B-E-A-U-tiful B-E-A-Youth-iful

Recently, at the Priesthood Session of the LDS Church's semi-annual conference (for the men and boys ages 12 and over), the President of our Church, President Monson, said the following:

"Many years ago, at an area conference held in Helsinki, Finland, I heard a powerful, memorable, and motivating message given in a mothers and daughters’ session. ...Among many truths the speaker discussed, she said that a woman needs to be told she is beautiful. She needs to be told she is valued. She needs to be told she is worthwhile."

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/10/see-others-as-they-may-become?lang=eng

I caught a video this morning of a group of Young Men who created a video for the Young Women in their stake to show at their Girl's Camp. 

http://youtu.be/qgGbIstzMV4

All of a sudden, I just started crying.  Maybe it's seeing these sweet young men doing such a service.  Maybe I saw potential missionaries in those boys in white shirts and ties.  Maybe it was the messages in the song.  Or maybe I thought about how those young women would feel after seeing that video and that would carry with them on days where they didn't feel good about themselves. 

I so want these young men to believe this message.  When they are old enough to date and especially old enough to get married, I want those sweet boys to find the beautiful girls - beautiful because they are virtuous, beautiful because they are modest, beautiful because they radiate an inner beauty.

I was struck by an article I read a while back called "The Death of Pretty" from Pat Archbold.  He defines pretty as "the combination of beauty and innocence".  He contrasts this with "hotness":  "Pretty is cherished. Hotness, on the other hand, is a commodity. Its value is temporary and must be used. It is a consumable."

Read more: http://www.ncregister.com/blog/pat-archbold/the-death-of-pretty#ixzz29iJBacBB

I hope everyone that is reading this would consider banishing the word "hot" when referring to appearance.  I'm going to try to pledge to do the same. 

I've worked with youth and young children for most of my adult life.  I have noticed a consistent pattern that girls who focus on clothes, makeup and hair at a younger age tend to focus on the exterior - not only of themselves, but of others around them.  I'm always sad to see that a 10-year-old that started wearing makeup to church by age 16 is wearing twice as much eyeliner and lipstick as they should and they just aren't as "pretty" anymore.

I've also noticed a pattern that girls who have fathers or male figures in their lives that tell these girls they are beautiful in all ways - spiritually and physically - are less likely to search out boys who will.  I have been lucky in my life to have a dad who finds ways to compliment me on not only how I look, but in all the areas that are important to me.  If you are a dad reading this or know of a girl who needs a compliment - find ways to do it.

I worry about my niece who is starting to hit the tween age and finding ways to experiment with makeup and commenting on clothes - many of which aren't appropriate for girls at any age.  It's natural and normal - so I'm not trying to judge.  I just want her to stay on the side of "pretty".  Fortunately, she has wonderful parents who will guide her in the right direction (and an aunt who will beat her if she doesn't :-) ). 

Seriously, my biggest wish is that all four of my nieces to find boys like the ones in this video who knows what truly makes a girl and woman beautiful.  And I want all three of my nephews to find a girl who is truly beautiful - inside and out.  I could wish for nothing more for them.

Let's all follow the example of these young men and find what makes all of us beautiful. 

TFOT - Believe, Obey and Endure and Abide in the Lord's Territory

Today’s lesson is meshed from two different talks “Believe, Obey, and Endure” from President Thomas S. Monson given at the Young Women’s Conference in March and “Abide in the Lord’s Territory” by Elder Ulisses Soares given in April Conference.

This is the first time I’ve used two talks together.  I thought it was hard to get through one because of all the great messages, but two talks is even more difficult.  So, I would ask you to go home and read them to get the full message of both – if you have youth-aged children or grandchildren, take particular notice of President Monson’s talk.

We’ll begin with Elder Soares’s talk:

President Thomas S. Monson once said: “May I provide a simple formula by which you can measure the choices which confront you. It’s easy to remember: ‘You can’t be right by doing wrong; you can’t be wrong by doing right’”. President Monson’s formula is simple and direct. It works the same way as the Liahona given to Lehi did. If we exercise faith and are diligent in obeying the Lord’s commandments, we will easily find the correct direction to follow, especially when we face our day-to-day choices.

As we study the scriptures, we learn that the promises made by the Lord to us are conditional upon our obedience and encourage righteous living. Those promises must nourish our soul, bringing us hope by encouraging us not to give up even in the face of our daily challenges of living in a world whose ethical and moral values are becoming extinct.

Some of you may know that I recently had the opportunity to travel to Germany for work.  I had a rental car to get around in (and yes, I push the limits on the Autobahn!).  But, if you can believe it, all the street and road signs were written in German J!  In all seriousness, I was very fortunate in that the car had a GPS.  While I’ve used a GPS from time to time, having one in this situation gave an incredible peace of mind.  Most of the time, if I simply followed the directions from the GPS, I was able to get to my destination safely and without difficulty.

On one of the rare days we had time to do some sightseeing, we were driving to another city about ninety minutes away.  I remember the GPS directing us to go a different direction than the roadway signs.  It didn’t seem like it made sense to go on the highway, when the freeway sign were beckoning to the city of our destination.  But, within minutes, we could see the city of Heidelberg. 

And isn’t life like that?  The world guides us to go one way and we almost with blind faith take the Lord’s path and find our destination of happiness.  We cannot be right by doing wrong and we cannot be wrong by doing right.  Even if at times what we are asked to do doesn’t make sense.

We’ll move to President Monson’s talk:

…Satan will tempt you and will do his utmost to entice you from the path which will lead you back to that heavenly home from which you came and back to your Heavenly Father. 

The world around you is not equipped to provide the help you need to make it through this often-treacherous journey. So many in our society today seem to have slipped from the moorings of safety and drifted from the harbor of peace.

Permissiveness, immorality, pornography, drugs, the power of peer pressure—all these and more—cause many to be tossed about on a sea of sin and crushed on the jagged reefs of lost opportunities, forfeited blessings, and shattered dreams.

Is there a way to safety? Is there an escape from threatened destruction? The answer is a resounding yes! I counsel you to look to the lighthouse of the Lord. I have said it before; I will say it again: there is no fog so dense, no night so dark, no gale so strong, no mariner so lost but what the lighthouse of the Lord can rescue. It beckons through the storms of life. It calls, “This way to safety. This way to home.” It sends forth signals of light easily seen and never failing. If followed, those signals will guide you back to your heavenly home.

Without the risk of sounding old, in my youth, what used to be unacceptable by gospel standards was also frowned upon by the world.  Even if the shoreline was cloudy, you could still see the edges and dangers.  However, that parallel is rapidly moving to polar opposites. 

About a week ago, I was helping a friend buy a wedding dress.  The store was filled with teenage girls and boys getting ready for Homecoming season.  We were shocked at what dresses we saw both on the rack and especially on those young girls.  All I could think about is that if I had dared to try a too short, too low-cut dress, I would have had to first try to get past an irate father and then the stares of all the people at the dance wondering what kind of values I had.  Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the norm now.

Friday night, I turned on a special about alcohol in America. It used to be that people that got drunk to the point of blacking out were considered raging drunks.  Now, young adults and even teenagers are trying to find ways to get drunk even faster – evening soaking gummy bears in alcohol and pouring vodka in their eyes!  

While we, of course, want to apply this talk to our own lives, how can we help our children, grandchildren to find that lighthouse of peace?

President Monson adds his words of advice:

I wish to talk with you tonight about three essential signals from the Lord’s lighthouse which will help you to return to that Father who eagerly awaits your triumphant homecoming. Those three signals are believe, obey, and endure.

First, I mention a signal which is basic and essential: believe. Believe that you are a daughter of Heavenly Father, that He loves you, and that you are here for a glorious purpose—to gain your eternal salvation. Believe that remaining strong and faithful to the truths of the gospel is of utmost importance. I testify that it is!

Most of you were taught the truths of the gospel from the time you were a toddler. You were taught by loving parents and caring teachers. The truths they imparted to you helped you gain a testimony; you believed what you were taught. Although that testimony can continue to be fed spiritually and to grow as you study, as you pray for guidance, and as you attend your Church meetings each week, it is up to you to keep that testimony alive. Satan will try with all his might to destroy it. Throughout your entire life you will need to nurture it. As with the flame of a brightly burning fire, your testimony—if not continually fed—will fade to glowing embers and then cool completely. You must not let this happen.

There will be times when you will face challenges which might jeopardize your testimony, or you may neglect it as you pursue other interests. I plead with you to keep it strong. It is your responsibility, and yours alone, to keep its flame burning brightly. Effort is required, but it is effort you will never, ever regret.

May you believe and then may you keep the flame of your testimony burning brightly, come what may.

Belief is probably as basic and complex as anything we have.  Most of us grew up singing “I am a child of God”.  We are taught through young women that we are daughters of a Heavenly Father who loves us.  Then as parents, we try to teach our children the same.  But, so many end up moving so far away from the values which they held most dear.  I appreciate that President Monson talks about how each of us is responsible for our own testimonies. 

What steps can we take to keep our beliefs actively burning?

President Monson continues:

Next, may you obey. Obey your parents. Obey the laws of God. They are given to us by a loving Heavenly Father. When they are obeyed, our lives will be more fulfilling, less complicated. Our challenges and problems will be easier to bear. We will receive the Lord’s promised blessings.

You have but one life to live. Keep it as free from trouble as you can. You will be tempted, sometimes by individuals you had thought friends.

Make every decision you contemplate pass this test: “What does it do to me? What does it do for me?” And let your code of conduct emphasize not “What will others think?” but rather “What will I think of myself?” Be influenced by that still, small voice. Remember that one with authority placed his hands on your head at the time of your confirmation and said, “Receive the Holy Ghost.” Open your hearts, even your very souls, to the sound of that special voice which testifies of truth. As the prophet Isaiah promised, “Thine ears shall hear a word … saying, This is the way, walk ye in it.”³

The tenor of our times is permissiveness. Magazines and television shows portray the stars of the movie screen, the heroes of the athletic field—those whom many young people long to emulate—as disregarding the laws of God and flaunting sinful practices, seemingly with no ill effect. Don’t you believe it! There is a time of reckoning—even a balancing of the ledger. Every Cinderella has her midnight—if not in this life, then in the next. Judgment Day will come for all. Are you prepared? Are you pleased with your own performance?

If any has stumbled in her journey, I promise you that there is a way back. The process is called repentance. Our Savior died to provide you and me that blessed gift. Though the path is difficult, the promise is real. Said the Lord: “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.”⁴ “And I will remember [them] no more.”⁵

You have the precious gift of agency. I plead with you to choose to obey.

There are so many great quotes from this section:

·         You will be tempted by individuals you thought were friends.  It’s unfortunate that so many of us have had to choose between friends and keeping our values.  It’s difficult because we have always been taught to be kind and accepting of others.  But I learned an important lesson in my life when it comes to choosing friends:  as long as my good influence over others is stronger than their negative influence over me and vice versa, I can have and stay friends.

·         Two questions we should ask when we make a choice:

o    What does it do TO me?

o    What does it do FOR me?

We could probably stay out of a whole lotta of trouble if we followed these guidelines.

·         Every Cinderella has her midnight.  I’ll be honest.  For a lot of years, I had trouble with the scripture in Alma about “Wickedness never was happiness”.  A guy like Hugh Hefner doesn’t seem to be struggling to find something to eat, a place to stay or friends.  It seems like many times evil is not only not punished, bur rewarded.  When I would struggle with things that I saw as unfair, my mom used to always say “What comes around goes around.”  The boomerang sometimes takes a lifetime or longer to return.  But President Monson reminds us that it does happen.

President Monson continues:

Finally, may you endure. What does it mean to endure? I love this definition: to withstand with courage. Courage may be necessary for you to believe; it will at times be necessary as you obey. It will most certainly be required as you endure until that day when you will leave this mortal existence.

Elder Soares give us some ways to help us ensure:

Desire

President George Albert Smith, repeating counsel from his grandfather, once said: “There is a line of demarcation well defined between the Lord’s territory and the devil’s territory. If you will stay on the Lord’s side of the line you will be under his influence and will have no desire to do wrong; but if you cross to the devil’s side of that line one inch you are in the tempter’s power and if he is successful, you will not be able to think or even reason properly because you will have lost the Spirit of the Lord”.  Therefore, our daily question must be, “Do my actions place me in the Lord’s or in the enemy’s territory?”

I know this was spoken about in last week’s lesson.  I appreciated the thought of an internet blogger who was discouraged by this statement because he, believing that no matter how much he thought he was on the Lord’s side of the line, like all of us, struggled with making wrong decisions.  One of the important words in this statement is “DESIRE”.  Where are our desires?  If we wake up in the morning and desire to do the right thing, we can plant ourselves more and more in the Lord’s territory and continue to grow strong roots there.

Attitude

The Light of Christ together with the companionship of the Holy Ghost must help us determine if our manner of living is placing us in the Lord’s territory or not. If our attitudes are good, they are inspired of God, for every good thing comes from God. However, if our attitudes are bad, we are being influenced by the enemy because he persuades men to do evil.

For me, this is a good spot check for how my life is going.  To be honest, I haven’t really had a good attitude about things lately.  Last week, I tried to do something nice for a friend.  I was amazed at how different things looked at work, at home, etc.  When we wake up in the morning, how is our attitude?  Of course, our circumstances don’t always make us cheerful, but are we looking forward with hope or despair?

Covenants

What really places us in the Lord’s territory [is] as follows: humble ourselves before God, come forth with broken hearts and contrite spirits, witness before the Church that we have truly repented of all our sins, take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ, have a determination to serve Him to the end, manifest by our works that we have received the Spirit of Christ, and be received by baptism into His Church. Our disposition to fulfill these covenants prepares us to live in God’s presence as exalted beings. The remembrance of these covenants must guide our behavior in relation to our family, in our social interaction with other people, and especially in our relationship with the Savior.

Most of us have made covenants through baptism and the temple.  How can we use our covenants to guide our behavior?

Banishing Temptation

The Savior banished from His life any influence that might take His focus away from His divine mission, especially when He was tempted by the enemy or by his followers while He ministered here on earth. Although He never sinned, He had a broken heart and a contrite spirit, full of love for our Heavenly Father and for all men. He humbled Himself before our Father in Heaven, denying His own will to fulfill what the Father had asked of Him in all things until the end.

I particularly like the use of the word Banish.  The definition of the word banish is “get rid of something”.  It isn’t to put temptation in a jacket pocket or in a corner or try to hide it in a closet to pull out on a rainy day.   It’s getting rid of temptation – whatever it may be for us.  It’s certainly not easy.  It may mean turning off a favorite movie, shutting down our internet, or even severing a relationship.  But, let us work to banish those things in our lives.

I have felt impressed today to express my gratitude for this ward and particularly the early members.  We moved here when I was nine years old and I figured out that we’ve been here for nearly 2/3rds of the ward’s existence.  I remember my first primary activity.  This last week or so, I’ve been asked my Facebook friends who have lived or are living in the ward to send me some of their memories.  It has been so fun to remember things from the past when times were different – watching and participating in competitive sports or church fairs or fundraisers.  And also the memories of things that are still the same – service, and the kindness of so many good people.

It’s also a testimony to me of the importance to continue this legacy.  As I have had so many good teachers and leaders, it’s important to help strengthen the youth of this ward.  So, while I am sad to leave the sisters, it’s time for me to build the memories of those children in primary so they can look back on their youth as a time of learning and a time of fun and most importantly, a place where their testimonies grew.

President Monson continues:

I have spoken over the years with many individuals who have told me, “I have so many problems, such real concerns. I’m overwhelmed with the challenges of life. What can I do?” I have offered to them, and I now offer to you, this specific suggestion: seek heavenly guidance one day at a time. Life by the yard is hard; by the inch it’s a cinch. Each of us can be true for just one day—and then one more and then one more after that—until we’ve lived a lifetime guided by the Spirit, a lifetime close to the Lord, a lifetime of good deeds and righteousness. The Savior promised, “Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall live; for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal life.”⁶

For this purpose have you come into mortality, my young friends. There is nothing more important than the goal you strive to attain—even eternal life in the kingdom of your Father.

You are precious, precious daughters of our Heavenly Father sent to earth at this day and time for a purpose. You have been withheld until this very hour. Wonderful, glorious things are in store for you if you will only believe, obey, and endure. May this be your blessing, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior, amen.

My favorite rings are Olympic Rings

 

Hello, my name is Heather and I am an Olympics Junkie.  Admitting it, though, won't change it.  I love, love, love the Olympics.  Once every four years, I care about sports like fencing, water polo, synchronized diving, cycling.  I plan my life around it.  I lose so much sleep staying up late and getting up early to watch.

There is just a great spirit about the Olympics - hearing the stories of teenagers like Missy Franklin poised and dominating in their sport while millions watch and the stories of Dana Torres who is my age and still competing.  Your heart goes out to the athletes who train for years and in a split second lose it all and then your heart fills with joy to the "little guy" who pulls off a great feat of strength or skill and surprises the world.

Anyone who knows me won't be surprised that I cry a lot during the Olympics.  Each time I hear the US National Anthem, I get a little teary.  I cry watching parents.  I sob watching teenagers.  I get emotional watching heartbreak.

All photos are from nbc.olympics.com

Opening Ceremonies

• Watching a 100 foot Voldemort get taken down by Mary Poppins. 
• Props to the Queen for participating in the ceremonies via video and even sky diving into the stadium :-)
• Wondering what anthem the "Independent Nations" delegation would use if they won a Gold - "Celebrate" by Kool & the Gang?
• Mr. Bean playing the single Chariots of Fire note - funny stuff!
• Coolest Cauldron made of copper leaves - think it's my favorite.

Day 1

• After hours of racing, watching a US cyclist get 4th get a fraction of a tire length
• Ryan Lochte getting the first men's gold
• US Men's Gymnastics qualifying in first.

 Day 2

• Nice Story - a near perfect score skeet shooting - Kim Rhode
• Jordyn Wieber - broke my heart!!!  Crushed at missing her chance to make the All-Around.  Struggling between holding her own emotions and trying to be happy for teammates.  NBC couldn't figure out how to move the camera angle to avoid having her bawling in the background while interviewing the ones who won!

Day 3

• Watching the home town Brits get a medal for gymnastics!!!  Very few will remember who won the Gold.  Even Prince William & Harry got in on the action.
• 17-year-old Missy Franklin crying after seeing her parents reaction to her winning the gold!  Hearing her story giving up a lot of money to stay a "normal" teenager.

Day 4

• McKayla Maroney with THE best vault I've ever seen - hands down!  (Kerry Strugg gets the best vault with an injury)
• The Fab Five bringing home the Gold in gymnastics.  Congratulations ladies.  It's a huge accomplishment.

 

• Michael Phelps - most decorated Olympian ever.  So nice to see that classic smile again - way too much pressure from everyone about his performance to date.

 

Day 5

• An Idahoan wins a gold in cycling - PROPS to the Gem State!
• Badminton controversy?  The only controversy is why this is still an Olympic sport!
•  Nathan Adrian - winning 100 free by one-hundredth of a second
• Danell Layva with the Bronze in the Men's All-Around with an amazing high bar routine!!!

 

Day 6

• Good day for Americans - Bypassed the Chinese for most medals!!!
• USA Men's Basketball - 156 points and 26 three-pointers?!  No wonder the world hates us!
• Great story about a US Olympian Kayla Harrison who won gold in Judo who was sexually abused by her coach but came back!
• Gabby!!!  What a great job to keep the streak alive for the US All-Around!  I shed a couple of tears for the Russian who got silver and Aby being shut out of the medals.  Don't know why they can't just give two away.  Is it really that hard to make another medal?
• Duel in the Pool!  Phelps wins his first individual gold.  Fantastic Olympics for Lochte!

Day 7

• Missed a bunch due to my class reunion
• Awesome match between Federer and Juan Martin del Potro (ARG) 3-6, 7-6, 19-17. The match lasted 4 hours and 26 minutes - had to check the last set from work.
• Phelps Three-pete - another individual gold in the 100m butterfly - coming back from seventh at the turn?!?! 
• Track Cycling - the short speed track skating of the summer Olympics - CRAZY!!!!
• Katie Ledecky - 15 years old and a gold medal.  At 15, I was thinking about getting my driver's license and where my locker would be.  Congrats girlfriend!

Day 8

• Serena Williams - SMOKED Sharakova!!!  6-0 6-1  She was extremely happy to win - even did a little jig. 
• Best irony of the games - when the national anthem said "And our flag was still there..", it wasn't - it flew away!
• Canada wins its first gold - women's trampoline.  Good job, eh?
• Seeing what the Olympics is really about.  The 100m run by the small countries like Marshall Islands who are just thrilled to be there.  Good lesson for a win-hungry country like mine.
• Watching Oscar Pistorious became the first amputee to compete on the track at an Olympics.  Gotta think what a major barrier that is - like the first females, black, anyone with major disabilities.  Congrats on just competing
• Holy bump, set, spike - I left with the Men's VB team having the game in hand, and they lost?!?!
• We won a fencing medal?  Awesome!
• Watching the crowd sing "All You Need Is Love" spontaneously waiting for the medals ceremony for three Brit medals - Sir Paul McCartney was in the crowd!!!
• Michael Phelps winning what he says is his final medal - Gold in the 4x100 IM.  I am privileged to see this man compete during my life.  I hope it's not the end. Swimming needs him! And I'll miss his mama!

Day 9

• Andy Murray winning Men's tennis - probably cried the hardest so far here.  I've watched him for years be disappointed in Wimbledon play.  YEAH for him.
• Watched a shoot out for the Water Polo match between China and Australia.  Pretty exciting!
• Malaysia gets the silver in Badminton - normally wouldn't care, but I have friends in Malaysia who were crushed as that would have been a Gold for them.
• Poor McKayla - it was a rough night for women's vault with a lot of falls.
• Destiny Hooker?  Great volleyball player, but her parents should just be flogged for giving her that name.  I thought it was bad when my mom wanted to name me Penny (Rich)!
• Watching the winner of the 400 semi track to switch their name tag with Pistorious after he lost - inspirational moment!
• 100m - Bolt is freakin' unbelievable.  He is so dang fast.

Day 10

• Boo - no more US men in the Beach Volleyball. 
• There is now a controversy about the outfits (or lack of them) from the women's beach v-ball players.  But, I'll take those over the men's diving and rowing.  Holy junk, batman!
• Some US judo guy got kicked out for eating a pot-brownie.  He said he didn't know.  Who is the moron who gave an Olympic athlete marijuana? 
• Chinese diver face plants - I don't think I've ever seen that happen (especially from the Chinese)!
• Jenn Suhr gets Gold in the high jump - I swear this pole is going to break!
• Okay, Day 14 - a guy's pole breaks.  So I am not crazy!

• I love gymnastics, but why have they dragged out the event finals to like five days.  Something tells me that ratings are involved in that decision. 
• Finally - I got to hear Elfie says "The landing is the last thing the judges see".  It isn't an Olympics without it.
• Kirani James - Gold Medalist from Grenada - first medal ever!  Inspiring story.
• Sam Mikulak - what a great display of sportsmanship duing the vault finals.

Day 11

• Watched the Chinese and Japanese women in V-Ball this morning.  So much for the stereotypical docile, subserviant Asian women!
• Today I was good and didn't check ahead of time who won the events.
• An All-American Beach Volleyball finals for the women!
• Aly Reisman - she's had the high of highs and low of lows.  Congrats to her on a spectacular Olympics and an amazing floor routine!
• Great job USA hurdles - Silver & Bronze to Harper & Wells.  Lolo Jones in 4th.  Someone should have tripped the Aussie :-).
• I thought the faceplant dive was bad - this dude landed on his back! 

Day 12

• If I were a diver, I'd choose to dive off a lower platform - too many stairs! 
• Speaking of divers, how can so many of the female divers and swimmers have such long, pretty hair?  Mine would have fallen out!
• "The Golden Girls" - Misty and Kerri!  Congrats to them!  42-1 in sets overall and perfect in games.  Bittersweet as they have been so iconic and that's the last match.  April & - terrific match to everyone! 

• Track & Field - great night for team USA.  7 medals tonight
• Speaking of girls - this Olympics is for the girls!  So far, the women are kicking tail!  Twice as many gold medals as the men! 

• So, late night - I watched BMX bike racing.  Pretty cool.  My kind of cycling - powerful, obstacles, and short to avoid a bike wedgie!

Day 13

• Nick Simmons - Melaleuca Athlete - gets fifth in the 800's.  We are totally proud of you!
• Crazy medal procurement - 20 in the last two days with 5 more golds today.
• Okay - I think this pic is cool with the full moon

from PetaPixel.com

• Women's teams go two for two today - Water Polo, Soccer.  They are in the gold medal rounds for V-Ball and Basketball as well.

• Usain Bolt is insane.  Wow, that boy is fast.  Winning back to back Olympics on the 100 and 200?!?!?  He's cocky, as you can see in the pic, but can back it up.  Holy cow!!!
• Congrats to the Gold & Silver Decathalon winners - Ashton Eaton and Trey Hardee.  I have often thought about life being like a decathalon.  In most cases, the winner of the decathalon isn't the winner of the individual events.  We often see life as just winning the shotput or the 1500 meters, not understanding that doing our very best in each event may not win the event, but we may win the race!

Day 14

• Story on the original Dream Team - Probably THE greatest team every assembled.  Looking at the roster, Charles Barkley, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Clyde Drexler, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Chris Mullen, Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, Scottie Pippen, and Christian Laettner.  Koby Briant made comments earlier this year about this team that they could beat this team - crazy talk!!!!  Even watching the moves today, my jaw still drops!
• WOW - the Women's 4 x 100 relay.  Breaking a nearly 30-year-old world record by 1/2 second.  AMAZING!!!
• Even if the athletes don't think so, I think the USA winning silver in the 4 by 100 is pretty amazing.
• Inspirational story of Bryshon Nellum - he was shot in the leg as a Freshman at USC and now running the initial leg of the 4 x 400 in the Olympics.  He was chosen to be the flag bearer for the Closing Ceremonies.
• Jimmy Fallon and Bob Costas doing "Friday Thank You Notes".  Two of the funniest people on the planet together - Costas "playing" the piano and Fallon talking about "Dong Dong" the Chinese Trampolinist! 

Day 15

• Congrats to the Women's Basketball team.  You had the lead the whole time.  41 consecutive wins?  It's an impressive streak in a sport where anyone can lose anytime.
• Another Melaleuca athlete - Lagat.  He got fifth after a bit of a collison.  But, gotta love Farah who wins the 5000 meters also.  Wow!
• David Boudia. What a great story. I watched this kid the day before. He barely, barely made the final cut. In an event that the China basically dominate, this guy took home the Gold. First since Greg Louganis!!!  He just did every dive well and it's all you can ask for.

 

• The night ends with relays.  The 4 x 100 mens - the US was actually stride for stride with the Jamaican's, but Bolt lives up to his name.  Congratulations!!!  The women 4 x 400 wins with no problems - check out those abs!!!!

Day 16

• I had the chance to watch some of the marathon while I was getting ready to go on my flight to Germany.  I admire the athletes anyway, but there was a certain athlete highlighted that impressed me - Mebrahtom Keflezighi.  His family moved to America with almost nothing from a small African country.  In his family of 11, there is an olympic athlete, a doctor, and accountant - impressive 4th place finish.  The race was very close at the end.
 
• Thank you Delta - with in-flight TV, I got to watch the entire men's basketball game.  It was a good game - closer than maybe it should have been.  But, I even liked Koby today.

 

 

I only got to see about 15 minutes of the closing ceremony the next day with German dubbing.  Sounds like it was a rocking time. 

 

 

 

 

In conclusion - one of my favorite parts of a movie is from "A League of Their Own".  Geena Davis decides to quit baseball and go home.  Her coach, Tom Hanks, calls her out on it.  She replies:

Dottie Hinson: It just got too hard.

Jimmy Dugan: It's supposed to be hard. If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. The hard... is what makes it great.

The hard IS what makes it great.  So many of our Olympians make it look incredibly easy.  There are always comments on how well someone SHOULD have done.  Not everyone can do what Michael Phelps has done - in fact no one has. 

Closing with this as it says it perfectly:

You put on a terrific show!!!!

Re-union-i-ted (and it feels so good)

Pictured: 

Front: Stacy, Lori, Lani, Mike, Travis, Christy;

Middle:  Brian, Todd, Darren, LaNay, Bob, Leslie, Crystal, Shelli

Back:  Don, Paul, Darren, Matt, Christina, Kaisha, me, Heidi

Missing:  Karen, Michelle

I'll admit - I'm not very good at staying in touch with old friends.  Facebook has helped.  This weekend reminded me why it's so important as I got to meet up with friends from high school, Ricks, and BYU. 

I won't mention the number of years since I graduated, but it's a lot.  Strangely, I was nervous.  I was a different person in many ways in high school.  I was a lot more shy, probably a little more judgmental, and definitely had more hair (okay, we all had more hair - it was the eighties, after all!) and less around the middle.  Sometimes, I'll fall back into that seventeen year old when I meet with old acquaintances.  I still tend to think of someone as "too popular to talk to" or "may not share my values".  It's dumb thinking - there is likely more in common than different and no one measures popularity after you "crash through the double doors" (thanks John Meyer).  I said a little prayer in the car that I could be more like I am versus how I was.

Night one - I picked up one of my best friends from high school, Lezlie.  Lezlie and I usually end up being each other's "date" for the reunions because her husband usually has to work.  Truthfully, it makes it easier.  Her family wasn't able to make it so it worked out for me to have someone to go with.  It was fun to go to her house.  I spend a lot of fun times at her house.  Lezlie basically had the basement to herself growing up so we used to spend a lot of time there.  It was fun to see her parents.  Her youngest brother, I found out, works at Melaleuca.  Small world.  She is as bubbly as ever.  She lives in Alaska, but we keep in contact. 

We had a get-together at Papa Tom's.  Surprisingly, the pizza was better than I remembered - and all of the people were too!  When we arrived, we were the first ones there.  We then saw LaNay.  She was telling us about the lack of turnout - less than 10% of our graduating class.  I saw some people that I knew, but didn't know well so I was a little nervous about the evening.  However, Lezlie and I had talked earlier that we weren't planning on staying long - boy, we didn't need a backup plan because everyone was gracious and fun to visit with.

Then some of my old friends came in the door - Charlene and Tricia.  I don't think I have seen Charlene since the summer after graduation.  However, she looks and acts very much the same - in a good way.  Tricia lives here in town and I NEVER see her.  She's not much for Facebook so it's hard to stay in touch.  Others joined in.

As much as I wanted to branch out and mingle, I didn't do as well as I wanted.  Some left early and my feet just froze to move to a different table.  But I talked to Travis and his wife - Travis is a pastor in the Bay area.  He's someone that I thought was anti-religion in high school.  His wife is from Singapore so it was fun to have that Singapore a connection with Melaleuca.  He is inspiring to be around.

I probably talked to ten different people, but I spent most of my time with Tricia & Lezlie.  In high school, the three of us, along with Wendy spent a significant amount of time together.  A lot of it was spent singing.  One of the guys we used to sing with - Mike - was also there.  Mike is the life of the party.  I wished the other three - Korry, Todd & Jeremy would have been there.  It would have been fun to sing an octet - although my voice is not even close to what it used to be.

Surprisingly, we closed the place.  I ended up finding so much more in common with people than I imagined - Sean, Bryan, and Gary, it was great to visit with each of you.

Saturday, we had a picnic.  The turnout was even less.  But, I know a lot of people were balancing the reunion and family responsibilities, so I understood.  I was excited to see my old classmate who was also my roommate at Ricks - Donna. 

She lives in Utah and has a one-year-old.  I help take care of my one-year-old niece and I can't imagine at my age carrying and be responsible for one.  I admire that.  She is a lot the same - kind and sweet.  We talked about getting our college roommates together next summer.  We just need to do it.

 

On my way out, I got a text that my roommate from BYU - Gina - was having lunch and could I join her and her family?  Gina was as kind and funny as ever.  She introduced me to stand-up comedy - Johnny B's in Provo got a lot of my parent's hard earned money.  She lives in California and has two BEAUTIFUL boys.  Her husband could not have been a nicer guy.  It was fun to catch up.  Miss you Jenice, Patrice, Ginger & Kristen!

Saturday night, we went to Mountain River Ranch for our final event of the Class Reunion.  I haven't been to the Ranch since we moved the Melaleuca picnic.  There were some new faces - which was nice to introduce into the mix.  One of the first people was Brian - he looks great.  Last reunion - no one recognized him.  This year, two other guys - Bob and Don - got that honor.  Neither one I recognized.  I've kept in touch with Bob so we were able to have things to talk about.

Many of the spouses were great to get to know.  I was impressed with how outgoing some people are.  I want to be more like that! 

There was a shootout by the Ranch folks.  Cute show.  Then out to dinner and the show on wagons.  We had the "class clown" of the Ranch on our wagon - Frank.  He wanted us to sing the Jitterbug song from the Wizard of Oz.  It's actually a legit song that was cut from the movie.  We got there and got seated - our table was pretty empty.  Dinner was really good - steak, potato salad, roll, corn on the cob, baked beans and huckleberry ice cream!

The show started with a lot of "Ol' West" kind of songs.  Then Frank came on the stage and stole the show.  He was really funny.  A little later on, they pulled some "volunteers" from the audience for a song.  It's the old Hee Haw song about "You found another and Pffft you were gone".  One of the girls was Stacy.  Stacy has always been a firecracker so they chose right.  When Frank was singing to her, he did the Pfft (raspberry) to her.  She jokingly acted offended and spit right back.  Unfortunately, the gum in her mouth came out and got stuck in the fake beard.  CLASSIC moment.  The staff at the Ranch were in stitches!  They even posted on their FB site that we were the best crowd of the year!  If this link works:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5g43QfSeWH0&feature=youtu.be (go to 3:10 to see the spit take)!

When it was done, we all stayed to take a few pics and I got to talk to a few people I had missed the night before - Lani, Stacy.  And Todd arrived late so I got to see him.  Todd has built a very successful business and is well known.  We also went to grade school together, but ran in different circles.  I wasn't sure how it would go to see him, but he was great - very down to earth!

Taking a class picture was comical - especially Matt.  He is a crack-up.  Then we headed back to the parking lot.  Again, Lezlie and I were some of the last to leave.  It was really fun to catch up with some of the people.  I had someone say to me that she was surprised that I didn't have kids - she thought I'd have six of them because I would be a great mom.  I was super flattered by that statement.  We weren't that close in high school so for her to say that with knowing me so little, it made me feel good.

We extended the reunion a bit to meet with one other classmate - Jennie.  Jennie, LaNay, Lezlie & I met on Tuesday since Jennie didn't make the reunion.  Jennie didn't get married or have kids either so we are a little bit outside the norm - especially with the Mormons.  It was fun to be a little unfiltered with a group of girls.  Honestly, although it's been years and we live very different lives, we talk like time hasn't passed.

I was very glad I went and got to get reacquainted and maybe even just acquainted with my classmates.  It was a great experience that I'll think about for a long time.

In closing, my brother made the comment that with Facebook and other social media, class reunions were probably a thing of the past because people can stay in contact with who they want to.  I hope that's not true.  I have learned from this experience that while in many ways we are the people who we were, we are all much more different than we used to be.  You can't get to know people from a couple of posts.  The goal of a reunion is to reflect on the past, see how much we've changed and how much more we are alike than different. 

If my classmates are reading this and didn't attend, I hope you'll be there in five years  (LaNay already set the date and it's just before the 4th of July festivities so you can make a long weekend out of it!).  Save the date (June 30th & July 1st) and save your money!!!

We talked a lot about you and wondered how your lives were going.  Hopefully, we are more tolerant and kinder than before - at least I hope so.  It doesn't really matter if you have less or more hair, short or tall, fat or thin, gay or straight, single or married, enjoy a cold brewski or a cold water, if you have met your life's dreams or if you are struggling.  We just miss our friends and want to see you! 

And Here We Have (Northern) Idaho

Now, for those of you from the Gem State, you know that the state is pretty much divided up into three section - the western half with Boise & Sun Valley; the Northern side with Coeur d'Alene and Sandpoint and the eastern side of Pocatello and Idaho Falls.  For most people I know, eastern Idahoans don't spend a lot of time in either of the other two.  Salt Lake is closer than the western side of the state.  There isn't any straight roads to Northern Idaho because the middle of the state is mountains so it's almost faster to drive to St. George.

My parents have wanted us to go to Coeur d'Alene for a while.  Since this is likely my dad's last chance to go there for a dental conference, we decided to go - even though it's been a crazy summer with the baptism just a week earlier.

I started by going to Salt Lake the night before.  I figured out that it's probably the first time I've been in a hotel room for a while (that's about to change...).  I actually love hotels so it was nice to hang out at Little America, get a milkshake, take a bath, and sleep in a little.  I flew from Salt Lake to Spokane (way too expensive from IF).  Unlike my last trip - the flight was uneventful.

I met up with my sister-in-law, nieces 1-3, and nephew #3.  They, on the other hand, had to run through the Denver airport to make the flight.  After renting a car, we drove to our vacation home for the week.  It was beautifully green on the highway.

The vacation house was pretty awesome.  From the outside, it looked okay, but inside, a dream.  It was just over a block away from the public beach.  It was very English style, but with lots of modern features (central air, .  Five bedrooms, two and a half baths, an outdoor sunroom.  The living room was awesome with a ton of built-ins.  Every corner seemed to be decorated with a purpose.  To be honest, we were a little concerned to have seven kids in this nice of a house.  Fortunately, no problems.

The house behind us was phenomenol.  It had a million rooms, a poolhouse, an apartment over the garage and a pool.  We probably enjoyed watching that house as much as anything. 

My sister and her family arrived later.  We decided to spend time at the beach.  The weather was great and the kids had fun.  I found some seaglass which was cool. 

The next day, we just hung out and enjoyd the house and the family.  We decided to head out to the public beach later in the afternoon.  The kids had a really good time.  The beach seems to remind me that it's okay to take off the watch, turn off the phone and just let time go. 

Wednesday, we headed to Silverwood Theme Park.  Seriously, I had never even heard of this park, but it was FANTASTIC.  Think of Lagoon, only way more modern and clean.  We decided to spend the first half of the day at the water park and the second half at the amusement park.  However, there was too much to do to make that happen.  The water park has a great section for kids, two wave pools, a cool lazy river, and a ton of slides.  It was hot, so it was a great day to go.  With two babies and two six-year-olds, we had to switch places a lot so I didn't get through much of the park.

I did ride the Avalanche Mountain with my brother-in-law, sister-in-law, two nieces and a nephew.  It's a pretty scary, but thrilling ride.  There were three adults and three kids in a large intertube.  There are a lot of twists and turns so you are nearly flipping over! (Pic from Silverwood's website)



The six-year-olds were ready to go, so I took them and niece #3 to the amusement park.  We rode the train.  It took an awful long time before we went and not something I'd probably do again.  But it was a good relaxing ride.  About half way, the train stops to show a silver mine.  The tour guide gets off to check it out and is hit over the head by two bad guys.  The bad guys board the train and start taking money from the passengers.  They were pretty convincing so I was a little worried about the kids.  Then, of course, the hero saves the day.  But, the money goes to charity - kind of cool.

The kids rode the carousel and we finally heard from everyone else - they maximized the time to go through the rest of the park.  As we headed into the amusement park, Nephew #2 was determined to get to the wooden roller coaster.  When we wanted to stop, we heard "NO - we are going to the wooden roller coaster!"  My sister and I were hoping to tag team the kids with the baby, but Niece #3 wasn't having any of it.

The roller coaster is called Tremors.  Here is how Silverwood's site describes it:  As you leave the loading station, you slowly climb up the first hill until you're 100 feet in the air. Turning, you make the first drop of 103 feet into a tunnel that goes directly through the Tremors Gift Shop (the first of four underground tunnels). You will continue through additional twists, turns, drops and tunnels with plenty of theming along the way, for those who are brave enough to keep their eyes open, before finally returning to the station. 

Okay - did you catch the fact that you go UNDER GROUND!?!?!?  I was freaked out.  The first one scared me, but the second one terrified me!  When it slowed a little, I looked at Nephew #2 - he was sinking in the chair.  When we got done, I asked how he was doing.  The response:  "oooo-oooo-kkk-aaa-yyyy...."  But, when he got off and saw his mom, he was saying "OH MY GOSH!!!"  Super proud of himself. 

We went back so that Niece #3 could ride something she wanted to ride.  We finally met up with the rest of the group.  While they did the spinny rides, I watched the babies.  Then Niece #3 wanted to ride the Antique Cars.  There should be a rule that amusement parks have to put signs up to show how many minutes until you reach the front.  That was deceiving!  I'm thinking 10 minutes tops and 40 minutes later, we finally get on to ride for 100 second.  Not a thrilling 100 seconds - a flat ride in a car.

Now, you know that I love my niece because she wanted to go again.  Another 40 minutes in line.  25 rides in the park and I got to ride the Antique Cars twice!!!!  There is a roller coaster there that was ranked in the top 10 of the US for vertical up and down.  We basically closed the park.  If you ever go, plan on a couple of days - there is no way to do both justice.

When we got back, my mom and dad plus my aunt Laurie and cousin Carrie.  Everyone was pretty beat, so off to bed.  The next day, the girls had a ball with "Aunt Carrie" doing their hair and nails.  We decided to go over to Grandma & Grandpa's Hotel (The Coeur d'Alene) and let the kids go swimming while the girls went shopping.  I don't like shopping as much as I used to, but the first store we went into was pretty cool.  I ended up buying a purse - very inexpensive and very cute.  I also bought a couple of bracelets.  My sister-in-law is a shopper and bought a lot of items.  I'm glad she was able to find things she liked though.

We met up with everyone and went to dinner.  Nephew #1 had swallowed so much pool water that he had to go to the bathroom like five times.  The food was good.  We headed back to the house.  I talked to Carrie until midnight.  It's fun to visit with her.  She is at that fun age when you are single, hanging with friends, not much care in the world!

The next morning, Laurie & Carrie had to leave so we got them off with the kids blowing bubbles in the front yard.  I went on a hike with my sister-in-law and her girls.  It was muggy, but it was a pretty hike.  It would be tempting to live there just to have that nearby with the beauty of the lake so near.  Lunch was a BBQ - steak, fish, and corn on the cob.

We had talked about going back to the beach, but thankfully, the kids decided to go swimming again because it started POURING.  The pool was fun - they had kickboards so I showed the kids how to float on your knees.  They thought it was easy until they tried it!  We grabbed some desserts and headed back to the house.  The desserts were really, really good!  We did laundry and started packing.

The next morning, we packed up the car, cleaned up the house and met Grandma and Grandpa for breakfast.  (After telling the girls that they needed to "get loaded" :-) )  I had French Toast coated with Frosted Flakes - YUM!!!  The sisters and sister-in-law went to one more store.  We took Niece #1 with us.  She found a ring she liked so I bought it for her.

We got to the airport with little incident.  We had a little lunch and then we headed to the gate.  The girls were grabbing a treat, when suddenly, their flight got called.  And it was like 15 seconds between zones so it was still a rush at the end - pretty common for our family to rush at the airport!

I was waiting for my flight when this group started talking to "Batman".  I thought it was someone's boyfriend so I didn't pay it much attention.  He was giving Batman stuff away to the kids.  Suddenly other people were taking his picture.  I finally found out after researching the internet that he is a business man that routinely goes to Children's hospitals and has a replica of the Batmobile. 

On the flight, someone was sitting in my seat.  I didn't make a big deal about it and sat in another chair.  Then that person came (and was a jerk about it) and I tried to move again, but someone else came - I got pushed all the way to the back of the plane.  When everyone was seated, I finally was able to find a seat in the front.  I saw Sen. Hatch at the airport - two celeb sitings in one day!  I had to drive back from SLC and didn't get home until almost 11 - it would have been faster to drive from Coeur d'Alene! 

Great vacation - loved the Northern part of my state!  We will likely be back soon!