I Can't Wait?!?!

Remember as a little kid when Santa was going to come?

That's what it's like right now for me....only I'm not waiting for Santa.

I'm waiting for J & J; O, L, A, I.

And also for J & A; E, M.

Fun, Fun, Fun!

The Toddler

She used to follow me around - constantly.

But, then, she was just a toddler. And, that's what toddlers do!

I remember the time I locked myself in the bathroom...
just for a few minutes' respite...just to be by myself, if only for a moment.

When I came out, there she was - asleep on the bedroom floor, right by the bathroom door. Just typing these words brings back the memory - and the GUILT. She had on a little red jumpsuit and seeing her lying there on the floor, waiting for me filled me with GUILT and sorrow.

So, this week, Jeanine and her two boys have been staying here. Haven is two and a half, and he has been following me around this week. If I go outside, he goes outside, if I go to the back bedroom, he follows me back there.

It's okay. I understand. And, it is just for a short time. And, his mother is here to fill his needs. He is a wonderful little child.

But, I'm remembering a time - many years ago - when I locked the bathroom door to hide - to get away.

I don't like remembering that about me.

Homecoming Queen 2009

Homecoming Queen 2009 for Hurricane High School

Congratulations, Janessa &

have fun at the dance!

Favorite Picture Day

Fall:

Charlottesville, Virginia 2008

A Fly on the Wall

Several years ago, as a young mother, she said to me, "I wish I could be a fly on the wall to see what Preston and Janice do as parents to raise such incredible kids."

And, she was right....Preston and Janice were raising six very talented, confident, intelligent, fun, Gospel-oriented children. It was understandable that she would want to know their success strategies.

Now, many years later, as her oldest son serves a mission, I have been the fly on the wall in her home over many years to see her and her husband's success. She would be modest about what she and her husband have done, but they are raising four very talented, confident, intelligent, fun, Gospel-oriented children.

The four young adults are academic, hard-working, service-minded, family-oriented, strong and good children.

But, it's not just me that is impressed...here's just a portion of short note to this family from another family member:


"Those kids are so great. First of all, they're really patient and fun with our kids. Our boys love them so much. They love to climb and tease and tell jokes that don't make sense and the Fishers are a totally willing audience for all their silliness."

So, the truth is, she didn't need to be a fly on the wall in Preston and Janice's home.

She knew how to do it all along!

True Artist

"They always looked so stern!" my friend and I said as we looked at an early picture of her ancestor.

"Well, they did have hard lives, so maybe they didn't have anything to smile about!"

I have often wondered what those early pioneers were really like; were they always stern and unsmiling as captured in the images, or were they happy and cheerful, in spite of their challenges?

Those thoughts were floating around in my head recently when I read this in a professional photographer's blog:

"My goal for a portrait is to give the viewer a sense of what the subject is like. Not just what they look like, but what they’re like to be around. I love to hear a parent say, “Oh, you’ve captured their personality perfectly”. Making a picture like that takes a certain amount of patience and paying attention to the details. A slight change in expression, a little hand gesture."

Ah, that's just what I mean...what the subject of the photo is really like...this photographer must be a true artiste.

Which he is...check out his site here.

94 Year Old Pedals Two Miles to Grocery Store and Back

"I've always been so independent," he said. "I drove some ladies to church for twenty years! But, now, to have to rely on others for transportation....it's difficult."

The license had been relinquished. The car put away in the garage.

Every Saturday, the faithful son drove him to the grocery store about two miles away.

But, sometimes, he just wanted to feel independent, free, not bother anyone, just go by himself.

After all, he had lived alone for nine years, since his wife died, taking care of himself, fixing his own meals, keeping the home spotless. He visited others, read, watched favorite programs on tv, went to church.

But, he missed the independence of knowing he could just GO when and where he wanted.

So, never one to whine or complain about his lot in life, he got out his three wheel bicycle, and rode to the grocery store; bought twenty four dollars worth of groceries and rode home.

"I felt FREE!" he said.

You, go, Hubert!

Favorite Picture Day

Just a reminder of why we left Rexburg, Idaho:

Winter 2000 or 2001 in our back yard.

New Convert (not a blog on religion)

Beverly told me about it first.

So, I Googled it.

Then, I wanted it: I felt I HAD to have one.

RAH said it seemed like a waste of money, and that good old books would never be replaced.

But, my dear, awesome children went in to get me one for Christmas; I love, love, love it! I mean, what if you are on a long trip out in the middle of the desert in Arizona, and there are no bookstores nearby, and you've just finished the book you have?!?!?

What is one to do then, I ask you?!?!

The answer - download an e-book on your incredible Kindle!!!

Well, that is exactly what I thought and have used it for....

Now, picture this.

RAH and I are in a room visiting relatives; everyone is sleeping - except us - there is no tv, no computer, nothing except my Kindle. RAH - out of boredom - says, "Show me this thing." And, so I show RAH what I use it for; books and looking up words in the dictionary when I read.

Then RAH - always the techno wizard - pokes around and discovers so much more that can be done with this gizmo. Like looking up things on Wikipedia...who knew??!?!?!? RAH also discovers lots of public domain and inexpensive books, like the entire works of Dickens for four dollars!!! Or like buying a book for 99 cents that gives all sorts of short cuts and other uses for this incredible little hand-held device which I adore.

So, then, RAH asks, "Do you think we might need to have TWO Kindles?!?!"

He's converted.

INgratitude

"I don't really understand it, " she said.

"I never forget a birthday or an important event. I know they aren't expensive, elaborate gifts, but with my husband out of work the past few months, it's all we can afford. Yet, they rarely say thanks. It's not the way they were raised," she said. "I always had them write thank you notes. If they would just acknowlege it, even if it's just to say, 'thanks for remembering, mom.' Let's face it...it must be me."

The sadness she felt was evident as I looked at her face and listened to her words.

How often have I been that same way?

I will be better; I will be more grateful - to people, to my Heavenly Father.

Step This Way, Sir

On a trip a few months ago, RAH was stopped at the Atlanta airport by a security guard. She had looked in his black carry-on bag and wanted to look through it further.

Included in that black bag, was MOST of the gear seen above.

She then made a statement that was something like this:

"I've NEVER seen so much electronic StUfF!"

But, we need it ALL! And, we took it all on a recent trip to Arizona....

So, what is it?

Phone & charger

Extra outlets

Mini Lap top computer w mini mouse

GPS with home and car charger

Digital Key Chain - given by a friend, so I can't leave that home!

Kindle w charger

IPod w eternal speaker and cord for radio speaker

Flash drives

RAH's camera w charger and remote

Loni's camera w charger

Electricity charger for car

External hard drive

Now, I ask you....what could we possibly leave home and do without?

Like a Rhinestone (well, almost) Cowboy

New hat; from Sedona, Arizona


New shirt; from Flagstaff, Arizona

He looks a lot different than he did exactly 45 years ago when we married in the Salt Lake Temple....

But, he - and his new cowboy clothes - still look mighty FINE, indeed!

>

Scaramouche

Sword fighting...

A really bad villain...

An interesting hero....

A beautiful heroin...

Set against the backdrop of the French Revolution...

A surpise ending!

Ahhhh, Scaramouche by Rafael Sabatini

Thanks, Merrill Jr. for the recommendation..

PS Still loving my Kindle...thanks, kids!

Want Cactus Fries with That?

Not again, thank you.

One helping of prickly pear cactus fries was enough.

(from the Cowboy Club,

a famous old restaurant in Sedona, Arizona.)

A Mother's Prayer

PEACE
a beautiful word - a beautiful feeling

My prayers are especially pleading for two members of our family who leave this week to establish peace in the world in two totally different ways.

Dr. Robert Jeremy Hackworth heads to Afghanistan Sunday, September 6, to help those brave men and women wounded while fighting for peace in a war-torn country.

>


Elder Sean David Fisher enters the MTC on Wednesday, Sept 9, headed to Tampa, Florida (Spanish speaking), to find those people searching for the peace and joy the Gospel brings.

I pray for peace for all their family members while Jeremy & Sean are gone,

knowing they are making the world a better place.

Mormon Humour

1. Poster given to Senior Missionary Couples:




2. The young lady didn't know much at all about Mormons, but while visiting a town in Nevada with lots of young teenage Mormons, she heard an LDS teenager say, "My sister just got sealed in the temple." The young lady was very concerned for that person sealed in the temple and she kept wondering, "sealed in the temple...how soon will they let her out?"

Young lady read the Book of Mormon and joined the church as she was the one telling the story about her conversion in Relief Society.

I heard both of these comments while attending a ward in Flagstaff Arizona today.

I absolutely LOVE visiting wards in other places; it's all the same, yet different. We also went to the Snowflake Temple on Friday night...it is so beautiful!

I love being a Mormon.

Copy Cat

She puts little packets of Crystal Light lemonade in her drink, so I bought some to put in my drinks.

She had a really cute little red purse, so I had to get a red purse.

She had Wanda do her nails, so I had to have Wanda do my nails.

She bought a little mini-laptop to take on her trips, so I had to get a little mini laptop to take with us on trips.

She bought a mini mouse for her mini laptop, so we bought a mini mouse to go with our mini laptop.

But, she's gone too far this time...

she had cataract surgery,

so here's where the copying ends!