Spence

Just saw your email with a pic request, Snej... here you be matey! tx for the post

Happy Birthday Spencer

1. How old are you turning this year? 29

2. What is your favorite food? Gnocchi, the Italian pasta dish that’s potato-based

3. What is your most frequently purchased grocery item? Mine? Probably chicken; Lindsay does most of the grocery shopping.

4. What is your bedtime routine like? Get into my Simpsons pajama bottoms, brush my teeth, occasionally use some mouthwash, say family and personal prayers, go to sleep.

5. What are three things you absolutely have to do every day? Take a shower, one productive thing (work, household, etc.) and one fun thing

6. What do you listen to most? Probably Lindsay

7. What’s one skill you wish you had? Hands-on car engine knowledge

8. What skill are you most proud of? Financial knowledge

9. If you could visit any place in the world, where would you go? Easter Island

10. What is your favorite place you’ve been? Southern Chile

11. What are three of your favorite books? Brave New World, Bringing Down the House and Debt of Honor

12. If you had to buy any magazine what would it be? Time

13. What is one thing that gets on your nerves? Lingering water in the ears

14. What is your favorite sport to watch or play? American football, though English football is a close second

15. What do you love to do when you have nothing to do? Watch the Simpsons so I can show Lindsay just what she’s been missing

16. What are three things you wish you had? Compete financial security, unlimited energy, secret superpowers

17. What is your favorite treat? Peanut butter bars with chocolate on top

18. What are a few things you hope to accomplish or learn this year? Complete my Certified Insolvency and Restructuring Advisor certification classes (can’t get the certification yet due to work experience requirement), maintain a steady exercise program

19. What are your favorite things to watch (tv show/movie)? The Simpsons, The Office (US version), Seinfeld

20. What are your three most visited websites (besides facebook/email)? espn.com, cnn.com, fantasysports.yahoo.com (my fantasy basketball league with the Brethren)

Mormon Women Project

I got featured on the front page of the Mormon Women Project today. I first saw this website a year ago and loved it! It was such an honor to be posted alongside women who have truly incredible stories (instead of my dorky one ;). Interviewing is really hard and it turned out more cheeseball than I realized until it was posted for all to see- but oh well. Check it out here

with credit from Rax this is Beej's comment on Woozies question

Woozie you can get married if you want to but maybe you shouldn't ..... just saying.
(PS it was Rax's idea to add the visual I hope it doesn't offend anyone).

The Return to Wapta

So for reading week I have done very little reading and the motivation to do well in law school has all but disappeared. What HASN'T changed is my insatiable desire to go out to the mountains. Last year i went out with two friends up to the Wapta Ice Fields. A massive cluster of glaciers that span hundreds and hundreds of square kilometers in an open barren desolate wasteland of snow and ice. Skiing on glaciers is exhilarating and I'm looking forward to it.

The person who is definitely not looking forward to it at all is Momma. When I joked about how I wanted to purposefully hurl myself into a crevasse so that I could write a book about my survival experience and potentially make some serious $$$$$ she did not think it was funny ...... at all.

I did look at the forecast and it is going to be a cold one for sure. Like super cold which means I may not return but if I had to think about one of the worst ways to go I think it would be freezing to death on a barren desolate wasteland. Also because both of my friends are married I will probably have to lead through the treacherous terrain ..... they have more to live for. But if I could think of one of the best ways to go it would probably be falling into a crevasse (just kidding Mom that is a joke I don't intend to fall into a crevasse).

Anyways, I am going to try to take lots of pictures and video this time around so I hope to share the experience with all you guys.

Janine's Wedding

I guess I have been silent on the blog for the last two months but I'm trying to change that now! Mainly I haven't felt like there's been much to say, but I suppose there's always stuff to write about. Especially lately. This past weekend, Rico and I got to join Mom, Dad, Snej, Char, and Beej at Janine's wedding in Cardston! It was really a lot of fun. The journey there was quite an adventure though... we took the Amtrak train from Spokane, and it unfortunately was not the best experience of my life haha. Maybe Rico can tell you more about it if he so chooses.
It was a beautiful wedding despite the frigid weather, and the family dinner was great too. Mom took a lot of great pictures which I'm sure she will post. It was good to see relatives and catch up with everyone. I also caught the bouquet! Guess we all know what that means... haha I doubt I'll be the next girl in the family to be married but I suppose it's always a possibility, especially being at BYU and all. What do you guys think, am I in danger of being the next girl in our extended family married? The numbers are dwindling now!

Frisbee

So one of the things I like to do happens on Thursday nights at the baseball field behind the LA Temple and that's play Ultimate Frisbee. For those who don't know what that is, it's a combination of football and frisbee throwing. Some of the people are super competitive, but others are there just for the fun of it and to run around some. Keep in mind that it's the middle of winter, yet here I am outside in shorts and a t-shirt running and playing.

It's completely non-contact, but I do get the assorted bumps and bruises from jumping and diving after frisbees. That's kind of my specialty; coming out of nowhere to either knock down the pass (if I'm on defense) or catch the frisbee that looks like it's going to hit the ground. Lots of fun, little bit of pain afterwords, but it's worth it. Just ask John, he's played it here before.

Funny Quotes

The other day I was driving back from the airport where we dropped off Meliss - Caleb and I had some time to chat. I was asking him about school and he said, 'I have lots of teachers.' I said, 'Really? What are they like?'
Caleb: 'Well, one of them has dark skin... One of them has old skin...'


Later I was driving with him and Julian to their swimming lesson and I told them that in just a week and a half it would be Uncle Spencer's birthday!
Julian: 'will he be turning 5 or 6?'

These guys are cute! Sure loved seeing Oliver in the autumn time, too! He got us started with the jumping game, where we hold hands and they jump reeaally high! What a fun age!

Starter

For quite a while now I have been delaying a repair on my car- it has needed a new starter. As the family can attest when they borrowed it over the holidays, it can be temperamental and at times it just makes a hollow 'click' sound when you turn the ignition. It has been known to take up to 10 minutes to finally start. That said, I have miraculously not really been late or missed work or anything because of it. Maybe that's why I procrastinated buying a new starter. Spence and I are also looking at getting a new car altogether so I wondered if it would work out to just not do the repair, but trade in the car instead. I know that California weather is kinder to cars and this one has lasted a LOOONG time considering, but I guess I like to push my luck. I have even loaned it to friends when their cars were even mmore broken down than mine, and taken this treasure of a '99 dark gold toyota chevy on a few road trips. (I know, it's funny that it's two makes- it's a toyota from the front and chevy from the back. I guess at one point they were merged.)

Well yesterday it finally gave out. The real hint was that it was smoking from the engine the last time I drove it. When I tried to start it a couple times after, it made this really low gurgly clattering noise and would not start. But here's where the cool part comes. Right next to us there's a car dealerships and one of the mechanics just happened to be walking by. When he saw me looking under the hood and noticing more smoke, he said, 'hey lady, do you need some help?' Often if someone asks if I need help I'll be like, 'no, I got it, thanks,' but this time it was a GIVEN that yes I did need some help, I appreciated him asking. He got his buddy and within a few hours they had the thing fixed up and working great! For a great price! Spence and I picked it back up and it runs like a charm! Blessin'! Thanks!

Hot off the Press: Ian in Daily Variety

Ian got some press time for being such an amazing, qualified, awesome Business Affairs guy! He got his photo in the trades!! Check it out

Compound

Those of you who know the NFL and have been around for awhile have heard the name Joe Theismann. He was a quarterback for the Washington Redskins, but had his career ended when Lawrence Taylor, a Hall of Fame linebacker, landed on top of him while making a tackle and causing a compound fracture of his tibia and fibula bones in his leg. Those of you who have seen the movie "The Blind Side" saw this play at the beginning. It wasn't a pretty picture. Taylor jumped up immediately and waved frantically for the medics to come and attend to Theismann as soon as it happened. I'm not going to put a picture up of it because it's pretty graphic, but you can find it (or the youtube clip) if you want.

We had something similar happen at our Church basketball game last Saturday. One of my friends from the single's ward (who just moved into our new ward the week before) went up to defend a shot and came down awkwardly, while at the same time the guy he was guarding came down on him as well. Instead of rolling or spraining his ankle, the tibia and fibula broke and down he went. We got the ambulance there as quick as possible and he had to have a rod inserted surgically so the bones could heal. He was in remarkably good spirits considering and he should recover. Something to keep in mind while playing sports (or doing anything); there but for the grace of God go I.

Char vs The Ocean

I recently remembered quite vividly a day at Balmedie Beach (just North of Aberdeen) - a day I danced with death. It was a cool day, hardly anyone was on the beach except some windsurfers a ways from where Jordan and I were. I decided I wanted to go for a swim. While Jordan played with Oliver on the beach, I played in the huge waves that were crashing the shore - big swells, I was delighted at how high the waves pushed me, and enjoyed letting them push and pull me - I thought the ocean was just having a bit of fun with me...until I suddenly realized that I had drifted quite a ways from the shore. I could barely see Jordan. A little bit of nervous shot through me and I quickly started to swim towards the shore. A little bit of terror shot through me when I realized that although the waves were throwing me forwards on their way to the shore, there was a stong current pulling me back, further away every time they passed over me. I was being slowly being pulled out into the ocean. Panicked, I fought against the waves and swam forwards with everything I had in me but I could tell that I wasn't strong enough - I wasn't getting closer to the shore. So this is what I did - I let a wave throw me forward and then I sunk under the water and shoved my feet into the sand to anchor myself against the undertow. When I felt the undertow pass I shot myself up and let the next wave throw me forward again. Bit by bit I struggled my way forward until I finally reached the shore.

Redwall

The writer of the Redwall books died today. I thought this would be particularly impactful for David.

Read the news here.

Valentine

My heart melted when I saw Julian writing this Valentine for Ian all by himself. We all appreciate everything Ian does around here. Hard to find a harder-working daddy or hubs to all these little boys.

1 Peter 1

I really liked these lines from our reading today:

For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:

I like being reminded that death could be just around the corner...it keeps me on my toes.
I too like "the glory of man...falleth away"

After reading the account of Christ's life in Mark I was kind of amazed to be reminded that the most perfect man that lived on earth was criticized and condemned by his fellowmen. It's just so bizarre how people can get goodness so mixed up in their heads, maybe because they've just forgotten about their hearts.

Happy, happy birthday Jordan dear....

1. How old are you turning this year? 32
2. What is your favorite food? Sauerbraten made by Char
3. What is your most frequently purchased grocery item? Three items in what we call our holy trinity of groceries – milk, bread & eggs
4. What is your bedtime routine like? Lie in bed and talk with Char until we’re tired, always hoping I’ve brushed my teeth first while half-dozing off
5. What are three things you absolutely have to do every day? Brush teeth, have a good breakfast and keep sanity
6. What do you listen to most? Questions from an Oliver who is at a very curious stage right now
7. What’s one skill you wish you had? Being handy with house and car repairs
8. What skill are you most proud of? Language skills
9. If you could visit any place in the world, where would you go? Cuba, hopefully while there are still enough interesting Castro-isms to see
10. What is your favorite place you’ve been? Devon and Cornwall (in SW England) during the summertime
11. What are three of your favorite books? Crime and Punishment, East of Eden, A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
12. If you had to buy any magazine what would it be? The Economist
13. What is one thing that gets on your nerves? two kids whining at the same time over a toy
14. What is your favorite sport to watch or play? Now that we’re back in Canada, I’d say it’s a tie between hockey and soccer
15. What do you love to do when you have nothing to do? If I ever found myself with nothing to do on a Saturday morning (rarely happens though) I would love to sit and watch a Premier League soccer game
16. What are three things you wish you had? A voucher for a round-the-world trip, season tickets for Arsenal and a good family home somewhere in Edmonton with a big backyard for the boys
17. What is your favorite treat? Galette-des-Rois, a dessert recipe that Char got from a Dutch lady when we were in the UK
18. What are a few things you hope to accomplish or learn this year? Cross-country skiing, organize a soccer team with Char, lots of family bike trips
19. What are your favorite things to watch (tv show/movie)? All of it British TV that unfortunately we don’t manage to watch much anymore two comedies – the IT crowd and Mock the Week - and BBC documentaries
20. What are your three most visited websites (besides facebook/email)? tsn.ca, bbc.co.uk, economist.com

Drinking the Kool-Aid

I have really enjoyed studying the New Testament so far with you guys and have really appreciated all the posts about our study even if I've been a bit quiet so far. This passage in Mark 7 really struck a chord with me:



1 Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem. 2 And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault.

18 And [Jesus] saith unto them,...
15 There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.
21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:

23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

This passage has been on my mind the past few days. My sister just recently gave birth to a baby girl. She had been preparing for the labour by reading a book which advises that relaxation is the key to a smooth delivery. Relaxation and positive thinking. It encourages women to focus on how delivery is a natural process that has been occurring since the beginning of time. It also advises women to stay away from those who just love to share their horror birth stories - it's too negative, if you listen to those stories that will just make you tense up. I agree that delivery is a natural part of life and yes women have been giving birth since the beginning of man. But I also recognize that death, deformity, pain and tragedy are also natural to the experience of life. My sister ended up being overdue and after going in for an ultrasound was told that her baby was a large baby and that there was now a real chance that the baby's shoulder's could get stuck. When that happens the baby has only 7 minutes before brain damage and death become a possibility. Talk about a downer. My sister later told me that she did feel calm and relaxed throughout the delivery but then explained that after she had gone for the ulrasound she had a beautiful moment when she felt a very powerful impression that God was with her. She felt no promise of a healthy baby or an easy delivery but that she could trust that Heavenly Father was watching over her. She also said that she also felt impressed to remember that fear does not come from God. Faith was her pathway to relaxation, calm and peace - and it wasn't faith in a positive result. It was faith in Christ.
I recently found this really beautiful post which I think shows the beauty of God's presence amidst tragedy.
The scripture above reminded me that man made philosophy is often so lacking and can make us weaker, not stronger. Christ offers us all we need.