Some Pictures from Work in 2012

Boy, just when I lose TA's and think they are the BEST EVER, we get new TA's that rise to the challenge. I love all of them for their personalities, contributions and friendships. Annie Christensen is from American Fork and is a fellow-Caveman. She is studying PE Education, so in that sense, she's my opposite. We sure have a great time in lab, though and have branched out to other adventures. Ali Chumbley took my class a while back. She wants to go to culinary school and own a bakery someday. She's from Southern California, so is a girl after my own heart. Mat Williams is our ginger (red-head). He just got married and is a proud Texan. GO TEXAS! Forrest Chambers is a great kid. Like Forrest Gump, he's from Alabama. I am going to visit him someday there. The pictures are lovely. Jessica Adams Lewis is from Kristen's ward in Livermore. She was good friends with all the East kids. She took my class and I was able to recommend her for hire. She is a nursing student, now married and pregnant. So cute. Sarah Matheson is one of our FACS majors. She had the class from me and recently TA'd for me. I was amazed at her ability to get the class' attention in spite of her quiet demeanor. The awesome Jenny Fosdick does our food buying and the equally amazing Starlyn Hjorth is over the lab facilities and our TA's.

Our Christmas Party! Back row: Jenny, Mat, Starlyn, Annie, Forrest and Ali
Front row: Jessica, me and Sarah

I was supposed to bring a gift that had to do with our fats and oils lab. Of course, I brought XXXL sweatpants that my girls found at Walmart. A bit over budget, but well worth the laughs!

A student of ours teaches 6:00 a.m. Cross Fit classes. Ali , Annie and I decided to give it a try. I warned them that my appearance would scare them. I did not disappoint. They laughed at me.

Still Cold...Preparing to Go Back to Work

It's still barely above 0 degrees. It's cold. I taught a lecture last week, but no labs. I had  a good time. For some reason, it was one of my best first-of-semester lectures. I go back to my regular Wed, Thurs, Fri schedule this week, so this is my "last hurrah." I spent last Friday watching episodes of a popular PBS show called "Downton Abbey." It's set in pre-WWI England. Fascinating to look at the social status rules and mores of that day.

Today I'm working on menu-planning, catching up on this blog and getting my powerpoint presentations ready for the semester. I'm removing a couple of video clips that I really don't like and replacing them with other methods of teaching the concepts, so I need to get that figured out. Should be a good change.

After the new year and before the Bryners headed back to Michigan, we all got together to celebrate Jude's first birthday. We went to Salt Lake to Ben's grandparents' home. It was a lot of fun.

The birthday boy!

Eve, Ben, Jude, Kelly and Portia Bryner

Emily and Allie goofing around at Jude's party

Sisters! Jen, Kelly and Dana (supermom)

Got a new class in Primary yesterday and that went well. Good, cute kiddos. I also got a co-teacher, which will be great. I haven't had a co-teacher in about a year. Yippee! I might get to take a breather and go to RS occasionally.

Finished a Couple of Good Books

Since we have no cable TV and now turn off cell phones and internet at 9:30 pm, I'm getting a lot of reading done. I just finished a couple of good books. The first was for my Provo-based book club. It was "Crossing the Wire." The book was written to a juvenile audience, about a young 15-year old Mexican boy who struggles to get across the border to the United States so he can work and support his family. At first it was concerned that it would make me sympathetic toward illegal immigration. It didn't. It sure made me appreciate what we have here in the U.S. It also made me aware of the never-ending and corrupt route it is to come to the U.S. from Mexico - if you do it illegally. Good book.

The next book was "Saint Behind Enemy Lines," an autobiography written by a friend of Jenny's from her Baltimore days. I had read it before when Jen gave it to me, but decided to re-read it since the author, Olga Campora, is mentioned in this month's visiting teaching message. It's about a woman who grew up and eventually joined the church in communist Czechoslovakia. Wow, talk about lack of freedom! You couldn't gather in meetings, talk about God, or even profess to believe in God without fear of problems or incarceration. Her description of life there was quite bleak. Lack of choice and freedom really stinks. It sucks the life out of a person. She found the gospel through a yoga instructor while in college. She was baptized in a river at night so no one would know. She later started teaching yoga and holding yoga camps with her teacher and they taught gospel truths to people so they would be ready when the gospel came to their country. A number of their yoga students joined the church. The Velvet Revolution in the late 80's opened doors for them and changed lives. A really good read - again. Glad I picked it up again. Now mom wants to borrow it.

Things I'm grateful to have in America:

1. Ability to give spiritual thought in my classes at BYU
2. Church meetings every week
3. Going to the temple 1 mile away when I want to
4. No fear of government intervention in church or religious beliefs - yet
5. Food
6. Work
7. Savings in the bank
8. Ability to pay our bills
9. Elections
10. Ability to send my kids to college and on missions
11. Our flag
12. Malls
13. Bright, cheery schools
14. Our own home and yard
15. Garbage pick-up every week
16. Cars
17. Garden in back yard
18. Food storage
19. Scriptures and Ensign and New Era and Preach My Gospel
20. Freedom and everything that comes with it!

Baby, It's COLD Outside!

We have started the new year with very cold weather. It was -2 this morning and many mornings. It only got to 9 degrees yesterday. Even Honu doesn't want to go outside. He's using the litter box. He does get a bit restless and decides to go outside some, but comes right back in. He doesn't like the cold weather, either.

Looking in the open sliding door. He can't decide if he's coming in or staying out. He came in!

New Year's was pretty fun. Mel's friends wanted to get together, but the usual girl couldn't host, so Melia had friends over here. She was hesitant because Keenan and I check in when kids are here and we also have the nerve to talk to her friends. Evidently we don't just talk, but "have conversations" with them. I guess that's not cool. Well, she had about 15 kids here with chips, pigs in a blanket, candy, soda and popcorn. They were really good. They watched a movie downstairs and just had a good time. Allie supervised so Keenan and I didn't have to go down. It was great. I got 4 aprons and a pair of mittens cut out, which I then sewed on New Year's Day and the day after.

On New Year's Day, we went to see the movie "Les Miserables." It's been all the talk this fall and everyone is posting about it on facebook. I couldn't have the girls going back to school the only ones who hadn't seen it. Just kidding. As it is, they are the only ones going back without iPhones. Poor girls. The movie was great. I had seen the play in California right after my mission. Evidently, I took dad's ticket. He had just learned he had lost a big lawsuit and wasn't up to going to the theater, so I went with mom. That little detail is news to me. I just found that out this week. I really liked the movie version because you could see the facial expressions on the actors. Good flick. I still vote for Daniel Day Lewis to win oscar for best actor in "Lincoln." He was AMAZING with all capital letters!

Christmas Eve and Christmas Morning in Mapleton

We spent Christmas Eve night and Christmas morning with mom, dad and Mike. We had a great time. We had a yummy ham dinner, followed by games, then the kids opened their Christmas Eve presents of  pajamas. Melia was so excited to get her pj's. At one point, I had told Allie that they would really love them, to which she exclaimed "Cat pajamas!" Sadly, no, Disney pajamas. I guess I know what I can look for next year. All of us really do love our kitty, even though he's kinda a bad kitty and likes to jump on us and bite us.

We also watched a recording of this year's Tabernacle Choir's Christmas Music and the Spoken Word with their special guest. It's a guy who's in the broadway production of Les Miserables. It was really good. I really liked that they told the story of the candy bomber from WWII, then the actual candy bomber came out. He's in his 90's and walks straight as an arrow. Can still wear his uniform. That was great.

Sitting down to dinner

kids with pajamas and girls with rings that grandpa made them

Melia, Kamiko and Allie

mom and dad - aren't they cute?!

The pajamas. Winnie the Pooh for Mel and Minnie for Allie. Plaid WITH POCKETS for Kamiko

Years ago, Emily jokingly asked grandpa why he made swords for the boys, but never anything for the girls, like a headband or something. Well, he came through with rings!

After dinner Canasta game

We all slept well and the kids got up around 9:30. Allie woke the others. She was tired of waiting. We took turns opening presents and had a great time. We relaxed, ate a yummy breakfast of Swedish waffles (made with whipping cream, butter and flour), and relaxed more. We came back home later in the afternoon. It was a lot of fun.

After borrowing mom's and Melia's brush, Kamiko finally has his own.
It's a gold one from Santa!

Kitty with Mickey Mouse ears for Allie to put on the car

Collector's pin that Melia had been eyeing at Disneyland

Watch that Melia was dying to get

Looks like Kamiko is happy with the shirt Mel got him at JC Penney

For Grandpa, the kids re-enacted a photo that was taken when Kamiko was 5, Allie was 3 and Melia was 1.
It was hilarious!

Ah, the sweater Allie really wanted. Had to drive to Sandy to get the right size, only to find out Mel got it, too.
Had Mel return it and get her something else.

Powdered peanut butter for Mike's smoothies. One is chocolate peanut butter flavored.
I love them and am confident he will, too.

Again, the sweater!

Grandpa with his cool Justin Bieber present

Very nice sweatshirt Herb got

And Justin Bieber reveals a poster from Gripsholm Castle in Sweden.
Turns out that the ship dad rode to Sweden on his mission was called the Gripsholm.
We just thought this would be lovely artwork for his workshop.

Keen bought himself a present that he couldn't resist!

Ready to go!

As always, it was a great Christmas. I love spending time with family and especially my kids. I love seeing them surprise each other and other family members. Kamiko gave grandpa a gift of going to a Jazz concert together. All the kids gave mom a lovely scarf that she really likes. The girls really spoiled each other and the rest of us. It has been a good year!