The last 2 years Christmas has taken on a different feel. Last year mom had just past away, and then no one could come for breakfast due to the terrible snow storm that we had. So this year was to be a big, everyone come eat do gifts and it would be great. Well it was. Almost the whole Petersen group made it up and we ate the traditional scrambled eggs, OJ, Ham and the best and the thing we wait for all year long, home made scones, honey butter and jam. It was a lot of fun. Paul ended up giving the worst gifts ever to the youngest niece and nephew, coats! Not that they were really the worst gifts, but their mom had picked them out because she wanted them for the kids and Paul was the giver who the kids looked at like "what the heck" a coat! Paul said next year he would ask the kids themselves want they want.

It was nice to visit with the family and then as everyone left, Kim and I cleaned up and got ready for the next event.

Dinner for the Hardcastle family. Everyone came and our own trickled back it at some point, they had all left after breakfast to see family on the other side. Then Mel, Justin and our bright little Hyrum came for the rest of the day and night. The evening was nice, again to eat and visit,the little cousins played Wii and the big folks sat around and visited.

Later that evening our kids finially got to open up gifts together, from each other and mom and dad. It was a very long day, but worth the wait. As usual being the one in charge, I gave my camera away so not very many photos were taken.

It is very hard to remember a Christmas with out mom, the season meant so much to her, and most of our traditions come from what she started, each family has added their own, but no matter the generation remembering fun and good times is what is important. We often lose sight of Christ in the gift giving the food the parties, being busy and all the preparation that goes into the celebration, but I know that Christ is present when in is honor family and loved ones share time together in fun, peace, harmony and remembering all who have given so much and gone on before.

Yes there is a small child in that bag, and sometimes not so small of child

Abby and Briggs get to celebrate with the family too (along with Jessica)

Jacey helping with her dad and the scone making.

Every time I hear Happy Holidays I am reminded of mom. One year I made these glass blocks for all the families, and they said Happy Holidays, she asked me change hers to say Merry Christmas, she hated that everyone was taking Christ out of Christmas and really wanted hers to say that. I made her a new one, and now I have it. I didn't mean anything by making the first one, but she was so determined that it made me think twice and I never say Happy Holidays. Thanks MOM.

A few of my favorite things:

End of a busy work day

A clean house

Thanksgiving with family

Having my bed made each day (by my husband)

Birthday smiles "The temptation to cuddle him is nearly overwhelming"

Daughters that are happy (sons too)

Christmas lights Organized closets

Completed and accepted assignments

Good memories and a loving family

A husband that is willing to proof read, fix computers, run to the store,fill your car late at night, loves you and the kids and the grand baby most of all, just to name a few of my favorite things.

I KNOW I KNOW, but what if I were to say nothing has happened? Well that wouldn't be completely true.

*I spent almost 12 hours yesterday on home work and catching up from my busy and fun fill week.

*I am 1/2 done with my second class of the term, (#1 has been completed), * I have actually

*I have bought one Christmas gift for a person on our list, then found out it was the wrong name.

*Took down Halloween decorations, dusted, and put up Thanksgiving decorations, dusting was the most important thing.

*We had Halloween, well I guess everyone did.


*I was able to get, on sale, enough of my favorite lotion for all of next year.

*I gave my 1st Relief Society Lesson, in our new ward. I am the 3rd week teacher.

*Sunday dinners with kids and dogs.

*Have already gotten 100% on this months Visiting Teaching.

*Participated in a 2 day craft fair and sold a lot of the stuff I make.

*Passed ACLS which is a big deal to me, and no one else.

*Bought nothing, for the first time ever, at Kim's scout auction.

*Didn't finish or start the book for Book Club this month, but will go and visit anyway.

*HAD HYRUM FOR 5 DAYS. (With the help of Jodi and Kim on the days I had to work). Cryed a little on the day I had to give him back.

Fall Weekend of...

(Stay tuned to the end) or just jump right to it...

All 26 members of the Hardcastle family were present.

Tetons, you know what they look like (Kim did take some great shots, just not me)

Hidden Falls,2.2 miles above Jenny Lake

Elk and Bugling and freezing at 7am to hear them.
FamilyLakes

Beavers (actually building dams)

Black Bears playing. No pictures but they were seen 3 times in the same place throughout the day.

Hiking

Fall Leaves

Eating /Way too much food.

Driving (again 22 mpg)

Lovely Condo accommodations . Thanks to Don and Charlene (grandma and grandpa)

Hyrum playing

Relaxing AND

*****Matt and Jennie getting ENGAGED****

What a great weekend. Thanks again to the whole family and especially to grandma and grandpa for the great time.

Un-Birthday

Who needs a reason for a party or just a get together? I guess I do.

Yesterday, the 18th, was mom's b-day. Ever since I had written it on my calender, at the first of the month, I have just kept thinking about it and what to do to celebrate her. So a few weeks ago I decided to have a birthday party in her honor. After inviting everyone, Hallie reminded me it was also dad's b-day on the the 16th, so we celebrated both. Dad has been gone 40 years so it was a date that wasn't fresh on my mind like mom's, so I really appreciated the reminder.

We had cake and ice cream,played a few games, visited and learned more about our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. Almost everyone came. We did miss the 4 who couldn't make it and I wish them well.

But thanks everyone for humoring me and helping me celebrate the people who have ment so much in my life. Not just those who have passed, but everyone who is a part of my life. I love you all.

I never think to take before and after pictures, but this would of been a good one.

I am not one who usually panics over the news or pending predictions, but for some reason I am a little worried about this pending Swine Flu Pandemic thing. I had to go to a meeting at work where it was explained to us, as health care providers, what will be expected of us should Utah be hit, and I guess there has to be a certain number of people involved for the 'Pandemic Switch" to be turned on. But Utah is in the top 10 states for the real thing.

So I am no excerpt and I"m not trying to scare anyone. But back to my before and after.

I have been shopping the case lot sales, going to the church cannery, buying extra at Sams club, and trying to plan better and only buy the things we actually eat. So all these new treasures have landed at the base of my stairs and actually causing a saftey & fire hazard. So this Sat. I dug in and totally cleaned out my cold storage unit and pantry and organized what I had. I had to throw out 2004 spaghetti O's, old applesauce's, dry hash browns, which I actually moved from the old house to here, found some good stuff tucked in the back and decided I never need to buy church cannery beef stew again, in fact maybe we'll have that instead of cake and ice cream at the family B-Day party. So my only word of advice, plan to have enough food and personal necessities, and of-course baby stuff, just in case you get stuck at home for 7-10 days and are not allowed to leave. But now my shelves are so clean and organized I might just have to show everyone who enters, you'll just have to imagine the before mess.

My weekend before. There have been some rumors about the girls weekend/Swiss days/shopping/park city stay event going on. The only true ones are; I did win Phase 10, I did have a great time and laughed so hard I was sick, did spend a lot of money with not a lot to show for it, I did have fun with Karen, Melanie, Jodi, Jessica and Jennie, I'm not good at the "spaz" game, and yes everyone should bring PJ's to a slumber party. All that other stuff I take the 5Th. But can't wait for next year.

So grateful for family, fun and the opportunity to provide for our needs.

800 plus miles

30 hours and about 800 miles later we are home again. Kim and I wanted to "just get away" so we planned a little 2 day trip. It actually ended up being only 30 hours. Kim forgot he had to give a High Council talk at 9am Sunday so we cut the trip short.

1st. The Titanic Exhibit in Idaho Falls. It was a very interesting and sad at the same time. You were given a Boarding Pass as you entered with information about who you were and why you were aboard the titanic and at the end you find out if you lived or died. Kim was the famous Margaret Brown, unsinkable Molly Brown, I'm sure the older generation have heard of her, she lives, I was Jane Carr, traveling alone, back to the USA, only to finish up some business and then to return to live in Ireland with my family. I didn't live. All the way through the exhibit you read stories about those who survived and those that didn't. A Mother who stayed behind because her 2 boys, age 12 and 14 were considered to be men and were not allowed to go with her on the life boat. Wives who chose to stay with husbands, men who paid to board life boats and then sail without being full.

Great stories.

Next onto West Yellowstone, where we ate dinner and went to the musical Guy and Dolls. It was a lot of fun. The cast members were very talented and had such great energy. I at least knew the story, from seeing the old movie on TCM, Kim didn't know the story, but he loved the play too. Besides the acting and singing the costumes were amazing. I honestly thought it would be more like a high school musical or local theater, but they were very professional and I would love to go back and see another play sometime. Finally to bed. I had only slept 3 hours that morning after working all night so I was exhausted.

On to Old Faithful. It's been years since I've seen her erupt. I guess it's a her, only hers erupt, right? A few buffalo, other stops of interest and we continued home. A shake stop at La Beaus and then home.

I dose off a lot, Kim drives all the time, we got great gas mileage, from 19.6 to 24.6, lots to talk about and times of silence, making plans for family, and then plans for ourselves, that's what "get-a-way" trips are for and that is just what we did.

Just fun

Great weekend. Friday Mel and I went to a bunch of Parade of Homes homes in salt lake and then Kim & I got to tend Hyrum. He is crawling and getting all around and is so happy to get the things he wants when he wants them. He is getting big and even cuter, if that is even possible.

Sat Kim and I ran errands together. We don't usually do that. We seem to be going in different directions most days, and Sat. we were just heading in the same places all day. Then later in the evening we went to our old wards High Priest dinner. It was so nice to sit and relax and visit with friends, friends that most of whom are now in a differnet ward(our old ward). Then we went to our new wards High Priest dinner with another couple. It was great. Almost everyone there came up and introduced themselves to us, I won't remember their names yet, but they were all so friendly and kind and there are a few people who I actually know, one is a good friends sister, and another is a gal I knew from my college dorm life. I'll say it again, I want to handle this with grace and maturity and know that everything will work out.

Moving onto Sunday. Kim and I went to the 9am session of the Oquerrh Temple Dedication service. It was packed, and worth the hour wait. (I just got there early). There were a few talks directed to the youth about Temple Preparation, but I must be young at heart because I felt like they were for me too, in staying worthy to always be able to attend and receive the blessings that the Temples offer.

Then it was Kid Sunday. Which is what is says on my calendar. But what it means is everyone comes for dinner and I love it. The noise, the mess,the clean up, the food, the baby, the dogs, the conversations, new news, updates, teasing, jokes, remembering stories, or at least retelling them, who's doing what and going where, and planning our girl get-a-way weekend. It is what we do, and I'm sure most families have the same weekend stuff, but this is my family and our rituals, and they make me happy, and the Lord wants us to be happy.

Got change?

Never ending changes.
The weather, our hair, our weight, wall colors, family size, cars we drive, money we spend, money we save, decorating, vacation plans, mood, clothes, work, friends, our memory, price of gas, things we must have, addresses, habits, the list goes on and on.

Things that never change. The truthfulness of the Gospel, our love for family, change, 1st day of spring, (except leap year), and holiday dates. This list isn't as long.

Someone told me while visiting teaching last night that you can tell how mature and graceful someone is by the way they handle change. I have given this a lot of thought today because change is all I seem to be experiencing at the moment.

I am changing my job and my responsibilities, I will stay with my old job and also do the new one as needed and this is a huge change. I will be continuing my education starting on Sept. 1st. no more lazy days off and playing games on the computer. We have changed our internet provider, so I had to change my e-mail account and learn how to run our new TV remote. I recently left my comfortable ward calling in the RS and became the nursery leader. But Sunday will be a really big change. We are having our ward boundaries changed. All the wards in the stake will be realigned. I am 52 years old and have never been in a ward that needed to be divided. I have loved this ward and have made a lot of friends in the 7 years we have been here.

I exercise with a very good friend, in the ward, and we have been just sick and worried about this. We are 100% sure our little subdivision will be moved into a different ward. but the advise I got last night has helped me remember, the Church is True, no matter what building we drive to or who we sit by. I want to be one who is graceful and mature and know that this change was inspired by the Lord and I can flow with the changes and be happy.

Melt down

Melt down. That is what I had a few days ago, a melt down. I go through my days reading other peoples blogs and thinking I don’t have anything that needs to be said, and this probably doesn’t need to be read, but I need to write it anyway.

About a 6 weeks ago I had a friend say to me “you really should apply for this new job” and then gave me a brief description of what it was all about. I hadn’t heard about the position because I had been off for 6 weeks for surgery and had only been back to work for 3 shifts. So I left work at 5:15pm, went to a play, in SLC, at 7pm, and by 11:30 I had applied for this job, the deadline was Midnight. Needless to say I really didn’t give it much thought.

Within 2 days I had an interview set up, 2 days after that interview I had the second one arranged. One week later I was hired for this new position, new department to the hospital , new computer system to run the department and by accepting this position I was also committing to finish my nursing degree with a bachelors degree, (I have 2 associates but it is required to have a bachelors).

I have been in training for 2 weeks. Now remember this is not nursing practices that I am learning, that would at lest be building on things I had a base knowledge for, this is all computer interactions and multi tasking with every department in the hospital, along with every Team Leader for each department and making decision as to where that patient will be placed and how fast that needs to happen. There is so much more to it than this but to try and explain it all would cause a melt down here at the key board. But after each training day we all leave just over-loaded with too much information and they keep telling us, “it will come, just relax”.

So now, I have applied to the Western Governors University, which is a non-profit on line university, to complete my degree. Tuesday night I had to take a qualifying test on line for acceptance. They said allow 2 hours to complete, it took me 3 hours and 15 minutes to complete, the questions were not easy and the essay question took me 30 minutes just to come up with an idea for the topic they assigned. I was so tired and frustrated that by time I was done I was asking myself, “why was I doing all this, did I need a new challenge in my life, was I trying to make my life more difficult, weren’t things going along just great, I Loved my schedule (that has been totally thrown off kilter). I love the people I work with, SO WHAT AM I DOING”?

Thus the melt down that night. Could not sleep, could not turn off my brain, could not relax, crying, worrying about the future of my church calling, time spent with family, Sunday dinner with the kids, working an occasional night shift, ( I really don’t care about that), not working with my friends as much, having a Dr. get mad for a decision I’ve been instructed to make, taking too long in getting the patients placed, trust me the list goes on and on. Just typing this has made me tear-up.

So here I am, with only about 10 years left to what has been a good career, doing something so new, so out of my comfort zone, my knowledge scope, trying my very best to develop skills, that until 6 weeks ago, I didn’t even know existed. I want to do my best, to prove to myself that age doesn’t matter in the learning realm, that I can be put out of my comfort zone and be OK.

So if you are trying to do something that seems hard, give me a call and I tell you good luck, relax and it will come and my favorite “If I can do it anyone can”.

JOY

I could only imagine the joy of being a grandparent until 7 months ago, and I can't imagine a life not being one now. I am sure it was the same for being a parent, where you just can't completely explain the love for another human being, but somehow this feels different. It's very hard to explain, but it is wonderful just the same. I can't give thanks enough!

Birthday Girl

Happy Birthday Jessica

We love that you are in our family and that you love Gordon so much. We can see how happy he is.

Happy Birthday!

One lucky girl

Again it's been forever since I blogged.

I am finally feeling human again. I returned to work 2 weeks ago today and the incision is very sore at times, but I'm good. I have a better understanding of pain and how it affects people differently. I could never understand how someone could say they were in a lot pain, and then in a few min. be asleep, or just wake up and say they needed a pain pill. Pain pills DO NOT TAKE AWAY ALL THE PAIN, they only dull and make the pain TOLERABLE. So I will be more understanding and empathetic.

I Love and Love my grand baby. He is so cute and fun to be around. His little personality is showing through. We had a weekend over-nighter a few weeks ago and at church he was very picky about the toy he wanted, only the book, nothing else would do. He sits up and giggles, and rolls everywhere he needs to be. His smile is contagious. It would just be nice to be a little closer in distance, but I'm not complaining.

Music to my ears was when after Jodi had been in her own place for a week or so, she called to ask where something had been put, because Mel and I had done most of her kitchen and bathroom unpacking, so I told her where it was and my comment was " I am so glad you still need me", he comment back was "I will always need you and I am just not saying that, I will always need you", I just about started to cry, I still need my mom and now she is gone, so I am glad to be needed even if it's just to fine the Ibuprofen.

We have a joke about Kim and giving him gifts, he just doesn't get excited, or at least show excitement. And this fathers day was pretty close to normal, but I do want to Kids to know who couldn't be to dinner that he cracked a bigger smile than usual and said "what have you kids done" and I think that was very close to actual excitement, so way to go! He is the best and he deserves the best.

I have to give him a special thanks for his constant love and support during this whole surgery recovery thing. He has put up with a lot and never complained. he was always making sure I had what I needed and wanted to help when ever possible. He was cleaning and doing the laundry, which he does a lot of anyway, he shopped, cooked, ran errands, wanted to buy new furniture (which we barrowed instead), listened when I cried and was scared and was just so encouraging when I would get down, he even offered to take my primary nursery class for me, but that was taken care of. Kim has always been a much more giving and compassionate person than me, and I have often worried that that when we are old a crazy that he will be a better care giver than me, and now I know he will. So I need to learn from him and give back as much as is given. But now that I think about it Kim has always been this way, so I guess I am one Lucky Girl.

Simple Fun

Monday was Memorial Day, we remember those who have gone on before, the military service men and women who have died in the line of duty, putting flowers on loved ones graves sites, and just being together because it’s a holiday and a day off work for most. I don’t always get this day off, I typically work because there are other holidays I’d rather be off, but because I am still on sick leave, recovery from surgery, I was off and it was great.

Kim and I actually did 4 cemeteries on Friday, 7 grave sites. I am not sure if Kim grew up doing this as a kid, I’m pretty sure they went camping or worked on the farm. But I grew up visiting every site, and grandma and mom would cut their own flowers, the Irises and Roses from their gardens, cover the cans in foil and off we’d go, often ending in a family Bar-B-Q- at grandma's sister, Maxine’s, home.

This year was so simple but so fun. Karen and I thought is would be nice to have a family Bar-B-Q at her house. Not everyone could come, but with those that did, we had a great time. We ate great food, everyone brought their best salads, beans, fruit salsa, 7 layer dips, home made root beer, ice cream bars, chips , ect.
A ball throwing game, a very serious game of croquet, a numbers card game that took some strategy, and my personal favorite PIT were a few of the games played.

We then walked up to the Valley View cemetery, for the last of our flowers, where mom and dad are buried and Justin’s grandpa and a few other family friends. I can’t remember a more enjoyable day in a very long time. I felt MOM with us and knew how happy she was that we were together and having fun and creating new memories.

I am so blessed to have family, people who you can laugh with (and at), play with, talk to, remember with and just hang out with. The Lord really knew what he was doing when he made the Family the center of his plan.