Hogan Family Reunion

This last Thursday the 21st we drove to Provo so Tiana could do my hair and we could do some AFTER MISSION CLOTHES SHOPPING. Yes Tiana is back! Really back! And her eye for beauty is back.
Then we drove up to Logan for a family reunion with the Hogans and stayed at the little Bear River camp there. It was so great to see my Brother's and sisters. Aunt Cindy and Aunt Carolee really went all out for special dinners and activities. They went mtn biking and shot shotguns. Tiana and I, and other cool sisters and aunts and girl cousins went an hour up Logan canyon to a beautiful spot and saddled up for a mountain trail ride. I had the coolest horse- D0llar, a large painted gelding who would turn with just a gentle squeeze of the knee. The sunshine in the aspens and the camaraderie. ahhh, it was a glorious experience. In camp we had a lot of good food and talked.
We we had a pirate birthday party for Sammy complete with a treasure hunt and the Fisher Price pirate ship. He is 4! Can you believe it! And he still wears size 1 shorts. When we played with the pirate boat, I wore my eye patch and said "Arr.... Mately drop that sail!". I started a water fight with water guns, but Rick, Beau (Carolee's son) and Andrew got me with water cannons so I was drenched.
Bryce brought his mountain bikes and Marcia's brother and wife and kids.


This last Thursday the 21st we drove to Provo so Tiana could do my hair and we could do some AFTER MISSION CLOTHES SHOPPING. Yes Tiana is back! Really back! And her eye for beauty is back.
We've been out visiting family in San Diego, Boston and Salt Lake and next week we'll be in Brek with Danica and Dave. That makes a whole month of no church in our ward. We have become one of those vagabond retired couples who are always traveling to see their children.

Two wonderful days in BOSTON

This is Faneuil Hall, "The Cradle of Liberty" The edifice was home to merchants, fishermen, and meat and produce sellers, and provided a platform for the country's most famous orators. It is where colonists first protested the Sugar Act in 1764 and established the doctrine of "no taxation without representation." Firebrand Samuel Adams rallied the citizens of Boston to the cause of independence from Great Britain in the hallowed Hall, and George Washington toasted the nation there on its first birthday. I found I enjoyed the archtecture much more after teaching Art history.

I don't remember Boston being this amazing or this fun (I think I was pregnant and sick the first time we went). We saw to little Italy-the north end and had canoli and gelato and saw the North Church and Paul Revere's house.
Brad and Celeste have been in MA all summer for his internship and Celeste has become is the experienced traveler in Boston....well with a little help from Tom Tom. Brooklyn has toured all over for 3 months with her mom and no experienced tourist is complete without her sunglasses.
Celeste and Brooklyn and I had to try on the Paul Revere hats. Did you know there were actually three guys riding about at night trying to muster up about 4,000 revolutionaries to oppose the British lobster backs who were marching to Concord to seize weapons there.
Dad is trying to look like Samuel Adams

An Olympics Widow

We went to San Diego last weekend to see Don. We had fun at Torry Pines State Park on Bogey boards in the waves and had some great Mexican food. Don seems older and more mature. He's in charge of 4 other marines now as a team leader and he seems to love that.



As many of you probably know, My husband Mark qualified for the Olympics way back in prehistoric times in the individual medley. So, the Olympics are an extremely important time to him. He bought this 58" Plasma TV so he could watch it in high def and surround sound. He has his table and computer 3 feet away from the screen. He laughs, he yells. He cries every time he watches Michael Phelps win a swimming medal I had to offer him food to get him to turn for this photo. He's still watching and it's 11:30 pm.

At long last! A table almost big enough for our growing family!

Dad was the superhero and bought me this new table for the dining room. (well I paid for some of it). I watched Craig's list for 2 months and went to lots of furniture stores. When I saw this on Friday, we made it up to Layfette the day it came on. You should have seen how Dad got the whole thing in/on the Exploder! The orig owners paid $8000 for it, it's a special order-copied from an antique. (yes that is egg and dart on the carved edge) I love the comfortable leather chairs and finally, we have one big enough for all the adults to sit at one table 9.5 feet long---well, until Tiana brings someone. Let's have "an after Austin gets home from his mission party" in Feb 2009!

Lily's first steps and Happiness

I’ve been working with SO MANY depressed people in counseling lately. They are depressed because their husband is really selfish, doesn’t love them and the kids and wants to leave the marriage, they are depressed because they are single, 30 years old and haven’t ever been on a date, they are depressed because their spouse is disabled and can’t work and they have to work 12 and 14 hours a day and they still get their house foreclosed on, they are depressed because of past abuse and feeling that God doesn’t love them. When a student at ACC gave a report on “How to have Happiness”, I was really intrigued and have been thinking about it all week.

There were 4 things that come from studies of 1000’s of happy people that have good habits that seem to contribute to happiness. It was interesting in these studies that wealth was not one of the factors that made people happy.

1. Close personal and intimate relationships. The happiest people are ones who are emotionally close to others. The happiest people have good, marriages.

2. Able to set goals and achieve them. Happy people get good things done.

3. Gratitude. President Monson is always talking about an attitude of gratitude. Being greatful for sunsets and baby steps and ripe peaches is a wonderful thing.

4. Service. Happy people are unselfish people.

So, I wondered. What is the spiritual component that needs to fit in with these 4? What is #5? Surely happy people are happy in part because of their spirituality and faith in God. I found my answer when I was working in the temple and found myself all alone in the Celestial room with this question on my mind. Section 88:68 says “you minds become single to God” 67 If your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light and there shall be no darkness in you.”

I really believe that is true. I’ve really seen people pull themselves out of depression by drawing close to Heavenly Father.