Beneath the Wraps

            I did not get much out of conference this year as there seemed to be more distractions even though I thought the kids seemed to show more respect during conference as a whole.   We had the TV on just before one of the sessions started and six-year-old Gary came in and said, "Oh, it's just conference.   I have seen this already."             I am happy that there are recordings that I may go back to what I missed - and not just this year.   There are other years to review as well.   The year that my father died and was in the hospital over conference weekend - his last upon earth.   The year I was pregnant with Jenna - even though I was into my second trimester - I was still throwing up - practically my entire pregnancy.   And then she was born on conference weekend.           ...

            Love my three-year-old nephew.   He reminds me of Jenna with his sophisticated vocabulary and knowledge.   His parents said he is currently into volcanoes - claiming that they saw 18 on the way her and four since they arrived.   Jenna may have used the word "volcano" to mean hill or mountain, but volcano is much cooler to say as there are more syllables.             BJ also likes to jump and suck his thumb.   I wonder if he jumps over volcanic lava the way that Jenna used to - well still does at times.   What a great imagination!             Thumb sucking is hard to break.   We had used a food substitute called imitation butter to get Kayla to stop sucking her thumb as it was the only non-harmful thing we could find to put on her thumb that she didn't enjoy sucking.  ...

          Bill and Jenna both share a similar personality.   They enjoy pranks even when it is not April Fools - so I really don't know what makes it different from every other day.   At least Bill separated the two events that occurred on April 1st.                                                  retrieved from Facebook.  I thought it was hilarious             I remember having learned that the Julian calendar had originally started with April as the first month of the year but the other months were added.   History channel says "Some historians speculate that April Fools’ Day dates back to 1582 when France switched from the Julia...

          It really was cold outside on Monday and most of yesterday.   By the time Roland got off work, however, I started getting hot.   I opened both doors that lead outside, and had even stepped onto the back porch to breathe in the cool air.   Surely it's too soon to think about putting up the A/Cs - but I did sleep with two windows open last night.   Roland didn't seem to mind.   I noticed he wasn't coughing as hard this morning.                     When Jenna left for school, it was raining.   Not a hard rain as I have seen before.   And it actually didn't last.   Why do I always seem to get hot when it's raining outside?  

            When I was growing up, Ham and Potato Salad were on the menu during the Easter holiday.   I remember my mom saying she had made (or was making) a big batch shortly after Jenna was born (though she arrived eight days earlier than her due date - which was on Easter that year).   I was still in the hospital and mom had made arrangement for our oldest son (Ooki had lived with our family for his senior year but was living with another family when Jenna was born) to bring her the car seat and she fed him and everybody else in the family who had come for Jenna's birth.   What a rip-off!   I had to stay in the hospital with my newborn and would have rather had mom's potato salad than hospital food.               Mom packed some potato salad in a container and brought it with her the next day.          ...

            I don't recall it ever having been as cold in Oregon as it has been this past March.  We haven't had near the amount of rain as last year.  Except for the dew on the grass, I really haven't seen or felt a lot of moisture.  And yet the hills are a golf course green.  There have been times they've been capped with snow.  It has always been less than a foot, but in this part of Oregon, those few inches are enough to keep buses off the back roads.  Some of Jenna's classmates have missed a few weeks because of it.               I had told Kayla NOT to bring the trailer tent because the weather had been too cold.   They did leave the trailer in Utah - but not because of the weather. She said she was happy about having left it behind.  Apparently, the wind had blown for most of their travel here.  That was how it had been for us last June when ...

          I don't know how many courses my current instructor is teaching, but this is the third mod that I've had her.   At least the lecture is on Tuesday now instead of Wednesday, so that will be better.   But the subject is still accounting.   I actually slept through today's lecture.   She was late getting started and didn't sound almost done when I finally turned her off.   I still have to create my discussion post - but then again, so does the rest of the class.           Today starts a new mod.   My instructor kept referring to the things that had been discussed in the class last week - which I suppose is fine and good for those who actually took ACC322 last mod, but what about the members of the class who may have not even had an accounting class last mod?   She did say there were several names of students that she has been assigned to previousl...

            Bill and Kayla had planned on spending spring break with Bill's parents who live in St. George.   Their house gets quite packed with visitors when the entire family comes to visit.   They have five children and I think at least 5X that amount in grandchildren.   Bill had planned on getting the family a trailer tent to add to their comfort of an overly squished house.   But, evidently, Bill's parents either forgot or found another opportunity and booked for a cruise - that same weekend!           I don't know how long before spring break Kayla had contacted me to see if they could make their spring break getaway with us in Oregon.   What a fantastic birthday gift for Jenna!   I decided to keep it a secret - knowing they would have to leave before her actual birthday but would be spending time with us close enough (Jenna turns 14 today; the fam...

            Spring break is over for Jenna.   Her cousins don't need to return to school until Wednesday.   I gave Jenna the option of staying home today, but she doesn't wish to ruin her perfect attendance.   Plus I think she is wanting a break for the chaotic noise level that has been a part of our house for the last four-going-on-five days.   That's right, Bill and Kayla brought their three children for a spring break visit.   I didn't even tell Jenna - which I'm glad, as I had my dates wrong and had expected Kayla a lot sooner thinking her children had the same amount of spring break that Jenna did.             Funny thing, Jenna had asked if I would take her to the library on Thursday - which actually happened to be a part of my agenda - thinking that her cousins would be here already - but they were actually due to arrive that very day. ...