"Rilla" two.

I had to pass these along. I don't know how one person can have 10 (nearly 11) of the most beautiful, charming, intelligent, and lovable grandchildren on the planet. I must have done something right before I came here to be so blessed. By the way, who does the little imp in the middle remind you of? Hmmmm. . .
My finals went well and I can't tell you what a faith promoting experience my math class was. I came away with an A in that class and it was not through any brilliance on my part. I was carried through that one, like I am in all of my classes. It is incredible what can happen when we have the Lord on our side.
Merry Christmas to each and every one of you and know that you are thought of with love in St. George.

Can you tell what is on my mind? My last final is tomorrow and it is in - you guessed it - math. I have been calling on heavenly tech support all semester and I have to say their customer service is awesome!

Good Friends at "Best Friends."

Some of our very good friends from the temple are Betty and Truman Lynch. They live in Kanab, so on my day off school we decided to go for a visit. They were wonderfully hospitable and showed us all the local sights. One place they took us was called "Best Friends Animal Sanctuary." Some type of group bought a huge section of Kanab canyon and turned it into a posh animal shelter and cemetery. Betty went up once to adopt a puppy for her grandson but was not admitted because she didn't have an appointment. She was sent away with the proper forms to fill out and told to call and arrange for a time to be interviewed. The papers were as in-depth as adoption papers for a baby and even required that one of the employees come and inspect the prospective home. Needless to say, she went to the local animal shelter and picked up a dog. The cemetery was something to see. It was a huge, landscaped, wind-chime filled park complete with alcoves for urns to hold doggie's (or kitty's) dusty remains. Now, don't get me wrong - I happen to be a pet lover, as my kids can attest to, but by the looks of the organizer's home located in the distance this pet sanctuary is BIG business. It also is a very secretive enterprise and leads one to wonder if fido is a ruse for something much larger. Employees come from all over the world and never fraternize with the locals. Since the establishment of "Best Friends" a curiously all women development is building up just outside the city limits. Hummm. . .
All in all, we had a memorable time and I would encourage anyone to go out of their way to visit this lovely little Utah town.

This weekend was the annual St. George marathon and it was a memorable one. Friday night Barry Johnson, Garth Masterson, and Jerry (a friend of Barry's who has run - and won his division in most- 80 marathons) came over for a carb-loading dinner. We had a great time eating and watching the Louisiana/Utah game. David/Emily, and Jonathan/Gina got here about 9:30, had a bite to eat and we all headed to bed. Saturday was Kent's 20th St. George marathon and he was so pleased to have accomplished this goal. On our way there David found out, first hand, how nice (and forgiving) the St. George police are. The weather was a perfect fall day, with just a nip in the air. Kent looked fabulous as he crossed the finish line. Later, we all attended the Runner's dinner where they recognized the 10 , 20 , and 30 year runners. It was nice (a little underwhelming for such an accomplishment!) but the company was what made it wonderful. We went to Kristen's for a while to play Wii and David/Jonathan got hooked on the boxing. Emily, Gina, and I excelled at bowling (my humility is showing - you'd think I was a guy!). Kristen had a house full of company (24 while we were there and everyone was staying overnight except us) so we didn't stay too long. Dinner with the kids on Sunday and General Conference added icing to a scrumptious weekend. Congratulations Kent! You are one incredible man (and sexy too - just ask Gina!)

Reflections on my Math Test

How did my test go, you ask? Well, suffice it to say that I now have something in common with Edison. Unfortunately it is not in the intelligence department. Edison said that he never had a failure, just a multitude of opportunities to find a way it doesn't work. Well, I had the same success on my last math exam. Nearly half the answers were new revelations on how numbers shouldn't be combined. To put it simply - my light went out. How can I be so philosophical about the first test in my life that I have actually failed? Well, this is only the first test that was graded by a fellow human being that I have ever failed. I think there have been many instances where my heavenly professors are shaking their heads and wondering aloud -"do you think she will ever really get it?" Hopefully the Lord allows a lot of extra credit. Hmmm....do you think that is where the Atonement fits in?

The Nelson family recently gave me a gift certificate to Bear Mill - St. George's version of Build a Bear. We went there for Chelsea's birthday and had a great time. I had recently visited the Golden Compass site and found that my daemon is a fox, so naturally, that is what we built. Kristen named her Roxy the Foxy Coed and we put a little letterman's jacket on her. I bought the DSC pin and Dixie College socks at the bookstore and she now adorns my bookcase sitting next to her hiking bear counterpart. I haven't received the words of wisdom that a daemon is supposed to supply but she brings me a lot of joy. She reminds me of the fun part of this school experience, and as my stomach has a tendency to knot up Sunday nights in anticipation of the looming school week, I need that.

Sometimes Do You Think You Have To Do It All?

I think that this picture just about sums up my first couple of weeks back in school. I have been overwhelmed and ready to quit because the load was not only heavy, but incomprehensible as well (I have a college algebra class and I could swear it was being taught in a foreign language). Upon self-reflection, blended with a fast, I realized that I had left the One who really does put the sun in the sky, out of the equation. I am not here to do it all myself and this moment in my life is less than the blink of an eternal eye. I probably had similar panicky feelings as I began 7th grade, kindergarten, or even learned to walk. I read in Corinthians today that "So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase." My professors plant the seed, I water with study - but ultimately it is the Lord who gives me understanding.
I can sit here safely in my office this beautiful Sabbath evening, basking in the afterglow of a Spirit-filled day and wonder how I ever feared. The trick will be to retain these feelings as I face my Algebra exam on Tuesday, Grammar exam on Wednesday (tell me again what an adverb is?), and Geography exam on Thursday (how many degrees does earth tip on its axis from the elliptical plane?).
I will post a picture reflective of my success in the future. Meanwhile, I keep chanting my mantra - and this too shall pass.