November 11 - I am Thankful for Those That Have Given Me My Freedom

My facebook post on November 11 read:

Today I am thankful for all the men and women who have served in the armed forces for the past 234 years to enable our independence, to solidify us as a nation, and to preserve the liberties of us and other nations when threatened. Hats off to those who are working so hard right now. I'm especially thankful for my two sons, Mike (USAF) and Matt (US Army) who are currently serving! Love you guys.

And I meant it.  Freedom isn't free.  I know that I need to think and reflect more often on the sacrifices of the many that fought to make us a nation, those that defended the idea of us as United States, and those who have entered the arena of global warfare on so many fronts. 

One of my facebook friends, Kathy, listed her ancestors who had fought for our country, and I thought of my own military heritage:  I have ancestors who fought in the Revolutionary War; family members who wore both the blue and the gray in the Civil War, three uncles who fought in World War II as well as DJ's dad.  My two favorite military men are serving right now---two of our sons: 

 

Matt - currently finishing basic training at Ft. Knox, Kentucky



Mike - Received his "wings" recently at a ceremony in San Antonio



It's my hope and prayer that they will always be safe and kept from harm's way, that they will work so very hard to keep our nation safe, that they will epitomzie the values on which America was founded, and that they will follow the example of a once great miitary leader, Captain Moroni. 

It was said of him that he "was a storng and a mighty man; he was a man of a perfect understanding; yea, a man that did not delight in bloodshed; a man whose soul did joy in the liberty and the freedom of his country, and his brethren from bondage and slavery;  Yea, a man whose heart did swell with thanksgiving to his God for the many privileges and blessings which he bestowed upon his people; a man who did labor exceedingly for the welfare and safety of his people.  Yea, and he was a man who was firm in the faith of Christ, and he had sworn with an oath to defend his people, his rights, and his country, and his religion, even to the loss of blood."

He taught his people to "defend themselves against their enemies, even to the shedding of blood if it were necessary; yea, and they were also taught never to give an offense, yea, and never to raise the sword except it were against an enemy, except it were to preserve their lives."  Earlier while going into battle, he had rent his coat, "took a piece thereof, and wrote upon it---In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children---and he fastened it upon the end of a pole," and he carried it into battle.

It was also said of Moroni, "...if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the chidlren of men."

That's the kind of soldiers I'd like my boys to be, the kind that I know they can become.

November 10 - I Am Thankful for My Dad

There are a lot of neat things I could write about my dad---all the things he accomplished in his life.  I could write about his business ventures, his community involvement, his church service, his political offices, his appointments by govenors and presidents, but I won't.  Others have done that.

I want this blog to be one of a personal nature.  I want my posterity to learn of the dad I grew up with at home, not the one out in the limelight.  I want them to know of the dad that I know and love the best. 

Things I loved about my dad:

• How he acted/was happy, no matter how bad things were going at work or in politics, no matter how badly he had been hurt by others, no matter that he lost his eyesight - For most of his life, he had a really happy, positive attitude (until he was really sick at the very end, and sometimes even then).  He would wake up in the morning and whistle.  It didn't matter that he had had little sleep or that his plate was always full, extremely full of appointments, the needs of others, agendas, worries, or business meetings, he still whistled.  He would oft times comment with a lot of gusto, "Well, aren't we the lucky bozos!  He always appreciated the good in life and it showed.
• His sense of humor - Whether it was cracking a joke, givng someone a funny nickname, pulling a silly prank, or seeing "little green men" on the highway as we drove, he was the epitome of all things humorous.
• His spontaneity - I don't know how many times he would call from the office and say, "I'm going to have some time late this afternoon, get the boat ready," or he would call from the legislative chambers at the capitol and say, "I'm going to get out of here a little early on Friday, get everything ready, and we'll head to the cabin to snowmobile."  Sometimes in the summer it would be hot in the valley, and we would pack up and head for the mountain with the camper---just to sleep and have breakfast, then it was "back down the hill" to go to work.  He made everything fun.  A trip in the car with lots of little children would bother some, but he was full of songs, stories, jokes, quizzes on multiplication facts and other math equations.  We loved our road trips.
• His support of his family, friends, his community, or the state he loved - I remember sleeping in the back of the station wagon in Price, Utah so we could support a local Little League or Pony League baseball team in a tournament.  I remember, oh so many, return trips back toVernal driven in the wee hours of the morning from Utah Valley, Craig, Salt Lake and Ogden, Rifle, Meeker, Tabiona, Price, Steamboat Springs, or St. George because he (and sometimes we) would have gone to watch a wrestling match, attend a wedding reception, a funeral, a baseball tournament, a mission reunion, or a basketball game.  For years the only vacation that Mom and Dad took was going to watch Uintah's basketball team in the state tournament.  He was everybody's biggest fan.  Later in life, he burned up more tires on the road between Salt Lake and Vernal just so he could watch the U of U play a game and be back for stake presidency meetings on Sunday morning.  When one of my roommates wanted Mom and Dad to sing at her wedding reception in Idaho, they were there---even though it was a 5+ hour trip one way.
• His generosity - He was generous to a fault.  He gave to others when he didn't have it to give.  He would give his employees days off with pay to go to the temple.  He would fill the gas tanks of the missionaries.  He would give temporary work to someone without a steady job.  He donated to every fund raiser and charitable cause that went on in Vernal for years.
• His trust - He trusted others WAY too much.  He thought everyone lived by the Golden Rule - "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you".  That's how he did business, so when someone made a promise, he thought they meant it.  He trusted employees and co-workers when perhaps he shouldn't have, but he seemed to have the ability to go forward despite his disappointment and hurt.  As his child, his trust was a very positive thing.  He would entrust you with responsibilities and then let you go for it---pretty much by yourself.  He had me doing bookkeeping for him when I was in 7th grade and praised and praised me when I did a good job.  He wasn't hanging over my shoulder every minute that I worked, but he showed me how to balance things and how to find a mistake if things didn't balance.  He gave me responsibilities with the yard, with my siblings, with his campaigns.  Some would say that he was just getting rid of work, but he taught me how to work, and made me feel good about what I did.  Because of his trust, my self-confidence was bolstered.
• His voice - He could sing like no other.  It was wonderful to hear him sing with Mom and with my brothers.  Somedays I am given a tender mercy when I'm listening to a group of men sing, and I can hear Dad.  I can hear that beautiful, perfect high tenor voice, so full and rich.  Perhaps it is someone else's voice that is very much like his, but sometimes I wonder....
• How he built up others - At home, Dad could be very demanding.  I think it was just because he wanted us to do our best; but I loved to watch how he would seek out the good in everyone and make sure he told them about it or how he would tell others about it in front of them.  He was always really good to introduce me to grown-ups wherever we went.  Then he would always have something nice to tell me about that person.  Perhaps it was about a talent they had, or about the wonderful family that they were raising, or about their farm, or the amazing job they did in last week's game, or...  It didn't matter; he was always telling people their good points in front of others.
• How he taught us to strive for excellence - He always repeated the old adage that anything worth doing was worth doing well.  He expected the best from us and taught us to expect it from ourselves.  He would have us practice our seminary declamation talks for hours until we got our delivery just right. 

Fun things I loved doing with Dad:

• Going anywhere in the gasoline delivery truck.  We would sing, he'd tell stories, sometimes he would let us drive, and we would always get a treat----a bottle of soda pop (Nesbitt's Orange or Hire's Root Beer), a candy bar(they cost 5-10 cents), or sometimes if we were really lucky, a soft-serve ice cream cone at the Dutch John Drive-in or lunch at Turner's in Manila.
• Picking wild berries and looking for pine nuts
• Skipping rocks across Green River at Split Mountain
• Fishing (until he made me clean the fish)
• Practicing our casting on the front lawn
• Playing monopoly even though he always won
• Playing like we were a UFO on top of Steinaker Hill in the Jeep in the dark (flashing and blinking every light we could)---This was after some scare in Vernal when they thought they had sited UFO's!
• Star gazing
• Playing Rook---Even though I think he and Mom had secret codes when they partnered; they always came up with a very high number of trump cards between the two of them.
• Sleigh riding down the roads in Dry Fork Canyon
• Going on "rides" around the valley except the times he threw our dog, Ginger, in the feeder canal for Steinaker Reservoir ("the drops").  We were sure Ginger was going to drown every time.
• Going shopping for new clothes, especially after I was married (he paid for them)
• Being his dinner partner at legislative functions when Mom couldn't make it from Vernal
• Spending time with him at the capitol

• Going to the U of U basketball games
• Listening to him speak---at legislative functions, at funerals, at stake conference.  It was always a treat.
• Feeding the ducks with the grandchildren at the pond near his office at WPMA

• Going to dinner at the Pagoda, Sophie Garcia's, and The Print Shop back in the 70's and 80's  He was always so good to treat us to dinner when we were in college and when we lived in Bountiful and needed a night away from the kids.

Here are some of my favorite photos while growing up:

I will be forever grateful for my dad and the things he taught me, for the love he gave me, and the time he took to be with me.

November 9th - I'm Thankful for Music

For almost as long as I can remember, music has been a part of my life.  It's not that I grew up listening to the radio constantly, or that I became an accomplished musician, but there was hardly a day that I didn't experience music in some way.  



 Some of my earliest recollections were of my mother making song charts and then leading the singing at our, then, week-day Primary meeting.  My mom and dad sang at lots of funerals and wedding receptions so there was always a practice, some with an accompanist and some a cappella.  They sang together a lot---they had from the very beginning.


Mom and Dad singing on their wedding day at a luncheon held in their honor.  Below you see them seeing in a church cultural hall for some kind of function in the late 50's, early 60's and the next picture shows them singing at a  anniversary party for Uncle Allen's parents, Howard and Flora Tibbals in the 60's.



In their early marriage, Mom and Dad sang in a double quartet that would oft times perform.  When I was about 7, they were featured on a Christmas radio program on Vernal's KVEL.  I grew up with stories about Dad as Uintah's drum major and then marching with the University of Utah band, stories about Mom playing cymbals in the band and violin in the orchestra at her high school in West Virginia, and lots of stories about Dad's experiences singing in the Utah Centennial Chorus on his mission.

My dear Aunt Jane (with my dear Uncle Allen's money) made sure we were in Salt Lake to attend the newly released movie version of the musicals, Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music, and then sent us back home with the soundtracks which were then on record albums.  Then there were the times she provided theater tickets to go see the likes of Peter Pan.  She was always worried that we wouldn't get enough culture in Vernal, but maybe she didn't realize that we had Community Concert season tickets every year!  Mom and Dad made sure we attended the high school musicals, too.  Mom even performed in Vernal's production of Promised Valley.

Perhaps my favorite music memories of that time were of my family singing together----everywhere.  Livi and I sang at functions for the "Lady Lions" several times, we sang at sacrament meetings all over the valley, we sang at family reunions, we sang for General Authorities of our church who were visiting in our home, but most of the time we sang in the car or truck----always in the car or truck (my dad had a wholesale petroleum business and in the early days he not only managed, but drove the delivery trucks).  We had our own versions of I've Been Working on the Railroad, I Love the Mountains, and Home on the Range. Perhaps our greatest claim to fame was "The Orchestra" with five different parts for the clarinet, the trumpet, the violin, the horn, and the kettle drum (always sung by my dad who could hit those low bass notes).



Singing together in December 1967



Yes, we even sang The Orchestra as adults (I'm pregnant with my fifth child in this photo - 1983).

We learned to harmonize as we would drive into Vernal from either direction on U.S. 40 and see the strategically-placed concrete numerals 7-11 on the hills advertising for a local restaurant.  Dad would see one and in his highest tenor voice would sing, "7-11" after which somone in the car would chime in a third lower and then another still a third lower, etc.  My brother, Scott, was the champ.  He could not only sing harmony but could whistle harmony at such an early age that he was often the "star of the show" when we had company at the house.

Well, Mom and Dad made sure I had piano lessons when I seven.  I not only had them, but took lessons from an incredible musician, Eleanor Marshall.  She was profiicent not only on the piano, but the organ, violin, and viola.  I only wished I would have practiced like I should have and learned what I should have learned from her. Nonetheless, I learned to play well enough that Mom and Dad would have me accompany them (not because I was perfectly accomplished, but because they knew I needed the experience).  I was later called to be the pianist for "Mutual" and the organist for Jr. Sunday School. 

My parents made sure I participated in the orchestra program and had private violin lessons from Mrs. Marshall, as well.  I didn't practice enough then either, but I participated for two years until I didn't want to give up my jr. high studentbody office and student council to go to orchestra which was taught at the high school during the same class period.  The last time I performed with my violin was in the "pit"  for the school musical, Kiss Me Kate. in 1968 when I was a sophomore in high school.

Fast forward to my married years with children old enough to carry a tune and plunk out a melody on our neighbor's piano:

Rachel at age 2 (1977) at the neighbors!

Our  piano (which was the third major purchase after we graduated from college---right behind the washer and dryer and DJ's color television) got used a lot as the years progressed.  All seven of our kids took piano lessons; some longer than others.  Liz taught piano lessons at Windwood Academy during her senior year of high school, and Rachel taught two brothers in Ottawa.  Several of the girls have been called as pianists at church and/or have accompanied their ward choirs as adults.

Rachel was in orchestra in sixth grade, but that was short-lived.  All seven of them were in band.  In fact, we had kids in band from the summer of 1987 until the summer of 2008 without a break.  Several years we had four in band at once---all different bands, and yes, the concert schedule was horrendous!  We've done band camps at Illinois State, Illinois Wesleyan, and BYU.  Rachel was a Jr. Counselor at Illinois State Band Camp.  She also did Cougar Marching Band at BYU; Abby did a semester of concert band at BYU-I in 2009. Rachel did the community band in Ottawa several summers.  Rachel and Liz performed in Europe with bands.  Abby performed at Carnegie Hall and at the Chicago Symphony Hall.  Let's just say, we've done band! 

The kids did school musicals, from Annie to My Fair Lady, from Crazy for You to The Wizard of Oz, both in the pit and on the stage.  Singing groups, voice lessons, 4th-grade recorder groups, church and school choirs were all part of the mix as well.  Sarah performed for three years with a city-wide children's choir in Ottawa, Friendly City Sound.  David was a member of Encore, Austin High's show choir and traveled to Disneyland to perform when we lived in Sugar Land.  Music has played such an important part in our family's history.  It has enriched our lives.  It has helped the kids develop discipline, a hard work ethic, and an ability to work with others for a common goal.  It has afforded opportunities to travel.  It has helped the kids win scholarships.  It has been an avenue for making life-long friends. 

Here's a walk down memory lane (and I promise this is only a fraction of the pictures I could have posted, and I didn't get pictures of most performances---not even close).


Rachel (center) and Matt (far left) rehearsing with Rainbow Express in Bountiful - 1982



Matt practicing the piano - 1984



Sarah, David, Mike, and Liz (hiding in the lavendar robe) singing Rubber Ducky at Ottawa Ward Talent Show - 1990



Matt - Shepherd Jr. High Band - 1990 (The Sousaphone was almost as big as he was!)



Sarah soloing at a patriotic program (4th grade) - 1991



Ottawa Ward Talent Show (everyone but Abby) - 1991



Rachel playing a duet at a recital - 1992



Rachel with her French Horn - Senior Year 1992-93



Liz (2nd row with glasses) - Walker Station Choir Christmas Concert - 1995



Liz  - Walker Station Choir Show - 1997



Sarah - member of AHS's Bulldog Band 1997.



David performing with Encore at Harvest Celebration, Richmond, TX - 2000




Abby performed with the 4th grade recorder group (1999-2000).



Abby - Doerre Intermediate School - 2003-2004



Liz - Klein High Marching Band - 2003



Abby - Klein High Marching Band - 2006



Marching band in Texas is a whole other world---very competitive, very complex, and very exhausting.  The kids even got P.E. credit for the semester they were in marching band.  I was exhausted after 12 years of it, and I was the mom!   (I got the fall of 99 off from marching season as Dave switched to choir and Mike had dropped band---still had Liz in band, just not marching yet).

 

Abby and Klein High Wind Symphony at Carnegie Hall - 2007

Perhaps some of the fondest musical memories have been those made at home---wherever home was!



Family band -  Christmas Eve 2002. 
Dave was on his mission so Russ and Rachel pinch-hit with his trumpet and coronet.  The "band" had been in existence since 1996 when enough of the kids played band instruments.  It wasn't long-lived as the instruments started moving across country with their owners!  This is the last year anyone played more than a solo.



Christmas Eve - 2006
Sarah, ever our spontaneous entertainer, performing with her chime mallet microphone.

 

Christmas Eve - 2006
Aunt Jane had purchased chimes for us when we lived in Bountiful, and playing them became a tradition on Christmas Eve.



Christmas Eve 2006 - I think the thing I miss the most is singing around the piano with my girls and sometimes David!



Dave and Marinda - Chimes on Christmas Eve 2007



Mike, Sarah, Iz and Baby Kate - Christmas Eve 2009


Not only did we attempt to make music, but we learned to love the music made by others.  While we lived in Bountiful, we purchased season tickets to the Utah Symphony's youth series; and DJ and I went to see the musicals produced at Pioneer Memorial Theater, thanks to Aunt Jane and Uncle Allen who bought us season tickets for our birthdays.  We took advantage of high school and local theater company performances in Ottawa and Houston.  Just this summer in the middle of the move, we took time to enjoy:



Wicked with Sarah and Israel - July 2010

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat with our Dailey granddaughters in Pigeon Forge, TN - August 2010

My new Ipod, along with the docking station, has become a lifesaver here in Basel.  Music has a way of keeping me company, opening my heart to a remembrance of the good things in my life, and lifting my spirits no matter what the genre.  As Berthold Auerbach said, "Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life."  Plato said, "Music is a moral law.  It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything."  I'm so grateful for my ability to hear and enjoy the wonderful gift of music!

November 5th - I'm Thankful for and Most Mindful of the Beauty of This Earth

"I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in."  ----George Washington Carver

We couldn't have picked a cloudier, more gray day to go visit Titisee on the edge of Germany's Black Forest.  We also waited a couple of weeks too long to catch the optimal beauty of the autumn colors.  A lot of the trees were losing their leaves so we caught a lot of gray again.  However,things looked much better in person than on film.  We just couldn't catch the beauty of it all on camera without the sun's help.  That being said, there was something magical about getting out and visitng somwhere new even though it was dreary and windy, therefore making the 50-something degrees  feel a lot colder (I know people in Rexburg or Rigby don't feel sorry for me).  It was kind of fun to put on the parkas and snuggle up.

We traveled up the A-5 towards Freiburg, and I saw the sun breaking through on a little village up against the hill.  I don't know if you'll be able to pick it up on the blog, but I actually caught the sun's rays coming down out of the clouds:

Once we were out of Freiburg, it didn't take long until we were in the mountains, and we caught some of the autumn colors a little closer up

Further up the road, you go through what is called Hoellental (Hell's Canyon or Valley).  It's quite an outcropping of rock that goes straight up, but we both agreed we'd been on far worse roads in lots of scarier places!  But...it was kind of ugly and mean looking.

Not too many miles and some switchbacks later, we came to the village of Titisee which sits on the lake, Titisee (See is lake in German, pronounced "zay").  You know me, I just had to get a picture of the church:

The village was full of hotels, restaurants, and gift shops selling all that the Black Forest has to offer---wood carvings, cuckoo clocks, blown-glass art, scarves and gloves, beer steins, leather goods, and yummy food. We came home with a slab of bacon and a jar of raspberry jam (it's good, but I'm not so sure I'd place it ahead of Bear Lake's).



Of course, it was fun just to walk the streets and take in the charm and architecture---I hate to overuse the word, quaint, but it was that.

Of course, this is the reason that there is a village.  This is the reason that there were hundreds of people in this tiny village in November.  It's gorgeous!  Like I said, can't capture the true beauty because of the clouds.

Wouldn't you love a summer home on this hill???

These ducks weren't the only ones enjoying the water.  There actually was an excursion boat out on the lake; but DJ's got a cold, and it was on the freezing side when the wind blew, soooo, maybe another time.

One of the more interesting things to see in town was this working clock on the side of a store which sold---clocks.  There's a close-up below which shows some painted detail, but the hands are the real deal as is the cuckoo bird and the carved wooden people. 

Since it was 12:45, we made it a point to come back at 1:00 and sure enough, the cuckoo came out and chirped, and the people moved.  See below:

Then it was off to lunch at the Bergsee Restaurant:

The interior was full of carved wood, painted crests, wooden beams, and hand-painted murals, much like we saw at the end of September on our way to Garmisch.

But, by far, the most interesting things we saw were the dinner guests at the next table:

Yes, the waitress did bring them water in a clean dog dish.  The dog dish stayed when the dogs left---another blue plastic dish was taken to the dog a few tables down!!!

On our way home, we stopped to get pictures of this amazing old train bridge built of stones.

After going through Hell's Canyon on our way back, we stopped in Himmelreich (Kingdom of Heaven), the name of the first village after getting through the narrows.

We said good-bye to the mountains and came away appreciating this beautiful world even more, along with our opportunity to explore it.