101 Things About Me...

1. I like my life, and am always trying to make it better.
2. I am a Member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
3. This becomes more important to me every year I am alive.
4. I like to be right.
5. I have a temper.
6. I am constantly trying to curb that temper.
7. I have a wonderful friend that I visit when I need "Wise Dad" advise.
8. My eyes change from blue to green pending what my allergies are like for the day.
9. I love to set goals.
10. I am a bad speller. (Thank goodness for spell check)
11. My craft room table is almost always covered in unfinished projects.
12. I love a clean house, but don't like cleaning.
13. I would rather do laundry than cook.
14. I am too sensitive.
15. I sometimes let myself get hurt feelings from sarcastic remarks.
16. I like to make my husband smile.
17. So far I have accomplished only 10 of my "100 things to do before I die"
18. All of 10 them were thanks to my hubby.
19. I have never known a day without sneezing. (What is it like to be sneeze free?)
20. My best friend in elementary school called me Lizard Breath.
21. I wonder if that was a hint.
22. I keep an Experience Journal instead of a life history.
23. The day I got married and the moments both daughters were placed in my arms for the first time were the top 3 most awesome events of my life.
24. My favorite color is "NEW" (I got that from grandma D)
25. I have kissed a calf 0n it snotty nose because I thought it was so cute. (okay, I was MUCH younger then. I would never do that now!!!)
26. My favorite childhood memories circle around my brother K.
27. My size is a constant yoyo.
28. I love to paint my toenails.
29. I don't like to paint my finger nails.
30. I don't like dirt.
31. I LOVE hanging flower baskets on my porch in the spring.
32. As a teen, I sang at the Idaho capital building.
33. I love to feel pretty.
34. I love to feel smart.
35. Pretty and smart are even better.
36. Being around people who are pretty and smart make me feel happy.
37. I always wanted to grow up to be as nice, smart and pretty as my 4th grade teacher.
38. I saw part of one rated "R" movie when I was 17, regretted it and haven't seen another.
39. Sometimes when I am anxious I clean house or do laundry.
40. I like to dabble at playing the piano.
41. I tried to learn to play the violin at age 38.
42. My favorite pastime is vacationing with my family.
43. I like to make lists, but don't always follow them.
44. I sometimes give an illusion that I am organized, in reality I am NOT!
45. I watch TV less than 1 hour per month.
46. I can't figure out what I did with all the time I saved from not watching TV.
47. I watch movies while I am on the tread mill, so I watch 2-3 movies per week.
48. I am addicted to homemade Oreo Milkshakes.
49. I am also addicted to Baskin Robins Chocolate Peanut Butter ice cream. (This could be why my weight yoyo's)
50. I always have friends that are much wiser than me. (Thank goodness!)
51. Since 2004, I read the Book of Mormon every year. Sometimes more!
52. My favorite church callings are when I can teach.
53. I served a mission for the church to Nagoya, Japan.
54. My first week on my mission I rode my bike into a light pole while waving to cute Japanese kids.
55. I was in the 40th floor of a building during an earth quake.
56. I have forgotten 95% of the Japanese I once knew. (Sad, but true)
57. I stopped on the freeway on my way to my wedding. (Ever heard the term "Cold Feet"?)
58. I once had an interview with President Hinckley.
59. I danced at the World Fair in Canada.
60. KaeKae and I won "National Champions" for a clogging duet in 2006.
61. I get nervous cooking for friends.
62. I am a "Saturday's Warrior" believer.
63. I am super picky about water temperature. It has to be HOT!
64. I learned how to snow ski when I was 26.
65. I learned how to water ski when I was 37.
66. I love to sing in my kitchen at the top of my lungs when no one is around.
67. I once made over 200 popcorn balls to raise money for the Make A Wish Foundation.
68. I didn't make much money doing it.
69. I love having my daughters teenage friends at my house.
70. Coordination escapes me.
71. I often bump into walls and doors.
72. This could be why I always have bruises on my shoulders or legs.
73. I have had both feet operated on twice.
74. Both my large toes have permanent pins and screws in them.
75. The first garden I ever grew was in 2002, and it was a complete failure.
76. It always surprises me when people think I am a good gardener.
77. I was 1st runner up for Dairy Days Princess (totally embarrassing, but required if I will ever make it to 101)
78. When I am feeling down or stressed, I do a little Retail Therapy.
79. I have watched cows and chickens be slaughtered.
80. The first family vacation I remember taking with all my siblings was on my parents 50th wedding anniversary.
81. I think about sending out more Thank You cards than I ever get sent.
82. I find it hard to say no to things I don't want to do.
83. I would love to be good at giving talks.
84. I didn't realize I need "girlfriends" until I was 37.
85. When I discovered this need, I joined the walking group of Wise Women.
86. I did this without asking if it was okay with them if I joined.
87. They have been very nice about letting me soak in their goodness.
88. I could listen to my friend Sharika! for hours everyday.
89. I don't sew well.
90. People think I sew well because Nice Hubby gave me a great sewing machine, a wonderful serger and a nice craft room to do it in.
91. I want to paint a mural in my house.
92. I am too chicken to try to do it.
93. I sometimes collect fun tea party type hats.
94. I don't like to be left out.
95. I want to be invited to parties, but have been known to have panic attacks just thinking about going to them.
96. I dream big, but act small.
97. My most favorite moments are moments spent with my hubby and girls.
98. A most treasured memory is watching LuLu kneal down to pray in the Sacred Grove just seconds after arriving.
99. Another most favorite memory is standing next to Hubby, watching KaeKae and LuLu play together on Sunset Beach at sunset with sea turtles close by on the sand.
100. Marrying Hubby was the best decision I have ever made.
101. All good things in my life come from believing in Christ and living His gospel.

Don't Let Summer End!

Warm weather. Bright blue skies. Green grass and trees. Flowers blooming around my porch. Lake water. Trailer camping. Laughter. Lazy afternoons. Friends. Kids playing. The list of my favorite things of summer can go on forever.
My most awesome hubby scheduled a Saturday afternoon to try to find the warmest lake in Idaho where we could eek out a little more summer fun. The breezy 70 degrees just wasn't quite what we needed to intice us to get in the water, but we LOVED being out on the lake and explore all around it one final time for 2008. Ready or not summer is ending. New kinds of family fun must be created.

Monsters On The Loose...

Very understanding Hubby was notified, almost immediately following wedding vows, that I have no interest or intention of ever co-existing with rodents. Growing up on "THE FARM" solidified rather than nullified my absolute disgust of them. Inside our completely RODENT FREE house, Lulu and I were practicing our amazing card shuffling skills completely unaware of the horrific scene taking place just feet away from our door when suddenly a mouse flew into the air and hit our glass door!! It's first time hitting the door, I told myself it was just another bird who wasn't watching closely. But that mouse hit our door four times. After the second hit our amazing card skills took a back seat to cat's demonstration. KaeKae's cat had determined that to get attention he needed to become the fierce family hunter. Safely behind the glass door we watched in awe and horror wondering,
How many monsters are waiting for us beyond these doors? Do you have monsters living in or around your house?

Why Is It so Hard to Keep a Secret?

Other than my sweet mother-in-law who claims she keeps her secrets in her small, but jiggly triceps, a secret keeper is a rare commodity! If a friend says, "I'd really want to tell you "X", but it is a secret." Suddenly my curiosity is completely peaked.
The Sunday before last a new kind of barbarian torture was given to the entire congregations of the Middleton 2nd, 4th, and 5th wards in the simple words of "Next week we will be making a new ward, and your ward will be effected." The ever wise and honorable Stake President immediately instigated new torture for us all with a written and read request that we "not speculate" about the coming event.
In the comfort of knowing that I live on the same "block" as the bishop, I felt confident in assuring all the young women and other nervous friends that the split won't be that bad and if we have a strong enough testimony we can make it through anything. Thinking back at the pep-talk I gave those girls, it is nothing short of humorous!!
Only a few select, chosen individuals knew where the new boundaries were going to be. Our Bishop and counselors knew, and upped the annoy on "not speculating" when they said, "Think of what the worst possible scenario is and it is worse than that!" or "The last ward split was NOTHING in comparison to this one." Yes, they kept the secret of what the boundaries were but they poured the tar of torture on thick!
From Sunday to Sunday, suddenly I felt like my insides were being ripped out. I could think of nothing else! I talked about it with my walking ladies (not speculating, of course). I talked about it with family. Even dreamland would not let it rest. What a relief when the following Sunday arrived, and we were all in the car driving to the stake center. Ever wanting to be the positive role model for my girls, I chatted with them about all the positive consequences of change and how inspired our Stake President is, and that it is okay to have a time of grieving as long as we quickly pick ourselves up and accept the change. I thought in my mind that I would give myself one hour after the meeting to process any sad feelings and then be happy about it from then on, but when I told my family my intention instead of saying "one hour" I said "one week". I should have known then that there was a big change ahead...
Sure enough. When the map was projected in chapel in large scale for all to see, it appeared there were only a minor few that were being cut out of our ward. This split was HUGE for us.
It was going to take that full week to get a comfortable smile on my face and a contented heart in place. Really, the whole week was not necessary. Thanks to some heroic efforts of cheering up on the part of Uncle B. and family, we began to get proper perspective within a few short hours.
Even with a great perspective, these are some of the people I will miss the most. Being with them every Sunday and Wednesday for the past few years has blessed me immensely.

At Girls Camp.... Three of my Wise Walking Women...

Some of the sweetest Beehives in the world!
Now, the new secret is out...

In the new ward I will have more opportunity to know even more wonderful young women. Bishop has asked that I serve as their young women president! Sister J., watch out. I'll be calling and asking for tips! Calling counselors that I have never met will have to be a post for another day.

There Is a 1st Time for Everything!

Over the years first timers have been exciting experiences. Some times they have left a bruise, but generally the mark of having something NEW happen has been some of my most favorite memories. This week, I had a first time experience as a mom, however before going there I'd like to reminisce for a minute or two.
The first time I climbed to the very tip top branch of the old apricot tree behind my dad's old shop. I stood with my head just above the leafy green and flowered blossom top. There looking out over a small portion of THE FARM, I thought I could see the entire world. Maybe I could even fly with the gentle breeze blowing through my hair. It was the feeling of pure freedom! Getting down was not graceful however. If my memory serves me correctly, the rusty old wire I landed on forced me to get a tetanus booster. Definitely worth the pain!

A slightly more recent first time event, was May 2005. I finally "got up" on a pair of Fat Boy water skis! It was pure heaven! The sensation of knowing I finally had my body positioned the right way just before the boat took off. The feel of the gripping ski gloves that helped me keep hold of the rope, and finally the complete joy of GLIDING across the water with only the slightest feel of pull from the speeding boat! We won't even mention the tiny bump in the water that took me out unexpectedly. Of course, my mouth was open and I swallowed 1/2 of the horribly green and smelly lake. But the accomplishment of doing something I'd always wanted to do was worth any stomach pain later!

This week I watched my daughter mid-game take a sliding skid across the gym floor digging for a volleyball, saving it from hitting the floor. Hitting it over the net and earning her team a point. Here is the first time event... When she stood up she had blood dripping down her arm. Never have I had to just sit back and wait while someone else determined what to do. A single moment after it was over, I realized just how freeing this 1st Time event also felt. She is mid-teen years and can take care of most minor to moderate things in her life. Now she has a mark healing on her elbow that reminds her she is not letting life pass her by. It was a MOM's PayDay in an unusual way. Was it painful to watch her? Yes, but boy was it worth it.

I Know I'm in IDAHO When...

After reading Wenderful's Weblog question, I looked around and posed the question to myself. This is what I came up with in the past 24 hours....

I know I'm in Idaho when horse and colt are sold in our front yard. (they don't even belong to us!) Congratulations to our friends!!! Or when we have more Horse-Pushers than Drug-Pushers ....
Or when I have a stack of huge baked potatoes coming out of the oven!

Standing Ovation

KaeKae and I attended TIME OUT for WOMEN & GIRLS. (I highly recommend attending if you never have before.) http://deseretbook.com/time-out/ What an experience! There, in front of over 2000 women and girls, Laurel Christensen (the MC) asked for KaeKae and her Mom E. to come up on stage. We had been quite comfortable in our seats and had no idea this was going to happen!Laurel asked K... How old are you? response: 13. "Okay ladies, all you know about K. is that she is 13 years old and a daughter of God who deserves the standing ovation of her life! The crowd all jumped simultaneously to their feet and began clapping and cheering as if it had been a winning touch down at the superbowl! I have never heard anything like it. My friend CW. who kindly took these pictures, said it lasted for a full 2 minutes... It felt more like an hour! Seriously it was one of the most emotional, wonderful, embarassing two minutes of our lives!
How did it happen? GREAT QUESTION! I asked Laurel the same thing when the event was over. She simply answered, "Your email"
A couple weeks prior to the TIME OUT event, they had sent an email requesting essays about inspirational young women who were coming to the event...
This is what I sent in:
"K. has shown incredible patience, caring, and love while developing a relationship, even a close friendship, with an special-needs exchange student who did not speak English well. Even though as a family we decided to host an special needs exchange student from Japan, the main "burden" of helping her with day to day things fell on K. because they are the same age. Our summer exchange student has epilepsy and could not be left alone for any length of time. K. included her in everything. She took great care to explain things so the exchangee could understand more of what was going on. She watched carefully for the signs of a seizure without making the exchangee feel like she was being watched. She taught her sports that she has never before tried because of her health issues. Even during GIRLS CAMP, K. never left her side. I have never seen such dedicated devotion to a difficult task from a girl so young for such an extended time. I knew from the first day that K. was doing a great job as a host sister, but after several ward members pointed out all that she had done, I realized K.was truly and genuinely showing us how to have charity. "
Like you, I immediately knew there were girls out in that audience who have done things way more outstanding. We saw several girls there who were handicapped in various ways. All of them had bright smiles. It was easy to tell that they were totally INSPIRATIONAL! Why they chose KaeKae, we will never know... But one thing is for certain. What KaeKae did amazed and inspired me. In my mind....
She really did deserve a cheer! Because of KaeKae, Michi was EASY TO LOVE!!!

Was it worth it?

Michi came and since gone home. We had a terrific time. I am happy to say we accomplished almost every "ToDo" activity on the list we made before she came... plus a few... including GIRLS CAMP! · Play with animals · Jump on the trampoline
· Discovery Center · Movies / Karaoke · Art Museum
· Scrapbooking · Baking
· Float the River · Boating
· Boondocks / Roaring Springs · YMCA
· Weiser Chocolate & Candy Store · Idaho Candy Company
· Towne Square Mall · Paint frames for friends
· Sew a skirt · Western Idaho FAIR
After the traumatizing experience of being at CAMP with over 200 happy, loud, excited, loud, English speaking, did I say "loud" girls... Michi came home with some great friends.

LuLu turned "8", and Michi experienced a true American Birthday party.
When she first arrived, the trampoline was nothing short of a "Fear Factor" of sorts. Well, you can see that changed quickly! She became a dare devil on the thing!
Uncle B. made all the arrangements for her to tour THE FARM. She could not believe the sheer size of the equipment. We take so much of our great nation for granted. Having her here helps point out some of the smallest details of our blessings.

We were fortunate enough to have a TEMPLE OPEN HOUSE relatively close by during her stay and were able to take a tour with her. This gigantic, peaceful and beautiful HOUSE OF THE LORD represents every reason we keep trying to live the ways which make us happy now and forever!
Our favorite gift: Michi's obaasan made these niku zuri (slippers) for us from cloth!
Aren't they cool! We loved playing in the water with her. Her face would light a million candles when we were in water. There were a couple of boating activities, Roaring Springs with Aunt M Uncle G and cousin T., swimming in ponds or the YMCA, and floating the river...

In the end we finally did have to let her go home. She wrapped herself around our hearts in a short time. It was a tender, emotional day... LuLu and KaeKae (especially) have learned more about caring for another person than I ever thought possible, but that will be a post for another day.

Who's That Girl?

Our young (14 year old) Japanese daughter, Michi, was set to arrive on July 26th.
Busying ourselves looking up words and sentences in both our Japanese/English Translation Dictionary, Google, and Japanese for Missionaries book, we came up with several basic sentences for the family to learn. This will be our foreign language study for the summer.

· Watchitachi no ie in yoku irasshi- mashita (welcome to our home)
· Nimotsu wa koko ni oite kudasai. (Please leave your things here)
· Kore wa DAIDOKORO to Shokudoo desu ( this is the kitchen and dining room)
· Kore wa Reizouko to reitouko desu (this is the fridge and freezer)
· Juusu wa reizooko no naka ni arimasu (juice is in the fridge)
· Omizu to ice wa koko desu ( this is where we get water and ice to drink)
· Nodoga kawai-tada jiyuuni nonde kudasai (please help yourself if you are thirsty)
· Dainokoro no denki wa koko desu ( the kitchen light is here)
· Koko de Nama gomi wo
· Kore wa furo desu (this is the downstairs bathroom)
· Denki wo tsukete koko desu ( turn the light on here)
· Denki keshite wo koko desu ( turn light off here)
· Koko wa Raiyon no heya desu. (this is Ryan’s room)
We purchased the Japanese versions of the "Book of Mormon", "For the Strength of Youth" pamphlet and "Personal Progress" for her to use in our home while she is here. There is so much to prepare!! This just scratches the surface!!! We are starting almost at the very beginning!

Still hoping it will give KaeKae and Lulu a close up view of another culture, we embark on learning. It is always a little exciting to have someone come stay, and this will be no different. Crossing our fingers that we can make her feel at home and welcome we prepare for her to come. When the facilitator questioned why we want her to come, the response was easy. "We want another daughter / sister/ to love!"


She is here and she fits right in! ... Can you tell which one is Michi?

I'm Clean! I'm Clean!!

It was all giggles and smiles the complete day of LuLu's Baptism. In her eight year old charm, she just couldn't contain herself. Happy laughter and bouncing off the walls till I was almost as excited for the big event to arrive as she was. Grandma & Grandpa M. came from out of state the day before... What a blessing to have them here for LuLu, who was beside herself with the joy of having Pomps here.


Three generations!! Grandpa & Grandma D. also arrived early for a quick dinner prior to the baptism. They provided the yummiest cantaloupe, honeydew, and watermelon FROM THEIR GARDEN! I am quite certain our gardens were never this good when I was growing up...
Their recent move has been a lot of work, but in my (never-humble) opinion, has been wonderful for their health and over all happiness. Grandma looks fabulous... don't you think? (Don't even think of voting "no". I will only post the "YES" answers!)

DaD gets the WONDERFUL award for being worthy and willing to baptize LuLu. With all of his many accomplishments, I know that being able to baptize his girls is at the TOP of his list.

During the short talks and songs LuLu was bouncing all over the seat. At this stage in her life, I do believe it is difficult to contain your happiness when you are feeling the Holy Ghost so strong! The Chapel nearly filled up for only 3 children being baptized that night. Family and friends all showed their love for her by being there on this special night! THANK YOU TO ALL WHO CAME!! It meant everything to us!
It was a special surprise when Uncle K. walked through the door. Oh man is he a gentle soul. He can make any of the girls in the family feel like a million $$ in about a nano-second!

Some of LuLu's friends made a special trip to be with her on this special day. There are four amazing little girls. Watch out world!!
After the baptism, several family members and our friends (how did you guys manage to not get in a single picture???) came for a quick refreshment. We count all of you among our biggest blessings!

One last note. The "I'm Clean! I'm Clean" is what LuLu was saying to me the moment after she was baptized. She was as teary, sweet and happy as any convert baptism I have ever seen. In the dressing room, she kept smiling through her tears as she said "I feel the Holy Ghost so strong!" She understands the commitment she made. In her young life, she has a testimony of Christ! It is darling, amazing, and wonderful to witness first hand as her momE.

ISN"T IT GREAT TO BE EIGHT!?