it was honeymoon time! We stayed our first night at the incredible Langham Hotel (formerly the Ritz-Carlton, Pasadena). It was the poshest hotel either of us had ever been in, and we wish we could've been there longer than one night! The service, the room, everything was amazing. Here's Eric being silly the next morning as we ate breakfast in the courtyard.

We honeymooned throughout the California coast. Our rationale was that we wanted to have a quiet honeymoon where we could focus on being together after having to spend so much time apart. We drove to San Jose the day after the wedding and stayed one night there. The next day we visited the very interesting Winchester Mystery House (I had seen a documentary on it a few months before and asked Eric if we could please stop there. It is definitely unique!)

The majority of our honeymoon was spent in the sleepy town of Mendocino, CA at the MacCallum House B&B (Murder, She Wrote was filmed there, along with many other films and shows.) We stayed there for about 7 nights, driving back to Los Angeles by way of Carmel and San Francisco.

We love being silly together. About 10 miles north of Mendocino is Fort Bragg, where we visited a couple of times to do laundry and go to the famous "glass beach." At the tiny mall there was a studio that did antique-y looking photos. We couldn't resist!

So why am I writing about these things on Eric's birthday and not on an anniversary? Because as we celebrate our birthdays together another year, I am just reminded of how blessed we are to have found each other and to be able to grow old together.

I have learned so much since marrying this wonderful man. I love his intelligence, his spirituality, his humor, his generosity, his work ethic, and so many more things that I can't even list. I love that everything he does is about being good and kind to me and to others.

He is my rock, my partner, and my best friend. He makes me feel protected, beautiful and very loved. Happy Birthday to my darling Eric!!