alec gets to use the internet one time a week for a total of 30 minutes--not much time, but right now this is the only communication we have with him due to the slowness of the mail system in the DR. i am copying the letter that i just sent him to this format in case he comes to the blog for his 30 minutes.
(i actually recieved 2 christmas letters in this format and thought they were fun so i stole the idea)
Well Alec,
Last time you got after me for not writing about home. I have sent another letter (via pouch) detailing more of family/home life but I thought I would tell you about Christmas.
TURNER FAMILY CHRISTMAS BY THE NUMBERS:
10: NUMBER OF CHOCOLATE COUNT DOWN CALENDARS THAT WILL ATE (BEFORE THE 24TH)
10: NUMBER OF CHOCOLATE COUNT DOWN CALENDARS THAT DAD BOUGHT FOR WILL
4: NUMBER OF "12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS" PRESENTS THAT GRANDMA DID (THEN SHE GAVE UP)
1: NUMBER OF CHRISTMAS PRESENTS THAT GRANDMA GAVE ALL OF US ON CHRISTMAS DAY
8: NUMBER OF GINGERBREAD HOUSES THAT BELLA ATE BEFORE THE PARTY
0: NUMBER OF GINGERBREAD HOUSES THAT BELLA LEFT FOR THE PARTY
1: LOUD SCREAM WHEN MOM FOUND OUT THAT BELLA ATE THE GINGERBREAD HOUSES
30: THE NUMBER OF MINUTES BEFORE THE PARTY THAT MOM FOUND OUT THAT BELLA ATE THE GINGERBREAD HOUSES
1: THE NUMBER OF TIMES WE LISTENED TO "THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGENT EVER" ON THE WAY TO GRANDMA AUSTIN'S HOUSE OF CHRISTMAS EVE
26: NUMBER OF TIMES THAT WE WATCHED "HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS"
72: NUMBER OF TIMES THAT WILLIAM ASKED TO WATCH "HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS"
7: NUMBER OF TREES MOM REJECTED BEFORE THE PERFECT TREE WAS FOUND
27: DEGREES F WHEN SAID CHRISTMAS TREE WAS FOUND....BRRRRR!
1: NUMBER OF MORNINGS THAT WILLIAM THOUGHT IT WAS CHRISTMAS WHEN IT WASN'T (HE RUSHED UP STAIRS THINKING THERE WOULD BE PRESENTS.....SO SAD!)
12: NUMBER OF TIMES MOM THREATENED THAT WILLIAM AND AUSTIN WOULD ONLY GET A BARBIE FOR CHRISTMAS
0: NUMBER OF TIMES THAT WILLIAM THOUGHT THAT GETTING A BARBIE FOR CHRISTMAS WOULD BE BAD
102: NUMBER OF TIMES WILL PRACTICED HIS LINE FOR THE CHRISTMAS PROGRAM (HE WAS JOSEPH, AND HIS LINE: "STAY IN A STABLE?!!")
2: TEARS SHED FROM GRANDMA AUSTIN WHEN WILL SAID HIS ABOVE LINE IN THE CHRISTMAS PROGRAM
A ROOM FULL: NUMBER OF LAUGHS HEARD WHEN WILLIAM SAID HIS LINE IN THE CHRISTMAS PAGENT (DUE TO THE CUTENESS IN HIS DELIVERY!)
6: NUMBER OF PAINT COLORS REGAN GOT FOR CHRISTMAS FROM DAD
4: NUMBER OF TEENAGE GIRLS IT TAKES TO PAINT REGAN'S ROOM 6 DIFFERENT COLORS
4+: NUMBER OF DAYS IT TAKES SAID TEENAGERS TO PAINT REGAN'S ROOM 6 DIFFERENT COLORS
5: NUMBER OF TIMES AUSTIN HAS GONE SNOWBOARDING (I AM SURE THIS NUMBER WILL INCREASE AS WE HAVE 4 MORE DAYS LEFT OF VACATION)
3: NUMBER OF TIMES THAT GRANDMA AUSTIN MADE FUDGE FOR THE TURNER FAMILY
4-5: NUMBER OF LOAVES OF BREAD INJESTED BY BELLA
1: NUMBER OF CHOCOLATE SANTAS INJESTED BY BELLA
1: NUMBER OF BAGS OF CARMEL POPCORN EATEN BY BELLA
3: NUMBER OF CHOCOLATE MUFFINS EATEN BY BELLA
4: NUMBER OF COUCHES BELLA INSISTS ON LAYING ON WHEN SHE IS HOME ALONE
15: NUMBER OF TIMES MOM THREATENED TO KILL BELLA
12: NUMBER OF TIMES DAD AGREED WITH MOM TO KILL BELLA
3: NUMBER OF CHRISTMAS TREES DECORATED IN OUR HOUSE
6: NUMBER OF DAYS IT SNOWED THE WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS
1: NUMBER OF DAYS IT RAINED, MELTING THE SNOW FOR CHRISTMAS DAY...TOO BAD!
2: NUMBER OF FOUR WHEELERS IN GRANDMA AUSTIN'S FRONT YARD DECORATED WITH LIGHTS
1: NUMBER OF TRAILERS ATTACHED TO FOUR WHEELERS DECORATED IN GRANDMA AUSTIN'S FRONT YARD
1: NUMBER OF BLOW UP SANTAS IN TRAILER IN GRANDMA'S FRONT YARD
4: NUMBER OF HAIR CUTS RECIEVED THE WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS (BELLA, DAD, AUSTIN, AND MOM)
1: NUMBER OF TRIPS TO WILLARD BAY TO SEE THE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS
2: NUMBER OF TIMES AROUND WILLARD BAY SO THAT WILLIAM COULD SEE ALL THE LIGHTS
66: NUMBER OF TIMES THAT WILLIAM WAS FOUND SINGING: "YOUR A MEAN ONE, MR. GRINCH, YOU REALLLY ARE A PIIIILLLL!!"
3: NUMBER OF ALEC'S FRIENDS THAT CAME OVER TO MAKE CHRISTMAS CANDY WITH DAD
1: NUMBER OF "BATMAN MEETS SCOOBYDOO" MOVIES THAT WILLIAM GOT FROM SANTA
TOO MANY: NUMBER OF TIMES THAT WILLIAM, DAD AND AUSTIN WATCH THE ABOVE MOVIE.
12: NUMBER OF TIMES A DAY THAT WILLIAM QUOTES THE ABOVE MOVIE: "HOLY TRADEMARKS IT IS A BAT, BATMAN!"
57: NUMBER OF TIMES MOM ASKED DAD: "DO YOU THINK ALEC WILL GET HIS CHRISTMAS PACKAGE?"
57: NUMBER OF TIMES DAD REPLIED: "I HOPE SO!"
0: NUMBER OF PACKAGES THAT ALEC RECIEVED FOR CHRISTMAS
10: NUMBER OF MEASLY MINUTES THAT MOM AND FAMILY GOT TO TALK TO MISSIONARY SON ON CHRISTMAS DAY.
0: NUMBER OF LETTERS RECIEVED BY MISSIONARY SON IN THE DR....SO SAD!
HOPE THIS GIVES YOU SOME IDEA OF OUR CHRISTMAS, WE MISSED YOU. LOVE MOM
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Sunday, December 26, 2010
2010
this year was exceptional.
a lot can (and does) happen in a year. the Ryan Turner family on "Zenith Street" (as William likes to declare when asked where he lives) had some substantial changes. and i am reporting that we have survived and are still surviving and are (dare I say) thriving.
to start the year Leslie changed job titles. with the new title came new responsibilities and more importantly new hours of operation. yes, I now work an 8-5 monday-friday job. i love it. i am still learning and making mistakes, but the work is challenging and the rewards are great. I cry almost everyday when leaving my baby, especially when he is crying, but we both soon feel better and the home coming is sweet. i have learned to rely (heavily) on others. of course the "working mom's guilt" is alive and well inside of me, but i am thankful i have a job i love and that it also includes a paycheck.
Ryan has retired his cooking duties over to Leslie due to a new work schedule for him as well (we are hoping that this does not last long as the kids are all starving). he is working at real estate and doing some airline reservations on the side for additional income (or flight benefits--DR here we come!! just kidding, we are not going to the DR for another 22 months, 19 days and about 3 hours).
Regan became the only Turner on campus--she loves that! she ran for and won the junior class secretary position (but I truly believe that she is running the whole school). her hair is long and unmanageable again, just how we love it. she is driving...and crashing...and losing the only set of keys--ah, teenage transportation.
Austin is pleased that his pants no longer fit him. it used to be years that the same pair of pants would fit, now it is months, and i feel like we may be looking at days. he may outgrow his older brother. he is now as tall as his mother, regan is sure to be passed in the next few weeks and alec's altitude is in sight. his hair is long and unmanageable too.....
William may be eating the same thing Austin is because he too is getting tall. he has become a professional student. he attends 2 preschools, one in english the other spanish. he has also accepted a call to the "minican buplic" mission. not sure about the date he reports.....(but he is already working on the language).
Alec graduated from high school, pedaled his bike from Logan to Cedar City, earned his eagle scout award, attended the temple, and accepted the call and reported to his mission, he made it through the provo mtc and is currently in the Santo Domingo MCC--but that is all really. he did not gain altitude or hair length.
wow, what a year! we are very blessed. can't wait to see what 2011 brings.....
Happy New Year to all our friends and family!
a lot can (and does) happen in a year. the Ryan Turner family on "Zenith Street" (as William likes to declare when asked where he lives) had some substantial changes. and i am reporting that we have survived and are still surviving and are (dare I say) thriving.
to start the year Leslie changed job titles. with the new title came new responsibilities and more importantly new hours of operation. yes, I now work an 8-5 monday-friday job. i love it. i am still learning and making mistakes, but the work is challenging and the rewards are great. I cry almost everyday when leaving my baby, especially when he is crying, but we both soon feel better and the home coming is sweet. i have learned to rely (heavily) on others. of course the "working mom's guilt" is alive and well inside of me, but i am thankful i have a job i love and that it also includes a paycheck.
Ryan has retired his cooking duties over to Leslie due to a new work schedule for him as well (we are hoping that this does not last long as the kids are all starving). he is working at real estate and doing some airline reservations on the side for additional income (or flight benefits--DR here we come!! just kidding, we are not going to the DR for another 22 months, 19 days and about 3 hours).
Regan became the only Turner on campus--she loves that! she ran for and won the junior class secretary position (but I truly believe that she is running the whole school). her hair is long and unmanageable again, just how we love it. she is driving...and crashing...and losing the only set of keys--ah, teenage transportation.
Austin is pleased that his pants no longer fit him. it used to be years that the same pair of pants would fit, now it is months, and i feel like we may be looking at days. he may outgrow his older brother. he is now as tall as his mother, regan is sure to be passed in the next few weeks and alec's altitude is in sight. his hair is long and unmanageable too.....
William may be eating the same thing Austin is because he too is getting tall. he has become a professional student. he attends 2 preschools, one in english the other spanish. he has also accepted a call to the "minican buplic" mission. not sure about the date he reports.....(but he is already working on the language).
Alec graduated from high school, pedaled his bike from Logan to Cedar City, earned his eagle scout award, attended the temple, and accepted the call and reported to his mission, he made it through the provo mtc and is currently in the Santo Domingo MCC--but that is all really. he did not gain altitude or hair length.
wow, what a year! we are very blessed. can't wait to see what 2011 brings.....
Happy New Year to all our friends and family!
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Friday, December 10, 2010
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Alec On A Roll
to see alec's adventure from logan to cedar go to youtube and search "alec on a roll".
Monday, November 22, 2010
Elder Alec Turner
Present to approximately December 7, 2010 via snail mail:
MTC Mailbox #294
DOM-SDOE 0118
2005 North 900 East
Provo, Utah 84604-1793
OR
www.dearelder.com
if you write him using this website, they will print it out and have it in his box same day (if before 12, next if not). make sure and put that he is in the Provo, MTC. this is free--you don't even have to pay for postage.
He is headed to the MTC in the Dominican Republic the first week of December.
MTC Mailbox #294
DOM-SDOE 0118
2005 North 900 East
Provo, Utah 84604-1793
OR
www.dearelder.com
if you write him using this website, they will print it out and have it in his box same day (if before 12, next if not). make sure and put that he is in the Provo, MTC. this is free--you don't even have to pay for postage.
He is headed to the MTC in the Dominican Republic the first week of December.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
blogs are a funny thing......for me. (mine especially) i love the idea of keeping a record--using it as a journal. but normally--or the old fashioned pen to paper way, people, not just loved ones or those with the same blood pumping through the system, read/analyze/judge... your written thoughts. i have not written for months. a lot has happened in those months. a lot. many times i have thought of things to brag, oops i mean blog about..but i wondered at the purpose. many times i have thought of things to (for lack of a better word) whine about. again, i wondered at the purpose. i do enjoy the comments from the brave reader who will actually admit that they have read your blog. i have good friends and family who support and offer words of support and advice. people who will laugh and cry with me (most time both at the same time). these family/friends know me better than anyone ever has--because they read my journal. that seems creepy in a way. that being said, i check my google reader multiple times a week to see who has updated their own blog--hardly ever writing a comment.
alec is gone. i packed him, tried to jam all the advice/example/teachings of 19 years into a few precious weeks, and then dropped him off--yes literally dropped him at the curb and said good-bye. i was told that he did not look back, i could not see because of the tears i was holding back so he would not worry. i will not see him for two years, not on christmas, or mother's day, his birthday, or even groundhog's day. i hear he may call on mother's day and christmas--oh, but not this christmas because he will still be in the MTC. who does that?? well, i did (as has thousands of other mothers and fathers). and i would do it again....actually i hope to do it 3 more times in my life. how crazy is that?
how is that for a blog (brag/whine) post?
ADDENDUM:
approximately 4 minutes after posting this i decided to delete it. i again changed my mind but wanted to add:
in said post, it sounds as if i sent alec off by myself. there is nothing further from the truth. sending alec off was a group effort. and this effort started years ago. he said himself (as we were eating our last meal together) he was a product of the imperial 1st ward. his ym leaders and bishopric created this missionary. to actually get him on the above mentioned curb took family, friends and ward members. i will never be able to express my gratitude to them....i only hope/pray that i am around when they are sending a missionary or in need of some service. they showed me what to do. thank you.
alec is gone. i packed him, tried to jam all the advice/example/teachings of 19 years into a few precious weeks, and then dropped him off--yes literally dropped him at the curb and said good-bye. i was told that he did not look back, i could not see because of the tears i was holding back so he would not worry. i will not see him for two years, not on christmas, or mother's day, his birthday, or even groundhog's day. i hear he may call on mother's day and christmas--oh, but not this christmas because he will still be in the MTC. who does that?? well, i did (as has thousands of other mothers and fathers). and i would do it again....actually i hope to do it 3 more times in my life. how crazy is that?
how is that for a blog (brag/whine) post?
ADDENDUM:
approximately 4 minutes after posting this i decided to delete it. i again changed my mind but wanted to add:
in said post, it sounds as if i sent alec off by myself. there is nothing further from the truth. sending alec off was a group effort. and this effort started years ago. he said himself (as we were eating our last meal together) he was a product of the imperial 1st ward. his ym leaders and bishopric created this missionary. to actually get him on the above mentioned curb took family, friends and ward members. i will never be able to express my gratitude to them....i only hope/pray that i am around when they are sending a missionary or in need of some service. they showed me what to do. thank you.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
hmmmm.....
I woke up at 3:00 am, yes that is early. The entire house was asleep. I layed there in the dark quiet and thought, I remembered, I cried, I I wanted to shout--I wanted to wake up this tiny dark house and alert it--the occupants to what day it was. This was not just a normal, everyday kind of day. But I remained still.
I said my good-byes to Ryan then dropped the kids to school. They were busy with their own agendas (school politics, track meets, lunches, and friends). I was still heaving around the weight of the day but chose not to burden.
I went to the gym and glanced around at all the bodies getting in their daily exercises regime. The treadmills, ellipticals and stair climbers were all humming. I wanted to scream--"DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT DAMN DAY IT IS??" But I did not, I ran as fast and as hard as my own body would allow--thank goodness that it can run far and hard!
A call came in from work--my favorite fragile patient had just taken a "ground level fall". They asked, "would you please come and check her out--see if she should go to the hospital". I went, I assessed, I advised. Not once did I mention what today meant to me. I chuckled to myself thinking of how I would bring it up in conversation. Something like: "Yeah, bad fall, bad bang up on the knee, she is anticoagulated so you should go get a picture of the knee to make sure she is not bleeding into the joint, and oh did you know today is my dead dad's birthday? That would have been awesome (as William loves to say).
I came home from work. Asked all the questions a mother is supposed to ask about--only I am not sure I entirely cared about the answers. Nobody seemed to remember what day it was. Well, not nobody. My brothers, mother and SIL sent comforting texts. They knew what day it was.
It is funny how the world continues on, no matter what is happening inside of me.
It makes me look at the guy next to me in the line at the grocery store, or one of the other mothers picking up a child at school, or even one of the people I call friend and wonder what day it is for them.
I said my good-byes to Ryan then dropped the kids to school. They were busy with their own agendas (school politics, track meets, lunches, and friends). I was still heaving around the weight of the day but chose not to burden.
I went to the gym and glanced around at all the bodies getting in their daily exercises regime. The treadmills, ellipticals and stair climbers were all humming. I wanted to scream--"DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT DAMN DAY IT IS??" But I did not, I ran as fast and as hard as my own body would allow--thank goodness that it can run far and hard!
A call came in from work--my favorite fragile patient had just taken a "ground level fall". They asked, "would you please come and check her out--see if she should go to the hospital". I went, I assessed, I advised. Not once did I mention what today meant to me. I chuckled to myself thinking of how I would bring it up in conversation. Something like: "Yeah, bad fall, bad bang up on the knee, she is anticoagulated so you should go get a picture of the knee to make sure she is not bleeding into the joint, and oh did you know today is my dead dad's birthday? That would have been awesome (as William loves to say).
I came home from work. Asked all the questions a mother is supposed to ask about--only I am not sure I entirely cared about the answers. Nobody seemed to remember what day it was. Well, not nobody. My brothers, mother and SIL sent comforting texts. They knew what day it was.
It is funny how the world continues on, no matter what is happening inside of me.
It makes me look at the guy next to me in the line at the grocery store, or one of the other mothers picking up a child at school, or even one of the people I call friend and wonder what day it is for them.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Puzzled
My dining room table (we call it this even though we don't actually use it to dine on) has been consumed by a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle. It has been for over a week now. Notice how the edge pieces have all been put together--that happened within 2 hours of dumping the pieces out onto the table, any other progress is barely noticeable.
It is not this way due to lack of energy, effort and time. Believe me, I have spent many hours puzzling over this table. So have many of my family members. At one point I had my Mother, my Brother, my Sister (in law), Ryan, myself, Alec, Austin and Jayden working to make sense of this--to create the picture that is promised to come once every piece is in place. We used up hours trying to make sense of it.
How can something that so many people have worked on still be such a jumble of separate confused little pieces? CRAZY!
On a related topic, I am puzzled over many things of late.
1. Why do I still get a killer headache after my long runs? I rehydrate, I replace protein but if I don't take a few hundred milligrams of ibuprofen I suffer with an annoying head splitting ache.
2. Why does making health care available to more people mean that my diabetic patients get their services dropped? They once (and still are!) were productive members of society, they served in wars, they held jobs and paid taxes, they produced children that joined the workforce and served America. But yet medicare (with private insurances following suit) refuse to pay for a skilled caregiver to come and give them what their own pancreas refuses to deliver--life sustaining insulin.
3. Why is my body so sore after X Country skiing for 45 minutes? I complete SPIN CLASS without the dreaded lactic acid overload--and it is hard and does not equal the amount of fun!
4. Why can't I help the ones I love in the way they need help the most? Friends, family and former patients.
5. Why does William have a love/hate relationship with escuela? He loves it one day. The next he hates it and cries when I leave him. Sad!
6. Why do some receive while others get nothing--even after working so hard?
7. Why does the dog insist on sitting on my couch?
8. Why are my children slobs? I am not.
9. Why can't I solve these puzzles? I try.
(Of course the majority of these listed are just silly--but still my mind spends too much time with them.)
I will keep trying--as we all do. Maybe most of them don't need to be solved. Maybe the result is not a picture that is worthy of hanging. Maybe it is the act of trying to solve the puzzle where the value is found.
On a encouraging note the puzzle on my dining room table will be solved. (I will post a picture.) To anyone who loves jigsaw puzzles and wants to help all I can say is: you know where I live!
side note: Ryan and I don't "do" puzzles. We just had a wild idea for New Year's--it was the puzzle. Call us CRAZY! While most of you were out living it up, celebrating the new year, Ry and I were sitting home quietly putting the edges of our new puzzle together.
It is not this way due to lack of energy, effort and time. Believe me, I have spent many hours puzzling over this table. So have many of my family members. At one point I had my Mother, my Brother, my Sister (in law), Ryan, myself, Alec, Austin and Jayden working to make sense of this--to create the picture that is promised to come once every piece is in place. We used up hours trying to make sense of it.
How can something that so many people have worked on still be such a jumble of separate confused little pieces? CRAZY!
On a related topic, I am puzzled over many things of late.
1. Why do I still get a killer headache after my long runs? I rehydrate, I replace protein but if I don't take a few hundred milligrams of ibuprofen I suffer with an annoying head splitting ache.
2. Why does making health care available to more people mean that my diabetic patients get their services dropped? They once (and still are!) were productive members of society, they served in wars, they held jobs and paid taxes, they produced children that joined the workforce and served America. But yet medicare (with private insurances following suit) refuse to pay for a skilled caregiver to come and give them what their own pancreas refuses to deliver--life sustaining insulin.
3. Why is my body so sore after X Country skiing for 45 minutes? I complete SPIN CLASS without the dreaded lactic acid overload--and it is hard and does not equal the amount of fun!
4. Why can't I help the ones I love in the way they need help the most? Friends, family and former patients.
5. Why does William have a love/hate relationship with escuela? He loves it one day. The next he hates it and cries when I leave him. Sad!
6. Why do some receive while others get nothing--even after working so hard?
7. Why does the dog insist on sitting on my couch?
8. Why are my children slobs? I am not.
9. Why can't I solve these puzzles? I try.
(Of course the majority of these listed are just silly--but still my mind spends too much time with them.)
I will keep trying--as we all do. Maybe most of them don't need to be solved. Maybe the result is not a picture that is worthy of hanging. Maybe it is the act of trying to solve the puzzle where the value is found.
On a encouraging note the puzzle on my dining room table will be solved. (I will post a picture.) To anyone who loves jigsaw puzzles and wants to help all I can say is: you know where I live!
side note: Ryan and I don't "do" puzzles. We just had a wild idea for New Year's--it was the puzzle. Call us CRAZY! While most of you were out living it up, celebrating the new year, Ry and I were sitting home quietly putting the edges of our new puzzle together.
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