Hettinger Happenings

Temple I Have Been To: When I joined the church in 1977, there were a handful of temples. My goal, then, was to visit each one of them. Now in 2010, there are well over a hundred temples!! I will probably never achieve my goal of going to all the temples, but I want to go to as many as I can. Here’s a list of which ones I have been to: • Washington DC • Boston • Manhattan • Logan • Mt. Timpanogo • Las Vegas • Mesa • Salt Lake City Boy, my list is short, but I do try to go as often as I can. At least once a month. I hope I can add some new temples this year!!

fWell I was watching the skiing on the Olympics yesterday and it brought back a memory of my father watching skiing on TV so intently. He really loved it. Especially in '68 when the Olympics were in France. He only wished he could have been there. It made me think of what an amazing skiier Poppy must have been. He was stationed near Innsbruck, Austria in WW II and was in the French Ski Troops. We still have his old wooden skiis. Dad reminded me how what it must be like to ski in the Austrian Alps. He had to have been an expert skiier. Nothing here in the US compares to that. It must have been really, really cold. Not only did Poppy have to ski down the moutains, but he had to climb back up with his skiis on his back. I never saw my father ski. He loved to watch it on TV, but had to desire to ever go on skiis again.

What was your best Christmas????? What was the best gift you received???? I think for me, my favorite Christmas, is the one when it snowed and snowed. Instead of opening gifts first thing in the morning, we drove down to White Plains and had Christmas "breakfast" with grandma and uncle. Then, we came home and opened our gifts. Later that day, we took dad's truck over to Aunt Julie and Uncle Bob's. Remember dad put you kids in the back under the trap......That had to be the best ever because nothing was planned and everything just happened and we had so much fun. My best gift is, probably, without doubt, the little doll outfits my mom made for me one year. She had the flu on Christmas and was in bed for a week. But apparently, while sick in bed, she hand-sewed each little outfit. Seams, snaps, trims and all. I treasured those for a long long time.

So I had dinner with Uncle last night. He said they didn't have enough work for him this week. When I started to question him about it and tell him I was going to call his job coach to see what was going on, he hung his head down low. "Oh, I told them I was on vacation....I needed a break." He called it a "white lie" and said he was sorry and he would never do it again. So when I questioned him about why Kate wasn't calling....he said "I told her I was on vacation too." So then I thought maybe he really does want to go on vacation!!!

Yesterday was Memorial Day and we were at the Walls for Family Home Evening. We had a discussion of Patriotism and love of country. Dad shared some really great thoughts. One was on his impression of the Vietnam Wall Memorial in Washington DC. He said it has a sacredness to it and was a very spiritual experience for him to be there. He talked about the 52,000 young men that gave their lives for this country. Then he spoke of D-Day in Normandy, France and that great great sacrifice of those young men. The boats landed on Normandy and the doors opened and the Germans were there waiting. The first 5 rows of men were shot instantly. The water turned blood red. He told about that sacrifice and the freedoms we take for granted. While he spoke, he cried. It reminded me of the stories I heard growing up of WWII. My father grew up in France listening to Hilter on the radio. He was 13 when Hilter invaded Paris. My grandfather was serving in the France Army (he also served in the ...

Jake and I are just dying to know if our little bugger is a boy or a girl!! We find out next Wed at 3pm. I've been looking up old wives tale predictions and this is what I've found Reasons I could be having a girl: ~It was my first initial thought when I found out I was Preg! ~ Face has been breaking out more than usual. Reason I could be having a boy: ~Jake says so! ~Did not have morning sickness...at least no throwing up ~Crave salty foods WAY more than sweet ~Chinese Predictor said BOY ~My hair has not been dry Anyone have any guesses?? Regardless I am excited and I just hope the baby is healthy and all is going smoothly in there!