*Monday Memos*

*MONDAY MEMOS*

            

 (If pictures are too small, just click to enlarge - if print is too small, you need glasses! ☺)

dear martin luther king day, today was awesome because the boys were home since there was no school - YAY!  Taylor was still here too which was a bonus!  Dave and I headed to Ogden for a couple of doctor's appointments but rushed back so Dave could get to work on time.  I spent the rest of the day making food for the boys.  At least it felt like it.  They can eat so much and they are always hungry!  I took a photo of what I made for McKay, but I wish I would have of Bryce and Taylor's because I made them some killer cubano sandwiches.  They appreciate it though and so it makes it worth it. 

Probably not the healthiest of meals that's for sure, but it kept him full the rest of the day.☺ I also made Tater Tot Casserole for dinner because Taylor was home and that's one of his faves.  Dave's parents dropped by just as we were eating and so we invited them to join us, which they did.  We then headed to Taylor's game.  For a day off, it was a busy day.

dear taylor game, because Dave's parent's stopped by, we were late to Taylor's game and missed his SLAM DUNK!  I guess it was pretty awesome too. I have never seen him dunk in a real game before. Dang it!  They played a great game and chalked up another win.  I'm so glad he is on this team or I fear I would never see the kid!

He hasn't lost his defensive skills and talent, that is for sure.  He also scored in the double digits again.

It was so nice that Dave and McKay and Bryce could actually all make it.  A perk that it was on a Monday night this week!

dear run, what an amazingly gorgeous day...this is January?  Just so hard to believe I am running in January with no snow pack and temps in the 30's on most mornings.  Not all, but most.  Next week, the highs are supposed to be in the 50's!  This has been such a mild winter and I am NOT complaining. I could really get used to this!

Sadly, I noticed that my visiting days with Izzy and Kaydance are fast approaching being over!  I was SO sad to see a FOR SALE sign in their front yard this week.  It really breaks my heart, because I really love those dogs.  They seriously make my day when I run that route which is almost every single day.  It is going to be so sad to not have them waiting there all excited to see me each day anymore.  So sad.  And Izzy has no idea.

dear mr. cat, at least I still have you to brighten my days!  Even though you never get excited to see me or jump and wag your tail when I get near you.  Actually you run away from me because you know I am coming to give you kisses - which you hate - but I still do it anyway. 

dear trip to mckay dee hospital, today was a busy and early day.  We were at the hospital for some things Dave had to do, and so I took advantage of going and visiting Dallin.  He is the boy in my Sunday School class that broke his neck snowboarding last week.  He is very lucky he wasn't paralyzed.  The doctors say it was nothing short of a miracle!  I took him and his mom Heidi some treats and the card my Sunday School class made for him.  He looked pretty good and was being transferred to the rehab section today as well, but he still has a long recovery.

After I left, his mom Heidi text me this photo ↓ of the card.  One of the girls in my class drew this gorilla on the back of the card and Heidi told me she had to add a loin cloth so she could look at it.  Haha!  Can't say I blame her even though there was nothing graphic there...  ☺  

I saw this is the gift shop ↓ hahaha!  Isn't that the truth!

 This is also so true... ↓

dear american mother's state board meeting, I felt so bad that I had to miss this one this month, but I had other places I needed to be that were more important.  The reason I felt bad was mostly because of where it was held.  hah   It was in Provo at Marilou's home.  She is one of our VP's and lives on Osmond Lane.  As in Donny!  I would have loved to have gone to see her beautiful home and to check out the hood.  You just never know who you might bump into on Osmond Lane. ☺ Actually she is one of my most favorite peeps in the whole world and I would have loved to have spent some time with her again. I haven't seen her since the national convention when we both served on the planning committee.  I hope I will get another chance to go there again.

dear bryce the repair guru, it's been so nice to have this boy home!  He is just so amazing!  He has not stopped working since he got back from Vegas fixing and repairing things that have needed to be done for so long.  He cleaned all the tile in the fruit room in the basement that we had tried so many times to clean it and nothing would work.  He found a chemical that would work and got it done.  That was such a huge relief to me.  I have several of those projects that just weigh me down, and once they get checked off, it feels so good.  He also worked one full day on repairing some water damage in the boy's bathroom.  It still needs a lot of work, but it's nice that it's finally progressing.  He has been so productive.  He also spent an entire day doing laundry...not just his own, but all of ours without being asked.  He is a workaholic like his Dad.  I told him he is going to be the best husband someday.  But for now, I am happy to be the beneficiary!

dear study group, we had our first meeting on Thursday and I really enjoyed it.  I am just so excited that I am finally reading the book Jesus The Christ by James E. Talmage.  I have wanted to read this book for so long, but I also know it's not light reading and I needed the time to really digest it and wasn't sure when that would ever happen, but now that our Relief Society is reading it this year, I am going to make it happen!  Actually next year as well because we are going to take two years to get through it. I think I can do that!  I know my testimony of the Savior will increase from reading it because even after only reading the first few chapters, I can feel a difference.  I am really excited!

dear lynn and linda, thanks for dropping by so we could exchange our calendars!  I always give her a teddy bear calendar and she always gives me a lighthouse one.  They were out of town this Christmas and so we weren't able to do it at Christmas.  I love my lighthouses!  And I know she loves her teddy bears!

dear mckay's church basketball game, his game was at 8:30 and so after the Garrett's left, I rushed over to catch it.  Dave wasn't feeling too great and so I made him go to bed.  He'd had a long day and needed some rest.  The game was great fun to watch because everyone was having such a great time, mainly because we were ahead by about 25 or more points the whole game and so there was no pressure on anyone and so they just had fun.

#23 in these pictures below is a boy in our stake named Tate.  I got to work with him when I was over the Temple Cultural Celebration and he reminds me SO much of Tyson!  I have told him that before, but it's just uncanny how much he reminds me of him.  Not so much just his looks because Tyson was blond, but they are about the same build, but his personality is just so Tyson! Every time someone on the other team shot a free throw he would make a "fart"sound with his hands. I tried to capture it in the top photo but I missed it.  That is so like Tyson.

In this photo ↑ he was playing with a toy thing while he was sitting out.  Totally just enjoying himself and not too concerned about the game.  He just cracks me up.  It's kind of hard though when I see him because it makes me miss Tyson SO much.  But missing him isn't always a bad thing.  It brings memories of him into my mind and that is a good thing.

dear visiting teaching, it was nice to get this done even though it was nearing the end of the month.  We went to see Mona and she was just so grateful and talked a lot about when she started to come back to church. She about had me in tears when she told me that because of me and Bonnie, for the first time in her life she felt loved as a daughter of God. She said we helped her to see that she was valuable and talented and a good person and that she now loves herself as well.  She said she had never felt like that before in her entire life.  I was humbled she would say that, but so happy she now can feel that way.

I have a strong testimony of visiting teaching and I know it is one of Heavenly Father's greatest ideas ever.  We also went to see Kim and had a nice visit there.  Her married daughter was just leaving and I was so glad I got to talk to her and ask her how she was doing because I could tell she really appreciated my interest in her.  It is just so true that the little things really are the big things in life.  I have set a goal to be more observant of reaching out in kindness to those that really don't get much of it.  There are just so many people out in our big world that just need a little kind word and that little thing can make such a world of difference in their lives.  I know I have the power to be the kind of a person that can help make that difference.  Sometimes I wonder why I'm not better at doing that when it's just so simple and so easy.  But I intend to do better.

dear long run, wow what a difference a week makes!  Last week's long run went down in the record books as one of my very worst runs ever, but this week's was wonderful.  It wasn't my best, but compared to last week, it was incredible!  I felt so much better.  It was also a nice day and considering it was January 24th, that says a lot.  In fact look at the GREEN I saw while out there...

The last week in January...really?

 Some really dumb shots that only I "get"... hah

The five stages of a failed jump attempt...

1. Set timer and rush to spot.
2. Try not fall off bridge into water while deciding whether to do a front or back shot.
3. Get ready...  Get set...
4. Jump!
5. Go check to see if jump was captured.
Nope...  
Oh well...at least it looks like I got a little air.
These are so much easier when with a friend.  Where's Jen when I need her?
I couldn't seem to get it quite right.  Some people get the best running photos but I have yet to get even one!  

Further proof ↓

Yes, I was standing on that bridge thinking it was the perfect spot for a photo.  And it was.  I was even standing on the bridge.  I realized when I got home, the part of the bridge I was standing on wasn't even in the shot.  Selfie fail.  Why do I even take selfies on my runs?  I have no idea.  I guess to be in with the trend?  Or is it to prove I was actually out there?  Or evidence of my whereabouts in case I get attacked?  Or so someday when I go back and read this, I will get a good laugh of how selfie retarded I was?  

All of the above.

Runners will understand this... haha

dear upcoming stake women's conference, I was asked a couple of months ago (before Dave was Stake Pres.) if I would speak at our Stake Relief Society women's conference on family fun ideas.  When I agreed, January seemed so far away, but now it's here!  The conference is this Saturday.  They expect 300 women to attend which means about 100 in each breakout workshop.  That's a lot of women to speak to.  I'm getting nervous.  On Sunday they passed around a clipboard with the class descriptions and the speakers.  I felt very inadequate when I saw the list. 

I am looking forward to the keynote speaker and attending the other workshops and I am glad mine is in the first block so I can relax and enjoy the other workshops after.  The only problem is we can only choose one per session and they all sound so good.  I have given this presentation before, but not to so many at one time.  I am seriously stressing about it.  Sigh...

dear mr. cat, your love for my heated blanket is increasing.  You love to jump up and snuggle with me if I am wrapped up in it.  I look forward to it even though you don't stay long.  I went up to watch Downton Abbey on Sunday night and you were already laying on it even though it wasn't turned on and I wasn't in it.  I was so happy you stayed after I did get snuggled up inside.

Two posts on Mr. Cat this week?  I seriously need some grandbabies!

dear quotes I loved this week, 

Oh, so true...

Felt like this more than once this week!

And He will!

There ya go...

AMEN!

I love this so much because it's so true!

Sad but true..

dear funny things on facebook, this week I took the quiz "How You Will Die" and I laughed so hard that I had to share.  I wonder if I will be with Skyler skin diving at the time.  Pretty impressive for an 80+ year old lady!

And my Message From God this week:

Today, Jodi, we believe God wants you to know that ...

all those little things that annoy you, are God's way of watching out for you. 

You never know when an untied shoelace saves you from an onrushing car. On September 11th, one man was saved because he had to get donuts for his team; another because he developed a blister on his foot from wearing new shoes.

 

I will try and not be so annoyed at those things that are so frustrating and remember that everything happens for a reason!  Right?

dear worth your time to read, I read this ↓ on Sunday, and I thought it was so good that I wanted to share on here:

LINK HERE
Well worth the read!