Jackson and Ayden will only be in 5th grade and 2nd grade for another 20 days!! Where does the time go? Jackson is looking forward to 6th grade *gulp* and Ayden can't wait to be a 3rd grader *i can, sniff* I look forward to a wonderful summer filled with lots of sun, sports and spending time together!!
Friday, April 23, 2010
school pictures
Jackson and Ayden will only be in 5th grade and 2nd grade for another 20 days!! Where does the time go? Jackson is looking forward to 6th grade *gulp* and Ayden can't wait to be a 3rd grader *i can, sniff* I look forward to a wonderful summer filled with lots of sun, sports and spending time together!!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Happy Earth Day!!
I am the Earth
And the Earth is me.
Each blade of grass,
Each honey tree,
Each bit of mud,
And stick and stone
Is blood and muscle,
Skin and bone.
And just as I
Need every bit
Of me to make
My body fit,
So Earth needs
Grass and stone and tree
And things that grow here
Naturally.
That's why we
Celebrate this day.
That's why across
The world we say:
As long as life,
As dear, as free,
I am the Earth
And the Earth is me.
And the Earth is me.
Each blade of grass,
Each honey tree,
Each bit of mud,
And stick and stone
Is blood and muscle,
Skin and bone.
And just as I
Need every bit
Of me to make
My body fit,
So Earth needs
Grass and stone and tree
And things that grow here
Naturally.
That's why we
Celebrate this day.
That's why across
The world we say:
As long as life,
As dear, as free,
I am the Earth
And the Earth is me.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Hope & Faith
Thought I would share...
This is a letter from my mom's cousin Ben's wife Lori... Ben lost his battle with cancer last year and was a close friend of Elder Andersen's.
Beloved Family,
One week ago yesterday morning the phone rang. The man identified himself as our good family friend Elder Wilford Andersen of the quorum of seventy. He visited with me, Liz, Kathy and Doug in Hospice a week before Ben passed. Ben was quite heavily sedated but at one point he moved or scraped his nose or something. Wilford went to his bedside leaning over Ben's face, took his hand and said, "Ben, it's Wilford. I sure love you." Ben signaled that he wanted up. He stood with assistance and held out his arms. Wilford came to that side of the bed and they embraced. Ben, would not sit down until Elder A did. Then unfolded a beautiful, precious exchange. The spirit distilled and there was a communication taking place mostly without words. We were spellbound. It was minutes after that beautiful visit that Ben uttered his "assignment".
Last week he called and asked how I was and then each of the children. He then said, "Lori, I have been given the assignment to speak in general conference and feel impressed to speak on Hope. I'm calling to ask permission to use an excerpt from a letter Liz wrote and posted on the care pages." He read it to me. I remembered it like yesterday. It was telling about the night Dr. Runfola came into the packed hospital room and announced that there was nothing more that could be done. Ben was sitting on the side of his bed. When the doctor was walking out of the room, Ben turned to those in the room and said, "Is there anyone in this room who has a problem with the plan of salvation?" Then he spent an hour or so telling us about the night he KNEW there was a God.
Elder Andersen will not be sharing our names, but the great and valiant testimony of our husband, father, brother, uncle, Pa, etc. will be declared across the airways for millions to be edified and moved. This is a general conference wherein every family member needs to attend, no matter activity or standing in the church. Each of us are a part of this tribute. Ben is on assignment, let us gather our families and feel what may be felt.
Lastly, Elder Andersen who is on a six year assignment to the Dominican Republic shared that he had been in Haiti. With great reverence he shared of witnessing these people there who come to church each week happy and smiling and yet, "they have nothing, absolutely nothing except faith in Christ.." He told me that he has come to understand that the way to have hope is to BUILD FAITH. As he spoke of those people, I could sense a kind of holy envy. He said, "I believe we will each come to know sometime in our lives that circumstance does not create happiness. Faith is the builder of hope."
This is a letter from my mom's cousin Ben's wife Lori... Ben lost his battle with cancer last year and was a close friend of Elder Andersen's.
Beloved Family,
One week ago yesterday morning the phone rang. The man identified himself as our good family friend Elder Wilford Andersen of the quorum of seventy. He visited with me, Liz, Kathy and Doug in Hospice a week before Ben passed. Ben was quite heavily sedated but at one point he moved or scraped his nose or something. Wilford went to his bedside leaning over Ben's face, took his hand and said, "Ben, it's Wilford. I sure love you." Ben signaled that he wanted up. He stood with assistance and held out his arms. Wilford came to that side of the bed and they embraced. Ben, would not sit down until Elder A did. Then unfolded a beautiful, precious exchange. The spirit distilled and there was a communication taking place mostly without words. We were spellbound. It was minutes after that beautiful visit that Ben uttered his "assignment".
Last week he called and asked how I was and then each of the children. He then said, "Lori, I have been given the assignment to speak in general conference and feel impressed to speak on Hope. I'm calling to ask permission to use an excerpt from a letter Liz wrote and posted on the care pages." He read it to me. I remembered it like yesterday. It was telling about the night Dr. Runfola came into the packed hospital room and announced that there was nothing more that could be done. Ben was sitting on the side of his bed. When the doctor was walking out of the room, Ben turned to those in the room and said, "Is there anyone in this room who has a problem with the plan of salvation?" Then he spent an hour or so telling us about the night he KNEW there was a God.
Elder Andersen will not be sharing our names, but the great and valiant testimony of our husband, father, brother, uncle, Pa, etc. will be declared across the airways for millions to be edified and moved. This is a general conference wherein every family member needs to attend, no matter activity or standing in the church. Each of us are a part of this tribute. Ben is on assignment, let us gather our families and feel what may be felt.
Lastly, Elder Andersen who is on a six year assignment to the Dominican Republic shared that he had been in Haiti. With great reverence he shared of witnessing these people there who come to church each week happy and smiling and yet, "they have nothing, absolutely nothing except faith in Christ.." He told me that he has come to understand that the way to have hope is to BUILD FAITH. As he spoke of those people, I could sense a kind of holy envy. He said, "I believe we will each come to know sometime in our lives that circumstance does not create happiness. Faith is the builder of hope."
Sunday, April 18, 2010
In Remembrance...
Michael Todd Cundick April 18, 1970 ~ February 22, 1999Michael Todd Cundick, 28, passed away from this earth February 22, 1999 to join his Heavenly Father.
Todd was born April 18, 1970 to Russell Charles and Adrienne Beckstead Cundick. He leaves behind him many loving friends and family members.Todd was an accomplished pianist and he loved to write poetry. He had a natural ability to express himself through his music and his poems. He was a student at Salt Lake Community College, he was studying the fine arts. Todd loved the outdoors and enjoyed hiking, skiing, biking, rollerblading, and camping. He shared his love for Gods earth with everyone around him. Todd loved working with his hands drawing and anything that involved detailed work. Todd will be missed for his tender heart and sweet spirit that he shared with those around him.
Survived by his parents, one brother, Ryan (Renee) Cundick, grandparents, Larry and Marguerite Huber, grandmother, June Beckstead, and many aunts, uncles, and cousins that cared for him greatly.
We will miss you Todd.
HAPPY 4OTH BIRTHDAY!!
Friday, April 16, 2010
A perfect time to get out...
some of our favorite places to visitStarting tomorrow, Saturday April 17th, the National Park Service will be offering FREE entrance to ALL National Parks in the country thru Sunday April 25th! They really want to encourage people to go out & enjoy all 392 National Parks in the US. Many parks will also be offering organized events, talks, volunteer clean-ups & other projects to encourage people to visit this week. Earth Day is on Thursday April 22nd this year and it's a perfect day to get out and enjoy the beautiful world we live in.
You can find a national park to visit on their website: http://www.nps.gov/npweek/ :)
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Holland
I spent last week in Holland and it was amazing!! Ryan's parents planned a last minute trip and asked us if we wanted to come along. Ryan's passport had expired but he told me that I should go since I have never been to Europe, what an awesome hubby I have! We flew out early Easter morning and landed in Amsterdam at 7 am just as the sun was rising over the city, it was picture perfect. We took the train and tram to our hotel at Leidse Square. I have never seen so many bicycles is all my life, they were zooming everywhere and I almost got ran over a couple of times during our stay. Amsterdam is a city full of canals so getting around on a bike is the easiest mode of transportation. At any given time you will find 9,000 of them rushing around, they even have parking garages for them! Everyone spoke great English (most spoke Dutch, English, Spanish and French or German) and were so nice that it made getting around and asking questions very easy :) We went to the Anne Frank Huse (house), Oude Kerk, Dam Square, Rembrandtplein, Jordaan, Magere Brug, The Rijksmuseum, The Van Gogh Museum, The Red Light District (during the day), Amsterdam Tulip Museum, Nieuwe Kerk and took the canal boats everywhere, it was amazing!! Amsterdam is 12 feet below sea level and is the largest city in Holland. It was established in 1275 and has so much history, it was awesome!!
One night I got antsy and took a canal boat tour of the city, it was so beautiful. The tour went on canals that aren't open during the day and I got to see a whole different side of Amsterdam. All the bridges have lights on them and even some of the buildings so it gives the city a very romantic feel, made me miss my hubby :( It even took us down a canal in the middle of The Red Light District and I saw all the red lights...oh la la ;) It was so much fun!
We also ventured into the waterland (country) to The Keukendorf in Haarlem, Edam, Volendam, Wormer, Hoorn, Den Haag, Broek in Waterland, Marken and Katwoude. We went to a working windmill built in 1672 that was making peanut oil, a cheese farm and clog huse (house) in Wormer. I had so much fun picking out wooden shoes for my boys and tasting all the cheese, yummmm :) The Kenkendorf was an amazing garden in Harrlem that had beautiful gardens and fields full of flowers , I could have stayed there ALL day and been very content. In Den Haag we went to the Madurodam a place that has all of Holland in miniatures, it was so cute! We loved visiting all the waterland towns and seeing all the windmills along the side of the road.
It was a wonderful trip but to be honest I got home sick and missed my boys so much! I look forward to getting over my jet lag... 26 hours of no sleep being on an airplane or in an airport will do that to you ;) Thanks Ryan for being such a wonderful hubby and taking care of the boys so I could go on a great trip, I love you so much!!
Friday, April 2, 2010
Michael Bublé
On Wednesday night I got to go to Michael Bublé with my mom, dad and sister Chanelle, it was so much fun! We had great seats and the music was amazing, I wish I could go again!! He put on a great show and I will forever be a Bublé fan. Coming out to a blizzard and getting out of the parking lot...not so fun :) But it was worth it!!!
Thursday, April 1, 2010
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