Anything but Halloween...

Today felt like anything but Halloweenie. I finally got to go to the thyroid doctor again and I am starting my meds and now we will start the process of running more tests, upping the dosage etc. but at least I am on it and I can start to function again!!!

Um...hmmm....what else did I do today? Oh yeah, I got to go to BYU and hear the Prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley, speak today at the campus devotional!! It was AWESOME. Dusty and I had 6th row seats!! He spoke of personal testimony building experiences. It was great. I have wanted to be present when he spoke for a long time. I got to go to General Conference but didn't get to hear him speak and this was just the icing on the cake! It was such a neat experience to have. I have already recorded it in my journal (which means it must have been really special because I am still a bad journal writer...)

Anyway, I feel so blessed to be here where so many Apostles and the Prophet come and speak to us so often and just have to take a walk from work or a short drive on my lunch break to hear these men of God speak. Just amazing!

Get Up Big J-Dawg!!

Subject: What it is all about

Team,

It is with great pleasure and honor that I announce that Jason Logsdon has been nominated as a “Faculty Favorite” at the University of Louisville. This is incredibly significant recognition, as it is voted by the student body of U of L and is a direct reflection of Jason’s dedication and commitment to them and to their learning. Over 320 faculty members received nomination and Jason was one of the top 13 nominees and will be honored at a dinner hosted by the University Provost. Jason’s hard work goes beyond working with students on their coursework, it extends to developing personal relationships with students and becoming someone they rely on for more than help with their academic endeavors. Our IT Learning Managers are rarely seen, as they work remotely on each campus, but recognition like this is a reminder of the great work they do and their immense impact on students. Congratulations to Jason on this wonderful accomplishment.

Roderick Harding

Director, Adult Learning Center Programs

Deltak edu, Inc.

A great article for women

Here is the link to a great article from LDS Living: http://www.ldslivingonline.com/story1.php?aid=738

Here is a piece of what I really liked from it, but there is a lot of great stuff in there!

So how do we get that testimony of our marriages? A few things can help.

First, realize that it may take time. How long did it take for you to get a testimony of the Church, even if you were raised in it? Give it time and patience and commitment.

Second, pray for your husband specifically and daily. This will add a level of commitment that you may not have felt before. As you seek our Heavenly Father’s divine blessings to flow upon your husband, you will be inspired to assist in that process and be a blessing to your husband. Your loyalty and devotion to him will increase.

Third, ask your Heavenly Father for this testimony. Again, be patient with the answer. It took me a long time to get there. It had absolutely nothing to do with my husband and everything to do with me. Patiently go through the lessons and experiences the Lord places in your life to get you where you need to be to receive it.

Finally, perform sealings in the temple and listen to the promises and blessings. Also, initiatories invite you to hear your blessings in your own capacity as a wife. These will help you see the eternal importance and value of your eternal relationship. Understanding and love and commitment will distill upon your soul as you do this.

OK, so we may be on to something...

Dusty is doing great this year with his snakes. As many of you know he sold out of his snakes before they even hatched. (Only 3 of 17 have hatched so far.) We did no advertising, he is just keeping his blog, built a Web site and is a part of a Kingsnake.com forum. Anyway. We still have people emailing and calling daily asking if we have any left. Sadly (but gladly) we don't, but it is great to see Dusty's hard work (and mine ;) really see some results (and $!). He is the only person that we know of that produced this type of snake and people are calling looking for the "Trans Pecos Rat Snake Guy" to buy more. We think this will be a really successful year and next year we will have even more to sell and the price of the animals he is selling will raise due to the demand and rarity. Anyway, I see a lot more clearly his vision with this and I am glad he as the opportunity to do it. I really think that one day (maybe even in the next 5 years) he will be the pioneer with this species of snake, get his book published and have a lot more in store! Congrats to Dusty!

If you ever want to go to his Web site, it's at www.Suboc.com and his blog is www.subocs.blogspot.com.

Happy Birthday Melissa!! :)

Keeper Bert van Santen gives a cake of frozen fish to "Melissa the Walrus" in Harderwijk, Netherlands, Oct. 3.

This is worth a read! (thanks dad)

To commemorate her 69 nth birthday on October 1, actress/vocalist Julie Andrews made a special appearance at Manhattan's Radio City Music Hall for The benefit of the AARP. One of the musical numbers she performed was "My Favorite Things" from the legendary movie "Sound Of Music." However, the Lyrics of the song were deliberately changed for the entertainment of her "blue hair" audience. Here are the lyrics she recited:

"Maalox and nose drops and needles for knitting,
Walkers and handrails and new dental fittings,
Bundles of magazines tied up in string,
These are a few of my favorite things.

Cadillacs and cataracts, hearing aids and glasses,
Polident and Fixodent and false teeth in glasses,
Pacemakers, golf carts and porches with swings,
These are a few of my favorite things.

When the pipes leak,
When the bones creak,
When the knees go bad,
I simply remember my favorite things,
And then I don't feel so bad.

Hot tea and crumpets, and corn pads for bunions,
No spicy hot food or food cooked with onions,
Bathrobes and heat pads and hot meals they bring,
These are a few of my favorite things.

Back pains, confused brains, and no fear of sinnin',
Thin bones and fractures and hair that is thinnin',
And we won't mention our short shrunken frames,
When we remember our favorite things.

When the joints ache,
When the hips break,
When the eyes grow dim,
Then I remember the great life I've had,
And then I don't feel so bad."

Ms. Andrews received a standing ovation from the crowd that lasted over four Minutes and repeated encores.

Only in Utah...

Late tonight Dusty and I had a really loud knock at the door and when he asked who was there no one answered. He looked out the window and didn't see anything. Our neighborhood is pretty quiet but we do live in the Hispanic Ghetto. :) Anyway, we were all thinking our house was going to get broken into so we called our neighbors to ask them just to look out for trouble-makers. Our neighbor Trent said, "Well did somebody leave you a treat?" Dusty was like "I don't know I didn't open the door." Sure enough there was a bag a Halloween goodies with a poem at our door.

That just goes to show you the difference between Kentucky, Texas and Utah. In KY and TX that would have meant to hit the ground and in UT it means you get treats!

The Living Christ

One of my friends Rana made this for me righe before I left for Utah. I had seen them done before and I wanted one SO bad. We were going to do it for enrichment the week after I left for Utah so I bought the supplies and Rana made it for me and she did a fabulous job! It is SO pretty. I wanted to post it. My neighbor recently borrowed it and took out the pictures and made a high resolution copy of it and you can't even tell it's not the cards. (It's made up of pass along type cards you can buy at the Church bookstore)

Anyway, I wanted to share it because it is so beautiful.

Salsa!

I don't think I told you but I am taking a salsa dance class on Tuesday nights. I love it! We are going to go to a salsa dance club in a few weeks. I have taken salsa before so I was really excited to start this class. The class is 2 hours long and I get to help teach the girls part. It makes me miss teaching a lot!

It was WONDERFUL!

Dusty and I had a wonderful time while we were at conference. It was such a neat experience to go to the conference center and be in the presence of the Lord's Prophet and Apostles. The Conference Center is amazing--even the roof is beautiful. There were so many members of the Church there. It was gorgeous outside and I couldn't have asked for a better day. Afterwards Dusty went to the Priesthood session with a friend and I went out to eat with a friend. We just had the best day.

Today we are lounging around after listening to conference again. They don't really show conference here at Church buildings because you can watch it on local TV, radio, Internet etc. Dusty and I figured that out last year when we went to listen to conference at our Church building and it was in Spanish.

We are going to go to a friends house later to play games.

Conference Weekend Rocks!

General Conference September 30, 2006