I love the following quote by Gordon B. Hinckley:
"Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he's been robbed. The fact is that most putts don't drop, most beef is tough, most children grow up to be just people, most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration, most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. Life is like an old time rail journey... delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas, and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride." (Address to Religious Educators, Temple Square Assembly Hall, Sept. 1980).
I think that it's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that the lives of others are so much more than our own. After all, who likes to publicize their failings? No one.
I am grateful for the ride.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Christmas Letter 2007
P--- POP Quiz 2007
1. Sarah is in ____ and Madilyn is in _____
a) 3rd grade, high school
b) 4th grade, Kindergarten
c) 5th grade, 4th grade
2. Sarah (10.5) is taller than Madilyn (6)
a) True
b) False
3. Gary just celebrated ___ years with 3M
a) 10
b) 15
c) 25
4. Gary’s current 3M project is building a facility in _______ with a budget of ______
a) Alexandria, MN; 48 million
b) Fargo, ND; 5.7 million
c) Guizhou province, China; 130 million
5. Our summer vacation was
a) A South Pacific cruise with ports of call in Tahiti and the French Polynesian Islands
b) Salmon fishing on an Alaskan cruise
c) Trout fishing in the mountains of Utah
d) What vacation?
6. Madilyn’s favorite sport is
a) Soccer
b) T-ball
c) Basketball
d) Anything with a ball
7. Sarah’s summer program was named
a) Boot Camp
b) Lazy Daze
c) Outdoor Adventures
8. This summer, Gary finally _______
a) played major league baseball
b) got his motorcycle license
c) bought a new car
9. During 2007 we have been ______
a) happy
b) healthy
c) a bit frazzled
d) all of the above
10. Mom has been busy ______
a) Reading and relaxing
b) Eating bonbons
c) Trying to remember what she was supposed to be doing…
Answers:
1) b Both girls are now at the same school, a fact which delights Madilyn. Sarah’s staying quiet with her opinion.
2) b Madilyn is taking after her father and remains the tallest in her class. Dad is researching basketball scholarships.
3) b and 4) a Gary continues with 3M, and spends a lot of time overseeing construction of a new facility here in Minnesota. The project is slated to run into 2009, so we’re here for a while.
5) c This summer we joined the extended P--- family at the cabin in Scofield over the 4th of July. Madilyn was in heaven, having lots of cousins for company, and discovering a knack for fishing – she caught 4 rainbow trout, while her Dad only netted two!
6) d Madilyn played both soccer and t-ball this summer, took swimming lessons, and recently got an outdoor basketball hoop that she loves! She wants me to tell you that she also loves art.
7) a This past summer, Sarah was in a recreational program with an aide who helped her have a fun, active summer. True to the name, every day included some type of physical workout, such as laps in the pool, bike riding, dog walking (the aide’s dogs), or playground time. It really pushed Sarah, who responded wonderfully. Sarah continues to make steady progress with the help of her “people” – teachers, therapists, and aides who are a great blessing to her and to us.
8) b Rising gasoline prices encouraged Gary to get his motorcycle license. If the weather was nice, he’d ride his 1981 Honda motorcycle to work. Choice “c” – the new car, is actually Mom’s dream – emphasis on “dream”…
9) d and 10) c That’s just life with kids!
Merry Christmas to all! We love you and miss you.
1. Sarah is in ____ and Madilyn is in _____
a) 3rd grade, high school
b) 4th grade, Kindergarten
c) 5th grade, 4th grade
2. Sarah (10.5) is taller than Madilyn (6)
a) True
b) False
3. Gary just celebrated ___ years with 3M
a) 10
b) 15
c) 25
4. Gary’s current 3M project is building a facility in _______ with a budget of ______
a) Alexandria, MN; 48 million
b) Fargo, ND; 5.7 million
c) Guizhou province, China; 130 million
5. Our summer vacation was
a) A South Pacific cruise with ports of call in Tahiti and the French Polynesian Islands
b) Salmon fishing on an Alaskan cruise
c) Trout fishing in the mountains of Utah
d) What vacation?
6. Madilyn’s favorite sport is
a) Soccer
b) T-ball
c) Basketball
d) Anything with a ball
7. Sarah’s summer program was named
a) Boot Camp
b) Lazy Daze
c) Outdoor Adventures
8. This summer, Gary finally _______
a) played major league baseball
b) got his motorcycle license
c) bought a new car
9. During 2007 we have been ______
a) happy
b) healthy
c) a bit frazzled
d) all of the above
10. Mom has been busy ______
a) Reading and relaxing
b) Eating bonbons
c) Trying to remember what she was supposed to be doing…
Answers:
1) b Both girls are now at the same school, a fact which delights Madilyn. Sarah’s staying quiet with her opinion.
2) b Madilyn is taking after her father and remains the tallest in her class. Dad is researching basketball scholarships.
3) b and 4) a Gary continues with 3M, and spends a lot of time overseeing construction of a new facility here in Minnesota. The project is slated to run into 2009, so we’re here for a while.
5) c This summer we joined the extended P--- family at the cabin in Scofield over the 4th of July. Madilyn was in heaven, having lots of cousins for company, and discovering a knack for fishing – she caught 4 rainbow trout, while her Dad only netted two!
6) d Madilyn played both soccer and t-ball this summer, took swimming lessons, and recently got an outdoor basketball hoop that she loves! She wants me to tell you that she also loves art.
7) a This past summer, Sarah was in a recreational program with an aide who helped her have a fun, active summer. True to the name, every day included some type of physical workout, such as laps in the pool, bike riding, dog walking (the aide’s dogs), or playground time. It really pushed Sarah, who responded wonderfully. Sarah continues to make steady progress with the help of her “people” – teachers, therapists, and aides who are a great blessing to her and to us.
8) b Rising gasoline prices encouraged Gary to get his motorcycle license. If the weather was nice, he’d ride his 1981 Honda motorcycle to work. Choice “c” – the new car, is actually Mom’s dream – emphasis on “dream”…
9) d and 10) c That’s just life with kids!
Merry Christmas to all! We love you and miss you.
Friday, August 31, 2007
How Curious!
Went to the Children's Museum with the kids today. They really enjoyed the Curious George exhibit. At the rocket, there was a kiosk where you could type in your email and they would send you a shot of your child in the rocket. Here they are!
Friday, December 8, 2006
Christmas Letter 2006
December 2006: We hope your family has had a wonderful year. We miss all of you! Here’s an update on our family:
Sarah (9.5, 3rd grade, 46” tall, 52 lbs) This year’s accomplishments: figuring out how to use the TiVo and the DVD player. Both require reading, so we’re pretty certain that she knows WAY more than she lets on. Her favorite color is still purple, and her collection of Care Bears has officially taken over her room. A true collector, she has branched out into Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer “stuff”. She did break her arm this summer, but all is well now.
Madilyn (5, preschool, 48” tall, 50 lbs): This kid loves anything that has to do with a ball – basketball, soccer, t-ball, you name it. Talk about social! She simply doesn’t want to be alone, ever... In March of this year, Madilyn started taking Taekwondo lessons, and really enjoys it. She is SO PROUD that she can break a board with her fist! (Mom, however, is afraid).
Our summer vacation this year was a trip to Branson Missouri. Everyone had a great time. Grandma & Grandpa K joined us with their RV, providing a fun opportunity for some “sleepovers” at Grandma & Grandpa’s. Hard to tell who enjoyed those more, us or the kids…
Gary is still working at 3M, and although he tried everything he could, he wasn’t able to find a job in Michigan after the completion of his six-sigma certification program. Looks like we’ll be in Minnesota for a while longer. The job he currently has does require him to travel to and support the Detroit facility, so there is hope…
I stay busy with the house, kids, and teaching Sunday School and home-study seminary for the 14 to 18 year olds in our ward. Most days I just try to keep my head above water.
I say it every year, but it’s true - Our home has a guest bedroom that we’re always eager to fill, so if you’re looking for a place to escape the summer heat (or if you really like winter) come join us for a few days, weeks, whatever! We’ll leave the light on.
Sarah (9.5, 3rd grade, 46” tall, 52 lbs) This year’s accomplishments: figuring out how to use the TiVo and the DVD player. Both require reading, so we’re pretty certain that she knows WAY more than she lets on. Her favorite color is still purple, and her collection of Care Bears has officially taken over her room. A true collector, she has branched out into Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer “stuff”. She did break her arm this summer, but all is well now.
Madilyn (5, preschool, 48” tall, 50 lbs): This kid loves anything that has to do with a ball – basketball, soccer, t-ball, you name it. Talk about social! She simply doesn’t want to be alone, ever... In March of this year, Madilyn started taking Taekwondo lessons, and really enjoys it. She is SO PROUD that she can break a board with her fist! (Mom, however, is afraid).
Our summer vacation this year was a trip to Branson Missouri. Everyone had a great time. Grandma & Grandpa K joined us with their RV, providing a fun opportunity for some “sleepovers” at Grandma & Grandpa’s. Hard to tell who enjoyed those more, us or the kids…
Gary is still working at 3M, and although he tried everything he could, he wasn’t able to find a job in Michigan after the completion of his six-sigma certification program. Looks like we’ll be in Minnesota for a while longer. The job he currently has does require him to travel to and support the Detroit facility, so there is hope…
I stay busy with the house, kids, and teaching Sunday School and home-study seminary for the 14 to 18 year olds in our ward. Most days I just try to keep my head above water.
I say it every year, but it’s true - Our home has a guest bedroom that we’re always eager to fill, so if you’re looking for a place to escape the summer heat (or if you really like winter) come join us for a few days, weeks, whatever! We’ll leave the light on.
Thursday, December 8, 2005
Christmas Letter 2005
Happy New Year!
Since I’m sitting in front of my computer on December 23rd, two hours from the time we need to leave for the airport, I know that you won’t be receiving this letter until early January. That doesn’t mean that you aren’t in our hearts and prayers this Christmas - just that I’ve completely lost the ability to plan ahead!
We hope your family has had a wonderful year. We miss all of you! Here’s an update on our family:
Sarah (8.5): Sarah is doing really well. This summer we received great news from the cardiologist – her heart defect has completely closed on its own, and there is no need for surgery. What a wonderful blessing! She is in second grade, and spends about half of her day in a mainstream classroom. She’s learning to read, although math continues to be a challenge. Her favorite color is still purple, and her collection of Care Bears is almost complete (that’s a lot of bears) and threatening to take over her room.
Madilyn (4): No, your eyes are not playing tricks on you when you look at the picture of our girls together - Madilyn IS almost the same height as her sister. We lovingly refer to her as “the Amazon”. She’s the size of an average 6 year old. She is definitely taking after Dad. She is the lone extrovert in a family of introverts... she simply doesn’t want to be alone, ever... including 2 am. We’re working on helping her stay in her own bed at night, but it’s a struggle. She continues to want to be a “jumper” when she grows up, and practices constantly. The kid has springs in her legs for sure. She continues to enjoy preschool and swimming lessons.
Family Activities:
Summer went by too quickly for all of us, but we did get in some fun family time on the boat. The girls are still eager to become fishermen, but would rather “adopt” the minnow bait than use it (needless to say, only Gary uses live bait, and very discreetly).
We started the summer with at trip to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland. There is a researcher there studying Sarah’s chromosome deletion, so we travelled there on the government’s dime for some testing and exams. We added an extra day onto the trip and visited the National Zoo, which, according to Sarah, is “the panda zoo”. She was so excited to finally see a live panda, so of course, he was sleeping. She yelled at the top of her voice “HEY!! Wake up!”, but he didn’t stir. We compensated by purchasing panda merchandise at the gift shop.
Our family trip was to Hershey, Pennsylvania, which, aside from being the chocolate capital of the USA, is a day trip away from Sesame Place – a Sesame Street themed amusement park. The girls LOVED it. Grandma & Grandpa K met us in Hershey, and parked their RV at a local RV park, providing a fun opportunity for some “sleepovers” at Grandma & Grandpa’s.
It appears that Thanksgiving at the P---’s is becoming a K--- family tradition. For the second year in a row, my entire family (Mom and Dad, sister Karen, brother-in-law Bob, 5 year old N, and 2 year old triplets B, M, and J) made the trek to Minnesota. Sarah actually enjoyed the commotion so much that she begged my sister to leave the triplets with us… multiple times!
Gary is still working at 3M, and will be finishing his two-year training program in summer 06. He begins looking for a new job (still with 3M) in April, and we’re really hoping that he can find an opening in Michigan. We’ve been away from family for too long!
I stay busy with the house, kids, and teaching early morning seminary for the 14 to 18 year olds in our ward. Pretty amazing kids, getting up that early in the morning (class starts at 5:50 am) to learn about the Savior. I learn more from them than they do from me.
Our home has a guest bedroom that we’re always eager to fill, so if you’re looking for a place to escape the summer heat (or if you REALLY like winter) come join us for a few days, weeks, whatever! We’ll leave the light on.
Wishing you peace, joy, and love in the coming year.
Since I’m sitting in front of my computer on December 23rd, two hours from the time we need to leave for the airport, I know that you won’t be receiving this letter until early January. That doesn’t mean that you aren’t in our hearts and prayers this Christmas - just that I’ve completely lost the ability to plan ahead!
We hope your family has had a wonderful year. We miss all of you! Here’s an update on our family:
Sarah (8.5): Sarah is doing really well. This summer we received great news from the cardiologist – her heart defect has completely closed on its own, and there is no need for surgery. What a wonderful blessing! She is in second grade, and spends about half of her day in a mainstream classroom. She’s learning to read, although math continues to be a challenge. Her favorite color is still purple, and her collection of Care Bears is almost complete (that’s a lot of bears) and threatening to take over her room.
Madilyn (4): No, your eyes are not playing tricks on you when you look at the picture of our girls together - Madilyn IS almost the same height as her sister. We lovingly refer to her as “the Amazon”. She’s the size of an average 6 year old. She is definitely taking after Dad. She is the lone extrovert in a family of introverts... she simply doesn’t want to be alone, ever... including 2 am. We’re working on helping her stay in her own bed at night, but it’s a struggle. She continues to want to be a “jumper” when she grows up, and practices constantly. The kid has springs in her legs for sure. She continues to enjoy preschool and swimming lessons.
Family Activities:
Summer went by too quickly for all of us, but we did get in some fun family time on the boat. The girls are still eager to become fishermen, but would rather “adopt” the minnow bait than use it (needless to say, only Gary uses live bait, and very discreetly).
We started the summer with at trip to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland. There is a researcher there studying Sarah’s chromosome deletion, so we travelled there on the government’s dime for some testing and exams. We added an extra day onto the trip and visited the National Zoo, which, according to Sarah, is “the panda zoo”. She was so excited to finally see a live panda, so of course, he was sleeping. She yelled at the top of her voice “HEY!! Wake up!”, but he didn’t stir. We compensated by purchasing panda merchandise at the gift shop.
Our family trip was to Hershey, Pennsylvania, which, aside from being the chocolate capital of the USA, is a day trip away from Sesame Place – a Sesame Street themed amusement park. The girls LOVED it. Grandma & Grandpa K met us in Hershey, and parked their RV at a local RV park, providing a fun opportunity for some “sleepovers” at Grandma & Grandpa’s.
It appears that Thanksgiving at the P---’s is becoming a K--- family tradition. For the second year in a row, my entire family (Mom and Dad, sister Karen, brother-in-law Bob, 5 year old N, and 2 year old triplets B, M, and J) made the trek to Minnesota. Sarah actually enjoyed the commotion so much that she begged my sister to leave the triplets with us… multiple times!
Gary is still working at 3M, and will be finishing his two-year training program in summer 06. He begins looking for a new job (still with 3M) in April, and we’re really hoping that he can find an opening in Michigan. We’ve been away from family for too long!
I stay busy with the house, kids, and teaching early morning seminary for the 14 to 18 year olds in our ward. Pretty amazing kids, getting up that early in the morning (class starts at 5:50 am) to learn about the Savior. I learn more from them than they do from me.
Our home has a guest bedroom that we’re always eager to fill, so if you’re looking for a place to escape the summer heat (or if you REALLY like winter) come join us for a few days, weeks, whatever! We’ll leave the light on.
Wishing you peace, joy, and love in the coming year.
Wednesday, December 8, 2004
Christmas Letter 2004
Merry Christmas!
We hope your family has had a wonderful year. We miss all of you! Here’s an update on our family:
This past year has seen a friendship develop between 7 year old Sarah and 3 year old Madilyn, something for which we are all grateful! Sarah’s gotten more comfortable with her sister, and Madilyn … well, she’s three. Some days she’s an angel, and other days we wonder what on earth happened to that baby who was always smiling. Luckily, we have it on videotape.
This summer we vacationed in Branson, Missouri, followed by a (too short) stop in Columbia on the way home. On the trip, we took the girls out on a ski boat for the first time. Much to their Dad’s delight, they both became eager boaters and aspiring fishermen (fishergirls?). Now they ask to go fishing every time we drive by a body of water. Have I mentioned that we are still living in Minnesota, land of 10,000 lakes? For someone not interested in fishing, I sure do spend a lot of time talking about it. I guess it doesn’t help that we purchased Gary’s childhood boat, a 1969 Gulfstream that stayed in the family all these years. With two lakes so close to our home, it was inevitable that a boat would end up in our garage.
This year, Gary learned that you need to be careful about stating your long-term career goals, since you might end up there sooner than expected! He was looking to join a specialized team after 3 years in his job, but ended up there this November, two years ahead of schedule. Although I am proud of my husband, there is much grumbling since this likely means another move in summer 2006. sigh…
I stay busy with the house, kids, and teaching an early morning New Testament class for the 14 to 18 year olds in our ward. Pretty amazing kids, getting up that early in the morning (class starts at 5:50 am) to learn about the Savior. I learn a lot from them.
Sarah is mainstreamed in first grade, and is doing really well. All of her specialists are simply amazed at her progress, much of which we attribute to eliminating artificial colors from her diet. We suspect an allergy or sensitivity to them causes the attention and behavioral problems. Sarah continues to receive private physical, occupational, and speech therapies as they are available, and all her “people” just love her. Purple is still her favorite color, but the Sesame Street gang has been ousted in favor of the Care Bears, with Finding Nemo not far behind.
Madilyn has started talking and simply won’t stop. We’re in the year of the “why?” questions. She started preschool this year, with no hesitation. She literally walked into the classroom, said “bye Mom!”, and that was it. She loves school, jumping, riding her scooter, swimming lessons, jumping, hunting for lions and tigers in the front yard, and jumping. Did I mention jumping? Although she’s high-maintenance, she is a joy.
Our home has a guest bedroom that we’re always eager to fill, so if you’re looking for a place to escape the summer heat (or if you REALLY like winter) come join us for a few days, weeks, whatever! We’ll leave the light on.
Wishing you peace, joy, and love in the coming year.
We hope your family has had a wonderful year. We miss all of you! Here’s an update on our family:
This past year has seen a friendship develop between 7 year old Sarah and 3 year old Madilyn, something for which we are all grateful! Sarah’s gotten more comfortable with her sister, and Madilyn … well, she’s three. Some days she’s an angel, and other days we wonder what on earth happened to that baby who was always smiling. Luckily, we have it on videotape.
This summer we vacationed in Branson, Missouri, followed by a (too short) stop in Columbia on the way home. On the trip, we took the girls out on a ski boat for the first time. Much to their Dad’s delight, they both became eager boaters and aspiring fishermen (fishergirls?). Now they ask to go fishing every time we drive by a body of water. Have I mentioned that we are still living in Minnesota, land of 10,000 lakes? For someone not interested in fishing, I sure do spend a lot of time talking about it. I guess it doesn’t help that we purchased Gary’s childhood boat, a 1969 Gulfstream that stayed in the family all these years. With two lakes so close to our home, it was inevitable that a boat would end up in our garage.
This year, Gary learned that you need to be careful about stating your long-term career goals, since you might end up there sooner than expected! He was looking to join a specialized team after 3 years in his job, but ended up there this November, two years ahead of schedule. Although I am proud of my husband, there is much grumbling since this likely means another move in summer 2006. sigh…
I stay busy with the house, kids, and teaching an early morning New Testament class for the 14 to 18 year olds in our ward. Pretty amazing kids, getting up that early in the morning (class starts at 5:50 am) to learn about the Savior. I learn a lot from them.
Sarah is mainstreamed in first grade, and is doing really well. All of her specialists are simply amazed at her progress, much of which we attribute to eliminating artificial colors from her diet. We suspect an allergy or sensitivity to them causes the attention and behavioral problems. Sarah continues to receive private physical, occupational, and speech therapies as they are available, and all her “people” just love her. Purple is still her favorite color, but the Sesame Street gang has been ousted in favor of the Care Bears, with Finding Nemo not far behind.
Madilyn has started talking and simply won’t stop. We’re in the year of the “why?” questions. She started preschool this year, with no hesitation. She literally walked into the classroom, said “bye Mom!”, and that was it. She loves school, jumping, riding her scooter, swimming lessons, jumping, hunting for lions and tigers in the front yard, and jumping. Did I mention jumping? Although she’s high-maintenance, she is a joy.
Our home has a guest bedroom that we’re always eager to fill, so if you’re looking for a place to escape the summer heat (or if you REALLY like winter) come join us for a few days, weeks, whatever! We’ll leave the light on.
Wishing you peace, joy, and love in the coming year.
Monday, December 8, 2003
Christmas Letter 2003
Happy Holidays from Our Family to Yours
The biggest news of the year has to be our move from Missouri to Minnesota. Gary received a great job transfer offer (still with 3M), and it was too good to pass up. So... telling him once again that I must REALLY love him, we packed up and moved north in July of this year. We found a house in White Bear Township, where 80% of the homes have a white bear statue somewhere on the front lawn. In New Ulm it was gnomes; here, it’s bears. Must be a Minnesota thing. The previous owner took the bear that was on the lawn of our house when he moved. If he had left it behind, I was planning on taking black paint and turning it into a panda. Sarah would have loved that.
Six Year Old Sarah
likes:
Two Year Old Madilyn
likes:
Wishing you peace, joy, and love in the coming year. We miss you!
The biggest news of the year has to be our move from Missouri to Minnesota. Gary received a great job transfer offer (still with 3M), and it was too good to pass up. So... telling him once again that I must REALLY love him, we packed up and moved north in July of this year. We found a house in White Bear Township, where 80% of the homes have a white bear statue somewhere on the front lawn. In New Ulm it was gnomes; here, it’s bears. Must be a Minnesota thing. The previous owner took the bear that was on the lawn of our house when he moved. If he had left it behind, I was planning on taking black paint and turning it into a panda. Sarah would have loved that.
Six Year Old Sarah
likes:
- playing computer games
- Sesame Street beanie babies
- riding in Daddy’s truck
- pandas
- taking a bath
- homework (that will change!)
- spinning on her Sit ‘n Spin
- making (subtle) jokes
- Madilyn’s tantrums (don’t we all)
- friends so far away
- answering any question that includes the word “why?”
Two Year Old Madilyn
likes:
- growing taller (wears size 4T already)
- using the word NO
- talking continuously
- jumping
- Spongebob Squarepants (don’t ask)
- playing with her friend Molly
- Dragon Tales
- randomly screaming
- smiling all the time
dislikes:
- being told what to do
- sharing
- sleeping in her own bed
Wishing you peace, joy, and love in the coming year. We miss you!
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