When I grow up.....

I want to be a cheerleader, or a rock star.

This is what we learned at Esme's pre-school Open House today when we looked at her self-portrait.


I knew her grandmother would be proud.

Saturday Night Musings While the Men Are At Priesthood Meeting

I love General Conference! And today's sessions only made me love it all the more. Elder Holland's talk on words is sure to become a classic. And I'm sure Parable of the Pickle will be right up there with summer homes in Babylon.

The sister missionaries needed a ride, so I went to the stake center for the morning session. But I was looking forward to enjoying sitting in the comfort (?) of the family room, crocheting, snacking and watching conference for the afternoon session.

I was a bit late getting to it (busy making my peanut butter and jelly sandwich), and they were doing the opening song. When Elder Packer started talking about "this pulpit" and "coming in the south door over there" referring to the time he'd just been called to be a general authority, I was confused. (This is what happens when you let your subscription to the Church News lapse!)

Soon I figured out that they were indeed in the newly refurbished Tabernacle. As speaker after speaker reminisced about the building, I started a little reminiscing of my own. The Tabernacle holds a wealth of memories for Dad and me and for our family. There are not pictures to document most of those memories, but I did find one of me as a freshman at BYU going to General Conference for the first time. And another of a group of priests and Laurels we took up to conference in April of 1997. (and I'm not sure why the pictures I scan these days scan in tiny mode??)

But the Tabernacle is special for us because of the Messiah and the Utah Symphony Orchestra. Our good friend Ronnie Horton got us jobs as ushers for the Symphony - and they performed in the Tabernacle then. We were poor college students, but we got to attend some wonderful concerts where we heard world renowned musicians perform - all for the price of leading people to their seats. (And actually, it's kind of fun to usher. I always enjoy telling people what to do!)

And on our first wedding anniversary, we attended the Salt Lake Oratorio's performance of the Messiah at the Tabernacle - free tickets then were compliments of Walgreen's Drugs! I had never heard anything but the Hallelujah chorus before, so it was a great start for the Terrill Family Tradition of attending the Messiah each year.

But for me the most special memory of all is the one that recalls the time Dad left on his mission. I drove up to Salt Lake with Tom and Stephanie Moore and Genieve - before her accident. Back then, the prospective missionaries spent a week at the Salt Lake Mission Home. Those going to English speaking countries then left for their field of labor. Those learning Spanish and German went to the Language Training Mission at BYU. But before any of them left, there was a testimony meeting in the Tabernacle. Each missionary got about one minute I think. We were so excited to see Dad - and to hear his brief but heartfelt testimony.

Then the missionaries and congregation sang God Be With You Til We Meet Again! Talk about tears!! I still tear up when I hear that song - remembering how I wondered if I truly would ever see or hear from Dad again. (Our "romance" is a whole other story - you've probably heard it anyway.)

So I am certainly happy that the Tabernacle has been given a new lease on life. And happy to reflect on lots of happy times at the Salt Lake Tabernacle. And happy that there are another two sessions of General Conference tomorrow!

Friday Night at Enrichment

Last Friday night I was asked to speak at an Enrichment meeting in the Pasadena Stake. I thought a Friday night Enrichment seemed kind of odd, but they had about 50 women there, so I thought, "Well, it must not be odd there!"

Then I got a call Thursday night inviting me to the Birthday Enrichment meeting for the Chinese Ward in our stake - and it was tonight - another Friday!! I knew I was having a colonoscopy this a.m. but figured I could notify my counselors so someone would be there. Turned out no one was available, so I went.

I'd been told not to drive for 24 hours, but after sleeping most of the day, I felt fine. (And the test results were comfortingly normal and clear.) So, rebel that I am, I drove anyway! (Harry was working late - after taking off the morning to chauffeur me to and from the doctor.)

I'm certainly glad I went! The sisters there are always so welcoming; I truly felt like an honored guest. They even had me cut the birthday cake - I felt like the mayor with the key to the city or something!

After a lovely meal - with dishes that were way different from the Chinese New Year fare - and singing Happy Birthday and eating cake, they "played" a game. They had everyone's name on a slip of paper and drew them out. If your name was drawn, you had to get up and tell about a time that made you happy. Then you drew the next name.

The translator was excellent - she really communicated the feelings the sisters were sharing - and I appreciated that effort on her part. It was touching to realize that in spite of differences in language, culture and country of origin, when we are all Latter-day Saints, we are indeed "no more strangers but fellow citizens."

The stories the sisters shared - starting with the Bishop's remarks that it made him happy to realize what a great blessing Relief Society was in the life of his wife - were stories that could have been shared at any Enrichment meeting. Stories like gazing at a newborn baby girl and realizing that this little person was your very own daughter, coming to the hospital and seeing a first grandson who had just been born, praying for guidance and feeling like you had been heard, fasting for a special blessing and knowing the Lord had acknowledged your sacrifice, getting up very early and traveling to have the opportunity to meet the prophet, and loving your job and finding joy in it each day. Every one of these stories was followed by a sweet testimony that happiness comes from living the gospel.

A perfect end to a day that didn't seem to bode all that much of import. And tomorrow is General Conference, so I'm anticipating more spiritual feasting!

As time goes by . . .

So with everyone gone - the place is very quiet. And a bit empty looking. Our house isn't really empty - but it's had 5 extra people and a lot of their stuff here for almost a year, so it seems empty when the people and the stuff are gone.

So I'm feeling "driven" to sort and toss and find new homes for things. Two empty bedrooms have a siren call that draws me to their possibilities - and I'm alight with the potential here for a sewing room or a library or a work room or a guest room.

I've been combing the depths of my "office" and finding many things to sort and toss and find new homes for.

And I found this picture of the newlyweds Bonny and Bruce , and this photo of an unhappy Hannah at age 5, and this must be HFT in his dorm room. I found the blue plaid blanket too. I think these were pictures I sent Harry on his mission or he sent me when he was at school.

Who knows? Who cares? Who ought to be paying bills and taking care of current stuff?

Who'd rather blog?

And if this doesn't prove that time has indeed gone by, I don't know what does!

Hidden Pictures (ha, ha!!)

Took Dad a minute to notice the change.

I'm all about rearranging the house.

Dad said, "Well, we know you're not pregnant. So why are you nesting?"

A change is as good as a rest!

documented

Here's a picture of mom - just so you can know she was at the blessing.

Because if it hasn't been documented, it hasn't happened.

Practicing

More on the weekend -

I picked through the photos and decided that blurry was better than nothing - at least for posterity's sake. And I thought about all the blurry Kodak Brownie black and white photos I have in my collection - and they can still bring back memories for me.

So here's Eve and Noah in the talent show on Saturday at the ward. And Eve and Porter sitting with Grandpa at the talent show.

Here are some shots from the luncheon - as we were scrolling through them, Dawn and I noticed that in just about every shot, someone looked goofy! (Maybe there's a reason why I never post pictures of me - besides the fact that since I'm taking the pictures, I'm not in them!!)

There are also shots of the new car interior - looks mighty comfy to me.

And I realize this is a long stream of photographs, but I thought blogger was posting comments under different groups - and it's too late and I'm too tired to change it.

It was a lovely day - but like all lovely days, it's coming to an end!

The Man of the Hour

Harry William acquitted himself very well at his blessing today - he didn't cry!! (apparently Eve and Porter both cried when they were blessed and Harry F. was stressing a bit over it.)

Marcos and Nadinna blessed their baby too, so there were lots of visitors today - and it was fun to see many faces from long ago.

Both grandmas came, Donna, Mary, Heather and girls, the Shorts, my friend Beth from work, Dawn's neighbors, Susanne, Noah, our friend Greg, Bonny, Bruce and gang in their spiffy new car - but if you weren't there, we still missed you!

Saturday was a long, busy day getting the food prepared for today - thanks mostly to Marjorie!, and moving furniture from our house to theirs, and from the attic to the downstairs. Lots of their stuff is still here, but poco a poco things will come together.

And Saturday night was the Ward Talent Show - and Noah performed. Eve also sang with the Primary children. It was a pretty good show - there are indeed hidden talents in the ward. Dad and I took Eve and Porter so Harry and Dawn could get more done at their house. I don't know how late they were up - we were up past midnight!

I did a lot of driving between Lemon and Primrose - and Monrovia and Pasadena - picking Noah up and taking him back home.

There's lots still to be done, but they all slept in their own house last night. It went pretty well - Dawn commented that there were no mirrors and the outlet in the bathroom wasn't working so she had to blow dry her hair in the kitchen.

But the kitchen is great! We were all in their helping to get the food ready and we all fit! The stove is a dream, Dawn tried to install all the inside parts to the fridge but has some left over!!, and the dishwasher still needs to have the packing stuff taken out, but everything is coming together.

We had brisket as only Marjorie can make it, funeral potatoes, green beans and almonds, a great spinach, red onion, apple, almond salad, rolls that are right up there with Sister C's, glazed carrots, Texas sheet cake, pumpkin squares, cheesecake and real lemonade - we had to use up all that frozen lemon juice in the freezer somehow!

I'd like to report that a digital camera has made me a better photographer, but it wouldn't be true. I'm not sure why my photos of the talent show and the lunch today are less than stellar.

At least I got a good shot of the star of the show!

Last night Dad said, "When was the last time we were alone in this house?" I said, "Maybe when Noah went to Youth Conference 2 years ago?" Actually, we were out of town that weekend I think!

They couldn't find all the parts to Porter's crib, so they borrowed the crib from our house. And they took the bed from the guest room to put in their guest room - it was originally theirs. So we have a couple of empty bedrooms - but we will undoubtedly fill them up soon.

It seems amazing that's it's almost been one year since Harry, Dawn and kids came to stay - but they have a lovely home as a result, so it's certainly been worth it.

In the meantime, we are managing just fine - and the dogs are still here, so we're really not alone. And I guess we'll find out how well we'll do when we go on a mission!!

From Deep in the Heart of Texas

I don't know how deep El Paso is into the heart of Texas, but Bill and Marjorie arrived today with a UHaul full of furniture and such for the house. They brought Dawn's bedroom furniture and piano among other things.

This is the big weekend for baby Harry's blessing, moving into the house, the ward talent show, the fun never stops around here!

Stay tuned for updates!

Poco a poco

The floor guys came and finished yesterday - ask Harry - or Dawn - to tell you that story. I will just say, excuses don't cut it!!

Here are some more shots - Dawn scrubbing the bathroom, Harry in the boys' room, the great front and back doors, more kitchen shots.

Things are looking good.

Eve to Grandma "Will you miss me when I'm gone, Grandma?" Grandma to Eve, "Oh yes, we will." Eve to Grandma, "But you can come and visit!"

(Other Eve story: I spilled something on the floor and said, "Oh dear, what a mess I made." Eve said, "That's okay Grandma, I don't mind. And it's your house!")

We will miss them. But it will be fun to go spend time in their newly remodeled home!!

House Update

Harry and Dawn are busy wrapping up all the myriad of small - and large - details that seem to go into the finishing up of a remodel. They are close.

Here are a few shots - Harry's been documenting everything but really hasn't had time - or maybe inclination - to post. So I will give you all a teaser and then you'll want to come visit.

Or wait for a comprehensive post from Harry and Dawn.

I vote for visits!

What's up, Chuck?

You should ask Dawn about our ride to the airport yesterday. I have never been more grateful for an extremely prepared sister-in-law then I was in the car on the freeway.

Weekend Update

It's been a very busy weekend around here - Harry F. did Youth Conference Duty Saturday - had to work today. Phoebe was here for the weekend for former roommate Sabrina's wedding - and used Dad's truck for transportation - and it had a flat tire on her!! Dad and I went to Moab for the half marathon and 5 mile race. And Dawn held down the fort and tended all the kidlets - her usual duty, yes, but usually there are more of us here to break up the monotony!!

Dad and I "raced" back home for a baptism tonight - we left Moab at 6 a.m. and got here at 3:30 p.m. Stopped for church in Cedar City and for ice cream in Mesquite but didn't make any other stops. Traffic was light too - guess all the stars were lined up just right.

Dawn took Phoebe to the airport and I did babysitting duty. The fun never stops around here does it??

Side note on the flat tire - it happened at Target in Duarte so Phoebe took it to the Firestone Tire place behind the store - and they took care of the problem in 10 minutes and didn't even charge her for the service - give them your business if you have a need!!

A plethora of Kerksieks were at the race: Betsy, Jacob, Amy, McKay, Kirsten, Cruz, Katanya, Hannah K., Maddy. Our Hannah was there too - with her friend Allison - who fit right in and became an honorary Terrill.

Betsy, Jacob, Amy, Maddy, Hannah, Allison and Dad all ran the 1/2 marathon. Dad's time was better than last year when he took first in his age group but this year he came in 5th.

Hannah Terrill shaved 20 minutes off last year's time. And she was 20th in her age category - and that's a tough category too. Amy, Betsy and Maddy said they were pleased with their efforts. Amy and Betsy had some issues with shin splints but gamely finished.

Karl did what he said he thought he'd do, and Jacob's time was 1:39 something - and he hasn't run seriously for 6 years he said. He quaffed a box of donuts just before the race - carbo loading at its finest I guess! Allison had a good time; she was just behind Hannah.

Hannah K. was inspired to say that she wants to train and do the 5 mile next year!! Maybe we'll have a family reunion in Moab - any other takers? It's a fun place to be.

I did the 5 mile race - mostly walking - but I finished in 90 minutes (that sounds shorter than 1 1/2 hours doesn't it??) It was fun to have a bib number and everything just like the big kids!!

We had dinner Friday night at Eddie McStiff's - the place to be in Moab - and our good friend Greg Thomas joined us - he drove over from Grand Junction. It was great to see him.

The pictures are fairly self- explanatory I would say. The tattoos on Hannah T. and Allison were their special St. Paddy's Day touch. There was a definite "wearin' o' the green" theme everywhere.

Now it's back to work - Monday morning always comes around, doesn't it?? Hopefully the happy memories will help us leap out of bed, ready for more!!

Maybe you have to teach middle school

to think this is funny! Every teacher I showed this to laughed out loud. The students I showed it to were not sure it was funny - mainly because some of them really do dress this way!

Maybe they realized how absurd some of them look!

We can hope this fad will pass.

You can teach an old dog new tricks!

See my personal blog for details.

What's the neighborhood coming to??

Apparently this occurred right under my nose, but I was not paying attention. I drove to school on Monday, and you do miss a lot when you drive.

So Tuesday morning as I strode out, I almost tripped and fell in surprise at the change.

It won't be hard to guess what I am talking about!

Friends...Romans...Singletons

Matt forwarded me this e-mail from a DC-area LDS singles listserv he's still subscribed to from his single days in DC.

Friends--Romans--Singletons!

Did you just get new sheets and don't know what to do with the old ones?
Do you still have the Rome-inspired George Clooney haircut of the mid-90s?
Did you go to BYU and miss out on all the toga parties?
And most importantly, have you ever wanted to live (and party) like the ancients, except with Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado playing in the background?

If you can answer yes to any or all of these questions, then the Ides of March celebration is for you!

March 16th (technically, one day late; but rockin' like we’re going to rock just can't be done on a Thursday night)
810 Crothers Lane, Rockville MD 20852 (The Rockville House 2: Reloaded)
8:00pm-ish to whenever!
Price of admission: a contribution to the snack table.

We've got something for everyone:

Nutrimens et nectaris (food and drink)
Caminus (fire, specifically in the fire pit on our back porch)
Saltatus (dancing)
Filmi (there's no Latin word for "movies," so I figured Italian was the next best option)

Dress code: Togas and stolas. Did you know that Romans didn't just wear white togas? Why, all the colors of the rainbow are present in the ancient Roman fashion palette! So rip off that purple bedsheet and SUIT UP!

Someone's giving the Terrills a run for their money...however I'm thinking they probably aren't acting out the play. Maybe we should attend and let them know what a real Ides of March party involves.

Mission Call

Check Donna's blog for info on Adam's mission call.

I do need to learn how to do a link!!

Beware the Ides of March - 40th Anniversary Style

We held the annual Ides of March party on the 40th of February - aka March 12th - and a wonderful time was had by all.

Each year it's different - but some things stay the same. Mrs. Davies brings ice cream, Monrovia Pizza Company does the main course, I make a big salad, invited guests bring sodas and fruit, and the Girl Scouts supply the cookies.

And we sing "Because I Have Been Given Much." And we were very thankful to have Bishop Combe tickle the ivories for us - last year we had to sing a cappella! (The red line keeps showing up under the word, but I checked the dictionary!)

You can see from the group photo that we had a good sized group. Last year we only had 9 - and this year we had 16 or so. We went back to the Monday night, FHE format - that may have helped. When he gave the prayer, Bishop Combe thanked the Lord for our common love of literature - I love that!!

Harry F. had to work, so Dawn and kids wandered in and out - but it was nice to have them on the premises.

A nice way to begin the 40th Year of Celebration - Dad and I played Caesar and Calpurnia in honor of the occasion.