Sunday, December 28, 2008

Merry White Wishes!!

Merry Christmas from the Cluffs!! My intention was to put this out there ON Christmas, but the illness that overtook my body the afternoon of Christmas Day kept that from happening; nevertheless, the hope from our family to yours is that the time spent with your family and loved ones remembering the birth of our Savior was happy and memorable.

The snow in Flagstaff started falling about the time the sun went down (I don't know if it never really got up on Wednesday) and we woke up on Christmas to a winter wonderland - about 8 inches of snow on the ground and it continued to snow throughout the day. It was a soft, white, beautiful snow, though (it was still COLD!!).

We went to the first showing of "Bedtime Stories" at the theater right down the street from our hotel. We don't typically go to movies on Christmas, although, Carol decided we needed to make this a new tradition. There were quite a few people at the theater when we got there and even more there when we left, but there were only about 30 people in the theater where we were. That was a fun thing to do.

We went from there to IHOP for lunch - one of the few places open. We had to wait for a table because they were packed!! They were only open until 2 and it was after 2 when we left. The employees were definitely ready to finish up and go home.

We went back to our hotel room to relax for the afternoon - took naps, did puzzles, played games. Carol's new addiction is Dutch Blitz so now we just have to make sure we make time for the relaxation part of life in the future.

With the exception of the getting sick part, it was a nice Christmas - great to have some time to relax and have no fixed schedule.

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Changing Plans...

We planned to go to the Lowell Observatory on Monday night to see their Holiday Skies show. We called at 4:30 to see if they were going to be open because of the snow and they said yes. By the time we got there an hour later, they were closed!! The guy driving the snow plow up and down the hill said they had problems with employees driving on the hill so they decided it would be best to close. We took a few pictures and took a slow drive down the hill and went to WalMart instead...

We decided to go back yesterday to take a tour of the Observatory during the day, but the stars were not in our favor - they were closed because of Christmas Eve...

We were planning on going up to South Rim of the Grand Canyon on Wednesday, but the weather forecast called for the snow and chains were recommended. The low brake fluid light had come on in the van so we tried to buy chains when we dealt with the brake fluid, but they did not have any. At that point we decided it wasn't worth it to take the risk since the storm was expected (it turns out the snow didn't start until later in the evening, but we had no way of knowing that at 9:30 in the morning).

Because of the snow that fell and was on the ground most of the week, most of the outdoor activities that we had talked about doing were put on hold until another season of the year when we can make a return trip.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Greetings from Riordan Mansion!!

Well, we made our break from the Valley Christmas this week and were greeted with snow 20 miles outside of Flagstaff. This meant we have had to modify some of the things we had hoped to do, but we did get to tour the Riordan Mansion State Historic Park.

The Mansion was built in 1904 for two Riordan families. The two wings are basically mirror images of each other with a center common room adjoining them. It was built in the "arts and crafts" style and is filled with original furnishings. Both floors of the east wing can be toured and have some great furnishings. Nothing can be touched except for a Steinway grand piano, which I was invited to play as the only one in the group who could play the piano. I told Duane we could just pack that up and take it home with us.

The east wing is only open on the first floor and is filled with memorabilia and examples of what life was like for the lumber industry in Flagstaff in the early 1900s as well as what the family was like through the years. Family and education were two things that were very important to the Riordans and this is evident in their homes. The homes and the contents belonging to the families were donated to the state.

We all love historical stuff so it was very interesting to us.

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Countdown Continues...

3) I get the opportunity to teach Presidents of the Church in Sunday School next year. We have had great lessons this year on preparing for exaltation and the steps we need to take on a daily basis to return and live with our Heavenly Father. What a great blessing and what great discussions we have had. The prophets of the Lord are such great men and positive examples in our lives - getting to spend a year studying their lives will be a great blessing.
4) We are going to get a project finished at home... I don't know what project it is going to be since we have so many started, but we will get one done (or maybe more than one).
5) I am going to take time to actually finish reading the books we choose to read for book club...
6) I am going to get back into the habit of regular scripture study. When I am in that habit in my life, it adds such a great peace, I need to remember that and stick with it!
7) I am going to make time for me every day (okay, well maybe not every day, but even once a week is an improvement).
8) We have season tickets to the Hale Theatre for 2009. They have some great shows coming and we get to go as a family to see "Beauty and the Beast" and "7 Brides for 7 Brothers" (among others)... I can't wait until January!
9) We also are going to see "The Lion King" and "Wicked" at Gammage. Through the Mesa Chamber, we got discount tickets. "Wicked" tickets aren't even on sale to the general public yet and we already have ours!!! Carol saw it in London so she can't wait to see it again.
10) I get to participate this week with the Chamber in wrapping gifts for a family from Save the Family. I love this annual project and the associations I have through Women's Business Council.
11) We are thoroughly enjoying the Christmas movies - the problem we run into is not getting them recorded off fast enough and running out of space on the DVR.
12) I am looking forward to finding some order in my life... filling my vessel with the spirit of organization... I used to feelk much more in control - I would like to head back in that direction.
13) I am looking forward to a Christmas that focuses on the spirit of Christ and his life - the example He set for us to follow, the peace we can have each day because of the life He lived.
HALFWAY THERE...

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

"Come What May, and Love It"

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin died yesterday in his sleep. He was 91. He went to his office up until Thanksgiving. He was a great servant of the Lord. His talks provided some great moments of inspiration through the years.

The talk he gave at the last General Conference was called "Come What May, and Love It." It gives wonderful counsel on dealing with adversity. One day after his team lost a football game, his mother gave him the counsel to come what may, and love it. "...in spite of discouragement and adversity, those who are happiest seem to have a way of learning from difficult times, becoming stronger, wiser, and happier as a result."

He shared the things he has learned over the years to help him through times of testing and trials...

1) Learn to Laugh - "The next time you’re tempted to groan, you might try to laugh instead. It will extend your life and make the lives of all those around you more enjoyable."

2) Seek for the Eternal - "Because Jesus Christ suffered greatly, He understands our suffering. He understands our grief. We experience hard things so that we too may have increased compassion and understanding for others.

Remember the sublime words of the Savior to the Prophet Joseph Smith when he suffered with his companions in the smothering darkness of Liberty Jail: 'My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;

'And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes.'

With that eternal perspective, Joseph took comfort from these words, and so can we. Sometimes the very moments that seem to overcome us with suffering are those that will ultimately suffer us to overcome."

3) The Principle of Compensation - "The Lord compensates the faithful for every loss. That which is taken away from those who love the Lord will be added unto them in His own way. While it may not come at the time we desire, the faithful will know that every tear today will eventually be returned a hundredfold with tears of rejoicing and gratitude."

4) Trust in the Father and the Son - "The Lord Jesus Christ is our partner, helper, and advocate. He wants us to be happy. He wants us to be successful. If we do our part, He will step in."

What great advice for all of us as we face the daily trials of life. What a great man and a great example. A great loss, but an eternal source of inspiration.
His eternal optimism (and love of football - even if it was that red team) is a great reminder that there is always something positive to look forward to. No matter what happens to throw me off today, tomorrow is another day and another opportunity to make the most of what is thrown in my path. I think I need to make "Come What May, and Love It" my new theme!!! (maybe someday I will have time to embroider that on a sampler... ha! ha!) Bless You for your wisdom Elder Wirthlin.

Monday, December 1, 2008

25 Days of Christmas!!!

It's December already - it is so hard to believe that the countdown to Christmas is on. One of the most exciting things we look forward to at our house is all the Christmas movies. We have the schedules printed out for ABC Family's "25 Days of Christmas", "Fa la la la Lifetime", and The Hallmark Channel with all those we want to record highlighted. Too bad we have to do other things in life, like go to work and go to school and sleep, we could spend all our time watching fun Christmas movies - and we must not forget the popcorn and Diet Pepsi!!!

December is shaping up to be the usual busy month, but as we move from Thanksgiving into the Christmas season we can look forward to the end of one year and the beginning of another. As I count off the 25 days of Christmas in movies, I also need to think about 25 things we have to look forward to as we count down to Christmas and turn the pages of the calendar to 2009. I know where I can start...

1) We all have two full weeks off at Christmas (that is the best news of all!!!)
2) We are going to take advantage of the opportunity and head north for a few days to relax over Christmas

Two down, twenty-three to go...

Friday, November 28, 2008

A Day of Thanks...

I love the Thanksgiving routine we have developed over the last couple of years - we start the day by volunteering for the Whitneybell Perry Turkey Trot. This was the 29th year and proceeds benefit the Arizona Chapters of the American Diabetes Association. The Turkey Trot takes place along the Arizona Canal in Phoenix. The volunteers are there to help with safety at the road crossings along the way. We wear orange vests and carry flags and encourage the participants to cross with caution. We get many "thank yous" as people pass by.

We were at the second crossing this year (44th Street and Camelback) and it was much busier than where we were last year, but it went well. We were done in a coouple of hours - just as the morning sprinkles started. It was raining a little heavier as we were driving to the end of the line to drop off our supplies, but not too bad.

After the Turkey Trot, we came home and got the turkey going and then took naps, watched tv, and relaxed. Carol and Duane took care of all the food preparations for the day and once things were all ready, we did Carol's favorite activity of the day while eating - watched Christmas movies. It was quiet and peaceful.

Since I did not do anything to help, I felt extra lazy - but hopefully once I get through a a few more sessions of physical therapy my shoulders will be in better shape and I won't be so useless.

The purpose of the day is to take time to recognize the things in our lives we are thankful for. I don't do that very often especially because so many things seem to blow up in our faces - the preverbial "one step forward and two steps back", but I have to stop and remember what blessings I do have.

I have a wonderful husband who will do anything for me (and for anyone else). I have a beautiful daughter who does what she is supposed to do. I have a testimony of the gospel that strengthens me daily. We all have good jobs in this difficult economic time. We have the opportunity to be together and serve others. Today I am grateful that I am in the middle of a few days off (YEAH for holidays!!!)

Sunday, November 16, 2008

A Family Affair

We have been participating in what will probably be a once in a lifetime experience. Since Carol is attending CGCC, we decided we would participate as a family in their Community Band. For Carol that is a piece of cake, Duane is doing fairly well, and I re-learn a few notes each week.

The first concert was on November 4. I could play most of the music and only had to fake it part of the time. It has been fun playing next to Carol and having her tell me "You're doing great Mom", but last week I told Randy Wright, the band director that I was not going to be able to play any longer. The problems I am having with my shoulders make it difficult for me to hold my clarinet for extended periods of time. On top of that, I can't learn to play the Christmas music before the concert.

Because of the schedule and the fact that it is more than a 10-minute drive, I had talked Duane and Carol into participating in the Mesa City Band starting in January. My abilities prevent me from continuing with them, but it has been fun. Mesa City Band will be a much better option in the long run.

Bear Down

We spent Friday in Tucson giving Carol the opportunity to check out the University of Arizona. It was a good trip. She was not too sure how she felt about leaving home to go to school, but she was interested in seeing what they have to offer. We found out about a program they have called UA Up Close and were able to get in to a Friday session. The next openings were not until the end of January.

There is an intro talking about the overall university and then the students have the opportunity to pick two college presentations to attend. Since Carol's chosen major is Family Studies and Human Development, the first one we went to was the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. There was a rep there from her major and she ended up having a one-on-one discussion with her. It was a good meeting. She told Carol about a Child Life Specialist position as a possible outcome for her considered major - it is right up Carol's alley.

The second department we listened to was the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. There are a couple areas in that college that interest her and she has to have a minor with her major so that meeting made sense.

After lunch, which they provided and also included an optional panel of current students, we attended a session on financial aid and then had a tour of the campus. The program changed Carol's mind about the possibility of going to UA. She was still not interested in "breaking out of her bubble" and getting involved in anything outside of class, but we were not through...

We went by the Institute so Carol would have the opportunity to see what it was like. We were able to meet the Director and one of the Instructors. The secretary also showed us around and showed Carol why it is that the students spend so much time hanging around the Institute. It was nice to have someone else tell her that she needs to expand her social circle and she will be glad she did. There were a couple students in the rec room that were quick to support the claim.

Our last stop of the day was a meeting with an advisor, which turned out to be a really good thing - it answered several questions. First of all, Carol found out she needs to change the math class she is registered for next semester. The good news, though, is that the only other "math" she will need to take is a stats class. We also found out that she has to have 24 credit hours completed in order to apply as a transfer student; otherwise, she had to take the SAT or ACT and that just isn't a part of her plans. So, she can either apply between the end of Spring semester and June 1 for next Fall or go for another semester to CGCC and then apply for Spring 2010. This applies whether she decides to apply to UA, ASU, or BYU.

The trip was really good (except for the migraine I had by the time we got home). Carol felt much better about the possibility of going away to school. UA is now a definite possibility. She is opening up to the importance of getting involved in activities outside of the classroom... at least a little bit.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Shadow Day

I had an amazing opportunity today. As part of Mesa Leadership, we are required to shadow a community business leader for a day as they go about their work. The purpose is to observe and question a leader in a one-on-one environment. I chose to shadow the Program Manager of a local emergency homeless shelter. I did not really have any preconceived notions going into the day and the day definitely evolved as it went by.

While there was not a specific schedule to fill the day, it ended up being a fairly full day and it was definitely a learning experience. I was so impressed with the Program Manager and how she operates. Over and over, her theme of "empowering the individual" was demonstrated as she dealt with her staff and made decisions related to clients at the facility. Her approach to everything she does at the shelter is to celebrate the positive, help the clients set goals and move towards their exit date with all the support possible, and trust in the goodness of others.

She walked me through case files and everything that goes into just having a family stay at the center. I was able to sit in on a client meeting (and had to sign the meeting report as part of the legal documentation). I attended a Parenting Class that is a mandatory part of residency for families. The class was on germs and diseases - interesting discussion there. Of course, I ended up witnessing a couple of unfortunate incidents with residents during my visit.

While there were some negative moments as part of the day, overall it was a very positive experience because of how the Manager approaches her day. It also made me even more appreciative of the jobs we have, the home we have, the blessings we have. There are so many things that don't go right from day to day, but I think I need days like today to remind me that I have so many things to be grateful for.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Miracle of Modern Medicine

If you had your choice of either option, which would you choose? Personally, I would choose the one on the right. Fortunately for me, that is the option used by the company that I was referred to for my MRI. Truly I had planned on never having an MRI in my life knowing that my claustrophobia would not like the procedure very well; however, the pain in my shoulders is not improving so it is time to look elsewhere for answers.

I have to pat myself on the back for getting through that procedure without having a heart attack, but if the open MRI is quieter than the closed MRI, I would really hate to be inside a closed one because this one got pretty loud at times. There were several series, each one no longer than 5 minutes, for a total of about 40 minutes. I did it and tomorrow I will find out if it will give us any answers. Let's hope so because this pain in my arms and shoulders has me about ready to chop them off at times. Until tomorrow...

Sunday, November 9, 2008

All Grown Up

I have decided that if I am ever going to make a go of this I just have to do it and not worry about all the things I wanted to put on here from the start, but never managed to get done - just start from today and go forward. So here goes...



Yesterday Duane and I experienced one more piece of evidence that our little girl is all grown up. Deseret Book's Time Out for Women and Girls was held in downtown Phoenix. I had another commitment and was not going to be able to attend, but Carol wanted to go anyway. She decided to see if Janet could go with her (and Michelle let her). The two of them headed out yesterday morning for the day's event.

Carol has never driven downtown, let alone been there on her own, but with map in hand she headed out. When she got home, she could not stop talking about the wonderful day they had. She is ready to go out and buy all the CDs for all the speakers that she doesn't already have. Those she did not already know about are now among her favorites. She and Janet had a great time together and look forward to the opportunity when they can do other things together in the future.

Of course, Carol is now trying to figure out what she can do with each of the other girls so they can have their turn...

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Here It Is!!

Michelle set up this blog for us before we went back east for vacation 3 weeks ago and I have not put anything here yet. Not much will get there tonight, but a few words is a start...

We had to be in Washington, DC, for Josh and Amy's wedding on July 25. We decided to go back a week early and fly into Philadelphia. That way we could do some Pennsylvania and DC tourist stuff before the wedding.

We only had a 30 minute layover in Cleveland on the way to Philadelphia so our plane had to be right on schedule. We got lucky! We got off the plane, hurried to another concourse, and got in the end of the line for the plane that was already boarding. We had to go out on on to the tarmac to get on to the plane to go from Cleveland to Philadelphia - it was a puddle jumper!!

Of course, the air conditioning wasn't working on this little plane so while we were sitting on the tarmac waiting to leave, it was warm!!! Our flight to Philadelphia was just over an hour and it took us most of that time to cool off.

Fortunately, the flight went fairly quickly and we got our luggage quickly. On the slightly negative side, the rental car company must have only had one shuttle and the driver was on their dinner break because we watched MANY other shuttles drive by before the one we needed showed up. Our wait was "rewarded" with a bright blue Suburu Forester. We forgot to take a picture, but I will have to find one if only to share the color - you couldn't miss it!!

We got to Pennsylvania - the fun was just about to begin - but that is all for now (at least it is a start)...