Branson MO

We flew into Kansas City and stopped to talk to the good folks at the temple plot in Independence. One guy who's on the actual site, was an 84 year old apostle of the Church of Christ. He thought we were very misguided.

Mark and I went to visit our good friends the Roedel's in Branson MO.Rick Roedel is part of the construction of "Branson Canyon" We are thinking of buying a nightly/weekly rental cabin there. Branson is a "clean smaller version of Las Vegas" We saw 2 shows and had fun shopping. The Lake is beautiful and many homes have views of the lake or beautiful green ozark mountains.


This is Table Rock lake.

Sunday at the Park

Jensen loves this water/sand thing at the park. He can get really, really sandy and messy, he totes, soaks and floats things.



This is Jensen's Devious look. Shall we say that this look is seen around the house all too frequently. I say "please don't run down the hall at Penny's department store", he gets this exact look and he's off like a rocket.


Well, Dad and Dave bought me a plasma 58" TV for mother’s day. Well, it was to be for father’s day, anniversary and Dad’s b-day too! I thought the TV was for dad and I to snuggle on the couch and watch movies- but low and behold…..Dad wanted it for the Olympics! Dave was particularly excited to help us install it because we bought a blue-ray player (PS 3) that he can just happen to play games on. And, after watching a movie on Friday night---guess who was playing first thing on Saturday morning.

2008 Eclipse SE

My Nissan 350Z was a great car, especially with the top down in the spring sunshine. But, after a few slippery snow storms I decided to get front wheel drive. By leasing this Eclipse, I was able to pay off my car AND my graduate school loans and I estimate i will save about $1,000 a year on gas with the 4 liter engine. I really like the satellite radio-commercial free. And of course, the rims and the spoiler. The definition of a good car- your see it in the garage and you can't wait to drive to work.

Community College of Denver

This week was my last Thursday night class at Community College of Denver. I am so glad I’ve decided not to drive there in rush hour traffic any more. Even when I left at 4:00 it took a whole hour to get to down town and then, to add insult to injury, I got to pay $4 a night for parking. But, I really liked my students in that class. They were a kick. They were a little older with some life experience. A couple of women with children, a Mexican with an accent so thick you could barely understand him, a perky dental assistant, a lesbian woman who brought her partner 2x, a bi-sexual woman, a girl who had to break up with her boyfriend during the semester because he’s alcoholic and wouldn’t help her raise their kid, several enthusiastic Hispanic women and last but not least, Chad. Chad is a slight young man but wears a ponytail, glasses and has large self-esteem. In introductions, he let on that he hadn’t chosen a major. Another time he let on that he was attracted to emaciated women. I thought that was fascinating. He’s a runner and was one of the few who read the assignment and made great comments. I really liked him. And at the end of class he came up last night and said, “I liked this class so much, and he way you taught it, I think I’m going to declare Psychology as my major.” I was really honored. I was so happy for him; I had to stifle myself from saying…..NO! It’s really hard to make money in this field!

Counseling

Lily looking beautiful at McDonalds
Two little cousins in green church clothes.
Lucas looking like an angel at his name blessing and Sammy looking a little angry.

Sunday at the park with Jensen. Here's something to think about on the Sunday before Mother's day. I'm so thankful for a responsive, valiant, unselfish mom. I have a client who’s mom was a pretty good mom until the dad had an affair. Then the mom seemed to shut down and spent her whole day in bed, only coming out to make dinner. My poor client Lisa was abused by her brothers and basically had no parents. She fell away from the church during high school but ended up at BYUI and got a testimony, married a nice returned missionary who loves her and her big problem is she just wants a mom, didn’t have a mom and now her mom does all these awful things to get attention like start fights so bad the police have to be called and gets arrested for stealing right in front of her new LDS in-laws. The woman is a selfish narcissist who needs tons of attention, but can't give love herself. Lisa cries and cries every week that she’s scared of being a mom, she doesn’t know how to do it. She’s so afraid she’ll be a horrible mom like her mom was. We’ve talked a lot about the atonement and that if you put yourself in a position to receive revelation and inspiration, the Savior helps us overcome infirmities. So she started feeling inspired to write her mom a letter and tell her that she just couldn’t have contact with her any more. One night her husband and her talked until 2:00 am about how hard and sad that was not not have contact with a toxic mom, but it had to be done and the husband said “even Nephi was commanded to cut off Laban’s head in order that a whole nation not perish in unbelief.” Then he gave her a blessing and she went to the temple. In the temple she read the psalm of Nephi and felt like it was written just for her. It is amazing to see her changing and growing every week. I am so proud of her and so thankful for the atonement. I really do believe that miracles can happen through the atonement of the Savior.

It’s fun to have JJ here. We went to the park today. He talks more every day. He calls me baggy because he can’t say grandma. I don’t particularly like the whole baggy thing, that makes me sound ....well BAGGY.