09/25/11 Singing in the nursing home & movie in the park & Forget me not

9/25/11

Hey kiddo.

How are things in your neck of the woods?  Things are pretty good here.  Busy as ever.  The weather is starting to cool down.  It is kinda nice in the morning for a little while until the sun comes out.  Then it gets up in the 90's or so.  I can feel fall coming.  So how about you---does it ever get "cool" there or is it going to be summer year round for you?

I think I'm on overload most of the time now.  This week I forgot to get the girls after piano lessons.  They called about 40 minutes after I was supposed to be there and I didn't even remember I was supposed to get them.  Too much "stuff" floating around in my head!

Emma Dickie, Holly & Katie playing on the tramp

We went to the nursing home this week and had a nice experience.  The girls and boys all sang well and were pleasant about going.  One old lady saw us walking by her room and couldn't go and asked if we'd come back and visit her.  I promised we would and so afterward about 7 of us stopped by her room and sang "You are my sunshine" to her.  She loved it and asked for more.  So we sang 2 more verses of the song.  Then she told the girls how wonderful daughters of god that they were and was so thankful that we came.  It was neat.  The girls were even asking if they could go back.  So that was cool.

This week the girls went to a "free event in the park" Friday night for girl scouts.  There was 10 stations that they got to go to and learn about things like the environment, recycling, the water cycle...I dunno, just stuff.  It was very well put together and throw in a free hot dog and water and we had ourselves an evening.  They got all kid of free goodies and really enjoyed it.

The girls were kind of stubborn Saturday.  Did the whole -- clean your room and we'll go do stuff lecture.  4 hours later...rooms still looked the same.  2 spankings and 15 minutes later...clean room!  Aaaahhh!!!  Seriously, why we gotta beat 'em to get 'em to behave?!

We then went swimming and then I went to the women's broadcast.  President Uchtdorf gave an excellent talk about forget-me nots.  He talked about making sacrifices in our life and that being a good thing but being smart about our sacrifices...sometimes LDS women tend to overdo -- like making hand stitched pot holders for every member of the R.S. to hand out with your lesson...Overdo!  I put the pix about the things he talked about.  If you can get hold of that talk it's a keeper.  (Let me know if you need me to get it to you).

So we are just plugging along doing the same old thing and thinking of you and worrying about you and so thankful that you are having a good experience.  I hope the brothers will follow in your footsteps.  I still worry about the one!  One to keep him on a tight leash and make him do what's right but that isn't how it's supposed to be!

I am excited to hear about your week and hope it was another great one!  Love you lots, Mom.

09/11/11 Katie gets busted at church, haha, cleaning out Griffin's basement

9/11/11

The thunder has been rumbling here for awhile now.  Looked outside and it looks a little wet.  Yesterday we were outside hanging when it just started blowing like crazy and the air got all "dirty" looking.  It's cooled down to 75 today.  Kinda different weather. Nice for a change.

Today is the 10th Anniversary of 9/11 and I think it is being called a day of remembrance or something.  Sad to think of all those families that lost moms, dads, brothers, sisters, etc.  All the YW in our ward were 3-6 years old and really don't remember 9/11.  Do you?  Everyone talks about the TV being on all the time and not getting anything done because they kept walking past the TVs.  I think I had court and of course no TV but I did have internet.

We had a full room today for YW.  Of course only 3 girls, 6 leaders.  The stake came to visit.  Kauri came though.  YEAH!!!  She seemed uncomfortable.  I wish I knew what to do to get her to come around more.  She is a cute girl.

Katie got in trouble today at church...too much talking.  Silly girl, wonder where she gets that?!  Sister Lowe came into the clerk's office after church and made a big deal about how everyone could have a cookie but Katie because she didn't behave.  I thought she was going to burst out crying but she held it together and then said she didn't care.  I really didn't appreciate that.  That's the kind of thing that makes a little sensitive soul not want to come back to church.  Hopefully she really doesn't get bothered by something like that.  I told her she needed to try to be quieter (it's hard when you get to see your best buddy though and you wanna catch up!). 

Last week she didn't do her homework and had to miss fun  Friday and go to study hall instead of a movie.  So this week she worked really hard and got her homework all done and they didn't do fun Friday.  Funny.

Holly has been reading and practicing her piano really good lately.  She gets up and is ready in the morning in about 12 minutes and then has time to do AR tests and play piano.  She has taken 8 tests so far this year and done really well on all but 1 of them.  Her teacher and her seem to really click and I think she is going to have a great year.  Her school is U of Hawaii...sweet huh?  So her teacher asked me to help her plan a LUAU at the end of the school year and we are going to do little turnovers for Halloween.  I don't know how I got to be the party mom...but I guess I will be for at least 2 of her little events this year!  Holly is WAY excited.

Katie's teacher has the kids earn "Bundy Bucks" when they are good and then she will have auctions to buy cool stuff.  Fun idea.  I remember doing something like that when I was a kid.  I also remember saving my $ for some great prize and then all the great stuff being gone and being disappointed.  Go figure!  Sounds like me, right?!

We went to Gma and pa's yesterday and helped to clean out the storage room downstairs.  We spent a couple of hours and put a pretty good dent in things.  Gma was very good about getting rid of a lot of stuff...which she needed to do.  I'll go back again maybe next week and try to finish paring it down and then try to figure out how to get it all on shelves and neat and organized next time.  She was pretty excited we were going to do that.

Gma has shingles right now and has been pretty miserable --sore and achy - can't sleep at night.  She is on some meds but not over it yet.  It's been about 10 days now.  She had to do an Eldershostel through it and I think it actually helped...keep her busy and her mind off her misery.  You'll have to remember her in your prayers.

Ok, so the computer crashed 2x due to the storm...so I gotta hurry and finish this up!

Oh, yeah.  Crystal Turner came home Wednesday and got engaged that day!!!!  She did her homecoming today and gets married on 11/11/11.  CRAZY?!  It turns out her fiance is one of the girls that was in my family on the trek's brother.  During her talk she said she walked by someone and he smelled just like Cody.  (she was talking about things and smells reminding her of home).  Katie leaned over and said, hey, mom, is Cody a dog?!  I told him that afterward when I met him and he laughed.  He said he didn't think anyone knew who Cody was.  Funny.

Well I love you lots and hope things are still going well for you.  Love you lots! Mom.

9/4/11 Work, YW, scouts, school...life is busy and good

9/4/11

Dallas taking care of his laundry

Can you believe we are into September already?  Wow.

This week seemed to really wear me out!  Not sure what in particular about it...just everything I guess!

Work continues to challenge me regularly.  I am "getting" the new program but continue to find "problems" that need correcting.  And that takes lots of time.  I have a part-time assistant who has been wonderful but even with the two of us working hard it doesn't seem to be enough yet.  I hope eventually it'll get better...but seems like several of the procedures just take longer and you can't really master that.  Longer is longer!  I have been getting extra hours every week for the last few weeks.  My comp bank is supposed to be around 40 hours MAX (it was like 32 when we converted) and I think last week it was at 56 hours BEFORE I turned in my recent hours...Not to mention I have to use it or lose it on the vacation -- I earn 6.16 hours every 2 weeks and I already have about a couple of days I have to use before Nov 6 (my 15 year anniversary date with the city).  So sometime soon I gotta take off a couple of days!  

Bryce chilling watching TV

YW is coming along.  I still have great non-member turnout on Wednesday's and light turn out on Sunday.  Although it's getting a little better.  I took around a calendar to every YW Thursday night and actually got to talk to most of them and invite them to participate.  I found out that not too many parents are home on Thursday evening.  I was trying to get signatures for the marathon and only got about 2.  Oh well.  Lots of time for that!  YW are in charge of the marathon this year so I'm the team leader -- I get to go to the St. George City meeting, get an embroidered shirt, am responsible to see that all our stuff g


ets picked up...so far it's been ok.  

Took Dad to a free lunch on St. George City.  

We challenged the girls to work on their YW personal progress stuff and the leaders are supposed to do it too. I have a TON of old necklaces so if they earn the award they can get the new awards and the old.  BONUS?!  I have to teach today and part of my lesson will include some PP stuff.  

The boys are busy with band and scouts/YM.  They are doing well in school so far (still early) but still...good! They are really good boys.

The girls are also staying busy with their activities and are excelling in school.  I had student teacher conference this week and both teachers raved about my little smarties. That's nice!!!

Silly girls on the tramp
Emma, Holly and Katie

Time to take Bryce to collect fast offerings so I gotta run. Thank you for your example and testimony and love.  We really appreciate the influence you have had in our home and continue to share with us and others.  I really do think it helps your younger brothers and sisters to make better decisions when they consider what you are teaching them.  It also has helped me to want to try harder and do better and complain less as I do my job that sometimes seems too much.  How can I complain when my son is living in a foreign land, eating yucky rice etc., learning a difficult language(s), in the heat...etc etc etc.  It makes me say...just do it!!!!

Take care and know that we love you lots!  xoxo Mom.