30 Days of Thanksgiving #3

Today I'm grateful for my Gorgeous Grandma. A little over a year ago she had to get a pacemaker. She had a follow-up visit today and I got to spend a couple of hours with her at her appointment, lunch and visiting Grandpa (at Wasatch Lawn.) She is doing so much better than she was a year ago! I'm grateful that the doctors were able to figure out the problem and fix it! As usual, she kept me laughing most of the time we were together.

You Capture - Week #1

Beth at I Should Be Folding Laundry is sponsoring a fun photography challenge - You Capture. This week's assignment was to photograph something you love without using your flash.


Next week's assignment is Perspective.

Split Personality Mosaic

My sisters have posted these fun mosaics on their blogs and I wanted to play, too. However, as usual, I couldn't decide which pictures I liked the best! So, I decided to make two.

Here are the rules:

Type your answer to each of the questions below into a Flickr search. Using only the first page, choose your favorite image (or in my case, favorite two images - I didn't do two searches, I picked my favorite two images from the original search), then copy and paste each of the URLs into the mosaic maker (3 columns, 4 rows.) Leave me a comment if you play so I can check it out!

The questions:

1. What is your first name? (Julie)
2. What is your favorite food? (cheese)
3. What high school did you attend? (Hillcrest)
4. What is your favorite color? (green)
5. Who is your celebrity crush? (Tom Hanks)
6. What is your favorite drink? (juice)
7. What is your dream vacation? (Holland)
8. What is your favorite dessert? (mock-chocolate eclair - nothing showed up so I used "eclair")
9. What do you want to be when you grow up? (Mom)
10. What do you love most in life? (Wow, I just realized I read this wrong. I thought it said "What do you want most in life?" And I responded "joy." I wonder how it would have turned out if I had read that correctly. My response would have been "family.")
11. One word to describe you? (weird)
12. Your Flickr name. (HoboJo3 - nothing showed up so I used "Hobo Jo")
    

1. julie's garden, 2. Day 158/365: Grilled cheese - yummm, 3. Picture Perfect, 4. Green Dreams, 5. Foto&Cinema: Il miglio verde, 6. ripe, 7. into the light, 8. Thunder above Madeira waters, 9. The moon above a lake of digital water, 10. The Earth & the Heaven, 11. Persistence, 12. Hobo Jo




1. SOTTS clone (Julie), 2. Say Cheese, 3. A game of Tetris, 4. Splash in a Drop, 5. Tam Hanks and the piano scene from Big, 6. frog closeup, 7. Mill in motion, 8. Help yourself ....., 9. blush and bashful, 10. I'm singing in the rain...Just singing in the rain...What a glorious feeling!!!I`m happy again!, 11. Yes! It's My Birthday! And It's My Footprint :D, 12. Hobo Jo Drinks Juice

30 Days of Thanksgiving #13

"Blah," said Toad.

Remember how yesterday I said that sometimes my body acts like an angsty, rebellious teenager? Well, just to prove my point it came down with a raging sinus infection hours after posting yesterday. And since whining always helps:

"Blah," said jkRibbit.

Okay, I'm done now. I am thankful for Puffs Plus facial tissue (pronounced with the "S" sound, not "sh") with lotion for my rubbed-raw nose. I am thankful for hot cider mix and apple-cherry juice. I am thankful for soup. I am thankful for extra-strength Tylenol, aspirin and cough drops. I am thankful for my comfy cozy bed, comfy cozy covers and comfy cozy pillows. I am thankful for "Gilmore Girls" on DVD to keep me company while I try to sleep. I am thankful that the scriptures always say that "It came to pass" and never "it came to stay."

I am thankful for my body. I am thankful for my body. I am thankful for my body.

30 Days of Thanksgiving #11

Happy Birthday, AngelFish!

Today I am grateful for my beautiful sister AngelFish! I am grateful that she is in my family and that we are sisters. When AngelFish was born, we were trying to sell our house and build a new one in Farmington. My grandparents were on a mission and we were staying in their house in Farmington. Of course, things never work out the way you plan! My grandparents came home early for health reasons and we never were able to sell our house (we found out later that our dear next door nieghbor, Grandma Dot, prayed that we wouldn't leave - she really has an "in"!) So, when AngelFish was just a few weeks old (and I was 3 1/2 years old) we were moving back in to our house. Mom was unpacking boxes in the kitchen and AngelFish started to cry in the other room. She decided to let AngelFish cry for a few minutes so she could finish the box she was working on and after a minute or two, the crying stopped. When she went in to check on AngelFish, I was sitting on the floor rocking AngelFish and singing to her. I am grateful for that new little sister who awoke my mothering instincts and was patient enough to let a 3 year old practice mothering!

I am grateful for AngelFish's courage to accept a mission call to serve in Russia. She is strong in her testimony of the gospel and is strong in her determination to do what's right. I am grateful for that example.

I really think that our age difference is a very awkward one. It always seemed that I was going through a crabby/difficult phase when AngelFish wanted to be friends and by the time I grew out of it, she was going through a crabby/difficult phase and didn't want to be friends. (Although I'm pretty sure I had much more crabby/difficult phases than she did!). I am grateful that AngelFish was patient with me and never gave up on being friends. I am grateful that I've had the opportunity as an adult to really work on having a good relationship with my sister and that she's forgiven me for all of the rotten things I did when we were younger! I am so grateful for sisters who are also friends. I am grateful for the love and support we offer each other.

30 Days of Thanksgiving #10

I love how the Book of Mormon begins:

"I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father; and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God, therefore I make a record of my proceedings in my days."

There is so much in that one, first verse! Yes, life is going to be hard - there will be afflictions. But even with trials, life can be good. The Lord loves us and will bless us. We need to teach our children of the Lord and seek to learn of Him ourselves. So much!! But I also love that Nephi starts off by stating that he was born of goodly parents. I, too, have been born of goodly parents.

I am grateful for the blessing of having parents who love each other and love me. I am grateful that my parents also love the Lord and have taught me of Him. I am grateful that my parents committed to each other for all eternity and were sealed as an eternal family in the temple. I am grateful for the opportunity to someday make that same committment to my best friend and start an eternal family with him. I am grateful for the opportunity to someday become a mother and teach my children to love the Lord. I pray for these blessings and choose to have hope and faith that they will come to pass.

And, for your viewing pleasure, I've included some of my favorite pictures of my parents! (Some of them I should have posted in June when they celebrated their 35 anniversary - but the summer was crazy and I never got around to it! I guess better late than never.) I am grateful for pictures :)

30 Days of Thanksgiving #6

Last night, between 10 and 11 p.m., I ordered some boots. It was a very responsible thing to do seeing how our world was covered in snow yesterday. It was probably not so responsible that I waited until our first real snow storm to order them. Also, the boots I chose don't exactly scream responsible. Let me rephrase that. The boots I chose are very responsible - they have good traction and will keep my feet warm and dry. The pattern I chose doesn't exactly scream responsible :)


At 2:00 this afternoon, 15-16 hours after I ordered these boots, I answered the door for my piano student and my boots were sitting on our porch waiting for me. Not even 24 hours turn around! I am very impressed. What is even more impressive is that the shipping was free. The shipping is also free if I decide not to keep them. Are you impressed yet? I sure am! And where, you are wondering, did I find these fabulous boots with free, fast shipping? At Zappos!

I am grateful for new winter boots that are practical and whimsical at the same time. I am grateful for my new found joy in snow and improved health giving me a desire to play in the snow so I need new boots. I am grateful for Zappos and for free, fast shipping!

30 Days of Thanksgiving #5

Happy Blogday to me! I've been blogging for 1 year! I am grateful for the opportunity to express my thoughts and feelings and keep in touch with friends and family. I am grateful for all of the kind and supportive comments I've received. Thank you!

I am also grateful for a beautiful snowstorm today. When I first started getting sick, it was in the middle of a particularly harsh winter. For many years snow and winter symbolized that hard time in my life. The days get shorter, colder and darker. My anxiety and depression increased. Winter was something to endure and survive. But the last few years, as I've healed, I've been able to enjoy and even look forward to winter. Everything is beautiful and white. And Christmas is coming! I am grateful that I am able to see the beauty and joy of snow again.

30 Days of Thanksgiving #1

What a gorgeous fall day! I was able to go up hiking with AngelFish and LSOC. It was so beautiful! Today I'm thankful that my health has improved enough that I could climb a mountain and not die! That is a major accomplishment! I am also thankful for such a beautiful world. We took so many pictures - these are the highlights...


I'm trying to decide which of these last two is my favorite...any thoughts?

Happy Halloween!

These are some of my favorite pictures from past Halloweens. My Dad was the Bishop when these pictures were taken. The top two are my parents dressed up for a Ward Halloween party on a Saturday night. It's hard to tell in the picture, but my Dad has a mohawk. A lot of people don't know that he wears a toupee - a lot of ward members didn't know that. He took one of his old hairpieces and cut it to be a mohawk. Then he showed up at the party with his head shaved on the top with a mohawk. Everyone was shocked! So many people asked him what he was going to do for Church the next day. Of course, he then showed up for Church with a full head of hair! This was Halloween of 1987.

The bottom picture is of my Dad being The Count from Sesame Street. For years he would show up to work - as an accountant - as The Count, complete with the purple face. I guess I really learned to love dress-ups from my Dad! This picture was 1988.

Further Proof that My Family is Insane

This is how we spent our Sunday evening.

We were playing with my Dad's new cellphone. (His old one went through the wash. We discovered that cellphones have absolutely no amphibious tendencies...)

After we tired of checking out the phone's new features...we headed downstairs to watch old home movies. Five years ago we spent the first couple of weeks of October watching old home movies and laughing our heads off while we sat in my Grandpa's hospice room waiting for his body to release him from this mortal life. It was a hard, sad time. But we were together and that's what counts most. It's nice to have some good final memories of spending time with Grandpa.

The highlights of last night included a five-year-old Tergaso receiving a shopping center toy for Christmas. As she rang up AngelFish's purchases, she made this very sage announcement in the toy's microphone: "Attention shoppers. If you don't have any money, please put it back. Thank you." We were also treated to a fantastic fashion show and dance video. Nothing says haute couture like a hot pink and black striped skirt paired with flourescent green and blue t-shirts or three pairs of socks layered - pink, black and yellow! However, the music selection was a timeless classic - "Pop! Goes the World" by Men Without Hats. We should have known then that LSOC was destined for great things - what three-year-old picks up choreography that fast?!

On a slightly more serious note (and in an effort to continue my randomness...) I have to post some pictures of RussianJoy - isn't he adorable?He is chewing on a rubber frog. He has good taste!

Happy Birthday, Countess!!

I have been blessed with the best Mom ever! She is constantly serving others - whether it's going the extra mile for her students, putting together the best leadership meetings and activities for the Stake Primary, or picking up someone's favorite cereal at the store. I have learned the importance of keeping your commitments and doing your best, how to be a caring daughter, and great teaching and parenting techniques from my Mom. My Mom suffered through countless tantrums and arguments to keep me in piano lessons, survived smoking tv dinners when I was in charge of dinner, patiently bore my teenage angst and learned to step out of her comfort zone to help me heal from my health problems. Because of my Mom, I am now able to provide for myself by teaching piano lessons, I enjoy cooking, and have survived not only the teen years, but also serious health problems and am now on the road to recovery. My Mom is SuperMom.

Happy Birthday!

jkRibbit Randomness...

Random the First: I like alliteration. I am aware that I'm a nerd and I'm okay with that.

Random the Second: (I need to preface this with a quick explanation. I am trying to be very careful with my words. I have learned through my experience with my continuing health saga, and even more so with BodyTalk, that everything has an energy - and I'm very susceptible to that energy. So, I'm trying to focus on the positive energy. Hence, I have been trying not to use the term "lose weight." A) the word "lose" has negative connotations. And 2) I never want to "find" that weight again. So, my family and I have been referring to that particular phenomenon as "letting go" - as in "I have let go of 30 pounds in the last year." This particular terminology, for me, says: "I no longer have the need to carry that extra weight, so I am releasing it." We will also sometimes use: "I am 30 pounds lighter than I was a year ago." You get the idea...) So, in case you didn't catch those oh-so-subtle hints -

I let go of 30 pounds!!! I am 30 pounds lighter!!!

Random the Third: I am recording a CD. I wrote a post a few weeks ago about being brave. However, I was not brave enough to announce what I was being brave about and that didn't jive with me. So, I decided to be brave all the way. I'm recording a CD. There will be 12 vocal selections mostly taken from my Broadway repertoire. Tuesday evening, I had my second recording session. It didn't go quite as smoothly as the first one - I was only able to complete two songs instead of the planned three (I'm a bit stuck in a health issue cycle - sprained ankle led to tweaked back, led to knee problems with a sinus infection thrown in the middle for good measure...but I'm determined to perservere :). But I am still happy with how the two turned out. I now have 5/12 done.

Random the Fourth: My siblings crack me up! AngelFish had a conference in Vegas this week. Tergaso thought it would be cool to drive up and spend some time together on the strip since she only has class on Monday and Tuesday and is feeling all cool and grown-up now that she's started her Master's program. (Apparently, she's also turned ghetto. Stay. Cool. Yo.) However, Brunhilde (her car) didn't agree with this plan. I guess what goes to Vegas, stays in Vegas and poor Brunhilde was left in the dust of the Greyhound that took Tergaso back to Claremont. Poor Bruni...

Random the Fifth: I was going through pictures to find my favorites of ScienceBoy and found these awesome pics and had to share. They were taken, I believe, eight years ago. The top one is pretty much what we look like whenever we're together (ie: laughing hysterically). The bottom one is of us pulling it together for a split second. I love these pictures.

Happy Birthday, ScienceBoy!

Okay, so I'm almost two weeks late with this post...but at least the scanner is now officially hooked up to the computer. So, my procrastination means I can post pictures! Also, these pictures are three years old! But they are some of my favorite pictures of ScienceBoy, so I had to post them :)


We have a tradition that the birthday boy (or girl, depending on who's birthday it is...) gets to choose the dinner menu. You would think that a 10-year-old boy would pick something like pizza or hamburgers or macaroni and cheese...but no. ScienceBoy, like his brother SpiderMan in February, completely cracked me up with his distinguished palette. When I called to ask what ScienceBoy would like for dinner at his birthday party, without hesitation of any kind, he answered: artichokes, steak, and some sort of punch, please. Seriously. First thing out of his mouth was "artichokes." He also told me that at the top of his birthday wish list were a mug with his name painted on it and an eagle statue. Again, he's 10! Crazy kid!

Needless to say, he did get his birthday dinner of artichokes and steak - although we forgot about the punch until it was too late. He also got a kit to decorate his own mug and AngelFish and LSOC found him an eagle statue at the fair. I think he had a great birthday.

Time to Brag About My Other Amazing Sister...

I am really good at being remiss. It's a special talent of mine. However, it's not the best talent to have. So, I am now attempting to make up for my lack of promptitude and blog about a very important even that took place in my most-favoritest-sister-named-AngelFish, AngelFish's life a few months ago. My sister AngelFish is amazing. She is so smart, hard-working, organized, and talented! I really admire her. In May, AngelFish received her Masters Degree in Finance. She accomplished this while working full-time and completing the requirements to become a certified real estate assessor. I am so proud of her!

Her last week of school was really crazy. In addition to final assignments and regular work projects, she had a major test instead of a masters thesis and final dress rehearsals for a Stake production of Beauty and the Beast.


AngelFish was a "Silly Girl" and she was amazing!! She flirted it up like a pro. It was so fun to go to her graduation in the afternoon and then straight to this production that night and see her transformation. Like I said, AngelFish is amazing and I'm so proud of her!

Happy Bounding Birthday, Tergaso!

I have to confess that I have been remiss in giving a birthday shout-out to my most-favoritest-sister-named-Tergaso, Tergaso. Hopefully, she'll now stop sending me looks such as the one pictured immediately above.

In all seriousness my sister is incredibly awesome. She is extremely intelligent - she got her bachelors degree in three years (with a minor, no less.) She is headed to Claremont Graduate University next week to start her masters program. She's rather a snob when it comes to books, which has provided great opportunity for sisterly argument. And she's fluent in two languages and about to start a third.

She is also one of the funniest people I know. She is crazy! She loves to high-jack my brother's laptop and use the camera to leave him folders of wacky pictures of herself staring into the computer. She actually uses this time to perfect her "looks" (bewildered, scared, smell-the-fart, and fish-hook-in-the-eyebrow...) She also loves to choreograph and record dances - still, and sometimes in public places. And she is not above dancing/awkward jerking in public.

But what I love most about my sister, Tergaso, is that she is most loyal and supportive. She'll call it like she's sees it, but with love. She takes the time to listen. When I was going through a rough-patch with my health, she crocheted me the most hideous hat (it actually had earflaps) - just to bring a smile to my face and to show she cared. She also, by the way, crocheted my Dad and brother ties for Christmas that year. They actually turned out pretty well, except they somehow seem to keep getting longer...

Happy birthday, Tergaso!


I have some really good pics to post here, but we have a new scanner, and of course I can't figure out how to work it...maybe Angelfish will come over sometime soon and help me (hint, hint...).


Thanks for setting up our new scanner, AngelFish!!

Kids Say...

I have had the privilege of having my SillyGoose spend two whole nights with me while his Mom is at Girls Camp. SillyGoose and I have a history. We are pals. We were both very excited about this visit. However, I was a bit nervous after spraining my ankle while on vacation last week (more on that later...if you're good I might even post a picture of my butt-ugly bruise.) I had all these fun things planned - going to the park for a picnic, going out to lunch and to the movies - and since it's my right ankle that is sprained, I can't even drive right now!

I guess I didn't need to worry too much, though. I ended up creating a monster. I introduced SillyGoose to The Backyardigans. That is all he asks for now - "Can we watch more Backyardigans?" I did manage to pry him away from his beloved Backyardigans to go swimming last night, but then he managed to talk me into watching two episodes before bed instead of just one. I have created a monster! At least I also enjoy watching Backyardigans - it's not like it's Barney or some other equally annoying show (in my opinion.)

I thought I'd share some of our conversations:

• SillyGoose told me on the first night that sometimes his imagination works too well at night and he imagines scary things. Later, when we were saying prayers (actually I was saying them), he whispered to me in the middle, "Don't forget my imagination!" So I prayed that his imagination would only imagine happy things while he slept. He was happy with that. Then last night it was his turn to say prayers. He said, "Please bless my imagination that it won't work." He kills me! By the way, I checked and both prayers were answered in the affirmative - no scary imaginationing here...
• This morning I told him that we had cereal, toast, or eggs for breakfast - did one of those sound good? He said that he thought toast sounded good. Now, a couple of years ago, when I was tending him regularly while his Mom taught school, our favorite treat was toast with peanut butter and chocolate sprinkles. So I, of course, knew that's where his train of thought was heading and said, "toast with peanut butter and chocolate sprinkles?" SillyGoose was pleasantly surprised with my deductive skills and replied, "that is exactly what I was thinking! I was also thinking that after breakfast, we could watch Backyardigans!"
• A few weeks ago, I got to watch SillyGoose while his parents went on a date. We were downstairs watching "The Incredibles" (I promise that I don't just stick kids in front of the tv!) and my sister, Tergaso, came home. We heard the door open and my other sister, AngelFish, said, "Who's there?" We then got into a big "You go check" war trying to get SillyGoose to go see that Tergaso was home. He didn't understand that it was someone he would want to see and was nervous to just go wandering upstairs when a "stranger" had just walked in the house. So he kept saying back to us "you go check." For some reason that struck me as really funny and I had to say, "It's actually Yugoslavia and Czech Republic." Of course that stopped the back and forth for a minute while SillyGoose tried to understand what the heck I just said. He finally decided that I had weird quirks and that he could deal with that and started up the "you go check" war again. We went back and forth several times and each time I would reply that it was actually Yugoslavia etc. He was finally quiet for another few minutes and finally said, "jkribbit, please yugoslavia who's there?" I obviously had to give in to this plea and went upstairs to bring Tergaso down, laughing the whole way...
• A few months ago, AngelFish was playing hide-and-seek with SillyGoose and he wandered through the house calling, "where are you, pretty lady?"

Since the title of this post is "Kids say..." I have to throw in a couple things from my vacation that don't involve SillyGoose, but do fit with the theme of this post...

• While coming back from Catalina Island on the boat, we went through the harbor and passed cargo ships being unloaded. There was a little boy sitting behind me and his dad was pointing out the cargo ship. He was telling his son that the big boxes being unloaded had stuff in it and a big truck would come and take them to the stores. The little boy asked, "a Honda Pilot?" His dad told him that although the boxes looked small enough to fit in a Honda Pilot from where we were, they were actually much bigger and wouldn't fit. I wonder what kind of car they drive...
• This same little boy also asked his why we weren't "speeding down" when we entered the harbor. The captain must have heard him because we "sped down" just seconds later.
• My 7-year-old cousin had a great time telling jokes at our family reunion. His favorite one went something like this:

"Knock, knock."
"Who's there?"
"Plummer."
"Plummer, who?"
"Wanna see my butt. You know, because plummers' pants fall down!"

• When Tergaso told him a joke that went over his head a bit, he replied with, "That doesn't enjoy me."

ABC is for Alphabet Book Craft (Yes, I'm a nerd)

Recently, Motherhood for Dummies wrote a great post about making Alphabet books for children. It reminded me of the alphabet books I made a few years ago for ScienceBoy and SpiderMan. I decided to pass the idea along.

I found a couple of photo albums that have hard vinyl coverings that zip closed. Inside is a two ring binder with 4x6 page protectors. I just cut out cream cardstock to fit in the protector and then went to town gathering die-cuts, stickers and pictures for every letter of the alphabet. I had to get creative - but that's the fun part. For example: for the letter Q - I used pictures of the boys laying on baby quilts people had made for them. For X - I used pictures of people in our family hugging and kissing and wrote "XOXO." For Z - I had pictures of the boys sleeping. Both of my boys loved vacuums - so I had plenty of pictures for V. It was fun coming up with creative pictures of our family for each letter. Here are some pages. B and H are from ScienceBoy's book and P and S are from SpiderMan's book.

These books are still favorites at our house!

Time to Play Catch-Up: Part 4 - April 21: Happy Birthday LSOC!!

This is my beautiful "little" brother (He's 6'4" or 6'5", I'm not sure, exactly!) LSOC stands for the "Lost Skeleton of Cadavra" one of LSOC's and Tergaso (also taken from that movie)'s favorite movies.) I feel bad that I actually missed posting on his birthday, but we were driving home from Aunt Norma's funeral in California and he was in Europe with Tergaso. Then, of course, I just kept getting farther and farther behind!

LSOC is the awesomest brother. He loves unconditionally, he's impossibly cool, he is a ton of fun and I truly look up to him (both literally and figuratively.) He introduces me to cool music, he watches really bad television ("So You Think You Can Dance?") with me, he quotes funny and bizarre movies at/to me. He even remembers to blow out my candle in the bathroom when I forget! He is just a good guy.

Happy belated Birthday, LSOC!

Time to Play Catch-Up: Part 3 - Tribute to my Aunt Norma 7.27.23 - 4.11.08

My favorite part of going on summer vacation was that it always involved a visit to Aunt Norma and Uncle Al. I remember one summer, they emptied all of these containers they'd been collecting loose change in into our bags. When we went through airport security, the agents thought we were going to Vegas to play the slots - we had bags full of coins! I also remember that one summer, Aunt Norma sent us a bunch of dress-up clothes - fancy dresses, shoes, purses, etc. We had so much fun with them! I remember growing up thinking that I was related to celebrities. Uncle Al had been a stunt man on 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Aunt Norma had held the record for deepest dive by a woman! They were famous! That made me feel very cool.

Aunt Norma has also been very supportive of me. When I decided to play the flute in Middle School, I rented a flute that was defective. No matter how much I blew into that thing, no sound would come out! A couple months later, Aunt Norma sent me a flute. I think it used to be Laura's. I felt so special that Aunt Norma sent me my flute. Aunt Norma and Uncle Al would also try to meet me when I was in California on Choir Tour in High School. They would figure out how to meet during my free time and take me out to dinner. I was usually pretty homesick by that time, and the chance to see family made such a huge difference!

Aunt Norma was always thinking of others. She would always send oranges for my Grandma Donna home with anyone that came to visit her during orange season.

Aunt Norma has a great sense of humor. I remember going to Bill and Michelle's wedding reception and Aunt Norma taught us kids how to pull the middle out of the strawberries so we could stick them on our fingers like olives! She was always eager to hear our jokes and was a great audience. I've also heard stories about the time she pulled out her prosthetic boob and passed it around for her brothers to feel!

Along with my Grandma Donna, one of my favorite memories of Aunt Norma was when she surprised Donna for her 80th birthday. It was so fun to have her show up on my Grandma's doorstep wearing a mask - "A Masked Marvel for a Masked Marvel!". And then to be able to go to the temple with Aunt Norma. It was such a great day. The feeling of joy and peace when she was sealed to Uncle Al was amazing. I'm so grateful I was able to be a part of that.

Aunt Norma was an incredible woman. I will miss her!