Day #4, Embrace the Ordinary

My friend Amy is hosting a link up titled "Embrace the Ordinary" thru Lent. I've really enjoyed her posts, and others in the the series. So today I bring you five ordinary pictures captured on my phone last Wednesday and Thursday (because I originally planned on posting this on Friday, with Amy).

Reid, before his swimming class last Wednesday.

Coraline, sleeping peacefully during Reid's swimming class. 

"Blast Off!" Notice the wonderful map Daddy drew, asteroid belt included. 

The sweet face of a cupcake eater. I made 48 last Thursday, everything from scratch. They were delish.

Back story for this photo: 

I was putting Coraline down for her mid-day nap, and I asked Nell to go get a book. She quickly shrilled "I don't need a nap!" She cried, while repeating the phrase several times, but I insisted she go pick a book without making any threats of a nap. 

Once Coraline was fast asleep I went and helped Reid clean all the dry beans off his bedroom floor. He'd been in there for about 20 minutes because I refused to let him out before every last one was put back in his concrete mixer. 

Imagine it, I had Nell screaming "No Nap!" from the nursery and Reid screaming "this is too hard!" from their bedroom. And all I wanted to do was get the baby to sleep!

Anyway, Reid was calm as soon as I entered the room. He still had to pick up each bean by himself, but my mere presence gave him the courage he needed to get the job done. So once he was calm I went to check on Nell and her progress with finding a book. I found her passed out on the front room floor. 

Just like a baby. 

To many, my life is simple. Totally ordinary. But I contend, that even in these simplest moments, it is extraordinary. 

Bleed Blue

On my list of 100 reasons to love Utah State, cost is one of them.

There's this notion floating around the internet world that college degrees aren't worth their cost.  There have always been naysayers when it comes to higher education, but the fact that student loan debt has now matched credit card debt in America . . . I think the argument is getting a little more attention.  One report says the cost of college has risen thirtyfold, where health care has risen sixfold and inflation threefold.  So yes, thirtyfold is steep.

To quote wikipedia cause they say it better than I do (plus did you know research shows wikipedia is as legit as the Encyclopedia Britannica? -- which means, yes I let my students use and quote it, I also showed them how to use the footnotes to find the original source to make sure it was accurate information).  Notice all the footnotes in this piece; bolding added per my highlights:

In recent years, Utah State University has received high national rankings in a diverse array of categories, especially in regards to overall value. In 2010, Forbes listed USU as the #1 highest-ranked public university in the nation within its category of most inexpensive places to go to school.^[52] It is also the #1 public university in the West (and in the top 5 public universities nationwide) on the similar Forbes list of "America's Best College Buys."^[53] USU has also in the past been ranked 1st in the nation among public universities, by U.S. News and World Report, for graduates with the least amount of debt.^[54]

The Princeton Review has ranked Utah State among the "Best Western" schools for many years,^[55] and Popular Science called it one of the Top 10 Smartest Schools in the nation.^[56] The university also leads the nation in funding for aerospace research and the number of student experiments actually sent out into space.^[28] Various entities within the university have received high departmental rankings, such as the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services, which ranks 2nd in the nation for total research dollars received by any one college, and in the top 2% for all graduate colleges of education.^[38] The athletics program recently won a National Championship for most sports success per dollar spent.^[57]

Logan and the surrounding communities also feature prominently on national lists, including #1 safest U.S. metropolitan area,^[58] #3 in "Best Cities to Find a Job",^[59] and #10 in "Best Small Places for Business and Careers"  

Now, I'd be truly lying if I said I paid for my own college education.  Yes, I worked all 4.5 years of college and I did pay for my last two semesters (which I just finished paying off with this years tax return).  But what really got me through college was being the proud recipient of the Scott and Claudia scholarship fund.  I just had to keep above a 3.5 and always hold down a part-time job.  So to say I feel the burden of expensive education costs would be a lie, but I still feel lots of pride in knowing I  graduated from the highest ranking department in a nationally ranked university, known for being the best dollar for your education.

Most importantly, if USU hadn't been so cheap I may have never met Ben.  Any Aggie can tell you there are lots of Illinois and Washington/Oregon license plates driving around Cache Valley, simply because it's cheaper to pay USU's out-of-state tuition than either of those states' in-tuition cost.

I'm just hoping all this "college isn't worth the $$" buzz, makes other public university systems realize they can offer a world class education without charging their student's for life.  Go USU!

Smore pictures of the weekend

I may or may not retell these events with actual words; but for now, I have just a few more pictures I love and therefore have to share.  

 No words needed here.

 We took a gazillion pictures and of course we are all looking at a different camera in each one.

 That, or Reid looks like a wobbly drunk.
Prop him up Dad!

Three generations of Szilagyi men.

 I might have to pass this one along to my sister-in-law Mel to crop out that shadow.  She has become a skilled photo editor.  And this one will be perfect when the shadow is gone.

This last one may not fit in with the rest, but I'm still just so pumped I got to wear that shirt again.  I'm also a little bummed that with all the Aggie gear we have lying around our house, my husband chose the wrong shirt. 

School Days

Have I ever told you that I had the best Elementary School Principal ever? It's true, I did. He slaved away at the school, planning things like nifty notes, Bee Bucks, Hall of Fame, assemblies, school plays, and on and on. As my father, he encouraged me to be active in all these extra activities and I'll never forget the bribes he gave me so that I'd do well on my spelling tests. Mmm, I could go for a shake at Leo's right now. Despite all these bribes I was always out on the first round of the Spelling Bee. It was the Geography Bee that lead me to success (second in my class, fourth overall). Shucks, I was so proud. I loved my Principal so much it didn't even bother me to spend an extra year at the school. No, I didn't get held back. 5th grade was demoted to Elementary school.

But eventually I did have to move on to Middle School, and boy was I obnoxious! I sewed my hair together in home ec. Made a fool out of old Mr. Owens daily, and about a hanful of other things I'm too ashamed to mention. I was grounded throughout most of the 8th grade. And if Mrs. Tanner, the planning center lady, hadn't liked me so much I wouldn't have lasted long on the Basketball team. So I guess I'm thankful for her, Mrs. Zubeck, Mr. Lilywhite, Mrs. Holman and the few others who saw past the bratty little teenager starving for attention.

Then on to high school. I'm one of those people who will tell you I looooved high school. Would I do it again? NO. But I wouldn't change a minute of it. And people can laugh all they want about a DHS education, but I learned plenty there. MoDel kicked my butt and got me ready for college more than any other class. Mr. Sanders challenged me to think critically and not just memorize facts. Mrs. Roper, bless her heart, wasn't afraid to let me find my own ways to work out a problem (I say bless her heart because I know I was a little chatty in her classes). And George Henry, do teachers get any better than that? My grassroots in Delta sure did lead me on the right path.

And thanks Mom and Dad for being too afraid to send your little girl to her dream college in the big city of Salt Lake. Going to USU was the best decision I've ever made. I think I just may force all my kids to go there too. I'm so grateful I went to a hippie college where the professors were world travelers and research scholars. I'm grateful they were open minded and even "liberal" at times. I'm grateful most my class sizes were small enough the professors knew me by name and welcomed me to their office. I'm grateful for the few great English professors who truly helped me improve my writing, even if time away from the University hinders my continual progress. I love Utah State and miss it all the time. Go Aggies.

Today, as you can guess, I'm grateful for my education.

Sweet Music to My Ears

I'm actually grateful nothing has happened lately. This gives me a chance to write a "Thankful" post. I haven't done one of these for months. And you know what I'm Thankful for this Thursday, the hymns. I've been thinking about them a lot lately. They bring such peace to my soul. They truly are scripture put to beautiful music. Well, I'm going to share with you five hymns I am most thankful for and why.

1. Hymn #219, Because I Have Been Given Much.

It was the summer of 2000 and my mother's parents were quickly deteriorating into old age. My mom had a big question on her mind and in her heart. So of course she took this question to the Lord. She was debating between putting her parents in a home or bringing them into her own home to take care of them. One Sunday in sacrament meeting we sang this hymn with it's beautiful words "Because I have been given much I too must give . . . I cannot see another's lack and I not share . . . I shall give love to those in need." I remember looking over at my mother and wondering why she had tears in her eyes. Later she told me that hymn answered her prayers. Because her parents had given her so much, she too must give. And just a few weeks later my grandmother and grandfather were moved into our home. They didn't stay long, life took them shortly after they were situated. But I will always cherish the months they stayed with us. And I learned much from my mother. When the time comes for me to face the same questions I am certain I will also take my parents into my home to be cared for.

Jon and I with our grandparents at age four and two.

2. Hymn #134 I Believe In Christ

My Junior year of college was hands down the best. It was filled with ups and downs. Love and heartbreak. Questions and answers. And the greatest roommates of all time. One Sunday, shortly after I finally got my answer that I was to put in my mission papers, all six of us girls were sharing a pew when the closing hymn of Sacrament meeting was about to be sung. First, I must explain the Continental Ward is amazing. It has the highest activity rate of all the USU wards. And half the Institute Choir. Therefore, we sang beautifully as a congregation. I had always loved the hymn "I Believe in Christ" because of it's beautiful testimony of Christ, but this particular day the hymn was more beautiful than ever before. Three-hundred voices were booming with praise for our Savior. I looked to my roommate Gina with a smile and noticed tears in her eyes and she whispered to me, "I can't give the closing prayer like this," wipping tears from her eyes. I hugged her for reassurance, the hymn ended, and she walked to the pulpit and gave the most humbling group prayer I have ever heard. It was such a spiritual moment for all of us present. We were all moved by the spirit that day. It was amazing.

The greatest roommates ever. Emily, Janelle, Gina. Me, Michelle, and Jenny. They came down to Delta for my farewell. And Gina broke her foot while we were four wheeling together in Oak City canyon.

3. Hymn #98 I Need Thee Every Hour

Missionary work in Kuching, East Malaysia was a lot harder than I had expected. We rode our bikes hundreds of miles each week, in the humid jungle forest of Borneo Island. We had few investigators in the city of 1.2 million people. One of the two small branches was swamped with less active families who lived in the poorest neighborhood in the whole city - Batu Kawa RPR resettlement area. Each Friday morning started with a trip to visit all the less active families of this neighborhood. We road our bikes through the beauty of the jungle and into the filth of this neighborhood around 11:00 am. Just when I was thinking "I can't bike any further" we would reach the humble abode of Sister Bienna's family and find her three small children playing in what would be considered a front yard. Once the kids spotted us they would shout "Sister! Sister!" and start running after us as we biked towards Agatha and Juing's house. When they'd realize we weren't stopping at their house first they would start to sing, with flawless English "I need thee every hour most gracious Lord." They'd sing it from the top of their lungs, as they stood atop a giant mud hill. It was as if they were beckoning for us to come to their house first. The amazing part about this is that the family didn't speak English. But they could sing the whole song perfectly. It gave me chills every time. It was just the boost I needed to get through our morning visits to this poverty torn area.

Bienna and her family at Church. When I first arrived in Kuching her husband, Chundy wouldn't even greet us. By the time I left he was committed to baptism, I think it was little Gracie's singing that won him over.

4. Hymn #221 Dear to the Heart of the Shepherd
As I've already said, there were a lot of less actives in the Kuching 2nd Branch, many of which we didn't even have addresses for. The reason Batu Kawa RPR resettlement area was called "resettlement area" was because one weekend the government decided to uproot the whole neighborhood from one side of the city to the other. People had one day to build new houses on any flooded lot they could find in Batu Kawa. This panic caused the missionaries to lose contact with many recently baptized members, and almost a year later Sister Weldon and I studied the paper work on three young teenagers who were completely "lost" from missionary visits and branch contact.

It was a regular morning, and companionship study was about to start. We were tired of the same old hymns we always sung. So I flipped through my book to see if there was a hymn simple enough I could sight read it. I had never tried to sight read before, but all my years of piano practice pulled through when I was able to hum out the tune of "Dear to the Heart of the Shepherd." The words really struck us, especially the fourth verse "Off to the rescue we'll hasten, bringing them back to the fold." These words inspired us to fill the block of time we had open in the evening with "searching for the lost teenagers of Batu Kawa."

In the dark of the night we were biking down streets unknown to us, in the swamps of the resettlement area when out of no where a boy not much older than nine asked us "Are you looking for Esther Kho?"

"YES!!!" We shouted. How he knew that is beyond me. I guess the whole neighborhood was use to seeing two orang putei (white people) wander the streets and visiting the same old houses.

"She lives right there," said the young boy pointing to the house on the corner. We approached the door and asked to speak to Esther. She was so surprised to see us. And was eager to agree to meet us later on in the week. She also agreed to tell us where Elson Sim, her brother's best friend, lived. We road our bikes home on a cloud that night, singing the words to our newly learned hymn.

Esther Kho, Me and Esther's Muslim friend. Esther helped us find Elson Sim, another less active, and Jasmine Lee a long time investigator. Jasmine, her mother, and four of her sibblings were baptized after I left.

5. Hymn #152 God Be With You Till We Meet Again
It was my last evening in Kuching and I wanted to spend it with the Bail family. Sister Taburnal, my Filipina companion was willing to do whatever I wanted so we biked out to Desa Wira for one last visit with the Bails. We only found half the family at home, but they were eager to let us share and spend some time saying our goodbyes. We gave a short lesson and then asked what song they wanted to sing for closing and Sister Nosey looked at me with a smile and said "God be with you till we meet again Sister." I tried my best to sing the hymn, with one arm around Fransisca - their teenage daughter. As we wrapped up the hymn Sister Nosey asked me to say the closing prayer. It was so cruel, I was so emotional, but I knew the words of the hymn were true.

As we were mounting on our bikes I hugged Fransisca one last time and said "See you in the Celestial Kingdom." She smiled back at me and said "No, Lah." To which I grabbed her tightly and said "Yes, Lah. You are going to make it. Easier than you think." And I know she will make it. Fransisca Bail is one of the most pure teenagers I have ever known. I actually was fortunate enough to see her a year later at Youth Conference in Sibu. I'll never forget how quickly she ran to me when she spotted me. It was the sweetest hug I've ever received. And I had a gift for her. Two CTR rings. I told her one was for her and the other was for her best friend. Much to my surprise I saw her older brother Michael wearing the extra ring the next day. The Bail's always knew how to put family first. I love that girl and can't wait till I see her again.
Little Edward Juing, Tina (an investigator Fransisca fellowshipped) Me, Domie Bail and Fransisca Bail.

Flashback Friday . . . Summer Time

I've never been so anxious for summer in my whole life. And I have a feeling this will be the best one yet. So let me reminisce on this flashback Friday, about the competition. The summer to beat is '03. Summertime in Logan, Utah

The roommates . . .

Liz Hales and I had been living together since the fall. And it was bliss. I LOVE LIZ!!! I moved in to her room so we could be room-roommates and stay up late talking. Our other three roommates moved out and three more moved in. It didn't take long for us to become good friends with Kim Webb and Kacey Holden. We had our differences, Kim and Kacey liked to work out and eat right. They ran for hours every day and ate rice cakes for a snack. Liz and I on the other hand, we'd been known to down a whole pizza and a tub of ice cream after our weekly Basketball games, the only workout we ever got. Well, that and walking up the hill to school. But the great thing about summer is you don't have to go to school, so no hill. Anyway, the things we had in common were what made us friends. All four of us wanted to have a good time. We were always meeting new people and found something to entertain us every night. I still can't believe how much fun we had. Everything from floating down the river, video taping random apartment thefts, tackling strangers, and many many bonfires. Thanks ladies for the most fun summer ever.


My jobs . . .
I had been working at Golden Corral for a full year, and wasn't about to quit. The money was really good and I had lots of friends to work with. But I also wasn't able to work full time, so I found another part time job. At the Buckle. I loved it. The sales end of it was a bit difficult, but it was just like shopping all day. And every now and then you get a customer who really needs your help and it's so fun to please them. And of course, the discount was great! I stocked up on clothes (and spent half the money I earned).

The girls. . .
Liz and I were busy making friends with everyone that seemed fun. These three girls really caught our eye. I recognized Lyndi Wayman from the GC and took the initiative to be friend her. After that becoming friends with Kiera George and Daphne Hartziem was easy.
As I was looking through pictures to scan I noticed we were laughing hysterically in all of them. That's how much fun we had together. We had girls night out, ate pies, and giggled about the boys we liked all summer long. It was so fun to have such good friends close by.

The incidents . . .
This summer was really weird because I got sent to the hospital three times in like two weeks. First, a bee stung me (practically on the behind). I had my friend pull out the stinger and thought nothing of it. Till a few days later, when my neck grew a lump the size of an apple. Hospital trip #1. I think I'm allergic to bees.

Then, a couple weeks later, I got herpes! That's right, an STD. And the Doctor refused to believe I was morally clean. You should read the diagnosis. It makes me sound like a horny lesbian. But I stand by my statement, Liz had a cold soar that I caught and it was all down hill from there. My gums, lips, and tongue were infested with cold soars. I couldn't eat, talk, drink, swallow my spit right, nothing. It was so gross. And super painful. So bad I went to the ER twice. The second time in tears, begging for answers from a different, more qualified Doctor.

The boys . . .
I started the summer out in a relationship. It didn't last long. After I realized all the fun I'd be missing I dropped him. He'd moved back to Idaho and I just wasn't up for the long distance thing.

Then I almost got kissed by a German. Parts of me wish I hadn't fallen off the couch just so I could say I kissed a Nazi. He didn't like those jokes though.

Near summers end I fell in love. And learned some of the greatest lessons I ever could have. I learned to recognize when a relationship just isn't meant to be. That lesson made it much easier for me recognize when it was so right. Heavenly Father knows what He is doing and despite all the heartache I went through at the time, I'm grateful for the experience I had. Each time I fell in love before I met Ben, just makes me realize how much more I love him.