Memorable Monday Temple Open House

I read that the Draper Temple is having an Open House for a couple of months. I grew up in Sandy which neigbors Draper and was excited to hear that there is another temple close to Sandy. It reminded of when my family would watch the Jordan River Temple being built and attending the groundbreaking ceremony, open house, and the dedication. It was a wonderful feeling and still remember bits and pieces vividly. I was only 12 years old when the temple was dedicated. I could see the temple from the middle of the street. It was a great reminder for me that I wanted to someday go there and get married. I ended up getting married in the Mesa, AZ Tempe, and I couldn't be happier. Several years after I was married, the Snowflake Temple was built. I wanted my husband and children to experience an open house of a newly built temple. Going to an open house is a wonderful experience. We are patiently waiting for the temples in AZ.

The Jordan River under construction.

My family at the time of the temple construction. I'm the one in the blue dress. It's so fun to see pictures of when I was younger. I was upset that my younger sister, Lisa was taller than me.

Pace Family in front of the Snowflake AZ temple.

Lion King

Jim and I went to see the Lion King on Saturday evening. I bought the tickets a month and a half ago and was anticipating the event. I was very impressed with the whole show, but the beginning was my favorite part. I loved the costumes and the music. There was so much talent on and off the stage. From our nose-bleed seats, we could see the stage and the percussionists on both sides. I found myself watching the percussionists in awe. It was such an awesome show and wished I took my kids to the show. I bought the book and music to share with my children. I had heard about this show and was so glad to see it.

Taylor Band Day

On Saturday, Josh and Dani went to Taylor Junior High and played with the Taylor Band. The Taylor Band teacher invited the local elementary schools feeding into Taylor to participate in this event. My kids were so excited to go and be with the Junior High students. Each student was given some music to play ahead of time. The music was difficult, but the overall experience is one that my kids will not forget. The Junior High students mentored and practiced some pieces with the elementary students. Josh meet some of the clarinet players and will know who they are when we goes to Taylor next year. There was a concert at the end and I was very impressed with the performance and the music program Taylor offers as the well as the music program in the elementary schools. I hope with the current budget cuts, that music stays in the school even at the elementary level. It's such a great benefit to the kids.

The kids before the big day. They had a great time and want to participated in the band program when they attend Taylor.

Josh playing with other clarinets from other schools.

Dani have fun playing the drums. The drum beat was hard to keep up with, but they did an awesome job.

Random Things

I'm been a tagged couple of times about writing down random things about me. I'm writing this post on my blog and hope to import it onto Facebook. Let's hope it works out.

Here are 25 random things about me.

1. I've never finished 2nd grade, but started 3rd grade twice. The results of moving to one area to another. If I don't something, I blame it on missing the end of 2nd grade.
2. I hated to read in school, but I love it now. There are so many good books that I missed out on. I am reading now with my kids, and enjoy it.
3. I love to listen to Christmas music all year long.
4. I don't like really spicy food. I'm the boring one in the resturant.
5. I love old Cary Grant movies, especially the funny ones like Arsenic and Old Lace.
6. I've never traveled east of Denver, CO. I totally need to get out more.
7. While Student Teaching, I was mistaken for a Junior High student. It was on a Friday when the teachers were encouraged to wear casual clothes. I went to the Book Store to get some butcher paper with some students. I used the teacher's entrance and the lady got after us for using the wrong door. She glanced at me a few times before she realized that I was a teacher. I'll never forget how embarrassed I was.
8. I went kneeboarding just a few weeks after have surgery to remove some pins in my arm. I was in the boat with some boys and I was trying to impress them. That wasn't the best idea. Nothing happened with my arm, but I was told not to water ski for awhile. Kneeboading isn't exactly water skiing is it?
9. I like familiarity.
10. I love to play video games with my kids. I tell them that I want to make sure that the game is appropriate for them. Let's face it, the games are fun to play.
11. I drink too much Diet Coke. I started this habit in high school, but perfected in college. It doesn't help that they built a QT right by my house.
12. I love to do puzzles, especially those requiring paper and a sharp pencil.
13. I like American Idol after the auditions. I feel so bad for the contestants who don't sing well. It's probably because I have a horrible voice.
14. I rely too much on spell check and grammar check. I think that was taught at the end of second grade.
15. I like to watch a move with subtitles. It helps to see the words as well as hear them, especially if they have a strong accent.
16. I love to watch "Lost" and be trying to discover what is going on.
17. I have taken so many pictures that it is hard to organize them all. There are many more that I would love to scan.
18. I wish February 29th came every year. It's Angela's birthday. Poor girl, I had to explain to her that her birthday comes every 4 years.
19. I don't like to be licked by dogs. I don't want a dog for that very reason.
20. I like to watch a variety of movies. I like classics like North & South, adventures like Bourne Identity, comedies like Princess Bride, children's movies like Nanny McPhee, fantasy movies like Lord of the Rings, and Sci-fi movies like Star Wars.
21. I love the rain and wished it would rain more often, maybe once a week. When it rains, the whole family goes outside to play.
22. I wish I could stay 39 forever. It's a good age.
23. I love chocolate in any form, especially in the form of candy bars.
24. I lived in AZ for 20 years and haven't seen the Grand Canyon yet. I plan to do just that this year with my family.
25. I love to watch Jim play with the kids. He is so fun to watch with the kids. They totally love his attention.

This list was a hard one to compile. I tag anyone who is up to the challenge. Thanks to Iralee and Tracie who tagged me. I remembered a lot, even stuff I didn't want to share.

Memorable MondayFootball

Everyone in AZ is talking the Cardinals going to the Superbowl. I watched the last few minutes on TV, I know that I shouldn't have but I couldn't help myself. It reminded me of the times I loved watching NFL Football and faithfully followed the teams.

I became a huge fan of football in college. I would watch the NFL and college football games on TV and knew who played for each team. At work, we would have a football challenge and I loved participating and watching the games to see who would win. When I married Jim, I got him involved in the sport of watching football. When the Super Bowl came to Tempe AZ, we went and volunteer to help out and the NFL Experience. It was an event held a couple of days before the game to give the community a chance to be an NFL star. It was such an awesome experience to be apart of the Super Bowl that year, especially since it was played at ASU. I was on Cloud 9 that night.

One day in Sacrament Meeting, our Bishop urged us to not to watch games on TV. I decided that I needed to follow the counsel of the Bishop. I stopped watching NFL football games on Sunday, except for just a few minutes yesterday. I will have to record the Super Bowl. I don't follow the NFL teams anymore, since most of their games are on Sunday. I don't really miss it either. I can always watch college football since it's on Saturdays. I learned a valuable lesson about Obedience. Following the counsel of our leaders is not always easy, but worth it.

Winter Intensive Program

Jim just finished a 2 week winter intensive class. This class covers the same material as a 10 week class. Jim was at ASU for 40 hours in 15 days. I think he spent that many hours doing the homework, group projects, and studying for the final. The professor explained that the course was covered in 2 weeks so that the Master's Program would remain a one year program. It was incredibly difficult two weeks for Jim. It's wonderful that in times of great stress, that we can turn to our Heavenly Father and He can help us out when we have no more strength. It was great to see Jim rise to the occasion and do the work he needed to do.

My Blog Book

A couple of days ago, I received my Blog Book through in the mail. It was a year's worth of blogs that I slurped into a book. I was so excited to see my blog in print. It was my goal all of 2008 to have my blog published into a book. It was fun to edit the book and make the book my own. It's such a treasure to look at this book and see all the blessings that I have. The year 2008 was a great year for our family, and now my family can read it often and be reminded of our blessings. Now that I have my 2008 book and can't wait to work on 2009.

For those interested, there is a software program called Booksmart through Blurb that slurps your blog into a book. You can edit the pages to look the way you want them to. It took me several days to get the book to look the way I want it to look. I found that the pictures needed to be uploaded again because they came out a thumbprint size. My book cost a little under $60. It's a hard cover book with a dust jacket and about 160 pages. There are other options and pricing. The website is currently having some difficulties, but hopes to have them resolved soon.

Memorable MondayHigh School Orchestra

I have found one of my high school friends on Facebook. Ever since then, I have been thinking about my high school years. I was involved in music program during high school. (There were 4 years of high school at the time.) I played the violin and was struggling in the music program and socially. My BFF in high school just started taking orchestra our sophmore year. When she joined, I became much more involved in the music program. I participated in musicals, competitions. and practiced a lot more. She challenged me to become a better violin player. Our senior year, we dived into the music program even more. We decided to switch instruments. I learned to play the viola and Tracie learned to play the cello. I loved playing the viola, (hated reading the viola clef). We also decided to join the Dixieland Band, where I learn to the the bass. I wasn't a very good musician, but I tried hard. Tracie and I would also play the recorder at competitions. That was way too much fun! Tracie was a great composer and arranged some Manneheim Steamroller pieces for us. One piece was Stille Nacht, which we played in competition. Another one called Nepenthe (a very beautiful piece), which we played at our graduation. Music was such a big part of my high school years. It gave me the confidence that I needed. Thanks Tracie! After graduation, I moved to AZ and after a few years, Tracie and I lost touch. I didn't continue with my music in college, but Tracie got a Master's Degree in Cello Performance. Congratulations to her. It has been fun to learn more about Tracie and her musical journey. It's been fun to reminisce about my years in high school.

Here is a picture of me with my violin before a concert. Did I mention that I went to high school in the mid 80's?

This picture was taken a couple years after high school. I am showcasing my viola in this picture. The viola was a graduation/birthday present. I was so thrilled to get it.

Spelling BEE

Dani participated in the school Spelling Bee this year. It must have been terrifying to stand in front of the school to spell words you don't know ahead of time. I admire every kid that participated in the Spelling Bee. I know that I couldn't do it. I was nervous for every kid up there. The judges ding a bell if you miss the word, but not immediately. If you get the word right, there is no indication that you spelled the word right. One kid spelled geographical. He wasn't sure if he spelled the word right, so he walked back to his seat very cautiously waiting for the bell. He sat down and then he realized that he spelled the word right. He was so excited! The students were so quiet and respectful. They were sad when their classmate missed a word. They were such a great audience.

Memorable Monday

A friend of mine wrote some posts titled Memorable Monday. She would share memories of her younger years. I wanted to start doing that in the New Year. At the year of each year I make my blog into a book. I want those memories to be there for me for myself and my family. It's a fun way of writing a personal history. Thanks Kim for the wonderful idea. So here it goes.

• Josh went on Jan 2nd to do Baptisms for the Dead. He was so excited and nervous before he went. His dad went with him on this special day. I remember when I went for the first time to do Baptisms for the Dead. I went to the Salt Lake Temple for the first time because it was the closest temple at that time. I still remember the physical set up of the font and the feelings that I had that day. It's so neat to go inside the temple for the first time and participate. I only did Baptisms for the Dead once at the Salt Lake Temple, that's probably why the memories of it are so clear. The Jordan River Temple was to be dedicated soon and our ward would attend that temple to do Baptisms for the Dead in the future. Our ward went to the Jordan River Temple often and I loved participating. I will always remember my first visit to the temple and I hope Josh will to.

• Our stake participated in a Pioneer Trek. There was a lot of planning involved in this event. I remember when I was around 12 or 13, I went on a pioneer trek sponsored by BYU. The trek lasts 8 days and was very hard. The first day we walked all day and into the night until about 1 or 2 in the morning. When we arrived at camp we only had a cup of broth to drink. That was very satisfying that night. The next morning we ate cornmeal mush and walked for a few more hours until we arrived at the main camp. We stayed at the main camp for most of the time. One night, we caught, killed, and cooked a chicken. For some of us, including me, it was a first time experience that we will never forget even if we try. We played pioneer games, shot black powder rifles, and participated in a lot of pioneer events. There was a special evening when we found a place of solitude and read our scriptures for a good hour or two. The last day, we hiked for a couple of hours to be reunited with our families. It was such a great experience, so good that I went again when I was 17. Since I remember the events from the first time, I was much happier. I smiled the whole time when the sisters had to pull the wagon by themselves. Our brothers had to step back and watch us pull and push the wagons by ourselves. This was to remember those women who continued while their husbands were serving in the Mormon Battalion. I knew when it would happen the second time, I smiled at my sister's to give them hope. We were unable to talk to each other, so smiling was the only way I knew to communicate with them. When this time was over, our brothers gave us some flowers that they picked along the trail. We stopped and sang "Come, Come Ye Saints". It was a great moment to reflect on what our pioneers did for us and their great sacrifice. I was so lucky to have gone on the Pioneer Trek twice.

Phoenix Zoo

On New Year's Day, our family went to the Phoenix Zoo. It was so fun to spend the day with the family. We went in the afternoon and we able to see the animals in a different light. The first animal we saw was the Elephant. We were pleasantly surprised that we could see her so clearly. Usually we can't get a good view of the elephant. She was eating some grass and playing with some poles. She was very active and fun to watch. There is a new path to see the elephant close up. The kids enjoyed watching the elephant get the grass with it's trunk and eat it.

The Monkey Village is always a hit with my kids. They were jumping from tree branch to tree branch. One monkey even jumped over our heads. They were so busy, it was hard to get a picture of them holding still. We could have easily stayed the whole time just watching the monkeys.

Jim and the kids watching the monkeys.

The tiger was very active at the zoo, usually we catch him sleeping. He pulled a metal keg up a hill with his jaw and paws. It could a lot of strength and effort to get it up the hill. He had a huge audience at this point and became very protective of the keg he pulled up. It was incredible to watch this powerful animal haul around the keg. It was the highlight of the zoo trip for me.

Jim and the kids climbed the look-out point to get a better look at the Savannah exhibit which include the giraffes, ostriches, and other animals. The exhibit is very large and it's neat to see it from up high. My kids can't resist running up to the look-out post.

Before we head on home, the kids wanted to play in the tree house. It's on awesome playground that my kids love to visit every time we go. Angela ran into the tree house, slid down the slide, and then ran back into the tree house. She must have done that a dozen times. Dani, Josh and Emily explored the tree house, and the creeks surrounding it. It's so fun to watch our each child plays differently.

It was such a fun trip to the zoo. Spending the day together is a great way to start off the New Year. I hope to spend more time with my family this year. It's going to be one of my many New Year's Resolutions.