JFK

Thomas and his friend Sam (in different classes) both represented JFK in the 5th grade presidential wax museum.

Dinner place setting because he met Jacqueline at a dinner party.  Pigs for the Bay of Pigs whatever it is and the class tray has ice on it for the cold war.

Very attentive listeners as he tells all about himself and his death.

Congratulations to Thomas and his two buddies, Matt and Nate, on getting their Arrow of Light. They were presented with a pretty cool arrow made by a leaders, sister Hansen, dad.

His leader Sister Schmid was amazing and we are grateful to have had her. As a great influence in Thomas' life.

This is only on here because of our evil eyes.

These kinds of pictures happen when you forget to bring the real camera to an important event and your daughter zooms all the way in on the phone camera. 

Thomas is sporting a true TinTin haircut.

Yep.

It's been a nice weekend.  John and I didn't even go spend money to go to dinner.  Friday night was spent cleaning our house; John did the cutting in of the painting in the laundry room bathroom and I made two batches of strawberry jam.  At 10:00, we made a run to Pizza Pie Cafe where we saw Lisa, John, Caroline, Charlie, and Caroline's friend, Rachel.  We were given some pizza to take home (that we've eaten all day today) and we visited and helped clean up.  It was a nice evening.

We slept in this morning and took it easy for the first half of the day.  There were no sports, no fighting, the house was mostly clean, and Zach and Caleb were here playing.  Jack was at Anna's playing.  We finally decided to get to work and finished the painting, John removed the toilet and replaced it with a better toilet but before he could finish, we decided we'd take an hour to run out to Kate's to pick up my grandma's car.

When Kate read a post on here about little John getting his permit, she decided John should get grandmas car.  She said that since it was given to her, she would pass it on to John.  He has been so excited and we finally had a day not full of stuff to do.  (yeah for basketball season being over, even though we loved it). 

We got to her house just before 5 and couldn't get it started.  Finally at 6:30, John bought a new battery.  He put it in, it started right up, and somehow the doors got locked with all three sets of keys inside.  Sweet.  He waited TWO HOURS for the locksmith to come.  Sadly, he forgot or something that we have paid for Triple A and could have had it taken care of for free.  Instead, two hours and $65 later, he was on his way.  With 2% battery in his phone left.  That worried him just because we weren't sure how the car would run.  I had left at 6:30 to get Jack and Sam from Jolie's house while John bought the battery.  We assumed he'd be right behind us.

John made it home at 9:15.  While he was gone, I bathed and fed all the kids and got them ready for bed so he helped put them in bed and ate dinner and it is now 10:00.  When we left Jolie's house, we pulled over to the side of the road and said a prayer for John.  We asked him to be blessed with patience and for there to be a quick and easy solution.  It wasn't as quick and easy as we had hoped but it worked.  We saved money by NOT going out to eat this weekend and instead spent that money plus some to get the car running and unlocked.  :) 

The thought that has been in my mind is "Choose to be happy" and we did.  We are grateful to be given a car for little John.  We are grateful for wonderful grandparents who took great care of their cars and homes and everything that we get to be blessed with it so many years later.  We are grateful that John's phone battery lasted, just in case, and that he made it home safe and sound.  He said it drives nice and will be great for John. 

Emily uses a bedroom set from my grandma's house and it's pretty neat.  We feel lucky to have so many memories of her around our house and now to drive around town. 

Well, the car is a 1989 Oldsmobile eighty eight and has 77,000 miles.  It was brand new and purchased by my grandparents 24 years ago.  I was 11.  Now my oldest son is 15 and is the beneficiary.  Who knew!!!

It was nice to visit with Kate and see how much work she has done cleaning and organizing and redoing so much of her house and yard.  It is looking really nice and I am so happy for her.  I missed my dad.

Jolie and I don't see each other or talk to each other very often and so it was nice when she called last night and we ended up getting all of our kids together to play.  They get along so well and they always have such a great time together.  I am so grateful for that and sad we don't get together weekly.  We should.  Life is about family and people and being together. 

We are blessed and we are grateful and we are happy to be home safe and sound.  Even if we didn't get to finish even one little project.  Life goes on.  :)

So cute!  Passing the keys from one generation, to the next, to the next, to the next.  Awesome!
 (even though we jumped over that third generation and went straight to the fourth.)

Volunteer

Note:  Wow....a day later, I read through this and it could sound pretty pathetic.  It sounds as if I am feeling sorry for myself.  I'm not.  I'm not having a pity party or feeling sorry for myself.  Not at all.  I just wrote some random thoughts I've had recently and it should be read knowing it was written cheerfully.  I am a strong person.  I'm much more assertive.  I'm happy.  I'm kind.  I chat with teachers, the principal, and others.  And life is good. Now that I got that out......

I am at my children's school A LOT.  Leah knows her way around the place we are there so much.  I go, on average, three times a week.  I like to be there.  I like to help my kid's teachers.

I am also the Legislative VP on the PTA board.  There is not much involved with that but I do go to the monthly PTA meetings.

My favorite place to be is in the classes with my kids and helping their teachers.

I've made a decision. 

As much as I enjoy helping with Teacher Appreciation and counting hours and helping with the carnival and so on and so on.  I won't be signing up for those things anymore.  (And that will be hard).  I want my time spent in the class and I've learned that there are PTA pros who know what they want and what they are doing and it's best to stay out of their way.

I've decided I don't need to subject myself to some of the "feelings" I let myself feel because of the overachievers and extreme go getters.  And I just simply don't want to busy myself so much with school functions. 

If messages go out that certain committees really do need some help, I'm happy to help but I've decided I won't be throwing myself in the mix right up front.

EXCEPT in the classes.  That's where it matters most.  To be with my kids and the other kids.  I like to see the way the teachers work.  I laugh, sometimes I get teary becasue those kids are so cute and so sweet.  I do not want to be a teacher so John says it's like being a grandparent.....I like to be with the kids, get to know all of them, have fun with them, then leave.

Last year I went to a Teacher Appreciation Week meeting to plan for the week.  We were asked to bring ideas, which I did, because I was the Bravo Chair at the Charter school for a couple years and I enjoy this kind of stuff. (person in charge of Teacher Appreciation and any kind of recognition).  I didn't force my ideas on anyone but when I was asked, I shared.  For a minute.  Then I stopped.  One lady in the room KNEW what she wanted and didn't want to hear a word I had to say.  She commented on my lame ideas then she leaned back in her chair and had a "look" of "who do you think you are?"

A neighbor walked in, in the last 5 minutes of the meeting.  She is an overachiever/go-getter like no ones business and announced who she is and said to tell her what to do.  The lady who didn't want my thoughts piped up and said " Oh!!  You are _______!  I make all kind of treats but I don't make cakes.  I have seen your cakes.  they are amazing.  Why don't you help me with the food.  We will be co chairs."

Slap in the face.  That's how it felt.  I wanted to disappear.
Remember back when I mentioned on here that I went to LDS family services and talked to someone?  Yeah, well luckily this happened right at the time I was going there. I was in a very weak time of life, maybe the weakest so far and it was just another way Heavenly Father was helping me to learn about myself and learn to be better.  

I learned that there are aggressive people in this world and they LOVE passive people.  Aggressive people look for passive people and they walk all over them because they can.  My counselor suggested I start watching people and figuring out what kind of people they are.  She suggested I practice not being so passive.  (Which I did and it was liberating!  In fact, that very day I had an issue with a cookie order from Dick's and it was a heaven sent opportunity to practice and it went well. :)    When she suggested this, I said "I don't want to be mean".  She corrected me and said I have it wrong. I need to be assertive.  Not aggressive.  Not passive.  Assertive.  Stand up for what I believe.  Don't let people walk all over me which add to my feelings of worthlessness.  And that I can be kind and strong.  She suggested I find an assertive person (my husband) and have them be my example.  (Not that I was a peon that couldn't stand up for myself.  I just needed strengthened so I wouldn't let myself feel defeated because of someone else's actions.)

These thoughts are in my mind because I was at the school yesterday and I went in to the office to sign in as a volunteer.  Something I do EVERY SINGLE TIME I go to the school.  I see the same principal, the same office staff, the same secretary, every day.  A lot of kids were coming in late so I stood to the side and waited for them to sign in. 

The secretary walked up to me and said "I will sign you in when they are done if you just want to go".  I told her I would just wait for the kids then get signed in, but thank you."  She again said "So who are you?  If you want to tell me your name, I'll sign you in."  The last kid was signing in at this point so I said "he's done, I'll just sign in real quick."

Did you catch it?  In my mind, I casually thought "Wow.  I am in this office several times a week and you don't know who I am.  Interesting.  Do you know that I come in here at least 3 times a week?  Have you ever even seen me before?"  I thought about the people who are in there as much as I am, or more or sometimes less, and call the secretaries and the principal and the teachers by their first names.  The volunteers who become friends with them all and are loved by them back.  Then here I am.  I quietly come in.  I help my teachers, I hug my kids, I sign in when I get there, sign out when I leave, often telling the secretaries to have a good day.  We even gave them treats at Christmas.  Ha!

But I'm not gone for long.  I soon make it back and see those same people all over again.  And she doesn't know who I am.  I'm okay with it.  I'm glad I don't make a fanfare and feel I need to be announced.  I like the idea of doing what makes me happy and doing it quietly.  But I also admit, as time has gone on since yesterday, I've made myself feel, again, like the invisible person I feel I am sometimes.   What I do doesn't matter.  What I say is stupid.  No one knows.  No one cares.

Then I knock myself side the head and tell myself to get over it.  Grow up.  I'm doing what makes me happy and my kids happy and that's all that matters.  I don't need to talk myself into being offended.

Despite what it may sound like, I really am okay with this.  It's told me a little more about who I am.  What matters.  What doesn't.  And that I am ready to back out of all the PTA hoopla.  I want to do more of what I enjoy and makes me happy and move myself out of things that make me question myself and just plain make me busy.

So I'll keep going to the school.  (In fact, a girl I switch with every other Friday is moving so I will be going every Friday now too).  I'll sign in.  I'll say hello. I'll keep enjoying what I do.  I'll hug my kids.
 And maybe I'll even introduce myself.

Happy Saint Paddy's!!

Thomas said "I'm disturbed eating this, but its good!"

Deep Thoughts by Jack Handy

Seems an appropriate title since that was such a popular thing waaayyy back when I was in high school.

I had to go to my Alma mater today to sign my son up for summer Drivers Ed.  It was fun to walk in from the parking lot and through the front doors with my 2 year old daughter.  She loved the wildcat in the foyer and it was the same old place I remember and loved.  Although when I was in high school, they changed some awesome orange and yellow paneling on the outside of the school to plain dark brown.  They should have left it.  It gave it character.

I went into the office where I was an office aid and also helped give morning announcements as a student body officer.  As soon as I saw a certain window in the corner, I was instantly reminded of looking through that window at an eclipse.  First time I'd ever seen one and it was right there out of that window.  

I looked at the principals pictures on the wall and couldn't help but smile at Mr. Beer.  I wanted to wander and look and remember everything but I held myself back.

I was here to sign up my own son to begin three very important years of his life.

When we left, I had to go walk down the hall and look at my locker from a distance, see my SBO picture and Jolie's SBO picture on the wall, and look at the plaque for Dion (backyard neighbor and family friend who died in the gulf war).

I saw a wall of pictures of the administration.  I had to look at every picture.  The principal now was the football coach and drivers ed teacher when I was in school.  John Haney.  We lived by him and he was friends with my parents.  There were many faces I remember.  Mr. Hendricksen the choir teacher, Mr. R, the teacher who took Heidi and I on the european tour after high school, and Mrs. Riley who I now live across the street from.  I am all grown up like her now.  :)

As I was leaving, Officer Montgomery was walking down the hall, only now he looked cute and old.  We called him Monty but I heard current students call him Clarence, his first name.  I said "I remember you.  You were here when I graduated in '95".  We chatted for a few seconds and I left.  I wanted to tell him that I have six kids now and my oldest is beginning high school.  It was a strange because my feelings in that school are so fresh.

But not without wishing I could tell those students who were wandering the halls that it goes so fast and to make the most of it.  I wanted to tell them to be kind to everyone because they won't want to look back and be reminded of what jerks they were at times.  I wanted to tell them to do their best, be a good friend, and be picky in who they choose as their friends.

I left thinking about how those were 3 very important years of my life and the life of everyone.  Decisions made, friends chosen, habits formed in high school WILL make a difference to their future.  They were vital to my future.  I came to high school with friends, I tried to find myself, and I ended up finding my very best friends from elementary that went to a different jr. high.  How nice it was to meet up again and instantly rekindle our friendship.  Those friends are still my best friends today.  

I remember the day I wore short shorts to school because my friend said they were cute and insisted I wear them.  I was so uncomfortable all day.  I am so glad I was uncomfortable and that I didn't enjoy it.  

I remember my junior year and geometry was the only year I understood math and I owe it to a really good teacher.  Those are hard to come by.  I was in the pep club my sophomore year, concert choir as one of the few juniors who got to be in concert choir, and a student body officer my senior year.  

My theme for my campaign was decided at Denise's house at 3 in the morning when we saw a Pepsi commercial.  Be Young.  Have Fun.  Vote Tawnie.

I remember down by the choir room, making the decision that I would get my patriarchal blessing.

My parents were divorced during high school.  My grades went downhill.  I was confused.  I had good friends and I grew.

I met Heidi my senior year.  She saved me and has saved me many times since.

So for now, back to my original thought.  My son is nearing the beginning of three vital years of his life.  He doesn't know it and won't understand it for many years but I'll do my best to help him be his best.  And I will always be grateful for every experience, good and bad, through my 3 years at WX.

I can't go on with the memories right now but I'd love to come back and let them flow. 

the custodian in the gym......naked.

josh savage.....ice ice baby

Mr. Wildcat host

seminary, lockers, friends, cowboy hall, biology

backpack stolen

Bradd.....best friend and not  nice

learned to pray

Ryan Jensen.....adopted

directions i could have gone.  direction i chose.

my first D.  Mr. Bell

Ryan Bell.

1st period....student body.

Kathy, Denise, Sandra (Tisha, Lezlie)

Heidi

Bran, Scott, Spencer, Steve, Rijen

Trout. Nate King.  Mike Larsen.

Stomps, all night party.

Afraid of boys, 15 year old party.

Josh Schaeffer

slept over.  snuck in window.

mazda 626

rx7

And who cares!  It's over and I'm glad.  

Orchestrate

We lock the door from our home to our garage at night.  This morning I said good bye to my boys and shut and locked the front door.  I heard the garage open so I went to the garage and saw them trying to get bikes.  I stepped out to help them and a couple minutes later, Leah came out and shut the door behind her.  Problem was that I hadn't  unlocked the door yet this morning. 
Leah was wearing short and tshirt pajamas that she insisted on wearing with no socks.  I had no socks or shoes.  It was cold and there was no way in.  I said a prayer, said good bye to my boys again, and got to work.
I found a key to John's car in the van and I found some flip flops in the garage so I drove to the school and called Jolie, my mom, John, and Laura.  Laura had a key and said she'd meet me at Cherry Hill. 
On my way to Cherry Hill, I was thinking about how I was calm about the whole thing.  It was 8:45 am and I had men coming at 9:30 to put new carpet in Leah's room. 
I was pondering on the morning and it was nice to recognize that I had stayed calm and immediately got to work trying to figure out how I was going to get in the house.  I thought about how there was a key in the van and that Laura had a key and I realized how orechestrated everything was and I said a prayer of thanks. 
It made me happy.  Happy that everything worked out quickly.  Happy that I didn't get frustrated and lose my temper.  Happy to learn that I'm growing up and can get through a sticky situation, calmly.  Happy that Laura was so willing to help.  And happy that Heavenly Father knows me and loves me and has His hand in every little bit of my life. 
It wasn't luck.  It was perfectly orchestrated.
This went perfectly with the video clip on the last post by Emily Freeman when she said, "We had to learn to trust that He would orchestrate the events....."
I love life's little lessons.

Be Patient. Wait.

A clip from my favorite talk at Time Out For Women last October.

Celebrating 40

Date #3 in our year of dates celebrating johns 40 years is spent at Abravanel Hall. We are enjoying "Do you hear the people sing?" It is the symphony with the Utah chorus and broadway stars and we are having fun pretending to be somewhat cultured.

If only we didn't need to miss 18 calls from the kids in the first 30 minutes.

Happy 40 John!!

I wish we were rich and could do things like this more and bring the kids.

It was a great date and a wonderful concert. 

Wow we are getting older.