Wednesday, November 4, 2026

      Time to catch up now that October has officially come to a close! What a month it has been. Between birthdays, reunions, family adventures, Halloween festivities, and meaningful spiritual experiences, there has certainly been no shortage of things happening around here.

      I had a wonderful birthday, and it was filled with so much love. I got to celebrate with Jacinda's friends, who had come down for a mission reunion. They went all out decorating the house and even prepared a birthday meal for me. I loved every bit of it, especially the birthday banner stretched across the TV. It's the little things that make a birthday memorable! I also got to enjoy lunch with my lifelong friend, K. Bangerter. I always love spending time with her. My only complaint is that I wish we managed to get together more than once in a blue moon. Life gets busy, but good friendships are worth making time for.

My life continues to be a whirlwind of work and teaching Institute. I absolutely love interacting with the young adults. They are in such an important and influential season of life, trying to figure out who they are and who they want to become. I love seeing them do their best to follow Jesus Christ. It gives me so much hope for the future.

     I also continue to love the Book of Mormon and its teachings about Christ, especially the importance of His Atonement, His sacrifice, and the incredible gift of His redeeming blood. One of the things I treasure most about the Book of Mormon is how it speaks to me differently throughout my life. Depending on the season I'm in, different verses seem to jump off the page and speak directly to my heart. There is something sacred about that book. I truly believe the Holy Spirit lives within its pages.

      Tim is living his best life, working on his physique through exercise and healthy eating. His current food favorites seem to revolve around cabbage, turkey, and yams. I think he could happily eat that combination for the rest of his life! He has also taken up a new hobby: finding Total Gym exercise equipment at thrift stores and giving it away to people who promise they will actually use it. Apparently, Tim has appointed himself the personal trainer and equipment distributor of the neighborhood. I love that he finds joy in helping people get healthy, one thrift-store discovery at a time.

     Tim also took McCabe on a weekend getaway to Southern Utah. They spent their time hiking and fishing, although the weather eventually decided to rain on their parade. But the best part wasn't the hiking or fishing anyway. It was the windshield time. There is something special about sitting in a car together, watching the scenery go by, and having uninterrupted conversations. As our kids get older and start preparing to leave home, these little opportunities to connect become increasingly precious. We want our children to know how much we love them and that no matter how old they get or where life takes them, we will always want to spend time with them.

     My dear friend Sara Seager Mumford became a grandma during October! She flew all the way from Ohio to Utah to visit her new grandbaby and was kind enough to stop by for a visit. I loved catching up with her. Sara has always been such a thoughtful and kind person. I am so grateful for people like her in this world. They really do make it a better place.

      Teagan received his patriarchal blessing this month, and it was such a special experience. The entire family was there, which made it even more meaningful. One of my favorite parts was having the opportunity to share with the patriarch some of the qualities we love and appreciate about Teagan. It was wonderful to pause and reflect on the person he is becoming.

     Something that really surprised me was listening to the beginning of his blessing. It sounded remarkably similar to my own! His blessing was different from those of the other kids, but his was the most like mine. I couldn't help but take that as a little confirmation that he is indeed my son and very much like me. I am so grateful Teagan is part of our family. He brings so much joy, intellect, and personality into our lives.

     I honestly feel like the luckiest person alive when it comes to friendships. My life is so rich with wonderful people. I had dinner with some of my high school friends, and it was hilarious to discover that they all work for the state, just in different departments. Becky has been there for nearly 35 years! She is getting close to retirement and will soon be able to enjoy those benefits. I love Becky, Blake, and Jolene. They are such genuinely good people. I am grateful they took the time to get together and catch up. I love hearing about their lives, their experiences, and where they are on this earthly journey. No matter how much time passes, these friends will always have a special place in my heart.

     Xadia had a fantastic birthday, celebrating the big 1-7! We spent the day doing some serious thrifting and collecting birthday freebies from various stores. It's hard to beat a day of shopping, free treats, and finding treasures. Xadia came away with some new clothes and an awesome digital camera. She was especially excited about having her own camera so she could take as many pictures as she wanted without having to borrow one from her parents. Apparently, we have officially been relieved of our camera-sharing duties. She absolutely loved it!

    Tim traveled to California for Linda's 82nd birthday and got to celebrate with his siblings. Linda requested something a little different for her birthday present. Instead of asking for things, she wanted stories about her children. I thought that was such a wonderful idea. What a meaningful way to celebrate 82 years of life and all the memories and people that make it special.

     My cute neighbor Tiffany Pergler was busy making skeleton cupcakes for Halloween. They were so adorable that I had to take a picture! And as if the cupcakes weren't festive enough, Tiffany was wearing the cutest Halloween sweater. I absolutely love her enthusiasm for the holidays. Some people just know how to make an ordinary October day feel like a celebration, and Tiffany is definitely one of them.

     Our annual family Halloween dinner was another success! Jacinda and Teagan helped frost pumpkin- and ghost-shaped cookies, and we made bone-shaped rolls. I dusted the rolls with Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese, and they turned out delicious. The dinner table was quite the Halloween production. We had ribs, sausage, Frankenstein guacamole dip, cheesy witch brooms, and even a mandarin orange pumpkin patch. I love how creative everyone gets with holiday food. It's almost too much fun to eat the decorations!

     Jordan Hill, one of Jacinda's friends, was also able to join us for dinner. It was such a fun evening filled with good food, laughter, and plenty of Halloween spirit.

      Xadia and Teagan headed out trick-or-treating with their friends and had a great time. Xadia did come home a little disappointed, though. Apparently, she only managed to collect 35 pounds of candy. She had been hoping for closer to 50 pounds! I don't know what to say about that. Thirty-five pounds seems like an outrageous amount of candy to me, let alone 50. I guess the Halloween candy economy has changed since I was a kid!

      And finally, one of the most meaningful experiences of the month happened last night. Jacinda was officially released from her mission. It was such a spiritual and touching experience. Our family was there (except McCabe, who was away at school), along with her sister missionaries. We had the opportunity to listen to her share her testimony and feel the spirit of the experiences she had during her mission.

     I am so incredibly proud of Jacinda for serving a full-time mission and completing it honorably. She has grown and blossomed so much. Watching her become more confident in her testimony, her faith, and who she is has been one of the great blessings of motherhood. I know she is going to make a wonderful wife and mother someday.

    One of the sweetest moments was when Xadia gave Jacinda a letter written on the back of her picture. It was such a thoughtful gesture. I love seeing the friendship these two sisters share. They have each other, and that is something I hope they will always treasure. There is nothing quite like watching your children love and support one another. It warms my momma heart more than I can express.

     As I look back on October, I realize how full my life is. There were birthday celebrations, old friends, new memories, spiritual milestones, family adventures, Halloween treats, and a whole lot of laughter. Life is busy, sometimes chaotic, and occasionally involves 35 pounds of candy, but I wouldn't trade it for anything.

     I feel incredibly blessed to be surrounded by people I love. If October reminded me of anything, it is that the richness of life isn't found in the big accomplishments alone. It is found in the people who show up, the conversations along the way, the traditions we create, the faith we nurture, and the memories we make together.

What a wonderful life I get to live!

Sunday, October 4, 2026

Summer 2026: Parades, Adventures, Creativity, and a Little Bit of Retirement

    Summer is officially over and school is back in session, so I thought I would record a few of our final summer adventures before they get buried under homework, schedules, and the craziness of another school year. We packed a lot into this summer, and looking back, I think we managed to squeeze every last drop of fun out of it!

Parades, Candy, and a Whole Lot of Heat

    On July 24th, our family got to walk in the Bountiful Handcart Days Parade. I love parades, so naturally I was completely on board with this adventure. I even made bonnets for our daughters to wear and bought $600 worth of candy to throw to the crowd. Yes… $600. Apparently, I believe in taking candy throwing very seriously.

    McCabe got the exciting job of driving Todd Weiler, a politician. Well, technically, he drove Todd's wife and grandchild, but it still sounds impressive!

    The parade was a lot of fun, although it was very hot—and this was only 10:00 in the morning! By the time we finished, I think we had all earned our parade participation badges.

    The kids also spent some time putting out flags around the neighborhood. Here are Canda and Xavius helping Teagan and Xadia with the flags. There is something about seeing all those flags lining the neighborhood that makes summer in Utah feel extra special.

Soap-Making and Welfare Square

    My nephew Clark Johnson has become quite the soap-making expert. He and Jacinda decided to have a soap-making day, and I was impressed by how efficient their little production line had become. They had the whole process down!

Jacinda also took us on a tour of Welfare Square, which is one of her mission sites. While we were there, she found a man from France who was interested in Welfare Square, so he joined us for the tour. It was fun having someone from another country experience it with us.

Tim: Practicing Retirement

Tim has been busy setting up his home gym and working out. He is getting pretty serious about his fitness!

Of course, even the most dedicated fitness enthusiast needs a little rest. At one point, Tim decided to take a break on an inflatable in the pool. When I asked him what he was doing, he replied:

“I look like I am practicing being retired.”

That absolutely made me laugh.

Tim is definitely ready to retire. I am not. Apparently, we are on two completely different retirement schedules!

Our Taiwanese Guests

    We had another opportunity to host three Taiwanese students this summer. We do this every year, but this group was the youngest we've hosted. They were around 13 and 14 years old and didn't speak much English.

Thankfully, we had Google Translate!

    Despite the language barrier, they had a great time. They rode in the Blueberry, shot a BB gun, and went to the trampoline park. Somehow, fun seems to translate pretty well into every language.

One Last Getaway to the Tetons

    The kids got one more getaway before school started. On August 19th, Teagan, Xadia, McCabe, and Tim headed to the Tetons for some rock jumping, lake swimming, hiking, and enjoying the beauty of nature.

    They had a great time exploring and taking in the scenery. Jacinda had to stay home and do her mission, and I stayed behind to work at the office—which actually worked out well because there is only so much room in a camper van!

    Sometimes staying home is the best way to avoid being the person who gets assigned the smallest sleeping space.

Teagan and His Metal-Melting Hobby

Teagan has developed a very interesting hobby: melting metal.

He has a furnace and melts aluminum cans into bars. He also works with lead and other metals. Since he was getting more interested in forging, we decided to sign him up for a forging class.

He got to melt metal, heat it up, and then bang it on an anvil. It was something completely different and new for him, and he loved it.

    I am really glad he got to have that experience. Teagan is a smart kid who loves trying new things, and this definitely kept him interested in the hobby. I have to admit, I never imagined that one of my kids would grow up wanting to spend his free time melting metal, but here we are!

Tim's Famous Diet and Fitness Lessons

Tim has settled into a steady diet of fish, ground turkey, yams, and cabbage salad. He likes it so much that he has started teaching other people about it!

Here is Lance Stubbs learning how to make Tim's famous cabbage salad. He was making a batch to take back to BYU.

    Tim also enjoys teaching people how to exercise in his home gym. Here he is teaching Teagan about muscle-ups.

    I really like seeing how healthy Tim has become. If he keeps this up, he may actually live forever—which is probably good because I don't want to have to start dating again.

Tuacahn Adventures

    Tim has a tradition of taking the kids one-on-one on an outing to Tuacahn. Each child gets to see a theatrical production, which makes for a special experience with Dad.

    Xadia got to see Grease, and she came home absolutely thrilled. She told me the play was really good and that the song “Hopelessly Devoted to You” was a real banger.

Apparently, that means it was a really good song.

    She has since started playing the Grease soundtrack on Alexa, so I think we can safely say the musical made an impression.

    Jacinda also got to see Grease and Les Misérables. She was completely enthralled by the stage production and the acting, which makes perfect sense because theater is right up her alley.

    During their trip, they also visited Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon, all while traveling in the camper van.

    One of our traditions is to stop at the St. George Visitor Center and fill the van with snacks for the missionaries. The missionaries are always very appreciative of this tradition—and I'm pretty sure they have figured out that we are coming.

Panda Express and Interesting Facts

While Xadia was off on her getaway and Jacinda was at her mission site, I took Teagan out for some Panda Express.

We had a great time eating and talking. Teagan always has some unusual fact or idea ready to share.

For example, he started talking about how Jesus was Asian because He was born on the Asian continent.

That is Teagan for you. You never quite know where the conversation is going to go!

Back to School… But Apparently It's Winter

School started, and here is a picture of Teagan getting ready for another school year.

No, it is not cold.

It is still ridiculously hot.

But Teagan has grown out his hair and wears a beanie because, according to him, it hides his earbuds.

Priorities.

My Creative Side

    I have a few creative outlets, and one of them is sewing.

    I found this fabric at Walmart and decided to create a pattern from one of my shirts. The final result was a dress with a belt, and I have been amazed at how many compliments I get when I wear my homemade clothes.

    That always fascinates me. I think people assume that if something looks nice, it must have come from a store. I love being able to say, “Actually, I made this!”

    My other creative outlet is singing and creating music. I recently released an album called Something About You.

    I create the songs using AI instruments and my own voice and lyrics, and it has been so much fun experimenting with music. I especially love adding little details. For example, if I want a cello in a particular section, I can mark the measures and tell the program to add a cello there—and it does it!

    It feels like having my own little recording studio and orchestra at my fingertips.

A Wedding Celebration

My nephew Quentin Johnson got married, and we were lucky enough to attend the wedding.

Here we are all dressed up and looking pretty snazzy!

This is Mimi's second child to get married.

Two down, two to go!

I think Mimi is officially entering the stage of life where weddings become a regular family event.

Thirty Years Later…

I was also able to attend my 30-year high school reunion.

It was amazing.

I am so grateful to everyone who came. It was wonderful to see old friends again and catch up on the lives we've all lived over the past 30 years.

It was also bittersweet. We learned about classmates who have passed away, and it made me realize just how much life can change in 30 years.

I ended up creating a movie of the reunion and writing a song about it. The song is based on the conversations we had that night, and I am really pleased with how it turned out.

Thirty years ago, we were just kids wondering what our lives would become.

Now we are looking around the room and realizing that we have all experienced successes, struggles, heartbreaks, adventures, families, losses, and a whole lot of life.

There are so many great people in this world, and I feel very grateful that our paths crossed.

My Birthday: Grease, Les Mis, and Feeling Like a Celebrity

My birthday was amazing!

Tim took me to St. George to see Grease and Les Misérables. We decided to make the experience extra fun by dressing up.

For Grease, we dressed up as Sandy and Danny.

Then, for Les Misérables, we changed into formal wear.

We met some of the cast afterward, and they absolutely loved our outfits. In fact, some people actually thought we were part of the cast!

That gave us a good laugh.

But the funniest part happened the second night. We went back to the theater, and this time we weren't wearing our costumes. Some of the cast members still recognized us!

For a brief moment, I felt like a celebrity.

It made me decide that I will always dress up for the theater for two very important reasons:

#1 — I love making the costumes.

#2 — The cast really appreciates it.

And honestly, life is more fun when you have an excuse to dress up.  When we got home, the kids had decorated the house and invited friends over for a dinner to celebrate my birthday.  It was so lovely and the cake was so good.  I also finally met Jordan Hill, the guy Jacinda has been crushing over.  He is very nice and polite.  He gave me a sweet birthday card.  That was so very thoughtful.

Goodbye, Summer

And just like that, summer came to an end.

There were parades, candy, flags, soap, Taiwanese students, camper-van adventures, mountain hikes, theater trips, metal melting, cabbage salad, sewing, music, weddings, reunions, birthdays, and enough memories to fill an entire album.

School may have started, but I am grateful we finished summer with so many good memories.

Now it's time for the next adventure!

 

Nate, me and Tim going on a side by side in St. George.