Summery Summary

Just couldn't resist using the title to this post because it is a complete copy from Sarah who copied it from Rebecca. A great title should be shared--right?!?

I went through a big spring cleaning phase a few weeks ago. Who cares that it's summer? When the urge to spring clean hits, you gotta go with it--no matter what the season. I moved all the furniture out of the living room and family room and let the carpet cleaners do their thing in the whole entire house.

Since there were ripples in the carpet upstairs, I called in a carpet stretcher to take care of that problem a few days later. Too bad I didn't get him there sooner before I got everything back in place only to have to move it all out once again.

With the carpets clean, I was propelled to clean the blinds and wash the windows. Some sick bird somehow managed to bomb our front window with bird droppings. Ewww!! Disgusting!!

The cleaning has extended to the basement storage room when I noticed what looked like fresh drippings on the CD player. Upon closer inspection I discovered an expired can of mandarin oranges was the culprit--sporting some disgusting black moldy stuff where the can had been leaking.

Another ewww!! Disgusting!! Just a few days earlier Amanda had been telling us about what she found in her parents' food storage while they were serving a 2-year mission. She ended up cleaning up the mess of expired cans of beans and cans of evaporated milk exploding and leaking all over.

So glad I caught this in the early stages of leakage before all the cans exploded...!!!

I got a new calling--Sunbeam teacher. Here are the little "future missionary" darlings.

Well look at this motley crew in the prairie dog stand at the Bountiful Handcart Days celebration on the 24th of July. 

Working right along side us was Winnie Rohde, a true pioneer descendant who is related to Glen through a mutual polygamous great-great grandfather. Abraham Hunsaker was the first bishop of Honeyville and served in that calling for 25 years. A marker sits outside the Honeyville church building listing all his wives and his many children.

I accompanied my neighbor in sacrament meeting when she sang "I Know That My Redeemer Lives." It is such a beautiful hymn anyway, but this particular arrangement is absolutely stunning. People not only comment to the soloist whenever this is sung, but I also get lots of comments as the accompanist.

After watching this 8-page shrunken-down, taped-together ribbon of music blow right off the piano a few minutes before we were to perform, I was in a mini panic wondering if it would blow away during the performance. The AC tickled the edges of the paper several times while I was playing, but fortunately it did not get blown completely away.

Sheesh!! It's nerve-racking enough playing the challenging music in front of a congregation without having to worry about losing the music.

Our dentist is located about a mile from Sarah's house, so whenever I have an appointment, we schedule to hook up for lunch. I got the biggest kick out of her response when I checked to see if she was still planning to get together.

I am happy to report I was cavity free!!

We usually plan for me to stop by somewhere to pick up some food for us and then take it to Sarah's house to eat it.

Today she suggested we take the food to a fun park they had just discovered. Sounded great to me and we enjoyed our meal outside in the delightfully comfortable weather.

For all the hype about how great the park is--and it was a fantastic, kid-friendly place with lots of fun things for the kids to do and climb upon--we looked over and saw Carson sprawled out on a picnic bench enjoying a little rest and relaxation.

What a beautiful day to play at the park!!

Quotes of the Week

"Did I offer peace today? Did I bring a smile to someone's face? Did I say words of healing? Did I let go of my anger and resentment? Did I forgive? Did I love? These are the real questions. I must trust that the little bit of love that I sow now will be many fruits, here in this world and the life to come." 

 -- Henri Nouwen 

"Mistakes are the best teachers. One does not learn from success. It is desirable to learn vicariously from other people's failures, but it gets much more firmly seared in when they are your own." 

-- Mohnish Pabrai 

"The object of teaching a child is to enable him to get along without his teacher." 

 -- Elbert Hubbard 

"The brain gives the heart its sight. The heart gives the brain its vision." 

 -- Rob Kall 

Quotes of the Week

"Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow." 

 -- Swedish Proverb 

"Try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud." 

 -- Maya Angelou 

"Either do it or don't do it. No more wishy-washy, half-hearted attempts. Either say 'no' to achievement or dig in and get to the bottom of the persistent incongruence between what you say and what you do." 

 -- Dan Kennedy

 "If life is no fun, it is because you are no fun. Your life is always a reflection of who you are... Try this: Stop taking things, including yourself, so seriously. Life is not as complicated as you have made it out to be." 

-- Larry Winget 

Quotes of the Week

"It's not that everything will be easy or exactly as you had expected, but you must just choose to be grateful for all that you have, and happy that you got a chance to live this life, no matter how it turns out." 

-- Author Unknown 

"In seeking truth you have to get both sides of a story." 

 -- Walter Cronkite 

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain." 

 -- Vivian Greene

 "Never continue in a job you don't enjoy. If you're happy in what you're doing, you'll like yourself, you'll have inner peace. And if you have that, along with physical health, you will have had more success than you could possibly have imagined." 

 -- Johnny Carson