a phone call and a letter!

there is nothing like a phone call from your daughter who is away at school....
just to see how things are going ;0)
what she thought to be a short phone call...
turned out longer because her mom (me) kept on talking.....
she makes me laugh, cry, feel good, and proud to be a mom...
thanks for the phone call and for letting me hog the phone time
with you (sorry, mark)....


there is nothing like a first letter from the mtc from your son
who is a newbie missionary....;0)
it was a longer letter than i expected, and a good one....
he is happy, has a big, interesting companion from tonga, is working hard,
has a sore mouth from trying to speak chinese, and is feeling the spirit....
it sure brightens your day and week when the letter comes....
thanks for the long letter, elder wu! (addison's chinese name)


p.s. there is nothing like a good friend who will call and take
you to get a pedicure just to get out...thanks, amy!

welcome to prison!

well....the day has finally arrived.

wednesday, january 18, 2012.

addison entered the mtc in provo.

serving a mission to vancouver canada...

... speaking mandarin chinese.

pictures were taken at the provo temple.

add's comment when entering the mtc

parking lot....."welcome to prison".

got to see his good friend landon watts

at the mtc curb.

add was tired of goodbyes.

almost forgot his immunization form.

gave our hugs......

tears were shed by all, but addison.

goodbye elder walter!

make your 12 week "prison" term a good one!

we will miss you, but we are so proud of you!

no....i am not a basket case....i'm good!

happy new year!

i just read ashley's blog and she has set some good goals.....
i think i will just take her list and make them mine......
at least 4-10.....
j.k........

i haven't set any goals, because i have such a hard time really accomplishing them each year....
then i am just disappointed with myself for not following through and making myself a better person.....
so, here is a list that are not my goals.....
*study the scriptures.....more in depth.
*improve my visiting teaching.
*train for the races i have signed up for.
*improve my letter writing skills.....for addison.
*learn mandarin chinese.
*finish quilt projects.
*listen and act on the promptings of the spirit.

have a great year!

Move 2 kids out....move one in...

mountain biking and peaches....

&

what do mountain biking and peaches have in common?
nothing.....except that peaches and the mountainous scenery are beautiful!

i went with some friends up american fork canyon and rode the most beautiful trail this morning...
it's always nice to get out of the city and get away from the hustle and bustle of it all....
did i mention that it was beautiful.......because, it was!

i came home and finished bottling peaches......14 quarts total....
i had the urge to "bottle" some, which i haven't done in a couple of years....
peaches are beautiful when they are bottled at home....
there is nothing like it.....
did i mention that they are beautiful when bottled at home....because they are!

what do peaches and mountain biking have in common?
nothing........just the beauty of it all!

climb one mountain at a time...

i was reading the paper on saturday and ran across a great article that i thought i would share....
it is called: climb one mountain at a time
"caroline coaxed her brother, william, to walk with her more than 1,000miles to the salt lake valley. she did this by urging him to walk with her one more day instead of all at once....one valley, one river, one mountain at a time.
life often confronts us with journeys that seem long, and obstacles that appear to be overwhelming. it can be discouraging to look down the road at the enormity of the task before us and to consider all that needs to be done. we need to remember that we rarely accomplish any great thing all at once. rather, we do it just as caroline and william did.
one hill, one river, one mountain at a time." by joseph walker, deseret news 7/23/11

i loved this article and how it teaches me to take life and the tasks in life one step or one mountain at a time. just thought i would share.... ;0)

a letter to my children.....

this was a letter written in the deseret news that i want to share with my children and their friends...

to my children,

with your focus on education, i often find myself thinking about how much the world has changed since i was in your shoes. the world is now a much "smaller" place - people of all cultures can communicate and travel with ease. you face great challenges today-just as i did, just as my parents before me. these words of advice might be helpful:

*recognize that the only limits you face are those you set for yourself.
*be the BEST that you can be.
*recognize the YOU are responsible for your successes and failures.
*strive for excellence-not perfection.
*see the glass as half-full, rather than seeing it as half-empty.
*focus on positives, rather than on negatives.
*look to praise, rather than to criticize.
*look for ways to succeed, rather than excuses to fail.
*commit yourself to constant improvement.
*understand how important education is to success.
*school is the key. technology rules. you need better skills to succeed.
*learn what is being taught, but most importantly, learn "how" to learn.
*develop other information sources to verify, or challenge, what you are being taught.
*"history" is routinely twisted or rewritten to support a particular point of view. get other ideas.
*treat teachers, administrators and fellow students as you would like to be treated.
*be the first to say "hello."
*develop your mind in school, but also develop other skills and interests, including music, art and physical fitness. this is where teamwork develops its roots.
*be a well-rounded person.
*resist taking "easy" classes.
*dig into math, the sciences and computers. these form the technical foundation for future success.
*study language.
*speak and write english correctly.
*appreciate other cultures by learning another language.
*be honest in your approach to learning.
*resist the temptation to cheat - you only hurt yourself.
*develop a keen interest in the outside world.
*pay attention to the "news." the "real" world can be very different from the student world you live in today.
*avoid the temptations of alcohol, smoking, drugs, gangs and irresponsible personal behavior.
*understand the steps you take today have lifelong implications.
*choose your friends wisely.
*do what you can to make a teacher's job easier, not harder. teaching is one of the most important, most difficult and most underpaid professions in the world.
*participate - but don't be a pain!
*be a friend to all. extend a hand of friendship to all other students, regardless of race, creed or color.
*make a special effort to be a friend to those less fortunate than you.
*as you mature and face new challenges, don't hesitate to discuss with me what is on your mind. you might learn from the mistakes of others.
*recognize how LUCKY you are to live and be educated in this great country. people from around the world are dying every day trying to get INTO this country - not out.
*don't forget to have fun!!
*school can be a great time in your life.
*experience it.
*live it.
*enjoy it.

many of these suggestions will be useful throughout your life - learn them well. i wish you the greatest success in your efforts and hope you find school both rewarding and enjoyable.

love,
mom

(written by jeff thredgold - i changed it to use as if from me.)