Your Dad - often ready to "edify, to instruct!"

I'm not sure who's edifying who here!! (Henry and Grandpa T. at Harry and Dawn's for Eve's blessing in 2002.)

In honor of Father's Day - here are some truly random photos of you kids with your dad - and some grandkid shots - that were either easy to find, seem to stick in my memory bank so I can find them easily, or I just like them, or both or all three.

And you really wouldn't do that if your dad were here!! (Now would you??)

Dad with Bonny and Harry, probably in 1973 - recognize the couch??

Bonny with Dad in the 90's - at their house I think! This picture sits on the counter in the kitchen - one of my faves also.

This is someone's wedding - but I don't remember whose. Maybe Pheobe's??

And speaking of Phoebe, here's Dad with Phoebe at the beach on a trip to SoCal in 1978. She ate a lot of sand that day - seemed to love it!

Dad with the newly- born Eliza, 1983.

And then Dad with Eliza at her baptism in 1988.


And this shot above, which has a "gap" below it that blogger will just not let me erase, is Hannah on her blessing day in 1985. I love this picture of your dad - it's one of my faves.

Hannah with Dad at her baptism in 1993 - right after he was called to be bishop. And we need a beard shot.

Below, this is Dad with Noah at St. George in 1987.

And then here's Dad with Noah at the Roadshow in 2000, I think.

Dad with Noah and Phoebe at Brian Head - July of ??

Dad with Ara, in 1997 - the first grandchild!

We really need an updated grandkids picture - this is December of 2005.

Dad with the next Harry - November 28, 2006.

And with Theo - and the "faux hawk!"

And the "Mystery Boy or Girl" coming in July will break the grandkids tie - who will surge ahead - the boys or the girls??

Happy Father's Day to you - and you and you and you and you - and you know who you are!!

Good things come to those who wait -

My belated birthday gift came in the mail yesterday - and I was pretty excited - I finally am the proud owner of a Dottie Gardening Apron!! A big thank you to Phoebe and crew for remembering how much I have coveted one!

Initially I thought they'd be great in the classroom - to hold pens, pencils, markers, keys, kleenex, etc. And I will give it a try next fall - we're packing up these days.

But now I'm just excited to wear it around the house while I work and sew and putter and do whatever.

Don't you wish you had one??

"Summertime and the livin' is easy, fish are jumpin' and the cotton is high . . "

There have been other posts sporting this title, but it seems to apply on an annual basis!

I've found a few more Terrill/Kerksiek Group Shots for your viewing pleasure. This is a beach shot where Axel is a baby, so that would be maybe 1991?? This is at Zuma Beach. Aunt Joan was here too - as are Peter and Karl. Andrew was part of our crew too.

This definitely an 80's shot, because Bonny is not married yet. I'm not much of a historian when it comes to keeping track of photos - but I vow to get better at it!! Aunt Donna is here too.

This is early 90's - maybe '89 - I'm really bad at this. It's hard to guess how old Noah is! Anyway, it's a little water fun on Primrose Lane!! We still have that slide - and it still gets a lot of summertime water use.

This is late 90's - the year Harry and Dawn started dating - it's a Christmas time shot I think.

This is not summertime, but the livin' is (was?) still pretty easy then!

Las Dos Senoritas!

I haven't found any more "Dos Hannahs" shots, but did find some other cute pairs of cousins.

Here's Maddy and Eliza in 1988. The furniture tells us it's at Alice and Dale's place in Riverton.

And here's Maddy and Phoebe - in 1994 - the couch says it's at our house.

This could actually be construed as a Dos Hannahs shot, but the chiquitas smiling for the camera are Hester and Eliza. There are undoubtedly a lot of Eliza/Hester shots around too. This is also 1994 - and obviously at the beach.

You might have trouble figuring this one out - but it's Phoebe and Erika - that's Hester in the foreground, so I think this is a shot from 1988.

Lest you want to see them not incognito, here's a Phoebe/Erika shot from 1989. Looks like the Kerksiek Kitchen.

We'll finish off with some "group" shots of some of our "main players!"

This one is from a trek up to Santa Barbara when Bonny and Bruce lived there - the shot says 1993.


There are lots of photos of the fun times with the Kerksieks - especially after they started living abroad and when they came to visit, they stayed awhile! We had some great times - and there are lots of great memories and stories floating around out there. We should share them so we don't forget them - at least so I don't forget them!!

Family Foto Time Again

This family photo is from December of 1998. We rented a place at Laguna - and had a fun time. Little Harry didn't make it for the photo op - he was working in LA at the time. We all had a good time. We look quintessentially California don't we??

A "Current" Family Photo

A current "family" photo would probably just be Dad and me, since we are co-habiting at present in an "empty nest." But if you define family as unattached offspring who occasionally do laundry at your house - and stay with you in hotel rooms for trips here and there - then Hannah and Noah would fit the defintion.

Outside the Bountiful Temple after Joey and Mercy's wedding on Saturday.

Noah, captured taking a solitary stroll around the grounds that day.

Hannah, feeling a little "peaked" dozing in the car as we toured Davis county and environs after the wedding - and before the luncheon!

The very nice room we had at the Hilton, courtesy of Fred's sister. Hannah, mugging for the camera.

It was fun to spend the weekend with the "little kids."

More Funny Family Photos

How many family photos have been taken under the Cozy First and Last Chance??

This isn't particularly a funny family photo - but it is pretty funny of Eliza. I was thinking I could probably find a family picture where at least one of us looks a bit goofy.

This was the weekend Phoebe and David came down to have an engagement photo taken - or it was the weekend David came to meet us.

Either way, Harry wasn't there.

It's from 1998 anyway.

Funny Family Photos

It's not that this is an especially funny family photo, but it does capture a "moment in time" - one where just about everyone got a short haircut - notable exceptions being Harry F. and Bruce.

I didn't like my haircut - I showed the guy a picture of a hairdo I wanted and asked him if he could do it with my hair. He said if I straightened my hair it would work. So I went through the expense and hassle of getting my hair straightened - and it didn't work!!

Which is why I'm growing my hair out for now - my regular hairdresser had a baby and isn't going to be doing hair anymore. So until I find someone I trust, I'm just getting "trims."

Long ago and far away

When you are caring for young children, those days inevitably come when you feel like you will never have a moment to yourself. You will never eat a meal in peace, go to the grocery store alone, soak in the tub to your heart's content, have a tidy house, or read a book straight through with no interruptions.


You truly feel like there is only today. Tomorrow will never come.

But I am here to tell you that tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow just keeps on coming - and as the years march on, tomorrow seems to come with alarming frequency.

And you look back on those crazy, noisy, dusty, grimy, whiny, sloppy days with a feeling approaching nostalgia and even some remorse - remorse for wishing them away and not always savoring them.

Having all the "kids" here for the weekend was a little blessing from heaven. As Bonny so aptly put it in her sweet testimony, it was a "Terrill Moment" that I think we all treasured.

After church, we all had lunch here at home and then had a Family Home Evening. We sang, we had an activity (writing additional verses for "Because I Have Been Given Much"), and then Dad gave a lesson. It was good to relate to one another in that way.


Sunday night we had a birthday party for Noah, and on Monday all the "kids" went to the beach. By Tuesday noon everyone was back home or on their way there, and the weekend was over.

But I think I knew enough not to worry about the inevitable messes in life and just enjoyed everyone being here.

I suggest it to everyone - savoring the moment!

Carpe diem!

Maybe you can't go home again, but you can have a great time talking about it!

This is me in the 9th grade at Patrick Henry Junior High School - 1959

This Judy Vergine, my next door neighbor growing up - we were comrades in exploring with our imaginations during the fifties. This is lunch hour at Patrick Henry Junior High in 9th grade.

And this is Mom, Judy and me having a little "mini-reunion" when she came to see what had happened to the old homestead next door (it's been torn down and replaced with a "mini mansion" but the garage-turned-granny-house where her own grandma lived is still there.)

We enjoyed going over the old days - how she'd come to the fence and call me in my room - usually to wake me up, how we fought once and our moms made us come to the fence and make up, how we collected paper dolls and made houses and cities for them to live in, how we'd save our allowances and go to the By-Lo on Chatsworth to see what was new in the paper doll world, how we walked to the Union station by the Women's Club in the summertime to visit the traveling library, how we walked to StarDust Liquor store for popsicicles, how we both didn't like the new girl in the neighborhood who took baton twirling lessons and was pretty stuck up - at least that's what we thought, and how even after all these years, we felt a connection.

Let's hear it for best friends in childhood!

Achievement Day Girls

We don't have an Achievement Days leader in our ward, but Dawn is the counselor over it, so she makes sure it happens regularly. I offered to be a "guest lecturer," and she took me up on the offer.

The theme was Literacy, and we did kind of a cross between a Language Arts lesson and a book group. We read a story from They Walked To Zion about Mary Goble Pay, the grandmother of Sister Marjorie Hinckley.

It was fun to see what caught the girls' fancy. Sister Pay talked about a shark following their ship as they were crossing to America. Then she mentioned that a man died, and they had to put his body overboard - and then they never saw the shark again! They thought that was pretty compelling info!

After we read the account, I had them do a "storyboard." This is a paper divided into 6 sections. The idea is to draw pictures depicting parts of the story. Most of the girls - and there were only 6 of them - had a square for each death recounted - starting with the shark! (Sister Pay's baby sister died from exposure at Council Bluffs, a newborn sister died on the trail, her brother died towards the end of the journey and finally her mother died.) It was instructive to see how much the thought of death as an everyday occurrence seemed so striking to them. We treat death as such a "separate" kind of event, but it truly is a part of living.

Hopefully they took something of value from the experience. Sister Pay had been told by Brigham Young that she would not lose her feet - and she had faith in what he said. One little girl said, "Was he the prophet then?" When I said yes, she seemed impressed.

At the end I gave them each a reading journal and told them to record the books they read. I said, "You won't always remember the title, let alone the author, of every book you read, so write them down."

They took it to heart and were busy listing books they'd read as they were leaving!

I love teaching, and I love encouraging readers!

Notes From the Field

We got to D.C. on Saturday night and it's been a whirlwind of activity. When we return I will post many more pictures, but this is to let you know that we are all alive and well and having a wonderful time - and wishing you were here!

Let's play catch up - not ketchup!!

It has been a while since I blogged on my own blog. Life has indeed been hectic - at home, at school, at play!! Hasn't been too hectic at church, thank goodness. Being Stake R.S. President has the major perk of having the busyness somewhat concentrated in certain time frames - that so far have not conflicted with other stuff.

I did get asked to speak at another's ward Enrichment last week - but I was pretty last minute about putting it together, so I didn't stress much. I did think about it a lot, so it came together well.

We've been to Moab for the race - and I did the 5 miler - mostly walked, but I did finish! It was so great to see everyone - reminds me how much I miss everyone. I can see why women always want their families to stay in town after they grow up - I remember noticing that when we lived in Centerville - these women would loudly lament a son or daughter moving away. It never occurred to me that maybe my folks missed me! (Maybe they really didn't!!) We need to seriously consider Moab as a mini-reunion choice for Claytons/Terrills/Kerksieks!!

School is crazy as usual - I seem to be out a lot for school business so I feel like I'm always making sub plans - my least favorite thing to do. I know now why most teachers show movies when they are gone - I try not to. I've been doing some cooking with my SDC kids - to help with some science concepts - the properties of matter, for instance, can be demonstrated by making cupcakes! (and eating them too!)

We have had Harry and Dawn move out - with all its attendant stress and strain!! They were here for almost a year - they moved in last April when we went to the marathon in Boston. Moving households is always work. But satisfying work! And the baby' s blessing, which brought Bill and Marjorie to town - always great to see them. It really was a good experience to have them all here - one I will always treasure.

And now adjusting to a truly "empty nest." Harry and I are having fun walking around talking about all the home improvements we're going to do.

We'll keep you posted.

Pi Day in Monrovia

We had Pi Day today at Clifton. The Math Department had a "Pi Eating Contest" at lunch. And you could have a chance at drawings for prizes depending on how many of the numbers of Pi you could repeat from memory.

Made me almost wish I was still teaching Math. (Just almost, not entirely!!)

When I told Dad that Pi Day was coming up, he Googled it and found this great site, right here.

Giving blood today

I think I've posted about this before. Maybe even posted this poem by Carol Lynn Pearson. But it bears repeating:

Giving

I love giving blood.
Sometimes I walk in
Off the street
When no one has even asked
And roll up my sleeve.

I love lying on the table
Watching my blood flow
Through the scarlet tube
To fill the little bag
That bears no address.

I love the mystery
Of its destination.
It runs as easily
To child or woman or man,
Black or white,
Californian or Asian,
Methodist, Mormon,
Moslem or Jew.

Rain does too.
Rivers do.
I think God does.
We do not.

Our suspicious egos clot
On the journey
From "Us" to "Them."

So I give blood
To practice flowing,
Never knowing
Where it's going.
And glad.

I gave blood today after school. They call me all the time. I usually don't show about 10 times before I finally go - guilt drives me. But I just went - and it wasn't a hassle and I didn't have to wait.

It's good to do something just to do something good.

All in a day's work

I talk a lot about the "daily grind" and how I hate going to work some days. But that's probably not a true portrait of me or my job.

The girl in the center is Molly, she is not an RSP student, she is my TA. And she won the Partnership Spelling Bee - and my students in 4th period were pretty excited for her. I had taken them to see "Akelah and the Bee" so I think they thought that she was living the Hollywood dream or something. (The boy just in front of me is my other TA - and he's an active member of the ward too. Molly's parents are members, but they are not active.)

Some days I do not like my job - or at least I don't like going to work. But most of the time I feel, as Beverly at SMCNS so aptly put it, "It's work worth doing."

I see progress. I see kids get excited about something I teach them. I see growth and development. I see maturity inching its way in to a child's demeanor. I see genuine expressions of fondness and caring. I see what praise can do for a child who hasn't had much of it. I see lives change.

(I won't mention some of the other things I see - that would be for another post. I want to emphasize the positive!!)

And every day we have 20 minutes of SSR - Sustained Silent Reading - right after lunch. I would have thought that I'd died and gone to heaven if they'd told us we had to read for 20 minutes every day at school. (What I mostly did was hide my book inside the textbook so I could read during boring lectures!) Reading every day like that in the middle of the day is very rejuvenating for me.

It really could be a lot worse!!

But it's hard to make sub plans to be gone for a day or two. And then when you get back, it takes another couple of days to sort out what happened while you were gone.

So I complain!