Dickens

It's true, the saying "Tis better to have loved and lost than not to have loved at all". We opened our hearts to a cute little fur ball named Dickens whom we got from the animal rescue in Portland, OR several years ago. He died last night and will be missed.

It's funny how a dog can reach the recesses or your heart that no other person can. Those of you who have had a beloved pet know exactly the feeling I'm talking about. We will miss him but are so grateful for the good times we had. He taught us so much and brought us closer as a family as we laughed at his antics. We had been opposed to pets for some time because of the kids' asthma but finally relented. It has been a good experience and Dickens came to our family in a time of great need for healing. He was dubbed our gaurdian angel and that he was. I'm enclosing something from Paul Harvey that I think applies not only to losing a dog but how precious most experiences in life are that so many take for granted or even miss out on today. I couldn't have said it better, here's to you Paul!

STORY: These Things I Wish For You AUTHOR: Paul Harvey

We tried so hard to make things better for our kids that we made them worse. For my grandchildren, I'd like better. I'd really like for them to know about hand-me down clothes and homemade ice cream and leftover meatloaf sandwiches. I really would!
I hope you learn humility by being humiliated, and that you learn honesty by being cheated. I hope you learn to make your bed and mow the lawn and wash the car. And I really hope nobody gives you a brand new car when you are sixteen. It will be good if at least one time you can see puppies born and your old dog put to sleep. I hope you get a black eye fighting for something you believe in. I hope you have to share a bedroom with your younger brother. And it's all right if you have to draw a line down the middle of the room, but when he wants to crawl under the covers with you because he's scared, I hope you let him. When you want to see a movie and your little sister wants to tagalong, I hope you'll let her.
I hope you have to walk uphill to school with your friends and that you live in a town where you can do it safely. On rainy days when you have to catch a ride, I hope you don't ask your "driver" to drop you two blocks away so you won't be seen riding with someone as uncool as your Mom. If you want a slingshot, I hope your Dad teaches you how to make one instead of buying one. I hope you learn to dig in the dirt and read books. When you learn to use computers, I hope you also learn to add and subtract in your head. I hope you get teased by your friends when you have your first crush on a girl, and when you talk back to your Mother that you learn what Ivory soap tastes like. May you skin your knee climbing a mountain, burn your hand on a stove and stick your tongue on a frozen flagpole.
I don't care if you try a beer once, but I hope you don't like it. And if a friend offers you dope or a joint, I hope you realize he/she is not your friend. I sure hope you make time to sit on a porch with your Grandma and go fishing with your Uncle. May you feel sorrow at a funeral and joy during the holidays. Hope your Mother punishes you when you throw a baseball through a neighbor's window and that she hugs you and kisses you at Christmas time when you give her a mold of your hand.
These things I wish for you - tough times and disappointment, hard work and happiness. To me, it's the only way to appreciate life.
... author Paul Harvey

Spring Fevah!

Spring officially begins March 20th?? Not for Cache Valley, although Saturday we ALMOST reached 70 degrees! It was fantastic - we even got some yard work done, played some soccer, went to the dump, threw boomerangs. . . BUT . . . today there is a covering of snow everywhere AGAIN! This weather's as predictable as my teenagers' daily moods. You gotta love it (or so we keep telling ourselves). I decided that since the forecast is pessimistic, I will suggest a top ten list of how to beat Spring Fever! Here it goes . . .










#1) Plant an indoor garden and watch it grow! (Caution: It takes a few days)

#2) Build and GO FLY A KITE or tell someone else to go fly a kite! Seriously!

#3) Dress up like the Easter Bunny and pass out candy to all the adult neighbors. Remember to SMILE!

#4) Unroll your toilet paper and write "SMILE, you're on candid camera!" on one piece then re-roll it and wait to see what happens when your kids read that! (This is so fun the first few times but the teens catch on too fast so I had to start writing stuff like: "Clean your room!" "Tell your mother you love her!" "Life is like . . ." - you get the point)


#5) Act out "Spring" with your family. So FUN!


#6) Wear your bermuda shorts and go out into the snow and build a "snow" castle with your sand shovel. Smile as the neighbors give you strange looks! (They already know something's wrong when you showed up as the Easter Bunny earlier). Hint: Make sure you invest in some good cold medicine for later.


#7) Make smoothies and listen to the good 'ol Beach Boys AND when the mood grabs ya - Go toilet surfin' (I did this in college, it really breaks the stress!)

#8) Have a Hawaiian Louau complete with a limbo contest (Everyone over 40 - is excluded for reasons unlisted!)

#9) Practice your bird calls! The winner gets a big bag of sunflower seeds.

#10) Go visit the PUGH Family!! Yes - that's an excellent idea since everyday is Spring there! (Right!) Honestly, we'd love to have ya'll.

OH Yeah -- I KNOW - one more idea is to change your blog background to encourage spring. I will try that soon! THANKS!! Happy Spring Ya'll!!

And The Doorbell Rang . . .

This is the title to a popular children's book (teachers love it!). The story applies in reverse and the theme seemed so fitting for my 40th Birthday yesterday. Here's what happened . . .

Whitney woke up at 5 AM to see the two oldest off to school, then got Shan off at 6:30, baked a chocolate cake and showered while the cake baked. I was able to sleep in until 7 AM HOORAY!! Whit then left for work and I proceeded to get Weslie ready for orchestra at 8 AM. As I'm loading the boys into the car along with Weslie, I notice an empty flower vase on the kitchen counter with a note taped to it. It read, "You deserve all the flowers in the world" and was on a small piece of paper with the heading "Happy 40th Stacey". A little odd to get an empty flower vase but whatever. So I got the kids off then started the morning routine of chores when the doorbell rang. There stood a good friend from the ward who serves in the Primary Presidency with me. She handed me a flower with a note attached. We hugged and she wished me a happy birthday then went on her way. As I glanced at the note, I noticed it was on the same paper as the note Whit had left. Hmmmmm... A half hour passes and the doorbell rang . . . Another flower from a neighbor with a note attached on the same paper. OK . . . Hmmmmm.... Another half hour passes and (you guessed it!) the doorbell rang, another flower and note attached - same paper. Whitney had called 24 friends and family(our children each had a flower and note to give me). He arranged for them to write me a personal note and deliver a flower that he had bought then taken to them the night before. He told them to come whenever they could but it turned out perfect as people kept coming from 9 AM to 9 PM! All different flowers and colors. They are absolutely gorgeous. Whitney really out-did himself with this. It was more than thoughtful as I was touched not only by his love and thoughtfulness but so many others whom I associate with. How in the world did he come up with this idea???! I don't know but I do know that this was the best birthday ever! I told him that I could hardly wait until my 50th!

Family!

The Draper Temple

There's nothing like a good dose of being with family to help lift the winter doldrums. Friday afternoon we headed to Salt Lake to go through the Draper Temple Open House with my parents, brother, sister and their families. It was fun. The temple is absolutely beautiful. There were so many people going through - members of our church as well as many who were not. They had it set up very well so that we didn't have trouble parking or waiting to get into the temple.

After our tour, we headed to Kevin & Kelly's house in Pleasant Grove for dinner and games. It wouldn't be a family gathering without the candybar game, food, and lots of chatting! We were able to spend time with my niece, Brittany who we haven't seen since she was a baby. We had

so much fun and are grateful for the opportunity to go. My kids enjoyed a slumber party with their cousins, playing wii into the "wii" hours of the night! They are so deprived not to have one (NOT!).

An Opposition in All Things!

Yesterday was absolutely beautiful! The snow was almost totally gone, the temperature was in the 50s and the sun was shining. A good day for a walk. Well. . . today we woke up to this!

Wow! This is mother's nature's handywork living in the north! I will be forever grateful for this water when the heat of the summer is upon us but until then, I will just have to live with my spring fever. It's a good thing that Whitney left for Cheyenne, WY yesterday. I only hope he can make it back later in the week. Should I save the shovelling for him?? Maybe it will melt?? Maybe I'll move to Hawaii?? There's a foot of snow and it's still coming!