A Matter of Perspective

It all started Friday.  I went to mail some packages at the post office in the grocery store and the clerk asked me if I had fun plans for the weekend.  I was so happy to say "Yes, we have friends coming to stay overnight!:"  Which by the way, has happened, and was VERY FUN!!!  The Woodliefs from Spokane stopped in on their way home from the Boise State shellacking of BYU Friday night.

We didn't do anything exciting, just sat and caught up on things while our kids spent time together.  They went to church with us, had Sunday dinner with us, and then headed up north.  Such a great family.

But back to my original post...

When I asked the clerk what she was doing, here was her reply, "Going to visit my son at the County Jail."  I expressed my sympathy and then she said "It's been a rough month."

Now this makes me sad on a couple of levels.  1 - I can't remember which of my children this boy is the same age as, but I know he graduated with one of the girls.  Clearly, he wasn't a big part of their lives, but the connection is there.  2 - I now know of 2 children of parents that I know who are in that jail.  The other one is also a former classmate of one of my girls.  Too close to home.

Here's where the perspective comes in.

My kids aren't perfect.  The two who are home certainly make their own brand of mistakes, but thankfully, that brand is very mild compared to what it could be.  As a matter of fact, they (as well as their older sisters) are pretty DARN GOOD.   We don't have to fight them to go to church.  We don't have to drag them out of bed early in the morning to read scriptures and then head to Seminary.  We don't have to worry about where they are because, honestly, most of the time they are home when they aren't at school.  We don't have to nag them about getting homework done.  They don't cause us sleepless nights (maybe just a few late ones.)

But here are two examples of what they did, just today...

Trevor debated about studying for his Science Test tonight.  It is a re-take, and he wants to do well on it.  We talked about it, and he wondered if he should just go to bed a little early, wake up a little earlier than usual, and review the information then.  I was able to offer him an example by one of his brother-in-laws (hey, Brandon) who often woke up in the wee hours of a Monday morning to study because he chose to not do it on the Sabbath.  He decided to take the high road and get up early.  I told him he will be blessed for his choice.  As he went back to his bedroom, he said, "Guess what song is playing?"  I guessed Choose the Right.  "Keep the Commandments" he said.  Ah, my mama heart was bursting.

Kristin came running up the stairs, changed back into her church clothes, and headed out the door to Mission Prep.  I had no idea she was interested, and honestly, maybe she's just checking it out, but my point is, she made the choice herself, and it was a good one.

Now, I'm a realist, and know that she will probably end up having to do a little homework this evening.  (It was a full weekend after all.)  And I know that at some point Trev will also make me roll my eyes and wonder what in the world he is thinking.  For tonight though, I'm going to ride this feeling of contentment that for this day, my kids had choices to make, and they made good ones.  They are so much better than I ever dreamed of being when I was their age.  (Happy sigh! :)  From my perspective, we are blessed and I'm feeling grateful for the children Heavenly Father blessed us with, and the good examples they are to me as well as their friends and classmates.
I am reminded of the following scripture.

• 

  3 John 1:4

  I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

Sister Rietz - 5 months out!!

Clearly I am a rookie missionary mom, because this day marks Amber's 5 month mark, and I only thought it had been 4.  Maybe I'm not so much a rookie, as just a bad time tracker.  At any rate, it has been 5 months since she entered the MTC and almost 5 months since she got to California.

Amber and 2 other missionaries in her area had birthdays in the same week.  Here she shows her talent at Pin the tag on the Elder Game.  (I cannot get this picture to move.  Pretend it is further down the page)

Here is a brief summary of her mission, including a few pictures.

Amber has been in Hesperia, California since she left the MTC.  The town is on the edge of the Mojave Desert, and if you are paying attention, it has occurred to you that she has been there all summer.  And yes, her only transportation, aside from a few rare exceptions, has been her trusty bike.  I believe she calls it Gideon -Moroni, or something along those lines.  She and her companion put on about 40-50 miles a week.

I haven't heard much about them lately, but Amber did not have much appreciation of the famed "Joshua Trees" which the area is known for.  We can safely assume this is not a hug of affection.

I find it ironic that she loves riding her bike so much.  (Which she does.  She feels like she can eat dessert when she puts so many miles on it each week.  :)  I tried a few times to ride with her before she left and after the 2nd ride, she was done!  I guess I was the wrong bike riding companion!

The only injury, so far, is from her bike.  It required stitches.  Sis. Moon got to put one in, which they both thought was pretty noteworthy.  Sadly, the stitches fell out early, the wound didn't heal well, and she'll have a trophy scar to show for it.  You may see at the very left of the picture another scar.  That was before her mission, but as you can see, this leg has had a hard life.  As Amber said, it was only a matter of time until she had to use the mission insurance. :)

Until a few weeks ago, Amber's companion was Sis. Moon.  She was an ideal biking companion. They have many things in common, and were a good companionship.  They worked hard, and had a lot of fun on the side.

Service is a huge part of being a missionary.  They

Our Sister Rietz loves animals, but this armoured guy full out charged her, and did not make a very good first impression!:) 

 

If she looks older in this picture, its because she is.  Our sister missionary is now a 20-year old!  How did that happen?  She was sick on her birthday, and members of the ward brought her these supplies to help her feel better and "more at home".  She had a very hard time resting while she was sick.  Her missionary zeal made it hard.

Amber is a hard-workin', rule-keepin', fun-lovin' missionary.  We are so proud of her. The growth we have seen, and her love of the gospel and the people they teach is wonderful.  She only has 13 months to go!  That is hard to believe!!!

Another season in the books

Having 2 kids on two different high school soccer teams meant a lot of spectator time for me at Walker Field.  For most of the games, when Trev had a home game, Kristin was playing an away game and vice versa.  So, like I said, lots of spectator time.  Today, both seasons are over.  Trev was on JV, so no district play for his team.  His last game was Tuesday against Lakeland.  It was a tough loss.  There were a few goals that got past our goalie that were heartbreakers.  Even with a few hard to swallow losses though, Trev had a great time playing.  He misses playing already - I know this because he has been bouncing, juggling, passing, and/or heading a soccer ball in the house whenever he can.  My lecture about not doing it didn't seem to make much of an impression.  Sigh.  Here are few pictures to document his season.  Sadly they are all from the same game, as I couldn't seem to remember to bring my camera, and if I did, I didn't really get any pictures.  

I don't often get good shots of the kids with the ball, but here is an exception.

Another one with the ball!  What was going on that day? 

I missed documenting the action before this shot, but that is Trev, on the ground.  Contrary to what his position might be implying, he playing hard every minute he was in the game.  He is on the ground as a result of that effort.

Kristin's season ended today.  They had a great season (undefeated at home!) and ended up second in the district.  They played Coeur d'Alene to see who got to move on to the next game for districts.  They lost 2-1, so they are done.  

It was a hard game for me to watch for several reasons.  -It was pouring rain for much of the game.  Lots of girls wound up on the ground as a result of the wet grass.  -Cd'A went up 2-0 in the first half, and the Bengals had a hard time rallying for awhile.  -There were a few calls the ref missed, which resulted in a large, vocal group of our parents yelling rude comments to the ref.  It was not good.  Even some of the players were looking at the sidelines, and telling them to be quiet (with their eyes).  -And probably the last hard thing was that Kristin only got a few minutes playing time.  She was getting a lot until a few games ago, then for some reason, she didn't get subbed in but for a little part of each half.  Now, I'm not one of those parents who thinks their kid is the best on the field, and should always play, but I am a little distressed she suddenly wasn't getting much time on the field.  Today, the only reason she went in was because a girl got a yellow card a few minutes before the half and had to come out.  

A bengal goal fired the team up and they played well after that, but time was not on their side.  They were just plain out-played.  Tears were shed, many hugs of comfort were given, and then it was time to go home.  Not an easy loss to swallow, but they don't have much choice about that.  About their only option is to pick themselves up and move on.  

Here are a few pictures from this season (ok, today's game)

When she was in, she did her part

A good run with the ball

It was a very physical game

I love this book...

So, who exactly is Olga and why does she run?   Olga Kotelko competed in Master's Track Meets until her death earlier this summer.  She had just turned 95, and was excited to be in a new age category because she had pretty much broken all the records she could in the previous age group.  She competed in 11 track and field events, and here is the kicker...she didn't start competing until she was 77 years old.  She had played a little softball when she was in school, and when she was in her 70's, started playing slo-pitch softball, but didn't like the slo-pitch aspect of it, and after she was plowed over by a member of an opposing team, she decided to try track and field at the suggestion of one of her friends.  She went on to win hundreds of medals, and to compete in track meets all over the world.  

I love this picture.
Who knew a sweet grandma looking person like her was such a fierce competitor?

This book is her story, but also an inside look at her.  Literally.  The author tells all about tests Olga undergoes to study what exactly it is about her that enables her to be such a successful athlete.  Dr's and researchers ran tests on her muscles, brain, reaction time, blood, and others I'm sure I'm forgetting.  She has interesting sleep habits (an 1 1/2 self massage in the middle of the night), not very strict eating and drinking habits, and about the only regimented thing about her is that she trains every day.  I really can't remember all the details about the tests she underwent, but the thing I came away from after reading this book is the importance of keeping yourself moving as you age.  That and, the importance of relationships in your life.  I really liked the part of the book that talked about the camaraderie among the people she competed against.  Of course there is competition and everyone gives their all to their events, but there is a healthy dose of compassion/empathy for each other should someone fall during a race, or come upon some other calamity.  

After I finished this book, I thought how I should try something like this.  (Okay, quit laughing!!)  It's a little like the time I read a book about a women who lost over 100 lbs, then ran the Salt Lake Marathon with her husband, and yes, after I read that book I thought it would be fun to run a marathon, only, I HATE RUNNING, so that only lasted about 1 week until I came to my senses.  But when I was telling Trevor about this book, he said he would come watch me compete, and since I'm still SEVERAL years from 77, who knows, maybe I'll give it a try!  I should investigate Master Bike Races.  I at least like riding my bike, so its an activity I would enjoy!!  (Sidenote - don't hold your breath.)

The author has a nice narrative style, which keeps the story moving.  He developed a sweet relationship with Olga and was inspired to switch from the sedentary habits he had fallen into and run a 10k.  (See, I'm not the only one Olga inspired!  :)

Maybe this book isn't for everyone, but honestly, there is more to Olga than just being an athlete.  I gained a lot from learning about her.  Now that I know about her, I wish I could have followed her career, but clearly, that is now impossible.  Rest in peace, Olga!  

*On the subject of marathons, Allison ran the St. George Marathon today!  So proud of her and so impressed she did it!!  I talked to her this afternoon, and aside from being pretty tired, she sounded good.  What a girl!!  She is probably the closest I'll ever get to competing in a marathon.  I'm good with that!

My refrigerator door - right now

I've been wanting to do this post for a while, and when I got a new refrigerator magnet from the Dance's today, I took it as a sign that it's time to get 'er done!

I am not the sort of person to have a completely bare fridge door.  I guess I like to be reminded of the good things in my life on a daily basis, and since I can't seem to stay out of the fridge, I like the door to be a big reminder.  So if you will indulge me, I will give you a little tour with short explanations of each item. (Starting at the top left hand corner.)

Yes, that is a picture of two adorable boys with moustaches.  It is a Valentine from Ashley's family.  The caption reads..."I moustache you a question...Will you be my Valentine?"  I'm not sure I will ever be able to take that picture down!  I love it!!!

It seems that the most recently married couple makes a few appearances on my metallic bulletin board.  Allison and Ryan got married last summer, and this is a picture of them right as they came out of the temple.  It is also a reminder that I did something I never thought I would pull off.  I made her dress!  I actually still can't believe that it all worked!

John's mom had a milestone birthday this year, and this is the invitation her daughters made for the surprise party.  I know the party was back in April, but I think this is a beautiful picture of her and I especially love the border of the invitation.  It has all the roles she plays in the family - wife, mother, daughter, etc.  Its really a lovely card.

Ah, Downton Abbey - who knew you would capture our hearts as you have?  You probably can't read the caption of the cartoon, but it shows a woman in tears, with a PBS coffee mug and a Union Jack flag hanging on the wall of her cubicle.  The man says, "Why is she so sad?  And who are Matthew and Lady Sybil?"  The woman walking by says, "If you have to ask, you'll never understand."  If you are asking the same questions, I can only echo the above sentiment.  It's a Downton thing.  

Under the calendar are two magnets which really mean nothing to me other than I really liked them, so I bought them when we were at the BYU Bookstore.  

Having spent the last 4+ years in Relief Society, the next magnet holds special meaning for me.  Hopefully in those years, I honed my Charity skills, and when I call on it, it will not fail me.

Yep, you'll recognize the boys again, this time clean shaven, but hiding behind super hero masks.  This time they are joined by their little brother.  Those pictures are probably over a year old, but I still love them.

Next we come to the reason for this post.  Tucked in an orange Shutterfly envelope was this little cutie!  We love you too, little buddy!!

This is the most unusual wedding picture I have ever seen!  How did he get that high, and how did the photographer capture the shot?  I really, really love this picture!!!

5 Things to Forget Not...a good reminder from President Uchtdorf about our worth as women.  Something that often comes in handy. 

My kids bought me the magnet in the top right corner at Disney World the last time we were there. I love my kids and I love Disney World, so I'm not sure that magnet is going anywhere anytime soon!

The light blue magnets are reminders to be happy and seek joys in life.  They are OLD, and I probably should get them off, but I guess I hope they will spark someone's desire to do either of those things, including me.

I put in another copy of the picture to prevent having to scroll so far to refer to it.  I do what I can to help. :)

The two Korean magnets are from Yoon, a friend of my good friend, Sue.  They hold between them a fortune that reads "Courtesy is contagious."  One of my girls put that fortune up on the fridge after being home from college for a few days.  She no doubt felt we needed a friendly little reminder.

The final magnet is from my dear friend who moved across the country several years ago.  Aside from being a reminder of my friend, it also has wise words for all - "No matter how many cookies you consult, you will find that love is the greatest fortune"  

Of course, my fridge door holds a calendar to help me at least try to remember appts, games, meetings, etc.  It can only do so much though!  :)

And finally, the bottom door holds two drawings by T1.  Again, they are several years old, but they are keepers.  The magnet on the left is from the Bingham Copper Mine, there is also a magnet of one of the Cars characters.  His name slips my mind at the moment.  Another nod to the grandsons.  

Last but not least, there is a magnet that says "Poppins Penguins Catering".  A nod to one of my favorite childhood movies.  My mom bought it for me when we were shopping at Disneyland after Allison's wedding.  (That trip where we stayed across the street from Disneyland, but chose not to actually go to the park.  We know it sounds crazy, but we feel totally justified in our decision!)  The movie means even more to me after seeing "Saving Mr. Banks", which I know isn't totally accurate, but is probably pretty close to the truth of PL Travers' life.  I loved it.

So there you have it.  A long post I know, but just a little slice of my life right now!  As I type this, I realize I don't have anything about my sister missionary.  Hmm, I better rectify that!

Roommate Rendezvous 2014

Roommate Rendezvous 2014  - Sun Valley, Idaho

That was then...

...this is now!!

Talk about a blast from the past!!!  I just spent a few days in Sun Valley, Idaho with my roommates from my Freshman year at BYU!! We all spent part or all of our Freshman year living in Heritage Halls, E. Richards #2110.  Some of us went on to live with each other in other apartments for one or two more years.   

Here is the Cast of Characters (not including me)

Stephanie Reid Nielson - bottom middle, both pictures - We lived in E. Richards, Monterey Apts. and Clover Haus.  She and I were room-roommates in Monterey and Clover Haus.  She left us to get married to her guy, Kirk, in December of that third year.  She now lives in Colorado with her husband and youngest daughter.  Her 4 other children (2 boys, 2 girls) are scattered around the country, including some cute grandchildren.

Salinda Holleman Riebow - bottom right, second picture.  You may be wondering why Salinda isn't in the picture from E. Richards.  Salinda lived with Janette in a different apt. in E. Richards their first semester, then moved into ours for the Winter Semester.  Her RM boyfriend, Mark, came to Provo to take Salinda to Preference and talked her into going back to Florida and to get married!  We only had her for a roomie for one block!!  She, Mark and her youngest daughter live in Florida.  She also has 2 more boys and 2 more girls who are older who live hither and yon, with some of those children also making Salinda a Grandma of some also, very cute, grandkids.  

Boonseon Song Gudmundsen - when you are a teeny little thing, you always get to be on the top of the pyramid.  Of course, in the second picture, we didn't have a very top, so you see her on the top left, because she is still a teeny little thing.  Boonseon was my room-roommate our Freshman year.  She came to BYU fresh from Korea, and as well as having to have me as a roommate, had to learn many new things about her new life in Provo, Utah - a far cry from Taegu, Korea.  Boonseon lived with us the next year in Monterey Apts.   She got a new roommate the next summer when she married her sweetheart, Kevin.  They now are empty-nesters in California.  Her 2 sons and one daughter live in Utah and Texas, including a very cute granddaughter.  (Are you sensing a theme with the grandkids?:)

Janette Wells Lewis (the rendezvous organizer, and provider of our lodging for the weekend.  Thanks, Janette)  - Middle row, right side both pictures.  Janette was with me until I got married.  The last semester in Clover Haus, she and I finally shared a room in the apartment.  Janette went on to serve a mission in Thailand before settling (that is a loose term with her) down in Utah with her husband, David.  Janette still has one daughter at home, and her other 3 girls live in Utah.  She is looking forward to being a grandma some day, to, no doubt, cute grandkids.:)

You may notice the other two girls in the original picture.  Penny Shaner Broderick, second row, next to Janette, was like our mother.  She was a little older than some of us, and seemed to have wisdom beyond her years.  I hoped to find her before the reunion, as I knew where she had lived for many years before college, but my efforts came to naught.  Boonseon put her brain on it after she got home from Sun Valley and found her just like that!  We look forward to meeting up with Penny soon!!!  Michelle Cooper is on the bottom row, left side, and we have no idea where to even begin looking for her.  It would seem our apt. door was a revolving one, as we had 3 other roommates in our first semester in E. Richards as well.  Cindy Fullmer, Jeri (I can't remember her name) and Melvina - aka, I keep my produce under my bed  (I'm not kidding about that.  She was in my room, and we had fruit flies for a few days until she moved to a different place) - all lived with us, but were gone by the end of Fall Semester.

So, back to the weekend.  (That background took a while, sorry about that)

Most of us spent from Saturday afternoon to Tuesday morning together.  Boonseon couldn't come until Sunday evening, and she, Janette, and Salinda all stayed until Wednesday.  That meant that we had all day Monday together, and we packed it in.

Redfish Lake was a beautiful place to spend our precious day together.  We headed out, and took advantage of every minute we had to chat and catch up with each other.  I'm not sure I heard one silent moment on either the hour long drive to the lake or back.  (We know how to use our time efficiently! :)

We hiked, we talked,  we laughed, we ate, we talked, we laughed, we relaxed on a boat ride, still had plenty to say and laughed some more.  And then, after we got back to Ketchum to do a little shopping and eat some yummy gelato, we still weren't done talking or laughing.  And, yes, you guessed it, even during our late dinner (can you say Chicken Cordon Bleu at about 9:30 pm?) and a little roommate trivia game, we still laughed, and talked.  (I would just like to apologize one more time to Salinda for not letting her get a word in edgewise more than a few times that day.  I think Steph would second that with me.)  

There are a few observations I made during the reunion and since I have gotten home.  

 - These girls are still the same people I knew 30+ years ago, only better versions of themselves.  Boonseon made a similar observation. She commented that she heard our same voices from all those years ago, but with an added layer of something (maturity may be a stretch for some of us, but maybe she heard they have been added to with our life experiences)

-We have not breezed through these many years apart.  Serious illness?  Yep, breast cancer among other things.  Kids giving us fits?  Yep, at least a few of us have been through that.  Marital stuff - check. Financial troubles including unemployment - check again.  Miscarriages, parents' deaths, other troubles with parents, minor illness? - Yes, yes, yes and yes.  I think its safe to say most of the trial and adversity bases are covered between us.

-Despite the above experiences, we are all still strong in the Gospel.  I realized after I got home, I felt a little like when Ammon and company met Alma the younger while they were out teaching the Lamanites.  Alma 27:16 - 19.  It was a joyful meeting, and he was swallowed up in joy even to exhausting his strength.  I, too, was exhausted with joy (and all that laughing) after being with my long ago friends.  We are all married in the temple, we have tried to raise our kids in righteousness, we all hold temple recommends, and we all are contributing to our wards.  (Two RS Presidents, one RS Counselor, a Sunday School teacher/Temple Worker, and one Seminary Teacher.)  I felt strength from being among these girls and buoyed up by their faith and examples.

-A person cannot make up for stupid mistakes, but they can be grateful for friends with forgiving hearts who still accept the stupid mistake-making person, love said person, and let her move forward with them in rekindling friendships that will surely last many years to come. 

And, yes Janette, I know - Spain.  Just give me a little more time. :)

It was a fantastic few days, worth every second I spent on the road getting there and home.  I love these girls, and being with them reminded me why I love them, and the great influence they were in my life all those years ago.

This is a really long blog post for just one or two days of activities, but like I said, we packed our time, and we had A LOT of catching up to do.  Next time there will only be a year or two to fill each other in on.

We did decide a Roommate book club is a good idea, that the majority of us are Downton Abbey fans, that we need to get together more often, that 30+ years is way to long to have let go by before we got together, but that 30+ years has only enhanced our experience together.  So I say, "Long live E.Richards Rm 2110.  (Ironically, the dorm building we lived in has been razed and replaced with something bigger and better, but the original will always stay in our hearts.)

The following pictures are a little photo diary of the weekend, with more than a few editorial comments and not necessarily in chronological order. 

Enjoy...

Killing time preparing dinner until Boonseon got there.  

You can't appreciate this picture until you think about how big this chair is, and how young we are NOT!  :)

The autumn color was beautiful on the way to Redfish Lake

Notice the matching t-shirts?  Salinda surprised us with a gift bag with these shirts, some orange blossom honey and strawberry preserves from Florida.  They have our names on them, as well as the logo of the school that brought us all together, complete with little cougar paws!  So cute!!

I couldn't resist snapping this.  Something about a stream...I can't stop myself.

Stephanie treated us to lunch at Redfish Lake Lodge.  Yummy food and good company. (you will notice there are two people without pink t-shirts.  Some of Janette's family came up for a few days, and Jael and Brent stayed after everyone else went back to SLC.  They really earned their spots when we needed a group picture.  It would have been too much to ask to set a timer on the camera AND try to get into position.  Someone would have gotten hurt.

The lodge where, in the parking lot, the miracle of the car bumper occurred!   We're pretty sure we heard angels singing!! 

Mt. Heyburn which happens to be named after an Idaho state congressman whose interest did not lie in conserving animals, land, you name it.  We all thought that was a great way to "honor" his legacy!  :)

The weather wasn't conducive to using these, but I loved the color they provided in this shot.

The sun was in the wrong part of the sky to truly get a good shot of the "Gates of Heaven" but you get a general idea.  Beautiful!!  Thanks to Boonseon for treating us to the guided boat tour.

Love the reflection

I didn't get an actual picture of the entrance to the lake.  This will have to do.

Yummy gelato!!  You will notice there are more than one set of legs stretched out.  We went hard all day!  We were ready for a little rest.

The first Facebook-inspired post - Mother Teresa

I don't know as much as I could about Mother Teresa, but I like her.  I like what she did with her life, and I like the things she said during that life.  The quote above my sink is by her, as a matter of fact.

During one of my trolling sessions on Facebook (because that is really about all I do on FB is troll), I ran across this post from a friend I knew way back in Scottsbluff, NE, which opens up a future blog post, but not tonight.
Tonight, I just want to share these words.  I find them beautiful, true and words to live by.