Marriage Tips

10 Ways to Daily Improve Any Relationship
Complied by Victor W. Harris, MS

1. Say "I love you"
2. Kiss or hug
3. Give a compliment
4. Mediate for 3 minutes (Why it is wonderful to be married to my partner. . .)
5. Touch "Goodbye"
6. Touch "Hello"
7. Share a personal feeling
8. Perform an Act of Service
9. Keep a Promise (Trust)
10. Provide Surprises

Just a little of what I'm learning in one of my college classes!

Festival of Trees

We have decided to donate a tree to the Festival of Trees this year in Caydin's name.  The title of the tree is "Christmas at Last", and is based on the Chronicles of Narnia.  We will be decorating it with Narnia themes, toys, figurines, etc.  Of course, the Chronicles of Narnia are a parallel of the gospel, with Aslan representing Christ.  We felt this was an appropriate and yet fun theme since it is through our Savior that we will one day be blessed to be with Caydin again.  If anyone is interested in donating towards our tree to help pay for the cost of creating it, our mailing information for it can be found here.

In case anyone doesn't know what the Festival of Trees is, it is a fundraiser for Primary Children's hospital, and people donate trees in the name of a loved one who has passed on.  The trees are sold, and the proceeds from the trees are donated to Primary's to help patients and families of patients to pay their medical bills.  Caydin spent the last 30 hours of his life at Primary's, and I am so grateful that he was at a place where the doctors and nurses are so expert at children's care, and also knowledgeable in how to help families who's child does not survive.  Caydin's accident and resulting medical care costs were in the hundred's of thousands of dollars, and that was just for 30 hours!  We were blessed at the time to have insurance that covered the cost, but there are many families that don't have that good of insurance, or any insurance at all!  And, there are many children who spend MUCH more time in that hospital getting continual treatment than we did, who could really use some help with the bills.  Medical cost bills can be even tougher to pay than normal bills because of the emotion behind the care received, especially if the results were of a loved one passing away; it can be a monthly reminder of that heartbreaking time!  So, I know that the proceeds from our tree will be greatly appreciated by those who will be receiving it from the hospital!

You Never Know

Living by an Air Force base, you never know what you are going to see!  Earlier this week we were driving down the main street here by our house right after we had picked Eden up from school.  Suddenly, flying over our heads was this Stealth bomber!  I couldn't get my camera out quick enough to get a decent picture of it because by the time I got a picture, it was behind us and so flat to our view that it is hard to see what it was!  But, we noticed the route it was flying, and thought there was a chance it was heading back to the Air Force base, and decided to drive up there to see if we would be able to see it.  On our way there, it again passed over us, flying the same route!  We got to the base just as it was landing and taking off again, so I was able to get this video of it!  We've noticed that planes, especially the bigger transport ones, often fly a circle over the base, landing and then taking off again.  I'm guessing that they do this to practice their landings and take offs.  Anyway, ironically, after I took this video, it actually changed course and flew off over towards the west desert, which is where the other jets are always flying to, and didn't come back!  So, I was glad we got this video!  The jets can be noisy, but it is kind of fun living by the base and seeing the F-16's flying over head several times a day!  It doesn't really get old to me, and since my kids are used to the noise of them now, it's all good!