Free Rice

It's a fun vocabulary game- and it helps end hunger. What's not to like? Thanks for the recommendation, Jenny! Take a look!

http://www.freerice.com/

"Stand a little taller..."

"I want to urge you to stand a little taller, to rise a little higher, to be a little better."

(The Quest for Excellence," BYU Nov. 1998)

What an amazing prophet. He will be greatly missed. I am so grateful for his leadership and direction for us during such a time of change and growth for the church (Mar 1995-Jan 2008). I receieved the call Sunday night from my sister-in-law, Andrea, who lives in Salt Lake. She told me that Pres. Hinckley had died peacefully at home due to age related causes. I can only hope that I'll be as mobile, quick-witted and optimistic as he was when I'm 97. I know that he is finally able to be with his wife again,whom he spoke of often.

Back at Southern Virginia College, I was able to sing for President Hinckley with our choir during a Regional Conference. It was incredible. When he walked into the room, the Spirit was overwhelmingly strong and everyone became quiet. I knew instantly that he was a prophet of God. I had known before, through prayer, but it was amazing to feel it so tangibly. It was hard to keep a dry eye. And then when the Columbia Temple was dedicated, we were lucky enough to be in the same room when he spoke. To hear him bear his testimony of the Savior was amazing. And the love he had for his wife was evident while she sat and listened to him. I'm so grateful for his leadership and example during the last 12 years- a very formative group of years for me. I will miss him greatly, but I know that the Priesthood keys are still active and I am grateful for the organization of the church.

“This is my prayer for all of us—'Lord, increase our faith.' Increase our faith to bridge the chasms of uncertainty and doubt. . . . Grant us faith to look beyond the problems of the moment to the miracles of the future. . . . Give us faith to do what is right and let the consequence follow.” ( “Lord, Increase Our Faith,” Ensign, Nov. 1987, 52–53.)

Graduation info for Beau

I just received a letter about Beau's graduation from Basic Training. Here are the dates:

Thursday, March 20th - Family Day 10am-8:30pm
Friday, March 21st - Graduation 10am
Saturday, March 22nd - Reports to Fort Bragg by 5pm

Thursday, we're allowed to visit him on post at Fort Jackson, SC. The next day is graduation and then he has to be at Fort Bragg by Saturday. If you want to go to graduation, let me know so I can give get you a copy of the gate pass that you'll need to get in. I also have a map and directions, or you can just click on this site for the info: http://www.jackson.army.mil/161/graduation.htm.

Beau's letters are upbeat. He said that they had to do the ropes course the other day and the Drill Sergeant told him that he would probably freak out. "Maybe it was the huge glasses that made me look like a nerd, but I looked at him and said, 'Please, I used to do this for a living, Drill Sergeant' (between firefighting and being a repelling instructor); and he shut up and let me go."

They also started their Combat Lifesaver class. The first class was about airway management and the the Drill Sergeant asked for a volunteer to insert a nasal trumpet into a dummy. "I was happy to oblige since the practice dummy kept challenging everyone to fight him. I was nice as I rammed that tube without hesitation and then the teacher told me that I couldn't answer anymore questions. For the rest of the class she would start a question with, 'Except Person...' ." So I hope that Beau realizes that what he may lack in youth, he makes up for in experience. :)

Gwen and I are doing well. We're getting into a sort of routine, which is a good thing. She seems to be handling everything well, and for that I'm grateful. I'm also grateful for all those who have been willing to help out and those who have called to check on us. I hope you're all doing well. :)

Update for Beau

Beau's doing well- or as well as can be expected for being at Basic Training. :) He's sore from running and doing push-ups all the time, but other than that he seems to be doing great. He can receive letters, pictures, and cards and I know he'd love to hear from anyone who would like to write. Here's his address:
PFC Beau Person
B Co 1/61 Infantry Regiment
3rd Platoon- Vipers
Fort Jackson, SC 29207


Giving Daddy a kiss.

So far he's been able to call every Sunday, so I'm grateful for that, even if he only gets to talk for 8 minutes. This is the schedule he listed in one of his letters (which would explain why he's sore):
05:00am Wake up
05:30 Assemble
05:45 PT
06:30 Shower, shave, change
07:00 Breakfast
08:00 March/classroom
09:00 Push-ups
09:15 March/classroom
10:00 "Clean barracks after the drill cadre flips bunks that sucked (mine hasn't been flipped at all)"
11:00 Lunch
12:00pm March/classroom
1400 PT
1500 March/classroom
1600 Push-ups/classrooom
1700 Dinner
1800 March
1900 Classroom
2100 Sleep


"Helping out Mama"


Gwen and I are doing well. I'm getting used to my temp. position and the other employees are very nice to work with. Gwen is handling her new schedule well, other than catching a cold pretty much every week. I think she gets bored with our house, so it's fun for her to explore new places. Well... I've got to get up early and start all over again tomorrow, so I guess that's it for now. I'll keep you updated when I hear news from Beau.



She loves her teddy bear.

When it rains, it pours...

So, let me tell you a little story that might make you feel better about your day. It's about a week and a half ago on a Friday and I'm finishing an interview for a temporay job. Although I really like the office, I don't expect to hear from them because the hours they want and the hours I want are not a match.

Saturday I receive an urgent call from Beau, who is still in processing for Basic Training. Apparently, we somehow managed to be married for almost 8 years without having an official copy of our state marriage license. And of course, without it, I can't receive my military I.D., which means I also can't receive any insurance benefits. This means that I have to make an emergency call to Beau's mom in Maryland to see if she can pick up a copy of our license for us from Baltimore (which is an hour away from Hagerstown where she lives) and fax it to Fort Jackson, SC first thing Monday morning. Thankfully, she is willing and able to go to Baltimore- but I had a feeling that she wouldn't just be able to pick up our license without some sort of ID from me or Beau. But, until Monday, everything's closed, so I have to wait and see.

Sunday night, Gwen doesn't sleep at all- which is highly unusual for her. She doesn't have a temperature until the third time she wakes up. I give her Tylenol and end up sleeping on the floor with her because she won't fall asleep any other way. I decide that I'll see how she's doing in the morning and then decide about a doctor's appt. for her.

So, Monday comes along and sure enough, the office I interviewed with is willing to give me the hours I want to work. And they want me to start the next day. Wow. I just have to run down to Spherion and fill out a bunch of paper work... Gwen seems like she's doing better and even goes down for her usual morning nap without a problem. Her fever is controlled with the Tylenol, so I'm still waiting and watching... About 30 minutes later, I get a phone call from Beau's dad. Beau's mom is in Baltimore, her cell phone has died (otherwise she would have called me directly) and she can't pick up the license without a signed consent from me with a notary's signature. And she's waiting for me to fax it to her ASAP. Great!

I drop Gwen off with a friend, after typing up my letter of consent, and run down to the closest UPS store. (I discovered that the UPS store had a notary only after a panicked phone call to my mom at work- thanks, Mom. ) Now, I have to be at Spherion in an hour. At the UPS store, I am of course waiting behind an elderly couple asking very specific questions with several packages, and a man with about 20 small boxes that he wants mailed separately. I'm looking at my watch and just hoping that the notary working there hasn't already gone to lunch. I finally get to the counter and am in luck. The woman helping me is the notary. She signs the consent and faxes it right away. I stand there while she helps several people after me to wait on the confirmation sheet from the fax. Finally, I'm done. I call Beau's dad on the way to Spherion.

After all the paperwork is filled out at the temp agency, I call the friend who's watching Gwen to make sure she's doing all right. Gwen's asleep, so I ask if she minds if I run to Walmart since we're out of groceries. No problelm. I get to Walmart and get a phone call from Beau. (Yes, my cell phone somehow gets reception in Walmart, but will cut off when I'm driving down Washington Rd.) He's worried because it is now 3pm and they still haven't receieved the fax. I tell him the story and he says he's not worried because he know's his mom will take care of it. About 30 minutes later, I get another phone call. Gwen is very fussy and my friend wants to know if she can give her some medicine. I attempt to hurry through the aisles, trying to avoid crashing into any other shoppers. By the time I get to the register, I am just a little frazzled.

In the car, I call Gwen's pediatrician, who obviously doesn't have any more appointments available today because it's almost 5pm. And the next day is my first day of work- not exactly a good day to call in... The doctor does, however, have an after-hours clinic downtown that will start at 5:30pm. Okay.

I pick Gwen up, come home just long enough to put the perishable groceries away and grab a lovely and nutritious Lunchables dinner for my pitiful, sweet daughter. Her little tummy will not allow her to wait to eat until we get to the clinic, so I am deftly manuevering crackers and cheese to the backseat while carefully driving down Riverwatch Parkway. Thankfully, my mom met me at the clinic- it was nice to have some mental, er, moral support at that point.

Dr. Harris is there- yay. She's Gwen's regular pediatrician, and we love her. And she quickly surmizes that Gwen has a double ear infection and is teething because her one-year molars will be coming in soon. I feel awful that Gwen has a double ear infection, but am hopeful that the antibiotics will help her feel better in time to allow me to go to work the next day. Now, we're off to the drugstore. Just a simple prescription to fill and we can go home.

At the drugstore, I see a huddle of people all standing around the Pharmacy area. When I go to the drop off window, I am informed that the computers have been down for the past 2 hours and that they are no longer taking any drop off prescriptions for the night. That's okay (deep breath...) I only have a one-year-old with a double ear infection who's sitting in this cart in front of you and I have to go to work the next day and I only need this antibiotic and I will go to another pharmacy if you don't fill this right now while I stand here and wait for it because if anything else goes wrong today you just might have to peel me off of your countertop while you hide behind your plexiglass wall of safety.... "Well, it's going to be awhile, we're really backed up." That's okay, I'll wait. Mom comes to the rescue again after I've waited an hour with Gwen who is absolutely miserable and tired because it is now past her bedtime. Mom decides to wait for the prescription for me and I "race" home to get Gwen ready for bed. I am just about to lay her down to sleep when Mom knocks on my door with the antibiotic. I finally give the medicine to her and put her to bed. And she actually sleeps through the night! It's a miracle.

Work started the next day, and things have slowly calmed down. After working out child care and trying to get used to a completely different job environment than I'm used to (I'm sterilizing oral surgery trays), I am almost able to take a deep breath. And I'm almost able to laugh about my "Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day." http://www.amazon.com/Alexander-Terrible-Horrible-Good-Very/dp/0689711735

P.S. Gwen and I are doing much better now and are very thankful for all of our friends and family who were, and are, able to help out. Thank you! Oh- and I recieved the insurance packet from the Army and the form for our military I.D., so apparently, they did recieve the faxed copy of our license. Whew!

Beau's Information

Here are some important dates for Beau for those of you who are interested:

March 20 Graduates from Basic at Fort Jackson, SC
March 24 Starts AIT at Fort Bragg, NC
June 19 Graduates from AIT

He'll be "stationed"at the Recruiter's office working in Martinez,GA until Jump School starts...

July 14 Starts Jump School at Fort Benning, GA
Aug 1 Graduates from Jump School

I spoke with Beau for a brief moment this morning because he needed me to send some paperwork to him. He's in good spirits and will send a letter soon. He doesn't have a set address yet, but I'll let you know when he does.

P.S. Update: I spoke with Beau tonight for a few minutes. He saw Elliot today and said that Elliot's group (the recruits from Salt Lake City) just arrived in Columbia today because they were stranded at the Atlanta airport. They were supposed to have flown to Columbia, so the bus wasn't there to pick them up in Atlanta. Everyone's there now, and Beau and Elliot will at least be able see one another at church. The real training starts Tuesday and that's when Beau will be able to finally mail his letter. That's it for now... :)

Mr. Clean

So, on New Year's Eve we had a get-together with a few friends to send Beau off to Basic Training. He wanted to get a head start on his new haircut and our friend Chase was only too happy to help. :) Chase even got creative before shaving it all off.

As you can tell by the last photo, Beau was happy with the results. He would keep this look from now on if I'd let him (which I won't). :) Beau left today for Fort Jackson, SC and will be reporting tomorrow morning for Basic. He'll finish in March and then report directly to Fort Bragg, NC for his AIT training. He'll be able to write and call occasionaly, so I'll keep you updated.

Aunt Jessica and Uncle Craig

On Christmas Eve we drove to Madison, GA to meet up with Aunt Jessica and Uncle Craig who were spending Christmas in Atlanta. It was great to see them- we only wish we'd had more time to spend with them! And we wish Gwen had been more smiley in this picture! It was great to see you guys!

Christmas

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas! It's hard to explain to a one-year old what the real meaning of Christmas is. I hope that next year we'll be able to add a more spiritual aspect to our celebration since Gwen will be a little older. I was talking to Beau and thinking about the word Christmas. Even though I know that we don't all speak Spanish, I thought it was very interesting that if you break up the word into "Christ and mas," "mas" means "more" in Spanish. So, in my Spanglish translation, that means "more Christ." How appropriate. That's what we all really need. I'm grateful for so many things, including my family and friends and of course, the Savior. How lucky we are to live in a land where the Gospel was restored and where we are able to worship as we please. I also have a new appreciation for the military (not that I didn't appreciate them before). It's just more personal, now. May we all remember the truly important gifts that we enjoy.

As far as Christmas morning goes, at first Gwen just wanted to chew on the bows of the boxes under the tree. Then she realized that there were gifts inside those boxes. She was excited about her baby doll and gave it a kiss before we even opened the box. :)

Here she's opening up her stocking and sitting on her "Bounce and Spin Zebra."

In the afternoon, we went to Nana and Papa's new house to celebrate Christmas with the rest of the family. Here, Gwen discovers the room under the stairs that's the perfect size for little ones...

Gwen loves her quacking duck and her purple winter coat from Nana and Papa! She also loves her musical table (I just forgot to take a picture).

Here's the cute kiddos!

'Twas the night before Christmas...

Here's Gwen in her new pajamas from Nana and Papa- thank you! In these pictures, she's picking the "apple" (or as she says "a-dool") from the Christmas tree. :)

Success- Gwen sits down to hug her prize.

Cindy Lou Who

Here are some early pictures of our Cindy Lou, er, Gwendolyn. :)

Playtime with Reagan

Here are Gwen and Reagan chatting about their busy day...

Okay, they must have been reading the wrong blog...

Cash Advance Loans

Gwen turns one!

I can't believe it's been a year since our sweet Gwendolyn was born. She has changed so much! On Thursday we had a little family birthday party for her. We didn't think she'd have any problem getting into her cake, and we were not disappointed! Here are some cute pictures from her birthday...

Here comes the cake...

Family pic with Papa, Nana, Aunt Kim and cousins Madison, Conlan and Talmage.

Now it's time for presents...

Happy Birthday, Gwen!

A little bit of this and that...

Caught in the act! Here's Gwen having a great time playing in the kitchen...

And here she is enjoying the coziness of the laundry basket!

We went to our ward Christmas party last week, so I decided to dress Gwen up in a festive outfit. Here's our family picture.

And here's our little cutie hamming it up for the camera...

It's bathtime!

I got tired of looking at the Japanese game show guy everytime I opened up our blog, so I decided to download a video of Gwen. This is what happens when we turn the water on for her baths...

You can't hear her on the video, but she's squealing as she's hurrying down the hallway. :) She's our little water baby!

Human Tetris II

This is a very funny Japanese game show that was featured on the Ellen DeGeneres Show... I laughed so hard that I decided to share it with all of you. You won't feel smarter after watching this, but you should feel relaxed and grateful that you're not participating!

A Note from Beau

Most of you already know about this, but I thought I'd go ahead and post it just in case.

A Note from Beau...

When I lost my job at the Burn Unit 18 months ago, Shellie and I had considered going into the military then, but it just didn't feel right. This time around, things have changed.

I will report to Fort Jackson (the same as my younger brother Elliot) for Basic Training in the Army Reserves. I will be reporting on January 3rd(also the same as Elliot). We are going to have to work hard to stay out of trouble together. Elliot is an E4 and I am an E3 .

In the third week of March, after Elliot and I graduate from Basic, I will be reporting to Fort Bragg for AIT (where my older brother Jason is stationed, and his family stays). My MOS is 38B, Civil Affairs Specialist. In a nutshell, Civil Affairs is the "good will ambassador" of the Army. We organize humanitarian efforts all over the world (like building schools in war torn Iraq and Afghanistan) For more click on the link http://www.soc.mil/usacapoc/capoc_default.htm

After 13 weeks in Fayetteville, NC, I will go home for a week, then it's off to Airborne school for three weeks at Fort Benning in Columbus, GA.

I was disappointed that I didn't get my choice of Combat Medic, but things work the way they do for a reason. If I did get that MOS I would be going to Basic at Fort Leonard Wood, Misery, I meant Missouri. (in the dead of winter) and AIT would be in Texas (too far for Shellie or I to drive when I get weekends off). Plus my training officer already mentioned the likelihood of sending me to medic school in the future so I can support our unit in that capacity as well.

The end all goal of this is to use the Army Reserves to a) pay off my student loans, b) pay me (rather well) to go to school and finish my bachelors degree. While in school I am going to attend the Reserve Officer Training Course (yes, I'll be an ROTC geek) and when I graduate from college, I'll take a commission in the (become an officer, no longer an enlisted man)

Feel free to call or write with any support or questions.

Dancing Queen

It was difficult, but I finally caught Gwen dancing when I had the camera ready. Here's our little cutie in action. (Just try to ignore my annoying sing-song mommy voice... You parents understand what it's like trying to get your child to do something cute when you actually want them to!) And yes, she gets her moves from me... :)

Tagged

Now I'm supposed to share 7 interesting facts about myself, so I'll give it a shot:

1. I'm an English language/grammar nerd- although I'm sure you can't tell when you read my blog. I can't stand when I see advertisements with purposeful misspellings (Ex: "Kleeners" and "Nite"). I also love knowing the origins of words and I actually liked my English classes in college. I was going to be an English Major before I decided to become a Radiology Tech.

2. I am also an All My Children soap opera watcher (along with my sister, Kim). I know it's ridiculous, but for some reason I just can't pull myself away from the drama-packed lives of the Erica Cane and Jack Montgomery clan!

3. I can draw. Or at least, I try to draw. My favorite subject, although difficult, is portraits. I hope to take more art classes one day just for fun.

4. I don't scrapbook. This is my scrapbook. I've never even bought one. I'd probably buy one of those digital photo books online before I'd actually make my own. That's not to say that I don't admire other people's scrapbooks- I just don't think I'm that creative.

5. I'm a night owl. I wish I could change it, but I just seem to get a second wind around 8pm when I should be winding down. I end up going to bed late most nights, even when I have to get up early the next day.

6. I have never been skiing on water or snow before, and I'm okay with that. I know, I know- I'm missing out. Maybe I'll get around to it one day.

7. I twirl my hair when I'm bored, tired, or concentrating. My family has teased me since I was little about this, and even though I've been threatened with eventual baldness, the habit has remained. Beau thinks it's funny and will twirl my hair for me sometimes-but it just doesn't have the same effect. :)


Okay, now that you know more than you probably wanted to know about me, I'm tagging Leigh, Sarah and Jenny! You're it!