No place like home!

After a long day at school, work, or wherever, there is nothing like coming home. Generally speaking, home is where you feel safe and comfortable. It's where you find the people you love the most. I think our home is all of these things and more.

I have been thinking about the homes where I've lived. When I was a baby, our family lived on 5th East and Kensington Avenue in a basement apartment. The apartment was located halfway between the Eccles' and the Hubers. When I was about a year old, my family moved to Magna where my parents still live. That was the home of my childhood, Grandma and Grandpa's place to Annie, Haley and Willie, and now where Elliott and Wyatt find Great Grandma and Great Grandpa.

When Karl and I were first married, we lived in Grandma Chipman's house (in old Magna). It was the nicest house, very tight and neat and clean -- with a garage, a patio, and an air conditioner. Annie was born while we lived there and since it was only a one-bedroom home, we created a place for Annie in the corner of the living room. We lived there for about three years.

We then bought a little house a little further east in Magna where the girls grew up and a place Willie can't remember. It was a tiny house, but we made it such a beautiful home. We named this home, and we still refer to her as "Mildred" even today. We lived there 20 years.

It's now been nearly 11 years since we moved to Hunter -- and this is really the nicest home in so many ways -- I love it! And, when I come home at the end of a very long day, there is nothing like the feeling I have when we have dinner, watch a little television, do some homework, talk, have a late evening treat, snack, or tall glass of cold milk, and then watch "The Office" before going to bed. It's the best, and I really must say, "There's no place, anywhere, like home!"

Happy Birthday, Haley!

I can remember the arrival of each of my kids as if those events were just yesterday. As I was sitting at my computer an hour or so ago and waiting for Karl to get home from school, I couldn't help but think about the night Haley was born. It may be of interest to note that 30 years ago tonight I was doing the same thing (minus the computer). Then almost two-year-old Annie was in bed asleep and my sister Cindy was hanging out with me waiting for Karl to get home from a late class so he could take me to the hospital to deliver a beautiful baby girl. Mind you, this was long before cell phones and texting -- I had no way of letting Karl know that he needed to get home, fast. I just waited -- with some pain now and again. Needless to say, we made it to the LDS hospital and Haley Quinn was born a little after midnight on April 8, 1980. She weighed 7 lbs. 7 oz. and was 21 inches long, she had all of her fingers and toes, and a fuzzy head (I can't say it was hair). She was a very healthy baby and toddler and very smart, too. She could walk at 11 months and toilet trained herself by the time she was about 18 months old. Not to discount all of the life events over a 30 year time frame, but Haley is still a beautiful daughter and smart. She has a great husband, James. She teaches kids of all shapes, sizes, and intellects how to do hard math problems, and in her spare time she teaches a few lucky kids to play the piano, the guitar, and the banjo. She takes care of James, Willie, and the grandparents, like no other. She loves the double T's -- Elliott and Wyatt. She will do anything for anyone -- so often ahead of her own things. And, she loves her family, Utah basketball, family history and history in general, controversial topics and opinions, the colors green, yellow, and brown, all kinds of music and documentaries, yard work, Primary kids, bread, potatoes, and cheeseburgers.

In about a month from now, Haley and James will have their own beautiful daughter. How lucky their little one will be to have such excited and awesome parents and too many family members to count who will love her and care for her.

Happy Birthday, Haley!

Oh Puke!

The college basketball season came to an end tonight but not without a battle to the last second! I am so proud of the Butler Bulldogs! And how about their coach, Brad Stevens, a 33-year-old amazing coach!

The Bulldogs got past UTEP, Murray State, Syracuse, Kansas State, and Michigan State in some of the most exciting basketball I've seen all season. But the final game, oh Puke! It ended in a loss by a just 2 measly points. But, to the Butler Bulldogs' credit, they held their heads high and walked off the court -- no floor slamming or towels covering teary eyes. They walked off the court as the second place team in a 64 team NCAA March Madness Tournament. Good job!