Rise and Shout the Cougars Are Out!

Ahh, Cougar football...

Saturday's game:

Cougars: 21
New Mexico: 3

I love going to the BYU football games! Whether you're there to socialize, show school spirit, watch the intense people showing school spirit, or to actually watch the game it makes for a grand Saturday outing.

I went to my first game of the season on Saturday with my dear friend Brooke Harper. She and I always have fun together and the game was no exception...except it was FREEZING! We had our first snow Saturday. Hence the beanie, scarf, and gray sky. I don't think being cold is ever something I will adjust to.

Pick-Me-Up

CES Fireside, Elder Holland Sept. 2008

Bro. Bott (missionary prep teacher) told us we all better find a "pick-me-up" scripture every single day. This is my "pick-me-up" from Elder Holland. It hangs above my bed along with the lyrics to the closing song. Holy smokes, I love that song. It's by Rob Gardner called, "My Kindness Shall Not Depart from Thee." Anyway, my favorite quote:

"The Father and the Son will never forget or forsake you in your suffering. They've planned, prepared, and guaranteed your victory if you desire it. So be believing, and endure it well. In the end it shall be for thy good, and you will see everlasting dominion flow unto you without compulsory means."

The prepared plan was for Christ to come and fulfil the Atonement, which He did. I love that there is nothing anyone can do to take away that paramount event, that Christ died for all of us. If we choose it, our victory is guaranteed.

"kindness is contagious- catch it"

I can't remember if I ever heard her say those words, but when I read the words in the article and when they said those were the words she lived by I saw and heard her saying them in my mind. I'm pretty sure I heard her say it once or twice: "Kindness is contagious- catch it." She was always sharing good quotes. She told me friends and family thought it was ridiculous but she had a whole wall in her room covered in her favorite quotes.

The words weren't real when a fellow friend from Ukraine told me of the tragic plane crash that took Mandy's life. (ksl article: http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=4092033) Mandy and I were visiting teaching companions in Ukraine. We were also both on the enrichment committee. We didn't teach at the same school so I am grateful for our church callings together. Honestly, I didn't think about whether or not I would ever see Mandy once we returned to America because we weren't super close. She was a true friend, though... always welcoming, real, and there for me just to talk or laugh or go do something. The two of us were so set to get a little hut on the beach in Yalta and spend the whole week there doing absolutly nothing... because we deserved it. We lamented together about the number of cathedrals we were dragged to on our Ukrainian tour of Prauge, Dresden, and Krakow. We sat outside the salt mines on the bus and talked. She introduced me to sesame seed covered white chocolate poppy seed ice cream bars...seriously delish. We shared one another's anticipation to go home and be with family and friends again. I asked her what she was going to have for dinner the night we got home. She said her mom was driving to Salt Lake to pick her up and that they would eat at a restaraunt and stay over night before returning to Hurricane, UT the next morning. The thing she looked forward to most was that car ride home- just she and her mom.

I'm grateful my image and memories of Mandy are so vivid. In my reflections the past few days, and as I think about who Mandy is, how she spent her time here, and what she believed in and lived for I feel the depth of her touch in my life. It is death's bitter irony to open my eyes by closing another's. Reality is still hard to comprehend. It seems unreal, so sudden. The past few days have been slow. I'm grateful. I have had time to ponder lots, including the majesty of an all-powerful and ever-merciful, loving Heavenly Father. Having been around Mandy, having served at her side I understand why He who knows all and seeks first the eternal happiness of all His children would have called His beautiful and valiant daughter to work on the other side of the veil, if it is what He sees is best. While comfort and confidence comes from truth, it doesn't take away the loss, the heavy aching heart. My heart and sympathy and thoughts and prayers go out to her family and friends who know and love her most. I am so sorry. She was amazing to be around.

I truly believe that through the grace of Christ her spirit of optimism, her smile, and her light continues to eminate, changing those who treasure it for good. It has been so for me.

Mandy, Desi, me

Mandy, me, Oksanna, Alison, Hilary, Jaime, Michelle

Hurricane, UT—Mandy Johnson, age 20, died in a plane crash Friday, August 22, 2008. She was born March 5, 1988 in St. George, Utah, to Bevin Johnson and Susan Sandberg Johnson. Mandy had recently become engaged to Scott Barney of Hatch, Utah.Mandy’s motto in life was “kindness is contagious—catch it,” and her unwavering smile brought joy to everyone she met. As a student at Hurricane High, Mandy participated in tennis, the Future Farmers of America, and various pageants. She was currently pursuing a communications degree at Southern Utah University.
Mandy is survived by her parents, Bevin and Susan Johnson of Hurricane, Utah; brothers Golden (Kendra) Johnson of LaVerkin, Utah, Met (Maridee) Johnson of LaVerkin, Utah, and Whitney (Tiffany) Johnson of Cedar City, Utah; a sister Amy (Jared) Frost of Henderson, Nevada; and 11 adoring nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be Thursday, August 28, 2008 at 11:00 a.m. at the Hurricane Stake Center at 677 S 700 W. Friends and family may call Wednesday, August 27, from 6-8 p.m. at Spilsbury Mortuary in Hurricane at 140 N Main Street, and on Thursday, August 28 from 9:30-10:30 a.m. at the Hurricane Stake Center. Interment will take place in the Hurricane cemetery.Arrangements are made under the direction of Spilsbury Mortuary, 110 S Bluff Street, St. George, Utah, (435) 673-2454.
Mandy's ultimate goal was to live life to the fullest and live happy.

A Writing from Before

(In memory and love)

Dear Haley,

We had life, you and I. Yes, as kindergarteners we had the world as it is so longed for by those caught in the race of time. A life of dried glue flaking off our tiny fingertips. And our new school outfits transformed into dancing kaleidoscopes of paint: swirling blues, purples, reds, and yellows. That was our life.
We had weeks of climbing that twisty green slide. The thick air in that 12-foot tube still chokes me as we scuffle, heaving to the top. Those were our weeks.
We had days in the swimming pool. Oh those Gilbert summers with hot, hot sidewalks. The ten steps to the gate made us feel like coal-walkers, dancing across a singeing river of red. You couldn't swim, so I suspended your arms as you kicked with all your might. Then the foam from your effort would rise up and encircle us tauntingly, but those were our days.
Then time grew, along with the miles between us. Catastrophe smacked your already failing heart into that unfeeling bed. It was the cold hospital room and the IV embedded into the thick purple vein visible through the paper skin on your hand that brought me back, but I was there and it was our hour. An hour of more than clashing instruments in the next room over and a nurse's soft hum as she mundanely walks past. I ignored the crusted pain etched yellow in your face. You smiled for me. You always did...
An hour and then seconds. Seconds where your one embrace opened my eyes to the irony death cultivates, seconds richer than life. Accumulated seconds once filled with busywork became individual seconds of pink-kissed blossoms spotting the tree outside my window.
Oh Haley! We had life, you and I. Yes, we had life and weeks and days and that hour and a second which turned into nothing. But when I remember to step back and value the worth of individual seconds, we have the world again, as it is so longed for by those caught in the race of time.

Forever, my friend.
Kami

"Baby, Baby Run and Tell That!"

So, I've been running lately. Now, before any of you do a doubletake to check if you are really reading Kambria Smith's blog, I should tell you it's only about two miles everyday, inconsistantly. Well, on Saturday my brothers were home when I returned from my little run and one stopped laughing long enough to ask, "Why do you run like that?"Unbeknowns to me, he and his friend had been driving as I ran alongside the road (yes I run outside...I'm just that crazy). I guess I didn't quite have the physique and stamina of the runners above, which prompted my brother's tactless question. I know he wasn't trying to be rude, so I decided to just ignore the last two words of it and ponder. Why do I run? Well, I tend to justify adding one of the freshly baked brownies (which always seem to be around) and Mom's homemade fudge sauce to my ice cream on days I run. Let's be honest, I'd probably still eat it and so that's why I run.

Since Ukraine, though, and since "adjusting" sometimes the only answer has been to get up and run. There are some inevitables tied to running.
I love that when I run I can't keep my heart and lungs from growing stronger.
I love that when I run I can't deny the permanant connection between the physical, spiritual, and mental.
I love that when I run, I rely on positive thinking.
I love that one more step can turn into miles.
I love having an end in mind and watching myself get there.
I love that when I run, the next day it is easier.
I love gaining a testimony, by DOING, that growth and improvement is a process.
I'm SO ready for a particular "process" in my life right now to be done. However, I'm seeing for myself that if I keep getting up and "running," there's no way the end can NOT come, and there's no way when I get there that I will not be much, much stronger.

D&C 130: 20-21
20 There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—
21 And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.

I'm grateful for absolutes.

...after it all

I have been home now for two and a half months and lots has happened, and it has been hard. But after it all, there are still reasons to be happy and to love and to embrace this beautiful thing called life. I echo a truth that my dear friend Lauralie recently shared on her blog. That is that this life is about enduring the refining trials and looking to the Lord in faith, always, to let Him show you what He is making of you...becuase I beleive it truly will be amazing. It will be more than I could have made of my own accord and I know, I just know it will be worth it. Thank you to family and friends who love me, who exemplify how to just rise above it and be happy. Thanks to the gospel and restored church of Jesus Chirst. Thanks to Mom and Dad, whom I dearly love.

I have organized my pictures from Ukraine and wanted to tell of a few other experiences that are now fun and happy memories. I posted them today, so I hope you enjoy them.

Last the BEST of All the Days!

(Boris was easily a favorite)

Well, the last few weeks of my Ukrainian adventure was quite the emotional roller coaster. Between fitting in all the sights to still see, finishing up lessons, getting recipes for food (in behalf of Olga (host mom)) I promised myself never to eat again, saying goodbye to my darling children, anticipating family, friends and the beauties of America (real ice cream, Gecko Grill, free and clean public restrooms...no more squatters), and treasuring up those rare Ukrainian moments like squeezing onto trams amidts women with poop splattered on their legs (Al and I really saw this...and there was no denying the smell), I remembered to slow down and experience. I spent a lot of my trip trying to capture the oddities of this foreign country so that I could go home and share them with everyone. Looking back, I realize I could have soaked up the experience as a whole much more and divided it into daily happenings much less. When it came to my kids, I think I did an alright job at this. I know it because I have a deep-rooted love for them.(Masha- cat; Kristina- cat; Vika- pig)

I could go off on the funny things they say, or their sassy crocheted shirts and spiderman leggings, or the weird toys they were eager to show me, but they truly mean so much more to me than how they get me to laugh...if that makes sense. (singing the rainbow song in Spectacle opening)

Well, the last day of school was SPECTACLE! (the Ukrainian word for performance) Tania pretty much left it up to us as to what we wanted to do so I thought, hey why not write a play for the kids. ha ha ha. If any of you have had the pleasure of viewing the annual "Tragic Christmas's" put on by yours truly and sisters, you are probably scared and wondering how I was permitted to involve innocent children in any kind of theatrical performance. Well, I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome. Every child in Ukraine has one or two special costumes that they wear for all special school events and performances (which occur often in their school years there). My basic reading class told me what costumes they had and I wrote a thrilling adventure about Bat Man, fairies, wolves, princesses, and the subject matter we focused on most: phonograms. I was SO proud of my kids. They memorized their lines in about 6 lessons, and the parents just loved it. My one-of-a-kind Dasha didn't make it the last day so I filled in as the cat. I tried uploading the video so you could hear their cute little Russian accents but it was taking too long. Oh well.

(Sasha, Sofia, Barbara, Maria, Dasha, me, Artyom, Igor, Herman, Anton, lil bro, Marina, Sasha)
(My personal favorite is Anton's wolf uni)
I miss my kids SO MUCH, but am grateful for the love and memories.

Crimea/ Yalta/ TAR TARS

For our last vacation all the ILP teachers traveled south to Крым (Crimea), the beautiful peninsula of Ukraine. There was much to see in the city of Ялта (Yalta) and thanks to Yuri (a passionate native who spoke perfect English whom we ran into on the street) the sights were actually educational! He knew pretty much everything and offered to take us all around just because he loved to talk about the beautiful place.


This is the famous Livadia Palace where the Yalta Conference took place. In case you are like me and realize you know close to nothing when in historically significant places, the Yalta Conference is where the Heads of the three allied powers, Joseph Stalin (USSR), Franklin D. Roosevelt (USA), and Winston Churchill (GB) met to discuss post-war matters after WWII. Roosevelt stayed in the Livadia because of his poor health, and it was pretty cool to be in his room.

Feb. 1945 USSR newspaper article: Stalin, Roosevelt, Churchill

It's cool that they kept everything set up just as it was for the meeting. There are name signs telling where each of the delegates sat around the table.

(Yuri on far left)

The Livadia Palace was built for Czar Nicholas II. Though it didn't make the Disney cut, I'm sure Anastasia (Nicholas' daughter) could be found frolicking in the beautiful palace parks with her three older sisters during the summer.

This is the palace piano where none other than the great Rocmoninoff would come to entertain the royal family. Alison and I reached under the protective glass to tickle the delicate ivories with our ever so humble fingers when no one was looking.
The palace grounds
We also toured Alupka/Veronsofskee Palace, where a wing was added in behalf of Churchill for his stay during the conference.

(A hallway in the palace...I really like the idea of a garden hallway adorned with busts (of myself of course) and fairy sculptures)

These are the Crimean botanical gardens . I wanted a day to relax so I didn't go, but I loved my friends' pics.

We took a boat to get a different view of the peninsula. It was SO fun, beautiful, and relaxing...my favorite way to tour.

From the boat we saw the famous "sparrow's nest" castle. If you notice, the porch is hanging off the cliff on both sides. It has been turned into a low-rate restaurant so this is all we took the time to see of it. From the boat we had a great view of other Ukrainian rarities such as this nude metal creature perching on a rock.
We also visited Ipetre (the top of the mountin below) which is land of the Tar Tars (very different culture from Ukraine's), some of the first inhabitors of Crimea. By far my favorite mode of transportation is gondola. In a matter of about 4 minutes we went from here:
to here (the top of the lower part of the mountain in the pic above):

The floating yellow box is a gondola. It hangs on cables.

Then we hiked to the highest peak. The view was crazy becuase we couldn't distinguish the horizon with the sea blending right into the sky.

Our last night we went to an authentic Tar Tar restaurant and feasted

YUM YUM YUM

ФУТБOЛЛ! and stuff

"DEE-NAAAAA-MO KEE-EV"

(Stacey, me, Al, Kim)

A few weeks ago the Pozniaky girls got out and supported the local football team. GO DYNAMO FOOTBALL! Yes we bought matching tourist shirts for the event and yes we joined the hoard of scrawny, shirtless thirteen-year-olds next to us in their chants which included the above cheer and "Artyom, previet. Artyom, previet," which means, "Artyom, hi. Artyom, hi." I guess just cheering the last name of the player after they score, like in America, isn't true support but it definitely feels less silly while saying it.

Before the game a few girls needed to stop by our post office. Ya. I haven't heard from anyone through the post.

And after the game I found this gem.

My Mom

I often go walking in meadows of clovers,

and I gather armfuls of blossoms of blue.

I gather the blossoms the whole meadow over; dear Mother each flower reminds me of you.

O Mother, I give you my love with each flower to give forth sweet fragrance a whole lifetime through; For if I love blossoms and meadows and walking, I learn how to love them, dear Mother, from you.

I have the best mom in the world! My mom is beautiful. She is the most well rounded person I know. Along wih raising 7 "unique and special" children, she found the time to cultivate and refine her many talents: drawing/painting, sewing, knitting/crocheting, piano playing, singing, matting and framing, nursing (as in being a school nurse, but for the flow of it...), and even on occasion dancing and skiing! My mom is always reading from among the best books and makes for the best company when watching a movie because she will laugh at everything, thus enhancing even the most juvenile humor. My mom is an optimist and lives in the light. She comforts and uplifts and after talking to her you can't help but believe in yourself. Words only do so much but suffice it to say... Mom you are the BEST! I love you more than can be expressed and can't wait to finally give you a great big hug! Happy Mother's Day! To my sisters, sisters-in-law and friends who are mothers, I truly admire you all so much and am grateful for the chance I have to learn from you and your darlings.

SPRING!

Life freakin rocks. Yesterday was seriously a blast and I just feel so happy. So, I wanted to share some of the latest events as much as possible with everyone. Here is a lil blip on what I've been up to:

For a couple Friday nights now, the Pozniaky girls have been taking advantage of our school kitchen. We have made balsamic viniger chicken fajitas, Mary's secret lemon chicken salad, apple crisp, and teryaki stir fry. YUM! Don't get me wrong...the cabbage and gallons of oil is a "супер" way to get the Ukrainian experience during the week, but it is nice to have a good flavorful meal every once in a while.

I LOVE MY KIDS! All of the kids are great of course but I feel like I got the best home-room classes, and definitely the most entertaining. You probably noticed Dasha in the middle. Pictures say a thousand words but here are a few more tid bits. She wishes she was a unicorn, plays with hand animals, and when told we will be making a special treat for kitchen she responds in unbelievable excitement, "CABBAGE!?"

Normal ice cream here doesn't tempt me in the least. However, "Gelato Italiano" at the Midon Nezalezhnasty Mall is heaven on earth! This is Kim and I enjoying our much-too-small $4 cup. I opted for two flavors of course: dark chocolate orange and some rich creamy dulce de leche goodness with little mierangue (possibly) dissolving crunchies in it. YUM!

Yesterday Hilary, Stacey, Mary, Kim, Alison, and I spent the day mozy-ing about parks and Krechatyk Street in the beautiful April weather. A few of the girls found padlocks at the three greevna (equivalent to about 60 cents) store, so we made our way to Kyiv's quaint "bridge of love." Who's name did I write on my lock? In the words of my darling Maria,"mmm...SECRETS!"

My Ukrainian friends! I LOVE the people here. As we were stree-vendor shopping on Kreshatyk, Anton (right) and Andre (left) randomly came up and started talking to us in relatively good English. It was so much fun just spending time with native people my age. Interacting with the people is scary sometimes but always makes the best memories. They ended up coming to stake conference with us and actually stayed for the first half hour. It was an awesome experience.

I am on a mission for best Ukrainian style and best (meaning nappiest) mullet of Ukraine. Here is a measure of my progress thus far. The pic was taken from quite a distance so the detail is blurred but when I checked this girl's hair out as she was skateboarding, I noticed the true beauty.