What I Should Have Taught My Children Better

1. There is a difference between needs [most parent provided] and wants [not parent provided].
2. THANK YOU is the best two-word phrase in one's vocabulary and parents can't hear this often enough.
3. To be content with what you have is a great gift.
4. To be without something you want is normal and expected.
5. If you want something, prioritize, budget, and save for it.
6. There is more than one way to do most things right--and if you want it done your way, be willing to do it yourself.
7. A college education is an "extra" and not an expense required or expected of parents. Any assistance provided by parents is a sacrifice for them and a generous gift to the lucky, parent-endowed student. Make them feel like they are getting their money's worth.
8. Debt/interest never sleeps and is constraining. . . the sooner you pay, the sooner you are free. Receive interest, never pay it. . . a minimum payment is the credit card company's way of making a fortune. . . so pay off the bill in full each month--you don't need to make them rich. If you can't afford it now, you can't afford it at the end of the month. Save up instead and pay in cash.
9. Daily do-its include public areas clean enough to welcome company--living room, bathroom, kitchen including dishes. "Put the house to bed"--a ten-minute tidy-- and you'll have a fresh start when you wake to a clean dwelling. The other basic is 1-2-3: get it out, use it, put it away. You will never regret this.
10. Following counsel and commandments gives one the freedom to be happy and rich in ways that really count.

SOS, a Good Read, and other February Facts and Finds

Sugar On Sundays -- Bill and I accepted and signed up for the DMBA Health Challenge for Jan/Feb--no sugar snacks and 30 min. exercise a day. So far, we snack as counseled, and save our SUGAR ON SUNDAYS to really gorge ourselves on what we've been going without--the MOUNDS, cc cookies, etc. So far, so good...until this weekend--Valentines goodies did us in for two days. Our weight has stayed down when we've stayed faithful to the plan. YAY!

The Undaunted -- by Elder Gerald Lund has been a great break from the ordinary. With only one class to teach/plan, I do have Thursdays free, and with less homework to grade, record, I have actual READING time!!! This book has even helped me find a few pieces of my family history--chronicling mining experiences in England, as my great grandfather experienced during his era as described in the first 100 pages. I'm enjoying the sojourn vicariously with the pioneers who were missionaries to settle the San Juan River area in the 4 corners section of Utah including the courageous Hole in the Rock adventure. An 800 page uh, epic, it is quite a story.

Family History finds personally and in helping others has brought me joy and good times at the computer. I assisted a BYUH student the other day...she came in with one name and place of a grandfather. By the time she left an hour and 15 min. later, she had filled in many more generations back! Love Ancestry, and fortunately, her extended family had sent in their family trees. So, add that to historical records we found, and she walked out of there with many new generations of discovery.

I also assisted a friend with hers...found old familysearch.org still a big help in locating her ancestors with siblings. She seemed most pleased with this.

And then it was my turn. The Wales connection to my great grandfather's second wife has evolved now. Nice to cover the lateral lines. I'm now trying to find two babies who passed away before my great grandparents moved from Illinois to Iowa in the early 1880's, so we'll see how this goes. Let's hope my suspicions for Mercer County, Viola Cemetery are on the right track.

Valentines is always a fun day to observe. Family here, away, mothers, Bill's sisters, VT's--fun to give a little gift to...some with candy and quotes. Bill and I have enjoyed MTC's "Heavensong" CD for our gift to eachother--so lovely, as our wedding processional and recessional are on there: Sheep May Safely Graze and Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring. Many church meetings for Bill in town mean we get to listen on our drives there. Enjoyed dinner at Auntie Pastos for the last Honolulu one, and 3 LeiLei dinners/lunches recently with Sibleys, Wagners, Monsons. We like our haircut nights, too, so we can salad bar at Ruby Tuesdays at Windward. Fun to eat out. OH! Can't forget Hannemann's Kahuku Grill, too.

Family dinner this month was at our house. Liz Shropshire was guest, visiting from AZ, sharing her experiences this week about music with children in Kosovo, Uganda, and No. Ireland. Truly a peace bringer. She is a delight.

Homecoming Week/Alumni Week for BYUH--loved serving the hotdogs and also cheering at the victorious game Friday Night. Jet is back! We missed him. Aggressive and high scoring.
The bench is deep again, so nice to watch the comeback. Bill's stake enjoyed a Valentine's Dance where we dropped in to say hello after the game. Megan still plays in the pep band, so we go to support her also.

Flu has escaped our home, though Trevor and Devin and Kylee have had a few hard days in the past few weeks, one after the other. Now we'll see if we've gotten rid of that bug for good or will pass it around more. Hope the former!!

In other updates, our shredder got a work out at the end of January, taking 4 days to annihilate 12 years' worth of documents! I feel so much better knowing those are destroyed. Now it's on to getting taxes ready and files efficient and doable for the year. Our tree out back finally shed the rest of its leaves, after about 20 bags full, we're ready for bare-leafed branches, at least for a little while. Gardening beckons...hope the time comes back to do more of that. Pikake and spearmint, plus garlic chives thrive. Papaya trees are climbing!