Merry Christmas 2012!

2012 has been a spectacular year for the Steve and Heidi Weed family.  Here are a few of the highlights . . .

Steve started his new job with Nissin Foods in January

Remember these?  Yes, they kept you alive as a college student and missionary.

So, please don't choose Maruchan on accident!  It's Nissin!   :)

He is the Western Region Manager, and travels to Seattle, Portland, Boise and San Francisco.  

He also does a run to Cincinnati and Minneapolis for headquarter calls once a quarter.

Its been a perfect job because he is able to schedule his travel around the MoTab.

Which brings us to the second highlight of the year . . . 

In January Steve began singing with the MoTab Training Choir.

He sang with that group of about 45 new inductees from January through April.

At the end of April he received word that he had been officially accepted as a full-fledged member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

This has been a life-long dream.

The rest of the year has been filled with rehearsals, memorization, new lyrics, new notes and new friends.

This past Christmas performance, with Alfie Boe, Tom Brokaw and The "Candy Bomber"

was beyond his imagination! 

The 30 hours he spent with the choir that week was completely satisfying!

In February of 2012 we were finally able to "give" our house away in Kansas.

That freed us up to start looking in earnest for a place to settle here in Salt Lake.

We looked at over 100 homes trying to find the right place.

We finally found it in June and moved in July. 

We are on the East bench, in Sandy. 

I am about 10 minutes from Cottonwood High School, where I teach seminary.

Steve is working out of our home, so his commute is tolerable.  :)

He, of course, makes the trip to the conference center several times per week

as well as the airport. 

The airport takes about 25 minutes and downtown about 20 minutes.

So, we're in a great spot!

 This is a view from our back porch.  You can see antelope island in the middle of the great Salt Lake out in the distance.

This is our mountain view to the east.  That's Lone Peak.

                            In this view, looking off to the Northeast, you can see Mount Olympus.

Way off in the distance you can see downtown Salt Lake.  On a clear day we can see the Capitol Building, the Church Office Building and other significant Salt Lake landmarks.

It's a beautiful spot and we are so happy to be home!

We welcome visitors, so come and stay with us!

As for the rest of our gang . . . 

Ryan and Bethany added this beautiful new baby boy to their family.

This is Spencer Mark.

He weighed 11 lbs. 7 ozs. at birth!

We are so happy to welcome him into our weed-patch!

Ryan and Bethany are still living in Boise. 

 They have put down roots there as Ryan is buying his Chiropractic practice.

Its a great situation for them!

Nathan turned 9 in November, Cody is 6 and Leah will be 4 in February!

Bethany continues to be mom extraordinaire!

She keeps everyone fed and bathed, educated, entertained, 

and healthy.

She also makes jewelry, manages the Primary, coupons like nobodies business

and makes it all look easy!

Trevor and Liz live in Long Beach, CA.

Liz graduated with her Master's Degree in Piano Performance

from Cal State Long Beach in May.

She played an incredible recital that Steve and I were able to attend.  

In August she gave birth to beautiful Clara Elizabeth. 

Its only right that such a wonderful and talented mom should get to have a little daughter!

We're so happy that Clara is here!

Trevor will graduate with his MBA from UCLA in June and continues to work for McMaster-Carr.

We don't know how this family juggles everything . . . but that's what families do!

Chase and Amberlyn are living in Orem.  

They are our favorites because they live close to us!

We get to see Anna and Chad often . . . but not quite enough!  

Amberlyn is an amazing mother to these two sweethearts!  

And, at the same time, she and Chase are taking ballroom dance lessons and she works with the Young Women in their ward, she's a talented cook, a great friend, etc, etc.

Chase has had great success with Access Technologies this year.  

He has also taken the GMAT and is applying for MBA schools.  They surely will be off on another adventure soon!

Leah, Landon, Harrison and Logan are living in St. George. . . the land of sunshine.

They love living there.

Landon is working for Enterprise, the car rental company.  

He is in their management training program and has been highly successful.

Its likely that they will be in St. George for only a few more months

as a promotion is anticipated.  We just hope they get to enjoy the winter there, and then move to a cooler climate in late spring.  We'll see how it all works out.

Leah is loving being a mom at home with their two darling children.  

She helps the Primary function, gets out and exercises every day, is becoming an expert baker and cook

and tends to the needs of her neighbors and friends.

Can we just say how grateful we are for the daily blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ?

We feel so fortunate to know the Savior, to know of His great love for us

and to know of and be inspired by His atoning sacrifice

that gives all of us hope every day.

We are truly grateful for extended family and friends that make our lives sweet!

Thank you for your contribution to our happiness.

We do hope to re-connect with old friends

and stay connected with new.

We'd love to hear from you!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Life's Simple Pleasures

Yesterday I attended a funeral for a very special young woman.

Her name is Heather Probst.

I was fortunate enough to be Heather's seminary teacher last year.  She was an absolute delight.  Every day she came bouncing down the hall with a huge smile on her face.  Almost every day she bore her testimony to the class.  She spoke of President Thomas Monson, babies, Young Women's and Jesus.  Always those four things, not necessarily in that order.  Those were usually the only words we could understand.  But no matter what she said, her real testimony was born in her fervency and her love of life.   What a girl!

She loved princesses, especially Rapunzel.  She loved the Utes (Ok, I can forgive her on that one!) and she loved people.  All people!

One sweet story that was shared at her funeral, which was held, incidentally on her 17th birthday, was of a time she was in the hospital, being treated for leukemia for the second time, and the doctors had been poking and prodding her all day.  She was usually so agreeable and willing to submit herself to any of the torture her doctors inflicted.  But on this day, they wanted to give her a large dose of medicine through a port in her tummy.  She had reached the end!  So, much to their surprise, when the doctor went to give her the treatment she shouted, "NO!"  And then announced, "Tummies are for tickling!"

After battling her cancer for 6 years, she finally gave in a few days ago.

All I can say is that I feel very, very blessed to know this little girl, and consider her, as do all that know her, a little angel sent from God to make all of our lives happier.  Can't wait until I can see her again.  I know I'll have to stand in line.  But, it'll be worth it!

The People You Meet

So, Steve and I went to a party last night.

And at that party we met up with a few long lost friends.

I'm hoping that some of my brothers and sisters will look here and maybe recognize these beautiful people I'm standing with.  My guess is that they won't be able to recognize a single one of them

Take just a few seconds . . .

Look more closely . . .

Do any of them seem familiar?

Yeah, that's what I was afraid of.  And it's a sad thing, too, because these are people to be proud of!

On the far left, with the distinctive grey hair is our cousin, Richard.  He is the son of Uncle Russell.  Next to him is his darling wife, Toni.  They were friends of Steve and mine back in our BYU days.  We've kept in touch just a little bit over the years.  One of their sons, Daniel, married a girl from Boise and we attended their reception in Boise about 4 years ago.  They currently live in Santa Barbara, CA.  One of Rich's very good friends was Jared Hulme Jr.'s mission president in India.  He couldn't say enough about what an outstanding missionary Jared was!

Next to Toni is Rich's younger sister, Karma.  Karma is close in age to Margi.  She and her family live in Portland, OR.  She is really sweet and her children are similar in age to Margi's as well.

This striking redhead you may all remember?  She's Marylynn, another of Russell's children.  She lives in the Bay Area in CA.  She has 4 daughters.  Three of them were at this reception also, but I didn't get photos of them.  Cute girls.  Marylynn says she does remember John from their days at BYU together.

 

 Sorry about the poor effects of the flash in this picture.  It's hard to get lighting right in all different situations, but I wanted you to see this really lovely cousin of ours.  This is Diana.  She's the mother of the bride at the reception we attended.  Diana is Russell's oldest child.  She is a very accomplished and gracious woman.  Some of you may have heard Hero brag about Diana over the years.  She married Joel Peterson who was an executive for Trammel Crowe in Houston Texas for many years.  Hero, it seems, used to tell me of them often.  Diana plays the piano beautifully (as do all of Russell's kids), she sang in the Tabernacle Choir for a couple of years, she has been the President of the BYU Alumni society and has raised 7 outstanding children.  She was so kind and welcoming of this "stranger" who essentially invited herself to the party.  It was delightful to get reacquainted with these members of our extended family.

 

This is a crazy coincidence.  This handsome young man is Diana's son, Clint.  He's here with his darling wife and cute son, but I'm sorry, I can't remember their names.  They live in Manhattan and Clint works in the financial services world.  Apparently he has already made a name for himself among the movers and shakers of the banking world.  Clint serves in the Bishopric of a single adult ward there.  The Bishop of the ward he serves in is Steve Weed's brother-in-law, Paul McKinnon.  And, in fact, Paul and Jan McKinnon knew Joel and Diana Peterson when they were all students way back in Boston years and years ago.

 

 

 

 

And, last but not least, this striking couple is Steve and I.

 

Oh, you want to know the people standing next to us?  That's Diana's other son, Ben and his cute wife.  For those of you who consider yourself political junkies, Ben's wife has spent the last year working on the Mitt Romney campaign.  So, she'll be out of a job, one way or the other, come November.  Huge coincidence #2 . . .

Ben Peterson was hired by McMaster-Carr in Los Angeles, CA on the very same day

that Trevor Weed was hired at McMaster-Carr. 

As these new hires were sizing up the "competition"

Ben and Trevor couldn't help but notice that among these 5 new hires

they were the only two that were wearing wedding rings.

Ben asked Trevor where he had gone to college. 

When Trevor said BYU Ben knew he had a friend.  Ben went to Stanford and upon graduation went to work for McMaster.  These two boys became fast friends and spent time together

oustide the office as well as at work.  A couple of years ago Ben left the company to pursue his Master's Degree at Harvard.  That's where he is right now, living in Boston.

He and Trevor have continued to stay in touch.  It was only about 4 weeks ago that these two boys, and anyone else for that matter, discovered that they were second cousins! 

It's been a great discovery and gives these two additional reasons to stay in touch, though they would have any way.

 

Life is sweet, isn't it?  I hope that living here in Salt Lake can give us greater opportunities to get acquainted with these cousins that grew up so far away from us. 

It's sad that we didn't get to know them better when we were young, but the way I see it, we've got lots of time ahead of us to make up for it.

 

Family is everything!

S A T U R D A Y !

Don't you just love it when things really come together!  When things work out better than planned!  When a lovely surprise just drops in your lap???

That was our Saturday today!

It all began when our new friend, Carl Tobler, called to say that he has some extra tickets to the BYU/Weber State football game, and would we like to use them?


Would we ever!!!

Oh, and did I add, they are in the air conditioned, comes with lunch, high above the crowd, they treat you like your important . . . box seats?

We left Salt Lake at  11 a.m. for a 1 p.m. kick off.  (I wasn't surprised!)

It was a gorgeous day in Utah.  Blue sky, sunshine, about 80 degrees with a slight breeze!  There's a little feel of fall in the air.  Perfect for game day.

Traffic cooperated nicely and we walked through the stadium gate at about 12:15 p.m.  The first person we saw was our old friend Preston Darger.  For those who know Press, this was no surprise.  He's a super senior at BYU majoring in advertising and media and has a great gig working with the sports department.  So, why graduate?  In any case, it was a great to see him and get the update on his wonderful family.

Before we made it to the elevator we were joined by Elder Charles Didier and some of his family.  Glad to know that guys like him get a few hours off to go and enjoy a football game . . . although he was dressed in a sports jacket, white shirt and a tie . . . so I don't know if it really counts as time off.

As we stepped off the elevator our noses were greeted with the wafting smell of barbequed beef.  Yum!  We walked into the press box and found a banquet spread on the table, catered by Rodizio's grill . . . and we were invited guests!  Yes!  My only regret from the day was not being more of a carnivore, cause this would have been a great day to indulge!  Believe me, I got my share of about 5 different kinds of meat, plus mashed potatoes, pasta salad, fruit, green salad, a roll and cookie.  We licked our fingers at about 12:55 just in time to watch the coin toss and the opening kick off.

We settled into our assigned seats which were laden with goodies . . . a back pack for each of us, program for the game, candy bars, chips, granola bars, trail mix, etc.  There was a fridge stocked with several different types of drinks, soda, lemonade, water, gatorade and stuff.  And then the kicker . . . cougar tails.  Do you know what those are?  Well, just in case . . . they are maple bars.  The delicious kind you get from the BYU bakery.  But they are each about 2 feet long.  No, I'm not exaggerating, nor am I imagining things.  They were amazing!


The game didn't disappoint.  Weber State came out with more punch than anyone thought they'd have . . . so it was competitive for the first half.  Then, in the second half we got to see both James Lark and Taysom Hill play at QB.  We just thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.


To complete a perfect afternoon, we got out of the stadium parking lot in about 10 minutes and were home in 35.  We did a few chores around the house and now we are watching the BYU women's soccer team beat #6 Penn State.

So, life is good!  This was a dream of a day for these two old folks!

Baby Girl.

Yesterday


exactly 3 1/2 years since the birth of one
Benjamin Weed


a beautiful baby girl was born.

And here she is . . .

Miss Clara Weed

Since her mommy is so gorgeous, and her dad's not bad looking either

chances are this little girl is going to be stunning!

Just get a load of those squooshy cheeks.  

Oh man, she's just so kissable and pinchable already!

Don't you just want to hold her?

And, since she's so young

and, for the moment, unable to defend herself,

I will gladly publish her statistics . . . 

(ok, I'll let the picture do the talking)

She weighed in at 8 lbs 3 ozs and 21 inches.

  

You can see from her roundy little belly that she's been well cared for.

She's healthy and thriving and has been given a great start in life.

As for all that dark hair, her grandpa is wondering if she might be willing to share  :)

Steve and I can't wait until we can hold this adorable baby.  But we content ourselves knowing that we're an eternal family and we'll get lots of hugs and loving from this little sweetheart!

Families are the best!

Thanks Elizabeth!  Congratulations!

Guess what we did today!



We got a crazy idea to climb one of the tall mountains near our home. 

It was a perfectly beautiful day so we headed up the side of Mt. Olympus.  I figured, how hard can it be?  My mom told me childhood tales of when she and her brother, Dick, used to climb it and then slide down on the way home.  If a kid can do it, then surely I could too, right?


Here we are at the saddle, after about 2 1/2 hours of climbing.  We look better than we feel at this point.  It's a long, vertical ascent.  Much more than we expected when we began. 

From the saddle, looking up, this is all you can see . . .

a boulder field. 

Don't let Steve's smile fool you.  From this point on you are climbing on all fours.
And when you come down, sliding on your backside is the best choice!  Mom was right!

This is what it looks like from the bottom.  Yeah, that ledge above me is the top, but we've been scrambling on hands and feet for 15 minutes already!  Crazy!

Whew!  We made it to the top!  It was 3 1/2 intense hours of hiking.  This view is to the northeast . . .

more and more mountains as far as the eye can see.  Do I look just a little bit nauseated in this picture?  Could be!

This one is to the southeast . . . kinda toward Timpanogus and beyond.
You can see that there is nothing but rocks on the top!  There's no path,
no grass, no cabin, no place to sit and have a picnic. 



Here's a view out toward Bingham copper mine.  You can see it there in the distance.

If you look carefully you can see the Great Salt Lake way out there. 

Yep, once we were at the top, we just wanted to sit and sit and sit.
The downward trail was slightly daunting!

But, I just had to post these pictures for my mom.  I bet Salt Lake has changed
a lot since the days when she used to climb this mountain, but I'm hoping it brings
back some great memories.  Wish you could have been here, mom!

Now that we're home, we're really glad we made the 5 1/2 hour round
trip.  But, I'll tell you, these old bones don't recover quite as quickly as
they used to.

We had a great time!  Hope you can join us next time!

Debut

Take a good look at this face!

Picture it perched atop a handsome black suit.

Now picture that suit standing next to another just like it . . . and another and another and so on. . . for rows and rows and rows.

Got the picture?


If you tune in at the proper time, this Sunday morning, to watch the live broadcast of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's "Music and the Spoken Word" you just might spot this handsome face smiling back at you. Yes! The moment has arrived! Steve will be singing with the choir this Sunday morning. He, honestly, can hardly contain his excitment as he anticipates realizing this life-long dream! Think about it!

You must, however, understand that this is just a teaser. The newbies are allowed this one weekend opportunity to sing with the main choir and then they return to their lowly training choir until the last Sunday in April. (So, he won't be singing in general conference.)

Beginning the last weekend in April, he'll be a regular.

Training choir has been very demanding . . . as they continue to study music theory and many other technical aspects of performance. They practice posture and vowel creation, tonality and blend. That's Thursday nights. On Tuesdays they rehearse new music and sing and record. They watch their performance, critique it, sing and record again. He loves every minute of it.

There are about 40 people in the training choir. Each night as they go for practice they are asked to hum, sing or think a favorite and inspiring hymn as they travel so they will arrive in the spirit. They are encouraged to think only positive and complimentary thoughts about each other so that a spirit of unity will permeate their rehearsal. They are attempting to create perfect unity. It's inspiring. All of us could learn from this example.

So, watch, if you get a chance. If you spot him, write in and let me know.

Live your dreams!

With All My Heart

I want to thank these four beautiful, amazing, intelligent, educated and talented women for making the decision to sacrifice their lives, one day at a time, and be at home to raise my adorable grandchildren. The past few days at work I have been studying and teaching the story of Hannah in 1 Samuel. I can't help but think of the incredible blessing it is to be a mother and the overwhelming need we have in this world for great mothers.

“When God wants a great work done in the world or a great wrong righted, he goes about it in a very unusual way. He doesn’t stir up his earthquakes or send forth his thunderbolts. Instead, he has a helpless baby born, perhaps in a simple home and of some obscure mother. And then God puts the idea into the mother’s heart, and she puts it into the baby’s mind. And then God waits. The greatest forces in the world are not the earthquakes and the thunderbolts. The greatest forces in the world are babies.”

-E.T. Sullivan, quoted by Gordon B. Hinckley







I've come to the realization the past few months that my kids don't want new toys, perfect clothes, treats, movies, or shopping.

They want me to sit with them, hold them, talk to them, spend time with them. It doesn't matter much what we do, whether we snuggle up together on the couch to read a book or take a walk to the park or just sit down on the floor to play.

My kids want me.

-Mrs. Mordecai







Do not trade your birthright as a mother for some bauble of passing value. Let your first interest be in your home. The baby you hold in your arms will grow quickly as the sunrise and the sunset of the rushing days.

Gordon B. Hinckley







“When the real history of mankind is fully disclosed, will it feature the echoes of gunfire or the shaping sound of lullabies? The great armistices made by military men or the peacemaking of women in homes and in neighborhoods? Will what happened in cradles and kitchens ...prove to be more controlling than what happened in congresses? When the surf of the centuries has made the great pyramids so much sand, the everlasting family will still be standing, because it is a celestial institution, formed outside telestial time. The women of God know this.”

-Neal A. Maxwell









"It is a fundamental truth that the responsibilities of motherhood cannot be successfully delegated. No, not to day-care centers, not to schools, not to nurseries, not to babysitters. We become enamored with men's theories such as the idea of preschool training outside the home for young children. Not only does this put added pressure on the budget, but it places young children in an environment away from mother's influence. Too often the pressure for popularity, on children and teens, places an economic burden on the income of the father, so mother feels she must go to work to satisfy her children's needs. That decision can be most shortsighted. It is mother's influence during the crucial formative years that forms a child's basic character. Home is the place where a child learns faith, feels love, and thereby learns from mother's loving example to choose righteousness. How vital are mother's influence and teaching in the home-and how apparent when neglected!"

-Ezra Taft Benson (Ensign, Nov. 1981, p. 104)
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