I've Got the Music In Me

A New Calling

I was called today to be the ward music director/chairman. This essentially means that I select and lead the congregational hymns in Sacrament Meeting every Sunday. I also work with the ward choir director and plan for special musical numbers as needed.

(I asked my friend today if she would sing in a trio in a few weeks. She turned me down flat. Hardly an auspicious start. Don't worry, though. I will guilt her into it eventually.)

I was the choir director in my singles ward in Lindon for about 7 years. I really loved that calling. I'm excited to be working with music again. It will give me a chance to get to know a lot of different people in the ward that I normally wouldn't have the chance to work with. It will also force me to sing and play the piano more - talents of mine which have been sadly neglected in recent years.

My biggest concern at the moment (sadly) about all of this is that if I am in front of the congregation every Sunday leading the music, I'm gonna need more than two outfits.
Anyone up for a shopping trip?

BFFs

I saw Jeanette and Hayden today.

Hayden remembered me and let me hold her and hug her and carry her around.

This is remarkable considering that Hayden is very shy 

and will acknowledge almost no one but Mom and Dad.

While we were walking down the hall, I asked her if I could keep her and she said "Yes!"

Mom wasn't too pleased.

Kids have never really taken to me, but for some inexplicable reason this child loves me.

June 2012 - Ballerina Skirt and Future Supermodel

 Already the baby girl I fell in love with is turning into a long-legged child. 

I can't believe how much she has grown since I saw her in June.

I can't wait to see her baby brother Connor.

I get to babysit them this Friday night while Mom and Dad are out on a date. 

So excited!!

Laurels, Maids, and Busy Bees

I don't have a church calling right now. It feels very strange.

Last week we were released from our callings in the Stake Young Women presidency. (We meaning Pam Naugle, Shauna DeBuck, myself, and Taffy Lovell.) What a fun experience that was, to serve and work with the young women in the Timpanogos stake. I learned a lot about the gospel, and a lot about myself.

In the four years that we were together (along with amazing Amy Cobbley who is currently the YW president in her ward), we planned 2 stake summer girls camps, 4 winter camps, 1 pioneer trek. We traveled more than 2000 miles while visiting ward summer girls camps. We attended close to 60 Young Women in Excellence and New Beginnings programs. We handed out dozens of temples to young women and leaders that earned a YW medallion. We presented gold ties to over a dozen men who completed the Virtue value project. We shared our testimonies a hundred times. We cried a lot and laughed even more.


Stick close to the Savior girls. Remember who you are. Don't let anyone convince you that anything in the world will bring you more happiness than living the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior.  I know that we can receive guidance and personal revelation through prayer and scripture study. I know that by living the values we learn and teach in the Young Women program, we will be strengthened and protected.

They're not old-fashioned. They were fashioned just for us.

Sun Dance in the Rain

I've Got Sunshine On a Cloudy Day

 

I love fall break. After the crazy starting up of each school year, I think it's even more crucial for my mental health than Christmas or even spring break. After traveling all summer, I couldn't afford the expense or the time to go somewhere exotic this week. So this morning, I drove up to Sundance with two of my beautiful nieces, Jennie and Michelle.

We had planned to take the tram up and over the mountains, but unfortunately there was "100% chance of rain" (according to the scruffy bearded guy behind the counter) and so they decided not to run it at all today (naturally, since the anticipation of the tram was the only thing that got me out of bed this rainy morning.)

  

So instead of taking the tram, we wandered around the grounds. Jennie and I spent the morning taking pictures of leaves and berries, while Michelle patiently waited, holding the umbrella over Jennie's fancy camera and watching the people wander by.

 

Sometimes I forget how many beautiful things there are to see - as Jennie pointed out - only 15 minutes from my house!  The colors were still rampant all over the mountains, and the clouds and fog only added to the beauty.

We wrapped up the morning with an amazingly delicious lunch at the Foundry Grill. 

It was a great day. 

Favorite one-liners from the day:

Michelle: "Ooooh foamy!!"

Jennie: "Isn't it weird to think how many celebrities have peed in there?"

Michelle: "Jennie, you are so adorable."

Jennie: "I'm so terrible??!?!?! Why am I terrible?"

Amy: "I'd rather be a vampire, because I don't want to have to take my shirt off every 10 minutes."

 

 

 

Come. Listen.

So excited for General Conference this weekend.

As a little girl growing up in Illinois, we had to go to the chapel and listen to conference on the radio. Eventually we were able to watch (in the chapel) via satellite feed.  That was a very exciting thing for us out in the boondocks.
Now with all the amazing innovations in technology, I can watch conference from almost anywhere. I love having this Saturday and Sunday to putter around the house, curl up on the couch, and listen to the leaders of our church teach and testify of Jesus Christ.

Some of my favorite speakers: Elder Holland, President Eyring, President Uchtdorf. (They're kind of everyone's favorites though.)

In April of 2011, I was able to get tickets to the Sunday morning session of conference in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, which is right across the street from the Salt Lake Temple.

I was able to take two of my beautiful nieces with me (along with Jennie's darling friend Kamala).

Michelle

Jennie Rae

I remember sitting in the upper balcony (you can see the MoTab choir seats WAY down below us in the background). The choir sang "The Spirit of God" which has always been one of my most favorite hymns (ever since my "City of Joseph" days growing up in the Nauvoo stake). I felt a wave of love and peace and joy wash over me while they sang. It was as tangible as a warm wind in my face.

Elder Paul V. Johnson gave a talk that morning entitled "More Than Conquerors Through Him That Loves Us" that has stayed with me to this day. It touched my heart and gave me hope and strength. I listen to it often.



Come. Listen. It's awesome.

link:: Come Listen to Living Prophets

link:: LDS General Conference

Knock

A Night Visitor

Last night as I was getting ready for bed, I heard a knock on my door. I hesitated to open it at first, because it was quite late, and I was not pretty. But curiosity won out over caution, so I opened the door to find my sweet friend Shauna, standing on my step with a worried look on her face, wringing her hands in the moonlight.
Earlier in the day, she had made a flippant (and rather funny) remark, which caused Taffy to spew water on the sidewalk and made me and Pam laugh (although I'll admit it was a bit scandalous). Several hours later, Shauna's conscience started to prick, and she began to worry that, for various reasons, her comment might have hurt me. So after stewing for a few hours, she made the pilgrimage to my house to ask me to forgive her for being insensitive and thoughtless.
I was surprised by her appeal because I had not thought twice about what she had said, but naturally we both started to cry and had a good heart-to-heart for a few minutes.  I was touched that she took the time to come see me personally, and her concern made me feel loved and important - something that I was desperately needing to feel that day.

Ask, Seek, Knock

How often do we ignore the promptings and impressions to knock? The great peace that came to my friend's heart, and the increase of love - for her and from her - that I felt as a result of her confession were tender mercies that we each received because she was willing to swallow her pride and knock. How glad I am that I was brave enough to answer.

"Even more amazing than modern technology is our opportunity to access information directly from heaven, without hardware, software, or monthly service fees. It is one of the most marvelous gifts the Lord has offered to mortals. It is His generous invitation to “ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”

This timeless offer to provide personal revelation is extended to all of His children. It almost sounds too good to be true. But it is true! I have received and responded to that heavenly help. And I have learned that I always need to be ready to receive it."

Elder Russell M Nelson

Isn't it wonderful to know that we can knock and have doors opened for us? Isn't it wonderful to know that we can both ask for and receive divine guidance from the Lord? Isn't it wonderful to know that if we truly seek, we have been promised that we will find what we need?
Oh, how wonderful it is to know that if we go to the Lord in humility, often shamefacedly wringing our hands in the moonlight, we can knock and receive forgiveness.

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

John 14:15

"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him..."

Revelations 3:20

Never be afraid to knock. And never be afraid to open the door. 

Kids These Days

I had a really interesting day at work today. And it just reminded me how amazing teenagers can be.

Club Presidency

I met this morning before school with my new math club presidency. Jill and Lacey are two amazing senior girls who are both brilliant at math. I sat down and rattled off everything I could think of that they needed to know about our first lunch meeting (which was - today). I told them what needed to happen, what info we needed to gather, and what we needed to communicate. I also told them that I wanted them to do most of the talking. Without blinking an eyelash, they divvied up responsibilities, made an agenda, and planned and carried out a pretty great first meeting - with very little warning or prep time.  I couldn't help but think that these girls were so well prepared because - without a doubt - they have had opportunities to lead in their classes at church, and this has helped prepare them for other leadership opportunities. My math club anxiety dropped exponentially (pun intended) after watching them take charge.

So impressed with these girls.

Student Teachers - Literally

Mr. Palmer's lovely and amazing daughter Ashley went in to the MTC (Missionary Training Center) today. She is on her way to serve as an LDS missionary in Hong Kong for 18 months, and her family had this last day with her before seeing her off, so naturally, Mr. Palmer took a personal day off from work.
In order to keep his classes on track (he teaches upper level courses which cannot afford to miss a day), he arranged to have 3 young men teach his classes today (my brilliant idea). Two of the boys are high school seniors and the third is recently graduated and studying at UVU to be a math teacher. Mr. Palmer gave them a lesson outline, talked them through the basic plan, and left them to prepare to teach the class. The sub was there to help maintain classroom discipline and keep the students from setting the room on fire, but these boys took over and taught the whole lesson on their own. The sub couldn't say enough about how impressed he was with their preparation and their maturity.

At the beginning of 1st period, I was listening around the corner of the door when Kevin introduced himself to the Precalculus class. "Many of you know me. I'm Kevin Goodrich and I'll be teaching you today. Please don't feel like you need to call me Mr. Goodrich while I'm here. You can just call me Kevin." (General laughter.)
Oh my goodness, what a cutie.

Zach did an awesome job teaching AB Calculus, as did Jake (who showed up in slacks, a white shirt and shiny blue tie). I slipped into Jake's class after I was done with my lesson, and found him wandering the aisles, checking on student progress and answer students' questions - like he owned that place.

So impressed with these boys.

Math Club - Anyone? Anyone?

We had about 40 students show up for our first math club meeting. They were so excited I thought some of them might cry. The highlight for me was when I gave them each 100 multiplication problems and 1 minute to do as many as possible. After counting down and yelling "Go!", 40 papers turned simultaneously and 40 pencils started writing frantically. After a few initial squeaks and groans, it was just silence and the rustling of papers. I stood there and watched them and just kind of geeked out. Doing multiplication drills in the 4th grade was one of my favorite tasks, and I was dang good at it. I was surrounded by dozens of nerdy kindred spirits.
At the moment I called "Time!", 40 pencils dropped and 40 bodies exhaled. You could almost feel the air pressure change. I swear they were all holding their breath as they frantically worked those problems.
When we talked about opportunities for tutoring, guest speakers, and field trips, some of them actually started to bounce in their seats. Eleven students signed up for consideration to be on the math club council. These kids are so excited for opportunities to learn, grow, serve, and lead.

I can't wait to see what they come up with.

The Prodigal Daughter Returns... To the Dentist

It's been at least a year. I know. I know. I'm a coward. But sometimes it's just hard to make that call.

The last time I was at the dentist, Nan gave me a good scolding about my appalling flossing skills. And the Doc informed me that I need to go see a specialist about my lower right molar. While Nan succeeded in shaming me into improving my flossing habits (twice a day every day now!), the visit to the specialist was studiously avoided. Forgotten. Business card misplaced. Thought about. Taught a couple hundred kids. Worried over. Forgotten again. Went on a cruise. Stuff happens.

So, a week ago, I woke up with a huge lump in the lower right corner of my mouth. The gums were swollen and the tooth was throbbing. I ignored it. I fought through the pain. I prayed to the dental gods and asked for it to spontaneously heal itself. And then finally last night I decided I couldn't take it anymore. The lump was getting bigger and bigger and visions of abscesses and tumors and jaw removal surgery kept dancing through my head like sadistic sugarplum fairies. So I called the dentist office and threw myself on their mercy. I told them I was sorry that I had ignored their loving calls reminding me gently that "it's been a while". I asked them to please find some way to squeeze me in some afternoon as soon as possible. And I assured them that they were right and I was wrong and I should have just listened to them from the beginning. (Sadly, this was all left on an answering machine, so I can only imagine the bonding that took place around the phone this morning as the receptionist called people over to listen to my nervous ramblings.)

Well I got a blessed message today, telling me that - although the Doctor would be out the rest of the week for a vacation - he could squeeze me in this very afternoon after my math club meeting (more on that later). Miraculous! After a brief but tortuous check for any nerve damage involving tiny metal hammers, dry ice, and sharp little probes, he discovered that I have the mother of all canker sores on my gums - right on the inside of the jaw bone - which has caused the swelling and pain. He even whimpered a little bit when he described how big it was.
Grateful to know it's not a tumor.

I guess the dental gods were actually listening.

But I still have to work up the courage to call the specialist.

How to Start a Blog

Oh my goodness this is an agonizing process. How does one come up with a catchy title that personifies everything you want to say in your incessant ramblings that you are secretly hoping that someone might read? (Don't even get me started on choosing a font...)

I thought maybe I would start out this first blog post explaining how I finally settled on my blog address and blog title. Super exciting stuff. But making this decision has literally kept me from creating a blog for at least a year (which gives you some insight into how I operate).

Illinois Bonus

I am the youngest of seven children ("Seven children!?!?"). My mother was 47 when I was born (something I find truly remarkable not to mention self-sacrificial). My father was invited by an old friend to come help create a foreign language department at Western Illinois University in Macomb, Illinois. He has remarked that, at the time, this was akin to being invited to teach in Tooele, Utah. Not the most romantic city or prestigious assignment. But they accepted the job and moved east with 6 children in tow. Two years after the move, I was born. Ever since then, I have been introduced to friends, distant relatives, and colleagues as the "Illinois Bonus". It can be quaint and charming. Can be.

Today, Life Gets Better

I found this mantra years ago on an add for an Apple computer, which is ironic since I am not really a mac girl. Can't work 'em. But it showed a picture of two little children with hands outstretched to the sky, reaching for magical bubbles that were floating happily above their heads. It tugged at my heartstrings, and my inner hoarder cut it out and kept it.
Life has been hard and wonderful. Junior high was a nightmare. High school was generally fabulous. College was tricky. My career as a high school math teacher has been full of ups and downs. I have had heartbreaking personal moments, and incredibly brilliant ones as well. And in my mind and my heart, every day, life just keeps getting better and better. Even when I give in to self-pity and moan and groan to my besties about my sad little existence, I know, deep down, that I have been richly blessed and even greater blessings are in store.

 Okay... here goes nothing.