About my blog

The Missionaries Came Over for Brunch!

Sat, 14 Feb 2009 21:05:56 -0500

Yep, there are five Elders in our Ward right now. They ate off of plates with pink and red hearts. They were served breakfast sausage shaped like hearts, heart shaped pancakes, and red punch. They all went away with their own Reese’s Peanut butter heart. Doug thinks I got them on sale because of the peanut butter, salmonella scare. The missionaries reassured him that they are in the Lord’s service and they will be protected. LOL!

Elder’s Rae, Hoskins, Fellows, Smallwood, and Mayberry... Happy Valentines Day!

Growing and Pains

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 19:43:29 -0500

I feel like I cheated! My coworker gave me this plant for “Bosses Day”, of all things... It came in a box. The box contained a pot, dehydrated dirt, and a bulb. Just assemble and add water. It’s a miracle! Just keep adding water and it just keeps growing like crazy. Trust me, it’s either a miracle or really easy.

This little plant came into my life as we were planning Ian and Kayla’s wedding, as Neal and Makensy told me I was going to be a grandma again, and as Jay has been getting ready for his mission. By the time the bloom has fully matured, I will have blossomed into my new life as an empty nester. There is beauty in the sequential development of the bud... and my life. Although the latter is bitter sweet.

The Award Winning Kiss

Sat, 18 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

It was wonderful to witness my son Ian follow through on the most important decision of his life! I welcome my new daughter to the Lefler Family. Kayla, you are a wonderful edition. We all look forward to watching you and Ian cruise through life together. Have fun!

For more wedding photos, click on the “My Album” link above and go to Ian and Kayla’s wedding album! Play the Slideshow, sit back and enjoy!

Seattle Washington Welcomes Elder Jay Lefler

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 21:51:52 -0400

After much soul searching and thoughtful prayer and consideration, Jay decided to serve a mission for our church. This great commitment is a serious undertaking. Jay will be studying and working for more than 12 hours per day. He will be searching for and teaching people about the gospel of Jesus Christ. He will be offering community service. He has committed to focusing on this work... no TV, no radio, 4 phone calls home in 2 years, no dating... yep, between the ages of 19-21, Jay will be off the market, adhere to a strict schedule, be assigned several companions that he will need to learn to get along with, and much more.

What Jay sacrifices will dim in comparison to what he will gain. Our society is desperate for men who are self sacrificing, committed, spiritual, compassionate, willing to serve others, self confident, brave, and kind. We need men who know who they are, where they came from, and where they are going. Secular education will come later. But, and education like this cannot be learned within the walls of a classroom. We are all blessed that Jay has committed to become a man like this.

We are blessed.

Where did 30 years go?

Tue, 9 Sep 2008 09:24:52 -0400

How we met:
I was going to beauty school during the day and working as a hostess in a coffee shop in the evenings, in Phoenix Arizona. Doug was working in a furniture factory during the day and going to automotive school in the evenings. After automotive classes, all the guys would come over to the coffee shop and wind down for the day. I thought Doug’s roommate was pretty cute, so I kept coming over to top off their drinks. After some chat with the group, Doug mentioned that he needed a haircut. Well, it was 1978! Everyone needed a haircut. So, we made an appointment for him to come over to the beauty school later in the week while I was practicing for my boards and I would give him a hair cut.
The Fireside:
The next day was Sunday and I was 18 and decided that I would go to my first young adult fireside. I was with a group of girls and I was pretty excited to see so many return missionaries there. As I was leaving I noticed this guy in a cream color ‘fisherman knit’ sweater, with some pretty long hair. I remember saying ‘hi’ when I walked by, but I couldn’t remember where I had seen that face. It somehow seemed a little out of place at a church meeting. Later, I learned that the fireside was the first church meeting that Doug had attended, without being coerced, in years.
The Haircut:
I was surprised when Doug showed up for his haircut 2 hours early! I deliberately made him wait until his appointed time. Ha! From the time he sat down we began to chat. As I started cutting that stick straight hair, I started seeing this pretty cute guy underneath! Our topic turned to Doug’s grandmother, who was a hairdresser for many hears in Heber City, Utah. As we started talking about Utah and blah, blah, blah... my thoughts went back to Sunday. “Hey, are you the guy I saw at the fireside?” The sheepish reply was, “Yeah”. Hmmm, Doug was a little embarrassed because the same guy at the fireside was the same guy I was pouring coffee for at the coffee shop. Oh, and the reason he was so early for his appointment? When he asked his boss for some time off for a haircut, the boss said no. Doug wasn’t about to miss this appointment... so, he quit his job!
The Blessing:
We later learned that Doug’s family fasted and prayed for him that he would find his way back to church. It was that day that his home teachers came by and invited him to that fireside.

We were married 5 months later on September 9, 1978. We were sealed for time and all eternity on September 10, 1979. The road has been rough at times. But, I would not want to miss this time in our lives for anything! When we were young, we though, let’s have all of our children before we reach the age of 30... and we did. Here we are teetering on the brink of the empty nest and moving into another season of our lives.

Now, it’s 30 years later... and we are forever in blue jeans... just as planned.
I love my best friend. Happy 30th Anniversary!

Our Song:
Forever in Blue Jean’s by Neil Diamond
Money talks
But it don’t sing and dance
And it don’t walk
As long as I can have you here with me
Id much rather be
Forever in blue jeans

Honey is sweet
But it ain’t nothing next to baby’s treat
And if you’ll pardon me
Id like to say
Well do okay
Forever in blue jeans

Maybe tonight
Maybe tonight by the fire
All alone you and i
Nothing around but the sound
Of my heart and your sighs

Money talks
But it don’t sing and dance
And it can’t walk
As long as I can have you here with me
Id much rather be
Forever in blue jeans

And honey is sweet
But it ain’t nothing next to baby’s treat
And if you’ll pardon me
Id like to say
Well do okay
Forever in blue jeans

Maybe tonight
Maybe tonight by the fire
All alone you and i
Nothing around but the sound
Of my heart and your sighs

Ian’s On the Road to His New Life!!

Fri, 5 Sep 2008 18:06:47 -0400

Well, he’s all packed up and ready to roll. There is a good mix of Ian and Kayla items packed in that little Escort... and some community property items in the form of wedding gifts.

There’s no way I was going to let Ian drive across the country in a 1999 Escort with almost 200,000 miles on it. So, Doug is going with him. Jay and I will be home alone for a week.

The next time I see Ian will be the day before he gets married.

Bye Ian. I love you.

A Very Busy Month at Work

Sun, 31 Aug 2008 19:45:50 -0400

In October 2007, I received a phone call from the president of the Myasthenia Gravis Association of Western PA. I had been in the top two of their executive search that began late 2006. They selected the other candidate in February 2007. By October, he had given his notice because he had to leave the state. Rather than do a search again, they asked if I was still interested in the position. Uhhh... yeah.... I started on October 15, 2007.

The organization was in transition from the time I started. Not only was their 5 year contract with their hospital partner expiring in December 2007, that hospital that they had partnered with for 50 years was being purchased by the biggest hospital group in the region.

The big hospital demonstrated some interest in MGA. However, they have a successful way of doing business... and paying a small nonprofit organization to manage a group of patients did not seem to be a priority. By August we still did not have a solid contract. They finally did offer a contract, but the term was pretty short and it was business as usual.

Before he left, the executive director that I replaced had opened up discussions with a different hospital. He had asked them for a large sum for support. They were unable to accommodate the request at the time.

When discussions got a little difficult with the big hospital, I went to the smaller group. Allegheny General Hospital. After some negotiations, the board made an unprecedented decision to accept the offer from AGH. A longer contract and larger grant is a more stable future for the patients. Additional funding will allow us to do better community outreach and increase our ability to serve more patients.

Summing up this process in the space of the blog does not do justice to the spiritual guidance and blessings that I have personally received during this process. I pray that the impact that this monumental move will have for patients with Myasthenia Gravis will be a great blessing in their lives.

I am an instrument...

Redecorating the Bathroom

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 19:58:26 -0400

When I lived in Alaska, my friend Cheryl and I dubbed ourselves, The Two Stooges Wallpaper and Painting. Although we were a little stoog-y, our work was creative and fab!!

We have cable now and I’ve been watching those do it yourself shows. Without my other stooge, I took a chance. I woke up one Saturday morning and told Doug that I wanted to strip all of peeling wallpaper off of the down stairs bathroom and paint. Doug cautioned me that although it sounded fun... NOT... I had no idea what was under that wall paper. I wish I would have taken a before pix... but you’ll have to just imagine a bathroom wallpapered from ceiling to baseboards with nondescript layered paper.

As I started stripping, I realized that Doug was right. My house was built in the 1950’s before they invented sheet rock. As the wall paper came down, so did much of the plaster:o(

My one day project turned into a week long overhaul. Jay put on his coveralls and plastered the oopsies... twice. Then, Ian sanded and smoothed the dry plaster. Looking better, but there was still a problem. Big smooth patches and remaining textured plaster. I went to the www.doityourself.com site and found the if I thinned out the plaster and rolled it on the walls with a sponge roller. Nice texture.

Finally, time to decorate. Now I’m the lone Stooge, decorating, painting and flooring... with some help from my friends.

Oh, and Doug did help install the faucet and other brass look accessories. Here’s the pix!

Get a job... du, du, du, du...

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 22:23:37 -0400

I haven’t had much to report on since my last post. But, I got to thinking. Both Ian and Jay started new jobs today. And, Neal called to tell me about his new adventure, too. Makensy started a new job the first of July. And, Kaycee is my steady... she has been at Costco for what she believes to be fffoooorrr eevvverrrr...

I found some photos depicting their adventures in earning a living!

Happy 19th Birthday, Jay!!

Mon, 7 Jul 2008 19:10:25 -0400

It’s amazing that Jay has grown up so quickly. He is handsome and charming. Soft spoken and bright. Keep an eye on him as he grows into the man that he is meant to be!

Right now, Jay is job hunting. He is in the process of preparing his papers for his mission. He has a calming countenance in our home. I know I will miss him. I am certainly blessed.