Welcome Spring??

Don't know about the rest of the world, but we missed winter here in Utah. It went from a lovely Autumn to an early Spring, with bits of snow now and again throughout, not lasting more than a day or two. All the signs are here... early morning robin songs, bees and bugs awake, flowers in bloom, popcorn on the fruit trees, grass is greening as are the mountains, and people are wearing shorts and flip-flops to the library! And yet snow is predicted this weekend. Funny.

Ike

Moroni was cast as Ike in Oklahoma at the Jr High. his last play there. We laughed and talked about making even the tiniest role a memorable one, and he did a fabulous job!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpXlonQ7A8k&feature=g-upl&context=G229a035AUAAAAAAAAAA

Sister Kunz

My lovely sister has been serving with her husband as Mission President in Nebraska for the past 33 months. She is my dearest, and my sweet friend and has been since we shared secrets from our bunk beds many years ago. It was her example that sparked in me a full-time mission, and she has been an inspiration to me in just about everything throughout my life. I have missed her these months and watched with envy as she and President Kunz have experienced this marvelous adventure together. Last evening we spoke on the phone of this and that and I was reminded again how much I love and miss her and look forward to being with her again.

Sweethearts and Pig Herding

Part of the Sweetheart Royalty competition, "Pig Herding" Manure and all!!

Teenagers

Years ago when I was at university I started filing things for the future. Not the hope chest kind of things you will eat with or wrap your babies in, though I put some of those away as well, but advice that would help someday as a parent to know and practice. Among these was a file of ideas for raising teenagers. Imagine that! For example, the babysitter's handbook above from my own youth, that I thought would help my daughters when they began to tend for others. And through the years as my children were born and began to grow, and more came along, I was adding things to my file. And now here it is some 30+ years later and I came across this file. So much for good intentions and planing. We do our best.
Any way, my point - one article I saved was from 1985 about raising teenage boys. Among the much good advice was this line, which incidentally is just what I needed to know with my youngest son - "Just give him a large plate of something edible, and put your arm around his shoulders - keep it there well past the moment when he begins to squirm - and just let him know that you are there for him."
Let me just say that it works.