I found this on Facebook sometime in May. I was intrigued, so I thought I would attempt. I began on May 16, so you see it has been quite an effort. After six weeks, I still didn't get everything completed but I truly did my best...
Thirty Things My Kids Should Know About Me
Twenty Random Facts About Myself
1. On the day I was born, July 4, 1960, the United States Flag flew for the first time with 50 stars on it. Hawaii was added to the flag that day.
2. I received a large U.S. Flag for my first birthday from my grandmother Kew and it flew over our house my entire childhood. It now is in the entryway closet.
3. Being the center of attention makes me very uncomfortable!! When I was a kid, my family would go to Shakey's Pizza and there was a man playing the banjo. My dad would always request him to sing "If You Knew Suzie" and I would be so embarrassed! I never wanted anyone to sing to me. I don't like birthday parties for me or being sung to on my birthday.
4. I load my groceries onto the counter for the cashier to charge me for based on where they get put away when I get home. Frozen and refrigerated foods - dairy, veggies, fruits, etc. - are kept together, pantry foods, cleaning products, etc.
5. I am a total list person. If I get it written and on my list, it gets done. If I neglect to create a list, I waste my time away. Lists are my motivator.
6. I have a list of food I would eat if I found out I had a condition that would take my life. Some foods on the list: Aunt Sherry's funeral potatoes, Red Devil Pepperoni Pizza, Dad's Szechuan Chicken, Cameo's Sour Cream Chicken enchiladas, Aunt Marina's home made rolls, Texas Sheet Cake, Doritos, Cauliflower with Cheese Sauce a la Dorrie, Allison's Cafe Rio clone salad, Amber's cheese cake, Nate's Kimchii soup (that is ok to eat now but I love it), In and Out Burger hamburger, Five Sons fries, to name a few.
7. Through my entire marriage, I always have said, "If I have a working washing machine and a working vacuum cleaner, I can handle almost anything." I wash, dry, hang up, fold and put away right away, and I vacuum every day (except Sunday) at least once.
8. While green is my current favorite color, my wardrobe has only one old t-shirt that is green. I shop sales, not colors.
9. Music inspires me. When I want to clean, I put old 80's music on my iPhone. When I was taking a writing class, I could only complete my assignments with Josh Grobin playing. On a recent Sunday, in Sacrament Meeting, we sang all seven verses of "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief". I couldn't make it through the last two verses. The Spirit I felt witnessed many things to me. My favorite hymn: "Ye Elders of Israel". I will never forget watching Ethan and Doran practicing that for a stake conference young men's choir. Favorite primary song: "I Know That My Savior Loves Me". I will never forget a primary program in Las Vegas and seeing Grace and Adam sing that with all their hearts.
10. I have always loved salad. I remember as a kid, there was a salad dressing commercial with a restaurant that only served salad...kind of like an ice cream parlor., and I thought that would be amazing. This was way before there were salad bars in restaurants and McDonald's only sold burgers and fries.
11. I can't stand unfinished projects! If I cannot complete something in a reasonable amount of time, I either don't start it, or I get rid of it.
12. I love craftsman style architecture. Low pitched roofs, front doors with partial glass panes, earthy colors, stone siding and single dormer windows are my favorite. I don't live in a home that style nor do I know where any are in Arizona, but that is my favorite.
13. At one time in my life, I wanted to be a teacher, an interior designer, a doctor, and a lawyer, though later in life when I took one of those employment aptitude tests, it said I should have been an architect, which would have been interesting.
14. I am not a fan of reading. I love to read the Book of Mormon every day. I have enjoyed reading books. However, they are more of a task to do, not a relaxing pasttime.
15. I cannot stand it when I am sitting in a meeting and a power point presentation comes on a screen and the person leading insists on reading aloud each and every word on the screen. I know how to read. I don't need it read to me!
16. My current favorites: Color - green, and Fall colors of red, gold, rust, orange and brown; Food - salad; Holiday - Christmas; Collectible - pumpkins; Season - Fall; Movie - "The Sound of Music"; Television Show - "Property Brothers" and "Flip or Flop" on Netflix; Place to go - The Phoenix Temple; Vacation - camping at Woods Canyon Lake; job or title - "Grammy"; Book - The Book of Mormon; iphone game - Bejeweled Blitz; flower - hydrangea;
17. When I was a kid, I couldn't stand the taste of maple syrup, and if my mom made breakfast for dinner, I would throw an absolute fit! I also didn't like bacon, ham, or fish sticks (and that was when fish sticks were made of fish.) I am still not a breakfast fan.
18. My rule: "Never do anything you wouldn't want to explain to the paramedics."
19. I am not a fan of talking on the phone, except to my grandkids. I am much better with the written word rather than the spoken word.
20. I don't like surprise parties, but I do love surprises like when my sons surprised me at church on Mother's Day, and traveled from Idaho and joined me in church for my birthday.
Describe three legitimate fears and how they became fears
1. Heights. I really didn't know I was afraid of heights until Dad, Nathan and I were hiking Squaw Peak. All of a sudden, my heart started racing and I knew without a doubt was anxiety and a panic attack really is. I made it nearly to the top, holding on each and every step for dear life. I had never experienced that feeling so intensely before, and I don't intend to ever again.
2. Amusement Park Rides - There was an amusement park in Tempe Arizona called Legend City. It seemed that, when I was in 8th grade, I went there all the time. My school friends and I would decide on whose parent would drive and drop us off. Anyway, there was this ride called The Zipper. I finally decided one night to try it. I was put in a metal car and the door shut. The car spun freely around an oblong shaped belt. First it went forward. I lost every ounce of change I had in my purse and my knuckles were white. Then they reversed it and it spun backward. Later, I heard they stopped doing the extreme motions of that ride since so many people were seriously hurt on it. No matter. One Zipper Ride and I was finished. Nothing scarier than a merry go round for me. And, yes, children, I went on that terrifying Desert Storm Roller Coaster once...and that ride at Sea World once...and that was only to prove my deep and abiding love for you over my terror for myself!
3. I had forgotten this until something involving a neighbor visiting here came up. I never have allowed anyone to lock someone (except a criminal) out of the house. When I was pretty young, I went to someone's house with my mom. I remember playing with one of the children there, a boy, who was a few years older than me. I remember going outside on the back porch, and him going indoors and locking me out. I cried and cried and knocked and knocked, yelling, "Let Me In!" and there was a parrot in a cage right next to the door, mimicking my "Let Me In" cries over and over. I still will unlock the door when I see someone being teased and locked out.
Describe your relationship with your spouse
I knew Doran Rice was the one for me from the first time I heard his voice in an Institute of Religion Doctrine and Covenants class. It took a LONG time for us to finally get together, but I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that the Lord approved of this man and my choice to marry him. He is the man in my patriarchal blessing. We have a fun time together, and through time have learned to see things as the other sees them. I trust him with all my heart. Never ever a doubt of his faithfulness to the Lord, to his testimony, his efforts to do his best to be obedient, his honesty, his honor. He has strengthened the practical and thrifty side of me. He is ever working to be the best he can be to live with the Savior again someday. We complement each other, as he is the collector and I am the minimalist. He is the creative and I am the organizer. I never mind digging in and helping him, whether it's changing the oil in the car, hauling weeds to the trash, or covering up tomatoes. He makes me laugh, and makes me thankful that I had the blessed opportunity to be sealed for eternity and have my children Born in the Covenant.
List ten things you would tell your sixteen year old self, if you could.
1. Develop your relationship with Heavenly Father and listen for the promptings of the Holy Ghost. If I had only learned to hear and feel then what I can hear and feel now.
2. Don't let friendships interfere with your education. I had the opportunity to take a set of classes for two years in high school referred to as Chem/Physics. It was a combination of the classes and I had been asked to sign up. I didn't take that opportunity, however, because I wanted to be in classes with my best friend, Amy King, and that would have interfered. It didn't hurt my schooling, because I ended high school 34th in a class of 835 people, but it might have guided my future a bit more. Friends are great and fun and important, but they probably won't be there forever.
3. Develop good habits that will be a foundation for good decisions: every day prayer and scripture reading especially.
4. Never ever do anything that omits someone from church friendships. The things we do to others, especially when we are younger, can affect the rest of someone's life. Jokes, teasing, and just deciding we are not going to be a friend to someone can hurt someone for a long, long time. You are supposed to be on the same team, and there is no reason to find ways to pick at each other.
5. Develop your talents so that you can use that knowledge and skill to supplement your income. I played the flute. I never even thought of giving lessons to other people when I was in high school. It would have helped me a lot to have done this!!
6. Don't expect things to work out just the way you want to just because you are doing/trying to do everything right. Life is not that simple, and it is often through our disappointments that we learn to truly love and to be patient and kind and have faith. My motto: "It's not what happens, it's what you DO with what happens that defines you."
7. Be willing to try new things. Don't get yourself in a mindset that you think "I will never do...". If I had solid ideas in my mind of what I would and wouldn't do, I would never have gone camping, or seen Yellowstone National Park, or pitched a split finger fastball, or made plaster castings of elk footprints, or dressed and did hair for a ton of little ballerinas for years, or caught grasshoppers or cooked cobbler, or eaten a great elk steak, or seen the view from a bike ride on the Mogollon Rim. Be open minded to try and taste and experience.
8. If you want something, don't just think and wish. Do the things that make it happen. I wanted to be a pom pom girl in high school. I had a neighbor that I would sit and watch as she practice to try out and then would watch her perform at the high school football games. I always wanted it, but I did NOTHING to work for it. I didn't stretch, practice or anything. I did know the entire routine of both the pom line and cheer line for the school fight song, but that was as far as it went. If you want it, practice and make it happen!
9. Enjoy the moments! Don't want to grow up too fast. I really enjoyed high school! I was in the marching band, which was my dream come true! I had great friends, went to all the football games and basketball games, had great classes and great teachers. My senior year was the best and I am so glad I enjoyed it!
10. Take P.E. All through school, I HATED P.E. Now, I did play volleyball and softball and was on the teams in elementary school, but once high school hit, I took NOTHING. I would have so benefited by learning to exercise and actually do it enough to feel the benefits. When I can run or hike now, it's not just because I want to maintain my weight. I do my best thinking when I am out jogging or hiking. My mind becomes more clear. I can hear the Spirit more. It benefits my soul. I never ever even gave it a chance.
What are the five things that make you the most happy right now?
1. I will be honest with you this was the very first answer I gave and filled in. I knew it the moment I typed the prompt. The thing(s) that make me the most happy are my grandchildren! I love Adam's sarcasm. He makes me laugh, and he is very patient when I am behind the current times! I love Grace's sweet "I love you texts that always come just when I need them. Ever since she was a baby, she had a special spirit that just knew what people needed, and she gave it! I love Josh and his whit. He loves to play games and do puzzles with me. At first, he didn't like me at all, and I was so glad I got to spend some time with him so we could become friends. I love Sam's sweet nature. I don't see him as much as I want to, but he is always so peaceful and calm. I love playing ball with him. I love Kelsie's "spice". She is not gonna take anything from anyone. She knows what she wants and how to get it, and nothing is going to stop her. I love Kooper's curiosity. He reminds me of his daddy as he quietly goes around investigating, with a huge smile just like daddy always had. I love Kaylee's conversations with me. She thought I was never too old to keep up with her, and would always talk to me and tell me just how it should be. She always notices when a new word comes up and she always asks what that means. I love Annalee's cute little smile and her curiosity. I love it when we facetime and I can just see those wheels turning in her head as she tries to figure out her world. I am excited that a new little boy will be added to our family in December!
2. Having a nearby temple. For the first 30 plus years of our marriage, going all the way out to Mesa and leaving nursing babies/kids was nearly impossible. It would be a fortunate year to attend three times. Now, I can be there in five minutes. I haven't learned anything more from what I have heard, but I have felt the influence of the Holy Ghost so much more in my life! I recognize the blessings given to me so much more. I see the Lord's hand in my life so much more!
3. I am really thankful it's "The Year of The House"! Houses need to be kept up, and ours had been neglected for years. As of June, over half the doors in the house are updated, the front door frame termite damage has been replaced, the ceiling on the front porch has been properly repaired and painted, and painting is complete in the living room, entry, and kids' bathroom. When I am finished babysitting Kaylee, we are going to put slate flooring down in the playroom, get rid of toys and "preschool stuff" and make it a guest room with creative toys in it: legos, blocks, magnetix, and books. Then, the remaining list will be done.
4. My kids getting along with each other. I always thought that these kids I love so much would grow up to be adults that adore each other. Now, I have to realize that each and every one of these kids has different desires and goals, and each gains different inspiration on how to be the best they can be. I find that if there has been a disagreement between them, which is entirely normal, I can't sleep. I worry and toss and turn and try to figure out if I can help. I really can't help. So I totally treasure the times when they all work together, whether it's to fix a broken retainer or to celebrate a grandmother's birthday.
5. Making a list for the day/week/month/year and marking things off. I am totally a list person and my total motivation comes from the list. It's often amazing to me that if I write something on a list, it gets done, and if I just think about wanting to get something done, it doesn't get don. zxs`
If you had three wishes, what would you wish for?
1. I am not a "wisher" at all. I believe in blessings and that challenges come for our growth, but my first wish would be my kids could be cured of the physical and mental challenges that they have had to deal with. Asthma, Bi-polar disorder, ADHD, Tourette's Syndrome, Headaches, and Diabetes, to name just a few.
2. I would wish for the ability to leave and travel to see my grandkids any time I wanted to. It is so hard on me to not see them and hug them and be at their shows and activities.
3. I would wish I knew then what I know now. Moms could only watch other moms when I was raising my kids. There was no internet where you could get support, encouragement and ideas. I just had someone that was very nice to me at church who had many kids. While I did not do most of what I saw, I did some of what I did, and my results were not what we really wanted. We were told as parents to do a lot of things that deprived our kids of exercising their agency. They were good kids, but strength comes from that exercise. I just wish I would have been a better mom and dad often gives advice (and sometimes too much advice) because we had no such guidance and made so many choices based on our experiences rather than from the vast knowledge available from church resources and the internet. He regrets so much. I am not a regretter and have done all in my life to live better and serve and support my kids all I can. Still, I sure wish...
What is your dream job and why?
I would love to be a professional organizer! I have always been able to put things together and organize them. When I was a teenager, I emptied my bedroom closet, bought some gold patterned paper, hung it up in the closet with thumb tacks, and re organized my clothing, shoes, games, etc. And that was at a time when there were no such things as closet organizing systems, etc. I had Barbie Dolls and would use my mom's old checkbook boxes to organize my Barbie shoes and accessories.
What are five passions you have?
1. The first thing you really need to know is that I don't understand this "passion" thing at all! I hear people working on dead end no job available college degrees because it's their "passion". I have many things I enjoy but NOTHING that consumes my thoughts so much that I cannot thing practically.
2. That being said, I guess my passion is practicality. I love to be creative, but within bounds of budgetary and time constraints, where and how it will be used, who will it benefit, and how much cost and mess it will involve. I think out things a LOT before I dive in and do them.
3. I really enjoy watching home improvement/decorating shows and doing projects around the house that update it. I love looking at flooring, paint colors, and seeing other's ideas.
4. I don't think this is a passion, but I just love having a temple so nearby and being able to go there almost whenever I want to. In just the last couple years, my increased temple attendance has influenced the rest of my life, my inspirations, my patience and my faith.
5. My greatest joy comes when my children and their families are together and joyful.
List ten people who have influenced you and how
1.Jeannette Nielsen. I was a counselor in her primary presidency. She was a very calm, peaceful person. Her kids participated in outside activities, but it never seemed to interfere with her spiritual life. She told me one time "What is the prime directive?" In other words, what was the thing I was really working for. While dancing lessons and ball practice were wonderful, letting those be a priority over everything was not what I really wanted for my kids. I remember getting so angry at my boys and yelling one time when I couldn't find my keys to get to dancing lessons. My angry words stung, and though I apologized, those words still sting. When Jeanette said those words to me, I learned to prioritize and it brought me greater peace and love for my kids.
2. Sondra Taylor. Sister Taylor was the first person in the ward after I was baptized to trust me with caring for her children. Her husband, Randall, was my first bishop. I remember babysitting and seeing her wheat grinder, the beautiful things she made at relief society to decorate her home, her kindness and love towards her kids. I learned so much just from watching her. Once, when I was in Young Women, she came and taught us to make a Christmas Bread wreath and I did it. She taught me by just how she lived so much!
I feel I must now add these great influences on my life: my children. They have influenced and taught me so very much. I have learned love and what it means to truly love someone so very much that nothing they could do would ever stop that love. I think of this love as the love Heavenly Father has for each one of us. They have each brought me closer to heaven in their own very unique way...
3. Allison Kimberly Rice Wilkins - Allison has always awed me. She has always been the hardest worker! She would always do her chores, save her money, and try her hardest. Once, in her dancing when she had barely been in her tumbling class and they were practicing for recital and needed someone to end in the splits, she raised her hand. What? You can't even do the splits, I thought. Well, she worked and worked and did it! In school she had barely scored under the entrance requirement to be in the gifted math classes, but the teacher allowed her in the class simply because he told me she was such a hard worker. She loves to read and shared that love with her sister and now with her children. She is also an amazing mother! She limits the kids media time, which makes it harder on her to keep the kids entertained and not fighting. I am so thankful to see all the wonderful things she does with her kids and to help Mike. She is working her heart out to raise wonderful children with strong testimonies!
4. Ethan Robert Rice - Ethan has always been a goal centered achiever. He would see something, decide that is what he wanted, and then achieve it. He wanted his eagle scout award and stopped at nothing until he had passed up older scouts and achieved it. He went to a Silver Axe scout leadership training camp one summer. When he arrived, he saw the scout in charge, wearing rainbow suspenders and leading the entire group of scouts. He said he wanted to do that job...and a few years later, he achieved it, though black suspenders replaced the rainbow ones. He moved up in his career choice by setting goals, learning what he needed to and getting along with people. He now has moved to Georgia and right before he left, he already had a promotion in mind. He wanted a BMW for years and years and finally got that. He is my driven, go-getter that is good to everyone: co-workers, leadership, and especially family. He has been the one everyone has gone to when times were tough and he was there to help.
5. Doran Charles Rice, III - Doran has always been our "Mr. Happy". He faces the world with the biggest and most infectious smile. He is happy no matter what the circumstance. While he didn't like to read and school was not his favorite, he was the one every one of his teachers just adored. He was a great kid to have in class! He is always seeking to do good and create things to make life easier. He does the good he does quietly and doesn't mind being the one doing the work behind the scenes. I love how Doran can create anything! He can make a yard look beautiful, and that was one thing we missed the most when he went on his church mission. He would always help me, no matter what. Now, I see a busy man, who can create a concealed safe that no one would know is there. He is the magical one with tools and can make them do wonderful things. Doran was also the one who always brought music into our home, another quality we missed when he left home. He always had lovely music playing, night and day. He appreciates things that are beautiful and adores that little son of his (and Kelsie too) and you can see that Kooper adores him too.
6. Morgan Allan Rice - Morgan was always the most lovable baby, little boy, and he has that winning personality that everyone loves. I remember walking out of high school with him once and all the security guards were greeting him and wishing him well (he was actually in a lot of trouble). I have always loved and admired that quality in him. He has so much love to give and had a way of sharing that love. Dad and his sisters had been non communicative for years, until his father died. The family came together, and I remember the kids being introduced to their Aunt Sherry, and Morgan just went right up and hugged her. That one selfless act brought two long separate parts of a family together. He wanted to sit next to Aunt Helen one night in the van. Aunt Helen had a lot of health problems and was difficult to understand, and yet Morgan fought to sit by her. As she got out of the van, she said, "No one has every fought to sit by me..." He has always been the kind of guy that could come out on top and take care of himself. He would travel around, and I would think of him as all alone, and then we would see him, talking to anyone and everyone, willing to help anyone he could. He is a survivor and a friend.
7. Katelyn Michelle Naomi Rice - Kayty is unsinkable. She was always our empress. She would demand and we would all run to do it. She was just born with that strong will. She loves shoes and has more in her room at this moment than I have ever owned in my entire life. She brings music into our home and sings and plays the piano when she is sad, when she is happy, when she is worried, when she is tired. That strong will of hers got her out of band and into piano lessons. That strong will is what gets her through a situation that we couldn't have imagined. I had no idea she would face a disease that could kill her at any time. I remember when we were in the hospital in Flagstaff and they were telling us she would have to give herself shots. All that night, I kept saying to myself that there was no way she was going to do this, and then the next day, she did it! She was told that she would probably have to attend an extra year of high school because she would be so sick. She then proceeded to graduate in three years, and should have been the valedictorian since she had the highest GPA for two years of students. She is fearless and independent, but still tolerates my texts and my checking her all night. There are great things in store for this lady. She just has to quit using that strong will of hers against her.
8. Nathan Michael Rice - Nathan was my final miracle. He was such a good natured little baby. Who knew that sweet baby would bring so many emotions into my life. He wasn't one to be pushed to do anything. He would do things on his own time schedule. Feeding. Potty training. He had the most dry sense of humor! I guess it was from sharing a room with all those older brothers. He had the maturity of a much older kid.. and the sense of humor too. When he liked something, he liked it. When he didn't...watch out! He would sit at the dinner table and stir up all the things on his plate he didn't want to eat into one disgusting concoction. He didn't like a teacher I had selected for him...and she called me crying. He didn't want any attention brought toward him. I learned that when I wished him a happy first day of sophomore year, and he unfriended me on Facebook for a year. He is the one I learned to just never ever give up. He had never played football, but wanted to be on the football team. His freshman coach said they thought he really didn't have it to be in football...and then he just worked and worked and tried and tried. Coach started calling him "Nate the Great". He ended up playing both offensive and defensive line his senior year. He was concerned when the kid who hated English was called on a mission to Korea. He worked and worked, made it through headaches and worries, and fears. "Nate the Great" is a great husband and a great dad. He taught me anyone can do anything.
9. My mom. She married and helped my dad graduate from college. She had to put up with an overprotective mother in law and sister in law that would often leave her out of things. She helped my great grandmother, my nano, go shopping and sew and would visit her often. She had a husband who had very high blood pressure, who had a stroke when he was 37 that totally changed his personality. She had to quickly gain a skill at college and go to work full time. She did most everything for us three kids and him, including sewing and taking us to ball games and school dances. She helped him through a terminal case of kidney disease, while suffering her own health problems. And yet, she never stopped. She would leave little notes on each of our bedroom doors every night, saying why she loved each of us. She would make Christmas magical, and I never knew there were budget troubles. She brought us to the LDS faith by asking a neighbor. She has always been totally unsinkable!
10. Last but certainly not least, my husband, Doran Rice. He had a rough childhood. His dad was tough on him. His mom and Grampa Ethan McFarland (who lived next door) did their best to make up for it. He began stuttering in high school. I am most sure he was picked on and talked about. But, you know, he does not hold one bit of malice toward his dad. He always figured that his parents did their best with what they had and what they knew. Some of his adult reactions and responses are based on how his dad behaved and treated others. He has always been the most faithful person I have ever known. He found the church when he read the Book of Mormon and he knew it was true and he could not deny it, and that framed his decisions throughout his life. He is steadfast and immovable, and that has sometimes meant he speaks his mind...and sometimes offends. He is very analytical about things, and that quality has taught me so much. I have never had to be concerned for his dedication the Lord and to his family, and though he is blunt and says things that I sometimes think he should keep to himself, he taught all our kids to stand up for themselves and not let themselves be pushed around, and they all have that quality...something I always lacked. I can trust him always and that is the greatest comfort in my life, and there is not a morning or evening that I do not find him on his knees in prayer for his family and to be a better person.
Describe your most embarrassing moment
I was standing outside a classroom at high school - freshman year - right after lunch. I don't remember what happened but all of a sudden I was so sick...and I threw up! Fortunately, the classroom was outside and not in a hallway. Not a good thing to start high school!
List ten pet peeves you have
1. Dishonesty - I would MUCH rather hear the truth, no matter how awful, than to be lied to! I never have been able to figure out why some people lie, and usually it's about the silliest things. It would be so much easier to just be free and not have to remember what story you told and to whom you told it! And my kids know I am NOT a good liar myself, as they took advantage of me in games and when I knew secrets.
2. Clutter in my space - Mind you, clutter doesn't bother me in other peoples homes or spaces: Kayty's room, Dad's office and garage and shed and back porch don't bug me at all. BUT, clutter on my kitchen island or in my living room or on my desk in the sewing room makes me crazy. Cannot stand it at all!!
3. Being late - I try my hardest to always get things ready, loaded, prepared way ahead of time and plan to leave just a little early so I can always arrive on time.
4. Grouchy people on Day After Christmas Sales. Really, people? Santa has just come. You will live without stealing those rolls of wrapping paper from someone's shopping cart. And please don't get mad at my son when he accidentally pushes the cart into your ankle. He was trying to help me!
5. People reading power point slides on a screen to me. I have said this before: I can read!
6. Grocery bags filled by teenage female clerks who think I am a weightlifter.
7. Yard sales that have no price tags. I am not a fan of talking people down. Just let me know what you want for the item and I will determine whether I want it or not. Don't be so lazy!
8. Bossy Mothers- I pretty much am a "live and let live" kind of person. I do my job and do my best, and I don't think I know so much that I am qualified to tell you how to do your job, serve in your calling or raise your kids, and I do expect the same courtesy. Personal complaint: I have served in this stake calling for over two years, washed every baptismal outfit over and over, typed a program myriads of times, and I think I can say what is, and what is NOT to be bothered with in the baptismal closet.
9. Misspelled words on television news broadcasts, in newspapers and publications. Come on, people. You have a degree. You have spell check. And usually, it's only a photo caption, not a huge document. (Reminder, please forgive any misspellings in this document. I have made entries nearly every day for weeks and sometimes things slip by.)
10.
Describe a typical day in your current life.
Typical Monday on my week "off"
Check Kayty periodically at night. Alarm off at 4:20 am. Take my blood pressure medicine. Take out trash. Start a load of laundry. Check emails. Turn on local news.Exercise (I check my facebook while I do my 100 sit ups). Index at least three entries on my downloaded Indexing list. Start up Dad's computer. Wake up Dad. Put clothing in dryer. Cook Dad's breakfast. Listen to scriptures as I curl my hair and get ready. Clean, Dust and then vacuum entire house. Fold and hang clothing from dryer and put all away. Scrub hall bathtub, toilet, mirrors, vacuum and steam mop. Listen to Rush Limbaugh as I continue cleaning. Check things off my "week off list" like visiting teaching appointments. Make lunch for dad. Do dishes. Do special jobs for the week like painting doorways, cleaning out cupboards and drawers, rake pine needles, etc. Cook dinner. Clean up dinner. Swim or listen to General Conference talk for Family Home Evening, television, news, and bed.
My week with Kaylee has the same start to the day. On Monday morning I vacuum the whole house but don't dust, etc. Then throughout the week I vacuum the whole house every night and just vacuum the entries, kitchen and family room. I either pick her up or Cameo brings her to our house. I still make meals but my activities are filled with playing with Kaylee. We swim at 4 so I have dinner all ready before then. After she goes home, I vacuum and generally crash for the evening. I don't have the energy a three year old does.
What's the hardest part of growing up?
I was overweight and before people knew me, they would tease me and make fun. They used to take the whole class to the nurse's office once a year. Everyone would sit around on the ground while each person was weighed and their weight told out loud to the person writing it down. When they would get to me, everyone would look. The nurse, Mrs. Hedger, would then whisper it to the record keeper. I hated it!I wasn't able to do all the things in P.E. that the other kids could. I remember trying to do the arm hang for the President's Physical Fitness test every year, and getting Zero on the stop watch. I remember having to run that 600 yard run, and hating it. In 8th grade, I was sick on the first test, and had to make it up, all by myself. I ran and ran, and when I got near the finish line, I tripped and fell. My P.E. coach knew I was trying so hard, and he passed me on the test. My mom had to sew all my clothes since there weren't many clothing choices then for larger sizes. They would have Chubby dresses at Sears, and they were always ugly!
Describe five weaknesses and five strengths you have.
Weakness
1. Food. I love food and would love to eat anything and everything: creamy casseroles, fresh rolls, Texas Sheet Cake are a few things that come to mind. When I was a kid, I loved drinking chocolate milk and eating frozen Ding Dongs. I did love salad, and thought it would just be a dream to have someplace to go just to buy salad! (No salad bars then!) I really don't think I associated WHAT I ate and the effect it had on me. I had a doctor put me on a diet when I was seven and I had to drink this thick drink called Sego every morning. I hated the banana flavor (thus my dislike for anything banana flavored except banana bread/muffins and actual bananas.) I remember crying that I didn't want to drink it before I went to school. I did end up losing weight and the doctor bought me a Barbie Doll named "Midge" but it didn't last long. There was not as much knowledge about nutrition then and as many healthy fresh fruits and vegetables then, so I don't remember even thinking about what to eat. I just ate. I finally learned as an adult that I can make healthy choices, and have SOME but not a ton! And lots of people cannot eat everything they want to!
2. Over thinking things. I tend to worry...when I should be sleeping. I have a rough time sleeping, and, when I awaken in the middle of the night, if I start to think about something...or nearly anything...I tend to start worrying and then I can't sleep at all.
3. Sees' Nuts and Chews
4. I don't like conflict, especially religious and political, and therefore I try to stay out of conversations on social media about that (unless there is a particular atrocity to an innocent person or group). Sadly enough, this usually means that when my best friends list pops up on that social media, my husband's name never appears. He feels a moral obligation to stand for the right and he always has. He is no push over and speaks his mind. I like that quality in him...and I am so glad my kids all speak their minds. However, I am a silent partner in this aspect.
5. Anything a grandchild wants!
Strength
1. My Faith in the Lord and His Timing - I have witnessed miracle after miracle in my life. I know that the Lord guides me and directs me. He speaks to me. I have had witness after witness of His knowledge of me. Once, I had looked on Amazon at a countertop compost can. I had put it in my Amazon shopping cart, and then removed it because it was too expensive. Not more than a week later, a man from church came to our house to get some gardening instruction from Dad. When he walked in the door, in his hands was the exact composter. He said, "I have an extra one of these. Can you use it?" No one knew but me that I wanted this. And as it ended up, there were some situations that came up right after that time that caused me feel very alone, and yet I did not because I KNEW without a doubt that the Lord was aware of me, personally. I still use that composter and still look and remember. I wait on the Lord and really try not to go crazy when things happen. I wait patiently and give the Lord time to guide and lead.
2. I have been very blessed to be able to find the good in everything and everyone. I love the old movie "Pollyanna" and her "Glad Game". I know that there is always some good that comes from even the roughest of situations.
3. I have a really difficult time lying. I find it impossible, though I will keep a secret for someone. The kids would test this quality often with crazy little games and I just couldn't lie with a straight face. I find lying to be so complicated. I don't have time to remember what story I told to whom, so it's just easier to come clean and tell the truth and take responsibility.
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Describe when you knew your spouse was the one, or how you fell in love.
I was sitting in a Doctrine and Covenants class at Phoenix College Institute. Brother Kim Johnson had asked us a question and someone behind me answered it. That voice just cut me to my heart, and I had to turn around and look. It was Doran. The feeling I had from the sound of that voice stayed with me and wouldn't let me give up, even when it took a long time for us to finally realize the Lord's hand and guidance in our lives.
What are your five greatest accomplishments?
1. My dream was to get married and become a Mother, and that I did! I loved being a Mom and I did everything in my power to give my kids the chance to be all that they could be. I question my success all the time, but I know my dreams came true with the birth of Allison, Ethan, Doran, Morgan, Katelyn and Nathan! I just wish I would have known then what I know now. I would have done SO much better as a mother!
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What is the thing you most wish you were great at?
I wish I was great at painting, and not walls. My dad's sister, my Aunt Muriel (I called her Aunt Moo) really tried to expose me to art. Every time we would visit her in Arcadia, California, near Pasadena, she would take us to the Huntington Art Museum and I remember being bored but also enjoying the paintings Blue Boy and Pinkie. She wanted me to oil paint and even gave me a chance to do it once. My efforts were awful, but I could have been educated. I would love to be able to create beautiful watercolor paintings.
What do you think your spouse loves most about you?
I am really not sure...and I have thought now for weeks about this.
How did you feel the moment you became a parent?
Oh, how amazing it was to give birth to Allison. It was the hardest thing I had ever done, and I was so thankful I did it (other women share many horror stories of birth at your baby showers and make you want to remain pregnant forever!) I remember how beautiful she looked, and how heavenly it was to finally take care of my own baby, rather than babysit. I didn't know much of what was going to happen then...probably a good thing. As each baby joined our family: Ethan, Doran, Morgan, Katelyn and Nathan; I was just in awe of how beautiful each one was...and how my life...and our family... just absolutely would not have been compete without this precious person!
Describe 3 significant memories from your childhood.
1.My dad loved to go to a nearby coffee shop named "Hobo Joes". He would eat breakfast there every day and I would sometimes go with him and eat a cupcake and hot chocolate. Way unhealthy but I don't remember thinking it was back then. We would sometimes go there late at night and I would get this yummy sandwich called a Slim Jim. Ham, melted cheese, tomatoes. It was heavenly! I also remember taking late night Jack in the Box runs with my mom for their tacos and bean burritos, and eating chocolate chips out of the chocolate chip ice cream with her.
2. I remember the day my dad had a stroke. I was a volunteer school crossing guard and I had to leave my post early and then we went to my grandmother's house...something that just didn't happen. I remember Tutu telling us that night that he had a stroke. I knew that was bad, though I didn't know just how much the world would change. I remember the first time we were able to go to Barrow Neurological Institute to see him, and I wore this patchwork peasant dress that he hated, just to see. He recognized it, and let me know with a sour face.
3. I remember the last thing my dad said to me before he died. He was in the hospital with kidney disease, and he was not a candidate for any other care at that time due to his lifelong high blood pressure and the damage it had caused his body. My mom was at work, and men from the ward would come and sit with him all night, but I was there at Good Samaritan Hospital, sitting by him. I remember saying, "I love you, Dad" and he whispered back, "I, too." He became unconscious in the days to come and finally died on a Sunday morning.I was thankful in the years to come that I was able to let him know how I felt.
Describe your relationship with your parents.
My father died when I was 16 right at the start of my senior year of high school. I remember being a typical teenager, not really thinking about all parents do for their kids, but that kind of changed things. I remember the first time I had to stay home from school sick. I remember that my dad didn't call to ask how I was, something I had just taken for granted until then. He was strict, but a very creative person, a hard worker, and I remember my parents sitting between baseball diamonds at St. Louis the King church just so they could watch all of us kids' ball games. My mom was always a rock! She could sew anything and did so all the time. They gave us the best Christmas mornings! I don't ever remember second guessing their parenting, even in my adulthood. I knew they did their best.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I will be 61 years old. I hope to hike on my birthday. I hope to be nearing our own mission, and writing some sort of electronic mail to Adam on his mission. I hope to have a world where the Gospel is all over and that many can hear the Gospel and I can be a part of that. And, I hope we can fix up and finish the master bathroom by then! I hope to have all my kids out of school working on their own dreams.
10 years?
I will be 66 years old and hope to still be able to exercise and be active, and hike on my birthday. I hope to be active in serving in the Church and community. I see being a temple worker, perhaps, or doing a lot of work for others there.
15 years?
I will be 71years old. My mom is almost 81 and still does a lot, so I hope to be able to do that. I hope to still hike on my birthday. I hope to be an asset to the family and to be able to visit them and be a good example of service, of love, and of the importance of the temple and families.
What’s your favorite holiday and why?
I LOVE Christmas! I remember when I was young, that was the only time decorations went up in our house, and it was a special time. I remember my dad was very meticulous about the lights on the tree. We would sit forever and screw each tiny light bulb in (no pushing in then, and when one went out, the whole string was shot!) till the string worked. I remember my parents would put certain decorations on the tree. There was a small pink glass teapot ornament, and a small red trumpet ornament that were near the top. My dad would put a spire on the top - something I didn't like. I remember having an artificial tree before they were popular, because my dad wanted it perfect. My parents got us kids our own tree and we would put up homemade decorations, and often have ornament fights as we decorated. My Nano designed my brother and sister and my stockings and we would hang them on the railings in the living room. Christmas was always a magical memory! Then, when I married and walked into Dorrie's house, she had TONS of decorations up. So, I set out painting and creating, though Dad's family would cut down their own tree and I loved that for many, many years!
Christmas is my favorite because of the music, the memories each ornament brings, the preparing year long to fill stockings, the gifts you give and the sacrifices you make to save for each person, for the traditions, for the memories, and most of all for the Savior's birth we celebrate, for He gives us everything, including the Atonement and the opportunity to repent and return to our Heavenly Father.
What’s your favorite and least favorite thing about parenthood?
My favorite thing is seeing my children achieve their goals and dreams. I have always wanted the best for each of them, and I love seeing them doing what they love and accomplishing what they accomplish.
My least favorite thing is when things don't work out the way my kids wanted. I want them to have everything and have nothing get them down or set them back, whether due to a physical/mental/medical situation or even by a choice, though I know choices need to have their consequences.
If you could have dinner with anyone in history, who would it be and what would you eat?
What popular notion do you think the world has most wrong?
I hear something said, by both those of a religious faith, and those of not, that we should support the things that make a person happy. Happiness is a good thing, mind you. It makes me happy to come home on Sunday and eat one Sees Nut and Chew from the box I keep in the china cabinet. It makes me happy to get the yard picked up. I like my friends and family to be happy. The thing about happy is that, its not lasting. I forget how yummy that delicious chocolate morsel tasted since that only lasts for the time it's being savored in my mouth. The yard gets messy again...and again. We are here to seek for JOY. Joy is is the stuff that comes when you overcome your weaknesses, when you work hard for a long time and finally achieve - a college degree, a job well done. "Men are that they might have joy." Joy comes from learning and doing the right thing, from being obedient, from standing for something and recognizing that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are the only ones who can bring us to that joy. I often hear things like, "They should be able to marry whomever they want. It makes them so happy!" I have friends and family that are gay. I like them and think the world of them. However, I am totally against them being able to marry. Marriage is a sacred covenant between a man and a woman, and nothing any earthly law says will change that. Marriage between a man and a woman is tough and requires much sacrifice of "me" for the benefit of another. Marriage and family brings joy, not only because you do hard things, but because you are following the Lord's Plan...the Plan of Salvation. Happy is not lasting. Joy is!
What is your favorite part of your body and why?
I love my lungs! They make it so I can walk and run and hike and exercise and work in the yard. I have learned that being active makes me happy and helps me think clearly. It is also when I get my best inspiration, so I am very thankful for my wonderful lungs!
What’s your favorite quality in your spouse?
I love that he counsels with the Lord to start and to end his day, and often during the day. There is never a morning that I don't see him on his knees in prayer, and never a night that I don't hear him kneel before getting into bed. He prays with real intent and it gives me comfort knowing he is trying to do as the Lord guides. It makes things that happen during the day a bit less questionable because I can pray myself when something happens and ask for understanding.
What are your hopes and dreams for your prosperity?
I hope to never be a financial burden to my children. We have always lived carefully and controlled our spending to be as debt free as possible. We save our money. I hope to live comfortably but not extravagantly for all my days. I hope to have a good enough car, and for Kayty's health to improve so I can visit my grandkids more.
List 10 things you would hope to be remembered for.
1. I would like to be remembered for my faith in Jesus Christ. I know that Jesus Christ atoned for my sins, has felt every pain, has endured every trial, and I know without a doubt that He guides me, if I turn to him and ask for that guidance. I know He loves me. I know He is there to help me be a better person.
2. I would like to be remembered for my testimony of the truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. I know the gospel of Christ has been restored to the earth through the prophet Joseph Smith, and that we are guided today by a living prophet who is here to teach us and lead us so that we may return to our Heavenly Father. I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God and was written for our day. I know that the priesthood, man's power to act in God's name, has been restored to the earth and we now have all the ordinances available to return to Heavenly Father.
3. I would like to be remembered for my love of the temple and of the work we are blessed to do there. I grew in love for the temple as we made so many sacrifices for the Phoenix Temple's building, and I love being able to go there and serve there. I am so grateful for the work done there and I am thankful I have a temple so nearby.
4. I would like to be remembered by my grandchildren, and have them know and love me. My Grandmother Kew died when I was a year old, and my mom's mother, Tutu, really didn't like having kids around. I did like going to her house and all, and she would always have butterscotch hard candies on the counter in her kitchen and chocolate covered ice cream bon bons for us. She always had us help wash dishes after we would eat there. I made the best of the situation, but I always wanted to be a wonderful Grandma!
5. I want everyone to remember me as a kind person. I really try to be patient, whether in a slow grocery line or with someone who doesn't understand things as I do. (However, I still need to work on being kind to employees of Bank of America who mess up things continually!
6. I want to be remembered for being giving and unselfish. I hope I am not thought of as a selfish person, but one who would be willing to give my time, my talents, and my possessions to help someone else.
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Thirty Things My Kids Should Know About Me
Twenty Random Facts About Myself
1. On the day I was born, July 4, 1960, the United States Flag flew for the first time with 50 stars on it. Hawaii was added to the flag that day.
2. I received a large U.S. Flag for my first birthday from my grandmother Kew and it flew over our house my entire childhood. It now is in the entryway closet.
3. Being the center of attention makes me very uncomfortable!! When I was a kid, my family would go to Shakey's Pizza and there was a man playing the banjo. My dad would always request him to sing "If You Knew Suzie" and I would be so embarrassed! I never wanted anyone to sing to me. I don't like birthday parties for me or being sung to on my birthday.
4. I load my groceries onto the counter for the cashier to charge me for based on where they get put away when I get home. Frozen and refrigerated foods - dairy, veggies, fruits, etc. - are kept together, pantry foods, cleaning products, etc.
5. I am a total list person. If I get it written and on my list, it gets done. If I neglect to create a list, I waste my time away. Lists are my motivator.
6. I have a list of food I would eat if I found out I had a condition that would take my life. Some foods on the list: Aunt Sherry's funeral potatoes, Red Devil Pepperoni Pizza, Dad's Szechuan Chicken, Cameo's Sour Cream Chicken enchiladas, Aunt Marina's home made rolls, Texas Sheet Cake, Doritos, Cauliflower with Cheese Sauce a la Dorrie, Allison's Cafe Rio clone salad, Amber's cheese cake, Nate's Kimchii soup (that is ok to eat now but I love it), In and Out Burger hamburger, Five Sons fries, to name a few.
7. Through my entire marriage, I always have said, "If I have a working washing machine and a working vacuum cleaner, I can handle almost anything." I wash, dry, hang up, fold and put away right away, and I vacuum every day (except Sunday) at least once.
8. While green is my current favorite color, my wardrobe has only one old t-shirt that is green. I shop sales, not colors.
9. Music inspires me. When I want to clean, I put old 80's music on my iPhone. When I was taking a writing class, I could only complete my assignments with Josh Grobin playing. On a recent Sunday, in Sacrament Meeting, we sang all seven verses of "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief". I couldn't make it through the last two verses. The Spirit I felt witnessed many things to me. My favorite hymn: "Ye Elders of Israel". I will never forget watching Ethan and Doran practicing that for a stake conference young men's choir. Favorite primary song: "I Know That My Savior Loves Me". I will never forget a primary program in Las Vegas and seeing Grace and Adam sing that with all their hearts.
10. I have always loved salad. I remember as a kid, there was a salad dressing commercial with a restaurant that only served salad...kind of like an ice cream parlor., and I thought that would be amazing. This was way before there were salad bars in restaurants and McDonald's only sold burgers and fries.
11. I can't stand unfinished projects! If I cannot complete something in a reasonable amount of time, I either don't start it, or I get rid of it.
12. I love craftsman style architecture. Low pitched roofs, front doors with partial glass panes, earthy colors, stone siding and single dormer windows are my favorite. I don't live in a home that style nor do I know where any are in Arizona, but that is my favorite.
13. At one time in my life, I wanted to be a teacher, an interior designer, a doctor, and a lawyer, though later in life when I took one of those employment aptitude tests, it said I should have been an architect, which would have been interesting.
14. I am not a fan of reading. I love to read the Book of Mormon every day. I have enjoyed reading books. However, they are more of a task to do, not a relaxing pasttime.
15. I cannot stand it when I am sitting in a meeting and a power point presentation comes on a screen and the person leading insists on reading aloud each and every word on the screen. I know how to read. I don't need it read to me!
16. My current favorites: Color - green, and Fall colors of red, gold, rust, orange and brown; Food - salad; Holiday - Christmas; Collectible - pumpkins; Season - Fall; Movie - "The Sound of Music"; Television Show - "Property Brothers" and "Flip or Flop" on Netflix; Place to go - The Phoenix Temple; Vacation - camping at Woods Canyon Lake; job or title - "Grammy"; Book - The Book of Mormon; iphone game - Bejeweled Blitz; flower - hydrangea;
17. When I was a kid, I couldn't stand the taste of maple syrup, and if my mom made breakfast for dinner, I would throw an absolute fit! I also didn't like bacon, ham, or fish sticks (and that was when fish sticks were made of fish.) I am still not a breakfast fan.
18. My rule: "Never do anything you wouldn't want to explain to the paramedics."
19. I am not a fan of talking on the phone, except to my grandkids. I am much better with the written word rather than the spoken word.
20. I don't like surprise parties, but I do love surprises like when my sons surprised me at church on Mother's Day, and traveled from Idaho and joined me in church for my birthday.
Describe three legitimate fears and how they became fears
1. Heights. I really didn't know I was afraid of heights until Dad, Nathan and I were hiking Squaw Peak. All of a sudden, my heart started racing and I knew without a doubt was anxiety and a panic attack really is. I made it nearly to the top, holding on each and every step for dear life. I had never experienced that feeling so intensely before, and I don't intend to ever again.
2. Amusement Park Rides - There was an amusement park in Tempe Arizona called Legend City. It seemed that, when I was in 8th grade, I went there all the time. My school friends and I would decide on whose parent would drive and drop us off. Anyway, there was this ride called The Zipper. I finally decided one night to try it. I was put in a metal car and the door shut. The car spun freely around an oblong shaped belt. First it went forward. I lost every ounce of change I had in my purse and my knuckles were white. Then they reversed it and it spun backward. Later, I heard they stopped doing the extreme motions of that ride since so many people were seriously hurt on it. No matter. One Zipper Ride and I was finished. Nothing scarier than a merry go round for me. And, yes, children, I went on that terrifying Desert Storm Roller Coaster once...and that ride at Sea World once...and that was only to prove my deep and abiding love for you over my terror for myself!
3. I had forgotten this until something involving a neighbor visiting here came up. I never have allowed anyone to lock someone (except a criminal) out of the house. When I was pretty young, I went to someone's house with my mom. I remember playing with one of the children there, a boy, who was a few years older than me. I remember going outside on the back porch, and him going indoors and locking me out. I cried and cried and knocked and knocked, yelling, "Let Me In!" and there was a parrot in a cage right next to the door, mimicking my "Let Me In" cries over and over. I still will unlock the door when I see someone being teased and locked out.
Describe your relationship with your spouse
I knew Doran Rice was the one for me from the first time I heard his voice in an Institute of Religion Doctrine and Covenants class. It took a LONG time for us to finally get together, but I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that the Lord approved of this man and my choice to marry him. He is the man in my patriarchal blessing. We have a fun time together, and through time have learned to see things as the other sees them. I trust him with all my heart. Never ever a doubt of his faithfulness to the Lord, to his testimony, his efforts to do his best to be obedient, his honesty, his honor. He has strengthened the practical and thrifty side of me. He is ever working to be the best he can be to live with the Savior again someday. We complement each other, as he is the collector and I am the minimalist. He is the creative and I am the organizer. I never mind digging in and helping him, whether it's changing the oil in the car, hauling weeds to the trash, or covering up tomatoes. He makes me laugh, and makes me thankful that I had the blessed opportunity to be sealed for eternity and have my children Born in the Covenant.
List ten things you would tell your sixteen year old self, if you could.
1. Develop your relationship with Heavenly Father and listen for the promptings of the Holy Ghost. If I had only learned to hear and feel then what I can hear and feel now.
2. Don't let friendships interfere with your education. I had the opportunity to take a set of classes for two years in high school referred to as Chem/Physics. It was a combination of the classes and I had been asked to sign up. I didn't take that opportunity, however, because I wanted to be in classes with my best friend, Amy King, and that would have interfered. It didn't hurt my schooling, because I ended high school 34th in a class of 835 people, but it might have guided my future a bit more. Friends are great and fun and important, but they probably won't be there forever.
3. Develop good habits that will be a foundation for good decisions: every day prayer and scripture reading especially.
4. Never ever do anything that omits someone from church friendships. The things we do to others, especially when we are younger, can affect the rest of someone's life. Jokes, teasing, and just deciding we are not going to be a friend to someone can hurt someone for a long, long time. You are supposed to be on the same team, and there is no reason to find ways to pick at each other.
5. Develop your talents so that you can use that knowledge and skill to supplement your income. I played the flute. I never even thought of giving lessons to other people when I was in high school. It would have helped me a lot to have done this!!
6. Don't expect things to work out just the way you want to just because you are doing/trying to do everything right. Life is not that simple, and it is often through our disappointments that we learn to truly love and to be patient and kind and have faith. My motto: "It's not what happens, it's what you DO with what happens that defines you."
7. Be willing to try new things. Don't get yourself in a mindset that you think "I will never do...". If I had solid ideas in my mind of what I would and wouldn't do, I would never have gone camping, or seen Yellowstone National Park, or pitched a split finger fastball, or made plaster castings of elk footprints, or dressed and did hair for a ton of little ballerinas for years, or caught grasshoppers or cooked cobbler, or eaten a great elk steak, or seen the view from a bike ride on the Mogollon Rim. Be open minded to try and taste and experience.
8. If you want something, don't just think and wish. Do the things that make it happen. I wanted to be a pom pom girl in high school. I had a neighbor that I would sit and watch as she practice to try out and then would watch her perform at the high school football games. I always wanted it, but I did NOTHING to work for it. I didn't stretch, practice or anything. I did know the entire routine of both the pom line and cheer line for the school fight song, but that was as far as it went. If you want it, practice and make it happen!
9. Enjoy the moments! Don't want to grow up too fast. I really enjoyed high school! I was in the marching band, which was my dream come true! I had great friends, went to all the football games and basketball games, had great classes and great teachers. My senior year was the best and I am so glad I enjoyed it!
10. Take P.E. All through school, I HATED P.E. Now, I did play volleyball and softball and was on the teams in elementary school, but once high school hit, I took NOTHING. I would have so benefited by learning to exercise and actually do it enough to feel the benefits. When I can run or hike now, it's not just because I want to maintain my weight. I do my best thinking when I am out jogging or hiking. My mind becomes more clear. I can hear the Spirit more. It benefits my soul. I never ever even gave it a chance.
What are the five things that make you the most happy right now?
1. I will be honest with you this was the very first answer I gave and filled in. I knew it the moment I typed the prompt. The thing(s) that make me the most happy are my grandchildren! I love Adam's sarcasm. He makes me laugh, and he is very patient when I am behind the current times! I love Grace's sweet "I love you texts that always come just when I need them. Ever since she was a baby, she had a special spirit that just knew what people needed, and she gave it! I love Josh and his whit. He loves to play games and do puzzles with me. At first, he didn't like me at all, and I was so glad I got to spend some time with him so we could become friends. I love Sam's sweet nature. I don't see him as much as I want to, but he is always so peaceful and calm. I love playing ball with him. I love Kelsie's "spice". She is not gonna take anything from anyone. She knows what she wants and how to get it, and nothing is going to stop her. I love Kooper's curiosity. He reminds me of his daddy as he quietly goes around investigating, with a huge smile just like daddy always had. I love Kaylee's conversations with me. She thought I was never too old to keep up with her, and would always talk to me and tell me just how it should be. She always notices when a new word comes up and she always asks what that means. I love Annalee's cute little smile and her curiosity. I love it when we facetime and I can just see those wheels turning in her head as she tries to figure out her world. I am excited that a new little boy will be added to our family in December!
2. Having a nearby temple. For the first 30 plus years of our marriage, going all the way out to Mesa and leaving nursing babies/kids was nearly impossible. It would be a fortunate year to attend three times. Now, I can be there in five minutes. I haven't learned anything more from what I have heard, but I have felt the influence of the Holy Ghost so much more in my life! I recognize the blessings given to me so much more. I see the Lord's hand in my life so much more!
3. I am really thankful it's "The Year of The House"! Houses need to be kept up, and ours had been neglected for years. As of June, over half the doors in the house are updated, the front door frame termite damage has been replaced, the ceiling on the front porch has been properly repaired and painted, and painting is complete in the living room, entry, and kids' bathroom. When I am finished babysitting Kaylee, we are going to put slate flooring down in the playroom, get rid of toys and "preschool stuff" and make it a guest room with creative toys in it: legos, blocks, magnetix, and books. Then, the remaining list will be done.
4. My kids getting along with each other. I always thought that these kids I love so much would grow up to be adults that adore each other. Now, I have to realize that each and every one of these kids has different desires and goals, and each gains different inspiration on how to be the best they can be. I find that if there has been a disagreement between them, which is entirely normal, I can't sleep. I worry and toss and turn and try to figure out if I can help. I really can't help. So I totally treasure the times when they all work together, whether it's to fix a broken retainer or to celebrate a grandmother's birthday.
5. Making a list for the day/week/month/year and marking things off. I am totally a list person and my total motivation comes from the list. It's often amazing to me that if I write something on a list, it gets done, and if I just think about wanting to get something done, it doesn't get don. zxs`
If you had three wishes, what would you wish for?
1. I am not a "wisher" at all. I believe in blessings and that challenges come for our growth, but my first wish would be my kids could be cured of the physical and mental challenges that they have had to deal with. Asthma, Bi-polar disorder, ADHD, Tourette's Syndrome, Headaches, and Diabetes, to name just a few.
2. I would wish for the ability to leave and travel to see my grandkids any time I wanted to. It is so hard on me to not see them and hug them and be at their shows and activities.
3. I would wish I knew then what I know now. Moms could only watch other moms when I was raising my kids. There was no internet where you could get support, encouragement and ideas. I just had someone that was very nice to me at church who had many kids. While I did not do most of what I saw, I did some of what I did, and my results were not what we really wanted. We were told as parents to do a lot of things that deprived our kids of exercising their agency. They were good kids, but strength comes from that exercise. I just wish I would have been a better mom and dad often gives advice (and sometimes too much advice) because we had no such guidance and made so many choices based on our experiences rather than from the vast knowledge available from church resources and the internet. He regrets so much. I am not a regretter and have done all in my life to live better and serve and support my kids all I can. Still, I sure wish...
What is your dream job and why?
I would love to be a professional organizer! I have always been able to put things together and organize them. When I was a teenager, I emptied my bedroom closet, bought some gold patterned paper, hung it up in the closet with thumb tacks, and re organized my clothing, shoes, games, etc. And that was at a time when there were no such things as closet organizing systems, etc. I had Barbie Dolls and would use my mom's old checkbook boxes to organize my Barbie shoes and accessories.
What are five passions you have?
1. The first thing you really need to know is that I don't understand this "passion" thing at all! I hear people working on dead end no job available college degrees because it's their "passion". I have many things I enjoy but NOTHING that consumes my thoughts so much that I cannot thing practically.
2. That being said, I guess my passion is practicality. I love to be creative, but within bounds of budgetary and time constraints, where and how it will be used, who will it benefit, and how much cost and mess it will involve. I think out things a LOT before I dive in and do them.
3. I really enjoy watching home improvement/decorating shows and doing projects around the house that update it. I love looking at flooring, paint colors, and seeing other's ideas.
4. I don't think this is a passion, but I just love having a temple so nearby and being able to go there almost whenever I want to. In just the last couple years, my increased temple attendance has influenced the rest of my life, my inspirations, my patience and my faith.
5. My greatest joy comes when my children and their families are together and joyful.
List ten people who have influenced you and how
1.Jeannette Nielsen. I was a counselor in her primary presidency. She was a very calm, peaceful person. Her kids participated in outside activities, but it never seemed to interfere with her spiritual life. She told me one time "What is the prime directive?" In other words, what was the thing I was really working for. While dancing lessons and ball practice were wonderful, letting those be a priority over everything was not what I really wanted for my kids. I remember getting so angry at my boys and yelling one time when I couldn't find my keys to get to dancing lessons. My angry words stung, and though I apologized, those words still sting. When Jeanette said those words to me, I learned to prioritize and it brought me greater peace and love for my kids.
2. Sondra Taylor. Sister Taylor was the first person in the ward after I was baptized to trust me with caring for her children. Her husband, Randall, was my first bishop. I remember babysitting and seeing her wheat grinder, the beautiful things she made at relief society to decorate her home, her kindness and love towards her kids. I learned so much just from watching her. Once, when I was in Young Women, she came and taught us to make a Christmas Bread wreath and I did it. She taught me by just how she lived so much!
I feel I must now add these great influences on my life: my children. They have influenced and taught me so very much. I have learned love and what it means to truly love someone so very much that nothing they could do would ever stop that love. I think of this love as the love Heavenly Father has for each one of us. They have each brought me closer to heaven in their own very unique way...
3. Allison Kimberly Rice Wilkins - Allison has always awed me. She has always been the hardest worker! She would always do her chores, save her money, and try her hardest. Once, in her dancing when she had barely been in her tumbling class and they were practicing for recital and needed someone to end in the splits, she raised her hand. What? You can't even do the splits, I thought. Well, she worked and worked and did it! In school she had barely scored under the entrance requirement to be in the gifted math classes, but the teacher allowed her in the class simply because he told me she was such a hard worker. She loves to read and shared that love with her sister and now with her children. She is also an amazing mother! She limits the kids media time, which makes it harder on her to keep the kids entertained and not fighting. I am so thankful to see all the wonderful things she does with her kids and to help Mike. She is working her heart out to raise wonderful children with strong testimonies!
4. Ethan Robert Rice - Ethan has always been a goal centered achiever. He would see something, decide that is what he wanted, and then achieve it. He wanted his eagle scout award and stopped at nothing until he had passed up older scouts and achieved it. He went to a Silver Axe scout leadership training camp one summer. When he arrived, he saw the scout in charge, wearing rainbow suspenders and leading the entire group of scouts. He said he wanted to do that job...and a few years later, he achieved it, though black suspenders replaced the rainbow ones. He moved up in his career choice by setting goals, learning what he needed to and getting along with people. He now has moved to Georgia and right before he left, he already had a promotion in mind. He wanted a BMW for years and years and finally got that. He is my driven, go-getter that is good to everyone: co-workers, leadership, and especially family. He has been the one everyone has gone to when times were tough and he was there to help.
5. Doran Charles Rice, III - Doran has always been our "Mr. Happy". He faces the world with the biggest and most infectious smile. He is happy no matter what the circumstance. While he didn't like to read and school was not his favorite, he was the one every one of his teachers just adored. He was a great kid to have in class! He is always seeking to do good and create things to make life easier. He does the good he does quietly and doesn't mind being the one doing the work behind the scenes. I love how Doran can create anything! He can make a yard look beautiful, and that was one thing we missed the most when he went on his church mission. He would always help me, no matter what. Now, I see a busy man, who can create a concealed safe that no one would know is there. He is the magical one with tools and can make them do wonderful things. Doran was also the one who always brought music into our home, another quality we missed when he left home. He always had lovely music playing, night and day. He appreciates things that are beautiful and adores that little son of his (and Kelsie too) and you can see that Kooper adores him too.
6. Morgan Allan Rice - Morgan was always the most lovable baby, little boy, and he has that winning personality that everyone loves. I remember walking out of high school with him once and all the security guards were greeting him and wishing him well (he was actually in a lot of trouble). I have always loved and admired that quality in him. He has so much love to give and had a way of sharing that love. Dad and his sisters had been non communicative for years, until his father died. The family came together, and I remember the kids being introduced to their Aunt Sherry, and Morgan just went right up and hugged her. That one selfless act brought two long separate parts of a family together. He wanted to sit next to Aunt Helen one night in the van. Aunt Helen had a lot of health problems and was difficult to understand, and yet Morgan fought to sit by her. As she got out of the van, she said, "No one has every fought to sit by me..." He has always been the kind of guy that could come out on top and take care of himself. He would travel around, and I would think of him as all alone, and then we would see him, talking to anyone and everyone, willing to help anyone he could. He is a survivor and a friend.
7. Katelyn Michelle Naomi Rice - Kayty is unsinkable. She was always our empress. She would demand and we would all run to do it. She was just born with that strong will. She loves shoes and has more in her room at this moment than I have ever owned in my entire life. She brings music into our home and sings and plays the piano when she is sad, when she is happy, when she is worried, when she is tired. That strong will of hers got her out of band and into piano lessons. That strong will is what gets her through a situation that we couldn't have imagined. I had no idea she would face a disease that could kill her at any time. I remember when we were in the hospital in Flagstaff and they were telling us she would have to give herself shots. All that night, I kept saying to myself that there was no way she was going to do this, and then the next day, she did it! She was told that she would probably have to attend an extra year of high school because she would be so sick. She then proceeded to graduate in three years, and should have been the valedictorian since she had the highest GPA for two years of students. She is fearless and independent, but still tolerates my texts and my checking her all night. There are great things in store for this lady. She just has to quit using that strong will of hers against her.
8. Nathan Michael Rice - Nathan was my final miracle. He was such a good natured little baby. Who knew that sweet baby would bring so many emotions into my life. He wasn't one to be pushed to do anything. He would do things on his own time schedule. Feeding. Potty training. He had the most dry sense of humor! I guess it was from sharing a room with all those older brothers. He had the maturity of a much older kid.. and the sense of humor too. When he liked something, he liked it. When he didn't...watch out! He would sit at the dinner table and stir up all the things on his plate he didn't want to eat into one disgusting concoction. He didn't like a teacher I had selected for him...and she called me crying. He didn't want any attention brought toward him. I learned that when I wished him a happy first day of sophomore year, and he unfriended me on Facebook for a year. He is the one I learned to just never ever give up. He had never played football, but wanted to be on the football team. His freshman coach said they thought he really didn't have it to be in football...and then he just worked and worked and tried and tried. Coach started calling him "Nate the Great". He ended up playing both offensive and defensive line his senior year. He was concerned when the kid who hated English was called on a mission to Korea. He worked and worked, made it through headaches and worries, and fears. "Nate the Great" is a great husband and a great dad. He taught me anyone can do anything.
9. My mom. She married and helped my dad graduate from college. She had to put up with an overprotective mother in law and sister in law that would often leave her out of things. She helped my great grandmother, my nano, go shopping and sew and would visit her often. She had a husband who had very high blood pressure, who had a stroke when he was 37 that totally changed his personality. She had to quickly gain a skill at college and go to work full time. She did most everything for us three kids and him, including sewing and taking us to ball games and school dances. She helped him through a terminal case of kidney disease, while suffering her own health problems. And yet, she never stopped. She would leave little notes on each of our bedroom doors every night, saying why she loved each of us. She would make Christmas magical, and I never knew there were budget troubles. She brought us to the LDS faith by asking a neighbor. She has always been totally unsinkable!
10. Last but certainly not least, my husband, Doran Rice. He had a rough childhood. His dad was tough on him. His mom and Grampa Ethan McFarland (who lived next door) did their best to make up for it. He began stuttering in high school. I am most sure he was picked on and talked about. But, you know, he does not hold one bit of malice toward his dad. He always figured that his parents did their best with what they had and what they knew. Some of his adult reactions and responses are based on how his dad behaved and treated others. He has always been the most faithful person I have ever known. He found the church when he read the Book of Mormon and he knew it was true and he could not deny it, and that framed his decisions throughout his life. He is steadfast and immovable, and that has sometimes meant he speaks his mind...and sometimes offends. He is very analytical about things, and that quality has taught me so much. I have never had to be concerned for his dedication the Lord and to his family, and though he is blunt and says things that I sometimes think he should keep to himself, he taught all our kids to stand up for themselves and not let themselves be pushed around, and they all have that quality...something I always lacked. I can trust him always and that is the greatest comfort in my life, and there is not a morning or evening that I do not find him on his knees in prayer for his family and to be a better person.
Describe your most embarrassing moment
I was standing outside a classroom at high school - freshman year - right after lunch. I don't remember what happened but all of a sudden I was so sick...and I threw up! Fortunately, the classroom was outside and not in a hallway. Not a good thing to start high school!
List ten pet peeves you have
1. Dishonesty - I would MUCH rather hear the truth, no matter how awful, than to be lied to! I never have been able to figure out why some people lie, and usually it's about the silliest things. It would be so much easier to just be free and not have to remember what story you told and to whom you told it! And my kids know I am NOT a good liar myself, as they took advantage of me in games and when I knew secrets.
2. Clutter in my space - Mind you, clutter doesn't bother me in other peoples homes or spaces: Kayty's room, Dad's office and garage and shed and back porch don't bug me at all. BUT, clutter on my kitchen island or in my living room or on my desk in the sewing room makes me crazy. Cannot stand it at all!!
3. Being late - I try my hardest to always get things ready, loaded, prepared way ahead of time and plan to leave just a little early so I can always arrive on time.
4. Grouchy people on Day After Christmas Sales. Really, people? Santa has just come. You will live without stealing those rolls of wrapping paper from someone's shopping cart. And please don't get mad at my son when he accidentally pushes the cart into your ankle. He was trying to help me!
5. People reading power point slides on a screen to me. I have said this before: I can read!
6. Grocery bags filled by teenage female clerks who think I am a weightlifter.
7. Yard sales that have no price tags. I am not a fan of talking people down. Just let me know what you want for the item and I will determine whether I want it or not. Don't be so lazy!
8. Bossy Mothers- I pretty much am a "live and let live" kind of person. I do my job and do my best, and I don't think I know so much that I am qualified to tell you how to do your job, serve in your calling or raise your kids, and I do expect the same courtesy. Personal complaint: I have served in this stake calling for over two years, washed every baptismal outfit over and over, typed a program myriads of times, and I think I can say what is, and what is NOT to be bothered with in the baptismal closet.
9. Misspelled words on television news broadcasts, in newspapers and publications. Come on, people. You have a degree. You have spell check. And usually, it's only a photo caption, not a huge document. (Reminder, please forgive any misspellings in this document. I have made entries nearly every day for weeks and sometimes things slip by.)
10.
Describe a typical day in your current life.
Typical Monday on my week "off"
Check Kayty periodically at night. Alarm off at 4:20 am. Take my blood pressure medicine. Take out trash. Start a load of laundry. Check emails. Turn on local news.Exercise (I check my facebook while I do my 100 sit ups). Index at least three entries on my downloaded Indexing list. Start up Dad's computer. Wake up Dad. Put clothing in dryer. Cook Dad's breakfast. Listen to scriptures as I curl my hair and get ready. Clean, Dust and then vacuum entire house. Fold and hang clothing from dryer and put all away. Scrub hall bathtub, toilet, mirrors, vacuum and steam mop. Listen to Rush Limbaugh as I continue cleaning. Check things off my "week off list" like visiting teaching appointments. Make lunch for dad. Do dishes. Do special jobs for the week like painting doorways, cleaning out cupboards and drawers, rake pine needles, etc. Cook dinner. Clean up dinner. Swim or listen to General Conference talk for Family Home Evening, television, news, and bed.
My week with Kaylee has the same start to the day. On Monday morning I vacuum the whole house but don't dust, etc. Then throughout the week I vacuum the whole house every night and just vacuum the entries, kitchen and family room. I either pick her up or Cameo brings her to our house. I still make meals but my activities are filled with playing with Kaylee. We swim at 4 so I have dinner all ready before then. After she goes home, I vacuum and generally crash for the evening. I don't have the energy a three year old does.
What's the hardest part of growing up?
I was overweight and before people knew me, they would tease me and make fun. They used to take the whole class to the nurse's office once a year. Everyone would sit around on the ground while each person was weighed and their weight told out loud to the person writing it down. When they would get to me, everyone would look. The nurse, Mrs. Hedger, would then whisper it to the record keeper. I hated it!I wasn't able to do all the things in P.E. that the other kids could. I remember trying to do the arm hang for the President's Physical Fitness test every year, and getting Zero on the stop watch. I remember having to run that 600 yard run, and hating it. In 8th grade, I was sick on the first test, and had to make it up, all by myself. I ran and ran, and when I got near the finish line, I tripped and fell. My P.E. coach knew I was trying so hard, and he passed me on the test. My mom had to sew all my clothes since there weren't many clothing choices then for larger sizes. They would have Chubby dresses at Sears, and they were always ugly!
Describe five weaknesses and five strengths you have.
Weakness
1. Food. I love food and would love to eat anything and everything: creamy casseroles, fresh rolls, Texas Sheet Cake are a few things that come to mind. When I was a kid, I loved drinking chocolate milk and eating frozen Ding Dongs. I did love salad, and thought it would just be a dream to have someplace to go just to buy salad! (No salad bars then!) I really don't think I associated WHAT I ate and the effect it had on me. I had a doctor put me on a diet when I was seven and I had to drink this thick drink called Sego every morning. I hated the banana flavor (thus my dislike for anything banana flavored except banana bread/muffins and actual bananas.) I remember crying that I didn't want to drink it before I went to school. I did end up losing weight and the doctor bought me a Barbie Doll named "Midge" but it didn't last long. There was not as much knowledge about nutrition then and as many healthy fresh fruits and vegetables then, so I don't remember even thinking about what to eat. I just ate. I finally learned as an adult that I can make healthy choices, and have SOME but not a ton! And lots of people cannot eat everything they want to!
2. Over thinking things. I tend to worry...when I should be sleeping. I have a rough time sleeping, and, when I awaken in the middle of the night, if I start to think about something...or nearly anything...I tend to start worrying and then I can't sleep at all.
3. Sees' Nuts and Chews
4. I don't like conflict, especially religious and political, and therefore I try to stay out of conversations on social media about that (unless there is a particular atrocity to an innocent person or group). Sadly enough, this usually means that when my best friends list pops up on that social media, my husband's name never appears. He feels a moral obligation to stand for the right and he always has. He is no push over and speaks his mind. I like that quality in him...and I am so glad my kids all speak their minds. However, I am a silent partner in this aspect.
5. Anything a grandchild wants!
Strength
1. My Faith in the Lord and His Timing - I have witnessed miracle after miracle in my life. I know that the Lord guides me and directs me. He speaks to me. I have had witness after witness of His knowledge of me. Once, I had looked on Amazon at a countertop compost can. I had put it in my Amazon shopping cart, and then removed it because it was too expensive. Not more than a week later, a man from church came to our house to get some gardening instruction from Dad. When he walked in the door, in his hands was the exact composter. He said, "I have an extra one of these. Can you use it?" No one knew but me that I wanted this. And as it ended up, there were some situations that came up right after that time that caused me feel very alone, and yet I did not because I KNEW without a doubt that the Lord was aware of me, personally. I still use that composter and still look and remember. I wait on the Lord and really try not to go crazy when things happen. I wait patiently and give the Lord time to guide and lead.
2. I have been very blessed to be able to find the good in everything and everyone. I love the old movie "Pollyanna" and her "Glad Game". I know that there is always some good that comes from even the roughest of situations.
3. I have a really difficult time lying. I find it impossible, though I will keep a secret for someone. The kids would test this quality often with crazy little games and I just couldn't lie with a straight face. I find lying to be so complicated. I don't have time to remember what story I told to whom, so it's just easier to come clean and tell the truth and take responsibility.
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Describe when you knew your spouse was the one, or how you fell in love.
I was sitting in a Doctrine and Covenants class at Phoenix College Institute. Brother Kim Johnson had asked us a question and someone behind me answered it. That voice just cut me to my heart, and I had to turn around and look. It was Doran. The feeling I had from the sound of that voice stayed with me and wouldn't let me give up, even when it took a long time for us to finally realize the Lord's hand and guidance in our lives.
What are your five greatest accomplishments?
1. My dream was to get married and become a Mother, and that I did! I loved being a Mom and I did everything in my power to give my kids the chance to be all that they could be. I question my success all the time, but I know my dreams came true with the birth of Allison, Ethan, Doran, Morgan, Katelyn and Nathan! I just wish I would have known then what I know now. I would have done SO much better as a mother!
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What is the thing you most wish you were great at?
I wish I was great at painting, and not walls. My dad's sister, my Aunt Muriel (I called her Aunt Moo) really tried to expose me to art. Every time we would visit her in Arcadia, California, near Pasadena, she would take us to the Huntington Art Museum and I remember being bored but also enjoying the paintings Blue Boy and Pinkie. She wanted me to oil paint and even gave me a chance to do it once. My efforts were awful, but I could have been educated. I would love to be able to create beautiful watercolor paintings.
What do you think your spouse loves most about you?
I am really not sure...and I have thought now for weeks about this.
How did you feel the moment you became a parent?
Oh, how amazing it was to give birth to Allison. It was the hardest thing I had ever done, and I was so thankful I did it (other women share many horror stories of birth at your baby showers and make you want to remain pregnant forever!) I remember how beautiful she looked, and how heavenly it was to finally take care of my own baby, rather than babysit. I didn't know much of what was going to happen then...probably a good thing. As each baby joined our family: Ethan, Doran, Morgan, Katelyn and Nathan; I was just in awe of how beautiful each one was...and how my life...and our family... just absolutely would not have been compete without this precious person!
Describe 3 significant memories from your childhood.
1.My dad loved to go to a nearby coffee shop named "Hobo Joes". He would eat breakfast there every day and I would sometimes go with him and eat a cupcake and hot chocolate. Way unhealthy but I don't remember thinking it was back then. We would sometimes go there late at night and I would get this yummy sandwich called a Slim Jim. Ham, melted cheese, tomatoes. It was heavenly! I also remember taking late night Jack in the Box runs with my mom for their tacos and bean burritos, and eating chocolate chips out of the chocolate chip ice cream with her.
2. I remember the day my dad had a stroke. I was a volunteer school crossing guard and I had to leave my post early and then we went to my grandmother's house...something that just didn't happen. I remember Tutu telling us that night that he had a stroke. I knew that was bad, though I didn't know just how much the world would change. I remember the first time we were able to go to Barrow Neurological Institute to see him, and I wore this patchwork peasant dress that he hated, just to see. He recognized it, and let me know with a sour face.
3. I remember the last thing my dad said to me before he died. He was in the hospital with kidney disease, and he was not a candidate for any other care at that time due to his lifelong high blood pressure and the damage it had caused his body. My mom was at work, and men from the ward would come and sit with him all night, but I was there at Good Samaritan Hospital, sitting by him. I remember saying, "I love you, Dad" and he whispered back, "I, too." He became unconscious in the days to come and finally died on a Sunday morning.I was thankful in the years to come that I was able to let him know how I felt.
Describe your relationship with your parents.
My father died when I was 16 right at the start of my senior year of high school. I remember being a typical teenager, not really thinking about all parents do for their kids, but that kind of changed things. I remember the first time I had to stay home from school sick. I remember that my dad didn't call to ask how I was, something I had just taken for granted until then. He was strict, but a very creative person, a hard worker, and I remember my parents sitting between baseball diamonds at St. Louis the King church just so they could watch all of us kids' ball games. My mom was always a rock! She could sew anything and did so all the time. They gave us the best Christmas mornings! I don't ever remember second guessing their parenting, even in my adulthood. I knew they did their best.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I will be 61 years old. I hope to hike on my birthday. I hope to be nearing our own mission, and writing some sort of electronic mail to Adam on his mission. I hope to have a world where the Gospel is all over and that many can hear the Gospel and I can be a part of that. And, I hope we can fix up and finish the master bathroom by then! I hope to have all my kids out of school working on their own dreams.
10 years?
I will be 66 years old and hope to still be able to exercise and be active, and hike on my birthday. I hope to be active in serving in the Church and community. I see being a temple worker, perhaps, or doing a lot of work for others there.
15 years?
I will be 71years old. My mom is almost 81 and still does a lot, so I hope to be able to do that. I hope to still hike on my birthday. I hope to be an asset to the family and to be able to visit them and be a good example of service, of love, and of the importance of the temple and families.
What’s your favorite holiday and why?
I LOVE Christmas! I remember when I was young, that was the only time decorations went up in our house, and it was a special time. I remember my dad was very meticulous about the lights on the tree. We would sit forever and screw each tiny light bulb in (no pushing in then, and when one went out, the whole string was shot!) till the string worked. I remember my parents would put certain decorations on the tree. There was a small pink glass teapot ornament, and a small red trumpet ornament that were near the top. My dad would put a spire on the top - something I didn't like. I remember having an artificial tree before they were popular, because my dad wanted it perfect. My parents got us kids our own tree and we would put up homemade decorations, and often have ornament fights as we decorated. My Nano designed my brother and sister and my stockings and we would hang them on the railings in the living room. Christmas was always a magical memory! Then, when I married and walked into Dorrie's house, she had TONS of decorations up. So, I set out painting and creating, though Dad's family would cut down their own tree and I loved that for many, many years!
Christmas is my favorite because of the music, the memories each ornament brings, the preparing year long to fill stockings, the gifts you give and the sacrifices you make to save for each person, for the traditions, for the memories, and most of all for the Savior's birth we celebrate, for He gives us everything, including the Atonement and the opportunity to repent and return to our Heavenly Father.
What’s your favorite and least favorite thing about parenthood?
My favorite thing is seeing my children achieve their goals and dreams. I have always wanted the best for each of them, and I love seeing them doing what they love and accomplishing what they accomplish.
My least favorite thing is when things don't work out the way my kids wanted. I want them to have everything and have nothing get them down or set them back, whether due to a physical/mental/medical situation or even by a choice, though I know choices need to have their consequences.
If you could have dinner with anyone in history, who would it be and what would you eat?
What popular notion do you think the world has most wrong?
I hear something said, by both those of a religious faith, and those of not, that we should support the things that make a person happy. Happiness is a good thing, mind you. It makes me happy to come home on Sunday and eat one Sees Nut and Chew from the box I keep in the china cabinet. It makes me happy to get the yard picked up. I like my friends and family to be happy. The thing about happy is that, its not lasting. I forget how yummy that delicious chocolate morsel tasted since that only lasts for the time it's being savored in my mouth. The yard gets messy again...and again. We are here to seek for JOY. Joy is is the stuff that comes when you overcome your weaknesses, when you work hard for a long time and finally achieve - a college degree, a job well done. "Men are that they might have joy." Joy comes from learning and doing the right thing, from being obedient, from standing for something and recognizing that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are the only ones who can bring us to that joy. I often hear things like, "They should be able to marry whomever they want. It makes them so happy!" I have friends and family that are gay. I like them and think the world of them. However, I am totally against them being able to marry. Marriage is a sacred covenant between a man and a woman, and nothing any earthly law says will change that. Marriage between a man and a woman is tough and requires much sacrifice of "me" for the benefit of another. Marriage and family brings joy, not only because you do hard things, but because you are following the Lord's Plan...the Plan of Salvation. Happy is not lasting. Joy is!
What is your favorite part of your body and why?
I love my lungs! They make it so I can walk and run and hike and exercise and work in the yard. I have learned that being active makes me happy and helps me think clearly. It is also when I get my best inspiration, so I am very thankful for my wonderful lungs!
What’s your favorite quality in your spouse?
I love that he counsels with the Lord to start and to end his day, and often during the day. There is never a morning that I don't see him on his knees in prayer, and never a night that I don't hear him kneel before getting into bed. He prays with real intent and it gives me comfort knowing he is trying to do as the Lord guides. It makes things that happen during the day a bit less questionable because I can pray myself when something happens and ask for understanding.
What are your hopes and dreams for your prosperity?
I hope to never be a financial burden to my children. We have always lived carefully and controlled our spending to be as debt free as possible. We save our money. I hope to live comfortably but not extravagantly for all my days. I hope to have a good enough car, and for Kayty's health to improve so I can visit my grandkids more.
List 10 things you would hope to be remembered for.
1. I would like to be remembered for my faith in Jesus Christ. I know that Jesus Christ atoned for my sins, has felt every pain, has endured every trial, and I know without a doubt that He guides me, if I turn to him and ask for that guidance. I know He loves me. I know He is there to help me be a better person.
2. I would like to be remembered for my testimony of the truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. I know the gospel of Christ has been restored to the earth through the prophet Joseph Smith, and that we are guided today by a living prophet who is here to teach us and lead us so that we may return to our Heavenly Father. I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God and was written for our day. I know that the priesthood, man's power to act in God's name, has been restored to the earth and we now have all the ordinances available to return to Heavenly Father.
3. I would like to be remembered for my love of the temple and of the work we are blessed to do there. I grew in love for the temple as we made so many sacrifices for the Phoenix Temple's building, and I love being able to go there and serve there. I am so grateful for the work done there and I am thankful I have a temple so nearby.
4. I would like to be remembered by my grandchildren, and have them know and love me. My Grandmother Kew died when I was a year old, and my mom's mother, Tutu, really didn't like having kids around. I did like going to her house and all, and she would always have butterscotch hard candies on the counter in her kitchen and chocolate covered ice cream bon bons for us. She always had us help wash dishes after we would eat there. I made the best of the situation, but I always wanted to be a wonderful Grandma!
5. I want everyone to remember me as a kind person. I really try to be patient, whether in a slow grocery line or with someone who doesn't understand things as I do. (However, I still need to work on being kind to employees of Bank of America who mess up things continually!
6. I want to be remembered for being giving and unselfish. I hope I am not thought of as a selfish person, but one who would be willing to give my time, my talents, and my possessions to help someone else.
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