Happy day--Hall Report....

Good news from Jessica: She got a new job with RISE, a company which provides services for children and youth with disabilities to help them remain with families rather than in group homes and hospitals. She has been looking for a new job since things have been unstable at her current job with Head Start in Ogden because they might lose their federal funding. She is sad to leave the kids but glad to move forward to a new job. This company is expanding in Utah and is located in other places as well which gives room for upperward movement which she is glad about. It is located in Salt Lake and she will be moving down there in March. That will be sad for us since it will take more planning to see her but she is excited.

We survived the Blue and Gold Banquet (not that we had much to do. We have amazing Scout leaders who are "crazy" at the lengths they will go to plan a great Pack Meeting). We did a "Knights of the Roundtable" theme and ate with our hands (drumsticks, cooked potatoes, rolls, and carrot sticks with ecliars for dessert.

We jousted, catapulted, and lanced (is that a word).

It was great fun. Now I have to really start planning for Pack meeting next month. I am in charge of it as part of my ticket for my Wood Badge.

I have actually now completed three of the five goals for Wood Badge. I have the Pack Meeting in March and to complete the year History for our Pack which will be finished in August after Day Camps and summer Pack Meetings.

I also finshed "Your Excellency, George Washington" which was long but very interesting. It has been fun to read these biographies and then be reading Jena's US History book with her. I have started on "The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin". Reading these books has made me want to expand out and read about James Madison and Alexander Hamiliton. There are always at least two sides to every story.

Jena also likes biographies too. She was read one on Abbigail Adams (that her teacher had) and is now reading one on Abe Lincoln that I found at Barnes and Noble.

Not to be forgotten from this past week is the amazing cookies Tosha made. You might not know that Tosha makes great cookies to eat. However her designs and decorating skills are amazing as well. I wish I had taken some pictures but we ate them before I could think of that. Next time....
you will want some of your own.

Gary got a new bowling ball and used it for the first time last week. It is one of those weighted balls that is suppose to have amazing spin once you learn how to use it. Gary says it will take some getting used to but he thinks he is going to like it. I am also the owner of a new ball(Christmas present from Gary), now drilled for my hand. However, I haven't used it yet. Maybe this week.

Yesterday, we got to go see Chantel run in an indoor track meet at Weber State. It was exciting to see her race and as an added bonus she won the race. It was close at the end and she said she was so glad when she heard the timers yell out "purple, red (U of U racer)" because that is when she knew for sure she had won.

Here are Jena and Gary as we were waiting for races at the meet.

We left right after Chantel's race to "race" to Gary's mom's house to watch the BYU game (yea, cougars.) and then Jena and I "raced" to dinner with Jena's friend, Kaitlyn, who then went with us to see "FIddle on the Roof" at Legacy Junior High (which was excellent, especially for a junior high). Lots of the neighborhood kids were in it which made it fun. And of course, so many people said hi to Jena. It is amazing who she knows. Even one of the actors in the "village" who was lined up near us at one point whispered hi to Jena in the middle of the play. She loved it.

Ben is hanging in there. Still on clozapine which is helping in some outward ways although he is not finding much inner calm yet. Scott is busy with school, moving in to more of his major classes in hospital admin.

That's us. Hope all is well with you. Have a great week.

Happy Valentine's Day

On Valentine's Day, the local newspaper ran an article about teens' view of Valentines Day. Many were quoted as saying that they didn't like it because of all the "drama" which happened at the high school as different couples tried to out do each other in their expressions of affection for each other. Another was quoted as saying that it should be called "Single Awareness Day" bacause of how it made her and others feel not being a part of a couple. Others commented that they liked the holiday as they felt they could celebrate all types of love, including loving their families and friends.

On a personal level, we are now out of the "Valentines and decorated box" stage of life. Jena did want to take chocolates to her Functional Skills class to share so we sent that. Gary and I are not big celebrators of this holiday. We might exchange cards or candy from time to time or go out and call it for Valentine's Day, but we are very low key about it. (I am actually in "trouble" because I actually bought him a gift...a new set of scriptures since his old set was 15 years old and didn't have the new set of maps and pictures. He had commented about it being a problem as he taught his Primary lessons on the New Testament so I got him a navy blue set with a new case as well. However, since he overbought for Christmas last year, it makes us a bit even in the gift giving thing.) Anyway, this year, Jena and I decorated the doors with hearts to celebrate. She loved it so we might have started a little tradition. Here are some pictures.

We had a fun time. Chantel and Scott came for a visit which added to the fun of the day, so we saw everyone except for Jessica on that day. Happy Valentine's day to you all.

A day on the slopes....

Make your own collage

I see that the writing is small on the collage. This is just some shots from today's ski lesson. She missed last Friday due to the Bowling Tournament and this week on Friday there is a big snowboarding event so we opted for today. Beautiful weather although I stayed mostly indoors since I have a bit of a cold. I read and work on some computer stuff while Jena is learning to manage the slopes. Today she took a few tries through the ski gates. She managed all of the gates on the first run and all but one on the second. Good job, Jena.

One more "wedding picture" from Scott and Chantel

Scott and Chantel had to redo their professional pictures taken the morning of their wedding.  The photographer had a problem with the memory card and all of the pictures were lost.  She gave them a reshoot a couple of months later in the fall.  Jena and I finally looked at them today and I loved this one (and many others) so I am sharing it.  It is along the reflection pond east of the Salt Lake Temple.  You can see the white stone of the temple on the right of the picture.  Hard to believe it has been just over 6 months for them.

Even harder to believe is next month Gary and I will celebrate our 33rd anniversary on 3/3/11.  Time flies when you are having fun!

Hall Up-date

Gary had a similar day as I did, getting things done.  He also went bowling with our brother-in-law and nephew this evening.  Webelos is still going well and looks like he is still having fun with it.  They are heading to the sewer plant.  Last week, I helped out with their basketball activity.  I think I am getting old....rebounding 10 year old's shots left me sore the next day.

Jessica is in California with friends this weekend at a Twilight conference.  Last I heard, she was having friends.

Scott and Chantel are busy with school and work.  Chantel is also busy with indoor track and Scott is cheerleading again.  We don't see much of them, but Scott reports they are good and having fun inbetween everything.

Ben is trying to hang in with his newest medication for a couple of weeks but then it looks like we will be changing to something new.  The risks and side effects of this medication don't appear to be worth the little benefit he is getting.

Tosha has moved back home.  She remains busy with work, although she is wishing for more hours.  She has made two beautiful Valentine mobiles out of paper.  They are amazing.

Jena has been busy with Special Olympics (Silver metal yesterday in her division at the State Tournment in bowling).  She has improved her average from around the mid 40's last fall to mid 60's now.  She is enjoying her weekly ski lessons at Snowbasin (and I am loving my two hours sitting on the outside deck, watching her, drinking my hot chocolate and reading a book.)

And that leaves the dogs--Mowgli and Jasper who just turned one (without even a birthday greeting or card.  We are such slackers as dog owners.)

A day with nothing on the calendar

I looked at the calendar yesterday and noticed today had nothing on it...absolutely nothing.  That is just a rare occasion for us.  Even the rest of this month has something on each day already.  So this is how I spent the day (with nothing on the calendar.):

Slept in until 9:30.  With early Church and bowling at 9:00 on Saturday mornings it has been awhile since I just slept in.  And I like to sleep in.

Made fried eggs for breakfast (brunch for the rest of the household who had breakfast earlier).

Clean the house until noon then head out to run a number of little errands that I hadn't gotten done during the week including a trip to the grocery store which was crazy.

Headed to Gary's mom where we watched the BYU/UNLV basketball game together (BYU won...yea.)

Left there with Jena and met a friend to swim for a couple of hours.  (Not on the calendar since her mom texted me about 10:00 p.m. last night. to invite us.)

Headed home, made a quick dinner, brushed the dogs, moved some laundry around, and now I'm catching up on some computer work.

And that's what a day with nothing on it looks like.......Hope your day was great as well, whatever you did.