September Books

Cami, I didn't realize that you had chosen books yet! I am sorry I am so late posting this! I would really like to read the book thief, I will probably a bit late however. :) Thanks for the suggestions, I look forward to the reviews!

Wonder Woman

Leslie Trane
Interview Date: June of 1996

Leslie is attending and loving Snow College. She plans on attending the University of Utah majoring in physical therapy. She wants to go on a mission, marry, and have lots of kids. Leslie is currently unemployed but worked at Kencraft during her summer months. Her favorite color is blue, her favorite movie is While You Were Sleeping, her favorite season is Christmas and her favorite shoes are her slippers. Leslie's personal hero's are Christ, all of her friends, her parents and her teachers.

Leslie's perfect man is Christlike, trustworthy, kind, forgiving, and romantic, romantic, romantic. Leslie's reply to a description of her love life is, "What is a love life?"

Leslie is having the best time of her life right now as she attends college. "I have a whole new outlook on life. I'm so...happy!" The worst time of her life was when she hit a deer on her way back to Ephraim and her most humbling experiences occur whenever she loses anything such as a game. Her most irrational act is telling Bryce all her secrets and her eyes are her favorite feature. If Leslie could change one thing about herself she would no longer be a procrastinator and she's better than anyone else when it comes to taking pictures.

Leslie's most embarrassing moment was when she got into the wrong car in a store's parking lot and a lady was sitting in the drivers seat. Leslie loves to ski, is easy to talk to and is a perfectionist. Three words that best describe Leslie: happy, friendly, and outgoing.

Leslie Trane Allen
Interview date: September of 2009

Full name: Leslie Trane Allen
Nicknames: Les
Job and job description:Evidence Based Learning Specialist for Canyons School District - Researching and helping teachers incorporate researched based, best practices in their classrooms to increase student achievement. Teaching teachers how to use formative assessments to drive and modify their instruction to meet the needs of students.
Favorite color: Pink
Favorite food: Lobster
Favorite treat: Ice Cream
Favorite book: A Time to Kill
Favorite song: Dream Big
Favorite movie: Gone in 60 Seconds
Favorite shoes: Flip Flops
Favorite season: Christmas
Favorite things to do: Making things . . . crafts
Favorite chore: No chore is a favorite
Least favorite chore: Laundry
Favorite room in the house: Living Room
Favorite place to visit: Paris - really, just anywhere in Europe! It is amazing!
Favorite feature: Eyes
Things you are good at: Crafts, scrapbooking, playing the piano, photography
Things you want to learn: to sew
Hero: My Mom
Favorite scripture, quote, or saying: May your feet take you where your heart dreams to go
Things that make you happy:
Most humbling experience: Starting a new job, and working with people who are absolutely amazing
Most irrational act: I was pretty irrational when I was coaching basketball on several occasions
Most embarrassing moment: Same as 10 years ago . . . getting in the wrong car
Where do you want to be in ten years: Have a few more kids, and maybe be a Principal.
Three words that best describe you: Outgoing, Fun, and Friendly

My family - I have been married for 3 years to Andy. One of my students, who was his niece, set us up on a blind date. Miraculously enough I came home from our first date and knew we would get married. We have a little boy named Ethan who is about 20 months old!

August Book

STARGIRL by Jerry Spinelli

I have a fantastic little book that we can read. It is fast, easy and has a great little message. It's called Star Girl! I have a bout 15 copies of it because the counseling center gave it to ALL the kids at the middle school this year to read together, and we did a social skills unit around it. So, I rounded up a bunch of copies after the kids were done reading. I could mail them, or it anyone is close by, I could swing it by, or they could pick it up in Herriman."

-Leslie

Lindsay, our Gingerbird

Lindsay "Jade" Stone
Interview Date: June of 1996

Lindsay, a diligent student at SUU plans to be a signing interpreter, get married and be happy. She is employed at Knight Demonstrators and her favorite color is green. Lindsay's favorite movie is Sleepless in Seattle, favorite season is Fall, Spring, Summer, and Winter and her favorite shoes are her hiking boots. Lindsay's personal heroes are her parents and friends and she plans on marrying Mr. Right who is genuinely nice, has his priorities straight, and "loves me for me," she says.

Lindsay's High School years were the best time of Lindsay's life and the worst time in her life was when she got her name on the board in first grade. Humbling experiences for Lindsay are when she forgets something disappointing others because of it. Her most irrational acts are revealing her secrets and her most embarrassing moment was at High School graduation when she moved her tassel to the other side at the wrong time.

Lindsay's favorite characteristic about herself is that she always has good intentions and if she could change one things about herself, she wouldn't be so shy. Lindsay is better than anyone else when it comes to blushing and three words that best describe Lindsay are honest, genuine, and kind.

Lindsay 'Jade' Stone Bezzant
Interview date: July (or Aug.) of 2009

Full name: Lindsay Bezzant
Nicknames: mom
Favorite color: Green
Favorite food: grapes
Favorite treat: chocolate
Favorite book: Emma and Sense and Sensibility
Favorite song: I still love many songs that Cami and I loved together that she introduced to me. Right now I am remembering loving that song by Chris Ledoux that was on the tape she gave me when we went to running camp. What was that song? Oh yes, "Just look at you girl." Don't we all (still) want to be thought of that way?! I need to listen to music more. As my old tapes have gotten broken slowly I have gotten SAD!! I have always wanted to get another Alison Krauss CD, we liked the one we (had). (Cami you introduced this to me to!) Do any of you that have children actually still have intact CDs? Just wondering. :)
Favorite movie: Emma
Favorite shoes: flip flops
Favorite season: fall
Favorite things to do: learn
Favorite chore: gardening
Least favorite chore: cleaning the toilet (again)!
Favorite room in the house: my bedroom
Favorite place to visit: Highland
Favorite feature: makeup!
Things you are good at: noting what I would like to work on... thinking of my to do list
Things you want to learn: TO RELAX, more about speech pathology, nutrition, natural medicine, the gospel, good books, and how to become a better person overall, but especially a wife and mother.
Hero: Gary
Favorite scripture, quote, or saying:
Things that make you happy: my new baby, when my family is all together and enjoying it, spending time outside, relaxing away from home, and being fed good food by someone else. Being with Gary!
Most humbling experience: my calling at various times
Most irrational act: half the time when I open my mouth
Most embarrassing moment: various times in my calling!
Where do you want to be in ten years: happier
Three words that best describe you:

Lindsay, will you answer these questions? Enter your answers right on this post and add any additional information about yourself that you can think of. We can't wait! Also, will you, or anybody else, post a picture of you, Lindsay?

July Book!

As I have reported to you, I am in the mood for something light, and so I have chosen the book Spindle's End by Robin Mckinley.

I enjoy many of Robin Mckinley's books because at least some of them, in my opinion, can be light but not too fluffy or overly simple. Even in her flufflier ones I enjoy her writing style! I have read this book before, which is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty, but I am going to read it again since I am great at forgetting things and I have not come across another light well-written book that I can get my hands on.

It is difficult to choose a book for everyone! If you would rather not read this book, my alternate books are
A Joyful Mother of Children by Linda Eyre and Are My Children Going to Make It?: Real Help for Teaching the Gospel in the Home by R. Wayne and Leslee S. Boss.
I have been reading and enjoying both of these books and would love to hear your comments about any of them. Happy Reading!

Lindsay

The Lois Lane of Lehi High

Erin Carter, out-going, dramatic, and caring
Interview Date: April of 1996

Erin plans on graduating from SUU in the communication department, go on a mission, come home and within six month, find the man of her dreams, marry, have three children, work part-time as our local broadcast woman, and die happy. She was recently employed at Media Play, her favorite colors are purple and forest green, her favorite movie is the Cutting Edge, her favorite season is Spring, and her favorite shoes are anything from Payless. Erin's personal heroes are her parents and BOB and she plans on marrying Ken just as soon as she steals him from Barbie. Her perfect man is tall (very tall) with good hair and pretty teeth. He must be very much into the church, funny, outgoing, smart and a good kisser. At the time of this interview, Erin described her love life as frustrating.

The best time in Erin's life was from the time her nieces were born and ever since. When asked about her worst time of life, Erin replied, "There really hasn't been a worst time in my life. I have been blessed with a loving, healthy family and I couldn't ask for better friends." However, the time she wasn't invited to Alisha Bennett's surprise birthday party was a sorrowful and dismal time of life.

A most humbling experience was when Erin, as part of the Seminary Council, went to Glen Canyon for training. Alone, she wrote a letter to her Father in Heaven telling Him what she could be better at. Erin's most irrational act was flipping Tina Goldstone off at a Stake Youth dance in ninth grade.

Erin's favorite feature are her eyelashes and she would be two inches shorter and twenty pounds lighter if she could change something about herself. She's better than anyone when it comes to flirting and her most embarrassing moment happened in her first few weeks attending SUU. While waiting in a line for her email number she fell on her bottom in front of twenty people and shortly after, ran into the men's restroom because she was loosing her skirt.

Three words to describe Erin - outgoing, dramatic, and caring. Is this still true?

Erin Carter Brown
Interview date: June of 2009

Full name: Erin Carter Brown
Nicknames: Sunshine (but no one still calls me that)
Favorite color: purple still, although I like hot pink and lime green that are popular together as well as browns and pinks together.
Favorite food: any Mexican
Favorite treat: Sugar cookies ... Smart Cookies by the movie theater in AF are the best. Yum, now I have to get one.
Favorite book: Twilight (don't think I am a sinner)
Favorite song: Garth Brooks - The Dance - It reminds me that we can't miss anything in life whether it is good or bad - we must enjoy life everyday. Spilled milk on the floor and all!
Favorite movie: the Cutting Edge is still my classic favorite but more recently I saw UP and loved it. I am reduced to kids movies these days... I am sure you understand.
Favorite shoes: Sandals - I am still wearing my simples (remember Cami?) that I bought in 1999. They are still in good shape and I hate throwing away that perfect pair of shoes. Now I will have so send a picture so you don't think I am wearing ratty old shoes.
Favorite season: Summer... kids can play outside and stop messing my house up.
Favorite things to do: Vacations. Since we can fly anywhere I have had so much fun traveling to new places with my kids and husband, we are getting to be pros.
Favorite chore: none!
Least favorite chore: dusting.
Favorite room in the house: Living Room - that is where we spend most of our time.
Favorite place to visit: California and the beach although I am in love with Sea World and we go once a year!
Favorite feature: defiantly not my washboard abs ;) I guess my eyelashes still.
Things you are good at: Organizing and planning.
Things you want to learn: photo taking and photo shop. I hate paying everyone else to take cute pictures of my kids when I have a camera and I can't capture that perfect moment ever! As you can tell by the picture I attached. My kids always look away when I am taking the picture like Amie's blog.
Hero: My mother - now that I am a mom I appreciate her more.
Favorite scripture, quote, or saying: "Trust in the Lord with all thy might..."
Things that make you happy: Going to lunch with girlfriends! Hint Hint!
Most humbling experience: Giving birth
Most irrational act: flipping off Tina at a stake dance... J/K
Most embarrassing moment: giving birth with my doctors 13 year old daughter watching. I didn't want to see it let alone let her see all my goodies!
Where do you want to be in ten years: Right here! I love where I live and my life - I couldn't ask for anything more except one more girl and then I would be satisfied!
Three words that best describe you: Mom, Mom and Mom

Erin, we love you!

June Pick

The Message
by Lance Richardson
post written by some guy

A couple years ago (2003'ish) I had the opportunity to meet Cleon Skousen, quite a well known individual in church and government circles. I spent a wonderful afternoon talking with him about a variety of subjects and over the course of that conversation he made a fascinating statement to me about a man named Lance Richardson. He told me that Lance had had an NDE (Near Death Experience) where he died, went to the spirit world, and came back. When Lance returned he said that he was told by some of the men who lived with the founding fathers of our country to read several books when he returned to help him better understand why our founding fathers were inspired to organize this country the way they did, and several of those books were written by Cleon.

Cleon is in his early-mid 90's and still pretty lucid, but I wanted to verify the story so I tried to track Lance down to ask him if this was true.

My first search led me to a website where the author claimed to be at a fireside in rural Utah somewhere and Lance came and shared his experience with a small group. This person wrote down a bunch of notes including one I thought was particularly interesting about Lance meeting up with a friend of his in heaven that was still enjoying golf in the spirit world.

So I ordered Lance's book, The Message. The book describes how Lance got some illness on a European mission when he was young that devastated his health. Numerous and frequent trips to the hospital for recurring pneumonia and other diseases really wrought havok in his body and finally after a motorcycle accident ended with his near death experience. He talks about family relations and how there are reunions and celebrations (with food :)) in heaven. It also talks about sometimes departed friends and loved ones are sent to inspire us and give us direction in our own mortal lives. Part of "the message" that Lance was instructed to bring back is that this country is on the brink of self-destruction for removing God from our lives and country. He also discusses how he was told we needed to serve each other to prepare for the coming trials and preparation for creating Zion, or a place where peace and harmony exist between people.
Finally I tracked down an email address for Lance and made contact. These are Lance's comments on the website I mentioned above:

"...the website you refer to where this guy claims to have heard me say each of these things he has in his website has many erroneous statements. I have tried several times to have him remove this material, because it is false. But he has hid behind the same legalities as the tabloids do in their false reporting. So, I have not been able to shut his article down.

"However, he does have a number of items in his article that are true. It is true that I met a friend of mine who used to be a professional golfer before he died. He is now a missionary to his ancestors, for he was the only family member in mortality that had joined the church. He was having great success, whereas these family members knew him, and loved him, and were willing to listen to him. But they do have a balance in their time and are given some time to enjoy the tremendously beautiful world God has created for them, as well. One of the things he had enjoyed in that world, he said, were some incredibly beautiful golf courses that had been created in this wondrous world. He said they were absolutely amazing. So, according to my friend, there are some of the wonderful things we enjoyed in this life in the world beyond, too. It is important that this point is properly understood, though. Unfortunately, because of this report, I have been quoted numerous times as having said that the spirits are just sitting around golfing in the spirit world, having a great time. Nothing mentioned about balance or the rest of the work they are doing. Thus I mention that it is important that the whole story be told rather than just that one sentence."

The next part is where it really started interesting me. I had asked Lance about Cleon's comments. Lance's reply drew out an exchange of emails between us that has provided me with some great reading material. Lance said:

"What occurred was that I met with many men who had died in the revolutionary and civil wars and who had assignment now, as part of a quorum, to protect America and keep her free for the final day when Christ returns and directs the building of the city of New Jerusalem, or the latter-day Zion. These men who died in the Revolutionary War shared with me that they had lived with the men who we consider as the founding fathers of America, and that they head the quorum which these men are a part of. They further explained that these men, in particular Jefferson, Adams, Franklin, and Washington, were deeply inspired in their work, and that they came to an understanding of exactly what they were ultimately doing; laying the foundation for the latter-day Zion to be built spoken of in the Old Testament by several ancient prophets. They came to understand this work that they were doing and carried out their assignments.

"These men then explained to me that I needed to understand better what they knew and what they had recognized in their studies and works. They told me several books which I should read in order to come to this better understanding. Three or four of these books were books written by Cleon Skousen about the founding fathers."

Lance died last year (2004) before he could look up from his journal the full book list, but he did give me several off the top of his head. I have only read a couple so far but they're all on my short list to get and read. Here's the list:

Books by Cleon (co-authored the last 3):
1. The Making of America
2. The Majesty of God's Law (this book, I believe, Cleon told me he wrote at President McKay's request stating this was how he got a job at BYU. President McKay and the first presidency told Cleon if the Elders of Israel are to save the constitution, we need to figure out how it is we are to do it. Please go do some research in the archives at BYU and Cleon wrote this book on the subject. I hope I'm not too far off on my recollection...)
3. The Real George Washington
4. The Real Thomas Jefferson
5. The Real Benjamin Franklin

Other books Lance was told to read:
1. Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
2. De Tocqueville's Democracy in America

If you are interested in getting Lance's book "The Message," and I do heartily recommend it as well as a couple other of his items, you can go to http://www.americanfamilypublications.com/. I have read his book "Masquerading as Angels" which is a wonderful story he only partly tells in his book "The Message" about a family service vacation that is very inspirational. I also have his tape set "They Saw Our Day" which talks about Indian Prophecies of Christ's second coming. After playing the tapes for some scouts on an overnighter, one of them replied "whoa, that's crazy cool!" Take that as an endorsement I guess. Purchasing from the website I just gave you also helps support Lance's family directly. That is their own personal website and they could use the support since Lance's death has obviously burdened the family.