A Slice of Rainbow

Book Review(s)

2009-11-08T11:47:00.003-06:00

I discovered Orson Scott Card recently. I listen to Ender's Game on cd and really liked it. I am looking forward to reading the rest in the series. I also read his book Enchantment which is the tale of Sleeping Beauty. Lots of twists & magical elements. I have never read Sci Fi or Fantasy before so this was a branch out. I actually really liked them. Definitely not the genre for everyone, but he is a gifted writer and I look forward to reading more. He has a women of the old testament series that sounds good too....

Currently, Ry & I are listening to the Spiderwick Chronicles (he has read 2 or 3 of the books). I am reading "12 Again" which is really good so far, "The Single Life" by Kristin Oaks, and I am starting "Alas Babylon" soon. I have to be careful though. If the book is too good, life stops while I read. I don't clean, eat, sleep, return calls or run errands when I find a great book. I can't afford to be fired....

Ryan's Priesthood Ordination

2009-11-08T07:15:00.002-06:00

On Sunday, Oct. 18, Ryan was ordained a Deacon in the Aaronic Priesthood. It was a big day that he had been looking forward to for some time. My dad flew out from Seattle to be a part of the day. Here my two favorite men in the world are getting ready for church discussing the sports cars picture above Ryan's bed.

The man of the hour in his new suit & missionary haircut.

He wanted his picture taken in front of our picture of Lehi's Dream.

This is my personal favorite picture. Grandpa & Grandson looking at each other in front of the Oklahoma City Temple.

It was a really good day. Ryan's dad, Tim and his wife Nancy came. Ryan was so intent on watching the deacons pass the sacrament and asked if we could sit on the second row. That is one of his new duties and he wanted to watch closely so that he would get it right the next week when it was his turn. I spoke with the sister missionaries and & Jane Caldwell on missionary work. Ryan decided that he wanted to be in the last primary program so my dad got to see part of the program in the practice they had during the Sunday School hour.

It was touching to me to see how many men Ryan had asked to be a part of his ordination. I am so grateful to these men who have circled around my son, loved him, accepted him, been an example to him, mentored him. I am grateful to a loving Heavenly Father who blesses us abundantly, especially in times of need. The ordination was simple, powerful, full of counsel and promise. Afterward, my dad gave Ryan a chart that shows the priesthood being handed down from Jesus Christ to Ryan Mills.

He also gave him a Book of Mormon that he had purchased and read cover to cover, marking scriptures with Ryan in mind. He is doing that for each grandchild when they turn 12. What a treasure.

One of my favorite memories of the day was just as we were leaving for church. Normally, Ryan takes some paper and pencils to draw with during the meeting. I asked him if he had his stuff and he said, "Nay, I think I am too grown up for that."

Where has the time gone?

Ryan's 12 Birthday

2009-11-08T07:10:00.002-06:00

Ryan turned 12 on Oct. 17!!!! Where has the time gone? To celebrate, he invited friends to play sports at The Cube. They played football for the longest time and some basketball. I think everyone had a good time.

Quiet...

2009-10-26T02:44:00.001-05:00

I am so tired, but I don't want to go to bed because then it will be tomorrow and I have to go to work...

I am Alive....

2009-10-12T06:19:00.002-05:00

Just busy. Fall break is this weekend so I hope to catch up here a bit. Have a wonderful, beautiful, watch-the-fall-colors-change, peaceful kind of a day!

The Lawn Fairy & the Soon to be Dead Cricket (hopefully)

2009-09-16T22:06:00.003-05:00

I think that you could wring out Oklahoma right now. It has rained for days. And my lawn is looooovvvinnngggg it. It is lush and green and grows about 6 inches a day. Tonight it rained more. So much that the streets were flooding a bit. We had scouts so it was after dark when we got home. As I was walking to the house, I said to Ryan, "Did someone mow or did the grass just get beaten down from the rain?" At first we couldn't tell in the dark. After we got all the lights turned on, we realized that the Lawn Fairy visited our house tonight! Both the front jungle and the back Amazon have been tamed and look wonderful with their new do's. Thank you so much Lawn Fairy! You are amazing - especially since I suspect that you were soaked by the time you finished. Thank you!!!!!

I have discovered a few species of insects would rather call my dry living room home than the deluge of the outdoors. I am currently listening to the very noisy, obnoxious, annoying cricket in my living room. As soon as he has the guts to show his face, he is going to be cricketing in heaven.

Thanks Everyone

2009-09-02T21:15:00.002-05:00

I seriously didn't mean to sound depressed in my post yesterday. I really appreciate all the comments, emails, phone calls and the sweet package I got today. Thank you all. I really am doing well & I am not going anywhere right now. I have many moments where I enjoy the peace and quiet of my life. I have just always been a big picture kind of girl and I don't know what my big picture is anymore. I do love Meg's comment that paddling in circles is much better than bailing out my sinking canoe. BTDT. I spent some time and money last month decorating my house. It feels much more me & I love that. I believe that I will find time for my front flower/herb beds. I LOVE playing around in the flower beds and nurturing something beautiful & I am so excited to get my hands dirty. My bank account is in the black with more in savings than I have had in years (not much but it is something). My wardrobe & jewelry stock have both grown this year and my scale said I lost 6 lbs. overnight! Yeah, I know - something is wrong with my scale. :) Anyway, my point is life is good. I am good. I just needed to give voice to the conversation in my heart & record the journey. Love you all~ J

Book Review

2009-09-01T21:26:00.002-05:00

I also finished The Goose Girl over the summer. I liked it. Well written, fun, a good lesson. It would be fun to read with a daughter & discuss (a son too but I don't think Ry will ever read anything called "The Goose Girl"). Anyway, I recommend it.

Books bring me to another subject - libraries. I was here at home tonight when I had an urge to go to the library. I live close to two libraries. As I stroll through the aisles of one, I find tons of books I just can't wait to read. The other, I struggle to find one. Why? Maybe it is a mental block. I did find one pleasure book and the cookbook that my friend Alisa recommended. And I put a bunch on reserve.

Grammar

2009-09-01T21:20:00.002-05:00

So Ry has a horrible habit of saying, "me and ____" and I am constantly correcting him with "______ and I". The other night he was saying his prayers and true to habit, he said, "me and dad" and I automatically corrected him, in the middle of his prayer, with "dad and I"!!!! I couldn't believe that I did it! What kind of a mother am I? Wait, don't answer that. Without missing a beat Ryan said, "thank you Heavenly Father for my mom who always know how to correct my grammar." We did laugh after, me a bit red & Ry with an eye roll.

Aimless, Pointless, Going in Circles

2009-09-01T19:07:00.003-05:00

I am not much of a writer but I have a desperate need to give voice to my feelings of late. This not meant to be depressing in any way - life is good and has been steadily improving over the last year. My canoe has steadied and the seas have abated. Now, I feel as if I am looking over a large expanse and don't know to which direction to paddle. Perhaps because the school year has started, I feel as if I am paddling in a circle - covering the same waters only without the storm. Things are easier. I can breathe. But I find the scenery uninspiring. I greatly fear that my current teaching position will very likely kill my love of teaching. Today, another teacher with years of experience, said that she had never felt so overwhelmed. I gulped and said nothing. I feel like I am being asked to make a complex recipe for paint so that I can paint a paint-by-numbers poster of a masterpiece when I so much want to just go out in the fresh air with paper and colored pencils and draw all the masterpieces of my soul. I am trying to trust those who know more than I. I keep telling myself that if I just follow the instructions, it will all come together. I don't want to come away from meetings depressed and overwhelmed. I want to be inspired & encouraged. I want to feel like part of the army in a great cause making great progress. I want to teach for the love of teaching and learn for the love of learning.

Part of the problem is that I know where I would like to go, but I have no power to get there. I am on this river, in this canoe. So where to I paddle to now? Sometimes the crossroads of choices are just as daunting as the journey themselves. I found this blog the other day and I have been inspired. It is the blog of a young woman (20 yrs. old) who is a teacher & missionary in Uganda. I would love to do something like this. I don't know if my heart could handle it. I don't know if my body could handle it. But I think that my spirit would thrive. Then I think that maybe I have been "called" to where I am at - inner city kiddos. It is only the second week of school and I am already tutoring one kiddo after school, mentoring another and donating to get another into orchestra. And I do love that part. I truly love these kids, seeing their progress. They do know that I love them. I just feel so unsatisfied. I want more. I overheard teachers talking today that they were upset with the new requirements this year - "they are making us educated them for colleges none of them will attend and not letting us prepare them for life." My heart broke - I want to believe, no I need to believe, that some of them will love learning. Some of them will grow up to fulfill their dreams. To be astronauts and doctors, scientist and writers, artists and authors.

My aimless feelings lately seem to be touching every part of my life. Sunday, as I sat down in church, I felt, for the first time in my life, like I didn't belong. It was a silly feeling. I greeted friends. An acquaintance reached out to me. I felt like I helped another. I came home with renewed inspiration to be better. Yet, I didn't feel like I belonged. It is such a disquieting feeling - not knowing where "home" is or what mission in life the Lord has for you. That feeling of there is something for you to do but you don't know what it is or how to figure it out.

I feel very aimless as a mother as well. I really struggle with being a working mother. It was never modeled for me so it feels less than. The longer I work the more convinced I am that mothering is about TIME. The more I work the less I seem to have of it. I try to focus on what I do get done but often that short list is clouded by the mountain of undone things. Yes, I tucked him in, sang to him, talked or tickled for a few minutes. But I had to cut it short to work on lesson plans due the next morning. It was hurried, rushed, and I know he felt less than most important. The fallacy tears my heart.

My personal life... not sure what to say here. The dreams continue. I wish I could just stop wanting what I can't have and learn to want what I do have. I want my heart to stop aching for a husband and children that will not be and embrace the career that I am blessed with. I get somewhat impatient with people who say, "never say never." I am not saying those things will never happen. But I want to stop aching for them. I want to forget about them and get busy loving every second of the life I have and then be pleasantly surprised if they ever do happen. I want the desire for them to abate because it can hurt so much sometimes.

I do feel very confused of late. I had an amazing time in Nauvoo. Before Nauvoo, I felt like I was just being pulled out of the refiner's fire. I felt strong & proved, but also covered in soot and smoke. Nauvoo dusted me off and polished me up. I came home with the old twinkle in my eye some 13 years gone. I still do feel that. Nauvoo gave me a glimpse of purpose, future and direction. I look forward to going back. I felt needed there. I felt called there. I want to feel that same feeling here in my life. I just don't know how to make it happen.

So, I will continue to paddle, continue to check out the scenery, continue to assess the options on the map. I will try harder to see the dragonflies skiff along the water and look for some wildlife along the shore. Maybe, if I become very brave, I will try skinny dipping in the cold waters. Just to feel alive and because I can.

Book Review

2009-08-29T23:43:00.002-05:00

Well, not much of a review because I too passionate or biased or opinionated. I finished reading "Darcy's Story" by Janet Alymer. It retells Pride and Prejudice from Mr. Darcy's perspective. I liked it. I was a super quick read & felt like young adult fiction. It stays true to the original chronology and events and keeps the same dialogue. The descriptions of people and places are sparse as most readers wouldn't need them. Anyway, it was a light, fun read.

Christmas Today & a Mish Mash Update

2009-08-27T21:50:00.004-05:00

So many things to record...

I will continue another post or two about Nauvoo as soon as I can re-size pics. (hopefully this weekend). I told my friend Alisa that part of my problem is that I can use the pictures taken by everyone else on a pageant members only blog. Some of the photographers are professionals and there are over 60,000 pics. I get lost trying to find ones to use for my blog - by the numbers and by the memories.

I also need to write a post about middle school for Ryan. Am I really old enough to have a middle schooler? I truly feel like the 24 yr. old just home from my mission. That is my golden age. I wonder if I will still feel 24 when I am 96...

School - is going sooooo much better than last year. I feel almost giddy at how much better I feel. I feel confident, capable, and am actually enjoying being a teacher. 8 kids did not show up so my class started out with 17 - I am now at 18 but MUCH more manageable numbers. And I do not have as many issues/meds to deal with that I had been originally told. It is such a blessing to feel capable.

I am taking my final (or so they say) certification test on Sept. 19. And since I was spending a few hundred dollars, why not some more? so I signed up to take the ESL test as well. We will see if that was such a good plan. If I pass both, I will have my teaching certificate in 6-12 social studies classes with the Elementary K-8 endorsements and the ESL endorsement. I did find out that if I fail, I can retake them after they part me with a bit more of my hard earned savings.

I have had such a great time in Relief Society lately. We had a fun Enrichment a couple of weeks ago - it was relaxing, renewing and a bit educational. Then I went to Book Club - so much fun. We discussed "The Giver" and "The Westing Game". I was a slacker and didn't read The Giver. The Westing Game I have listened to twice. It was just so much fun to talk about books - so many memories and connections with good books. We are reading Rahl Dahl next and then "The Secret Garden" which I LOVE. Lastly, Alisa and I got to visit with some other ladies from church a few times this past month and it was just fun.

Wonderful news - my friends Jay & Alisa came over tonight and while we girls visited, Jay fixed my wireless connections!!!!! We have lived with a blue cord in the middle of our living room for forever now. We have tripped over it, argued over who would use it first, and felt leashed by it. Not only is it gone, but he installed my cordless keyboard and mouse. Heavenly days! I loooooove it. It feels like Christmas.

Lastly- I splurged on me. Today I came home to a package from Amazon. No, not books. DVDs. I can now watch "Under the Greenwood Tree", "Jane Eyre", "Pride & Prejudice" (2005), "Emma" (Kate Beckinsale) as many times as I want! I did get them all on super sales. Who needs tv when you have these along with "North & South", the Colin Firth "Pride & Prejudice" and the latest "Sense & Sensibility"? Did I say that today felt like a rich Christmas? I am thinking that I need to have a Chick Flick Party - anyone?

Help

2009-08-25T17:33:00.000-05:00

I need some pointers on re-sizing my pics. Anyone? I will fix the Nauvoo posts as soon as I learn how. Sorry!

2009-08-16T18:33:00.011-05:00

We arrived in Nauvoo, IL. on a perfect Sunday evening, July 19. The last 20 mins of the drive are beautiful. The road borders the Mississippi with woods on the other side. As you come into Nauvoo, the main road goes up a hill and turns and there suddenly the temple is before you. It literally took my breath away. So many thoughts and emotions as I saw it.

We drove around town, found our camp ground and pitched our tent. Then we went to explore a bit more and find out where we had to be for the next day.

Monday morning found us at the Middle School at 8:00a.m. We were greeted by the most wonderful, enthusiastic volunteers. They greeted us like we were family and then had known us forever. We instantly felt welcomed, wanted and loved. We registered, picked up our parking info, signed up for fitting times, temple appointments and had our pictures taken for our name badges. We gathered in the gym where Julie Robinson, a wonderful dancer, mother of 5 under 8 & the artistic Director's wife, started teaching us some very fun country dances. Everyone was laughing & asking "what is your name & where are you from?" as we began to get to know each other. Our cast was a true gathering from everywhere. Families from California, Canada, Guatemala, East Coast, and everywhere in between. We represented many ethnicities as well - Japanese, African American, Hispanic, Korean, Romania. I was surprised at how many of us had personal things in common - our cast was filled with adoptive families, foster families, widowed families, a few divorced families & homeschooling families - all things that have touched my life & heart. It truly felt like family. Our youngest cast member was little Mariah at 18 months and I respectfully didn't ask the oldest. :)

(learning to dance)

Ry & I had our costume fittings fairly early because I was so excited we were a few mins. early. Let me try to explain costuming. The costume department takes up HALF of the middle school. There are over 10,000 pieces of costumes for the pageant.

(the laundry baskets are all bloomers, the garbage cans are packed with petticoats)

It was inspiring to see one part of the army that makes up the pageant. At the first desk, they pulled our folders and sent us to the appropriate classroom where a sister measured us and began handing us our costume. I walked out with 2 skirts, 3 bodices, 1 petticoat, bloomers, 1 apron, a cloak, a bonnet, cuffs & a collar. Ryan got off easy with 1 pant, 1 shirt, 1 vest & a hat. Some families had to have carts for all of there stuff. We then headed to the changing classroom where we had to try on each outfit and then go to the "pit" (another classroom) where ladies measured our hems and made notes on our chart for alterations.

(Ryan in the pit)

After everything had been fitted, we left our costumes on a rack for the sewing ladies to alter (we picked them up the next day.) A huge classroom was set up as a giant sewing factory. There were probably 15 or more sewing machines in there and ladies all chatting & sewing away. My mom would have been in heaven. These ladies worked through the night getting our cast outfitted for the performance the next night. What is even more amazing is these ladies are volunteers from around the country. They like the cast, medical, crew, kitchen, & security pay their own way, give up 1, 2 or more weeks of their summer to make pageant happen. It truly is miraculous.

After our fitting, we went back to the dancing for just a bit before sat down to meet the organizers & directors. Family Support (a volunteer support team for the kids) came in and the kids ages 3-11 could go with them for some crafts & games. The directors made it very clear that our families came first in this process. If our kids needed something or us, they encouraged us to take care of them and not feel like we were bothering them or interrupting the meeting. I love it when family needs are recognized and honored. Ryan was not happy about having to go with the little kids, but I asked him to give it a try so he did.

Our meeting began with a hymn. I do not remember what we sang, but I will never forget the feeling. It was tremendous. Without hymnals & without any preparation, we sang in parts. And we SANG. I was stunned at how we sounded. I had goosebumps. And a couple of tears. We sounded so good. It more than filled the space. I wasn't the only one looking around to find the wonderful voices. I believe that angels were singing with us.

The Pageant Mission Pres.- Pres. Renouf spoke and then the directors. I especially remember something that the artistic director, Ray Robinson, said. He said that "the best actor in the world can not portray a saint. It can't be done. You can not act being a saint. You have to BE a saint." That really stuck with me. And over the next two weeks, we learned & shared what it is to be a saint.

After the meeting, we broke for lunch. I had purchased the cafeteria plan and so we ate both weeks at the Middle School cafeteria. After lunch, we hung around the gym while I tried to soak it all in. The band leader was working with a group of musicians from our cast in one corner. They were playing some of the music for the square dancing & then played Taylor Swift's Love Story. I had never heard it before and I fell in love with the music. They had violins, guitars, cellos, and I don't know what all, but they sounded so good. It was hard to believe that they only met that morning. The music director, Brad Thompson, came in and started working with the work crew on a version of "The Armies of Helaman." It gave me goose bumps - they sounded so good.

Monday afternoon received our pre-show assignments & instructions. The pageant is outdoors and starts at 8:30. From 7 -8:30 the cast host a pre-show, basically an old fashioned country fair. Two fields in front of the pageant are filled with pioneer activities. Stilts, stickball, tug-of-war, stickpull, log saw, branding, dancing, music, hand cart rides, quilting, rag tying, checkers, puppet shows, & pioneer crafts. Ry & I were in charge of Parlor games - 4 picnic tables with checker boards printed on them where we taught & played checkers, fox & geese, & dominos. Attendance at the pageant each night was between 2,000 & 3,000 so there were tons of people & tons of fun. We constantly had people at our tables and had a great time getting to know the pageant guests.

After we learned the pre-show instructions, we learned the finale. Our cast was the green cast. The first week we were in rehearsal & we were responsible for the Pre-show & part of the finale. The cast in front of us (in their second week & the performing cast) was the Yellow cast. All the while, directors would pull various groups of men & boys and teach them how to build parts of the sets that they would be responsible for while the yellow cast performed.

We had some time for dinner and then met at the stage for the Yellow cast dress rehearsal. We saw the pageant for the first time that night. It was amazing. The message, the feeling, and then getting to go up at the end and be a part of it... I really don't have words. I felt so humbled, so grateful, so joyful, so blessed. Afterward, we sat on the stage with both casts and passed the mike sharing our experiences. Some were technical comments, most were feelings. It felt like the testimony meeting you have at the end of girl's camp. And everyone's comments were welcome - no matter how small you were. Everyone was a part of this.

(I love this picture - the pioneers (yellow cast) mixed with the modern (green cast - ours). This is the meeting right after the dress rehearsal. We know many of the people in the background.)

Now you can see why I couldn't post much while I was there. All of that was the first day. And there are probably things that I am forgetting. Most nights we didn't get to bed until 11:00 or 12:00 and we had to be at rehearsal by 8:00a.m. It was wonderful to go to bed truly exhausted in the work of the Lord.

To be continued...

Update

2009-08-15T08:05:00.002-05:00

I know that many of you are waiting to hear details of Nauvoo. I have typed out many of my thoughts but I want to post with pictures and I have had a hard time finding the camera and the camera cord at the same time. Grrr. Also, I have been waiting for some of the pics. from others in the cast to be downloaded as they took WAY more pictures than I did.

The day after we got home, Ryan headed to Tim's for two weeks. I have been working non-stop at my house. The last year was a "survival" year and the house showed it. I have been able to let go of a lot of stuff and learn to embrace this new life of mine. Most of the homeschool stuff and the stay-at-home-mom projects found new homes this past week. It was a bit of a heart tug to see them go - they represent some personal goals and dreams, but it was cleansing as well. Car loads have gone to Goodwill or other places. I have become quite the handyman this past week, assembling file cabinets, tables, chairs, office chairs & computers. Well, not computers. I did something wrong and can't get my pc to work.

Did you hear the death toll yesterday morning? School started for me at 8:00a.m. and life as I enjoy it ended. This year is already not nearly as hard as last year. My room is almost put together and I feel like I can do this. It will definitely be a challenge. I got my class list - 25 kids. That is a lot. And lots of other issues....

We started off the school year with a VERY political rally for two hours. Highly irritating as I agreed with almost nothing. It would appear that you almost must be a democrat to be an educator. I keep deleting other comments I could make so I guess this is all there is to say about that.

Have a great day!

The Pioneer Experience

2009-07-21T16:21:00.002-05:00

Brigham Young once wrote in his journal on the way west "that it had been a good day - they had only crossed one mud hole. It was six miles long, but there was only one." I have come to believe that any true pioneer experience must include rain and mud to be authentic.

Last night we woke at 2:30a.m. to a huge clap of thunder and the heavens opened. We immediately ran to the car and spent the rest of the night there. Initially, it appeared that the rainstorm was only a night time storm. It has rained ALL. DAY. LONG. However, it appears that the show will go on!

We started the day with the most amazing missionary fireside. The Temple President & his wife, the Mission President & his wife all spoke. The music was amazing. Everyone always sings parts and our voices more than fill the chapel.

Update today - Wed.

It rain all day yesterday and during the first half of the pageant. The show still went on and we had a great time. Yesterday we spent the day learning many of the dances. SO. MUCH. FUN. Today, we spent the morning learning the first half of the show and learning the music this afternoon.

I need to go but I want to let you know that we stayed with another family last night and have been offered and accepted a house to stay in for the next week. More rain is scheduled so I am not taking any chances. The tent is drying out and it is a beautiful day again. Should be a great show tonight. I promise I will try to post more pics soon. So little time for the computer.

Love you all-

Julie

Nauvoo

2009-07-20T12:46:00.007-05:00

We made it. Great weather, great trip. We spent an hour walking around Hannibal, MO seeing all of the Mark Twain sights (pics to follow - I don't have time right now.) We listened to John Bytheway all the way.

We arrived in beautiful Nauvoo Sunday at 6p.m. I can never tell you how amazing it is here. I feel like I am near tears constantly to be here, to experience this, to feel this. I did cry as I saw the temple last night. There are no words. It is so beautiful. We saw it with the sun slowly setting over the Mississippi.

As I type this Ryan is watching and listening to the work crew - 15-18 yr. old young men who are singing "We Are As the Army of Helaman" during the lunch break. I think they are preparing for one of the devotionals or district meetings we have. These ym are preparing for their missions and are amazing.

I am running out of time to post. I understand what it means in the scriptures when they say that they cannot write even a hundredeth part. I have so much to tell you already and I don't have time.

Our campsite is AMAZING! We had costume fittings this morning, square dancing practice, the primary kids made puppets for the pre-show while the rest of us attended orientation for the pre-show. As I type this, a group of violins, cellos, & guitars is preparing. They sound so good. It looks like our next class is about missionary work.

Oh, I have to tell you this - we sang the opening hymn acapella. I don't even remember what it was, but it was so unbelievably beautiful. We had never sang together before and everyone sang it in parts - so amazing. I brushed away tears. I wonder what we will sound like after some practice. I truly felt angels singing with us. Spear & Weston families - I thought of you. You would both love this. So much music, so much laughter, so many smiles, so many feelings.

Lastly- it was mentioned in one of the talks this morning that Nauvoo is a place of healing. I think so. Love you all so much!

The Friendly Skies~

2009-07-06T11:22:00.003-05:00

Friday, July 3 we flew out of OKC for the Northwest to visit family for 2 weeks. We arrived at the airport and only checked one bag since they now charge huuuuuge fees to check your bags. The result was that Ry & I each were carrying a backpack & additional (heavy) carry-on. The airport prices are so outrageous we decided to share a small sandwich and a bottle of water. Thus appeased, we headed to our plane.

We boarded toward the beginning of the line, found our seats and settled in. Within a few minutes it became apparent there was a problem. Some of the seat assignments for our fellow passengers (seats they paid extra money for) do not exist. The pilot came on and told us that we are on the wrong type of aircraft. The next 15 mins. was spent trying to sort everyone out when the pilot finally said, "we are going to be late, get on board and find a seat." Another 15 mins. and we were underway.

The next time we heard from the pilot, he informs us that Denver airport is closed due to a violent thunderstorm. We circled Pueblo, CO for a while. 45 mins. later he tells us we have clearance to land in Denver, but we now do not have enough gas. We are diverted to Colorado Springs to fuel up. We land only to find out that we are one of many who need gas. We are #7 in the line up.

The pilot comes on again - (we are learning this is not a good thing) to say that they are working on a plan to de-plane us and shuffle us between the planes ahead of us so that we can get to Denver and hope to make some of our connecting flights that have also been delayed. They are going over flight manifests, trying to determine available seats, and figure out how they are going to handle the luggage. They are also trying to get stairs or jetways cleared for us. 15 mins. later the pilot comes back with the news that there have been lighting flashes and all ground personnel have been called in. We can't get gas, we can't de-plane, however, we can sit and wait.

30 mins. later the pilot comes on with "I have some bad news and a bit of good news." Turns out that our pilot & co-pilot have been flying since 3am and with FFA rules, they only have 6 mins. to get us to Denver before their allowable flight hours run out. Not gonna happen. Soooo, the new plan is that we are going to de-plane here in Colorado Springs. We can choose to stay there overnight (on our dime) or they will bus us to Denver and book us flights for the morning. We all get off the plane, find our bags and walk through the deserted Colorado Springs airport. It is a holiday weekend so the airport basically shut down at 4:30 that day. It is after 7p.m. and we are all hungry and nothing is open. We spend another hour of being shuffled around in the confusion. Ryan & I teamed up with a family with 2 tiny girls and tons of bags. Between all of us, we get loaded onto one of the busses, thinking that it will be better to get to Denver. Larger airport, a better chance of food and we can get flights first thing in the morning.

We load and enjoy some sleep during the drive. Suddenly, we are awakened when our driver pulls off to the side of the road. The check engine light has come on and he can't get the bus to drive. Eventually it is decided that the second bus will continue to Denver and drop off those passengers and come back for us. Of course we are in the middle of nowhere. The 3 little ones on the bus had been doing so well. They were so tired. There was some crying but they really did well considering everything. We shared what food we had, we laughed, we texted & called family. When the other bus returned an hour later, we de-bussed into thick mud. I will never forget participating in an assembling line along a remote highway in the mts. of colorado at 11:00 at night as we transfered our baggage to the new bus. It was so crazy.

We arrived at Denver after midnight where they had hotel & food vouchers waiting for us. Some even got their baggage fees returned since we had handled our bags more than the airport personnel. We were estatic to find that Burger King was open!!!! After eating we found our shuttles and drove the 20 mins. to our respective hotels. Ours was a very modern one called Aloft. We were at the same hotel as the babies & I was very proud of Ryan. He helped all the parents with their bags without even being asked. We finally crashed into a very soft bed a bit after 1:30a.m.

Four hours later my wake-up call sounded and we bumbled our way back to the airport, made our way through Denver security and found our gate. There we find that our plane is seriously overbooked and they are desparately looking for volunteers to be bumped. After everything, I decided what did we have to loose? We didn't have young kids, we didn't have a connecting flight and we would be booked first class on the noon flight. So, we volunteered and cheerfully went to collect our free flight vouchers. We even had time to find the Sees Chocolates!

In the end, we finally touched down in Seattle on the Fourth of July around 2 and made it to my sister's house by 3:30, 25 hours after we had left OKC. We learned a lot about choosing to be positive, laughing, and helping each other. We made some great friends and definitely have a wonderful memory. We can hardly wait to fly the friendly skies again!

Mormon Tabernacle Choir

2009-06-28T08:40:00.005-05:00

Last night Ryan and I went to see the Mormon Tabernacle Choir & Temple Square Orchestra in concert in Norman, OK. I have grown up listening to them at every General Conference. I have heard them once or twice in firesides on Temple Square. I have listened to them on tv broadcast or shows. Last night was so different. They were wonderful. Amazing. I smiled. I laughed. I cried at my favorite songs. I closed my eyes and let the music wash over me. I leaned forward in my seat to watch a little girl down on the floor in the corner twirling, swaying, and dancing to the music. She danced almost the whole night. I clapped until my hands were stinging. Such a good night. I am so glad that we went.

Some of the highlights for me-
"Danny Boy" - I will always think of Pres. Hinkley when I hear this song. I remember when the choir sang his favorite song for his birthday a few years ago.
"Ah, el novio no quere dinero!" A traditional wedding song from Spain. You could "see" the dancing getting faster and faster.
"Betelehemu" - a traditional song from Nigeria - so much fun - the rhythem, the clapping, the drums.
"Come to My Garden" - This song is from "The Secret Garden" (love that book) and was when I first saw the little girl dancing. It was absolutely perfect.
"Come, Come Ye Saints" & "Battle Hymn of the Republic" & "Amazing Grace" & "Rock-a-My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham" were all amazing.
The Organ solo - oh I wished that my friends the Westons could have heard it. Ben Weston plays the organ (he is actually mastering in it). The Solo was "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" - it truly was amazing. A memory I don't want to forget with this song- my friend Alisa's grandmother passed away a year or so and she asked Kim, Allyson, and myself to help her dress her for the funeral. When we were finished, we sang this song together, one of her grandma's favorite songs. The love I feel for these friends of mine and the memory we made together that day...

My favorite hymn is "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing" Tears poured down my cheeks as I hummed along with the choir. I don't know why, but that song reaches in and squeezes my heart like no other.

And last - for an encore, the Choir sang "God be with you 'til we meet again" - the final song sung at my mom's funeral. Everytime I hear that song, I can feel her saying the words directly to me.

I am a bit envious of the Norman wards today. Can you imagine the hymns today in church with some of the choir members present? I think I would want to cancel the regular meeting and just sing.

It was such a beautiful night and I am so glad that I went. It was worth every penny.

Options

2009-06-19T07:40:00.003-05:00

We have MUSIC! In the car! Over a year ago, our stereo was stolen out of our car. We have had tons of long boring drives, especially for visitation (we meet 1.5 hours away.) We have looked at stereos forever but I just couldn't bring myself to pay for one. I was telling my Bishop that I was hoping to get one before the long road trip to Nauvoo on Sunday when he said - "you can have my old one. I just got a new one yesterday." Yeah!!!! It still costs a pretty penny to install, but we now have music in the car. Ryan & I have so enjoyed singing at the top of our lungs. So many memories attached to music. I have found myself turning it off a few times to enjoy the silence but the best part is that we have options.

You Are Invited-

2009-06-16T06:13:00.004-05:00

to Nauvoo! I told you here about my love of theater and my dream to one day be in a church pageant. Well, it is about to happen. We leave for the Nauvoo Pageant in a month & two days. The following is last year's BYU-TV commerical about the pageant. **NOTE- the dates are not current.

Find more videos like this on NauvooPageant.net

Many have asked our schedule- We arrive in Nauvoo on July 19. July 20-25 we are in rehearsal all day and we participate in the pre-show activities and in the finale. July 28-Aug. 1 we have some of the days off to see the sites and we are in the pageant performances. We know that it is a huge undertaking to come, but we wanted you all to know that you are invited. The following link has more pictures and talks about Nauvoo. www.historicnauvoo.net

July 28 will be the one year anniversary of the divorce. It will also be my first performance in the Pageant. Somehow, that is very fitting for me.

Ryan Talking Out Loud

2009-06-15T01:16:00.003-05:00

Today we were talking about Ryan's spelling or lack there of. He said, "I'm a boy. All I really need to spell is CAMARO."

Life in the Fast Lane

2009-06-07T20:47:00.003-05:00

For a few weeks I have been impressed to have a TV fast. I was very hesitant how this would go over with Ry but after multiple promptings and a few fervent prayers, I brought up the subject. He agreed to give it a try. We just finished one week without TV! Not only did we survive, we thrived! We decided to disconnect the rabbit ears antenna and live life in the fast lane permenantly.

So that I can remember later, this is what we accomplished this week:
*Read books!
*Inventoried most of the food storage
*Studied scriptures tons!
*Watched Facing the Giants & Forever Strong together
*Workout & walked the park multiple times
*Attended sports camps, baseball practices & games
*Cleaned out the kitchen & re-organized
*Had Family night
*Cooked real meals
*Listened to John Bytheway & tons of good music
*Attended a team party
*Worked at the Sno-cone shack
*Played board games
*Finished a few craft projects

I was very surprised how much I didn't miss it. I am not sure I could go without my computer that long, but it was really, really nice to not have tv.

Return to Reality

2009-06-05T09:05:00.005-05:00

I love to read. I grew up without a tv most of the time and remember reading everywhere - in the car, in the bathroom, camping, at the dinner table, while cooking - it was only burned a little, until the wee hours of the morning by the light of the lamp outside (which is why I have contacts). Everyone in my family reads. We would get into trouble because we would sneak off to our rooms to read instead of doing our chores around the house. When my brother came to visit me right after his divorce, he brought a bag full of books and spent the entire week reading. Ryan was so impressed that he read Eragon in two days. I think it was theraputic for him.

Here's my problem - when I read nothing. else. gets. done. And I mean nothing. If you want to know what a mom does all day, come to my house right now and see what didn't get done in the last 24 hours because I was reading. Two friends recommended the book "These is My Words" and I have been drawn into the Arizona Territories & life in the 1880's. I finally finished at 1:30a.m. last night. I read all day, I even read a chapter in the parking lot of Walmart & I seriously considered reading while I was pumping gas. I did get Ryan to his camp & baseball practice. I did make dinner (scrambled eggs because they are fast & I could get back to my book.) I haven't read for myself like that in over a year. It felt soooooo good.

When I woke up this morning I took a look around. I have a lot of work ahead of me. It is not so bad, I'll have Sarah Prine to keep me company.

Ryan Talking Out Loud

2009-05-27T21:10:00.001-05:00

"I am sure glad that I am not a machine. I would get so bored waiting for people to come push my buttons."