One Amazing Man

Jerry Washburn

If you read Facebook, you've already maybe seen me comment about this but he has been on my mind so much today. This is my mission president. He presided over a few hundred missionaries in Southern California from 1993-96. I have so many memories of time spent listening to him counsel, speak, and teach. He sat with me privately on several occasions and counseled with me and helped me keep things in perspective. He taught with the scriptures - he compared them to our lives and helped us relate them to what we were doing. My scriptures have his name written in them over and over referencing times he spoke. When my cousin was killed in a car accident, he came personally and found me at a meeting I was attending. He was so kind and so compassionate in such a difficult time.
I love this man. I have never met a better person. Ever.
Til we meet again Prez...

Fall is Good

D-Man has developed some serious ball skills over the summer. Now if we can just get him to PASS the ball occasionally, we'll be in business.
If you know me, you know I'm a summer girl through and through. I like it HOT (preferably on a beach somewhere but either way...) But, definitely next in line is FALL. Love soccer season (even when my team is getting it's collective you-know-whats kicked by a bunch of 20-year-olds). Love college football.  Love Halloween.  Love Thanksgiving.  Love the color...

602

Mariano es Numero UNO!

Late Night, End of Summer, Day-Before-Survivor-Premier Ramblings...

I know I turned over a new leaf back in April in which I committed to blog weekly.  It lasted until June.  Yep - I still suck at follow through.  BUT, as I've blog surfed a bit tonight, I realize some people whose names rhyme with "Smastian" haven't blogged since 2008.  I know, they've had a new baby... or two... whatever.
Quite a bit has happened since I last posted.  Some of it life changing.  For real.  But that's not what I'm blogging about, mostly...

TREK

BB and I got the privelege of being 'Ma' and 'Pa' to eight of the most amazing kids we could ever hope for (one of them is not pictured - he got there late).  I concluded that our stake leaders had NO confidence that we could deal with problem kids because they gave us a dream family :)

Last day dirt - that was the best shower EVER...

We got home from Trek and literally dropped our stuff and repacked to leave the next morning for Northern Cal... Again.  Definitely starting to feel like home. D-Man taught some guys on the beach how to really play football

The kids braved 'real' Chinese food in Chinatown and found out it wasn't half bad...

Once we arrived back home, D-man partied with his soccer team

Anushka started sewing lessons. She made this skirt on her first try. It's especially miraculous because it took her mother not one, not two, but TWELVE tries to make a flippin' book cover. No lie.

School started up way too soon (July 25)

Anushka with her buddy Emily on their way to school

D-man with a couple of his good pals Isaac and Sophia...Yep - they're eating doughnuts.

Gotta tell ya, I'm liking the 'burbs.  Growing up downtown, we never had neighborhood 'first-day-of-school-doughnut-breakfasts'... I do remember getting my lunch money stolen from some big kid in the neighborhood.

I love this pic of the parade of kids and parents on their way to the first day. 

We also did a little camping up in the Uintahs with BB's, parents, big sis and her family.  We had a great time hiking Bald Mountain

That's D-man up there in the cowboy hat

Love this state we live in.

They didn't catch anything but found a couple dead ones that made the day exciting

Last time we were here, Anushka was about 18 months old so she wouldn't pose in the hollowed out tree...

GO DAWN!!

(Photo courtesy of NBC's site where I ripped it off)

So the reason 'Survivor' is in my title is because my friend Dawn is a contestant this season.  She was already a rock star in our neck of the woods and now everyone will understand why...  She's smart, energetic, hilarious and you should see her flex those guns (I hope she does it on tv). 

OK good night now...