Special Day: January

Last year Russ and I started a tradition with our kids. Every month we take turns taking them out individually for a "special day." They love it, we love it and we highly recommend it. The child gets to choose the activity and without fail they like to include some sort of treat in their plan. It's a great way to do activities that won't work for the entire family because of age differences, costs, or lack of interest. We've done things like sporting events, painting pictures in the park, bowling, and long bike rides.

This January it was my turn to have a special day with Camen. He chose to go running on BYU's indoor track. He's in much better shape than I am. After he lapped me, (and laughed at me) I decided that it's time to get back in shape. Afterwards we went to MickeyD's for a grease laden breakfast, and it was good and it felt like the modern American thing to do.

Draper Temple Dedication

On Saturday, January 24th we attended the Draper Utah Temple Open House. For those who aren't LDS, a temple open house precedes the dedication of a new temple and is open to the general public. The first open house I attended was in 1986 in the Denver Colorado Temple, the second was the Mount Timpanogos Temple (American Fork, UT) in 1996, and the third was this one. It's an exciting once-in-a-decade kind of experience for me. We looked forward to taking our kids and showing them the inside of the place that we talk so much about. It is meaningful to have a tangible connection to the temple since they won't be able experience it for themselves until they are much older.

We went with Russ' parents and really enjoyed their company and help while we waited for our turn. The tour included a brief movie about temples shown in a nearby church that explained a temple's significance and educated us on the history of the city of Draper and the surrounding area. We then entered the temple and walked quietly through the baptistry, the endowment rooms, the celestial room and the sealing rooms.

More than a million people walked through the Draper Temple open house, so the traffic was steady and had a necessary directional flow to maintain order and reverence. As we entered the celestial room (that symbolizes heaven) I noticed a man and his four young children had left the designated walkway and were huddled together. He held his children close and they all looked upward together while it seemed that he was explaining something.



He wasn't wearing a wedding ring and it was obvious that a mother was missing from this family. His eyes conveyed deep emotion and the children's expressions were mostly inquisitive. It occurred to me that perhaps their mother had passed away and this father was taking time with his children to review, in this setting, things they had talked about before. The thought brought tears to my eyes.

Death can be such a vicious and painful divider between loved ones, but the ordinances of the temple and the great power of the Savior's Atonement ensures that the separation is only temporary.

Sorry Guys

Savannah and I sat down yesterday afternoon and looked through a Utah Valley magazine. There was an advertisement for prom dresses on the back and she wanted to know when I was going to get a dress like that. I tried to explain that those dresses are for girls in high school and that when she gets older she could go on a date with a boy and wear a pretty dress, pretty earrings and do her hair like the models in the advertisement. I just knew that my three year old, who loves dressing up and reading fairy tales would get excited about a real life ball.


Her response was, "I'm going to be busy."

"Oh," I said, "you're going to be busy?"

"Yes. I'm going to be busy... shopping." Then another pause. "I just want to go shopping."

So there you have it boys. Don't ask this princess, she's not interested.

2009 Will Be Fine!

Emily is my inspiration. She posted this on her blog, and after reading a few I decided I want a list of my own. I had to stop reading hers before I finished my own, in hopes to be semi-original.

In 2009 I have 25 goals to make the year better.

#1 Make a snowman.

#2 Install Carbon Monoxide detectors (Thank to an old friend on Facebook for bringing my attention to this simple and important safety measure.)

#3 Complete magazine project. Pictures and explanation will come later.

#4 Write a book, a children's book that is.

#5 Bake bread. This may seem simple to some, but for me this is a major undertaking. Baking and I just don't get along.

#6 Attend my first live performance by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

#7 Plan and execute "Operation Us." This means Russ and I get to spend a day or two or three by ourselves.

#8 Make a sandcastle at the beach.

#9 De-clutter the closets.

#10 Run a 5k. (I've got to start somewhere.)

#11 Make Chicken Tiki Masala. I had some on my birthday and have been craving it ever since.

#12 Make a movie for Mason.

#13 Make a movie for Savannah.

#14 Make a movie for Naomi.

#15 Make a movie for Camen.

#16 Learn how to make a very authentic Italian dish. My brother-in-law Tyson will be my mentor.

#17 Visit a planetarium.

#18 Hike in southern Utah.

#19 Ride Splash Mountain for the first time.

#20 Put up outdoor Christmas lights.

#21 Spend an afternoon reading a book under a tree.

#22 Visit a local museum that I've never been to before.

#23 Attend a theatrical production.

#24 Go Fishing

#25 Star gaze with all the kids.

Just like dominoes..

Families should share. Except when it comes to viruses, then all sharing should stop immediately. The stomach flu is a terrible virus that is so hard to contain, especially with little people. We were struck just after the holidays and down we went, just like dominoes - one after another. Parents know to avoid this like the plague and I was very sad that because of the ill-timed intrusion we missed visits from family (Tim and Jen) and friends (Ben and Mary Ann). Alex and Melanie came to visit only because they knew they could leave their kids with their sister and not expose them to invisible monster.

To celebrate New Years, Russ and I take turns making our plans for the big night. This year it was Russ's turn. He didn't feel well and desperately needed rest in bed. We watched a movie and went to sleep just after midnight (and the neighbors fireworks). Then at 1:00 a.m. we awoke to a sick child, then again at 3:00 a.m. and then 5:00 a.m.. Not exactly a happy new year, but the bright side is that it will only get better.