Popcorn tree!

This tree is in my neighbors yard. It is beautiful!! I don't know what kind of tree it is, but I am going to find out and plant one in my yard!!

Only Because It's SPRING!!

Why is the sky so blue today?
Why is the robin's song so gay?
Why is the sun so warm and bright?
Filling the earth with glorious light?
Why does my heart with gladness sing?
Only because it's SPRING!!

Fitzwilliam and I have been trying to take a walk every day. (I quit Curves and so it is the only real exercise I am getting!!) We try to go first thing and so some days it is 6:30 or 7:00 am and the day is just beginning and the air is crisp and everything is in focus and sparkling! It is breathtaking!!

A couple of days ago we walked along the streets above the Temple. The sun was coming up in streaks of pulsating color. The sky was a beautiful shade of azure and as we turned to head down the hill, the Temple came into full view and the sky behind it was streaked with red and blue and amber. The Angel Moroni glowed in the rays of the emerging sun. As my eyes took in the splendor of the scene, my legs refused to move. I was riveted to the spot; my heart bursting with the majesty of the moment. Fitzwilliam was the first to rouse from our temporary paralysis and as he tugged at the leash I longed for a camera; although I knew a picture would never capture the awesome moment.

My heart was full of love and gratitude to a Heavenly Father who allowed me to come here to this earth to experience such splendor. I felt that he had saved the advent of the sun for just the moment that I would happen past. It was a gift presented to a beloved daughter, a caress at the beginning of the day that said, "You are mine and I love you. Go and live!"

Road trip

Fitz is happy to be going on the road!


Last weekend we took to the road and made a wild and crazy loop around the western states!! We left Thursday morning and headed down to Provo to see the kids. We left here at 10:20 in the morning (9:30 was our target time, so we didn't do too badly!) and arrived in Provo around 9:00.

The first item of business was stopping by Hilary's apartment to check it out and meet her roommates. What a fun time! Hilary's roommates are adorable and they are all very cute together! It was fun to meet them and to see how much they enjoy each other! We took Hilary with us and headed to Emily's house.

The kids had been put to bed, but Esther came out when she heard us and we just had to go see if Eve and Isaac were awake. (Em said that they told the kids they would wake them up when we got there.) Eve woke up when she heard us, but Isaac was in such a deep sleep that even when I sat him up, he was still so out of it! It was pretty cute. Levi met us at Emily's and we had fun catching up on what everyone was up to before Levi left with Hilary and Luke. Luke was very excited to be staying with Levi at his apartment.

Friday morning was a flurry of fun with the kids and a trip to Levi's apartment to check it out and to collect Levi and his car so that Scott could figure out what's wrong with it. Levi's apartment is snuggled right up to the mountain and it is really nice. We met his roommate, Scott, who is actually from the Tri-Cities. His brother is in one of Luke's classes and his mother is Luke's Seminary teacher. Small world indeed!

Scott and Levi fixed Levi's car and then it was time to head north to meet Scott's brother, Bill, for lunch. Sadly, Emily and the kids couldn't come with us as Esther had been so cranky from being up so late that she had to be put down for a nap, but Levi and Hilary joined us and we met Bill and his son, Connor, for lunch.

After lunch, we headed into Sandy to meet Ben. Unfortunately, Ben missed his train and had to wait longer for another one and so we chilled outside his apartment for an hour or so. It wasn't too bad. I took a nap, Luke watched a movie and Scott took Fitzwilliam for a walk around the neighborhood. I am not sure what Ben's neighbors thought of us, but the police didn't stop by to check us out, so I guess they figured we were harmless.

Ben fixed us a yummy dinner of Alaska halibut and Sarah made blueberry pie! It was very tasty and it was fun to hang with them for awhile. We had to get going though as Scott's parents were expecting us and we knew they would be waiting up for us! They were, with hot rolls and soup simmering on the stove!

We stayed the night with Mom and Dad Ekstrom and then we headed up to Idaho Falls to the Temple Saturday morning. We planned to stop by and visit Smokie, but it was snowing pretty hard in McCammon and Scott was afraid that the roads would be bad so we headed on up to IF. We were an hour early and when we got to JoAnn's to leave the boys (Luke and Fitz.) it seemed that no one was home. Of course, I let myself in and we made ourselves at home. A call to Jo at work told me that Kynwynn was home and sure enough a few minutes later, she came up the stairs with my little grandniece, Jordan. We visited with her and snuggled Jordan and soon headed to the Temple.

Karen's daughter, Angelina, was going through for the 1st time and Scott had not told Karen that we were coming so it was pretty fun to see the surprise on she and Angelina's faces when we walked in. It was an awesome experience as Mom and Dad were officiating and Scott and I were the witness couple. That was a once in a lifetime experience!

After chinese food with the family, we visited at Jo's and picked up Fitz and Luke and headed to Island Park. Of course we HAD to stop and visit Paul at the store and then Lora and the boys at the house on our way! Mom and Dad were excited to see us and it was fun to visit with them. We stayed the night and left first thing Sunday morning to head to Spokane.

Aaron was the speaker at a Stake fireside that night and we promised him we would be there. We made it to Spokane around 4:30 so we were there in plenty of time to get to the fireside. Aaron did an awesome job. He spoke of his experiences with returning to Slovakia to help with the petition to get the church recognized a couple of years ago. It is an amazing story and I was excited to hear it as we were living in AK then and weren't able to come hear the whole story before.

We headed home after the fireside and arrived there around 11:30. It was good to sleep in our own bed after so many nights on the road!

The road trip was kind of grueling, but we feel so blessed to live close enough to be able to participate in family functions and to visit the kids from time to time!

Come on along!

"Have you heard the new sensation sweeping across the land???" It's the Rolling Hill chapter of Sweet Adelines International!!

I spent the weekend at the retreat for the chorus. It was an awesome experience! The chorus is smaller than the Alaska Sound Celebration chorus I was a member of in Alaska, but it is fantastic! I have felt at home there since my first visit!

The pictures above are from a show we had earlier this month. We sang songs written by Irving Berlin and it was amazing!! The songs were fun and the chorus did a great job!!

There is something electric about music and I am finding that I can lose myself in barbershop! As I place myself in the story of the song, the pull of the harmony and the beauty of chords ringing true, is like a balm to my soul and I feel like I am more, a better person from having experienced true harmony.

The theme for the retreat was "United as One" and I truly felt the theme as I watched everyone working hard to learn and to improve themselves. I saw it in action as I watched ladies helping each other and sneaking goodies to each other and just spending time together! It was a lot of fun and I for one am a better person and singer for having attended!!

It's Great to be a Sweet Adeline!!
My friend, Kari, and I looking pretty sassy!

Is it Spring?

The snow is all gone and the temperatures have come up and it really feels like spring here! I have been taking Mr. Fitzwilliam out for morning walks and today it was so beautiful that we took a loop that we haven't taken before and I guess I wore him out! He has just been loving the sunshine and can be seen sprawling out soaking up the rays each day! He looked so cute out there I just had to take his picture and share it with you!

Scott has the spring bug too as you can see from the pile of leaves and brush. He has been out there pruning the trees and cleaning up the leaves. I am sure that we will have an awesome yard this year!! (We even have some friends that are going to come by and tell us what all the bushes and things are that are growing out there!!)

If it isn't spring in your neck of the woods, have some spring in your heart and in your step and enjoy the day!!

Talk

Scott and I spoke in church Sunday. We were pretty nervous. It is the first time that we have done anything in our new ward. I thought that I would share my talk with you. Here you go!

We have a Christmas tradition in our house where we draw names within the family and we open those gifts on Christmas Eve. This has been a treasured tradition. This year 6 of our 7 children were with us and so the Christmas Eve gift opening was especially fun. Our little granddaughter, Eve, had drawn my name and my gift was a small flat package which I assumed would be a picture of her or something she had drawn. When it was my turn, I carefully opened the package under the watchful eye of Eve, and if I would have been observant, almost everyone in the room. My gift was the first clue of a treasure hunt. I spent the next 10 or 15 minutes or so moving from one cleverly drawn clue to another until I finally found my gift hidden in a closet. What fun it was to hunt for treasure!!

Treasure, the very word thrills us! We think of something valuable and of great worth!

Looking for and amassing treasure has thrilled mankind for centuries. History and story books alike are full of stories of adventurers and buccaneers and pirates looking for treasure! This is how much of the world was discovered. Today, hunting for treasure is still an important pastime.

The scriptures also contain references to treasure. In Matthew 6:19 -20, the Savior tells us not to lay up for ourselves treasures on earth, but to lay up treasures in heaven. He goes on to say in verse 21 that “where our treasure is, there will our heart be also.”

As I pondered this scripture, the words, “LAY UP” caught my eye. Some of my earliest memories are of my mom and grandma canning things. My Grandma called it laying up stores. Basically, they were storing food for the winter and the coming years. There would be rows of shiny jars filled with yummy things. My Mom had a room in our house that she called the fruit room. It was always full of jars filled with various things. When my parents sold their house a few years ago and the fruit room was emptied, there were jars of fruit that were dozens of years old. They had “layed up” way more than could ever be used.

When you think of earthly treasure, you usually think of money and things. It has been said that one of the disadvantages of earthy treasure is that you can’t take it with you. It is also said that Money can’t buy happiness. Money is also given unsavory names like, “filthy lucre.”

Earning money is vital to sustaining life here on this earth. Money is essential to provide the necessities of life.

In his 1974 Ensign article, “A Fortune to Share”, Elder Sterling W. Sill said, “Money is preserved labor, it is industry made negotiable. It is stored up accomplishment. It is the medium of exchange that we can trade for things that we can take with us and a great many of them we can actually send on ahead. We can take our families with us. We can take our education with us. We can take our great character qualities with us. And money is the medium that we can use to share the treasures of the earth with others who need our help.“

The key is how we use our money. Like my Mom’s fruit room……..are we laying up more earthly treasures that we need or could ever use?

The Savior talks about another kind of treasure in his Sermon on the Mount. He tells us to lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven.

Elder Sills told us of some of the things we can take with us, our Heavenly Treasures; our families, our education and our character qualities.

When I think about my Heavenly treasures, I think first of my family.

I would like to share a few of them with you.

Looking over the alter in the Idaho Falls Temple and seeing a worthy man who is covenanting to follow the Savior and return to our Heavenly Father and to help me and our children to get there too!

I think of tiny hands in mine and little bowed heads as we kneeled in family prayers.

I think about Priesthood circles as each of our children was blessed or baptized and as each of our sons received the Priesthood. I remember when the twins were blessed, standing in the circle were both of their grandfathers, all 5 of my brothers and several brother in laws, our Bishop and several men from the ward. The circle was so big, they couldn’t hold the baby with 1 hand, and they needed help! Then when Levi, our oldest son was ordained a Deacon a year and a half after we moved to AK, there was his Dad, our Bishop, the YM President and the Deacon Quorum advisor in the circle. Two different circles, but powerful treasures!!

I can still hear new readers struggle with the names as we read the Book of Mormon together and then hear those same voices declaring testimony of the truthfulness of the Book as they prepare to serve missions.

I will never forget leaving my sons at the MTC and watching them eagerly follow their fellow missionaries as I slowly left another way.

I treasure the moment of entering the Celestial Room in the Alaska Temple when our 3rd son was married and being greeted by my husband, our daughter and 3 of our sons.

And Grandchildren! You just have to treasure every little thing that they say and do!!

A couple of years ago when our daughter was visiting us in AK with the kids, our then 4 year old grandson, Isaac, came in while I was putting my make up on and he asked, “Grandma, what are you doing?” I answered that I was putting on my make up and he asked, “What’s make up for?” I then let him know that it was to make Grandma beautiful. He pondered that for a minute and then said, “It’s not working.”

Families are truly Heavenly treasures!!

Another way that we can lay up for ourselves treasures in Heaven is by serving others. Acts of service need not be organized or dramatic. Many times it is the quiet, simple acts of service that have the most profound impact.

I was driving down the road thinking about this topic earlier this week when I was reminded of a time in my life when I was the recipient of simple acts of service and I knew that I needed to share that with you.

A little over 20 years ago, I was expecting our 5th child. The baby was due on Valentines Day and things were progressing normally. On December 3rd, almost 12 weeks before the baby was due, I awoke in the wee hours of the morning to discover that my water had broken and upon speaking to the Dr. we headed to the hospital. During a subsequent ultrasound it was discovered that I was expecting twins. I was life flighted from Pocatello Idaho to Salt Lake City. The hospital in Idaho could do everything for me that they could do in Utah, but the babies would have a better chance of survival in Utah because they had surfactant, a drug that was still experimental at that time and only a few hospitals in the country had access to it.

Scott was unable to come with me and so I went alone. You can imagine how hard it was to be going to a hospital hours away from my family. Shortly after my arrival at the U of U, my Bishop and his wife walked into the room. They had set out immediately upon receiving Scott’s call once they realized that he would be unable to drive down for a few days. I had been so worried and scared and having them with me did so much to calm my nerves.

Scott came a few days later bringing a huge poster from the Primary kids and a little Christmas tree for my room with ornaments that the kids had made to brighten up my room.

As you can imagine, I was pretty worried about Christmas for my kids. It was my habit to save my sewing and shopping to do during the Christmas season and so I was just getting started. I had decided to make quilts for the boys out of old Levi’s I had been saving for years and the days before my water broke I had cut up all the levis into blocks but these were sitting in piles by my sewing machine. Scott brought word that I need not worry about the quilts. My neighbor, Leslie, had come by and taken the blocks and she had already sewn them into quilts.

I was so lonely there day after day and so I talked to everyone who stepped into my room. The guy who was fitting my room with blinds was probably glad to get done, as I am sure that I talked his ear off! I was on a first name basis with the woman who cleaned and knew about her problems with her teenage daughter. One day a young candy striper stopped by my room and told me that I had received some mail. I couldn’t believe it. I was in the hospital. Sure enough there was a card for me from Sister Stauffer. That really made my day! I got mail!! She let me know that she was praying for me and the babies and that I didn’t need to worry about a thing at home. What a Heavenly treasure Sis. Stauffer laid up for herself that day!

I remember one evening after I had been there a couple of weeks that I could hear some commotion down the hall. As I listened, I realized that it was caroling. I had been caroling dozens of times in my life, but had never realized the joy it could bring to a lonely soul. I listened as the singers came closer and yet the sound began to fade before they came to my door. Tears leaked out of the corners of my eyes and I longed to jump up and call to them to come back, but I was stuck in my bed and wasn’t allowed to walk. Just then a head poked into my room and upon seeing that I was awake, he motioned for his group to come back as they had missed my room.

What simple acts of service, but what powerful treasures!!

There are many other ways that we can lay up for ourselves Heavenly Treasures. Studying and pondering the Scriptures, accepting callings and truly doing our best to magnify them, Visiting Teaching and Home Teaching and sharing our Testimonies with our friends and neighbors are just a few of the most obvious.

Just like my Christmas gift from Eve, we have been given a treasure map to use here on this earth. It is the Gospel. As we follow each clue and progress step by step – Precept upon precept, we will be laying up for ourselves Heavenly Treasures and our hearts will be focused on the things of Eternity.

Brothers and Sisters, I know that we are children of a Heavenly Father who loves us and who wants us to return to Him and who is waiting with Mansions that He has prepared for us where we can store all of those Heavenly treasures that we have laid up here on this earth.

And I say this is the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Wait Upon the Lord

After starting a new diet I altered my drive to work to avoid passing my favorite bakery. I accidentally drove by the bakery this morning, and as I approached, there in the windows were a host of goodies. I felt this was no accident, so I prayed ... "Lord, it's up to you, if you want me to have any of those delicious goodies, create a parking place for me directly in front of the bakery." And sure enough,

on the eighth time around the block, there it was!

This really cracked me up! Don't we do this?? I know I do from time to time!!

Unfortunately, this is the way I seem to be dieting right now too!! Yesterday I was in Shopko and I walked past a box of chocolates and I said to myself, "I should grab one of those on my way back." I meandered through the store and gathered the things I went there for, telling myself that I did not need a box of chocolate. On my way to check out, I passed the chocolate display, of course, and I stopped just to see if they had truffles and sure enough they did and amazingly enough I discovered that they were on SALE!! Buy one and get one free! Well, that clinched it for me! I just HAD to get one so that I could get the free box. Of course, the woman at the check out said that the free box was fat free too!

So, there you go!