Releasing the Retention!

O.K. I admit that secretly I like to vacuum. There is something so satisfying about it. You get to see the results immediately. There are those few moments before someone walks across the floor that everything is Perfect!

So today I was having another of my secret pleasures,

when Miriam(our dear friend and guest from China)comes

running in with her hand held interpreter and holds it in front of me.

She has typed something in and the English interpretation is this

" does the upstairs need releasing of the retention"?

I realized she was asking 'does the upstairs need to be vacuumed"?

I really should keep a list of some the interpretations we get from our conversations. Bob most of time just looks at the two of us like what are you talking about? The funny thing is that I most of the time know what she is trying to say. Sometimes she will get frustrated and just start chattering away in mandarin. I admire that she is willing to just keep trying.

She has a funny way of just telling Bob what to do. Every night when we kneel to pray she will tell Bob it is his turn. I get the feeling she is use to being in charge.

On Friday we went to dinner and after made a little visit to the chocolate factory. We were trying to talk (on the translator) when a women walks in and starts talking to her in mandarin. She worked at BYU had served a mission in Hong Kong. Mariam ask her what her favorite was not suspecting that Miriam would then give her a gift.

There have been many choice spiritual and funny moments with our dear friend.

Someday!!

"Someday" I am posting this picture for the Mom's!

When my girls were small, I remember tucking them in at night and then suddenly it would hit me. The house is a mess! I was exhausted but my OCD would kick in. I had to have everything perfect before morning.

Bob would ask "Is there an inspection?" No, but I had to go to work and it must be done tonight. This is why Natalie still gets nauseous when she hears the vacuum. I remember Bob telling me remember "someday" you will wish you could clean up toys and cookie crumbs" I would think alot about his comment during those moments and wonder could this be true?

I thought that I figured out what he meant when the girls were a little older. I lie sick in bed with stage 4 cancer, wishing that I could get up and do anything. I secretly like physical work, it relieves stress and gives me satisfaction. I wondered if I would ever be able to do anything with them or for them again. I was grateful when I was able to have those" somedays" again.

Now, they are grown they have their own family, but once in awhile I get to have those "somedays"again.

I was so grateful to be able to wash the linen and to have one of those moments in January. Nat, and Ty came for Christmas and what a wonderful thing it was to have them in our home. I tried really hard not to vacuum late at night during their visit.

"New Year!"

Lights Camera Action!

Family night at Temple Sq. what a beautiful evening. It was one of warmest evenings we have had for a while and everything covered with a white blanket of snow.
We ran into Ty's aunt and uncle and they took this family photo for us. This is as close as we have gotten to our family portrait.
Notice the coordinated outfits?
This has been such a fun week! We did not waste a minute of our together time. The list included family, cooking, eating, movies,birthdays(Nat's) cupcakes, eating, shopping, eating, and visiting our favorite places to eat (The Italian Place).
We did squeeze in a few games of Wii Fit.I heard Ty tell Nat "this is the Rock Star schedule."

The Gledhill Girls

The Gledhill Girls go out to Lunch.

This younger generation of women are so beautiful they must take after their Moms! They are brilliant too they know things it has taken me a lifetime to figure out. I ask Mindy (yes the famous Mindy Gledhill) is Ryan baby sitting and she replied "Ryan is parenting" Yes! I love this.

Princess Brielle was very happy and Dean loves his drum! Of coarse he gets to take it to his house. But the "ride" gets to stay at Nana and Bobpa's house. Dean is looking a little afraid when he realizes just who is driving. Perhaps spring will be a more relaxing time for a little ride.

Christmas Morning

The boys love their hats!

Nat and Ty brought hats from sunny California. There was considerable thought and embarrassment that went into the red prancing horse one. It seems they are not that familiar with return and exchange at the Newport Ferrari dealership.

Yes, this is the same child you see screaming if you try to put anything on his head. He was immediately taken with his Dad's neat Jack's Surf Shack

hat.

Christmas Eve

Gingerbread house 2008!













(notice the streaker?)

The girls ready for everyone to arrive.




Christmas Eve dinner one of our favorite times together with all the wonderful people we love!
Sorry no pics of everyone, I got to involved with other tasks. I will have to get better at taking pictures for my blog. (anyone take any?)

Holy Night

The Nativity.. a Gledhill family tradition We hope this will be passed on long after we are gone. The actors change but the message remains the same. "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:11)
P.S. Jane (Angel) was having a melt down.