Cars, CARS! cArS!

I don't know if everyone dislikes car trouble as much as me or not. But I strongly disklike it-whether it is my car trouble or someone elses. (I know...no one likes car trouble-unless you are a mechanic.) My dislike for car trouble is on the verge of HATE!
Early Sunday Morning (2:40 am) Darrin called me and woke me up for my 'long winter's nap'. He was having car trouble. His car was acting 'freaky'. It really has been acting up for several weeks, but he has not decided what he wants to do about it. Should he fix it-has been a great car for the $600, or should he get a new one(new to him/used really)-which to him means a new car payment.
Anyway back to the story. DH has never been the one to go get the kids in the middle of the night. Darrin and I talked for several minutes. He had no power, no lights, no windshield wipers and it was snowing heavily. He was going 12 mph, then 11, now 9 mph. Okay we'll hang up and he'll call back if he needs my. 20 seconds later..."the car died". I am throwing on shoes, going to grab a coat-I am in my flannel nightgown. (Trav and Crystal had come to spend the night after I had settled in for my 'long winter's nap.) Trav comes out of the guest room and asks if Darrin needs help. (Thank You! Thank You, Trav! I really hate to tow people.) So we go out to get into the truck and we try to shovel a path so as not to drive on the snow-DH really gets ticked when people drive on the snow.) The snow is too heavy to move very fast, so we just give up and head out. Only we get stuck at the end of the driveway. So Trav goes back and forth, back and forth-oh, DH is really to be unhappy.
We go just 2 blocks up the road. Good thing the car had died. Darrin was only about 2 feet from going into the ditch! (Dar thought he was more in the middle of the road.) Trav does the towing, and I run home. (Funny thing...I am running on the snow packed road, and it snowing heavily. I am in a nightgown and coat. A car passes, and does not even so much as slow down. I guess it is normal for crazy woman to be out at night running:-D)
We get home, car is in the driveway and the 3 of us are wide awake. DH sleeps through all of this. I am glad that it was just a bit of car trouble and not something worse.
I am glad that Crystal heard me and woke up Trav. I am grateful that Trav helped! It is now Monday morning. 3 people with 3 differents places to go, and 2 vehicles to get there. Gotta get this car stuff figured out. Anybody got a car to sell that is a good deal?

Baby, It's COLD outside!

Thursday morning as I left to do the crossing guard, it was about -3°. (How dare I complain? I think it was -12° in Logan and I don't think that Trav and Crystal have turned their heat on yet! BRRRRR! And I have no idea how cold it was in Roosevlet or WhiteRocks) I decided that it was too COLD for me to 'dance' outside my car, so just sat inside. Luckily for the kids, none of them had to walk to school yesterday morning. I have tried several pair of boots and finally have some from Smith & Edwards that seem to keep the cold out.

When I got home, there was this article in the newspaper about Rocky Mountain Power. "It's not the summer heat, but the winter cold that has Utah's power grid in a pinch. Because of widespread below-freezing weather across much of the Western United States, electricity demand is very high, putting the entire region at risk of power outages. (Weird to me-like this has never happened before-COLD in December?)
Rocky Mountain Power is encouraging customers to begin reducing their electricity consumption as much as possible and to continue conserving for the next few days.
The power company made calls to consumers Tuesday night, asking them to conserve energy during the peak hours of 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. (Sure! we'll just cook dinner over a campfire.)"With this severely cold weather, we are having some issues with the supply and delivery of electricity, so we've been making calls for some voluntary conservation efforts," said RMP spokeswoman Margaret Oler.
She said homeowners should turn off lights, computers, televisions and appliances when they aren't in use, adjust the use of large appliances like washers, dryers and dishwashers to off-peak hours (from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.) when possible, and if health permits, set the thermostat at 68° or lower during the day and at 60 degrees overnight. (Sure, I will get up in the middle of the night {I'm up all too often anyway} and do my laundry too instead of just sitting at the computer with a blanket wrapped around me, then I will have to turn the thermostat up.)
During the holiday season, homeowners should put their outdoor Christmas lights on timers and remember to turn them off during the day, Oler said.
"We don't want people to dramatically alter their lives," she said. "Just take a common-sense approach and look for areas where you can conserve."

For the afternoon shift, I had 3 grandchildren to take with me to the crossing. I put 5 blankets in the dryer (Sorry Rocky Mountain Power). The boys each got 1 blanket, Jensyn got 2 for themself and then a bigger one to go over them all. They were TOASTY. And it was up to 23°.
They had to take their gloves off so they could eat their fruit snacks. So warm they had kicked the blankets off.
(Trav, if you read this, I know you are not one that gives in to peer pressure, but it is time to turn on the heat! :)

HaPpY BiRtHdAy Angie!

It is Angela's birthday. She was born in Alexandria, Virginia just a few years ago. I won't say exactly how many years ago, since it is not polite to tell a woman's age.

I had been working at the Washington, D.C. Temple before she was born. (DH was in Dental School at Georgetown University.) One afternoon I was told to quickly go to the nursery. I was needed there. (I was the daytime woman's housekeeper-which is a nice way to say janitor-so it could be any number of reasons) As I walked in and turned the corner, there were most of the temple staff. It was a surprise baby shower IN THE WASHINGTON, D. C. Temple. Still hard for me to believe even today. And I have wondered if that ever happened again.
Angie was actually born about 3 weeks past her due date. My mom had come to stay and we had fun getting the 'nursery' ready. I am very blessed to be her mother. (All I ever wanted to be growing up was a mother-and now I really was!) She had her 1st plane ride when she was only 8 days old. She got to come to Utah to meet our families.
And now, all these years later, Angie is a mother to 4 beautiful children of her own. Angie's kids are involved in lots of sports activities and she does well at juggling all that she needs to get done. Angela loves to read-and is very speedy at it. When she was in the 6th grade, I think she read something like 2000 pages in just 1 quarter of school. She enjoys football and is in a fantasy football league with some of her brothers. One of her goals is to beat them. She knows a lot about football stuff. Angela is a great mom. I am lucky that she is my daughter.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANGIE! I love you!

The Right Thing

I am wondering if I am the only one that does this...I begin to do something, and really it is for the right reason, good intentions and such, but then "it" ends up being for the wrong reason.
Ex: I have this goal concerning temple attendance and temple work. (The right thing, Right?) But lately I have found myself being frustrated or bothered when there seems to be a wrench in my plan. It could be someone 'needing' to be squeezed in because they are in a hurry, and really only need to do just this 1 name.... I get put into the hall, and "we will get you right back in" then 20 minutes go by, and it is forgotten that I am waiting, then my heart somehow gets to the wrong place, and I am no longer doing this right thing for the right reason.
Ex: I say I will take dinner to someone in the ward. (The right thing, Right?) Then as the process of making an extra meal gets hectic, or it takes longer for the rolls to raise than I planned, and I start to 2nd guess myself, "why did I say I would do this?" so now I am no longer doing this right thing for the right reason. There are many examples, but then I would sound like my blog face is really OFF!
I really do want to keep it right.

So...How do I keep my mind and heart in the RIGHT place all the time? I really DO want to DO the RIGHT thing and I want it to BE for the RIGHT reason.

Happy Birthday Darrin!

Yup, my baby is 23 today! I can hardly believe it. He was born at McKay Dee Hospital at 4:34 pm during half time of the BYU/Air Force game (BYU won 23-3). Since giving birth is such a simple thing, and the doctor and Dave were watching the game while I was laboring, they requested that I wait until half time for the actual delivery! (Sure guys anything you want.)
Darrin was a little guy-just 6 pounds 10 ounces. Then he really didn't grow much that first year. He was sick a lot, and by the age of 1 he only weighed about 15 pounds and was still in newborn diapers. I really thought he would never make it to being a 1 year old. Today as I was looking in his baby book, I got tears in my eyes. He was hospitalzed several times, had infections galore during his 1st year and tubes in his ears twice in 6 months.
↓ This is Dar with the anesthesiologist on his way for his 2nd set of tubes on Dec. 28, 1987. See he was still very little. I think he even really liked his mom back then.Darrin hates mornings. ↓
↓ He loves the Yankees, and the Dolphins and sports in general. I think he could be a commentator if he wanted to work at it. He has tons of sports information and trivia categorized in his head. He is very smart and has many talents. Not the showy kind though. He is usually very kind to his neices and nephews, but loves to tease them LOTS! Darrin really could be anything that he set his mind to be.
↓ He HATES to have his mom take his picture.
↓ But is okay with taking his own and putting it on fb. (I got 3 of these pictures from there.)
I hope Darrin has a great birthday! (I love you lots Dar!) I wonder if the laboring and birth during the BYU game has anything to do with his love for sports. HMMM! I am blessed to have Darrin as my son.

The Squeaky Wheel gets the...

Yes, the batteries. 96 of them! All AA-though I realize now that I need to trade some in for some AAA.
This story has evolved through out the day and is LONG. I left to do some grocery shopping & other errands at 6 am. I had called yesterday to find out that store hours...6am-midnight. Great that works for me. So off I go. I am going to the new Fresh Market at 40th and Washington, formerly known as Albertson's. You can read a story about the change from Albertson's to Fresh Market HERE They had some coupon items that were a great deal. I wanted the 1# butter for $1.28/limit 2, 24 pack WF batteries for $3.48/limit 4, 5# WF sugar $1.98/limit 2. I got the butter, sugar, a loaf of bread but could not find the batteries. I asked LeeAnna, the checker, but she had no idea. Batteries are there or there-pointing her finger at 2 different parts of the store. So I looked again, and still could not find the batteries. So I decided to just check out. I had 5 items in my cart. As I got to the check stand, it was just me and LeeAnna. I asked her if perhaps there was anyone else that might know about the batteries. She calls Robert. 20 minutes later, still no batteries. "No", she does not know if she can substitute or give a rain check, only managers can do that. Great! Where is the manager? Oh, they don't arrive until 8:30 or 9 am. Finally I tell here just to check me out, and she struggles with figuring out how much to deduct for the coupons-there is a paper right on her check stand and I tell her "subtract $1. 42 for the sugar and $2.20 for the butter." (She wants to know how I figured that out since she did not work yesterday when this sale started.) I really want to SCREAM, but I am TRYING very hard to keep my cool. I tell her I will just go to the competitor and will give them a bad review on my blog. (Please read on because this all changes.)
So off I go to Family Fresh. I walk in and ask if there is a manager on duty. "Yes", the guy says, "and how can I help you?" I later learn that this is in fact the owner, Dave. He matches the ad for 24 batteries for $3.48 and tells me that they match coupons except on meat and produce. They are located at 5167 Adams Ave.
The website for Family Fresh can be found HERE. Prices at each store are a bit higher than I like to pay, but they both have some good deals. So, if you watch for the specials-the only way I shop-you can get some good deals. I love Family Fresh meat!
So I come home do some things, and at 10:30 I call Fresh Market and ask for the manager. I get Stephanie S. I tell her the story, and she said, "In LeeAnna's defense, she did not work yesterday when the sale started, so had no idea what was going on." (LeeAnna had talked to Stephanie about the sitiuation.) Stephanie tells me that they do not have the batteries, and she will have to got to the warehouse and pick them up at will call and I can get some later in the day. There warehouse is just 2.5 miles from my house. I tell Stephanie that I have already driven 13 miles to get my stuff and she asked what I wanted her to do about it. I said, "Deliver them to me." I gave her my address, and thought it will never happen.
4 o'clock comes and goes. Still no batteries, and I am mad at myself. Did I really think she would deliver? I call the store. They have batteries. Fume, fume! At 5:10 I am getting ready to deliver some food, and someone pulls up. She has on a Fresh Market shirt. She has a bag for me. No, she is not Stephanie, but works with her. "Merry Christmas from Stephanie. Here are the batteries you wanted." And she gives me 4-24 pack of batteries. So Squeaky Wheel, or maybe just an ORNERY OLD LADY!
My review~~~~2 thumbs up for each of these stores!

An interesting email

I got this email from a wonderful friend. I just had to post it for everyone to see. And yes, I know that it could be 100% fake, but it was too funny!
The BEST Christmas decorations EVER!
Well, there is good news and bad news about my Christmas decorations this year
Good news is that I truly out did myself this year with my Christmas decorations. The bad news is that I had to take him down after 2 days. I had more people come screaming up to my house than ever. Great stories. But two things made me take it down. First, the cops advised me that it would cause traffic accidents as they almost wrecked when they drove by. Second, a 55 year old lady grabbed the 75 pound ladder almost killed herself putting it against my house and didn't realize it was fake until she climbed to the top (she was not happy). By the way, she was one of many people who attempted to do that. My yard couldn't take it either. I have more than a few tire tracks where people literally drove up my yard.
Kind of feel like I gave in to the man by taking him down but my neighbor did confirm to near miss accidents on the busy street next to my house. I think I made him too real this time.
So it was fun while it lasted! Merry Christmas!

Thursday Thoughts

Among my favorite Christmas songs is "I'll Be Home for Christmas". In the First Presidency Christmas Message 2009 found in the Ensign, President Henry B. Eyring First Counselor in the First Presidency says exactly what I feel in the article Home For Christmas. His words are in quotation marks.
"The line of the song that I remember best is “I’ll be home for Christmas / If only in my dreams.” The house in which I decorated Christmas trees with my mother and father in those happy days of my childhood still stands, largely unchanged. A few years ago I went back and knocked on the door. Strangers answered. They allowed me to step into the rooms where the radio had been and where our family had gathered around the Christmas tree.
I realized then that the desire of my heart was not about being in a house. It was about being with my family, and it was a desire to feel enveloped in the love and the Light of Christ, even more than our little family had felt in the home of my childhood."
President Eyring tells us of 4 things that are hearts desire: Longing for Eternal Love, Finding the Promised Joy, Feeling the Joy of Giving, and Blessed with His Light.
He says about Longing for Eternal Love (in words that I dream I could string together)..."What all of us long for in our hearts, at Christmastime and always, is to feel bound together in love with the sweet assurance that it can last forever. This is the promise of eternal life, which God has called His greatest gift to His children. That is made possible by the gifts to us of His Beloved Son: the Savior’s birth, Atonement, and Resurrection. It is through the Savior’s life and mission that we have the assurance that we can be together in love and live forever in families.
About Finding the Promised Joy "Many of us have lost loved ones to death. We may be surrounded by individuals who seek to destroy our faith in the gospel and the Lord’s promises of eternal life. Some of us are troubled with illness and with poverty. Others may have contention in the family or no family at all. Yet we can invite the Light of Christ to shine on us and let us see and feel some of the promised joys that lie before us." President Eyring speaks of forgiveness and "The feeling of happiness that will come will be a glimpse of what we can feel at home together in the eternal home for which we yearn."
Many times as a prayer is said in a church meeting the words "bless us that we may get home in safety" are uttered. I have had a new thought connected to these words. We don't just want to go to our earthly home in safety, but we desire to return to our Heavenly Home having made correct choices and done all that we could to make ourselves our VERY best during these Earthly travels. That will be a JOYOUS occasion.
We want to discover Feeling the Joy of Giving "There is another glimpse of that joyful future home that we can see more easily at Christmastime. It is the feeling of giving with a generous heart. This can come as we feel the needs of others more than our own and when we sense how generous God has been to us. It helps to see the kindness of others at Christmastime... There is joy in giving and in receiving the generosity that God inspires, especially at Christmas."
We are Blessed with His Light "There is another glimpse of heaven that becomes easier to see at Christmastime. It is of light. Heavenly Father used light to announce the birth of His Son, our Savior. A new star was visible in both the Eastern and the Western Hemispheres. It led the Wise Men to the child in Bethlehem. Even wicked King Herod recognized the sign; he feared it because he was wicked. The Wise Men rejoiced because of the birth of the Christ, who is the Light and the Life of the World. Three days of light without darkness was the sign God gave to the descendants of Lehi, heralding the birth of His Son.
We remember at Christmastime not only the light that announced the birth of Christ into the world but also the light that comes from Him. Many witnesses have confirmed that light... That light is easier to discern at Christmastime, when we are more likely to pray to know what God would have us do and more likely to read in the scriptures and so more apt to be on the Lord’s errand. When we forgive and feel forgiveness, when we are lifting the hands that hang down,, we are being lifted ourselves as we move toward the Source of the light."
Read the full message HERE. It gave me chills!

It's back to ReALity!

And why didn't I get any pictures. (I have a camera, I just 'forget' to use it MOST of the time.) It is early Monday morning, after a busy, fun filled, Thanksgiving weekend. So it is time for reality to hit!
Wednesday -I made several pies and still have not figured out how to make a lemon meringue pie without it weeping. I did a google search and will try a few different things for 2010. I did do a practice 5K in preparation for Thursday's run.
Thursday-Wonderful Thanksgiving. We had 16 here for dinner. We missed BJ and his family-they were enjoying Maryland, Jen and her family were with the Parker side, and Trav & Cyrstal were with the McMillan's. We had too much food, some laughs, some games and lots of fun. The kids played well together. We enjoyed the company of Grandparents Tanaka, Angie and her kids, Jason and his family, Darrin and Kaitlyn. We scoured the ads, and I couldn't find one thing I wanted to go shopping for.
Friday-Here I am going to stand on my soap box-I think Jason and I have been doing the 'Black Friday' thing since around 1987. In years past it was fun. People were friendly, enjoyable, helpful and most of all, in the Christmas Spirit. As the years have moved on, this whole 'Black Friday' thing has gotten ridiculous! No Christmas Spirit! It seems like people want the deal-NO MATTER what the cost. It is scary that people get hurt over a toy, or saving some $$$ on a TV or some other item. The last time I went, I feared for my life, so this year I just stayed home and did some sewing. Dave put up the Christmas lights, and I did help him with the milk carton lights that he TOTALLY hates to do. (I'll have to take a picture and post later.) Sara, Savanna & Lincoln came for a visit. Thanks friends!
Saturday-Grocery shopping-How could we need groceries when I seem to have a fridge full of leftovers. MILK, milk, MiLk-Always! I also went to a few stores hoping to find 'just the right Christmas gift', but no such luck! I picked up Hurley so he could spend the night while the rest of the family went to the JAZZ game. Then we watched the BYU-UTAH game. Go BYU! Trav & Crystal came to spend the night.
Sunday-Church, then 15 for Sunday dinner. Trav & Crystal, Jens family, Angie and her kids, Darrin &Kaitlyn. Maddox turkey steaks is what motivated the Tingey's to come-along with a few phone calls from Trav. The kids played a few games, we talked and then it was time for everyone to go home to get enough sleep for work, school, etc. on Monday.
We've cooked a lot of food, done a bunch of dishes and I am feeling a bit of sadness as the fun comes to an end and it is time for life to return to 'normal', and reality sets in. Thanks family for a great weekend!
***Update-Mr. White Jeep Liberty and Ms. Denise waved at me this morning. The Christmas Spirit must be kicking in.

Christmas Music

I have refrained from doing this post for several days in consideration for those who do not love Christmas music as much as most members of my family and I do. But since Thanksgiving is past, I want to hear Christmas music 100% of the time.
Last Sunday we went to Logan to celebrate Jason's birthday. He has his new kitchen set up in a very technical way. His Christmas music is on his computer downstairs. We listened to it on his laptop upstairs that he is controlling with his i-phone. (All stuff that I do not understand.)
We had a yummy dinner, then we sat around and listened to music and talked about our favorites. I have tried to add some of these to my Christmas playlist that you might be listening to right now. Many I could not find by the preferred artist, but are preformed by someone else.
A few of our favorites are:
Dave~Mary's Little Boy Child by Harry Belefonte
Trav~Stille Nacht by Manheim Steamroller
~ The Little Drummer Boy from his younger years
Crystal~Breath of Heaven (Mary's Song) by Amy Grant
Sierra~Jingle Bell Rock & Santa Claus is Coming to Town
Mialee~God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen by Manheim Steamroller
Jason~(to sing)Once in David's Royal City
Jeri Dawn~"October through December" On her list~Garten Mother's Lullabye by Peter Breinholt, Still, Still, Still by any artist, Ave Marie by Celine Dion, The Gift by Ryan Shupe, The music from Polar express, Somewhere in my Memory from Home Alone, and of course the old favorites that we sing along with.
But, REALLY, how do you pick just one favorite. I am a closet listener of Christmas music. I really do listen to it year round. Some music brings tears to my eyes every time~Candlelight Carol (lyrics by John Rutter "How do you capture the wind on the water? How do you count all the stars in the sky? How can you measure the love of a mother, or how can you write down a baby's first cry? Shepherds and wisemen will kneel and adore him...Mary will hold him and sing him to sleep. Find him at Bethlehem laid in a manger: Christ our Redeemer asleep in the hay...A child with his mother that first Christmas Day. (REFRAIN)Candlelight, angel light, firelight and starglow shine on his cradle till breaking of dawn. Gloria, Gloria in excelsis deo! Angels are singing; the Christ Child is born.) Still, Still, Still and A Special Wish. I love "Grown Up Christmas Wish" by Amy Grant
(↓ here's a picture of the Jason McKellar family)
Jason, Jeri Dawn and I could not pick just one favorite song. Jason's would have to be a favorite album. ↓ This is my very favorite album also. 20+ years ago, Dave bought this album at Grand Central/Fred Meyer on clearance. I loved it the first time I heard it. I was having a hard time with my family and I remember playing "A Special Wish" over the phone to my brother Bruce before 1988.
When Jason was on his mission in Argentina (1996-1998) he told me to make a tape of the record and send it to him. Then one day in the mail I got a CD that he had made for me with this note. (Technical & Smart!)
I never did make myself a different cover. I liked the one it came with. Then several years ago for an early Christmas present, Jason gave me a new CD of "On This Christmas Night". I love it!
I searched and searched to be able to add any songs from this album to my play list, but had no succes. I should have asked any of my technically smart sons to help me.
I love A Special Wish by B.W. Stevenson. The words bring hope and comfort to me. Part of the chorus: "May you have peace and joy and harmony, May all your hurts be far away On this Christmas Day. And most of all Merry Christmas."