Happy Mother's Day Mom!

I stumbled across this picture this morning and spent a few minutes pondering on it. This is my amazing Mom in 1945. Some thoughts on my Mom:

• One of the hardest workers I know. She was forced to go back to work when I was young, but I never knew it. She managed a home, job and four kids and never complained, once. She was home before I was home from school and never missed a beat.


• She could make a dollar go farther than anyone. She was very frugal and could magically make enough for everyone, provide gifts, do whatever she had to do on a dime. Amazing.


• She was incredibly caring. We had a blue rocking chair and many wounds were healed in long conversation in that chair (internal and external).


• She is incredibly intelligent. She has a love of books and could read an entire 800 page book in two or three sittings. She was always (and is always) reading.


• She sings beautifully. I've always found comfort in her singing voice. She sang in all the elite choirs in high school and at BYU. She still sings in her amazing church choir. I always found a spiritual depth to her as a kid when she would sing. I would look up and feel like the words were directly from her heart, as if she wrote them. At that time I believed she did write them.


• Her faith. Unmovable. PERIOD. She is steadfast and firm, never wavering. I am most grateful for this.


• Her humor. We've enjoyed many moments where we laugh so hard we are crying. Actually, laughing so hard one is crying - that's her thing and it's kinda funny.
• She is an amazing Grandma to my kids. My girls have affectionately called the guest room "Grandma Sherri's room" and they have in the past wanted their hair to be "Grandma Sherri hair." She is coming to visit in a few weeks and will stay for two weeks and we are thrilled. The gals can't wait to watch Enchanted with her.

WE LOVE YOU MOM!

BE SIMPLE - A FAVORITE WEBSITE

Had to share. I love this website and the more I poke around on it the more I love it. Scroll down to the "topics" area and see all the articles. This is one of my favorites:

52_TIPS on Zenhabits.net

Enjoy! Let me know what you think.

Ryan

It's Official and We're VERY Excited!!!

NEW GILBERT AZ TEMPLE

WILD FRIDAY...

An outward manifistation of how we all feel on FRIDAY! I came home from my early morning swim team workout and walked into two gals decked out and watching High School Musical. Thank goodness its Friday! We all feel it this week.

A Saturday with the Secrists!

Once and a while we ditch all responsibilities and disappear downtown to the PHX Farmer's Market.

Farmers markets are a ground level view into a community. These markets bring together artists, farmers, craftsmen, and characters. It's a place to people watch, shop, eat and listen to local music.

The PHX Market is a relatively young market. It has been a few months since we attended last and we were amazed at the growth! In speaking with some of the vendors we learned that enough money has been raised to open a permanant market store and revamp the crude parking lot that transforms itself each Saturday. We are thrilled.

Phoenix, as a city, is in its teenage years, defining itself right now, and the progress of this farmers market is evidence of this growth. This is a metropolis morphing itself into one of the largest cities in the US. The longer I live here the more I like this city and I appreciate these growing traditons that are springing up across the Valley.

The market also serves as an outstanding teaching opportunity for our kids. Hattie and Neeley bring their earned money and look forward to visiting the "soap lady" (see picture above), the "heart necklace lady", and looking at all the dogs with their even more interesting owners. Taani is on a first-name basis with an amazing jewlery artist, and I love my fresh baked bread and locally made cheese spread (a total treat).

Today I realized we are part of this city. We are contributors (in a small way) to this growing community and we have come to respect and value the entrepreneurs that come out each week and share their talents with the rest of us. The people are so friendly with the kids and know them now - it is a special and simple family treat. From fresh herbs to brilliant flowers the market is always alive and thriving.

Go support your local farmers market. It is a glimpse of what your area/city has to offer all bundled in a nice package each week. There's something about the simpleness of the market and those that operate the booths that remind us to keep our lives simple, decluttered from the pursuit of stuff. It exposes my kids to art, music, interesting people and also provides them a chance to earn money during the week to spend at the market.

If you are in PHX go to http://www.foodconnect.org/phoenixmarket/index.asp. See you there!

School Picture Day!

We are raising two very different kids. Guess which one gives us a run for our money? Man, this photographer should be promoted - he captured it.

PB&J Brigade!

Well, things come full circle. When I (Ryan writing here) was in high school my good friend set up a weekly meeting after school where we would make peanut butter & jelly sandwiches and deliver them to the homeless in Pioneer Park in Salt Lake City. It is one of those memories that stuck with me - an outstanding experience for a 17 year old and his group of friends.

Recently I connected with an organization based in Tempe that provides countless services for the homeless in a city where homelessness is not addressed, nor are facilities available. I was asked to serve on their board of directors. I'm thrilled for this opportunity especially because there's an opportunity to bring my young kids into this project by...well, you guessed it...by making PB&Js.

Since Urban Outreach is headquartered in a local Methodist church sufficient kitchens to serve meals do not exist. As a result, our family decided to make sack lunches and deliver them to the church for distribution. Nothing major, but an OUTSTANDING opportunity for our family to serve whereas we wouldn't be able to do much in a soup kitchen with young children. And yes, jelly was flying last night, but we got the job done and delivered.

So it appears the PB&J Brigade from Davis High School lives on in Arizona!