Working..at home, Church, and LDS Family Services.

In 1999, I wrote a personal mission statement (I had heard some talks and read some things that made it seem like a good idea.  It was actually a very interesting thing to do and I would recommend it to anyone.)  Anyway, I recently reread it.  I spoke of my passion for families and the desire to help all children have a family to care and love them.  It is interesting to look back on the 10+ years since I wrote that and to see the many opportunities that I have been able to be a part of that process of families.

First of course is my own family..which many times seems to get lost in the shuffle of life and busyiness, but I love them and am so grateful for the actions and sacrifices which were made by others in our behalf so that we can be together.

Second, I am grateful for the opportunities in Church to be involved in helping families--whether serving in YW, Sunday School, Relief Society and now in Primary, all of which I have served in the last 10 years.  Teaching children their part of being and strengthing their familes is a sweet blessing.  Here is a picture of the great women that I serve with.  (again, pictures are really for my record not for you)  Me, Kristy, Debbie (the President), and Amy.

Third, working at LDS Family Services is a great priviledge.  It is not something I wanted to do (having a job of any kind was really never a life goal...in fact, I actually have a love -hate relationship with the whole thing.  But that is a story for another day.).  However, I do love the opportunity I have to work with birth parents, their families, and adoptive families.  I also work with awesome people that you would all want to know and love.  Here we are in a group shot, so now you can know who I work with.

From left to right:  Monica, Julie (caseworkers), Britanna (intern), James, our manager, Lisa (caseworker), Rhonda (amazing volunteer), Jana, Katie (secretary), and me (I smiled in the first picture, but a couple of other people had their eyes closed or something in the first picture so I am posting this one.  You all know I smile:)  ).

Late Winter Walk...

Usually on March 1st, I try again to start walking several mornings a week.  In the years since moving to Utah, I found I just waasn't good at walking in the snow and ice, so I don't walk in the winter, but March 1st is always my "try again date".  We have had a spell of warm weather so it has been great to be outside.  On Monday, I had such a great walk and there were so many birds that I decided to take pictures of my walk on Tuesday.  I actually didn't see as many birds but I heard them singing, chirping, honkong, and quacking all around me.  Sorry I can't included the songs from my walk on a post.  (By the way, I include pictures of these types of things because I want them included as I publish this blog in print at the end of the year.  They tell me that I can do it. You really don't need to view the pictures from my winter walk.)

I walk at Jensen Park which is a area about a mile south of our house and the southeast part of Syracuse (and yes, I do drive down to it to start my walk which Gary thinks is funny, but I want to use my walking time to walk the trails not the sidewalks of my neighborhood.)

Here are some of the sights as I walk a trail that makes a square around the southeast edge of the park.  Here is the view to the west from the parking lot where I start.  It was a cloudy morning, but that is Antelope Island in the background.

A bit of frost still on the plants in the morning.  It isn't quite spring yet.

This is a shot of the trail as I was walking east toward the Wasatch Peaks of the Rocky Mountains.  I was walking around 8:00 in the morning.

A old fence at the northeast cornor of my walk.  I like old fences even if they are falling down.

Another picture to the west from the southeast corner of my walk.  You can see more clearly the snow on the mountain at Antelope Island.

Trying to be a bit artsy with the camera.  That is an old metal shed in the background.

Not everything is pretty along the southern edge of the walk.  This is a deserted cattle feedlot, I guess.  But even these meetings remind me of the historical background of Syracuse and the surrounding areas and there are still horses and cattle that graze all through these fields.

I must have missed taking pictures up the west side of my walk.  This is a view of the nesting boxes throughout the area surrounding the large man=made fishing hole at Jensen Pond.  Note of trivia:  Gary served on the citizen committee for this project, deciding important things like what colors should the signs be, etc.  Our ward did several service projects and  Eagle projects to help complete areas of the Park.  It is still being added to.  Actually these might be the actual bird boxes one of our Scout troops worked on.

I promised a bird and here he is.

I love this bridge and no matter which trails I take I try to end my walk by crossing this bridge and checking out that wildlife.  Even this early in the season there were three fishermen trying their luck.  Jena really wants to fish here sometime.  Hope to get it on the list this year.

View to the west off the bridge

View to the east off the bridge.  The sun is peeking out from the clouds.

More birds.  It is fun to live in a place again where you hear the ducks and geese as they travel north and south each year.

"Self-picture"

(You know where you hold the camera out and take your own picture.)

I hope you enjoyed my walk at Jensen Pond, Syracuse, UT.

Join me in person sometime.

(I hope this looks okay when I post it.  I don't know how to make the pictures and the text flow together when it posts.)

Happy Anniversary to you, Gary Hall!

Today Gary and I are celebrating our 32nd anniversary.  (We are going to celebrate by watching the BYU-Utah basketball game and eating pizza.  I hope that BYU knows that they have to win to make it a good anniversary for us.)  Sometimes we do something big for our anniversary and some years not which is perfect for me.  It is just nice to have a day to be reminded of our marriage and how grateful I am that Gary asked me to marry him so many years ago.  There is no one else for me to travel my life's journey with to provide the fun, the balance, and the adventures.

Here is the top to our wedding cake  (and a well-traveled cake top it is.  It boggles my mind to think of how many times I must have packed and unpacked it over the years.  It has been half way across the world and back again.)  I displayed it on our hallway shelf during the Valentine/anniversary time.  And, in honor of our anniversary, I am also including our picture of the Provo Temple that is hung over our basement staircase,

May your "now...and forever"s be bright!

I love you, Gary.

Jessica and Jena are off to a Play and other things..

On last Friday, some friends invited Jena and I to go to see "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" at a local theater in Ogden, so I made the arragements over the phone.  When I got home, I found out that Jessica had called and invited Jena to go to the same play for Saturday.  Jena had already said yes and is thrilled to go twice.

Here they are at the theater with their playbills.  Jena loved it, of course, and reported that "Frank is hot".  She is excited to go again on this Friday.

Notice her big smile with no metal in her mouth.  She has been smiling alot lately.

On Monday, we gathered together (sorry no pictures) with Gary's mom and his sister Valerie and her husband Allan to celebrate Chinese New Year at a local restaurant.  We are over 2 weeks late but Jena was just recovering from her surgery and couldn't yet eat Chinese food.  The food is American Chinese and we enjoy it, although it paled in comparison to the great food we had at the Golden Phoenix when we ate there with the group from Hong Kong.  I still haven't blogged about that yet, but I have a plan on what I want to do and I haven't had time to do it yet.  Patience!--note to self.