RETIRED?!?!?!??!

Sometimes I look at my upcoming events during the week and I think?

THIS IS RETIREMENT?

This is how I feel sometimes.

Appointments, exercise, service, baby sitting, visiting teaching, errands, grocery shopping, guests coming to visit, cooking, cleaning...etc.


Some days I wish my list looked like this:

But, I guess I should be glad that I can still move, drive, see, walk, be mobile.

Okay, I'll take that thought.

Good Friends, Good Times

RAH bought a Jeep.

It was a lifelong dream.

He's been having a lot of fun with it.  He loves to explore roads wherever he lives or travels.

Mike and Loretta Allam; Garn & Dorothy Huntington - at Coal Pit Mesa via Dalton Wash outside of Virgin, Utah....
the area was filled with bikers from all over, but it was a tricky road, so they got their exercise in!

And having a JEEP allows him to explore just the kind of back road trails he loves.

He loves to share his adventures with good friends.

So, that's what we did yesterday.

Oldest and largest PECAN tree in the state of Utah.  It's on the property in Virgin, Utah,
where Dorothy Huntington grew up.

And, it was good.

A Marriage of Opposites

They say Opposites Attract...

Well, that is true of what was going on in my home last night.

I was WATCHING the NCAA tournaments on television,

but LISTENING to the live MESSIAH on my iPhone.

I found great humor in that situation.

Who knows?  Maybe Messiah music is a perfect backdrop for basketball.

DNA - Finding My Roots

The DNA kit was a gift from our son and daughter in law for Christmas.

It shows where we came from; a few real surprises like Scandinavian...didn't know I had much of that in my DNA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  OR DNA from Iberia....I didn't even know where that was!  HA HA.

But, I did find out some very surprising things when I discovered some relationships.

IT's all so complicated....

Also, let me add this; there is so much sorrow in life and it has affected our family deeply.

I'm grateful for the Gospel, but that has not protected me, nor will it from some of the challenges in our family.  It should HELP me with the knowledge that all will be made right.

Oh, I do hope so.

Fear not, doubt not!

Good advise.

As for the DNA, it's FUN because of the surprises.

So, thanks, Justin and Amy, for the fun gift.

The Motivator

In the Beginning, I used a pedometer which I attached to my waistband on any pants that I wore.

Over the years, I had quite a few including some that looked just like this.  The most steps I remember getting was one day in Washington, DC, we walked around sight-seeing with some friends and the pedometer registered 17,000 steps.  Man, I was exhausted at the end of the day, but normally, I didn't get close to 10,000 steps.  Plus, I don't think it was very accurate.

After that craze, a few years ago, I had a FIT BIT:

It was great for keeping track of my steps each day.  I rarely got to 10,000, but it was good to see how INactive I usually was.

Then, I heard about the Apple Watch.  What a waste, I thought.  Who would pay that much for a WATCH that simply tells time?

Well, as it turns out, I WOULD!

And, as it turns out; I LOVE IT!

Of all the devices I have used over the years, this is the most motivating for me.

Plus, it has some funky screens when I want to change the look a little.

I love the little MINNIE MOUSE face; I can change the color of her dress to a variety of colors, and when I touch her,
she  tells me the time in a  little squeaky voice...gimmicky, but for me; I like it.

Here's the thing; it is expensive, but I really LIKE it, use it, and I won't need a different watch for a very long time.

Most of all, it truly motivates me to MOVE/red circle; EXERCISE/green circle; STAND/blue circle.

And, NO, I am not being paid by Apple, but even so, I'm SOLD on this great motivator.

IRONIC TWIST

It was a shock to see the neighbor had been fired.

I kept thinking about it; about his marvelous family; about how it would affect them all.

But, I was so inspired by them all.

And, THEN, in a shocking twist of fate, my son-in-law was fired.

Out of the blue.  Out of nowhere.

Oh man, how could this even happen?

BUT, right across the street, I have an example of how I am supposed to handle this devastating situation;

with FAITH and HOPE!  And, a belief in the goodness of a God who will hear and answer my prayers.

Being Inspired....

by our neighbors.

Glenn was just fired in a very public way for a very stupid reason!

DSU fires faculty members Glenn Webb, Ken Peterson

It's all so very tragic and so unnecessary and so spiteful on the president's and provost's part.

Glen has received dozens and dozens of support posts on FB, but that will likely not have any effect on the outcome of his current position as chairman of the music department.

But, here's the thing; through all of this ugliness and tragedy, Glen and his wonderful wife, Carrie, have been strong in their faith of the Atonement, strong in their not resorting to backstabbing, strong in their resolve to see it through, and strong to let it takes its outcome, which does not look promising.

They have totally inspired me and others with their commitment to Gospel principles of being Christian.  From Carrie Webb's FB post:

Shared from the Living the 7 Habits app:

These principles (fairness, integrity and honesty, human dignity, service, quality or excellence, potential, growth, patience, nurturance, and encouragement) surface time and time again, and the degree to which people in a society recognize and live in harmony with them moves them toward either survival and stability or disintegration and destruction.

Paradigms & Principles of Effectiveness

This statement pretty much sums up what is wrong and right in our community. I’m so grateful to have a strong faith in Jesus Christ along with a strong belief in these principles.  #LIM #choosekindnesd

Glen and Carrie Webb; neighbors for many years; they have a married son and daughter, and a son on a mission in England.  It was because of a casual remark he made to his son in a letter, that he is being fired.  The University has accused him of willfully and intentionally undermining a person's character when he told his son, Tommy, in the letter that the 8 member faculty board had decided not to renew a drama teacher's contract.  IT's all so STUPID!

How do I know all this?

Because I live across the street and have talked with them.  And, I know what kind of people they are.

THE BEST!

I'm just hoping and praying for a good outcome for this marvelous family!

Once a Month....

a group of six get together for lunch.  We take turns picking the restaurant, and we just sit around the table, laugh, and enjoy each other.

Yesterday, Mike and Loretta told me they were going on a Disneyland Cruise.  What came out of my mouth next just horrified me.

Why would I even ask such a question?

I'm still distressed over what I asked them....they are our dearest friends, and it was a mean, unkind, unthoughtful thing to have asked.

Later on last night, I went to their house to apologize.  I cannot begin to say how difficult it was for me.  But, on the other hand, I cannot begin to say how KIND they both were in accepting my apologies; they had not taken offense, and expressed how much they appreciated our friendship.

Oh, there is absolutely nothing like good friends!  Thanks, Mike and Loretta, for being our friends, in spite of my wretched tongue!

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

When I returned home from the night shift, Allen handed me this envelope with these gift cards inside.
What a sweetheart is he!  Made me smile.  He's good and thoughtful.

About five o'clock, Marlaine Dayton came in with this bag of goodies; it astonished me, as I had just met her last week.
Look at all those thoughtful goodies...(I had told her Allen just bought a new Jeep, and we were going to go adventuring; hence the tylenol, lotion, and lip balm, I suppose.  It was just so sweet and so unexpected.
Notice also a little box with a red ribbon; that was given to me by Janna Olson, one of the missionaries I will truly miss.

The room just before anyone comes in at nine.  After nine, it's FILLED with missionaries and visitors!

Sad, happy, relieved, sorrowful.

All the emotions of something one loves coming to an end.

That was me on Feb 28....a day I had been looking forward to, but also Not looking forward to.

End of an era.

End of third family history mission.

End of many marvelous friendships...we say we will keep in touch, but I know realistically how that works, and it doesn't.

What can I say?  I loved it.  I realized that I didn't really know that much.  I was okay with family search, terrible at Ancestry, and c- at research.

I loved the visitors and the missionaries; the happy feelings that always permeated the building every day.

It's over and here's my last day photos to recall the wonderful 18 months.

Outside on our front porch for the final day of the mission!

This new family history center opened in June 2018....It is a happy place and always very busy!