Merry Christmas

I'm not sending a letter out, nor will I be making phone calls. I don't get phone calls from anyone but Kenji and I'm sick of being on the phone after I'm on the phone for 12 hrs of the day during the week so I don't want to touch it after I get home.

What has happened this 2009 year with Nathan and Karen?

January 2009...we went to San Francisco, CA to visit Nathans growing up stomping grounds. That was awesome.
March 2009...Karen claims the #1 spot at work and has proudly and diligently held on to that spot. She holds the most enrollments for March as well which is easily breakable, but we'll see :o)
July 2009...we moved from west Phoenix to east Mesa as Nathan landed an awesome position as Title I Director for a Charter School District. He loves the position and is learning TONS from the state and with their help and insight, he might just move over to a state position. Keep that option for us in your prayers.

We went to UT for the Haymore/Wicke family reunion. It was beautiful and awesome. We were able to stay with aunt Kelly and uncle Paul and with the Haymore/Wicke family. We had a wonderful time.

August 2009...we inherited a Chinese exchange student who is an absolute delight. She is hilarious and is always smiling. She goes to a private school and doesn't really care for it. She hates the theology class and wants to take Dance but her counselor said that she has to take the ESL class, which by the way, the teacher is foreign too and he can't even speak English so what difference does it make?

September 2009...we were asked to be Bear Scout leaders. We were just released this Sunday too for many reasons that we don't need to go in to. We loved the boys and they were such good ones too. They are so hilarious. When boys are 9, they rock! To bad, they can't stay that way for a long time :o)

Cherrys parents came for the weekend from China to CA and with her brother, they drove out and we were able to spend time with them. We didn't understand a word they said so all we did was laugh and have lunch. The food was entertaining for sure. Her dad tried to teach me to use chop sticks, well, that went over, not so well. It was hilarious.

October 2009...I was able to take Cherry to General Conference and stay and visit with my friends Tiffany Harrison and Maricela Burningham (oh terrible, I can't remember her married name, oh well). We were able to spend time with them at conference and at dinner. We had a long weekend and Karen ended up getting sick so it was a miserable drive home. We even missed the turn to Page and ended up in Las Vegas so Cherry got to see that too.

November 2009...we were going to go to San Diego, CA for Thanksgiving and didn't go because last minute Nathan got extremely sick. I was so frustrated with the entire thing that he and Cherry went to his brothers house for turkey and Kale and I stayed home and did absolutely nothing. I did take Cherry down to Nogales, Mexico though the next day and that was awesome. That was fun. Nathan also graduated with his Masters of Education/Curriculum and Instruction degree. That took place at the University of Phoenix Stadium. That was awesome to be a part of. His parents came and we were able to spend time with them.

December 2009...Nathan finished his degree. He is now a MAED/CI graduate. We have been slammed busy with things going on this month so far. We went 13 straight days with stuff happening for church, community, family, whichever you want to call it. We want to call it BUSY.

We are slowing teaching Cherry the gospel. Her knowledge of a living God just isn't there but is growing. We want to send her to girls camp in June when school finishes so she'll probably go home after that.

We have testimonies of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We know that by living the basic principals of the gospel, there are blessings that are poured out on each of us individually and collectively. Karen lost her home this fall and because of paying additional tithes and fast offerings, we have been blessed with a peace of mind and kind and gentle creditors. I, Karen knows that when we forgive others, Heavenly Father will forgive us of our wrong doings too. I have seen that in my life and my recent experiences. I know that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can be a peace with anything that comes our way and that we can be at one with our Savior.

May Heavenly Father bless each one of you with the promptings of the spirit to be guided, directed and prospered.

Dave Ramsey - coming to the Memorial Collesium on Saturday!

ANd you all have tickets - well, most of you anyway.

Let's meet at mom and dads at 10:30 am. We will go get something to eat and then head over to the memorial Collesium at noon when the doors open.

Mom, bring a walker or something ;) so we can get special treatment. Also, my friend Sherrie and her husband Dave are joining us.

See you guys soon!!!

Sharon

I have 7 Dave Ramsey Tickets.....

And they are for the following - Mom and Dad, Steven and Janell, one of David or Leilani (who will watch the kid?) and myself

Be ready to arrive down at the Memorial Colesium at 11:30, Saturday, Oct 24th and bring food, be ready to be motivated and inspired to handle your $$ with care. The event is 1 to 6 pm. Actually, you don't probably have to get there that early but still... :)

I talked to a girl today who said she saw him last year and it's made a huge difference. I asked her tell me about it and she said it's way different than the show because no one is calling in with problems, he talks to us about ours. :) She said she really had a good time.

See you all soon! Kenji, if you are coming back, do so and we'll get you a ticket!

Love you all, Sharon

Karen #2

The latest me...Karen

Long Time

It seems like nobody cares about the blog so I'm going to stop using it. I think others would use it if they cared to write a journal on it like Janell or myself soooo, I'm going to forgo it since everyone seems to be on FB anyways.

Have a great day.

Karen

Getting sneaky!

This is to be a very random post but I had to share! I have been introduced to something called the Sneaky Chef. It is a way of cooking that adds vegetables and fruits, minerals, vitamins, and proteins to your everyday foods! Now my kids and my husband do enjoy vegetables and fruits of nearly all kinds but the problem I face is that I don't serve them very often, or at least not nearly as often as we need to have them in our diet. I was also looking at different diets that I can do to change the way that I feel, one is the Flat Belly Diet, but as I look through the food and stuff I realized that I would never be able to keep it up on my own. So, when my sisters started talking about chocolate choc chip pancakes that have spinach and blueberries (Iron and vitamin C) hidden and all of her kids AND her husband would eat them, I decided that I really need to look into it. I got the kids recipes book and the manly recipes. I am SOOOOO excited to get going with this and just tweek the recipes that I already do all the time and make them healthier. Thanks for listening to my ramblings!
Oh on the home front, Steven should be returning before Aukai's birthday!! We'll let everyone know as the day gets closer, but as his extension was denied, he is returning on time and with his unit! The countdown has begun!!!

PS.
June 03, 2009
Today I made Hamburger Helper with a sneaky twist and LOVED it! I used vegetable broth in place of the water and then added the sweet potato/carrot puree to the sauce plus added frozen mixed veggies to it at the end, and I got full off of about 1 cup of dinner and 12 oz of skim milk! Usually I can eat half a box which is 2.5 servings! I am sooo impressed and can't wait to try more! Especially the chocolate choc chip pancakes with hidden spinach and blueberry puree!

Karens Employer Military Ceremony

http://share.shutterfly.com/share/received/welcome.sfly?fid=c2287e77201e8240&sid=1AZtWjli5bsnHw

We have a division for the university that services all students worldwide that are currently active military who are taking classes and completing a degree. This morning between 6-8 am the University of Phoenix employees added these flags to our open grass area where we work.

We also were able to be highlighted on the news on 2 different channels today.

I was actually able to be there too so I'll post my pictures there later when I get them from my friend Tamie.

Enjoy. There were more than 100 employees there this morning adding the flags and honoring our vets and current military members!

Summer Classes for Men

THE ADULT LEARNING CENTER REGISTRATION MUST BE COMPLETED

By Friday, June 29, 2009

NOTE: DUE TO THE COMPLEXITY AND DIFFICULTY LEVEL OF THEIR CONTENTS, CLASS SIZES WILL BE LIMITED TO 8 PARTICIPANTS MAXIMUM:

Class 1How To Fill Up The Ice Cube Trays--Step by Step, with Slide Presentation. Meets 4 weeks, Monday and Wednesday for 2 hours beginning at 7:00 PM.

Class 2 The Toilet Paper Roll--Does It Change Itself? Round Table Discussion. Meets 2 weeks, Saturday 12:00 for 2 hours.

Class 3 Is It Possible To Urinate Using The Technique Of Lifting The Seat and Avoiding The Floor, Walls and Nearby Bathtub?--Group Practice. Meets 4 weeks, Saturday 10:00 PM for 2 hours.

Class 4 Fundamental Differences Between The Laundry Hamper and The Floor--Pictures and Explanatory Graphics. Meets Saturdays at 2:00 PM for 3 weeks.

Class 5 Dinner Dishes--Can They Levitate and Fly Into The Kitchen Sink?Examples on Video. Meets 4 weeks, Tuesday and Thursday for 2 hours beginning At 7:00 PM

Class 6 Loss Of Identity--Losing The Remote To Your Significant Other.Help Line Support and Support Groups. Meets 4 Weeks, Friday and Sunday 7:00 PM

Class 7 Learning How To Find Things--Starting With Looking In The Right Places And Not Turning The House Upside Down While Screaming.Open Forum Monday at 8:00 PM, 2 hours.

Class 8 Health Watch--Bringing Her Flowers Is Not Harmful To Your Health.Graphics and Audio Tapes. Three nights; Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 7:00 PM for 2 hours.

Class 9 Real Men Ask For Directions When Lost--Real Life Testimonials. Tuesdays at 6:00 PM Location to be determined

Class 10 Is It Genetically Impossible To Sit Quietly While She Parallel Parks?Driving Simulations. 4 weeks, Saturday's noon, 2 hours.

Class 11 Learning to Live--Basic Differences Between Mother and Wife.Online Classes and role-playing Tuesdays at 7:00 PM, location to be determined

Class 12 How to be the Ideal Shopping Companion Relaxation Exercises, Meditation and Breathing Techniques. Meets 4 weeks, Tuesday and Thursday for 2 hours beginning at 7:00 PM.

Class 13 How to Fight Cerebral Atrophy--Remembering Birthdays, Anniversaries and Other Important Dates and Calling When You're Going To Be Late. Cerebral Shock Therapy Sessions and Full Lobotomies Offered.Three nights; Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 7:00 PM for 2 hours.

Class 14 The Stove/Oven-- What It Is and How It Is Used.Live Demonstration. Tuesdays at 6:00 PM, location to be determined.

Upon completion of any of the above courses, diplomas will be issued to the survivors.

Send this to all the guys that you think can stand the heat, and to all the ladies for the best chuckle of their day!

The Garden

The West side Wicke 1st ear of corn. We know, we know, it is still a baby, but none the less, it is a corn!

Our zucchini! I couldn't believe it. The plants are growing all over the backyard and taking over the corn.
Here is the zucchini that you see in the picture above! I had Nathan cut it so that we could use it for our French scallop cuisine! Granted we only cut the small one and didn't even cut half of it. Hello zucchini soup and bread!



This is our yellow banana squash! There are many growing just like that.

And no, it is not the Michael McCean Musical.

Happy Mothers Day

Today will be a long day once again for those of us who aren't mothers and even those who are mothers will still have a long and wonderful day. I'll probably be a pessimist for this day today but I don't care.

As of midnight last night I officially hate this day. I'm a 35 year old married lady who doesn't have anything to show for myself. I have a great job and a husband who is studying hard so that he can be a helpful supporter to our family. Oh wait, did I say family? We don't have kids, there isn't much of a family here. I can take care of myself, I don't need anybody else to do it for me, what am I saying, family! The dog, Kale, oh yeah, he needs food, water, a walk to the park, an occasional bath, OK, he is exactly like a kid. He begs for ice cream when he sees mom eating some, he wants human treats when we have dinner just like a kid, but guess what? HE IS A DOG so he doesn't count. Oh well, kids are just not for this life. As Nathan always says, "people in this mortal life have to have them because they haven't learned something for themselves that God is trying to teach them and that their kids will teach them and sometimes parents learn and oh boy, as we know some parents don't and so God gives kids to them to humble them and teach them". Families are for the eternities, I have come to the conclusion that my kids are to dang perfect to come down to this nasty terrible world and that God is going to hold on to them for me so that I can pass through the veil and raise them there. I personally don't blame him for doing that. If I were my kids up in heaven waiting to come down to earth, screw it, I wouldn't do it either.

Now for those who are thinking, "man, she is bitter, something isn't going right in their life, their marriage isn't happy and blah, blah, blah"...get over yourself and stop gossiping about what is wrong with my life and worry about yourself. Which I have heard before, its OK, go ahead and gossip and say all you want, just repent when you're done because IT ISN'T TRUE.

I actually enjoy my life and enjoy where I am at this point. As I mentioned above, I said that I would sound like a pessimist and today, of all days, I AM and that is OK. We all are entitled to crappy days and today, on Mothers Day, it just so happens to be mine.

Karen

Our small time together

Well, R&R has come and gone and now we are back to finding our "normal". But before we delve back into that world...here's a little of our family time!
Steven arrived 4 hours early to PDX thanks to some very nice people who gave him their seat on an earlier flight from Dallas to Portland so he could get home. Debbie came with us, Ashley Paice and her son Tyson came and my sister Sheryl and 3 of her kids joined us too to wait and cheer and hug as my hero arrived. Contrary to my fears and the fears of others, Aukai and Keli'i knew exactly who he was and there was no hesitation as they jumped into Daddy's arms.



Over the next 15 days, we had 2 BBQ's with friends and family, with lots of meat and laughter. We went to 2 Mariners games (one we lost and one we won!), we played tons and thoroughly enjoyed every possible minute. We went swimming, played ball, messed up the house, the car, and generally had a blast!
Steven and I were lucky enough to have 4 days on our own as we went to Seattle and Bellevue to attend a seminar given by the Army Family Services, while the kids stayed with Grandma and Grandpa Gold here in Vancouver. They took their first trip to the Children's Museum one day and the Zoo another day! They had lots of fun!
We had a wonderful visit and Daddy was able to recharge his batteries, he is now back in Iraq ready to finish his job and return home to us. Here are a few of our favorite moments from Steven's R&R. Enjoy!

So confused

OK, this is really weird...I had applied to teach water aerobics at the YMCA BUT nobody got back with the director to be a reference for me so I was going to throw in the towel and actually cancel the membership. OK, well, today, I'm at the gym and Evelyn says, hey Karen, in a couple of weeks we'll be training are you still up for it? I told her Heck yeah, I thought that it was a NO GO because nobody had gotten back to me so I was going to forget the whole thing!
Amazing. I'm so excited. I need to get some awesome music so I need to ask someone at church or work to get me some SWWEEETT music for the official water aerobics instructor!

Have a great weekend.

No go - Lake Powell

Well, FYI...Lake Powell is no longer an option for a family reunion as Nathan wasn't selected as a high school teacher and athletic director for the Page Unified School District. It was a quick fun little trip though.

Kale had a great time, the weather was absolutely wonderful and it was so calm and quiet. Well, until it was dinner time and beyond. That is when all of the crazy tourists hit the town and were actin' like crazy fools.

We heard cops and saw ambulances all night as they were drinking and actin' like complete retards!
Oh well, if we would have moved there, we wouldn't have been liven in a hotel/motel :o)

Karen

R&R Here we come!!!

Well, we are officially over the half way point of this deployment. The original homecoming date of August has been pushed back to November-ish, so we have passed half way to November. Now we can begin to look forward to the end of this time apart. Right now, we have R&R to look forward to! Steven should right now be on his way home for 2 weeks' vacation. I say should because he can be bumped off the flight in favor of anyone of higher rank or for someone heading home for emergency leave. I won't know for sure until he has reached the States and calls me, so we hope he's on his way. My plans for R&R are very loose, so let us know what plans and activities are going on but please do not be hurt or offended if we don't come or if we are late. We have such a short time together that we are going to be selfish with that time. We are going to have a BBQ of our own here in our apartment complex, potluck of course and will be posting the time later when we see the white's of his eyes!
Our main plans include a Mariner's game and relaxed fun with the kids. So, we might be up Seattle way for a couple of days, but it's still up in the air until we see how Steven is feeling and what he can handle.
We hope that everyone is doing well!!

No Swim

It seriously isn't the Lords will that I don't teach water aerobics. It doesn't take that long to contact references...unless they choooooose to not contact the person back!

It is probably for the better. We are leaving Sunday morning for Page, AZ, YIPPEE, Lake Powell as Nathan has a job interview up there to teach high school social studies! I'm so excited. We are going to hit a 9 am session of sacrament meeting somewhere and then pick up Kale and go so that way we aren't getting there at midnight on Sunday. We have all Monday morning to hang out up there as his interviews are not until the afternoon.

So while he is in the interviews, I get to hang out for 3 hrs with the Dog. I'll think I'll take Kale to the water and walk around...right, I'll probably play!

Talk to you later. I have to work today.

Hillbilly Mirror Humor

After living in the remote wilderness of West Virginia all his life, an old hillbilly decided it was time to visit the big city. In one of the stores he picks up a mirror and looks in it. Not ever having seen one before, he remarked at the image staring back at him,
'How about that! Here's a picture of my daddy.'
He bought the mirror thinking it was a picture of his daddy, but on the way home he remembered his wife didn't like his father, so he hung it in the barn, and every morning before leaving for the fields, he would go there and look at it.
His wife began to get suspicious of these many trips to the barn. One day after her husband left, she searched the barn and found the mirror. As she looked into the glass, she fumed, 'So that's the ugly biddy he's runnin' around with.'

How bad is it really?

Need I say anything more!
Hilarious.

Latest Wicke Pictures

The below picture is of Nathan and Lincoln...the most update to date and new baby to the Wicke family.

This is the latest...oh wait, there is another one...I've gotta find it.

This picture is taken in Las Cruces, NM with Nathans parents and their oldest grand daughter Katherine. She is half Japanese and is visiting here for a month from Japan. She might stay but who knows what these Asian kids do.

Katherine left home and doesn't want to go back. Her mother is mean and nobody likes her so even Katherines dad is out of the house. Her sister is now living with a guy and his family somewhere in Japan and the younger brother just goes to school all day, every day so that he doesn't have to be at home.

Hopefully she doesn't have to go back.

I'll be in pictures this weekend as it is the baby blessing and I'll send them off then.

money, money

I say Money, money because, well we don't have any and the new government package isn't going to benefit me at all.
I hope all is well for everyone globally.
I mailed off Stevens Christmas box in February so I wrote a card for "Merry Christmas and happy birthday" so I am hoping that he has gotten it.
I told Sharon happy belated birthday, it wasn't that I had forgotten either, it was either to early to call and say HI or I was in the shower when I thought of it again that same day so she got a happy week later birthday.

Nathan and I both are going to be taking classes together here in Phoenix so that we can both teach HS. I want to teach HS English/Literature and he will be certifying to teach HS Social Studies. I've taken quite a few English classes so I might not need to take any of those...I'd like to though so that doesn't bother me.

We figured that if we both certify we'd still make the same dollar amount together that we are making now so we're thinking about it and may just do it.

We still love nursery...all we do is play, talk about our health, bodies, prayer, Sundays and their importance and loving our family and being good. One Sunday, the kids want to kill each other and other Sundays they just want to love each other...it is awesome.

I'm at work, I gotta go...I'm #1 again for March and possibly #1 for the record for March 2009 for the amount of students that I have been able to obtain since the beginning of the division 03/03/03. I have been here 4 years of the 6 and it is awesome to see the division as it grows.

Love ya all,

Karen

Internet

I can't seem to get 2 of the 3 computers in the house to work.
I think that I have a virus of some kind and now it has killed my HP and MAC.
Nathans computer is the only one that works and he uses it for school so I don't use it, sssoooo...this is it.
Have a great week.
Karen

Family Trip

I know how hot it can get here in Arizona and frankly, I don't care. It is only hot here for 3 months out of the year. Right now we are going through a cold spell, we are getting all the rain and cold wind from the coast from California. I know that all of you who live in colder climates know what I am talking about. For as funny as it sounds, it feels pretty good and yet my toes are falling off and my teeth are chattering!

So, for heaven sakes, get off your butts and come visit us in "warmer" Arizona. Kenji for heaven sakes works for an airlines that is giving our family the opportunity to travel. Mom and dad, you are free...for heaven sakes, it isn't a big deal.

The rain is fabulous, northern Arizona is getting pounded with snow and because nobody knows how to drive in it, the DOT is closing the freeways (its quite humorous).

Arizona has a brand new transportation transit that is awesome. We took it just to take it and it is great for downtown Phoenix and Tempe. We can take it to go downtown and hang out and visit the city for a day. There are awesome places to hike and lots of fun things to do. Mexico is only 3 hours away. I found my passport and it is still good through the end of 2010 so I'm going to Mexico :o) Lets go...ole, ole!

I don't want to visit other family members that are here, hence the other Parker side...they don't even care that we are here because they are all caught up in their business and lives which is perfectly fine with me. But Andrew and I are here so what the heck...come on...it'll be fun.

We'd like to visit ya all. Nathan is in school and has to be there every Thursday night so that is my time to party, clean house and watch on TV what I want to watch, CSI and Survivor for starters! I have over a month of vacation to use. I am paying off student loans so I can't travel anywhere...if I didn't have that dumb thing, I'd be going every where.

Kenji, I think I'm going to take you up on a visit in either MI or NJ. You pick, I can give you $100, it ain't no big deal and I've never been there so heck, why not!

Why don't we all save up our money and visit Kenji in May for a few days. It'll be fun! There has got to be something that we can do there!

Oh well, enough of being on my soap box. Dad has money to pay off other peoples trips so he should pay for every ones trip, hahahahaha :o)

Have a great day.

Karen

Incredible blessings...

I am not going into any details here, so it may be foolish to write it here, but I have to express to anyone who may read this that I have a testimony that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ really loves us each individually. That they know each and everyone of us personally and knows what we need in our lives. The last week here has been especially hard for me, I had an important decision to make. This was a step-in-to-the-dark kind of decision that will affect my life, the kids' lives, and much more, so it was kind of big. I actually thought that I had made the decision Wednesday night, and I tried to go to sleep (pretty unsuccessfully,by the way) and on Thursday morning went back to the original decision to really think it out again from another point of view only to find that this point of view really did change the face of what I was looking at. I made the opposite decision from the night before and began implementing it right away. I had the decision confirmed to me the next day, it was NOT immediate people, I had to walk a few steps in the dark. Thursday I committed to my decision and in the middle of the day on Friday, I received a revelation for me personally that made me feel better about the decision. One that changed my point of view once again on the decision, the process I was to take and began to light my way forward. Friday, I had it confirmed to me that I had made the right decision and I was to move forward in faith, knowing that I had listened to the Lord's promptings!! I have never had that kind of confirmation before. Saturday was our Stake Relief Society Conference in which I played my flute with the choir. In this meeting, 2 of the addresses given confirmed my decision. The next day at church, it was confirmed yet again to me in the Sunday School lesson and the Relief Society lesson. Now today is Monday and Satan has already tried to make me doubt that I need to go to all the "trouble" that is in my part of my decision. That I can do it on my own without implementing my portion of the path that is laid out before me. I think that this decision will affect more generations down the road to receive such confirmation and such an immediate attack from the adversary! I have begun my part in this path, I will continue on the way that I decided on, I will hold to this incredible testimony, and we will be better than ok. We will be an eternal family!

Please keep us in your prayers as we go to battle against the adversary who already is attacking us on our new path.

response to Sharons Blog

Hilarious!
Thats all folks!

Family Fued Hilarity - Rated Unfamily Friendly!

Family Fued Hilarity - Rated Unfamily Friendly!!!
Ok, the question on Family Fued was JUST:

If men wore bras, what would they carry in the

Answers:

1: money/wallet

2: condoms - who wants to have sex with a man wearing a bra?

3: i forget

4: i forget

5: "man boobs" or who has these?

I just died laughing....

RE: Arizona Cardinal

These were our tickets and parking pass to park right by the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale.

Uncle Jeff let us have them. He is awesome. If I am not mistaken, he raffled off the rest of the season tickets to his schools and community!

Nathan and I got to go to the 1st Preseason Arizona Cardinal 2008-09 game. Now look where they are; Tamp Bay, FL for Superbowl XLIII.


Love,

Nathan & Karen

My new old Hobby

I used to love photography but it was set aside as I leaped into motherhood. My loving husband had purchased my dream camera for me and I have regained my hobby! I was able to host a photo shoot last week, take my nephew's senior pictures and will be doing pictures for an old friend and her baby boy! I am loving taking pictures of the kids at every opportunity and am learning the photo editing programs! If you can't tell, I'm a bit excited to have something for myself while I am acting as mother, father, and dealing with all of the things that Steven used to take care of, including our cars. I am grateful for my talents that our Heavenly Father has blessed me with, including my music and now an art. So, here's a few pictures I've taken over the last 3 weeks...enjoy!!
I used to love photography but it was set aside as I leaped into motherhood. My loving husband had purchased my dream camera for me and I have regained my hobby! I was able to host a photo shoot last week, take my nephew's senior pictures and will be doing pictures for an old friend and her baby boy! I am loving taking pictures of the kids at every opportunity and am learning the photo editing programs! If you can't tell, I'm a bit excited to have something for myself while I am acting as mother, father, and dealing with all of the things that Steven used to take care of, including our cars. I am grateful for my talents that our Heavenly Father has blessed me with, including my music and now an art. So, here's a few pictures I've taken over the last 3 weeks...enjoy!!

RE: Miracles

Hi everyone,

It has been awhile and that doesn't matter because here I am writing something really quickly.

I listened to a BYU-Hawaii Devotional talk this past week online and it was wonderful. Ironically, the sister who gave the talk looked my mom...it was like watching her with a completely different personality and outlook on things.

Anyways...her talk was on miracles and recognizing them. Sometimes we go through life thinking that we do each day by ourselves and that God doesn't have a hand in any of it. She gave some wonderful examples of how we can recognize Gods hand in our daily lives and the "small miracles" that take place. Here are just a few and some that I have added to the list because it makes sense:

brushing my teeth...miracle, some people don't have arms and hands to do that

driving to work...miracle, that I have a job to pay for the car to get to work and then to make the money to get the home that I have which I was given by God, which is a miracle because it took forever to get!

warm or cool clothes (depending on the climate)...at least I have clothes to wear and hand me downs that people can't or won't wear...this is a miracle...some people in the world don't have clothes and if they do, they wear the same thing every day and go naked to wash it and clean it. Miracle!

Miracle...Joseph Smith, Jr prayed and asked God the Father for truth...when was the last time that you asked for truth?

Miracle...the atonement belongs to EVERYONE...God just didn't select a few to receive it...he provided a Savior for the everyone.

Miracle...someone who knows how to at least play a few notes on the violin and know how to record and do recording improvs and do it now...and be in the right place at the right time at the exact moment that it is needed and prayers being answered.

Miracle...people actually like people and are nice to one another

I just thought that I'd share this with ya to remember that 1, life is what it is and 2, Heavenly Father throws little miracles in our laps every day and we need to stop and thank him for them even when we think that they are not.

Love,

Karen

San Francisco Trip

I added pictures of our trip to my blog site. Please go there and see them. Here are a few of me while we were there.

This is at the Oakland Temple Visitor Center
This is on the BART from San Francisco to Concord. I think it was a 45 minute trip.

This is at the windiest street in the world, Lombard St. I was so tired, we probably had walked 10 miles by this point including the HILLS. I was so worn out and it was freezing.

I'm not sure where this was taken, I will tell you this, we walked it and I was so tired. If I'm not mistaken, that is Alcatraz behind me. That was awesome.