Celestial Pursuits

China

2010-07-14T20:16:00.011-06:00

I am back from China, and it was an amazing trip! However, I am very grateful for the home I have, the job I do, and the country I live in. We started in Beijing and then flew two hours north to Heilonjiang province to the city of Harbin to visit schools. Russia is the north border of Heilonjiang and Mongolia is the west. You can see the Russian influence in many of the building and even in the cuisine. One of our best meals was in a Russian restaurant.

I climbed the Great Wall of China, visited Tiananmen Square, walked through the Forbidden City and visited the Llama temple and the Confucius temple. I even held a baby Siberian Tiger. (Fully grown those things are huge and dangerous.) We even visited some amazing schools, although they were way larger than I would ever want to be in charge of. (5,000 students and 200 teachers) The best part of the trip by far was the people.

For now, I will let some of my pictures tell the rest of the story.

The Great Wall of China was one of the highlights of my trip. Some of the steps were two inches high and others were over 12 inches high, and it was steep. They told us that over 1/3 of the people that helped build the wall died and they burried them in the wall--that's a lot of people! All I could think about were all the bodies I was probably walking over. If you climbed even one step of the great wall they called you a hero. I wear that title with honor because we climbed way more than one step. See the square guard tower at the top of the photo. We made it there and back down in the 45 minutes they gave us.

Our hotel in Beijing...

Our visit to the elementary school. We helped paint in art class, and listened to some wonderful

songs in music class (in English).

Tianenman Square...

The four star toilet in the Forbidden City. No toilet paper, and all the toilets were squatters. It could have been a billion star toilet and you wouldn't have been able to get me to use it. It was cool inside, which helped in the 104 degree weather.

Part of the Forbidden City. Home only to the Emperors. The brick was 15 layers deep so that tunnels couldn't be made to get the emperor, and no trees so Kung Fu fighters would have no place to hide.

Harbin, with all of our Chinese guides. All but Alvin were going to school to be educators. Alvin is studying statistics.

Our gang from the back of the bus...

A 30 day old Siberian tiger cub. Those claws were sharp and he was grumpier than you might think.

Queen Chicken

2010-01-01T09:19:00.011-07:00

See, that stinkin' hill is really, really steep!

I had this grand idea. I wanted to be more active over the Christmas holiday. Sounds good so far--right? Well I told my sister that we should go sledding while school was out. M being the ever great sister, and always willing to go along with my grand plans, agreed. We invited all the nieces and nephews that were interested to come along and even gathered a few neighborhood friends. Well all was well until I was at the top of a really steep hill. Then I chickened out. Really good of me, I know. I even pushed a few unwilling people kicking and screaming on thier way, but I wouldn't go down myself. I could just imagine this big body taking out a few kids and small adults along the way. The pictures in my mind were not pretty. Finally all conditions worked to my advantage and I kicked off for ONE run down the hill. I would have gone another time, but luck wasn't with me, and I fell on some ice on the way back up the hill and bruised up my knee. Now I know two things--I'm still a kid at heart and sledding is fun but scarier the older and bigger you get, and two C is a very patient man. He stood at the bottom of the hill and made sure he got pictures of everybody's run down the hill. And let me tell you--he waited a long time for me to get my brave on. What a brother in law! M and the kids were great too. They gave me a lot of encouragement.

By the way, I usually try not to set too many new years resolutions, but this year I will be trying to update the blog a little more regularly.

Fun Fourth of July

2009-07-11T09:20:00.003-06:00

I have put off posting pictures of our 4th of July celebration until I get the scrapbooks off to those that couldn't make it, but every time I look at how long it has been since I updated the blog, I think of all the things I could be putting on there. So sorry Lexi and Ryan and Jed and Rachel. However, now you know you can look forward to some fun mail in the next week. I'll just post a few of the favorite pictures.

Memorial Day Memories

2009-05-25T15:03:00.003-06:00

As a little girl I remember visiting the cemetary on Memorial Day. I remember standing by the headstones and my mom would tell me stories of the people buried there. We were keeping the connection from the past to the present going strong. I remember looking at the arrangements and all the different ways people honored those that had gone on. The flowers were my favorite part. I still love the flowers dotting the grass adding bright splashes of color to an otherwise somber setting. I still love standing by the headstones and thinking of the people I once knew and the stories of others I never knew. For most people Memorial Day is about the veterans, and I too honor those that have given their time, energy, and even their life. However, Memorial Day is much more to me. It is a way to honor my heritage and remember those that I have laughed and cried with, lived for and loved.

Today we went early to the cemetary. I took my camera along to capture some of the things I love about Memorial Day.

Yum-O

2009-03-22T14:40:00.003-06:00

"D" at work gave me this yummy soup recipe that instantly became a favorite. I have tried it with and without the cayenne and it is good either way. So since we are on to a colder week, enjoy. It comes together quickly and makes just enough for me to freeze a serving, and only have to have leftovers once or twice. For those of you with families, you will want to double or triple it.

Yum-O Potato Cheese Soup
2 cups diced potatoes
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1 cup diced carrots
1cup chopped celery
2 1/2 cup water
5 chicken bouillon cubes
1/2 cup margarine (I use butter)
2 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
1 cup grated cheese (I use sharp)
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp dry mustard

Cook potatoes, onion, carrots, celery, water and bouillon together until tender (about 12 minutes). Add margarine. Add milk mixed with flour. Add cheese, cayenne pepper, adn mustard. Heat and serve.

On a personal note...

My computer got a virus shortly after my last post, and I have yet to get it fixed. I have debated about getting a new one, but since I have access at work and am rarely at home, I have done nothing about it yet. So thanks M for letting me use yours to uddate my blog so that everyone that checks in occaisionally will finally have something to read.

Half isn't bad!!

2009-01-14T21:14:00.008-07:00

I saw this on a blog I read occaisionally. I was amazed at how many of these random things I have done in my short life. However, I hope to do most of them before I die. I had better get busy!! I would be interested in seeing how many from this list of 99 that each of you who read my blog have done. The challenge is on. Just copy and paste my list, then highlight and bold the ones you have done. Then comment so I know who to check out.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo (Be so glad that I haven't. The world is better off without my singing voice.)
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child (I wish)
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty (Does riding the boat really close count? There was something wrong that day and we didn't get off the ferry.)
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill (Too hard in my profession)
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language (At least a few phrases)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke (One of those wish I hadn't moments)
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted (caricature count?)
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma (Not really, just volunteered for the Red cross in a blood donation center, but that has to count for something!)
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Healthier

2009-01-03T20:45:00.004-07:00

I am making an effort to eat healthier. That means cooking more. I ran across this webiste that should make things easier. There are all kinds of tips and sections to look through. My favorite is the "healthified" section. They have taken normal recipes and made them healthier. After looking through a few I realized you could download the tips to make your recipes healthier. In the long run, those little changes will pay off.

I think the turkey and wild rice casserole looks yummy, and also the cashew chicken and broccoli. It will be one of these two that I try first.

Check it out for yourself...
http://www.eatbetteramerica.com

No cards yet, because I need to charge the battery in my camera. I'll get them up soon.

Wii are obsessed

2009-01-01T00:26:00.005-07:00

My shoulders ache, my muscles are screaming, and I am a little on edge...

No I am not getting sick, just feeling the competition from all the wii game playing since Christmas day. Many of us in the family got a Wii for Christmas and there is nonstop playing going on. And all this is just from the Wii sports disc that came with the game. We have other games that we haven't even broken out yet. This is the first year in many years that I have been awake to welcome in the new year. All because we were so involved playing that we didn't realize midnight was fast approaching.

Overall it has been a great Christmas season. Family members and I got to attend the temple with Jordan and today he entered the MTC. (Maybe I should say yesterday since the official new year began a little over 30 minutes ago.) I am so excited to have a missionary in the family. I am already planning the packages and letters. He will be an awesome missionary. His farewell talk was amazing and that was before he went out and gained all that experience. Here's a picture of our current missionary and a cute little future missionary.

I also got some good gaming in at our family Christmas party. R did his best to keep me going. I enjoy it so much more when there is a little friendly teasing. Here's a few pics...you be the judge. Were we having fun?

I also experimented with a few cards. The jurry is still out on those. I will upload them tomorrow and get a little feedback from all you that check in from time to time.

Happy New Year!!!! May you be successful with all those resolutions you set or just thought about.

Proof---I am Agreeable

2008-12-27T13:26:00.003-07:00

I ran across this, and since I have been absent from blogging for a week and becacuse we have had so much snow these past few days, I thought I would give it a try. The result? Proof for my family. I mean how can the computer lie? The results said my snow personality is AGREEABLE!

Your Snow Test Says You're Agreeable

You feel like something good will happen to you eventually, but not soon.

You love to work, especially when work is creative. You have the makings of a successful artist.

You are a cooperative, agreeable person. You enjoy the company of others, and you enjoy compromising for the good of the group.

Your biggest worry in life is your family. You stay up at night thinking about them.

When it comes time to relax, you have no problem letting go. You are already pretty relaxed as is!

http://www.blogthings.com/thesnowtest/">The Snow Test

Christmas Tag

2008-12-14T09:33:00.006-07:00

I have been tagged. It's short so play along on your own blog if you would like.

Christmas Tag

1. What is your favorite Christmas tradition? I would have to say our family Christmas party. It is the time of the year that I get to see the largest number of family members at one time. We always have Mexican food and sometimes we get to play games--A & R are coming in from New York, so maybe I'll have a few willing participants this year in the game area!!!

2. What is your favorite religious themed Christmas Song? Once in Royal David's City--however, it is the least sung song in my meetings. At work I heard a new song (at least to me) written by one of the members of the board of education and I love it too. It is called Christmas Star.

3. What is your favorite Christmas memory from childhood? I remember sleeping in one room with my other siblings. We could hardly get to sleep because we were so excited. We would promise that whoever woke first would wake all the rest. My brother made this tradition the best as we got older. He would put Christmas lights in his room and pack a cooler full of goodies. We would watch tv and snack with Christmas lights glowing all around us until we finally fell asleep. Since we were so excited for Christmas morning we were usually ready for bed the minute it got dark--yes, you have calculated correctly--it is winter so we were ready for bed around 6 or 7. I guess you could say he REALLY helped the time to pass.

I have also been working on a few cards. I love the small 3 x 3 sized cards. I decided this year I would make a few to use for Christmas gift thank you cards. However, I wanted them to be something I could use all winter if I don't use them up at Christmas time.

Remembering Gratitude

2008-11-30T16:00:00.003-07:00

As it is the last day of November, I had to account for my goal of recording things I am grateful for. To be honest, I am happy with the nine times I wrote about things I am grateful for. After all, that is 9 more times than I wrote the previous year. I must look on the bright side and say that is progress.

Let me recap the first nine things: family, friends, education, humor, diet coke, hobbies, religious freedom, and life. Now to catch you up on the other things I am grateful for this month. . .

1. Warm showers

2. Cuddly babies--nothing more peaceful than holding a sleeping baby in your arms

3. Fun-filled family visits

4. Sunday dinner with family

5. Work--although I hate the getting ready part, I am thankful to have a job to go to every day

6. The view of the mountains all around the valley I live in

7. My bed--nothing better than my own

8. Hairspray--what can I say, I am a product of the 80's

9. Good books to read

10. Ice--the pebbled kind is best, but anything else will do in a pinch

11. Good neighbors that watch out for me and sometimes bring my garbage cans back in

12. A home to live in

13. The smell of fresh lime and the taste of it in my diet coke with vitamins.

14. Candle tarts for my melter--smell as good as a candle, but without the smokey mess

15. Faith

16. A good chick flick

17. Games--you name it, I will play it, unless I am on an exhausting trip to D.C. where my body never quite adjusts to the time changes. Hopefully "D" will forgive me.

18. A good belly busting laugh complete with tears running down my face

19. Kids and all the great things they have to say

20. My camera--to capture those memories forever

21. My mom--although gone from earth, her love and teaching still guide me

22. My dad

23. Computers--for too many reasons to name

24. The temple--to remind me of more important things

25. Transportation--so many places I still want to see

26. My own two feet--and the ability to move

If you haven't taken time to think of all that you are grateful for, you should try it. It was harder for me than you might think. I know my list looks like it is full of mostly the trivial things, but in reality, I am grateful for every "little" thing in my abundant life. (Yes, I threw in a few more than the ones I committed for the 3o days of November. Why the extras? Because I really do have a lot to be grateful for)

I am so blessed!!
Now for a few cards I have been working on.

Cards vs. Craziness!!!

2008-11-28T20:27:00.005-07:00

Black Friday is aptly named. That is to say that if you are brave enough to fight the crowds then you will end up in a black mood. I generally volunteer to watch the sleeping kids while my sisters and their husbands go shopping. This year however, all the kids were covered and so I stayed home and tried to finish up a few cards and tags for some gifts I am putting together. Boy was I glad I did when "A" called to tell me that while she had been at Walmart the paramedics were brought in three times--one man broke his shoulder, another woman broke her wrist, and a lady fainted. No sale is worth that to me. Then I logged on to check the weather and on ksl.com it said that a worker in an Arkansas Walmart died after the crowds broke down the doors and knocked him down in their pursuit of a bargain. So sad!

Well, on to the cards and tags. I used today's card sketch on splitcoast stampers for the layout design. I made my own patterned paper with a polka dot set I have, filling in some of the circles with snowflakes. The tags are part of the gifts I have put together for my neighbors. Every year I try to think of a gift that is not food related and that can be useful. These tags along with some wrapping paper and a cute poem are what I am handing out this year. If I get time to take a few more pictures I will share the other tags I have come up with. In all I have about 10 designs.

By the way--HAPPY BIRTHDAY "J" and "B"

Life

2008-11-27T11:22:00.007-07:00

My funloving nephew "W" was in an accident last night, and so on this Thanksgiving Day, I am most thankful for life and for my angel mom that kept him safe. I'm glad he could feel her presence as his truck rolled at least 4 times that he can remember. All 3 boys in the truck were wearing seatbelts, thank goodness! I think all of us need to be reminded once in awhile that we have a purpose on earth and will stay here until it is our time to go. Pray for his friend that will need surgery.

Grateful for Religious Freedom

2008-11-16T20:16:00.006-07:00

With all the backlash from proposition 8 in California, I have taken time to reflect on what I believe. I am grateful that even in this time of opposition, I can say proudly that I am thankful to be a memeber of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. In a conversation I once had, the question was raised, "What if you die and find out that none of what you believe is true?" My response was, "Everything I believe in makes me want to be a better person. How can I go wrong there?" There is certainly nothing wrong with wanting to be good enough to live with God again. Certainly better than what I would have to do in order to go along with what people are saying and doing to church members and church properties aournd the U.S.

Vitamins and Minerals?

2008-11-10T21:08:00.007-07:00

Diet Coke now comes with vitamins and minerals. Sweet! Now I can get my vitamin C with that slice or two of lime and extra vitamins and minerals put right in the mixture by the coca-cola company itself. Imagine all that in one refreshing glass! I truly don't know if I should be happy or mortified at the prospect.

Although I know I need to quit what I call "drinking" soon, I am a Diet Coke addict. In fact, it is one of the things I often think of writing about when I think of my gratitude journal. However, since I continually "think about" seriously quitting, I am in the middle of a conundrum because how can you be thankful for something you know you should give up?

However, for today, or until I finally manage to give it up, I am thankful for

Diet Coke!!!!!!

Laughter is the best medicine!

2008-11-09T20:21:00.007-07:00

I am grateful for...

humor!

Today I sat in church thinking of all the things I should be writing about during my month of gratitude and my mind turned to a road trip to Cedar City, and my thoughts caused me to laugh out loud at the most inopportune time.

You see, on this road trip there were five of us stuffed into a midsized car and "A" was being a good sport about being stranded in the middle of the back seat with her arms glued to her sides because there wasn't quite enough room for the three of us that had been relegated back there. Not to mention that my knees were shoved over next to her taking up even more of her precious space because there was only about 2 inches of leg room between the front seat and the back where I was sitting. At one point in the trip we stopped for shakes and she couldn't quite get the spoon to her mouth because of her trapped arms.

I found the whole situation quite funny. As I laughed I thought about how much better I feel when I laugh rather than when I cry. Thank goodness there are so many funny things in this world!

Education

2008-11-05T22:02:00.005-07:00

Gratitude for education has several meanings in my life. First of all I am grateful that I have been able to obtain a good education. Education is also my livelihood. I am grateful every day to go to work and be around amazing teachers and children. There is something energizing about being around children in that setting. Having a child say hi as I walk through the halls, or bye as they ride off on the bus always brings a smile to my face. I love to visit the classrooms and see what the students are able to do. I love to see the energy and excitement teachers bring to their lessons each day. I am lucky to be in a field where I get to see such great things on a regular basis. I am so blessed!

Yahoo!

2008-11-04T19:53:00.004-07:00

Finally a finished product has risen from among the scraps in my craft room! I have been playing with several layouts and had to get some cards in the mail for a swap I participated in. Nothing like a deadline to make me get something done. I thought the colors would work well for Christmas thank you's. Too bad I didn't make enough to keep one for myself. At least I have a photo so that I can reproduce if necessary. This brings me to my gratitude list for today. I am grateful for...

hobbies.

Since my hobbies include collecting paper and stamps, maybe I should say I am grateful for enough money to supply my hobbies. Like everyone else in this world, I need time in my life to relax and get my mind off of work and other responsibilities, so I love to create cards and scrapbooks. The thing I love most of all is that I have something beautiful to give away after all that time to myself.

I am so blessed!

Natural Beauty

2008-11-03T20:21:00.005-07:00

I got up early this morning to get a few things done before going to work. I couldn't believe the beauty that came from all of yesterday's rain. There were huge puffy clouds hugging the bases of all the nearby mountains with the peaks standing tall in front of the rising sun. As the sun began to peak over the mountain tops everything looked fresh and clean. I wished for my camera at least 10 times as I drove 10 minutes to my sister's house. I am often amazed at the beauty all around me as I drive. This brought my mind to things I am grateful for that I could blog about today. I am grateful that I have beautiful things in my life. So much of the beauty that I see is found in nature. Since I didn't have my camera with me this morning, I chose to share a few shots of another experience I had when surrounded by beauty. I have been lucky enough to go to Hawaii several times. On one of my trips I got to swim in the ocean with wild dolphins and other sea life. When they dumped us in the ocean there were pods of dophins swimming right under us. If allowed I could have reached out and touched those right below my belly. As you can see they were more than beautiful--they were awe inspiring. I am grateful to live in this beautiful world with so many things created for my enjoyment.

I am so blessed!

2 for 2 Gratitude

2008-11-02T19:51:00.012-07:00

100% so far! I know, only day two. I shouldn't get too excited, but when I went a whole year without writing down anything in my gratitude journal, I call that progress!

Today I am thankful for more of the people in my life...

Friends!

Trying to find pictures for this post, I realized that I really need to get some updated pictures of my friends. Once again, not all of the pictures above are the most current pictures (hopefully I don't lose a few friends by posting them here) but that shouldn't matter because I am paying tribute to the best things I have in my life and my friends are there at the top of the list. I have the most wonderful people in my life. My friends keep me sane, and help me be the best person I can be. Some are new friends, and some have stuck by me for years, but all of the people I call friends are amazing.

Once again...

I am so blessed!

Gratitude

2008-11-01T18:53:00.022-06:00

Last year we made gratitude journals, and I thought what a great idea it was to take time daily to remember how blessed I am.

Did I write in it once? No! So this year I am going to start now, but start small.

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I know, weird! Most people say Christmas, but there's too much hurry and stress associated with that holiday. No, I love Thanksgiving because I get to gather with my family, visit and enjoy each others company without needing to run off somewhere else. Not to mention there is all that good food and very little guilt about eating it since the main event of the whole day is dinner.

So with Thanksgiving being my favorite holiday, gratitude is a perfect theme for November. With it being the first day of November I am going to try to take the time to write blog about the things I am grateful for. One thing a day shouldn't be too hard. At least I can say that now...it is after all only day 1.

So here it goes. The number one thing I am grateful for is...

my family of course.

Here's a few of my favorite photos of many of my family members. The photos are not the most recent, but they bring back some fun memories!

How blessed I am!

The Reason We Went

2008-10-31T15:56:00.004-06:00

The whole reason we went to Washington D.C. was to receive an award for our school. Mapleton Elementary is a 2008 No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon School. There are several reasons you can receive the award. Our school received it because the students score in the top 10% of the nation on required testing. We have a supportive community and a fabulous faculty. I'm lucky to be a part of the school.

Slowly but surely

2008-10-30T21:06:00.009-06:00

I was so excited to get home and add to my blog, but found very little time in the last week to actually add some photos. Here are a few of the monuments and landmarks we saw in Washington D.C. As we toured the different sites, there was a reverent feeling as if in church. If only I had a picture of the cabby that made sure we had some photographic memories of our nations capital. (That's for you D)

Finally Home!

2008-10-22T19:54:00.008-06:00

I've just returned from a fabulous trip to Washingotn D.C.

I was in D.C. with a few wonderful ladies I work with. We managed to combine business with a little sightseeing. I will be uploading a few of the pictures from our trip over the next few days. We stayed in Crystal City, VA at the Mariott Courtyard. We walked the area quite a bit over the few days we were there, and above I have shared some of the my favorite photos taken while exploring. I was impressed with the mosaics that decorated the underpasses, and also with the airplane sculptures that dotted the streets. I only took pictures of a few of my favorites, but couldn't believe the creativity that went into all of them.

It's Official!

2008-10-12T11:21:00.003-06:00

When my 70 year old dad told me that he had started a blog, I knew I could no longer stay behind in the times. So here goes--my attempt to stay with the times and share some of the things I love. With that in mind, you'll probably see a few cards, scrapbook pages, book reviews and photos of family, friends, and places I visit.