No Excuses (mom)

Dear Family, Dad and I cleaned the church this morning and it turned out to be very inspirational for me. Our high priest group leader in the ward is Brother Andrus (father of Aaron, Josh and others who you know). As you probably know, he is legally blind. He is a deeply spiritual man and has given some of the finest talks I have heard about the atonement and the Savior. He is also very diligent in his calling and often visits and gets less actives to come to socials, etc. He always amazes me and today as I walked in to clean the church (straight from a run, sweat and all) there he was cleaning the windows. He was very methodical and doing a great job. It really touched me. If ANYONE has an excuse NOT to sign up to clean the church, it would be him. But there he was, doing his best, giving his best offering to the Lord. And knowing him, he is probably there once a month. I was so inspired I had to share. Love, mom

Andy

I just thought I would share the fun discovery I made today. Just in case anyone was looking for one more good reason to join Netflix, I found out today that you can stream all 8 seasons of the Andy Griffith Show. I streamed the very first episode while I ate lunch today. It was the one where Opie's old nanny gets married and Aunt Bea comes to take over. Opie is probably somewhere between Gwen's age and Bentley's age and is very smart and cute. He cooks breakfast to try to prove to Andy that they don't need anyone else to help around the house but to no avail. Andy still welcomes Aunt Bea and tries to make Opie like her by trying to teach her to do the things that his old Nanny could do (play baseball, fish, etc.). Opie is not won over, and when Aunt Bea leaves his bird cage open so that his pet bird escapes, it is the last straw--Opie runs out of the room crying. The next morning she kisses him on the forehead. She is leaving; it is best for everyone. Opie, secretly awake, runs outside to catch her before she drives away. What will happen to her if she goes out into the world not knowing how to do anything important (like baseball and fishing)? She is helpless, practically. She needs him! Everyone smiles and a valuable lesson is learned.

You gotta love the Andy Griffith Show. Not only does it hearken back to a simpler, more virtuous time in a way that all but hits you over the head with sentimentality and nostalgia, but it also speaks to problems that we have over 50 years after the episodes aired (I looked it up--this episode aired in 1960) in a sweet, funny, entertaining way that is accessible to young and old.

Anyway, jump on and watch an episode or two if you have Netflix. You won't regret it. I haven't watched an episode in years, decades maybe. But it blew my mind how it all came back to me. It almost startled me how familiar Andy looked, as well as Barney, Aunt Bea, and Opie. It was truly like seeing old friends after years and years apart but, weirdly, the friends haven't aged a day even though you have.

Enjoy! And write on the BAWB! :)

It's cruise time!!

Everyone, the cruise is just days away (ok....more than just a few, but it is right around the corner.) I have been looking at different things and have been trying to plan a budget friendly vacation. I think I would be happy to to just find myself a spot at the beach and enjoy that at every stop (with maybe a little bit of shopping.) But, I also hope that we will be able to do stuff as a family, so hopefully everyone elses thoughts/plans are somewhat cheap! :)

At our meeting we had way back in Jan. we each took an island to research. Warner and I took Mahogany Bay and discovered that at this stop the beach is just a 10 minute walk away (or you can take a little ski lift thing for a small charge...but I think we figured that walking is probably faster.)

Anyway, I would love to hear what others have been thinking.I'm getting SO excited to just go on a fun trip with everyone!

Love,
Janey

Life Back Home (Rosey)

It has been QUITE some time since I last wrote, guess I will be paying for my own luggage on our big trip that is less that 55 days away (Warner, I love the countdown).  Since I last wrote, I have graduated from school, gotten my first "big girl job", and moved back into the wonderful place which I grew up.  So a quick recap on those 3 major changes in my life: 

Graduation: Boy oh boy did I love graduate school!  I don't know a lot of people who can honestly say that, but I really did.  I loved what I learned, I loved the people I got to associate with on a daily basis, and I loved the variety of opportunities I had.  I was very sad to graduate but knew that the next stage would also be an exciting one.  I have seen some of the people I grew close to in my program several times since we graduated and am glad to be able to continue friendships.  I will never forget my wonderful experience at BYU. 

Big girl job:  As you all know, I am officially a mental health therapist for Valley Mental Health in Tooele.  I have been working this job for 1 month (on Friday) and have already learned a GREAT DEAL.  It has been very challenging and has forced me to step out of my comfort zone and simply do the best that I can to  help the people I work with.  My job has helped me learn several things about myself as well as life in general.  I am amazed at how blessed we all are, to have a family who loves and supports you is a great blessing which I never appreciated enough.  To have our basic necessities available without any thought is such a blessing.  I know that I am VERY blessed.  I look forward to continually learning and growing so that I can best serve these underprivileged people in Tooele. 

Moving home:  When I first realized I would be moving home, I was nervous (because I love being independent) and also a bit curious about what it would be like to be home again.  Well, being home has exceeded any expectation and has seroiusly been a BLAST!  It has been such a blessing to come home each day from work to mom and dad who are so kind to listen to me vent and show genuine love and concern about how my day went.  I have learned a great deal from talking with them and  have loved the opportunity to get closer to them.  I have also loved my time spent simply watching the news or an episode of "lie to me" with them.  I sure love them.  It has also been so much fun to see Max more, I have always felt close to him because we spent several years together as the "only children".  But man is he a cool guy!  I learn so much from him, and have such a great time with him.  It's great to be back. 

Well I promised to keep it short, so I will end it here.  Life is good, not always easy, but good.  I am so grateful for the gospel in my life...it makes all the difference!  Love you all and can't wait for the cruise!!

Love,

Rose

Letter from Mom

That clever title lets you know just how awake my mind is. I volunteered to clean at the Jordan River Temple last night and was up until late so I hope my thoughts come together. It's been over a month since I have posted and it is time for a recap. May 11-16 and then again May 21 and 22 I enjoyed tending Gwen, Ben and Ivy while Krisit visited DC. This was a great time to get to know the kids better and to deepen my appreciation for Kristi and mothers of young kids everywhere! The kids were good and obedient and respectful but we had our growing moments, too. I cherish my relationship with them. It was interesting to watch Ivy's reaction to my "mothering style." We became best buddies even though I had her nap every day! Aunt Leslie passed away on May 21 and thanks to Janey helping with the kids I was able to say goodbye to her. I felt a strong spirit of peace in their home and that she was ready to go. She had certainly fought a good fight. I do get excited for those of you who don't know the healthy Leslie to get to know her someday in Heaven. She was such a Christlike person and also so much fun to be with. She had so much love and was so generous and I miss her. I am so thankful you all made the effort to be at the viewing/funeral. It was great having Nick and Stef and family in town for the funeral and for much of that week. I loved the Ensign Peak hike we did with all the grand kids and our visit to City Creek. I will forever be in awe of Stef's willingness to step in the night before to be chorister in Primary the Sunday they were here. And she did such a GREAT job. I am sure there is a special place in heaven for those people who are so open and willing to serve and jump at the chance of service like Stef did. Thanks for your example! I want to be like you. I watched my baby graduate from high school. Sniff, sniff. May was full of all the great end-of-year activities with the awards assembly, the awards banquet, madrigal showcase, Seminary graduation, senior dinner-dance, yearbook stomp and then high school graduation. It was sweet of Janey and Warner to join us for that on a very hot June day at the Maverick Center. I thought again what a wonderful group of friends Max has had. You have all chosen such great friends and that realization comes to me at these big events. Thanks Another grand event was the final piano recital. After being postponed, it was held on May 17. Sarah loved the piano recital book that nancy and I made for her with all the recital programs for the past 23 years. Max did a fabulous job and played with so much feeling. It was a joy! Grandma Winder was able to be there and we could feel grandma Bassett with us very strongly, Rosey jumped to her feet in her honor. We joined the Yorgs and took Max's piano student Sabrina to Sizzler afterwards. Fun thing is Max has a couple fun numbers he is working on for fun this summer. Oh what am I going to do when the piano goes silent? You guys have all brought me so much joy with not only recitals but your day to day practicing. Time out for a tissue! A few more random items. No cavities at the dentist. Dad and I are really into the tv series The Metalist. Lately it has trumped the news. And the four of us are enjoying the episodes of "Lie to Me" when we get a chance. We love having Rosey living here. She mows and trims and makes our house alive when she gets home from work. She also has interesting sharing at FHE about clients (no names of course). This past weekend was fun. Friday I met janey, kristi and kids up at This Is The Place state park for free huntsman day with ice cream. Then on Sunday we sort of hosted Kath and Caroline's 18th birthday party complete with Janey and Warner cutting and sharing the top layer of their wedding cake. Marg had a piñata for the kids and I do believe a fun time was had by all (Andreas and Ned's families and Karen and Roger joined us) I have to add here how fun Warner is at parties. Andreas kids loved playing with him, even if he doesn't pay up!! I've gone on too long. What a wonderful life I have thanks to all of you. I have pulled out journal stuff and began sorting through it. I hope to work on that. Max's journal is only 16 years behind! Love you all. Mom

Going out with the sister missionaries (Stef)

Tonight was awesome I got to go out with the sister missionaries. We taught three lessons -one to Rex and 85-year-old man who is about to be re-baptized. He quilts and sent me home with quilts for Bret and Clay. He also sent me with two rice bags that he makes from the scraps of his quilts. He is a sweet old man and I'm excited for him to be joined back into the church.

Our second lesson was a visit to a less active member who's had a lot of health problems. She is a single mom and is really struggling right now, it was neat to see the sisters help her.

Our third lesson was the first of the three that was actually in our ward boundaries. Her name is Sherry and she has a baptismal date set for two weeks. She is struggling with the word of wisdom but I hope after tonight's visit she will be strong enough to do it. I am excited to be able to look for her church on Sunday.

It was such a fun night and a blessing to be around the sisters. What an amazing time of life the mission was, I will never forget it.

The missionaries have the spirit with them and it's so wonderful to see them try to reach out and love all of these people who are very different from them. Max get excited you're going to have such a great time!

I hope they will call me again to go with them!

Thoughts on my way home from D.C.

Dad recommended that I write again about my experience now that it was over since I hadn't really said much since those first few difficult weeks. Unfortunately, the job never got really fun or easy but I did come to feel comfortable and I realized that that would maybe have to be enough. Anyway, these are some of the thoughts I jotted down on the plane ride home. Hope you enjoy them. It has been so good to be home and to see you all again.

Here I sit on the second leg of my flight back to Utah, reflecting on the wild ride I have experienced in the last five weeks. I arrived there just over a month ago with bright eyes and a good attitude. I was ready to work. Ready to show them what a BYU intern could do. As I have written in other letters, this naïveté was quickly beat out of me. Finding a much less accommodating living situation than I had hoped for and blown away by the high cost of living, my good attitude about the city was diminished before the first weekend was through. Before I had even gone to my first day of work. My optimistic expectations that my talents would make waves in the chambers were quickly washed away as well during my first week of work. I began to realize that there was a reason that clerks on this level aren't law students, especially first year law students. Law clerks have not only finished law school but, on this level at least, they have also gained years of significant experience in firms and other clerkships. Even my fellow interns were, typically, done with law school and had the experience of several summers and clinics and such to work with. In short, to say I didn't belong was an understatement. I began to realize I had no business there whatsoever. What set me apart from the crowd as I got rolling was not any talent I have been blessed with or skills I have developed. It was that this was my first rodeo. And I seemed to be the only one in the building for whom that was the case. 

I got through the first couple weeks the same way I got through many weeks of mission and other difficult seasons--by sheer force of will and defiant refusal to give up right this minute if I thought I could survive another hour or until the end of the day. I relished my free time and savored every moment that I was away from work, away from the inadequacy.

Things got a bit better at the end of week two. Kristi, bless her heart, overcame her significant fear of flying to come visit. Our loved ones were gracious enough to watch our three crazy kids and Kristi and I spent nearly a week and a half together. We had two full weekends that recharged me in a way that nothing else short of going home could. It was almost as good as being home, at least in the evenings and on the weekends, because Kristi is my home. Or at least she is a huge part of it.

During this phase, I not only started to love the city more, but I also started to have some positive experiences at work as I began to catch on a little to what was going on. I was developing little more than a bare working knowledge of the areas of law we were working in, but even that made a difference. I started being able to speak, or at least understand, the language everyone else was speaking. I began to get to use those talents that I had been so proud to bring along with me and I began to accumulate a few small accomplishments. Make no mistake, my work was blowing no one away. It was, in most cases, well outside of the neighborhood of what was even suitable to pass before the Chief's (what we called the Chief Judge) eyes. But I began to feel a little less incompetent. Even if my best efforts still left much to be desired, I started to find things that I was good at, areas where I could contribute. I started to become able to engage in real discussions of law with the clerks. I started to dare to raise my voice now and then in briefing meetings. And, for the first time, I started to have days that I designated as "good."

It was a sad day when Kristi left, but I guess most good things have to end some time. She left within hours of the death of my Aunt Leslie. Also, she left in the middle of the night and we spent from about 3:00 to 4:00 AM standing on the street waiting for her shuttle. The day that followed was not a highlight. But as the week went on I tried to use the little bits of positive momentum that I could scare up to get through the days as painlessly as possible. I was never so grateful in my life to just feel comfortable. It was okay if it wasn't fun. I wasn't asking to be happy. But as my 4th week faded into my last week, I realized that, if I hadn't learned to love every minute of the job, I had learned to feel comfortable. I didn't get a sick feeling anymore at the thought of going in. I felt, in some small way, competent. And I cannot express how sweet of a respite that feeling was. I began to have confidence that I could handle what was thrown at me in a given day. I would be able to handle it, even if I didn't know what it was before going in for the day.

And that is about where I got by the end of week five. Now, sitting in the plane, I wish I had a happier ending. Maybe if I had stayed for two years like the mission I would have gotten a little farther in my journey. But, however it sounds, to me, it is a happy ending. In five weeks I not only learned about the law. I learned about myself. I learned that I could do hard things. I learned that, as hard as life can be, time passes and sometimes it is enough to just get through the next hour or get to the end of the day. Let your future self worry about it beyond that point. And on top of that, I got the experience on my resume and on my heart. For the rest of my career I can remember back to when I served in the chambers of the Chief Judge of the Federal Circuit. I will be Linked In to incredible people who will be leaders in our field as our careers move forward. I have gotten so much from the experience, to complain that it was a little painful at times would just be ungrateful.

So I will leave it at this: I had a great experience in Washington, DC, one of the most meaningful and important experiences of my life. As time passes, I expect the bad parts will fade in my memory as the grandeur of getting to be part of that team will remain. Maybe I'll romanticize the experience unfairly as this happens—that's okay. I'm an optimist. But right now, I feel good. I will see my kids for the first time in five weeks in less than an hour from now. I will hold Kristi in my arms again. I will start a new adventure on Monday as I begin a completely different type of job in a different type of environment. I feel ready to do so. This is what I chose when I decided to go to law school. Challenges have come and gone but I am no worse for the wear. For my last adventure I am grateful, for my next one I say: bring it on.

Blaine

DC Day 4

Did you notice how even though I titled the last post days 3&4 it was really only day 3 :)

Day 4 Monday May 14th

On Monday our exciting weekend came to an end. It was time to pack up and move to our new place for the next leg of our journey. Our long lost friend from high school Sharon, was so kind to offer us her extra bedroom for three nights during the week. It was so perfect since hotels in DC were SO expensive during the week (seems backwards right? Who would have thought hotels would be cheaper on the weekends!). Blaine took off for work early in the morning and I was left trying to figure out how to move all of our stuff (two big suitcases, a backpack, a purse, a vase of flowers and pillow) across town to Sharon's house. I milked every second out of our hotel and lounged around on the bed watching a weird Diane Keaton movie on TV until checkout time. I was exhausted from the previous days adventures and was grateful for an excuse to take it easy.

 The time finally came and I gathered our luggage and set out for Sharon's. The journey was...well, it was traumatizing. It was pouring rain, I had a problem with my metro pass, my suitcase didn't really fit through the metro gate, and so on. By the time I got to Shady Grove I was quite razzled. Sharon was really nice and offered to come and pick me up from the metro stop. The only problem was that I didn't really listen too carefully to her directions. I wound up going out the wrong side of the Metro and walked around for a while in the pouring rain. I stepped into what I am convinced was the worlds largest puzzle. I was soaked to the bone, lost, and extremely disheartened. I picked up my phone to call Sharon to figure out where I was. "Hello?" she answered. "Hey! I am so lost? I came out the one side but I think maybe you are on the other side and I stepped in a puddle and it's raining and I'm lost and HELP!" I wailed. "Uh, this is Stef" came the confused reply. In the chaos I guess I called the wrong number and my poor sister-in-law had to listen to me cry about how hard my life was :) Ha ha, eventually I got over to the other side of the tracks and Sharon rescued me. I've never been so happy to see someone in my life ever! I LOVED meeting Sharon's kids. Wow, they were complete dolls. I instantly fell in love with Lucy (cutest curly blonde hair ever!), Matthew (such a sweet boy, and he liked me too, I could tell :), and brand new baby Conrad. As excited as I was to leave my kids for 10 days, the second I was around Sharon's family I felt at home, and more peaceful than I had at any point on the trip. So lovely!

She showed me to our room, which was cozy and secluded down in the basement. I played with the kids for a bit, mooched a PBJ from Sharon, and then set off for DC. I had promised Blaine I would pick him up from work, though I was less than excited to spend more time on the Metro that day! I got in to town around 3PM and decided to go check out the Museum of Natural History until Blaine got off of work. It was awesome! I especially loved the Gem collection and the Jewelry Collection (Holy Hope Diamond!).

Blaine got off of work a little later than he expected and was going to meet me at the museum and we were going to hopefully catch a few exhibits before it closed at 5:30pm. I told him I would meet him at the top of the stairs (there was only one set in the Natural History Museum). I waited forever and eventually he called, "Hey, where are you?" "At the top of the stairs, where are you?" "At the top of the stairs" "You sure? What are you looking at? I'm looking at the giant African Elephant" "I'm looking at the giant American flag" Me *looking around and not seeing a flag* "Uh, I don't see a flag" "Well, I don't see an elephant-- you sure you're not on the third floor?" Me *looking at the Authorized Personnel Only sign that barricaded off the third floor. "Yep, I'm sure". It took us a ridiculous amount of time to figure out that he was in the Smithsonian Museum of American History and not the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. By the time we sorted it all out and he got over to the right museum we only had about ten minutes left. We checked out the bug exhibit, which turned out to be a favorite, and then headed out.

 We stopped at Potbelly's for a sandwich for Blaine and a salad for me (*cough* and a chocolate shake!). We then made our way to the Archives, grateful to find something that closed a little bit later. We only had about twenty minutes, but the good thing about that was that we were about the only people in the entire building. We didn't have to wait in line to see anything. It was awesome seeing the Magna Carta, The Constitution, and The Declaration of Independence. It was pretty funky how weird they looked under their protective cases and lighting. Glad I finally got to see the official John Hancock myself. We had just a few minutes to check out the other exhibits which had letters and journals of George Washington (one which basically was telling off the paparazzi, which was awesome), and Abraham Lincoln. Very cool, wish we would have had a bit more time here. Then we headed back to Sharon's house where we enjoyed visiting with her and her husband for a while before bed.

* I didn't take many pictures in these places because, well, you couldn't. Sorry :)