October & November Happenings

I'm going to make an effort to do a quick "catch-up" on the events of my life during the past three months.
It will be brief, but definitely better than nothing!


In November Clive & I had a wonderful weekend of grandkids.
Mayci was ours alone on Friday night, so she and I enjoyed an evening in the kitchen making pumpkin muffins and snapping photos of one another. Saturday morning Clive picked up Jayden & Tegan and brought them back for the rest of the weekend. We played games, watched movies, and popped popcorn. On Sunday morning we loaded the car with kids and drove to Logan for the Primary program. Avery sang a solo of If the Savior Stood Beside Me with a Primary chorus back-up and Gracyn joined the Primary for a beautiful rendition of I Am A Child of God. We went back to visit with Mars & Mel and allowed the cousins to spend time together. It was a special weekend for a grandma and grandpa!

On October 31st a group of sisters-in-law met at the Layton Applebee's to celebrate Colleen's birthday. I don't often get to join in the fun, so having a day off of work was a bonus for me.
November 8th was Jayden's baptismal day. A massive crowd of family gathered to witness the sacred ordinance, shower him with gifts, and meet together for a luncheon. Clive and I had celebrated with him a week earlier by taking him to a Halloween play at the Sugar Factory Playhouse.
Later that day I spent a delightful afternoon at Lorie Jo's visiting with my Mom, sisters, and nieces. Jolene, Tara, and Amy were all in town for the weekend and I wasn't going to miss spending time with them!

As always, Halloween is a time for celebration in the Witbeck family.
This year we celebrated Mom's 84th birthday at the Deseret Star Playhouse
watching Scary Poppins. It was a laugh a minute and even more fun being in costume with family members.


The autumn season began with a bang watching Sheryl and Jayden perform with finesse at their Ward Talent Show.
October was welcomed as we witnessed Kevin and Kristen become endowed in the Jordan River Temple on the 9th and their marriage in the Salt Lake Temple on the 11th.
I woke Sheryl up on her 31st birthday by playing the piano, then celebrated that evening at Hale Center Theatre.
The Halloween season isn't the same without joining sister witches Mel, Avery, and Gracyn for an afternoon at Gardner Village!

GRATITUDE

During this week of Thanksgiving I've been thinking a lot about my abundant blessings.

These are just a few of them:

1. I'm grateful for a husband who works all day and still comes home and prepares dinner while I'm busy working on my projects.

2. I'm thankful for my sons-in-law, my daughters-in-law & for Kirsti who bring so much happiness to my children.

3. I'm grateful for technology which keeps me in touch with my children.

4. I'm blessed by the excitement of five precious grandchildren who like to spend time with their not-so-young grandma.

5. I'm thankful that my second mammogram proved that I was healthy after all.

6. I'm grateful for all the talents that my Mom passed on to me and the satisfaction that they bring.

7. I'm blessed to have a sister who dedicates so much of her time every day to taking care of our sweet mother.

8. I'm grateful for the peace that the Gospel of Jesus Christ brings to my life.

... and I'm truly thankful for all the blessings of life that are too lengthy to list here.

I'm Too Busy To Die!

Once again I find myself getting further and further behind in the World of Blog.

My days are full to overflowing, but with the holidays upon us I can't spare a moment.

The gifts must be completed on schedule.

One day soon I hope to make a huge update. Of course, all my news will be old and moldy by then, but it is really the best I can do. (Do you think I could take a paid leave of absence from my job and delegate my Relief Society calling to someone else for a couple of months?)

Refer to my post of September 11th. The story's the same!

September Showers!

Today family members gathered at Marisa's home to celebrate

the upcoming marriage of Kevin & Kristen.

We enjoyed one another's company, learned a little about how Kevin feels about his bride-to-be through music,

and used candy bars to give Kristen marriage advice.

And while we did so, we indulged in the sweet treat of a chocolate fountain and some fresh veggies and crackers.

Those attending included MacKenzie Love, Grandma Helen Jean Witbeck, Nancy Weekes, Cici Burrell, Marisa Jean Larsen, Jeneal Burrell, Gayle Barnes, Hannah & Kim Killpack, Sabra & Malinda Burrell, Grandma Edith Osborne, Sheryl Coe, Autumn Zarlengo, Wendy Killpack, Nell Howell, and Kristen & Virginia Reid.

Kristen was showered with wonderful gifts from kitchen appliances to sexy lingerie. Kevin arrived just in time to kiss all the bows out of her hair.

The wedding is just four weeks away!

ONE WORD TAG

I finished this tag on Wednesday, but it was lost in cyberspace when I changed the template on my blog, so these are today's answers. Amazing how some things never change, but others never remain the same.

1. Where is your cell phone? Charging
2. Your significant other? Sleeping
3. Your hair? Healthy
4. Your mother? Frail
5. Your father? Missed
6. Your favorite thing? Family
7. Your dream last night? Forgotten
8. Your favorite drink? Water
9. Your dream/goal? Exaltation
10. The room you’re in? Office
11. Your hobby? Quilts
12. Your fear? Water
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Happy
14. What you’re not? Sleeping
15. Muffins? Blueberry
16. One of your wish list items? Camera
17. Where you grew up? Hunter
18. The last thing you did? Blog
19. What are you wearing? Slacks
20. Favorite gadget? Sewing Machine
21. Your pets? Nope!
22. Your computer? Necessary
23. Your mood? Weary
24. Missing someone? Dad
25. Your car? Camry
26. Something you’re not wearing? Shoes
27. Favorite store? Kohl's
28. Like someone? Clive
29. Your favorite color? Blue
30. When is the last time you laughed? Today
31. Last time you cried? Wednesday

The Hurrier I Go ...

My beloved grandmother, Alverda Turner Hudson, always said

"The hurrier I go, the behinder I get."

Well, I'm understanding more and more the truth of this statement.

For the past month I have done nothing but

run, run, run ...

and I feel like I will never catch up.

One day soon I'll stop long enough to post some new blogs.

But, in the meantime, be aware that I'm still

living, breathing, and running!

Jo's Home Make-over

My sister, Jolene, is one of my very best friends.

We're as different as night and day,

but isn't it true that opposites attract?

Over the past 12 years Jo has gone back to school and received

both her batchelor's and master's degrees

and has spent 8 years teaching young minds.

I love my sister!

And I love to organize.

SO...

I drove to Henderson, Nevada, with my Mom to spend 8 delightful days

working side by side with Jo

while organizing her home.

We started the job by emptying the kitchen cupboards,

tossing a few old or unused items and then putting it back together again.

Mom occupied her time by doing some light reading in the telephone book.

(There's no explaining some people's taste in literature.)

Jo retrieved one of Neal's watercolors of our Dad in the Army.

Eventually we worked our way into the closet where Jo said a fond farewell
to two garbage bags full of clothing that she's been hanging onto
for nearly two decades!
We sorted and organized several bins of fabrics,
finding all manner of treasure as we worked.

As we gathered, sorted, tossed, and organized from one room to the next
there was constant laughter and we sang a song of liberation!
Change is difficult and letting go can be painful,
but we celebrated as we watched the garbage bags become filled with unessential clutter
...some that made its way to the landfill, and much that will be
donated to the nearest charity organization.

Jo and I managed to work in time to visit the local Curves club to keep in shape.

My nephew, Neal, and his wife, Stefanie spent several days at Jo's
before taking their cute girls, Madelyn & Lydia, and heading east
for art school in New York.

On Sunday my niece, Tara, her husband, Josh, and their five children,
Kayla, Kenny, Kara, Kimber, and Kami, joined the group for a BBQ.
I loved getting to know the kids better while watching them play,
engage in a pillow fight with Grandpa, and giggle while keeping a balloon airborne.

Rendal was on the family farm most of the week, but came home for the weekend.
He tells us that his shiner came from falling off a 6-foot ladder.

We three girls,
Mom, Jo, and I,
had a wonderful week together
and felt a bit of emotion when the time came for us to head home.

As I've contemplated the purpose of our tasks this past week, I've come to realize that there are few of us who do not have excess clutter in our lives. Perhaps William Morris was on the right track when he said:

Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.

Or Vernon Howard's words:

You have succeeded in life when all you really want is only what you really need.

I think I'll try to remember that as I begin liberating my own home, mind, & spirit.