Our anniversary

Twenty-one years ago today, we were married in the Los Angeles Temple.
John was so nervous that he didn't get any sleep the night before.
I was so uptight that I didn't really enjoy the luncheon and the reception.

Fortunately we have have great pictures to remind us of what a wonderful day it really was!
We had a fabulous honeymoon in Hawaii. During our week on the islands, our good friends were married in the Hawaii temple. It was wonderful because we could really focus and listen to the sealer because we weren't the ones getting married. It was also fun to be a bridesmaid & a groomsman less than week after our own wedding.

Marrying John was the best decision of my life. He is exceedingly kind, patient and gentle. I am so blessed to be married to a man who is a devoted husband and father. John is another example of the power of one. His love and influence have have made all the difference in my life.

Here is the picture I promised of my cousin Heather as a cute little flower girl. Jenny was a lovely 13 yo maid of honor.

Our Part in a Miracle

Ryan and Aaron were asked to be part of an LDS Scout Choir that sang at the National BSA Convention that was held in San Diego. They had an amazing director for this huge undertaking! To give you an idea, she was given 7 weeks notice to gather the young men and rehearse for this event. She was asked by the Young Mens' General Presidency to provide a "Tabernacle Choir quality" performance. They had to learn & memorize 6 songs with only 5 rehearsals. Their director, Sister Abernathy said, "This is impossible short of a miracle, so I'm planning on a miracle."

It truly was a miracle to see these young men perform. Their first performance was at at Duty to God breakfast with about 2,000 Scout leaders from around the country. As they came on stage, everyone was busy eating and chatting. Once they began to sing, a hush came over the room. A wonderful spirit filled that huge ballroom. When they finished, they received a standing ovation.

The next day, the choir sang at an LDS fireside that was part of the convention. I also had the opportunity to meet the General Primary & YM Presidency. They were so gracious.

I am so grateful that my sons had the opportunity to sing in this choir. They had to miss other activities to be at all the rehearsals. They had to get up at 4:30 AM for their morning performance. They had to meet very stringent rules about dress and grooming. They actually inspected the boys' haircuts and they were required to be in full scout uniform including socks!

But in the end, Ryan and Aaron said it was definitely worth it. They helped bring the spirit to this convention and they had personal spiritual experiences. General Young Men's President, Elder Dahlquist, promised the boys that they would be blessed for their diligence and he told them that they would have angels singing with them as they performed.

Unfortunately I didn't get any photos of the choir and Ryan had to leave for work immediately after the performance, but here is Aaron. Don't you think he looks handsome?!

From China With Love

I have a love/hate relationship with technology. When everything works I love it! Last week my printer was being uncooperative and I was heading to the hate side, but this week I love my computer. Here's why . . . .

My Dad and my brother David are on a tour of China. They're having a great trip and learning lots, but the best part is that we get to see their photos every day or two.

We gave my mom a wireless digital picture frame for Mother's Day. All her kids and grandkids uploaded pictures to the website and she has a great collection of family photos. But now it's even more exciting. Every day she gets new photos from China. What could be cooler than that?!

The rest of us aren't lucky enough to own such a frame, but it is still easy for us to check out David's photos online. We can't wait to see more of their adventures!

Here are David and Dad looking especially "touristy" on the Great Wall.

John says he wants to bike it someday . . . well maybe not the entire thing! I guess I'd better get in shape if I want to join him. At least I have a bike now.

Shakespeare Can Be Fun

I love Shakespeare! I think he was an absolute genius. His plays teach amazing lessons about relationships and human nature. I adore his poetry; he has written some of the most beautiful lines I have ever read. His comedy is hysterical and his tragedy keeps me thinking for days. I have read and studied every one of his plays and I have seen all of them live or on video. I'm not saying this boastfully, I just want you to understand the depth of my passion for Shakespeare. ;0)

Sometimes kids like to rebel by hating something mom loves. Fortunately, this hasn't happened at my house. (Well, at least not with Shakespeare!) They're not as crazy as me, but my husband and my kids all "get" Shakespeare and willingly watch it with me.

I have spent 3 of the past 5 years, teaching Shakespeare to the teens in our commonwealth school. (This is a once a week school for our homeschooled youth.)

This year I taught a leadership class instead, but I still got my fix of Shakespeare. My younger kids and I studied history with some of our friends and we ended the year with a study of the renaissance and a Shakespeare play.

On Monday night they performed Much Ado About Nothing and they were amazing!

We had a cast of 15 children ages 4-13. When I teach teenage youth, we spend a semester studying Shakespeare in depth. Then we take 12 weeks for actor's training and 7 weeks of rehearsal to produce a 1 1/2 to 2 hr play.

For this group, I cut the play to be about 45 minutes long since we only had 3 weeks for rehearsal. We set the play in the 1950s which made the music and costumes really fun! My sister Jenny was the unofficial producer and all the moms worked on costumes, sets, props etc. It was exciting to see these children work so hard to memorize their lines (and every bit of it was Shakespeare), understand their characters and know where to be on stage. Amazingly, we didn't even have a mom backstage helping them enter and exit. They did it all on their own, with the older ones helping the little ones. Our littlest actor, my niece Cammi, got sick and was sooo sad that she couldn't perform.

Marianne did a fabulous job in the role of Beatrice and Evan was a wonderful Don Pedro.

Here's a dramatic moment onstage when Hero, played by my niece Emma, fainted. Who would have thought that a 10 year old could faint so convincingly?!

Here are the guys apologizing for all of the trouble they have caused. The judge in the background is my niece Alyssa.

Our handsome boys. (The little guy is my nephew Dallin)

Our beautiful girls

I have to end by sharing some of my favorite Shakespeare resources:

If you want to watch Shakespeare, check out Kenneth Branagh's versions of Much Ado About Nothing, Hamlet or his funny Love's Labour's Lost musical!

For kids, try Lois Burdett's Shakespeare Can Be Fun series.

If you want to read a play, I highly recommend the CliffsComplete versions. They are easy to read with great commentary.

My favorite book about Shakespeare is Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human by Harold Bloom, but I also like Asimov's Guide to Shakespeare.

I hope you have fun with Shakespeare sometime soon!

Happy Birthday David!

Yes, it's another May birthday! Can you believe it?
My baby brother David turned 25 yesterday.
I love this picture of him with our newest nephew, Riley. It brings back lots of good memories of when David was a baby.

I was almost 17 years old when David was born. I remember talking to my Mom one day. She must have seemed tired or moody because I said, (in the way only an obnoxious, rude teenager can) "You're acting like you're pregnant or something!"
She burst into tears and I knew I had really blown it.

Fortunately, she forgave me and even invited me to come and see David's birth. I was nervous and unsure about coming to the birth, while my sister Jenny was terribly jealous that Mom and Dad wouldn't let her come. After all she was 10 years old and wanted to become a doctor! The nurse at the hospital didn't want to let me in, but the doctor insisted it was just fine.

It was an amazing experience to see David's birth. He was a beautiful little guy. My Mom made it look so easy that I was quite surprised how much work it was when I had my first baby!

David was only a year old when I left home for college. I was so worried that he would forget me while I was gone and I missed him so much. When I came home at Thanksgiving, as soon as I walked in the door David came running over to give me a hug.

David has always given great hugs and has a wonderful smile!
Happy Birthday David!

Happy Birthday Aaron!

The Happy Hartz year of momentous birthdays continues.
First Evan hit double digits and then Ryan officially became an adult.
Now it's Aaron's turn . . .

Today Aaron turned 16.(I gave my brother Scott the best birthday present ever when I gave birth to my 2nd son on his birthday. He was kind enough to return the favor 11 years later when his son Heath was born on Marianne's birthday!)

Aaron has been a calming influence in my life from the very beginning.
His pregnancy was easy and he was kind enough to arrive 9 days early. His birth went so smoothly. In fact, the nurses at the hospital wanted to send me home because they couldn't believe I was in labor. Fortunately, I was able to convince them it was the real thing because Aaron was born about 2 hours later!

Today Aaron is a peacemaker who brings a wonderful spirit to our home.

We had two birthday celebrations because of Ryan's & John's work schedules.
On Monday night we went to Pat & Oscar's for their famous breadsticks. (Okay, we had salad, ribs, chicken and pizza too. But the breadsticks really are the main attraction!) Aaron was surprised to hear a stack of napkins ringing and found his birthday present hidden underneath.

On Tuesday night, the party continued. Aaron requested smoothies from Robeks. They were just an appetizer for the hungry boys and we headed over to Rubios where they wolfed down giant burritos.

We finished off the evening with chocolate cream birthday pie. It took two pies to hold all 16 candles.
I am so grateful to be Aaron's mother.
He is a hard worker who has taught me so many things. He has a wonderful love for nature and the outdoors. He is kind and thoughtful and makes our home a happy place.
Here is an example of his work. He made these delicious German pancakes for my Mother's Day breakfast. Don't you think the presentation was lovely?!

I love you Aaron! Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Scott

My "little" brother turned 40 today!

Some of my earliest memories are of playing with Scott. Although I am 21 months older than him, I can't remember life without him.

We were pretty good friends growing up. He has a better memory than I do, so I'm sure he could tell more interesting stories, but here are a few of my favorite memories.

Catching lightning bugs
Walking to school together
Playing with sparklers on the 4th of July
Air hockey in the basement
Building forts in the snow
Playing in the pine trees at the top of our street

Scott was always an animal lover. His dog Sadie was the perfect family pet and he had lots of pet birds including a beautiful white Cockatoo. We were together at BYU for a year before his mission and we took an equitation class together. Don't be embarrassed if you're not sure what "equitation" is. It was just a horseback riding class with a fancy name. Actually we had to do lots more than just ride those horses, but that was the fun part.

Now Scott has an amazing wife (see my post about Denise here) and four beautiful children, but he'll always be my little brother. And at least now I'm not in the 40's all by myself!

Happy Birthday Scott!

Happy Mother's Day

I am grateful for the many women and mothers in my life.
I am blessed to come from a long line of strong women.

This is my 4th great grandmother Ann Steel Murdoch. Her brother came from England to visit her in Scotland. He shared the gospel with her and her husband John Murray Murdoch and they were converted. The gave up everything to come to Zion. They lost two children along the way and their third child was born just before they began their journey across the plains. They suffered much, but always remained stalwart and faithful.

Below are four generations of beautiful women.

On the right is my 3rd great grandmother, Sarah Jane Murdoch Rasband. She continued the faithful tradition of her pioneer parents, living the gospel, and outliving breast cancer and two husbands.

In the middle is my great, great grandmother, Anne Elizabeth Rasband Phillips. Grandma and Grandpa Phillips left on their mission a few days after they were married in 1900. Anne gave birth to their daughter LeIsle while they were serving in Hawaii and her husband died a few months later. I am grateful to have a copy of Anne's missionary journal and to be able to read how she continued her missionary work until the next summer.

At the left is my Great Grandmother Anna LeIsle Phillips Rasmussen. I called her Grandma Rass. I loved visiting her because she always had a pretty dish full of candy and a little white poodle named Fifi. Grandma Rass gave me a coin purse with a silver dollar in it every year at Christmas. I was a young teen when she died and I was able to attend her funeral.

The little baby in the photo is my grandmother, Virginia Ann Rasmussen Zobrist. Grandma gave birth to her first three children in 2 years. I once asked her how she did it and she told me she cried a lot. She had 3 more children (including a set of twins), became Nevada's mother of the year, served a mission in Hawaii and worked in the temple. She now lives in Las Vegas and I don't get to see her often enough!

Grandma's 3rd child was her first daughter, who grew up to become Anne LeIsle Zobrist Forston, and more importantly, my mom. I love this picture of my mom as a flower girl at a wedding. Her ringlets are adorable.

My Mom is pretty close to perfect, so it's hard to know where to start. She has always been devoted to her family and unfailing in her love for the gospel and her Savior Jesus Christ. Her example has led me to strive for a unwavering testimony. She has always lived a life of service and I hope to be able to follow in her footsteps.

This is my mother-in-law Mary Alice Hartzell. I was blessed to have her in my life for a few short years before she passed away in 1990. The smile on her face says it all. Mary Alice loved everyone around her. No one every left her house hungry--emotionally or physically.
I love the way she pronounced the word "favorite". She had a cute way of saying "fav-o-rite" with the emphasis on the "o".
Like the women in my family, her fav-o-rite things were living the gospel and giving service.

I am blessed to have so many outstanding women in my life.
I have so many weaknesses and shortcomings and I am grateful that my daughter has so many great examples of mothers to look to and follow.

Happy Mother's Day to all of you!

The Good, the Bad and Poison Ivy!

Last weekend was the perfect opportunity to get away from it all. We went camping with three other families from Marianne's Girl Scout Troop.

Here are just a few of the VERY GOOD things about our camping trip.

Marianne had a great time with her friends and cousins. Here she is in the woods with Emma and Cammi.

Evan didn't seem to mind the lack of boys. Here he is with some of the cute Girl Scouts. His cousin Alyssa is up front.

There were lots of trees just perfect for tree climbing.

We went on a great hike led by Ranger Fernando.


He took us to a historic spot with lots of mortar holes used by the Native Americans.

Everyone tried their hand at grinding acorns.

Then we hiked to a great little creek to cool off.

Clear water + dirt = Mud, wonderful mud!

John and I even had time to relax!

Evan built his first fire! Foil dinners and s'mores never tasted better!

Our camping trip was practically perfect, but it was a bittersweet time for me. I had a fabulous time with John, Marianne and Evan, but our two big boys stayed at home. They both had other commitments and couldn't get away for two days. I realized that this is how it is going to be most of the time from now on. Ryan will be leaving home soon for college and then a mission and Aaron isn't far behind. Of course this is exactly how it should be. I want my kids to grow up to be independent adults, but I can't help remembering the days when I had four little campers.

Here are my cuties about nine years ago. It was our first day of homeschooling and my boys were a little worried about what to do when all their friends went back to school. So on the first day of school, we took a family camping trip. We had a wonderful time discovering how much there is to learn outside of a classroom. It's been an amazing adventure ever since!

My homeschool journey with Ryan is at an end, but I hope that learning will be a lifelong quest for all of us!

And in the spirit of education, here's a close-up of some poison ivy. Study this photo carefully. You never know when you might need to identify (or at least avoid) it!

Happy May Day!

Do you celebrate May Day?

I loved it as a child. My mom helped us make paper cones with ribbon handles. We filled our "baskets" with candy and flowers from the yard. It was lilac season and the sweet fragrance was everywhere. Then came my favorite part: we'd hang the baskets on our neighbor's door, ring the bell and run!

The arrival of spring isn't such a big event in sunny southern California, but Marianne still loves to celebrate May Day. Here she is with some baskets she made for her friends. Scrapbook paper makes it easy to make really cute baskets!

I think we need more holidays like May Day. There's no cooking, shopping, preparation or stress involved. It's a chance to focus on the beauty of spring time and let our friends know we love them. I wish I'd had time to visit each of your doorsteps today!