*Monday Memos*

*MONDAY MEMOS*

            

 (If pictures are too small, just click to enlarge) 

dear lunch with sistas!  It has been a while since I was able to hang with these cuties!  I have missed them!  We met at Olive Garden and it was so fun to catch up.  Robin came a little later and I was so glad she did!   I was happy Dawn threw this together for Kathy's birthday because I was coming into town anyway!  Perfect timing!

We have a blast together especially when we are posing for pictures!

I sure do love these women!  What a blessing they are to me. I just wish I lived closer so I could hang with them more!

After I left the lunch I had to return a bunch of clothes that we didn't wear for the family pictures.  I bought SO many because I knew my boys wouldn't wear just whatever and so I had to get several choices for each.  What a pain! 

dear mona, Mona was in a car wreck on Friday and totaled her car.  She broke seven ribs as well as fractured her neck.  She will have to be in a neck brace for three months.  Luckily it's the kind that will heal well and doesn't need surgery.  I went and saw her on Monday at the hospital and she looked pretty rough!  It is just so sad.  She has been through so much!  They are transferring her to a rehab center today.  

dear busy taylor, this kid is going to summer school and working two jobs.  He also has one killer social life and goes to the gym nearly every day and plays a lot of basketball.  I am glad he is living his life to the fullest.

This is his friend Mitch who took out my niece Aubrey.  She is on the paddle board.  Taylor didn't get a picture of him and Hadley.  :(

 He set up a double date with his cousin Aubrey and his good bud Mitch.  He took out Aubrey's good friend Hadley.  They went canoeing at Pineview and then sat around and played the guitar and sang.  Sounded like a lot of fun!  However because he is so dang busy, I got to return the canoe.  No biggy other than there was no one but one girl there and so I had to help lift it off my car and carry it.  Holy!  That thing was heavy and I nearly dropped it!

 Studying for yet another test! 

 On Wednesday he left for work for his landscaping job at 6:30 a.m. and didn't get home until 1:30 a.m.!  19 hours!  They were working in the dark!  Hey, aren't there child labor laws against that?  I guess he is now an adult, but he is still MY child!  lol That is hard work too. But he will have a nice check.  He's not in the above picture. It's his boss and co-worker.

dear letter from mckay, we have received three total hand written letters so far since he left!  They are the best!  He says he didn't realize how much he loved us and how much he was going to miss us!  

He also said, "You were right Mom, I do miss you more than Psych, Panthers, and Panda combined!!! :)"  I asked him before he left what he was going to miss the most and those are the three things he said and I always said, "No, you are wrong!  You are going to miss me the most!"  He didn't believe me...then.  haha  He also said he didn't realize he was a worrier.  He tells us to be safe.   He also wrote, "I never expected the MTC to be this much work.  For some reason I expected it to be easy and painless. I am out of my comfort zone and it is good but it definitely isn't easy. I've discovered I'm a bit of a worrier. I pray for you every day. I'm trying to forget myself and go to work.  Everyone says it gets better after Sunday. And I believe it! Thank you so much for the letters!  They really helped.  If I would have actually realized how long two years is I would have hugged you all a lot tighter. I do miss you but I know this is where I am supposed to be." He says he loves the work and knows the Lord has a plan for him and that he is happy.

He wrote in another letter, "Thank you so much for the package.  Thank you for giving me a life that is so hard to leave! I'm trying to "bloom" Mom. I love hearing from home!  I love all of you so much!  I don't think I said that enough before I left and I wish I would have!  Never take for granted just seeing each other every day.  Families can be together forever. It's definitely harder here than I thought. I'm glad to be here learning and growing.  I'm trying to forget myself and go to work.  I'm taking it day by day. Trying to be the best missionary I can be!  I know by the end it will seem like it flew by. Pray for me that I can love this mission! I know I will! I look forward to the future 2 years with faith and hope and joy!" 

I can tell he is a little bit homesick.  But that is totally expected and normal and it will all pass eventually and I know he will be fine.  I wrote him a two page letter with some suggestions to help him when he might struggle.  I posted that here.

I need to send this quote to him... I LOVE IT!

THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN IN MCKAY'S MISSION!  Lovely, just lovely!

We did get a great email and lots of awesome pictures!!!!

 His district with the Russian flag.

 Cool nametags

 His schedule.

 His roomies. He is in a trio companionship.

 Some random shots. Crazy kid!

dear mona, I went and visited Mona again on Wednesday but she is now in the rehab center.  She looked horrible!  I can tell this is going to be a very long recovery for her!  Just so sad.

dear ap camp, Dave has been up to Aaronic Priesthood Camp from Wednesday on.  He did work on Thursday though.  Bryce was at Bear Lake for two days.  I better start getting used to this empty nest! 

dear study group, I got my reading assignment done this week for my Jesus the Christ study group. It as a good discussion as usual, but I was bothered a bit by something we discussed about how the man that had Palsy was being punished with it because of his sins, but yet the blind man was told he wasn't blind because of the sins of his or his parents.  Anyway, I don't believe people that have diseases or bad health are that way because of some sin they committed. If that were the case, we would all have a disease!  But it was a good discussion.  

dear planter pots, you are already looking pretty sick and it's only June!  We have been having temps in the upper 90's all week and you are taking a beating!  Next week it's expected to be in the triple digits!  I wish I had gotten some pix of my pots before they started to fry!

dear lunch with great pals, Bonnie and Robin and I have been trying to schedule a lunch for a long time. We finally did it!  Robin had to bring her cute grandsons, but they are so well behaved it was not a  problem and it was fun to get to know them a bit. They are adorable! I love these ladies so much!  They both know a lot more about me than they probably should! haha  When I run with Robin my mouth tends to run as well - especially after about mile 10.  You learn a lot about each other on those long runs!  lol  And Bonnie just has a way about her that I can't help but open up to her. Both are so understanding and so wise. They both always support me and help me through so many things.  I really don't know what I would do without them!

We have a lot of fun together too!

dear thursday! You were one of those days where I ran from one thing to the next without a break!  First, I did my hill repeats and then I showered and headed to my study group.  As soon as I got home from that I went to lunch with Bonnie and Robin and then as soon as I got home from that my visiting teacher Audrey stopped by.  We had a great visit. I love chatting with her and I seriously could talk to her all day.  She just is one of those rare people that you feel like you can tell anything to and she would not be judgmental but only understanding.  She is a dear friend and I am super glad she is also my visiting teacher so I actually get to chat with her more often!  While she was still here, my visiting teaching partner Cheryl showed up to pick me up for our appointments.  This was our first time visiting teaching together. We went and saw Kim and then Heather.  I found out I was invited up to AP Camp for a dinner and a speaker, but there was some miscommunication and the Stake Pres. wives never got the memo so none of us ended up going.  The Bishop's wives got the memo so they did go. Hopefully next time it will be a little more organized.  I could have gone after visiting teaching, but I would have had to drive alone and I would have been late. I decided it wasn't worth it.  Once it was dark, I went out and sat on the porch and Taylor let Mr. Cat out of his window and he was just sitting up there on the roof like a boss!

dear friday, I have been seeing a lot of snakes on my runs already!  I am not a fan.  

I headed back to Ogden for the third time this week to visit Mona again. I also had to drop off a bunch of donated items that our ward collected for the Ogden Rescue Mission because that was my humanitarian project for this month.  The back of my Escalade was packed full! 

Before I went to see Mona I went to a  car wash called Magic Wash. Let me tell you, it was the highlight of my day!  I seriously was loving it!  You would have thought I was a little kid or something but it was so cool! 

The soap was colored and it eventually mixed into a purple!  Loved it!  Loved the water shooting down like rain and the big blow dryers and the free vacuum!  Total blast!  Obviously, I am easily entertained!  haha  It was So. Much. Fun!  Worth every penny of the $7 I paid!

I looked over and there was a mirror so you could see how great your car looked!  I had to wave and take a picture because I'm a dork like that! 

I went and saw Mona and Julie and Dave were there.  Mona looked 10 times better today!  We all chatted for a while and then since it was Root Beer Float Friday, we all enjoyed a root beer float too! After they left she didn't want me to leave and so I stayed for a while longer.  Then her grand daughter actually showed up. I was so grateful they are visiting her. 

dear dinner and wedding reception with mom, after leaving Mona, I headed to my Mom's to pick her up.  We went to The Greenery at Rainbow Garden's to eat.  I love that place!  I really love their Mormon Muffins!  We shared a sandwich and then shopped around in the gift shop.  We went there because it was Allie's (Taylor's ex-girlfriend) reception that night and it was up Ogden canyon. 

The waitress noticed we had twinner tops of (as far as ruffles go) and she said we needed a picture.  We didn't plan it that way.  We wouldn't have even noticed if the waitress hadn't said something.  hah

My Mom is the cutest!

We then headed to the reception. I was really torn whether I should go or not, especially since Dave was at AP camp and couldn't go with me.  But Skyler told me that I needed to go. He said that since I was invited I needed to go and besides he said there are no hard feelings and you love Allie.  I agreed, but I just didn't want to make her or her family OR husband feel awkward.  My Mom said she would go with me and so I went.  It was a little awkward for sure.  But I just wanted her to know I wish her well and I truly hope she finds the greatest happiness.  She is a great person and I will always love her.  Just because things with her and Taylor didn't work out, hasn't changed any of that.

It was a beautiful setting against the river and she had it decorated so classy.  I loved her colors of light blue, gold, and white.  Very pretty and she looked stunning as always.  Her parents were so nice as they always are.  They are just the neatest and nicest people.  Her dad asked about Taylor and said how much he thought of him.  They were just all really nice. I truly hope I didn't cause any awkwardness. The brownies they served were the best I've ever eaten!  SO good!  We talked to Taylor's buds TJ and Carpet on our way out. They said they tried to get Taylor to go with them, but he declined.  haha  Imagine that!   Me and Mom were laughing all night about the silliest things.  She is just a hoot and had me laughing seriously all night starting at when I picked her up at her house.  I also drove her car because they got a new one and I think we are going to buy their old one.  It's nice.

dear long run, Robin and I ran down the canyon and then met her daughter Sam at the lake in Mantua.  We headed out and ran into these amazing inflatable men.  haha  I forced them both to take a picture. (Robin and Sam, not the inflatable men.)  I mean how often do you run into aliens while on a run!?  When you see a Kodak moment, you must take it!  I decided I like inflatable men.  They don't give you any crap! 

I had a crappy run.  We went 12 miles and I just wasn't feeling it today.  Well, actually I WAS feeling it too much! My knees hurt, my body hurt, I had no energy, I wanted to be done at mile seven!  That was one of the longest 12 milers ever! I just wanted to go home and sleep, but that never happened. 

dear dinner with taylor, Dave got home from AP camp on Saturday and so we were going to head out to eat but on the way he got feeling too sick so we took him home.  He thinks he got heat exhaustion from camp.  Taylor drove and took us to Hua Guan (or something!) the Chinese restaurant in town that I avoid. I didn't think anyone ever went in there but it was packed and I was surprised how good it was!  It really was.  You just never know.  I had been there when they first opened many years ago and wasn't impressed at all back then.  Good call Taylor! The best part was I got to catch up with him and his life! 

dear baby turkeys, yes the wild turkeys are multiplying and replenishing the earth!  At least the mountain!  They are pretty cute though so multiply and replenish away!

dear mr. cat, how can you NOT love this feline?

dear mckay!  He got to meet his Mission President and his wife this week as well.  President and Sister Perkinson.  I have heard they are very amazing and very nice. We heard from him on Saturday as well and it sounded like he was a little bit homesick.  That is to be expected though since he is only 18 and never lived away before AND just barely left high school.  That has to be such a huge adjustment!  But he will be okay. Like I said above, I sent him a two page letter through DearElder.com with some suggestions and I know that he will be fine.  Truthfully, I'd be more worried if he wasn't a little homesick.  But he says he won't gain weight while at the MTC because he has no appetite. That will pass as well. I have faith he will adjust quick and get on with it.  He says he is trying to forget himself and go to work, the quote from Pres. Hinckley's dad.  And he will.  He is one of the hardest workers I know.  He sent some pictures in his email and they were awesome!  I loved seeing his happy face and what he is doing.  He is going to be the best missionary!  That kid is obedient almost to a fault!  I love getting his letters!  He hasn't said much about the language yet.

He's on the back row third over.

dear kind friends, I have the best friends.  Sweet Janet brought me over an amazing CD and some Oreos to help me feel better!  Everyone knows chocolate does help!  As well as great inspirational music! 

dear sunday, I went to McKay's friend Kaden's farewell.  He did a great job.  He told me McKay asked him to send him his talk and so he is going to. I saw on the program that there was a boy in his ward that is serving in McKay's same mission!  I couldn't believe it!  I asked the lady next to me if she knew him and his family and she did!  She told me their other son has cancer right now and she probably wasn't there.  I decided I need to find her on Facebook and talk to her!  There are not very many missionaries in his mission and now this is the third one from our little city so far!  Seems so crazy!

dear randomness, I took  a few more silly quizzes on FB and here is my destiny. My TRUE destiny. hah Not sure how the health can be 69% but I live to be 95.  Hmm...  I've already passed up the marriage predictor.  I DO however have five children. So who can argue?  lol

Oh these make me laugh...  Especially what I'm going to look like in 50 years?  Not bad for 103!  Whaaaaaaat!  

This ugly weed tries to attack me while I'm running hills.  I am not sure why such an ugly plant could have such pretty purple blossoms on it.  Just goes to show that there is beauty in everything if you look hard enough.  Well, okay MOST things!

Yup....

I love rain!

dear messages this week...

Today, Jodi, we believe God wants you to know that ...sometimes you need to be still. Chasing the things you want can make them move further away from you. Relax, and let events unfold in their own time instead.

Today, Jodi, we believe God wants you to know that ...if you desire something, offer something. Offerings can come in many forms: a gift, a prayer, a smile, flowers, food. Offer something from your heart.

Today, Jodi, we believe God wants you to know that ...all is well. What could you not accept, if you but knew that everything that happens, all events, past, present, and to come, are gently planned by One Whose only purpose is your good?

* Shake It Off and Step Up *

Expectations, dreams, hopes, plans, goals...
...words that can change quickly into...

Disappointment, failure, setback, defeat, letdown...
Do you ever feel like life has decided to throw you a curve ball when you were expecting a homerun?

I do!

This week (month!) has been the perfect example. Oh no, I feel a vent coming on! The crowning jewel was today when my son who has maintained a 4.0 GPA for the past three (plus) years got his first A- in his college credit math class. Trust me, to maintain a 4.0 for that long is NO easy feat! He is one smart kid and has done this while playing three very time consuming sports all three years which means he sometimes leaves at 5:30 a.m. and gets home at 6:30 p.m. Even 11:00 p.m. on some game days. It has amazed me he was able to do it this long. Of course, I am his mother and I would think he is amazing no matter what. ☺

At the end of every trimester we hold our breath hoping we won't see that A-, but today unfortunately we did. The hardest part for me is the fact that I didn't even worry once this entire tri, because he had a 100% in that class this whole time. 100% in assignments AND tests! Little did I know (because he didn't mention it!) that the final he took today counted for 30% of his grade! He studied hard, but I guess just not hard enough. He missed the A grade by the skin of his teeth! He needed 150 on the test but got 137. A 2% deficit in his overall grade. That is hard to swallow. It would have been easier if he had missed it by 50! And the sad fact is, he deserved the A-. The teacher said he hates this part of the class because this happens to so many of his students and there is always an abundance of tears every time. Yeah, probably from the parents!

At our school it is a big deal because if you maintain a 4.0 for your four high school years, you are automatically a valedictorian. So we usually end up with 12 or 13 of those. I am not sure I agree with that system, but that IS how it works. I do agree it is nice they honor all those students who have worked so hard to achieve that instead of just one. I think the more positive accolades they can give these youth the better. Heaven knows, they need it! All of my boys have set that as a goal. My oldest fell short because of one measly A- as well, which was given to him by a teacher that was later fired because he wasn't really a teacher. But that's another post that I will kindly not write. My middle son was able to achieve it. And I thought this one nearly had it in the bag with only his senior year left. However, the whole valedictorian thing really wasn't the motivation for him. It was more for the Academic All-State in sports. It is much easier to get a football scholarship if you are named Academic All-State and so that was the main goal. There is still a small chance he can be named that, but probably not without a 4.0. He has been getting tons of requests from colleges all over the nation to apply to their football program because of his grades and his athletic accomplishments this year. Now he will have a 3.9 GPA and that isn't quite as impressive, all because of a few stupid math problems! I can't even explain how disappointed I am. I think I am much more so than he is!

I know, I know, this is NOT a matter of life and death. It is not the end of the world. That was last week remember? ☺ BUT, it is still hard to just accept and move on. It's hard to let go of it and just be at peace when it was SO stinkin' close! I felt the same way about my half marathon last week! So CLOSE to achieving my new PR goal, yet not quite there because of of my dang knee! So frustrating! If interested, you can read more about that here.

One of my sons that is in Hawaii this summer selling Home Security for his first time, is working his little tail off and not seeing a lot of success. He is disappointed and so I am. Especially since my other son that is over there, IS seeing a lot of success. Of course there is a bright side to that one...because after all he is in Hawaii! There have been many other things this past month that have been very discouraging and disappointing that I won't bore you with. But it's like a little child who so excitedly receives a very bright balloon, but let's it slip away unexpectedly and cries for it to come back but is told it's impossible to ever retrieve it, all the while watching it through tear filled eyes ever so slowly float up into the sky as it gets smaller and smaller, until it's no longer visible. Sometimes our dreams and expectations float away the same way. And no matter how let down or disappointed we are, it is impossible to get them back. It is out of our control.

I have learned from experience that when I stop and realize some things are simply out of my control, then I have a much easier time letting go and moving on. If I don't let go, but hold on dwelling on the injustice of it all, the more bitter I get.


When things happen that really hurt, yet are out of my control, I am learning that I need to take responsibility for my feelings. Even though sometimes things in our lives seem unfair or it may even be another person's fault, we are still responsible for our own feelings. In other words... events, problems, or other people do not "cause" our feelings. We choose them. We can choose to be happy and move on or we can choose to stay disappointed and be stuck forever, and become a helpless victim.

I can CHOOSE how I feel about things. Isn't that such an amazing gift? I really can decide how I will be affected by all the little and BIG disappointments in life. If I choose to to let them go and learn from them... to remind myself that "after all I AM in Hawaii", then it makes it so much easier to cope with those hard things. Even though I may not actually BE in Hawaii, I am after all ALIVE and able to experience all the things life has to offer, good OR bad! And that is a gift and blessing in itself! And as I choose those feelings, I am able to learn to just walk away from disappointment. And even though it is still very difficult to do, it is possible.

Thomas Carlyle, the famous 19th century Scottish historian, proved that.

After working on his multi-volume set of books on "The French Revolution" for SIX years, Carlyle completed the manuscript and took volume one to his friend John Stuart Mill, asking him to read it.

According to the story, five days later, Mill's maid accidentally threw the manuscript into the fire. In deep agony, Mill went to Carlyle's house to inform him that his work had been destroyed.

Carlyle did not flinch. With a smile, he said, "That's all right, Mill. These things happen. It is a part of life. I will start over. I can remember most of it, I am sure. Don't worry. It's all here in my mind. Go, my friend! Do not feel bad."

Carlyle stood by the window watching Mill leave. Carlyle then turned to his wife and said, "I did not want him to see how crushed I am by this misfortune." And with a heavy sigh, he added, "Well the manuscript is gone, so I had better start writing again."

And write again he did. Carlyle finally completed the work, which ranks as one of the great classics of all time. He had learned to walk away from his disappointment.

After all, what could Carlyle have done about his no longer existent burnt manuscript?

Nothing.

Nothing would have resurrected the manuscript. Nothing could make it reappear. All Carlyle could do was to get bitter or get started. And what can we do about anything once it is over? Usually nothing. We can try to correct it if it is possible, or we can walk away from it if it isn't. Those are our only two choices. And we all know what the better choice is.

One of my favorite parables is told of a farmer who owned an old mule. The mule fell into the farmer's well. The farmer heard the mule 'braying' - or - whatever mules do when they fall into wells. After carefully assessing the situation, the farmer sympathized with the mule, but decided that neither the mule nor the well was worth the trouble of saving. Instead, he called his neighbors together and told them what had happened and enlisted them to help haul dirt to bury the old mule in the well and put him out of his misery.

Initially, the old mule was hysterical! But as the farmer and his neighbors continued shoveling and the dirt hit his back, a thought struck him. It suddenly dawned on him that every time a shovel load of dirt landed on his back, he should shake it off and step up! This he did, shovel full after shovel full.

"Shake it off and step up...shake it off and step up...shake it off and step up!", he repeated to encourage himself. No matter how painful the blows, or distressing the situation seemed, the old mule just kept right on shaking it off and stepping up!

It wasn't long before the old mule, battered and exhausted, stepped happily over that well wall into freedom! What seemed like it would bury him, actually blessed him, all because of the manner in which he handled his adversity. And so it is with us. If we face our problems and respond to them positively, and refuse to give in to disappointment, setbacks, and the adversities that come along to bury us, we will find they usually have within them the potential to bless us in ways we never could have dreamed. We just need to remember to "SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP" out of the wells in which we find ourselves.

We can choose.


If you concentrate on finding whatever is good in every situation, you will discover that your life will suddenly be filled with gratitude, a feeling that nurtures the soul. - Rabbi Harold Kushner



A six-time winner of the Hawaii Ironman Triathalon said, "It is not the distance that overwhelms people who race Hawaii's Ironman. It's the relentless wind that blows across the lava fields. You're on one of the highest ridges, you see miles of repetitive road, and you realize it's extremely hot and you're going straight into a 30-mile-an-hour crosswind. I've found that those who dwell on these conditions tend to fold. I always train for adversity I consider adversity an asset, something to turn to my advantage. One of life's most important lessons is learning to put your losses in perspective and to savor your triumphs by riding on euphoria's wave. Have high goals and expectations; regard defeat as stages on the road to success by remembering the little victories that have gotten you where you are."

I love this triathlete's attitude. Of course, once again, he is in Hawaii! ☺ As I write this, I realize it's much easier said than done. Especially on the mainland. hee-hee But if we are able to consider adversity an asset, a gift even, then we will be able to keep those disappointments (that will inevitably continue to come) in perspective, while we keep climbing up that pile of dirt shaking it off and stepping up.

We can choose to let go of our losses. We can bury them. We can walk away from them while we shake it off and step up. And most importantly, we can still feel empowered to shoot for the moon and set high goals because we know even if we fall short, we will still land among the stars. My son's 3.9 GPA may be a little short of the moon, but it is still quite an accomplishment that has landed him right there among the stars.

Consciously making the choice to walk away and let go of disappointment is not gonna be easy! But, it is our choice. And for that, I am grateful! After all, we are in Hawaii! ☺ At least in our head!