President Gordon B. Hinckley Passes Away...

I just detailed my feelings in my journal so I don't really feel like re-writing everything again. Nor do I feel like copying/pasting those personal feelings. But Pres. Hinckley passed away tonight and I just think it is important to record this extremely significant event. I will miss Pres. Hinckley's leadership and testimony. My children have never known another prophet. Most of my students, past and present, don't remember Pres. Hunter or Pres. Benson very well.

Landon came up from bed, in tears, feeling heartbroken that he was never able to see Pres. Hinckley "live" with his own eyes. We hugged and discussed the importance of having a testimony, born of the Spirit, of the calling of a prophet. I asked him if he had that testimony and he said that he really felt like he did. I have that same witness. So does Janese. Our family has been blessed, over and over, by Pres. Hinckley's teaching, example, and testimony of the Savior.

We will miss him and are thankful for the blessing of living on earth during a time when we have prophets, seers, and revelators.

Stop Doing These Things....

What I'm about to say surprises even me because I love, love, love the iPhone. But here goes...

When you are standing in line in a store and the checker says, "Hello, did you find everything you were looking for?" put your cell phone away and answer her. Don't just keep talking to the person on the phone like what ever you were talking about was that important. I was eavesdropping. Trust me, it wasn't that important.

That was to the lady that I stood behind in Wal-mart a few days ago. You know who you are.

Now, to the two ladies standing in a certain building I was in a few days ago (I'm avoiding specifics a little...ok...a lot) texting like crazy and standing in the middle of the hallway so no one could get past: Did you really need to stand there like no one else was around and text your friends? You were smiling, so I can assume you weren't texting the police about some emergency, right? I heard a person try to talk to you and you never even looked up. You just mumbled and grunted and kept your thumb moving. You should stop. Only aliens would do that. But here on earth we don't do that...

Here is the general principle and we can all just apply it as needed:

Don't talk on your cell phone when you should be talking to or paying attention to someone else. And stop texting people when you're in the middle of stuff where you need to be paying attention to other people. If what ever you're talking or texting about is that big of a deal, walk into a little corner and take care of it. Then come back out into society where we talk to each other and make eye contact and act on other social cues, etc. You won't miss the Mother ship, don't worry.

I don't care if you talk on the phone while you are driving unless you cut me off. It is dumb and unsafe to do it...everyone knows that. So I'm not really talking about that. They highway patrol will probably take care of it for me. But at least stop making people feel bad because you can't put your phone down long enough to say, "Thanks", or "Please" or "You forgot to give me my receipt" or whatever.

My First Eye Exam...

It wasn't really painful. Not even uncomfortable, for the most part. But I've been notified that I can get glasses if I want them. But that it was up to me.

I think I'm going to do it.

I have wanted glasses for years. All the smart people I know wear glasses. And mine won't even stay on all the time. Only when driving. Or teaching. Or sitting. Or breathing. Not really. I just have a hard time focusing on things when it is later in the evening and writing is far away. Reading books doesn't present a problem. Just seeing small writing on TV or scoreboards, etc. So, I went and had the optics checked. The Dr. said things weren't so bad at all. Just a small astigmatism.

The problem was that I had a basketball game to announce that night, after the appointment. The doc put those drops in my eyes that make them numb so he can press on them with some instrument. Then he put the drops in that dilate my pupils so he can see into my brain (or something like that). It took awhile, but the drops took effect. Light from every source hit my optic nerve like a high powered lasers. I pulled my iPhone out to check the time and squinted out "4:58 pm" on the screen. I was late for the game (I do the stats for the JV game).

Stumbling out into the blinding light I started my car, slipped my sunglasses on, and felt my way to the basketball arena. My eyes could not focus on anything, especially anything that was within about two feet. It made keeping the stats a little tough. So, I just guessed, wrote down numbers, nodded my head a lot, and some how the home team won. I can't recall the score...I never really saw it in the first place...

Quick Family Update...

I'll make this quick...

Parker tried out for his first play. Out of the blue he notified us that he would be trying out for a part in "The Wizard of Oz" after school...


I have secretly always wanted to be in a play. The problems with this: I can't act. I can't sing. I can't memorize things. I can't dance. I am good at remembering phone numbers, but that talent isn't utilized much the world of theater.

So I'm pretty proud of Park. He sang a song in front of a crowd (which made him nervous) and recited a Shel Silverstein poem (if you are familiar, it is the one about the lazy girl who needs a drink of water...I won't give away the punch line...if you're not familiar with Silverstein, you should be).



Parker part is the flying monkey (one of eight monkeys). How fitting.


Another first (well, kind of): Janese started taking a ballet class. No she isn't the oldest...uh...most experienced member of the class. She comes in second on that one.

She is the prettiest. I haven't seen any of the other girls, but I have a feeling about this one.


So it is Janese, a bunch of 16-year-olds, and a 37-year-old. Janese has been to two weeks of classes and absolutely LOVES it. She took ballet when she was younger, but after seeing the Nutcracker this Christmas, she decided to look around and find a class for adults. She found it. So we went and bought new ballet shoes (er...slippers? cleats? boots? fins? whatever they're called), and two pairs of tights. She was nervous for the first class, but came home quite excited and sore...

My SIL started a little line of footwear for little girls...go check it out here.

I bought a 4-wheeler to push snow around. I purchased it from our friends two Mondays ago. It is for sale now. No, it works great. Pretty new tires, starts right up, and even comes with a snow blade. My problem is that our driveway is so small that it takes more work to uncover it, start it up, and move our vehicles than it would take for me to start the snow-blower and clear the driveway. So anyhow, it'll be on KSL. Mention my blog and I'll give you a 5% discount. (No, I'm not kidding)

I think that is it. We're happy, warm, surrounded by snow, and together. What could be better?

I had to post these...

Here are a few pics from a sledding trip and Janese's attempt (thwarted) to write in her journal... To see MORE PICTURES like these...go to the BJM Photography Website...