Self Portrait Tuesdays: Eight is Great!

I think wrote about my sad computer story. On the 16th (just over two weeks ago), I did an update on my computer and when I restarted my computer it didn’t turn back on. After a trip to the shop, I discovered that the motherboard had expired. Came to an end. Was no more. Popped off. Shuffled off the mortal coil. Kicked the bucket. Went out like a light. Bought the Farm. Pushing up daisies. Gave up the ghost. Ceased to be. Signed up for the big buffet in the sky. Umm… so it died. :)
I did some research and I found three good deals through Costco: one was a smallish sized computer for a smallish price, and another was a medium-ish computer for a medium-ish price, but my personal favorite was a medium-ish computer with a monitor, keyboard, mouse, and Microsoft for a slightly higher price. I did such a good job pitching it to my boss (combined with a perfectly timed and nicely sized account pay off from one of the clients) that he decided on the whole kit and caboodle. And today it came in the mail!!!
The theme for this month’s Self-Portrait Tuesdays was challenging, but I’m happy to end on a high note. After all,

Eight is great,

but an eighteen-inch monitor is even better.

General Conference Challenge

When I was little sometimes we were visited by the clean room fairy. He would leave us a little poem telling us how proud he was that we kept our room clean and then leave a little treat from my dad's candy box at work. Isn't that sweet?! It made me feel special and it made me feel that someone knew I was trying to be good. Although I've never been very good at writing poetry, I have tried to incorporate the same kind of idea as an adult. A few years ago I was struggling during a particular sleepy conference and I vowed to be better... next time. And I did. Allow me to introduce you to the General Conference Fairy.
She likes to bring healthy snacks and activities to help you during four 2-hour sessions of conference and actually remember what you listened to you. Crazy, I know! My favorite activity was a word search where you couldn't look up the word until one of the speaker said it. It took an entire morning session and I can still remember some of those talks. I've.... er... humm... I mean, she's been doing some research and found a few web sites with some great resources... If you're interested. They're kid oriented, but some of us never grow too old to color or do word searches.

Here are a few links:
by Melanie of SugarDoodle.net (my one-stop shopping packet site)
resources at about.com (for handy apostle booklets)

I came across this post about a challenge for adults to prepare for General Conference. They say,

Challenge: take your worries and your questions and write them down. As you watch conference, your questions will be answered. ONE BY ONE.

Such a brilliant idea! In fact, I feel a little sheepish that I've never tried it before. So, what are your favorite General Conference activities?

Self Portrait Tuesday: Eight is Great

In my search for eights this week, I kept finding 2008s. I know that's its March, but I keep writing down the wrong year. Although, today I moved my 2008 files from the "This Year" drawer to the "Last Year" drawer. Maybe that will help. :)

Atomic age comes to Arco, Idaho

I have an aunt who loves to send us forwards and I got a real winner today. She found two pictures taken by Life magazine with my family in 1949. The first one is Grandpa Mackley in his shoe shop.

(P.S. You can click on the picture and it will link you to Life's website)

The second is a picture of Easter dinner. The oldest girl with curls and her back to us is Aunt LaWana. The next one is my mom! Next to Mom is Uncle Bill and Aunt Irene is the little girl praying next to Grandma. Grandma died when I was three so I don't have any memories of her so that makes this extra special.

I wanted to see why in the world Life magazine was taking pictures of the family, so I looked them up on their website. The pictures are from 1949 and the photographer visited little Arco, Idaho when they decided to set aside 400,000 acres for nuclear testing. I found an article entitled Atomic Age Comes to Arco, Idaho in the May 9, 1949 issue but they don't have their magazines and articles avaible online. However, if anyone is interested you can purchase the issue for $30. :)

While looking through the forty or so pictures of Arco, we stumbled across this one in front of Grandpa Mackley's shoe store. The caption says "State Senator Earl Soelberg giving pennies to the shoemakers kids on Grand Avenue." Since Aunt LaWana, Mom and Uncle Bill were often together, then that would explain who the two little girls are (one is behind the other) and the little boy going into the shop.
Who knew?!

Spring Break... kind of

This is the week of Spring Break for the schools. But, I work for an attorney so I have to go to work... kind of. The Judge took the week off and my boss said that this would be a good time for vacation time if I want it. Helluuu?! I'm always up for a vacation!!

I got off work early on Monday (no computer makes it hard to work) and Mom went with me to Utah where we met Trevor and his family for dinner at the Olive Garden. Little Alex remembered his playschool camera and I totally forgot mine! But I did get pictures later.

Here is Ian reading us a book from school. The video is about three minutes but so sweet as he sounds out words and gets excited when he figures out what's coming next from the pictures :).

Here's a great one of a hyper Bisley (I can't believe how big this "puppy" is!) and Ian playing with her.

I love this picture of Alex playing with the sword. I think I videoed Alex six or seven times waving the sword around before I put my camera away. He sure loves the camera!
Tuesday was my doctors appointments. You want an update? You do!? It's a good thing because here it is :). The surgeon was really happy with the incision since last time I saw him I was struggling with an infection. They took x-rays and the bones in my foot are fully fused and he's happy with my progress so he doesn't need to see me for another year. Yah!

The other doctor was the rheumatologist and he and I talked about my medicine. I have a med called Prednisone that is an anti-inflammatory that is the DEVIL. Stupid side effects. Anywho, before the surgery on my ankle I was taking 7 mg a day. In terms of prednisone that's pretty low, but now I'm down to only 3 mg! And the doctor thinks that I should be able drop it again. So exciting!

Tuesday was a lot of good news, but my favorite part was visiting the Gateway. I got there early so I walked around and was in time for the water show at the Olympic Snowflake. Very pretty!
Plus, I got to meet some Ricks roommates at the Gateway for lunch...

with their cute kids, Charlie...

and Stella (my pictures didn't turn out and her mom has so many great ones anyway)...

and some shopping... Wednesday was my lazy spring break vacation day and I slept in until eleven. Ahhhhh. Then we drove home and met Tricia for lunch. Nice! I needed a slow day before heading back to work and my computer problems.

Self Portrait Tuesday: Eight is Great

I had a cousin recommend that for one of my Eight is Great! weeks in March I ought to do a picture of my glasses and make it look like the number 8. I thought it was a brilliant idea. I took a couple pictures, but I'm not sure if it looks more creepy with the eyes or without! What do you think?

Self Portrait Tuesday: Eight is Great

So last season was the first time ever that I'd watched American Idol. Who knew it could be so addictive?! Well... probably a lot of people, but it's my new guilty pleasure. It's really so clever! It brings a whole new meaning to reality TV when I get to watch and then vote. It makes me feel like I've accomplished something for the day :).

This season... SEASON 8... has been just as fun to watch. I love the backstories and can't help rooting for a few of my own favorites.

Every Tom, Dick & Harry

I don't think that I've blogged about my new church calling yet. My new church calling isn't so new anymore but I've been asked to help people in the ward with their family history. I was trained by this sweet 80 year old woman who knew everything there is to researching geneology and hugged me every time I asked if we need to verify our information before writing it down as fact :). I'm pretty sure I'm one of her favorites, but then again, I'm thirty years younger than all the other consultants, and I knew how to use a computer before I came to her! Training took several months because there is a suprising amount of resources not available yet on the internet and she wanted me to know what was available and where to find it. Things like the Census. The Church has only a limited number of Census-es to search. Hey, would you call more than one census "censuses" or "censi"?

A couple of weeks ago they asked me to speak in sacrament meeting using a Sister Allred's conference talk on temples from the fall conference last October, but to use it to speak about family history work. They're related, but I had to use other general conference talks and articles from the Ensign to help me. I was nervous, nervous, nervous to give my talk. In fact, I made a little mistake that I was able to turn into a joke later, but I was talking about the three-fold mission of the Church: Proclaim the gospel, Perfect the Saints, and Redeem the dead... except that I couldn't remember the middle one and I couldn't find it in my notes until later :). I had to turn around and the Bishop had to tell me! Oy!

Anywho, my point was that I found a talk by Elder Oaks about three principles to follow and that one of those is that you shouldn't feel guilty. How cool is that?! I hope you read the talk because it really makes you feel good by the time your done. Of course, the other two talk about how we should be doing SOMETHING, so you know that no guilt thing only goes so far :).

After my training was over, I decided to volunteer at the Family History Library on Saturdays so that I can try to apply all the millions of things I learned. Or rather, try to remember a couple of the things that I had been taught :). The shift is from 9am to 1pm. I think it still shocks Chris that I'm awake before one o'clock on a Saturday but I usually come home after and take a four hour nap so it turns out that I'm still pretty lazy on Saturdays. This last week I've been trying to verify or correct the information I have on my family and I've been looking for the correct spelling of Granpa Brown's grandmother. Family tradition is that she's Anna but in Ancestrial File it's Ane and on the 1900 Census she's Annie. You wouldn't think it would matter, but it's really hard to research someone if you're checking every Tom, Dick, and Harry. I mean, every Anna, Ane, and Annie.

Oh! And just for fun, it turns out she was a second wife. His first wife's name is Ane. Or maybe Anna. Heaven help me and wish me luck!

Self Portrait Tuesday: Eight is Great

EIGHT is GREAT!

Each tuesday of march, your challenge is to feature the number 8. You have free reign each week to decide how you will include the number in your post. The only rule is that the numeral itself must be part of the photograph!! So get out there and search for 8s!! I bet you can find them everywhere.

Have I ever mentioned how much I hate mornings? I always want just five more minutes to sleep.