100's day at school - Heather's 100th day of kindergarten - everyone dresses up as a 100 year old person.



Autumn - so hungry she could eat a cow!



Wearing the PJ's nammy got us - Thanks Nammy!



Opening Christmas presents at home

Saturday Feb 2nd
President Hinckley’s funeral was today. We stayed home, Doug spent the day cleaning out the garage with the kids playing outside. I got on the internet a little early. They had the Mormon tabernacle choir singing. One of the songs ended, and the camera changed to show the funeral procession, cars of just the family and hearse pulling out and driving towards the conference center. There was no big parade, it was done with just the family, the same as any other funeral for any ordinary person. Something about how simple they had kept it struck me. We were all so used to seeing him in a formal suit speaking in general conference about church affairs… hard to get to see him outside of this setting sometimes. It was quiet – the only audio for about 20 minutes was just the sound of the cars driving, and a helicopter. I’m glad they kept it quiet without any commentary. Gave everyone who was watching time to just be quiet. They pulled into the parking lot at the conference center, and gradually their were sounds of others talking in the background, greeting each other, walking towards the building, sounds slowly bringing everyone out of their quiet reverie back into the world. They had a camera backstage, and took everyone through the whole thing with the family, unloading the coffin from the car, relatives arranging flowers on it, then walking with them into the lights of the conference center. Everyone in their usual places, the quorums of the 70, the apostles, with an empty chair where Hinckley used to sit. Brother Eyring and brother Monson sitting on either side of the empty chair, Brother Eyring had his down, clenching and unclenching his fingers trying to keep composed… Brother Monson still trying to come to grips with his new calling, calm collected, steady. Talks were given by family and general authorities, stories shared, reminiscing… one that stood out, they rode in little carts in an underground tunnel between meeting houses every day. President Hinckley would bundle himself up for the ride. From the overhead noise crossing under the street… when they passed under the temple, Hinckley would always reach up and remove his hat. Another story where he forgot his cufflinks and used paperclips on his shirtsleeves. There were accounts of how devastating the loss of his wife was to him. How he kept on getting up and going to work after being diagnosed with cancer. You got this picture of this simple little guy, living in his little apartment, unaware of all the publicity and attention he was getting. Perhaps he was aware of it, but in some distant way, not really publicity of him, but of the church where he went. A strange thought, for a 13+ million member church to be run by a 97 year old man. His mind was sharp to the last though.

Prophetic Passing

I imagine he's running to Marjorie now,
Yes, running, not waving his cane.
I see him embracing his father and mother
While they keep repeating his name.

I see him now meeting his forebears,
Brother Brigham and Joseph are there.
Sweet reunion of prophets, united by service
That only such noble men share.

I see him embraced by the Savior
While Father says, "Good and well done.
So faithful in stalwart endurance, I welcome
My noble, most excellent son."

I then hear the ripples of laughter
As he says the reception's just fine,
But he hopes that he'll get an assignment or two
Since there's no need to waste any time.

I can hear his clear voice in the stillness
At the close of this sweet Sabbath day,
Have faith and move forward there's work to be done.
President Hinckley would want it that way.

Anna M. Molgard
January 27, 2008

Short video
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7433508959787481703&pr=goog-sl

Sunday Feb 3rd
Fast Sunday, nice to have this after the funeral yesterday. Doug had a headache, I sort of made him go to church anyways… probably should not have. He seems to always get headaches on weekends, often on Sundays… I thought it would be a special meeting, and did not want him to miss out. I don’t have headaches, so I don’t know the extent of how much pain he is in. I ended up subbing for Heather’s class. There were 7 5-6 year olds. A very … enthusiastic class. I was happy to know that Heather is one of the well behaved ones. I am not very good at disciplining kids… it seemed a small room with too many people. Borther Wooters usual teaches the class, and has his wife in there with him. I think having two adults instead of just one really helps out. It was a lesson on free agency, making choices. Started lesson by letting them choose a rock – what did you just do? You just made a choice – it was in the lesson, the rest of the class everyone was sticking their rocks in their mouth, or trying to get more rocks out of the bowl. Heather remembered some of it when we got home though.

Monday Feb 4th
Frozen dinner meal exchange tomorrow, I had to get the turkey out of the freezer to make room, so turkey for dinner tonight! RS meeting at Nicole’s house with the kids running around get a little wild. Got on foru.ms, took a nap, talked with Dennise, bike ride to pick up Heather. New Presidency called. Brother Monson as everyone knew, with Henry B. Eyring as First Counselor and Dieter F. Uchtdorf as Second Counselor. It will be a good group. Brother Eyring is a scientist, tall skinny professor type. Uchtdorf was raised in Germany. Family Home evening. Little Autumn with much effort climbed down off her chair, and retirved Jame’s fallen sippie cup for him, she was smiling, and so excited to be able to help. The endeavor was much appreciated by James.


Tuesday Jan 5th
100’s day at Heather’s school. It is the 100th day that they have gone to school, and to celebrate the occasion, they are supposed to dress up like old people. I can’t believe that Heather has already been at school for 100 days! Doug had a dentist appointment this morning, so drove him in to work. Went by goodwill on the way home, spent the day going through cloths. Bagged up 7 bags, got in 3 new bags. Still feel like we are swimming in cloths that we don’t use… I need to be better at quality instead of quantity… Freezer dinner exchange tonight at Nicole’s I just made some sloppy Joe’s. Doug didn’t want left-over turkey, so we got Taco Bell. Super Tuesday – Hillary against Obama, then McCain, Romney, and Huckabee on the Republican side. We will see what this country turns into in Nov!

Wednesday Feb 6th
Visit teaching conference meeting at 1:00, Heena’s piano lesson. Grocery shopping, got some Valentines Day stuff. Romney pulls out of race to unify Republicans – an honorable move. Now the big race is between Clinton/Obama. I hope Clinton wins, Oboma sounds like a socialist.


Thursday Feb 7th
Book club at our house, so spent most of the day cleaning. Rearranged the couches so we could sit closer together… We had a fun group – Kristine, Jennifer, Elizabeth, Janessa, and Celeste. Lots of kids came, kids ate a lot of cookies! We will be reading the book “Twilight” for next month – not my first pick, but you never know until you read it. Got a bunch of cookies – a bunch of kids came, they had fun too – and ate a lot of cookies!

Friday Feb 8th
Watched Janessa’s kids today while she went and took her GRE. Catching up on RS stuff / emails. Tax returns came in, so researching roofing companies. Ordered pizza, started new book, “Christy” – very good. Ordered Twilight, The red Tent, Standing for something, and

Victor Franksl – Man’s search for meaning – 

The experiences of camp life show that a man does have a choice of action. There were enough examples, often of a heroic nature, which proved that apathy could be overcome, irritability suppressed. Man can preserve a vestige of spiritual freedom, of independence of mind, even in such terrible conditions of psychic and physical stress. We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken away from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s way. The way in which a man accepts his fate and all the suffering it entails, the way in which he takes up his cross, gives him ample opportunity—even in the most difficult circumstances—to add a deeper meaning to life.
~ Viktor Frankl Quotes

Saturday Feb 9th
I get to teach Heather’s class again, so worked on lesson. Doug put in new shower heads, and put up new garage door opener. We all went out to Pei Wei’s for dinner, gave the kids baths. I’m reading a new book – Christy – by Catherine Marshall. It is historical fiction, in it Catherine writes her mother’s experiences living in the Smokies with the mountain people. It is very good.

Sunday Feb 10th
Doug was able to get to his meeting this morning. Taught Heather’s class again, lesson on families. They were a little better today. Doug came in for part of it and helped me get them settled. Brought in valentines candy to bribe them to sit down etc… Had a nice nap at home.