Papa and Michael

The other day my dad, Papa Red, stopped by for a few minutes. Michael and I had just gotten home from picking Alex up at work. I really had to chuckle when I saw what my dad was wearing. I helped Michael take off his coat then promptly put him on Papa's lap for a picture.
Overalls and a red shirt, what better outfit could there be?

The Bathroom is FINISHED!

It is a happy day at the Lundquist house. Today the surround for our bathtub was installed. YAY!!! This means that now I can bathe my kids upstairs in our own bathroom. I can take HOT showers and baths in my own bathroom.
We have been sharing a bath/shower with my in-laws. It hasn't been too bad, but the water heater is sporadic on having truly hot water. For me who the answer to any problem is to take a hot bath, this has been a major challenge.
I am so grateful for Alex's job where he got a Christmas bonus that paid to finish the bathroom. What a huge blessing for our family.
22 hours and counting until I can use the bathtub. (The caulking has to dry first).

Once there was a Snowman

Michael has gotten in the habit lately of singing while he is in his car seat. His favorite song is "Once there was a Snowman." He sings the first verse just fine. "Once there was a snowman, snowman, snowman. Once there was a snowman tall, tall, tall." It is the second verse that brings a smile to my face. "Once there was a mountain, mountain, mountain. Once there was a mountain small, small, small."
To a three year old's ears I guess melted sounds more like mountain.

Balloons

Since Michael had received a coupon for a free meal at Brick Oven for his birthday that is where we went to eat last night. It was an enjoyable meal but the best part came after the food was gone.
There was a balloon artist there. We saw him across the restaurant and asked the waitress if he would come over. Michael had seen a pumpkin balloon at the hostess station when we came in and he really wanted one. But when the balloon guy asked Michael what he wanted he promptly said he wanted a dinosaur. He could choose from seven different dinosaurs and of course he went with the triceratops.
As we watched the guy work we were in awe. This was no ordinary balloon artist. His work was amazing! He showed us a little portfolio that he carries with him. In it was a picture of the full size T-Rex that he did at the dinosaur museum. It was phenomenal! There were lots of other samples of his work and they were all equally impressive.
Michael was absolutely thrilled with the triceratops the he got. So then it was Lorenne's turn to choose. I thought she might choose a princess since there had been a few pictures of Tinker Bell in the portfolio, but she opted for a dog. Even her dog wasn't your standard balloon dog. He used two different colors and it really came to life.
I was dying of curiosity in regards to what a princess would look like so I gave into my childish whim and asked for one for me. I was having such a hard time deciding what princess to choose so I took the balloon guys recommendation for Snow White. The guy just worked so fast. You could hardly keep up with his movements. When all was said and done the results were astounding. I love my balloon princess!
The balloon guy does private parties and I think it would be well worth the money to have him come do a party. If you are interested in seeing some of his stuff you can go to his website: balloonguyentertainment.com

Katy's Snow WhiteMichael's TriceratopsLorenne's Poodle

Halloween

This year we had Smokey Bear and Belle for Halloween. I am really happy with the way their costumes turned out. I go a little crazy sewing for Halloween. But it is worth it to see my children's faces when they put on the costumes and it is just what they wanted.



















Maya and Lorenne-Best Friends Forever.



















We visited my friend, Cheryl, at her office. She works for the forest service and got us Michael's Smokey hat.

Dinosaur Museum

A few weeks ago Michael and I had the opportunity to go to the dinosaur museum at Thanksgiving point. We went with some friends from our ward and had a great time.
Michael is really into dinosaurs right now. His favorite show to watch is Dinosaur Train on PBS. At our school carnival in August he won some little dinosaur toys. He carries them around with him constantly. Everywhere we go he wants to look for dinosaurs. We bought one for him at Macey's that squeaks, but he calls it his squishy dinosaur.
When we were at my parents' house last week Michael told my sister that he had one stegosaurus and two triceratops. She had to ask him to say it again because she couldn't believe that he could say those names.
Not only does he know their names he know their features. The triceratops has three horns on its head and the stegosaurus has plates on his back that he uses to "beat the heat." All the information that he learns from Dinosaur Train he remembers and tells people. He is such a smart little boy.

Mission Memories

One of the reasons I decided to serve a mission was because a friend told me that it would change my life forever. She was right. So much of my life today is affected by the decision I made to serve a mission.
Today I heard from a friend I met on my mission. Jack and his family are my favorite family from Texas. For some reason Jack and I just clicked. He was like an older brother to me. Or as he said, he was my "project." My companion and I worked with Jack to get him active in church. Sister Jaime and I had so much fun with Jack and his family. If we were having a rough day doing missionary work we knew that if we visited them we would feel better.
Words can't express the gratitude I have for them and their love. They just loved us so much. It helped so I didn't miss my family so much.
My life was changed for the better when I met them; changed forever. It has been ten years since I returned from my mission and probably five since I have really heard from Jack. But the joy I felt today when I read his email was just as strong as if he had been a part of my life everyday for the last ten years. And in part, he has been. The experiences I had as a missionary have helped me become the woman I am. And Jack and his family were a part of that.

I Love being a Mom

There are so many blessings that come with being a mom. Most recently I have found joy in getting up early with Lorenne to help her get ready for school. Most of you know that I am not a morning person so you would think that I would hate getting up, but I have really enjoyed it. I am getting a lot more done during the day because I have added a few hours by getting up and started earlier.
Lorenne and I walk to her bus stop each morning. And as we walk, we talk. I love those few minutes when it is just the two of us. Her favorite phrase recently is, "can I tell you this?" Sometimes it is just silly stuff and other times it is the opening for a quick life lesson.
One of my goals as a parent is to be open enough that my kids feel comfortable in coming to me to talk. There is so much for our kids to deal with now that they need good righteous counsel. I want to be the source of that for my children.
Another benefit of walking Lorenne to the bus is being able to visit with the other moms that are there at the bus stop. Those few minutes each morning and afternoon visiting with other women is so rewarding. I feel like my circle of friends has expanded greatly.
How grateful I am for the small blessings that add up and are evidence of my Heavenly Father's love for me.

Back to School

Yesterday Lorenne started 1st grade. I can't believe that she is old enough to be a 1st grader! But alas, she is. Being in 1st grade means a lot of new things: riding the bus to school, a full day of school, and eating lunch at school. Lorenne is so excited about all these things, but I have been really worried and somewhat depressed.
Last year we didn't know that there was a bus for Lorenne to ride to school so I drove her everyday. It was frustrating at times, but I enjoyed being able to talk on the drive home about her day. I offered to drive Lorenne to school on her first day and she turned me down. She wanted to ride the bus. So yesterday at 8:15 am we were standing at the bus stop waiting. When the bus pulled up Lorenne practically ran to get on. She found a seat next to her friend, Hunter. The doors closed and the bus drove off. I promptly burst into tears.
Watching my little girl be so grown up was so hard. In some ways I felt like I was being left behind. I have been home with Lorenne her whole life. We have been buddies. Now she is off to the big adventure of 1st grade and I will be at home missing her. Not to mention how much Michael is going to miss her. I will have my hands full keeping him entertained while Lorenne is at school.
We had SEP conference with Lorenne's teacher right after school. Mrs. Jeppesen did some assessments of Lorenne's reading skills. Lorenne did so well. I am amazed at what a good reader she is. Her goal for this year is to get better in math. I don't think she will have any problem with math. Once they really start working with it in class I'm sure she will just excel.
And who knew there was so much to worry about with packing a lunch. Did I pack a balanced lunch? Is there enough food? Is it going to stay cold?
I'm not sure I'm quite ready to be the mom of a 1st grader.

The Wonderful Days of Summer

Where have I been in the last month? Good question. Time just seems to fly.
Two weeks from now Lorenne will start 1st grade. Tomorrow we get to find out who her teacher is. I just hope her teacher this year is as awesome as Mrs. Tingey was last year.
The past month has been filled with typical summer stuff. We went to Fiesta Days down in Spanish Fork on July 24th. We celebrated Lorenne's 6th birthday that same weekend.
Last weekend we went to Kim's house. My niece Jessee was being baptized. It was a fun weekend with the cousins, Grandma Pat and Papa Red. The highlight, of course, being when Kim and Matt made cotton candy before we left. I think it is a sick joke they play on all of us parents. Right before we start loading up in the cars they pull out the cotton candy machine. They make enough cotton candy for each kid to have a good sized bag of their own. You got it....major sugar high right as we try to buckle the kids in their seats. Fortunately it doesn't last long and the kids usually crash for the rest of the two hour drive.
This weekend is Salem Days and I can't wait. I love going to the breakfast and then the parade. And of course we come back at night for the fireworks. Salem's fireworks put others to shame. In my opinion, Stadium of Fire could be called Stadium of Fizzle compared to the fireworks at Salem Days. There is just something about seeing the fireworks over the pond and hearing the boom echo off the mountains surrounding Salem.
Ahhh...the wonderful days of summer!

My New Background

This new background of cupcakes is dedicated to Tawnicia and Cheryl and anyone else who has fallen prey to the Sweet Tooth Fairy bakery.

The Tooth Fairy is Coming to Town

"It's gonna fall out, I'm not gonna cry, I'm gonna shout; I'm telling you why...the Tooth Fairy is coming to town."

Lorenne lost her first tooth today. It has been loose for about two weeks. We have been checking it each day. I checked it this afternoon and it was really loose but Lorenne didn't want me to pull it out, so I left it alone. We were reading a book when Lorenne gasped and showed me her tooth. It had come out.

I am so not ready for my baby girl to be big enough to lose teeth. But I just can't slow down the clock.

We'll have to see what the Tooth Fairy brings Lorenne tonight...

I Feel so Blessed

Most people know that I clean house to earn some extra money. I have been cleaning for Holly and Bonnie for five years. Holly is the mom and Bonnie is her daughter. I have consistently cleaned for Holly but took time off from cleaning for Bonnie when I had Michael and did daycare. It was last fall sometime when Bonnie's husband called and asked me to come and clean for them again.
You see, Bonnie had Lou Gherig's disease. It is a terrible debilitating disease that eventually ends in death. Bonnie wasn't the type of person to announce that she was sick. I only found out about her illness when I commented to her daughter, Becky, how good her mom looked after losing some weight. That is when I learned that Bonnie was sick. I was astounded!
Bonnie is the be-all, d0-all type of person. She took care of everyone around her. There were so many times during my time cleaning for her that she would have some little gift for me or my kids when I got there to clean. Particularly I remember the winter that I was thinking how much I needed a new winter jacket. When I got to Bonnie's she asked me if I would like a jacket. She had bought one for herself and then decided she didn't like the color on her. It was the perfect color of green for me and exactly what I would have picked out for myself.
Well, a few weeks ago Bonnie passed away. I knew it was coming but it was still incredibly hard. I was able to deal with some of my grief by helping Holly get ready for the funeral. A mom shouldn't have to bury a child. Fortunately Holly's memory is not good and so she doesn't even really remember that Bonnie is gone.
At the viewing Becky told me that I needed to talk to her after the funeral because her mom had left some things for me. I was completely blown away. I never would have expected her to leave me anything. This came after Bonnie's brother inviting me to participate in the family prayer and luncheon and to sit with the family during the funeral. I was thinking, "I am just the cleaning lady." I do care more about them than just being the cleaning lady...but still I was very overwhelmed.
Imagine my surprise when I learned after the funeral that Bonnie had left me her entire wardrobe. There are tons of clothes. More than any one person can really use. And there are clothes ranging in size from 16 t0 4. The disease caused Bonnie to lose a lot of weight. Bonnie was the type that if she liked something she bought one in every color.
On Friday I started going through all the clothes. I have just begun and I have brought home 6 laundry baskets full.
I obviously feel very blessed by Bonnie's gift to me. I love the clothes that I have found so far for myself. But what makes it infinitely more rewarding is seeing the faces of friends and family as I tell them I want to share with them what I was given. A lot of them are stay-at-home mom's like myself who spend money on clothes for their kids but never for themselves. Their eyes just light up at the thought of having something new for themselves.
I am praying to know who is in need so that I can share with them what Bonnie so generously gave me. I feel so blessed for having known Bonnie and for the lessons she taught me. When I grow up, I hope I can be like Bonnie.

Life is never dull...

Life is never dull with Michael around. Last night was a prime example of that.
I was downstairs when I heard Michael crying and Alex frantically calling for me. When I got upstairs I found Michael covered in poo. Lately Michael has decided that he is big enough to change his own diaper. Up until last night I had been lucky that he had only changed wet diapers. But no such luck last night. He was covered in poo. I hurried him down to the bathroom to start cleaning him up. Unfortunately Michael also has a weak stomach and threw up twice in the process of cleaning him up. So now I not only had poo to clean up...but now I had puke, too.
Again I was very grateful that my in-laws have a carpet shampooer. It came in handy cleaning up the carpet.
After the poo/puke disaster I thought it would be a quiet night. But Michael had other plans. When I found him later he had found two markers and had colored himself top to bottom. And he colored everything. If it weren't inappropriate to take and post pictures of it, I would have. Because when I say he colored everything....I mean EVERYTHING. Oh that story will make great blackmail material when he is older.

Uncle Jesse

A few weeks ago my brother, Jesse, came to visit. It was so wonderful to have him here. Jesse has gone through a lot in the last year and it has changed him for the better. I felt like we, his family, were his priority. In the past I never saw Jesse much when he came to visit. But this time I saw him a lot.
He came for dinner one night at my house. It was great having him be there and just visit while we watched the kids play outside. Then we went inside and Michael showed Jesse his motorized Thomas the train engines. Jesse hooked two of the engines up back to back and they had a tug of war. I laughed so hard listening to Jesse commentate the competition between the engines.
Jesse also told Lorenne about me being his "little brother" when I was younger. She got a big kick out of that story. As I watched Jesse play with my kids I experienced the same hero worship I had for him as a little girl.
I am so sorry for all the heartache that Jesse has gone through lately, but I will forever be grateful that it gave me back my brother. That is something I wouldn't trade the world for.

This time it was lip gloss!

It is all your fault, Charity. You asked where the pictures were of Michael's escapades, so he decided to accommodate your request.
I sent Michael to the front room to take a nap on the couch. In the thirty seconds that it took for me to grab my book to read while I sat with him while he fell asleep, he found the lip gloss and smeared it all over himself and had started painting the wall.
I seriously don't know what I am going to do with him. I turn my back for an instant and he finds something to get into. Tonight he found the toothpaste. Fortunately I was right there to take it from him.
And since I started this post....he found the soap bottle.
Big sigh!

Vicks, Hand Sanitizer, and Skin So Soft Lotion

Vicks, Hand Sanitizer, and Skin So Soft Lotion...
You may ask, "what do these things have in common?" Well they would be Michael's choice of medium for expressing his artistic side.
Yesterday I came upstairs and could smell a strong menthol odor. As I investigated I found an empty container of Vick's on Michael's floor next to the book that he had painted with it. There were also big spots on the floor where he had rubbed it into the carpet. How the heck do you get Vick's out of carpet?
Later in the evening I walked past Michael's door to find him sitting on the floor with a pump bottle of hand sanitzer. He was happily squirting it into his hand and creating a nice puddle on the floor beneath him.
And now....Lorenne just came downstairs to tell me that Michael had used a whole bottle of baby lotion on himself. She said it was in his hair and on his body and phone....you get the picture. So I ran upstairs to find him and sure enough, he was covered in lotion from head to toe. Plus he had found a bar of soap and was hiding it in his shirt.
I thought maybe Lorenne was exaggerating the whole bottle thing...but no, he used a whole bottle of Skin So Soft lotion.
What am I going to do with this kid? I think I am going to have to invest in some good locks.

A Father's Day Shirt

Here is a video tutorial of how to make a cute origami shirt for Father's Day.

Level 3

I am so proud of Alex.
He has been with Bluehost for two years now. In December he was promoted to a Level 2 technician in the abuse department. It was a new position with undefined responsibilities. They have given him stuff as it has come up. And he has done really well with it.
Yesterday he had his annual review and today he got the results. They promoted him to a Level 3 technician! They realized that the work that Alex has been doing was beyond the responsibilities of a Level 2 tech. I am so excited for Alex. He has worked hard to get this position.
I love my computer nerd! It is always so exciting to me when someone brings their computer to Alex to have him look at it. They are usually on the verge of smashing it with a hammer. Then Alex does his thing and they go home with a computer that is running the way it should. I love to see the look on the person's face when he tells them that their computer is working and they don't have to buy a new one. That look is priceless.
I am so grateful for the job that Alex has at Bluehost. It is an awesome company that really cares about their employees. Because of his job I am able to fulfill my lifelong dream of being a stay-at-home mom. That means more to me than words can express.

Seven Years Down....Eternity to Go.

Yesterday was Alex and my 7 year anniversary. In so many ways it feels like we have been married for so much longer than that. But on the other hand it feels like we are still newly weds.
I am so grateful for the man that I married. Alex is exactly what I need in a husband. He loves me just the way I am with all my "baggage" and everything. And he has loved me like that since the day we met.
Aren't the roses he gave me for our anniversary gorgeous. When I was arranging them in the vase Lorenne kept asking me if she could have one. She was so jealous. It wasn't until I went out and picked her some roses from our yard and put them in a vase for her that she quit bugging me.
I am thrilled that I have had seven wonderful and challenging years with Alex. It is through our challenges that we grow closer together. If you are wondering if I love Alex as much as I did the day I married him, the answer is, "no." I love him infitely more. I look forward to many more years and the rest of eternity with him.

Lorenne's Top 5 Memories of Kindergarten

1-Learning to read.
2-Going to P.E.
3-Playing on the monkey bars at recess.
4-Learning all her letters.
5-Rainbow writing her words.

Last Day of Kindergarten

Thursday was Lorenne's last day of Kindergarten. I can't believe that my baby girl is old enough to have finished kindergarten. It was a wonderful year with an amazing teacher.
I'll admit that I was nervous when I found out that Mrs. Tingey was a first year teacher. But as it turned out there was nothing to worry about. Mrs. Tingey was an amazing teacher! The first time I went to her class and watched the kids transition from one center to the next I was thoroughly impressed. They were so quiet and did exactly as they were supposed to. That was when I knew that Lorenne was in good hands at school.
The growth that I have seen in Lorenne is so incredible to me. She went from knowing a lot of her letters and a few of their sounds to knowing the whole alphabet and their sounds and being able to read incredibly well. I'll take my credit in that I have read to Lorenne almost every day since she was born, but it was Mrs. Tingey who gave Lorenne the skills that she would need to read.
Lorenne has really come out of her shell and made some great friends at school. She even had her first "boyfriend" this year. That definitely caught me off guard. I loved when she got invited to birthday parties. It was a chance for her to be with her friends outside of school.
I am so proud of Lorenne and all that she has learned this year. Kindergarten is over and she is definitely ready to enter the world of First Grade.

The Saddest Princess of Them All

Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's the saddest princess of them all? Michael!
A week ago I came upstairs to find that Lorenne and Michael had been playing princesses. But Michael had had enough. He was all done being Snow White. Before I helped him out of the dress I had to get a picture.


Isn't he the saddest princess of them all?

How did my kids get to be so good?

Last time I wrote I felt like pulling my hair out cause of Michael. This morning was one of those where you think, "Wow! How did my kids get to be so good?"
At breakfast I asked Lorenne to say the prayer. I am often amazed at the thoughtfulness she shows in her prayers. She prayed for Michael to feel better (he has had a cold) and for her grandparents and aunt to travel safely home from California. Then she prayed that our dogs would be good while they were staying at Uncle Nate's house and that they wouldn't chew on stuff so Nate wouldn't have to buy new stuff. I loved how specific she was in her prayer. I could definitely take some lessons from her.
Michael asked for some milk to drink with his breakfast. So I poured him a glass and asked Lorenne what she wanted to drink. She said she wanted milk. Before I could pour her a glass Michael handed her his glass and said, "Here, Lorn." He doesn't quite say Lorenne. Then he waited for me to pour him another glass of milk. I was so pleasantly surprised.
As a mom you wonder at times if you are doing any good with your kids. Then you have moments like I did at breakfast today and it gives you enough confidence to keep going.

A Big Puddle

Last night was one of those times as a mom where I wanted to pull my hair out.
I had gone downstairs to take a shower while the kids were watching Little Einsteins. Feeling much better after a hot shower (I've got a little bit of a cold), I came upstairs and walked down the darkened hallway to my room. As I reached my doorway I stepped into a big, cold puddle. I had a sneaky suspicion of what it was and started crying, "NO! NO! Please NO!" But when I turned on the light it was exactly what I thought.
We have a kitchenette in our part of the house with a small fridge. It is just the right size for Michael to get into by himself. Anytime he wants a drink of milk he gets the jug out and carries it to us, or if it is too heavy he pushes it along the floor until he finds us. He has even carried a jug outside to me while we were playing with sidewalk chalk.
You guessed it.....the puddle I was standing in was MILK. Almost an entire gallon of milk in a puddle on the carpet outside my bedroom door. I was NOT smiling.
I will count my blessings here that my in-laws own a Bissell carpet cleaner. I was able to use it to suck up all the milk and then shampoo the carpet some. I talked to the guy we bought our carpet from last year and he suggested I use really hot water to clean it one more time and he doesn't think I should have any problems. Thank goodness!
This morning I can kind of laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation, but last night I really wanted to pull my hair out.

Mother's Day

On Sunday morning I got a wonderful surprise as I was getting ready to go to church. My family gave me a beautiful lei for Mother's Day. It was such a wonderful gift. But it doesn't compare to the gift of my kids.
I love Michael and Lorenne so much. At times I want to pull my hair out in frustration, but I wouldn't trade them for anything.
Lorenne's teacher helped her "write" a letter to me for Mother's Day. It was similar to a mad-lib where you fill in the blanks. It was so much fun to see myself through her eyes. Here are a few of my favorite lines from the letter. The bold words are the ones she filled in.
1-I am pretty sure she weighs 33 pounds and is 10 feet tall.
2-Her favorite thing to do is watch Michael.
3-She is really good at washing dishes.
4-I love her so much because I like to play with her.
5-She loves me so much because I'm a good girl.
I can't quite put into words how her letter made me feel. I laughed and cried all at the same time. Lorenne sees more of what I do than I realized. I am truly blessed to have two such wonderful kids.

Even Cops Have A Sense of Humor

While out running errands yesterday I pulled up behind a cop car at the stop light. I couldn't help but laugh when I saw his personalized license plate holder.

Wicked

Last Thursday I had the chance to go see Wicked at the Capitol Theater in Salt Lake. It was such an amazing show. I have been wanting to see it ever since I went to New York a few years ago. While I was in New York I tried to do the lottery to get tickets for the show, but I didn't win. And at the time I didn't have the money to just buy a ticket.
A few weeks ago when I saw that the show was opening I decided that no matter what I would find a way to see it. I got on the KSL Classifieds and found a kid who was selling his ticket for $125. I talked him down to $100. I felt pretty good about that since the original price was $89.50. He was using the money to fix his car that had broken down. Also, if you looked at the scalper websites people were selling tickets for $150 and that was in the balcony nosebleed section.
My ticket was on the mezzanine about 10 rows back. I had a great view. From the minute the curtain went up the show was fabulous. I had heard songs from the show before, so it was fun to put them into context of the story. Popular and Defy Gravity were two of my favorites. Which is the favorites of everyone else.
Wicked is somewhat a prequel to The Wizard of Oz. It is the story of the two witches, Glinda the good and Elphaba the bad. But it also encompasses the timeline of The Wizard of Oz. It is just more of a behind the scenes look. I loved that it told how the lion, the scarecrow, and the tin man came to be.
During No Good Deed Goes Unpunished, a lady down the row from me started having medical problems. It was one of those times where you ask, "is there a doctor in the house?" They got her out and she was fine, but it was a little scary for a minute.
Because I didn't get to see the whole show uninterrupted I am toying with the idea of going to Denver in the fall to see it. Anyone interested in taking a road trip?
And if you are wondering, it is most definitely worth the trip.

My X

A few have asked what I mean by my "X" when referring to Alex.

Alex grew up in a family of four boys and one girl. Each of the boys had a nickname. Erik was "E," Davin was "D," but calling Alex "A," just didn't sound right. So they went with the last letter of his name, "X." He was X long before I met him. When we were dating he was the assistant coach to UVSC's women's soccer team. On the back of his jacket it said, "Coach X." He said he would hear people talking about his jacket as he walked around.

So now Alex is my X. It is funny to say that to people because they always do a double take. They think I am saying, "my ex." No way! Alex is mine always and forever.

He is my X.

A Few Facts About President Monson

Here are a few interesting facts that I learned about President Monson from last night:
1-His favorite color is yellow; it's the printer's color.
2-He loves musicals and attends them as often as his schedule permits.
3-He loves Perry Mason. He said that his bedtime is after Perry Mason wins his case. Elder Packer told him that he has already had two hours of sleep by then.
4-He has an "eagle's eye" for catching printing errors.
5-He started his printing career at the age of 14.

President Monson

Last night I had the privilege of attending a banquet hosted by the Crandall Historical Printing Museum and Utah Printers Hall of Fame. My father-in-law does a lot of work with the museum and he took me as his guest for the night.
I helped people to check in and find their tables. This meant that I was outside the banquet room until right before the banquet began. What an honor it was for me to meet our featured guest, President Thomas S. Monson. When I looked up from the table and saw him and his daughter strolling down the hall I was so excited. I didn't think I would ever have the opportunity to personally meet the prophet.
When President Monson got to the table I introduced myself and my father-in-law, Jak. The others at the table were introduced and then President Monson turned back to us and said, "Lundquist, that is a Swedish name. Monson, Lundquist, both Swedish." He talked to us for a minute more and then proceeded to the banquet room. It was so amazing to see the respect that the guests had for him. The room was buzzing with talking until the moment that President Monson stepped through the door. Then everyone stood and was absolutely quiet.
As he walked to his seat, President Monson stopped and chatted with a few people. I think if his daughter hadn't shepherded him to his seat, he would have walked around the hall and talked to each person.
President Monson was inducted into the Printer's Hall of Fame along with several other men who were printers in their lifetime. Each of these men contributed greatly to Utah by their work.
When he had the chance to accept his award and talk for a minute, President Monson reminded me of my Grandpa Loren. Grandpa Loren was passionate about photography and you could tell because of how he talked about it. If he got started talking about photography you had better find a seat because you were going to be there for a while. That is how President Monson was when he talked about his career as a printer. It was really neat to hear the things that he learned in his work; not just about printing, but about people and life.
When all was said and done and it was time for President Monson to leave, everyone again stood and waited for him to leave the room. When he got to the back of the room he came to the piano that had been used for the musical numbers. He paused and looked at the piano and then went over and played the song, "Here we go, up a row, to a birthday party." I think anyone who has taken piano lessons has learned that song. Then he took a bow and was on his way.
I walked outside a minute later to find Elder Claudio Zivic of the First Quorum of the Seventy. He and his wife were at our table for dinner. It was a wonderful experience to meet them and talk about his service in the Seventy. I got outside just as President Monson got in the car and was driven away. As the car sat there waiting for the light to change I wondered what the people in the cars around him would do if they knew it was President Monson in that car.
It was such and incredible honor to meet President Monson. I could feel the love that he has for me and everyone else who was there. I also could see the weight of the mantle he bears as our Prophet. It will mean a lot more to me now when I pray for the prophet. I know President Monson is a prophet of God. I think he is the perfect man for the calling at this time. He is such an optimist and is so compassionate. The world needs someone like him to lead the Lord's church in these troubled times.

The Easter Bunny is Coming to Town

Easter is only six days away and my family can't wait. I love going to the Gregson Family Easter Egg Hunt. It is always crazy. Hunting the eggs is fun, but the real fun comes after the prizes are all given out and the bartering and trading of the prizes starts.

My kids are definitely ready for Easter. They have even begun dressing up as the Easter bunny.

My Family

This is my family.
Alex: husband of nearly 7 years, best friend, computer nerd, and my X.
Lorenne: Kindergartener, pretty princess, and great big sister.
Michael: Two year old tornado, Curious George, and adorable brother.

After Much Persuasion...

I have decided to create a family blog. I attempted to do a blog for my stamping business about two years ago and failed miserably at it. I hope to be much better about my family blog.