What I did on my Thanksgiving Vacation

Discovered a new ice cream that is going to be a contender with "Chubby Hubby" for favorite ice cream. So yummy!!


Painted Christmas ornament sun catchers with the kids.

Lost Five Crowns more spectacularly than ever before. I usually do lose, but not this bad. I think I have really bad luck. Or maybe I should play other games.

A picture of the winner (smile), loser (frown), and those in the middle (no expression). This pose was Ms. K's idea. She is the resident photographer.


Ate lots of yummy food. Most people have one, maybe two desserts. We had two types of pumpkin pie, pecan tarts, mince pie, and German chocolate cake.


Asked my niece Ms. C what it would take to get her to come to BYU. I'm thinking a boy named Mr. A has more influence than me :) Notice the whipped cream on the cake. And the Parrott family in Atlanta thought I was crazy for putting cream on pecan pie!


Celebrated my brother's birthday. Hence the German chocolate cake-- his favorite.


Had a girls day out with my mom. We went to Rainbow Gardens. Rainbow Gardens used to be a swimming pool (in the 1960's) and a bowling alley. Now it is a gift shop and restaurant. Rainbow Gardens is one of my favorite places to shop because they have really unique gifts. Usually we go shopping here the day after Christmas because every thing is half-price. We did find these really cute ornaments. We bought four to put in each of my parent's windows. They look "super-duper" cute in person.After shopping and realizing our taste far exceed our budgets we had lunch at the Greenery (located at Rainbow Gardens). It was a fun afternoon with my mom.

I am Grateful For...

G- Gospel of Jesus Christ. It gives my life meaning, purpose, and direction.

R- Relationships. I am surrounded by incredible people at work and in my neighborhood. I am blessed by their association.

A- Airplanes. I love to travel and am grateful that I don't have to drive to many destinations.

T- Temple. The Mt. Timpanogos celestial room is my favorite place on earth.

E- Exercise. Our bodies are amazing.

F- Family. I am grateful for parents who love each other and who love me. I am grateful for siblings who have children so that I can be the favorite aunt.

U- University. I am grateful for the opportunity for a university education and the continuing opportunity to work at BYU.

L- The little things like food, clothes, electricity, clean water, comfortable bed, and heat (my friend Karen's daughter is in China. The government controls when the heat is turned on. It just got turned on this week-- she has been freezing!).

Life is Good.

Grateful to be Tired

I spent several hours yesterday raking leaves and working in my yard. I did manage to get all the leaves bagged before the wind blew too hard and any storm came. I went to bed physically exhausted. My body hurts this morning. It feels good to be physically tired for a change, instead of just emotionally drained from 8 (or 9-10) hours of work. I am grateful to have a physical body that moves.
Life is Good.

Christmas Wish List

My dream job is to travel the world and eat at fabulous restaurants. This book would probably be a good place to start.

Perspective

I went to a wedding reception tonight. The bride is 27 and the groom 23. They did a program at the start of the reception which included a slide show about their life. The bride said that she had cried many tears wondering if she would ever meet "prince charming." PLEASE!! She is only 27. If she was almost 42, then I may have had some sympathy for her. I guess it is all about perspective. In the big scheme of things-- 27 is so young! Her comment reminded me of my students who come to my office and wonder what they are going to do with their life because they are in their early 20s, graduating from college, and they are not married. What ever happened to having a plan for your life and following that plan, and in the process being open to the Lord's guiding hand? That sounds like a reasonable approach. What do you think?

Life is Good!

Grateful Once Again

I have to talk in church on Sunday. The topic is "Living in Thanksgiving Daily." I admit, I've been having a hard time feeling grateful the last couple of days. It doesn't make for a good state of mind to develop a talk about gratitude. But then today a friend brought me a piece of peanut butter fudge from the BYU Bookstore. It was medicine to help me feel better. And, it worked. I think it worked not so much because of the tasty chocolate and peanut butter, but it because of what the gesture meant-- that someone was thinking about me and cared enough to do something nice.

One of the things I am talking about on Sunday is "opening our arms" to reach and help others in need and expressing thanks. Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin stated, "every time we cheer another's heart, every time we ease another's burden, every time we lift a weary hand, we show our gratitude to that God to whom we owe all that we have and all that we are."

Tonight I made a list of all the people in my neighborhood who have been so good to me in the last seven years. I have really been blessed. I need to do more to "open my arms."

BYU Devotional

A couple of weeks ago I received a call from the BYU vice-president's office. Being contacted by the VPs office always initiates lots of questions in my mind-- mainly, "what could this possibly mean." After playing phone tag, we finally connected and he asked me to speak at devotional next semester. As my dad said, "You?!?" Yes, me.

After worrying for a few days and developing cold sores due to the stress, I told myself that I wasn't going to worry about it until the official letter arrived in the mail. It arrived last Friday. And today my name appears in the university's devotional calendar along with some other very distinguished guests. So I guess it is official. I've started to identify a topic and outline a talk. It will probably take me two months to get ready. And yes, Jill, if you come to listen you can sit on the playing floor in the cushy seats.


Life is Good.

Grateful

Earlier this year one of our students was in a skiing accident that left her paralyzed. She has since returned to school and is in a wheelchair. I have only talked to her once. A few weeks ago she was waiting to use the handicap stall in the restroom while a dance student used it as a changing room (despite numerous signs telling students to not use the restroom as a changing room). She recognized me from a poster in the hallway. We briefly chatted. After this I promised myself that I would not be so thoughtless and use a handicap stall again.

Anyway, I saw this student again tonight. I was leaving work in my car and making a right hand-turn at the intersection. I was in a hurry to get home because I needed to exercise before going to a baby shower. At the intersection there is a dip between the end of the sidewalk and the road. She was at the bottom and appeared to be straining to get the wheels started and going and up the slight incline. My mind raced back to earlier in the day when I had easily walked across campus to the Marriott Center to listen to devotional, and then up to the Wilkinson Center twice. It hit me how blessed I am to walk with relative ease. I wonder what our student will do when winter comes. I can't imagine that getting around in a wheelchair in 3 inches of snow would be very fun.

I wonder if there are ever days that she wishes she had the use of her legs again. She is a source inspiration. I wonder how many people would return to school after a life-altering accident? I am sure she is more dedicated than many other students who have full use of their legs.

I am grateful to walk! Life is good.

Grateful

It is November and the beginning of the holiday season. Yeah!! Each day I am trying to think of one thing for which I am grateful. Here are three things on the top of my list this week:

1- Loyal friends. I am grateful for friends that last through the ups and downs of life. It is comforting to know that no matter what happens, that if you say or do stupid things, or if your emotions get out of control, that they understand you and stand by you. Loyal friends are the best.

2- Cross references in scriptures. It is so much easier to study the scriptures using the footnotes. I am grateful for all those people who were involved in this project. I remember when my dad got a book that was called "Topical Guide." How great it is to have the topical guide right in the Bible and Book of Mormon. These cross-references are coming in handy as I try to prepare a BYU devotional talk for February.

3- Sight. One of my favorite things about fall is the changing color of leaves. On the path I walk each day there is a Japanese Maple that is still displaying vibrant red leaves. So beautiful. I am grateful I can see.

Life is Good.

It Doesn't Get Much Better Than This...

Dear Rosemary,
You are the best aunt in the world. I LOVE YOU so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so much. Do you love me? Love Ms. K