You play the piano?

Yesterday and early this morning the piano filled the house with strains of "We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet." When asked about it, Christian related this tale. He was in seminary and someone asked if others had ever felt so nervous they couldn't eat. Christian replied that he always felt that way when he has a piano recital (he has one this Thursday evening). His seminary teacher overheard the conversation and said, "I didn't know you played the piano, you will have to accompany the class, our current pianist could use a break!" 

He may never eat again, but like he said, it won't last long he only know about three Hymns.

A Humming Moth?

The other day I was heading up the stairs and noticed something flying around our weeping cherry in the front yard. At first glance I though it was a humming bird. A humming bird is not that unusual but this one looked a little different - smaller and well... it had antennas? Jenn and I watched it for a while and then I decided to get out the camera to see if we could solve the mystery. It was a very large moth that seemed to like having it's picture taken! We could see it's tongue sticking into the flowers (can you see it in the picture?) and even got a picture of it all curled up going back into it's mouth but that picture came out blurry. It was really cool. That evening we told Christian about it and went out in the evening and found three or four flying around the tree. The next morning as the kids were heading out to school there were a bunch of birds flying around and two finches were fighting over one of our humming moths! How Rude!

Amy Graduates from BYU

Way to go Amy and Jordan!

 Amy graduated today with a BS in Early Childhood Education. She already has a job teaching half day kindergarten in the Fall. (Guess who gets to help babysit?) Graduating from college is hard enough in and of itself but doing it married while your spouse is in school and having a baby too is pretty incredible! We couldn't be prouder. We sure love you!

It came!

Today we got a call from Elder Robbie. His visa arrived and he flies to Sao Paulo tomorrow with half of his district. Wow, that was really unexpected. I had gotten used to the idea of him being in Provo for the next month and a half. I was planning packages to send him and now he leaves tomorrow. He gave me a list of things he needs, I rounded them up and Aaron took them over to the MTC. It seems silly that it caught me off guard. I guess I had started taking comfort in him being close by for just a little longer before flying off to a different hemisphere. When he talked to us he replied in Portuguese. It was really cool. What an amazing place the MTC is. Two weeks ago he stepped out of my reach to some degree but tomorrow he will be completely out of my reach and in the Lord's hands. Hard for me sometimes but there's no place I would rather have him be. Pray for him... and for me too.

Inkom Idaho

I didn't know it existed either but it does! Christian Jennifer and I went to Mark's race this past Saturday in  Inkom, Idaho just south of Pocatello. It's called the Tax Day Challenge. Mark's team, "Bountiful Mazda" helped put on this race so I drove wheel support for 45+ (Mark's race) and then we helped marshall one of the corners. The race went from the elementary school for about 7 miles through a residential area to a loop that they rode 4.5 times. I think it was around 35 miles all together. The first half of the loop was up hill with the very last part quite steep and then downhill for half a loop. We got to drive behind the riders in the van with extra wheels in case someone got a flat. It was really fun. Mark ended up getting fourth, his team is still trying to work out some kinks so they are working together better. It was the first race of the year for some of the guys. Mark's team is in the orange and blue, I don't think you can see his number but he has silver shoes and his back is often more parallel to the ground. There is still quite a bit of snow but it was between 45 and 55 degrees.

Half Empty or Half Full?

I noticed today that when I have a bad day I keep track of all the things that go wrong - why is that? So I can prove to people that I had a bad day, that some force is working against me? Do I need them to feel sorry for me? Does it help me to feel better to complain to those around me? Actually, I just feel worse... So, let me tell you what was good about my day. My wonderful kids got up this morning (it's their spring break) so we could have scripture study before I went to school. Because I was late for aerobics I was able to take a call from the MTC, Elder Rob was right there and I heard him say, "Tell her I love her" in the background. He is fine - just requesting some Tshirts, his shampoo and a fleece blanket. Because of spring break I was still able to get a decent spot (not behind the pole) for step aerobics. Because the showers were closed at the gym today I had time to go by the Postal Net store and see that I didn't have to get the packages there until 3:30 to get them to Robbie today. (Don't worry, I took a "girls camp" shower before I went to class.) It was in the mid 60's today so I soaked up plenty of vitamin D as I walked to school without my jacket.  I saw a great T-shirt that said "Duct tape is like The Force - it binds the universe together" - truly words to live by, and look at my flowers, soaking up some sun. Have a great day!

Sister Richenbach

A while ago I discovered an email on classmates.com from Tommie Fuchagami. She is the same age as my youngest sister, Linda, and we grew up in the same ward in Canoga Park CA. It was really fun to reconnect with her and find out about people we both knew. One of the people I asked about was Berta Richenbach. (I hope I am spelling her name right, that's how I spelled it when I was 10.) Sister Richenbach was the primary music leader when I was in primary. I loved music time and she made it especially fun. I remember she had a really cool glass (looking back now I think it may have been a brandy sniffer?) that she put a little pieces of paper in with each of our names on it. Each music time she would pick out a name of some one to help her by holding posters or making the thermometer go up or down depending on how well we sang. One time she asked Lisa and me to meet with her at her home to learn a song ahead of time to help her teach it to the rest of the primary. The song was "Shine On". The song was really high and we had to go to her house a lot to get it right - I especially struggled but did better with Lisa singing beside me. The day came to teach it to the rest of the primary, we sang it through a few times and then Lisa had her name picked! I was mortified but sang as quietly as I could by myself. Sister Richenbach was so appreciative of our help. Later in the week I got a personal thank you card from her in the mail. Just getting mail was cause to celebrate but in her note she told me that she tought I was a special young lady. That made such an impression on me. Someone who didn't have to think I was special did. I thought about that a lot. Maybe Heavenly Father thinks I'm special too, maybe he has a work on this earth that only I can do. Sometimes when I felt like I was worthless I remembered that I had a work to do that was uniquely my own and it gave me hope. Many of these thoughts which later convictions gained strength and credibility with that thank you note. Sister Richenbach - thank you for writing that note to me. It made a big difference.  

WHAAAAAT?!

 I walked down the stairs this morning, 6:20 AM, still dark, time to get breakfast and pack lunches to get the kids off to school. I looked out the little window in front of the stairs  and what did I see? No popcorn on the apricot tree but SNOW! I mean come on. Its April 11th for heaven's sake. What happened to March coming in like a lion and out like a LAMB. Where is our Lamb? April showers bring May flowers....I don't think they were referring to snow showers! Everyone chant together "I WANT SPRING, I WANT SPRING!" My poor daffodils. Look on the far right on the picture below, can you see my little purple anemones? Of course you can't, their buried in snow! We gave Aaron and Celisa 

an old Oak desk that we don't need anymore and he is refinishing it. Last night I moved the van out of the garage and parked it on the street so he could get started. I said, "I don't mind parking on the street as long as it doesn't snow!" and of course I had to drive carpool this morning! I guess I still need to check the weather report! Are you still chanting? I can't hear you!

April 9th

Last December, overcome with emotion, Robbie read his mission call: Report to the Sau Paulo Brazil MTC on April 9th. Wow, that's  far away - a long time to wait, four and a half months. But at the same time that cold day in December was a long time in coming too. 

Visa's to Brazil were delayed so Robbie was instructed to enter the Provo MTC today at 1:00. At 11:30 this is morning we zipped up all the suitcases and headed out for lunch, but not until Mark gave him a beautiful fathers blessing. I was wearing makeup before that but afterwards you couldn't tell - except for the mascara smear on Robbie's collar - don't worry, it came out. I decided reapplying makeup would be pointless.

At lunch we realized that his immunization forms we needed to keep handy got left on the kitchen table... good thing we live close by.  We arrived with time to spare.

Aaron joined us for lunch but couldn't make it to the MTC. It was cold, hard to tell it was April.

Robbie went in one door and we went in another one. He got his badge with a dot noting that he is a new missionary and then came over to our side of the lobby. Everything had his name spelled right except his badge. He'll be getting a new one soon. 

(It's ZimBELman) just in case you were wondering. 

I can't remember when I've seen him smile as he did today. He just beamed. He looked like a grown man, like a missionary. Everyone held it together pretty well. Seeing how happy he was made it hard not to. What a great young man, and a great missionary. No big crying session for me. Just bouts now and then. I will miss this awesome young man, but I wouldn't have him anyplace else. April 9th has come and is almost gone. Approx. 729 days until he comes home. I wonder about the experiences he will have during the next 729 days, I wonder about the growth that will take place, the joys and sorrows that he will experience so many miles away. I can't be there to wrap my arms around him and comfort him or to remind him that all these things shall give him experience and prepare him for what lies ahead. He will have to learn to rely on his Heavenly Father and in so doing will be all the stronger. 729 days... wow, that's  far away - a long time to wait. But just like April 9th, the hours, weeks and months will pass and looking back it will seem like it passed so quickly and he will be home. Back among us but hopefully never quite the same. 

Robbie's digital media project

I wanted to post the actual video but you will have to use the link under "check it out" as the video is too big to post here. Robbie did a great job putting this together. He and his friend Jeremy are the ones skateboarding and I think maybe Blake too, I'm not sure. Count the number of times you cringe, (I still do). I'm glad they are not allowed to take skateboards on missions. Enjoy.  

Getting ready to go

This is the corner of the family room. This is Elder Zimbelman's luggage in the process of being packed. It's not the most convenient place... last night I had to throw him down his shorts (his room is in the basement) so he could go play soccer. Why is it in the family room? Sunday I asked him to move it away from the front door in the living room...

All we need is a laundry bag and to exchange the aerosol bug spray for non aerosol. Oh yea and to finish putting together his first aid kit... he needs some Band-Aids. 

He gets set apart tonight at 9:00. Can you believe it?

Ruby's Blessing.

I'm a little late with this one, life has been a little crazy lately. Ruby was blessed on March 30th. Jordan gave her a beautiful blessing. She is blessed to have such a wonderful father and mother. She was blessed in the same dress Amy and Jennifer were blessed in. I made it from left over material from my wedding dress. I never thought it would be come an heirloom. This isn't the best picture, I've been playing around with photography and you can see why a reflector is needed on the other side. Sorry Jordan about the shadow on your face!

Family Pictures

We took family pics today and I think they went well. We had minor wardrobe issues at the last minute by nothing major. It rained, snowed and hailed of and on most of the day so we didn't decide until the last minute if we were going to try and shoot outside or go to a studio. It was cloudy but didn't look to threatening so we went outside. Ruby was asleep so we got all the other ones first and then she began to wake up so we got their little family and it began to sprinkle a little. We got the family together really quick and started taking pictures. Then it began to really snow. Ruby was a trooper through the whole thing. What a cutie. The timing of it all was truly a blessing although if we went earlier we would have had more time. It got really cold and windy and the snow just kept coming so we moved to the studio and took a few studio shots. We went to dinner afterward and I sat across from Robbie. I asked him what he wanted to do Wednesday morning before he goes in the MTC. He said we should go bowling. Really? No...."no offense but I just wants to get out of here!" It has been a long time coming for all of us. What an interesting time, very much in limbo. A wonderful son and cherished friend to be away for 2 years in a far away place I know so little about, doing exactly what he ought to be doing, exactly what I've prayed for these past years. And me at home wondering about his moments of joy and anguish. Wondering what he is learning and what he is eating. Hoping he laughs more than he cries and always sending my thoughts and love out to him. Always praying for him and wondering about the man he will be when he comes home. 

I'll post the pictures when we get them.