Andrew's 11th birthday

Andrew is now 11! 

He requested Chuck-A-Rama for his birthday meal, so he could eat all he wanted.

He had a red velvet cake that we took to Nona and Papa's house on the same night the cousins got their Christmas jammies.

 

He was supposed to have a birthday party when he turned 10, but it was in the thick of the pandemic before vaccinations last year. So in early December of this year, I said he could pick four friends for a late-over birthday event.

Millie and James made it seem like a bigger crowd. We had pizza and cupcakes with Mandalorian toppers Andrew helped me print out, cut out and glue to toothpicks. We went to three stores and couldn't find any Star Wars cake toppers.

We found this Baby Yoda piñata at the store, but he wanted to keep it, and asked everyone to be careful while whacking at it for the candy.

Ben's 14th birthday

 Ben is now 14! 

Here's his requested red velvet cake that we had at Nona and Papa's house.

And a kissing picture in front of one of Nona's quilts.

Here's a little "Heavy, heavy hang over thy poor head" action going on with a present.

Posing with his new shoes

The afternoon of his birthday, I took him to Target with other Student Body Officers from school. They were shopping for Sub for Santa families. I think he had a great experience, serving others and thinking about the things the other family needed and wanted to have a good Christmas. It made him feel more grateful for his own comforts.

And here are some throwback pictures to baby Benny and Benny-hana 

My brilliant career

(If anyone has ever seen the movie "My Brilliant Career," let me know. I had mixed feelings about it when I watched it in film class in college.)

My blog posting has slowed down as I've learned how to do my new job at Church News. For kicks, here are some photos from KSL NewsRadio.

Hosting the morning show pre-pandemic

Talking to Amanda from the side booth on October 29, 2021

Reflecting on my last day

Here are my new staff photos from the Church News newsroom upstairs in the same building, but in a completely different world.

And one taken outside

My brain hurt for the first two weeks as I learned how to use a Mac instead of a PC, learned the Google suit of products instead of Outlook, re-trained myself on AP Style and added in Church News Style, and learned all the new software and publishing processes. This week I've been training in web posting and I feel like everything has finally clicked! I'm faster and more confident. 

From the first day I felt a big difference in myself. I sleep better, I am less stressed, I feel so grateful for the chance to meet Church leaders and others who are working so hard every day to spread the gospel and do good in the world.

My beats are Welfare, Humanitarian Services, Latter-day Saint Charities and JustServe. But I have also written stories involving apostles and devotionals and Church members. And it is all uplifting! 

I hope everyone will get the Church News app, read online, or subscribe to the paper. 

Texas Trip

 In October, JB and Max flew to Texas to stay with the Richards cousins and go to a Texas A&M football game!

JB's cousin Greg picked them up, and their first stop was food. BIG FOOD TEXAS STYLE. Max said this was the biggest pork chop he had ever seen. 

Greg took his daughter Sabine with them to go rock climbing.

They also ate at Charlie's over the weekend.

And they were able to be with more of the Texas Richards family. L-R are Aunt Sandy, Uncle Malcom, Greg, York and Stacy.

A very happy boy.

Saturday they went on the lake with Greg's family. Max hit the water too hard and got a bloody nose but jumped right back.

Saturday night they drove to College Station and the stadium.

These Richards cousins are huge fans and season ticket holders for years. JB and Max say the stadium environment was incredible -- full of tradition and songs and yells and excitement.

And the Aggies won big, so that was really fun for them. They attended Church the next day and enjoyed  a great meal and more time with the Richards family. I picked them up that night as they navigated their way through our new SLC airport. This is definitely a trip they want to take again! It should be JB's dad's turn or Ben's turn to go next time.

Recent Recommendations

My Life Behind the Spiral by Steve Young

I kept reading out loud parts of this book to JB and Max (Max was reading it from the library, but he got busy with golf and homework and a new job so I took it over). I kept searching up clips from the old BYU and 49ers football games that he referenced. He talks about finding hope and faith while suffer from anxiety and struggling to find someone to marry.

The Slow March of Light by Heather B. Moore

Go get this book from the library and consider buying it to read again! It's based on the true story of a Latter-day Saint American soldier from Idaho who is drafted into the army and then assigned to spy in East Germany during the Cold War. I cried at the lessons of gratitude and forgiveness. I also felt even more grateful for the freedoms of our country.

Born Survivors by Wendy Holden 

A true story/non fiction well-researched account of three young pregnant women sent to concentration camps who hid their pregnancy and gave birth right as WW2 was ending. Their children survived. This was a horrifying and incredible read, all at the same time.

"All three of them should have gasped their last in that stifling space, cradled by their half-dead mothers. But Fate had other plans for them all." 

The stories before the war of how each young couple saw the slow changes taking over their countries were especially chilling, as I consider some of the freedoms that have been in danger in our day in our own country. These couples thought it wouldn't get worse, but then it did, and then it did again.

The Gilded Years by Karin Tanabe

A woman attends Vassar College around the turn of the century with a big secret. I ended up having to read the end then go back and keep reading because I was so stressed for her and needed to know what happened.

The Paper Daughters of Chinatown by Heather B. Moore

We read this for book group and it was incredible. The story of a mission home and the rescues they made of young Chinese girls in slavery.

Manor for Sale, Baron Included by Esther Hatch

I am finding that I really enjoy Esther Hatch's writing style and light wit. This one just made me laugh and have a good time. She writes other regency-era fiction as well.

Gregor the Overlander series by Suzanne Collins 

I finished these a month or so ago, and really enjoyed them all. Great read out loud books to Andrew and James. There's a whole world underneath New York City of gnawers, fliers and crawlers.

The Mysterious Benedict Society show on Disney+

Incredible style and cinematography. Clothing, color, food, camera angles -- very well done. We looked forward to watching each episode together.  And hello, The Emergency? Wow, it seems very much like what we are facing right now. Every message coming at us seems to be full of fear and doubt and despair. 

The Mysterious Benedict Society series

I'm now in book two with Andrew and James and it is very well done. I can see how they combined things for the show. And I now must do Constance's voice in an accent, if I can.

Turner and Hooch show on Disney+

Ben, Andrew and I would all watch this together on Wednesdays when new episodes were released. The writing was clever and had good layers, and the characters were brave and funny. I recognized a lot of actors from Hallmark and other Canadian productions. We were really hoping they would tie up one story line a little nicer, though! Seems like they are hoping for a season 2.

The Gingerbread Miracle - Hallmark

So far this year's Hallmark Christmas movies are so-so for me, but I enjoyed this one, like the Christmas Eve singing they did in Spanish as pilgrims going house to house looking for a place for Mary and Joseph. I really enjoy whenever a movie shows people living their faith. Many people go to church, and Hollywood seems to want to ignore that.

My Christmas Family Tree - Hallmark

Some plot holes but all around just fun. I smiled a lot, and liked how welcoming and kind this family was when they got unexpected news.

A Mrs Miracle Christmas - Hallmark Movies and Mysteries channel

This was poignant and I got teary-eyed. A woman (Caroline Rhea) comes to help a family struggling with adoption and grandma's health. Great line: "You don't always get to understand the why."

I've got more on my DVR and will report back!

Halloween

Introducing, a werewolf, Santa, and a bunny!

And Pennywise the clown!

Ben worked really hard this year with his fellow Student Body Officers on the Haunted Hallways event in middle school. His part was at the end, and he worked hard with me on his costume. We used a white pillowcase to sew ruffles on the sleeves and neck of an old white button down, and borrowed red felt from Nona. The white pants I found at the thrift store.

We went through the haunted area, and Millie clung to my neck the whole time. At the end though she smiled for this quick picture JB took with Ben, before Ben had to get set up for the next group.

Andrew also worked hard on his costume and did the whole thing himself. He glued on the cotton and said "Merry Christmas!" while trick-or-treating. He said there's nothing scarier than Santa, because "he sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake..."

 

James picked out the werewolf mask at the store and wore it constantly. For Millie's bunny outfit, I sewed the tummy on a grey shirt, and bought the ears and tail. When we took pictures I said, "Say cheese!" and she replied, "hop hop."

I was glad most of our neighborhood opted to trick-or-treat on Saturday night, just so that the kids wouldn't be tired on Monday morning. But we still had some trick-or-treaters Sunday night on the actual 31st and didn't mind giving out candy again.

Golf team

 Max was on the golf team this fall and really did well. He enjoyed it, too, and made new friends. Just like with tennis, he had only just started to get into the sport a short time before the season began. Max is naturally athletic but he works really really hard when he gets his mind on something.

We don't have many pictures of him golfing. It's different than tennis or basketball, because there's really no way to go watch the matches, unless you walk along the course and promise not to get in the way or make noise.

It was convenient that he now can drive. He would go to practice and back by himself.

Then last week was their banquet. The coach said some very nice things about our hard worker and kind son.

Seems like he's found a new lifelong sport!

A new job

After 19 years at KSL NewsRadio, I have the blessing and opportunity to grow in a new way.  I'm starting a new job at The Church News tomorrow.

I had been thinking since last June that perhaps it was time for me to use my time and talents in a different way. I have always wanted to uplift and inspire, and I feel the most fulfilled by those kinds of stories.  I was burning out in news and wondering if I could sustain the hard pace of constant deadlines and running around to breaking news without the lift that hosting shows or producing indepth pieces gave me.

I tried applying to different places over the summer, and nothing was coming together. I had a low point where I wondered if no one really wanted me. Then suddenly September and early October were a blur of interviews and second-round interviews and third-round phone calls, which led to job offers from several places. And they were all good places. It felt amazing to be wanted and to have options.

I also stressed a lot about choosing the right place for me and for my family. 

Then, as I was prepared to go in one direction, the editor of The Church News called and said she wanted me to join their staff.

This all came together while we were at the cabin during fall break. JB caught me pacing up and down the deck while on the phone.

I tried to be still and listen during this time. To trust in the Lord's timing.  I can get anxious and fret about decisions and impacts of my job's demands on my family. But for now, I feel like this is right. I truly feel that this can be a way for me to use my time and talents to help further the work of the Lord, by helping share what is happening with the Church and its leaders and all the good they do around the world.  I remember seeing The Church News on our table when I was six years old. My parents always got it in the mail, no matter where we were.

I had to make some painful phone calls to the other places, and I felt bad for disappointing them. I also felt bad telling my co-workers that I was leaving KSL.  I've been a little emotional the past week.  I started there when I was 21 years old.  I've had incredible experiences and reported on some amazing, crazy, insane, unbelievable, heartbreaking, beautiful, uplifting, and plenty of mundane stories. Being in radio was always my dream.  And it's ok to move on.  But I told my bosses I'm still in the building (The Church News is on the fifth floor). They can always call me.

Family pictures

I am beyond thrilled with our new family pictures!  Picking outfits and getting everyone to smile can be so stressful. But somehow it all came together really well this time.

We took the tripod to the cabin, and JB used his iphone and watch timer. And I really like the results! Usually we use the fabulous Katherine Wallin, but couldn't ask her to drive 4 1/2 hours to the aspens in Escalante. And if Valeri Anderson is in town, we adore her style, too. Both women are so great at getting our kids to smile and fantastic at photo composition and lighting. 

JB took practice shots to check the light and locations at different times throughout our first day there. Then Friday we gave it a go, telling the kids to look at the same spot and SMILE ON THREE!  

Then some other shots.

Max took these two one of mom and dad.

And I have to sneak this other picture in here from later on. JB says it looks like their engagement photos hahaha