Sunday, December 30, 2018

THE ONE AND ONLY


I need to just go one time to a movie, by myself.

If I can do it just once, I'd probably do it again.

I rarely go to a movie.
I wait to be invited.
It's weird, cuz I go to soooo many things alone!

2017, not one single movie.
2016, I went to "Sully" with Renae and Rob,
 and "Moana" with some of my family.

I used to go to 2 or 3 movies a year
with my team while teaching.
At the time, we were all single.

My favorite movie time was the year Renae
was being an aide on the bus
(her career for about 5 years after retirement
from teaching) and while Rob was still working.
We swam everyday during her morning break from
the bus, and went to a few movies.

Well, here is my  one and only movie for 2018:

Yup.
"The Greatest Showman."
I went with Renae & Rob on January 24
for Renae's birthday.
Everybody was talking about it on social media.
They all RAVED about it!!!
So many school faculties performed this at their
dance festival, with the principal as the "Showman."
Many people went several times to see it!
I could hardly wait!

The movie is about "Circus Man", P.T. Barnum,
and how he began his circus.
Renae cried almost all the way through the movie.
She was soooo touched!

I did not get it!
Because of all the hype on social media,
I was expecting this fabulously phenomenal,
earth shattering movie!
I was sooooo disappointed!
I definitely didn't feel all the vibes that
everyone else did.
I did, however, purchase the album on iTunes,
and downloaded it to my phone.

And, there you have my one movie review for
2018.

But, I could not count how many
movies on the Hallmark Channel that I watched!!!

TWENTY EIGHT IS GREAT


CJ is 28 today!
Now, he and Katie are the same age.

Katie
10-3-90

CJ
12-30-90

Katie and CJ have now known each
other longer than thy haven't!


CJ is our basketball player.
He has played:
 4 years at Pleasant Grove High School
4 years at the University of Washington
Drafted #28 in the NBA 1st Round
2 years at LA Clippers
1 year at Orlando Magic
1 year at Portland Trailblazers
Various G-League Teams

CJ started the year with the Indiana Pacers
First day of practice, torn achilles heal!
Season ending injury.
Had surgery in September, rehabbing in Indianapolis.



Wednesday, December 26, 2018

WINTER BREAK LUXURIES FOR TEACHERS



SOOOO TRUE!
EXCEPT, I WOULD TAKE OUT #3, 
AND REPLACE IT WITH
"DRINKING A DIET COKE BEFORE IT GOES FLAT!"

Saturday, December 22, 2018

FAMOUS IDAHO POTATO BOWL

The BYU football team qualified to participate in a bowl game!
It was great, especially after missing last year's!

Which bowl game???
Yup.  That bowl game!

BYU beat Western Michigan
49-18

Freshman quarterback, Zach Wilson, was
PERFECT!
16 for 16 passes!
When Tanner Mangum came in to finish up the game,
he too, was perfect!  
2 for 2
AMAZING!!!
(Doesn't he look like he's in jr high?)


And what kind of trophy do you get for winning???

Thursday, December 20, 2018

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

THE BOOK OF MORMON CHALLENGE

The prophet of my Church,
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,
President Russell M. Nelson
(he did my dad's open heart surgery in 1979),
gave the women of the Church a challenge.
To read the Book of Mormon by the end of 2018.
The challenge?
He gave this at the Women's Conference on October 6!

Of course, a chart breaking down the Book of Mormon
so you could see how much you needed to read each day
to finish by the end of the year, magically appeared on social media.
I had to have it!  

I kept track of my daily reading.  I used a color pen every
time that I finished a square.
I put the date when I finished a row, and a date in the box
when I finished a "book" of the Book of Mormon,
along with a temple sticker.

Here is my breakdown by rows, and books.
Row 1:  October 7 - October 11
Row 2:  October 11 - October 15
Row 3:  October 16 - October 18
Row 4:  October 18 - October 24
Row 5:  October 24 - October 29
Row 6:  October 30 - November 6
Row 7:  November 7 - November 18
Row 8:  November 19 - November 27
Row 9:  November 28 - December 6
Row 10:  December 7 - December 12
Row 11:  December 13 - December 15
Row 12:  December 15 - December 17 + 1

My longest row was Row 7 . . . 11 days:  November 7 - November 18  
(Alma 22 - Alma 41)

Books in the Book of Mormon
1 Nephi:  October 7 - October 11
2 Nephi:  October 11 - October 17
Jacob:  October 17 - October 20
Enos:  October 20
Jarom:  October 20
Omni:  October 20
Words of Mormon:  October 20
Mosiah:  October 20 - October 28
Alma:  October 29 - December 2
Helaman:  December 2 - 10
3 Nephi:  December 10 - December 13
4 Nephi:  December 13
Mormon:  December 13 - December 15
Ether:  December 16 - December 17
Moroni:  December 17

I finished 6 books in one day each:  Enos, Jarom, Omni.
Words of Mormon, 4 Nephi, and Moroni
The longest book?  Alma: 35 days (63 chapters)

Here's my chart:

I read all of the Book of Mormon on my phone.
About 1/3 of it was read with the audio on the phone.
(It's nice to hear how some words and names are REALLY pronounced!)

The last time I read it on a timeline, was a challenge from
2 prophets ago . . . President Gordon B. Hinckley.
It was from August 1 - December 31, 2 months longer than this one.

The shortest time I read the Book of Mormon was 24 hours.
I was a junior in high school.  
Our Seminary had a Book of Mormon read.a.thon.
We started Friday afternoon at 4:00 and finished
Saturday afternoon at 4:00.  
They played the tape on the building speakers.
They also supplied us with dinner, breakfast, lunch, and snacks.

It was hard, and I'm pretty sure that I slept through some of it.

Sunday, December 16, 2018

CHRISTMAS DANCE RECITAL


Saturday, December 15
Another Dance Showcase Company
Christmas Dance Recital

Camille, Ashley, Heidi, and Katie
all took dance lessons here.

Now it's the 2nd generation.
Courtney, Jaycie, and Camry.

(Addie is now taking gymnastics,  Haley and Lily
took clogging, now basketball)

"Miss Janet" worked with me at the temple.

All 3 girls were in the same dance.


Camry & Jaycie

Jaycie, 13   Camry, 13   Courtney, 18

Camry & (Great) Aunt Ann

Courtney & Aunt Ann

Aunt Ann & Jaycie

Aunt Ann & the girls

(Great) Grandma Dixie & Camry

Grandma Dixie & her first great grandchild, Courtney

Grandma Dixie & Jaycie

Grandma Dixie & 3 of her 11 great granddaughters

Jaycie & Ashley

Santa & Addie, 8

Santa & Preston, 11 (on December 28)

Santa & Ryker, 3 1/2

Kelly Family with Santa

Mitchell Kiddos with Santa

"The Gang"
(Minus Grandma Dixie, who was being helped out to
car with Chris and Aunt Ann)




Saturday, December 15, 2018

SIX STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS . . . SO FAR



Lone Peak High School has earned
6 state championships so far this year!
SIX!!!
Boys Golf
Girls Soccer
Girls Tennis
Marching Band
Girls Volleyball
Football

#PowertothePeak

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

ANOTHER REMODEL


I wrote the following post in October, 2014.
It was for the 100th anniversary of the
Alpine Stake Tabernacle.

Not long after, the Tabernacle was closed.  Again.
I thought they were done in 2014 for the centennial!
This time, it was earthquake, roof, and interior upgrades.

Our Stake Conference was held December 9, 2018
at the Tabernacle. 
(Our visiting general authority was Kevin J. Worthen, president of BYU!)
 I have pictures of the newly remodeled interior at the end of this post.
(The bathroom is another story.  We were told you can
now go to the back, and there are new stairs leading down
to the bathrooms.  None upstairs.)

When the first LDS stake was created in Utah County, it was called the
"Utah Stake."
In 1901, the stake was divided in half.  
The southern half from Provo south, became the 
"Nebo Stake."
From Orem north, it was the
"Alpine Stake."

The Alpine Stake Tabernacle construction began in 1909,
and was dedicated in 1914...100 years ago!

The last year and a half, they worked on the exterior of
the building, and getting up to "earthquake code."
They also made the parking lot bigger, and put the
handicap parking next to where you go up the stairs.

The tabernacle is so special to me.
I was baptized there, heard general authorities speak,
went to dances, and graduated from 
LDS Seminary and high school in that building. 
 Stake Conference was always held there.  When I was younger,
it was held quarterly, rather than semi-annually.
I also played the piano for probably over 100 baptisms...between
being Primary pianist, or in the Presidency.
(A little side note.  It was always a goal to graduate from high school
with honors.  The reason?  Honor students got to sit in the choir seats.
The pews, at that time, were hard.)

On October 11, they had an open house where you could tour the tabernacle.
Our stake was in charge, since the building is in our stake boundaries.
The tour started in the baptistry.
Brother and Sister Pratt, as well as the missionaries, taught here.
This is where my dad, Reid, and I were baptized.
I was baptized November 5, 1966, by my dad.
I was confirmed November 6, 1966, in the American Fork 10th Ward building.
(Currently the Northampton House.)
"Uncle Cecil" confirmed me.
Next, we went to the Family History Center.
This used to be a big room, where we had dances and dinners.
There was also a stage.
Bruce Frandsen taught here.


Our next stop was in the choir seats.
President Kane was our teacher.
 These are some of the large photos on display.



 First funeral



Plans for the organ


This was the Tithing Office.
I actually had my Patriarchal Blessing in this building.
The Patriarch was A.B. Allen.
He was one of my dad's high school teacher.
The date was May 4, 1974.
I was 15 1/2, and finishing my sophomore year. 



In 1971, vandals broke in, threw pews over the balcony,
and bashed the organ pipes.
My classmate, Kevin McDonald, was in the group before me.
His dad, Ward McDonald, was the caretaker.
He said they packed the dented pipes...one at a time, to Tri-City Ford.
Their men pounded out the dents! 


This is the amazing ceiling.
Each square was a "tin" square.
When they were first mounted, the squares were all different colors.
Sometime later, they were painted white.

Ceiling and balcony

View from the back

Main door



New sign

 East Entrance

West Entrance

And, now . . . December 2018.

New Carpet

Ceiling
I think this is the most beautiful!

All the lights makes it feel like a 
turn of the century
theater!



I don't know if this photo is an accident,
but, the pews are the same!


The "stand" is much different.
The "show house" cushy seats have been removed.
Instead of the STEEP steps to climb, there is a gradual incline.
Then matching pews have been installed.