Sundance Sunday

After church one Sunday in September, we headed up to Sundance Ski Resort to ride the lift up to the top of the mountain. (All these pictures are from S's camera.)

Here we are on the shuttle:

 S and me on the lift:

 Our whole family is in this picture somehow. Can you spot us all?

 A furry little friend we encountered at Stewart Falls on the hike down:

We want our kids to know that there are many many ways to commune with their Heavenly Father and find joy in spending time together as a family. What a blessing it is that we live so close to such beautiful places -- the best of the Lord's creations. The kids love hiking and enjoying the view. While we were on the lift, S pointed to a spot in the distance and began telling me of the house he was going to design and build for me when he becomes an architect. Not too big, lots of windows, and a room for him :) Perfect.

Who Doesn't Matter?

"Those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind." -- Bernard Baruch

I really hate this quote. It sounds all fine and "I'm above caring what other people think." That sort of thing, but I really hate it. I hate it because everyone matters. Everyone. Everyone is trying, with varying degrees of effort, to be a good person or live a happy life, or get recognition or money, or just be noticed by one person. Or just to get through the day without bursting into tears or crawling back into bed hours before bedtime. Everyone is trying. It's part of being human that we try. I also hate this quote because aren't we all, at some time in our lives, the one who doesn't matter? Sometimes we're just plain clumsy. Sometimes we are intentionally catty. Sometimes we are judgmental with limited information. Sometimes we're judgmental with all the information. Sometimes we are just trying so hard and struggling with our own lives that we unintentionally hurt those around us...and thus become someone who doesn't matter to someone else. (Here's a quick disclaimer: This sounds all righteous and loving and charitable, but believe me -- I'm not always like this. Case in point: I almost rammed my car into the back of another last week while in a flaming bad mood. I didn't like his bumper sticker. It simply read: "boobies." Give me a break -- I'm trying too. :))

I guess this has all come on as a result of hearing that one of my amazing and wonderful friends feels like she has hurt one of her close friends beyond repair. That hurts me because maybe now she has become the one that doesn't matter to that friend. If that's the case, I don't matter to a lot of people. Don't even get me started on my high school friends who had to put up with my erratic mood swings, the odd and unbalanced behavior of my manic-depression surfacing, the petty judgements I made of them because I was young and naive -- you get the picture. And then my college years when I was fighting taking responsibility for myself and growing up. Or my early married years when I was trying to figure out life as one-half of J&E Judd, life as a new mom to a very opinionated baby, or even now, when I might be obsessed with running and just keeping my head above water.

All of that out, I am so grateful beyond words for the Atonement. I am thankful that I get to be clumsy or catty, judgmental or just trying, and still can come back from hurting friends, loved ones, passing acquaintances, or strangers because Christ took on their pains because of my actions, and he took on my pains because of immaturity and clumsiness. I hope that I can have patience with myself and patience with others. I hope those from my past will forgive me any arrogance I've shown them. I pray every day for humility. I hope those in my present and future will know that I mean them no harm, even if I hurt them unintentionally.  I hope that I can remember about those around me (even the guy with the unnecessary and vulgar bumper sticker), and that those around me can remember about me that everyone matters. I hope we can give each other the benefit of the doubt, be compassionate, and find ways to help each other when we are hurt.

...For Then I'll Be Baptized, You See

After a wild and crazy birthday party on Friday (pictures forthcoming), we went home and crashed. Bright and early on Saturday we made our way to the Stake Center where S was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints by J. Oh Happy Day!

Today Is The Best Day of My Life

Yesterday in Relief Society (the women's meeting of our 3-hour block), someone told of a woman in our ward (congregation) whose daily saying was, "Today is the best day of my life!" She said it to herself everyday of her life up until, and including, the day she died. Something about that really resonated with me. I've decided to make it my mantra. I think I want my awesome friend Brooke to put it in vinyl for every room of my house. This morning I wrote it in my journal three times in a row. S read it and asked why I wrote it three times. I told him that it would help me remember it and make today the best day of my life. Cynical S muttered, "So far." Maybe it needs to become our family motto.

I just love all that that simple sentence says. I love that it can lift my spirit, change my perspective, and alter my attitude as I strive to make every day the best day of my life. It encourages me to make the most of each day by working my tail off for my family, smiling at the kids -- especially when it's hard to, reading my scriptures and actively striving to feel Heavenly Father in all that I do. I'm excited to begin this lifelong experiment of trying to make each day "the best day of my life."

A Quick Random Post

I should have surgery more often -- I'm posting like crazy!!

Check out Jessie O'Neal's Photography Blog link to the left. She just posted some pictures from our session. Most of the pics there I've also put on my blog, but my mom will enjoy the one of her, my dad, and S. An interesting note about my sassy mommy -- this photo shoot was the first time in her ENTIRE LIFE that she'd ever worn a pair of jeans. She looks good, doesn't she?

Ward Conference was great today. I'm sure the 2nd and 3rd hours were terrific but I only heard the first. The theme was Joshua 1:9

Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

This scripture is my motto for the year. I'd like to be stronger in many ways, but spiritually and emotionally foremost. Courage -- much needed. And to always remember that God is with me always -- how will that change how I act? How I respond to situations with which I'm faced? Will it give me confidence and faith no matter what I do? I have faith that it will.

And regardless of whether or not you believe as I do, this is a good scripture and promise to keep in mind. There is nothing to be afraid of. Most of the limitations we face are there of our own making. It's a good reminder that there are no limitations, nothing to be afraid of, if we have faith.

And now to sleep...

It Is True

A few weekends ago was the 179th Semiannual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Due to the fact that our nieces slept over on Friday night and that H's attention span has yet to stretch, watching Conference on Saturday was, to put it mildly, a challenge. All 5 kids supplied with Conference packets, pencils, extra erasers (because H kept eating them off the pencils), snacks, and comfy places to sit, we settled down to watch. I didn't get much out of it besides the names of the speakers.

Sunday was a little better. J and I let the boys watch/play in the playroom while we listened in the living room. I absorbed just a little more than the day before, mostly observing that Sister Dibb sounded really cheerful while recounting the tragic story of the bridge. After lunch, I sat down on the couch to prepare for the final session and promptly fell asleep. That's right -- I missed Elder Holland's talk. I woke up in the middle of Elder Perry's and completely slept though Jeffrey R. Holland's talk. I'm ashamed to admit it. I did, however, just redeem myself by watching it (complete with ASL interpreter), and -- wow. That's all I can say. Wow. I understand now why it seems to have been the most popular talk of the conference. And I will try harder in April to stay awake through all the sessions!

The Time Has Come for Us to Part

On Sunday I carefully dressed the Monkeys and we walked 2 blocks to the LDS chapel. The kids were phenomenal during Sacrament Meeting! They've been holding out on me. Now I know for sure that they can sit still for an hour! You can be sure I haven't let them forget it!

S was a little hesitant to go to Primary, but O went calmly and without fear to class with him, so he was ok. When H saw that they had the exact bus in Nursery that they have in Orem, he had no qualms about my leaving him in the care of strangers. Sunday School and Relief Society were so nice. I first started going to the LDS Church in NJ where membership is, to say the least, not as vigorous as in Utah. I'd forgotten what it was like going to church in a smaller ward and how much I love it! Maybe one day...

On Monday we left Gallup at 7:30AM and arrived home at 4:30PM. Mom and Dad Kim came with us as far as Moab. It was such a nice week in New Mexico.

Grandpa Kim and O


Grandpa Kim and H


Grandma Kim teaching S how to play chess (like he needs to be any smarter!)


Grandma Kim and H (trying fruitlessly to get H to fall asleep)

My "befores" and "afters"

..., Part III

We started Friday in Gallup off by making homemade strawberry ice cream. My mom has this beauty:

It's the 1.5-quart model. It is a wonderful thing. When I got back to Orem I bought this:

It's the 2-quart model because, after all, I have a growing family of all boys and you can never have too much ice cream, right? At least that's what I'm telling myself! Homemade ice cream is a part of my childhood. My mom used to make it on our back patio in NJ in one of those wooden bucket ice cream makers. She'd pack it into a big round Tupperware and stick it in the freezer to get nice and hard. I remember the imprint of the circular lid on the ice cream when she took it off. It was almost always strawberry ice cream because my dad loves strawberries. Sometimes vanilla, rarely chocolate. Anyway, back to Gallup...

Ice cream must taste better all over your face. At least H must think so.

While waiting for the ice cream to harden the kids played around on the death trap my dad has in his living room. It's a couple of Little Giant ladders, some rope, pipes, and carabiners all strung together. The Monkeys lived true to their nickname.

We drove to Window Rock, AZ to see the headquarters of the Navajo Nation. In the same area as their government buildings is this:

It is a monument to the Navajo Code Talkers who helped win WWII. It's a solemn and sacred place for the Navajos. The history of the Code Talkers is fascinating.

Also in Window Rock is the

In it are many of the animals found on Navajo lands. Seeing how disappointed O was at not seeing the Albuquerque Zoo the day before, we decided to take a look. It was impressive.

This spotted owl was in an open enclosure. Its wing was injured so it couldn't fly away.

This bobcat was raised as a housecat until it got too wild and was donated to the zoo. Can you imagine the events that made the owners determine it was "too wild"?

On the drive back to Gallup H fell asleep. Here we are lunching at Denny's. Doesn't H look so snuggly?

On Saturday my dad had to work, so Mom, Boys, and I drove to Ramah to the Farmer's Market. It was tiny -- the town and the Farmer's Market. We bought a bag of cookies and some homemade bread. My mom also purchased a drum and some organic skin balm stuff. Then we drove through Ramah looking for the museum which we heard was there. Well, we blinked and were at the other end of town. Tiny tiny town. We did locate the huge LDS Stake Center with its massive satellite dish and then almost missed the museum.

Here is a statue of a Mormon pioneer woman that was in the yard of the museum. I took the opportunity to point out to my boys that the little boy weeding was probably 4 or 5 and that's what he had to do all day -- weed alongside his hard-working pioneer mother. There is then no cause for complaints when I make them weed for 30 minutes every day. All I got in response were blank stares. Then, "But he's a statue, Mom." Oh, my children...

The museum was filled with random pictures and objects donated by people in the town. Ramah was settled by Mormon pioneers so there were a lot of pictures of the Presidents of the Church, pictures of Pioneer Day celebrations (the 24th of July, the day the Latter-Day Saints entered the Salt Lake Valley), some sacrament trays, shoes, stuff like that. My favorite were the ancient canned jam and green beans that some ladies found in their mom's home after she passed away. They were cleaning things out and decided to donate some of their mom's things to the museum. What will I have when I die that my kids will think belongs in a museum?

When we got back to Gallup the boys talked their grandma into getting into the pool with them. Aren't they all so cute (Grandma Kim included)?

...Part II

On Thursday Mom Kim, the Monkeys, and I drove to Albuquerque (two hours East) to see Rita, a friend from high school. We went to the

"Sandia" means watermelon. The mountain is called that because when the sun sets and reflects off the rock, the whole mountain turns pink and looks like an enormous watermelon. The tram is the longest one in the world. It was lots of freaky fun.


Here S is trying to avoid the inevitable ear-clogging that goes with pressure changes. He is why I buy gum from Costco.


This is at the restaurant at the top of the mountain. It is called High Finance. The food was yummy, but my boys were more occupied with catching two enormous moths which were flying around the window by our table. By the end of the meal they had succeeded in catching them and entrapping them in the air vents in the window sill. Isn't Rita gorgeous?



After lunch we hiked around a little and followed a trail that gave us some beautiful views. They'll be easier to enjoy once the boys are older and I won't be so freaked out about them falling off the mountain!





Once we were safely down at the bottom again we found the Albuquerque LDS temple.

Due to the fact that there were at least 3 huge dead bugs floating around in the fountain, it was a struggle, to say the least, getting the Monkeys to turn around for a picture.



But we succeeded in the end!


It was HOT that day, and since grass is scarce in that part of New Mexico, we all took the opportunity to lounge around on the temple grounds. Very pleasant.


After locating a Bed Bath & Beyond and buying my mom her much-desired cherry pitter, we picked up Rita's husband Sne and toured the climbing gym where my parents go. It's huge! The Monkeys were especially fascinated by the overhang that was 40 feet up in the air and the "Fall Zone" that was down on the ground below it. It prompted all sorts of questions: "Why is there a 'Fall Zone'? Do people actually fall from way up there? Why do they have it go over like that if people could fall? Don't they know it's not safe?!?"

And here is a picture of one of Sne and Rita's cars. Oh blessed New Jersey license plate. It immediately made me homesick!



Rita and Sne. It was so nice to see her again. I'm afraid that when I left high school, my only intent was to be out of there and away from NJ. That Dixie Chicks song, "Wide Open Spaces" totally used to make me cry with the profound truthfulness of it all. I've grown up enough to know now that I was only running away from myself...hmmm, but that's a whole other post. Anyway, it was so nice to see Rita and remember that I do have friends who aren't white Mormon housewives. (Don't get me wrong, white Mormon housewife friends, I love you all dearly!) I'm so glad she's moved West and is only a 2-hour plane ride away from Salt Lake City. I hope she'll come see me soon!