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Mally was in our city’s children's production of Cinderella this past summer. These pages prove it.

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I LOVE these girls! So sweet, so gorgeous, so precious.

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Scrap and Share

See, give me a little time to scrapbook while Mally’s at school and Eva naps, and even I can stay up-to-date with my scrapbooking.

First Day of Kindergarten

  

I have mixed feelings about her going off to kindergarten. As I drove up to the school I was getting teary-eyed. But I know she is ready and excited to go. I can’t wait to have her tell me about her day. But until then I will REALLY enjoy my 2 hours of childless interruptions. Mally at school. Eva napping. Me HAPPY!!!

 

Back to School

Stephen started school last week. He is going to the University of Utah to get his Master’s in Computer Science with his emphasis in graphics.

This whole decision to have him go back to school has been a leap of faith for us. We always knew getting a higher degree was something we wanted and felt we should do. The timing finally seemed right and we left the comforts of  steady work hours and salary for long days of lectures, homework and very little money. But promptings from the Spirit, inspired blessings and many answered prayers are proving to us that we are making the right decision.

Through the process of applying for school I knelt and prayed one day specifically that he would get accepted to the U. I wanted it so that we could stay in our home, our ward and especially near our family. A few days before we found out he was accepted to the U, I was on the computer doing something when I had a very strong impression tell me that the Lord heard my prayer and will give me what I want.

Sure enough he got into Utah’s program, a highly ranked program, while he was turned down by many other lesser ranked schools. We couldn’t be happier to have him going there.

He was accepted to the U, but without funding. Many grad students get offered paid tuition and a stipend when they are accepted. We were not so lucky. We had financially prepared for school, and with the worst case scenario (we pay for everything) we knew we could do it. But, every night we would pray that some teaching assistant position or research assistantship would come our way. The answer I always got to these prayers was a peaceful reassurance that God would provide. Over and over again as I would read my scriptures the most random scriptures would reconfirm to me that if we were obedient and trusted in the Lord we would prosper.

Last month Stephen found an online application to be a teaching assistant and filled it out. The deadline for it was the month prior, but he still submitted it hoping it could lead to a position next semester. To our surprise, the next week he was contacted by a professor asking him to be a TA for her class. Tears of joy filled my eyes.

With this position, his tuition is waived 100%, and he receives a regular living stipend plus free health insurance for him. Which means, less financial stress on both of us.

God does provide. Prayers are answered and miracles do happen.

So far schooling has been busy, overwhelming at times and physically draining for him. But, we have already been so impressed with the cool projects he is doing and all the new information he is learning. Stephen is at the U, though I won’t go so far to say he is a “Ute” because we all know his blood runs BYU blue. But he is gaining new respect and appreciation for the U.

This coming Friday is “Show Your Colors Day” at school. He is threatening to wear a BYU t-shirt. I think that is a BAD idea. I was on campus last week and saw a bumper sticker that read, “I HATE BYU.” I don’t want Stephen to run into that guy while wearing a BYU shirt.

Jewel

In the past I have not been a total Jewel fan. In fact, my first real experience with her music was when I was 20 and got two of her CDs for Valentine’s Day from the boy I was dating and that same night (Valentine’s Day) I broke up with him. Such bad timing on my part. Now, I feel bad that I kept the CDs he gave me that night.

Anyway, I heard an interview with her on NPR with Scott Simon this past month and I was really impressed with what she said. I thought I would share her wisdom about having a happy and balanced life. I especially like what she said about being a good “parent to her music” and not selling out. I found her words to be very applicable to my life, because like her I too want my “whole like to be a great work of art.” Read the transcript and you’ll know what I mean. I even highlighted my favorite parts for your reading pleasure. Then click here to listen to her new album.

http://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=128243945

…JEWEL: Mm-hmm, with "Pieces of You." But I also realized it was a great opportunity to take all the pressure off. Because if I was conservative with money and saved it - I had in one album earned more money than I would probably ever need in my entire life.

The worst thing you can do for your art is be broke and be in a position where you're compromised, where now you have a lifestyle you're trying to support and you have to sell yourself out to have a hit. And my goal was to try and avoid being in that position ever. So I've always been very conservative with my money, simply for the fact that I wanted to try and be a good parent to my music.

SIMON: Let's listen, if we could, to "Satisfy."

(Soundbite of song, "Satisfy")

JEWEL: (Singing) If you love somebody, you better let it out. Don't hold it back while you're trying to figure it out. Don't be timid. Don't be afraid to hurt. Run toward the flame. Run toward the fire and hold on for all your worth. 'Cause the only real pain a heart can ever know is the sorrow of regret when you don't let your feelings show...

SIMON: Would I be wrong to think that this is kind of your song?

JEWEL: Yeah, it's a pretty personal lyric. You know, it's funny. As a kid, I always knew what would make me happy and I always struggled to work toward it. And I realized in my early 30's that I didn’t actually even know what made me happy. It's a lot simpler, things, than I thought.

I don’t know. You know, a lot of heroes were artists and a lot of them did great work. But they often died unhappy or estranged from their family. But -Steinbeck had written "The Grapes of Wrath," but at what cost? And I started looking at that, especially - I got to do a movie with Ang Lee, and I looked at doing a full-time acting career and a music career.

But when I looked at the cost of that, and I had just met my husband at that point, I thought, you know, I want my whole life to be a great work of art, not just my art. And that means paying attention to my entire life and trying to make sure my whole life is balanced.

And so I really stepped away from acting. I turned down work. I quit touring a lot of the world, in Asia and Europe and Australia, because I wanted to make sure I had a balanced life and I wasn’t just going to become some drug-addled, unhappy person that had a great career but had a miserable home life.

And all those thoughts and everything that I put into that is sort of what I put into writing the lyrics for "Satisfied," that it really is the simplest things - making sure you're spending time with the people you love.

SIMON: Boy, you’ve really thought about this, haven't you?

(Soundbite of laughter)

JEWEL: I over-think everything, I guess.

SIMON: Well, Jewel, it's been wonderful talking to you. Thanks so much.

JEWEL: Thank you. I really appreciate it.

SIMON: Jewel's new CD, "Sweet and Wild." Its in stores now. She joined us from NPR West.

Thank you, Jewel.

JEWEL: Thank you. I really appreciate it.

SIMON: Oh, my pleasure.

JEWEL: I’m such a fan. Thanks for having me on the show.

SIMON: Well, our pleasure. You're welcome any time.

JEWEL: Thank you.