Bart's Adventures

I don't think I blog enough about Bart's Autograph Adventures.  Probably because I'm not with him and also because he comes back with fragmented stories.

As I'm putting the last touches on my Blog book I ask Bart what he'd like included for the year. 



My kids got a kick out of him meeting a star of Survivor. 

He mentioned the thrill of racking Clint Eastwood on his birthday trip to Pebblebeach. 

He also had quite the adventure going for Harrison Ford in New York City the first week of October.  No luck with Harry who promoted his new movie the week before but he did luck out with coming across Mark Hammil.

He sent me this picture which he titled.  At sunrise getting on the # 6.  He was up and at it early riding the train into the city from staying at his friends Larry's apartment somewhere in New York.  One night I said "You getting to know the city well so you can take me back sometime for a vacation?"  Bart said "There's nothing here besides a filthy city".  I think this was also the day he lost his prepaid weekly subway ticket and had to purchase anther one.

 He also told me a crazy story about how Bruce Springstein was around getting ready to start a show on Broadway so he spent the majority of his time chasing him down.    He lucked out with a few hard to get signatures but my favorite story involved Bruce driving by without rolling down his window.  Does Bart stop?  Heck no!  Instead he jumped on a city bike he had rented and sped through Central Park in time to walk up to his car in traffic with this sign. 

By golly Bruce rolled down and signed for him.  He was still stiff when he got home a few days later from that crazy bike ride.

Sarah being such a wonderful sister texted Bart one day and told him John would be at his dealership on Friday November 17 to sign autographs.  Bart rounded up as many family members as possible to come.  Suzanne being the other wonderful sister that she is came with her kids and Bart scored some valuable treasures. 

Bart had us take his place towards the front of the line while he got in back of the line so John wouldn't recognize him with us.  When we went up to John being the first kids to go ask for an autograph the cameramen were all over us.  We were the first to make the live feed from the Facebook page of Stockton 12.  Both Sarah and Mary texted that they saw us.    I guess this was my 2 minutes of fame.    John was rather pleasant and said to me "Your kids don't know who I am do they?"  I said Oh they will John. 

Being that the line wasn't too terribly long Bart persuaded me to take another jab at it.  I angrily stood in line wishing Bart didn't have this obsession and rather sheepishly went up to John and handed him the picture.  John said "Didn't you already get me"  I responded with Yes but I didn't get you on my favorite item.   I guess I've taken enough lessons from Bart because he signed again for me. 



Bart said he got up there and John greeted him politely and said "How have you been".

Bart's gotten countless autographs from so many celebrities but nobody gives Bart's the shimmy shakes from excitement more than John Stockton himself.  Phin even asked his mom why Bart was shaking.

Sacrament thoughts

During Sacrament  we had a nice Returned Missionary from the Stake speak along with the high councilmen.   He started his talk about the usual, where he served etc.  and then went into how when he was a year into his mission in Ukraine he became sick.  He said he struggled with this sickness for the next 7 months until he was almost completely bedridden.  At that time it was decided he would return home to get the necessary treatment and surgery.

I'm ashamed to admit this but when he got to this point in his talk I thought.  Here we go just another millennial who came home early because he was "sick".  Seriously does any of them stay anymore.   I was soon humbled as he shared "the rest of the story" as Paul Harvey would say.

He talked about the struggle, disappointment and shame he felt coming home early.   He couldn't understand the why behind it.  After his sinus surgeries and recuperation he contacted his mission president and he requested him to come back and finish his last 4 months of his mission.   In the process of going back, he discovered that his visa had expired.  His mission president gave him 3 choices.  1.  He could be honorably released from his mission.  2.  He could wait 9 more months for a new visa to come through and return to Ukraine or 3.  He could be reassigned to serve another mission.

He knew he couldn't wait 9 more months because he was scheduled to start school in the fall and he felt impressed that he needed to finish his mission.  So he was reassigned to the LA mission speaking Russian.   He then shared how hard it was to accept that he wouldn't be able to go back to Ukraine which was where he thought he was suppose to be but as he accepted the call and served a very brief time in LA starting a new Russian branch. He shared a few stories that testified to him that he was meant to serve there even if but for a brief time.    He then talked about the last night he served and his overwhelming sense of gratitude that he was able to be reassigned and even really lucky he was able to serve in 2 different assignments that would  not have been possible if he hadn't gotten sick.

At this point I was out in the foyer with Spencer.  As I sat on the couch I was touched and very impressed by this young man.   First he finished his mission when he was given an easy out.  Second his story was a great example about how Heavenly Father works through mysterious ways to accomplish his work here on Earth.   Things that may seem like set backs are often God's way of directing our lives so we can accomplish our mission on Earth.   I thought about my own life and the experiences I've had that have developed my testimony that we each have a purpose and mission .

In my own life I think about how Heavenly Father has been in the lead.   Often it is the set backs that made it the most apparent.    I remember the devastation I felt when I got the rejection letter from Ricks College.  I had set my eyes on that goal and had done ever possible thing to be accepted but for some "divine" reason Ricks had decided on a lottery system to accept a variety of qualified students.  I laugh at the letter now that read something like "although you are very qualified you just not very lucky"  I'm sure it was more eloquent than that but that's what it meant.    Interestingly it was also the only year Rick's College did such a thing.

So in my devastation I for the first time considered my other college choices.  This lead me to be accepted at Utah State.  I was also soon granted a rehab full ride scholarship that could only be used at an in state college.  I look back and see what a huge blessing it was to leave my undergrad without any student loans.   I had also taken enough college level Ed net courses to start college as a sophomore but soon discovered church schools do not accept the credit.   I felt the Lord's hand the day I arrived for Freshman Orientation and I sat in the College of Education Auditorium listening to the different department advisers talk about their programs.  I sat there ready to declare my major as a Science teacher and Dee Childs, the communication disorders adviser stood up and shared a few things about Speech Pathology and said "All those wanting to major in Speech Pathology come with me."  Something inside of me that I realize now was the spirit said go with him and I've never looked back.    It also came to me that the Lord has his hand it my life or the "raffle" at Ricks College.  As a sophomore I started taking my specific major courses and became friends with a few girls that had transferred from Ricks College.    I knew that if I would have stayed at Ricks and somehow had discovered my true calling I would probably made it back to Utah State to finish what I was already ahead of the game doing.


Another set back that changed my course for the better was the day I failed the GRE for the 2nd time.  It was the day before Thanksgiving.  I scheduled it in Provo so I could go home for the holiday right after.  I cried and cried driving home all the way from Provo to Teasdale.  I felt like such a failure.  Uncertainty and fear about the future embraced me.  What was I going to do now.  In a very emotional state that night before bed I opened my patriarchal blessing looking for answers.    I came to the line that says "You have come through many generations of special people."  Instantly the spirit overwhelmed me and said "It's time to go on a mission."  I feel strongly that it my ancestors pushing me forward that night.  Had I passed the GRE with flying colors would I have been open to the impression to serve a mission?  I somehow feel I wouldn't have and would have missed the most pivotal moment of my life.   I grew so much in faith and trust that after my mission.  I again began the process of diligently studying and a lot of prayer to pass that dang test.  I attended an admissions prep class.  One of my favorite college professors  taught the class and shared advice about getting into grad school.   As almost a passing thought she said "You know occasionally we will accept an applicant that is strong in all areas except the GRE".    It gave me some much needed hope.  I also received a blessing from a home teacher the night before I took the test and in it he said "You will understand the importance that this test will have in your life".    Once again I failed that dang test but I left not devastated but calm and collected with thoughts like  "If I'm not meant for grad school the Lord will lead me to what I am suppose to do".    I continued with my applications to 4 different grad programs and to my exhilaration I was accepted at all of them.   What a relief and blessing to have choices and to once again see the Lord's hand in helping me chose the University of Utah where I meant some choice classmates and being in Salt Lake allowed me to meet the love of my life Bart.

Sacrament meeting ended and I went on to serve in the nursery with a renewed testimony of the gospel and with a feeling that I need to share this story on my blog.  Who knows why but I'm hoping one day it will help one of my kids move past a set back or two and find the joy of trusting in God's plan for each of us.

Ooh La la..

Shhh.... don't tell anyone but I'm lucky enough to have the best calling in the church.    I guess I'm a tween at heart (I can happily binge on a Disney series with the best of them) and I'm a go big or go home type of planner so combine that and I absolutely love pulling together activities that make these girls giggle with delight.      Last night we did a Fancy Nancy etiquette dinner.    I made and sent out these "fancy" invitations through the mail (I'm sure they were excited to get something addressed to just them in the mail) with instructions to come dressed in your "fanciest" which in 8-11 year old girls vocabulary means dress up clothes and forbidden makeup.  

I didn't take pictures of the table but in true fancy Nancy style we had mismatched flower tablecloths, flowers and boa's strung about with little tea lights.  We had the girls come sit down and then we took the different age groups and took their pictures together.  Here is Jane and Emily's groups.

Then the girls got a lesson on how to properly set a table and then had them set their own setting with tea cups I found from the DI and plates we had them previously decorate and personalize.  We then proceeded with a "fancy" meal of salad, spaghetti, french bread, and little bunt cakes for desert.   We taught them things like pass to the right and wait until everyone gets their food before you even touch your utensil and eat.  That was a stretch to see girls just stare at their food eagerly waiting for 20+ girls to pass the food around.  Throughout the dinner we mentioned things like politeness and how to strike up a dinner conversation.  Overall it was a success.  You know it went well when every single girl came plus extras from the neighborhood and you get texts from all the moms saying "so and so came home with their tea cup, flower and plate and won't stop talking about how much fun it was".    

Perhaps the best part is I got to act a little silly with these two!!

Best Game ever!!!!!

My kids came up with the best game in the whole wide world.   This was amazingly done without any help from me.  After one of those try to catch up after a couple overwhelming crazy busy, 4 kids are hard to manage type of weeks.  I get my game on and start putting my house back in order.  It ends with a call for three of my kids to gather in the family room and I dump a large basket of mismatched socks in front of the three of them and say "Nobody is leaving this room until these all have a match."  I walk over to the kitchen to get busy sorting through "everything ends up here" cupboard and look over a few minutes later to see cooperative non lolly gagging around work.  I comment how happy this is making me to see all of them working together  and they respond...... Yeah mom we are playing a game.   When you find a match you put it in your own pile and then the one with the most matches wins.    I have never in all my parenting years seen a basket of mismatched socks disappear so quickly.

Sure hope this game becomes a favorite of theirs like it became an instant favorite of mine to watch.

I wonder...

It's my dad's birthday!  My dad is one of a kind to say the least.   I often wonder what he was like as a kid, especially now that Spencer has come into my life.    Could I be raising a mini Dick Pace?  Case in point.  We are settling down to read the scriptures one night.  I sit down in my recliner and instantly Spencer comes over and hollers at me until I get out of it.  He climbs right up and takes command of the chair.  He instantly points to his sippy cup 10 feet away lying on the floor and yells "Ba" his word for sippy cups full of milk.  I obediently retrieve it give it to him and then he hollers for his own set of scriptures.  I give him that to and then he settles into the chair content he is king of the place.   Just add "Becky to all the hollers" and it sounds about like my dad right?    There are other of the cousins we suspect have a dominant Dick Pace gene as well.  One was coined the charger from my dad who has no problem getting into an argument with him and the other calls himself the "Boss of Brady Circle".  Hmm......