Author: hreece1

Hello my friends!  It has been a week since I last posted, and I promise that I saw many good things happening in the world!  I just didn;t do so well posting daily! It is harvest time,and  I am harvesting lots of tomatoes and peppers from my salsa  garden!  This week I plan on canning diced tomatoes, pickled jalapenos, and banana peppers.  My husband also requested us  (meaning,me, Amanda and my Mom) to bottle some spicy carrots, peppers and onions (like you get at Mexican food restaurants).  If anyone has a good recipe for those, let me know!  I haven’t tried making them yet.

Today is Sunday, and the thing that brings me so much joy on Sunday is my three and four year old primary class.  My class is called the “Sunbeams,”and it is aptly named because they really bring a ray of light into my life!  What I love most about this age is that if you love them, then they will love you!  They are very loving and honest, and they bring excitement and energy into my life!  My little Sunbeam class really brightens my life. 

I only have my class for one hour, once a week, and half of that is singing time!  By the time we are in class, I usually only have about twenty minutes with them, but we  always have a good time together.  They leave knowing they are loved, I always make sure they know Jesus loves them too.  They learn the basics of how to pray, why we are here on the earth and where we go when we die.  They learn to choose the right and be kind to others among many things (simplified).  It is a very loving and uplifting time (usually).  Remember… They are three and four years old!  

Today was a bit different of a Sunday primary class, because we were practicing for the primary program, which will be in a couple weeks. What is the Primary Program, you might ask?  Well, once a year the primary kids are in charge of the first hour of church, the Sacrament Meeting.  The Ward Primary Presidency puts together a little script that includes the  year’s Primary themes and songs given to us by our general leaders (Prophet and General Primary Presidency in Salt Lake).   Our Ward Primary Presidency passes out parts to every child in the Primary a few weeks before a scheduled practice.  The songs are ones learned throughout the year., and are a big part of the program.  It is a wonderful program, and many people look forward to this once-a-year event!  A lot of extended families will come to see the little ones sing and say their parts.

And so, long story short, we were practicing today for the Primary Program!   Practice is very important so that the little ones know what to do and are more  comfortable with it before the program.THAT BEING SAID… it is a bit of a headache practicing with the Sunbeams.  They are the youngest, and don’t have much patience, to say the least!  Today, all of my Sunbeams showed up for church.  I had  SEVEN kids in my class today!  My  Amanda was helping me today because my teaching companion was gone.  (Side Note:  My teaching companion is awesome!  I never have a problem helping her!  She has helped me so much, and has become a wonderful friend!  I really feel like that Is how life should be with everyone!  If we were all kind and helpful with  those we work with,life would be so much better!)  Amanda is so wonderful with the kids, and she has helped me through the years,, so they know her.!  It was very helpful to have her there today!    Their parts were first, so they were very antsy the rest of the time.  I had kids bouncing out of their chairs and poking each other.  Both  Amanda and I had kids on our laps, and trying to get them all to pay attention was too much for our little ones.  We just tried to keep them from being too loud and interrupting the rest of the primary!  I th\ought they did very well for their age!  When their parents are watching, they usually behave wonderfully!  Sitting quietly for two hours during church is usually way too much for three and four year olds( that’s counting both Sacrament and Primary)

0I took some pictures today of some of my flowers.  I lLOVE flowers!  I thought I’d show you some of the flowers that brighten my life!  I hope you find some BIG and LITTLE things that brighten your life!  Finding the good always makes the bad and hard in life easier!!

JOKE OF THE DAY:  Q:How do you catch a squirrel?  

A: Climb up a tree and act like a nut!

Today is a GOOD DAY!

I have been absent a while and I apologize for that!  I need to get into a good swing of things.  I plan on writing daily in order to remember the good news of the Day!  All of the other news of the day is always so depressing!  I know I need a little uplifting, I’m sure you do too!  ! I want to remember that there is good in the world!  So this blog is now going to give some good news!  I may only represent a small portion of the world, but I figure that we are all human, and that makes us relatively the same!  Let’s talk about some GOOD!

  It is August and harvest time for us Idaho people!  It’s a beautiful, sunny day here, and I am addicted to sunny days and flowers, and today had both!  Such goodness!  I went into my little backyard garden to have a look at what was ready for me to pick!  My dogs and I found some good stuff!  We found two very large Armenian cucumbers, lots of peppers and  a few tomatoes!  Who doesn’t love some freshly picked vegetables to eat?  LMy Amanda, who is back from Scotland and done with her Master’s Degree work, is a great cook!  She immediately pulled some peppers and tomatoes from my large bowl, and put them into her roast!  We are going to have some delicious shredded beef tacos tonight!  Yummmmmm…  Harvest time is filled with GOOD, yummy food!  GOOD food, GOOD family… who could ask for more?

So, last week Anthony and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary!  I can’t believe I am writing that, because I thought only old people celebrated being married for 30 years.. He! He!  I guess I have to be over 30 now…  Well, we ended up in the Seatle, Washington area for a little adventure together.  While we were there we went to walk along a little beach off the sound.  As we meandered along, a seal and her pup came and sat on the beach next to  us!  I think she was trying to nurse her pup!  We stayed and watched for a while and they went back and forth into and out of the water playing!  What a beautiful thing we witnessed!  We share this beautiful planet with some amazing creatures!

I hope you too notice some GOOD today and spread the GOD news!  Until tomorrow!  Stay happy and healthy!

When we drive south , over the the Nevada desert hills in the middle of the night, the lights of Las Vegas always seem especially bright after seeing nothing but desert for miles and miles ! Someone, usually me, comments on the city lights. They seem especially bright after the many miles of dark desert. Seeing the lights. we all begin to get excited for the trip to be over. We are almost to our Mom and Dad Reece’s/ Grandma and Grandpa Reece’s house!

When people hear that we are going to Las Vegas, they automatically think of casinos, shows and fancy dinners. To us, Las Vegas is family. The fancy life of casinos and show girls can be found on the Strip, but we don’t usually head in that direction. We head toward parents , brothers, sisters, cousins. grandparent’s and friends. We head to where the real treasure in Las Vegas is for us! We head to see our family!

Las Vegas is the town where Anthony grew up. Anthony likes to tell people that he was born in Utah, which is technically true, but his Mom only went to St. George to deliver him because it was cheaper to have a baby in St. George than Las Vegas. His Dad, Thomas Reece, was an Auto/mechanics teacher at a high school, and raising five children on a teacher’s salary was tricky. His Mom, Georgiann Reece, went back to school and became a nurse once all the kids were in school and this helped a lot financially. Raising five kids in Las Vegas was tough and expensive, but his parents are hard working people, who were raised by hard working people! They were able to raise five good, strong. hard -working kids, which is no small feat in a town like Las Vegas, where people are always coming, hoping to make easy money!

Anthony’s family is one that works hard and helps each other. I have so many memories of family helping us those first thirteen years we were first married and lived in Las Vegas. We never called anyone but family to help when there was a problem. Honestly, we really couldn’t afford it in the early years of our marriage anyway! We always fixed (and continue to fix) things ourselves. Moves, flooring, painting, air conditioning, refrigerators, new or broken appliances’, plugged pipes. you name it, and we figured out who to call and how to fix it. Our Reece family in Las Vegas was always thereto help! Personally, I learned a lot about hard work, and was very grateful for all the help.

Anthony’s sister, Ginger, is my age and we became really close pretty much right from the start. Our kids are the same ages, and we raised them together until I moved, but even then, we stayed close. I always thought it was funny how we both were the only girls in our family and we both had only girls, after being raised in a family of boys. I have three brothers and now have three girls, and Ginger has four brothers and now has four girls. After over 28 years of being a part of the family, Ginger and I can honestly say we are sisters! She is a very GOOD part of my life!

Unfortunately, we hadn’t gone to Las Vegas for Thanksgiving in a long time, and I’m so very glad we did this year! Anthony’s brother, Aaron lives south of Salt Lake City, Utah, and we both planned on being there this year. In fact, we changed our dinner to Friday, instead of Thursday so that he could be there. but his girlfriend, Shelly got sick, and it didn’t work out for them. We still had diner on Friday. though.

On Thanksgiving evening (Thursday), Mom Reece’s house was hopping with people! Ginger was over with her family. including her oldest, Julia, who is married to Kenneth and they have two adorable little boys, Julia and Kenneth got married about one month before my Katelynn and Gabe. I love to see Julia because she is always happy to see me! She has the best smiles and hugs! Macy it a little bit younger than Julia. and is a fabulous aunt! Amanda and Macy are the same age. Macy just got her bachelors’ degree at UNLV and is working to get into school to be a Physical Therapist. Melody is Annalyse’s age and lives in Cedar City while she goes to SUU. She is an amazing violinist and plans on opening her own studio one day. Jenna is the youngest, and is a senior in high school. She is an award -winning swimmer, and is very close to Annalyse, as cousins go. I’m so proud of those girls! They are like my own girls and I couldn’t love them more.

Our Thanksgiving dinner was at Anthony’s brother, Greg’s house this year. Greg is the baby of the family, and he has a huge house! Greg has two young kids, Lailaa (13) and Levi (8). His wife, Becky’s parents live with them in an attached suite. They have a huge living/ dining area, and it worked out perfectly to have tables and chairs set up for a very nice dinner. Greg and Becky put paper tablecloths with Thanksgiving coloring pictures and crayons on the tables, and everyone brought food! So much food! it was definitely a feast! Afterwards, the kids played games and we had music from Amanda. Annalyse. Ginger and Laila! Thanksgiving dinner was very nice.

It was so wonderful to be around family, but we definitely noticed that Mom Reece could use more help! It’s really hard when families begin to grow and parents grow older. Dad Reece has been bed-bound and on Hospice for a couple of years now. Aunt Pat unexpectedly died last December, making it so that Mom has very little everyday live-in help. She has a shoulder needing surgery and a house needing upkeep that she can’t do alone. Ginger and her family help as they can, but big projects only happen when emergencies come about. About a month ago, the main water line to the house broke, and Mike and Aaron helped fix it. That left a hole out front needing to be fixed. That’s where Anthony and Mike came in to help. Mom needed help and Mike and Anthony fixed the driveway area with a cerement mold that works like pavers. It turned out so nice! That’s not all the help though– we won’t leave out help in the home! During that time, Amanda made a wonderful potato soup, so when the project was done, we had a fabulous dinner! There was a lot of team-work going on!

It was a quick trip to Las Vegas, but definitely not one we will forget! Some highlights include:

Amanda was gifted a banjo from her Grandma Reece!

Annalyse went Black Friday shopping with Melody and Jenna

Amber showed up for a little visit on Thanksgiving with her two boys and her new boyfriend and his daughter.

I got to make some caramel apples with Amanda at Ginger’s hose, and visit with all of my cutie nieces and Julia’s little ones!

I got big hugs from Ginger, Julia, Macy, Melody and Jenna, and they all made me feel special!

I once again remembered how important family is, and that it’s not what you have that is important, but how you make others feel

I truly hope that if you are reading this, you remember how important family is in life, and to not take it for granted. I remember telling Mom Reece a while ago that she needed a new couch. Her couch at that time had been a hand-me-down before she even got it, and now had cat scratches all down the wooden part of the legs. I knew she had money enough for a new couch. but she has always been mindful of being “wasteful.” She told me that when she dies no one will remember her couch, but people will remember her help. That is how she lives her life. Mom Reece grew up in poverty and cannot use money in a way that she feels is wasteful. She will, however, help in anyway possible, including financially, if someone she loves or sees is in need. She has helped many family businesses get started, helped with school. bought food and given housing. She took care of her parents in their last years, and has helped many friends and neighbors in need. She will be very embarrassed, by this post, but I just hope that I too can follow in her path to help “the least of these,” just like the Savior. I am thankful for her very GOOD example.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! I hope you too have much GOOD to be thankful for!

“Where words leave off, music begins.”
― Heinrich Heine

I always have a hard time deciding what to write about, not because I don’t have anything to say, but because I have too many things to say! This is usually a wonderful problem to have for a writer, but because I haven’t gotten into a good schedule for writing, I tend to over-think! I end up getting so over-whelmed that I write nothing. This was a particular problem for me today! I literally thought things through so much that I felt like I had written a whole book, without typing a word. Ahhh, the exhaustion of an over-thinker!

The reality is, that I needed to simplify! I just got back from my daughter Katelynn’s house. where we went to see her perform in the community symphony! Ummm, Duhhh Heidi! Music!!!!! I was making things too complicated and expecting too much of myself. The simpleness comes from the reason why Katelynn, who is done with her college degree, would continue to play her viola in a symphony. She is a computer programmer, why would she take the time after work to practice and play music? It is because of what music does to and for her! Music is a kind of magic!

Music is such an amazing thing. Without words, music touches a part of our souls in a way that nothing else can. It is very powerful! It inspires, it uplifts, it gathers, and it makes us feel in ways other things can’t! Music is more than good… in fact it’s more like a tool. Music can be a tool for good or bad, due to its power on the soul! I choose to use it for good, and that has made all the difference!

Music has always been an important part of my life. My Dad is particularly fond of music, and I was surrounded by good music from the start. My Dad is a big collector of music, starting from his teens in the teen club on an air force base, he has evolved his library and listening technology. He has found good music from all times and genres. In fact, because of this, I never really had a favorite kind of music as a kid. I had favorites from all genres of music! It’s really fun to listen to music with my Dad, as he has an extensive library of music, and continues to grow it as he finds good music to add. I have great memories of listening and dancing with my Daddy to many great songs! When it comes to music, my Dad has always been one of my greatest resources.

As I grew up, music was a part of my academic life as well. I joined choirs, played the clarinet in band, and loved participating in musical plays in school and the community. I absolutely loved school and church dances, and even had my first date with Anthony at a school dance! Music touched my life and helped me grow up into a better, more compassionate person. I fell in love with and to music in a real way!

Just like me, my children were introduced to music from the first. It was wonderful raising children with music. We encouraged our girls to learn and participate in music and dance. They all started piano lessons young with their Aunt Ginger. All my girls play stringed instruments (viola, cello, and violin) as well as piano. In high school, Katelynn played in the electric rock orchestra as well as the regular orchestra, Amanda was also in the choir, and Annalyse also spent some time on the dance team. We’ll just say that I went to a lot of concerts and performances with music! It has impacted our lives greatly, and provided for some wonderful opportunities!

Now that my girls are grown, they continue loving and participating in music and dance. Katelynn continues playing her viola in the symphony and loves listening to music, and Amanda still plays her cello and has gotten pretty heavily into social dancing/ ballroom dancing as well. Annalyse always has music playing, and goes dancing sometimes too. Another fun musical element that has touched our lives recently is the learning of old musical instruments because of family influence. It’s been really fun to see Katelynn learning the harmonica lately, as my Dad plays the harmonica very well and I have many happy memories of him playing it! Amanda wants to learn the banjo because she started a folk band at BYU and knows her Great Grandpa George Thompson played it. It’s interesting to see how music continues to affect the next generation! Music divides generations as well as gathers them together. There is nothing quite like music!

In conclusion, I hope this inspires the music in you! All of us have musical stories that inspire and help build us up. I hope and pray that, just like me, the music in YOUR life touches your soul, brings happiness, and also bridges the generational gaps that sometimes happen! Sending hugs and good wishes!

— Heidi

The best things in life aren’t things!

Hello dear family and friends!

My mind is so full today, that I just needed to write! I have had so many wonderful experiences recently, and it feels like I always have something more important to do than write, so I’m up early today and typing, because I can’t keep it in anymore! I just got back from a cruise celebrating my parent’s 50th wedding anniversary, which was absolutely wonderful! I will write about the cruise, but in all my travels in life I see that the best things in life aren’t things… they are GOOD PEOPLE!

We got home from our trip a couple days ago. We had a friend dog and house-sit for us. My dogs are family, so my hardest part of any trip is leaving them. They think they are abandoned–even in their own comfortable house with all their needs being taken care of! Our two next-door neighbors kept an eye out and were emergency contacts, since there would be a lot of time on the boat we couldn’t be reached. Our neighbors are really good friends, which is so wonderful in itself! We were gone for ten days, so we really needed people to help keep our fur babies and house safe.

I have been truly touched by so many people in this life, and I wanted to write about a few of them today, especially those that have shown kindness recently. No matter what side of the country I am on, what part of the world I am in, it is the good people that make life great! You can have the fanciest house, car, or clothes, but if there are mean or rude people surrounding you, then happiness is hard to find!

Anthony and I talked to Steve, one of our neighbors, because we saw him outside right after we got home. He told us that he had mowed our lawn a week ago and put our trash cans out! He did this without being asked! I was overwhelmed with the kindness shown there! Steve is a truck driver, and his wife, Andrea works at the Y with children who have disabilities. They are gone during the day, and the last time I talked to them was before our trip, and we found out that one of their beloved dogs passed away tragically. I went over during the day to check on their other dog, because he was having issues. I felt helpless to be of any help! They had their own issues, but took time out of their busy lives to help us! Good people!!

Yesterday Anthony worked at the quick care and came home a little after eight in the evening. It was still sunny outside and extremely hot! We are having a terrible heat wave here in Idaho, and it was still over 100 degrees (f) outside. Anthony came in and told me that he just talked to our neighbor, Kevin! Kevin was mowing our front lawn when he got home! I don’t think he knew we made it home and wanted us to come home to a nice yard! My heart was overwhelmed with the kindness! He was working on his yard after work and at that time because he had family coming, but he mowed our yard too! Both of our neighbors knew we would be gone and went out of their way to help us! Good people!

I have a niece named Julia, who is one of my biggest supporters! She loves my blog and is so incredibly kind to me. When I saw her last, I told her I would put her in my blog, and she was so excited! I think of this a lot, because she has made me feel seen and important. Isn’t that what good people do? They make you feel seen and important! We all need that!

Being a good and kind person doesn’t mean that life is easy! Yes, Julia has a good life with a wonderful husband and two adorable kids! She also has type 1 diabetes, which has impacted her life dramatically from the time she was just twelve years old. Julia’s oldest boy was born with heart issues, which had her living at Primary Children’s Hospital for a few months before and after his birth. He wasn’t expected to live, and had two heart surgeries, a feeding tube and a pacemaker before he was even six months old! Julia and her husband, Kenny, had to quit school, move near family (in Las Vegas), and figure out how to make life work! The funny thing is that they weren’t even sure they could have biological children when they got married, but their children came quickly, and they adjusted by putting family first! Such good people!

Our vacation was an eight-day cruise to the Caribbean in celebration of my parent’s 50th Wedding Anniversary! We had such a wonderful time! What I really noticed was that, even though the cruise ship held a lot of people, we were not treated as a crowd, but as individual people. Our family met at the same table for dinner every night, and our servers knew our names. When they saw us in other areas, they would say hello! We knew their names as well: Idam, Winscel, and Jude. Our room attendant was Junior, and he took good care of us! We also got to know Nate, who played and sang at a piano bar on the ship. The personal kindness by the people who worked on the ship really made the trip for me. It wasn’t the fancy ship and amenities, although they were definitely nice, but the individual people, who really saw us and showed kindness that made the difference. There are good people everywhere!

I feel truly blessed to be surrounded by so many kind people! So many times in this crazy human experience, it is easy to feel unseen. I feel it a lot, as I deal with unseen issues due to MS. There are times I feel like no one sees or cares. That being said, I can name so many times where people DID see and DID care. I struggled with the heat and humidity a lot throughout our trip, as it makes it hard for me and I stagger around like a drunk (MS symptom). I was really grateful when one of my girls would notice and help me. All of my girls helped at different times, but Amanda is particularly good at noticing when I am having trouble and helping me. She gave me her arm to hold onto constantly and was always watching out for me. Amanda and I spend a lot of time together, especially in the summer, and I am so grateful for the constant kindness she shows me!

As for this blog, my Katelynn was a big reason I was able to get it going! Katelynn is my oldest daughter and we have always been close. We talk and read every night, and she has encouraged me in my many endeavors. She knew I wanted to do this blog for a long time and helped me make it happen! She is my computer scientist, but she doesn’t set up blogs. She does more programming and back-end work. She spent a lot of time helping me figure things out, just because she cares.

Well, I could go on and on about all of the amazing people in my life! I see good people everywhere! I might be getting tired right now, but I won’t stop noticing the good people in the world. That’s what I want this blog to do! I want it to make it so we both notice the good around us! We may live in a crazy, confused world, where it sometimes feels like there is never any good news, but I want people to notice that no matter the state of the world, there is still good to be found! There are people who care, and do good everyday– perhaps it’s time for us to spread the news!

I

I have typed out this blog post several times and lost it completely! I want to cry… but this trip was too wonderful not to share!

My sweet daughter, Amanda, is working on her history major at BYU (she wants a life in the world of Academia as a PHD). She got a grant to fly to Washington D.C. to get some important primary sources from the deaf school, Gallaudet University. Amanda is fluent in ASL and very passionate about the deaf community, which her capstone project for her bachelor’s degree highlights. She asked if Anthony and I would like to tag along, and of course, we said, “yes!” At the last minute., Anthony rearranged his schedule, and we bought our plane tickets! It was D.C. or bust!

Amanda had to work around the University’s time, so we bought ourselves metro/bus tickets, and worked our way around the city and made reservations for the school. Our hotel was right in the middle of everything we wanted to see, thanks to the BYU travel agency! We were walking distance to the White house and to the Ford Theater, where Lincoln was shot. We ate at the Hard Rock Cafe (a great memory I had as a young teenager), and bought matching T-shirts! We were the consummate tourists!

I learned a lot about the deaf community as toured Gallaudet University. I felt like a bad Mom, as I’m sure it looked like I had a deaf daughter who speaks sigh language, and I can’t communicate with her because I don’t speak it! I’m going to try to learn. Amanda says she will help me! There was one time she was asked, in the past, “Do you speak sign language because your Mom is blind?”… She said, “Think about that!…” Truly, I am blind enough to not be able to drive, and to be put on the blind registry so I get free audio books, but I can see! I just don’t see well. I tell people that most of sight is in your brain. I saw well for many years, and now my brain fills in! It’s all good! The fact of the matter is, this trip made me want to learn sign language. I met some truly wonderful people I would love t communicate with, but they only speak ASL! Goals, goals!!!!

We had lots of experiences in the four days we were in Washington D.C. On our second day, we walked over to the White House. Russia had just invaded the Ukraine, and there were a few people out protesting. There was a nice man out there who let me use his sign for a picture! I got to protest the war for a minute! Go Ukraine!

We did a lot of walking. I learned a lot about my limits on this trip! It was very hard! I love to walk, but since the MS has messed with my legs, I drag my left leg. I can’t feel most of that leg. My right leg has had to compensate for a long time, and this trip showed me that there was a limit to how much I can ask of myself. I was a long-distance runner for many years, and I truly thought that grit and determination could get me through anything. I learned that no matter how hard I tried, there were times that my legs just wouldn’t work. It was hard, and it was painful. It was embarrassing to me. To look at me, you would think that anything was wrong, but as time went on, I couldn’t see or walk hardly at all.

So this is my GOOD blog. What was good about my legs and feet failing on this trip? Well, I was with my wonderful Anthony and Amanda! They helped me and encouraged me! I know I have limits, so I will have to make changes for my next trip. Life is an adventure… hard parts included! –In fact, it’s the hard parts of life that make the good times worth more!

I couldn’t write about my trip to D.C. without talking a little about my past trip as a young teenager. I learned to truly love and appreciate out country during a trip over 30 years ago with my family. My Dad was an elementary school principal, and had July off. My family took a three week vacation and toured all over Washington D.C. and rented a car and toured around the Virginia area, where we had friends we stayed with for a week of it. My family and I had a truly memorable time as we saw and learned about our country’s founding years. We even got to go to the coming home parade for the first Desert Storm, and saw our troops march proudly! We had many great memories! I always wanted to come back, and these great memories truly influenced me!

Anthony and Amanda had old memories as well. I couldn’t find a picture, but Anthony got to go D.C. when he was 19, and spend a couple of weeks as a mission companion to his brother, Aaron. Aaron was serving as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint on a two year mission in the D.C. area. Anthony’s two year mission to New Zealand was going to overlap, and they wouldn’t be able to see each other for years. Somehow, they got it approved to have Anthony spend some time before his own mission with his brother in D.C. It was definitely a memorable time for both of them!

Amanda got to go on a special one-week school tour of Washington D.C. at the end of her 8th grade year! She had really wanted to go when she heard about it at the beginning of her 7th grade year. We took two years paying and fundraising, but she had a wonderful time, and it was her first time being away from home for so long! She will never forget either!

We crammed a lot into our four-day trip, but although a short visit, the memories will last a lifetime! I’m so proud of my beautiful Amanda, and grateful she wanted Anthony and I to come! She loves to travel, and I hope she will continue inviting us on some f her adventures!

Washington D.C. has changed a lot in the years since I went as a kid, but a lot has stayed the same for a couple hundred years! I found the city pretty clean, and the people very nice! There is a lot to see and do, and our four days couldn’t cover it all, but I was surprised at all that we DID get to see! I am grateful for every adventure I get to go on in life!

“Make up your mind to be happy – even when you don’t have money, even when you don’t have a clear complexion, even when you don’t have the Nobel Prize. Some of the happiest people I know have none of these things the world insists are necessary for satisfaction and joy. Why are they happy? I suppose it is because they don’t listen very well. Or they listen too well – to the things their hearts tell them. They glory in the beauty of the earth. They glory in the rivers and the canyons and the call of the meadowlark. They glory in the love of their families, the stumbling steps of a toddler, the wise and tender smile of the elderly. They glory in honest labor. They glory in the scriptures. They glory in the presence of the Holy Ghost. One thing I know for certain: the time we have here goes by far too quickly. Don’t waste any more time sitting on the bench watching life pass you by.”

Joseph B. Wirthlin  

Hello dear family and friends! I’ve had a hard time writing lately. Sometimes I feel like I live a small life. I am not rich or famous. I don’t do anything spectacular or world changing. I battle with my health, I work around the house, and I help my family. I don’t think that I am the only one who feels this way. I know that this is the time I need to choose to be happy and enjoy the little things! Most of us in this life don’t live world-renowned lives. This doesn’t mean that our lives are not important! We have the opportunity every day to help make the world a better place by being our own personal best! I like to look for my favorite things and to make good memories.

Some of my favorite times happened this past week, lighting my life with the good of the little things (even in January in Idaho, He! He!) Anthony had his birthday on the 25th, and he had the day off. None of our girls were home then, so we enjoyed going out together that day. My parents have been pretty sick, and when we went over to their house for Anthony to check on them medically, they had bought a cute little cake! It was the perfect size, and we celebrated a little with them as well as dealing with their sicknesses. It WAS a bit sad, as it’s the first birthday in years without our girls.

Well, I think that Katelynn and Amanda heard the sadness in our voices, because they came for the weekend! Anthony had to work Saturday, but we went out to eat that night and sang karaoke! We decorated, got little surprise balls with Disney bracelets and truly enjoyed celebrating Anthony! It was so fun!

While Anthony worked on Saturday, the girls and I painted toenails, watched fun chick-flicks and ran around town shopping! The next day, we went to church and the girls helped me in nursery! It was really fun. and since I only had two kids, they joined in with the littles, playing like my old-time little ones jumping up during songs and coloring too! After church we all made tostadas together and decorated a valentine gingerbread house. These are the fun times! We made the most of our weekend together!

This post may sound a bit combobulated (not sure how to spell that), but it started out as a way to lift my spirits, and truly ended with wonderful memories made! I am so grateful for the beautiful people and wonderful times in my life!

A few of my favorite things (not in any order):

My family, friends, dogs and pretty much all animals, the sunshine, flowers, ocean, trees, smiles, chocolate, licorice, movies, popcorn, seeing new places, Disneyland and World, books, reading with my family, prayers and scriptures, swimming, good food, good news, and all things GOOD!

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE THINGS?

Hello my dear family and friends! The Christmas season is a time full of love and goodness! There is so much good in the world, and this season definitely brings it out in abundance! Don’t get me wrong, I struggle with the business and chaos that can come with the season too! I just have to stop myself and try to live in the joy of the moments! There are so many of those good moments, and that’s what I am trying to highlight here.

So, I missed doing my annual Christmas Card this year, so it will have to be a Christmas blog! My cards on the counter will head out next year, so I’m not done with the snail mail! I loved all of your cards, and have them hanging on my Harry Potter closet door (closet under the stairs), so keep sending them out every year! I will join all of you next year!

Katelynn and Gabe are doing great, living in Logan, Utah. Katelynn graduated from Utah State University with her bachelors degree in Computer Science this past May! She was hired on with Space Dynamics full-time after graduation. Gabe works for Campbell Scientific as a robotics technician. They make a very cute computing couple, and are super happy to have the four years of hard work going to school after being married done! Katelynn still plays the viola in the local orchestra, loves to read , crochet and is excited to have time for trying out new crafts! Gabe loves video games, board games, and movies! He is super happy to be able to swallow, after last year’s throat surgery. Katelynn and Gabe have gotten into cooking together, and they even made all of us a yummy dinner this Christmas break! We are so proud of them and excited to see them accomplish goals together!

Amanda is a senior at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. She is working on her bachelors in History with an emphasis on Women’s Studies, and is planning on continuing on to her PHD in order to be a professor. She teaches classes in ASL (Sign language), and has been a teacher’s assistant in both the history and ASL departments. She still loves music, and has developed a real love of dancing. Amanda will be going to Spain this summer through a grant from the History department. She will get to help document some important primary sources . We are really proud of our Amanda!

Annalyse just graduated from high school this month! I can hardly believe that my baby is 18 and graduated! She is going to go to Boise State University in the Fall, and works at Tropical Smoothie Café in Nampa. She plans on working on a degree in Crime Scene Investigation. She loves fashion, shopping, and hanging out with friends. Annalyse is always busy and loves going out! We love our Annalyse and are excited to see what she will do next!

Anthony is a Nurse Practitioner, and he is working at AFC Urgent Care and at West Valley Medical Center in the ER. He loves relaxing at home with his wife, a good book or a movie, and good food! He is a high counselor in the Caldwell East Stake, and a great father! I love being married to this man!

As for me, I love making good memories with the people I love! My family encourages my writing, Amanda, Katelynn and Mom have encouraged sewing (I’m a total beginner), and I spend most of my time keeping the family going. My dogs are my companions, and I’m happy for peace and relaxation, however that doesn’t come very often.

TRIPS:

My brother Eric got me and my brothers together for a sibling trip to Disneyworld this past summer (I don’t think that was grammatically correct, but you get the picture). That was a wonderful trip!

Anthony, Annalyse and I went to Las Vegas to visit family last Spring and truly had a memorable time! We love our Vegas family.

We visited Eric’s family in Huntington Beach, California last June and loved it! It’s been a year of good memories made!

Our last trip this year was saying goodbye to Aunt Pat in Cannonville, Utah. It was sad to say farewell, but very joyful to see family!

Memories Made! Memories Made!

It is my wish that you had a wonderful Christmas season and and have a marvelous new year full of good memories and lots of love! May the Savior’s birth remind you of the good blessings God sends us all year long!

More to come… I am behind… and yes, that’s a threat! He!He!

I love the fall! What a beautiful time of year, with the leaves changing colors and the weather cooling off! I was raised in Arizona, and the first thirteen years after I married was spent in Las Vegas, so the actual changing of the seasons will always feel new and magical to me! I love my Arizona roots, don’t get me wrong! I miss all my wonderful family, and the beauty of the desert that I don’t think I truly appreciated until I left. I never really experienced fall until I was in my 30’s and living in northern Utah. The leaves change to beautiful oranges and yellows, colors I can see the best, and begin to “fall” off the trees (so funny to me that we affectionately call autumn fall because of that). The leaves leave a messy, but beautiful tapestry of color over the previously green grass. The weather cools off and people begin to gather inside instead of out. Sweaters and sweatshirts come out of the closet, and we all begin to get ready for the holidays! The fall is a beautiful start to a new school-year and the beginning of a truly wonderful holiday season!

Speaking of holidays, Halloween was much more fun when my girls were younger and we had costumes and parties to plan! This year, as we have been working hard on the floors and baseboards, I didn’t really do anything other than buy a few bags of candy to pass out. That being said, my neighbors (and friends, of course),who live on either side of me decorated for Halloween! Andrea, who has been my neighbors for four years, loves Halloween and decorates hugely each year! Her husband, Steve, isn’t a fan, but helps anyway. Andrea’s mother got her into decorating for Halloween as a child, and her good memories have influenced her! On Halloween morning she says she feels like a little kid waking up on Christmas morning! She’s so excited and loves making it fun for all the kids and neighbors. I, personally, saw cars slowing down to take a good look at her yard! Yvette and Keven are my neighbors on the other side, and this is their first year being able to decorate! They moved in this summer after moving out of a little townhouse or apartment. Yvette made her pumpkin arch! I love it and am so impressed! I truly have wonderful neighbors, and won’t be moving anytime soon because of them!

Thanksgiving was wonderful! Anthony and Amanda helped me make rolls and mashed potatoes. The rolls are a big deal to me. I haven’t made them for a lot of years because I spent all of Christmas Eve one year making them, and my flour was stale, so they tasted bad. I was soooooo mad! It’s a yummy recipe my Aunt Diane and Mom made when I was growing up. I looked forward to the rolls every holiday! Anyway, this year I made sure everything was super fresh and they turned out fabulous! My Mom made the turkey and we had a wonderful Thanksgiving together! My Katelynn and Gabe were with his family in Pocatello, but we talked with them and enjoyed everyone here! Even my amazing friend from Vegas, Leane, came and spent time with us that weekend (she plans to move here permanently next summer). It was a wonderful family time!

For some extra family fun this year, my cousin Linda, in Burley, invited my Mom and the girls and I to dip chocolates with her girls and their families. I wish I had better pictures, but all I’ve got is what Linda shared with me. I forgot to take pictures! It was really a great time! My family is so extensive on my Mom’s side, and since her sister, Lovel died a couple of years ago, we were afraid that we would lose track of our Idaho family! I am very thankful that Linda is trying to keep us close as a family! I love my large extended family! Oh…… and the chocolates turned out great!

As for fur-babies, I have three! They are always happy to see me, and bring so much happiness to my life! I have Holly, who is ten years old and was given to us by my sweet Burley cousin, Linda (yes, my cousin who invited us to dip chocolates this year)! Holly is so incredibly sweet, and is happy if she can just snuggle next to someone she loves. I have, my smooshy-nosed boy dog, who loves to supervise Penny and steal her toys. He just sets them in front of him and growls when Penny gets near. He’s nine years old, and it took some doggy depression meds to get him to accept Penny when she came. He’s my old man dog, but so cute and smooshy that he gets away with a little grumpiness! Penny is my seven pound bundle of energy! I always say that her redeeming quality is cuteness. She would be happy if all she did all day was chase her toy. I have never had a dog as obsessed with fetch as she is!

Well, this post got a little long, as I haven’t had time or energy to post for a while! I hope it’s not too boring to read. Life is good, and as I focus on the good parts, the hard parts get a little easier! Thank you all for being a good part of my life! I hope your holiday season is going great! Sending you all my love!

Heidi