getting it right…..this time

In a few weeks, Karl, our son-in-law, will be walking with the other  graduates at Utah State University’s graduation ceremony.  He just finished getting his masters degree.  We are very excited  and proud of his accomplishments!

This is the picture I took at his bachelor's graduation.

He looks like he was ready to be beamed up to a waiting spacecraft!

Do you think I could get a

few photography lessons before his big

day?

JoAnn

Time out in the corner….

Remember when being “sent to the corner” meant time out or punishment for bad behavior?

(Image from Google)

(Does that statement make me sound old?)

Tonight, that was where  all the grandkids ended up.

However,

they weren’t in trouble-

they went there of their own free will.

Some of us went on a shopping trip to Home Goods and while we

were gone the kids were playing quietly in the corner

(with all the toys dumped out).

No running around.

No arguments.

Pure contentment.

It was magical!

Maybe corners were NOT meant for punishment.

JoAnn

 

A little out of place…..but, hopefully, not for too long!

Do you notice  something that doesn’t look right in this picture?

Yes, that is SNOW falling on this sunny, bright, yellow Adirondack chair (that will soon be moving to a new townhouse with Michelle and Katie).

Somehow snow and colorful summer furniture don’t seem to go together.  A big, tall glass of lemonade should be matched up with it-not a mug of hot cocoa!

Speaking of out of place-

I have a new student- straight from Somalia.

He doesn’t speak any English.

He has never attended school.

Two weeks ago he left behind a politically unstable world (and a warm and arid climate) for a very different life (and a cold one right now).

Somalia is situated in the Horn of Africa, along the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, on the East side of the continent.  (I had to look it up.)  It touches borders with Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Kenya and is just a little bigger than Texas. 

It hasn’t had a stable government since 1991.  The country has faced famine, civil war, and drought.  In the famine of 1992 over 300,000 people died.

I’m sure my new student is feeling lost and awkward as he tries to figure out what is happening all around him. 

I gave him a little  picture “survival guide” to start off his first day, but there is no way to really communicate with him, other than some feeble attempts at body language.

(Can you imagine what he was wondering as we participated in an earthquake drill on his very first day?)

I wish our school system had better provisions for students who need time to transition, but they are just thrown in the mix.  At least the other students are kind and helpful, and kids are pretty quick to adapt.

I sure hope he soon feels comfortable and settled!

Now, about that snow…..

JoAnn

P.S.  These pretty flowers might help!

Thanks, Ken!

What a weekend!

We helped unload one of these.

(Sorry, no pictures.  We were too focused on getting finished.)

We paid some neighbor boys to do this.

(Our mower is in the not-quite-working-yet-this-season-mode and our grass was at least eight inches high)!

This picture is from Google.  Once again, the camera was MIA.

Planted some of these, which now are covered with this.

(Yes, we got at least five inches today!)

And I did take this picture.

Listened to our church leaders as part of our semi-annual

General Conference.

It was so relaxing and uplifting to watch  four of the five sessions of Conference on television.  I enjoyed every single talk and all the music was beautiful.  All the messages were so helpful and motivational and just what I needed to hear.

How can anyone doubt a religion that encourages you to become better than you were, while reassuring you that you are loved,

no matter what you may have done?

I love the gospel!

(For those who may not know, I’m a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.)  This photo is from their site.

Played with Joshua (who likes to explore).

(Thanks for the picture, Irene.)

Danced with Maddie and Brooklyn.

(Sorry, no pictures of me in a tutu!)

And now the house is full of the kids' friends.

(They would chase me off if I even tried to take a picture!)

Well,

It’s back to work tomorrow,

but I’m thankful for a full and productive weekend!

♥

JoAnn

Beautiful music...food for the soul

I love music.

I spent many years taking piano lessons and I sang in school choirs.

(I should add that I took lessons for so many years because I didn't really practice very much and it took me a long time to sort of master the skill-plus my mother wouldn't let me quit.)

Besides,

we always got out of Sunday dish duty if we would play the piano while our mother, Grandmother, and Aunt Mardene slaved away in the kitchen.  They loved music, too, and as they were standing at the sink we would hear their words of encouragement (or that we were missing a sharp or a flat) to keep us going. 

 Music seems to create a short cut to my emotions.

Whenever I have had a bad day or feel frustrated, a few minutes of listening to a beautiful melody can unlock my feelings and set my emotions free.  

“Music speaks what cannot be expressed, soothes the mind and gives it rest, heals the heart and makes it whole, flows from heaven to the soul.”  -unknown

 

If you love beautiful music check out this recording of Andrea Bocelli and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

It is beautiful!

(Thanks, Travis, for sharing the link!)

♥

JoAnn
P.S.  If you want to see a funny video of two little girls having a singing competition, check out Liz's blog here.

P.P.S.  Thanks to my mother for her patience with me!

Meet Reese….

Last night we got to meet a beautiful little princess named

Naomi Reese.

(She really is a princess to her three older brothers.)

She and her mom Monica were here visiting from Washington D.C.

That’s Monica on the left and Katie on the right.

They were laughing about the year they got matching pajamas from Grandma and Grandpa and had so much fun being goofy as they spent the week together.

Little Reese will soon be the youngest baby to ever

be fit with hearing aids.

She was born with profound hearing loss.

She inherited the hearing aids from her brother Alexander, who now has cochlear implants.

(Monica, I hope you don’t mind I copied this picture!)

While it is always heartbreaking to have a child with health problems, Alexander is one amazing little guy. 

He has perfect speech, wonderful understanding, and an amazing vocabulary.

His family has spent many hours working with him, taking him to therapy, and watching him undergo several operations. 

Now they get to do it again with Reese.

Here is a picture with some of the other cousins.

(Irene, Andrew, Joshua, Mindy, Cara, Monica, Bransley, Katie, Carley, and Michelle)

Robbie and Joshua

Here is Grandma holding the third little great granddaughter to be named after her. 

Sometimes life sends us on little detours,

but we gain strength and character as we plod along.

“I never said it would be easy.  I only promised it would be worth it.”   -unknown

♥

JoAnn

Day off + snow = change of plans….

We have a day off from school today!

Yeah!

(Did I mention that I LOVE days off?)

I was so looking forward to getting some yard work done,

but woke up to some of this falling outside our window.

(Yes, Ken, I know we need moisture!)

W H A T ‘ S   A   G I R L   T O    D O   ?

(I do have many projects that need attention inside- but I just wanted to be outside!)

To compensate-

I’ve been reading blogs (that is productive- right?)

Here are some fun finds for today:

Irene, our daughter-in-law, made this cute monster and the remodeled shirt from Joshua’s winter turtle neck.  (Maybe she should have saved the turtle neck for this snow!)  She is so creative and talented.

Check out her blog here.

Brooklyn and Madison had a fun day hanging out on the campus of

Utah State University.  (They picked the right day to do it.  Good thing they didn’t wait until today!)  To see more of their fun day go here and say hi to their mom Liz.

This yummy strawberry, chicken, and spinach salad caught my attention on

Our Best Bites.

I think I need to go to the store…..

And finally,

While I will enjoy my time off,

I will be wondering what my students are doing, too.

Have a great weekend!

♥

JoAnn