Jumping for January!

No January blahs here!

Sam keeps us hoppin' with his antics!
Part of our Christmas was to give the grandkids a bounce house to play in when they are here. It has already had many hours of bounding fun with the kids.

Greg made the top news so far this year with his 4 hour and 15 minute marathon! Here he is moments after crossing the finish line. Looks great doesn't he! (For history's sake, he is 34 years old and this was his first marathon on January 16, 2011. PF Chang's Rock and Roll Marathon in Phoenix, AZ.)

Fifty-five firsts for my fifty-fifth year, born in 1955!

My golden year is coming to a close. It sure has been a good one! Here are 55 new adventures I had in my 55th year of life.

We have been to Lake Powell before but never in Connie and Steve's boat! It was one wild ride!

Stretching out on Fred and Wilma Flinstone's bed at Flinstone Village on the way home from the Grand Canyon.

The church of the Holy Cross in Sedona, AZ

A witch museum in Salem, Massachusettes. Spooky in a cool kind of way!

The Quaker family was a highlight for me to see at Niagra Falls!

Brooklynn and Hannah having a chat with Snoopy at Cedar Point, Ohio. Some frigtening rides and some really fun times were had there.

Beautiful Kirkland Temple in Ohio. We got to see the third floor which is not usually done because our group was small. This is one of the places where Heavenly Father and Jesus appeared to Joseph Smith.

Springtime in St George, Utah. My Red Hotties group usually go in the winter.

A tour of the Governor's mansion in SLC. Thanks to Herbie who is Gov. Herbert's sister!

Music and the Spoken Word on July 4th with my dear parents.
Thrilling!

Going into the depths of the earth at Copper Queen mine in Bisbee, AZ

Dead Horse Point, Utah

Castle Valley, Utah

Panguitch Lake where five of the happiest days were spent with family in gorgeous surroundings.

Cedar Breaks, Utah

We visited Benson, AZ...can't remember a thing about it! (John and I)

Katchner Caverns in southern Az. was thrilling to be inside of a mountain and see all the formations!

Toured the Utah State capital building's Governor's suite

Heritage Park in Salt Lake City where "This is the Place" monument is. There we saw an upside down ship turned into a church building! We did a lot of fun stuff there.

Sandusky, Ohio in June

Cedar Point Amusment Park in Ohio

Cleveland, Ohio. Stayed downtown and enjoyed the night atmosphere.

Went to Church in Cleveland, Ohio (2nd ward) Very sweet fast and testimony meeting.

Stayed at the Palmyra Inn in Palmyra, New York

Saw John Johnson's farm where the Church was first organized in Ohio

Whitmer farm-where Joseph Smith was dragged out in the night and tarred and feathered.

Ate at the Grill N Chill in Palmyra where they have VERY tall ice cream cones!

We spent sunset alone in the Sacred Grove. (John, Brooklynn, Hannah and I)

Boston's Nathaniel Park shopping and eating! Blast!

Lost 20 lbs in 6 weeks! (HCG)

Got gel toes!

Got gel fingernails!

Added THREE new Barry babies

Toured Nathaniel Hawthorne's House of the Seven Gables, Salem Mass.

Salem, Mass.

Craziest bookstore ever in Salem! Books were stacked to the ceiling in giant piles!

Gila Temple open house and dedication

Glee concert with Brooklynn

4 trips to Utah! (Jan-funeral of Uncle Duane Herbert, April-St George friends, July for extended family reunions, July for Panguitch Lake cabin.

John and I walked through downtown Flagstaff and ate at a 'healthy' hamburger joint!

Stayed at the Phoenician with Susie Lundberg

John and I went to the Grand Canyon

Snowbowl ski resort in Flagstaff

Winslow, AZ

Meteor Crater near Flagstaff

Moab trip to the Lundberg's cabin

Saw the Monticello, Utah temple (Herds of deer right by it!)

Mexican Hat, UT

A trip down Canyon Lake, AZ in a steamboat with the Lundberg's

Bluff, AZ where Hole in the Rock pioneers settled

Arches National Park

Hiked to the Delicate Arch that is depicted on Utah's license plates.

Hiked in Slick Rock Canyon-the longest and thinnest canyon in the world.

Saw Horse Point-a beautiful and scenic overlook in Utah

Ate at the best drive-in ever-Milt's in Moab!

Castle Valley, UT at sunset-breathtaking!

Monument Valley, AZ Tuba City and other Indian settlements on the way to Moab, Utah

Family picture with all twenty-eight of us in it!

Las Vegas with John to see "Jersey Boys"

Am I lucky or what!!! When it comes to having a glass half-ful or half-empty, I feel like the queen of overflowing!

Resolutions, goals, wishes and hopes.

Setting goals is serious stuff!

I was in my thirties when I got my first "Franklin Planner". I loved writing down everything that I wanted to do each day and then crossing off the boxes that said that I had accomplished something. I have 10 years of planners stored away complete with daily journals of those years, Christmas lists and gifts given. My planner kept me on my toes and feeling productive.

In my fourties, I retired my planner because I realized that for me, it was adding to my busyness. It hit me that having a to-do list a mile long left me stressed when something unexpected came up like an opportunity to serve. I realized that 'my time' wasn't really mine, but His, who loaned it to me in the first place. I know that He wants me to improve myself and accomplish much good while I'm here, and as long as I can feel the Holy Ghost with me, then I know I'm doing okay. The pressure is off! There is a lot more joy to my life with that little, yet profound understanding!


My prayers for the past 15 years have included asking for charity-the pure love of Christ, since the prophets in the scriptures say that if we don't have charity we are nothing! But a couple of years ago, I realized that if I loved God and Jesus Christ first and above all else, like the commandment says, then ALL things would follow. So now that is my main goal.

I've been thinking a lot about faith lately also and have been having a desire to increase my faith in Heavenly Father's will and timing. I really am thankful that God is in charge. I trust Him more than I trust myself, although there are times when my actions say the opposite! Through meaningful study, prayer, service and keeping the commandments, I know my faith will increase. I want to fill my life with these things, not just to get the blessings, but to grow more love for God and Jesus.


In Sunday School we were talking about our favorite scriptures from the New Testament. Here is one of mine: Corinthians 12:9-10 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. Not that I'm asking for any of these things, but I sure want the power of God to be with me.


This has been an exercise mainly for myself. If this blog is to become my journal, then I should use it as such! So in summary, here are my hopes, dreams, goals and resolutions for 2011:

Be grateful, enjoy each moment, increase faith in God and love for Him and all others.

LET GO AND LET GOD. (We're in this thing together, He and I!)