Twinkling

Today in seminary we discussed John the Beloved and how he asked to remain on the earth.  We read in 3 N 28 the descriptions of a translated being.   One was how they will be changed  from mortality to immortality in the twinkling of an eye at the Savior's coming.  Then I told the class how my son-in-law Nate always boasts that he will "Twinkle!"    Jeremiah comments from the back of the room ( now this  is ironic because he is Mr. Sarcastic and for him to comment about Nate is funny to me)  does that mean he's a fairy?  If only Nate could be there for a rebuttal.  My eyes popped out of my head, I told him, oh no, if you  could see my son-in-law  a fairy would be the farthest thing from your mind.   Than in defense  Paul reminded us that  "the Rock" was a tooth fairy.  We all had a good laugh.  So Nate, I guess you can still twinkle.

Winnie the Pooh Funny Exercises

The honeymoon is over!

Seminary has been great!  Well this is solely my own opinion.  The kids are great.   This is the third week of school and I have noticed  that sleep deprivation  is beginning to do its thing.  Also, I am now observing the "I'm Bored" body language.  Too bad, so sad!  I did entertain the class for the first two weeks to help them get over the shock of  early morning lessons.  But now it's time to get serious and for teenagers SERIOUS is as bad as a four letter word.  Next week they get two days off of seminary because of in-service for me and Labor Day for all of us.  I told Gary I don't think I'm into my teaching groove yet.  But I'm confident all will be well.  I need all the help I can get, so please, pray for me!

Exercise creates endorphins

Exercise creates endorphins
Endorphins make you happy
Happy people don't kill their husbands
They just don't!

-Elle Woods, Legally Blonde

I have never forgotten this statement in the movie, Legally Blonde.  It is so true.  Exercise does help in the happy department.  So I have decided to do more exercise.  I talked Gary into going for a bike ride this week.  There is a trail that runs along Willow Lake in Prescott.  So we gave it a whirl.  Even though I had to walk my bike up the steep hills ( I know Brad, I should use my gears, which is what Gary yelled at me every time I would stop to get off my bike) I really enjoyed the ride.  So I have started riding again. This is where you say, " Good for you!"  I have found a road in my neighborhood that has an itty bitty incline; most roads around here go way up and then way down, so I can ride with a bit of effort and still enjoy myself. I have also found that I do not do well on dirt paths with gravel.  I am afraid of wiping out and landing in a bush that is full of stickers.  I'm okay with the neighborhood roads for now.  Hopefully Gary and I can go on another adventure the next time he gets a day off.  It was so fun to spend the whole day with my honey.  It was a wonderful "day" date.

The spirit of adventure

Dear baby bears,

My son-in-law Nate commented that he has never seen "the spirit adventure" in me.  Hmmm.  That is so true.  I don't think I have ever shown that side of me since he married Kim.  I do play on the beach with the grand kids when I visit.  I went on a hike with everyone to the waterfall and swam out to the waterfall the first time we visited Hawaii,  camped overnight on the beach and I snorkled the last visit.   I guess I am a bit boring.  I use to have fun in my younger days.  I played volleyball, softball and ran track in Jr. High.  I was a cheerleader in highschool, but I also was on the archery team.  (I was lousy at archery, but I still did it.) and was the scorekeeper for the varsity baseball team.  Now that was adventure,  the only girl with all those boys!    I went camping and fishing with my dad as a child which meant hiking,  boating,  swimming in yucky lake water and had a motorcycle which I rode very often.  I'v e been water skiing and snow skiing.   I use to cliff jump, hike, dance,  play tennis and racketball  when I was a young adult.  Road trips were always on the agenda.   Gary and I went parasailing when we went to the Bahamas.   We've also been white water rafting.  Just this summer I went down slide rock.  I really can do things.  I've just really slown down these past 10 years.  Sorry Nate if I haven't been much fun.  I'll do much better...as long as it doesn't involve my knees for long periods of time...they have deteriorated in the last 10 years, which is probably why I have slown down so much.    And I still will not go camping.  YUCK!  I did enough of that as a child.  I didn't like it then and I still have the same opinion today.

It's very nice to see my granchildren enjoying adventure.  All three of my sons-in-law enjoy the outdoors and sporting activities.  My girls have always been very active and it's fun to watch them have fun as families.  Jusst keep on keeping on and I'll do what I can to keep  up! 

                                                                                Mama Bear has spoken!

Blindfolded activities

This year in seminary we will be reading the Doctrine & Covenants.  The first activity I chose was to have the kids listen for a sound and follow it blindfolded.  This is not so hard to do when there is only one sound to listen for,  ( I taped two paint brushes together, tap, tap, tap)but when you interject other sounds some times similar ( such a two rocks, two medtal objects, tap, tap, tap)
 it becomes more difficult to stay in tune to the orignal sound.  This is a great activity to help us understand how much we need to be in  tune with the still, small voice of the Holdy Ghost.

Being that the D&C  was recorded so we could have the doctrines outliined for  us,  since  the world lost all the truth during the Great Apostasy,  I thought it would be fun to do various blindfolded  activities to help see how important these truths are to us today and how so many of us are actually walking around as though we are blindfolded from the Gospel truths taught to us by Jesus Chrsit.    If anyone has any fun ideas, pass them on to me pleasel  Below is a link to the Helen DeGeneres show, I will be using this activity next....

More Blindfolded People Falling Down! - The Ellen DeGeneres Show

More Blindfolded People Falling Down! - The Ellen DeGeneres Show 

New volunteer work

As usual on Wednesday I hang out with the Humanitarian group.  This week  the Missionary Couple (our fearless leaders) explained to us that for the time being we will not be sending the items we produced to the Mesa office to be distrubted.  We are still to continue making the items but they are to be shared with the local communities.    This is the direction the Church is going right now.  So we are to concentrate on helping other agencies in the area and encourage our members to vounteer  where they can.  One of the women in our group started an organization called "Birth Line".  They help pregnant teens.   She said they were in great need of volunteers right now.  So I asked, what do you need?   I have time to volunteer.   I prefer to come on Wednesday  so I can help after  I finish with Humanitarian because I wait for my husband to get off work.   She was so excited that I volunteered.  She said they really need someone to be in the office and the shift that needs to be covered right now is on  Wednesday, 1-4 p.m.  That so happens to be at the same time I wait for Gary .    Coincidence?  I don't think so.   I go for the first time next week for training.  I'm sure I will be sharing my experiences along the way.

People really do notice

Just a quick mention of the fact that people really do notice who you are.  Today there was a knock on the door and two stangers aasked if I could please contact someone to help give a blessing to their mother.    I said  SURE I'll call the Elders...  I did, they did what they always do, come to the rescue.  As these people  were leaving I asked,  how did you know I was LDS?  The lady said she lives  on the otherside of my duplex neighbor and has always seen the Elders coming to and from and so she knew right where to go when her brother (a high councilman from California) said thinking out lout, I need to give Mom a blessing I wonder where the closest Bishop is...She said for your church,?   Well those missionary boys are always going to my neighbors house, do you think she could help?  Well, there you have it.  Not a really big deal, but the white shirts a ties did it again.  Amazing how the Lord works.  I was grateful I could be of some help today.

"no act of kindness is ever  wasted."  Aesop          Thank goodness I feed the Elders every month.

happy birthday alaska girl/our angel child

just a couple pictures of kerri as a little one.  isn't she a cutie. 
have a great day Kerri Berri

Senior Seminary

I have just met some of the coolest teenagers ever.  This year's seminary class is going to be  wonderful

John Bytheway (interpretation)

Okay everyone, I am offically starting Seminary which means you will be subjected to all my corny attempts to entertain. Below is the first.

All dried up!

Today I was awakened by sneezing. Yes, my own sneezing.  While it was raining the past two weeks I did not have to be annoyed with Kleenex.  The daily ritual  has returned  now that the sun is out again.  Oh boo hoo, hoo.  All that stuff  that tickles my nose is flying around.  YUK!

rain, rain, it makes for a lovely day

In case you are wondering, I chose this background because around here for the past week this is what it has looked like.   It's Wonderful, Wonderful to me.  Monsoon season is great here in Prescott Valley.

Mason Reef Howard is now 1 year old

Each year I try to put together a year book for my grand children.  This idea was presented to me by my own step-mother who actually kept a photo album for each of my children their entire life.  When they graduated from high school she would give them their life in an album.  Thanks mom for your example.  I have tried a different approach.  I choose a different format each year and send my grand babies a book of pictures of themselves for their own use.  It's fun for me and I hope they enjoy their gift.  As I sit making each book I always ask myself, "Why do I spend so much time on this project?"  The kids are really too little to appreciate them, maybe I should wait til they get a bit older.  My loving husband reminded me that how fun it is to spend a day (because it pretty much takes me a whole day to produce one of these books) just thinking about one particual grandchild.  And as usual when it comes to matters of a tender heart, he was right. 
Below are a few pictures of my youngest grandson, Mason Reef.  Happy Birthday little one, I really enjoyed spending a day just thinking about how special you are.

More Summer pictures

Krystal and  Bruce tied the knot.  Everyone came home for the special day.

4th of July fun!

Lili and Peyton enjoying a cold one...

Oh what do you do on the 4th of July

When everyone is here

Do you have a Bar B Que?

And drink root beer?

And watch the fireworks in the sky?

If that's what you do

So Do I!

Soon the Howard Family will be retuning to Hawaii.  The Calls will be on their way to their new home in Anchorage, Alaska.  It was so much fun to spend time with everyone.  How we will miss our children. 

 BOO-HOO-HOO!  But we still have Garrett. 

 So glad that they are all happy and doing well.  Until next summer!

Fun after the wedding

This is what happy children look like when they get to play together.

These four are actually waiting to see Aunt Krystal come out of the Temple.

The Howard family sharing a refeshing shaved ice after the 4thof July Parade downtown Prescott

Going for a relaxing boat ride on the lake behind the Lister's house.

Happy, wet and cold slide rock enthusiasts.

Slide rock is located in the Oak Creek Canyon, Sedona, Arizona

At this time, we are the only people playing on the rock because a summer thunder storm hit just as we were arriving.  All the other visitors left the area and we braved the storm, huddeling against the red rocks to keep warm and protect the little ones from the drenching rain.  Once it stopped raining we had the slide all to ourselves.  It was great! 

Kerri is 6 months pregnant.  Her comment after being drenched by the cold mountain rain, "well, at least I'm not HOT anymore!"

Pre-Wedding Activities

With the whole family together we were able to enjoy some fun activies.  Here are a few pictures of the time we spent together.

First.  we all go swimming.  Very refreshing!

G.G. with his grandchildlren.  Nate, Kaci & Lilian

Now we take a bath

Kaci. Lili, Mason & Nate

It's a big bath tub so  the big cousins are  invited.

We find our favorite seats and watch a movie til we get sleepy....

And we all go to bed.

The Circus is in town. 

 We all have dinner together. This restaurant was celebrating it's 30th annivesary and offered a special for $3.80! Beef Taco, tosada & cheese enchilada.  YUMMERS! 

The circus was Terrific!  This is Lili sitting with Uncle Garrett wearing a clown hat, glasses and big red nose.  Isn't she a cute little clown?

More pictures to come....keep checking for the latest on the Hebner Family Gathering.

Bridal Shower reminder

Wedding date reminder