Happy April Fool's Day

You really must take a look at this BBC segment from 1957. The greatest part about it was there were numerous calls to the BBC in response to the video from people wanting to know how they could grow their own spaghetti tree. I'd like one too.

Serving the Lord

Perhaps it's been long enough now that I can write. Nearly a month ago now, Daniel was set apart as a full-time missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This is something that we have anticipated and prepared for since he was born. I don't know that I have ever met a better prepared Elder. (We did have to do a button sewing lesson in the hotel the night before he entered the MTC). Daniel will be a fabulous missionary. I am inspired by his obedience, his testimony, and his love of God. These next two years should be filled with life-changing moments for all of us. Right now, we are waiting patiently to hear about his first area of service and his companion. The Field Is White. Go Harvest!

Special Olympics!

We learned yesterday that we will have the privilege of having 3 Special Olympics athletes and coaches staying with us.  They will be flying in sometime next Thursday and we then get to have them sleep, eat, and play with us for several days before they start competing.  We haven't learned yet if they will be from Jamaica or Gibraltar but it won't matter where they are from, it will be fantastic.  We can't wait! 

December In Review

It is tragic that it has been so long since I posted last.  Sorry.  I hope that not everyone has given up on me.  

The first week in December was concert week for Musettes.  That week is always a bit hectic but quite exhilarating.  We sang a variety of wonderful music and the concerts went very well.  I always wish that there were more people in the audience to enjoy the performance but I need to be grateful that anyone comes to hear us.  Perhaps I am a bit biased but I think that we continue to keep getting better.  

The following week we made a quick trip to Provo to hear and see Daniel perform with the BYU Symphonic Band.  It was thrilling to see him on stage in his tux and to hear the gorgeous music. I am so glad that he loves so many types of music and finds peace and enjoyment from it.  What a great surprise it was to have Steven, Carrie, Mark, Grandma, and Grandpa be there at the concert with us.  The frozen yogurt afterward was terrific as well.

Steven and Daniel finished up finals in fine style the third week in December and came home for Christmas.  A few days before Christmas, we got a phone call from Carrie, who was stranded in the Phoenix airport, unable to get to Portland.  She was able to get her flight changed and flew to be with us for Christmas instead.  What a bonus for us.  

Nathan called a bit later and asked if their family could spend Christmas

 with us if they could get out of Portland.  They slid sideways down their driveway, spent an hour and a half getting to the freeway, and kept pushing our direction only because they didn't know if they could get back home if they tried.  What started out as a quiet Christmas alone turned out to be much more exciting.  We got to do all the Santa stuff, a live nativity, and experience once again the magic.  Thanks for coming to spend the holidays with us.

Daniel went through the temple for the first time the Saturday after Christmas.  There are not many more wonderful experiences in life.  I have prayed all his life that he would make good choices and this was the culmination of so many of those good choices.  I admit to shedding a few tears along the way and it was a thrill to have two of my sons there with us. 

We packed up after Christmas and went to see family in Idaho Falls.  Daniel needed to see his Great Grandmother before he left on his mission.  It pulled at my heart to see them saying goodbye to each other.  We were able to attend the temple with both sets of Grandparents as well.  

It was a great month.  It was packed as usual but wonderful just the same.

Redneck Playstation

I know that economic times are hard. This might be an option for the kids this year.  I know they have asked for a new wii game but this may have to do.   You had better check this out. Your kids might enjoy it to.  I hear it is the in game for Christmas this year.

Happy Thanksgiving

A friend sent me this link and I thought it was quite clever. I hope you all have a fantastic Thanksgiving and remember that I am very thankful for you.

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS DANIEL GOING?

We heard just about an hour ago that Daniel's mission call came in the mail today. We have spent the last hour coordinating a time that he can open it and we can all hear him read the letter. It's a bit more complicated since he is at BYU. He called me when he got the letter and his voice was shaking he was so excited. I am anxious to hear the news.

Brent left his corporate meeting so that he could be on the speaker phone with Daniel. Those of us at home sat around the computer on ichat and Daniel and everyone in Provo sat in front of his computer on ichat. He anxiously waited for everyone to arrive and then he kissed the envelope and opened it with his ceremonial pencil. He read it aloud to all of us. Wow, what fun.

It is official now. He heads to the MTC on February 4th and will spend two weeks there before heading to St. Louis, Missouri. We are all thrilled for him. What an exciting time! His mission area covers the greater St. Louis area, some of Illinois, and a wee bit of Kentucky. I am anxious to get to see his mission map. I can't seem to find anything online.

There you have it. We are all so excited for him. I am thrilled.

Becca and Volleyball

Becca decided a little way into the volleyball season that she would like to play on the team. She faithfully attended practices and was invited to play on the "A" team. Since she came into the season late, she wasn't able to play in any games until she had 10 practices under her belt. She was a fantastic support for her team. Even though the "A" team didn't hold practices on Friday, Becca felt that she could use all the practice that she could get and met with the "B" team on Friday's.

Once she had her alloted practices under her belt, she continued to sit on the bench and support her team. She cheered. She laughed. She supported. The coach came to her and suggested that she might want to play on the "B" team so that she could have some playing time. Becca gave it much thought and decided to stay on the "A" team so that she could practice harder and be there with her friends.

It wasn't until the last game of the season that the coach leaned over and called her name to go into the game to serve. I am sure that her heart was pounding but she served and won the point. I was so excited for her.

I am so proud of her. She did something that she had never done before. She worked very hard. She NEVER complained about sitting on the bench. She was always cheering on her team. She was ready to shine when the coach called her name.

Guess what? She can't wait for next year's volleyball season.

SUNBEAMS

I was called a few weeks ago to be the Sunbeam teacher. There are ten, cute, three and four year olds in my class and they are all full of life and personality. I am so excited to be their teacher. Immediately after my call, I started thinking of what I could do for them for their birthdays and for Christmas. Preparing lessons is almost as challenging as when I taught Gospel Doctrine since I must prepare for a multitude of possibilities. The first Sunday I taught, the Primary President poked her head into our classroom to see if everything was okay. She had been tipped off to possible trouble by the kicking on the back wall of our room that unknown to me, shares a common wall with the Primary room. I now know how to call for help!

Awhile ago, I attended a lecture where the following story was shared. I laughed so hard and thought you might like a good laugh yourself. God bless the Sunbeams.

I work part time as a teacher of family doctors. This program provides training on psychiatric disorders and emphasizes the importance of emotional support. The new doctors are given plenty of time in clinic to visit with their patients and learn about their challenges. One of our interns who had never lived in Utah and knows nothing about Mormons is still struggling to understand the cultural climate here. Last week he was interviewing a new patient and stumbled upon what he thought was a raging psychosis.
Doctor: "Well, Mrs. Olsen, we've talked about your high blood pressure and your medications. Are you experiencing any particular stress in your life?"
Patient: "Oh, yes! It's the Sunbeams. They're driving me crazy."
Doctor: (Very surprised) "The sunbeams."
Patient: "Yes. I've never had trouble with them before, but this group won't sit still. They bounce all over the room, and run out the door and down the hall."
Doctor: (Reaching for a pen) "Have you told anyone about this?"
Patient: "Of course. I told the president."
Doctor: "Really! What did the President tell you?
Patient: "She said Sunbeams are like that. I'm just going to have to learn to deal with them."
Doctor: (Concerned that he may be missing something) "I know people who are sensitive to sunbeams. Do they cause you to rash or anything?"
Patient: (Confused) "A rash? No."
Doctor: "What's the biggest problem they're creating?"
Patient: "It's the noise. They just won't quit talking."
Doctor: (Astonished) "The sunbeams are talking to you?"
Patient: "Well, yes. But mostly to each other."
Doctor (Scribbling furiously in the chart) "I see. Can anyone else hear them talking?"
Patient: (After a moment of stunned silence) "You're not LDS, are you?"

Reflections of Christ

Our family was invited to go to a special viewing of a photographic exhibit entitled, "Reflections of Christ", done by Mark Mabry. Mark was in town from Mesa, AZ to set things up and then did a short "fireside" to give us some insight into the miracles that had occurred related to the photo shoots. It was amazing to say the least. The spirit was very strong and I was so grateful that we could be there for this experience.

Ben couldn't nail down which was his favorite photo because he liked them all. Becca loves the one of Christ walking on water. I am told that prints will be available in October and I would love to have one for my house but I don't know which to choose.

There is a website at www.reflectionsofchrist.org. If you register there, you can then view the videos with commentary on some of the pictures. It is really worth registering to see. Personally, I think you should also go to youtube and type in mark mabry reflections christ project.. I LOVE the music playing in the background on the youtube site.

I Love Living in the Middle

So it turned out that all my family living in the West came to stay with us over the Fourth of July. I LOVE IT! I love being surrounded by family and that doesn't happen very often. We are all quite spread out geographically but who could resist the urge to get together before the cost of fuel rises even higher.

We mostly just "chilled" at home so that little ones could maintain their nap and sleeping schedules. There was no lack of entertainment though.

We had the Wednesday night dance contest that Maren won hands down based on fan voting. Bridget was a close second with her retro style. Nathan was lucky he didn't rupture anything.



Then there was the attack Ben festival. Ben laughed so hard his face hurt and the kids were laughing almost as hard. It is great to see the big kids loving to be with the little kids.



We spent some time outside at the park having a picnic and playing in the water. It was a beautiful day to be outside. The park was a bit crowded and some of the "views" were less than wonderful but, oh well.

The fireworks "contest" got started with the neighbors parading down the street with the Grand Marshal wearing a patriotic striped hat and sitting atop his four wheeler. The rest of the reunion folks marched behind waving flags. We shot off illegal fireworks but these aren't the ones.

And we just basically had a blast being together. I live for these times.

God Bless The USA

Steven had requested that we stay in town for the Fourth of July so that he could participate in lighting the sky on fire and choking the neighborhood with acrid fumes. Last year our neighbors waved a white flag and surrendered after our finale. This year they planned a family reunion for the 4th so they could show us up. We took them on but my feeling was that it was a draw. They presented us with a 2nd place ribbon. Really funny you guys! We presented them with some party poppers and sparklers to get their stockpile started for next year.

He's Home!

Steven was all smiles at the airport and it was wonderful to see him. The flight came in a bit early so I had to whip out my camera and take a quick shot but gratefully it turned out. He spent some time greeting everyone at the airport and then we went to get pronto pups for dinner since he was starving. From the airport we went to the Verizon store to get him a new cell phone and then on to the Stake President's house. He came out from the house holding his name badges in his hand. He said later that it felt weird not to be a missionary anymore Daniel has him all scheduled out though. Last night they went together to institute. They went afterward with some of Steven's friends to get ice cream. Steven is out tonight celebrating a friend's birthday. He seems to be getting back into the swing of things. It sure is great to be able to yell up the stairs and hear him call back to me. We are glad to have him home.

fancygens.com

Senior Moments

Perhaps you've noticed that I haven't posted in a bit. We have been busy. It is with a multitude of mixed feelings that I chronicle some of Daniel's activities over the last month.

At the Senior Band Concert, Daniel was awarded the John Philip Sousa Award for being the outstanding Senior band student. As such, he was given the conductor's baton and led his classmates in their final piece of music at the concert. He has loved his music experience in high school so much that he plans to minor in music at BYU.


At the final Choir Concert each year the seniors are given the opportunity to perform solo. Anthony and Conner (senior choir students) invited Dalin and Daniel (senior choir wannabes) to assist them in a "boy band" concert. They want everyone to know that they really do like girls. You can see them on youtube by doing a search with the words "vhs boy band choir", or you can just click on the top left corner of my blog. It really is worth a look. He made me so proud!

While you are on youtube take a listen to Daniel performing at the State Solo Festival. He did a fantastic job. I never realized that a trombone could sound so beautiful. He was disqualified on a technicality--unknown to all of us, he needed to present the judges with a letter from the publisher to assure them that the music was out of print. If we had known that, he would have won third at the state contest.

Daniel played men's doubles at the district tennis tournament. He and his partner, Spencer had to be "rushed" from Caldwell to downtown Boise in heavy traffic after they both completed their four hour Statistics AP exam. They then had to play two matches. They won their first but were eliminated from the tournament with their loss in the second match.










Then there was Prom. Daniel took one of his best friends to prom and had a great time. Since they went as friends there wasn't all of the pressure that sometimes accompanies these big events.



Graduation was this past Saturday. Daniel ended the year at #4 in his class and with a GPA well above 4.0. He graduated with 19 college credits and with his scores on his ACT won't have to take many of the Freshman level classes. The Air Force awarded him a certificate as the Top Science Student (his doubles partner was given the Air Force Top Math student award). Daniel loves learning and graduated #4 in part because of the number of classes that he took (it diluted his AP credit GPA). He will be attending BYU this fall for a semester before leaving on his mission.


One of the most exciting days at our house recently happened to be Senior Skip Day. It was also the first day to sign up for housing on campus at BYU. Daniel and 4 friends, plus one of the friends cousins, all want to room together. Derek's mom called down to BYU housing and asked what the possibility was that these 6 young men would end up rooming together and she was told that it would be impossible. So --- bring on the challenge! They swarmed around all the available computers in our house and following an opening prayer and about an hour of fidgeting, whooping, hugging, yelling, typing, phoning, worrying, and stressing they all ended up rooming together this coming fall. Look out BYU here they come!



I really am going to miss all the excitement.

California Dreamin'

It really happened! Carrie and I made our way through the desert to San Diego to enjoy the California sun. We arrived at our motel (like a hotel just crappier) Monday night thanks in large part to the help of Gert our Garmin guidance counselor. The room wasn't quite what we had imagined from the 4 star rating it was given online but the price was right. Tell me---would you be a bit freaked out if you found this list of safety tips posted inside?


For those without eagle eyes the sign reads:

Safety Tips


1. Do NOT answer your door without verifying who it is. If a person claims to be an employee, call the Front Desk and ask if one of their staff has been sent to your room, and for what purpose.
2. Keep the door securely closed when you are in your room and use all of the locking devices provided.
3. Lock windows, sliding glass doors, and connecting room doors.
4. Do not display large amount of cash or expensive jewelry in public.
5. Do not invite strangers to your room.
6. Use the Hotel Entrance when returning to your room late at night. Be observant. Look around the parking lot before exiting the car.
7. Do not leave valuables in vehicles.
8. Be careful about displaying your guest room key in public. Don’t leave it on tables, at the pool, or any other place where it can be easily stolen.
9. Place all valuables in the Hotel’s safe deposit box located at the Front Desk.
10. Immediately report any suspicious activity to the management.

We also found it a bit disturbing that there was about an inch of daylight that came through the top and bottom of the door (remember this is open to the outside and any bug or critter that wanted could come join us in the room).



Is it any wonder that we spent our time away from the hotel room? We spent time basking in the sun at the beach, watching the surfers, enjoying the first 9 innings of the Padres/Rockies 22 inning duel, and just basically taking life easy. It was gorgeous and we really must do it again next year.

You can read Ginger's account of the trip HERE.

Where Has The Time Gone?

This is my first installment of FLASHBACK FRIDAY (just a few hours late). I figured it would be fitting to post this picture of Carrie and myself from way-back-when.

You see--Carrie has just celebrated a significant birthday and for her gift she and I are going on a road trip to San Diego. She has Spring Break off this next week and we are headed to the sunshine. It has been a long winter and the sun will be a welcome break. (That's Carrie in the picture pointing toward San Diego.)

So here's some history. I was born and then two years later my brother was born and then two years after that another brother was born and I prayed and prayed that my next sibling would be a long awaited sister. On April 1st, 1968 my Dad called from the hospital and when I answered he said, "You have a new baby sister." I responded by saying, "April Fool's". There was no way possible that I was going to fall for Dad's cruel joke. He however tried as convincingly as possible to let me know that he was serious. I did in fact have a baby sister (born March 31st) and I am the luckiest girl in the world. My prayers were answered. Happy Birthday, Sis!

Who Knew I Could Be A Princess?

You Are Pocahantas!

Free-spirited and wise. You have a strong passionate spirit that touches and changes all who know you. The wisdom and common sense that you have is really what guides you through life. Even so, you also have a very playful side that loves adventure and excitement.

Which Disney Princess Are You?

I Stand All Amazed

The most wonderful thing happened at church today. The young man assigned to bring the bread for the Sacrament wasn't at church. The Teacher's Quorum President and his mom left to get bread but the roads leading to their house are closed because of construction which meant that there was extra time to prepare for the Sacrament. We sang "There Is A Greenhill Far Away" and then we sang "I Stand All Amazed". During the last verse, the bread arrived. It was decided that we would sing "I Stand All Amazed" again as the Sacrament was prepared. Never before have the words to that song been so powerful. I will count this Easter Sunday as one of my most treasured. I bear testimony that Jesus Christ lives and that because of his atoning sacrifice I will live again. And because of his atoning sacrifice, imperfect and weak as I am, I can be made whole.

Happy Easter