Ready - Set - Go !

LET MY ADVENTURE BEGIN . . .

My car is packed, almost ready to go except for the things I need to put into the car in the morning.

My furniture is cleaned off and covered
My cable, Internet and Gas are turned off

My mail is being forwarded

My lists are checked off and tossed

All errands accomplished

Maps marked

Travel treats in bag

Ready for Karen my daughter-in-law and I to head to Utah in the morning.

I report to the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah on Monday Sept. 12th.

I have a weeks training at the MTC. I will be living there for the entire week.
Then my daughter Kristan will fly into SLC on Friday the 16th to drive to DC with me.
I had AAA map out our trip for me and we are going to have a fun adventure traveling.

We get to stop at Navoo for some church history and then visit my grandaughter Marissa who is living in Chicago now.. then on to Maryland. I will be living in Waldorf, Maryland, which is just south of Washington DC. My companion is Kathy Brown from South Jordan, Utah. She is driving back to DC with her daughter also.. so a fun road trip for us all.

My mission president and his wife. James & Vicki Matsomuri
I have had several phone conversations with them and love them already.. can't wait to serve with them.

Can't wait to see the sights in DC.. So many wonderful things to see and do.

The beautiful Washington DC temple.

I will be posting pictures and journaling my time while I am in DC.. so check often to keep up on my ADVENTURE. .

12 Days and counting. . . .

Getting things organized ready to put in the back of my car.. I have these 2 great flat baskets that I have organized with small school boxes and they are working wonderful. My daughter-in-law Karen and I take off for Utah a week from this Saturday.. We will visit friends on Saturday and Sunday and then I report to the Missionary Training Center in Provo Monday Sept. 12th at 10:00 am..

I have been getting all the things crossed off my lists and feel pretty comfortable about my time frame and all that has to be accomplished before I leave..

Kristan will fly up to Salt Lake City on Friday the 16th and we are staying with my Aunt and Uncle in SLC that night and heading to DC the next morning. I got permission to spend a day with my grandaughter Marissa in Chicago on our way. We are excited to see he and spend some time with her.

They said my apartment would be ready when I arrive on the 21st or 22nd.. to move into. Kristan will stay with me and then fly home to Phoenix on the 23rd.

I am excited for my adventure to begin.. As I see friends this week, it seems funny that I won't see them again for 18 months, but I will be able to e-mail, facebook, call, skype and keep up my blog while I am gone.

My Mission Call

When Kristan and I went to Women's Conference at BYU in Provo this spring we met 2 ladies who had just returned from serving a mission for our church. As we talked to them, and shared their excitement, Kristan said "mom, this is what you should do".. I looked at her and thought - no way... but as I thought about it more and more I started to get excited. We talked about it at dinner that evening and in bed that night I couldn't sleep, I just played out every scenario and all of the "what if's" in my mind. I honestly did not sleep a wink that night. The next morning we talked some more about the pluses and minuses and what I would do to prepare to leave my home and family for the extended period of time. I knew that it sounded exciting and scary at the same time. So I prayed and prayed and prayed about what I should do and got the most peaceful assurance that it was the right thing to do at this time in my life. I have not had a doubt since then.

I filled out my paperwork along with many Dr. appointments to make sure I didn't have any health issues that would limit me while I was gone. I had: my physical, pap test, bone scan, mammogram, colonscopy, heart test, dental checkup, blood drawn and many shots. All came back great and so I was ready to have my interviews prior to my papers being submitted. I had my interview with my bishop and then with our stake president. Both were so uplifting and supportive in my decision to serve a mission. After my interviews my papers were submitted the week of June 16th.. Now the wait would begin until I received my mission call.

So as only I do, I started making lists of things I would need to do when I leave.. I now have a notebook all categorized and everything is falling into place. After 4 weeks I was getting so nervous and then 5 weeks, then 6 weeks, then finally this week, I received the large white envelope with my mission call inside. In our family we open mission calls with everyone gathered around, so I called everyone and said I would open my papers at 9:00 that evening, Thursday, August 4th. My friend Connie kept me busy all day so I wouldn't go crazy waiting.

Everyone arrived that evening and I opened my mission call: I am so excited to be serving in the place that the Lord desires. I have been called to serve in the Washington D.C. North mission for our church. I have been called along with my companion to serve as the "Women's Auxiliary Specialists".

I am so excited, what an awesome place to be for the next 18 months. I will enter the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah on September 12th for a week's training and then I'm off to the east coast and my new home in Washington D.C. We all wondered what the Women's Auxiliary Specialist position was and then I received a phone call yesterday from the mission dept. in SLC from a very sweet sister missionary that answered all my questions and was so encouraging.
My companion and I are launching a new pilot program for the church in the mission field. We are the very first missionaries to have this calling. We will support the women in the area with help in any way they need it, such as helping them learn how to set up their auxiliary meetings or how to hold a presidency meeting or how to teach a lesson or how to put together an event or just be there if they need someone to talk to and listen. We will work closely with the local wards and stakes in the church and even be available to work with civic leaders if asked. We will work with women ages 18 and up. I am so blessed to be given this opportunity to serve in this new calling and pray that I can exceed the expectations of those who are trusting me with this pilot program. If this program is successful then it will be rolled out church wide in all the missions of the church. I am excited to be among the 53,000 missionaries serving throughout the world to help bring people closer to Jesus Christ.
I will continue to have my blog while I am serving, so I can journal my adventure and you can keep up to date with me.

My Guys

I meant to get this picture up on my blog for "Fathers Day"..

these are the guys in my life who in my eyes are amazing fathers.

My son-in-law Don, my son Steve, my husband Kent, my son Jason.

I love this picture, it was taken 8 years ago on a special day for Kent.

Our family had gathered to be there for Kent as he was ordained an Elder in our church, and of course pictures were taken after church. Kent & I are so proud of these boys and of their dedication to their families. They each play such an active role and are so involved in the lives of their children and families. Our sons are great fathers to our 13 grandchildren and Don is also a grandfather to our great-grandaughter. Kent was also a wonderful father and spent his life doing whatever he could for his kids and his grandkids. I want to tell them each how proud I am of them and thank them for the amazing job they have done in helping to raise my terrific children & grandchildren.

Happy "Fathers Day" to my 4 guys

Let us all remember all those who have passed on

who fought so bravely for our freedoms on this day.

My Dad served in the Navy and was stationed in Hawaii after the bombing on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. He was a radioman on a fighter plane and served his country with honor and dedication. He was a wonderful Dad and I was so very proud of him..

And also keep in our hearts those dear loved ones who have

also passed on who mean so much to us.
This is a day to celebrate their memories and be thankful

for the part that they each had in our lives.

Since my last post it has been a busy month:
My Grandaughter Taylor turned "16" that golden age on May 11th

I was able to attend the Don Bluth "Front Row Production" of Hello Dolly that 4 of my grandchildren participated in, Taylor, Zack, Coleton and Maddi. It was amazing, the costumes were right on and the timing and the singing were outstanding.. Wonderful production.

My great-grandaughter Malorie turned "1".. she is such a sweetheart and so much fun to be with.. Always happy and so busy, walking and trying to talk.
My grandson Grant turned "15" on May 17th. Busy with baseball, scouts and school.
My grandaughter Maddy recorded and produced her first "CD". She wrote the music and it is wonderful

Each year I have been a volunteer for Creative Escape. In the Spring they have all the volunteers and those who have been selected to teach at the event in August, come to Bazzill and have a "preview". each of us get to create all of the projects that will be taught at C.E. We are able to critique and tweek each presentation so that all will run smoothly at Creative Escape. This year was fantastic and the projects were so varied and different. Since the industry is getting so diversified and into sewing, home decor and fun boutique items we were able to create many wonderful projects. They still have some spots open for this years event and it will be the best they have ever put on. It is first class all the way. I was able to spend the 3 days with Kristan, Karen & Jamie which made it extra fun.

Each year Alli Edwards challenges everyone to choose a word that will represent a goal that they will work on throughout the year. This year I chose the word "adventure". I have been wanting to have an adventure and have been searching for something I could embark on that would be a true adventure for me. When I was at Women's Conference at BYU, I met 2 women that had just returned from a service mission for our church and they were so excited telling me all about their "adventure". They encouraged me to do it. . . I thought about it and that night and for a couple of night after that I didn't sleep, I just thought about what they had said and wondered if I could do it. After much prayer and study, I knew it was the right thing to do.. I am going to serve a mission.. So I started filling out my paperwork and making Dr. appointments to complete all the necessary requirements. In the last two weeks I have been to the Dr.'s for : a full physical, pap test, extensive blood work, a Hep A & Hep B vaccine and a tetanus shot, a TB test, a mammogram, a bone density scan, a dental appointment including x-rays, a colonoscopy and a visit to the cardiologist. All tests have come back great and I am finished with that portion of my paperwork.

I had my daughter-in-law Jamie take a new portrait of me to send in with my paperwork. I will send in my papers probably in the next week and then it takes 4 to 6 weeks to hear where I will be assigned and what I will be doing there. It is so exciting and I am so anxious to find out just where that will be. It could be anywhere in the U.S. or even International. I am so at peace with this decision that I know it is the right one. When I was watching the final episode of the Oprah show she made this statement," that she wanted to be more of herself and use her life to serve in the world".. I want to do just that. She also said, " everyone has a calling and your calling let's you know that you are exactly where you are suppose to be & doing exactly what you are suppose to be doing".. So I will be waiting for my calling to see where I will be and what I should be doing. . . .
So you can see I have been busy

My new favorite quote:

"Nothing is certain,

Life is a journey

and there is no predicting

the outcome.

The only thing

you can control

are the choices you

make each day."

As I thought about Mother's Day and what I am thankful for, I reflected on my own mother and her love for me and mine for her. I was raised by a woman who was kind, humble, loving, funny, and my best cheerleader. She taught me about motherhood and was the example of the kind of mom I wanted to be. Our home was always happy and filled with love. She was so supportive of anything I undertook in my life. I am so thankful for her and her example to me and I miss being able to share my life with her now.

A mother is she who can take the place of all others,

but whose place no one else can take.

I am so proud of my 3 children and their families and love them so very much. I am also very lucky to be able to have lived close to them most of their married lives.

They make being a Mom wonderful.Along with being a very thankful Mom I am also a very thankful Grams, to 14 awesome grandchildren and "1" very special great-grandaughter.

Last week my daughter Kristan and our friend Carol and I traveled to Provo, Utah for the annual Women's Conference. . It is 2 days filled with wonderful classes and inspirational speakers. There are about 24,000 women who attend and it is amazing. On Weds. evening before the conference started Kristan and I attended a Peru Missionary Mom's dinner. There were about 20 there and it was so fun to hear their stories and share thoughts and pictures with them. On Thursday morning Kristan, Carol and I ventured out at 6:30 a.m. to head over to the Marriott Center on BYU campus to be a part of a 600 member choir,

that would perform for the opening session of the conference.

I am not a singer, but sitting with those women I felt like I could do it.
We met each morning in the Marriott Center for the opening session with wonderful music, speakers and then we could attend any of hundreds of classes throughout the campus during the day. We met back at the Marriott Center for closing session each day. While the conference is going on there are also many service and humanitarian stations that we can help put together items for charities and those in need. They have many, many hands on projects to choose from and the end results are awe inspiring as to the amount of work that is accomplished in those 2 days. Thousands of hygiene kits, hundreds of quilts and fleece blankets, journals, hats for cancer victims, and many others. After the service projects, we attended a concert that included; David Osmond, Hillary Weeks, Jenny Oaks Baker, Cheri Call, Focal Point and Kirby Heyborne was the M.C. It was an amazing concert and the 2 hours flew by. We attended classes again on Friday and then at the end of the day we were honored to have Elder David Bednar as the closing speaker. To sit in a huge venue like the Marriott Center with 24,000 women was so inspiring.. After the closing session we went to one of our favorite spots "Brick Oven" for dinner. It is a tradition to go there at least once each visit to Provo. We shopped and had a fun evening.

Saturday morning we woke up to SNOW..
It was beautiful and covered everything with about 3 1/2 " .

The flowers on campus were peeking out of the white fluff.

My car had never seen snow before.

The roads were clear even with all the snow and we headed back to sunny Arizona.

In the sunny southwest the jacaranda trees are blooming and they are beautiful.

This week I have ballgames, the Hello Dolly production and a H.S. choir concert to attend. Busy fun week.

April Happenings

This week was fun and busy:

• I helped family with picking up grandkids and dropping off grandkids. always fun to be able to spend some one on one time with them.


• Helped my friend Connie with her move on a couple days. She is moving into a condo in the same complex as me.. will be fun to have her right around the corner.


• Attended my 3 C's group and had a very fun mini class making cute Easter baskets.


• Went out to lunch with my friend Kathy and her daughter-in -law Kelly.. Introduced them to Humble Pie, love the chopped salad and the BLT pizza there..


• Held my "embossed card class", and had a great time with the ladies in attendance. I just love teaching and love to interact with the gals in my classes.


• Attended the high school production of "The Music Man", that my grandaughter Madi was performing in.. What an amazing job they all did, the music was wonderful, the costumes and sets were right on and they all did an awesome job.


• The desert is starting to come alive with vibrant color as the Paloverde trees and cactus start showing off there beautiful flowers and the colors in the flowering plants and bushes are amazing.. so bright.


• On the way to church yesterday the sky was filled with hot air balloons.. It was difficult to drive and not look up at all the balloons in the air.. I saw 14 at one time..


• Taught my adorable "3" year olds at church..they are so cute and I just love it.


• Made a pot of vegetable soup and had my new neighbor over for dinner on Sunday.

Some of the cards we created on Weds. evening.

The hot air balloons looked just like this on Sunday morning in the sky overhead.

My youngest son Jason celebrated his "39" birthday yesterday. He is an amazing man, a wonderful husband, and terrific father.. He is so very involved in the activities of his family and so supportive to each one of them. He is an awesome son and always willing to be at my service if needed, I love spending time with him..

Sister

Last week my sister Judy celebrated her birthday.. I was down here in Phoenix and she was up in Idaho. I wish we could have celebrated this special day together..but things were not that way. I only have one sister and no brothers, so we are very close, in fact she is my best friend. Even though we live very far from each other we keep in touch as we talk almost every day and many days more than once a day. We visit each other several times a year as she comes to spend time with me and I go to Idaho and spend time with her. I am very lucky to have her in my life and want her to know how much I love her and what an inspiration she is to me. We both love so many of the same things, movies, going out to lunch together, shopping, scrapbooking, spending time with our families. She has always been there when I needed her most and I would be with her anytime she needs me. I love this quote by Deborah McDonald "The only real important thing in life is the love we have for each other". Happy Birthday Judy.

Wow, where has the month gone.. It has been a fun busy month:

• Started Weight Watchers, to get in better shape both physically and mentally.. Have lost 13 pounds so far.. have 40 more to go, but I really do love this program.. Eating lots of fruits and veggies and added in are whole grains, protein, and even have extra points to go out once in a while. So I don't feel that I am being deprived at all.
• Going to my "3 C's" (chocolate, cards & conversation) each Weds. morning and loving it.. I have made new friends and love the inspiration I receive each week as we share ideas and creative techniques.
• Held my monthly Cricut Class and created a cute mini album.

• Attended choir concerts for 3 of my grandaughters, a concert at the PV mall for the performance of another grandaughter.
• Attended the temple with my grandson Kelly as he prepares to go on his mission.
• Several great family parties this month.
• Got to listen to great speakers at our 4 church conference meetings. Such inspirational thoughts and topics it really spoke to my heart.
• Attended a fund raiser for Pinnacle Choir at Rubios.. (that is a great way to support a school fundraiser and have a fun night out).
• Taught my cute 3 year olds in church each Sunday..they are so fun to be with.
• Met my BFF's special friend JK from Boston at her meet and greet party last night.
• Took my adorable great-grandaughter Malorie to have her picture taken at my daughter-in-law Jamie's with the cutest baby ducks.

Malorie 10 months old

• Last Sunday was my grandson Kelly's mission farewell and he gave a wonderful talk at church and my 4 grandaughter's sang for it. Made me so proud of all of them. Kelly reported to the Mission Training Center in Provo, Utah this past Weds. to prepare for his mission in Columbia, South Carolina. He was so very excited. I got to spend last Monday with him running those last errands to help him get ready to leave. He will be a wonderful missionary.

• I have been watching Teegan, Shadow (dog ,cat) and fish this week while my son Steve and his family take Kelly up to Provo to the Mission Training Center.

So all in all it has been a busy month and I have loved it all. I have been busy getting my samples and kits ready for my up-coming classes in the next couple weeks and anxious to take another Copic class this coming Weds. I will be learning how to use the Copic markers to color all the different faces..at a cute scrapbook store in Chandler called Stamp Works.

The weather is beautiful, cool evenings and gorgeous days. The flowers are starting to bloom and the colors are so vibrant and beautiful. I really do love this time of year here in the desert Southwest.

A friend for life. . . .

I was in the first grade when I first met Kathie Hostetler. We were each the princesses from our elementary schools for the "Milk Fund Jamboree, sponsored by the school district. I was representing Lakeview Elementary and Kathie was representing Lincoln Elementary. We wore beautiful long formals and our partners were all decked out in their best suits. In the picture above I am on the far right and Kathie is the fourth from the left. My class was moved from Lakeview Elementary to Lincoln Elementary shortly after Christmas that year and thus began our life long friendship. We both have birthdays in August, so we would have joint birthday parties, & we were in Girl Scouts together,

we were the 6th grade "cheerleaders" for Lincoln together

Our lives were intertwined throughout those years. She lived in town and I lived 3 miles out in the "country" in our small town in Idaho. We ran around with the same group of friends all through Lincoln Elementary, West Junior High and Nampa High school. There were parties, dances, county fairs, sleep-overs, school functions, football & basketball games, and we were all one group together. The memories are wonderful and last week Kathie and her husband Steve, who now live in the San Francisco area were in town to attend some baseball spring training games. We got together on Saturday evening for dinner and memories. We sat at the restaurant for 2 1/2 hours and talked and laughed and remembered all those wonderful years. Steve was a good friend of Kent's so he had some fun memories to share on the guy side of things. It was so fun to reconnect and plan to do so each year they come to Arizona for spring training..
what a great memory that evening was.

Then we were 4

Today is my daughter Kristan's birthday. We really have so much fun together and I love traveling with her. Here we are in Houston a couple years ago. She is such a joy and I am so proud of the woman she has become and what a wonderful wife and mother and grandmother she is. She is truly an inspiration to me as well as those around her.

February 22, 1968 was a cold rainy night in Seattle, Washington. I had been in what I thought was labor all day not quite sure, so I was cleaning house and getting ready for "maybe" going to have my baby "soon".. I called my Dr. around 9 p.m. and told him about my day and he suggested I go to the hospital. So I took a shower and really didn't rush, because I thought they would surely send me home.. So Kent, Steve & I headed for Northwest Hospital.. I got checked in and Kent took Steve over to some friends house for the evening. He was gone less than an hour and when he walked back into the hospital my Dr. said OK lets go have this baby.. It was 11:30 and it was George Washington's birthday..Everyone kept teasing me that I would have to call this new baby George or Martha.. I really was opposed to that idea.
Since it was a holiday all the Dr.'s and nurses were talking about what they

had done over the holiday.. Then all of a sudden here she came..

Wow that was easy I thought.. no pain and 2 pushes and I had a beautiful baby girl.

Kristan was born & she was 22" long and weighed 8lb. 11 oz. The most beautiful baby I had ever seen, of course everyone in the delivery room agreed. Kristan meeting her big brother Steve

2 months old

6 months old

Easter 1968

Christmas 1968

Me. Kristan, Steve & my Mom



One of my favorite pictures
Happy Birthday Kristan

My goal is a healthy me. . . . .

It seems like it has been forever since I posted anything on my blog.. since I got home from my trip to Idaho. I have been keeping busy with classes and projects. I have re-discovered a love for stamping and really enjoy how relaxing it is to color with my Copic markers and turn out fun images to add to cards or pages. I am teaching 4 classes each month in my home and taking a couple classes myself from other teachers..

I got to spend an evening watching my sweet great-grandaughter Malorie last week and it was so fun. She has the greatest personality and is always happy.. I can't believe she is 9 months old already. She and her mom and dad have all had a terrible bout with the flu, in fact she ended up in the ER 3 times, but all is good now..

I joined Weight Watchers 2 weeks ago and am finding it pretty easy to follow. I get to fix my own meals and eat pretty much anything I want as long as I count the points associated with each thing I eat. Fruit and veggies are zero points and we can eat as much as we want of these.. As you know I am a chocolate and crunchy junkie, so this has been a challenge in the afternoon when the munchies hit about 3:00. I used to get chips or cookies or candy to satisfy this urge..now I get carrots, or stuffed celery or even a WW bar.. I know it will go slow, but I am determined to do it, for my health. I am walking on my treadmill and watching the golfers out my window.. I lost "2" pounds the first week and I am anxious to see what happens this week. The group I go to class with is so up-lifting and supportive that it really makes it fun to go.

In my Cricut class this week, we are learning to cut on vinyl and going to make a wooden plaque to hang in our homes. They will paint the plaque, sand and antique it and then cut out the words on their Cricuts and then I will show them how to weed, mask and apply their words to their plaque. Should be a fun class.