What to Write?

I want to write. I like to write. I like keeping my blog.
But I am as stuck for ideas now as I was when Bruce first suggested that I start a blog and I ended up writing about the laundry.

If you were me, what would you write about?
If you were you, what would you want to hear from me?

2015 Christmas List

Every year, as the end of November approaches and I sit down to make up my wish list, I'll  try to remember the things I saw throughout the year that I "really, really wanted." Well, I guess I must not want them quite as much as I thought, because I always have a hard time remembering them when it's time to post the list. So this year I started in June. I decided that every time I thought of something I'd like to have, I would come to my blog and write it down.

I know, Kim—my Christmas timing has just dropped to a whole new level of impropriety in your book.  If it makes you feel better, know that my misdeeds stem from boredom—or from avoiding work. (Which might just put me on the "naughty" list.)

And since I am indulging in shameless behavior anyway, and since I happen to know that Bruce is trying to decide what to get for me, I'm going to post the list before Thanksgiving.  ;-)  Santa can do what he will with that declaration.

Well, first of all, there's still the Zenker Handle-It Springform With Glass Bottom. I've been wanting this pan for a while. (I think the first time it showed up on my list was in 2008––except I'd been asking for the Frieling pan. But on further examination I see the Frieling is only two inches deep, while the Zenker is 2.9-inches. Available at Amazon.)

A non-breakable, digital candy thermometer. (This seems like a good one.) I am just brutal on candy thermometers (which is surprising, because I don't make candy all that often). This would actually be nice to have before Christmas. Maybe just a few days after Thanksgiving.

Choosing Civility. (Amazon) An excellent book. I'd also like everyone to read it and take it to heart. ;-)



Other books. Just for fun reading.

Good, new, current Family Pictures. 

And clothes (for the whole family) to wear for the photo session.

In fact, just pretty clothes. Or, rather, clothes that make me feel pretty. :-)

I could use a decent serger.

I recently discovered that there all kinds of attachments for my Kitchenaid stand mixer. I'm particularly interested in the fruit and vegetable strainer, the juicer, the meat/nut grinder, and the pasta roller, but there are lots of really cool ones. (And you can get pretty good deals on them on ebay.) Or another flat mixer paddle, a dough hook, and a whisk for my mixer. Those would be cool too.  :-)

The Reader's Digest Family Songbook (1969).

I grew up playing the piano and singing out of this
book with my family; it's a little cheesy, maybe, but you know...
(Available used and new ( ! ) on Amazon.)

There are probably some movies I'd like. In fact, here's one: Around the World in 80 Days on dvd. Not the old David Niven one, and certainly not the one with Jackie Chan. I want the one that was made as a TV miniseries in the 80s. (You may now pass judgment on my taste, if you'd like. Available at Walmart.)



I'd also like Great Expectations (2012)

(the one with Helena Bonham Carter as Miss Havisham and Ralph Fiennes as Magwitch).








I want some Tangerine Orange Saran Doll Hair (four short hanks of it). This is George, my all-time, very most favoritest doll who I played with almost daily from the time I was about six until I was ten or eleven or so:

As you can see, he was very well-loved and often played with. I've kept him all this time—I even remade his outfit when I was about thirteen or so (you can tell I didn't really know what I was doing if you look, but I can remake that now, too). And all this time I have wanted to give him a makeover—at least fix his hair and eyelashes. I thought I'd have to buy him a wig, but you can't find doll wigs in that bright, carrot orange, or in a simple little boy style for that matter. But recently I discovered DollyHair, where I can get the stuff I need to entirely re-root his hair (and instructions to do it). It would be so fun to make George look all better!

A roll of white bulletin-board paper (to use for pattern-making, and which teachers can get at a discount!).

Well, despite starting a list in June, I don't think it's a much longer list than I've made in other years. Mostly I just want to have fun with my family for Christmas. That is the best!

Opinions, Please. ASAP

I am determined to get a family photo before Brandon goes on a mission. I know, I know . . . I still have a few months.  But we didn't get one done before Jason left and I was sure that we'd never have our whole family together again for years, so I'm taking advantage of everyone being here now. Which makes Thanksgiving weekend the time to do the photos. Yay!

But it's coming up quick, and I'll need to come up with clothes for all of us. I was already planning to make this dress for Kaylie:

from "The Dagged Edge" collection, by Loralee

And since I'm making one of my own designs for Kaylie, I thought I'd also make this outfit for Lindsey:

The Dagged Edge collection

And I'm going to use these fabrics for Kaylie's and Lindsey's outfits (the top two swatches):

top left— embossed denim; top right—burnt orange ITY,
bottom left—tan oxford (cotton);
bottom right—navy stretch lace over cream

I was also already planning to make a dress for Rachel with the lace—fitted bodice, fullish skirt, elbow-length sleeves (the swatch on the bottom right).

Michael thinks I should make these shirts for all the guys:

Aww. Aren't Michael and Jason cute?

If I did make the shirts I'd make the collars contrasting, but not the tops of the pockets. And I would make them of the light-colored fabric on the bottom left of the swatches, with the contrasting collars matching the girls' colors.

SO, Here are the big questions:
* What do you think of the colors together? (In particular, do you think the denim and the navy lace will look OK in a grouping together?)
* Do you think that if all the guys' shirts are the same color, the photos will be overwhelmed by that color? 
* Or do you think it will be OK since it will be mixed in with the colors the girls are wearing? 
* Do you even like that shirt design?
* And how on earth should I dress Jessica and myself? (I'm thinking that if there's any of the lace left after I finish Rachel's dress, then maybe I should pull it in again with Jessica's outfit. ?)

Let me know what you think. Really! :-)  And soon, because if I do the men's shirts I'll need to order the fabric NOW. So give me your opinion ASAP.  :-)

All's Well That Ends Well . . . or

. . .  Drama at the Airport

This week was an exciting one for our family! We are all together again for the first time in two years!  Yaaayy!!

Last Thursday (Oct. 15) was the beginning of Fall Break for everyone—even Lindsey, down at Snow College. So Bruce and I went down to pick her up and have her spend the week here with us. (Fall Break was only the 15th and 16th, but Lindsey had already made arrangements with all her teachers and her boss to take this whole week off so she could be with us to pick up Jason. Yay!)

You can't tell, because the photographer is short, but Lindsey is leaning on the top bunk which looks exactly like the bottom bunk that you can see. Bruce built all of what you see here on Saturday, Oct. 17.

There are Brandon and Ryan, modeling the new, triple bunk bed. (You still can't tell that the top bunk is a bed, but it really is.)

We spent the weekend building a new bunk bed that would let us fit another guy into the room, and also cleaning house and doing laundry. And on Tuesday evening we all drove down to Salt Lake and spent the night at Bruce's dad's house, which was very nice. He sprung for pizza when we arrived and bought us stuff to make breakfast the next day. So we all got to shower and relax in the morning; we even had time to visit the Family Discovery Center at Temple Square before we went to the airport. The Family Discovery Center was a lot of fun—too much fun because we stayed there about half an hour longer than I thought we should.

We didn't leave Temple Square until 2:00, and Jason's flight was scheduled to land at 2:24; I had a stressful twenty-minute drive to the airport. (I almost said, "we," but I think I was the only one stressed about the time.) When we got to the airport (at 2:20) the parking terrace was closed, so Bruce dropped us off at the terminal while he went to park in the economy lot, where he'd have to catch a shuttle to get back to us. I checked the Arrivals board as soon as the kids and I got in and saw that Jason's flight had arrived, so I was nervous that Bruce wouldn't get back in time to see him. But Bruce did get back with us before Jason showed up. In fact, looooonnng before Jason got to us.

Here we all are, happily waiting for our missionary to return. (Everyone else belongs to the ten million other waiting families.)

I'm pretty sure there were ten million missionary families waiting at the terminal for their kids to get back! All these missionaries were coming down the escalators, and people were cheering and screaming and hugging, and we were just waiting for our turn to come. No Elder North, but there were still a few million families waiting, so I wasn't worried yet. There was a lapse, and then it started all over again: cheering, screaming, hugging, picture-taking, and no Jason. And then again. Finally ALL the missionaries and their families had picked up their luggage and gone away, and still no Jason. I was pretty sure he should have been down with us by 3:00, but at 3:25 (an hour after his flight had arrived) he wasn't there. Something must have happened, but what?

So I was pacing the floor and wringing my hands (yes, I guess I really do this), and Lindsey asked the information desk if Jason had been on flight 354. They said they couldn't tell us, but to check with the baggage office; they should know. So Bruce went to talk to them, and they said they could not tell him whether Jason had been on his flight or not because that was personal information.

WHAT??!!

They said to grab some water bottles and just wait there for 45 minutes. Now, in hindsight, I see that this was a very
B  R  O  A  D hint, but at the time we were already stressed out so we wondered what on earth that was supposed to mean. Were they going to send someone searching for him? How was that answer even helpful at all?

So we paced around, and discussed, and wondered if Jason was upstairs throwing up in the bathroom, or if he was taking one last teaching opportunity, or what? . . . all the while watching up the escalators for him to come down, but there was nobody else coming. I thought to contact my brother who works for TSA to see if he could tell us what we could do, but I couldn't reach him. Michael and Brandon went outside to see if Jason just hadn't seen us and was there wondering why we hadn't bothered to come get him. Nope. Around 3:45 Bruce's dad decided to go look at the other terminal to see if Jason had taken a wrong turn and was there feeling like a sad, abandoned puppy. Nope. But Dad did come back with an airport police officer. When they saw that Jason still wasn't here, the policeman said he could go ask at the ticket desk if Jason had been on Delta flight 354 from Seattle. At 4:00 the nice policeman came back and told us that there had been some kind of problem with flight 354, and that Jason was actually on flight 2157 which had just barely landed. Whew!

So we went back to the waiting-place, where more missionary families had gathered and as I looked around I saw a family with lots of posters that said "Jaren Davis," which I recognized as the name of Jason's travelling companion. Deep breath. OK. We were all relieved, but my hour-and-a-half of stress came out as a burst of anger because, really, why could they not just say that he was on the next flight?!

But my mad was short-lived, and mellowed back into just a little anxiety until I saw Jason coming down the escalator. Then WE were all laughing and clapping and cheering, and I very naughtily stepped under the rope-thing and got the first hug.  :-)

There they are! Elder Jaren Davis on the left,
and Elder Jason North on the right!
Yaaaayyy!!

Mom makes sure she gets the first hug.

Now, as a funny side-note: A sister missionary got down to the terminal a few minutes before Jason did, and she started crying when she saw her family. A man (a relative, I assume) said, "Why is it that the sisters always cry when they get home, but the elders don't?" And I thought, you haven't seen my elder. And I was right, Jason cried more than I did (which was very sweet). 
:-) But it was all very exciting and happy and fun, and we took the worst pictures ever, I think.

And Mom grabs another hug.

Now, I know you are wondering just what happened to cause the stressful delay, so here's the scoop: Jason and his companion flew from Vancouver to Tacoma, and then to Salt Lake. But the flight crew in Vancouver was late, so they missed the second flight by "literally two minutes." The mission home called Elder Davis' family just as they were heading out the door to the airport, so the knew about the delay. But Bruce and I just got new phone numbers a couple weeks ago and didn't even think to give them to the mission home. I actually had thought to give Jason my new phone number, but not until it was too late to ever email him again. Duh! So we did not receive the enlightening, stress-relieving phone call. (I did get an email from the mission home, but I didn't see that until Thursday morning.) Still, all's well that ends well!

Elder North gives Elder Davis a hug. They were companions in the Missionary Training Center, at the very beginning of their missions, and companions for the flight home from Canada.

A North Family Outing wouldn't be complete without a picture of everyone in the van. (You can just see Rachel's hair just under Brandon's left ear.)

After the airport we went to my mom's house and had a nice visit (and pizza, which was super nice because we were all starved!). We could only visit for a little less than an hour, after the drama at the airport, because we had to have Jason back in Vernal by 9:00 to meet with our stake president. We didn't make it on time. But we called President McClellan when we were in Duchesne at 8:30 (an hour away from home) to let him know where we were, and he said to come over anyway. So we visited him at 9:30 and Jason was officially released as a missionary.

greeting Grandma . . .

. . . and Grandpa

visiting with family and enjoying a meal
Melanie and Rick and Emalee were there, too, but we somehow managed to not get them in any pictures. :-( 

I am proud of Jason for serving a mission, and pleased with the changes I see in him. And so happy to have him back! It's been an exciting week, and I am glad, glad, glad to have my whole family together again. :-)

Missionary Monday!

From Elder Jason North, today:

"I loved General Conference! I was very glad to hear from President Monson, I especially loved his Priesthood session talk. But to keep the commandments and to be an example of the believers is truly what we need to be doing! The Spirit was there even more strongly than the last time conference, or I feel that it was. Maybe my memory is dimmed be the six months or perhaps I'm just more spiritually attuned, but I loved this conference. They taught that we need to follow the Spirit, and seek His guidance in simplifying and perfecting our lives. I know that the Spirit speaks softly, and I know that it can be easy to miss. But if we just trust every good thought and act as though it IS the spirit, a few things will happen. First, we'll receive the blessings promised by our leaders this conference. Second, we'll be really happy. Third, we'll make some mistakes but that's okay because in Preach My Gospel we learn that it takes time to learn to recognize the Spirit and that making mistakes is part of that process, which leads to: Fourth, we will trust the Spirit to guide us always, which is really the first in part. But I love the gospel. And I love Jesus Christ, I'm learning more about him all the time. As often as I remember that all the commandments and counsel and things we talk about in the church are really just ideas to focus me on Christ, I feel His love. Remember President Uchtdorf's talk! I know I need to! It's really not that hard if you remember the Saviour.

I love you guys!
Jason"

Two weeks and two days before Jason gets home! (Almost to the hour!)

Missionary Monday!

Today I got a little message from Jason, but I thought I was too late, and had missed his computer time. So I sent a brief email back to him and then went back to work on house stuff and grocery shopping. Later I got back onto the computer and found out he had answered me right back. So I missed out on a conversation with him today. :-(

But here's this week's news:

"This last week has been busy, I haven't even had time to write it in my journal! 

By the way, did you see the Blood Moon yesterday? I didn't think that was a real thing, but I guess it's a lunar eclipse. Apparently they only happen once every thirty years. But the moon was blood red during it, so it was really cool. I've never seen anything like it, and I didn't even have to break the rules to see it! The moon was visible at 8:30, and the eclipse ended just after 9:00 I imagine. The moon was white again and nearly fully shining at 8:58, so I think it probably ended soon after.

Last week I met this really cool guy Robert, who I just remembered I told you about last week. So we saw him again though, on Tuesday, and he was even more cool!

Between Sunday and Tuesday, he had read all of the introduction to the Book of Mormon, and the testimonies of all the witnesses and Joseph Smith, and also 1 Nephi 1-13. And he didn't just speed read, he told us about Lehi's dream and how he didn't understand it at all but was amazed at Nephi's dream with the interpretation of the dream. He told us he had been reading with an intent to understand the teachings of the book. So I can't wait for him to get to Moroni 10:3-5! We'll probably show him that before he gets there on his own, if we can see him before then. He said he wanted to come to Sunday School and go to Gospel Principles, but he didn't come. He had asked us if there was a class for people learning about the church he could go to so we told him. He is what people like to call a golden investigator.

We met another cool guy on Saturday, Leonard. He's from Nashville Tennessee, moved here 32 years ago. He wants to go to church too.

So that's the highlight's of the week, life is going good!

Love you guys!
Jason"

He also mentioned (in one of the little emails that I didn't respond to) that he only has three Sundays left in British Columbia. I'm pretty excited!

Missionary Monday!

Jason tells me he has five weeks left. I was thinking it was four, but he's probably right. It's exactly one month from today, in any case. :-) !

Here's today's news:

"I met this guy named Jason recently and I don't know his last name. But occasionally we meet him, and he testifies of the Book of Mormon as being true. Apparently he is a direct descendant of Benjamin, the brother of Joseph of Egypt. Last time I saw this guy he was sitting on the sidewalk by a bank with thank you cards and pens and the trash of smokers all around him, as well as a backpack and clothes. He was pretty upset when he saw us because he had lost the first copy of the Book of Mormon that we had given him, but we gave him another one and then stood there for a while as he wrote us a thank you card. He explained in the card why he believes he is a descendant of Benjamin, but I haven't read it. So I don't know anything else about him.
But he had two native friends hanging around, and I learned in the course of our conversation that Nephi is a word in their language, meaning "first person", as in the original person, or person of origin. So they're on to something there.
Rita has a baptismal date! She's going to be baptized on October 17, and I'm really excited! 
We also met this really cool guy Robert, who let us right in when we knocked on his door and we had a cool conversation about the church history, the temple, and the Book of Mormon. He accepted a copy of it and said he'll read it, because he is interested in what we believe, not in joining us. He doesn't know that that's kind of the same thing.
But I have to go. I'm overtime!
Love you guys!
Jason"

Missionary...Monday

"Hi everyone!

This has been a pretty good week! We did some service on Monday for a lady named Natalie, who I think I told you about but I'm not sure. She's Chinese and pretty cool. On Wednesday we gave her an invite to come to our Ward's fall social on Saturday.

Our investigator Rita came to the fall social too, and that was really good! She got along well with everyone there, and there was plenty to eat. Natalie came too, and brought a cake to give to just Elder Villarreal and I, at least I hope that's what the intent was, because we did take it home and not put it on the potluck table.

But it was really cool, because the way things turned out we had to go say hi to a member and her non-member friends right when Natalie showed up and neither of us could get away. She sat by herself at a table and Sister Comb (say Coombe,) came over and invited her over to her table. After that I was able to get away from the first group (leaving my companion to take the floor,) and then the ward mission leader came over and fellowshipped her, so it was awesome!
I am overtime, but I love you guys!
Jason"

For my non-Mormon (LDS) friends, a bit of Mormonese:
investigator = a person learning about (investigating) the LDS church
member = Mormon (a member of the LDS church)
non-member = not a member of the LDS church
fellowship = to befriend
But you probably guessed all of that. :-)

Jason comes home in five weeks! Arriving at Salt Lake International Airport at 2:24 p.m. on October 21! Yaaaayyy!!

Missionary Tuesday!

I was absent from my computer yesterday (Monday), but it turns out that was OK:

"Hi Mom! Sorry I didn't write yesterday, I forgot to tell you that this week P-day is on Tuesday.

This week's been pretty good. We didn't talk to enough people; we have a standard of 140 (non-members) every week minimum, and we only talked to 120. I don't feel justified, but it is offset a good amount because our only investigator accepted the invitation to come to church, and I think she liked it. She did disappear into the washroom really quickly after sacrament meeting, and then after she came out she said she had to go home. She did know about sunday school and Relief Society, but she said she had to go do something.

Levi North got a spot on the email topic because I've developed an interest in him lately, he's the pioneer era North line ancestor. I logged on to familysearch a couple weeks ago and it bothered to tell me that, and I became interested to know as much as I can about him. I can't really learn much about him on my mission, but I learned he was married twice and altogether appears to have about eighteen children. I'm not sure why there's not a lot more Norths running around. 

Brother Shumbusho is a man from the Congo that I met this week. (Brother Shumbusho isn't actually a member of the church, but I'm not supposed to give out first and last names.) He really likes the Book of Mormon (he's met missionaries before,) and the church, but he said he has three questions. The first is Why does he need to be baptized again? Second, Why do we regard the Book of Mormon and the Bible as equal? And the third is Why does the the Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints have the only authority to baptize?

We were supposed to see him yesterday with answers, but he went to Vancouver. But he called us back last night and we'll probably plan for another day.

I also met this cool lady named Natalie. She's from China, came over to Canada when she was 22. She was studying to be a nurse, with hopes to bring medical education to the general world, but she got rear-ended a few years ago and has back problems now. We pulled a lot of weeds out of her yard for her, which she greatly appreciated, and we were able to introduce our ward mission leader to her, which was awesome. I think she has a lot of potential we may be able to nurture.

So that's basically how I'm doing. Pretty good. The sun is shining in Canada, at least metaphorically.
I love you guys!
Jason"

I will see him in six weeks! :-)

Missionary Monday!

Brought to you on Monday. :-)

"Hi everyone!
This week has been a week of door knocking and street contacting. I've talked to a lot of people. 
On Friday we had Zone Meeting, and they shared some really cool stuff with us. I don't know if I've ever explained it, but in my mission all the Zone Leaders and the Sister Trainer Leaders will go every transfer to the mission office to have a special training meeting with President Burt. We call it MLC, Mission Leader Council. Then the next week they take everything back to the individual zones for every one to learn the same things. So at MLC someone from the missionary department came and talked about things they learned in a recent survey from our mission and also from things they've learned throughout the world. 
Basically when talking to someone, the first five seconds can and usually will make or break the rest of the conversation or even the relationship, especially as a missionary. People don't really want to talk to religious representatives. So, they told us about two phrases that seem to get people to open up a little. ...one is "We have a book all about Jesus Christ!"
People really appreciate that a lot more. 
I'm a bit over time, but I love you guys!
Jason"

Missionary Monday!

Maybe I should change the name of these updates to "Missionary Wednesday."  ?

Anyway, here's the news from Jason:

"It's been a busy week! Lots of door knocking, and not all in my area.
Before I forget, some people wanted my new address, and I have it.

#110 7425 Shaw Avenue
Chilliwack BC CA
V2R 3C

Note from Mom: If you're reading this, send Jason a letter! ;-)

"I went on exchange with Elder Cloward in Abbotsford on Tuesday, and met a lot of Punjabi people, and on Thursday I was on exchange with Elder Stirland in Mission. Right now I'm in a family history center in Abbotsford with four other companionships. It's pretty hectic. 

"On Saturday we had an awesome conference with Elder Daniel L. Johnson, and that was super good. He does more of a discussion than a talk, but in short the points he wanted to get across the points that making friends is missionary work, and if you open your mouth at all to talk to someone else, God will fill it! Just don't close your mouth when he does! The other point he wanted to get across was that missionaries and members of the church need to be united. I don't know when it was said or who said it, but I heard someone in General Conference say that the work will hasten when members and full-time missionaries come together in a spirit of unity. So those were the big points. 

"Lately (the last few months), I've been working to see how much good I can do independent of my companion. I have, throughout my mission, been one to say that because my companion does not want to move forward or progress in a situation that I do, that I cannot progress. That sounds like false doctrine! So I've been trying to do good regardless of my companion. His bad day doesn't need to affect my good day, and I don't need to wait for him to change my bad day into a good day. It takes a lot of courage though. It's not easy to go forward 'without' as it sometimes seems, any help. But 'Happy is he who hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose Hope is in the Lord his God.' I am not without help, your prayers are heard by God, and He knows what I need. The same is true for you. Help is there, if you'll notice it, and the same as missionary work, He will often not give you help until the moment you need it. So have faith! You need it. And I do too.

"I have to go.
I love you guys!
Jason"

What I Did This Summer part 3

The day after we got Michael home, Bruce's sister Marilyn and her husband James came out to Vernal for a visit. That Saturday (July 25) they took us to the Utah Field House of Natural History. It was pretty interesting learning a little about dinosaurs and rocks/geology, and stuff like that.

But the real fun started when we encountered dinosaurs!

rraaaawwrrrr!

During the next two weeks we worked on organizing our new home.

This is the front of the house; we Norths live upstairs. We all—both families—cook and eat together on the main floor.

This is my new bedroom. My bed is in an alcove (gable?).

This is our living room/girls' bedroom/sewing room. I have the camera and I'm standing in the hallway, facing east. There's a bathroom to my direct right, and to Bruce's left (my right) is an alcove with the sewing and ironing tables.

We also did some gardening with the Rays

And my kids worked on corrupting the Ray kids with their tablets and iPads.

On August 7 we went back to Salt Lake to take care of some errands and appointments, and get the rest of our stuff out of the house. On Saturday (the 8th) we went to Provo River Falls on our way to pick Lindsey up from Camp Steiner (where she worked all summer).

And on Sunday we had an open house/welcome home for Michael. We headed back to Vernal on Tuesday.

The following Saturday we drove down to Ephraim to deposit Lindsey at Snow College. She is excited to be back there and she's excited about her classes. Yay!

Moving into her new apartment.

Then we had a four-day breather before school started here in the Uintah Basin. 

one teacher, three high-schoolers, and two middle-schoolers

It has been one crazy-busy summer!