Bad Farmington water . . .

Hi friends--I didn't want to be "that" person, the protester, and have been debating whether I should make a stink about this for over a year, but now my water stinks, so I guess it's time.  If you do Facebook, please like this page and forward to anyone you know in Farmington--http://www.facebook.com/FarmingtonDeservesPureWater

The city was told the well they dug by the park would be bad, then it was bad, so they just added more chemicals, built a nice well house and just started adding it to the supply in the last few weeks, and now our water is smelly, discolored and tastes awful.  They say, "Don't worry, we'll just increase the chemicals to mask the color and smell, but hey, it's safe."  Yum.

Here's a write up in the Deseret News about it: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865582995/Smelly-yellow-water-disturbs-some-Farmington-residents.html

There's clean water on the other side of town and I even heard there was an offer to trade it for irrigation water so we could have another clean well--let me know if you have any details on that.  Not sure why they kept moving forward when all signs pointed to bad news, maybe just stubbornness and unwillingness to recognize it was a bad investment.  Still, the city seems to have ignored all the warning signs and simply wouldn't admit they made an expensive mistake.  Now we all have to pay the price.  

Now I see I should have been more involved 18 months ago.  Please forward along to other Farmingtonians, and let your City know you expect pure, not just chemically-made "safe" water, since it is ready available just a few miles away.   

VC

Do You Think You've Been Robbed?

I got my annual chance yesterday to see my dear friend Lori. We talked much about how the Savior promised that in the world we would have tribulation. Yet all of us continually act shocked and wronged when things are hard or people let us down, despite thousands of years evidence that being human on earth will entail far more troubled than calm waters. 

She asked me to look up this quote and send it to her, and when I found it I realized I probably should read it every morning myself. 

President Gordon B. Hinckley:

Life is like that—ups and downs, a bump on the head, and a crack on the shins. It was ever thus. Hamlet went about crying, "To be or not to be," but that didn't solve any of his problems. There is something of a tendency among us to think that everything must be lovely and rosy and beautiful without realizing that even adversity has some sweet uses. One of my favorite newspaper columnists is Jenkin Lloyd Jones. In a recent article published in the News, he commented:

There seems to be a superstition among many thousands of our young who hold hands and smooch in the drive-ins that marriage is a cottage surrounded by perpetual hollyhocks, to which a perpetually young and handsome husband comes home to a perpetually young and ravishing wife. When the hollyhocks wither and boredom and bills appear, the divorce courts are jammed.

Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he's been robbed. The fact is that most putts don't drop. Most beef is tough. Most children grow up to be just ordinary people. Most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration. Most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. . . .

Life is like an old-time rail journey—delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride.

family pics

Family Night

The lazy way. $1 at Harmon's.

Sorry

My apologies to all those who are automatically sent blog updates from me. I accidentally copied my blog email on a text to my father-in-law! But here is an excuse to tell you all we are doing well and I still hope to start updating more often toward the end of February when things calm down a bit. Of course you have all heard that before…

Love to all!

Happy family birthday to us!

Merry Christmas 2012

Well here we are just before Christmas and I'm just slowing down to realize I haven't taken time to reach out to friends and family this holiday. This is mainly because David and I took a much needed vacation, the likes of which we never have done, to Kauai for a week, and we got home just a few days ago. It was a gift from my very generous employer, and it was a very special, amazing experience.

I hope to write more about the details and post a few pictures, but that will wait for a future post. I know this is sent automatically to many of my friends and family, and I wanted to tell you how much I appreciate all of you and how blessed I feel to have so many people to love and who I know love me.

The end of this year marks the end of a very long, stressful time for our family. I would not have believed a few years ago that the end of 2012 would find us in our own lovely little home, David working his dream job, all the children doing so well in school and turning out okay despite my inadvertent efforts toward the contrary, and that I am so blessed to have such a wonderful husband who has been my best friend and companion for 24 years. In fact, we celebrate a marriage of 20 years this January.

We have been extremely blessed, and we have been taught a lot, even though much of it has come the hard way--we are slow learners sometimes. I come into this new year with a new desire to be really converted to Christ and to make Him the center of my heart and home. My desire is there, but I need much more diligent to bring about the change after 40 years of more or less selfish habits.

David and I were blessed to hear David Bednar speak recently, and he gave a very powerful witness that our only key to real happiness is to overcome selfishness and truly follow Christ. The adversary would have us turn inward and attend to our own needs, and lick our own wounds, and pity ourselves in our time of trial. But the Savior showed the example and continually turned outward, even in his greatest suffering. It seems like so much to ask when we are suffering, but the Savior knows the truth, that only in losing our life in loving service to others do we find ourselves.

I see now that only when we become a vessel of the love of God are all of our inner holes truly filled. No amount of personal attention, from ourselves or others, can fill any emptiness inside us, but when we allow ourselves to love others and to be God's hands, His love fills us as it moves through us to others, and only then are we made whole.

I can't say I am living this principle very well yet, but I'm only just coming to see it and understand it's truth. But this is my goal for the coming year, to start living the principle more fully.

I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and pray each of you will grow closer to the Savior over the coming days and years and rely on His strength to help you in the trials that come.

All my love to you and your families,

Valerie

Happy #11 Birthday to Sophie!

Go ahead and judge me, but she is here instead of fourth period at school. With David's intense work schedule, this is the only time I can have some one-on-one mommy daughter time. Happy bday to my lovely young woman!

Favorite color: light purple
Favorite food: fish, rice, asparagus and mango with French bread
Favorite activities: Cheerleading, dancing, ice-skating, singing, shopping, cooking, drawing, reading, looking in the mirror
Favorite thing to cook: cookies and cake and ice cream sandwiches
Favorite music: music theater and pop, artists like Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Bella Thorne, and zandea (?)
Favorite movies: Mamma Mia, Grease, Hairspray, Good Luck Charlie
Favorite books: Dork diaries, Secret language of girls, boxcar children, Twilight series
Favorite class: musical theater
Favorite teacher: Mr. Langlois and Mrs. Gabbitas
What she wants to be when she grows up: a star in Broadway musicals or a famous singer
Goals for improvement in the next year: dancing, singing, and grades

Of course mom is hoping most for the latter, although she is doing much better.

I LOVE YOU SOPHIE!!

Ben and Mom at Flaming Gorge IV

Red Ridge visitors center. This is really a wonderful place.

Ben and Mom at Flaming Gorge III

The Dam is amazing. 420 feet of water on one side and 480 feet of concrete on the other.

Ben and Mom at Flaming Gorge II

Ben and Mom at Flaming Gorge I

Brigham City Temple Open House

A beautiful temple--the spirit was amazing and the kids really tuned into it. David had to work but my mom could go.

Experimenting with instagram

Because I'm late to the game. But my kids are lovely.

Flaming Gorge!

On a road trip alone with my newly minted teenager!