Christmas Eve at the Bryners, pt. 1, The Nativity

On Christmas Eve at the Bryners, we put on a nativity pageant in the living room. Alyssa prepared the script with narration from the scriptures and Christmas Hymns. Anna narrated and played the angel and the other kids played various parts in the pageant--Paul as Joseph, Alyssa as Mary, Austin as a Shepherd, Mark, Garrett and Pierce as wisemen, with James pushing the wheelchaired wiseman. The kids organized the costumes and the acting and everything. They did a great job.

Christmas Eve at the Bryners, pt. 2, The Recital

Following the Nativity, the kids put on a Christmas Eve recital for us. The four biggest kids all played Christmas music on the piano, and Garrett and Pierce performed "Once there was a Snowman." Excellent Performances. Good job, everyone.

Christmas Eve at the Bryners, pt. 3 The Pinata

An annual Christmas tradition at the Doig family is to break a pinata on Christmas Eve. Normally, Sheron, Rob's mother, makes the pinata, but this year, since we were travelling, I decided to make one for us to break at Bryners, and since we were limited on space while travelling, I made it after arriving there Saturday evening. My sister-in-law Haylee was also interested in making a pinata and so we made two of them together. Our pinata was surprisingly strong. This was largely due to the third layer of paper mache which was made of strong polyester fabric. Joe and Haylee and their family left on Tuesday so I didn't get to see their pinata finished. However, once mine was done, Alyssa and Anna decorated it in a Christmas theme.

We went to the Bryner grandparents' house for Christmas Eve dinner, and we decided to break the pinata at their house. Christian's mother, Cristy was rather nervous, I think, about us swinging bats around in her basement by the plasma TV, etc. but I am happy to report that no one was hurt and there was no damage done. Some of the Bryners thought maybe a wiffle bat would be the appropriate tool to break open the pinata. They soon learned, however, that not only did we need to use a real baseball bat, but that in order to make a dent, it was necessary to swing hard! After about 45 minutes and lots of turns for everyone, Alyssa gave it the death blow, and there was a wild grab for the loot.

Christmas Eve at the Bryners, pt. 4, The Pajamas

The pinata did include candy for the kids, but also inside was a pair of pajamas for each of the Doig and Bryner family members. For several years, Rob's mother Sheron has been making us matching pajamas for Christmas which have been inside the pinata. This year, she gave me her extra fabric and I made PJ bottoms for Liz's family. The shirts were in a variety of colours, but I think everyone liked the idea of wearing matching PJs to bed on Christmas Eve. I'm pretty sure that when we left Bryners mid afternoon on the 26th that Paul was still wearing his PJs. James was wearing his too, but he had taken them off to wear other clothes on Christmas day.

Visitng with the Joe Prete family and the Bryner family in Price, Utah

Is Garrett doing this puzzle, or just spreading the pieces around?

Olivia's first birthday cake

Liz playing a game with Garrett and Pierce. Luckily for Liz, Preston was just observing.

Sara Prete

Olivia Prete, first birthday

We spent a week in Price, Utah from December 20th-26th. Travel was difficult with bad roads in both directions (worse on the way back). However, thanks to Rob's driving, and the Lord's tender mercies, we arrived at Bryners and back home again without incident.

For the first three days of our stay, my brother Joe, his wife Haylee and their four girls were also there. We had a great time together. We celebrated Olivia's first birthday (seen above) and the adults played games including an LDS version of Taboo, called Not a Word, or something. I even enjoyed Joe's silliness..and attempted cheating. Alyssa, Anna and their employees put on another session of Happy Land for Babies, and in addition to extensive propaganda creation, administration, staff meetings and luncheons, elections of positions and employee awards, etc. they also actually did Happy Land with the little ones at least three mornings. I was especially excited to see the change in Preston over the course of Happy Land. One the first day, he told me, "I don't like to play Happy Land." By the second day, however, he participated in all the games and even the crafts. His favorite game was something called "here, fishy, fishy" which is apparently some variation of red light green light.

We played other games over the course of the week, including lots of Scattergories and a little Boggle. There was also some shopping, present wrapping, lots of cooking, eating, dishes and even a little laundry. No one got enough sleep and a few people got sick, but I don't know what else we could expect when 20 people are staying in one house preparing for the holidays.

Deep Freeze

Yesterday evening a storm came in and put an abrupt end to our mild, fall-like weather bringing in winter with a vengeance. All together we got about 6 inches of snow, winds from 40-80 km/hr and a temperature drop from about +5 C (41 F) to -25 C (-13 F)which, with the windchill feels like -38 C (-36 F) right now. Sounds like a good day to hunker down and read a book, or if you're like me and planning a trip to Utah for Christmas in 7 days, it is a good chance to get some things done in preparation for said trip. I have been waiting for below freezing temperatures to start building an ice rink in the backyard. Today, however, it is just too dang cold to go out, Maybe I'll start Monday. By then, at least the wind is supposed to have died down! Here's hoping my reader(s) are enjoying better winter weather. If you can outdo me, let me know!

11 down, 4 to go!

Last night, Rob wrote his final paper for the 11th course in his MBA program with the University of Phoenix Online. He wrote most of the paper after his staff party--which was fun, by the way--and before midnight. Luckily, it was a shorter paper this time. Today Rob started his 12th course. He can change his mind at any time, but his current plan is to take courses straight through until he finishes. Each course lasts 6 weeks, and with a 2 week university break for Christmas, his projected completion date in June 4th! It will be a big relief to be finished and possibly a bigger relief when the degree is all paid for. At $2000 USD/course, it is an expensive venture!

Full of Hot Air?

I have been following the crisis in Canadian politics so closely and with such concern that it has given me headaches, kept me from sleeping and made me grumpy. At last tonight, I got some comic relief. Today at 7 p.m. EST Prime Minister Harper addressed the nation and Stephane Dion was to follow. However, After PM Harper's remarks, the networks anchors were forced to fill time and wait because the Stephane Dion video was not in on time. When the video did finally make its way to the media--to0 late for national coverage--it was a low budget, high school production. Notice the book on the shelf in the top right hand corner. It's a little fuzzy in this image, but was quite clear in the actual video. Talk about subliminal messages!

The following description from a blogger was quoted on CTV.ca. "Stephane Dion was late for the show, looked kind of red faced, and seemed to be getting a couple of bucks for the bankrupt Liberal Party for the product placement of a book entitled, and I kid you not, "Hot Air," wrote the Alberta Ardvark blog Wednesday.

Rob and I had a good laugh!

A dark day in Canadian Politics

The term "Axis of Evil" first referred to the alliance of the Fascist powers in World War II, solidified with the signing of the Tripartite Pact (depicted above), and consisted of Germany, Italy and Japan. In 2002, George W. Bush, made reference to another "Axis of Evil" which by his definition was comprised of Iraq, Iran and North Korea. Now the term "Axis of Evil" has a Canadian application. A tripartite pact was signed today between Liberal Leader Stephane Dion, NDP Leader Jack Layton and Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe in which the three agreed to a coalition government in which Stephane Dion would be Prime Minister, the NDP would have 6 cabinet ministers and the Bloc would not be part of the cabinet, but would support the government. Their plan is to defeat the Conservatives on the vote on the Fall Fiscal Update to be held next week, then ask the Governor General to let them form a government.

This shocking development is an affront to democracy, and a dark omen for Canada's future. Not only that, but Stephane Dion, possibly the most deluded of political leaders (even more than William Lyon Mackenzie King who took his advice from his dead mother) will make us the laughing stock of the Western World. It is no surprise that amid the signing of this pact, the TSX had its largest single day percentage drop in history. And no doubt, the best is yet to come. I can only imagine the outcry we are about to see in Western Canada!

Heaven help us if Canada is left in the hands of Socialists and Separatists in a time of economic crisis!

The mystery of the unlightable Christmas lights!

The image you see above may appear to be a home modestly decorated with a few Christmas lights. What it really is, is a mystery solved. This year I bought LED lights for the house. They are rather pricey, as you may know and these few you see displayed above cost about $115. You can imagine my disappointment, then, when after two trips to Lethbridge to finally get the right number and kind of lights, and 2-3 hours on a ladder and on top of my roof (risking my life), hanging them, I couldn't get the dumb things to light up! Well, actually, they did light up for a moment, and then tripped the safety switch on the outlet and turned off. Rob assured me that I had too much hooked up together and that I should string them differently so that I didn't draw so much power. Too many LED lights, how could that be possible? I thought they were supposed to be efficient! That night, I woke up in the night and couldn't get back to sleep, so I did an internet search and found out that you should be able to string 1/2 a mile of LED lights together and put them in one outlet. The next day, I changed the extension cord, and voila they worked...for a few days. Then, the breaker started cutting them off again, and for the last several days they haven't worked again. Today, I decided, I could endure the mystery no longer. I got out the ladder and various extension cords, and tried all the strands individually. No problem until I came to the very first strand. When I got to the end of it, I discovered my problem. The receptacle end was hanging down into the eavestrough which was full of water! Now all the lights are working, and, in celebration, I'm even leaving them on overnight!

Reflections on November 23rd

Seven years ago today, our family was in a terrible car accident, the one that left Mark with a severe traumatic brain injury. Today, the weather is mild, the sky clear and Mark is stable. Yesterday he even sat through watching a Volleyball game at the school without even thinking about crying. Those of you who know him know how much of an improvement that is.
Today in primary, we had a very touching sharing time about how we are all children of God and how we can be kind to everyone. Part of the discussions was about people with disabilities. I was asked to tell the children a bit about Mark. I felt the strongly as I told them that Mark is a Child of God, that Heavenly Father loves him as much as the other children and that one day, when he is resurrected, Mark will have a perfect mind and body without limitations. Later in Sharing Time we sang, "I'll Walk With You." As the chorister I led the music, but I couldn't hardly sing. The topic touched too deeply. In case you don't know the words, they go something like this....

"If you don't walk as most people do, some people walk away from you, but I won't, I won't.
"If you don't talk as most people do, some people talk and laugh at you, but I won't, I wont. I'll walk with you, I'll talk with you, that's how I'll show my love for you.
"Jesus walked away from none, he gave his love to everyone one and I will, I will.
"Jesus blessed all He could see, then turned and said come follow me, and I will, I will. I will, I will.
"I'll walk with you, I'll talk with you. That's how I'll show my love for you.

It is a priviledge to walk and talk with one like Mark, who is so pure and innocent. I love you, Marky.

A RASH of bad luck

Perhaps I seem negative in my blog lately with posts about unpleasant days in Calgary, Mark's medical worries and jury selection. I hope I'm not perpetually someone who sees the glass as half empty. I hope you will humour me, and trust then, that I am not a whiner or a hypochondriac, and that you will feel genuine pity for me, rather than resent my negativity when I report to you my most recent woe....
HIVES.
Beginning Monday morning, first on my left leg thigh, then my left arm and in my hair. Then on my other leg and other arm and then on my calves and torsoe. Now also covering my back in my neck and on my face. On my hands, including the palms and on my feet including the bottoms. And boy do they itch! If you've never had hives, and I had never had the privilege before this, they are raised red welts of various sizes from the size (and approximate itchiness) of a mosquito bite to large patches covering most of my back. They can appear and disappear and move around wherever they dang well please. For me they have been especially swollen and itchy first thing in the morning, but are pretty bad all day long.
I've been to the Dr. who perscribed two perscription anti-histamines which, in my opinion, don't even seem to touch it. It has been four days now and each day they are worse than the day before. I look quite disfigured at the moment. (Good thing I didn't invest in that webcam.) Apparently hives are an allergic reaction. The question is, to WHAT? I tried to assure the doctor that I don't have allergies and he told me that we can become allergic to anything at any time in our lives. I'm not sure if its the hives or the medication, but I've had chills off and on (though I don't think I'm feverish) was faint/dizzy and nauseous yesterday and have been having naps almost involuntarily everyday.
I have heard that some people suffer from chronic hives and there are those who have had them for 20+ years. How I pity those poor souls!...and pray that I get over this in the next 20 hours, not 20 years!

A peek into the criminal justice system.

A few weeks ago, I received a jury summons. Today was the day I had to attend court. I arrived by 9:00am gave them my name, etc. There were about 130 people there packed into wooden benches a fair bit tighter than most sacrament meetings. After a while they did roll call to confirm the absence of a few prospective jurors. They gave those names to the Sheriff who was to go and arrest those people. I was glad I went! Anyway, we waited for about 2 hours until the judge, lawyers and the accused came in. (Apparently efficiency is just as important to the justice system as the medical system). The accused was arraigned...and pleaded not guilty of two counts of conspiracy to commit murder and two counts of assault. Then jury selection started. The names of 10 prospective jurors were called at a time...drawn randomly from a bingo-style machine. Each of the ten had to stand before the lawyers who were either "content" with the choice or "challenged" it. Unlike on runaway jury, there was no interview with the juror...just kind of a yes/no decision by the lawyers who knew nothing about the juror except what the person looked like and his/her occupation. After the first ten people had been called, and five of them selected, another group of ten came forward. A few people were excused for being friends with the accused, a lawyer, a witness, etc. One woman was excused because she was scheduled for surgery. Before the last of the third group of ten had stepped forward, a jury, including two alternates was in place. My name was never called and I, along with 116 others were free to go. Before the selection, after we had been waiting in the stuffy room for over 2 hours, they brought in the accused a 50ish clean cut white male. I found it interesting that they immediately brought him a glass of water. Someone next to me commented about how this was one more example of how the criminals are treated better than the citizenry in Canada. Nevertheless, I am grateful to live in a country with respect for rule of law and where anyone accused of a crime has the right to be judged by a jury of peers. I am also grateful to have had the opportunity to fulfill an important responsibility as a citizen of a democratic country. I am equally happy that the lot did not fall to me this time...

Which is worse, the disease or the cure?

....Or maybe there is no cure, and that's where the problem is. On Wednesday I took Mark on a three hour trip to the neurology clinic at the Alberta Children's Hospital.Since our car accident in 2001, Mark has been profoundly disabled and has had a history of seizures. For the last 5 years, his seizures have been very well controlled through the Ketogenic diet. He has been seizure-free, in fact, for the last year, as well as for other long stretches on the diet. Prior to starting the diet, he had 30-100 seizures/day even with multiple medications.
Anyway, until I went to this appointment on Wednesday, things were going pretty well for Mark. The medical people feel that it is now time for Mark to come off the ketogenic diet, as long-term it causes various side effects including low bone density. So the plan is to wean the diet, beginning after Christmas, and if (or when) he starts having seizures again, to try a variety of medications he hasn't tried yet. In the meantime, to assess where he is at, there are multiple tests and referrals.
For example, they requested blood/urine tests. I took Mark yesterday morning to the lab fasting, as required for these tests. They wanted 7 vials of blood from my poor little boy and after being there for over 1 1/2 hrs (and we hardly waited in line) and after going through 2 veins, and looking at length for others, they only got 3 or 4 vials, and we have to go back again. This whole time Mark was screaming and Preston wasn't too happy either.
Next we will have a bone density scan, an EEG, a referral to Cardiology in Calgary and most likely Endocrinology. Then the diet will end and the seizure battle will most likely begin.
I wonder if I should have spent Wednesday at the mall.

Say a little prayer for Mark--he could use it.

Have you ever had one of THOSE days?

My Wednesday trip to Calgary for Mark's neurology appointment was a bit of a comedy of errors which all began because I forgot to take his prunes. ***Background: Mark is on a special low carb diet which he gets via tube feed. The only carbs he gets are in the form of 10 mls of prunes with each feed. These prunes are very important because they keep him from getting excessively ketotic on the diet (which could lead to ketosis, diabetic coma, etc.) *** Anyway, I discovered that I had left the prunes at home (sitting on the counter, ready to go) when I was at the appt. at 11:00 feeding Mark. After the appt. I decided to forgo eating in the hospital cafeteria and go directly to Shopper's Home Health where I had an appt. to look at wheelchair vans. For you Canadians, who know Shoppers, usually the home health centre is connected to a Shopper's Drug Mart, which would be an ideal place to get baby food prunes. Having never been there, I followed the directions and hoped for the best. However, no Drug store, just the medical supply store. So I looked at the vans, etc then got back on the highway. I exited at a giant outdoor mall area and started looking for a place to get prunes. All I could find was Superstore, a massive grocery store. I carried Mark in, because his wheelchair was dismantled for travel in the back to the car. I bought the prunes, fed Mark again and then realized it was almost 3:00 and I hadn't eaten. Exhausted, hungry and worried about getting home--I had thought I'd be back about 4:30--I decided to try and find a fast food restaurant. There were a few in a little strip mall, and left Mark in the car while I went in and picked up my takeout. There was no line, I could see the car from the store, and I was inside for about 5 minutes. Anyway, some concerned younger ladies pulled up into the stall next to the car and waited there until I came out, then lectured me about how I shouldn't leave my child alone in the car.
I was so flustered from that experience, that I accidentally got in an exit lane and ended up in the bow valley river bottom before getting back on the highway.
When I got home at 6:00 after listening to Robert Munsch stories all the way, I had a pounding headache and a wishing I had never gotten out of bed that day.

Commander Preston no longer in Command-0

I admit, I am no genius when it comes to potty training my kids. Perhaps my underlying weakness is that I hate to fight. Anyway, Preston doesn't seem to mind fighting and had successfully insisted that he didn't want to use the potty until about the end of September, at which time he was 3 1/2. By that point, I had been praying to find a way to help him past that mindset. An idea came to mind to bring down a little floor desk and set it by his potty. Then, I told him I would give him a surprise if he sat on the potty. From the first time he was intrigued. Where promises of freezies and candy, etc. had failed, a surprise activity to do with mom while sitting on the potty worked. For at least 2 weeks I played matching games, did puzzles, played yahtzee jr., the hungry hippo, did card games, and played with playdoh while Preston did his business on the potty. After a couple of weeks he started sitting on it himself. I was kind when he had accidents, but washed him off in increasingly cold water, and left him shivering while I went to find clean clothes in the laundry room or srubbed up his mess. When one day, he finally pooped in the potty, he realized it was much more pleasant than being hauled off the bathtub to get wiped up, rinsed in cold water, then bathed. He only pooped one more time in his pants, and since then always on the potty.

I let the supply of pullups run out but he absolutely refused to wear underwear--even though we had Diego, Thomas the Train, Transformer and Bob The Builder underwear. So for about a month he was going around commando--just pants up against a bare butt! Two days ago, Rob found a bribe that worked. A Kindersurprise egg, which Rob bought, showed Preston and let him have after he put on underwear! Preston came out doing the hahaha-nanananana-i-got-a-chocolate-egg dance. Anyway, he has been wearing underwear--and I'm pleased to say, we have even changed them--for two days! Now, they may be on upside down, inside out and backwards, but he is still wearing them and that's a breakthrough!

The last frontier...Preston still refuses to try "the big potty" and will only do his business in the training potty which we have to take with us everywhere we go. Wish me luck overcoming that one!

Congratulations, Alyssa!

Today Alyssa presented a speech for the Magrath Lion's Club Remembrance Day speech competition and won! She spoke clearly and with great poise, intonation and conviction. It was delivered completely from memory. She has been asked to deliver her speech at the town Remembrance Day Ceremony next Tuesday. Good work, Alyssa! Here is the text of her speech in case you are interested:

"Would I be Willing?
In the Canadian 2008 election only 59.1 percent of Canadians came out to vote. What is wrong with us? Do we not care that people sacrificed on giant scale, and we can’t take 5 minutes out of our day to vote!! Canadians we need to fix this!

During World War I and World War II, Canadians sacrificed on many levels. For example, during World War II, everyday Canadians had to ration items such as sugar, tea, coffee, meat, and butter. They also planted victory gardens to supply food for the country and to support the war. They bought war bonds. Many people, including women, went to work in wartime industries. In World War I, 600,000 Canadians served in the Armed Forces and 60,000 of them never returned home. In World War II, over one million Canadians served in the armed forces and 43,988 of them were killed. Many others served in the Red Cross, the Merchant Marine and many other supporting services. Most of these people volunteered to serve their country and some even lied about their age or minor disabilities to be allowed to serve. For each individual serving overseas, there was a family that was separated—parents, spouses, siblings and children--who waited and worried. However, despite all these hardships and even when newspapers reported heavy casualties, Canadians were behind the war effort 100%. When looking back on the events of 1914-1918 and 1939-1945, I can only marvel at the unity, determination, self-sacrifice, love of democracy and of country that characterized Canadians of those times.

In contrast, our times have been times of prosperity. In fact, not only have I never had war affect me personally, neither have my parents or grandparents. We have been lucky enough for many years to have great opportunities to pursue our own interests and to increase in prosperity. Perhaps it is unavoidable that this prosperity would make us soft. We are beginning to forget our civic responsibilities. In the 2008 Canadian federal election, for example, only 59.1 percent of Canadians went out to vote. Some try to get out of jury duty and many find it hard to imagine military service. Our World War II veterans are in their 80s and the veterans of the First World War are gone. There is little to remind us of former days of sacrifice for the nation.


Recent economic turmoil, however, is leaving a lot of people wondering if more difficult times are ahead of us than younger people have ever experienced. In addition to world financial troubles, numerous conflicts are brewing around the world and could at any time involve Canadians in a large-scale basis. My generation’s challenges might be military, financial, environmental or social. Regardless of the nature of the trouble, my country may need me to sacrifice and contribute just as it needed my great-grandparents’ contribution. William Shakespeare said, “Be not afraid of greatness; some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have` greatness thrust upon them.” Perhaps it will only be in difficult times that my generation will be able to find out if it is capable of greatness. I truly hope that I will be ready and willing to do what it takes to serve my country in the twenty-first century. "

Today While the Sun Shines

I remember the year my brother Joe was married in early March in St. George. I stayed at Liz's house in Las Vegas. I remember as Liz and I were driving to LV from Salt Lake we stopped for gas at Mesquite. There, at the gas station, was a little patch of green grass. I asked if we could sit on the grass for a few moments in the warm sun. I smelled it and soaked the feeling it. It had been cold winter in Rocky Mountian House, Canada, and had been about 5 months since I had sat on green grass and felt a warm sun in my face.

With that memory in mind, I have learned to be grateful for warm days late in the fall or early in the spring. This fall we have had unseasonably warm weather here in Magrath especially the week of Halloween and the first couple of days in November. On November 1st, our family enjoyed the 20 Celsius sunny day, playing together in our backyard on the trampoline and in the sand box. Here are our pictures:

Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry

Read this book it is really good if you like Amercian history we read it at school it is about the Logan family in the year 1933 and they are trying to keep there land they are also black people so the people in the missipi comunity are not nice they do alot of cool stuff to try to gain rights. It is a fairly sad book but most people are able to handle it The ending is sad but it is well written. I loved this book and I am sure you will to.
This book is written by Mildred Taylor They should have it at your library.

Alyssa's Blog

EVERYONE WHO KNOW'S ALYSSA PLEASE CHECK OUT HER BLOG PLEASE @ annaalyssarylee.blogspot.com

A Hallo-va-ween

We had a great Halloween today! It was the warmest in recent memory--it was +17 degrees Celsius at 8 pm. Considering 2 years ago we trick-or-treated in -17, I am feeling pretty grateful. It was a busy day for me. I am the room mother in Austin's class and had to organize the treats (including bringing two of them), and plan and lead out the games for the class Halloween party. We also did a pumpkin for the Pumpkin decorating contest and attended the Elementary School costume parade. Tonight I took the kids trick or treating while Rob handed out the treats.

10 down 5 to go!

Rob is working on his MBA--Masters in Business Administration--at the University of Phoenix online. His program consists of 15 3 credit classes, each of which is completed in a six week period. Last night at 11:28 p.m. he finished the requirements of his 10th course, a final 3000 word paper with 6 obnoxious tables to complete. Now he has only 5 more to go! I was up typing for Rob last night and this morning, the fog in my brain is unusually thick. I even went back to bed after the kids went to school. I don't know how many of you (are there any of you out there?) are tracking the exchange rate between the Canadian and American dollars, but the Canadian Dollar has dropped off dramatically with the drop in oil prices. Anyway I mention this because Rob's university courses just got way more expensive. Last year this time we paid $1800 CAD for a course, the one he begins today cost us over $2500 CAD. Boo Hoo. My brother-in-law thinks Canadians will save more due to lower gasoline prices and lower cost of consumer goods with low oil prices than we pay with a poor exchange rate. I vehemently disagree!

What love language do you speak?

I recently read one of the books about the Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman. He claims that there are 5 primary ways we can show and receive love, and that each of us needs one of these expressions of love more than the others. The five love languages are 1. Words of Affirmation, 2. Quality time, 3. Acts of Service, 4. Gifts, and 5. Physical Touch. In which of these languages do you feel most inclined to show love to others? Is that the language you like to receive love in? Is your love tank full, or do you need more of expressions of love in your love language? Is anyone out there like me, feeling multilingual in love languages?

The Wonderful World of iPods

Recently three of our family members got iPods, the first three ipods ever owned in our family. Alyssa got an iPod Shuffle for her birthday, Rob got an iPod Touch as a bonus gift when he got his new work computer and I got an iPod Nano as an anniversary gift from Rob. I have to say I am just thrilled with my new iPod and it has applications I hadn't anticipated. For example, today is laundry day, and since it has been a week since I last did laundry, there is a lot of folding to do. So, I put General Conference talks on my iPod and have been listening while folding. I also figured out today how to put the audio scriptures on. Earlier in the day, I put on upbeat music while I ran on my treadmill. Saturday night, I played the Primary Children's music for the Sacrament Meeting Presentation. I am the chorister and our presentation is this coming Sunday. As I listened, I had the sheet music out and conducted the music and practiced standing up and sitting down the "kids." Rob's iPod is very cool as it is connected to our home wireless internet. It also has a touch screen, and lots of games on it. What interesting ways do you use your iPod. Give me suggestions as I am interested in making the most of this new toy.

Pop Psychology

I recently read The Color Code and The Character Code By Taylor Hartman. In these books, Hartman defines four personality colors (types)and claims that we were each born with one of the four personality colors, though in the process of character development, we may evolve strengths and weaknesses outside our own personality type. The most charactered people have the strengths of their own personality type and have developed strengths from other personalities to overcome their weaknesses in their own personality. The colors are as follows:

Red
Motive: power
Needs: to look good, academically, to be right, to be respected, to be approved of, to hide insecurities, to please self, to have leadership opportunities, and to have challenging adventure.
Positive Attributes: decisive, assertive, action-oriented, task-dominant, determined, responsible, independent, logical, pragmatic, disciplined, confident, powerful, leader, productive, and proactive.
Negative Attributes: selfish, insensitive, arrogant, critical of others, always right, impatient, calculating, intimidating, bossy, demanding, argumentative, aggressive, tactless, obsessive.

Blue
Motive: Intimacy
Needs: To be good (morally), to be understood, to be appreciated, to be accepted, to reveal insecurities, to please others, to be autonomous, and to have security.
Positive attributes: intimated, compassionate, sincere, loyal, thoughtful, quality-oriented, well-mannered, analytical, committed, dedicated, emotional, dependable, respectful, deliberate and nurturing.
Negative attributes: worry prone, overly sensitive, self-righteous, self-critical, unforgiving, judgmental, suspicious, unrealistic expectations, perfectionist, low self-esteem, hard-to-please, moody, guilt prone, and jealous.

White
Motive: Peace
Needs: To feel good (inside), to be understood, to be respected, to be accepted, to reveal insecurities, to please self and others, to be independent, to be content.
Positive attributes: peaceful, tolerant, kind, satisfied, even-tempered, agreeable, patient, pleasant, accepting, easy going, good listener, inventive, considerate, diplomatic, adaptable.
Negative attributes: timid, directionless, indecisive, unmotivated, silently stubborn, lazy, lackluster, indirect communicator, avoids conflict, self-deprecating, indifferent, ambivalent, uninvolved, and unenthusiastic.

Yellow
Motive: To have fun
Needs: to look good socially, to be popular, to be praised, to be approved of, to hide insecurities, to be noticed, to have freedom, and to experience playful adventure.
Positive attributes: fun-loving, playful, carefree, enthusiastic, optimistic, trusting, hopeful, happy, charismatic, sociable, forgiving, spontaneous, outgoing, lively and positive.
Negative Attributes: uncommitted, self-centred, disorganized, flighty, undisciplined, vain, afraid to face facts, inconsistent, unfocused, an interrupter, disruptive, impulsive, obnoxious, and naive.

So look at the various motives, needs and attributes. Consider which package comes most naturally to you. That is your personality color. Then, to determine how charactered you are, assess how you are doing at developing strengths outside your personality color and overcoming the weaknesses of your color. If you have weaknesses outside your color, work hard on overcoming those especially. They are really slowing you down. Please comment on this post. I am interested to know what color my friends and family are.

Thoughts on the Canadian Federal Election

Yesterday Canadians voted in a federal election. Of the house of Commons' 308 seats, the breakdown was as follows; Conservatives 143, Liberals 76, NDP 37, Bloc Quebecois 50 and New Democrats 37. Early in the election it looked like the Conservatives had a chance at a majority government. However, as the compaign progressed, Conservative support fell apart in Quebec and although the Conservatives picked up quite a few seats in Ontario and added 16 altogether nationwide, the majority proved unattainable. This is disappointing to Conservative supporters, but I think there is a lot to take hope in for those who support the small "c" conservative movement in Canada.

First, consider Quebec. The Conservatives held on to their 10 seats neither gaining or losing seats. The significance here, in my mind, is that votes in Quebec were not decided on Canadian Unity issues. Remember, the Conservative Party's predecessors the Reform and Alliance Parties were anathema to French Quebec. In this election no one was saying, a vote for the Conservatives is a vote to break up the country. Since the last election, the Conservatives have recognized Quebec as a nation within a united Canada and have limited the role of the federal government, and largely resolved the issue of transfer payments to the provinces. The Conservatives problems in Queber related to youth criminal justice and Harper being characterized as cutting funding to arts. I think between now and the next election, the Conservatives will be able to learn from this. I think they primarily need better advice about Quebec and more on the ground campaign support. What I think they also need is a strong French Canadian Conservative spokesperson campaigning alongside Harper. Anyway, my point is that no one can say that support for Conservatives is unattainable in Quebec.

The reason this is so important, is because Ontario is protective of Quebec and tends to vote for parties that have strong credentials as a national party capable of adequately governing in Quebec's interests. Any rhetoric that Liberals have used in the past arguing that the Conservatives would break the country apart is now completely discredited. Now Ontarians are free to vote according to their own preferences. Now Ontarians who are small c conservative are free to vote Conservative.

This election will have difficult repercussions for the Liberal Party. That party is deeply in debt and has a leader who will likely be the last one to see that he needs to step aside for new leadership. The party is very divided in terms of policy and though Bob Rae and Michael Ignatieff both have strengths that might win them the leadership, it seems the opposition to each of these men within the party is as strong as each of their support. In time, the Liberal party may remake itself and be strengthened, but for now, it is facing at least a couple of years of intense struggle and many years of debt.

Meanwhile, the Conservative party is well-funded and the conservative movement in Canada is growing. There are now conservative think tanks, the senate will gradually become more Conservative and gradually there will be more balance in the civil service. Also, if Canadians live with the benefits of Conservative government and conservative principles, gradually more Canadians will see the benefits of this way of thinking. The Conservatives are plank by plank building a strong conservative movement. In turn the Conservative Party is moving toward the Centre in the Canadian political spectrum where its support can be more broad than within the Reform Party. I hope that in this process of maturation, there will be more leaders emerge who can be trusted to speak to the media without expressing views that represent more than just the right wing branch of the party. I thoroughly support Stephen Harper's leadership, but I think it is now time to build the team up to a greater degree.

So there are my thoughts on the election results. I hope there will be a greater spirit of cooperation in this parliament. Canadians would like to keep their government for about 3 years this time. And, Canadians need to get used to minority governments. I believe they are the way this country will be for a long time.

Good Autumn Times

It's autumn time at the Doigs! This weekend was Thanksgiving and our 12th anniversary. For our anniversary, Rob and I went to the Cardston temple on Friday night. Mark's caregiver is here from 4-8 and we were able to get dinner and do a temple session and be back in that time. Alyssa who is now 11 babysat the other kids and they did just fine. On our first anniversary when we already had a 2 month old baby, I wondered what we had done to put such an abrupt end to the honeymoon. Now 11 years later, it feels like it was a great idea. I'm so grateful to Alyssa for being capable of and willing to babysit so that we have the chance to strengthen our marriage and our gospel commitment. Yesterday Alyssa announced that she would like to babysit once a month so that we can attend the temple. Good times are coming!

We enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner with Rob's family on Sunday and I spent the days on Saturday and Monday in the traditional Thankgiving pursuit of harvesting. In our cold room are now 6 gunny sacks full of, altogether, 250 lbs of potatoes. Admittedly I planted too many, but who would have thought individual potatoes would grow to the size of footballs? We also harvested the carrots and cleaned out the flower beds and other now dead vegetables. We're ready for winter. Don't get me wrong though, I certainly hope it does not come soon!

Prete family portraits, part 2

Prete family portraits, part. 1

Doig Children Photo Shoot